damned_institute | Day 65: 3rd Shift: Courtyard

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Day 65: 3rd Shift: Courtyard

[From here.]

It was chilly out in the courtyard, making Lloyd glad for the odd but relatively warm clothing he'd found himself in when he woke up. He could have stay inside the building, he knows. His nurse had told him he had a choice of several rooms he could eat his lunch in, if he wanted. The cold felt good, though, and the tree he was sitting against felt solid and comfortable. He still felt lost, but trying to get straight answers from the nurse was frustrating. The man had retreated to let him eat in peace, promising to come back when Lloyd was finished and he'd had a chance to "clear his head." The teen was just fine with that.

Lunch itself was actually pretty good. He'd gotten a chicken sandwich, and his spirits lifted a little when he saw that there was a brownie with it. It had taken him a minute to figure out the box with juice inside, having never encountered anything like that before, but after that it was easy to just settle down and enjoy his food.

Well, for the most part. Worry for his Dad still ate at him, and he had no idea where any of his friends were. He still felt a little off, too, like some intangible part of him was missing or weakened, but he chalked that up to leftover side effects of whatever it was Yuan had done to him. He was confident that would disappear soon enough, once he finished recovering. He already felt well enough that as soon as he was done eating, he was determined to leave. If his doctor had his things, he'd ask for them first, and maybe he could talk to some of the other people here, see if they knew anything that could help, but one way or another, he needed to find his friends and make sure his Dad was all right.

[To here.]

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At first Gabriel had been torn between visiting the music room or visiting the courtyard, but after a few moments' debate had decided that, in a place of illusory compassion such as this, the music was unlikely to have much range--or at least not be anything Gabe would truly want to listen to. Besides, he wanted to see if there were any fruit-trees outside--for the smoothies.

The Archangel found himself startled by how beautiful the courtyard really was, and then admitted that he really shouldn't be. For all Lucifer's inability to grasp the beauty of his 'cell', he nevertheless knew how to utilise it. Even still, that didn't mean Gabriel himself couldn't appreciate it. Lucifer used it as a tool because he didn't care about its value. More the fool him.

So Gabe ambled slowly along the path, eating as he went and stopping to say hello to the flowers when he passed them. When he reached the pond the Archangel's face lit up; he stepped off the path, sinking to his knees by the pond and leaning over the water to search for fish.

[For Barnaby.]

Edited 2012-07-29 05:26 (UTC)

He hadn't expected to spend the shower shift speaking with Lingormr, but Barnaby supposed it was a matter of time before the man approached them, especially if it was true that he'd been brainwashed by the institute. At this point, no one had come forward to contradict the Special Counseling story, so for now he was forced to accept it. While that should have made things simpler, he hated the thought that he or Kotetsu could wind up losing control of themselves. When he considered that their captors might have that kind of power over them, Barnaby's stomach felt sick.

Then again, maybe that was due to the strange symptoms he'd been experiencing for a few days now. Barnaby was getting tired of it. Actually, he was tired in general. Nothing could have prepared him for a place like this -- or for the horrible events leading up to his capture, for that matter.

But he did his best to keep his composure as he browsed through the bulletin notes. In fact, he even managed to leave a note for Anise. It was clear the girl was a veteran when it came to dealing with the Institute. Barnaby had no intention of squandering the opportunity to learn more about what they were up against, which meant taking the time to maintain some form of contact while trapped here. Years of networking in the Hero business taught him the importance of that.

Eventually, he allowed the nurse to wheel him out to the Courtyard. She seemed to believe the fresh air would do him good, although she made absolutely certain his hair was dried, and she even went as far as to grab a coat for him and placed it over his shoulders. Barnaby endured the humiliation with a polite smile, and his expression didn't falter as she positioned him next to the pond that spanned across a good portion of the area.

Thankfully, she didn't try to force him into talking with anyone, leaving him on his own while she supervised from afar. Barnaby's first instinct was to study the surrounding walls, search for weaknesses, and consider what it would take to climb over them with limited NEXT powers. However, he paused when he took note of nearby man kneeling by the pond, as though he expected to find something underneath the water's surface. Had he seen something unusual there?

