Night 66: Main Hallway, 1-Center

[overlimit]

[from here, skipping a few halls]

Here it was. Skulduggery wasn't around yet, but Rita expected he would show up soon. He'd been punctual up until now.

If what she'd been hearing was right, she was going to need to look out for both monsters and patients tonight. Seemed simple enough. Rita stood with her back against the wall opposite to the Sun Room doors, and waited.

Comments

[madeinthehrl]

[from here]

The doors of the Sun Room weren't too far away, but for once Soma wasn't considering their upcoming mission.

She hadn't really thought about it much before, but yes, she did consider the Once-ler a friend. And Lingormr, and Rapunzel, and everyone she'd met before--Scott, and Senna, and the rest of LDGC. They were all people she'd be proud to fight beside, but it wasn't the same. She didn't view them the same way she'd viewed her squadmates in Chobu. That wasn't all they meant to her, and it seemed a disservice to them to suggest it. It went deeper than that.

That was one thing good about this place, if nothing else. She'd made more friends here in a matter of weeks than she'd ever had in years.

She smiled again, slightly, and looked up. "Ready to go? The Sun Room's usually guarded at night, but if we're fast, we should be able to get into the library without a fight."

[fallenbeanpole]

Similar to Soma, the Once-ler was thinking about their friendship. The man was glad for it; knowing that he wouldn't be dealing with the institute alone lifted a weight off his shoulders he hadn't even realized was there. But he also worried. How would Soma react when she learned the full extent of the damage he'd caused? Not if; Soma already knew about the seed, and who knew when she might start wondering why it was the last of its kind.

He'd tell her eventually, the Once-ler decided. But after what he had been through the last two days, the man wanted a reprieve.

"I've heard about the Sun Room at night. Apparently if it starts getting really dark quickly, it's time to run." He paused. "Actually, the same guy who told me that also mentioned the Oxford book. Said it was well-guarded and tell you to be careful. I think he's tried to get it as well."

The Once-ler shrugged with a small smile. "Of course, I doubt he had a gun."

"Alright, I think we're good to- hold on." He slipped the crutch off his shoulder and offered it to Soma. "You may want to hold on to this. If things take a turn for the worse, I don't want to be tripping over it."

[madeinthehrl]

So someone else knew about the book. Soma looked up, frowning a little. "Did he say anything else about the book? Did he manage to get it off the shelf?"

The fact that someone else had had the same idea had to be a point in their favor, right? It had to mean they were close.

"Anyway," she added, "I'm sure it'll be all right," because that was a better alternative to the last time I tried to get through, there was an old man in a giant spider-shaped mobile suit who tried to shoot us with tear gas and then Sora and Neku and I ended up killing him. She was pretty sure the Once-ler didn't need to hear that story just yet.

She accepted the crutch, laying it flat across the armrests of the wheelchair and unholstering her gun. "I'm ready when you are."

[fallenbeanpole]

"No, that was it." Skulduggery had been vague. Of course, the Once-ler hadn't pressed the issue, or even been interested in it at that point. His mind had been otherwise occupied during fourth shift.

The man tested his weight on his injured leg. If it did come to running, he could probably make it for a short time. Being able to support himself with the wheelchair would help that.

Once he was satisfied, the Once-ler nodded. "First door on the right, yeah? Let's go."

[to here]