Nightshift 40: M11-M20 Hallway

[rocksthecourt]

[M12]

There was this 'Avatar' again, the thing that supposedly linked one's consciousness within this video game. Klavier couldn't quite understand how such a thing could help anyone fight, but he was certain that this connection had something to do with how and why Endrance was taken. If this really wasn't something every player experienced, then there was little doubt others might find such a thing interesting, yes? He still wasn't sure how this all worked, but preserving this connection had to be the point of it all. At least in this particular case.

Any further discussion on this or the strange 'Kira' murders was cut short with the intercom announcement. If one could call it that. Herr Doktor's voice and demeanor changed come nightfall, true, but this was stranger than usual. In fact, he couldn't even be sure if it was the doctor. It was far too raspy to identify either way.

This was getting more bizarre with every evening. First taunting then what may or may not have been snoring... and now this strange dilapidated voice?

"Open the box?" he repeated. What could he possibly mean by that? ...Wait. Was this voice even addressing the patient population? It seemed too specific a thing to say to everyone. Could this be a message for Herr Doktor? Or was this a message for a specific party? Maybe someone had managed to do something recently...

Comments

[guardiancomplex.livejournal.com]

(From here. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603918.html?thread=50558222#t50558222))

The trip down the hallway was short, but a little tense. No one seemed to be emerging from their rooms yet--maybe he was just jumping the gun a little. Well, whatever the case was, he hadn't seen Yuki on his way over, so that meant he was in his room.

"Oi, Yuki," he called, knocking on the door of M11. "It's me."

M11

[winged_moon]

The pattern had repeated itself enough times now that Yue was certain of it: no matter what he willed, come nightfall he'd shift back to his true form. By now even the fact that his shifts of form were no longer under his control only was a mild irritation amidst the lot, so he'd only frowned slightly at Ken (though not in an unfriendly fashion; Yue had an entire assortment of frowns, each meaning something different, and this one was essentially just an acknowledgement of the man's presence) before seating himself at the desk once more.

The question of just who was going to meet where was solved rather quickly, however. Barely had Yue finished re-braiding his hair before there was a knock and a call at the door. He hesitated long enough to tie off the end of the braid, flicking it behind his back again and out of the way, then paused another second before rising and taking his time going to the door.

"Touya," he observed, opening the door with a slight nod to the one waiting there. He did not, of course, meet the young man's eyes at all, and only stepped back to allow him to enter, if he wished.

[oftemptation.livejournal.com]

"I can't say what that might mean, but it certainly doesn't sound like the usual voice on the radio," Endrance replied. "It sounds...it sounds like someone perhaps tapped into the intercom? I don't know how, but..."

He stood then, taking his flashlight and looking for where that pipe he had obtained had ended up. A moment later, he found it in the closet, behind everything else that was there. He nodded once, then turned to Klavier. "I take it you're going out again tonight?"

[rocksthecourt]

Klavier eyed the pipe for a moment, but said nothing regarding it. It was a little sad they all had to go out armed like this. They had to lower themselves to such drastic measures.

He gave him a small, simple smile. "I'm expecting company, actually. Whether we venture out or not greatly depends. It might be best to play it safe for a night." He paused a moment. "Do try to be careful yourself. Remember that you are hurt, ja? Adding more to it wouldn't be pleasant."

Between experiments and disappearances and monsters, it was easy enough for someone to die without playing hero. He hoped Endrance would consider his own well being this time.

[clockmongler.livejournal.com]

After slipping on his uniform, placing his piercings back in, and making sure Tyche was sound asleep on his pillow, Luxord made his way out into the hallway, hood up as always. It seemed quiet outside, at least for now, so he made sure to not disturb this silence as he walked (which was harder than it looked in the Organization's standard issue boots, thank you, Xemnas).

Hm. Back to finding Ms. Sutcliff.

[clockmongler.livejournal.com]

[Went here. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603918.html?thread=50576654#t50576654)]

M13

[screwthegods]

The message that opened the night was cryptic, but that wasn't an unusual occurrence in this place. Homura gave it little thought as he began his nightly routine; perhaps they were fools, but fighting for their own goals and opening what boxes they might come across was a better fate than staying as they were. A mysterious voice making proclamations as a god would had little chance of shaking Homura's resolve when it came to that.

