Chapter 11
Rei P.O.V.
Rei stood silently behind Heero as he and Wufei opened the creaking door. Heero got a good look around the room and cast Rei an unreadable glance. Rei resisted rolling her eyes. (Yeah, you're worried about this room. But I'm not letting either of you out of my sights.)
Rei carefully watched Relena from the corner of her eye as the two boys searched the room. Relena was sitting against the machine Trowa was currently fixing. (Hm. She looks really pissed. Well, I guess I could let her be with her Heero more often... It's not like they really need to be separated...) The sight of Heero's face when they first had found Relena and she flung her arms around him, suddenly drifted into her head. Rei blinked and looked away to clear the image. (It's something they need to work out. Even if he doesn't return her feelings, I shouldn't be doing this to Relena.)
Heero waited patiently for Rei to clear her thoughts before getting her attention. (What was she concentrating on?) He hadn't missed Rei's look towards Relena. (What would she want?)
Rei looked back towards the door to see Heero staring intently at her. Rei almost took a step away from him, before he nodded his head and disappeared though the door. "I take it that means all's clear..." Rei muttered, and stepped through herself.
She tensed immediately and suppressed a gasp. (This place is even creepier in real life...) The room was shadowed in gray, with stone walls and floors. To her left, a discolored wall hung four chains, each different lengths, each supporting a manacle on its end. In that corner, a fake skeleton sat hunched miserably inside a small cage suspended from the ceiling by a long chain. A clean and well sharpened iron maiden lay a few feet away. To the left, a small garden of mis-matched spikes spoked up from a rimmed area along the wall. And ahead, lay a small tunnel, only maybe five feet high, with heavy iron spikes lining the round walls. Beyond, Rei recalled there to be a gallows, complete with fake body, and a steel cage with working electric chair inside.
Wufei leaned silently against the wall next to the tunnel, staring solemnly at the iron maiden. He looked up as Rei entered. "This place is dangerous." He stated simply, turning his head and closing his eyes slowly.
Rei nodded. "It's the worst place in the museum. Keep an eye out."
His eyes flashed open. "I am."
Heero watched the exchange. (She does try to keep us safe.) He looked away. (But she knows nothing of real danger.)
Rei shifted her gaze from Wufei to the spiked tunnel next to him. "There's a jar, or talisman back there, under the gallows."
Heero nodded. "Stay here." He pulled out his gun, and with one last look around the room, advanced on the tunnel. He stopped at its mouth and peered in. As he took his first step, Heero barely managed to escape being skewered as a handful of the spikes shot downwards. He instinctively fired off a shot as he jumped back, but the bullet failed to shatter the spike. Instead, the bullet buried itself in it, making a small crater where it landed.
Rei found herself jumping back a few steps, even after Heero fired. "What?" She asked aloud.
Wufei turned his accusing stare towards her, but his expression dropped slightly at her word. "You didn't-"
Rei shook her head. "Nothing in this place, except for the Ixupi, ever was a threat..." She shook her head quickly and stepped up behind Heero. "Are you-"
"Fine." He said quickly, still watching the tunnel for further movement. He reached out a hand to the spike in front, the one he shot. Grasping it, he shook it gently. The spike fell out easily in his hand. It was large and heavy, and he tossed it aside, careful not to hit Rei. "Stand back." He all but commanded, and Rei quietly obliged.
Wufei stepped up beside him, and together, they made their way through the tunnel, cautiously activating, then pulling out the spikes one by one, and either using them to trip the next spikes, or tossing them out behind them. Rei was careful to keep away from the tunnel mouth, out of the range of the flying spikes.
Once on the other side, they seemed to give the room a very good look over, for it was a good few minutes before they called Rei over.
She walked cautiously through the now spike-free tunnel and her eyes were immediately called to the scaffolding, right where it should have been, to her right. (Whoa, this seems a lot more realistic when it's not on the computer...well, everything in here does.)
