damned_institute | Day 26: Intercom, Evening

The sergeant dropped his salute and stepped out, hands behind his back. "Understood, sir. I have not revealed my rank, nor my code name to anyone in this institution. I did not think it would be prudent to do so under the given circumstances.

"As for tonight, I am exploring the second floor with a fellow prisoner, Kurama, who lives in the room adjacent to this one. I am hoping to find my charge, Chidori Kaname, and free her from experimentation, sir." At this, Sousuke's jaw tensed visibly. "It is very important that I rescue her, sir. Time is of the essence, so if you can do without me for tonight, I would be in your debt, sir."

"That's good thinking on your part, Sergeant." Usopp swallowed, his grin having died into a tight frown that he didn't have to feign. What had been an exhilarating moment of ego-stroking bluffing now made him ill. Chidori Kaname, a woman, his charge, may be experimented upon... If he were really a man, he should offer to help. I'd just be in his way, I don't have any proper weapons yet other than a frying pan, and a few trinkets... Dinner, which had been delicious, now sat in his stomach like lead.

"Of course. That mission has to take priority. Do you have maps to the experimentation rooms?" Maybe he could help a little... "What sorts of weaponry do you have at the moment?" Did proper stiff Captains usually offer up weapons to lower-ranked soldiers for missions of mercy? Especially laughable ones. Sharpened spoons and flour smoke bombs.

"Currently I possess no adequate weaponry, sir. I did manage to remove the pole from my closet though," Sousuke reached under the bed and produced the pole. It wasn't very impressive. "I'm afraid my training did not extend to the use of a quarterstaff, but if necessary, I can fight in hand-to-hand combat, sir. In that area, I am highly trained.

"As for maps, I have not obtained any yet. I was planning on creating one as I searched for my charge, which I will of course report back to you or your fellow Captain with, sir." Sousuke paused, "Sir, forgive my inquiry, but who is the other captain you spoke of?"

Kazuo had done the same thing with his closet's pole. Maybe that was the measure of a real warrior in here, finding that possible weapon so quickly. No, getting into a funk over his own weakness wasn't useful--the only thing he'd know to do with a quarterstaff would be to hang his laundry on it, much as the rod in his closet served now. Still, if Nami showed up, he'd be sure to point the possibility out to her.

"Adequate weapons aren't easy to find in here. There are persons who can make blades, but mostly we have to improvise." Decided, and still putting on slightly solemn airs, Usopp headed for his closet and opened it again. He pulled out two large wooden spoons, sharpened into claws at the round end and points at the other, stained with the disgusting juices of the slugs he'd stabbed with them last night. At least they were dry now. He also pulled out the remainder of his little smoke bombs.

"Do you think you'd be able to use these more effectively than the pole?" Usopp held out the pair of sharpened spoons first. They were meant to be a gift in the first place, after all. "If so, you're welcome to use them tonight, I have other resources for my own expedition. I also have some improvised smoke bombs you might find useful. The 'smoke' is only flour, but if thrown with enough force they should create a large enough cloud for distraction. There's chili powder mixed in, so try not to inhale any yourself." He only had two of the delicate origami bombs left, but he could make more later on. He still had spare flour and chili. "As for maps, I have a full map of the downstairs and a partial map of the second floor... I can make copies of them for you, if you like. If your explorations take you past the areas marked on the map, your contributions would be welcome."

Funny, how easily he pretended at dignity when treated as a superior. Especially considering that he was offering the professional soldier altered kitchen equipment and two maps that Usopp had gotten with virtually no personal effort.

"The captain I'll be meeting with is named Monkey D. Luffy, but always goes by Luffy or the nickname 'Strawhat.' He's a little eccentric, but there's nobody more reliable in a fight." Well, that was the unvarnished truth, at least. Usopp would have to put the weapons away before the nurse returned, but showing Sousuke for a moment should be safe enough.

"Yes, I saw the mention of people who could make weapons on the bulletin board. I was considering contacting them, but I have no materials yet... For now, I will keep my quarterstaff, sir! It would not be prudent to take the weapons you worked hard for! But the smoke bombs would be useful, as well as the map, if you are quite certain you can spare them, sir."

Captain Monkey D. Luffy... "Strawhat". He'd have to remember that. "If I see him, I will be sure to treat him with the same respect, sir." Usopp spoke so highly of him, this Captain Luffy must be a great man indeed.

"Is there anything in particular that I should retrieve for you, sir, should I come across it?"

