damned_institute | Day 65: 3rd Shift: Courtyard

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Day 65: 3rd Shift: Courtyard

[From here.]

It was chilly out in the courtyard, making Lloyd glad for the odd but relatively warm clothing he'd found himself in when he woke up. He could have stay inside the building, he knows. His nurse had told him he had a choice of several rooms he could eat his lunch in, if he wanted. The cold felt good, though, and the tree he was sitting against felt solid and comfortable. He still felt lost, but trying to get straight answers from the nurse was frustrating. The man had retreated to let him eat in peace, promising to come back when Lloyd was finished and he'd had a chance to "clear his head." The teen was just fine with that.

Lunch itself was actually pretty good. He'd gotten a chicken sandwich, and his spirits lifted a little when he saw that there was a brownie with it. It had taken him a minute to figure out the box with juice inside, having never encountered anything like that before, but after that it was easy to just settle down and enjoy his food.

Well, for the most part. Worry for his Dad still ate at him, and he had no idea where any of his friends were. He still felt a little off, too, like some intangible part of him was missing or weakened, but he chalked that up to leftover side effects of whatever it was Yuan had done to him. He was confident that would disappear soon enough, once he finished recovering. He already felt well enough that as soon as he was done eating, he was determined to leave. If his doctor had his things, he'd ask for them first, and maybe he could talk to some of the other people here, see if they knew anything that could help, but one way or another, he needed to find his friends and make sure his Dad was all right.

[To here.]

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"Oh ..." Gabriel glanced toward the cafeteria, laughing to himself. "I guess there aren't any fish in there, then." But he wasn't put out by the time spend looking for them; it had been enjoyable in its own right. He turned back to Barnaby with a grin. "It's a good question, though. Maybe we should look after lunch."

Which reminded him that he still had food leftover, but although he could eat as an angel, as a human that was bumped up to need. The Archangel dropped his slippers and sat down on the grass, tucking his feet up under him to keep them warm. It put him a bit below Barnaby, but that didn't matter.

"Have you been at the Institute long?" he asked, tossing the last few of the crumbs in his hand into the water (just in case!) and reaching into his bag for his juice-box.

"No, I suppose not," he politely remarked, even though he personally didn't understand why anyone would bother with something like fish under the circumstances. "Quite frankly, there's a lot about this place I'd like to look into."

He'd been in the middle of doing just that when he'd gotten these injuries. That was going to slow him down tonight, which made him nervous for a variety of reasons. Of course, there was no reason to delve into any of that, so he kept those thoughts to himself.

"This is my fifth day here," he said in response to Gabe's question once he'd swallowed a bite of his grilled cheese sandwich. The food felt heavy in his aching stomach, and he realized he probably wouldn't be able to finish it all. "Are you new? I don't think I've seen your face before."

If he'd asked, Gabriel would have had a lot of reasons why. As it was, the Archangel nodded agreement, both to Barnaby's assumption and to his assertion that investigation was needed.

"I only woke up here today," Gabe confessed, glancing toward the nurse and then back again. Although there was no fear or confusion in his expression, he was nevertheless serious. "But I've heard that the nights aren't very fun given the director's choice of 'entertainments'."

The end of his sentence turned up, just slightly, not quite a question but enough to make it clear that he hadn't been given very many details at all.

Although Gabe admitted to being new easily enough, Barnaby couldn't help but notice that he seemed remarkably composed. Maybe it was just an act, but something about the genuine, earnest manner in which he carried himself made Barnaby second guess that assumption. That alone made him seem different from other civilians he'd encountered as a Hero. Then again, a lot of the people here were different in their own way -- and not always in a good sense, either.

"That's one way to describe it," he dryly said, his tone remaining even despite the darker subject matter. "The doors in the patients blocks unlock at night, and the Head Doctor lets us freely wander the grounds for awhile. You can expect to find violent, mutated creatures, and perhaps even a patient or two who's been forcibly turned against everyone else for the evening."

It was a grim set-up, one that he wanted to put a stop to as soon as he could, but Barnaby remained calm as he continued explaining the situation as concisely as possible. "If you have unusual abilities, you may find that they've been significantly altered or diminished. It's best not to rely on them too much here."

