damned_institute | Night 52: M71-M80 Hallway

"Well, they're here one day, then gone the next and no one knows what happened," Wally said, faking a nonchalant shrug, like he hadn't had that happen to a lot of the people he knew. "The nurses say that they're released, but that's all. It's pretty much just like they vanished without a trace."

He didn't want to talk about his own experiences with that too much, so in a way it was almost a relief when the intercom sounded to mark the end of the day. Now he just had to see how Woody took the traditional nightly dose of crazy-talk, and hopefully he'd be able to make sure his roomie was going to at least be careful enough to not turn up covered in bandages the next day.

He glanced over at Woody during the message to see what he thought so far and jerked in surprise. The guy had gone utterly still, with only his eyes moving around. It was really, really creepy, and Wally realised he was holding his breath to try and match Woody's stillness and dude, that was just not normal. People didn't really tend to be still so much (which was why Bats was so damn good at hiding sometimes), and it was a bit weird to see his roommate go like that just because of the intercom. He was about to try asking Woody if he was okay, or, you know, still breathing, when the spell broke and the guy started moving again.

Wally let out the breath he'd been holding the shook his head. There was probably a reason for it, he told himself. Like, maybe Woody was world champion at games like Statues? Or did that street art thing where he pretended to be a statue until he could scare people. There could be a reason that wasn't weird.

"Huh?" was his intelligent answer when Woody asked him something. "Oh, that? Yeah, pretty much. Nightly dose of crazy delivered right out of the intercom for your enjoyment," he said. "You've heard the one about the lunatics running the asylum, right? Except instead of 'the lunatics are running the asylum' it's 'the lunatics are running the asylum and they kidnap people regularly and make them jump through hoops and fight for their lives without letting them go home, and sometimes there's torture'. But it turned out to be too much of a mouthful."

Edited 2010-10-13 09:49 (UTC)

Oh, good. So he had this to look forward every night on top of the whole people-vanishing-without-a-trace thing. Woody really couldn't stand the thought of having to sit through this for eighteen days, and yet that was exactly what Wally had done. Hadn't someone found a way out? He couldn't believe that no one had been able to at least figure out the biggest obstacles to getting out so they could take a crack at it themselves.

Either way, he didn't like where all of this was going. He'd already privately admitted that there was a possibility the staff was crazy, and that they let the patients run amok at night. But that was as far as Woody was willing to go with all of that. Maybe the sick people who ran this place set everything up like one of those haunted houses that Andy used to go through every year for Halloween, but that still would mean the "monsters" here were fake.

But there was something else that Wally said that made Woody's expression turn from just a little disturbed to downright terrified. "Uh, hold on, hold on -- did you just say 'torture'?" he spoke up. Forget monsters, that was something different, something very real, and had the potential to completely change how he went about his nights. "They torture people here? What, if you don't do as they say or something!?"

Wally felt bad about the fact he was really, really starting to freak Woody out but, well, if the guy had already heard about this from others and hadn't believed them, then the shock might help get through to him that this place was actually dangerous. Enough so he might be a little more careful at any rate.

"Yeah, they do," he sighed. "And as far as I can tell, they don't really need a reason to, they just take people sometimes. It's part of why you've gotta be careful around here. There's not much worse than finding out a friend of yours got taken upstairs."

He stood up, stretching loosely and working the kinks out of his legs in particular. "Anyway, the crazy announcement? Normally means the doors are unlocked now. We get the whole night to run around trying not to get killed."

He smiled wryly. "Sorry, I didn't always used to make jokes about stuff like that."

Woody tried to unwind the knot of panic that was tightening in his chest, but the more he heard, the harder it became. Even if he didn't know what kind of torture they did here, just imagining someone getting dragged upstairs was enough to make his stomach turn. This was like Sid's all over again, except even worse. He couldn't imagine how anyone could beat out getting trapped in a psycho's bedroom for two nights, but whoever ran this place managed to do that in less than a day.

Woody shook his head, opening his mouth to say something, but the words didn't come. This could not be happening. This could not be happening.

How Wally could just sit and calmly explain all this stuff was beyond Woody. Yet there he was, getting up to stretch like he was about to go for a sprint through the park. It wasn't the fact he was getting ready to leave the room that bothered Woody. That actually made sense, because they sure as heck weren't going to get out of here by staying put. It was the way he went about it, as if it were all just...routine, that got to him.

"Uh, I think you mean we get the whole night to try to escape," he said as he pushed himself out of his seat.

As terrifying as this place sounded, Woody still didn't buy into the whole monster story. Quite frankly, it was bad enough without them. But that was all the more motivation to try to scout out the place in order to figure out its weaknesses, what he could put to good use, and where his friends were.

Yeah, he was definitely feeling like an ass now, especially since Woody looked like he wanted nothing more than Wally to tell him he was just being a giant dick and screwing with him. If only it were that easy.

He stopped by his desk, giving Woody another wry, apologetic smile. "Yeah, trying to escape as well. Just..." He sighed. "Don't beat yourself up too much if that doesn't go anywhere, okay? I mean, if you find a way when everyone else I know hasn't, then I'm hardly going to say no to getting out of here, but it might take a bit longer than you're thinking."

He dropped his gaze in order to dig up his Flash ring and slip it onto his finger, then, after a moment's thought, put the other weird ring that had turned up a day or so ago on his other hand. Maybe a bit too much, but it might turn out to be useful tonight.

