Day 32: Cafeteria, Breakfast

[darwinism]

Sylar's gears were still turning as the nurse and a burly orderly escorted him down long halls and through a strange, sunlit room. He'd been forced to drop his pen when the orderly had seen it, and since then, he'd realized that this place had better security than he'd originally anticipated, as well as a large population of patients. It looked like he'd have to bide his time for now, pretending to be this 'Zachary Blaine' and trying to figure out how the hell he'd gotten here.

His mind went over and over the events in Mohinder's lab, tracing every second that led up to his unconsciousness. According to the computer logs and the decked-out loft, Mohinder was working for the Company now, so had that woman with the electricity been an operative? Was this all a Company front? Even so, it didn't make sense for them to drop him off somewhere without any close supervision. They knew how dangerous he was. How special he was.

But right now, his abilities had been nullified and he was left only with the option of playing along. It was a very good thing that it was something he excelled at, even with his sudden loss of the cure clouding his thoughts and telling him to do something drastic.

Still, it was fun to take ahold of strings and let someone think they were pulling him when in fact he was the puppetmaster. Who knew? Maybe he could find a new toy now that his last one had worn out.

Sylar took his syrup-covered waffle to a table and tried to keep track of both the security and the people flooding in. Soon, he'd find an opening, a weak link he could exploit. It was only a matter of time.

Comments

[screwthegods]

Homura shook his head slightly. "I don't know." That was a large part of its appeal, of course. Potential and promise, two things that had attracted Homura to ventures as well as people. But he had to consider more than just his desires in order to succeed, and with Kenshin's decision regarding the nurses, the man and his friend had to be kept in the dark.

"There is a chance I will find out more about the basement before nightfall. And I will be trying to send a group down there regardless." Out of their numbers, there had to be a team that could be formed suitable for the venture. Homura would have to see if Kenren was planning on rejoining them that night; the Taisho's inclusion would make that particular group easier to form. "It might be more difficult, however. This is one of the nights they take patients to fight against other patients."

Not that it would stop Homura from having a group try. He just knew it would limit their chances of success.

[haikudemon.livejournal.com]

One of the nights they "took" patients..? Well, that explained the fights had seen breaking out the night before last. And this was a regular thing... Hijikata nodded slowly, turning the new information over in his mind.

"And the nurses' keys... useful for doors whose locks we can't break?" he mused. "It might be better to collect those before exploring the basement, depending on how many locked doors there are in it. Where does one find the nurses at night?"

[screwthegods]

Was this the first time Hijikata had heard of the nightly torture? It was true that their number had been fortunate, with no one set against the patients or injured by doctors. Still, that luck would only last so long, particularlly as their numbers grew, and Homura had to be prepared for it.

"I would assume so, yes." Homura gave Hijikata the time he needed for consideration, glad enough to see the man on board with the idea. "Hopefully there will be enough to do both. Since Himura has decided the nurses are human and will interfere with attempts to kill them, it's better that he be assigned elsewhere." Far away from what would hopefully be a slaughter.

"There are several nurses stations on the grounds; I will give you a full map tonight, if Okita hasn't already."

[haikudemon.livejournal.com]

Hijikata nodded. "I have a map." He'd nearly memorized it, though in the dark and confusion of this place's night, it would still be best to carry the paper with him. So the nurses kept to their positions, did they? Useful information.

He preferred not to be in the same group as an ex-Choshuu assassin... even more one who had taken a useless vow of pacifism. But if that was the most useful allocation, he supposed they would be able to work together. Not against the nurses, though. Nighttime was short enough without infighting to delay them.

"Homura could be assigned to reconnaissance or gathering supplies if we don't have enough members for both nurse-hunting and the basement," he mused aloud.