damned_institute | DAY 23: BREAKFAST

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DAY 23: BREAKFAST

That hadn't felt like an entire night.

And his goddamn head hurt. Pounded, even. Enough that he wondered if he was going to end up playing another round of "Christen the nurse" this morning.

Maybe it was because he'd spent so much time and energy trying to find Nowe. That could be the reason behind both those problems. Just the thought of it made his stomach turn, made him want to fucking choke something.

Still, there was shit to do. He forced himself out of bed to put away his pens and the other leftovers from the adventures that didn't happen last night. He'd have to try to talk to Sora today, to see if they could just do tonight what they were going to do last night... and to see if the kid was doing alright.

...he just wished his head would stop hurting. That was probably the result of just how badly he'd overreached himself the previous morning.

The nurse that showed up to get him was cheerful. He grunted at her, listening to her with only half an ear until she mentioned all the excitement, about someone pretending to be a patient, all that crap that Landel had mentioned.

Renji gave her a narrow-eyed look. "Dr. Landel is a goddamn lying coward, and he's lying about that, too," he said. Whether it was true or not, there was only so much good cheer he could take on a shitty morning. "I hope he chokes on a cock." No matter how much venom he put in that statement, it wasn't enough.

Then he had to listen to a lecture about language and gratitude for the rest of the walk to the cafeteria, so maybe it wasn't worth it after all. She dragged him through the breakfast line, and he ended up with granola and toast and tea and a cinnamon roll, because not even a shitty fucking night could ruin his sweet tooth. Though that thing was looking a little too sweet.

The cafeteria was pretty much empty; he had his run of the place. He sat himself about as far from the doors as he could get, and proceeded to stare at his breakfast.

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Well that was strange. One moment Rukia had been talking to Renji and the others, right after she had picked up one of the metal bars, and the next, she was lying in a bed again. Had it all been a dream? But, no, one quick look around told Rukia she was in the same room in which she had woken up yesterday. She sat up, scowling at the sharp pain behind her eyes. That stupid headache still hadn't gone away. In fact, it seemed to have gotten worse.

As if on cue, the same nurse who had escorted her yesterday opened the door and offered a cheerful good morning. It took considerable effort to plaster a smile onto her face, but Rukia hadn't forgotten her talk with Renji and Qui-Gon Jinn yesterday... or, whenever it had been. Had a whole night really passed? Rukia puzzled over that while the nurse lead her from the room to go get breakfast. As she walked, she noticed a pulling sensation on her leg. She stopped and pulled up her pant leg to reveal bandages neatly taped over the scratches she'd gotten last night. Granted, they were a bit worse than scratched, but still nothing to worry about. What she was worried about, however, was when - and by whom - she had been bandaged. It put her in an even worse mood.

The nurse stopped and turned to look at Rukia. "Is everything okay, Shiori?"

Rukia didn't immediately pay the woman any attention, forgetting that 'Shiori' was supposed to be her name. After a moment, she looked up and, noticing the woman's eyes on her, muttered, "Uh, yeah. I'm okay."

They arrived at the cafeteria, and the nurse seemed to think it necessary to lead Rukia through the line. She obediently gathered up a few items, though most of them didn't look appetizing, and then the nurse let her go on her way. It didn't take Rukia more than a moment to find Renji's shock of red hair, so she quickly made her way over to him. She set her tray down across from him, taking a seat. "Hey," she greeted, then asked, "Do you know how we got from that room last night back to our beds?"

Renji grunted, glancing at Rukia for a moment before he went back to staring at his tray. He shrugged. "No idea. That's how it goes every night." It had bothered him the first night, and a little less the second night, and now only a couple nights later he really couldn't give a shit any more. The whole situation was so shitty, what was one more thing?

Rukia rested her chin in one hand. "Hm. That's weird." She regarded Renji for a moment, then took a bite of toast. He was clearly miserable, and understandably so, if his friend had really disappeared. Renji looked pale, and tired. Rukia swallowed, then said to him quietly. "Is your friend really gone?"

