damned_institute | Nightshift 21: Hallway Outside Doctor Offices/Group Therapy Rooms

Yuffie was a toughie, trying to pretend she wasn't as hurt or scared as she probably was ~~almost like another ninja he knew~~. When Aerith let go of the girl, Zelos decided to step in. If she didn't want to talk about what happened, that was fine. He could at least try to cheer her up and get her mind off of it.

"Imagine us meeting again like this, hunny! It must be fate." He practically bounced over to her side, intent on walking next to her. "You won't have to worry about another thing with me here!"

Right. Well, it looked like they were adding someone else to their little exploring party. Zack didn't mind, especially since the girl was Aerith's friend.

It seemed that Zelos was rather fond of her, too, and Zack was slightly appalled. She didn't look a day over... Well, she didn't look legal.

"Let's pick it up, huh?" He understood she was hurt, but lingering in the hallway would just make things worse. "The offices should be just beyond here..." And they still had the second floor to get to after this.

Files in the doctor's offices? She nodded. Yeah, she could go for that. Especially if it involved her doctor. If they got into his office, she'd make sure to trash the room before she left... The jerk would totally deserve it.

"I'm a ninja. I can take care of myself, ok?" Yuffie replied a bit sullenly to the various comments about how dangerous this place was. Geez, it wasn't like she was some kid or something! She didn't need lectured by people she didn't know...or ones that she did. She was perfectly fine! Well, sort of.

Zelos's comment made her brighten a little, though. Fate? Sure. She liked that. She gave him a grin as he came to her side. "I thought you were Aerith's bodyguard, hmm?"

But all joking aside, she wasn't at all opposed to moving on wherever the others were going. Just as long as she didn't have to run into that thing again, she'd follow them anywhere.

A ninja. Right. Whatever. Lyta took a deep breath.

"Look, I didn't mean you couldn't take care of yourself -" even though Lyta was convinced she couldn't, what with being curled up in the hall in pain "- but it seems to be a general rule that nobody should be alone. Are you up to coming with us?"

She didn't want to waste much more time figuring it out, either. And she ignored Zelos' habit of cozying up to anything with breasts. Even if said breasts seemed hardly legal.

Aerith snapped her fingers at Zelos. "Hey. Down, boy. Heel."

She looked serious only for a moment, then grinned. She was teasing, still. Her bodyguard? "Only so long as there aren't any cute distractions, I expect."

Zack urged them on, and with good reason. Standing around and remaining stationary was asking for trouble. When Lyta asked Yuffie if she would come along, Aerith shot her a look that said, of course you'll say yes! Beyond feeling protective of her friend, she liked having her around. Aerith bounced on her heels just a tiny bit as she waited for them to move on, hands locked behind her back.

Zelos was caught off guard when Aerith snapped her fingers, but only for a moment before he grinned back at her. He liked that she had a good sense of humor. He playfully made a waving motion with his hand. "Now, now, Aerith! No need to be jealous - there's enough of me to go around!"

Cute distractions? Okay, maybe he did have that one weakness. "It looks like I've got three cute distractions right here. Hope I don't slip up." He winked at Yuffie after his last statement.

He was sure the younger girl would come along with them. Besides, with the look Aerith was giving Lyta, it seemed like the decision was already made. He wanted them to get moving already anyway. Hanging around this hallway for much longer seemed like a bad idea.

While Zack was never one to shun some playful banter, at the moment he was filling the role of a soldier on a mission, which meant he was filled with a bit more urgency than normal. He could tell that Lyta was feeling the same way and had to wonder at her background. Were things like this normal as far as she was concerned?

It seemed fairly certain that Yuffie would come with them, so Zack wasn't going to worry about that any longer. Taking a few steps down the hallway, he stopped at the first door on the left. This had to be one of the offices, right? It looked familiar, even in the darkness.

When he found that it was locked, but not strongly, Zack let out a sigh, flipping his sword around so that the blade was out behind him and he had it by the hilt. Aiming for the lock, he started to ram the hilt against it with the hope that he could force it open. It shouldn't take long - he learned long ago how to focus his strength into one point.

Was she up to coming along? She didn't even need Aerith's look to convince her. "Che, of course!" she exclaimed, wincing slightly a moment later. Right. No loud speaking. That was going to take a while to remember. "Like I'm gonna let you guys leave me behind anyway."

She grinned at Zelos's comment and winked back, enjoying the attention. It helped calm her down after being frightened by that creepy thing...

Seeing Zack head off, she started after him, expecting the others would follow him as well. She wasn't too surprised when he started pounding at lock with his sword. It was nice to have a big guy to do all the hard work. Except that it seemed overly noisy to her...Noisy enough to draw attention. The kind she didn't like. Still, she wasn't all that good at picking locks without tools or something ~~or even with tools~~, so yeah. What worked, worked.

Lyta was beginning to admit that she didn't much mind this Zack guy. He was pretty single minded and he didn't waste time. She liked that. She could appreciate it. The rest... they were nice, but nice didn't cut it. This wasn't some stroll through the gardens, they had a goal. And a dangerous one.

"Here." Lyta crouched down beside the door, pressing her ear against the wall. She couldn't amnipulate the lock, but she could still feel it. And inside the room as well. "You should be able to get it open, it's not a strong bolt. And there's nothing inside, as far as I can tell. No machines and none of those blank spots I get off the doctors and nurses." If there were any booby traps she couldn't sense, well... they were shit out of luck.

The stairs were no concern now. Patients were breaking and entering when they should be asleep.

That would not do at all.

Hot metal swung softly by her side as Daniella made her way to the troublemakers. They should know better.

Aerith stuck her tongue out at Zelos before she followed after Zack, Yuffie and Lyta. Zack was already displaying his strength and prowess, and she stood patiently off to the side. It was hard to be useless, but until she could improve, there was no point in complaining or attempting to do more than she could accomplish. She was grateful for Zack.

She would have to thank him later for helping them. Aerith noticed the new person a little late, and only by the flash of some ugly, metal thing that she carried. The former flower girl took a step back, bad feelings welling up instantly.

"Um," she stammered, making sure to alert the others. "Who are you?"

Zelos' playful mood quickly dampened as the newcomer arrived. This wasn't like when they ran into Rein or Yuffie - he got a bad feeling, and he learned long ago to trust his instincts. While he would usually be ecstatic to see another female, the metal rod in her hand made her look less than friendly, and as she came closer, there was something about her eyes...something that made her look like she was not all there.

Automatically, he stepped between the newcomer and Aerith; not so close he was smothering her, but close enough. He was her bodyguard, after all. He glanced over at Yuffie to make sure she was on alert too, but had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate being protected so left it at that.

"I'm just a chick magnet tonight," he said, but his voice wasn't as nearly as playful as it had been before.

While Zack could sense the amount of tension that suddenly overwhelmed the entire group, he was almost done...

One more bang of metal meeting metal and the lock fall apart. Usually, he would have made some sort of triumphant exclamation and perhaps spun his sword around as a sign of victory, but there wasn't time for that.

Turning to see who had come to interrupt (this was the third time!), he was surprised to see it was the girl he had spoken to once in the Game Room. She had been creepy then and she was creepy now; even worse now, considering she had some sort of weapon on her.

"She's another patient," he explained to the group, "but..." He paused, tilting his head at her and trying to make eye contact, to get through to her somehow. "What do you want?"

Too intent on watching the lock being broken, Yuffie hadn't looked up until Aerith had spoken. Seeing the newcomer and the thing she was carrying at her side, the ninja was quite sure that she would have rather stayed in her room tonight than bumping into all these crazy things and people. Tonight was just steadily going downhill, wasn't it?

She took a step back from the woman, her grip tightening on her pillow case. It was jumping to conclusions, she knew, but after her previous encounter, she was damn near paranoid. She probably would have been on edge around her present company, too, if Aerith hadn't been part of it.

Hearing Zack say she was a patient didn't make any difference to Yuffie. After all, Reno had been one, too. And he'd still shot at them, the bastard.

"I don't think she's a patient," Lyta said, standing and narrowing her eyes. She couldn't feel the girl, hadn't felt her. Like she couldn't feel the monsters and the staff. She could feel Aerith and Zack and Zelos and Yuffie, but not this girl with the metal length.

"We should get in the office, now."

There was a pop, as though bone was shifted uncomfortably.

"I… I am…"

click click click getting closer.

"I am not complete." She gave no more answer, only swinging her weapon towards the one closest, the man with the dark hair, and gave off a small moan of delight.

Zack said she was a patient. Lyta said she wasn't. Zelos was proving that he wasn't all talk-- something she already knew from the encounter with the pyramid head-- and everyone was on guard.

Aerith's eyes widened at the noise the woman was making. It didn't sound natural or inviting in the least, and the closer she got, the louder her heart thumped painfully her chest.

Until the 'patient' lunged. Aerith didn't think. She jolted forward, but had-- had no weapon, and stopped a step in front of Zelos, paralyzed and unwillingly absorbing the dead, cold feeling of helplessness. The name was ripped out of her throat, fear gripping her.

"Zack!"

There was that intent. Zack could sense it. She did not mean to play nice. While he wasn't sure why it was he that she targeted, he was thankful for it. He was the only one who was armed - the only one who might stand a chance.

While Zack preferred to hold a sword with both hands, he pulled it up one-handed to block the attack. His arm tensed as the two pieces of metal clanged, but he held strong. He had faced people with much more strength behind their attacks than this girl had, after all.

With his free hand, he swung the door open now that the lock had been broken. "Everyone, get inside!" he ordered, not caring who was or wasn't leader at this point. If she meant to have a fight, that was what he would give her... But not with so many other people around who could get caught in the crossfire.

He was certain that Aerith, at least, would protest, but he hoped that she would listen this one time.

Zelos felt a little pang of guilt for having to leave Aerith's friend to fight alone, but they didn't have too many options. Having everyone around would more than likey smother him and distract him from the fight. Better to let him handle it on his own.

He grabbed Aerith's arm, knowing while Lyta and Yuffie would probably go in without a fuss, she wasn't about to move without some encouragement.

"C'mon," he said, leading her inside the room quickly.

Yuffie didn't like how close the woman was getting. Liked it even less when she lunged for Aerith's friend with whatever it was she was holding in her hand. She had a feeling some weapons were going to start flying in the small hallway. No way was she going to get caught in the middle of it. She'd had quite enough for one night, thank you very much.

She did feel a little bad about leaving Zack alone, though. She did have a weapon, but it wouldn't amount to much really. Nothing like what he and this woman had. She only hesitated to glance to Zelos and Aerith. Seeing the former grab the latter and hurry towards the now-open room, she followed suit.

Was Zack honestly going to try and fight that thing alone? He was. Great. He was probably going to get himself killed. But it wasn't like she could stick around and help him. She didn't have a weapon and couldn't use most of them even if she had one.

"You'd be smart to follow us in," was all Lyta said, shaking her head. "Before you get yourself hurt. Men." She waited for the others to get in before following as well, feeling little guilt at leaving Zack to do what he would.

It wasn't her problem if he got himself cut up.

The counter to her strike was enough to send the maid stumbling backwards; she was not particularly strong, and the heals she was wearing did not help. Even still, she was back to normal in almost an instant.

However, she did not make a move to attack, nor went to follow those exiting the area. She merely stood there as though a statue, blank.

"Mr. Zack," her head tilted to the side once more, expression lacking in every sense. "The Masters have sent me here to escort you home now." The air seemed to grow stale, one of her pale hands extending to the man.

"If you would please follow me?"

Zack was a First Class SOLDIER. Aerith understood this well, knew very well what he was capable of, it didn't slip her mind. She also understood this about Landel's: everyone trapped in it was weaker than normal, and even if he had a sword now, the things that roamed these halls at night would not go down easy.

She was caught in her fear and indecision, hands hovering at her mouth and eyes wide. How could she help him? Suddenly, she was pulled, pulled away, Zelos was urging her into the room Zack had opened. For them.

"No," she didn't have the strength to break away from Zelos, but tugged her small frame with him back toward the door-frame, desperation seeping into her tone. "No!"

"Zack! Please, don't fight it alone!"

The monster-woman was holding her hand out to him, and though the gesture wasn't clearly hostile, it sent chills down her spine.

The warnings were all heard, and heeded. Zack knew he had to be careful, or he'd be sliced to ribbons.

"I'll be right there," he urged, seeming to be addressing Aerith more than anyone else as he chanced a quick glance over his shoulder at her. "Just get inside." Once the others were safe, he could force this strange girl - woman? - he wasn't sure how to classify her, but he'd force her back and then follow in after them. Hopefully she would forget about them at that point. If she didn't, they could barricade the door.

After that first attack, she seemed to have calmed down and Zack at least had a small hope that he wouldn't have to hurt her.

She wanted to take him home, but he doubted that had the meaning he wanted it to. "Where do you want to take me?" he asked, keeping his sword held at the ready. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can go with you."

Zelos kept his grip firm on Aerith, not about to let her get herself hurt. He paused only for an instant as Zack urged her on inside, then finished tugging her into the room.

He kept his grip firm on her shoulder once inside, using one hand to lift her chin so she could look at him. "You said yourself he was a tough guy - I'm sure he'll take care of that creepy chick and be back in no time, okay?"

He loosened his grip just a bit, but kept his hand on her shoulder as he looked around at Yuffie and Lyta, making sure they had made it in okay as well.

Oh geez, this woman was creepy. She gave Yuffie the chills, too. But she didn't want to worry Aerith more by voicing that opinion...

"Yeah," she chimed in after Zelos, moving near him and Aerith. "If he's anything like Cloud, he'll be just fine. No worries, right?" She wasn't sure if she entirely believed that, but if it helped to calm her friend down, she'd say anything.

Lyta bit her tongue. There were a lot of things she could say, a lot of comments she could make, but she knew they wouldn't be apperciated.

"Look, we're in here, let's do what we came to do." She didn't have any idea which doctor called this office their own, but anything they found could be potentially useful. Lyta moved over to the desk, hoping that the rest of her group wouldn't be too worried over Zack to get things done.

The woman didn't move right away. It was almost as if she were considering those also in the area, savoring their voices. Daniella merely stared.

Until she closed the distance between her and the man, slow as her movements may be. The hand she held to him clasped firmly around the sharp metal of the other's weapon, her eyes locked onto his eyes even as translucent pink slid from her hand and down the handle, dripping slowly to the floor.

She leaned forward, excessively close to his face as she gave him a demented smile. "It is time to go home, Sir."

Her other arm stabbed forward, hot poker aimed at the man's stomach.

When Zack looked at her and told her once more to stay inside Aerith might have disobeyed, but the choice ceased to be hers as Zelos gave a few, hard tugs on her arm that forcibly dragged her into the room completely.

She squeezed her eyes shut to keep from screaming, but opened them again when Zelos forced her chin up. Her gaze softened at his words, doubt flickering in her green eyes, lidded. When Yuffie added her opinion, she almost wanted to smile. Zack and Cloud were both so very different, but they were both also incredibly strong, in more ways than one.

"Yeah," she conceded finally, in a small voice that sounded unlike her usual, bright tone. "I-- I hope-- no, you're both right."

Her hands squeezed together, white-knuckled grip, worried glances at the door. She heard Lyta and noticed her moving toward the desk, but couldn't bring herself to focus entirely on the original task at hand. Aerith remained poised and tense, as if ready to bolt out the door at the slightest hint of commotion outside.

So far, nothing.

Now that the rest of them were out of the way, Zack forgot about them - as much as he could, at least - and put all of his attention onto the girl. What he hadn't been ready for was her grabbing at his sword, crushing her hand against the sharp edge. His eyes widened as he stared at the blood that wasn't like blood at all - pink sludge, really, and it dripped slower than it should have.

She pulled forward and he instinctively reeled away, not liking her eyes or... anything about her, really. His initial instinct upon first meeting her had been right. And she'd admitted it herself, that she wasn't complete. It reminded him a little too much of the failed experiments he'd seen down in the mansion's basement.

He had been so distracted that the poker jabbed at him faster than he could react. He jumped back, but it still got him, leaving him with a sloppy stab wound slightly above his left hip.

There was no Mako here. No heightened sense, speed, strength. He could rely on nothing but himself - there was no added chemical to increase his adrenaline and chase away the pain.

Zack's left hand went to put pressure on the wound, but he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, pulling it back behind his shoulder and then leaping forward to slash down at the girl. That forced her back. Now, he could make a run for the room and they could lock the door behind them.

Without thinking, he spun on his heel and bolted for the others.

Aerith still looked unsure, so he hadn't removed his hand from her yet, simply moving it down to her back so he was leading her further into the room so they could look around with Lyta.

The second clatter was heard from outside, though, his hand gripped her shoulder again, already knowing what she was about to do.

"Hold it," he said. Damn, damn, damn. Normally he'd have been just fine and dandy away from the danger. Maybe he'd been traveling with Lloyd for too long. Maybe he was a sucker for Aerith. But he knew what he was probably going to have to do now.

Dammit.

"You stay here," he told Aerith. "I'll take a peek. But you stay here." He nodded at Yuffie, letting the younger girl know to keep a hold of her friend. Lyta wouldn't be too happy, but it was either this or let Aerith dash off into certain danger.

Moving towards the door, he walked out just enough to see Zack running towards them. He stepped back just enough so that Zack could make it in and he could quickly shut the door when he did.

"He's headed this way," Zelos said. He didn't mention Zack was now wounded.

Yuffie watched Lyta begin to search the office, but she didn't join to help. How could she even think about that? Aerith's friend was out there fighting for them! Ok, so maybe at one point she would have been like that too, but she wasn't now!

Everything was happening so fast... Aerith had calmed down a bit, but Yuffie saw the nod from Zelos. As he let go, Yuffie took Aerith's arm, ready to grab her around the waist and hold her if she tried to dash out the room. There was no way she was going to let her run out and get hurt! Even if she had to drop her weight and drag her to the floor to hold onto her back...

Lyta's head snapped up, suddenly. She felt a spike of something, a pin prick in her mind that she couldn't quite place.

When Zelos mentioned Zack was coming their way, she thought she had a good idea of what it was. Mundanes never failed to broadcast their pain, generally loudly. At least she couldn't actually feel it, if that was what she was feeling.

"I think he's hurt," she said, eyes narrowed. She'd warned him. And if he was badly hurt, they didn't have much to treat the wounds with. She could probably try and block out pain, but it would leave her drained.

There was no pain to rock her backwards, only force. There was enough of a tear from the man's strike to rip through cloths and pale flesh, enough to allow more pink to quietly fall from her body as a moan tore from her lips. She had stumbled, and he had ran.

Her eyes narrowed and she let out a hiss of breath. She would not let him get away. The Masters all get what they wished.

With a piercing shriek, Daniella raised her weapon and threw it at the retreating man, letting it soar after his shape.

She wouldn't let him leave.

The commotion indeed came, and Aerith indeed nearly bolted for the door-- had Zelos not gripped her to the spot, effectively stopping the action.

"Zelos!" Her voice was an exasperated strain, cracking at the edges. She had no intentions of obeying his command. As soon as he let go, she ordered her feet to move and follow him, but with Yuffie's tight grip on her arm, once again, she was stopped.

"Yuffie, please," she pleaded with her friend, turning to catch her eyes, pleading her desperation. "Please, I have to--"

Zelos reported just then that Zack was heading inside. She ceased her struggle momentarily, her heart lifting; dropping just as quickly when Lyta spoke after him.

Aerith turned again and pulled with all her strength toward the door. Zack was in trouble. Zack was hurt. Yuffie was more suited to physical combat and stronger than her, she knew it, but she pulled with a burst of pure determination and grit that would have her, at least, closer to the door-frame. Able to see outside.

"Zack," she called, choking on the name, watched him run, heard the scream from the woman who pursued him, watched her weapon soar through the air at his retreating form. "Zack!"

So much yelling. But this was different from the time before. There had been yelling then, but they had been gruff male voices; not female screams of rage and desperation. There had been rain, moist grass, hard ground; not dark, gritty hallways.

There were similarities - or one in particular. It was always his downfall, the way he cared so much for everyone else. Had to see to Cloud, had to make sure his friend was okay. And now, when he could have stood his ground and fought until the girl could no longer strike back, he had instead retreated, to see the others, to make sure they wouldn't worry.

He was paying for it again. Not bullets this time, but a sharp, hot tip, rusted and pointed. The throw, whether planned or not, was perfect. It stuck into him right at the back of his neck, the metal forcing in to the top of the vertebrae, right near the brain stem and all sorts of important nerves and veins.

In other words, whether she had meant it or not, she had thrown a bullseye.

His nervous system kept him moving for longer than he should have; even as the brain shut down, his legs kept straining. Eventually there were no more signals being sent and the body collapsed. There was no will or strength or being behind the flesh that hit the floor. That weapon stood starkly up out of him, a flag that marked one's victory and another's defeat.

Even here, history repeated itself.

It was like watching it in slow motion. Zelos tried to call out a warning, but there was already too much shouting and it was much too late.

He was dead, Zelos knew, but he couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Aerith was probably crying -- he couldn't tell. Everything was muffled.

The woman was simply standing there, like a doll. Zelos pushed until he felt the small string of magic left in him - a measly healing spell. It was too late and not enough.

Feeling frustrated as all hell, he took up Zack's sword, which had fallen to the ground with its owner. He twirled it expertly in his hand, ready to go after the woman himself.

Then the sun came up.

[end thread]

Nightshift 21: Hallway Outside Doctor Offices/Group Therapy Rooms

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject