damned_institute | M1-M10 Hall, Outside M5, Nightshift 22

She was somewhat surprised that the approaching stranger addressed her, and for a moment she wasn't certain how to respond. In the company of the patients she'd met thus far, she'd adopted a friendlier, more conversational demeanor, but in the presence of higher-ranking officers she could not adopt that demeanor again. Without the uniforms, without even the state itself, it was perhaps inappropriate to maintain a military protocol, but she found it particularly necessary.

Though she regretted losing sight of the colonel where he remained against the wall, she turned to face the polite stranger more fully, her voice firm but willing to serve. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Severus glanced at the group, then back at the woman he had addressed. It was a motley crew, to say the least and he took a mental moment to prepare his question. Information then escape. His constant mantra now. He did not know if he could trust these apparent wizards, but they did not need to know that.

"I need to know where and what this place is." He glanced at the dark-haired man against the wall, and adopted a somewhat troubled expression. It was like no magic he had seen, but maybe it was another form. The young lady's accent had been foreign.

"Those aren't exactly easy questions." Maes offered the long haired man a small smile before he moved over to stand beside Roy, a silent offer of help should Roy need it. He glanced at Riza and shrugged, more than willing to offer up the explanations. He'd done it more times than he could count now.

"I guess you just got here today, huh?"

As he was speaking, Maes was sizing the man up - discreetly, of course. There was something about him that the soldier just couldn't put his finger on. Something almost familiar about the way he held himself and the way he spoke. Not specifically familiar, not as though he'd seen the man before, but a more general familiarity - as though he reminded Maes of someone else.

But with all the people he'd been meeting lately, everyone started to remind Maes of everyone else.

"I'm Brigadier General Maes Hughes," he said, finally offering his name. "This is Colonel Roy Mustang and First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Amestris Military." This man hadn't asked any questions about what Roy had just done - was he familiar with alchemy? And by extension, Amestris?

It seemed that Hughes and Hawkeye were going to handle the information-giving, but Roy didn't see any reason why he couldn't pitch in as well, having been stuck in this place the longest out of the three of them.

He was sick of being on the floor, however, especially in the presence of a stranger. Roy always did his best to make a good first impression, so signs of weakness were not acceptable. He realized the same way Hawkeye did that this was not the military, but it was ingrained in him by now.

Tilting his head to glance back at the wall, he placed his right palm flat against it and leaned as he started to force himself up to his feet. It took some effort, but he made it - even if he had to stay leaned against the wall afterward.

"During the day it masquerades as a mental hospital, but at night, the only time patients have to search for an exit, it's invaded by creatures that should by no means exist." They were unnatural creations, most likely more remnants of the Head Doctor's sick experiments.

She glanced at her commander furtively not only to assure herself of his condition, but to see that she had leave to speak. It wasn't so much formal permission she was looking for, just a certainty that she was not interrupting. She brought her attention back to the newcomer, adding only what had not been answered, yet still feeling an inadequate source of knowledge just yet. "The location is not clear. We don't have access to any points of reference outside of this place."

There was also the matter of when, and when made something of a difference to her and her world. She thought better of mentioning it, however. It was only natural that different worlds would follow arbitrarily different time lines. That the year of this place had any connection to the year of her home was only a guess on her part.

That did complicate the location issue, however, and so she went on after her pause. "In fact, the people here come from very different places. We could be truly anywhere now."

Severus raised an eyebrow at the information. Mental institution? Monsters? Military? These people talked like muggles, though they were obviously different from the everyday people he had run into in England. That spell they had done...Hmmmm.

His raised eyebrow became a scowl and assessed his current companions. The man who had been sitting on the floor seemed to be the unofficial - or maybe official, if the military remarks were true - leader of this little band. The other man, Hughes, had been friendly, though somewhat piercing in his gaze. All in all, their answers had brought up only more questions. He knew he was not crazy, at least not yet. Perhaps a plot? But by who? For what purpose? His scowl deepened.

"I see." A small pause, and he decided to share a bit about himself. Possibly draw them in, get more information, make allies. Things to help keep himself alive. "As for your observation Mr...General Hughes, yes. I arrived only a few hours ago." Another short pause. "If I may be so bold, what spell were you performing just now?" He tried to not grit his teeth. All this polite conversation was beginning to make him edgy. People who used politeness and smiles always hid deeper secrets.

Well, that explained a couple of things, as far as Maes was concerned. He wasn't familiar with alchemy, he thought it was magic. He supposed it was an easy mistake for people who came from magic-rich worlds - and there certainly were a lot of those, in Maes's experience.

"Well, you'll get used to things around here pretty quick. Unfortunately. No one's escaped yet, as far as any of us know. And not for lack of trying. You seem like the kind of guy that can probably take care of himself - you'll want to get yourself armed as soon as possible." Hughes pulled off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt, a perfectly needless gesture intended only to disarm and put at ease.

This guy seemed pretty controlled, and was certainly dealing with that was pretty crazy information well.

"And I'll leave Roy to give you the run down on alchemy, that's his area of expertise, not mine. But I will warn again about nights around here - they're dangerous. You got a name, by the way?"

Catching Hawkeye's gaze, even if she perhaps hadn't meant for him to, Roy returned her silent inquiry with a nod. She should have known by now that she didn't need permission, but at the same time he was glad that she felt the need to request it, however discreetly. It had been so long since he'd truly felt like he had any military title.

Speaking of which, it was still odd to hear Hughes called by a title higher than his own. It didn't make it much easier when he knew why he'd been afforded that title in the first place.

Yet another person thinking his alchemy was magic? Hopefully the man could do some 'magic' himself - then he wouldn't even have to worry about getting armed. "As he says, it's alchemy. It's based on chemical reactions - taking materials and using an array to reform it into something else. What I did just now was form metal scalpels into two short daggers."

Figuring he would take a chance, he tried to stand without the support of the wall. When he almost lost his balance, he was forced to grab Hughes' shoulder for support. He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "The catch is that in this place, everyone's powers are weakened. If you can do any magic, keep in mind that it won't be as strong as you're used to and it's going to tire you out, even if it never did before."

Though she wasn't watching him, she saw him nearly fall out of the corner of her eye, and though her weight shifted in his direction, she managed to stop short of taking that step towards him. If he'd actually fallen, she'd have caught him, but with the brigadier general so close to him, her concern was not needed.

She was glad she hadn't moved.

Forcing her attention to the stranger, she had nothing more to add. She was somewhat intrigued that he had called the reaction a "spell," but she kept her curiosity silent. She wasn't certain, after all, how much time the colonel and brigadier general were willing to afford the man--or for that matter, Riza herself. But she trusted she'd know it when her presence was no longer needed or desired, even if nothing might be said about it.

He couldn't help the bubble of fury that grew at the idea that somehow his magic had been dampened. It almost made him want to take out his wand right there and start experimenting. A deep breath, a clenched fist, and then he took control over his emotions again.

They could be lying, he realized. Though, as far as he could tell, at this point there was no advantage to doing so. For now, he would concentrate on the rest of the coversation.

So they were working with alchemy. Or at least, that is what they called it. And from the looks, it had taken a great deal of energy out of the other man. Severus was getting the feeling that his life had just taken another turn for the worse. Or at least, a turn for the stranger, and more dangerous, than he was used to.

He had questions about the alchemy, but those could wait for a more appropriate time.

With a nod to Hughes, he introduced himself. Somewhat. "My name is Severus Snape."

"Hey, take it easy." Hughes kept his voice hushed, for Roy's ears only. There was no need for Roy to overdo it any further, after all.

"Well, welcome to Landel's, Mr. Snape. I wish we had better news for you." He shrugged, sadly. "You might want to try using the bulletin board tomorrow, to see if anyone you know is here."

It was the best suggestion Hughes had for the man.

"For tonight, you should either stay in and test your own limits so they don't take you by surprise, or find people to move around with. It's not safe to go out alone at night."

It seemed that things were finally getting wrapped up, so hopefully they could get on with things as planned. First, Roy needed to finally tell Hughes (and Hawkeye, there was nothing wrong with her knowing) about what had happened last night.

He could only do that once he was certain they were alone. It might be best to move into a room, considering how exhausted he still felt.

"Good luck," he added, one last remark of good will. He was merciful enough to not add "You'll need it" to that statement.