Somewhat intrigued, Barnaby decided to observe him for a moment. He didn't appear familiar at all. While it was possible they hadn't seen each other in passing, Barnaby made an effort to commit people's faces to memory. Even so, he wasn't about to start up any idle conversation, so for now he was satisfied with trying to see what he'd found, if anything at all.

Gabe didn't manage to actually see any fish, even when he sprinkled some crumbs from his sandwich into the water, but that didn't mean there weren't any. Anyway, the ripples in the water, the texture of the pond-bottom, the way the light crystallised beneath the surface, was all more than enough to capture his attention. For quite a while he stayed as he was, a delighted smile on his lips and gaze tracking the water's movement.

It wasn't until his back prickled weirdly that Gabriel actually realised someone else was there and watching him.

At first he blinked at the stranger, unnerved by the fact he hadn't known the man was there at all, but then he shook off the feeling and smiled warmly. Especially since it seemed this man, also, was ill--though perhaps in a different way to the first man he'd spoken to. (Gabriel had already started to think of him as 'Job'.)

"Hello," he said, lifting his voice to span the distance; it was the voice of someone who was well-trained in making his words carry. The Archangel pushed himself to his feet, absently brushing off his grass-stained knees and then picking up the slippers he'd toed off at some point after diverting from the path. It was only when he started to move that he registered how cold he'd gotten and shivered, startle crossing his face at the reaction; the nurses had made sure he was appropriately dressed for the temperature, but even so, he'd been still for a long time.

His second smile at the man was rueful, even as he moved closer. "I forgot how cold it was." Forgot that he could get cold. "I'm Gabe. Were you there long?"

He didn't sound accusing or censuring; just curious and maybe a little sheepish.

Barnaby hadn't intended for the man to catch him, much less for him to approach. He quickly thought of how he ought to explain himself, but the warm, sincere smile the stranger gave soon made it clear that elaborating on his actions wasn't necessary. The reaction surprised Barnaby, who imagined some newcomers would feel suspicious toward others in this strange environment.

The fact he'd forgotten how cold it was indicated he hadn't been outside in awhile -- or perhaps the sun peaking out from behind the clouds was simply misleading about the temperature. Barnaby himself didn't like the cold much, and hated winter itself even more, but he didn't comment on it or let it show on his face.

Keenly aware of the nurse's gaze on him, Barnaby lifted his shoulders and made sure to give a quick, apologetic smile. "Not at all," he answered. "I had just noticed the way the pond drains through the grates beside the cafeteria, so I was wondering if perhaps you'd found where the water actually comes from."

Instead, the man had apparently been searching for fish to feed, if the bread crumbs were any indication. How strange. It reminded Barnaby of something Kotetsu might do.

Barnaby took a moment to study the man. They appeared to be around the same age, although this Gabe was a little bit shorter. Not that it really mattered, of course, since Barnaby was unable to rise to his full height anyway. He concealed his discomfort with being kept in his wheelchair by opening up the sack lunch that had been resting in his lap up until now.

"My name's Barnaby," he added as he looked up at the man again. "Barnaby Brooks Jr."

"Oh ..." Gabriel glanced toward the cafeteria, laughing to himself. "I guess there aren't any fish in there, then." But he wasn't put out by the time spend looking for them; it had been enjoyable in its own right. He turned back to Barnaby with a grin. "It's a good question, though. Maybe we should look after lunch."

Which reminded him that he still had food leftover, but although he could eat as an angel, as a human that was bumped up to need. The Archangel dropped his slippers and sat down on the grass, tucking his feet up under him to keep them warm. It put him a bit below Barnaby, but that didn't matter.

"Have you been at the Institute long?" he asked, tossing the last few of the crumbs in his hand into the water (just in case!) and reaching into his bag for his juice-box.

"No, I suppose not," he politely remarked, even though he personally didn't understand why anyone would bother with something like fish under the circumstances. "Quite frankly, there's a lot about this place I'd like to look into."

He'd been in the middle of doing just that when he'd gotten these injuries. That was going to slow him down tonight, which made him nervous for a variety of reasons. Of course, there was no reason to delve into any of that, so he kept those thoughts to himself.

"This is my fifth day here," he said in response to Gabe's question once he'd swallowed a bite of his grilled cheese sandwich. The food felt heavy in his aching stomach, and he realized he probably wouldn't be able to finish it all. "Are you new? I don't think I've seen your face before."

If he'd asked, Gabriel would have had a lot of reasons why. As it was, the Archangel nodded agreement, both to Barnaby's assumption and to his assertion that investigation was needed.

"I only woke up here today," Gabe confessed, glancing toward the nurse and then back again. Although there was no fear or confusion in his expression, he was nevertheless serious. "But I've heard that the nights aren't very fun given the director's choice of 'entertainments'."

The end of his sentence turned up, just slightly, not quite a question but enough to make it clear that he hadn't been given very many details at all.

Although Gabe admitted to being new easily enough, Barnaby couldn't help but notice that he seemed remarkably composed. Maybe it was just an act, but something about the genuine, earnest manner in which he carried himself made Barnaby second guess that assumption. That alone made him seem different from other civilians he'd encountered as a Hero. Then again, a lot of the people here were different in their own way -- and not always in a good sense, either.

"That's one way to describe it," he dryly said, his tone remaining even despite the darker subject matter. "The doors in the patients blocks unlock at night, and the Head Doctor lets us freely wander the grounds for awhile. You can expect to find violent, mutated creatures, and perhaps even a patient or two who's been forcibly turned against everyone else for the evening."

It was a grim set-up, one that he wanted to put a stop to as soon as he could, but Barnaby remained calm as he continued explaining the situation as concisely as possible. "If you have unusual abilities, you may find that they've been significantly altered or diminished. It's best not to rely on them too much here."

Gabriel absorbed this with a slight furrow in his brow, and then he glanced toward the Institute, his expression sober and mouth drawn slightly to a thin line. Violent creatures? Demons, perhaps, or damned souls, let out to have their fun with the victims. And the brainwashed patients ...

That, too, sounded frightfully familiar. Despite himself Gabriel shivered, and then blinked, and found his hand pressed over his heart again. Its beat was a little quick, but strangely soothing, even though he wasn't meant to have it. Steady, at least. At most, a reminder that if he was human now, he couldn't well turn into a demon, regardless of what happened--no matter how much Lucifer might try to twist his mind again.

Feed your heart. His Master's words rang in his memory and his expression eased, even as far as a faint smile, his fingers playing with the fabric of the shirt they'd given them.

Then Barnaby spoke again and Gabriel's head snapped up, surprise crossing his face to be quickly followed by dread. No, surely Lucifer wouldn't break the wager's terms? Surely he wouldn't have gone after Joby and his family? Except--the wager's terms had never specified that Lucifer couldn't target others from Taubolt. And if God could split hairs, so too could Lucifer. "Who are you talking about?" Gabriel asked, a little more sharply than was his wont, half rising onto his knees. "What kinds of abilities? Are they alright?"

The odd thing about this reaction was that there was no suspicion in it, no surprise at the idea of 'unusual abilities'. Just pure, unadulterated concern, laced with fear.

Edited 2012-07-30 07:16 (UTC)

The hand over his heart was an odd gesture, and Barnaby was inclined to ask whether he was all right, but he became distracted by Gabe's sudden barrage of honest questions. Raising his eyebrows in mild surprise, he wondered if maybe they were talking about two different things. At least it would be easy for him to clarify.

"I'm talking about everyone here," he answered, his words deliberate yet patient. "Some of us have abilities, talents, skills -- whatever you want to call them -- that are considered out of the ordinary by others. For example, I'm able to temporarily increase my physical capabilities. Others are able to do things like heal injuries, cast illusions, or move objects with their minds."

Not everyone here was a NEXT, but it stood to reason that the Head Doctor may have taken an interest in certain individuals due to their powers. That would explain the high NEXT population, and the strong protective measures their captors had taken in order to keep them properly contained.

