damned_institute | Night 25: Intercom, Late Night

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Night 25: Intercom, Late Night

The intercom came on with its usual nighttime crackling, though this time the Head Doctor seemed to be in a calmer mood than he had been in before. His tone was cool and his breaths were even as he spoke, even if his speech itself contained the same megalomaniacal ranting as usual.

"Hm. Perhaps I'm overestimating you, Radio Man. Perhaps I'm putting too much stock in how much sway you have over the patients, in how much you can truly help them. Why, yes, even I am capable of admitting my errors, as few and far between as they may be!"

He coughed, cleared his throat, and continued.

"But enough of that wretched man, dear patients. I believe it's time to announce something grand, something new about this Institute. Oh, yes, we're always coming up with new surprises for all of you, as undeserving and selfish as you all may be, but luckily for us, the new secrets of this building may only be opened by those of supreme wit and physical prowess. Allow me to give you a hint, in fact, much like the savior you all put so much stock in: Down is the way you want to go if you want to uncover the secrets of this place, ladies and gentlemen, though uncovering the keys to knowledge will be far more difficult than any of you can imagine."

A pause, and then he sighed and chuckled lightly.

"Not that I imagine many of you will succeed in the tasks ahead of you, though perhaps the newly-arrived members of Group 4 will be able to assist all of you in your future endeavors. Good luck to you all, though I doubt you'll make much use of it."

The intercom slowly died down into a small whine, then silence.

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With the voice on the intercom waking him, L was quick notice was that something was wrong. He hadn’t permitted himself to sleep, and if he had, he certainly wouldn’t have been lying in a bed with the covers over him. Usually, L chose to fall asleep upright in his chair during the quieter intervals of the investigation, it made it difficult for the other members of the task force to detect his moment of vulnerability. To them, it would seem as if he was deep in thought. L was well aware of the fact that he had experienced a heart attack. He was supposed to be dead, wasn’t he? No, he was clearly breathing. Somehow, he had managed to survive. Yet in the darkness, L could not hear the sounds of a heart monitor or machines running, nor did he feel an IV embedded into his veins.

Lying on his back could be a sign that he had somehow obtained an injury. Moving too much without exploring the possibility could prove to be hazardous. L ran a check of his body to assure that everything functioned appropriately. Carefully bending and flexing joints and muscles trying to detect any sign of pain. As soon as he decided that there was no evidence of damage to him. L carefully sat up on his bed assuming his usual sitting position; crouching with his feet under him and his hands resting on his knees.

Despite his confusion surrounding his current situation, L didn’t allow himself to miss what was being said on the intercom. It could provide him insight or valuable clues pertaining to his situation, therefore it was too important to ignore. The person on the intercom was addressing it’s listeners in English; Americanized English. Did that mean that he was currently in America? If that was the case, why was he moved here from Japan?

L also didn’t know who “Radio Man” was, but it appeared that this was the first person the speaker had addressed, meaning that he possibly someone of importance. It was the word “patients” that told L more than anything about his current situation. There were a limited number of places that would have patients; the fact that he was not receiving the care meant for a heart attack patient eliminated a medical hospital as a possibility. Then there was the word “institute”…

The rest of the statements made, he would have sort through later when he was more aware of what was going on. As far as he could tell though, the situation was not a typical one. The fact that he was still alive and left completely unattended to didn’t abode well either. This made L wonder if he even had a heart attack in the first place. He was aware that there were existing poisons that could have caused him to experience heart attack-like symptoms but he found the possibility of its use unlikely. Poisons tend to be too unpredictable. It would be highly difficult for anyone to pull off successfully considering the measures he had taken.

Regardless, Light had somehow managed to get him out of the way, and was sure enough of this fact that he allowed L to know about it. What was yet to be determined was whether the fact that he was still alive was a mistake or not. If it was a mistake, then it would be vital to not bring it to Light’s attention immediately and figure out how he managed to end up here. If it wasn’t, then he was probably in a dangerous position and would have to tread softly for the other youth had probably already assessed what his next move might be. It would be necessary for L’s survival to act against it.

