The main hallways. Good. And the coast seemed to be clear, so far. Link briefly wondered if the new clue would help the situation, or only make it more grim. He would know soon enough.
As L made his way around the corner to where Lana was already waiting, another of the stomach cramps gripped him. He paused and grimaced. They'd become worse, later in the day, and had been accompanied by nausea and cold sweat. The pain passed quickly, and when it was gone, he reached up with the hand that wasn't in the sling and wiped his brow.
When he reached Lana, he leaned against the wall next to her. The surface felt cool and stable. "Miss Skye." He offered her the weakest of smiles.
Before he could say more, he saw the third member of their party approaching from the side corridor. "Nina." His voice was low and firm: loud enough to reach her from a few feet away, hopefully not loud enough to attract any negative attention. "Over here."
Nina visibly perked up at the sound of her name being called and immediately headed in the direction of his voice. She recognized Ryuuzaki, and there was another woman with him, too. Attractive, and probably close to Nina's age. Nina's purposeful expression temporarily melted into something friendly, although determination still lurked behind her eyes.
"Ryuuzaki," she said, once she had gotten to them. "Hey." There was something worried in her voice that Nina did not try to disguise, although she didn't voice her concerns either. But she was concerned. He looked terrible.
Then she turned her attention to the woman.
"Hello," Nina said to the woman, sounding a bit surprised to see her, but friendly. Welcoming. "I'm Nina. You are?" She looked worse for the wear, too, especially up close. There was something haggard and tired about her expression, and Nina wondered if she was ill too and decided she must be. It was okay, though. She'd take care of both of them if she had to.
No matter what, she promised herself, she wouldn't let them become monsters if she could help it.
Ryuuzaki looked almost precisely how she felt, with the addition of being perhaps more disheveled than usual. He seemed to cultivate the look intentionally, though, so that might not be much of an indication of anything. Before she could make any polite -- or overly inquisitive -- inquiries, he summoned a young blonde woman out of the dark. Early twenties, with an expression of determination that Lana found distinctly reminiscent of not one, but at least three people. Offhand.
She put familiarity aside and gave her a quick once-over. She hadn't seen this woman -- Nina -- here before, though the last few days were a bit of a blur. And obviously worried about Ryuuzaki, which spoke well for her even if she was fairly confident the man was at least comfortable with the risks he was taking with his health.
"Lana Skye," Lana said, standing up straight and holding out a gloved hand. Then she raised both eyebrows at Ryuuzaki. They had very little time to waste on pleasantries, especially since two of them were battling exhaustion. "It seems both possibilities we discussed have collapsed into one. The X-Ray room it is." She reclaimed her hand, and straightened her coat. "I presume he's filled you in?"
L's stomach had settled back to a general queasy feeling. He acknowledged Nina's greeting with a nod, then turned his attention to Lana.
"Yes, I thought so too. We can decide where else to proceed from there... if we have the opportunity. There's every possibility that something will be guarding that area again."
He lifted his right hand again, flashing the ring, the scant light glinting off the blood-stone. "If I begin to feel that I'm a danger to you both, I'll use this. It will send me somewhere else." Lana would understand; the explanation was for Nina's benefit. "If Lana seems to be changing, Nina, and we can't isolate her safely, I'll tell you to take my arm. Under those circumstances, if it's me changing, you're also free to try to isolate me, but I hope it won't be necessary." A pause, and then he added, "I'd like to try to avoid killing things as much as possible until all of this is over. Right now, we wouldn't know what we're killing."
As far as he knew, in the context of the Institute, all three of them were ordinary people with none of the special skills that some of the patients possessed. Two of them were also ill, he was injured, and Nina... there was no telling how she would react to an attack. Their only possible advantage in a fight would be numbers and weapons and the ability to escape quickly.
Some nights, more than others, he felt like his survival would be down to luck, like he had to choose the best of a series of bad options. He could rest, do nothing, maybe die anyway, or he could do something that was risky but might have a chance of success. If he failed, he would at least go down fighting, which felt like a better choice than lying down and accepting his fate. In this instance, with Landel in apparent control of the progression of the illness, it didn't seem as though resting was as likely to lead to recovery as it might ordinarily be.
