damned_institute | Night 66: M1-M10 Hallway

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Night 66: M1-M10 Hallway

[M7]

Dinner went by too fast, and as the intercom announcement came on and the change to night officially started, Sora pushed himself to the edge of bed, caught in the tight hold of dread. He didn't want it to become night. He didn't want to change again. He'd gone to a lot of effort to make sure that he didn't end up repeating the events of last night, but something could always go wrong.

Landel cut to the chase pretty fast this time around, and no other clues were given out. Did that mean that the rebel group hadn't been able to get through, or had they just run out of clues to give them? Did that mean they were on their own? Sora let out a breath and tried to manage the panic that was bubbling up in his chest.

Link was still here. Sora had hoped that his roommate would make a move to leave the second that night came, but it didn't look like that was the case. Of course not. If Sora was honest with himself, he'd known from the start that someone like Link wasn't going to leave him alone here.

Sora forced out a shaky sigh. He didn't feel anything yet, but he knew that it wouldn't be long before the darkness started to take over.

"I know you're worried," he said to Link, "but it's fine. My other friend should be here soon, so..." He wanted as few people as possible around when the change went through. Hopefully Tsurugi would get here soon, and then Link could leave.

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"My friend is coming here to meet me. It's fine." Link followed Kyousuke's lead, setting his clothing on the floor and following the younger boy into another room. He piled the chair on top, dragging it into the hall behind Kyuosuke.

There was still no sign of Sechs, so Link was more than alright with continuing the help. He had no idea how strong Sora was in his strange, dark form. How heavy of a barricade would they need? Was it Twili magic? Midna had always been able to tell... Link frowned.

It was incredibly frustrating, not even knowing what he was dealing with.

[From here.]

M10... M9...

Before Sechs took a step past room M8, he spotted a door up ahead open to reveal two patients exiting out into the hallway. Sechs halted, lowering his flashlight down to the floor. Akin to a lone wolf warily watching a new situation unfold before it, his shoulders had hunched over slightly while his wide eyes gleaming in the darkness. That was room M7 that they just left, right? The two figures had hurried over to another room. There was no panic or violence going on though, and Sechs immediately recognized one of the prisoners to be Link just before he disappeared past the door.

"Hey! Link!" Relaxing a bit, Sechs lifted his flashlight up and moved towards where the other two went. Already Link and the other patient had begun dragging furniture out into the hall. Sechs frowned a little at this, realizing that they were likely setting up a barricade for Link's sick roommate...

With better lighting conditions, Sechs recognized the smaller patient to be that kid he sort of talked with earlier that day; he looked a bit too small for big desk he was pushing out by himself. Pocketing his flashlight and hanging his axe by the hilt behind his belt, Sechs got to the other end of the desk to help drag it over. "Mind if I help?"

Edited 2012-10-07 01:40 (UTC)

As it turned out, moving furniture was a lot more difficult than Kyousuke thought. It wasn't so heavy he couldn't push the desk along, but the problem was, he still hurt from the previous day. The pain had been mild enough during the day to be annoying, but ignorable, but the act of moving something sent a particularly sharp pain through his broken rib. He exhaled sharply, but didn't stop, trying to fight his way through it; this was too important to be concerned with himself right now.

But as luck would have it, someone offered to take the other end. This was the he'd seen in the Sun Room earlier that day, right? If Kyousuke wasn't injured, he probably would have asked him to grab something else, since he was used to a lot heavier exertion than this, but the truth was that he probably shouldn't but putting this kind of strain on his wound if he wanted it to heal quickly, so he accepted easily enough.

"Help yourself," he nodded, allowed the newcomer to take the other end of the desk. It did still hurt, but it was a lot easier to get in place with the extra set of hands.

Link had a relatively easy time with the desk, as he had often found himself lugging impossibly large things around throughout his travels. He gave Sechs a nod in greeting, grunting as he shoved his own desk against Kyousuke's. Taking the chair off the top, he wedged it under the door handle.

"Thank you, Sechs." Link glanced down the hall for newcomers. Someone else was supposed to be coming, right?