It only took a few moments for the demi-god to change, and to pull out his sword and flashlight. With any luck, they'd be able to find the door that Kenren's key opened this night. More importantly, the injuries the group had sustained during their trip upstairs would be nearly healed by this point, meaning another venture could be made. The need for weapons was ever pressing, and the demi-god hadn't missed the growing interest in that particular door. Something would have to be done about it.

While he waited on Robin, Homura decided to make some notes for himself. When he opened the drawer to get a pen, however, he took note of a vial of black fluid. The container had been there since he "awoke" after his experimentation night, and Homura vaguely remembered an intention to use it. There was no way to tell what effects it would have, of course, which was likely why Homura had written out the instructions to Kenren and Hijikata in the first place. Looking at the container now, it was tempting to put it back in the drawer, and to forget about it again. The nights were too short as it stood.

Yet as the thought crossed his mind, Homura also remembered just how this vial had come into his possession. Hijikata and MOMO had been with him that night, though both had vanished in the time since. The battle had been a difficult one, earning them keys and this as their prize. There had been great benefit with the items so far, and it was hard to simply pass up the opportunity. Homura eyed the vial, considering what he wished to do this night shift, and what the risks were should the container have adverse reactions.

But there would be nothing gained by hesitating, would there?

Grinning to himself, Homura pocketed the vial. After his meeting with Robin, perhaps. He had the necessary syringe, thanks to the efforts of those who worked under him. There was little good in continuing to let the item go to waste.

Re: M13

[whohitreset.livejournal.com]

Pausing outside the room, Matt double-checked the number on the door. This should be the right one. He didn't know what he'd expected - a bunch of others waiting outside, perhaps. Homura seemed to be a popular man.

He knocked carefully, and after a moment cleared his throat and followed with "It's Robin."

This whole meeting was a bit ominous, and Matt didn't like not knowing why he'd been called for something. He could almost compare it to getting called to Roger's office without knowing what he'd done wrong, but somehow comparing Homura to the old man that ran Wammy's just didn't seem right. It was probably just for an assignment, anyway, and there was no reason to let on that he suspected he was in trouble.

It wasn't as if he'd even done much, anyway.

[31st-of-china.livejournal.com]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603918.html?thread=50577166#t50577166)]

This was it. M13. He'd moved fast enough, which meant there was a good chance Homura hadn't left yet: he hadn't seen him in the halls either. The question was whether the god had sensed something was up or not.

Sanzo drew out the Smith & Wesson from the robes, flicking the chamber open. Fully loaded. He already kept the gun in near flawless condition as it was, but it was more for reassurance. He snapped the chamber shut with a flick of his wrist.

With one hand, he grasped the door handle and slowly opened it as quietly as he could, gun drawn and pointed into the room.

[31st-of-china.livejournal.com]

[up here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/608294.html?thread=50704166#t50704166)]

M18

[lostonlifesroad.livejournal.com]

So, dinner hadn't gone too badly, at least by the end of it. But regardless of what had already happened, Kakashi was much more concerned about what was coming up. There was no telling what Naruto's implants would show him, or when they'd do it. That gave the ninja a whole new set of challenges to deal with, not the least of which being dealing with Naruto himself.

Kakashi had never intended to tell any of the other ninja aside from Jiraiya about what had happened to him. There was no willing away the regret, or distracting himself from it as he got dressed for the night in his uniform. He'd wanted the other ninja to be able to focus on the here and now, instead of the dismal future that would befall Konohagure. It wasn't as if any of them could prevent it, and knowing about it would be little more than a distraction. They already had all the motivation they needed to escape Landel's without thinking about what was waiting for them back in their world.

Now, however, the choice had been taken from him, a thought that inspired new anger every time Kakashi thought about it. He'd seen his share of horrors over the years: Pain's attack was only the most recent, and while Itachi's Tsukuyomi easily ranked as one of the worst, it was one of the many genjutsu attacks Kakashi had endured. But this was a whole new challenge, and in its own way, one Kakashi would have picked last if given the option.

Oh well. There was nothing else to do at the moment but wait. Wait for the others to get there, wait for Naruto's next vision to come. Wait, and be patient.

...Suddenly Kakashi found himself wishing he was a little better at that.

Re: M18

[tsunagari.livejournal.com]

Sai stopped outside the door, used to this sort of procedure with others now. He couldn't yet hear Naruto's voice from within, so he could only assume that the other boy hadn't arrived yet.

