History AirVentPassageway / FanWorks

* ''Fanfic/{{HERZ}}'': In chapter 4 Kurumi used a ventilation shaft to reach Terminal Dogma after being told it was off-limits.
-->''The grill made a tremendous clanging sound as it crashed onto the floor. Kurumi, in her UNIPF combat fatigues, emerged from the ventilation shaft. "Terminal Dogma is off-limits, my ass."''
* ''FanFic/HitmanMiami'': In chapter 8, the only way into the target's office, apart from a locked steel door, is a six-inch wide vent in the ceiling, which Agent 47 uses to drop monkey chow into the room in order to lure in a KillerGorilla, then a grenade to kill the gorilla.

* ''FanFic/CodeWings30'': Jeremie and the others use the ventilation shaft to their new room to evade the whitecoats and Erasers.
* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' [[AlternateUniverse AU]] series ''FanFic/TheDarknessSeries'', Harry uses this when doing spy work at Riddle Manor [[spoiler: [[JustifiedTrope in snake form]]]].

* [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4471204/6/I_Think_Some_Serious_Physics_Just_Happened One chapter]] of the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' {{fanfic}} ''I Think Some Serious Physics Just Happened'' has a nice {{deconstruction}} of the trope when Ron, dropped into the real world, sneaks into a library through the airvents and naturally [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome gets dirty while crawling through them]]. Then he starts to wonder why the vents in the [[SupervillainLair supervillains' lairs]] were never less than spotless. Who was cleaning them? How? Why?
** It's often a good idea to clean out ventilation systems to increase air-flow efficiency, reduce allergens, and stop a significant layer of dust accumulating on everything in the building every night. Particularly in warehouses with the giant ventilation systems that someone could actually crawl through.
** Or there might simply be enough traffic in the ventilation system of the average villain lair to prevent dust gathering... Let's face it, those bases usually last a month or three, and see twenty-odd people getting around by air vents in that timeframe.
* ''Fanfic/JackieChanAdventuresOlympianJourney'': Jade, Jimmy, and Rachel do this to escape a crowd of [[spoiler: Eros!Drew]]'s [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed love cultists]], though Rachel is a bit too big for it and has to go through the rafters instead.
* Averted in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World''. George talks about maybe navigating the air ducts to get to Mevaryat's basement room in the concert hall, but he isn't thrilled about the idea because he has no idea where the things go, and can't really navigate the larger world [[VoluntaryShapeshifting when he's something small]] anyway. Later, he finds out that the Tipaanese anticipated he might go in that way and set traps throughout the air ducts. Too bad for them he found a different way to get into the room.
* Lampshaded in ''Fanfic/LaterTraitor''. While exploring Maloof's mental world in chapter 18, Frazie and Lili end up crawling through air vents to get at a Memory Vault Maloof has hidden away. Lili points out how air vents big enough to crawl through are highly unlikely in the real world, and Frazie chalks it up to Maloof internalizing the trope from watching too many crime movies.

* Lampshaded in ''FanFic/ChildOfTheStorm,'' wherein Clint (and later, Bucky) like to crawl around in them to get into HYDRA bases (or in Clint's case, just because he likes crawling around in the Avengers Tower ones). Tony freaked out the first time. Now, being [[TheGadfly Tony]], he still likes to pretend he has no idea of what's going on and send his robots to flush them out.
** In the sequel, Bucky notes that they'd be amazed at how many HYDRA bases he's broken into, a point he's apparently previously made to Harry. [[PersonOfMassDestruction Harry]], however, prefers [[DynamicEntry making his]] [[StuffBlowingUp own doorways]]. Or [[RefugeInAudacity using Doctor Strange as a chauffeur.]] As he loftily puts it, "One makes a statement, the other is economical.”
** On a related note, it's become solid fanon in the ''Avengers'' fandom that Clint likes doing this. A lot.

* Justified in ''Fanfic/MassEffectHumanRevolution'': Ventilation passages in Krogan battle barges are huge because they're really meant for defenders to outmaneuver boarders.
* Used for infiltration in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' fic ''FanFic/MassesToMasses''. Subverted when Ian's weight brings it down, resulting in Melanis lecturing him on how this trope doesn't work in real situations.
** [[ThisIsReality "This is real life, not the vids."]]
* ''FanFic/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiDuo'': In chapter 8, the group uses one to sneak into the aquarium and find the missing Hanon. It ends up backfiring on them when they [[SoMuchForStealth end up falling down a chute and landing heavily]].

