damned_institute | Night 64: Recreational Field

Murphy wanted to try and attempt conversation again, but he didn't want to push his luck. He hadn't been told to sog off or anything like that.

He wasn't familiar with the way Tsurugi was taking them, but at least there was no carnage here. And maybe there wouldn't be any, where ever they ended up going. He was suddenly glad they weren't going towards the entry room after all. After last night....

Any other thoughts were gone the moment Murphy followed the boy through the next door. The cold air and sudden change in quality of light hit him like a punch between the eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to look up at a real sky. One not shrouded in dark clouds and whirling maelstroms. It was....nice.

But outside also meant less cover, and greater chances of things.

"Hey!" Murphy called, switching his chair to one hand to raise his other towards Tsurugi.

He was just about to start pulling himself over the wall, but paused, mildly irritated that he'd been interrupted. Kyousuke turned back, and made a quick glance around just in case, but as far as he could tell, nothing had changed. The place was totally devoid of any activity. ... Then what did this guy want?

"What," he responded a little impatiently. He might as well listen, if it were something that couldn't wait, although he had to admit he had his reservations that it really was.

Keep the prisoners from leaving by any means possible. Those were his orders.

And Dr. Landel's orders, as the programming code dictated, were not to be disobeyed.

That was the reason why Zero was standing guard in this field, keeping a predatory-like watch over his surroundings with the Buster Shot by his side. The fog tonight would be somewhat helpful to him for this purpose; his sensors had no trouble picking out movement despite the weather, and, as far as he understood, humans didn't have the best eyesight. He could hide in the mist and no human would be the wiser.

Such seemed to be the case with one young prisoner who wandered out of the building alone. A kid who, judging from the way he was keeping to the wall, testing the vegetation growing on it, was likely looking for a way out. Which was unacceptable.

The red Reploid observed the boy's movements for a minute, then started to take a few steps toward him...but he didn't get far before a man's voice called out through the fog and stopped him short. Another? It was--yes, another prisoner. An adult man, carrying a chair. At least this one had the brains to arm himself...though a chair wouldn't do much against the Z-Saber, should Zero bother to take that out.

(Which he most likely wouldn't, he figured; that would be overkill on only two humans. Dr. Landel might be displeased to see two of his prisoners returned to him in poor shape. At least the Buster could leave more...precise damage, being a gun.)

...But that aside. The two prisoners were out of their rooms, and at least one of them was looking for a way out. The other had stolen furniture. None of this was acceptable behavior, and thus, they were to be stopped.

"Hold it right there." Zero made sure to yell loud enough to be heard, then he continued to walk cautiously towards the two humans. Hopefully they'd make things easy for him and would come quietly. If not...well. They'll learn their lesson one way or another.

Murphy had been about to warn that what he'd heard regarding the walls wasn't good, and a reminder about monsters, when his own point was proven for him. Unfortunately.

He didn't know for sure if they were in danger when the...humanoid thing approached and called out. But The ex-con wasn't going to take a single chance.

"Tsurugi, get behind me." As he spoke, he moved slowly, free hand held up in an attempt at a peaceful gesture. He just wanted to try and get himself between the...cat mannequin transformer thing or whatever the hell it was and the boy. Just in case.

"We're not looking for trouble. We just took a wrong door, that's all."

Strange... He swore there'd been nothing there. Maybe it was the fog, but he usually picked up on the things around him better than that. He wondered if Murphy had actually noticed before him, but if so, he'd chosen the worst possible way of drawing attention to it. Either way, this wasn't good. If it came to it, he wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do against this newcomer's armor, but it looked like he was a least willing to negotiate. That was good.

Kyousuke could feel his brow twitch as he was asked to move. This guy... He was having it up to here with his patronizing. But now wasn't the time, so he did his best to ignore his swelling frustration. He completely ignored Murphy and stayed rooted to the spot, keeping his eyes fixed to the robotic person in front of him, but keeping his senses open to his options.