"Anyway, if you're heading out, remember to be careful, okay? This whole place can be pretty different of a night. Oh yeah, there's a flashlight under your pillow too, and the radio sometimes has useful things going on as well. And my advice? Try and find something to fight with, if you can. Not everyone in this place is a nice as the two of us."

With his own stuff in hand (or on his hands, as the case may be), Wally paused with his hand on the doorknob and glanced back at Woody uncertainly. "Uh, you sure you're gonna be alright?"

Woody listened as Wally, but all he could think was, It can't seriously take eighteen more days for someone to find a way out of here. Something had to give before then. Either they'd find a way out, or he'd wake up from whatever terrible dream this was. There weren't many other alternatives Woody was willing to consider right then.

He wasn't sure why Wally was putting rings on his hands, but right then that hardly seemed important. Flashlight, radio, and something to fight with. Flashlights were actually good weapons, he almost said, but stopped himself short when he got the sinking realization that it was going to be a lot harder to fight someone off with one of those here. Not unless he wanted to try blinding them instead, which wasn't going to get him far.

He watched his roommate reach for the door, but then he turned around and seemed concerned over whether Woody would be okay. To be honest, he hadn't forgotten Scott's advice to grab a buddy, and now he was starting to see why. But as easy as it would have been to ask if he could stick with Wally for tonight, Woody knew he couldn't get too comfortable working with people just yet. He had toy issues to check into, like getting his body back and finding out where his friends were. There was no way he could focus on that stuff if he had someone like Wally hanging around.

Woody glanced away for a split moment as he considered all of that, but his ultimate decision didn't change: he was going to have to go at this alone. "I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine," he answered. "It's not like I haven't done a lot of sneaking around back home, so don't worry about me." That kind of energy could probably be better spent on Wally worrying about himself if this place was really as dangerous as he was making it out to be.

"Alright," Wally said reluctantly. "But just don't make me regret this, okay? If I wake up in the morning and you're covered in bandages or something, I am never leaving you alone at night again, got it?"

He grinned and laughed suddenly. "Geez, I sound like your mother now. 'Make sure you're home before midnight' and all that. Sorry. But just... be careful, okay? You're the third roommate I've had since I got here and I kinda don't wanna get it up to four."

With that somewhat ominous warning that he really hoped Woody would take to heart, Wally tossed his roommate a casual wave and slipped out the door and into the hallway beyond.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/992361.html?thread=73588585#t73588585)]

Bandages...he knew what they were, how they were used, had even seen Mom put some on Andy during the course of his childhood, and yet the idea of Woody having to wear any was so foreign to him that Wally's warning didn't sink in right away. Just the sheer absurdity of a toy in a human body made everything else difficult to process. But Wally had been completely serious. It was obvious he didn't want to let Woody go off on his own, though he was a bit relieved that the redhead was still willing to let him have his space for now.

The realization he was roommate number three made his throat go dry, though. What had happened to the last two? He wanted to ask, but he had a feeling that their disappearances would be chalked up to all that vanishing he'd been talking about earlier. Either way, Woody had enough sense to understand that he probably didn't want Wally to get a fourth roommate, either. Not unless Woody had found a way out. On the other hand, though, he didn't think he could just leave these people here. He still remembered how horrible it'd felt when his friends threw those Christmas lights out of Andy's window back when he and Buzz had been trying to escape from Sid's.

"Don't worry!" he assured him with a smile. "I'll be careful, all right?" And then Wally was gone, leaving Woody by himself, his expression instantly fading.

Though it probably would have been a good idea to get a few bites of food down at least, Woody knew he had things to do. After rising form his seat, he scoured the room for the supplies Wally mentioned. Sure enough, he found the flashlight he'd talked about (not even as big as his head, Woody noted ruefully), as well as the radio (it was weird to have something like that fit so neatly around his wrist).

That mostly left something to fight with, but what could he even use? The pens were way too small. Woody considered bringing a chair along, but only as a last resort. Going through the drawers and closet, he found other things, too -- a key ring, a notebook, more uniforms and actual shoes. But then his eyes settled on the clothes rod.

"Ah-hah!" After shoving clothes to the side, he reached for the rod and pulled it out of the closet. It wasn't perfect, but it had a better range than the chair. And anyway, Woody wasn't looking to fight anything if he could avoid it. This was just...a back-up in case he got in a bad pinch, that was all. Couldn't be too careful in a building full of nutcases. Because all that stuff about monsters was a bunch of baloney, right?

Right, he told himself as he adjusted his grip on the clothes rod. Unfortunately, that confidence didn't extend to the uncertain way he moved across the room and over to the door. His fingers wrapped around the door knob, and he pulled it open. Taking in a small breath, he ventured out into the hall.

((To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/990258.html?view=73642290#t73642290).))

[From here.]

"You - eh?" Peter blinked, rewinding what Brainy had just said to make sure he was getting it right. "You invited him to our room?"

Uh. Okay then. Eating stopped entirely as Peter frantically searched for words that wouldn't make him sound like a paranoid freak. Truthfully, he was glad that Brainy was considering getting a check up at all, because holy cow he was so stubborn about stuff like that. But inviting some guy over out of the blue seemed a little less than kosher considering all the trouble he'd had with all the creepers he'd had come attack him there.

"Dude, do you know this guy? Like...who is he? Are you sure he's okay?"

Then the intercom dinged and the good Doctor Landel got his Mr. Hyde on. Peter grimaced up at the newly upgraded speaker. This could not be good.

