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damned_institute2008-02-26 07:39 am
bond-off-lame.livejournal.com) wrote in damned_institute2008-02-26 07:39 am
Nightshift 30: M11-M20 Hallway
[Specifically M12]
"… Wait, really?" Axel asked, mainly to himself, as he listened to the intercom and the head doctor’s sudden confession. It hadn’t been long since he was escorted back to his room after his dinner, feeling rather content after spending a shift to himself. It was fun and all to chill with a couple of people beforehand, but a guy needed a break every once in a while.
His plans were relatively simple at the time. He was going to run off to Kairi’s room, swing her body over his shoulders and haul her back over to his own. He’d forgotten to write a note down for Roy in the bulletin saying he couldn’t make it, but he was sure the colonel could make the right assumptions.
He had been in the middle of rummaging under his mattress for his chakram when the intercom came to life again, and with that he couldn’t help but stop and look up at the ceiling with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. At this point it almost felt like a tradition for the man behind the radio to pop up every evening, so a change this big earned a bit of attention. Axel’s gaze remained on the ceiling for at least half a minute before he glanced over at his roommate on the other side.
"You know, I almost don’t believe it." But this was technically a battlefield, and one side had to give in one way or another. He had to remind himself that tradition didn’t exactly last forever.
"… Wait, really?" Axel asked, mainly to himself, as he listened to the intercom and the head doctor’s sudden confession. It hadn’t been long since he was escorted back to his room after his dinner, feeling rather content after spending a shift to himself. It was fun and all to chill with a couple of people beforehand, but a guy needed a break every once in a while.
His plans were relatively simple at the time. He was going to run off to Kairi’s room, swing her body over his shoulders and haul her back over to his own. He’d forgotten to write a note down for Roy in the bulletin saying he couldn’t make it, but he was sure the colonel could make the right assumptions.
He had been in the middle of rummaging under his mattress for his chakram when the intercom came to life again, and with that he couldn’t help but stop and look up at the ceiling with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. At this point it almost felt like a tradition for the man behind the radio to pop up every evening, so a change this big earned a bit of attention. Axel’s gaze remained on the ceiling for at least half a minute before he glanced over at his roommate on the other side.
"You know, I almost don’t believe it." But this was technically a battlefield, and one side had to give in one way or another. He had to remind himself that tradition didn’t exactly last forever.
no subject
In that sense, he was proud to be old! He had all the right to watch over others. Plus, life experience was on his side in a scenario like this... It helped his hard-boiled image stand out among the masses of a generally young population.
That's what being old was all about. Turning your frown upside-down!
"Could you repeat-...? Oh," he muttered to the intercom, so lost in his ponderings he'd only managed to hear something about 'stabbings'. Had- had someone been murdered? The detective leapt to his feet, marching for the door and swinging it open and ramming into some idiot who thought it was smart to-
...
"M- Mr. Edgeworth!!" He held back a wince as his shoulder throbbed, its unkind way of cursing his clumsiness. "I- I'm sorry! H- How's your shoulder? D- Did I hurt it?!"
no subject
He stepped into the room, sitting down on one of the beds and carefully setting his flashlight at an angle that allowed him enough light to read his journal. He took the two maps out from its center, and began to copy the first. He thought that he could have copied it in his sleep at this point, having done so more than once that day, but felt that it was better to check the details rather than going straight from memory. "I obtained a better set of maps than the one I showed you earlier - one of them is a map of the second floor, in fact."
Looking up for just a moment from his work, he said, "I take it your excitement earlier was due to the intercom broadcast? I've made a careful note of it. We can add one more murder charge to the large number of them once we get the Head Doctor into the courtroom."
He looked back down to the journal, then added, "About last night...I've made a plan for tonight to ensure that I'm at least better able to help fight off anything we may encounter. I've made arrangements to obtain a small dagger, though it may be a few days before it's in my hands, and also to take a few self-defense "classes" from someone I met a few days ago. I'll be heading over to meet him shortly, and you're welcome to come along."
no subject
He checked his pockets as Mr. Edgeworth settled on the bed, making certain he had the pens, notebook and radio on him. Head jerking up when the other man spoke, he bundled both fists into his coat while he listened.