"In other words," he added in an attempt to make this easier for Gabe to understand, "the institute has managed to weaken people's special abilities so we'll all have a more difficult time finding a way to escape."

Everyone here. Or at least a significant portion of the people here. Gabe had been talking about specific individuals, but as he opened his mouth to clarify he realised that the point was moot; Michael still guarded the Garden Coast, which meant that there was no way Lucifer could have taken anyone from Taubolt, and therefore no one Gabriel knew.

Exhaling slowly, Gabe sank back down again, the frown more pronounced this time. Lucifer can't have taken anyone from Taubolt, but Taubolt wasn't the only place with people of the blood. He could have kidnapped them instead, for revenge in lieu of Joby and Merlin themselves. And all of the abilities Barnaby had described were within the realm of possibility for the ancients' descendants to have. The Archangel studied Barnaby quietly for a moment as the man spoke, his regard still and intense to the exclusion of all else around him.

"Yes," he murmured a little distractedly without breaking his gaze, replying automatically but without considering his words. "That would be just like him." Then, abruptly, Gabriel blinked, realised what he was doing, and his focus dissolved into chagrined apology. "Forgive me. I'm ... familiar with such skills. I--" He hesitated for a moment before realising that if Michael could pretend to be an empowered being still less than he was, so could Gabriel, and finished, "I have some myself."

If Barnaby found Gabe's intense gaze unnerving, he didn't show it. Instead, he remained composed and acted as he normally would. Years in front of the cameras made such scrutiny feel like a second skin to him.

Regardless, it seemed he'd found yet another NEXT. Although he didn't share what those abilities entailed, Barnaby didn't press for details. Hero TV had helped ease a lot of the hatred and fear directed toward people like them, but that didn't mean it still wasn't a sensitive subject for some, and Gabe's hesitation wasn't lost on Barnaby.

Of course, he didn't get the impression that this patient had heard of him or Stern Bild, which may have meant that such concerns didn't necessarily weigh on him. It was still too early to tell.

"I see," he said with a nod, remaining as neutral as possible in case Gabe decided he wanted to talk about it more. Now that he thought about it, though, there was something he'd said that piqued Barnaby's interest. "Who do you mean by 'him'?"

The fact Barnaby didn't seem put out by Gabe's rudeness was relieving. The fact he had picked up on Gabriel's slip of the tongue wasn't nearly as much, and the Archangel glanced away for a moment, trying to organise his thoughts.

Lying didn't really occur to him as a legitimate response. It was just a matter of how much he should say, and how he should say it. Once he'd asked Michael how he managed to remain in Taubolt undercover for so long without the residents discovering the truth and without actually telling a falsehood; Michael had told him it was only as simple as letting assumptions stand.

Even that, Gabriel felt, would be difficult to maintain if he was going to be here for any length of time. He wasn't a very good liar. At least here, there was more chance of the truth sliding under the radar--not all those of the blood knew about their lineage, after all, or even believed it if they did.

Finally he looked back at Barnaby with as sigh. "I meant one of my older brothers," he said, his expression a strange combination of weariness and sadness and, oddly, plain irritation. "Something like this ..." he motioned to at the buildings over the lake, "is exactly the sort of thing he would come up with. And I frustrated him greatly not too long ago."

He hadn't expected Gabe to mention family, but Barnaby did a good job of not letting it show in his face. Instead, he regarded the other patient with a mixture of polite interest and concern. After all, even if he didn't get the impression that this man was a liar, that didn't necessarily mean he needed to take everything he said at face value, either.

"This facility is capable of transporting someone across large distances in the blink of an eye, and has found ways to tamper with a lot of people's abilities," he pointed out. "It has also managed to fool the outside world by posing as a hospital. Would your brother really have the resources for all of that?"

Not even Abbas Prison, which was built for the specific purpose of containing dangerous criminal NEXTs, had the technology this place seemed to. He couldn't imagine a single man being behind their imprisonment -- unless, perhaps, he an organization like Ourboros to back him.

Edited 2012-07-31 03:35 (UTC)

"Yes," Gabriel said simply, and then smiled tightly. "My brother is--very resourceful. Petty, cruel and jealous, but very resourceful when he wants to be."

