damned_institute | Nightshift 36: Main Hallway, 2-West

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/497998.html#comments).]

Rude moved along the hall swiftly. He felt like a kid let loose in a sweet shop. Track down the monster and harvest it's blood or find some chemicals and blow shit up? Hell. Find the chemicals and blow the bastard up. Two birds with one bomb. Efficient.

Of course, he'd have go and make the bomb and come back another night for that. And he really needed to hit something. It would have been unfair to punch Reno while he was sedated and there was no fun in giving him a dead leg when he couldn't feel shit.

He looked back at Elena. She looked a little better now but she was a woman and thus prone to sudden changes in mood.

It was helpful to be moving, to be doing something. Elena was really glad that Rude had came to get her, had made this suggestion. The problem itself wasn't fixed, but she did know that sulking in her room all night wouldn't have helped. This was something she could do, could help with.

She glanced over at Rude and gave him the tiniest of smiles before moving towards the next hallway, hand close to the knife's handle so she could grab it at a moment's notice. She'd been studying the hallway maps a little too.

[from here]

It was empty upstairs for once, and Renamon was thankful. The soft sounds of walking came from somewhere close, but it didn't interest her. She had business to do.

This hallway, then.

[to here]

[from here]

In Renamon's opinion, there was always something in these main upper halls, and so she went the cautious route. She stopped at the corner of the last hallway and this one, and focused herself completely, ignored the discomfort in her foot and the weight in her hand. Ignoring even her job right now, and even the thought of Rika visiting her.

It took longer than it had before, but it worked. Renamon slid out of the visible spectrum and kept walking.

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/491309.html?thread=40117805#t40117805)]

The stairs were a little tricky, his body not quite wanting to remember how to work. Thankfully there was a railing and he was able to use it for support and mostly hide his condition. He did, however, stop at the top of the stairs, at the intersection leading towards their eventual goal. He leaned up against the wall briefly. "Give me a moment," he said to Artemis and Toboe. "Then we'll continue."

[to here]

[from here]

This was absolutely ridiculous. Renamon, out of breath? Breathing heavily because of sliding? Annoyed beyond measure, she stayed invisible from sheer will. She would not be controlled by this.

She was not that Reiko. She was not that weak.

[to here]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/491309.html?thread=39738157#t39738157)]

There. Harley reached the final step, but kept her hand against the wall to keep from getting too dizzy. Last thing she needed was to end up falling right back down those stairs. The world was spinning too much to immediately head off so she chose to wait a few minutes, at least long enough to be able to walk again.

Harley turned her gaze back to Crane, who had quietly followed her up. She half wondered how she must look to him, wiped out from climbing a single flight of stairs. She blinked trying to clear her head, when she realized something else this guy had said didn't quite add up.

He had mentioned it before, but she still found it odd how someone could be from Arkham and not have heard of her. Although she supposed she shouldn't really lump herself in with the Joker, even if they were an item.

...Wait! Her eyes suddenly lit up in revelation (or the closest thing to it while half sedated). That was it! Crane here was from Arkham! He could verify she wasn't crazy! Well, more so.

"I... I'm a..." Okay, calm down, Harl. Don't get too excited. "I'm part of The Joker's gang... back in Gotham. I'm his right hand girl... don'tcha know? And... his sweetheart." She offered a shaky smile, looking at him expectantly for a reaction.

Toboe nodded. "Okay." Really, Hitsugaya looked like he needed more than just a little break. But Toboe set himself to keeping watch for anything waiting to attack without saying anything else. He smelled that Renamon had been through this hallway already--judging from the strength of the scent amongst the reek of blood and decay, more than once. He didn't see anything threatening in the shadows, at least not yet.

While Toboe may have thought the Captain looked like he needed a little rest, Artemis was convinced that there was something seriously wrong with the Captain. Since when did he make bad puns and laugh at them? Since when did he laugh? Artemis had been far too taken aback by the joked to say something like, 'Oh yes, I've never heard that one before, Captain. I shall have to write it down'. So he kept it to himself when he finally realized it in the stairwell.

This whole situation made Artemis very nervous. Hitsugaya was clearly out of commission, Artemis had no idea if Toboe had any super-secret abilities or powers that he wasn't yet aware of, and Artemis was traveling tonight with oxygen tubes stuffed up his nose and a tank slung at his side. Oh yes, this was a brilliantly formed rescue group.

But he had promised Momo that he would look after not only Hitsugaya, but Renji as well. He'd been entrusted with those tasks and this time he was going to finish them. No matter what it took.

Her...babies? She certainly didn't look like the motherly sort, but appearances could certainly be deceiving. Still, the word lab had caught his attention. He did want to see what chemicals he could find to remake his fear toxin with, after all. And they were going in the same direction, so it didn't hurt for him to follow her up the stairs and continue asking questions.

