Chapter 6
Trowa's P.O.V.
Trowa looked over Quatre's shoulder at the floor plans they had found in the floor platform.
"These are some pretty amateur layouts..." Duo muttered.
Quatre nodded in agreement. "This person's handwriting is terrible. Oh, here. Atlantis. We must be here. It seems like there is a staircase inside that stone door." He brought the next page to the front. "Maze? There's a maze down there?"
"Rei did say the museum was mostly puzzles." Trowa added quietly.
"Hey, what are those dark spots around the maze?" Duo asked, pointing to several black spots scattered through the blank area of the maze.
Quatre shrugged and moved to the third page of the plans. "Hmmm."
"More of the dark spots." Wufei observed, leaning on the thin, blue paper. Indeed there were more spots dotted around in variously named exhibits on the second floor. "Ink spots?" He asked suspiciously.
"Maybe, but I doubt it. See, here are rooms that are drawn with that ink, not the white pencil, like these other rooms. Who would use black ink on this blue architect paper?" Quatre looked up at the others.
"An amateur." Wufei said bluntly.
"Still, is seems sorta suspicious to me..." Duo commented.
Wufei snorted loudly. "I am surprised you still have the ability to think after how many times you've-"
"Now is not the time to argue..." Quatre said soothingly.
"But Duo does have a point. Something is not right about this diagram." Trowa straightened and looked back at the stone face, which stared into the back room solemnly.
"We'll ask Rei about it." Quatre resolved, rolling up the floor plans and standing up.
There was a distinct sniff from the other side of the hall. They looked over to see a ruffled Relena leaning casually against a pillar. "'Let's ask Rei!' 'We'll ask Rei!'" She mimicked them in a high voice. "You would think she was some kind of goddess or something, the way you all treat her." She rolled her eyes. "The spots are probably just some stupid architect who couldn't find his pencil and got lazy." She tightened her arms together and looked away. "You don't have to go running to her with every little detail."
Trowa looked down at Quatre, who still knelt on the floor. "She has a point." Quatre said loudly, obviously trying to avoid more conflict. He stood up with the papers and the jar in hand. "We should go out to the other room to wait for Rei and Heero." He said and started down the hall.
Trowa looked after him for a second. (Rei doesn't need to know every detail.) And he followed Quatre.
Rei's P.O.V.
Heero stepped into the Ancient Animals room, closely followed by Rei.
"Looks like you found a suitable bag." Quatre observed.
"Hn." Heero dropped the bag off his shoulder and handed it to Relena. "Put the books in."
Relena hesitated a moment, but complied. She silently swept the books, the two talismans and the four jars into the bag. She zipped it up and handed it to Heero, who took it with out hesitation. Rei mentally recounted what they could be forgetting. (We've gotten so many parts of the game already. Maybe this won't take as long as I thought.)
Duo looked back and forth between Heero and Rei and cleared his throat loudly. "I hate to bust somebody's bubble, but having that bag around might, um, interfere with Heero's taking out of those zombie things." He put his hands on the back of his head and looked away. "Just a thought."
Heero nodded and slung the bag carefully to the floor. "We don't know the objectives of these creatures. So far they have been in or around every room there has been a jar or talisman in it. Rei cannot keep the bag; if these creatures go for it and take her out, we lose the only guide to the game that we have; and none of us can carry it, because it would, as Duo said, interfere with how we protect the girls."
"So the only option we have is." Trowa trailed off and the group looked over at Relena.
She looked around and opened her mouth. "You can't be serious! You want me to carry that stupid bag around this place, like someone's caddy?!" She shrieked, losing her calm in the moment.
The room was silent as everyone's eyes stayed on Relena.
She suddenly regained her composure and smoothed her skirt. She glanced at the bag and, looking around at the grim faces around her, picking it up and hung it across her shoulder.
Rei felt her sympathy for the girl again. (It's not my fault I've done this game before.) She looked away. (Concentrate, Rei, you still have to get them out of here. Once we're out, everyone's life can go back to the way it was.) Her eyes felt suddenly drawn to Heero. (Once I go back home, he'll be gone. No, stop that. We have work to do. Come on.) Rei straightened. "I think that's all we need down here. If everyone's ready, we should go upstairs now."
The boys nodded in unison, and Relena adjusted the bag and stood up straight. "Up those spiral stairs then?" Relena asked, almost cheerfully.
Rei nodded, smiling. (Maybe she's warmed up to me now...) "Yeah. I'm pretty sure we're done down here, for now anyway."
Rei looked around, and receiving now further answer, turned and opened the door to the lobby and walked out quickly. She looked up the stairs and stopped as the boys gestured that they would go first. She nodded and fell in step at the back of the group, marching up the stairs next to the completely-calm Relena.
So, how was this chapter? Really soon, and really short, and no romance I know, but I had this sudden inspiration and a few new events just popped into my head. I tried to give the guys more of a part and I'm trying to keep them in character as well as involved. But I would like your opinion on a few things. Should I make Relena evil? I did that in one of my other stories, and it seemed to go well, but I'm not sure. Next, do you think I should have a high, master villain in this, or just a slightly lesser baddie, but with a few twists attached? I really want your opinions on this. I may write these stories for me, but I post them for you, so (at least in my opinion) the people who read my stories should let me know of their ideas. If you don't want to share your ideas, then well, don't. Anyway, I know it's been said, but... review me!