Wufei was up on the scaffolding, examining a panel off to the side. Heero stood on the ground, running his hands over yet another panel, this one with words on it. Rei stepped up next to him, careful to keep her hands clasped in front of her. "It says something about measurements on the plate. You have to enter the measurements in that one up there." Rei nodded up to Wufei, who stood with his head cocked, staring at the fake body that stood ominously with the noose around its neck. "The body will drop through a trap door, and there will be another jar down there."
Wufei, head still tilted, leaned in closer to the body. He motioned his hand for quiet. Rei fell silent. A faint noise reached Rei's ears and she couldn't help but lean towards the scaffolding as it seemed to come from there. The sound suddenly grew and the body on the gallows exploded open in a flurry of cloth skin and cotton fluff. A creature, still wearing bits of cloth from the dummy, shot its hands out at Wufei. The boy barely managed to block the attack, and blocked further ones by grabbing the thing's wrists and trying to push it backwards.
Heero leapt around the wooden stairs to the scaffolding, but made a surprising jump over the railing, nearly landing on top of Rei. She was about to protest, when he snatched her around the waist and pulled her away from a sharp blow that would have connected with her back, delivered by yet another creature. Heero let go of Rei and reached for his gun, only to have it knocked from his hand by a clawed swipe. The creature advanced on him and in seconds, Heero, too, was arm locked with the creature.
Suddenly feeling helpless, Rei glanced between the two fights. (Wait.) Quickly glancing at the plate next to her, Rei dashed up the stairs to the gallows and paused a few feet from Wufei and the creature. "Get down, woman!"
Rei growled and rolled her eyes. "Get it on the trap door!" She shouted, and slid past the two grappling figures to the panel on the other side. Wufei glanced at her, a mistake, for the creature took the opportunity to make a long slash down his arm. He growled and took the thing by its wrists again, and began pushing it back. Rei looked down at the plate in front of her, three dials of numbers and did some quick math. (Okay, twelve and twelve, plus four...) She shakily spun the dials and entered '1-4-8' there was a swinging noise and a 'thunk' as the rope went taut. It shook for a few moments as the creature struggled on its noose, then became still as it finally died and fell into dust.
Both Wufei and Rei snapped their attention to Heero, but Wufei stopped on the way down as Heero kicked the creature down and speared it with one of the heavy spikes lying only a bit away. It twisted and contorted for a moment, then it too fell to dust.
Rei released her breath and leaned over. A sudden draft blew up her back and she tensed and straightened, tugging slightly on her skirt. (Of all times...) she trotted down the stairs and noticed with slight surprise that Heero was actually breathing heavily. (So even he gets tired.)
She hurried over to him and looked him over. "Are you-"
"Are you okay?" He asked forcefully, taking her shoulders and straightening her.
Rei sighed. "I'm fine. But you were fighting. And Wufei!" She whipped her head around to see him already bandaging his arm with strips of cloth that remained of the dummy.
"Fine. See to Heero." He replied absently.
Rei turned back around to Heero. "Were you hurt?" She asked firmly.
Heero hesitated, but shook his head. "Hn." He twisted his arm around to reveal a long slash, not deep, but serious enough to bleed.
Rei pulled in a breath and stepped out of his grasp to snatch up more of the discarded rags nearby. She pulled him around and carefully wrapped his wound. Heero watched her silently as she checked it to make sure she had gotten it tight enough. (Why...does she care?)
Rei finally released his arm. (How much more until this is over? Those spikes, the creatures, how much more won't I know?)
Yeah, yeah, I updated... Took me long enough... Well, I got it up didn't I?! Hm, I was thinking a bit after I updated the last chapter and I have just two more questions. 1. Are there any guys out there reading? It seems whenever I read a story, I just get this vibe that it's written by a female. I check the bio and lo and behold! A girl! I'm female myself and I was just wondering how much of this site is guy-populated. You don't have to answer, of course, I'm just curious. 2. I was surfing for new fav stories and came across the term 'Mary Sue' a few times in some people's summaries. I think it might have something to do with original characters, but I am completely unsure. Anyway, I was totally surprised at the number of review I got for the last chapter! I would have normally updated right away to that number, but I'm really trying to wrap up my original fic (only 1 chapter left!) and I've been working on that. Well, hope you liked the action in this chapter! Review!