".... I'm listening," he addressed carefully. He wasn't going to act recklessly, but apparently unlike Murphy, he had no intention of letting himself get pushed around just because he was in a inferior position.

The Reploid stopped some distance from the pair and briefly directed his stare at the older human, the one who was trying to address him directly. Good...he seemed to be taking this threat seriously enough, despite being in possession of something that could potentially be used to harm someone. Perhaps this would actually go smoothly.

"Took a wrong door, huh," Zero repeated incredulously. He huffed - something that was supposed to be a laugh, but ended up sounding more like a grunt. "Where exactly were you planning on running off to, then? The only place you should be is in your rooms."

He took one more step forward, then glanced over at the boy to make sure he got the message, too. Hm. He...might be less willing to cooperate than the man. Kids tended to be trouble, and this one looked like he'd be no exception. But then, kids were also weaker...this shouldn't be a problem, in any case.

God damn it. Murphy wanted to turn around and shake the boy, to yell at him that every other young boy he's encountered has been horrifically killed in front of him. Regardless of his attempts to prevent that very thing. He was determined to prevent it from happening again, but the universe continued to make things exceptionally difficult.

He was starting to think he really was in hell.

"Look, I don't know what's going on." Murphy strove to keep his voice calm and even. It was difficult, with his heart jack hammering in his chest and his palms growing damp with fear. "But we don't want any trouble. We can find our way back to where we ought to be."

He hoped Tsurugi would get the message. Turn around and find a path outside that wasn't guarded by the angry offspring of some unholy orgy of 80s mattel toys. When one path was blocked, you just backtracked and looked for another one. And at least nothing was actively trying to eat them, and the thing blocking their path could (sort of) be reasoned with.

It wasn't rocket science, figuring out they ought to just turn around. There were front doors, after all....

Even though he hadn't wanted to take a kid to the Entry Room. Just in case.

The small noise about summed up Kyousuke's thoughts on things, if for different reasons. For one thing, he couldn't approve of flimsy excuses, especially not ones given to someone clearly trying to interfere. Setting yourself up as weaker did only that. This was not how to take control of a situation. If this guy wanted to do that, he was free to, but Kyousuke had no desire to be included.

.... He'd give anything for his friends right now. Someone he could actually stand together with. But it was a useless thought that he couldn't do anything about.

It looked like their guard wanted them to go back and sleep quietly. ... That wasn't an option. Nor did he see any point in backtracking. If someone was watching this area, who was to say the same wasn't true for any other exits? It was possible they'd just gotten unlucky, but he wasn't giving up here. There had to be another way around this.

"We're not doing anything," he responded shortly. "If you want to leave, then leave."

Was this the most intelligent decision? No, probably not. He knew that. But he could deal with the consequences of his own actions. Someone deciding that for him? Not so much. He didn't even know this man, much less have any sort of bond that would incline him to put any sort of reliance on him. Even if what Kyousuke was doing stupid, at least it was on his own terms.

He kept himself on guard, not moving yet, but preparing himself to for whatever may follow; he doubted this would get a good response. But he wasn't scared. He'd fought his way through Fifth Sector, and he'd find a way to fight this, too.

Murphy at least had one thing right: he needed to find his way back to where he belonged. That wasn't here.

"Quiet," Zero ordered sharply. The prisoners' chatter was quickly becoming a waste of his time. Standing around here talking was just as bad as letting them escape over the wall; both allowed the targets to be away from their rooms, so therefore, both went against Zero's orders.

Hmph... The child's negative response to the other man was admittedly a little interesting, though. He seemed to be either too eager to put up a fight or didn't want anything to do with his companion. But no matter. Both of them were breaking the rules here, so both of them were going to be punished together, regardless of their relations.

"Where you ought to be is in your rooms." As if he needed to repeat himself. "You're both coming with me. Now." Before they wasted any more time.

Though Zero didn't actually intend to lead the two all the way back to where they should be. He would threaten it - but mainly because he wasn't stupid. Would these two really just stroll back to their rooms just because he yelled at them to do so? Just because they said they would? Of course not. They'd look for other ways out. However, Zero also had orders to stay put in this area, if possible. Who knew what might happen if the field were left unguarded? Besides, from what he understood, there were other guards on patrol elsewhere. The two wouldn't get far if they went in another direction...

...Hm. They might be less inclined to run anywhere if he scared them a little...

That idea in mind, the Reploid took another step forward, only this time he raised the Buster Shot from his side to aim it at the older man. Serious? Why, yes he was. And he would make sure these two knew he was serious.

Edited 2012-06-25 04:36 (UTC)

"Hey, easy!" Murphy's voice hardened the minute a weapon was raised. At least it was aimed at him. He shifted his grip on the chair, holding it by one leg in one hand before him. He spread his legs, bending his knees just a little and cast his eyes about him furiously for a convenient rock.

But the field around him was bare of anything but wilting grass. So it was either throw his only weapon, or try to run. Running didn't seem like much of an option right this very moment, though. And Tsurugi was not cooperating at all. But what could Murphy expect? How could the kid possibly accept the real danger he was in?

"Are you crazy?" he shot at Tsurugi. "Do you want to die? I'm not going to just leave you here to that thing!"

Suddenly it hit him. He did have something else he could throw. His flashlight. It wasn't a necessity, and Harvey had said something about things being replaced. Murphy pulled it out of his coat with his free hand and held it loosely, ready to act.

"......!"

Kyousuke's blood went cold at the sight of the weapon being pointed. He clenched his fists, looking away and snorting in frustration. That... changed things. He had been considering simply doubling back over the wall before anyone could react, and he thought he still might be able to make it in time even like this, with the right opening. But that wasn't an option anymore. What would he do if this robotic person decided to take a shot at Murphy instead of him? The man's insistence on treating him like some lost little kid was infuriating, but this was different. Kyousuke was not letting someone else get hurt or killed because of him. Just the idea that someone would threaten it, let alone act on it, was disgusting.

And that proved to be one push too far. This person already had a weapon out, and Kyousuke had no faith that he wouldn't use it just because they decided to be obedient. He knew a little too well that there was no telling what length anyone who would resort to this would go to. So there was only one option: he had to stop him. And with Kyousuke's kick power, he was sure he'd be able to manage something. He knew he was strong enough to change someone's life with a single blow if he really wanted to, but this guy was armored, so it probably wouldn't hurt him. In all likelihood he'd just be blown back a few yards, and then they could use the moment he'd need to recover to throw themselves over the wall before anyone got injured. It was the best that could be hoped for.

With a guttural cry, he charged, slamming the force of his leg power into the robot's chest, trying to focus his energy into it. ... Except it didn't work. It was powerful, but there was nothing extraordinary about it, and for some reason he couldn't comprehend, the normal energy he could produce in his techniques was completely absent. ... That wasn't good. He grit his teeth as pushed himself back from it. If he was lucky, it would still give them a chance, but this wasn't quite what he'd had in mind.

So the adult was going to put up a fight after all... Should've figured he would eventually. Zero kept the Buster Shot aimed at him, watching him shift into a defensive position and then pull something out of his coat (a flashlight? And such an archaic one, too...strange).

His attention on the man was almost too strong, for it wasn't until he heard a yell that he realized the kid was suddenly sprinting towards him. Towards him? Well. Got to give him points for having guts, even if they would only get him into deeper trouble. The mechanical guard took the threat half seriously, not bothering to do much to dodge whatever this kid was about to do. Shoving him away - that should do the trick. He pulled his arms back in preparation to do that--

--Oof.

...He didn't expect the kid's kick to be quite that hard.

Being unprepared for such a blow didn't help him any, either. Zero stumbled back some steps before he was able to regain his footing, and the kid's effort was promptly rewarded with a glare. Tch-! That brat...!

That's it. Clearly, these two were begging to be punished. And punish them, he would gladly do.

He turned his Buster on the kid, only this time he actually let loose a few energy shots in his direction. None of the shots were aimed to kill; they were meant to strike close to the kid's position, to scare him. But if they struck the kid's feet and did any damage? Oh well.

Blind rage began to rise inside of Murphy. It started when Tsurugi came out of nowhere and kicked the demon robot. What was the matter with him? Could he not see that Catbot had a gun? He could remember wanting to be independent as a kid, but this was fucking ridiculous! Then Catbot reacted and Murphy's blood heated and his lip curled.

"NO!"

He moved like a football player, or a baseball pitcher. Drawing his arm back and chucking the flashlight at Catbot, aiming for the hand that held the weapon. He stepped forward as he did, advancing on the monster. And Catbot was certainly a monster because only a monster hurt kids. And monsters needed to be destroyed. Murphy hoped to knock the weapon out of Catbot's hand, but he'd settle for a connecting blow. He wished he had a brick. Bricks were the best for throwing.

"Hey! Over here! Pick on someone your own size, you freak! You get off on hurting kids, huh?" He'd been shot four times in half as many days already, it wasn't as though he had any fear of it right here and now. Even from a demonic robot laser.

.... That didn't work at all. Kyousuke barely had time to process the fact, before he had to skid back, the shots in the ground missing his feet by only centimeters. It didn't surprise him someone deplorable enough to pull a weapon on them would be willing to use it. But it sent a flood of emotion through him anyway; he was no stranger to pain, but the idea of something on this level, that could potentially ruin someone's life (or even take it, in the case), made his insides crawl.

Murphy's reaction didn't help. There were a lot of ways to react to this situation, but throwing his flashlight? You couldn't do anything about attacks if you couldn't see them. And now he was trying to make a diversion... For what? So he could get shot at now? That idiot! Hadn't Kyousuke made it clear enough that he didn't want or need to protected? But this guy just couldn't take a hint, and now was making himself into a giant target, when he should have just gotten out of there. What good was stopping someone from pointing a gun at another when they were only going to willingly get it put back on them!?

... He'd had enough of this. Far from being scared, he was just pissed. Kyousuke's kick from before hadn't worked the way it was supposed to, and he didn't know why, but he knew something that would. If he could just use his Avatar, then this robot wouldn't stand a chance. It wasn't something he'd normally use like this, but since they were being shot at, they'd far passed the line to think about how things should or shouldn't be used. .... It was the best way he had of protecting them.

He charged again, but this time, he put all of all his concentration into his spiritual aura. It responded, blanketing him in a strange black light, and his power surged. ... But something was wrong. His aura was at full force, yet he couldn't feel Lancelot responding at all. He ignored it, slamming into and then past the robot with an impossible speed and force. And suddenly, as if the batteries had run out, the black light flickered and vanished. In its place, Kyousuke was met with a searing pain as his physical and mental strength left him, leaving him to fall to one knee.

... That shouldn't have been possible. How could his spiritual aura have depleted itself so quickly if he hadn't even brought out his Avatar? But it had, and to a degree he'd never experienced before, so he knew this was as far as he went. His body screamed at him in protest, but he ignored it, and staggered his way back onto his feet.

"We have to get out of here now!" he all but commanded at Murphy. He only hoped he'd actually listen, because this was their only chance. Kyousuke couldn't defend himself any longer; it was all he could do just force himself towards the door, and he wasn't sure if even that would last much longer.

So persistent... Weren't the shots enough of a warning? Was Zero going to have to do physical damage to these humans to get them to cooperate? From the way they were reacting, that seemed to be the case. He would prefer these two be returned to their proper place in as good of a condition as possible...

...However. Dr. Landel would certainly prefer prisoners who couldn't walk to no prisoners at all.