Renji looked up slowly from his untouched breakfast again, his lips compressing to a thin, angry line. He really didn't want to talk about this. Why couldn't Rukia leave things alone?

"His spirit thread is gone. That's what I was doing most of the time we were waiting for you. I was trying to locate him. I guess it's possible that I'm even more goddamn useless than I thought, but I doubt I'm that lucky."

He rubbed his forehead, pressing his fingers against his temples in the vain hope that it'd stop the pounding of his head, or at least alleviate it for a moment.

Rukia opened her mouth to say something nasty, yell at him, but stopped herself. She knew what it was like to lose a friend; they both did. And Renji was just being his usual stupid self and trying to take all the blame for what had happened to his friend.

Instead Rukia stood up and walked around the table to stand behind Renji. He was so tense he looked like he was about to splinter into a thousand pieces. Sighing, Rukia placed her hands on his shoulders and began kneading the taught muscles there. When they were kids they had often given each other shoulder rubs, but that was a long time ago. She just hoped Renji would allow her to at least offer this comfort.

Ed woke feeling at least partially rested for once and, thankfully, back in his own room without Adel on top of him and pinning him down to the bed. He muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath, rubbing his back which felt like it had been crushed.

Then he remembered the way Adel had cuddled up to him, completely unconcious though he was, holding him like some kind of giant stuffed toy. At least he probably wouldn't remember it.

He almost asked the nurse who came if he could just stay in his room for now. He didn't want to face Hughes after he'd 'accidently' forgotten to go and see him. He'd look all disapproving probably, and Ed hated that.

But he didn't in the end. He had to face Hughes sooner or later, and he could check if Tamaki was alright. And Al...

The cafeteria was nearly empty when Ed arrived, only a couple of people at one far table. Ed grabbed as much food as he could fit onto a plate, feeling extremely hungry after the previous night's activities. At least he wasn't as bone tired as he had been yesterday. He seated himself at the end of one of the tables and started eating as though someone would steal the food if he didn't eat quickly.

It was all beginning to run together. Blood, water... There wasn't a significant distinction anymore, and it was troublesome because it couldn't be explained. Well, it couldn't be explained sensibly, anyhow. And if moments melded together and night and day began to lose their distinction to her, did it matter that the blood and the water were becoming the same substance? Muted voices and a dozen forgotten forevers carried themselves in the voices of her nurse as she'd urged River to breakfast. Words weren't spoken and intentions lost in the winds of her world. She only walked the path that needed to be walked, the one that was always changing but always leading to the same unspoken existence. Her eyes were glazed over, and her movements purposeful and completely fluid. Don't stop moving. Don't pause to think. Move. Be like the water. Be like the blood.

Though she didn't appear to notice Renji and his friend, River filed their presences away in her mind. He wasn't smiling today. Maybe he needed to smile, but she wasn't able to engage in a humorous fashion. She would've offered him her cinnamon roll, but there was a moment hanging in the air, a bubble that didn't want to be tested. The same bubble she'd nearly popped the night before. So, with little more than a glance, River moved on to another table and sat down to observe the contents of her tray carefully.

Cinnamon roll. Fruit. Water. She'd picked up water maybe because she was hoping to be morbid, if only in the confines of her own mind. A game of character and a game of circumstance. Brown eyes stared that the clear liquid as if expecting it to shift to a cloudy red hue at any moment. Or perhaps it would seem if one could have a glimpse of her mind and her brains.

Mother and Father were away. Brothers were lost to themselves, and friends would always come and go. But dance partners were supposed to be forever.

Hisoka did not feel like getting up this morning. It was childish, but he felt sick, he wanted to stay home.

"Hisoka!!"

The nurse couldn't care less.