"The 'Cooking' group that creates weapons in that manner is lead by Colonel Mustang," and if Sousuke liked a Captain, he ought to love a Colonel, especially since Mustang had probably earned the rank in an actual military organization, "but they tend to be very busy. The list of persons who have requested weapons, especially swords, is long. You might be waiting a while, even if you do make a request." Was a captain allowed to call a colonel casually by his first name? He'd have to watch against that, as he'd already started thinking of the alchemist as just Roy.

Usopp put the weapons away, but sat down on the bed to start copying maps from one page of his journal to another. At least in this he wasn't a fake--he worked fast, and soon had the copies he'd promised, tearing the two pages out for Sousuke.

Something Sousuke could retrieve for him? "Any hand tools would be useful, if you see them. Hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches... Also, if there are any glass vials or tubes in the experiment area, I would appreciate it if you took some for me." Those would be far more effective for liquid ammunition.

He still needed to get back to work on his bandannas. At least one more had to be finished tonight, a special one he'd had in mind. It would take more time than the simple lines of the map or the familiar shapes of his own emblem. He hoped there'd be time left before "bedtime" to finish.

[The first floor map is complete, the second floor map is a copy of this (http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i259/Serey-chan/2ndFloor.jpg)]

[Which is really ironic because that's Arty's map! XD]

"Colonel Mustang," Sousuke repeated, feeling the urge to write all this personnel down. Usopp was friendly enough, but if Sousuke didn't recognize some other high-ranking officer, who knew how they would react. "I look forward to meeting him as well."

Sousuke took the maps from Usopp, saluting again, "Thank you, sir. This will greatly aid my efforts tonight." He studied the maps for a few moments, then folded them and slipped them into his pocket. "If I find anything that I feel will be of use, I will collect it for your group's use."

Sousuke watched Usopp work for a moment, not wanting to bother him, still standing at attention. "Sir, does your group work under Colonel Mustang, sir?"

[And thus the maps gradually become inbred. XD;]

Usopp kept working on the bandanna with the new design, and wished the other man would stop standing so rigidly. It made him nervous. He also wished he had read more military adventure stories, or at least watched the Marines more closely. Well, in fairness, it was hard to watch someone you were running from. Smoker was a Captain, wasn't he? There was absolutely no way Usopp could imitate that guy, even if he weren't about a third Smoker's size with not an ounce of Smoker's power.

"Colonel Mustang has black hair and two differently colored eyes," Usopp described, trying to at least be helpful. The question about working together was given a pause, as Usopp himself wasn't sure how to answer that one even without the put-on rank. "We don't work directly under him, but Luffy and I have agreed to work alongside his group on some projects." Were Captains allowed to refer to each other without rank? They had to be, right?

He hoped this wasn't a lead-in to a request for a personal 'in' with Roy to skip some of the line and get a weapon sooner. Even if Usopp thought Roy likely to listen to such a request from him, which he really didn't, there were at least two people Usopp owed that kind of favor to before Sousuke. Sousuke didn't seem like that type of person, so hopefully it was just to satisfy personal curiosity. Or to try to build a mental picture of the rank and organizational structure here based on Usopp's testimony, the poor man.

"I see," Sousuke said, making a note of the Colonel's appearance. It was odd that two captains were working alongside a Colonel, but Sousuke brushed it off. It must have been due to the fact that they were from different worlds. That made sense.

"Sir, requesting permission to stand down..." Sousuke muttered. Usopp seemed to be rather preoccupied with his bandanna, and Sousuke wanted to finish his meal before he had to meet with Kurama.

"C-certainly, certainly!" That wasn't too pushy a response, was it? Usopp wasn't used to having to tell people they were allowed to sit. He hoped his awkward expression was hidden as he kept his face aimed at his work. "I apologize, my mind is preoccupied." Were Captains allowed to apologize?

Was it too late to fall at Sousuke's feet, clutching and weeping and apologizing? Maybe they kill people who fake being officers in his world. By stabbing them to death. Or just breaking their necks. He's been trained in hand-to-hand combat, he could probably break my neck with one snap, and... Usopp bit his lower lip, still staring down at the bandanna. It'll mess up Sai's present if I let my hand start shaking, anyway...

"Thank you, sir," Sousuke said, sitting down on his bed and continuing to eat. "I can understand how your mind would be preoccupied. I admit, I'm having misgivings about tonight."