"Kakashi-san," he said just loud enough to be heard on the other side, following this up with a couple knocks. "It's Sai."

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

Javert collected his things quickly as the doors unlocked, raising an eyebrow at Landel's peculiar statement. Cryptic but not altogether unclear, he decided as he slid the bin of needles into his greatcoat pocket; one only had to decide if the fellow was speaking literally or metaphorically. Personally, he plumped for the latter.

F6 and then up the stairs to the experimental lab. Fetching his saber from the closet, Javert twitched at his collar one last time and stepped outside.

M18 [prior to Kakashi's thread]

[heavens-too-far.livejournal.com]

Dias had made sure to leave their room soon after the start of nightshift; although Kakashi had said he was welcome to stay, he really didn't have much time for introductions to his roommate's team. Besides, he expected they had their own business to attend to - he'd just get in the way, no matter what Kakashi said.

He had no idea how long it would take Claude and Guy to reach the sun room; the obvious solution was to get there first and simply wait. After some brief deliberation, he opted to take the sphinx's shield with him, on the off chance they reached the basement, acquired the second key, and needed it with them. It seemed highly unlikely they'd get that much accomplished in a single night, but he certainly wouldn't forgive himself if they didn't have it when they needed it.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/605782.html?thread=50711638#t50711638).]

M16

[thyapocalypse.livejournal.com]

Finally, night shift began. Now he could do something that was actually useful and not simply a waste of time in order to please the faculty.

Remembering what Asch had said the night before, Van checked under his pillow to find the fontech light. A bit of an odd place to hide a tool, but he knew better than to complain. Making sure that he also had his map and pipe, he moved to set out.

[thyapocalypse.livejournal.com]

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603918.html?thread=50723086#t50723086)]

M19

[traitors-smile.livejournal.com]

Gin wasted little time in getting ready, pausing for only a moment when he heard two loud shots echoing not far from where he was. He couldn't place the sound, but he could put forth a pretty good guess.

It didn't take him long to tuck his knives into the sleeves of his robe and tie the sword at his waist, keeping on knife handy in his right, and the flashlight in the left. The batteries seemed to be dying again. Well, if nothing else, it wasn't as if his roommate would miss his. Gin dropped his flashlight in the drawer and picked up the other one. Worked well enough.

[[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/604759.html?thread=50873943#t50873943)]]

Outside M13

[grosse-sklaven.livejournal.com]

((From here.)) (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/605006.html?view=50917454#t50917454)

Just a short journey to Homura's room, and Adelheid was right outside of the demigod's door. The only problem was that he didn't really want to go in. Their relationship ranged from 'professional' to 'antagonistic,' and right now, Adelheid wasn't feeling all that charitable to anyone, let alone Homura. That, and from what he already knew of the man...

...well. Not knowing that the person in question was already gone, the teenager knocked on the door, not wanting to walk in on any... 'situations.' After that, it was time to do some searching for that metal...

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

[From m18, thread above]

Sakura stomped out of the room, full of anger and frustration, and though she wouldn't admit it, there was sadness too. Since there was no target to vent her rage upon, she punched the far wall, causing dull, thudding echoes to sound down the hallway. She had the sense to keep her chakra out of it, and it showed on her bruised and bloodied fists.

After wiping the small amount of blood away on her shirt, she let herself slide down the wall and sit on the cold, tiled floor. She knew she had to get it together, but it was hard when the emotions, especially anger, felt so strong. For the moment, she concentrated on taking slow breaths and trying to calm down enough to face the rest of them again.

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603473.html?thread=50916945#t50916945)]

Naruto kept glancing at Jiraiya, making sure he was still there and making sure he was seeing that he could get them to M18 without losing them. That wasn't very hard, since it wasn't even a hallway away, but still.

When he got near the right room, Naruto spotted Sakura and gave her a little wave, calling her name. He hadn't realised she was upset, yet, wondering why she was outside and not inside the room. Whoever's room it was.

M15

[dawn-rune.livejournal.com]

Dinner hadn't been terribly bad today, which was a pleasant surprise for Frey. Memories of last night's cold and gelatinous slab of meat still haunted him, and he'd been dreading tonight's dinner even though he wasn't likely to fall asleep and end up letting it get cold, this time.

So, with a full-but-not-heavy stomach, Frey was feeling a touch more optimistic about their prospects for the night. "Shall we try for the wall yet again?"

Re: M15

[forgot-my-life.livejournal.com]

Takaya had eaten half of his own meal, then spent much of the remainder of dinner dozing off and on. The more mellow he felt, the less chance of Kagetora coming out. He hoped.

Sitting up, he shrugged and stretched. "Sounds fine to me," he said. "Ready to head out now?"

from M13, before Sanzo's arrival

[strange-unlife.livejournal.com]

Shito still wasn't entirely sure it was a good idea to be going out with his arm still in a cast--he couldn't use his powers and remained weaponless--but staying in seemed like more boredom than he could deal with. Besides, Homura was apparently expecting a visitor of unknown intentions, so who knew if the room would even be safe?

So, misgivings put aside for the time, Shito left the room as soon as the doors unlocked and headed out for his meeting with this 'Himura' he was supposed to be working with tonight.

Re: from M13, before Sanzo's arrival

[strange-unlife.livejournal.com]

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603918.html?thread=50963214#t50963214)]

M20, before Sanzo's arrival at M13

[degozaruyo.livejournal.com]

Kenshin was ready to go as soon as the doors unlocked. He had failed in his assignment the night before, had completely ignored it in order to search fruitlessly for Yahiko, and he did not want to do the same tonight. He found it rather odd that Homura had seen fit to put him with Shito, someone that he had no experience with, but he supposed that with Sano and Yahiko gone, he no longer had a default "team" to spend the night with. Yuffie didn't count, of course. She wasn't officially affiliated with the History Club, and probably would never be. She struck the rurouni as the type who was strictly freelance.

As soon as the announcement came (and a very odd, ominous one it was at that), Kenshin was out the door and on his way to the arranged meeting place.

[going here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603918.html?thread=50963214#t50963214).]

M20

[spandexorgtfo.livejournal.com]

Kratos awoke just after the door closed as Kenshin left. He got up slowly, trying to remember what had happened before he'd fallen asleep. He'd posted something on the bulletin board...and from there his mind went blank. He supposed that he'd ended up back at his room shortly thereafter. How...?

Well. It was pointless to think about it all in retrospect.

At that moment he felt a familiar surge in mana. A summon...? No. That was impossible. Sheena didn't have access to them here. Unless...

He made up his mind in a flash. No doubt Raine had also felt the surge; he could ask her opinion. Jamming his boots on and grabbing the sword Momo had given him the previous night, Kratos left.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/616267.html)]

M16

[clockmongler.livejournal.com]

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603918.html?thread=51261198#t51261198)]

Ah, M16 at last. Luxord removed his hood once through the door, taking note of Tyche curled up and sleeping on his pillow. So cute. He made sure to toss Clark's flashlight onto the opposite bed to keep from disturbing her.

On the subject of disturbing, the feeling of his blood drying to the inside of his glove was beginning to irritate him, as well as feeling of his coat pressing against that lovely new burn on his shoulder. The Nobody paused, thinking a moment, before sliding his arm from Grell's and removing his gloves, the coat followed suit, and both were soon folded neatly inside his dresser drawer. So long as he still had that normal black shirt on, the lady shouldn't be too offended. He turned to the redhead, offering that same charming grin as always.

"That was quite the evening, my lady. I must thank you for inviting me."

M16

[deadlyjuliet.livejournal.com]

Luxord had picked the right answer because Grell had no idea what the Nobody had been thinking, which mean they both arrived to the room in one piece. Of course, Grell wasn't in danger of fainting anytime soon, but he was in danger of having the worst headache he'd had in a long time. The god was grateful that they arrived at the room when they did. It gave him a chance to stop trying push what little power he had left and a chance to possibly sit--

...

Cat.

There was a cat.

What was with him and finding the men who liked cats? At least this one was cute. Moving into the room, Grell stepped over to the closest desk and sat on it, crossing his legs. He couldn't exactly change as Luxord was, but he could at least take his gloves off and check his hands. Peeling off his left one first and then his right, he laid them in his lap and sighed in relief when he saw that his hands weren't tainted. He had to hand it to whoever was in charge of the death gods' uniforms - they were well made. Rubbing the pad of his thumb over his fingernails in place of a buffer, Grell smiled as Luxord finished putting away his things and addressed him. "It was my pleasure, darling. It's always so much more fun with two - especially someone with whom I have so much in common. Perhaps we could do it again sometime?"