To the Ends of the Earth By: Trinityblue Author's note: Ok, another AU. I was watching a thing on the search for Atlantis and it spurred this idea?. I have now idea how it's going to turn out?. The time is set around the 1930's, perhaps earlier or later. --------------------------------- She stepped out of the taxi and straightened her vest as she looked up at the massive building before her. This was going to be hard to do. She had never faced anyone of such importance. She wiped a stray black hair behind her ear and marched into the Capsule Corps building, trying to look confident. She took the elevator to the midlevel and walked down the long, slightly dreary hallway. Crystalline chandeliers casting an amber glow on the old, valuable artworks that lined the hall lead the way to the corporate president's office. She continued to walk to the secretary's desk, subconsciously reaching up to see if her hair was still up in the bun she had put it in earlier. She reached the desk and the blond haired woman looked up from her typewriter. "May I help you?" the lady asked. "Yes ma'am, I'm here to see Mr. Briefs," she replied, trying to keep her worry out of her voice. "Do you have an appointment?" the secretary asked with a toneless voice. "Yes ma'am, It's under Son, Pan Son." With those words the secretary looked through her files until she came to the name of Son. Once found she got out from behind her desk and walk to the large, oak, double doors of the richest man on the planet's office, disappearing behind them. Pan waited anxiously, thumbing at the folder she held. She would rather be back with her father and mother, going through old texts in libraries, gathering all the information that they needed for this mission. Her father persuaded her to approach the president of Capsule Corp., the largest corporation there was, and ask him for funding. Pan sighed. Why was she the one that needed to do this? Her mother could do a much better job at this than she could. Suddenly the secretary reappeared and cleared her throat. "Oh, he can't see me? That's all right, I'll come back some other time and?" Pan said hastily, backing away from the doors. The secretary gave her an odd look. "No ma'am, I was about to tell you that Mr. Briefs will see you now." "?Oh?" Pan muttered and nervously walked past the lady and into the office. She stopped after taking a few steps. The office was immense? The artwork in the hallway was nothing compared to that of this office. Most of it was ancient and very VERY expensive. Greek and Roman statues, paintings from the Renaissance, and tapestries too boot were all around her. Pan looked down at the rug she was standing on. It wasn't old but the designs simply called her to touch it and she kneeled down to do so. Pan jumped at the sound of someone clearing his throat and looked up. Standing over her and a purple-haired man with his arms crossed over his broad chest looking at her with a curious expression. Pan stood quickly and backed away from him, nearly knocking over a table and a vase. The man in front of her tensed seeing this but relaxed when the vase stopped rocking. "Do you make it a habit of doing this, Ms. Son?" he asked. "D-doing what, Sir?" "Making the people you asked an appointment with wait?" "No, it's just that?" Pan stopped trying to explain herself to him. She was an archeologist, how was she going to explain her habits to him? She was also slightly annoyed with his tone. "Shall we start?" she asked, walking towards the larger desk at the other end of the room. Was everything about this place big? She wondered. The purple-haired president followed her wordlessly, amused by her sudden change in personality. Pan stopped at the desk and waited for him to walk to the other side, but he made no motion to go there, instead he walked up beside her and picked up the folder she had placed on the desk. "Hey!" Pan said, alarmed by his action and took the folder from him, "You're not supposed to see that yet." He blinked at her. "But? that's a resume, right? I was under the impression you were looking for a job here?" he said befuddled. "It's not a resume, I have a job? kinda?" "Than why are you here?" he asked, finally going to the other side of the desk. Pan took a deep breath and began to recite the speech she had been practicing in her head all morning. "Mr. Briefs, I am here to ask if you would fund an archeological expedition that my parents are pursuing. It would greatly helps us no matter how little you give," She said hastily, trying to calm her nerves. Why was she acting this way? Oh yeah, he was only the richest man in the world and she had never done anything like this on her own before, not to mention she had spent most her life at digs, not with corporate heads and people of such status?. As her mind suddenly seemed to wonder off to another world he studied her. Her raven hair was done up in a tight bun, yet some strands tucked behind her ears seemed to have been missed. She wore a white, silk, long sleeved shirt with a light brown vest over that and a matching skirt that came slightly below her knees. Her figure was shapely, yet held an air of strength to it. And it was more than obvious that she was terrified about this meeting, that folder she hugged would not last much longer if he did not say something soon. He leaned forward and her head suddenly snapped back to him, as if she forgotten he was there. "What kind of expiation?" he inquired. Pan took another deep breath as she prepared for his reaction. "To find the lost city of Atlantis." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *rant again: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all of you have been wanting to see ch14 of TOY, but I give you this instead. Least I've been writing something, ne? Be gentle and don't judge it too harshly, ks? *pleading look* Next Chapter