Nina hesitated for just a fraction of a second before taking Lana's hand. The gloves were like something a soldier might wear, she thought dimly, or a... prince? In any case, she found herself both admiring and slightly intimidated by the other woman's professional nature.
Still, the pump she gave Lana's hand when she did reach out for it was firm and decisive. Nina's grip was light but there was strngth behind it. Of course, she could have said the same for Lana too. Who was this woman?
Whoever she was, Ryuuzaki seemed to like her, and he was the best source of information Nina had right now. She'd trust his judgment, then. It wasn't like she had much of a choice, in a sense, but even so, Nina found herself wanting to like Lana, and she hoped that being on Ryuuzaki's good sign meant it was okay to do that.
When the other woman straightened up, Nina turned her attention to Ryuuzaki, listening to what she said. "Okay," she said, a dubious note in her voice. His proposed ideas made sense and were the best options under the circumstances. But that didn't mean Nina had to be thrilled by the possibility of abandoning him or Lana. She felt an inward twinge of nausea at the suggestion that by shooting at something they might be killing a turned human being and it was obvious, probably, in the way her whole body went stiff that she was in agreement with no killing things they didn't have to, even if she didn't vocalize it. In truth, killing a person-turned-monster was an idea Nina hated. She didn't relish taking a life at all, but that seemed like an especially nasty way to go and she didn't want to be the one to end someone's life that way.
But she'd do it if she had to. She was the only person in their group who wasn't sick, and as far as Nina was concerned, that made Lana and Ryuuzaki her responsibility to keep safe. They knew the layout of the institute far better than Nina, so she couldn't exactly take the lead outright, but she was on the alert anyway, and she found herself edging in front of them without consciously realizing it.
Gloves did give a certain chilly distance to any interaction, no matter how friendly the person wearing them might be. Chief Gant had always been good at balancing those -- intimidation through joviality, only shading into menace when he chose to take that route. But it couldn't be helped; she didn't want to spread the disease; if she'd had a face mask handy, she'd have been wearing that as well. That and, while she didn't mind Ryuuzaki and Nina knowing, she still didn't want to broadcast that she was one of the ones affected.
While Ryuuzaki was explaining the rings to Nina, Lana was fishing hers out from the breast pocket of her coat. She held it up, looking at it expectantly, waiting until she had their attention. "Likewise. Or if we're attacked by anything at all, this will take us to a safe location. My room, as it happens." Nina looked, and sounded, unhappy about the prospect; Lana frowned slightly. What had that man told her before dragging her along on this little jaunt? Ryuuzaki must have confidence in her abilities, or he was more ill than he was letting on.
She wouldn't mention the handgun, comfortably resting in an inside pocket. That was her last refuge, and she wouldn't ask anyone else to take that responsibility.
She tucked the ring back away and set off down the hallway, pulling in front of Nina in a few long strides.
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no subject
As L made his way around the corner to where Lana was already waiting, another of the stomach cramps gripped him. He paused and grimaced. They'd become worse, later in the day, and had been accompanied by nausea and cold sweat. The pain passed quickly, and when it was gone, he reached up with the hand that wasn't in the sling and wiped his brow.
When he reached Lana, he leaned against the wall next to her. The surface felt cool and stable. "Miss Skye." He offered her the weakest of smiles.
Before he could say more, he saw the third member of their party approaching from the side corridor. "Nina." His voice was low and firm: loud enough to reach her from a few feet away, hopefully not loud enough to attract any negative attention. "Over here."
no subject
Nina visibly perked up at the sound of her name being called and immediately headed in the direction of his voice. She recognized Ryuuzaki, and there was another woman with him, too. Attractive, and probably close to Nina's age. Nina's purposeful expression temporarily melted into something friendly, although determination still lurked behind her eyes.
"Ryuuzaki," she said, once she had gotten to them. "Hey." There was something worried in her voice that Nina did not try to disguise, although she didn't voice her concerns either. But she was concerned. He looked terrible.
Then she turned her attention to the woman.
"Hello," Nina said to the woman, sounding a bit surprised to see her, but friendly. Welcoming. "I'm Nina. You are?" She looked worse for the wear, too, especially up close. There was something haggard and tired about her expression, and Nina wondered if she was ill too and decided she must be. It was okay, though. She'd take care of both of them if she had to.