He shut his eyes and grimaced. The lights had already gone out. "Perfect."

Edited 2010-10-17 09:11 (UTC)

Brainy didn't bother to hide his shudder at that idea, though he was still smiling. "Meat in this time period is bad enough without being fried like that, Peter," he pointed out. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stick with vegetables and other sources of protein."

Peter's reaction to his conversation with Muraki was enough to make the smile evaporate, however.

"I didn't invite him here exactly, no," he pointed out. "I said that I'd meet him in the hallway. I can either take him another room that's unoccupied, or come up with something else. It shouldn't be too difficult."

And since he could imagine what Peter would ask about next, he added; "And you're welcome to come along, if you're still concerned."

It wasn't that he minded the concern that much - it was better than Peter not caring at all - but he was an adult by Coluan standards and a Legionnaire. He didn't need to have someone checking on his every move.

Brainiac 5 spared a glance for the intercom as it sounded, his brow furrowing under the bandages. "I'm not sure I really like the sound of that."

The hallway. A vast improvement on inviting him directly to the room but still cutting it close. Peter was tempted to suggest arranging future meetings in separate blocks altogether, but he was getting the distinct feeling his concern was wearing off his welcome. Brainy had flipped into Frownsville the moment he had protested the doctor's visit.

Would it kill him to see it from his point of view for a bit? He didn't exactly like seeing Brainy stumble into one pitfall after another. The guy was like a pain-magnet. He just attracted terrible things. Like an ice cream truck you had to stab to get your Haagen Dazs. Peter knew he was paranoid, okay, but that was kind of necessary if you wanted to avoid any imminent bucket-kicking. Was that really so hard to understand?

"I'll come along," Peter said almost instantly. "I'm not going anywhere tonight. I figured it would be kinda stupid to make plans, after, um. Yeah."

No further explanation needed.

Even though Peter still thought it best that both stayed in for the night, that creepalicious speech just now was giving him some second thoughts. Peter opened his eyes to scowl at the speaker. That didn't sound like your usual, run of the mill Landel-Loves-His-Own-Voice spiel.

"Me neither." He was silent for a minute, then hastily downed what little was left on his plate and removed the tray from his desk. He groped blindly inside until he finally latched onto the radio. "Have you been hearing all that stuff about the radio lately? Jill and the new guy? Marc, I think?"

"Bits and pieces," he answered, thinking back. "I've been a bit... busy these past few nights."

Which was an obvious understatement, but Brainiac 5 didn't want to reopen the topic of last night in particular just yet. He had a fair idea of what Peter would say about what had happened, if he deserved any blame, and his thoughts on what they should do about testing (or, more accurately, not testing) the results of last night, and he didn't much feel like starting up yet another debate over it all.

Not when they had other concerns to worry about right now.

He retrieved his own flashlight with a little difficulty, still finding it harder than he cared to admit to wrap his fingers around the tool, then headed for the door. "We don't want to wait around too long in case he shows up and sees which room we're leaving from," he pointed out. "It'd make everything pretty pointless if that happened."

He smiled with that last comment, trying to lighten the mood a little bit if at all possible, but he wasn't sure how well it worked out.

Once Peter was ready as well, Brainiac 5 pushed open the door and headed out into the hallway. It was empty so far, so it looked like their luck was holding out. "Maybe we should see about finding a room that's empty, just in case?"

"Same here," Peter admitted glumly. They were both having a rough time of it. He only hoped that Brainy wasn't keeping anything else crazy and life-threatening from him. He wasn't aware of what the other boy's plans were all the time (he wasn't that nosy, okay), but he trusted that as long as he kept coming back in one piece he was doing all right. Himself? He'd rather keep the Night of the Sprouting Boobs to himself.

That was the sort of thing you shared with no one.

Peter almost flipped over his own pillow for his flashlight before he remembered. He'd left it upstairs the previous night. He groaned to himself. "Uh, guess it's a good thing I'm sticking with you tonight anyway. I lost my flashlight, and I am not wandering around in the dark."

He nodded at Brainy's suggestion. "Good idea. There should be a few by now. If not we can wait or something. Maybe try the bathrooms?"

"I'd rather not hold any medical examinations of any kind in the bathrooms here during the day, let alone at night," Brainiac 5 answered, keeping his voice low and repressing a shudder. "The medical facilities here are bad enough already without going out and finding worse things to be around."

With that in mind, he headed further along the hallway and paused near a door that was a decent distance from their room. "Should we try--"

The intercom crackled to life and the Coluan stopped automatically, frowning up at the ceiling. Needless to say, he didn't much trust the Head Doctor's announcements, and when it became apparent he had the woman - Jill - with him, in who knew what condition, his lips pressed into a thin line. He found himself wondering briefly again on what his 'upgrade' was supposed to do, on the vague chance it would be helpful somehow, but he doubted that the doctor would have given him something that useful.

The lights suddenly blazed to life around them, and he flinched automatically, which turned out to be a good thing as several of the lights whined and burst, scattering fragments around the hallway as other lights died and his flashlight flickered erratically. As soon as it had begun, however, the assault stopped and the lights dimmed back to a more acceptable level, though with how few there were now and how the remaining were flickering occasionally, Brainiac 5 wasn't sure how long that would last.

He half-turned to cast a wary look back at Peter. "Any idea what else that did?"

