damned_institute | Nightshift 35: M71-80 Hallway

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Nightshift 35: M71-80 Hallway

Wally frowned in confusion at the intercom announcements. CM-US Experimental Trials? Special Counselling? He wasn't sure what either of those things were, but considering this place, they could hardly be good. And the following announcement didn't do much to reassure him. "You know, that's what I like about this place," he commented dryly to Tony. "You can always rely on the crazy to show up right on schedule." He stood up as the doors clicked open and stretched, paying particular attention to the muscles in his legs before rummaging around behind his pillow for his flashlight. "So, you wanna go and see about that maintenance room?" His lips quirked into a familiar smile. "I figure with two of us, at least someone will be able to get something useful while the other plays monster bait."

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Crane, however, was unfamiliar with whoever Mikami might have been talking about, and remained unaware of whatever realizations the other men might have made about each other. He simply listened to what each had to say, making a note of the times.

2010 and beyond, for the both of them. He was from earlier, and what of Ms. Quinn? He would need to ask her, to discover if it was a simple time difference or a different version of Gotham entirely.

Crane paused for a moment before responding to the question Kristoph had directed at him. He hadn't been planning on letting it drop just how much he knew about the Batman, as that would reveal his own criminal activity. He rather liked the idea of having lawyers as allies, and until he knew if they were corrupt ones, he would refrain from mentioning his experiments.

"She very well could have been," he began after a moment, "but she admitted to having been there several times. It was part of my duty to be aware of all who entered or left Arkham, and the way she spoke made it seem as though she was familiar with all the doctors. While she may be just a denizen, it's also a rather unlikely coincidence."

He paused, trying to figure out exactly how to word the next part. "As for the vigilante himself, he dresses up like a bat and attacks from the shadows. Very memorable, apparently, and he had the city up in arms for taking matters into his own hands. The city certainly needed something to get its attention, but past that...I believe he's foolish, with some very deep-seated issues."

Had the strategy worked? Beautifully, in Kristoph's humblest opinion.

Rather than continue the hidden tit-for-tat, however, the man turned his full attention to Crane. He mentally ran across the counterpoint regarding this woman, finally deciding the doctor had a valid point. She could not have been a simple resident if she knew specific details of Arkham.

The vigilante, on the other hand, struck Kristoph as significantly more puzzling. "Dresses up like a bat?" he repeated, eyebrow once again poised up. "For anonymity reasons, or do these 'deep-seated issues' come into play?" That last part was more of a jest, but some part of him couldn't help but believe the matter was serious.

Also, he had a feeling he'd heard of this "bat man" before. Perhaps on television?

He was sure that this sounded quite strange, and possibly stupid, to the both of them. He understood how it would, even, but this was the simple truth of things. "Both, I'm sure," Crane replied simply. "However, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it's likely more out of anonymity and a desire to seem more intimidating. An anonymous thrill-seeker, if you will.

"Additionally, he likely thinks that a mask alone will help to protect his identity. But in order to get the sort of suit and weaponry that he has, you would need a large amount of money. There's only a few people who could do that, and most of them were being targeted."

Wait a second.

Crane paused as he realized what he was saying. He had never given the Batman's identity much thought, but really...it was rather obvious if he thought about it. Regardless of the playboy that he appeared to be, Batman had appeared soon after Bruce Wayne had come back to Gotham. It would explain why Batman had arrived at Arkham on Ms. Dawes' heels, and it would explain how he would have been able to attain the equipment necessary to dress up that way.

Well, then...he'd have to think that through later, when he wasn't busy exchanging information on this place. "What questions do either of you have that I could try to answer?"

Edited 2008-10-10 20:46 (UTC)

Mikami thought that this man who dressed as a bat was rather... inefficient. Exactly how did he dispatch of his enemies? Fly up and punch them to death with his wings?

Never mind that, there was something that Mikami had been wondering- plaguing him, really, ever since his bubble-headed nurse had first stepped into his room two days ago and led him off to a lunch he hadn't had the chance to eat. It had remained unmentioned until now, absent from the journal filled with notes about what he had learned from the other patients.

But... exposing his sudden weakness, the loss of his Shinigami Eyes and Death Note, in this place was the last thing he wanted... particularly around these sorts of people. And so, once again he would have to be careful in skirting around the issue. Since he did have something as strange as the alternate worlds theory jotted down, how would he bring up the subject of people who had lost powers... without giving away that he was one of them?

"Something has bothering me recently, but I didn't know if I should put it into my notes since it was only mentioned to me by someone shortly after I arrived here," he said, putting on a show of looking like the thought subtly confused or pained him. "I might be mistaken then, but he seemed to imply that there are people here that have lost... more than their material possessions. What do you know about this?"

Oh, those reckless rich and their antics.

"Interesting," was all Kristoph could say to that. He noted the pause at the end, of course, but ultimately decided it likely had little to do with his own affairs.

His ears perked, however, at Mikami's question. More than their material possessions? He looked down at his hands, a flood of questions running through the man's head. What else did they stand to lose aside from tangible items? Freedom? Sense of security? Those were obvious, but that could not have been what the prosecutor meant.

Kristoph pulled his face forward, mentally running through every valuable, every treasure a patient could stand (or not) to lose, while waiting patiently for the answer. It seemed like such a waste, focusing on this particular question, but something about it promised clarification at a later point.

"Other than the obvious attempts at dehumanization?" Crane asked wryly, quirking an eyebrow. He nodded before continuing on. "I've heard of situations like that. If you look around the bulletin board, people claim to be many things, and several claim to have lost powers of some sort. I have none myself, and don't know much past that. Normally, I'd even be skeptical about it being possible, had it not been for the man with claws from the night before.

"However, this place is apparently able to alter a person's memories," he said quietly, "similar to the brainwashing. It's different than their ability to supposedly draw people from alternate Earths or different times. Several people have claimed that I've been here before. One girl claimed that I was here twice, once even in in the capacity of a doctor, but I don't remember anything of the sort past waking up here four days ago."

Crane paused for a brief moment, thinking over if there was any other information that they might find useful. When nothing he came to mind, he moved on to theories, curious if they had any of their own. "Of course, that begs the question of why they might do this, to begin with. I'm under the belief that it's some sort of social experiment. Of what sort, I'm unsure."

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Nightshift 35: M71-80 Hallway

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