"Were you simply planning on staying by the door, tonight?" He addressed Kyousuke.

"No problem." Another good heave and the side of the desk was pushed firmly up against the door to M7. Backing off, Sechs watched Link add the second desk to the pile and shove a chair under the door handle. Would all that stuff be enough to keep that door shut?

Standing back with his arms crossed, the Replica's lips fell into a lopsided frown at the scene. So that infected patient was just going to be locked in that room, huh? There had to be a better way to this, but how else could a regular organic human restrain an unpredictable monster who shouldn't be killed? Sechs didn't know just who it was inside, but just thinking that it could have been him or someone else like Aigis getting that same treatment only gave him more motivation to get outside and find that damn cure.

"So that's it?" Sechs asked, shifting his focus from the fortified door to Link. "You ready to go or is there more we gotta do?"

"That's the plan," Kyousuke affirmed. "I'll make sure the door holds for tonight. Hopefully someone will have the real cure by tomorrow, so we don't have to do this to him again." He was fine with it if he really had to, but they couldn't keep doing this forever. The faster someone found a method to fix this that didn't involve cutting people open, the better. It may have worked, supposedly, but he didn't approve of the risk that entailed; what good would curing someone be if they died in the process?

He made a glance at their handiwork, and wondered if maybe they should pile up more things, but hopefully this would hold. For now, he leaned against the wall opposite the door and crossed his arms, deciding to wait for Kratos until doing anything else.

"I can handle the rest. If there's anything else, I can ask the guy coming," he said. If the other two had something to do, he didn't have any reason to keep them here.

"Alright, thank you for your help. What was your name? I'm Link." He wouldn't forget his manners, even in a situation such as this. It seemed that the two of them would be seeing more of each other, anyway. Link turned to Sechs, giving him a nod.

Link set his knife and magic light on the ground, pulling off his shirt and fastening on the white undershirt he was familiar with. It was only then that he realized his chain mail was gone. The Hylian frowned, frustrated. What was the point of giving him his clothes, then? To tease him? Shaking his head, he pulled on his tunic, changed his pants underneath it and pulled on his boots and hat. He felt much more comfortable in his old clothes.

Edited 2012-10-08 00:32 (UTC)

Sechs let out a pleased snort when given Link's affirmative nod. He was anxious to get going on this risky mission of theirs, even if it turned out to be a wild goose chase. He couldn't stand sitting around and thinking about what could happen from it, he just wanted to get going on it now.

Grasping for his axe and flashlight, Sechs took a few heavy steps towards the entrance of the hall before stopping to look back at the barricaded door. He half expected it to suddenly burst open against the pile of furniture against it, but so far it remained closed and silent. It did help to know that someone else was coming by to help the sick roommate, but the lack of action was getting the Replica antsy and he found himself restlessly shifting on the spot as he waited for Link.

As impatient as he was, Sechs couldn't help but look at Link's new attire with a curious perk of his eyebrows. That was a style of clothing he had never seen before! It sure had a naturally crafted look to it compared to Sechs' industrial body suit and armor. In fact, it had an almost historical look to it... or maybe something of an old folk tale? Sechs couldn't quite put his finger on it, but for some reason he knew that outfit was made for Link... or was it the other way around?

Oh well... As long as Link was ready to go, Sechs didn't want to waste anymore time tonight, as he was keen on vocalizing his eagerness with another wolfish snort and a jerk of his head towards the end of the hall.

Edited 2012-10-08 05:31 (UTC)

[from here]

There was already something passing for a sizable crowd outside of M7, and Kratos couldn't help but wonder just how many people Sora had asked for help tonight. He had been under the impression that it would be just him and someone named "Tsurugi", but perhaps there had been a late change of plans.

There was also a sizable pile of furniture outside M7 as well--a barricade, presumably, to contain Sora within the room until everyone had arrived. Well, now that he was there, it looked like they would have to move all the furniture back so he could actually get into the room and perform the surgery. That seemed unfortunate; by his estimate, it had really been only around three minutes, and it had probably taken them that long to get all the desks there in the first place.