[ooc: I think Muraki can jump in whenever now?]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/990258.html?thread=73783090#t73783090)]

A few glass fragments crunched beneath his foot as he started down the hallway. There was no particular need for stealth and they were the only people in the hall, dimly lit as it might be. His lunch date was easy enough to spot, so the boy beside him would have to be his roommate. Not particularly impressive, but he supposed looks weren't everything.

"Brainiac 5." Muraki inclined his head, politely acknowledging the brunette as well. "Are you both alright?"

Brainy...had a point about the toilets. Though Peter still vouched for them as an excellent place for a secret costume change. Either monsters feared a grungy toilet just as much as a human would or he had just been extraordinarily lucky thus far.

Him. Lucky. Ha ha, wow, how did he almost miss that one?

Then the intercom blared to life, and suddenly Peter wasn't feeling so humorous anymore. Thus far the announcements had been pretty tame. Standard evil megalomaniac ranting. But this time, Landel had company. Peter's expression turned to shock, then outright disgust as the woman's pained groans overtook the airway. He's got Jill now? What the hell have I been missing? Just as he was contemplating booking it back to their room and grabbing the radio, every light bulb in the hallway spazzed.

He jolted when the glass fell (late again, spider senses), ducking out of harm's way and shaking the glass loose from his hair. At least Brainy seemed to have been spared the brunt of it. "Uh, not a clue." He cast a glance around. "I want to say the lights would make the hallways safer, but since when does Landel give us good things?"

Whatever he was planning, it was going to end badly for a lot of people. Peter could only pray that everyone made it to breakfast tomorrow. The one thing he did know was that coming out scrape free was not going to be an option.

They didn't get to discuss the matter any further, however, because at that moment they were joined by someone who looked like they had been a Bond villain in their past life. Stoic face? Check. Impeccably kept? Check. Formal head bowing and creepy-smooth voice? Check. Please don't be Butler Bad Vibes 2.0.

"...Yeah, we're fine." Peter brushed a few more shards from his hair and fought the urge to raise a brow at the guy. Okay, he was probably judging a wee bit harshly here. He was kind of leery about Brainy bringing strange guys back to their room (hall, same difference). Especially ones that were over the age of 25. He had cable. He knew how that usually ended.

Still. Be nice, Parker.

"Are you the doctor then?"

Edited 2010-10-27 01:43 (UTC)

"My thoughts exact--" Brainiac 5 began, but the soft crunching of glass underfoot caught his attention and he turned towards the sound. Possible negative effects of the lights being active or not, it did make it easier to see Muraki's pale form headed their way, and the Coluan relaxed a little. Though he had to resist sighing in exasperation at Peter's reaction.

He told himself that his roommate was simply on edge and instead directed a faint smile to the doctor before shooting a sidelong look at the other boy.

"Peter, this is doctor Muraki. As I was saying, we met at lunch. Doctor, this is my friend, Peter. We were wondering about the unusual announcements when you arrived."

Their reactions were almost comically opposite. Brainiac 5 seemed to relax at the sight of him while the brunette tensed up, immediately defencive. Muraki couldn't blame him, really. It must be hard to be protective when he was in such a state. (Maybe he would be more appealing when those angry scratches on his face healed up.)

"I am. It's good to meet you, Peter." Muraki offered his left hand in difference to the boy's injury, apparently nonplussed by his attitude. Brainiac's scolding spoke of some clear familiarity. They were friends, at least, and friends were the best weapons when used against eachother.

"As for the announcements, your guess is as good as mine." He replied. "I haven't noticed any changes except for the lights, but it may be wise to take the discussion inside."

Edited 2010-10-31 15:05 (UTC)

Wow, Brainy. You do an awful good impression of Aunt May for someone who has never met her.

Nonetheless, Peter reeled in his first reaction to the tone (rolling his eyes would make a spectacularly bad first impression) and instead took the hint, sharing a properly shamed looked with his friend. Brainy wanted polite. He could handle polite.

Peter didn't shy away from eye contact, and though his voice was far from chipper he at least managed to match the man's cool indifference. "Likewise." He took the offered hand and gave it a brief shake. "Yeah, we were just thinking that. The hall should be pretty empty by now."

He cast a look around and picked a likely looking door. M78. He'd never seen anyone come out of it in the mornings, and it looked untouched now. A few doors were still open by a crack in the patient's haste to leave, but this one was always closed shut. He strode forward and knocked.

No answer. As good of a green light as he was going to get. He turned the knob and pushed the door in, and surprise surprise: the room was perfectly empty. The desks were devoid of dinner trays and there wasn't so much as a wrinkle in the bedding. Nothing but the dust bunnies living here.

He gave the other two a hesitant smile and waved them in, standing off to the side of the frame. "After you."

Edited 2010-10-31 17:53 (UTC)

Brainiac 5 relaxed a little more as Peter reined in his obvious distrust enough to be reasonably polite. The Coluan could understand the need for caution - in fact he frequently was the one insisting the rest of the Legion practice it - but Muraki had offered to take a look at his injuries out of a gesture of friendship and trust, not to mention he could hardly examine them himself and while the Doctor was called, well, the Doctor, he didn't get the feeling it was much more than a title.

Besides, he had to wonder how much of Peter's reluctance came from wanting to ignore what the upgrades might be and what they might offer them. Whereas Brainiac 5 was a scientist and the curiosity, the desire to know and understand what he'd been given (willingly or otherwise), was pretty powerful.

But he'd have to keep that to himself, at least for tonight. Once he'd been checked over, he could start work on looking into what the exact effects were, and how useful they might be. A small part of him was faintly concerned about the one 'price' that he knew had been paid for it all, but so far he hadn't noticed any effects of his ancestor, so he was hopeful that it wasn't anything more than a bluff.

Brainiac 5 nodded as Peter located an empty room and followed him over to glance inside. Everything untouched, so there wasn't any chance of upsetting someone else instead. Not to mention Peter couldn't complain about him giving their room number to other people.

"At least the lights being on means that we'll be able to see better," he commented, slipping past Peter into the room. "I can't imagine medical exams by flashlight would be very effective."

Muraki somehow doubted the boy's sincerity, but the ones who took a while to trust would live a little longer in this place, and it wasn't as if his own sincerity was overwhelming. Brainiac 5 had at least civilized the boy a little. This was acceptable.

He wasn't surprised when they picked an empty room for the examination. At a glance, it was untouched and lit well enough that he wouldn't be needing his flashlight immediately. He flicked it off as he entered, dismissing the movement of shadows.

"It's not something I've been eager to try." Muraki replied, a touch of dry humour in his voice. "But I'm sure Peter would have been willing to assist." He let the implication sit for just a moment before adding, with a smile, "You seem like good friends."

He paused to set his flashlight down on the desk and began rolling his sleeves up with easy efficiency. "I suppose I'll be examining you first, Brainiac 5?"

Edited 2010-11-04 15:49 (UTC)

Peter watched the two stroll in, eyes thinning at the back of Muraki's head when he mentioned 'assisting' and how good of friends they must be. He didn't answer, silent as stone. Was it just him, or was there some kind of weird undertone in there?

Maybe it was just the wording. Or perhaps it was the airs of grace and dignity that were throwing him off. Either way, he was just getting all the wrong vibes from this guy. Called him biased, but he'd had plenty of experience with suave, well to do, dapper gentleman. They were all careful with their phrasing like this guy, polite but distant, well meaning - and behind closed doors, they was something else entirely. Norman Osborn came to mind. If that wasn't enough cause for caution he didn't know what was. That Justin Hammer guy too, who had actually offered him money to take out Otto for good (slimy slimy slimeball). Luxord. Heck, even Butler Bad Vibes counted from sheer creepy alone.

About the only thing Muraki had going for him at this point was that Peter's spider sense had yet to blare off, and they all knew how reliable that was. Aside from that time with Grell in the library, it never seemed to go off now unless he was an inch away from a stab in the face. Maybe if the institute's restrictions weren't holding him down he'd have an answer already, but for now he'd just have to roll with what his gut told him.

And make sure Brainy didn't go wandering off with him in the meantime.

He slipped in after them and shut the door, settling onto the bed behind Muraki with his legs folded. The suggestion of examinations - as in plural - threw him off, and he took the chance to silently mouth the word 'first?' at Brainy while Muraki's attention was elsewhere.

Yeah, that wasn't happening. Better set the record straight. "I don't really need anything, so you can just check out Brainy. I'm already bandaged where there needs to be band-aids. Just gotta wait for it all to heal."

"Yes," Brainiac 5 began, but Peter cut him off and he winced internally. He deliberately hadn't mentioned suggesting that Muraki look at Peter as well, since he'd been hoping that Peter would go along with it once he'd met the doctor and seen how professional he was, but apparently that wasn't working out.

"Technically I'm already bandaged as well, Peter," he pointed out, glancing over at his friend again. It didn't seem to have much of an effect, at least, none that involved Peter giving in and at least letting Muraki take a quick look at him (which didn't much help with Brainiac 5's suspicions that his friend was more injured than he'd let on this morning), so he moved away from the doctor and cautiously approached Peter.

"I'm not going to force you into anything," he said, carefully placing his hand on the other boy's arm while maintaining a reasonable amount of distance. "But I'd... appreciate it if you at least had someone check you weren't badly hurt after whatever it was that attacked you last night."

Emotion had never been widely accepted on Colu, but when Brainiac 5 had first joined the Legion as it's youngest member, he'd quickly picked up that letting on when something was upsetting him and tilting his face just a little seemed to be surprisingly effective in convincing people to do things like read 432 page reports or clean up the mess they'd made in his lab. And if it meant making absolutely sure that Peter wasn't injured badly, then he wasn't above using it against the other boy.

Muraki didn't much care for Peter's habit of standing behind him. It was as if he assumed he could take the doctor by surprise should the sudden need arise, as if Muraki wouldn't simply turn and stab him in the throat with a pen then continue with his work while the boy choked to death on his own blood. He was just a boy, after all. An arrogant little brat who needed very badly to be put in his place.

At least he managed to stay out of the way for the moment. More interestingly, Brainiac 5 had neglected to mention the examination he'd so kindly volunteered Peter for. It wasn't an easy thing to simply forget, even in light of the announcements. And now...

Muraki turned as Brainiac 5 walked over to his roommate, watching with polite indifference as he begged Peter to reconsider. The manipulation was subtle and well-intended. The boy himself might hardly be aware of it. But Muraki had to admit, he had talent.

He would have liked to examine Peter more closely for his own reasons, even more so because of his resistance. Was he hiding something as well? Or simply mistrustful for a reason? He'd been met with hostility, but not recognition, of that he was almost certain. These two were hiding something and he would be all too pleased to wring it out of them.