* ''Fanfic/MissingLinc'': Lana is forced to use the air vents to escape after Lindsey Sweetwater locks her in the dressing room.
* ''Fanfic/TheNewAdventuresOfInvaderZim'': In Season 2 Episode 11, the Resisty and Team Save Earth sneak into the building where the Invaders' tournament is being held through the air vents. A {{Deconstructed|Trope}} example though, as they barely fit in the cramped space and struggle to squeeze through.
* ''Fanfic/NobodyDies'': Rei's favorite method of StealthHiBye is to drop out of any ventilation system. Later revealed to be a trait common to all Lilith-based Nephilem, as when [[spoiler:Shinji is temporarily turned into a Nephilem, he suddenly gets good at zipping through vents too]]. Kensuke is picking it up as well, due to his... "friendship" with Rei.
* Both played straight and deconstructed in the ''Batman'' fanfic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8782654/5/Of-Friends-and-Foes "Of Friends and Foes."]] Robin and Kid Flash decide to sneak through air vents to eavesdrop on the JLA meeting for fun, and the size of the vents is explained away as being large enough for adults to come and work up there if a problem arises. However, it's noted that Robin still has to use his agility to get around, that it's pretty dirty, and that the boys have to keep their voices down to avoid being heard. Since [[{{Franchise/Superman}} one of the members]] has super-hearing and X-ray vision, [[{{Franchise/Batman}} one]] has HyperAwareness, and [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter another is a telepath]], it doesn't go too well anyway.

%% * The heroes use these to break into the base in the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius Jimmy Neutron]]'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TheOtherSideOfTomorrow''.
%% * Occurs in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' AlternateUniverse ''[[Fanfic/ThePadmeAUs The Part to Be Played]]''.
* There are two instances in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines''. Both of them are justified given that they involve relatively small Pokémon:
** The first, Ash's Aipom sneaks aboard the vents in Hunter J's airship, opening the doors for Ash and the others to get through to escape.
** The second, Ash's Snivy gets away from the Samurai by sneaking through the air vents of the battle club, and eventually seeing Ash and deciding to challenge him to see if he's the trainer she's looking for.
* In ''Fanfic/APrincessATreehuggerAndASpaceCadetWalkIntoALibrary'', Tobias and Marco fall out of an air-vent and into the library.

* ''Fanfic/QueenOfAllOni'': Drago uses the air vents to break into Section 13. He calls it a cliche, and expresses disappointment that the Section 13 of the present isn't on the same level as the one in his time.
** During the FinalBattle, Jade and Hebi use the chaos of her forces' [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs invasion of Section 13]] as a distraction to sneak into the air vents and use them to get to the Vault unseen.
* ''Fanfic/RiseOfTheMinisukas'': The titular Minisukas sneak into and out of places by crawling through the air vents. Justified, since they are only eight inches tall.

* ''Sailor Moon: Legends of Lightstorm'': In an attempt to bond with Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter suggests that they get into a suspicious building by crawling in through the vents "like in the movies". Misunderstanding her intent, Mercury merely points out that the vents are probably too small for them to fit through.
* In the ''Series/StargateUniverse'' fic ''FanFic/{{Scribblings}}'', Chloe and Rush both make use of a variant of this: Chloe turns it into a prison for Eli and Rush turns it into a nest.
* ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'': Shinji used a ventilation shaft to sneak out and back in NERV in the second-to-last chapter.
* Used regularly by Terawatt in ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'' to enter buildings held by hostiles, and justified by her combination of powers; her silver puddle form can slip through ''standard sized'' vents, and her telekinesis means that weight isn't an issue.

* The absurdly spacious ones in Arkham are viciously {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' fic ''FanFic/BruceHasAProblem''; evidently they were originally dog runs put in by a director who thought dogs would have mental healing properties, abandoned when the director died in a dog-petting accident. They were then repurposed as vents by another director, who was looking to cut costs to fund a step pyramid he was building.

