damned_institute | Nightshift 35: Main Hallway, 2-West

ZEX was, at the moment, busy examining the dead creature's body with his hands, running over muscle lines and flesh with an almost creepy intensity. He was still perched somewhat on its back, since there was now no danger and he didn't see any immediate reason to move.

Although when people began to talk, he looked up somewhat, although he was still distracted. "Ah, Captain, are you alright?" That was all that mattered to him.

Well, that and the exquisitely bizarre thing he was now sitting on. He looked back to it, grinning unconsciously. It had died so suddenly! What could have been the exact cause? So many questions!

Matsuda listened to the introductions, but instead curiously watched the guy who was still on the monster's dead body, trying to figure out just what he was doing. Eventually, the man (Zex?) looked up and joined the conversation, so Matsuda looked back up at the other two.

Both of them seemed a tad less weird, although he didn't really know what else to make of them. Then again, Mr...Tanaka, was it? seemed like the kind of guy who was a bit more gung-ho about fighting, if what the 'Captain' said was right.

...These guys' names were way too confusing. Tanaka he could pronounce, since it was what the nurses were calling him, but Zelnick and Zex? Couldn't he just call them something simpler like Hideki and Daisuke, Bert and Ernie, or something like that?

"Yeah, thanks to you guys. I...I think we're okay," he responded, glancing over to Naomi. He'd probably have some bruises once morning came, but he'd gotten out of it, all in all, without a scratch. Naomi, however, might not have been that lucky, but he wasn't sure. It seemed like she had gotten hit when the thing had first shown up, but only she knew how bad it really was. "Right, Maki?" he'd let her handle the question of why they were up here in the first place. L was weird about letting other people know about him, and since she was an old friend, she'd probably have a better idea of what to say and what to not.

"We have other plans, thank you," Naomi said, inclining her head slightly. "But we're alright now, thanks to you." She favored all three with a warm smile, still reeling from the fact they hadn't ended up that thing's dinner.

She wasn't about to give any specifics, not now. It was up to L if he wanted anyone else to know he'd been taken tonight, not either of them. And luckily, Matsuda seemed to understand that as well.

"You'll have good luck finding supplies up here, though. I've heard the janitor's closet a couple halls down has a lot of stuff to plunder." She quickly changed to subject, focusing on Tanaka's plans rather than their own. She was indebted to the man now, for saving her life. She knew he'd done it as a friend, and she appreciated that - both the act and the friendship - but the fact remained.

"And if we find anything important tonight...you'll be the first to know in the morning."

"I'm glad to hear it," Tanaka answered the two. "That thing looked like it was winning decisively when we showed up... I wasn't sure how badly you were hurt already." He looked concerned for a moment, wondering if they'd be able to defend themselves should another monster come along. But his group had their own plans up here, and it wasn't his place to offer anything to "Maki" and her friend. After some consideration, he continued, "Well, if you already have your own objectives, I don't want to keep you waiting with any idle chatter. If you think you'll be all right the rest of the way..."

Turning his head to look back at his own group, Tanaka noticed ZEX's odd behavior as well... going over that misshapen lump like it was a rare sword. The Shofixti gave him a quizzical expression, if only for a second or so - for once without any particular disgust in it if only because the actions were so odd in context. Forget warning the Captain about ZEX, he would be happy to just find out why this VUX acted like a polar opposite to most of his species!

Well, never mind that. There was still work to be done that evening. Addressing the two, he asked, "Captain? ZEX? Shall we press on?"

Well, ZEX seemed to be enjoying himself. Which Zelnick didn't particularly want to think about, beyond realizing that-- in different circumstances, and with a place to keep it-- ZEX would probably have tried to capture the creature.

Putting that kinda creepy thought aside, he answered, "Yeah, I'm okay. Not a scratch on me."

Turning back to the people they had helped, he smiled. "Glad you're all good. And thanks for the tip, Maki." He nodded to Tanaka-- moving on was probably a good idea-- and took point for the moment. "Try to not get attacked again," he told Tanaka's friends, then moved on towards the kitchen.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/468026.html?thread=38139962#t38139962)]

Matsuda was kinda confused what they'd been talking about, for the most part, but he supposed he would learn his way around eventually. He sure intended not to get attacked again, at least. He waved to the rescue group as they left, then turned back to Naomi. "You sure have some nice friends," he said, giving her a smile.

But now that they were free, it was time to move on. The rescue had put him in a better mood about things, definitely, even though he was still kinda nervous about getting attacked again. If that happened...well, they'd have to find a different way around, because his solution was turning tail and running in the opposite direction as fast as he could. They'd been dawdling too much, and Matsuda was more than ready to head toward wherever this hall was.