"If you have any concerns, Peter, I would be happy to address them," He added reasonably. "Whatever they might be."

Edited 2010-11-08 01:12 (UTC)

Peter was aware of the use of the boo-boo-kitty face. It was a technique he often used himself. On MJ, on Harry, Aunt May and Uncle Ben, Mr. Jameson (with mixed success), and Nick Fury too (even more mixed success). But in all fifteen years of his short life, he had never had this treacherous weapon turned against him.

Peter's mouth twitched.

"...I'm not badly hurt." He turned his gaze to the side, finding it suddenly hard to look his roommate in the eye. Most likely because he was still floundering in his search for a solid excuse to avoid a check-up from Secret Sociopath, M.D. "I just got jumped by the random monster of the week. It's a pretty standard beat down, okay? You're the one who got dragged upstairs and injected with freaky liquid technology things."

Peter had to stifle a wordless noise of frustration when Muraki chimed in, ever the helpful one. Safer to just shake his head and add, "I'm not concerned about anything. There's just nothing else to be done. Seriously."

In all honesty, he was just about as comfortable with Brainy getting looked over by this guy as he was at the prospect of his own examination. Which was not at all. But he couldn't call the whole thing off just because he thought Muraki 'talked funny'. This was Brainy's idea, and he was clearly confident enough in his buddy's capabilities here to go through with it. No amount of insisting that he had a hunch (regardless of how trustworthy his hunches had proved in the past) was going to sway his roommate on the matter.

As for himself? He knew that taking a closer look meant getting at his shoulder. Any sort of medical consultation would require him to take off his shirt - which would inadvertently reveal the full-torso bruise Grell had given him last night. That might set off a few warning bells. If not for Muraki, then definitely for Brainy. Or there were the oodles of mystery scars. Slashes and bullets and burns, oh my. Not exactly the sort of thing you'd expect to see on your average teenage boy.

Like he'd said a million times before: he'd really like it if his secret identity stayed secret. Was that really too much to ask for?

He dared a glance up at his roommate's face again. Please understand, Brainy. Even if he wasn't weirding me out I would not take my shirt off for him. "Let's just do your thing and see how it goes. You need this more than I do." He pointed upwards at the sputtering lights. They were half efficiency and all creepy by now. "Besides, we should finish up here before whatever Landel needs the lights for gets started."

It was a valid point. Yet he doubted either of them would see it as anything other than an excuse to get out of this pickle.

Should he be expecting a chewing out later, or advanced guilt tripping?

Edited 2010-11-08 08:54 (UTC)

Brainiac 5 sighed. He didn't want to give on this matter with Peter, especially considering how unfairly worried about him the other boy was when he wouldn't allow the Coluan to return the concern, but he calculated a high chance that pushing the matter wouldn't make Peter any more likely to go along with the idea.

So he stepped back, allowing himself to look put out but not saying anything on the matter beyond a simple; "Alright, Peter. If that's what you want."

He felt a little bad about the attempt to manipulate his friend's emotional state, but it was with the best of intentions. He was simply concerned and wanted to make sure that his friend wasn't too badly hurt, and that he'd been treated correctly for whatever injuries he did have. Both were understandable concerns, he felt. Ones that if their situation were reversed, Peter would no doubt be equally worried about.

After a moment, he turned back towards Doctor Muraki. "I suppose it's just me then," he said. "I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with twenty-first century medical examinations, so you'll have to instruct me what to do."

Edited 2010-11-09 04:59 (UTC)

So he had been taken up for an experiment after all. Muraki had only had his suspicions before, but Peter had confirmed them neatly for him. Even if he wasn't going to let Muraki take a look at him, he'd proved himself a little bit useful at least. And here the doctor thought he might not even be a decent light-stand.

As touching as their little romantic drama had become, he would be more than happy to get the examination under way. He'd befitted from all of Landel's games so far, but there was no guarantee that he would continue to do so and there would always be time for Peter later. It wasn't as if they all had somewhere pressing to be.

Muraki nodded once. "Peter is right." About who needed to be looked at more, and also about the lights. He was willing to throw the boy a bone. His smile belayed some understanding, directed at Brainiac 5. "You should trust that he'll look after himself, for your sake as well as his own."

He indicated the bed with a casual sweeping gesture. "For now, just try to sit comfortably." He was from the 20th century, not the 21st, but that was an interesting assumption. Perhaps most of the patients he'd spoken to had come from that time, or thought they had. Strange, to consider that his present might be twenty or a hundred years in the past. A single lifetime away from the familiar.

Things hadn't changed much.

Back to business. "Peter, I need to ask you a favor." He turned and held his flashlight out to the boy. "Can you hold this and shine it where I tell you?" And not vomit everywhere at the sight of your boyfriend's blood. The squeamish ones were the worst by far. Blood was blood, it stained at worst. Bile, on the other hand, had no redeeming qualities.

As predicted, Brainy was less than thrilled with his continued refusal of a check up. Guilt washed over him as the other boy gave him a look that more resembled Bambi finding out his mom died than a put out human boy. Yeesh. Brainy might not have yet caught onto the basics of socialization, but he had the makings of a master puppy-facer already. A part of him wanted to come out and apologize, but Peter's caution was not a force to be underestimated. Turning down the offer was the smartest move right now, both for the sake of keeping his identity a secret and avoiding any further explanation about what really happened last night. He'd tell Brainy eventually. Just not with Muraki there.