L’s priority at the moment then, was to investigate his surroundings, or at least the best he could in the dark. He moved to the edge of the bed and tested how high it was off of the ground by reaching down with his bare foot. L found that his foot met with cold floor rather than air, meaning that he wasn’t on the top bunk of a bunk-bed. Next he would investigate his pillow; he remembered from when he was laying down that it had felt like something was under it.

Hijikata was woken abruptly by a voice he didn't recognise. For a fleeting moment, he thought perhaps Souji had devised some kind of prank to protest another day of rest - he'd been very strict about Souji not overexerting himself, and he wouldn't put it past the other man at all to disrupt his sleep for mischief. Hijikata started to pull the blanket over his shoulder and froze.

None of his men spoke English.

He remained still beneath the covers, breathing slow and silent as he tried to determine the source. He knew very well that it was pitch black in the room, and a faint rustle of movement came from somewhere in the depths. A guard, perhaps? And only one. That couldn't be all.

For a group to reach him in the dead of night, and move him without his notice, they would have to be much smarter than that. He felt no lethargy, and his mind was clear, his movements easy and free. This was even more disturbing.

How long would it have taken for any drug to thoroughly clear out of his system?

There was a slow whine that apparently signaled the end of the man's speech. It had come from somewhere above, distorted in a way he had never heard before. Maybe it was a property of this prison.

The Vice-Chief opened his eyes, and there was only a flat stretch ceiling above him. He turned his head slightly, making out the faint lines of a desk, four walls, a person sitting up.

Hijikata's movements were silent, slow and deliberate. He pushed himself up so he could sit cross-legged, narrow eyes focused on the shape across the room. Was this the person who'd spoken? Playing tricks to distort his voice in the dark? Was he supposed to be afraid?

He rested his arms in his lap, even unarmed as powerful and immovable as a mountain. His voice was filled with cool, unamused disgust. "Are we finished playing games now?"

L stopped the inspection of his pillow momentarily. He hadn’t realized that someone else was in the room with him. The voice was male, but it didn’t belong to Light, Watari, or the other members of the task force. It belonged to someone he didn’t recognize.

From the sound of the question it appeared that whoever it was, had been watching him; meaning either this person could see in the darkness better than he could, or they were using some sort of night vision apparatus. Either way, this meant that it would be meaningless to take advantage of the darkness to hide his presence.

The intercom had mentioned that he was in an institute, if he was to conclude that this was true, it was entirely possible that this man was either a patient, or a doctor. In either case, he could have been ordered to keep an eye on him.

L went back to inspecting his pillow. The odd lump that he had felt under his head was still there. Using the edge of his thumb and index finger he lifted up the pillow by its case, while reaching out with his other hand to carefully search the area underneath. Soon, his nails brushed against an object. “Until there are rules, there can be no game.” L unemotionally responded. He quickly concluded that the object in question was a flashlight. It seemed that he was intended to use it; there was no other reason for someone to put it in such an obvious place otherwise. “Manners require an introduction. Who am I speaking with so I may properly address you?”

Hijikata was silent for a long moment. The voice was much different, even disinterested, but this man spoke English as well. And he understood it. In the dark, he reached up and touched his throat. Saitou would have a better sense of these things, but it was no use attempting to explain something like this on his own. For now, he would focus on the situation at hand.

"You should give your own name before asking for others. Are western manners always so vulgar?" The words weren't strange at all on his tongue, but it took effort to speak without faltering.

The other voice had to have come from somewhere. Hijikata looked around again, slowly, but he didn't see anyone else in the dark. And where would they conceal themselves? Beneath the strange bedding, or somewhere above? And were they listening?

He'd tuned out the speech, thinking he would be unable to understand it...now he regretted the reflex. If this person didn't know him, it was entirely possible that he was simply another prisoner. That didn't make Hijikata any less cautious. Words were easy, and he knew that all too well.

L really wasn’t worried about the man’s lack of willingness to provide a name. In fact, he expected it. Any answer or reaction, or even lack of, would provide him vital information.

“True, but even vulgar western manners would dictate that you introduce yourself first when addressing a complete stranger. Had I of spoken first, I would have provided you a name to call me by” L said, as he picked up the end of the flashlight with the edge of his fingers, and lifted it to eye level. He now knew that the man didn’t think much of Westerners, which could also assist in narrowing down the man’s ethnic origin. “Regardless, since you don’t seem to want to provide me with a name, I shouldn’t be obligated to give you one in return.”

L turned the flashlight on, taking care to keep the light from revealing his face by pointing its beam away from him. He directed the light towards the man’s location.

"That's fine." Hijikata said evenly. He wasn't about to fall into pointless argument over names. If he wanted to, he could easily make something up, and the same could be said for the man across from him. Better to search elsewhere for information like that.

The next order of business would be to find -- "Put that down." He barked, admonishing despite the surprise. He brought an arm up to shield his eyes against the sudden burst of light, but it was too late by then. His night vision was completely shot, and there were black spots dancing in front of his eyes.

Hijikata relaxed and made himself ready to move or fight. "It matters very little to me who you are. Stay out of my way, and I will stay out of yours."

This was, simply put, an order. If this man was not an enemy he would save his strength.

It was a short answer; the man was avoidant, potentially hiding something. L felt it was no longer necessary to pursue that particular matter, and had anticipated the man’s reaction. It was too bad that the man hadn’t provided him a fake name at the very least, but had given L a button to push.

The flashlight appeared to be something that the man wasn’t ready for. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” he said as scanned the room with the flashlight, never fully taking it off of the man across from him. It wasn’t a hard task; the white walls reflected the light quite easily. Each occupant appeared to have a matching inexpensive desk, bed, chair and closet, which indicated to him that he was in a room suited for long term residency. The man sitting on the bed across from him also appeared to be wearing a… peculiar outfit that matched his own.

Seeing the current predicament he was in didn’t reassure him, and while he could probably manage to keep an eye on the man without him being aware of it, the fact that the two were sharing a living space would make it difficult for L to maneuver. “I’m afraid that it is not possible at this point and time. Although I don’t suspect you of being the one who placed me here, I cannot avoid holding you under suspicion of being an accomplice. If find that you are innocent, however, I shouldn’t have any reason to further aggravate you in any matters you attend to.” L said calmly. It was important to let this man know that avoidance would not be in his best interests.

“Needless to say, I do have to address you some way since it appears that we are intended to share this space. Since you have just confirmed my suspicion that you will not be providing me a name, I hope you won’t object if I call you ‘John Doe’--unless you feel comfortable in providing me a better one. ” L continued pleasantly. Although he had said that he wasn’t obligated to provide a name, he never said that he wouldn’t. “So, Mr. Doe, please address me as Hideki Ryuga if you need to. It’s nice to meet you.”

Hijikata's eyebrows were pinched, only partially because of the constant glare from the man's lantern. Even as the spots began to disappear, he could no longer make out the shape across the room, only the steady beam of light, the likes of which he'd never seen before. He followed it, half-wearily tracking some of the shapes he'd made out in the dark.

He could guess at the functions of most objects, but it all seemed as alien to him as the light the man was holding. How was it so strong, when he couldn't even catch the faint scent of smoke? Hijikata stirred restlessly, and his fingers brushed the front of his strange uniform, finding no purchase. His frown deepened.

Then the man spoke again, and he listened. "Do as you wish, Hideki-san." He replied, supremely indifferent. Still, he inclined his head, never one to forget his manners. "It's nice to meet you as well.

I will be holding you under similar suspicion, so you will have to be content with the situation as it is. Be silent for a moment."

With that, Hijikata unfolded slowly and stood. As he suspected, the room was the same on both sides, and his bedding was elevated as well. He moved towards the other side of the room, settling lightly against the wall beside the door. He had an almost painful awareness of the uncomfortable clothing as he moved, but at least the light was more of a benefit now than a hindrance. If there was anyone in the hall, they would have seen the light already, so he didn't bother asking Hideki to lower it.

L noted Mr. Doe’s proper manners and the fact that he was expressing suspicion towards him. He honored his request for silence, although he had yet to determine if the reason would benefit him or not.

L was keenly aware of what tactics the man was using. He was behaving as if he would be attacked at any moment, which could explain his aggravation with the light. As Mr. Doe moved, L noticed that he was not allowing any openings, which indicated some training in self defense. If this was an American institute containing patients that were determined a danger to themselves or society, and if this man was one of those patients, his actions could be attributed to PTSD. There was the possibility the man was faking his symptoms or could have a valid reason for his actions; either way, L didn’t like taking a chance in ignoring it. He would have to keep his distance.