He nodded to Hughes - he'd do his best not to push himself, but he wasn't making any promises - he relinquished his grasp on the man's shoulders. He was definitely shaky on his feet, but he could at least stand in one place without collapsing.

"We might want to get a room," he remarked with a sigh. It would only waste more time, but it might be the advisable move at the moment.

With the colonel's suggestion, she hoped Severus Snape would understand their haste. Were she alone, she might have made just such a remark to the man, but it wasn't her place to do so. Instead, she made a slight but polite bow to him to excuse herself. In truth, she was only stepping a pace or two away as she faced her superiors, but even this short distance would have been rude without the gesture. Still, she was not so close to them that it would be very awkward for them to exclude her.

The colonel seemed better, now that she could see him plainly, but she was still concerned, and she let her expression show it in the smallest amount.

Were they moving to the brigadier general's room? The door he'd exited with the blond boy was still the nearest to them.

He narrowed his eyes briefly at the three in front of him, realizing that they were purposefully trying to get rid of him. At least it didn't seem out of rudeness, or more nefarious reasons. They just didn't know him. And they were also right, if it was true that this place dampened any magical abilities, he was going to have figure out what his limits were. And fast.

Returning the short bow he turned away and began trying to think up a plan.

"Take care," Maes called after Severus, nodding to the man's retreating back. He turned to Roy and gave the man an appraising look before nodding once more.

"Come on, we can use my room." He turned back to his door and pulled it open, holding it for the other two. His room was the same as everyone else's, now with two beds instead of one. "My roommate's gone, he's a pretty good guy. Didn't seem too overwhelmed by this stuff, took it as well as anybody I've seen." Idle conversation. This wasn't the evening that Maes had envisioned. Certainly it had involved Roy and his bedroom, but Riza hadn't exactly been in the picture.

Not that Maes really minded - important things needed to be taken care of first, after all.

"Make yourselves comfy."

With the new patient taken care of, it seemed that they could finally get down to the point. Roy stared at the open door. It really wasn't far too move, and yet he didn't much like the idea of taking one step knowing that there was a possibility he wouldn't be able to hold his weight.

He couldn't just stand there, though, and he certainly wasn't going to ask either Hughes or Hawkeye for help. (Even if he knew both of them would gladly lend a hand, he wasn't one to ask for aid. He might take it if it was offered, but...)

Closing his eyes and sighing, he steeled himself and took a step. He managed it well enough. Now the trick was making sure he could keep it up until he reached Hughes' bed where he could sit down. Or maybe even lay down. Sleep sounded wonderful right now...

But no. There were things to be done, tired as he was.

Stubborn colonel.

She stepped forward as though meaning to enter the room, but stopped at the colonel's side, making no glance and no comment that would refer to the support she was offering him. She merely kept her focus in front of her as she finally felt his hand, and then a little of his weight, on her shoulder, and it was only then that she proceeded at his pace across the threshold. She knew the brigadier general would have done the same (more or less) were he not holding the door, and once inside she let him guide them to the correct bed.

Riza wasn't the type to make herself 'comfy' with such company, and so she waited a moment with her hands behind her back. If the brigadier general took the chair on his side of the room, she'd either continue standing or take the other chair. Though, given the long-standing friendship between the two, she half-expected him not to take the chair at all.

Maes did take the chair, moving it by the bed and turning it to sit. He glanced at Riza and gestured to the other furniture in the room.

"Have a seat, you don't need to stand on ceremony around here," he said, giving her a small wink. She was always so professional - and Maes did appreciate that. But they weren't in Amestris and they weren't in uniform and their titles and medals and ranks meant nothing here.

"Alright Roy, so what's the big news? Elena told me a little bit about what you guys did last night, but I'd really like to hear it from you." Not that he didn't trust Elena - he did, completely - but she was a teenage girl and wasn't exactly versed in giving reports.

Upon hitting the bed, Roy was tempted to turn his sitting position into a laying one, but there more matters of import to discuss - and places to get to after that.

The colonel wasn't certain if he liked the idea of Elena blabbing to Hughes about what had happened. Then again, she probably told Hughes because she had known he would tell his friend about it, anyway. Still, there was a chance she was informing other people as well. There was no way of her knowing that he wanted to keep things secret, of course. She may not have even seen what happened and was just mentioning the file rooms and -

He was getting ahead of himself. He needed to deliver the news and see how things went from there. "I got to the entry room last night after we separated. One of my keys opened the main door in there, but morning came before I could see laid behind it."