He mulled over what she'd said about this Joker. It didn't sound very familiar to him, but he'd heard so. Still, from what she'd said, he had a gang. Gangs in Gotham tended to be very dangerous, especially if they outlived all the mob rivalries. If Harley was the leader's sweetheart, then she was either very lucky or very dangerous. To be in Arkham, he was willing to guess the latter.

"Oh, I see," he said conversationally as he followed her slowly up the steps. "I'm sure nothing they try could keep you from them."

He thought carefully over what else he could find out about the Gotham that she was from. Harley knew a version of him, if nothing else, which was something he would be aware of. She'd said before that she had never taken any classes with this 'Professor' Crane, so that really left just one option for her to be on good terms with him, considering she had been in a gang and come from Arkham. This Crane had to have been there in some capacity or another. From their previous conversation, she'd given him the impression that this other Crane wasn't a doctor, so he had to have been a patient. Even if it was an alternate Gotham, this Crane was likely still Scarecrow. If she knew him as that, not only could he have a confidante, but someone to potentially use for information.

"I'm afraid the name Joker isn't terribly familiar to me, but I've started to develop a bit of a theory as to the differences between the Gothams we know." He paused for a moment, considering just how to ask this next question. "For instance, you've mentioned another Crane that you know. Could you tell me a little bit about him? How did you know him?"

Edited 2008-11-04 05:57 (UTC)

If not for the medication still holding her back, she'd have enthusiastically agreed. She had no intentions of letting anything stop her from finding her two darlings. Harley would fight tooth and nail before letting anything happen to them. That half-handed reassurance Crane had so casually offered actually gave her a sense of peace, a boost in confidence. Funny how the mild support of one other person just made her feel so much more capable.

His next answer was a great deal less encouraging. How was that possible? Even people outside Gotham had heard of The Joker. For it to not be 'terribly familiar,' he'd have to have been living under a rock for the majority of the last decade.

"...Between the Gothams we know?" she repeated. Maybe it was the sedatives, but he really wasn't making any sense. As far as she was aware, there was only one Gotham City in the USA. Although, if there were two Gothams and they were really far apart, maybe that would make a bit more sense... But what were the chances of there being another Gotham with another Arkham Asylum? ...And a guy named Jonathan Crane. Really, those were too many coincidences. And he had mentioned the Bat last time, too. There was no way there was more than one Batman, right?

The look she gave him indicated she though he was sputtering nonsense and she wasn't sure where he was going with this, but she'd go along with it anyway. She tried to steady her breathing so her speech wasn't so broken up. "...Well, let's see. The other Professor Crane is a friend of mine from Arkham. Kinda quiet, plays chess a lot, but nice if ya get to talk to him. Most people wouldn't think Scarecrow would be, but... Oh."

She cut herself short and just looked at Crane. Right. If he hadn't heard of The Joker, he probably wouldn't have heard of Scarecrow either. "Dunno if ya heard of him. Scarecrow was that guy with the weird powder and gas and stuff that makes people freak out. Dunno much about it 'cept what was on the news. Never really talked too much about that kinda stuff."

She was feeling a little better after the rest. At least the hallway around them wasn't spinning anymore. It was easier to focus and speak now.

And there it was.

"Fear toxin, yes. As I thought. Actually, you could say I know Scarecrow fairly intimately," he said, staring back at her with a blank expression. She'd said that this Professor Crane was a friend, so hopefully what he intended to reveal would go over well. He could certainly find some way to use someone like her. "In fact, back in Gotham, I also went by the name Scarecrow."

She was most definitely from a different Gotham than he was. This proved the alternate Gotham theory, so now it was just a matter of explaining it to her.

"Tell me, Ms. Quinn, have you heard any of the rumors since you've been here that relate to alternate realities? It seems that's the problem that we have on our hands, and why I'm not the same Scarecrow you know."

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/497998.html?thread=40216654#t40216654)]

There were other people in the hallway, enough that Xelloss was a bit surprised. This area wasn't exactly out of the way, but it also wasn't a hub of activity the way the main halls downstairs seemed to be. Well, in Xelloss's experience, at least. He turned to make sure Anise was still following. Were the other patients competitors for the possible prize, or simply passing on their way to some other goal?

It was getting a little exciting. He waited at the top of the staircase for her, smiling still. Searching with only one flashlight would also probably be rather exciting, in a different way...

Hitsugaya paused for a few seconds, giving himself a chance to focus himself. The movement was helping, though, as the physical exertion kept him awake and as focused as possible. As the night progressed, too, so did he gradually feel better and better.

Not perfect, certainly, but well enough to continue. "Let's keep going," he said. "This should be easy. There hasn't been any sign of monsters in this coming corridor in days...if something shows up, we withdraw. Neither Fowl nor I are in prime condition for combat. That's why we're doing the easy job tonight."

