damned_institute | Hallway Outside Sun Room

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/189165.html?thread=13118701#t13126125)]

Hitsugaya stormed over to his two teammates and Clark, looking pissed off. His wounds stung, and what was worse, he lost to Ichimaru. Certainly it wasn't a fair fight, but it stung to know that Ichimaru had beaten him.

Not to mention the idiots who kept waltzing into the Sun Room like it was a sake bar. Morons.

Ignoring Clark for the time being, he glanced to Omi and Artemis. "You two look like you're ready to go. We're going to be investigating the doctor's offices tonight. Can either of you pick a lock?"

'Because they can' seemed almost as good an answer as any, and it would have been his answer to Clark had Hitsugaya not chosen that moment to show up. Which was probably great timing, since it stopped Omi from having to go to him.

Then again, once Omi got a look at him, it probably would have been better for him not to be moving around so much at all.

"I could, if I had the tools." He bit his lip, thinking. "The syringe needles might be strong enough. I could try, anyway. More important, though, what happened?"

Artemis stared at Hitsugaya, wondering to himself how the ~~shrimp~~ Captain managed to get himself injured... again.

But, a medic was a medic--and Artemis was the medic on duty in this situation. The bottles were heavy in his pocket, almost begging him not to take them out and waste them on Hitsugaya. He, Artemis, needed them to survive. And wasn't now as good a time as any to test out his healing potential?

"Here," Artemis said, pulling out one of the bottles, "My report. After you passed out, I treated your wounds using the monster's blood. It has healing properties. I then bottled what I could using pill bottles I stole from the Pharmacy." He extended the bottle to Hitsugaya. "It isn't necessary to drink the whole bottle. Abarai-san merely licked the blood off his fingers and was healed. A small sip should do."

After giving the bottle to Hitsugaya, Artemis looked up at Clark, "And I still don't know why people are brainwashed or experimented on, Mr. Kent. Once I do know, it will become public knowledge, believe me."

Mr. Kent? Clark didn't think he could get ever used to being called that, but he didn't bother correcting Artemis and telling him that the only man who was called that was his dad.

Most of the conversation was going over his head - monster blood? Reports? - but he had caught enough that he didn't like what he was seeing. A locked door wouldn't have been a problem, but he wasn't sure if he should just volunteer himself for it; they'd never been an issue for him in the past, but then again, he'd always just poked out the locks and broke the knobs, none the wiser. He wasn't sure he could get away with that here. Clark kept his mouth shut on that for now.

"Who's in charge? Does anyone know?" Clark asked, still trying to get some answers. Not the Luthors, he pleaded, not them this time, this's way too far for either of them.

Hitsugaya took the vial from Artemis. The idea of drinking a monster's blood didn't seem particularly appealing, but neither did wandering around with these burns. He took a slight sip and grimaced slightly at the unpleasant flavor. Still, he felt a slight effect as the worst of his burns began to lessen. The sip didn't entirely heal him--he still felt sore, and all of his burns remained--but there was a remarkable improvement.

"Eh, I'm not fully healed," Hitsu answered, handing the vial back. "But this should be good enough. We don't want to waste it if we can help it. How many vials did you get?"

Clark's question made Hitsugaya pause. Who's in charge? Did they manage to pick up someone on their first night? Great. He glanced at the man. "Let me guess. You're new here and have no idea what's going on?"

He glanced back at the door to the sun room nervously. Gin's presence there made him nervous. Still, he supposed there was enough time for a quick explanation while he waited for the blood to finish coursing through his body. "Hitsugaya Toshiro," he said in formal greetings. "In my world captain of what could be best compared to an elite police force, 10th Division Unit Leader. Here, leader of the Arts and Crafts division, one of two current organizations working together to bring this place down. We don't know exactly who's in charge. We know the face of the enemy is one Dr. Martin Landel, the voice you hear over the intercom. We have a source which indicates that he has superiors as well, but the credibility of that source is dubious at best."

He paused, waiting for questions.

He huffed softly as his question was ignored. Not that it was that important, but the team leader in him rebelled against doing anything without all the facts, even those that might affect his mission only peripherally. But if Hitsugaya was fine- and he seemed to be, thanks to that.. whatever it was- then he'd let it go. He would have to ask about whatever was in the vials. Did they say it was blood? That was even weirder than most things around here.

He pulled the syringe back out, turning it over in his hands, considering whether it would be long and sturdy enough to use as a lock pick. Probably not, but he could try. He also had darts from Kurama that might work better.

He listened to the conversation while allowing his attention to focus on the syringe.

Artemis paused, frowning. The blood should have worked better than that. Perhaps because the injuries sustained were from one of Hitsugaya's acquaintances? One never knew. For now, Artemis contented himself with the fact that Hitsugaya hadn't stepped on his foot at the suggestion of not wasting the blood. Maybe the two could get along after all.

The boy tucked the bottle back in his pocket, just as the radio sounded. Artemis frowned at the box around his waist, pulled out his journal and pen, and began scribbling frantically. He was, quite possibly, even more hellbent on keeping accurate records since meeting Light and Ryuga. He had to stay on top--and the slightest detail could win it for him.

"And who is this dubious source, Captain Hitsugaya?" Artemis asked, not afraid to enter the conversation uninvited. He snapped his journal shut and tucked the pen away.

(skipping with permission)

Hitsugaya glanced at Artemis as he jotted down the notes from the radio. If that wasn't a waste of time, he didn't know what was.

"That would be the moron whose words you just jotted down in your notebook, Fowl-san," Hitsugaya replied.

He looked to Clark. "We don't have a reliable communications network at night," he continued. "But if you're interested in helping, look for the announcement on the board. We're the largest and most organized of any prisoner group, and we could always use the help."

A pause. "Oh," he added as an afterthought, motioning to the sun room. "And don't go into that room if you want to live. You can't fight what's in there. No one can in our current condition."

'Moron'? That was harsh. He'd have to find out if there was a reason for the animosity, or if it was just a personal bias. What he said couldn't be that much worse than what came over the intercom. Not that he thought it should be completely trusted, but still.

And then Hitsugaya mentioned the sun room, and Omi perked up. That had been what he'd wanted to know in the first place. "What is in there? It's what's making things feel weird tonight, right?"

"Dubious yes, but any source of information is a source nonetheless," Artemis said tersely. "Both information and misinformation is key to the puzzle. There is always a reason why."

Maybe they wouldn't get along as famously as Artemis had hoped. Hitsugaya seemed as rigid in person as he was on the bulletin boards. He also didn't appreciate Hitsugaya's easy dismissal of Alec Doyle and consequently--his transcripts. Oh well. Perhaps when the Captain was in need of information, he would reconsider his position. And Artemis would be there--with a price in mind.

"A brainwashed acquaintance of yours?" Artemis ventured with a small smile. "You seem to be so sure of our imminent doom, after all."

Clark mostly just listened quietly, for now. He was still sure he should just bust into the Sun Room and subdue this "god" with his own hands on approach, but he couldn't just go in, guns blazing. He still didn't know exactly what they were dealing with and he counted it his duty to keep an eye on the others and protect them until they were safely off. It sounded like they had their own plans, and for a moment, Clark was torn between seeing them off or sticking around for Peter.

He was still a bit puzzled by the other patients. They looked his age - in Omi's case - or younger, but they acted like grown-ups, in charge despite the fact they didn't appear to have any powers at all. Not that Clark could tell by just looking at them, but they gave off a sense of knowing what they were doing.

"So wait, a person is making the air feel this way?" Clark chimed up. This wasn't normal for this place?

"That's why I brought it up," Hitsugaya pointed out. "Just because I don't trust the man doesn't mean we can't use him. But we can't trust anything he says. He claims to be on our side, but he treats the prisoners like children, tells us we're not ready, and throws trophies out that we have to pass some sort of trial in order to earn."

He shook his head, then moved to the topic that all three seemed so keen on. "That's Ichimaru Gin in there," he answered. "He was a former captain of the Gotei 13...my organization...before he betrayed us. The pressure you're feeling is just his spiritual pressure bleeding off. Fighting him is much, much worse. In our weakened state, it'd be a foolish plan to try and fight him. He could bind you in place with a flick of his wrist if he were so inclined.

"So yeah. Don't go through those doors. You're better off trying to stop other idiots from passing through than trying to fight him, but good luck getting them to listen."

"Either he's right, or he's underestimating us. Either way works to our advantage." Omi didn't see much reason to worry about it now. Better to pay attention than get caught unawares.

As for whoever was waiting for them in the sun room... well, Omi had absolutely no intention of going in there. Unlike most of the people he knew, he seemed to have picked up a sense of self-preservation somewhere along the line. "If they're going to wander unprepared into someplace that's obviously dangerous, that's their choice. It's definitely not our problem. You can't protect people who won't listen, anyway."