...unless, of course, there had indeed been a change of plans. The only way to verify that, though, was to ask directly.

"Good evening," Kratos said as he approached the three men (teenagers) standing around outside the door. "Which one of you is Tsurugi?"

"Tsurugi," he answered when Link prompted his name.

He shut his eyes for the time being as Link changed, to afford a little more privacy. He wondered if this was really the time to be worrying about clothes, but he couldn't quite blame him either; if he had anything else, he'd be out of this uniform in a second. It looked like it was a common thing here, since now, he was the only one in the hall still in the institute's clothing, but he didn't pay it any mind.

When a stranger approached asked for him, he nodded. "That's me," he affirmed. "You're Kratos?"

An impatient noise at the end of the hall cut through that, and he raised and eyebrow, turning back to Link. "... Looks like you'd better go before he decides to leave you."

Link didn't blame Sechs for wanting to get going. If this idea had any ground to it, they could be saved.

"Thank you for your help." He nodded to both Tsurugi and Kratos, fixing his cap to the top of his head. "Whatever it is we might find... I will be sure to put it on the message board in the morning."

And with that, Link was off at a run, knife in one hand and torch in the other.

[To here]

Edited 2012-10-09 22:03 (UTC)

Kratos watched the two others sprint off, leaving him and Tsurugi alone in the hall. It seemed he had been wrong; it would be just the two of them up against whatever Sora became. His first instinct trended toward pessimism, but Tsurugi had sounded sufficiently mature on the board, and he was willing to trust Sora and the help he'd found. This sort of dilemma wasn't one best left to people that couldn't be totally depended on, after all.

"I am," he said, nodding in return. "What did Sora tell you about his intentions for tonight?" Before they did anything else, he wanted to be sure that they were on the same page, not only about the surgery, but also about what might happen if that failed.

"... Not much," Kyousuke responded, thinking back on his conversation from breakfast. Ultimately, they never were able to find a good solution, so this was about as far as their plan went. "I was under the impression we keep him restrained for now, until somebody comes up with something better."

Unless they did have a real way to fix this, but when he'd asked, Sora said that there hadn't been any changes. That had been just before dinner, so it seemed too early to think that they had anything more than a temporary solution.

Kratos raised an eyebrow. "Really." Suddenly, he felt much less sure about this whole deal. Unfortunately, it was too late; they would have to press forward despite the miscommunication. "Interesting, because when I talked with Sora, we established something a little more detailed.

"I'm sure you're aware of the impromptu surgeries that people have been subjecting themselves to in order to remove the transformation device. Since Sora wished to deal with this matter as soon as possible, and since we have yet to establish another method by which to remove or deactivate the device, he asked me to attempt a similar operation on him tonight." He bowed his head. "I apologize for not making that clear earlier; I was under the impression that Sora would tell you himself what he intended to do."

If this succeeded, he knew exactly what he would be talking about tomorrow morning with the boy.

There had been a few blissful minutes of silence, where everyone had been able to rest assured that the beast was asleep and no longer a problem, but in a place like Landel's that was never bound to last for long.

Even while unconscious, the darkness had took its hold on Sora, spreading over him like ink bleeding through water. And eventually, after his hands had turned into claws and every hint of color had disappeared from his body, he opened up bright yellow eyes, a monster once again.

The Heartless threw itself off the bed and found an empty room, but it could sense the hearts behind the door. It slammed into it and found only a strong resistance, but that was no obstacle for the Anti-Form. It leapt up and started to attack the door with its claws, intending to open up a hole large enough for it to get through.

"... What?" The new information left Kyousuke visibly taken aback, and he glanced from Kratos to the door. Had Sora really been intending to go through with surgery all along...? Link hadn't seemed to know anything about it, either, or he probably wouldn't have left quite so easily. Which, as far he could tell, left only Kratos.

That idiot. ... No wonder he'd been eager to clear the room out.

Kyousuke scratched the back of his head, frustrated, angry, and most of all, feeling like a fool. Had he been armed with this knowledge beforehand, he would have reacted to the situation very differently. He couldn't agree with any of this, especially after being given no chance to try and talk some sense into Sora.

In spite of that, he did his best to stay collected. "If he really wants to bet his life on that, it's his decision," he said after a moment. As much as he didn't like it, he didn't have the right to decide what Sora thought was worth dying for.

There was more he had to say one the matter, but a loud noise from the other side of the door stopped him cold. Knocking Sora out... hadn't worked out after all. For now, he put everything aside, facing the door and preparing himself. If Sora was awake, they couldn't worry about the surgery right now; they had to focus on how to keep him subdued before anything else. Last night hadn't gone well, but this time, he'd be ready. He'd make sure of that.

Ah, at least there were no complaints, even though Tsurugi didn't look entirely pleased to hear of Sora's intended course of action: convincing him of the necessity of the surgery over waiting for another cure to pop up would have taken more time than they could afford. Unfortunately, as soon as Kratos prepared to jump straight into how they would proceed, something slammed hard into the door to Sora's room.

Kratos's head turned sharply toward the door as he listened, with no small amount of trepidation, to the thing-that-used-to-be-Sora clawing frantically through the wood. "Excellent timing," he said curtly. His hands by instinct were already moving to his side, but they soon froze as he checked himself, fingers still half-curled in anticipation of drawing his sword. Not yet; he had to restrain himself, for fear of drawing and then letting his usual judgment take over when the monster inevitably attacked.

He glanced at Tsurugi. "If he manages to break through the barricade, I'm assuming the two of us will be temptation enough to keep him in this area." Otherwise, he was going to break through the pile of furniture himself. Better to risk personal injury and keep Sora occupied and contained, than give him an opening to escape into the rest of the institute.

It took time, but the Heartless were persistent. With only one goal that could exist in their minds for any length of time, there was no option but to keep trying until it reached the hearts it needed or it died trying. Which was why the Anti-Form didn't let up. It continued to claw at the door, aiming high where the desks weren't in the way.

But these doors were built to keep any patient in (and to keep monsters out), and for that reason its efforts were almost pointless. Its claws glanced off the door like they were bad of paper instead of something that was more like hardened rock.

The next idea it had was to try and ram the door open, and so it backed up to get a running start and then slammed itself against the door with all its weight.

The door barely budged.

At least part of the plan was working, as the doors didn't seem to be giving any leeway. That meant they were safe, for now, but Kyousuke wasn't stupid enough to lower his guard from just that. They had to act carefully, and there was still the question of what to do next. If they were really going to go through with the surgery somehow, they had to find some way to stop Sora's movements completely if they wanted him to live through it. The thought weighed down on him heavily. ... He didn't want this kind of responsibility. He never asked for it. But he couldn't turn away from it, either, so in the end, there was really no choice but to see this through to the end. Sora's decision... wasn't in his control.

Kratos was right about one thing; as long as they didn't scare him away somehow, the creature wasn't going anywhere with two targets. Last night it had been the only thing he was able to manage, but since there were two of them, there was no need to resort to that. They were probably enough to keep it occupied.

"... I have an idea," he said, keeping his focus on the door, just in case. "The problem when he's like that is his speed. If he starts running, we won't be able to catch him. ... But he's vulnerable when he attacks. If I act as bait, you can use that as an opening."

It was their best bet, as far as he could tell. He was already slower from his injury, and he didn't have any weapon, so this was about all he'd be able to offer. The thought of actually going through with it was admittedly terrifying, but even so, it was something he was willing to risk.

Kratos's fingers twitched as monster-Sora slammed into the door; in fact, before he knew it, his sword was halfway out of its sheath, his attempt at restraint an utter failure in the face of countless years' worth of conditioning himself to react in exactly that way.

He exhaled slowly as the door held. Those things were certainly built solidly, and why not, since they were meant to cage the sometimes violently insane...something about that was perversely amusing; perhaps it was that they actually had Landel to thank for such a sturdy barricade.

"...provided he can get through the door, which I'm starting to doubt." He gave up and fully drew his sword; as cynical as he was being, Kratos acknowledged that Tsurugi's plan was about the best they could do at the moment. A part of him vehemently protested that he couldn't stick a child in danger like that, but there was method to the madness in that he was the only one with a weapon, and probably the only one who could properly handle a sword. This was just how things would have to be, another life in his hands. "We might need to take the initiative."

The Heartless gave the door another try, throwing itself bodily against it, but once again it did nothing. It could feel the hearts just on the other side of the barrier, could tell how they were twisting with emotions: conflict, uncertainty, anger, fear.

It wanted those for itself, wanted the good feelings and the bad, wanted to be anything but a void.

And in the end, something clicked in its limited mind, and it realized there was another way around the door. The Anti-Form's body literally melted into the ground, becoming a puddle of darkness against the floor, moving through it. It allowed it to slide under the door as if it was nothing.

The dark spot might be difficult to notice even when it appeared in the hallway, as there weren't many lights to judge by and the hall itself was so dark. Still hidden in the floor, the Heartless started to move around behind the two targets. Maybe this time, it would succeed.

Kyousuke made a small glance to Kratos' sword as he drew it, a little wary considering the situation, but he hardly any right to protest, so he kept his reservations to himself. He had no know way of knowing how eager the man would be to use it, but he seemed reasonable, and apparently Sora trusted him with his life. ... He'd just have to trust in that, for now.

"... That may be better," he agreed. "We're not accomplishing anything by waiting."

That in mind, he moved closer to the door, intent on pushing the small barricade out of the way. There was a small flicker, right in the very corner of his vision, and for a moment, he paused, trying to get a reading on it, but it was gone as soon as he saw it. The hallway was empty... Had it just been his imagination...?

He frowned, but continued on unaware; the floor was the last place he would have thought to look.

Kratos likewise moved toward the barricade to begin moving it out of the way, but as soon as he placed his hand on the nearest desk, he could sense that something was wrong. It was too quiet. The monster had been making quite a racket previously, but now, he could hear nothing. Perhaps it was regrouping, scuttling around the room too quietly for them to hear through the thick, wooden door, but his gut was saying otherwise.

He froze, hand still on the desk, as he strained to hear any sound at all, to catch any proof that Sora was still indeed inside the room. There seemed to be no way for him to escape, no plausible scenario that said that his simple "feeling" was right, and yet he could not shake the thought from his mind that he'd overlooked something, as he had many times in the past.

Kratos's eyes flicked to the side, double-checking for a form poised behind them, and yet he too did not think to look down, being unaware of the literally shadowy nature of Sora's new monstrous form.

"...Tsurugi," he began, intent on voicing his concern.

Once he'd positioned himself firmly behind the two humans, the Heartless rose up out of the floor, fully formed yet again. These two were both familiar -- one from the night before, and the other in a different way. The second one struck him as a threat somehow, in a way that might have only been subconscious.

Or maybe it had something to do with the sword in his hand. Not a key, but still dangerous.

Either way, the Anti-Form had no interest in letting them get the jump on it. It sprang off the ground toward Tsurugi, targeting the weaker one in hopes that he could tear through and finally reach the heart that had been withheld from him.

Once again, there was no sign of Sora, or of any of the regret that he'd expressed throughout the day. The Heartless was an empty husk, but one with claws and hunger, and it would not stop.

"... Yeah," Kyousuke responded. There was no need to ask what was on Kratos' mind, because he could sense it too; the quiet could mean a number of things, and he wasn't naïve enough to think it was something good. He paused yet again, trying to focus on their surroundings. The area still seemed empty, but he remained motionless, no longer satisfied with just that.

Then, at the very last second, something changed, and he found himself whirling in the other direction on nothing but pure instinct. Just as the previous night, however, the creature was much faster than he was, and by the time he faced it, it was already launching itself towards him, and there was no time to do anything but try and brace himself as he was shoved onto the ground. Claws cut deep into the boy's arms, the only defense he had against having his chest ripped into a second time.

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[Outside M7]

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