He sighed, "Truthfully... I'm beginning to doubt that Kaname is here. I'm beginning to doubt that I'm actually able to protect her adequately. After all..." His mouth twisted into a sarcastic smile, "I did such an admirable job before this point."

Usopp finally glanced up from his work again to look over at the soldier. Sousuke sounded so down, and that smile was unnerving, not the sort of expression a person should make before going into battle. Even if he weren't a real Captain, he could at least try to help Sousuke be more optimistic. That was why he'd started lying in the first place, wasn't it? To have hope when there was none. For when you're low on dreams or on ambition...

"You can't let yourself think like that!" Usopp scolded. "You're going to try to find her tonight, aren't you? She needs you at the top of your game, not worrying about what you can't help. And if she's not here after all, then it's good news she's not trapped here with you, isn't it? If she is here, you'll rescue her, and if not, then you'll find out tonight and can start focusing your efforts on getting home and back to your job guarding her! Either way, all you can do is accept whichever circumstance is thrown at you and keep on trying your best!"

He glanced away again, feeling flushed and a little ashamed of himself. His roommate, Zoro and Sanji, was he ready to face what reality might throw at him regarding their fates? "We've all left behind duties and loved ones, but that just means we have to fight twice as hard to take back what's been stolen from us!" Luffy would never give those two up for dead. Usopp couldn't stand beside his captain if he had so little faith in his crewmates.

Sousuke seemed surprised that Usopp had even bothered to lecture him. Most of his superiors would have kicked him in the stomach and told him to stop whining. Well, Melissa would have, at any rate.

But he still didn't feel very confident at all. For all he knew, this could be another hallucination.

Still, the sergeant nodded, "Thank you sir. I'll do my best." Sousuke stood up and retrieved his closet rod, studying the end. He didn't have any type of blade to put into it, so he'd have to settle for sharpening the end.

"Could I possibly borrow the blade you were using earlier, Captain? I need to be adequately prepared, after all." He gave Usopp the best smile he could muster at the moment.

"You're welcome to, though it's getting dull. It'll take some effort to get a good point on that..." Usopp frowned at the rod, to avoid frowning at the room in general. "It might not be a good idea to do it now, unless you think you can get it done fast. The nurses'll be back in to take our trays, the blade'll get confiscated along with the rod if you're caught."

Usopp held up his second finished bandanna for inspection. What Sai would think of the design, or if he'd think anything of it at all, he couldn't imagine right now. Even after the efforts to pick up Sousuke, and hopefully his own mood as well, the room felt heavy.

Suck it up. He instead let out a distinctly un-Captainly melancholy sigh, folding the bandanna neatly to hide under his sheets.

Sousuke nodded, "Right away, sir. I didn't know the nurses came back to get our trays." The sergeant shoved his pole underneath the bed, then sat back down with his journal, taking a few notes.

"Are the bandannas for your crew?"

"They're for me--none of my crew is here." Unless one counted Luffy, and that'd be totally backwards. He was Luffy's crew. Usopp's own crew, all three of them, were probably back home safe and sound in Syrup Village. "And one for the guy we're working with tonight, as a gift. Luffy's already got his own symbol here. I was going to bring the extra undecorated ones as possible facemasks for tonight... and if something happens to this bandanna, I'll have the spares to replace it."

Usopp folded the others up to put away as well, and wondered a little idly if there were any subtle and socially graceful way to ask if Sousuke were the kind of person who was easily driven into fits of violent rage.

A gift! How generous of the captain. And thinking ahead as well!

"If there's anything I can do to help, sir, please let me know." Sousuke pushed his tray back, obviously finished eating. "I'm afraid I don't have many materials to prepare for tonight, and I would be glad to help you!"

"Well, this is basically done..." Usopp hesitated. Sousuke looked eager for something to do, and it'd probably help take the man's mind off of his female charge a bit. "But I can think of something else that you could work on for tonight. How good are you at origami? I'll show you the particular folds."

There was still plenty of flour and chili in the closet, after all, and those items could be hidden under bedsheets in a moment if a nurse came in, unlike the pole from the closet.

Sousuke frowned slightly, "I admit, I've never excelled at tasks requiring small motor skills, but I will succeed, sir!" The young man stood up, ready to begin work. He seemed eager, almost happy to be doing something to help.

"I would be grateful if I could replace the smoke bombs you have spared for my personal use."

"Don't worry, it's not too complicated!" Usopp was pleased to see his roommate happier. After tearing five pages out of his notebook, he gathered the flour and the chili powder from the closet, then brought all of it to Sousuke's bed.

"You'll want to have more flour than chili--I'd say about 5 to 1 proportions seemed right. Then, you fold this into a sort of cup, like this..." Usopp demonstrated the shape he'd decided on for the bombs after careful experimentation his first night here. After filling the shape and folding it closed, he handed it to Sousuke. "Now you have three bombs for tonight, or will. And whatever you create, if you like--the materials are cheap and easy to get. There would be more, but I didn't have time to work on these last night."

Last night... that reminded him. Funny how easily he could forget about the bandages covering his arms, legs and back and the injuries underneath so long as he didn't think about them. He'd been the same after being wounded in Alabasta and in Skypiea. Maybe it was just a side-effect of chronic lying, fooling your own brain.

"If you can take care of these, I have one more thing I need to finish before night..." Too bad the mental trick wasn't a little better, because now the stupid bites were itching like crazy. And somehow, the itch was the worst on his arms, where he'd been applying the cream regularly. Probably a sign of flesh healing, but he didn't appreciate the sensation much.

Sousuke nodded, watching Usopp's hands carefully as he worked. "I believe I can do that!" He took a piece of paper, placed some chili powder and flour in the center and began folding. Being an Arm Slave pilot and not a master of the finer arts of folding paper, his hands were clumsy at first, so his first bomb turned out to look more like flour inside a crumpled piece of paper. He frowned, tried to hide it from Usopp's sight, and started on another one. His second attempt was much better.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, where did you get those injuries?" Sousuke asked, hopefully in an off-hand tone. He didn't want to upset the captain.

Usopp left Sousuke to the work, returning to his own bed to start unwrapping his injuries. Sai's worries about upsetting others with the sight of them surely wouldn't apply here, with a professional soldier and all. Besides, Usopp thought they were looking better as he unwrapped the bandages from one arm. If the dark blues turning into purplish reds, the purplish reds turning into reds, and the yellows paling was 'better,' anyway. The round center where he'd been bitten was still raised and angry looking, and the air over the healing flesh was a bit irritating to his senses. He unscrewed the cap to the antihistamine cream easily one-handed, then began to carefully rub it around the edges of the red central wound. He still wanted to make the medicine last as long as possible, of course, only sparsely applying it.

"Oh, these?" Usopp didn't look up, trying to sound nonchalant. "If you were around the closest men's restroom last night, you might have seen several giant leeches dwelling in it. Captain Luffy, Sai and myself journeyed inside on a hint, and eventually we found a treasure." There was no sense in being coy with Luffy yelling 'soldiering iron' all over, even if that only sounded vaguely like the actual word. "A soldering iron, which I hope to use on materials I'll gather tonight in order to make superior weaponry." Like a flamethrower. Even if he weren't a real Captain, anyone who could shoot flames automatically got respect. That was just a natural law.

"A soldering iron?" Sousuke repeated, incredulous. Where on earth did Usopp find a soldering iron? Well, obviously in a bathroom. "What was a soldering iron doing in a bathroom? Are items such as that really just laying around at night?"

And giant leeches? Perhaps this nighttime expedition wouldn't be as danger-free as Sousuke had hoped.

"Yeah, it's obvious that it was planted there, but why is the real question." Usopp shook his head, although he didn't look up from his injury. "If the person who put it there wanted us to find it, which I think he did judging from the hinting message the radio gave, then why place it in such a dangerous spot? Did the leeches come after? If someone else didn't want us to find the soldering iron that was placed there, then they could have simply removed it with more ease than filling the room with leeches. It was an obstacle course that they wanted us to run in order to win a prize. Why? I think if I could answer that, I'd probably be able to answer why all of us are here in the first place... but just reasoning through it, it seems almost random. Game-like." Usopp might have almost sounded like the Captain he claimed to be, but this was something he hadn't stopped thinking about since he'd arrived here.

He carefully wrapped up his arm, and started unwrapping the bandages on the other. Here, he wouldn't mind rolling up his pants' legs to take care of the injuries there as well. "The same kind of game as our nightly release in general... explore, find hidden treasure, fight deadly monsters, until a seemingly arbitrary stopping point sends us all back to our rooms for morning. All we can do is try to defend ourselves and find our way through the maze." That was the same thought he'd had last night, dizzy from blood loss and half-hysterical, mice seeking cheese. "Or try to find a way to bring the whole place crashing in on itself." The preferable option.

Day 26: Intercom, Evening

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