As he was considering this, he saw the flashlight coming almost too late to dodge it. His shots ceased so that he could throw up his arms to block it, and the primitive artifact bounced off his forearm, stinging a bit. That apparently was a signal for the kid to start running at him a second time. Hmph. The Reploid kept his arms up; he was going to learn his lesson this time around, being prepared for this little brat's 'attack'.

...Only, things this time were much different from before.

A black aura surrounded the boy as he charged, giving Zero a slight amount of pause. He'd seen Reploids have such an aura in combat, but a human? How could that be possible? There wasn't much time to ponder it, however, before the kid struck.

Oh, did the kid strike.

Struck hard enough to knock his sensors into momentary disorientation. Despite the fact that he'd actually tried to block the attack, Zero was thrown several feet backwards to end up lying motionless on the ground, face down. It was almost a miracle (or perhaps careful habit) that the Buster Shot didn't get thrown from his grasp, as well.

And, for the moment, he wasn't budging.

...the fuck?

Murphy...wasn't entirely sure what he was seeing. Other than an opening to get the hell away, and at least Tsurugi had jumped on the 'get away' bandwagon. Without a second thought for his now-gone light, the ex-con charged for the door they'd exited through, looking to make sure the boy was actually getting out of there, too.

He'd ask him about the...doom glow when they were inside and away from Catbot.

He hit it hard and wrenched it open, adrenaline surging through his body. This wasn't right, this wasn't okay. That wasn't what he'd thought of when Harvey said 'monsters'. Monsters didn't talk and give orders and have fucking Captain Kirk guns.

[to here]

[From here.]

Byrne opened the door to the Recreational Field slowly and cautiously, trying to remain as quiet as possible as he glanced around for anything that might be a threat. Though if there was anything out there in the field, it wasn't very visible at all. Geez, since when did it get to be so foggy outside? As if it wasn't hard enough trying to see anything in the dark as it was! Hopefully this wouldn't mess up their plans.

Just as he was about to curse their bad luck, however, Byrne was suddenly very thankful that he'd taken such a paranoid approach to opening the door.

A shout from across the field caught him off guard and made him jump a little. W-what was that? Where did it come from? He scanned the field for any activity, and...there--over there. There were figures near the far wall, though they were hard to make out. Three of them. And one of them looked--um--were those ears? And hair?

A monster?!

"Badd--!" the prosecutor whispered urgently, throwing a worried glance back at his partner. If there was something dangerous out here, it wouldn't be wise to go out. Then again, it didn't seem like they'd been noticed...?

Oh, hell. Looks like they'd posted another sentry. Badd rested his hand on Byrne's shoulder, to calm him and to quiet him.

Meanwhile, his other hand pulled out his gun. "It's distracted. Let's get over the wall," he whispered, pushing Byrne towards the shed. Whoever the people out there were, they were on their own. Badd couldn't see them very clearly, but for now they seemed to be putting up a decent fight. He told himself, as excuse, that getting out of the institute and finding help was worth far more to them than stepping in and risking their own lives for people who could easily die the next night.

D-distracted. It was distracted. O--okay. That's uh, that's good for them. A lucky break as long as they moved quickly.

But what about the other people distracting it?, Byrne wanted to ask. They're in danger, no doubt! We can't just leave them!

But Badd was already pushing him to start moving toward the shed, so he decided against it and settled for a worried look instead. (Besides, too much talking might attract too much attention, and that...would be bad.) He nodded and quietly did as his partner was asking of him, keeping close to the wall so that the distance between the two of them and whatever was going on over there would be as great as possible.

That didn't mean he was going to be happy about it, though. It--it just didn't feel right, using someone else's misfortune to their advantage like this. But then, what else could they do? They didn't even know what that thing with ears (o-or horns?) and impossibly long hair was. Even if Badd had a gun on him, that didn't mean it would be any sort of help.

Badd kept one eye on the monster, even as he took the risk of laying his gun down on the grass. He put his hands into a foothold position. "Get up on the roof of the shed, then up on the wall."