She responded to the brigadier general's wink with a smile of self-awareness. He was right, of course. But she'd never spoken with either of them outside of a military setting . . . or not for many years, at least, and without all the formality, she really had very little relationship to either of them. To let go of the ceremony meant she'd be alone, at least until she forged some new friendships, and as that might not be easy for her, she preferred not to go that route.

She took the chair from the other desk and set it at a reasonable closeness before sitting and listening. The entry room? She wasn't certain where that was, but if accurately named, it must be . . . well, one door away from the outside, and she assumed that was the door he meant if it required a key. But why did he have it? Could it really be that easy?

Her questions, however, would only waste time, and if the colonel's claim about last night were any indication, time was not in their favor. She merely sat forward, listening intently to them both.

"Elena mentioned the entry room," Hughes said, nodding. "She came by to return my knife, we chatted a little bit and she and Alfons got a few pointers on knife throwing. Alfons needs some practice, but I'm confident he can handle himself. Elena's a natural."

He leaned forward, thoughtful. So it was true, Roy really had made it to the entry room and had the key for it. That was more than Hughes could have hoped for, really.

"So we heading there tomorrow night? It'd be damn good to have an idea of the surrounding area. If we're going to orchestrate an escape, we need somewhere to escape to." It wasn't like they'd all just leave and pop back to their own worlds.

Right?

"I'm staying here tonight - Ed's supposed to come by so I can have a talk with him. I'm pretty sure he's not gonna show, but I figure I may as well give him the benefit of the doubt. And, well, we can't get much done tonight anyway - may as well rest up."

Which was a very polite way of saying that there was no way in hell he was letting Roy out to gallivant around in his condition.

It was good to hear that Alfons had at least learned something as far as combat. Roy doubted he was going to be able to do much good when he'd barely had any training, but it was still better than nothing. "If he keeps at it, he might get decent at it." Nowhere near Hughes' level, of course, but Roy hadn't seen anyone who could throw as well as his friend.

"Tomorrow night?" Roy wasn't able to hold his tongue. Where had Hughes gotten that idea? There was still a lot of time left this night, wasn't there? He wasn't about to waste it in some room...

Even though he could tell that Hughes was insinuating that he stay put, he would have none of that. "You can stay here and wait for Fullmetal, but I think there is still a lot we can get done. Or I can, anyway." Hawkeye would go with him, wouldn't she? Even if Hughes was going to insist on staying, that wouldn't stop him from seeing just what was behind that door.

Riza frowned sharply. She too was eager to know what lay beyond the door, though she'd been captive for the least amount of time by far, but if the brigadier general did stay for Ed, she would be the colonel's only escort. And in his condition, he'd need someone at his side who could protect him.

She was sorry to admit to herself that it couldn't be her. Not here, not without the weapons she'd been most trained in. She could probably defend herself enough to keep herself alive, but she couldn't cover them both, not if the institution housed the atrocities she'd been hearing about.

"Sir, at the very least you should rest here a while before going out again." The brigadier general was right, but the most she could hope for was a compromise. She'd go with him, of course, if he insisted on trying the key again immediately, but she knew it wasn't wise.

"Roy, the door and the key aren't going anywhere." There was a sharp note in Hughes's voice. Because he wasn't going to just let this go. Roy and his constant need to be doing something, no matter how dangerous it was, no matter the risk. It was getting to be a pain.

"You know... we agree that people need to rest, breaks are needed, that if we burn ourselves out we'll do more harm in the long run then good... and then you act like none of that applies to you. What happens when you make it out of the male wing and you get jumped by something big and nasty? And you're exhausted and Hawkeye doesn't have a gun? What the hell's the point of having that key and knowing where it goes if you're dead or crippled?" Hughes threw up an arm, clearly frustrated. And he was frustrated, with a vast many things, but again it was Roy who would suffer the brunt of them. Because Roy was there and Hughes knew, somewhere behind his conscious thoughts, that he and Roy would always be alright.

"And besides that... I was under the impression we were going to stay in tonight. But you know what, Roy? Do whatever the hell you want, you hardly listen to my advice anymore anyway."

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