And okay, speaking of the man, he'd have to cut him at least a little slack. He wasn't pushing him to take the check up. Plus he was agreeing to both of Peter's points about Brainy's condition and Landel's uber suspicious plots. Congrats, Muraki. You've moved up approximately a quarter of a notch on Peter's Respect-o-Meter.

He nodded in acquiescence and leaned back. Peter fully expected to spend the next ten or twenty minutes lazing around and trying to avoid lookin at Brainy while his shirt was off, but then he was being called over to play the Igor to Muraki's Frankenstein. (A brief thought was spared for his therapist - now there had been a certified creep.) Peter blinked at the request. "Okay."

Light holding. He could handle that. He wasn't sure what Muraki's angle was, or if there was an angle at all. Maybe he really did just need an extra light. That didn't stop Peter from noticing that now he was a) within plain sight and arm's reach of the man when before he was safe and sound behind him, and b) holding the flashlight would occupy his only working hand for the duration of the exam. Rather limited his chance of defense, didn't it? He could always hit him with the flashlight should something go awry, but still. He didn't have much room for swinging at this range, and focusing on following the doctor's orders might make him slower to react.

Sneaky, or just a happy coincidence?

Peter took the offered light, flipping it in his grip and pointing it at Brainy's chest. He was careful to make sure the beam didn't hit the other boy's eyes.

He frowned momentarily. "Uh - I can look away if you want? If that'll be more comfortable for you."

Frankly, he had no issue with shirtless guys when it didn't involve communal showers. He'd had to deal with a half-naked Wolverine for three days before. Not to mention the guy's skin had looked like the window of a butcher shop at the time. There really was no topping that. On the other hand, Brainy was kind of shy to begin with and he was just as reclusive when injured as Peter was. He might feel a tad more at ease if he didn't feel like he was on display.

Brainiac 5 frowned, but didn't argue any further. But all the same, he couldn't help but feel a little put out that the doctor so easily sided with his roommate. It would have been nice not to be the only one showing concern.

Not to mention not being the only one getting examined for medical purposes. He missed the automated systems in the Legion headquarters, not to mention his own built in sensors of his Coluan body. Of course, if he were back to his original body, he wouldn't have had any problems with this in the first place.

Nodding absently to Muraki's suggestion, Brainiac 5 sat down on the bed, his thoughts turning back yet again to what the doctor from the night before might have meant with this being an upgrade. Once he'd been checked to ensure he would heal well, he could start on puzzling out what it might be. Ideally he should also heal completely before he tried testing, but... Well, he'd see how long that was expected to take.

He blinked, his plans interrupted as Peter flicked the light on and directed it at his chest of all places. "Look away? What do you mean?"

"Thank you." It looked like it wouldn't be too difficult at all to keep Peter in line. Even in his current state Muraki was fully capable of subduing a couple of injured 14-year-old boys, but keeping them both within sight and arms' reach was admittedly something of a temptation. He sincerely hoped neither of them were thick or naive enough to overlook the act of good faith.

He raised an eyebrow at Peter's offer. There was no real reason for shyness, as far as he was concerned, unless of course... Oh, wasn't this cute.

"Usually examinations like this would be private." Muraki offered offhand. "I've put him in a difficult position, and Peter is trying to be polite."

Considering the culture clash he himself had experienced more than once, the excuse should at least prevent any immediate awkwardness. Peter owed him. It would have been much more fun to let him squirm.

He pushed his glasses up with the heel of his palm and caught Brainiac's eye, continuing brusquely. "Now, I'm going to unwrap the bandages around your head and take a look at the damage. If you become dizzy or uncomfortable at an time, don't hesitate to inform me. It's important that you don't push yourself too hard, physically or emotionally, so soon after... a procedure. All right?" He touched the edge of the bandage lightly, allowing Brainiac to absorb the information and adjust before he began to unwrap.

"...Yeah, that," Peter mumbled, eyes on the floor. Thank god, he was spared what would have no doubt been a most uncomfortable lecture on human modesty and medical etiquette. He wasn't ready for another disaster of the 'fap' variety.

Aaaand that sounded totally wrong and out of context here. When I was explaining the meaning of fap, the meaning of fap! Not even the fierce inner retraction could stop Peter from going fidgety at the implication.

Though the verdict was out on whether Muraki swooping in to his rescue there was more patronizing or sympathetic, Peter would just roll with it for now. He cleared his throat and averted his eyes anyway, knowing what the likely answer would be. He did not envy Brainy his spotlight one bit.

Not to mention they were going straight in for unwrapping the band-aids. He was concerned about Brainy, definitely, but Peter had never been a fan of staring at wounds. Wounds that, for all intents and purposes, should be kept covered for the time being. He supposed an examination meant getting a good look at the injuries, but wasn't this a little too soon to be peeling things away? What if Brainy got infected?

He frowned, hesitantly chiming in, "Should we have brought a first aid kit, or something? I mean if we're going to be unwrapping things we should have something to help clean up before we put the bandages back on."

This was going to be a long night, wasn't it?

"Oh." So that was what bothered Peter about all of this? It might also explain why he was so on edge as well, beyond how the institute itself was... behaving. The thought that there might be a cultural issue here hadn't really occurred to him, particularly since Brainiac 5 was used to handling a lot of the Legion's field medical requirements, where privacy was generally not a priority.

Still, even with that experience in mind, it was difficult not to tense up as the doctor touched his head.

