Winds of Destiny: Falling ~ {Hawks x OC}

Chapter Eleven: Starting Line

Misaki quickly filled out the new employee paperwork on the computer screen, reading carefully through all of the legal jargon. She was used to interpreting the fine print from drawing up loan agreements. When she had finished electronically signing her name, a paper printed out from a slot in the desk just below the monitor. She looked around for the lanky man, but found herself alone. Picking up the paper, she stood and began making her way back to the door from memory, eventually finding her way back to the long hallway. Stepping out of the server room, she turning and shut the door behind her before walking off towards the lobby. She noticed that the receptionist was also missing as she headed for the elevator. 

After a short, uninterrupted ride, the elevator doors opened to usher her out into another nearly identical lobby. She stepped forward to approach a similar receptionist desk to the one on the second floor and carefully addressed the woman sitting behind it, "Excuse me, I'm here to turn in my new employee paperwork, I guess..."

The receptionist looked up and offered Misaki a cheerful smile. "I'll take it. Welcome to the Hero Public Safety Commission!"

"Thanks," she said with a tight smile as she handed the paper across the tall desk.

Apparently noticing her apprehension, the receptionist leaned forward and told her in a reassuring tone, "Things around here can move pretty quickly. You'll get used to it."

"Right," she curtly replied, looking around the lobby apprehensively.

"Madam President's secretary? Oh..." The receptionists once cheery tone suddenly took on a concerned cadence as she trailed off.

Misaki cringed and looked back over at her with a grimace. "That bad, huh?"

The receptionist returned her grimace and leaned forward again, speaking to her in a conspiratorially hushed voice, "I've been in this department for about three months now. You're the fifth secretary I've processed since I've been here."

Misaki gulped.

Sitting back once again, the receptionist smiled brightly and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm sure you're more than qualified for the job."

Misaki looked away again, muttering under her breath, "I wonder about that..."

"Anyway, good luck!" The receptionist smiled back at her almost dismissively before reaching down to pick up the ringing phone on the desk.

"Thanks..." She trailed off sardonically, turning around and heading back for the elevator. She stepped inside and pushed the button for the top floor.

An electronic voice suddenly filled the car. "Access denied."

"What?" Startled, she looked around for a moment before reaching out to press the button again while muttering under her breath, "I was just there."

The electronic voice rang out again. "Access denied. Please select a different option."

She frustratingly jabbed the button for the twenty-seventh floor and grumbled, "I'll just take the stairs then."

Getting off of the elevator on the twenty-seventh floor, she followed the signs for the stairwell, ignoring the odd stares she was getting from the people she walked past as she hurried as fast as she could without running down the hall. Slipping through the door marked "stairs", she jogged up the last flight two steps at a time. Arriving at the door leading to the twenty-eighth floor, she reached out to grip the handle and pulled.

It didn't budge.

Looking down, she caught sight of the keypad next to the door in her peripheral vision and groaned in frustration. "How the hell am I supposed to get back up here?"