Byrne would get out first, and then Badd could negotiate getting himself over. He had a very tentative plan but it was better than no plan.

Byrne watched Badd, then nodded, preparing to do as his partner said - but strange sounds coming from the chaos across the field distracted him, and he glanced back momentarily to see what was going on. That thing...looked like it got kicked quite a distance by one of the two people fighting it. Oh, good. Maybe it was down and out now, and that meant they had an even better chance of getting away quietly.

Better not waste any time, then. The prosecutor turned back to his partner and put one foot into the other man's waiting hands. He was just about to use him as a means to climb up on the top of the shed before realization hit, and he paused.

"But how are you going to get up?" Badd weighed more than Byrne did, and he was much taller. There was no way in hell that Byrne would be able to pull him up on the shed's roof by himself.

"I've got a plan." He saw this on TV once. Given the general sanity level around here it was as likely to work as anything else. Badd made some encouraging upward motions, eyes flicking towards the monster in the courtyard. "Hurry your butt up, we haven't got much time," he whispered.

O-okay then. If he was sure. Byrne nodded, then used Badd's help to pull himself up and onto the top of the shed...kind of painfully. Owww. The general aches and pains he'd been feeling all day were at it again. No no no--this was the worst possible time for this! Stop it, body!

Forgetting those pains, though. At least he was up on the shed now. He stayed as low to the roof as possible, as being up here was kind of a visibility risk in case that thing decided to get back up, but he took a moment to look back at Badd rather than keep moving on to the wall. No, even if he said he had a plan for getting up here, Byrne was not leaving his partner behind. Not even for a second.

Badd was busy wiggling his coat off. The old dear was worn but still strong. She'd kept the rain off him, wrapped tightly around him in the cold, confused the contours of his body against foes, and bore as many scars as he did. Badd had no idea how Landel had managed to get his trenchcoat but it was one of the few 'gifts' he was truly thankful for. His trenchcoat was as much a part of him as his mirror.

If she could perform one final act for him, bearing his weight after all these years and bullet holes, it would be all he asked of her. Badd looked up to Byrne and silently gestured for him to get on the damn wall already. They were running out of distraction time.

Why was Badd pulling off his coat? He wasn't seriously thinking of using that to get up here, was he? It wasn't like he could throw it and make it into a grappling hook or anything. (Then again, some of those holes might just be big enough to hook onto something as long as they didn't rip from Badd's weight...)

Byrne considered asking about it, but his partner unknowingly stopped him by gesturing for him to get a move on. But--! What if Badd couldn't get up here after all? Was he supposed to just leave him there at the mercy of that thing? Of course not!

But then, knowing how stubborn the old detective tended to be, he might not go through with his 'great plan' if Byrne didn't cooperate.

Sigh. Fine, fine. You'd better have a good plan, then! If you're not up here with me by the time I hear that hairy cat man thing get back up, I swear--!

The worried prosecutor quietly moved across the shed, then carefully crossed the gap between the shed and the wall. There - he'd wait here until he saw his partner's head peek over the shed roof. Then he'd jump down from the wall.

Badd snuck another glance at the monster as he crouched and picked up his gun. "Right," he whispered, putting it away in his underarm holster and starting to twist up his coat. "What we do is, you grab the coat and start going over the side. I'll hang on and walk up at the same time you go down. Ideally it'll counterbalance us and I'll be able to get over."

He was a little heavier than Byrne, but all he needed were his fingers on the edge. The rest he could handle himself. Badd spun the twisted coat and snapped it upward at Byrne like a wet gym towel.

That was Badd's plan all along? Using his coat as a substitute for rope? Yes, Byrne was staring at him like he'd lost his mind, and for good reason! Sure, it could work in theory, but--but that coat was old and full of holes. Could it seriously hold the weight of two full grown men using it like that?

...Did they have any other options?

