Chapter 16
Rei stood in the shadows beneath the stairs, head in her hands, trying to sort out her thoughts. (I have Heero's gun, so I can defend myself, but what if I run into them? They'd probably shoot me for that stunt I pulled back there...) She sighed quietly, and looked over in the shadows by the entrance to the auditorium. There was a faint, almost imperceptible outline of a board there. (It's a good thing those holes are in the museum. I might not have gotten away...) She recalled hearing their heavy footsteps after her as she just managed to fit through the hole in the wall that only came up to her shins and was barely wide enough to allow her to slip through. (They might walk around up there for a moment, wondering where I am, but I still need to get up there!) Rei pictured the stone tablet only a few feet away from the harp room and silently wished she had paused to turn it as she passed.
Dipping her head, Rei sighed again. (At least they're safe now. Nothing coming for my power will hurt them.) She looked down at the bag resting at her feet. (I just have to finish the game without running into them, and leave the way out open for them.) A sudden tightness rose in her chest as it hit her that the last thing she would ever give Heero was a blow to his stomach. She pursed her lips. (Get over it. But still...) She closed her eyes wistfully.
Rei heard a loud creak from above her and caught her breath. (They're here already?!) She ducked back into the darkest shadows, spreading her hair over her front, hoping it would hide the red and white of her skirt. Holding her breath, she kept perfectly still as they paused at the landing at the top of the stairs, most likely surveying the room for her.
"Clear..." Someone whispered above her and she took a small breath and held it again. (Stay calm.)
Heero's P.O.V.
Quatre had given up his own gun to Heero and remained in the back of the group as the others, excluding Relena, gave the lobby a good look-over before slowly descending the stairs.
Earlier, they had decided to only injure Rei and force her to tell them who she worked for, when they found her. Relena had stayed quiet during the short discussion; though it was plain she wanted more than mere injury for Rei.
(Rei had mentioned a way out when we met her, but she had told us once you were on the grounds, there was no way further. Why did we trust such nonsense?) Heero scorned himself, but kept his face blank as they trooped down the stairs. (How could I fall into such a trap?) Faint memories of the few comfortable moments he had had in this place flashed in his head, but Heero pushed them away. (It was all a trap.)
Eyes continued to scan the room, even as they stood on the lobby floor, staring at the empty area. Duo sighed loudly. "Guys, she's probably already outside by now. Outside and in the nearest pawn shop or wherever she wanted to sell those jar things."
"They did seem old." Quatre commented from the first stair. "She was most likely hired to steal them."
There was silence as the truth settled in. "Come on. We still have to get out and decide how to get back to our homes." Heero took a step, and then paused. "Then find Rei and turn her in to the authorities, if necessary."
"Then let's go." Zechs said shortly. He also took a step and waited for Heero to move on.
"She said there was a way out on the other side of the lake in the basement." Heero explained, mostly to Zechs and Treize as they crossed the room.
"Yeah, Rei led us down there to get some book from this really ugly corpse." Duo added from behind.
"Another dead body?" Relena asked meekly.
Duo turned to her, a slightly sadistic grin on his face. "Yeah. It's all black and rotted and-"
"Duo." Heero warned sharply from the head of the group. (The last thing we need is Relena frightened.)
Duo sighed heavily, and turned back around, exchanging amused glances with Quatre.
Even Wufei had to stop a smile from working its way onto his face. (The girl deserves it. Look at what she did...) The thought surprised himself. (Wait. That woman was the enemy, and now she is gone. I should be pleased...) But, somehow, he had a feeling they had made a mistake.
After they had all made their way into the elevator at the other side of the disheveled office, Duo began to find the silence pressing. "So how did you get here?" He asked Treize, who stood beside him, in the corner.
The older man shrugged. "I was walking in the embassy, and a light blinded me. And I opened my eyes to see him." He nodded his head towards Zechs.
Zechs gave them a side look. "The same for me." He frowned. "What could it have been?"
"Someone knocked us out." Relena said simply. "They used gas or something, then dropped us in here, hoping it would be abandoned."
"But Rei was here." Heero said quietly.
The elevator punctuated his statement with a chime, and the doors opened to the same depressing, cerulean tunnel they had made their way through before. (That seems like such a long time ago...) Heero held in a frown. "Keep moving."
They walked in line through the tunnels and ended up at the lakeside in a few minutes.