He shrugged a little. He wanted to keep people safe, sure, but there were more important things to do here that would let them help more people. "So we're going to check out the doctors' offices?"

Artemis smiled and nodded to Omi, "Exactly. But frankly, I'm not going to be the one to do the wandering. Who really knows if we're fully equipped to venture down there. I don't even have my blade yet," the boy said with a shrug.

"And I agree with Mr. Tsukiyono. The sooner we leave this place, the better. After all, we have no idea if there's anything keeping this... Ichimaru Gin in the Sun Room. If he decides to go on a rampage, I'm not going to wait to see it first-hand."

Artemis' eyes finally flicked to Clark. For a new person, the young man was certainly interested in what lay beyond the doors. And, of course, there was the fact that the kid was, you know, Superman. Overcoming obstacles to free the oppressed, and all that jazz.

"You may fancy yourself a hero in your own world, Mr. Kent, but here you are less than what you were--in case you haven't noticed already," Artemis said quietly. "I wouldn't be trying to leap any tall buildings in a single bound, if I were you."

Artemis was instantly all-smiles again. "Yes. Doctors' offices!"

Clark shot a startled look at Artemis. What was that all about it? He'd been quiet, and Clark was pretty sure he was the only one who heard him, but there was no mistaking what he said. Hero? Sure, his friends in Smallville knew that he had a tendency to play hero and conveniently be there when they needed it, but they didn't know anything more than that. Did Artemis know? How could he? Clark hadn't ever seen him before in Smallville or Metropolis.

I wouldn't be trying to leap any tall buildings in a single bound, if I were you.

That alone pointed that Artemis knew more than he was letting on. Clark had only just recently discovered he could jump and jump far (the night he busted into the Luthorcorp building from the Daily Planet one came to mind), and while he doubted he could actually jump over a building in one bound...it was still close enough to give him pause.

Frowning, Clark eyed Artemis. How could he know? He must've seen him jump then, but how'd he recognize him? He was at least thirty stories up at the time.

Hitsugaya glanced back at the sun room briefly. "No," he answered. "Ichimaru won't come out here." Even with the mind control, Hitsugaya had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Ichimaru tended to mislead by deception, not outright lies. He had made it very clear that he was there to keep people from passing the Sun Room. Why?

That was a question he'd have to deal with tomorrow night.

"But still, we have no idea how much time is left tonight. Let's move."

He looked to the other man, this Mr. Kent. "I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, were these better circumstances. While you're waiting for your friend, could you do your best to keep any other dumbasses for needlessly throwing themselves on Ichimaru's blade? Thanks."

[ooc: my break just ended, so if one of you guys could move the group instead of myself, that'd be great. Thanks! XD]

'Let's move' was probably the best thing he'd heard all night. Finally, they were going to get something done.

"Alright. Come on." The nurse had told him in passing where the doctors met with patients when he'd puppy-dog-eyed her into giving him a tour of the public spaces, so he'd be able to find them again. He nodded for Artemis to follow, hoping Hitsugaya wouldn't have problems watching their backs while he was injured. Not like Omi could do much against most of the stuff in here, but still. It was the principle of the thing.

Artemis smirked softly to himself at Clark's startled expression. Clark knew that Artemis knew--or something along those lines, really. Now it all depended on how the young man took this knowledge. Hostile, or curious? Or frightened? The reaction would be interesting, to say the least.

Time to seal the deal, Artemis thought, then nodded to Hitsugaya and Omi, signaling that he would follow. He smiled up at Clark, "A pleasure to meet you, sir. I don't think the walls are laced with kryptonite, but I haven't ruled it out yet." He turned and waved slightly, still smiling, "Give my best to Mr. Parker!"

Tomorrow would be interesting...

(Following Omi!)

Clark froze, and for a moment his voice wouldn't come to him. By the time it did, Artemis was gone, leaving Clark to wonder just what had happened. He knows, Clark thought, feeling a chill running down his body. This stranger - someone he didn't know at all - knew, right down to the fact he got sick around the meteor rocks. To make it even worse, he even called it kryptonite - a word that only Pete and his parents knew. Clark was torn between following his impulse and tracking Artemis down, and doing the right thing, and remaining where he was.

So what did this mean? Clark tried to work this out as he imagined his dad would - his dad would come to a decision in a split second, but he wasn't as much of his father as he would've liked. What should I do? Clark worried back and forth. If only he could talk to someone, get another opinion. But no, Mr. Parker was out of the question, and so was Kasady and Mr. Barret. Even if someone knew about his secret, he still had to act normal.

