{{{ Chapter Five }}}
The next morning dawned bright and clear but the required people assembled wordlessly in Setsuna's office. No one quite meeting the eyes of anyone else, the seven young people shifted about nervously, not knowing what to expect from the meeting.
"Morning everyone," said Setsuna as she walked in. "Now I am quite sure you want to know exactly why you're here, for a number of reasons actually. Firstly, some of our people have taken sick at our offices over on 12th Avenue and as I'm sure Mr. Chiba appriciates we need to send someone over there. I want one of my best and so Serena," pausing to regard the young woman Setsuna was surprised to see that her eyes showed no horror or fear, simply understanding and resignation as she squared her shoulders and lifted her head up. Mentally smiling she continued her point, "I'm sending you over there to work with Darien. Now, second problem there is an employee here at the tower who works here who is to say the least, an evil person."
"What?" asked Serena. "Everyone who works here is so nice," she added strongly.
"Almost everyone," interupted Mina with a scowl on her face.
"That's right Mina almost everyone here is nice. And I want to change that to everyone. For some time I have know that this particular person is not very nice but I havn't been able to fault her in anything. Yesterday however, I found out about something that she did a few years ago, something that everyone here knows about. And I dare say none of us have or ever will forgive her for what she did. For that alone I would get rid of her. Also, she had an unexplained leave yesterday. Apparently only one of many." Looking at the blank looks on Darien and Serena's faces and the understanding on everyone else's Setsuna finished her small speech, "I want everyone to know that I do not tollerate people doing cruel things behind the backs of my top employees or even to their faces, and that includes things done to them before they were my employees."
"What are you talking about Setsuna?" asked Darien confused. "If you're talking about what I think you are then…"
"Then what Mr. Chiba?"
Glaring accros the room at Setsuna Darien fell quiet.
"What is it that I seem to be left out of, that everyone else knows about?" Asked Serena glaring around the room at her friends. Her frantic eyes rested on Setsuna, "Setsuna?"
"Ms Setsuna, the person you wanted to see is here now" came the voice of the secutary over the intercom.
"Thanks, send her in." 'Well here goes nothing.'
Through the door came a woman of about 25 years, long red hair and a face that would be pretty if it wasn't gloating over her apparent popularity at having a meeting with Setsuna. 'By Kami-sama,' thought Setsuna with a smile to herself, 'she has no idea what's coming to her.' By now the woman had come into the office far enough to see the other occupants and her gloating smile fell. Beryl was faced with the stern, accusing and unforgiving eyes of Lizzy, Amy, Mina and Setsuna. The murderous looks directred at her from Raye and Lita were enough to make anyone want to turn and run. And Darien and Serena had their backs to the door and hadn't turned around yet.
Feeling the temperature drop noticibly at the entrance of the new person, Serena lifted her head up from where it had been looking at the carpet. Noticing the looks on all her friends faces and the gasp from the new person Serena completely confused and surprised turned around to see who it was.
Having just looked at the expressions of hatred and unforgivness on everyones faces and the gasp from behind him, Darien's fears were confirmed. 'Not Beryl?' Turning around at the same time as Serena he noticed that everyone in the room was now looking between him, Serena and Bereyl.
"Beryyyllll." The one word turning into a paragraph, a low, omnious growl coming from deep in Serena's throat. The name expressed all of Serena's rage, fury, hostility, loathing, revulsion and pure hatred directed at Beryl.
* * * @----{-------- * * *
For a few moments the room was dead still. Setsuna, Mina, Raye, Lizzy, Lita, Amy and Darien were all looking between Beryl and Serena. Serena's face was simply blank, as were her eyes as she looked at the carpet.
Beryl went from stareing at Setsuna in confusion and outrage, to stareing at Serena with fury, loathing and not a small amount of gloating. "Well, well, well… if it isn't little Serena. Still not back with your boyfriend hey? That wouldn't be because of me now would it?" She asked gloatingly, with a sly grin that inferred she knew it was. "I didn't think he was going to tell you about us this time…"
* * * @----{-------- * * *
For a moment Serena was deciding between complete fury with a death wish for Beryl and crumpling to the floor and bawling her eyes out for all her pain and loss that this bitch had caused her. She decided revenge was best. With fury she lifted her face from looking at the carpet.
"I didn't think he was going to tell you about us this time…"
And paused… her face blank again.
"NO!"
Surprised she looked to where that vehement yell came from, and focussed on two impassioned, stormy blue eyes.
With complete certainty, honesty and ferver, Darien continued once he had Serena's attention. "Please, do not listen to her. We didn't do anything. I made a stupid mistake once, three years ago, and I haven't so much as touched her since. Please believe me. Hate her, hate me, whatever you need to. But do not let her hurt you more. Ignore her desperate attemts to hurt us again… please," he begged of her.
"Oh, believe him this time will you, you didn't last time." Beryl spat out at Serena.
* * * @----{-------- * * *
Looking into his clear blue eyes as he finished his short speech she saw something there that she hadn't seen for years. Wondering to herself she thought, 'was that there before and was I just to blind to see it? Or to hurt?' Passion, sympathy, caring, hate for Beryl and love for her, little Serena. All these emotions were blasting from his eyes along with absolute truth. As one solitary tear made its way from her eye Serena turned away from her once 'true love' and back to Beryl.
In that one clear instant she saw the truth. Looking behind the façade of long red hair, a volumtous body and piles of makeup, Serena saw the real Beryl. What she saw surprised her. "You're nothing but a scared, evil little girl," muttered Serena in surprise. "Do you get pleasure from hurting other people? Or do you have something specific against me and Darien?" she asked in a quiet, clam voice.
"Wha… you.. you're not supposed to say that," stuttered Beryl. "That's not how 'you' react," she spat. "You're the one who's the 'little girl'."
"Well I guess I can thank you for that. It seems I've matured since you last spoke with me three years ago. Beryl I never want to see you again. You can't hurt me, I am now imune to your antics and I will take no more of your crap." Said Serena calmly. Turning to walk past Beryl to the door, Serena turned back once and omniously stated, looking Beryl in the eyes, "You come near me, Darien or any of my friends *ever* again and I will personally ensure that you don't live to see the sun rise again."
The only sound in the room was the quiet closing of the door behind Serena.
"Well then," continued Setusna after a pause. "If the rest of you could please leave Beryl and I alone for a moment."
* * * @----{-------- * * *
"Wow," said Mina with a sigh, "that was tense.
With a glare at the closed door Lita muttered, "I just wish I could be in there with her now."
'My, my… Serena is so much stronger than even I realsied she was'. With a short look at the door Raye calmed Lita, "I think Serena got all the revenge she needed, there is no reason for you to be in there with Beryl now."
"WHAT?????"
"I SAID YOU'RE FIRED! LEAVE TODAY AND DON'T EVER COME BACK!"
Staring in surprise at the door, the six young people jumped back out of the way as an enrage Beryl stormed out the door of the room, past them and into the stairwell across the room.
* * * @----{-------- * * *