* In the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' fic ''FanFic/SmashGeneration'', this is how Midna went to see who was in the Mansion, and also how Pear, Riley, BJ and Popo evaded escape.
* This is Eric's favorite method of travel in the ''Series/{{Glee}}'' fanfic FanFic/SpahVerse, both at Dalton and [=McKinley=].
* In the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}''[=/=]''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' crossover ''Fanfic/SSBTheReturn'', Melody uses these to get around the school.
* In the MegaCrossover ''FanFic/SuperNetworkWars'' [[IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming episode]] 27, some members of the Nueva Liga Filipina have to crawl through this in order to stop the poisons from being administered into the food of the [=VIPs=] at the 12th ASEAN Summit.
* Used in the ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' fanfic ''FanFic/TestOfHumanity'', though it's more of an "incinerator exhaust pipe escape". Subverted in that [[spoiler:[[BigEater Wheatley]] is too fat to fit all the way through and ends up stuck, causing the pipe to explode from the built-up pressure]].
* In another ''Kim Possible'' fanfic, ''To Bebe or not to Bebe'', Kim and Ron are captured by a surprisingly competent villain who not only has air vents too small to crawl through, but also took all their equipment and destroyed it rather than leave it out to pick up when they escape.

* Calvin and Hobbes use this to infiltrate a base in ''Fanfic/TroubleIsland''.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'' fanfic ''A Brief Moment of Culture'', Artie hides from [[spoiler: a mind-controlled Mell]] in the ventilation ducts. Justified because tiny little gerbil; it's made clear a human would have trouble fitting an ''arm'' in the ducts. And then subverted when [[spoiler: Mell begins methodically smashing the ducts from one side to the other, which admittedly isn't something you can do with human-sized ones]].
* The absurdly spacious ones in Arkham are viciously {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' fic ''FanFic/BruceHasAProblem''; evidently they were originally dog runs put in by a director who thought dogs would have mental healing properties, abandoned when the director died in a dog-petting accident. They were then repurposed as vents by another director, who was looking to cut costs to fund a step pyramid he was building.
%% * Occurs in ''Anime/BubbleGumCrisis'' fanfic ''FanFic/TheBubblegumZone''.
* Examples from Fanfic/{{the Calvinverse}}:
** Calvin ends up using one of these in ''Fanfic/RetroChill''.
** Inverted in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'': Andy and Sherman are ''captured'' by a [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters possessed]] air vent.

* In Music/SpiceGirls [[AlternateUniverse AU]] Fic, ''Astral Journey: It's Complicated'', after getting sectioned, Melanie does this "twice". Her second attempts ends in disaster, leading to getting injured for real.
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''[=/=]''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' crossover ''FanFic/BetterLivingThroughScienceAndPonies'', Chell uses some vents to get back inside the Enrichment Center. Justified in that her small pony body fits better.
%% * In ''Fanfic/BlueSky'' it's not exactly air vents, but climbing in the chaotic crawl spaces of the facility.

* Calvin and Hobbes use this to infiltrate a base in ''Fanfic/TroubleIsland''.

* Part of the caper plans in the ''FanFic/UndocumentedFeatures'' fic ''Hellbringer and the After-School Special Mission Force #1: "The Bad Bank Caper"'' -- as Lain Iwakura says, "Oh, good... I was -hoping- we'd be hitting all the cliches on this job."
* This is the method that Draco uses to get the Death Eaters into Hogwarts in ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical''.

* ''Fanfic/TheVictorsProject'' mentions that The Boy form District 5 did this during the 62nd Hunger Games (where the arena was a mansion). During a return to that same arena after Katniss is kidnapped by remaining Capitol loyalists, [[spoiler: Justus]] uses this to ambush members of the rescue party.
* This is how Carlos leaves the VILE base in the ''[[Literature/WheresWally Where's Waldo]]''[=/=]''Franchise/CarmenSandiego'' crossover ''FanFic/WhereOnEarthSpies''. He's a small dog, so it works.

* ''Fanfic/AmongYou'': In ''like son, like father'', in order to avoid being caught eating Blue's body, Orange escapes Medbay through a vent, going into Electrical.

* Used by the protagonists of ''Fanfic/YuGiOhForever'' during the last part of the Dueltropolis arc, to sneak on board the ARK.

* ''Fanfic/AmongYou'': In ''like son, like father'', in order to avoid being caught eating Blue’s body, Orange escapes Medbay through a vent, going into Electrical.

%% * In ''FanFic/BlueSky'' it's not exactly air vents, but climbing in the chaotic crawl spaces of the facility.

