Nightshift 40 - M31-M40 Hallway

[kindalikedit]

[From here]

Dean's flashlight flickered as he focused it on the room's door. M31. He had a winner. Normally he'd just let himself in - either by picking the door or kicking it down - but for some reason he didn't. Instead Dean knocked, rapping the door with his knuckles and waiting to be let in. Standing here felt good - he was supposed to be here and, his new-found confidence told him, he'd report. To who and for what? Dean didn't remember quite yet but it didn't seem to bother him at all as he waited outside in the dark, keeping an eye and ear out for anything that went bump in the night and needed to get bumped back. All the aches and pains from the last couple of nights here ceased to bother him as much as they had earlier: the cuts, the bruises, the bandages, everything took a backseat to getting into M31 and answering that compulsion.

Comments

M31

[kingside]

That was fast.

Somehow managing to contain the unbearably smug grin threatening to overtake his face, Lelouch rose from his seat and limped to the door. The knock hadn't sound like Suzaku's, and with there being only one other person he was expecting tonight, it was easy to determine who it was. The knowledge that his Geass had been entirely effective this time around was far more satisfying than that, though, and while it was disappointing that his influence over Subject D would disappear come daybreak, the contribution his "assistance" would make to Lelouch's tests was nonetheless invaluable. Now...

"Thank you for coming, sir," Lelouch said once he'd opened the door. It was early enough in the night that there might be others still emerging from their rooms that could overhear their conversation, and while he wasn't especially worried about that right now, it didn't hurt to be cautious. "Why don't you come inside? We have one more person to wait for and it isn't safe out there." That and it would be easier to deliver the rest of his orders in the room's relative privacy, but he wasn't about to say that.

Re: M31

[superdynamic.livejournal.com]

As Suzaku neared the end of the hallway, the darkness gave way enough that he could tell someone else was outside Lelouch's door. Steps slowing with caution, he determined that the man didn't seem up to anything just yet, and drew nearer. Near enough to see that Lelouch had his door open and was speaking to the man, but that wasn't adequate grounds to believe the man's intentions were good or that he was here by Lelouch's design. The only way to tell for sure was to find out directly, so he joined them, not quite able to hide the tenseness in his posture or the narrowing of his eyes.

"Lelouch?" he asked quietly, glancing toward the other man. The question didn't have to be asked verbally.

Re: M31

[kindalikedit]

Sure, he could do that. Dean only glanced at the newcomer before turning his attention to the kid who answered the door. For some reason, he kept thinking about Mommy's dresses, of all things, and he swore he'd had that same thought before, only he was sure he hadn't. It didn't occur to him that he'd had the exact same thought only a few hours ago or that it was actually his third time running into this boy. Ignoring the deja-vu, Dean strolled inside as if he belonged in M31, automatically sizing up the (girly) kid who answered the door. He looked like he could break him in half by accident. That didn't mean much, though, and you didn't have to be able to bench-press a bus or eat nails for breakfast to be a badass. Or at the very least to be someone to look out for. This "Lelouch" just seemed to be someone worth following to him and while Dean couldn't place a finger on his instincts, he did know he trusted him.

As for the other guy...Dean had only barely paid him attention, but he looked like he was the same age as Lelouch. Maybe they were classmates or friends or something. Honestly? It didn't even matter to him. All that had mattered up to this point was hauling ass to M31, meeting the skinny kid behind the door, and...that was pretty much it, as far as he knew.

Dean took up a position in the room where he could keep an eye on the door. It was just going on auto-pilot, making sure the room was safe even though he couldn't see any immediate reason why it wouldn't be. The hunter found his eyes again straying toward Lelouch, unconsciously waiting for more orders, his grip on the bowie knife he'd brought with him relaxed. His other hand he shoved into his jacket's pocket, to wait as long he was supposed to stand here. Dean looked entirely at home in the stranger's room.

Re: M31

[kingside]

And there Suzaku was. How convenient. Lelouch had honestly expected him to take a little bit longer with how far away his room was, but apart from meaning that he'd have to deliver the rest of his orders with Suzaku looking over his shoulder, it didn't mean much. The idea itself was somewhat uncomfortable-- Lelouch didn't know just how his knight would react to him flaunting his power when it had always been such a point of contention between them-- but he eventually cast the emotion aside. Suzaku knew full well what he was capable of and willing to do to achieve his goals. That was enough.

"You will accompany us tonight and serve as my guard and Suzaku's backup," Lelouch said next instead, his eyes on Subject D. The man was wearing regular clothing in place of the usual patient's uniform, which was somewhat confusing, but maybe he'd just gotten them from the patient possessions room or something. "Follow his orders if I am ever incapacitated and do everthing you can to make sure that both of us live through the night." That last part probably hadn't been necessary on top of everything else Lelouch had specified, but he wasn't going to take chances with either his or Suzaku's lives.

He glanced back to his knight once he'd finished, only the slightest downward curve to the edge of his mouth to suggest that he was still a little apprehensive about how Suzaku would react. On the whole, he didn't care, but... no, that didn't matter anymore. Suzaku understood his methods now and there was no need to explain himself. Why would he even want to? How perfectly idiotic.

"Shall we, then?" Lelouch asked, fetching his flashlight and pulling on his shoes. He was still slow about it all, but his limp had improved from yesterday and he didn't think he'd have any trouble going without his crutches. Probably. Besides, the recreational field wasn't that far.

Re: M31

[superdynamic.livejournal.com]

Suzaku stiffened at Lelouch's tone and glanced at the other man again, eyes narrowing further. So Lelouch had foreseen that the plan for the night could end unpleasantly, and made provisions in case any danger arose. But was it really necessary to make those provisions? Suzaku supposed it was much more secure than just trusting a stranger, but he still couldn't help a bit of instinctive distaste at the entire concept. And the thought of the power of absolute control being transferred to him, that was just. . .

But he didn't have a right to be thinking this way, did he? This was the best practical solution for any difficulties the night might pose, and he'd agreed to take the same path as Lelouch, be willing to sacrifice his own moral principles for the good of the world. If he was truly prepared to fight at Lelouch's side and at his level, he couldn't just let Lelouch take all the sin upon himself and refuse the same burden. The bottom line was that he had decided to accept this, even if it still made him uncomfortable.

"By the way, Lelouch," he said with a slightly strained, forced normality as he left the door's threshold and led the way down the hall. He assumed the other two would follow; he'd just have to take a slow pace to make sure Lelouch could keep up. "My room got changed, I'm in M28 now. Practically next door."