Gabriel absorbed this with a slight furrow in his brow, and then he glanced toward the Institute, his expression sober and mouth drawn slightly to a thin line. Violent creatures? Demons, perhaps, or damned souls, let out to have their fun with the victims. And the brainwashed patients ...

That, too, sounded frightfully familiar. Despite himself Gabriel shivered, and then blinked, and found his hand pressed over his heart again. Its beat was a little quick, but strangely soothing, even though he wasn't meant to have it. Steady, at least. At most, a reminder that if he was human now, he couldn't well turn into a demon, regardless of what happened--no matter how much Lucifer might try to twist his mind again.

Feed your heart. His Master's words rang in his memory and his expression eased, even as far as a faint smile, his fingers playing with the fabric of the shirt they'd given them.

Then Barnaby spoke again and Gabriel's head snapped up, surprise crossing his face to be quickly followed by dread. No, surely Lucifer wouldn't break the wager's terms? Surely he wouldn't have gone after Joby and his family? Except--the wager's terms had never specified that Lucifer couldn't target others from Taubolt. And if God could split hairs, so too could Lucifer. "Who are you talking about?" Gabriel asked, a little more sharply than was his wont, half rising onto his knees. "What kinds of abilities? Are they alright?"

The odd thing about this reaction was that there was no suspicion in it, no surprise at the idea of 'unusual abilities'. Just pure, unadulterated concern, laced with fear.

Edited 2012-07-30 07:16 (UTC)

The hand over his heart was an odd gesture, and Barnaby was inclined to ask whether he was all right, but he became distracted by Gabe's sudden barrage of honest questions. Raising his eyebrows in mild surprise, he wondered if maybe they were talking about two different things. At least it would be easy for him to clarify.

"I'm talking about everyone here," he answered, his words deliberate yet patient. "Some of us have abilities, talents, skills -- whatever you want to call them -- that are considered out of the ordinary by others. For example, I'm able to temporarily increase my physical capabilities. Others are able to do things like heal injuries, cast illusions, or move objects with their minds."

Not everyone here was a NEXT, but it stood to reason that the Head Doctor may have taken an interest in certain individuals due to their powers. That would explain the high NEXT population, and the strong protective measures their captors had taken in order to keep them properly contained.

"In other words," he added in an attempt to make this easier for Gabe to understand, "the institute has managed to weaken people's special abilities so we'll all have a more difficult time finding a way to escape."

Everyone here. Or at least a significant portion of the people here. Gabe had been talking about specific individuals, but as he opened his mouth to clarify he realised that the point was moot; Michael still guarded the Garden Coast, which meant that there was no way Lucifer could have taken anyone from Taubolt, and therefore no one Gabriel knew.

Exhaling slowly, Gabe sank back down again, the frown more pronounced this time. Lucifer can't have taken anyone from Taubolt, but Taubolt wasn't the only place with people of the blood. He could have kidnapped them instead, for revenge in lieu of Joby and Merlin themselves. And all of the abilities Barnaby had described were within the realm of possibility for the ancients' descendants to have. The Archangel studied Barnaby quietly for a moment as the man spoke, his regard still and intense to the exclusion of all else around him.

"Yes," he murmured a little distractedly without breaking his gaze, replying automatically but without considering his words. "That would be just like him." Then, abruptly, Gabriel blinked, realised what he was doing, and his focus dissolved into chagrined apology. "Forgive me. I'm ... familiar with such skills. I--" He hesitated for a moment before realising that if Michael could pretend to be an empowered being still less than he was, so could Gabriel, and finished, "I have some myself."

If Barnaby found Gabe's intense gaze unnerving, he didn't show it. Instead, he remained composed and acted as he normally would. Years in front of the cameras made such scrutiny feel like a second skin to him.

Regardless, it seemed he'd found yet another NEXT. Although he didn't share what those abilities entailed, Barnaby didn't press for details. Hero TV had helped ease a lot of the hatred and fear directed toward people like them, but that didn't mean it still wasn't a sensitive subject for some, and Gabe's hesitation wasn't lost on Barnaby.

Of course, he didn't get the impression that this patient had heard of him or Stern Bild, which may have meant that such concerns didn't necessarily weigh on him. It was still too early to tell.

"I see," he said with a nod, remaining as neutral as possible in case Gabe decided he wanted to talk about it more. Now that he thought about it, though, there was something he'd said that piqued Barnaby's interest. "Who do you mean by 'him'?"

The fact Barnaby didn't seem put out by Gabe's rudeness was relieving. The fact he had picked up on Gabriel's slip of the tongue wasn't nearly as much, and the Archangel glanced away for a moment, trying to organise his thoughts.

Lying didn't really occur to him as a legitimate response. It was just a matter of how much he should say, and how he should say it. Once he'd asked Michael how he managed to remain in Taubolt undercover for so long without the residents discovering the truth and without actually telling a falsehood; Michael had told him it was only as simple as letting assumptions stand.

Even that, Gabriel felt, would be difficult to maintain if he was going to be here for any length of time. He wasn't a very good liar. At least here, there was more chance of the truth sliding under the radar--not all those of the blood knew about their lineage, after all, or even believed it if they did.

Finally he looked back at Barnaby with as sigh. "I meant one of my older brothers," he said, his expression a strange combination of weariness and sadness and, oddly, plain irritation. "Something like this ..." he motioned to at the buildings over the lake, "is exactly the sort of thing he would come up with. And I frustrated him greatly not too long ago."

He hadn't expected Gabe to mention family, but Barnaby did a good job of not letting it show in his face. Instead, he regarded the other patient with a mixture of polite interest and concern. After all, even if he didn't get the impression that this man was a liar, that didn't necessarily mean he needed to take everything he said at face value, either.

"This facility is capable of transporting someone across large distances in the blink of an eye, and has found ways to tamper with a lot of people's abilities," he pointed out. "It has also managed to fool the outside world by posing as a hospital. Would your brother really have the resources for all of that?"

Not even Abbas Prison, which was built for the specific purpose of containing dangerous criminal NEXTs, had the technology this place seemed to. He couldn't imagine a single man being behind their imprisonment -- unless, perhaps, he an organization like Ourboros to back him.

Edited 2012-07-31 03:35 (UTC)

"Yes," Gabriel said simply, and then smiled tightly. "My brother is--very resourceful. Petty, cruel and jealous, but very resourceful when he wants to be."

Gabriel wouldn't have thought that the other fallen angels would want much to do with him for a while after the way Lucifer had blown the wager, but he was nothing if not charismatic. Maybe he'd managed to get others on his side again. Or ...

The Archangel looked around once more, this time with clearer eyes. "How long has this place been established? A while, if I'm not mistaken?"

If it was something Lucifer had been running for some time--something with which he kidnapped those of the blood who hadn't found safety in Taubolt or like areas--he wouldn't have needed many allies from Hell. Enough to capture Gabriel himself, but not many. Gabriel wouldn't have imagined his brother would stoop to this; he wouldn't have been prepared for it in the least. The fact that Lucifer had managed to bind him so completely was more worrying.

If only he could remember being kidnapped ... Gabriel was sure he could unravel the spells, if he knew what they were, even without most of his power.

Barnaby was still skeptical about whether this man's brother was truly involved or not, but it was worth noting his suspicions just the same. Years of searching for the truth behind his parents' deaths had taught him that even the smallest kernel of information could become relevant later.

Before he could pry for more information, though, Gabe asked another question. Pausing a moment, Barnaby tried to recall whether anyone had told him or not. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "Judging from what I've heard, though, I'd say a month at the very least -- probably longer than that, even."

After all, the people in Doyleton seemed convinced that the institute was what it claimed. That sort of reputation wasn't built overnight.

Regardless, for a newcomer, Gabe was handling the news remarkably well. Barnaby remembered he'd spent much of his first day wandering in a haze of confusion and self doubt, half believing that he actually belonged here, and questioning what people told him at every turn. Yet this man had yet to challenge anything Barnaby had said. Did he honestly believe his story, or was he simply trying to act diplomatic while he privately tried to come to his own conclusions?

With that in mind, Barnaby studied him again. "May I ask where you're from?"

A month wasn't very long at all; not nearly long enough. But Barnaby had said that it was posing as a hospital, which indicated a great deal of set-up had been needed--so it had to have been in the works for much longer. Certainly, it could have been begun while the wager was still in effect, especially if it was after Lucifer knew Taubolt's nature. He would want revenge on its townsfolk.

The question was entirely unexpected, and Gabriel blinked at Barnaby for a moment. "Um ..." Well, he couldn't very well say 'Heaven', could he? Nearly anything else would be a lie. Nearly. Gabriel smiled ruefully. "Actually, I'm something of a traveller. I've just come from California."