What remained now was to see what Artemis would do with this information. Was he a friend or not? Clark didn't want to have to make more enemies, but the fact that Artemis knew about some of his abilities and the kryptonite was really serious...

((From here. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/189165.html?thread=13277933#t13355757) ))

It was true that everyone had decided to try to find a different route to the kitchen, but Luffy had never gotten to throw in his own decision in the matter. And why wouldn't he? He was Captain, and the Sun Room did sound like it spelled Adventure. It wouldn't hurt to at least find out what was going on in there, right?

Without saying anything to Usopp or Sai, Luffy approached the Sun Room door, only to find a pretty tall guy standing in front of it. The pirate captain blinked, regarding him curiously.

"Huh?" he said, his tone growing more excited, and his mouth split into a wide, gleeful smile. "Hey, are you the guy that's causing all the problems around here?!" Oh man! If that was the case, then they could fight!

"H-hey, Luffy!" Startled at Luffy's running off so fast, Usopp followed, only glancing back for a moment at the pair they'd left behind. "Where are you going?! We just talked about..."

The guy causing the problems? Usopp stopped short, looking over the teenager with suspicious fear. That couldn't be, right? He was dressed like another patient, and looked pretty innocent, if maybe a little confused or worried about something. And most importantly, he wasn't hurting anybody.

"Come on, Luffy, this guy can't be the one responsible, he's just another patient." Then again, Luffy's instinct about the strength of others was usually pretty good. Maybe there was something about this guy... It'd be easier to judge intelligently if the feeling of Impending Doom weren't so heavy around here. He glanced over his shoulder, for a moment suspicious he'd see Enel or Crocodile magically here and looming over him, but instead just saw Sai.

The ninja stopped behind Usopp, turning his attention to the man at the door as well and narrowing his eyes. If he'd had better control of chakra here, he would have been able to tell this much easier. As it was, it still seemed more like the source of the heavy aura was beyond the door, not standing in front of it. He was pretty certain of it.

"No," he replied, still staring at Clark. "I don't think it's him." Sai didn't have much ability where it came to sensing threats just by appearance, but even so - this man didn't look particularly threatening. He seemed about as confused as his pirate companions.

Feeling confident enough of this now, the ninja smiled at him. "Hello."

Feeling a bit exasperated that these three new patients had been talking about him like he wasn't able to hear them, Clark sighed: "I really doubt I'm whoever you guys are talking about."

At least one of them was making an effort to address him directly. Clark returned the smile - sorta - and wondered if he'd have to prevent all three from entering the doors. It seemed to him the best idea would be to just lock the sun room doors (or just make a lock, or weld them shut), but it wasn't exactly something he could do with an audience. For all he knew, maybe they weren't even going inside, but there was no way to find out aside from doing the old-fashioned thing and having a conversation with him, seeing as telepathy didn't appear to be one of his talents.

"I'm Clark," Clark said. He glanced from patient to patient, trying not to stare at the one with the big nose. "Who're you guys?"

Luffy seemed to sag a little with disappointment. So this guy wasn't causing all the trouble behind the door? Man, why couldn't something exciting happen to them tonight? In hindsight, that death slug adventure had really been something! Not that he wanted the kitchen to be fill with those things, but what about, say, the recreational field? Now there was a thought...

The pirate was brought back to the present when the tall guy introduced himself. "Clark, huh?" he echoed, scratching his cheek a little. Nope, didn't sound familiar in the slightest. Maybe he was new, too? There sure seemed to be a lot more foreign faces every few days, that was for sure. Well, whatever, it didn't really matter in the long run. "I'm Luffy! Nice to meet you!"

Luffy suddenly fixed Clark with a curious stare. "So, if you're not the guy causing all the problems, why're you hanging around the door like that?"

"Oh, uh, nice to meet you." Abruptly aware of his rudeness, Usopp nodded his head directly at Clark. "I'm the great Captain Usopp." Noticing Clark's eyes trying not to focus on his nose, he scratched the side of it as though self-consciously.

It is a pretty great nose.

"The guy's probably trying to keep" dumb "people from running into the Sun Room and getting kicked around like... like that other guy," he added on the side to Luffy. It was logical, and suddenly Usopp realized that if that were right, he owed this guy for standing between his errant Captain and the Room of Doom.

Hallway Outside Sun Room

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