Into the Wild, Part 2

The door was locked with bolts on top and bottom, but it didn't really matter. A metal grate closed outside the door, so even if they managed to get the bolts
drawn, they didn't have a key. Duo stared at it for a minute or two before turning on his heels and padding off to the back room. He remembered the door the
men had brought him through earlier. There hadn't been a metal grate outside that one. The others followed, their light steps barely audible on the waxed
floor. Skidding to a stop, Duo rested on his back legs and looked up at the door. Only a turn-style lock, nothing at all. He would have grinned, but it was
much too high to jump to. With another turn, he walked around the table, staring at the floor. Finally, he stopped in front of the group, his ears tilted forward
hopefully.

"Well?" Hilde asked, her tail wisping the floor. "Can you open it?"

"Sure," Duo grinned, "but I can't reach. Now if we could move that table..."

"I thought *you* were going to unlock the doors," Relena reminded him, her nose twitching in the air. "You never said anything about needing *our* help."

"Oh come on," Duo muttered, glaring at her, "there's no way I could move that table all by myself. It would take all of us." The female's blue eyes narrowed
and she tipped an ear back. "Fine, don't help-don't go, pretty even to me."

"If we put our shoulders to the legs, maybe we can push it over to the door." Quatre darted to one of the legs, pressing his shoulder against it briefly before
turning sideways. The table didn't move much, but a wide grin still broke out on his face. "Trowa?"

"Right," Trowa said, glancing at Treize and Zechs. The two males nodded at him and they took positions, Heero moving to the other leg. With a few growls
and a lot of effort, they managed to move the table about two feet before Quatre called for them to stop.

The legs were square rather than circular, but the metal was hard pointed on the edges. Twisting his shoulders, Quatre sighed for a second before
straightening. The other three males were watching him and he hurried to where Trowa was standing in the middle beneath the table. "I think we could get
two on each leg," he said, his tail still sweeping. He couldn't remember ever being this excited. Heero tilted his head, the dark cat still pressed to one of the
legs, and Quatre darted to him. Rising on his hind legs, he pressed his front paws against the square metal and pushed. A snicker sounded when his back
feet slid on the slick floor and he sniffed, falling back and sending a glare at Wufei. "You try it."

Wufei rose from his lazy seat on the tile, his ears tilting back as he lifted his head until his nose was aimed at the air above him. He was careful not to glance
at Zechs or Treize, stepping directly to Trowa and nodding to the reddish-brown cat. It didn't take but a moment for him to mimic Quatre's stance, although
Trowa was nearly two inches taller than Heero. And it only took a second for him to understand why the pale cat had slipped. He just couldn't get traction, his
claws scraping uselessly against the linoleum. Glaring, he spread his toes, claws arched, and pushed again. If the others had been pushing, he was certain it
would have been of some use. He had held his position for at least five seconds before he slipped back and nearly fell on Trowa's back. Jerking away, he
gave Quatre a smirking gaze. "It just might work."

"Great," Duo smiled, still seated near the door. "Then we just pair up."

"Zechs and Treize are the strongest," Quatre said quickly, darting around the table legs again as he couldn't seem to sit still. The two older cats smiled at him
and he nodded at their places before two of the legs. "Heero and Trowa would probably be next," he murmured, wincing when Wufei gave him a low hiss.
"Wufei, you should stay there, you managed to do well despite Trowa's height." The black cat sniffed and turned away with a flick of his dark tail and Quatre
smiled for a second before looking at Duo. "You think you could do like that with Zechs?"

With a quick look to the white cat, Duo shrugged. He wondered what made the little cat choose the older one, but it didn't really matter much to him. "Sure."

"Okay, then we just need one more for Treize." Quatre's eyes flicked to where the girls were seated together and his whiskers twitched when Dorothy stood
immediately, the female's long tail held out behind her.

"That would *have* to be me," Dorothy smirked, pale eyes glinting as she shot a disparaging look over the other females. Whether Hilde or Catherine wanted
to help, she was definitely much stronger than either of them. Dark eyes turned to her and she lowered her head, ears tilted toward Treize. "I'll bet you've
never been topped by a female before, have you."

Duo choked for a second before falling onto his side, his eyes closed as he laughed. His paws curled for a moment and he had trouble gaining his feet again,
Treize's surprised oath just making it worse. "That was good!" he managed, finally turning onto his belly. The dark-haired male was glaring at him and his tail
flicked back and forth merrily. "Okay, then, positions everyone. And Dorothy? No messing with the guy right now. Wait till we get out for that." The female
grinned at him and he dropped his head with another snicker. He had no idea if she were just playing, or seriously interested in Treize, but she'd managed to
make his evening. With a lively step, he bounced to Zechs and rose onto his hind legs suddenly, the white male jerking in surprise. "Heh! Call me a circus
cat," Duo grinned, balancing on his hind legs for a long moment before landing with his paws against the table leg.

"Is there such a thing?"

Duo blinked, glancing to where Trowa was. The tall cat was looking at him with wide eyes and he shook his head quickly. "I have no idea."

"Oh."

"Okay, everybody," Quatre called, his voice still holding that excited note to it. He simply couldn't help himself. To think, if they managed to escape Trowa
wouldn't be locked in a cage away from him anymore. And there *had* to be room in the country. Of course, he'd never been outside unless he was in a
cage, so Quatre had no idea what the country was, but Duo had said he didn't take to cages, so he assumed there was plenty of space. The idea sounded
wonderful. He hadn't run since he was a kitten, before he was sold for the first and only time. Like the other cats in the shop, he'd spent his life in a cage and
the thought of running and space was enough for him to nearly shiver with excitement. Heero bumped his stomach and Quatre blinked at him, taken back by
the strange look the cat was given him. Then he realized everyone was waiting for him and his ears flicked back in embarrassment. "Sorry, okay, let's all push
together. If one person slips, we stop and try again." The dark blue-eyed cat nodded sharply and Quatre focused on the leg his paws were pressing against.
"Okay...push!"