Rei P.O.V.
Rei stood silently behind Heero as he and Wufei opened the creaking door. Heero got a good look around the room and cast Rei an unreadable glance. Rei resisted rolling her eyes. (Yeah, you're worried about this room. But I'm not letting either of you out of my sights.)
Rei carefully watched Relena from the corner of her eye as the two boys searched the room. Relena was sitting against the machine Trowa was currently fixing. (Hm. She looks really pissed. Well, I guess I could let her be with her Heero more often... It's not like they really need to be separated...) The sight of Heero's face when they first had found Relena and she flung her arms around him, suddenly drifted into her head. Rei blinked and looked away to clear the image. (It's something they need to work out. Even if he doesn't return her feelings, I shouldn't be doing this to Relena.)
Heero waited patiently for Rei to clear her thoughts before getting her attention. (What was she concentrating on?) He hadn't missed Rei's look towards Relena. (What would she want?)
Rei looked back towards the door to see Heero staring intently at her. Rei almost took a step away from him, before he nodded his head and disappeared though the door. "I take it that means all's clear..." Rei muttered, and stepped through herself.
She tensed immediately and suppressed a gasp. (This place is even creepier in real life...) The room was shadowed in gray, with stone walls and floors. To her left, a discolored wall hung four chains, each different lengths, each supporting a manacle on its end. In that corner, a fake skeleton sat hunched miserably inside a small cage suspended from the ceiling by a long chain. A clean and well sharpened iron maiden lay a few feet away. To the left, a small garden of mis-matched spikes spoked up from a rimmed area along the wall. And ahead, lay a small tunnel, only maybe five feet high, with heavy iron spikes lining the round walls. Beyond, Rei recalled there to be a gallows, complete with fake body, and a steel cage with working electric chair inside.
Wufei leaned silently against the wall next to the tunnel, staring solemnly at the iron maiden. He looked up as Rei entered. "This place is dangerous." He stated simply, turning his head and closing his eyes slowly.
Rei nodded. "It's the worst place in the museum. Keep an eye out."
His eyes flashed open. "I am."
Heero watched the exchange. (She does try to keep us safe.) He looked away. (But she knows nothing of real danger.)
Rei shifted her gaze from Wufei to the spiked tunnel next to him. "There's a jar, or talisman back there, under the gallows."
Heero nodded. "Stay here." He pulled out his gun, and with one last look around the room, advanced on the tunnel. He stopped at its mouth and peered in. As he took his first step, Heero barely managed to escape being skewered as a handful of the spikes shot downwards. He instinctively fired off a shot as he jumped back, but the bullet failed to shatter the spike. Instead, the bullet buried itself in it, making a small crater where it landed.
Rei found herself jumping back a few steps, even after Heero fired. "What?" She asked aloud.
Wufei turned his accusing stare towards her, but his expression dropped slightly at her word. "You didn't-"
Rei shook her head. "Nothing in this place, except for the Ixupi, ever was a threat..." She shook her head quickly and stepped up behind Heero. "Are you-"
"Fine." He said quickly, still watching the tunnel for further movement. He reached out a hand to the spike in front, the one he shot. Grasping it, he shook it gently. The spike fell out easily in his hand. It was large and heavy, and he tossed it aside, careful not to hit Rei. "Stand back." He all but commanded, and Rei quietly obliged.
Wufei stepped up beside him, and together, they made their way through the tunnel, cautiously activating, then pulling out the spikes one by one, and either using them to trip the next spikes, or tossing them out behind them. Rei was careful to keep away from the tunnel mouth, out of the range of the flying spikes.
Once on the other side, they seemed to give the room a very good look over, for it was a good few minutes before they called Rei over.
She walked cautiously through the now spike-free tunnel and her eyes were immediately called to the scaffolding, right where it should have been, to her right. (Whoa, this seems a lot more realistic when it's not on the computer...well, everything in here does.)