* ''FanFic/NobodyDies'': Terrifying!Rei's favorite method of StealthHiBye is to drop out of [[strike:NERV's]] ''any'' ventilation system. ''He~eeey.'' OhCrap. Running now. Later revealed to be a trait common to all Lilith-based Nephilem, as when [[spoiler:Shinji is temporarily turned into a Nephilem, he suddenly gets good at zipping through vents too]]. Kensuke is picking it up as well, due to his... "friendship" with Rei.
* Both played straight and deconstructed in the Batman fanfic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8782654/5/Of-Friends-and-Foes "Of Friends and Foes."]] Robin and Kid Flash decide to sneak through air vents to eavesdrop on the JLA meeting for fun, and the size of the vents is explained away as being large enough for adults to come and work up there if a problem arises. However, it's noted that Robin still has to use his agility to get around, that it's pretty dirty, and that the boys have to keep their voices down to avoid being heard. Since [[{{Franchise/Superman}} one of the members]] has super-hearing and X-ray vision, [[{{Franchise/Batman}} one]] has HyperAwareness, and [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter another is a telepath]], it doesn't go too well anyway.
%% * The heroes use these to break into the base in the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius Jimmy Neutron]]'' fanfic ''FanFic/TheOtherSideOfTomorrow''.
%% * Occurs in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' AlternateUniverse ''[[FanFic/ThePadmeAUs The Part to Be Played]]''.

* In ''FanFic/BlueSky'' it's not exactly air vents, but climbing in the chaotic crawl spaces of the facility.

* Occurs in ''Anime/BubbleGumCrisis'' fanfic ''FanFic/TheBubblegumZone''.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic series ''FanFic/HarpflankAndSweets'' -- in the headquarters of the heroes, no less.

* In ''Fanfic/APrincessATreehuggerAndASpaceCadetWalkIntoALibrary'', Tobias and Marco fall out of an air-vent and into the library.

* The heroes use these to break into the base in the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius Jimmy Neutron]]'' fanfic ''FanFic/TheOtherSideOfTomorrow''.
* Occurs in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' AlternateUniverse ''[[FanFic/ThePadmeAUs The Part to Be Played]]''.

* [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4471204/6/I_Think_Some_Serious_Physics_Just_Happened One chapter]] of the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' {{fanfic}} ''I Think Some Serious Physics Just Happened'' has a nice {{deconstruction}} of the trope when Ron, dropped into the real world, sneaks into a library through the airvents and naturally [[RealityEnsues gets dirty while crawling through them]]. Then he starts to wonder why the vents in the [[SupervillainLair supervillains' lairs]] were never less than spotless. Who was cleaning them? How? Why?

* In Music/SpiceGirls [[AlternateUniverse AU]] Fic, ''Astral Journey: It's Complicated'', after getting sectioned, Melanie does this "twice". Her second attempts ends in disaster, leading to getting injured for real.
* ''Fanfic/MissingLinc'': Lana is forced to use the air vents to escape after Lindsey Sweetwater locks her in the dressing room.
* ''Fanfic/TheVictorsProject'' mentions that The Boy form District 5 did this during the 62nd Hunger Games (where the arena was a mansion). During a return to that same arena after Katniss is kidnapped by remaining Capitol loyalists, [[spoiler: Justus]] uses this to ambush members of the rescue party.
* Used regularly by Terawatt in ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'' to enter buildings held by hostiles, and justified by her combination of powers; her silver puddle form can slip through ''standard sized'' vents, and her telekinesis means that weight isn't an issue.
* ''Fanfic/AmongYou'': In ''like son, like father'', in order to avoid being caught eating Blue’s body, Orange escapes Medbay through a vent, going into Electrical.

* This is the method that Draco uses to get the Death Eaters into Hogwarts in ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical''.

* In another ''Kim Possible'' fanfic, ''To Bebe or not to Bebe'', Kim and Ron are captured by a surprisingly competent villain who not only has air vents too small to crawl through, but also took all their equipment and destroyed it rather than leave it out to pick up when they escape.
* ''Fanfic/{{HERZ}}'': In chapter 4 Kurumi used a ventilation shaft to reach Terminal Dogma after being told it was off-limits.
-->''The grill made a tremendous clanging sound as it crashed onto the floor. Kurumi, in her UNIPF combat fatigues, emerged from the ventilation shaft. "Terminal Dogma is off-limits, my ass."''
* ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'': Shinji used a ventilation shaft to sneak out and back in NERV in the second-to-last chapter.

