damned_institute | Nightshift 23: Second Floor, hallway containing disciplinary therapy rooms and nurse station

[From here!]

The lock to the smaller hallway's door had burst. The door had slammed open. And Ashton had crept in, signaling to Xigbar and Naminé behind him with the end of a long metal ladle, gripping the other one tightly, ready to attack with his makeshift weapons if need be.

He didn't see anything yet, but that didn't mean that something wasn't lying in wait just behind the corner. It was dark, after all, and he'd just made enough noise to probably stir whatever was in here waiting for them. Anticipation crawled up his spine.. it'd only been two days since he'd been in a real, proper, honest-to-Tria fight, but was he ever ready for it.

He was ready to save his roommate from his terrible fate.

He was ready to be a hero again - not for the fate of the entire universe, but for one man. Granted, there were other people who had been taken tonight for the Institute's plans, and Ashton would help save them if he could.. but he had one priority right now. He'd save the eighth member of this elusive (yet ever-present) Organization, and he'd get him safely back to their room.

Now where the heck were they keeping the man?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"David?" Snake repeated, hands tightening around the bar. Not even Mantis had been able to pry that secret from his mind. Only two - no, three people knew that name and were still alive; there was certainly no way she could have known. Perhaps it was a coincidence. Perhaps she'd mistaken him for someone else. Maybe it was a metaphor, alluding to the giant-killer, but then who the hell was Naminé?

She must have read his mind. She must have read it in sharper detail than even Mantis. If only he could use the other -

- no point thinking about that.

"Sorry," Snake said, instead. "I've stared down far too many bullets to love any gods. I don't have any belief left in me any more, and I'm not going to make any exception for you."

He'd read something about psychics a few years ago, how they usually cracked and lost their minds. How they often developed violent, split personalities; vibrant schizophrenic hallucinations, indecipherable from their visions; hopeless, lonely psychosis, distant from reality. Cramming all that power into the mind of a child had to be behind this talk of gods and Manah...

...Manah, one of the goddesses of Mecca, the goddess of fate and the oldest of the three Daughters of God.

Well, if they could bring fictional characters here, he thought, and berated himself for being a disgruntled, faithless atheist.

Naminé was not sure how to respond to this little girl. She seemed so innocently carefree, it was difficult for her to tell if the girl was just acting or if she truly thought that she was in the service of the Gods. Was she a brainwashed patient or a monster with a childlike form?

"... I have to help Axel," Naminé answered, shaking her head. No, she couldn't let this little girl get the better of her. Naminé had enough sense to know that Manah was not on their side, although it disturbed her to see a child so gleeful while a fight was going on the other side of the room.

But Naminé did not make a move. She did not know the extent of Manah's power and didn't want to risk getting injured. Weren't appearences decieving.

The other man (David?) didn't seem to make a move either. Did he know Manah? She wanted to ask, but at the same time... The nurse was dead and the other monster was relentlessly attacking the wall. Naminé had to get through.

"I... I need to get past. Please, let me through," Naminé quietly asked.

Snake's instant impulse was to head into the room regardless of what this little girl had to say, but logic clawed it back. Anything could be in that room, and his prime concern was Axel's safety. It would be better he waited with this child, if that was her term. He really didn't need to be on the wrong side of another psychic.

"Naminé," he addressed the older girl. "If that's your name. Anything could have happened to Axel, and, if he's injured, you have to give him to me. I'll take him back to safety. With an injured man, I probably won't be able to help you out if you need it, so your job is to run like hell until you find someone who'll help you out." He paused, and then extended the pipe towards her. "If you run into trouble, you can't start to be shy about using this. I should be alright with just my hands and feet, but from the look of you I'm not sure you will be. Look after yourself."

Then he looked towards the little girl.

"If Naminé doesn't come out of that room in five minutes," he growled, "with Axel, I'm going in there after her. Gods or no gods."

The Witch did not expect Manah to actually relent and allow her passage to where Axel was being held (if that truly was the room). But Manah was acting quite strange, like she was actually giving the question thought. Was it because Manah had been somehow moved by their determination, or because Manah knew something that they didn't...

But Naminé knew she had to take the chance. 'David' spoke to her, instructing her on what to do. Although Naminé didn't know the man and she did not know his relation to Axel... in the end, she had to agree. Axel's safety was primary and she knew this man was on their side, especially when he handed her his weapon.

Normally, Naminé would have refused, but tonight, she took the pipe, which was surprisingly heavy in her hands.

"I will. Just let me know tomorrow if he's alright if I can't find you," Naminé asked. She had no idea where David was going with Axel, nor if Xigbar or Axel knew him. But for now, she just had to go along with it.

And Naminé ran off past Manah and into the open door.

Naminé had used up her five minutes, Snake realised. And as the door slammed shut, his heart jolted. Manah's attention seemed to be engaged with two others, and Snake had spent enough hours knocking on walls to know when the exact moment of distraction was.

Recalling Mantis, he attempted to blank his thoughts as he ghosted behind the child and extended a hand, pulling the handle - to his surprise, it moved. Naminé had been sensible enough to unlock it from the inside, no doubt. His stomach sank - no doubt Manah knew what he was doing, but it didn't matter. Axel needed his help. Axel was in pain.

And perhaps that doctor would be there, too.

Forcing the door open, he snatched himself inside and leant against the door to close it.

[Moving down a few threads]

Nightshift 23: Second Floor, hallway containing disciplinary therapy rooms and nurse station

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject