damned_institute | Nightshift 55: Main Hallway, 1-West

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Nightshift 55: Main Hallway, 1-West

[From here.]

All righty. First one here. Surprise surprise.

Peter took a thin breath and took up a post across from the hall, where he could watch both entrances for the gang. His arms crossed and he leaned against the wall. The whole thing was rather broody-looking, to be honest. Not the kind of chipper attitude you expected from a guy dressed like a cast member of Cirque du Soleil.

He was allowed to have bad moods. They happened. He hadn't started the night in one, but he'd tripped into it easily enough on his own. That sort of thing happened when your life sucked this much, okay. There was no sanctuary from the suckage. He sighed yet again. It'd be easier to perk up once somebody else showed up. Then he could push his mind away from all of this garbage and pound some small talk out of it.

Not to mention that waiting out here alone in the big hallway was twice as creepy as it was moving alone through the little ones. His flashlight swung back and forth. Please don't let anything be creeping on me in the dark. Please please please...

He was so not in the mood for whatever monstrosities were lying in wait for him. And knowing Landel's, they were.

[For the Platonic Family!! Y'all know who you are.]

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"...!" When Phoenix sighted the strange, black creature as it gnawed against the ankle of his boot, he was struck speechless with shock, his eyes wide as he stared at it. The monster was staring back with large, luminous eyes that Phoenix had never seen in an animal before, and the teeth that were progressively chewing deeper into his boot looked as sharp as razors.

Reacting purely on instinct once his mind had caught up with the rest of his body, Phoenix tried to kick it off, only to realize (like Niikura had) that it was clinging to him too tightly. A flash of fear ran through him, but he was too preoccupied with saving his leg to pay attention to it, and he swiped his flashlight at a downward curve towards the side of the head of the creature in the effort to somehow knock it out or at least get it to let go.

The necrits shrieked, gravelly voices rising to an ear-splitting noise of pain as the flashlights hit them, and fell back. Oddly, it was almost as though the light of the flashlights were hurting them just as much as the weapons themselves. The third snarled and snapped as the kick tossed it back to join the other two, and then they started moving again, this time all three converging on the shortest patient. He was already missing an arm, so he had a greater chance of being easier prey for them.

Unfortunately for the group, the noise had awoken something else in the shadows above them, and a flutter of wings heralded several more participants to the fray. Four bats descended upon them, aiming for eyes and faces and distracting the patients from the creatures on the floor.

((OOC: MY APOLOGIES FOR WORK EATING ME. I'M BACK NOW.))

Mike really hated Turtle Luck. He was hoping to punt the little bugger to death, but he only made it and its buddies mad. What he wouldn't give for his real body right now.

The flashlights seemed to hurt their eyes, and he fully intended to flash the beam in the eyes, only to barely have enough time to duck from the bats. Bats. He tried to smack at them with his flashlight while trying to be prepared to kick at any of the necrits going for his ankles again.

"This was what we meant by monsters!"

Edited 2011-05-01 01:49 (UTC)

[--also posting order switch approved!]

Damn! At first, when the monsters retreated, Niikura seriously thought the battle was over, or would be over soon, at any rate. But just as he was preparing to charge forward and assault them again with his flashlight, they were already moving, zooming past him and going straight for Mike.

...this sucked. This really sucked. At the very least, though, it seemed like their unwanted friends were sensitive to light, and Niikura was about to give the necrits what for with his flashlight beam when all of a sudden, a horde (alright, just a few, but it felt like a horde--) descended upon them, and his light, rather than being a steady laser of death, shook wildly as he swatted indiscriminately at the furry pests fluttering around his head and interfering with his field of vision.

"What he--ouch, gerroff, you!--said!"

Edited 2011-05-01 08:54 (UTC)

Much of what Mike and Niikura was lost to Phoenix as the bats descended upon them (not that...well, it mattered, considering that Phoenix was having the very real experience of touching these monsters first-hand), and he let out an incoherent yell as he started to swat about himself with the flashlight, wildly hoping that he would somehow hit whatever it was that was trying to attack him. "Aah! Bats! BATS!" Phoenix shouted, as the realization of what was the creatures were dawned upon him. An illogical fear that the bats would end up getting stuck in his hair seized Phoenix, and he flailed about with increasing ferocity, pure adrenaline fueling him.

Taking a couple unconscious steps towards Niikura in order to keep his balance, Phoenix tried to take an extra large swat at a bat that was obscuring his view, hoping that the clumsy motion would slap the creature away.

Edited 2011-05-03 07:06 (UTC)

[second posting switch also approved!]

In all honesty, he should have been paying closer attention to his surroundings, but it was actually pretty difficult to do so when you had a gigantic furry blob crowding your field of vision--even more difficult when said furry blob was also screeching bloody murder.

So really, he could be forgiven this once for not noticing the flashlight as it smashed into the side of his head. Their civilian friend, however, could not.

"OW! Holy--" Predictably, Niikura let loose a flood of obscenities as he staggered back, one hand pressed to his now-bleeding temple, the other still swatting at the bats fluttering around his head. "THE HELL, CIVILIAN."

If the wrath in his voice wasn't enough to make Phoenix's blood run cold, perhaps the demonic look on Niikura's face would.

In all the flailing it seemed as though the patients would take themselves out as much as the monsters would. Not that this would make the hungry creatures give pause even if it were true. The scent of blood in the air made the bats shrieks take on a note of triumph, and two of them were distracted enough by it to aim for the splash of warm red on Niikura's head, flying in close with little concern for any attacks.

The necrits took advantage of the distraction as well, darting in closer again to try and sink teeth into legs. Two of them aimed for Mike, their dull minds assuming that, having one less limb, he'd be an easier target.

So Turtle Luck was catching, Mike realized, as he heard Niikura scream at the newbie for beaming him with the flashlight. Phoenix must've not hit him very hard (civilians), or Niikura must've had a thick skull if he wasn't all that dazed (also probable). Not that Mike could see the damage, what with his vision obscured by a bat trying out for a horror movie.

The little bugger reeked, too.

The flashlight was too clunky and the weight was all wrong, and he didn't have any hands to spare. He let the flashlight drop, stopping it with his foot so it wouldn't roll away. Mike nudged it in the direction of the necrits as he simultaneously tried to grab for the bat. He couldn't grab all of it, but if he could grab just an edge of a wing or a leg, maybe he could smash it to the ground.

"Aim away from people, dumb ass!" Mike shouted.

Edited 2011-05-07 03:45 (UTC)

"...!" In stunned surprise, Phoenix nearly dropped the flashlight - he hadn't meant to hit anyone but the bats, but he'd somehow gotten closer to Niikura than he would have liked - and as he saw the look on Niikura's face, he nearly had a heart attack. The near to demonic twist of anger in his expression was enough to make Phoenix feel as if he had somehow managed to doom himself to a horrible death, but he didn't have time to apologize - only to act, and to hope he had some way of making it up to the teenager.

This time, Phoenix forced himself to focus, even with the bat flapping around his head - and he took a step away as he made an effort to aim an adrenaline-fueled swat with his flashlight at the body as he simultaneously tried to grab at it, ignoring the smell and the terror refusing to leave his body. If he could get rid of this one, he felt he had a better chance to go and help the others - especially Mike, since it seemed like he was the primary target of the termite-monsters.

Edited 2011-05-07 14:01 (UTC)

As if things couldn't possible get worse. Niikura growled a few more curses as the bats made for his head like the disguised sharks that they were. It was a pain to be on the defensive so much, an even bigger pain to be strapped down with people (a person, actually) he couldn't count on. This was why he liked working with himself and no one else...

Really, he'd had enough. The bats were directly attacking him, true, but they were also close enough that he would definitely hit them, no problem. Time for a one-hit K.O. - or as close to one as he could manage. With his free hand, he also tried to grab one of the bats fluttering around and smash it headfirst into the nearby wall in one fluid motion while swinging his flashlight at the second bat, craning his neck so that his head was out of the way as he did so: didn't want to hit himself, after all. The bats were both close enough that he was fairly sure that he wouldn't miss - he had to not miss. Otherwise, he'd get vampire bat kisses, and those he definitely did not want.

...and oh, right, termite-blobs. They were gnawing at his legs again, weren't they? Just great. Niikura took a few steps backwards, trying to kick at one indiscriminately; his efforts were being hampered by his focus on the bats.

"A little help, guys?!"

The bat had made a crucial mistake, really; it hadn't expected, with what little animal mind it had that wasn't obscured entirely by the lust for blood, that the one-armed patient would be so fast or dangerous. While it tried to flutter away from the grasping hand, it wasn't quite fast enough and the fingers closed around it's delicate wing, crumpling the skin and bones with surprising ease. It shrieked, clawing and biting at the hand holding it wildly, but even if it did manage to free itself, it wouldn't be able to fly.

The other two bats weren't faring much better. One was caught by Niikura's flashlight to be knocked to the ground where it lay, temporarily stunned, and while the second was able to avoid his grasping hand, it fluttered into Phoenix's reach instead; though whether this was a loss for the bat or the lawyer would depend on what the man did now he suddenly had a hand full of shrieking, wildly flailing and biting animal.

Mike's dropped flashlight bought him a temporary reprieve from the necrits as well as they fell back, hissing and growling in their deep voices at the harsh light, but it was only for a brief moment before the darted away from the light that burned and hurt them and aimed for the blissful darkness behind him and the chance to attack while he was still occupied. If they could get him down and onto the ground, then surely they would win!

The third necrit was having far less luck than its brothers, as Niikura's wild kick winged it and sent it flying back to land with a distressing crunch as fragile bones gave out from the impact. But it wasn't done yet, and slowly began to drag itself back towards the fray.

The first success of the night. The captured creature was clawing and biting at his hand now, so he winged the bat around and tried to wing it into the bat still attacking Niikura. He had one hand, so he couldn't afford to get it more than mildly injured. But he could still feel a warmth coming from the flesh of his palm, near his wrist. Shell.

When the necrits came again, Mike was prepared. He knew the flashlight was a temporary reprieve. The former turtle waited until they were almost upon him, then jumped over them and tried to take their legs out from under them with a low, sweeping kick, reaching out for his flashlight with his injured hand in the same movement....

To say that Phoenix was utterly terrified by the fact that he now had a handful of bat was the understatement of the night - though he somehow managed to keep himself from screaming, the terror paralyzing his vocal chords.

Refusing to let the creature go, no matter how much revulsion he felt, Phoenix took a swat at it with his flashlight, hoping that the action would kill the monster and make it stop its aimless flailing and biting.

Edited 2011-05-16 03:50 (UTC)

So...two for three. Not too shabby. Hadn't gotten any kisses, although he had to feel sorry for the civilian. At the very least, the man had the decency to not scream and attract more unwelcome friends, so he did get some points...some.

In any case, he couldn't just leave the damn things alive now that he had them all weak and helpless. Raising his foot, Niikura impassively slammed the heel of his boot down onto the floored bat's head with all the force he could muster and then a second time for security. One down, now for the other--he ducked around the flailing civilian and set his sights on the necrit he'd injured. Same treatment: two swift stomps of the foot. At this rate, he was going to ruin his shoes.

Mike's bat hit the floor with an indignant squeak near Niikura's feet, where it flailed around helplessly, trying to either move away from or towards the man, its uncoordinated actions making it difficult to tell which it was. With its brother already dead to the patient's foot, its own wing shattered beyond repair, and the remaining bat quickly dispatched in a messy splatter by Phoenix's attack, things weren't looking good for the monsters. Especially as there were now only two necrits standing as well.

Well, standing in the purely figurative sense. Mike's sudden movement caught the pair by surprise and they tripped and fell heavily to the floor, grumbling and growling deeply but largely uninjured. But without arms and having such large, disproportionate heads, it was easy to see why it was taking them a little to stand up again.