"All of this? Under the museum?" Treize wondered aloud, looking around the large cavern.
"Yes." Quatre stepped into the boat carefully. "According to Rei, the way to enter the museum is through this underground passage. And, hopefully, we will be able to exit through the same way she supposedly got in."
Relena turned towards him from the front of the boat, next to Heero. "'Hopefully'? 'Supposedly'? What do you mean?"
"She had said this place was nothing but a computer game, remember?" Trowa explained quietly.
Relena rolled her eyes. "I remember. But how could you possibly-"
"We have seen everything from zombie creatures that turn to dust when you shoot them, to invisible beings that suck the life from you." Heero fixed Relena in a cold stare. "We can't know anything until we get up there and out of this place." With that, he turned away and began turning the crank and pulling the boat across the water.
Halfway across, Heero lifted his head suddenly and stopped turning. One by one, the others looked up. A soft melody was drifting through the cavern. "Relena, get back here." Quatre gently pulled her away from the front of the boat.
"What? Why?" She protested.
"I will take it." Wufei stepped around Heero to the spot vacated by Relena. "The creature and I have met before." Turning his body, he faced out to the water and searched the murky depths for the tell-tale green sparks.
Heero hesitated, but turned the crank once more. The sound of sloshing water continued, even after the boat stopped, and Wufei took a slow breath. Once more, Heero turned the crank and a drift of green specks floated up to surround a splash of water hovering in mid air. With a furious roar, the Water Ixupi lashed out at Wufei, and disappeared back into the water.
Taking a deep breath, he managed to stay on his feet this time, and nodded for Heero to continue.
A few more turns and they were on the other side. "You okay?" Treize asked Wufei quietly as they stepped of the boat.
Wufei looked at him a moment before responding. "Fine."
"Hey look Relena..." Duo clamped am arm around her shoulders and began steering her towards the far corner, where Relena already saw a ragged body beginning to take form. "There's that-"
"Duo." Heero commanded sharply, and the braided boy released her shoulders immediately.
"I was just playing..."
Zechs walked up to a rusty door in the cavern wall. "Is this the right door?" He turned to face Heero.
"Hn." The boy silently brushed past him, shoving open the door. (So this is it. We will be leaving. I'll never see her again.) Luckily the room behind the door was pitch black, and no one saw his surprise. (Why am I thinking about her? She was...is an enemy. I know she is. She has to be...) For a few moments, a shade of doubt pulled at his chest. But he brushed it off just as Quatre flipped on the light switch on the cold stone wall.
"Ow!" Duo jumped back away from a spiraling set of stone stairs. "Watch that first step..." He warned the others, rubbing his shin.
"Let's go." Heero began up the stairs, and Quatre silently noted Heero's suddenly tired tone. (He's probably got that feeling too.) He started up himself. (Like we're doing something wrong.)
A panel slid away at the top of the stairs, leaving a triangle of light. Heero stepped through it and moved away, letting the others come up behind him. Outside, they stood on a circular platform made up of several triangles, each with some abstract symbol on it. Water surrounded the platform, and three smaller circle platforms led to a nearby pier. There was a gazebo off the side of the pier and a large statue beyond that.
Heero tested his weight on a small platform before stepping full onto it and jumping easily to the pier. The others followed him, Relena coming last, jumping unsteadily from one platform to the next. Heero paid her no attention as she scrambled up next to him. Instead he took in more of his surroundings. The statue was easily fifteen feet tall, and of a dark maroon, twisted loop. The pier gave way to a path that led for another twenty feet or so, then splitting, one way leading up to a large brick building. The other path led to the right, and right up to an old iron gate. "There." Heero pointed to it, at the same time, pulling his arm from Relena's hold.
The group walked, somewhat unsteadily towards the gate, a feeling of apprehension thick between them. Heero stopped in front of it and suppressed a frown. A chain was wrapped around the middle bars, secured by a heavy lock.
"Get back." Heero commanded, pulling out his gun and aiming for the lock.
Okay! I'm going to cut it there... But it's chapter 16, so don't be surprised if I end it soon! So, how did you like it? I know, maybe they should have seen Rei, but it was some pretty dark shadows! Oh yeah, and to whoever asked, (I can't remember who), Zechs doesn't have his mask on. Well, that is it, I think... Anyway, please review!