Well, that was an awfully vague answer, but Barnaby knew better than to press for too many details. Outside of trying to establish a common link between the patients, there wasn't any point. But when he wasn't even sure how much of their stories he could trust, it was hard to want to put a lot of effort into anything he couldn't see with his own eyes or hold with his own hands.

That had become especially important to him over the past several days. When Barnaby thought back on the circumstances leading to his capture, and his own unreliable grasp on reality, his stomach twisted into knots. To be honest, he needed to do a better job chronicling the people he met here and what they said in case it became useful later.

"California," he evenly echoed as he rested his hands in his lap, the partially-eaten sandwich ignored for now. That in of itself wasn't all that remarkable, but Barnaby continued talking. "I don't suppose you've ever heard of Stern Bild, have you?"

Gabriel put considerable thought into this, gazing into the water as he did. It sounded something like a person's name, but he didn't recognise it; if it was the name of a place, he didn't know it either.

"I must confess," he said, drawing his attention from the pond to Barnaby with a slight frown, "I haven't. Is that where you're from?"

That couldn't be right. Even if it was a small town, Gabriel ought to at least have heard of it, especially if there were people there who were of the blood.

While he couldn't say he was surprised to learn Gabe hadn't heard of it, Barnaby had still thought it worth asking. After all, the man claimed to be a traveler, and Stern Bild was a huge tourist destination, especially with Hero TV's soaring popularity.

"Yes," he confirmed with a small nod. "My partner and I both come from Stern Bild, actually, but neither of us have met anyone here who's heard of it. I'm not sure why that is."

Of course, finding someone who knew of the place wouldn't exactly change much. But at least it could offer some potential clues on why there seemed to be so many discrepancies regarding what people knew about the outside world.

"How strange," Gabriel murmured, his disquiet plain on his face. A place, then. He wasn't entirely surprised others may not have heard of it, but even if it was a hidden place like Taubolt, Gabriel certainly ought to have. Wherever had Lucifer found this man, then? It wasn't a good sign.

He blinked again and offered Barnaby a smile that wasn't exactly delighted, given the circumstances, but was pleased for Barnaby in a fashion. "Oh, you're not here alone? Good. Well ..." He raised his hands ruefully. Not so good for Barnaby's partner, in a way, though at least they would know where Barnaby was and be able to watch after him. "Hardship is easier to bear if it's with others, at least. Even easier when it's with friends."

Strange was probably putting it mildly, but Barnaby had learned to expect it at this point. That was why he didn't look as put out by Gabe's ignorance as he could have.

Instead, he found himself a little puzzled over how this man seemed happy to know Barnaby wasn't alone. They had just met, so there was no reason for Gabe to feel at all invested in Barnaby's well-being. Of course, some people were just like that. It didn't work out like that all of the time, but it did happen.

Quite frankly, it was the sort of thing that made Barnaby uncomfortable.

Still, he knew when to raise his hackles, and now wasn't the time. Barnaby stole a small glance before staring out over the pond, angling his face in such a way that the sun glinted off the lenses of his glasses and obscured his eyes.

He didn't necessarily agree that hardship was easier to bear with others. Often times other people managed to bring along their own brand of heartache and suffering. It was only when both parties fully trusted one another that Barnaby believed it was worth weathering the storm with someone else.

"Well, he is my partner," Barnaby answered, as if that summed up his feelings on the subject. Then, in an effort to conceal the small flutter of shyness in the pit of his stomach, he moved toward a more practical observation. "I'm not sure how common it is for patients to wake up here with people they can trust, but I suppose I'm fortunate in that regard."

Edited 2012-08-02 02:29 (UTC)

It was a more than adequate summation, as far as Gabe was concerned, enough to make his smile take a turn into proper radiance. "It's good to hear. Whatever their motives for capturing you both at once, it's something you can use to your advantage as well."

And why not? Gabriel had seen how well Lucifer could use a person's loved ones against them. Yet, in the end, it had been the very same thing which had lost Lucifer the bet.

"What's his name?" asked the Archangel, and he grinned. "I doubt I've met him yet, but at least if I do I'll know who he is."