While Niikura managed to take care of the bat before Mike could help, Mike was no longer concerned with the one he had injured. Niikura would take care of it. Instead, he focused on the two monsters he had just knocked over. Their heads made it difficult for them to get back up, and it was the only moment of opportunity that Michelangelo would get before they were dangerous again.

He tightened his grip on his flashlight, then slammed his elbow onto one of the Necrits.

The splatter of bat guts didn't deter Phoenix from helping Mike out, though his stomach curled in on itself in revulsion - tossing away the remains, Phoenix mustered all of the courage he had, summoning a strength he didn't even realize he had possessed until that moment. As the necrits tried to stand, Phoenix took a running start towards the one Mike was unable to pay attention to, intent on punting the little monster back to where it had come from with the hard front of his boot before it was able to right itself.

The action was probably one of the manliest things Phoenix had ever done - probably classified somewhere in the group of actions where he had broken down a door as well as attempted a run over a burning bridge to save Maya - but he couldn't manage to be proud of himself for the decision, his adrenaline and pure panic honing his instincts upon mere survival.

Niikura was about to turn his attention to the necrits now that he'd finished off his share of the monsters, but it looked like his assistance wouldn't be needed: Mike had already laid the beatdown on one of them, while the civilian was actually pulling his weight (About time!) and giving the other the boot -- literally.

"Heh!" The grin on his face could not have been wider; there was nothing better than the satisfaction of a hard-fought battle finally ending in victory. Without even looking, he gave the last bat the same treatment he'd given its friend just a few seconds ago. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about."

The teen swiped the back of his hand across his forehead and looked down to inspect the blood smeared across it. He wasn't bleeding profusely, thankfully, but there was enough red on his hand to indicate that he needed to lick his wounds before doing anything else. "You guys alright? Got a little messy for a second there -- and you have got to tell me your deal, Mike-san, 'cause those moves were pretty slick."

Typical Niikura: gabbing away like this happened every day.

"And you!" he called, waving a hand at Phoenix. "Ya finish off that last one properly? Don't leave a job unfinished, yeah?"

Phoenix deadpanned in Niikura's general direction before doing as he instructed, turning his flashlight and taking a few steps in the dark towards where the necrit had flown. Thankfully enough, he had managed to escape the entire encounter with barely any scratches upon his skin, let alone bites from the bats, and he was relatively unscathed.

"It looks dead," Phoenix announced, once he'd encountered the monster's corpse against the wall - and he turned slightly, ready to head back to both Niikura and Mike.

At that precise moment, a wave of heady emotion crashed into Phoenix's consciousness, the adrenaline coursing through his veins causing his thoughts to swirl in his head dizzily, his mind rejecting the possibility of this reality completely and clashing nauseatingly with what he knew was true. Ugh, Phoenix thought to himself, as he paused and wobbled slightly on his feet, I think I'm going to -

And with that, Phoenix braced his left arm against the wall and threw up noisily, vomit splattering against the wall and floor. He was unsure of what he was regurgitating - it certainly didn't feel solid, whatever it was - but all he knew at that moment was that the roiling sickness inside of him wanted out, almost if not just as badly as he wanted to escape from this horrible reality.

"Took martial arts lessons as a kid," Mike replied, barely sarcastic--it was the truth.

And then Phoenix threw up, and he made a face. Great. Swell. Just absolutely fantastic. At least the kid was a newbie, so Mike could cut him some slack. But, it was still just gross.

Mike turned to look at his other companion, thumbing at Phoenix. "Think puking is catching? 'cause I think he got it from me."

"Thought that stuff was only good for instillin' cultural values," Niikura shot back with a smile. "Then again, how many normal people have the guts to actually use that kinda stuff when they need to, huh?" You could learn self-defense, but if you lacked the instincts, no way was it going to be useful.

"Anyway, good job, civ--oh, come on." He'd happened to have glanced Phoenix's way, and now he was regretting it. Seriously, was he going to have to spend the rest of this week watching people barf? This was just wrong. This was really wrong.

Niikura shot Mike an exasperated look. "Your bad karma's not helpin' things, Mike-san."

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Nightshift 55: Main Hallway, 1-West

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