L knew it was in his best interest to not compromise his safety, so he decided to get off of the bed. He couldn’t move with as much practiced silence as Mr. Doe, but he could move without making too much noise. With the man positioned by the doorway, L carefully slid to the floor, keeping the man within his peripheral vision and the light from the flashlight off of himself.

Although L didn’t think that any bugs would have been placed on him, he checked anyway. When he found nothing, he decided to move to the next area of interest: the bed. Before he could begin inspecting it, however, the radios in the room turned on.

Hijikata kept a weary eye on the movement of the lantern, even as he strained to hear anything but silence beyond the doorway. Everything about this was careful, professional; if any guards posted could see the light beneath the door they knew better than to approach the room. There would not be many. The walls were thick and, if they were as careful as he expected, the prison was below or deep within their territory.

But who were 'they'? Westerners, perhaps. They seemed to make a habit of interfering in affairs that were not their own.

Another voice broke the silence, the fourth he'd heard tonight, and he was sure it didn't come from beyond the door. Hijikata crossed the room, mindful of the lamp's position so he could avoid colliding with Hideki or turning his back on him. When he reached the desk, he found only a small dark box. He didn't touch it.

When the speech ended, the lines between his eyebrows were more numerous than ever. "What is this?"

L listened to the words carefully. Could this be the ‘Mr. Radio’ mentioned on the intercom? The voice on the intercom and the one on the radio seemed to be in direct opposition. The man on the radio referred to the other man as a “boogey man” and was trying to heavily emphasize the fact that the people he was addressing needed him.

While Mr. Doe returned to his side of the room, L leapt back on his bed and grabbed his radio. He had seen it sitting on his desk, but didn’t expect it to turn on by its own accord. L carefully lifted the object in question up by its antenna and directed the light onto it, still keeping the other man within the light’s glow. It was a small, handheld transistor radio.

When his roommate spoke, L lowered the flashlight and radio. Was he asking about the broadcast? If that was the case, he didn’t want to provide him with any information that would give away his developing theories on the matter, especially if the man was there to watch him. “It appears to be a radio.” L said with indifference, turning the switch on and off “I seem to have one on my side of the room as well.” It was an obvious answer, but if this man was looking for more detail, he would have to be more specific with his questions.

“If I am correct in assuming that both sides of the room are identical, then there should have been a flashlight under your pillow as well.” Although L was reluctant in sharing this information, bringing it to the Mr. Doe’s attention before the fact would encourage trust. Besides, it was only a matter of time before the man located it.

Seeing his roommate examine his Radio with the lamp - flashlight? - Hijikata touched his own, overcome by curiosity bordering on suspicion. The object remained silent and innocuous, even as he moved to examine it more thoroughly. For now it was more important than the flashlight, if only because it maintained a link to the outside.

Hijikata carried the radio back to his bed, and sat with one leg folded beneath him. "How does this radio work?" He asked, and remembering Hideki's usual answers he added, "Can this man hear us the same way we hear him?"

He knew very well already that he would be forced to rely on his roomate's casual knowledge. Hideki kept him within the scope of the flashlight at all times, and it seemed to require little effort on his part. For now, it was in Hijikata's best interest to remain on speaking terms with him. If this place contained more of the same instruments, an escape would be daunting at best.

Was Mr. Doe trying to test him? The question was oddly worded. L shifted his position on his bed to face the man, “These don’t appear to be two-way radios; however there is the possibility that it is bugged.” L said calmly as turned on the radio again, listening to the soft sound of static emitting from its speaker. “Electronic listening and surveillance devices could have been placed in this room without our knowledge.”

The radio bothered him. Radio broadcasts were generally transmitted though amplitude or frequency modulation, often abbreviated as AM or FM. Much to L’s suspicion, these radios were not marked for such a thing. Did this mean that the broadcast was from an amateur or unlicensed radio service? It would appear that the man on the radio would be quite difficult to locate, as he was probably using an obscure type of encoding.

Then there was the fact that both of the radios had switch on simultaneously. Could this man be using some sort a remote? L wasn’t happy with the thought that he was being toyed with so easily. “If at all possible, I would like ask for you to assist me in conducting a thorough sweep of the room to assure that we are not being spied on.” With that said, L turned the radio off.

There were a few things he didn't understand, but Hijikata got the gist of what his roommate was trying to tell him. It didn't matter so much whether he trusted the man with information; someone else could be listening to them as he suspected all along.

He knew nothing more of the radio, so he set it face down on the bed and rummaged beneath his pillow for the flashlight. It was a small, black cylinder that remained cool and ailen in his hands. Bemused, Hijikata ran his fingers along the surface and found a switch similar to the radio's. He flicked it and narrowly avoided blinding himself again.

There may have been a grunt of displeasure. He trained the beam of light on the floor, and then raised it slightly higher to catch his roommate in the ambient light. It would have been a petty, pointless revenge to flash the light into his eyes.

"I will gladly assist you. However, I'll need you to tell me what we're looking for." His tone remained formal and polite. While Hijikata was not one to flaunt his ignorance, he believed very much in being practical about these matters. Even if Hidiki was only lying to gain his trust, he had no reason to offer information about himself, so there would be little harm in it.

When the flashlight was directed towards him, L couldn’t help but blink. It was not because of the light however, it was something personal. He was compromising his safety by being seen, but it was something that was bound to happen sooner or later with the two of them living in such close proximity. L was sure that this wasn’t going to be the last time this would be happening, but he still didn’t like the idea. The only thing that he had left to reassure him was the fact that he had provided the man an alias.

“They are electronic devices; very small in size and difficult to locate. It is important that we leave nothing unchecked no matter how common or harmless the item may appear to be. They can even be in the radios, flashlights, under furniture, or even on our clothing.” he explained, “Since you expressed distrust in me, as I did you, we must handle this in a manner that will satisfy us both--- Otherwise searching will be meaningless. Would you agree to conduct the search under my supervision?” It seemed like the fairest and most effective arrangement considering the circumstances.

L continued; “Even if we find nothing, I suggest that we conduct these searches regularly as it appears we will be leaving the room at one point. I am sure that there will be adequate time during these periods to set up bugs. Let’s not let down our guard.”

“Also,” L added, tilting his head slightly so that his expression enforced the seriousness of the matter, “due to fact you we share a living space with me, and have seen my face, I fear that your safety as well as mine could be compromised. I have a lot of enemies, and I fear that you may become a liability to me.” If this man was his enemy, he was already a liability. If he wasn’t, it was important to tell him what he might be getting into before mistakes were made.

It seemed like a fair proposition. "Provided that my search will not be restricted, I will."

He simply nodded his agreement when Hidiki suggested periodic searches. It would not do to become too comfortable in their surrounding, and make a potentially fatal mistake. Hijikata rolled his shoulders.

"I will look after myself." A faint, sardonic smirk flashed across his lips as he said this, only to be replaced by a serious expression. "As I've said before, who you are is of no concern to me and your face is something easily forgotten so long as you give me no reason to remember it."

From his voice alone this was not so much a threat as a promise. He would make no unnecessary mention of his roommate, especially at the risk of endangering himself. However, he was still mistrustful of the man and his motives. If he became an enemy, Hijikata would kill him before he risked anything further.

He stood again, directing the flashlight to his own bed and away from Hideki. He could still see where the other man was by tracking the second flashlight. "Shall we begin?"

“Restricting your search would, in no way, benefit me.” If L had been the one searching, he would have never brought up restrictions. It would mean that he could possibly catch Mr. Doe in a suspicious act. However, this man either hadn’t thought that far, or he had felt it was unnecessary.

L smiled slightly at the man’s response to his warning, “That is good to know.” He quickly dropped the expression and became serious once more. Confidence alone was not reassuring; However, Mr. Doe appeared to be an educated man of few words, who would listen to reason. This was ideal to him. “I hope then, my face is quickly forgotten.”

L returned to the floor, crouching in a way that he could quickly act if the man decided to try something. He offered the light of his flashlight to the area Mr. Doe was indicating. “Yes, let’s begin.”

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Night 25: Intercom, Late Night

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