Gabriel wouldn't have thought that the other fallen angels would want much to do with him for a while after the way Lucifer had blown the wager, but he was nothing if not charismatic. Maybe he'd managed to get others on his side again. Or ...

The Archangel looked around once more, this time with clearer eyes. "How long has this place been established? A while, if I'm not mistaken?"

If it was something Lucifer had been running for some time--something with which he kidnapped those of the blood who hadn't found safety in Taubolt or like areas--he wouldn't have needed many allies from Hell. Enough to capture Gabriel himself, but not many. Gabriel wouldn't have imagined his brother would stoop to this; he wouldn't have been prepared for it in the least. The fact that Lucifer had managed to bind him so completely was more worrying.

If only he could remember being kidnapped ... Gabriel was sure he could unravel the spells, if he knew what they were, even without most of his power.

Barnaby was still skeptical about whether this man's brother was truly involved or not, but it was worth noting his suspicions just the same. Years of searching for the truth behind his parents' deaths had taught him that even the smallest kernel of information could become relevant later.

Before he could pry for more information, though, Gabe asked another question. Pausing a moment, Barnaby tried to recall whether anyone had told him or not. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "Judging from what I've heard, though, I'd say a month at the very least -- probably longer than that, even."

After all, the people in Doyleton seemed convinced that the institute was what it claimed. That sort of reputation wasn't built overnight.

Regardless, for a newcomer, Gabe was handling the news remarkably well. Barnaby remembered he'd spent much of his first day wandering in a haze of confusion and self doubt, half believing that he actually belonged here, and questioning what people told him at every turn. Yet this man had yet to challenge anything Barnaby had said. Did he honestly believe his story, or was he simply trying to act diplomatic while he privately tried to come to his own conclusions?

With that in mind, Barnaby studied him again. "May I ask where you're from?"

A month wasn't very long at all; not nearly long enough. But Barnaby had said that it was posing as a hospital, which indicated a great deal of set-up had been needed--so it had to have been in the works for much longer. Certainly, it could have been begun while the wager was still in effect, especially if it was after Lucifer knew Taubolt's nature. He would want revenge on its townsfolk.

The question was entirely unexpected, and Gabriel blinked at Barnaby for a moment. "Um ..." Well, he couldn't very well say 'Heaven', could he? Nearly anything else would be a lie. Nearly. Gabriel smiled ruefully. "Actually, I'm something of a traveller. I've just come from California."

Well, that was an awfully vague answer, but Barnaby knew better than to press for too many details. Outside of trying to establish a common link between the patients, there wasn't any point. But when he wasn't even sure how much of their stories he could trust, it was hard to want to put a lot of effort into anything he couldn't see with his own eyes or hold with his own hands.

That had become especially important to him over the past several days. When Barnaby thought back on the circumstances leading to his capture, and his own unreliable grasp on reality, his stomach twisted into knots. To be honest, he needed to do a better job chronicling the people he met here and what they said in case it became useful later.

"California," he evenly echoed as he rested his hands in his lap, the partially-eaten sandwich ignored for now. That in of itself wasn't all that remarkable, but Barnaby continued talking. "I don't suppose you've ever heard of Stern Bild, have you?"

Gabriel put considerable thought into this, gazing into the water as he did. It sounded something like a person's name, but he didn't recognise it; if it was the name of a place, he didn't know it either.

"I must confess," he said, drawing his attention from the pond to Barnaby with a slight frown, "I haven't. Is that where you're from?"

That couldn't be right. Even if it was a small town, Gabriel ought to at least have heard of it, especially if there were people there who were of the blood.

While he couldn't say he was surprised to learn Gabe hadn't heard of it, Barnaby had still thought it worth asking. After all, the man claimed to be a traveler, and Stern Bild was a huge tourist destination, especially with Hero TV's soaring popularity.

"Yes," he confirmed with a small nod. "My partner and I both come from Stern Bild, actually, but neither of us have met anyone here who's heard of it. I'm not sure why that is."