He didn't mean to say the last sentence out loud and inwardly cursed himself for his lack of control. He didn't need to justify his reasons to them, especially not in such a simple manner. Who said this was the "easy" job, anyways? "Abarai should be right around this corner," he said, brushing past his words. "Let's be quick about it."

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/495383.html?mode=reply)]

Anise was grateful that Xelloss didn't have anything to say about the embarrassing stumble. Most of her friends would rub it in with some light teasing, and the ones who wouldn't would still rub it in unintentionally by asking if she was okay. This way, it was easy enough to put it behind her and keep moving. Quickly, but not too quickly.

The girl caught up to her partner in no time, matching his smile with one of her own. Just as he said, there was a faint glow from the direction of the Sun Room, and visibility was a little better, but Anise decided not to run ahead again, for the sake of avoiding any more embarrassing incidents.

There were more people up there than Anise had expected, and she gave a somewhat disappointed look as she glanced around. The last thing she wanted was competition for these prizes. Oh well! If she wanted to avoid that, then they would just have to keep moving without stopping.

She smiled back at him, so he turned his attention back to the hallway and their destination. They could still possibly get what they were looking for, if they kept moving. And if they didn't get it, it was hardly worse than Anise's track record so far on following clues.

Xelloss did wonder what sort of item it would be. He only knew about the radio prizes in passing, and had never even considered looking for one before. He doubted it would be anything he'd particularly want. But he couldn't complain, since after all, he'd already met someone else interesting thanks to his volunteering.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/502061.html?thread=40223789#t40223789)]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/497998.html?thread=40119630)]

Almost time to make a choice. Seiya was surprised, though, that the hallways seemed busy upstairs tonight. In an odd way, it made her hesitant to even try the trick on the balcony here. It wasn't that Seiya wasn't used to performing in front of an audience, and the balcony did look clear, but so many people around would be distracting. Particularly if they responded.

"... It's too crowded here." Seiya said quietly. "I want to head down the hallway ahead--there's an outdoors balcony that I think would be a good spot, too." It was closer towards the center of the Institute, though, wasn't it? And there were those birds waiting on the rooftops...

Michiru looked around, noting the few people who lingered in the hallway. It was easier to see up here, since the moonlight that leaked into the Sun room fanned out across the balcony as well. It wasn't much, but it made her job easier.

The change in plans didn't. It would be better to find a less occupied location, but now that meant traveling to a location she'd never been to. Not to mention that an outside location added a whole new dimension that she'd need to keep her eyes on.

"And if there's people out there as well?" she whispered back, giving Seiya a long look. It didn't escape her notice that the hallway Seiya was suggesting led them closer to the pulse of energy she'd sensed. "If you think it'll be worth the extra time and energy, then I'll follow you. But the sooner we finish this, the better." Waiting another day to find out if Usagi was still here was entirely unacceptable.

[From here]

There was nothing more than a few people in this hall, but Homura's experience from the night before made him cautious. He kept his distance from the other parties, stopping there because now they had to decide which hall to attempt first. The hall immediately ahead only had one unopened door according to the map; that made it easy to decide that for the present, that area wasn't worth heading down. With limited time, it would be best to go to areas with more doors.

He also considered that Kenren was probably somewhere in the halls by now, and if he had begun in the same place, it was likely he would be in the area to the left. Not only were there a number of doors, but they were close together, making that the most opportune place to start. Ultimately, it would be better to go in different directions, since Homura doubted both keys went to the same door. Even eliminating one would be a help to the other pair, should both not find success that night.

"This way." Homura motioned to the right, stepping in to the next hall.

[To here. Direction was decided by random dice roll.]

Edited 2008-11-06 08:04 (UTC)

Seiya paused some more in the hallway, considering. There were more people here, but Michiru was right. The outdoor platform had been subject to multiple visitors thanks to the temptation of knives on the other side, the times Seiya had passed over it, and there was no way to be sure their trip wouldn't be a waste. More importantly, here the path seemed to be clear of any major threats, whereas their path outdoors would just increase the danger of the trip and possibly set them back all night if they had to fight something off.

Seiya shook her head once, sharply. "You're right. Let's bet it all here." The echo from the Sun Room might boost it, or might not; it wasn't entirely about a direct line of hearing, although that certainly helped. Seiya stepped over towards the balcony.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/502061.html?thread=40300589#t40300589)]

Archer peeked out into the hallway from the top of stairs. It seemed like there were other people moving about, but no monsters or anything that indicated danger. Still, he'd keep his senses sharp just in case.

"All clear," he whispered to Thursday, before stepping out.

It had been distressingly quiet all night, to be honest. Still, Thursday nodded silently in response, glancing down the hallway. File storage was on the other side of the building, if she recalled correctly - at least, it had been labeled as such on her map.

Nightshift 36: Main Hallway, 2-West

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject