Nightshift 35: Pharmacy (2nd floor)

[manhattan-red.livejournal.com]

[from here]

"I hope this is important," Brooklyn grumbled as he led Near inside.

The room seemed to be full of medical supplies, mostly the medication itself. This sort of thing could be useful to anyone, though he had no way of knowing what this boy wanted it for. Another experiment, perhaps? Or did he honestly have someone he needed to get some pills to? Either way, the gargoyle felt that there were better things he could be doing with his time right now. Though there was a voice in the back of his head that told him he wouldn't be able to save everyone.

Comments

[atoyboxworld.livejournal.com]

The door had been locked. While it was possible that someone had managed to open it without any outward signs of tampering, the fact that they came upon the door locked was perfect for Near's needs. More importantly was the fact that when they entered the room, there were no obvious gaps in the shelves, nor any sign of ransacking. Because of this, Near was certain that they were indeed the first ones in the room that night. Perfect.

His first task was a simple one. Without yet answering Brooklyn, Near scanned the shelves, moving the flashlight over the various bottles in quick, precise movements. It only took a moment for Near to read the labels, and to determine two very important pieces of information: what was there, and what wasn't.

"It is important." Near offered no more explanation than that, and really, it should suffice. Near wouldn't have picked this location if it hadn't been important, after all, and he tucked his flashlight under his arm so he could get the second pillowcase free. He could likely put the first bag inside the second, but it would be better if the pens and the pills weren't mixed up. For the moment he avoided the drugs that specifically targeted various psychological disorders, as the nurses would likely administer those during the day. Instead he focused on the things that would be most needed at night, and the things most desirable for trade. The containers were quickly put into his pillowcase, the boy's moves efficient.

"You made the right choice." It was obvious enough what was on Brooklyn's mind, and Near would rather the person who was supposed to be responsible for fighting the monsters not be distracted by what he could have possibly done. "If you have gone over the railing, you doubtlessly would have broken at least one bone on your landing, most likely either an arm or a leg. Your capacity for fighting would have been severely decreased, and in the end you likely would have been in as much need of rescue as the ones down there."

[manhattan-red.livejournal.com]

"That wouldn't have happened if--" Brooklyn started to snap angrily and then abruptly caught himself. Nate wasn't someone who knew about his original form. He was still wary about telling others, even though there were so many people here with strange abilities. His wasn't a power. He was another being completely - a sort that many humans still feared.

"Nevermind." The gargoyle calmed himself, watching the boy carefully. "What do you need this for anyway?" If he'd been willing to pass up those in trouble, the least Nate could do was offer a better explanation.

[atoyboxworld.livejournal.com]

Near didn't miss the implication of what Brooklyn said, and of what he didn't say. So he was used to making dives from heights without ending up with broken limbs. That left few possibilities, particularly considering something like Brooklyn's reaction made it seem to be too instinctive to do through artificial means such as machinery. No, before he had arrived here, Brooklyn had some method of flight or floating available to him, one he could access without outside help.

"If you could still fly?" It was better that the man deal with these issues now, and find self-confidence within the boundaries of his new limitations. Near was by no means a fighter, but he wouldn't have to be as talented as deduction as he was in order to figure out that the success of the fighter had confidence as a component. If Brooklyn second-guessed himself, and didn't change his mindset so his abilities were not so automatic, it would be much more troublesome when they did encounter something.

"Several reasons." Near shook the bag, testing it's weight to ensure it was one he could carry for an extended period. Granted, he wasn't entirely a weakling, but when someone was used to having another person handle the luggage, their arm strength wasn't as significant as it might otherwise be. "There are likely two groups, if not more that could make use of these medicines. You've noted yourself that I am not the best at making connections. And because I don't have combat skills like you do, I need to make myself valuable in other ways if I want to stand any chance of success in this place."

And then there was, of course, the unfinished argument from the bulletin. The medicine Mello had mentioned, his proof that he had come to the pharmacy...wasn't there. Because it was critical to Mello's theory, as flawed as they both knew it to be, it would be an important piece of evidence in Near's counter, because it would prove the anonymous had lied. This was significant not because Near had any sort of vendetta against Mello, but because setting himself up to be held in esteem based on flawed reasoning would get him nowhere. More importantly, it would get Near nowhere, since the teen had little doubt Mello would try and use the personality to discredit Near at every opportunity.

But that was something that Brooklyn didn't need to know.

[manhattan-red.livejournal.com]

"Stop that!" Brooklyn fumed, going a bit red in the face from embarrassment (something else that didn't show as well in his original form.) "I didn't say that..."

He sighed. Nate was a smart kid. It came with the territory of being a detective, he supposed. He shouldn't go around lying to others too much anyway. If anyone would be willing to accept him for what he was, it was the patients of this Institute. "Glide," he corrected. "Not as easy indoors, but that jump would have been nothing." Due partly to the fact that gargoyles were built tougher to begin with.

"And it's no wonder you have difficulty making connections if you talk like this all the time." Though this made him think. He hadn't made all that many connections in the time he'd been here, either. That was part of the reason he hung around looking for people to help. Peter was the best friend he'd made so far. "If you're so smart, you should help others find a way out of this mess."

[atoyboxworld.livejournal.com]

"You didn't need to say it." Near couldn't help but smile a bit at the obvious embarrassment in Brooklyn's voice. It seemed the poor man really wasn't used to being picked apart so easily. It was a bit like a puzzle, though not a terribly difficult one. Likely the reason Near was enjoying it as much as he was.

"So you had wings then." It would explain why he specifically glided, and also why it would be harder to do inside than out. There were no wind currents to speak of inside, not to mention the smaller room in terms of wingspan. Near suspected that there was more to it than that, of course, simply given the man's reluctance to come forth with it. But Brooklyn seemed to be opening up now, so Near didn't press any more on the issue just yet.