Rei stood in the shadows beneath the stairs, head in her hands, trying to sort out her thoughts. (I have Heero's gun, so I can defend myself, but what if I run into them? They'd probably shoot me for that stunt I pulled back there...) She sighed quietly, and looked over in the shadows by the entrance to the auditorium. There was a faint, almost imperceptible outline of a board there. (It's a good thing those holes are in the museum. I might not have gotten away...) She recalled hearing their heavy footsteps after her as she just managed to fit through the hole in the wall that only came up to her shins and was barely wide enough to allow her to slip through. (They might walk around up there for a moment, wondering where I am, but I still need to get up there!) Rei pictured the stone tablet only a few feet away from the harp room and silently wished she had paused to turn it as she passed.
Dipping her head, Rei sighed again. (At least they're safe now. Nothing coming for my power will hurt them.) She looked down at the bag resting at her feet. (I just have to finish the game without running into them, and leave the way out open for them.) A sudden tightness rose in her chest as it hit her that the last thing she would ever give Heero was a blow to his stomach. She pursed her lips. (Get over it. But still...) She closed her eyes wistfully.
Rei heard a loud creak from above her and caught her breath. (They're here already?!) She ducked back into the darkest shadows, spreading her hair over her front, hoping it would hide the red and white of her skirt. Holding her breath, she kept perfectly still as they paused at the landing at the top of the stairs, most likely surveying the room for her.
"Clear..." Someone whispered above her and she took a small breath and held it again. (Stay calm.)
Heero's P.O.V.
Quatre had given up his own gun to Heero and remained in the back of the group as the others, excluding Relena, gave the lobby a good look-over before slowly descending the stairs.
Earlier, they had decided to only injure Rei and force her to tell them who she worked for, when they found her. Relena had stayed quiet during the short discussion; though it was plain she wanted more than mere injury for Rei.
(Rei had mentioned a way out when we met her, but she had told us once you were on the grounds, there was no way further. Why did we trust such nonsense?) Heero scorned himself, but kept his face blank as they trooped down the stairs. (How could I fall into such a trap?) Faint memories of the few comfortable moments he had had in this place flashed in his head, but Heero pushed them away. (It was all a trap.)
Eyes continued to scan the room, even as they stood on the lobby floor, staring at the empty area. Duo sighed loudly. "Guys, she's probably already outside by now. Outside and in the nearest pawn shop or wherever she wanted to sell those jar things."
"They did seem old." Quatre commented from the first stair. "She was most likely hired to steal them."
There was silence as the truth settled in. "Come on. We still have to get out and decide how to get back to our homes." Heero took a step, and then paused. "Then find Rei and turn her in to the authorities, if necessary."
"Then let's go." Zechs said shortly. He also took a step and waited for Heero to move on.
"She said there was a way out on the other side of the lake in the basement." Heero explained, mostly to Zechs and Treize as they crossed the room.
"Yeah, Rei led us down there to get some book from this really ugly corpse." Duo added from behind.
"Another dead body?" Relena asked meekly.
Duo turned to her, a slightly sadistic grin on his face. "Yeah. It's all black and rotted and-"
"Duo." Heero warned sharply from the head of the group. (The last thing we need is Relena frightened.)
Duo sighed heavily, and turned back around, exchanging amused glances with Quatre.
Even Wufei had to stop a smile from working its way onto his face. (The girl deserves it. Look at what she did...) The thought surprised himself. (Wait. That woman was the enemy, and now she is gone. I should be pleased...) But, somehow, he had a feeling they had made a mistake.
After they had all made their way into the elevator at the other side of the disheveled office, Duo began to find the silence pressing. "So how did you get here?" He asked Treize, who stood beside him, in the corner.
The older man shrugged. "I was walking in the embassy, and a light blinded me. And I opened my eyes to see him." He nodded his head towards Zechs.
Zechs gave them a side look. "The same for me." He frowned. "What could it have been?"
"Someone knocked us out." Relena said simply. "They used gas or something, then dropped us in here, hoping it would be abandoned."
"But Rei was here." Heero said quietly.
The elevator punctuated his statement with a chime, and the doors opened to the same depressing, cerulean tunnel they had made their way through before. (That seems like such a long time ago...) Heero held in a frown. "Keep moving."
They walked in line through the tunnels and ended up at the lakeside in a few minutes.