While it was hard to imagine finding any sort of easy advantage in a place like this, much less having one handed to them, Barnaby knew that he'd be utterly lost without Kotetsu here. As angry at him as he'd been when he first arrived, just seeing his face had been enough to put some of his world right again. It wasn't enough to fix what Barnaby was starting to realize was a fragmented mind, but it was certainly a better anchor in reality than the unpredictable nature of the institute.

The question wasn't so unexpected, especially if Gabe was new and trying to network with other patients. Thankfully, Barnaby was prepared to answer despite the odd circumstances surrounding Kotetsu's identity.

"He goes by the alias Wild Tiger," Barnaby said as he began to neatly tuck his half-eaten food back into the paper sack. "Due to his occupation back home, he generally doesn't give his real name out to people. If you run into him, though, you'll probably know it." He'd never say so to someone he'd just met, but subtlety wasn't one of Kotetsu's stronger points.

Names were never chosen without reason, and this one so very clearly had reasons that Gabriel had to laugh. Not in a mocking way, not in the least; in fact, he sounded downright delighted. "I'll definitely be able to remember that one. I'd be interested to know why he chose it!"

Maybe Gabe could figure it out on his own. Or maybe it would become obvious if or when he did meet the man. Judging by Barnaby's final comment, the Archangel suspected the name was a reference to his partner's personality, and if so, Gabe was looking forward to the potential meeting.

It seemed as though Barnaby might be ready to move elsewhere, so Gabriel followed the man's lead and put his unopened juicebox back in his bag. "Is there anywhere you'd like me to take you, or would you prefer to wheel yourself?"

Barnaby didn't know the full story behind Kotetsu's alias, but he did remember hearing that it matched with the Japanese kanji in his first name. Since it had such a personal connection to his civilian identity, he wasn't sure whether he'd share that kind of information with Gabe. Still, Barnaby managed a polite smile. "Perhaps you can ask him someday."

As meddlesome as Kotetsu could be, he wouldn't be surprised if the two crossed paths at some point. Just one conversation with Gabe demonstrated his unusual nature. If he continued to sit around outside with his feet bare, for example, it was only a matter of time before Kotetsu swooped in and warned him about catching a cold. That was simply the kind of man he was, and so perhaps it was inevitable that they would speak.

Of course, it was impossible to say for certain. Barnaby could do a lot of things, but reading the future wasn't one of them.

He hadn't expected the other patient to follow his lead and pack up his food. Barnaby regarded the man with faintly raised eyebrows. "No, I'm all right," he told him. It was bad enough that his nurse insisted on wheeling him around. The last thing he needed was for other patients to feel like they had to look after him too.

"The shift will probably end soon," he added as he stared back out over the clear pond. Although the water was aesthetically pleasing to look at, the dead grass and empty trees served to remind him of the winter season. He hated this time of year. His only consolation was that he didn't have to look at any Christmas decorations. The lack of snow didn't go unappreciated, either. Even so, the cold air that stung at his nostrils carried the stench of unpleasant memories.

Then, as if on cue, the intercom sounded, and the nurses began to approach the patients scattered throughout the courtyard. The noise seemed to break Barnaby out of his momentary trance, and his gaze shifted onto Gabe again. He wasn't sure what to say to him.

"If you ever find out where the water drains, I'd like to know," he finally said in a neutral tone. Then, after a brief pause, he continued. "In the meantime, try to stay aware of your surroundings. It's dangerous here, especially at night." While there was little else Barnaby could do for him without stretching himself thin, he wanted to warn newcomers as best as he could. After all, passing information along could certainly help reduce casualties in the long run.

“You didn’t manage to finish dinner,” Gabriel said, surveying the other man with concern. “Are you sure you’ll be alright with that much? The evenings don’t sound easy.” And although Gabriel wasn’t used to needing food to keep his energy up, it was something he was familiar with on behalf of others.

That sounded like an opening to him—not exactly an invitation, but a chance to meet Barnaby again. That would be nice; the man had been helpful, and Gabriel wanted to see how well he was healing after the evening’s ‘entertainment’. The Archangel grinned. “You can come help me look for it sometime. There may not be any fish, but we might find some frogs instead.” Then he let his expression fall to seriousness. “Don’t worry about me. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to handle my brother’s … games. But if you need the extra help, feel free to leave me a note on the bulletin board, okay? We none of us have to face this alone.”

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Day 65: 3rd Shift: Courtyard

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