Besides, there was another topic to discuss. "I simply tell people the truth. It's not my fault that they don't want to hear it." Being faulted for being who he was seemed rather illogical to Near. It was the equivalent of him faulting Brooklyn for being able to fight, when he himself couldn't. "It's how I've always been, and not something likely to change." Particularly since Near saw no reason for it to. His deductive reasoning was his strongest talent; what good would it do him to sacrifice it?

Brooklyn's other assumptions were faulty, and Near could point that out easily enough. "I have no obligation to help out anyone else, and certainly not because of my talents. But I am also aware of my faults, and because of that, I will become helpful." He would create value that people would want, and in return gain the assistance he needed to solve the puzzle. "And you seem to be assuming that I'm not trying to find a way out. I am." Except he couldn't provide blanket freedom for all. Not until he had absolute proof that Kira and his followers wouldn't retain the knowledge they had gained in this Institute upon their return to their own world.

[manhattan-red.livejournal.com]

So he was just naturally blunt? Brooklyn's mouth formed a thin line as he wondered what sort of life would require anyone to be like that. Perhaps the young man had simply grown up without a lot, or any, friends. One of those quiet nerdy types. (As opposed to Lexington, who was a somewhat louder nerdy type.)

Though there was still the possibility that he was helping out the wrong sort of person, and that Nate was really of the more evil persuasion. He didn't seem all that evil, though. Simply unfriendly. He figured someone with actual evil tendencies would try and come off a bit nicer at first, like Demona.

He didn't like the way he was talking about being helpful, however. "Helping people to help yourself, is that it?" he grumbled. At least it was better than choosing a less friendly tactic.

[atoyboxworld.livejournal.com]

Brooklyn seemed content enough to mull in silence, and that suited Near's purposes well enough. He finished emptying the shelves of what he wanted, then turned his focus to the rest of the room. The computer was the most promising of what remained, so Near moved to it, quickly taking note of the set up. It seemed they were a bit prepared for patients' interest, as it appeared to be bolted down. Was it because the information on it was actually valuable, or as a feint?

There was only a single way to find out, and Near turned on the machine.

"Something like that." Though not so simple as Brooklyn seemed to consider it. Near was getting the sense that Brooklyn tended to see the world, or at least morality, in something of a black and white view. Good and evil, greed and giving. Somewhat typical of a hero type, he supposed. "But Martin Landel is a criminal, and I would also like to see him brought to justice."

He frowned then, but not because of the conversation. A screen had come up asking for a password. Near, however, lacked talent in this particular area. "Do you know much about computers?"

[manhattan-red.livejournal.com]

Well, fighting criminals was promising. Brooklyn had a feeling he'd hate to be the criminal, though.

He moved closer to see what Near was looking at, curious despite himself. Unfortunately for the boy, he'd brought along the wrong gargoyle for the task. "No, sorry. That's my other brother. Looks like out of all three of us, you might have gotten the one least useful to you."

Unless he liked motorcycles. Brooklyn might be able to help him there.

Lexington was pretty good when it came to getting past passwords, but as before, Brooklyn didn't want to wish this place on anyone. It didn't help that Lex was already physically the weakest of the three of them.

[atoyboxworld.livejournal.com]

"That remains to be seen." True, someone who actually had talent in the area would have been of particular use then, but there were ways to get around the obstacles. Near shut off the computer, and took a moment to examine the construction of it, which appeared to be ordinary enough. That meant he would need tools in order to take it apart; carrying the computer away bit by bit would be significantly easier than trying to take it all at once, particularly when Near only had limited room in his two bags--not to mention the lack of strength to haul the whole machine over a long distance.

"There is one more thing I'd like to take from here." It only took a moment to find the empty bottles. Near didn't gather so many of those, though they weighed very little. It was strange for him to go through this much physical movement in such a short period. He suspected that the tiny twinge of pain he felt in his limbs would be much greater come morning. Part of adapting, perhaps.

"Have you been to the janitor's closet before?" Near hadn't been to the second story previously, so he had no way of knowing if what he was seeking would be there. But considering that there had been no other place that seemed likely to house a screwdriver as that, it was perhaps the best choice. Confirmation from Brooklyn would have been a pleasant addition, however.

[manhattan-red.livejournal.com]

Brooklyn shook his head. "I haven't. Sorry." Time to look embarrassed again. "The only other time I was up here I kinda got... sidetracked. Attacked by a brainwashed patient in the middle hall."

A flying kid that shot glowing green energy. Slightly embarrassing, but Danny was a good kid. He was glad that, as far as he knew, he hadn't had to go through that again - especially since he'd ended up hurting someone from his own world. At least Vlad was looking far better now. If the Institute was good for one thing, it was healing.

He wasn't going to mention the fact that he didn't even know there was a janitor's closet. He'd already done a good enough job of proving how little he knew about the layout of Landel's.

[atoyboxworld.livejournal.com]

At least he didn't try to pretend this time. And it was for good reason that Brooklyn hadn't had the chance to do much exploring. With luck, they would manage to avoid a similar occurrence in their travels that night.

"There are maps. If you ask for one, someone will likely oblige you." Near considered his words for a moment, then put the bag of pens inside the bag of pills, as he had planned to. "Or if you prefer, I can draw one for you. I saw maps of both floors earlier. They'd be easy enough to reproduce."

Their business in the room was done, and Near again had his pillowcase and his flashlight. He headed out of the room, back to the very hall Brooklyn had just specified as the location of the attack.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/466300.html?thread=37927036#t37927036)]