After giving Hisoka a lecture about staying up late-- "and don't you say any different, you look like death warmed over!"-- and allowing the shinigami a moment to grab his journal, the woman proceeded to chatter endlessly as she escorted him to the cafeteria. He didn't bother to listen, keeping his back and shoulders painfully straight as he walked into the room.

If he didn't he'd be tempted to curl into a ball and stay there.

Hisoka felt sick.

Ignoring the only people in the room, the shinigami left his nurse and seated himself at an empty table. He wasn't hungry. He placed his painfully blank journal open on the table in front of him and stared at the lines.

Kurama woke with a start from his bed, stared at the ceiling for a moment, and then slumped back against the mattress. Another night gone. Nothing accomplished. But at least they didn't get eaten alive by those rats... Thank goodness for small miracles.

What was troubling was the announcements last night. The pieces were beginning to fall together and the thought of how they were laying made Kurama's stomach turn just a little. Whatever the head doctor's intentions had been by telling them of Alec's story, he was sure that sympathy wasn't supposed to be one of them. But it was there anyway.

Kurama could understand the circumstances, and it wasn't troubling to know that this 'helper' of theirs wasn't fighting solely for them. Considering the facts, no one was fighting for anyone else, but as long as they fought together, that was fine.

Kurama got out of bed and checked on the sleeping Omi to make sure he was alright before heading off to breakfast. He stopped at the bulletin board for only a moment, when none of the nurses were looking, then continued onto the cafeteria.

At the moment, the food didn't hold too much interest for Kurama, but he needed to eat. So, piling a few things onto his tray that looked somewhat ok to his uninterested appetite, he took a seat near the doors, where he could watch everyone coming in.

It was aggravating. He hadn't thought that anything could be considered truly aggravating anymore. The distinct lack of a heart dictated that feeling and emotion experienced by a Nobody had only to be based upon habit. It had taken time, but he more than any of them had excepted his place without question or concern. His talent had been harnessed and used as a tool, nothing more, to further the Superior's goals. To nearly lose control of oneself was... aggravating.

Saïx, of course, made no show of his inner turmoil as he was escorted into the cafeteria. To have habit aid him in giving off a chilly, emotionally devoid aura when he was inwardly troubled could be considered a gift in this case. Only those who knew him best would be able to notice the slightest twitch of a hand or flash in his yellow eyes. Unfortunately, those people were the ones he least wanted to become aware of this weakness. A cruel smirk almost crossed his lips at the thought.

Not that there wouldn't be repercussions for any pokes they decided to take at him. Perhaps weakness wasn't the proper word.

With some fruit and eggs piled on his plate if only to keep up appearances, VII took a seat alone as usual, turning on the usual charm and hoping the other patients had enough sense not to bother him.

Fox had found himself waking up in a cold sweat, ready to attack. Only there had been nothing to attack, and it had taken him far too long to sort out where he was, and what had been happening before he ended up in his bed. The faint buzzing that was dying away hadn't helped either.

Once he did figure out what had been happening the previous night just before he woke up in his bed, Fox felt almost physically ill. He'd nearly lost it last night, he probably would have, if the night hadn't ended. Fox almost attacked them, Miku, Alfons, Vergil...

He reached up to cover his face and was surprised to feel cloth covering his forehead. The bandanna, Big Boss... it was comforting, but only added to his confusion as he made sure his sword and all the other items he'd gathered were hidden before his nurse arrived.

Once Fox got in the cafeteria he loaded his plate up with food and sat down, staring at the meal for a brief moment before pushing it away enough to give himself room to put his elbows on the table and hide his head in his hands.

Bast was singing happily to himself as he followed his nurse down to the cafeteria, complimenting her roundly on her hair and spiffy uniform. In the crook of his arm, he still carried his radio, patting occasionally. He did ask her about it, wanting to make sure that Jack hadn't gotten lost in the middle of the night. It was awfully dark in Landel' after all, and Jack might not have a wand to use at night.

"You're sure the little man in my magic box is fine?" he asked her worriedly, holding up the radio to her for confirmation.

