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anemptydecapo) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
damned_institute2011-11-02 10:11 pm
anemptydecapo) wrote in damned_institute2011-11-02 10:11 pm
Night 59: North of the Institute
[From here]
"It's this way," the assassin called out to his side, his eyes attempting to focus on the darkness before them. They had made it to the forest fast enough when he had been traveling with Sora, which meant it shouldn't be much an issue with someone as fast as Zanuff was. "Down and to the right."
Somehow, the area felt just as cold and empty as it had three nights ago. It wasn't empty. He wasn't that gullible to believe that--he could feel something here. But the darkness covered just enough of their surroundings to make it appear as nothing more than a desolate, snowy wasteland.
They couldn't stay out in the open for long. Which meant...
Nngh...
It was with great hesitance and great annoyance that Venom found himself moving to grasp onto his company's wrist. "Hurry."
"It's this way," the assassin called out to his side, his eyes attempting to focus on the darkness before them. They had made it to the forest fast enough when he had been traveling with Sora, which meant it shouldn't be much an issue with someone as fast as Zanuff was. "Down and to the right."
Somehow, the area felt just as cold and empty as it had three nights ago. It wasn't empty. He wasn't that gullible to believe that--he could feel something here. But the darkness covered just enough of their surroundings to make it appear as nothing more than a desolate, snowy wasteland.
They couldn't stay out in the open for long. Which meant...
Nngh...
It was with great hesitance and great annoyance that Venom found himself moving to grasp onto his company's wrist. "Hurry."
no subject
Jumping down from the wall, Chipp could also feel that strange oppressive feeling following them from the Institute. There definitely were things out there, which shouldn't have been too surprising. Those creatures were given free reign of the Institute, so a few probably slipped out and were continuing to hunt even now... For that reason, he didn't need to be told twice to hurry up.
It was probably a good thing that Venom grabbed Chipp's wrist first, because Chipp was planning on doing the exact same thing. Down and to the right, huh... Well, he was sure if he wasn't going the right way, he would hear Venom's shouting or something.
"Great. Hold on!"
And Chipp ran off once again, off into the distance....
[ to here ]
no subject
Lydia landed with a grunt, finding that the ground was uneven due to being softened by the rain. Still, that also meant that it didn't hurt so much to hit it, and she was back on her feet in a matter of seconds.
She was going to be drenched by the time that they found shelter again, but that was a small price to pay for freedom and she knew it.
Either way, it felt good to be beyond the walls of the institute, even if this area surrounding it was technically still a part of it. There was something symbolic about climbing over that wall the way any patient of Landel's would have.
"All right," she said, giving a glance around as she attempted to get her bearings. "I'm thinking we'll just cut through straight up, past the mine and the quarry." They didn't have any business in either of those places, and there was a small path that wound between them. "We'll probably find the edge of the force field somewhere up there."
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He managed to steady himself without looking too much like a moron, and Claude straightened his posture to consider their position. Up ahead, he could make out the mountainous regions. Heading straight in sounded reasonable; however, their former superiors would likely track their course to the same place. They had to move and move fast. Aguilar always had contingency plans.
"Works for me," he mused. "If we're lucky, we might break through it." Or be trapped forever. Whichever.
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The good news was that she had a device on her -- something that appeared innocuous enough, but was actually something that could hopefully hack through whatever energy field was keeping the patients contained here. Opening up even a small window in the force field for them to slip through was bound to attract attention, though, which was why they had to be quick. It was also why she hadn't been willing to bring anyone else with her.
It was dark and raining and there were probably monsters on their tail even now, but Lydia wasn't willing to take it slow. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself to shield against the rain and then nodded to Claude. "Let's go." And with that, she started to run, always keeping her gaze a few feet ahead of her so that she could properly anticipate the changes in terrain.
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And given the account he knew in regards to her, the analogy was deemed fitting.
Claude chanced a glance back to the point beyond the wall, to the building itself. They would not return here unless willing. Unless dead. This indeed left little in terms of choices. "If luck ain't it," he said, turning back to Lydia, "we'll go for certainty." The line was cheesy--very much overplayed--but damn, he'd been meaning to say something like it for a long time.
With a playful smirk, he tightened his cap and readied himself for the long run. On her signal, Claude followed closely behind, eyes fixed for danger and terrain. Their moving forms eventually melded into the dark, the night allowing them a successful cover from another's surveillance.
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L hit the damp earth with a soft grunt, lucky not to have slipped, then retrieved his axe as quickly as he could and moved away from the wall to make way for Lunge's own landing.
With a broader canvas to illuminate, and the clouds in the sky forming a reflective backdrop for the rosy glow, the light was brighter out here, the atmosphere eerie and still. It would have been easy to adopt the notion that the two of them were leaving the Institute's chaos far behind... easy, and foolish. Strange noises from that direction broke the silence now and then: reminders that any impression of real peace out here was an illusion.
When Lunge was with him again, L shot an expectant look at the older man, then turned to the east, prepared to walk. "So. Berg. Please go on. When you say couldn't, do you mean 'couldn't'... or 'wouldn't'? Did you have the sense that he was hiding something? Something specifically related to Lydia, that is." The old question of what had happened to the nurses--not least the one who might know something--tugged at him again.
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Waiting for L to clamber up and over the wall so that he could had the axe back, he made a small leap to grab some of the higher vines, hauling himself up onto the top with a grunt of effort and swinging his legs over to the other side. His partner waited for him on the other side, patient as ever and at ease even in the expanse of glowing territory that left them all the more exposed, small and dark blots on the landscape. Ordinarily the wall might have offered them some protecting, but tonight they were at the mercy of their surroundings.
He landed with a surprising neatness, only just needing to clap his hand to the stone wall to keep himself upright. Straightening up again he gave the area another glance before following L out to the east.
"He was fishing for information. What else?" That was more a verbal shrug than a dig at L. He tilted his head. "He said that their files on Landel's time in charge were incomplete and that they needed more information- on Marc, specifically."
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The moment he landed, he glanced toward where he figured his friend was. Riku didn't stop walking, because there wasn't any point. There was a feeling of victory that threatened to win out, but he didn't let himself look smug. That same weight still leveled on him as he moved, and he had a feeling no matter what he did tonight, it would be there.
"Which direction do we go in?" he asked Sora. There were a few other people puttering about, but they weren't of any interest to him. He hated that he lacked the knowledge he needed to get there on his own, but at least he was depending on Sora instead of someone else.
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Besides, Sora was distracted by just how nice it felt to be able to reach the top of the wall in one bound. It was like he was suddenly so much lighter than he had been all these past days, and it buoyed his spirits. He jumped down onto the other side, ignoring the way that he sent mud flying as he landed.
Even though exploring side-by-side with Riku was familiar, though, Sora also couldn't help but dwell on the fact that someone was missing. He tried not to worry too much about it, focusing instead on Riku's question.
"Well, it doesn't really matter which direction we go since we're just going to try and find the end of that force field. I guess we could run all the way down to Doyleton and try to figure out what's past it." Sora had no idea what was further north other than that quarry, but he knew that there were at least some mountains in that direction. They were probably going to want to avoid those if they could.
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Riku stopped in his steps and considered where to go. He glanced around, uncertain of what direction. These things were easier when he had more than a bus ride outside of this place. That bothered him. His lips twisted downward in thought.
And then he just looked at Sora, a smile creeping over his lips. Why was he trying to work this out when he had Sora right there? If anyone should be doing it, it was him. "Go where your heart tells you to go. I'll follow."
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Riku's words only made him more sure of that fact. He grinned back at him, even though the rain was causing his clothes to stick to his skin and his hair was being flattened down by it (as much as it could be, anyway). Right now, the monsters and the rain and all of that didn't matter. He and Riku were on another adventure; that mattered.
"Got it! Then let's start heading to the other side of the building. We'll avoid the forest, since it'll just slow us down, and then we can try to get to Doyleton." There were probably going to be more of those zombies there, but Sora was sure that they could handle them just fine.
With the plan set in place, Sora started to move down the wall to the right, doing his best to pick out landmarks in the distance so that they didn't get turned around. It wasn't easy when it was raining this hard, but he was sure that Riku would keep him in line too.
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"This isn't bothering you, is it?" he asked his friend, motioning toward the water coming down. "'Cause I think it makes things more interesting." Riku looked at Sora through the rain like he clearly knew who he was—almost as if he could look at him without even having his eyes open. Maybe that was just another thing he had to thank his experience for. He could be like a guard dog—blinded or not. Of course, he wasn't going to relate that to Sora. It was a little demeaning to himself.
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He had them back now, but he couldn't help but think that they were always going to end up separated. Sora would be scared of that possiblity until the three of them made it back to the islands. Kairi wasn't even here with them right now, after all.
Riku's question cut into his thoughts and Sora was quick to grin even as his sopping wet hair dripped down onto his face. "Bother me? Why would it? C'mon, let's go!" As if to prove that he had no problem with this, Sora broke out into a jog until he reached the edge of the wall and turned, hitting the east wall of the building.
[To here.]
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He landed in a crouch and stood slowly, finally giving in to the urge to wrap his fingers around his arm. They came away with fresh blood, and Badou cursed quietly under his breath. Seeing Alle clear the wall decided it for him.
"Listen Alle, I'm gonna slow you down. I'm already slowin' you down. You need to go."
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He just stared when Badou spoke.
They should leave him, the thought cam fast as blinking, they should carry on alone and survive, because surviving was what they were good at. Staying around with Badou would just make them slow and eat up what remained of the night.
"I'm not leaving you," he said, voice uncharacteristically firm.
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Both of his eyes were open for the first time in a long while, the left vivid green even in the dark, the right a dead milky white, rimmed with blood. "I'll go as far as I can, but if I stop - you don't."
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He met Badou's eyes with his own, gold and grey. "Get moving then."
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But neither was getting between your friend and whatever wanted to eat him. There were just things that were more important than survival. And really, he didn't have any desire to be left alone out there once his strength gave out.
Badou swore under his breath and took off.
[to here]