Wufei was up on the scaffolding, examining a panel off to the side. Heero stood on the ground, running his hands over yet another panel, this one with words on it. Rei stepped up next to him, careful to keep her hands clasped in front of her. "It says something about measurements on the plate. You have to enter the measurements in that one up there." Rei nodded up to Wufei, who stood with his head cocked, staring at the fake body that stood ominously with the noose around its neck. "The body will drop through a trap door, and there will be another jar down there."
Wufei, head still tilted, leaned in closer to the body. He motioned his hand for quiet. Rei fell silent. A faint noise reached Rei's ears and she couldn't help but lean towards the scaffolding as it seemed to come from there. The sound suddenly grew and the body on the gallows exploded open in a flurry of cloth skin and cotton fluff. A creature, still wearing bits of cloth from the dummy, shot its hands out at Wufei. The boy barely managed to block the attack, and blocked further ones by grabbing the thing's wrists and trying to push it backwards.
Heero leapt around the wooden stairs to the scaffolding, but made a surprising jump over the railing, nearly landing on top of Rei. She was about to protest, when he snatched her around the waist and pulled her away from a sharp blow that would have connected with her back, delivered by yet another creature. Heero let go of Rei and reached for his gun, only to have it knocked from his hand by a clawed swipe. The creature advanced on him and in seconds, Heero, too, was arm locked with the creature.
Suddenly feeling helpless, Rei glanced between the two fights. (Wait.) Quickly glancing at the plate next to her, Rei dashed up the stairs to the gallows and paused a few feet from Wufei and the creature. "Get down, woman!"
Rei growled and rolled her eyes. "Get it on the trap door!" She shouted, and slid past the two grappling figures to the panel on the other side. Wufei glanced at her, a mistake, for the creature took the opportunity to make a long slash down his arm. He growled and took the thing by its wrists again, and began pushing it back. Rei looked down at the plate in front of her, three dials of numbers and did some quick math. (Okay, twelve and twelve, plus four...) She shakily spun the dials and entered '1-4-8' there was a swinging noise and a 'thunk' as the rope went taut. It shook for a few moments as the creature struggled on its noose, then became still as it finally died and fell into dust.
Both Wufei and Rei snapped their attention to Heero, but Wufei stopped on the way down as Heero kicked the creature down and speared it with one of the heavy spikes lying only a bit away. It twisted and contorted for a moment, then it too fell to dust.
Rei released her breath and leaned over. A sudden draft blew up her back and she tensed and straightened, tugging slightly on her skirt. (Of all times...) she trotted down the stairs and noticed with slight surprise that Heero was actually breathing heavily. (So even he gets tired.)
She hurried over to him and looked him over. "Are you-"
"Are you okay?" He asked forcefully, taking her shoulders and straightening her.
Rei sighed. "I'm fine. But you were fighting. And Wufei!" She whipped her head around to see him already bandaging his arm with strips of cloth that remained of the dummy.
"Fine. See to Heero." He replied absently.
Rei turned back around to Heero. "Were you hurt?" She asked firmly.
Heero hesitated, but shook his head. "Hn." He twisted his arm around to reveal a long slash, not deep, but serious enough to bleed.
Rei pulled in a breath and stepped out of his grasp to snatch up more of the discarded rags nearby. She pulled him around and carefully wrapped his wound. Heero watched her silently as she checked it to make sure she had gotten it tight enough. (Why...does she care?)
Rei finally released his arm. (How much more until this is over? Those spikes, the creatures, how much more won't I know?)
Yeah, yeah, I updated... Took me long enough... Well, I got it up didn't I?! Hm, I was thinking a bit after I updated the last chapter and I have just two more questions. 1. Are there any guys out there reading? It seems whenever I read a story, I just get this vibe that it's written by a female. I check the bio and lo and behold! A girl! I'm female myself and I was just wondering how much of this site is guy-populated. You don't have to answer, of course, I'm just curious. 2. I was surfing for new fav stories and came across the term 'Mary Sue' a few times in some people's summaries. I think it might have something to do with original characters, but I am completely unsure. Anyway, I was totally surprised at the number of review I got for the last chapter! I would have normally updated right away to that number, but I'm really trying to wrap up my original fic (only 1 chapter left!) and I've been working on that. Well, hope you liked the action in this chapter! Review!