"I'm positive, Mr King. Why don't you run along and eat now? The Head Doctor said those rolls were delicious," she replied. Nurses must be getting more patient these days. Go them.

Giving her a cheerful grin, he picked back up his song and bounced into the cafeteria. He stopped and glanced back at the nurse, wrinkling his nose up. "Oh! Can you tell the Head Doctor person that there's no such thing as good and evil? He seems far too taken with that idea for his own good. Undue stress and all. It's just a point of view really, usually determined by who wins."

He waved to his nurse before joining the line and piling anything that looked sugary (including the rolls) on his plate and plunking down to eat. Surely the Dark Lord or some other Death Eater would be along soon!

"You'd better still be in there, Jack. If not, I guess I'll have to go find you then."

At the sound of voices, Lee opened his eyes, and the sight that greeted him was not a pleasant one. So he had been taken to this absolutely insane prison of darkness. Yet how had he returned here? He wasn't certain if he should be pleased with this or not.

It was very disconcerting to think that last night, he was pretty sure that he had been walking around with Naoe and Takaya, and now he was suddenly back in his room. To make matters worse, he was truly starting to hate the way that the Head Doctor talked. He knew that a coin was always double-sided, one possibly scratched beyond recognition, and the other shimmering innocently.

Lee sat up and looked over to see that his teammate was still resting. Good. Perhaps Takaya would give his wounds some time to heal. That is, if he still had them. This thought made Lee frown. Already, he felt the uncertainty of this place get to him.

Getting up quietly in hopes that he would not wake up his slumbering roommate, he slipped into the hallway, watching quietly where the others went. Silently, he followed the others to breakfast.

How odd, he thought, as he saw the food ready for them. He took a glance at the others, noting where they were and what they looked like, before approaching the food. So at night, they tried to kill them, and during the day, they feed them. How quaint. Quite the work of a twisted genius.

Lee stood a bit away from the food so that others would be able to get their own meals. Slowly, he began to study every single item of food.

Tsuzuki was surprised to find that one moment he was kneeling next to Hisoka, ready to stop the red-haired man if he tried to hurt his partner; and the next moment, he was waking up in his bed. Was it all a dream? No, it couldn't have been. He was still in the building...this prison, hadn't his roommate said?

And speaking of his roommate, Tsuzuki could easily see that he was here as well. And he didn't want to have to explain his actions last night to someone that just simply towered over him. And people thought he was tall...

Getting out of bed, Tsuzuki pulled on the slippers that were nearby and hustled out of the room, only to be intercepted by a nurse along the way. He gave her an odd look when she called him Mr. Reeves, but allowed himself to be escorted to breakfast. After all, there was nothing better to brighten his mood than cinnamon buns! Except maybe that chocolate cake he had last night...

Tsuzuki was delightfully giddy at the prospect of food when he entered the cafeteria, and decidedly not when he suddenly saw Hisoka sitting alone at one of the tables. It was morning now, so was it safe to approach him? Did he remember anything that happened last night? Would he be mad for it? And for Kyoto?...

The questions had Tsuzuki's stomach twisted into knots by the time he reached his partner, but he still managed a smile. He could always manage a smile, no matter how much he was hurting of the inside. "Hey," he called out when he was only a few feet away. "Are you alright?"

Well, last night had been kind of a waste, hadn't even got to see how well the vegetable peeler worked against the monsters people talked about, but Kenren was used to taking things slowly. Bide your time and plot and get a feel for who you could trust before you did anything huge, otherwise you'd end up dead. Admittedly, he had sort of ended up dead, but it had been a moral victory.

Anyway...

He spoked cheerfully with the nurse as she led him to the cafeteria, thanking her for her help and all that nice stuff that made them trust you just a little bit more. Even if he didn't trust any of them one single bit.

He took his plate and settled opposite a young looking girl, feeling the need (as ever) to be sociable. He'd find Goku and Hakkai later, he was sure. He still needed to finish his conversation with Goku, after all. Poor kid.