"Where from?" He stopped in front of his colleague, glancing downward at the map. Becoming slightly rigid, he openly scowled at the mention of the Head Doctor. "As far as I'm concerned, that guy's going down! Who's rules does he think he's playing by?!" He huffed, turning away and whipping out his notebook on instinct. "But... we can't nail him without proof." Tapping a pen on the cover, he stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. "I got the distinct feeling this place is situated somewhere isolated. The bus ride to and from that town they took us was pretty much a show of trees in this large forest." He slowly lowered the writing pad. "If nobody can break out, there's no point debating charges. We're relying on a bunch of witnesses here, and even then... he could've hidden the bodies anywhere," he ended on a bitter note.
"... H- Hang on..." The detective abruptly spun to face Mr. Edgeworth again. "Were you and Mr. Wright personally investigating Dr. Landel when Mr. Wright disappeared?" If he'd sat on that question a few more seconds, he probably wouldn't have asked it. But he felt like he had to hear an answer.
"Mr. Edgeworth...! I..." He frowned for the umpteenth time. "I- I know you won't believe me, but I- I can take care of those things for you just fine! You could hurt yourself trying!" It wasn't merely his friend's well-being that had him concerned about this - why did he keep imagining a headline stating 'MILES EDGEWORTH PLEADS SELF-DEFENSE'?
no subject
He finished the drawing of the first floor, setting it to the side and beginning the second floor. "I don't know whose rules he thinks he's playing by, but they aren't any that would be lawful in any jurisdiction. I suspect there's proof buried somewhere in the Institute itself - the doctors' records, if nothing else. And there's enough patient testimony that I don't believe it would be difficult to build a case, bodies or no bodies."
Edgeworth looked up from his drawing, chewing just a bit on the end of the pen he was holding before answering that question. "We were investigating what was happening, yes, but not personally investigating Landel himself. I..." He trailed off, lost in thought for a moment, and when he spoke again, it was in an unusually sad tone. "I can only hope Wright's disappearance wasn't related to that investigation, though there's no way to know for sure."
The prosecutor finished the second map, put his own copies away, and then clicked his flashlight off. Any traces of sadness in his voice were gone when he spoke again, replaced with his usual steely determination. "I'm well aware of that, Detective. However, I'm determined to learn how to defend myself, and won't turn that weapon on a person unless it's a matter of life or death."
He stood up, then pointed to the scar on the back of his neck again. "That scar is from my first proper night here in the Institute. There are doctors experimenting on patients here, which happened to me that night. I don't intend to let any of those monsters near me, you, or anyone else without a fight."
no subject
He hastily stopped chuckling as Mr. Edgeworth answered.
"Sir, he... Mr. Wright's had his darker days, but he's always managed to climb out the holes he's dug himself into." He offered the prosecutor a weak smile. "Y- You shouldn't worry. We've underestimated him before... He doesn't give up that easily."
Nodding glumly at the other man's final choice, he took a quick look of that mysterious scar that hadn't been explained to him before. It felt something like a white-hot spike piercing his heart when he was then enlightened as to the secret of the mark. He clenched his fists until they were quivering, rendered incapable of finding the right – or respectable – words to describe his indignation and mild disbelief. It seemed the heated expression had frozen on his face.
no subject
The prosecutor stepped towards the door, placing one hand on the doorknob. "You understand the position I'm in now, and why I feel the way I do. My mind is made up, and my stance on this matter isn't going to change."
He turned the knob and opened the door, turning around to face Gumshoe. "I should go soon - I'll be next door, in room M18. As I've said before, you're more than welcome to come along."
no subject
He couldn't be confident in what he was supposed to say when this happened. He'd learned that listening was the best course of action. It allowed Mr. Edgeworth to organise his thoughts, and Gumshoe hated that his own articulated ideas could wreck such a crucial process. He was powerless in these situations. His presence couldn't possibly reduce the prosecutor's sorrow when it was this profound.
When suddenly he was presented an opportunity to help out, he was keen to snatch it for all it was worth.
"Thank you, sir! I'll gladly accompany you to... the room next door!" He said in a triumphant tone, laughing before he could stop himself. The door, already ajar, was pulled wide open in seconds, and the taller man was beaming, showing his colleague outside. "This'll be a piece of cake!"
Re: M18