* Used in the ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' fanfic ''FanFic/TestOfHumanity'', though it's more of an "incinerator exhaust pipe escape". Subverted in that [[spoiler:[[BigEater Wheatley]] is too fat to fit all the way through and ends up stuck, causing the pipe to explode from the built-up pressure]].
* In ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestriaPinkEyes'', the main character Puppysmiles is just a little filly, meaning it's easier to crawl around in tight spaces. She uses this to enter a locked-down fortress to search for her mom.
* Examples from Fanfic/{{the Calvinverse}}:
** Calvin ends up using one of these in ''Fanfic/RetroChill''.
** Inverted in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'': Andy and Sherman are ''captured'' by a [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters possessed]] air vent.

* ''FanFic/EarthAndSky'': After [[spoiler: Chrysalis]] is arrested and thrown in the dungeon in Los Pegasus, she slips free of her chains by [[spoiler: molting to filly-size]] and then crawls out through a vent. [[JustifiedTrope Even then, it only works because, as Luna points out,]] [[spoiler: [[JustifiedTrope her carapace hasn't hardened yet]]]], [[JustifiedTrope allowing her to squeeze through the tight space.]]
* ''FanFic/HitmanMiami'': In chapter 8, the only way into the target's office, apart from a locked steel door, is a six-inch wide vent in the ceiling, which Agent 47 uses to drop monkey chow into the room in order to lure in a KillerGorilla, then a grenade to kill the gorilla.
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''[=/=]''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' crossover ''FanFic/BetterLivingThroughScienceAndPonies'', Chell uses some vents to get back inside the Enrichment Center. Justified in that her small pony body fits better.
* In ''FanFic/BlueSky'' it's not exactly air vents, but climbing in the chaotic crawl spaces of the facility.
* The absurdly spacious ones in Arkham are viciously {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' fic ''FanFic/BruceHasAProblem''; evidently they were originally dog runs put in by a director who thought dogs would have mental healing properties, abandoned when the director died in a dog-petting accident. They were then repurposed as vents by another director, who was looking to cut costs to fund a step pyramid he was building.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic series ''FanFic/HarpflankAndSweets'' -- in the headquarters of the heroes, no less.
* Used for infiltration in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' fic ''FanFic/MassesToMasses''. Subverted when Ian's weight brings it down, resulting in Melanis lecturing him on how this trope doesn't work in real situations.
** [[ThisIsReality "This is real life, not the vids."]]

* Occurs in ''Anime/BubbleGumCrisis'' fanfic ''FanFic/TheBubblegumZone''.
* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' [[AlternateUniverse AU]] series ''FanFic/TheDarknessSeries'', Harry uses this when doing spy work at Riddle Manor [[spoiler: [[JustifiedTrope in snake form]]]].
* The ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' fic ''[[FanFic/TheMidnightverse Diamonds In The Desert]]'' is practically about this.
** Also from the same series, Zipper gets into and out of the National Institute for Mental Health via air vents in ''Lost And Found'', and the Rangers use the air-conditioning vents to get into Mr. Jacob's penthouse in ''Last Date''.
* The heroes use these to break into the base in the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius Jimmy Neutron]]'' fanfic ''FanFic/TheOtherSideOfTomorrow''.
* Occurs in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' AlternateUniverse ''[[FanFic/ThePadmeAUs The Part to Be Played]]''.