He smiled brightly at the girl. "Morning, miss."

Rufus was, sadly enough, getting used to this place. Waking up in his bed this morning hadn't been much of a shock. Odd how one could become used to nearly anything when they had to. Sighing, he dragged a hand through his hair as he yawned and followed the too chipper nurse to the breakfast room.

A glance about told him that no one he knew was there yet. That would give him a chance to get somewhat more awake at least. Taking a chair, he ignored most of the food in favour of something to eat. Last night was mostly a blur in the darkness. He remembered guns firing and the like. Were the others all right? Were Dean, Elena, and Reno unharmed? He was relatively sure they were, but today would confirm it. Or so he hoped.

Leaning back in his chair comfortably, Rufus sipped his juice. Just another day at Landel's. Yay.

Ritsuka had stirred at the intercom announcements, not enough to remember them as anything more than terrible dreams, but enough that he did remember and was terribly confused by it all. When he finally woke up for the morning, he reached out for Seimei - only to find he wasn't there. When he realized he wasn't in Seimei's bed anymore, he sat up with a start. How had he gotten back to his bed? Why hadn't he stayed with Seimei? He hated waking up alone again after they'd made so many promises to stay together.

Glancing around the room, he saw Tamaki still asleep and let out a heavy sigh. It was good to see that the blond was safe, but Ritsuka felt guilty that he'd not been able to recover the cellphone and bunny. The thought of recovering those items had cheered Tamaki slightly, and yet here Ritsuka was - empty handed. He dreaded letting the older boy down.

Just then the door opened and the nurse walked in, voice still cheery, but slightly less loud since Tamaki was sleeping.

"Good morning, Jordan~ Ready for breakfast?"

He nodded, slipped out of bed, grabbed a pen and his journal from his desk, and followed her to the cafeteria. She made sure he had a hearty breakfast ("More food for growing boys!" she said, much to Ritsuka's chagrin) before seating him at an empty table and leaving. Ritsuka gave the cafeteria a quick once over and frowned when he couldn't find his brother or anyone else he knew. Taking the glass of milk, he started writing in his journal rather than eat. Most of the food didn't seem appetizing to him anyway.

Despite everything, when Aidou entered the cafeteria alongside yesterday's nurse, it was with a straight back and an easy smile, talking idly about the supposed intruder (and didn't that just add more and more to his list of problems).

Inwardly, it was all he could do to keep the cold fury from showing on the outside. When she introduced him to the cafeteria line - like he was some sort of orphan at a halfway house - his hands closed around a tray and threatened to snap it in two. He was retracing his memory again and again, desperately trying to make sense of the time loss. In the Sun Room, it hadn't quite been early morning. Then he was being woken up back in M52, his original room, at daylight. He'd been about to drag Alucard off, and... and then he was gaining consciousness in other part of the institute. The burn on his shoulder and the wounds on his stomach had both been treated.

Of course, he had insisted his nurse give him a moment to change clothes - adding as many layers as he could considering the inevitable sunlight - before tearing the bandages off and tossing the remains all around the room in silent rage, uncaring of his roommate. Was that how it always was in this hellhole?

The thought was disgusting. Infuriating. How dare they touch him like that. Damn them! Damn those windows! Damn everything! He was going to kill everyone.

Until then, though... Waving cheerfully as his nurse departed, Aidou played up his handsome features by smiling and chatting amicably with any staff that looked his way while he went through the food line. (One of everything, plus a pile of cinnamon rolls.) There was no where to go that wasn't drowned in sunlight, so Aidou made the unanimous decision to amuse himself as best he could.

He made a beeline for Ritsuka. "So you survived the night, too. What did you think?" He slid into the seat beside, propping his elbows on the tabletop. This place didn't deserve the results of his mannered upbringing.

Ritsuka almost jumped when Aidou slid up next to him - almost. He vaguely remembered having had a rather harsh discussion with him on the bulletin board, but that didn't seem to show in his demeanor. He finished his sentence and closed the book, clipping the pen to the front before setting it down next to his tray along with the half-finished glass of milk.

"I see you did, too." He winced inwardly when he realized how cold that sounded and pushed the bacon around on his plate with a fork. "No monsters?"

As for what he thought? He really didn't know. "Last night, Seimei and I went upstairs and this big ball of light came out of the Sun Room and then..."

Ritsuka sighed in frustration at the thought of how little he'd accomplished last night. Cautiously, he poked at the cinnamon roll before deciding against it and leaving it where it was. "Not much really happened. What about you?"

As another logical impossibility approached, River appeared too lost to notice his presence. Her eyes were fixated on the glass of water until the very moment just before he spoke. Dazed as she'd seemed, the girl as suddenly very alert, gaze drifting to the mark on the man's forehead before it met his again. On her toes. A dancer was always on her toes, and yet he seemed friendly enough.

"The water's cloudy. I wouldn't drink it if I were you," she advised seriously as she turned her attentions back to the cup in question. Helpful as always in such a maddeningly vague way. Some would say it was part of her charm. "It's not unlike a Biblical plague. Blood's not unlike water anyway. Composed of 92%. More transparent then we'd like to be sometimes."

Morning. It was morning. Not candlesticks tonight.

"Is it raining?" River wondered simply, unclear as to whether or not she was talking to him or not.

Faust was again surprised. He woke up. And when one does not remember falling asleep in the first place, it is an unsettling feeling. Just as it was the time before this. Sitting up, and bringing a hand up to his chest with a wince he looked around the room.

Roommate: asleep. Javert: Not here. He guessed the other man had also been taken back to where ever it was that he'd come from.

Damn it all. Frowning, he moved to get out of bed. He'd never gone so long without a dose and the effects were starting to make themselves known. Aches all over his body, downright pain in his chest. And his hands were shaking. He frowned.

After gaining his beloved back, he'd cut back on his drug usage. She hadn't liked the addiction. So, he was thankful that the worst of the symptoms of withdrawal were over with.... but he hadn't stopped taking it entirely. There was still the pain of simply existing daily with all that he'd done to his body.

And now, without his dearest wife beside him, for the first time in a while, he felt the desire, the nearly desperate want for one, just one shot. But it was never just one...

So, when the vile nurse (laughable) came to collect him for breakfast, Faust tried again.

"Where is my wife?" And he received the same answer in response. He felt it was pointless to ask again. So he followed her to breakfast.

Picking out eggs and toast, as well as juice, Faust found a spot to sit that allowed him to face the door. He wanted to see what kinds of people this place had stolen away.

All at once, Sakura found herself back to the routine, back to keeping up a steady appearance. The entire evening had seemed like a dream, fading in and out of conciousness as though she'd been drugged. At some point, she'd have to apologize to Penelo, Kiden, and their friends. She'd wanted to get a clear layout of the Sun Room in the evening and had thought it best to do so as quietly as possible. Naturally, she'd noticed Sasuke's struggle and simply chosen to act the part of a proper ninja and observe. No matter how much it had killed her.

The pink-haired girl found herself knocked down a peg or two that morning, put off and unnerved by the sudden shift from evening to day. Though the night hadn't been particularly strenuous, Sakura couldn't help but feel oddly drained from the ordeal. Still, she'd be damned if she let the nurses and doctors (or Sasuke for that matter) see her wilting so quickly. Chin held high, she entered the cafeteria and took a deep breath, scanning the area for any familiar faces.

Green eyes widened in shocked recognition as they fell on Lee. She supposed it would've been easy to miss him amongst the crowds of people, and, really, nothing should've surprised her at the point. Still, it was both a welcome sight and a saddening one. How many of them had been apprehended like this?

Excusing herself as she dodged some of the other patients, Sakura made her way behind her friend, deciding to make the best of the situation and be as friendly and positive as possible. Peering over his shoulder as he inspected the food, she finally piped up.