Except he didn't know where it was.

"So, ah...which way is the hall where they're keeping him, again?"

"I...didn't even know they were my friends," Naomi said, quietly and half to herself. She'd never been good at making friends. She'd never wanted to make friends. Not to say she had some aversion to the idea, it just was never high on her list of priorities. And now, apparently, she'd ended up finding herself some damn good ones in this place.

"It's down there," she went on, focusing on the task at hand. "Matsuda, I might need your help," she admitted, testing her weight on the leg that had gotten caught between the wall and the tentacle. It hurt.

"We don't have very far to go, but if Ryu needs a hand getting back to his room...." Which, Naomi imagined, would mean she and Matsuda walking along with him but trying to make it look like they weren't. She knew how he was about help.

Matsuda was kind of confused by her statement. Tanaka had said he considered her a friend, hadn't he, so how could she have not known? Then again, he tended to consider anyone he liked (or met, usually) a friend. Oh well, she knew now that they were her friends.

He glanced down the hall, then looked back over when she said she might need his help. "Huh? You've got it," he replied, moving closer. He took her arm and slid it over his shoulder, allowing himself to support both of their weight. If they could just get down there without getting attacked again, then they could get him back. If he needed to get back to his room, however...

"Well, is there any other place up here that might be safe and easier to get to?" he asked after a moment of silence, trying to think over some better way. "Some place where he could at least rest and we could make sure he was okay?"

"Thanks," Naomi said, hating that she had to rely on him, but... well, that damn thing had done a number on her. "Keep going down this hall, until we hit the secondary corridor. Just...help me get to there." She wasn't going to show up leaning on Matsuda.

At least he'd proven - more or less - that she could trust him. As much as she trusted anyone other than L, anyway. That wasn't entirely much, but she at least trusted him not to leave her for dead or kill her himself.

At his question, Naomi shook her head. "No. No where's safe but the rooms. And you know we aren't going to be able to make sure he's okay. He's not going to tell us or give any signs if he isn't."

"Got it," he said, as he began to move down the hall. She sounded like she really didn't want his help but...well, she'd admitted to needing it. Tough cookies.

"You're right, he isn't," Matsuda admitted, his head falling slightly. L really wouldn't want to tell them or give any sign, but he couldn't just be fine! The guy really needed to learn that it was okay to let other people help you sometime. "But...there's gotta be some way..."

Matsuda broke off again as he continued on, trying to at least figure out how to get them all back downstairs with minimum damage and deaths. Preferably even less death than that. (He really didn't want to die in a place like this, after all.) "Well, we'll just figure out some way to get back safely, then."

Edited 2008-10-07 02:57 (UTC)

"We just have to...be careful," Naomi said, frowning some. "With him, I mean. We'll just make sure he gets back safe and then... I don't know. I don't really feel like wandering off again tonight." She wasn't up to it.

"We'll be fine, though. Hey, if we survived that...tentacle monster, I think we can make it through anything." She leaned heavily on Matsuda, offering him an apologetic wince. she swung her flashlight around and peered at a door on the side of the hallway.

"I think this is us."

Matsuda nodded. "Yeah, that might not be the best idea, and I...suppose so." He didn't think it really needed to be said that they'd almost died if Tanaka and his friends hadn't come along, but what else could they really do?

He looked over at the door and nodded, letting her stand on her own again, then went to try the door.

...Nothing. It was locked. Well, it seemed like it was time for him to use an old trick they'd taught him in the academy. More like a technique, really. Slamming his shoulder into something wasn't really a trick, and if it helped him to get the door open, then did it really matter?

"Let me handle this," he offered. Matsuda looked back, just to be sure that they were safe and nothing was going to come at them, then stepped back. He lowered his shoulder, charged at the door, and...was promptly knocked backwards. That didn't stop him, though, and he rammed his shoulder into the door several more times before it finally opened.

Matsuda rubbed a bit at his sore shoulder, but gave Naomi a smile. "Hey, looks like it worked! Let's go!"

Naomi said nothing as she watched Matsuda fling himself against the door. He...didn't have to do that. She could have kicked it in - she certainly had enough practice and experience with that - but....

Well, he just seemed so eager to help. Like when he'd attacked the monster. She didn't know if he was just trying to impress her, or if this went deeper, but she'd let him do what he needed to do.

When the door was open, Naomi smiled back.

"You got it open!" she exclaimed, trying to sound impressed. In a way, she was. He was...tenacious. "That's great, Matsuda!"

She nodded and joined him, heading through the door and shining her light into the hallway....

(to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/470731.html?view=38182347#t38182347))

Nightshift 35: Main Hallway, 2-West

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