Of course, finding someone who knew of the place wouldn't exactly change much. But at least it could offer some potential clues on why there seemed to be so many discrepancies regarding what people knew about the outside world.

"How strange," Gabriel murmured, his disquiet plain on his face. A place, then. He wasn't entirely surprised others may not have heard of it, but even if it was a hidden place like Taubolt, Gabriel certainly ought to have. Wherever had Lucifer found this man, then? It wasn't a good sign.

He blinked again and offered Barnaby a smile that wasn't exactly delighted, given the circumstances, but was pleased for Barnaby in a fashion. "Oh, you're not here alone? Good. Well ..." He raised his hands ruefully. Not so good for Barnaby's partner, in a way, though at least they would know where Barnaby was and be able to watch after him. "Hardship is easier to bear if it's with others, at least. Even easier when it's with friends."

Strange was probably putting it mildly, but Barnaby had learned to expect it at this point. That was why he didn't look as put out by Gabe's ignorance as he could have.

Instead, he found himself a little puzzled over how this man seemed happy to know Barnaby wasn't alone. They had just met, so there was no reason for Gabe to feel at all invested in Barnaby's well-being. Of course, some people were just like that. It didn't work out like that all of the time, but it did happen.

Quite frankly, it was the sort of thing that made Barnaby uncomfortable.

Still, he knew when to raise his hackles, and now wasn't the time. Barnaby stole a small glance before staring out over the pond, angling his face in such a way that the sun glinted off the lenses of his glasses and obscured his eyes.

He didn't necessarily agree that hardship was easier to bear with others. Often times other people managed to bring along their own brand of heartache and suffering. It was only when both parties fully trusted one another that Barnaby believed it was worth weathering the storm with someone else.

"Well, he is my partner," Barnaby answered, as if that summed up his feelings on the subject. Then, in an effort to conceal the small flutter of shyness in the pit of his stomach, he moved toward a more practical observation. "I'm not sure how common it is for patients to wake up here with people they can trust, but I suppose I'm fortunate in that regard."

Edited 2012-08-02 02:29 (UTC)

It was a more than adequate summation, as far as Gabe was concerned, enough to make his smile take a turn into proper radiance. "It's good to hear. Whatever their motives for capturing you both at once, it's something you can use to your advantage as well."

And why not? Gabriel had seen how well Lucifer could use a person's loved ones against them. Yet, in the end, it had been the very same thing which had lost Lucifer the bet.

"What's his name?" asked the Archangel, and he grinned. "I doubt I've met him yet, but at least if I do I'll know who he is."

While it was hard to imagine finding any sort of easy advantage in a place like this, much less having one handed to them, Barnaby knew that he'd be utterly lost without Kotetsu here. As angry at him as he'd been when he first arrived, just seeing his face had been enough to put some of his world right again. It wasn't enough to fix what Barnaby was starting to realize was a fragmented mind, but it was certainly a better anchor in reality than the unpredictable nature of the institute.

The question wasn't so unexpected, especially if Gabe was new and trying to network with other patients. Thankfully, Barnaby was prepared to answer despite the odd circumstances surrounding Kotetsu's identity.

"He goes by the alias Wild Tiger," Barnaby said as he began to neatly tuck his half-eaten food back into the paper sack. "Due to his occupation back home, he generally doesn't give his real name out to people. If you run into him, though, you'll probably know it." He'd never say so to someone he'd just met, but subtlety wasn't one of Kotetsu's stronger points.

Names were never chosen without reason, and this one so very clearly had reasons that Gabriel had to laugh. Not in a mocking way, not in the least; in fact, he sounded downright delighted. "I'll definitely be able to remember that one. I'd be interested to know why he chose it!"

Maybe Gabe could figure it out on his own. Or maybe it would become obvious if or when he did meet the man. Judging by Barnaby's final comment, the Archangel suspected the name was a reference to his partner's personality, and if so, Gabe was looking forward to the potential meeting.

It seemed as though Barnaby might be ready to move elsewhere, so Gabriel followed the man's lead and put his unopened juicebox back in his bag. "Is there anywhere you'd like me to take you, or would you prefer to wheel yourself?"

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