"I'd go for the cinnamon rolls, but they can't be good training food." She made a face. "Ino-pig would never let me hear the end of it if she saw me eating like this."

He was a little startled at her sharp gaze when she looked up, the way it drifted over his chakra before she met his eyes. He tried not to let it borhter him, meeting her gaze squarely.

He glanced down at the glass she seemed so preoccupied with and then nodded. "I'll bear that in mind. Never been fone of drinking water anyway," he replied. Coffee and sake were his poisons of choice in any case. Shame they didn't seem to serve any here.

The rain question did take him by surprise, seeming so random and unconnected. He shrugged. "Not here, I don't think. Somewhere it is, doubtless."

Aidou watched Ritsuka torment his food from around his own towering tray of breakfast. Without blood - and he absolutely refused to pick off scraps like that Alucard - he was going to be in a constant state of hunger. Or at least he thought so; he'd never tried to starve himself before...

The scrambled eggs went first, and the sausages soon after. "Oh, plenty of monsters. Fire-breathing lizards in the kitchen, can you believe it?" Aidou had put the single coat over top of a sweater, which was over top of a shirt. He bypassed it all to give Ritsuka a view of the gouges on his stomach. They looked much worse than they actually were, especially to a vampire of his caliber, but if he could scare Ritsuka out of eating the rest of his breakfast, that meant he could have it... "I mean, look at this. Don't you feel sorry for me? It's horrible. I was just minding my own business."

With the sunlight tingling unpleasantly at that back of his neck, he tugged the neckline as far up over his head as he could. "Actually, I was in the Sun Room. Some girl made that ball of light. Probably to better see - after all, there was some crazy child with a gun trying to shoot everybody within range. It was quite an adventure."

Speaking of which, that Hisoka boy seemed perfectly tranquil, from what Aidou could see from over Ritsuka's head. Huh.

"There was a revolting smell coming from the second floor, though. What was that about?"

Recluse had refused the crutches offered by the nurse. He didn't want to look like he was unable to function without support. The nurse eventually gave up (she thought he had hurt himself! What nonsense.), and Recluse allowed himself to be led to the cafeteria, ignoring her incessant chatter.

He hadn't remembered anything past searching the kitchen for a makeshift weapon when he suddenly found himself in his cell, the awful lighting giving him an instant headache.

He was limping, but nowhere near as much as he should have been- the bullet had been removed, and the wound healed during the time he was unconscious. It was far from perfect, but it was much too dramatic to be the product of anything less than metahuman powers or advanced technology. Maybe something akin to the tissue regenerators Arachnos had ~~stolen from the Rikti~~ developed.

The sharpening steel that he had stolen was still in his possession when he awoke. It was now hidden in his room, but the fact that he still had it at all made him worry. It wasn't possible that he had been treated and put in a fresh uniform without the makeshift weapon being discovered. He had allowed him to keep it, which was a fair sign that those in charge here were confident in their ability to keep him imprisoned.

Perhaps they were overconfident. This Dr. Landel sounded much too stressed in his last nighttime broadcast to really be confident in his abilities. He had been too defensive and let out far too much information to his prisoners. Recluse had heard that kind of tone many times before, sometimes from himself. It was the tone that many villains took when they felt their plans were seriously threatened. It was pathetic. Especially that maniacal laugh the doctor had broken into at the end. Recluse smirked. "What an amateur".

He hadn't eaten the dinner the nurse had brought last night- it had seemed like the most probable vector for a chemical suppressor to keep him weak and human. But if the staff wanted to administer any drugs, it would have been done while he was unconscious. There was no compelling reason to avoid the food, now. He took a large amount of nearly everything on the menu and sat at an unoccupied table, watching the other prisoners as he ate.

The boy that had shot him was there. Recluse really wanted to kill him now, but that would do nothing but attract unwanted attention. It would be so satisfying, though...

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DAY 23: BREAKFAST

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