"All of this? Under the museum?" Treize wondered aloud, looking around the large cavern.
"Yes." Quatre stepped into the boat carefully. "According to Rei, the way to enter the museum is through this underground passage. And, hopefully, we will be able to exit through the same way she supposedly got in."
Relena turned towards him from the front of the boat, next to Heero. "'Hopefully'? 'Supposedly'? What do you mean?"
"She had said this place was nothing but a computer game, remember?" Trowa explained quietly.
Relena rolled her eyes. "I remember. But how could you possibly-"
"We have seen everything from zombie creatures that turn to dust when you shoot them, to invisible beings that suck the life from you." Heero fixed Relena in a cold stare. "We can't know anything until we get up there and out of this place." With that, he turned away and began turning the crank and pulling the boat across the water.
Halfway across, Heero lifted his head suddenly and stopped turning. One by one, the others looked up. A soft melody was drifting through the cavern. "Relena, get back here." Quatre gently pulled her away from the front of the boat.
"What? Why?" She protested.
"I will take it." Wufei stepped around Heero to the spot vacated by Relena. "The creature and I have met before." Turning his body, he faced out to the water and searched the murky depths for the tell-tale green sparks.
Heero hesitated, but turned the crank once more. The sound of sloshing water continued, even after the boat stopped, and Wufei took a slow breath. Once more, Heero turned the crank and a drift of green specks floated up to surround a splash of water hovering in mid air. With a furious roar, the Water Ixupi lashed out at Wufei, and disappeared back into the water.
Taking a deep breath, he managed to stay on his feet this time, and nodded for Heero to continue.
A few more turns and they were on the other side. "You okay?" Treize asked Wufei quietly as they stepped of the boat.
Wufei looked at him a moment before responding. "Fine."
"Hey look Relena..." Duo clamped am arm around her shoulders and began steering her towards the far corner, where Relena already saw a ragged body beginning to take form. "There's that-"
"Duo." Heero commanded sharply, and the braided boy released her shoulders immediately.
"I was just playing..."
Zechs walked up to a rusty door in the cavern wall. "Is this the right door?" He turned to face Heero.
"Hn." The boy silently brushed past him, shoving open the door. (So this is it. We will be leaving. I'll never see her again.) Luckily the room behind the door was pitch black, and no one saw his surprise. (Why am I thinking about her? She was...is an enemy. I know she is. She has to be...) For a few moments, a shade of doubt pulled at his chest. But he brushed it off just as Quatre flipped on the light switch on the cold stone wall.
"Ow!" Duo jumped back away from a spiraling set of stone stairs. "Watch that first step..." He warned the others, rubbing his shin.
"Let's go." Heero began up the stairs, and Quatre silently noted Heero's suddenly tired tone. (He's probably got that feeling too.) He started up himself. (Like we're doing something wrong.)
A panel slid away at the top of the stairs, leaving a triangle of light. Heero stepped through it and moved away, letting the others come up behind him. Outside, they stood on a circular platform made up of several triangles, each with some abstract symbol on it. Water surrounded the platform, and three smaller circle platforms led to a nearby pier. There was a gazebo off the side of the pier and a large statue beyond that.
Heero tested his weight on a small platform before stepping full onto it and jumping easily to the pier. The others followed him, Relena coming last, jumping unsteadily from one platform to the next. Heero paid her no attention as she scrambled up next to him. Instead he took in more of his surroundings. The statue was easily fifteen feet tall, and of a dark maroon, twisted loop. The pier gave way to a path that led for another twenty feet or so, then splitting, one way leading up to a large brick building. The other path led to the right, and right up to an old iron gate. "There." Heero pointed to it, at the same time, pulling his arm from Relena's hold.
The group walked, somewhat unsteadily towards the gate, a feeling of apprehension thick between them. Heero stopped in front of it and suppressed a frown. A chain was wrapped around the middle bars, secured by a heavy lock.
"Get back." Heero commanded, pulling out his gun and aiming for the lock.
Okay! I'm going to cut it there... But it's chapter 16, so don't be surprised if I end it soon! So, how did you like it? I know, maybe they should have seen Rei, but it was some pretty dark shadows! Oh yeah, and to whoever asked, (I can't remember who), Zechs doesn't have his mask on. Well, that is it, I think... Anyway, please review!