Sighing heavily, Byrne got a firmer grip on his end of the makeshift 'rope' and (after first checking that the coast was clear below him) began to lower himself over the other side of the wall. This had better work. Byrne was just anticipating the coat ripping in half and the two of them being stuck on opposite sides of this damn wall with no way to reach each other. What would they do then?

The coat strained, but Badd had been picky when he'd purchased it. He'd wanted something strong and durable, something that would carry him through rains of water, fire, and lead.

Badd set his feet against the wall and slowly began pulling himself up. His breathing was shallow, as if attempting to decrease his weight by making his lungs smaller. His fingers tightened as he climbed. he fabric creaked, but held fast. So far so good.

As his partner made his way up the wall, Byrne allowed himself to slowly drop lower and lower on the other side, looking down at the ground and then up and then back down again out of nervous anticipation. If that coat ripped, he was going to be ready for it. And he was sure that it would rip, he'd convinced himself. One hundred percent positive. It was just nerve-wrecking not knowing when.

He almost opened his mouth to call over to Badd, to see if he was making it up okay, but he wisely decided against it. Not only was that thing still out there with open eyes and ears (most likely), but Badd also probably wouldn't be able to answer him, anyway. Not if he was straining to climb.

Just--just hopefully the coat would hold, and then Byrne would see his friend's head appear over the top within the next few seconds. And then? They could be out of here. At long last.

Badd's heart stopped as the faint sound of ripping cloth reached his ears. He froze, then very slowly rested his hand on the twisted coat and began to pull himself up again. Come on, old girl. One last mission. Hold it together.

The coat ripped again. Badd was faced with the horrible image of Byrne falling to the ground, alone and undefended, while his bodyguard and his gun remained trapped inside Landel's walls. Badd took a deep breath, as if to decrease his weight, and then lunged for the top of the wall. The rough cement scraped his fingers but he didn't care, he was here, he'd made it, and once he got a leg over he was nearly laughing.

Oh god there it was. That unmistakable ripping noise, the feeling of the coat in his hands becoming a little looser, as if it would let him fall any second--he knew it! He knew this would happen!

Byrne tried his best to press his weight against the wall - perhaps (by some stroke of luck) he could try to cling to it if the coat ripped in half completely, so he wouldn't come crashing to the ground - but thankfully, Badd's head appeared over the top of the wall before the worst happened. Oh. Oh thank god. That crazy bastard was safe. How did the coat not--how this plan even--oh, whatever. He was on top of the wall now, and that was what was important.

It wasn't much farther to the ground from here, so the prosecutor let himself slide down the rest of the way until he landed on grass. Oomph. Good, good. Sigh of relief. Maybe they'll actually get through this without something completely horrible happening, so long as Badd could get down here without breaking his freaking legs.

(...No Faraday, don't jinx it.)

Badd yanked himself over the wall and nearly fell on Faraday on his way down. The worn coat was clutched to his chest.

"See?" he said, putting on a casual demeanor. Hopefully Faraday wouldn't notice he'd bitten all the way through his lollipop stick. "Works just fine." Badd held out his coat, looking for the source of the tear. It's where sleeve meets torso, not that large but enough that a few more moments of weight might have blown the whole ball game.

But it hadn't happened. Shut up, calm down, move on.

Daughwatchit--!! Byrne had to muffle his surprise with one hand over his mouth while he avoided nearly being trampled by Badd on the larger man's way down. Geez, that idiot could at least try to be a little more careful!

Sigh. Well. At least his legs obviously weren't broken. (But if he kept being reckless, Byrne swore he'd do the deed for him, that crazy son of a--)

"Fine, it worked," the prosecutor admitted, though he looked largely unimpressed. "Now let's get moving before we lose any time."

Moving to...directly away from the Institute, Byrne was thinking. Wherever that was. The fog made it difficult to see a long distance ahead of them; hopefully, though, it would also make it difficult for any potential threats to see them.

[To here]

Night 64: Recreational Field

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