No matter what, she promised herself, she wouldn't let them become monsters if she could help it.
no subject
She put familiarity aside and gave her a quick once-over. She hadn't seen this woman -- Nina -- here before, though the last few days were a bit of a blur. And obviously worried about Ryuuzaki, which spoke well for her even if she was fairly confident the man was at least comfortable with the risks he was taking with his health.
"Lana Skye," Lana said, standing up straight and holding out a gloved hand. Then she raised both eyebrows at Ryuuzaki. They had very little time to waste on pleasantries, especially since two of them were battling exhaustion. "It seems both possibilities we discussed have collapsed into one. The X-Ray room it is." She reclaimed her hand, and straightened her coat. "I presume he's filled you in?"
no subject
"Yes, I thought so too. We can decide where else to proceed from there... if we have the opportunity. There's every possibility that something will be guarding that area again."
He lifted his right hand again, flashing the ring, the scant light glinting off the blood-stone. "If I begin to feel that I'm a danger to you both, I'll use this. It will send me somewhere else." Lana would understand; the explanation was for Nina's benefit. "If Lana seems to be changing, Nina, and we can't isolate her safely, I'll tell you to take my arm. Under those circumstances, if it's me changing, you're also free to try to isolate me, but I hope it won't be necessary." A pause, and then he added, "I'd like to try to avoid killing things as much as possible until all of this is over. Right now, we wouldn't know what we're killing."
As far as he knew, in the context of the Institute, all three of them were ordinary people with none of the special skills that some of the patients possessed. Two of them were also ill, he was injured, and Nina... there was no telling how she would react to an attack. Their only possible advantage in a fight would be numbers and weapons and the ability to escape quickly.
Some nights, more than others, he felt like his survival would be down to luck, like he had to choose the best of a series of bad options. He could rest, do nothing, maybe die anyway, or he could do something that was risky but might have a chance of success. If he failed, he would at least go down fighting, which felt like a better choice than lying down and accepting his fate. In this instance, with Landel in apparent control of the progression of the illness, it didn't seem as though resting was as likely to lead to recovery as it might ordinarily be.
no subject
Still, the pump she gave Lana's hand when she did reach out for it was firm and decisive. Nina's grip was light but there was strngth behind it. Of course, she could have said the same for Lana too. Who was this woman?
Whoever she was, Ryuuzaki seemed to like her, and he was the best source of information Nina had right now. She'd trust his judgment, then. It wasn't like she had much of a choice, in a sense, but even so, Nina found herself wanting to like Lana, and she hoped that being on Ryuuzaki's good sign meant it was okay to do that.
When the other woman straightened up, Nina turned her attention to Ryuuzaki, listening to what she said. "Okay," she said, a dubious note in her voice. His proposed ideas made sense and were the best options under the circumstances. But that didn't mean Nina had to be thrilled by the possibility of abandoning him or Lana. She felt an inward twinge of nausea at the suggestion that by shooting at something they might be killing a turned human being and it was obvious, probably, in the way her whole body went stiff that she was in agreement with no killing things they didn't have to, even if she didn't vocalize it. In truth, killing a person-turned-monster was an idea Nina hated. She didn't relish taking a life at all, but that seemed like an especially nasty way to go and she didn't want to be the one to end someone's life that way.
But she'd do it if she had to. She was the only person in their group who wasn't sick, and as far as Nina was concerned, that made Lana and Ryuuzaki her responsibility to keep safe. They knew the layout of the institute far better than Nina, so she couldn't exactly take the lead outright, but she was on the alert anyway, and she found herself edging in front of them without consciously realizing it.
no subject
While Ryuuzaki was explaining the rings to Nina, Lana was fishing hers out from the breast pocket of her coat. She held it up, looking at it expectantly, waiting until she had their attention. "Likewise. Or if we're attacked by anything at all, this will take us to a safe location. My room, as it happens." Nina looked, and sounded, unhappy about the prospect; Lana frowned slightly. What had that man told her before dragging her along on this little jaunt? Ryuuzaki must have confidence in her abilities, or he was more ill than he was letting on.
She wouldn't mention the handgun, comfortably resting in an inside pocket. That was her last refuge, and she wouldn't ask anyone else to take that responsibility.
She tucked the ring back away and set off down the hallway, pulling in front of Nina in a few long strides.
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