Trowa's P.O.V.
Trowa looked over Quatre's shoulder at the floor plans they had found in the floor platform.
"These are some pretty amateur layouts..." Duo muttered.
Quatre nodded in agreement. "This person's handwriting is terrible. Oh, here. Atlantis. We must be here. It seems like there is a staircase inside that stone door." He brought the next page to the front. "Maze? There's a maze down there?"
"Rei did say the museum was mostly puzzles." Trowa added quietly.
"Hey, what are those dark spots around the maze?" Duo asked, pointing to several black spots scattered through the blank area of the maze.
Quatre shrugged and moved to the third page of the plans. "Hmmm."
"More of the dark spots." Wufei observed, leaning on the thin, blue paper. Indeed there were more spots dotted around in variously named exhibits on the second floor. "Ink spots?" He asked suspiciously.
"Maybe, but I doubt it. See, here are rooms that are drawn with that ink, not the white pencil, like these other rooms. Who would use black ink on this blue architect paper?" Quatre looked up at the others.
"An amateur." Wufei said bluntly.
"Still, is seems sorta suspicious to me..." Duo commented.
Wufei snorted loudly. "I am surprised you still have the ability to think after how many times you've-"
"Now is not the time to argue..." Quatre said soothingly.
"But Duo does have a point. Something is not right about this diagram." Trowa straightened and looked back at the stone face, which stared into the back room solemnly.
"We'll ask Rei about it." Quatre resolved, rolling up the floor plans and standing up.
There was a distinct sniff from the other side of the hall. They looked over to see a ruffled Relena leaning casually against a pillar. "'Let's ask Rei!' 'We'll ask Rei!'" She mimicked them in a high voice. "You would think she was some kind of goddess or something, the way you all treat her." She rolled her eyes. "The spots are probably just some stupid architect who couldn't find his pencil and got lazy." She tightened her arms together and looked away. "You don't have to go running to her with every little detail."
Trowa looked down at Quatre, who still knelt on the floor. "She has a point." Quatre said loudly, obviously trying to avoid more conflict. He stood up with the papers and the jar in hand. "We should go out to the other room to wait for Rei and Heero." He said and started down the hall.
Trowa looked after him for a second. (Rei doesn't need to know every detail.) And he followed Quatre.
Rei's P.O.V.
Heero stepped into the Ancient Animals room, closely followed by Rei.
"Looks like you found a suitable bag." Quatre observed.
"Hn." Heero dropped the bag off his shoulder and handed it to Relena. "Put the books in."
Relena hesitated a moment, but complied. She silently swept the books, the two talismans and the four jars into the bag. She zipped it up and handed it to Heero, who took it with out hesitation. Rei mentally recounted what they could be forgetting. (We've gotten so many parts of the game already. Maybe this won't take as long as I thought.)
Duo looked back and forth between Heero and Rei and cleared his throat loudly. "I hate to bust somebody's bubble, but having that bag around might, um, interfere with Heero's taking out of those zombie things." He put his hands on the back of his head and looked away. "Just a thought."
Heero nodded and slung the bag carefully to the floor. "We don't know the objectives of these creatures. So far they have been in or around every room there has been a jar or talisman in it. Rei cannot keep the bag; if these creatures go for it and take her out, we lose the only guide to the game that we have; and none of us can carry it, because it would, as Duo said, interfere with how we protect the girls."
"So the only option we have is." Trowa trailed off and the group looked over at Relena.
She looked around and opened her mouth. "You can't be serious! You want me to carry that stupid bag around this place, like someone's caddy?!" She shrieked, losing her calm in the moment.
The room was silent as everyone's eyes stayed on Relena.
She suddenly regained her composure and smoothed her skirt. She glanced at the bag and, looking around at the grim faces around her, picking it up and hung it across her shoulder.
Rei felt her sympathy for the girl again. (It's not my fault I've done this game before.) She looked away. (Concentrate, Rei, you still have to get them out of here. Once we're out, everyone's life can go back to the way it was.) Her eyes felt suddenly drawn to Heero. (Once I go back home, he'll be gone. No, stop that. We have work to do. Come on.) Rei straightened. "I think that's all we need down here. If everyone's ready, we should go upstairs now."
The boys nodded in unison, and Relena adjusted the bag and stood up straight. "Up those spiral stairs then?" Relena asked, almost cheerfully.
Rei nodded, smiling. (Maybe she's warmed up to me now...) "Yeah. I'm pretty sure we're done down here, for now anyway."
Rei looked around, and receiving now further answer, turned and opened the door to the lobby and walked out quickly. She looked up the stairs and stopped as the boys gestured that they would go first. She nodded and fell in step at the back of the group, marching up the stairs next to the completely-calm Relena.
So, how was this chapter? Really soon, and really short, and no romance I know, but I had this sudden inspiration and a few new events just popped into my head. I tried to give the guys more of a part and I'm trying to keep them in character as well as involved. But I would like your opinion on a few things. Should I make Relena evil? I did that in one of my other stories, and it seemed to go well, but I'm not sure. Next, do you think I should have a high, master villain in this, or just a slightly lesser baddie, but with a few twists attached? I really want your opinions on this. I may write these stories for me, but I post them for you, so (at least in my opinion) the people who read my stories should let me know of their ideas. If you don't want to share your ideas, then well, don't. Anyway, I know it's been said, but... review me!