The table scooted a few inches before both Quatre and Wufei slipped and they all paused. The ones using their shoulders flexed for a moment before they
began again. It seemed to take forever, but Duo's loud cheer told them when they'd gone far enough.

"That's it!" Duo grinned, landing on his feet and whirling away from Zechs. He took a quick sprint out from under the table before turning, his eyes on the flat
surface above. With a running start, he jumped onto the table. The others moved so he could see them and he grinned. "Now watch this." A few of the
males snorted at his bragging tone, but he didn't mind, his long tail lifting from the table. Walking to the edge, he rose on his hind legs and glanced down.
The table was a few inches away from the door, but it was still close enough for him to reach the turn-bolt. Concentrating, he held his right leg stiff and
focused as much of his weight as he could on his paw. The bolt turned with ease, nearly sending him flat against the door as his leg fell down. But he
recovered with a slightly embarrassed smile and glanced back down to the others. Heero stepped forward and he shook his head quickly, his tail wrapping
around his feet. "Don't bother to come up. As soon as I turn the doorknob, we'll have to move the table back again, at least enough for us to slip out." The
dark-haired cat stared at him for a second before giving a sharp nod.

Heero sat down again, his ears flicking back with irritation. It seemed the gregarious cat *wasn't* just a nuisance. But he didn't like not being involved in their
escape, it made him feel worthless. Then again, Duo never could have moved the table on his own, the cat had been right about that. With a glare at his
twitching tail, Heero calmed the eager spurt that rushed through him, nearly raising his fur. They weren't out yet, there was no point getting excited. His eyes
flicked up again and he glared harder, his gaze held by Duo's sweeping tail. The cat was crouched near the edge of the table, his paws stretched through the
crack between it and the door and Heero moved. A second later he was standing in front of the door, his head tilted back to see Duo's face peering down at
him. But the cat wasn't looking at him so much as at the knob, paws pressed on either side of it. "What are you doing?"

"It turns," Duo muttered, glaring at the knob when his paws slid again. If there was one thing he hated, it was trying to turn a doorknob. His gaze dropped for
a second and he shook his head at Heero. "Hold on, I need some traction." The blue-eyed cat frowned at him and Duo sat on his heels, lifting a paw to his
mouth.

The long-haired cat was licking his paws with a fervor that rendered Heero immobile for nearly a minute. With a jerk, he managed to tear his gaze away and
Heero slunk back a step, out of sight of that rapidly moving tongue. There was something unnerving about the cheerful cat and he didn't like it.

His mouth was dry by the time he was done, but Duo sighed, staring at his wet paws. That had to be enough. Leaning down again, he pressed them against
the knob, putting his weight on the right side of the circular piece of metal. And it turned, ever so slowly. The trick was pulling and Duo's eyes narrowed,
catching the empty floor beneath him. "Heero? Hey, one of you guys get your paws under the door and pull, quick!" Dark fur abruptly filled the space and
Duo sighed with relief, pressing harder on the knob until it turned halfway. "Now, pull!"

There was barely enough space for his paws to get a grip beneath the door, but Heero managed. He was nearly laying on the floor and he twisted his head to
the side when the tall wooden door moved closer to him. With a backward crouch, he pulled more until the door was touching the edge of the table.
Something landed beside him and he glanced over, not too surprised to see Duo's grinning form. "Hn."

"Great-great! That's it," Duo grinned, shoving his face against Heero's neck for a second before jumping back. It was a good thing his reflexes were fast or
he'd have been caught by the male's sweeping claw. "Be nice," he commented, shuffling back a bit more. "We have to work together, have to move the table
back." Dark blue eyes glared at him before Heero moved away and Duo sighed, tilting his head to the side. He'd always fallen for the ones that played
hard-to-get.

It didn't seem to take much time at all to move the table again, but then, they only had to push it a few inches before Duo called out for them to stop. Following
him eagerly, Quatre paused behind the long-haired cat, his eyes glued to the black crack showing through the partially open door. Then Duo pressed into
that crack and it widened slowly, revealing all the space he'd imagined, and more smells than he ever remembered having come into contact with. "Is that the
country...?"

"This?" Duo asked, his eyes wide as he paused in the doorway, his tail curling around his feet. "This is an alley. We're a long way from the country. But I
know how to get there if you want to go with me." The blonde cat nodded, obviously distracted by the dark surroundings and Duo moved back further. "What
are you guys waiting for? This is it, freedom."

"My cage was cleaner than that," Treize commented, his head poking out the door so he could look over the dark area outside. Something shoved past him
and his ears flicked back as he snapped at the black tail that brushed over his nose. Wufei gave a sharp hiss, barely getting away in time to keep from getting
nipped. "Then again," Treize sniffed, his eyes flicking back to Zechs, "I can't exactly let *him* go running off by himself."

"Of course not," Zechs purred, pressing past the brown-haired cat, his paws curling a bit on the hard cement beneath them. Treize was a step behind him and
he sat down near Duo, watching as the others made their own tentative exits. He didn't know what this 'country' was that Duo had mentioned, but he didn't
mind getting out of that cramped cage. And he'd been bored anyway. Escape was starting to sound like it might be an adventure.

.-.

PART 3

.-.

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