* Calvin and Hobbes use this to infiltrate a base in ''Fanfic/TroubleIsland''.
* Justified in ''Fanfic/MassEffectHumanRevolution'': Ventilation passages in Krogan battle barges are huge because they're really meant for defenders to outmaneuver boarders.
* ''Fanfic/{{Equestrylvania}}'': In Book 2, after Rainbow Dash and Shatterstom are captured by [[spoiler: [[TheQuisling Rose Blade]]]], he has the former locked in a bathroom that's been converted into a holding cell/torture chamber; after getting free of her chains, she gets out of the room this way. Somewhat subverted, as it's a cramped fit, and Rainbow Dash is constantly worried that she's going to make noise and alert the {{Mooks}} below.
* ''Sailor Moon: Legends of Lightstorm'': In an attempt to bond with Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter suggests that they get into a suspicious building by crawling in through the vents "like in the movies". Misunderstanding her intent, Mercury merely points out that the vents are probably too small for them to fit through.
* Averted in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World''. George talks about maybe navigating the air ducts to get to Mevaryat's basement room in the concert hall, but he isn't thrilled about the idea because he has no idea where the things go, and can't really navigate the larger world [[VoluntaryShapeshifting when he's something small]] anyway. Later, he finds out that the Tipaanese anticipated he might go in that way and set traps throughout the air ducts. Too bad for them he found a different way to get into the room.
* Lampshaded in ''FanFic/ChildOfTheStorm,'' wherein Clint (and later, Bucky) like to crawl around in them to get into HYDRA bases (or in Clint's case, just because he likes crawling around in the Avengers Tower ones). Tony freaked out the first time. Now, being [[TheGadfly Tony]], he still likes to pretend he has no idea of what's going on and send his robots to flush them out.
** In the sequel, Bucky notes that they'd be amazed at how many HYDRA bases he's broken into, a point he's apparently previously made to Harry. [[PersonOfMassDestruction Harry]], however, prefers [[DynamicEntry making his]] [[StuffBlowingUp own doorways]]. Or [[RefugeInAudacity using Doctor Strange as a chauffeur.]] As he loftily puts it, "One makes a statement, the other is economical.”
** On a related note, it's become solid fanon in the ''Avengers'' fandom that Clint likes doing this. A lot.
* Both played straight and deconstructed in the Batman fanfic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8782654/5/Of-Friends-and-Foes "Of Friends and Foes."]] Robin and Kid Flash decide to sneak through air vents to eavesdrop on the JLA meeting for fun, and the size of the vents is explained away as being large enough for adults to come and work up there if a problem arises. However, it's noted that Robin still has to use his agility to get around, that it's pretty dirty, and that the boys have to keep their voices down to avoid being heard. Since [[{{Franchise/Superman}} one of the members]] has super-hearing and X-ray vision, [[{{Franchise/Batman}} one]] has HyperAwareness, and [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter another is a telepath]], it doesn't go too well anyway.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'' fanfic ''A Brief Moment of Culture'', Artie hides from [[spoiler: a mind-controlled Mell]] in the ventilation ducts. Justified because tiny little gerbil; it's made clear a human would have trouble fitting an ''arm'' in the ducts. And then subverted when [[spoiler: Mell begins methodically smashing the ducts from one side to the other, which admittedly isn't something you can do with human-sized ones]].
* There are two instances in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines''. Both of them are justified given that they involve relatively small Pokémon:
** The first, Ash's Aipom sneaks aboard the vents in Hunter J's airship, opening the doors for Ash and the others to get through to escape.
** The second, Ash's Snivy gets away from the Samurai by sneaking through the air vents of the battle club, and eventually seeing Ash and deciding to challenge him to see if he's the trainer she's looking for.
* ''FanFic/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiDuo'': In chapter 8, the group uses one to sneak into the aquarium and find the missing Hanon. It ends up backfiring on them when they [[SoMuchForStealth end up falling down a chute and landing heavily]].
* In ''Fanfic/AllGuardsmenParty'' the ''[[TheAllegedCar Occurrence Border]]'' has plenty such passageways. When Sarge tries looking for similarly-size vents on a properly-built space station, he's told nobody would ever build vents large enough to crawl through. The only reason the ''Border'' has such vents is because it's a very ''stupid'' ship.

* Used regularly by Terawatt in ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'' to enter buildings held by hostiles, and justified by her combination of powers; her silver puddle form can slip through ''standard sized'' vents, and her telekinesis means that weight isn't an issue.

* ''Fanfic/TheVictorsProject'' mentions that The Boy form District 5 did this during the 62nd Hunger Games (where the arena was a mansion). During a return to that same arena after Katniss is kidnapped by remaining Capitol loyalists, [[spoiler: Justus]] uses this to ambush members of the rescue party.

* In the ''[[Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona Persona]]''[=/=]''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' crossover ''Fanfic/SSBTheReturn'', Melody uses these to get around the school.

* ''Fanfic/TheVictorsProject'' mentions that The Boy form District 5 did this during the 62nd Hunger Games (where the arena was a mansion).

* ''Fanfic/MissingLinc'': Lana is forced to use the air vents to escape after Lindsey Sweetwater locks her in the dressing room.

* In Music/SpiceGirls [[AlternateUniverse AU]] Fic, ''Astral Journey: It's Complicated'', after getting sectioned, Melanie does this "twice". Her second attempts ends in disaster, leading to getting injured for real.