"Alright," he agreed after a moment, reminding himself to keep still and quiet as Muraki worked. The implants in his forehead hadn't been as bad as other locations, so theoretically this would be the easier of the--

He jumped again as Peter raised what was a very valid point, one that he should have thought of before now.

"Peter's right; we'll need further supplies." His eyes flicked over to his roommate's. "There's a rudimentary first aid kit in my room."

The boy was awfully tense. Muraki felt a brief flutter of excitement as he jumped at the touch, and again at Peter's voice. The boy just became more and more useful. He would have liked to speak to Brainiac 5 without his lover hovering over them, and this provided the most perfect opportunity. Better yet, Peter had suggested it himself.

He withdrew his hands for the moment.

"My apologies. I didn't know you had anything like that or I would have suggested it earlier." Muraki's gaze shifted to Peter. "You can take the flashlight if you like."

If you were a real doctor, you would have suggested it yourself and not risked infecting him in the first place.

Oh the things Peter would say aloud if there were no such things as manners.

Instead Peter only shook his head, pressing the flashlight back into the doctor's hands. "Nah, I'll be fine. Most of the lights are on now. It'll take me two seconds."

And he hoped it would. He didn't like the idea of leaving Brainy alone with the man for any amount of time, but he also didn't like the idea of him getting sick. And if he was coming back soon, chances were Muraki wouldn't risk doing anything unseemly when he would definitely be getting caught.

Yes, he was already thinking of him as a full blown villain based on evidence of absolutely nothing. But you know what? He did not care. Peter had learned a long time ago to trust his instincts, which weren't usually too shabby in the creep-detecting department. He had had a few misses before (Eddie Brock for example), but rarely did he ever smell a stinker where there wasn't one. Muraki was oozing skeeve vibes, and no amount of flawless etiquette was going to cover that.

"Be back in a bit," he said, directing a brief smile to Brainy. All Muraki got in parting was half a nod.

The door swung open, and Peter disappeared into the hall. Searching their room wouldn't be too hard. There were only so many places you could hide stuff in there.

[FEEL FREE TO CONVERSE WITHOUT HIM FOR A ROUND OR TWO, GUYS? Let me know when it's okay for him to jump back in.]

"All right," Brainiac 5 agreed, watching Peter go before turning back to the doctor. It wouldn't take the other boy long before he found the little kit, theoretically. There were only a limited number of hiding places in their room and Peter was intelligent enough that it shouldn't present too much of a problem for him. Instead he focused on the doctor and their current task.

"Should we continue or wait for him to return?" he asked curiously. His forehead shouldn't be too much of a problem if they did continue on, but they might need the kit afterwards.

This was why medical technology in his own time was that much more useful; he would have had everything on hand and this would have been over in a few seconds.

Muraki took the flashlight with a short nod, his gaze shifting back to Brainiac 5 once Peter had left the room. It was tempting to continue without his scrutiny, indulge his curiosity and then some, but he had more than one goal in mind tonight. No one could accuse him of lacking self-control. Unless it came to a certain violet-eyed shinigami, he made certain not to bare his fangs until he was ready to kill.

"I don't want to risk infection if it can be helped, and it seems like you... need a little time." That was the most delicate way to put it, he supposed. He put on a sympathetic expression. "Did they put you under at all?"

An easy conclusion to make, from the boy's reaction and Ritsuka's description of the place as a 'torture room'. At the least, the patients must be conscious when the doors opened for them. Unnecessarily risky, Muraki thought. At least in some cases it would simply compromise the experiment, and if it didn't, letting them out so soon after surgery would. Unless the emotional and physical trauma was a part of the desired outcome. The institute itself was run with enough fine control that he had to wonder about it.

He thought he caught another flicker of shadow out the corner of his eye, but when he glanced in that direction nothing seemed amiss. He frowned, shifting his attention back to the boy. The rooms were relatively safe, weren't they?

Edited 2010-12-14 15:50 (UTC)

Brainiac 5's eyes slipped away from the doctor's face as he answered, concentrating instead on a blank wall in the room. It likely wouldn't have mattered exactly what he was looking at, however; his mind's eye conjuring up images of what had taken place that night.

"No," he said quietly. "They didn't. I was given something minor for the pain during some of the more... extreme moments, but much of it was without anything to dull the sensations."

He absently rubbed his wrist as he spoke, recalling the way the doctor had cut into him, slid the implants into his flesh so deeply that it felt like it surely must have been nestled on the very bone itself.

"Peter wants to find a way to reverse it," he continued carefully. "But I don't think it's really possible. There were implants, which could theoretically be removed, but the main component was a form of liquid technology that's no doubt penetrated most of my system by now."

Well, that certainly lent his trauma theory some credibility. That or Brainiac 5 had simply fallen into the hands of another particularly sadistic doctor. He would find out soon enough if this was an anomaly or an intended effect.

He made a mental note to check the wrist as well. "In that case, it would be too dangerous to remove even the implants. We don't know how they're meant to interact with the technology, and there's no guarantee that they wouldn't be replaced regardless. It may be wise to check them regularly. Do you know what they're meant to accomplish? Did the doctor mention anything at all?"

After a moment he added, "I'm sorry, for what it's worth. Something like this should never have happened."

"It's fine," Brainiac 5 answered automatically. "I'd rather have practicality, to be honest. Saying it shouldn't have happened won't change the fact that it did and there's little you or anyone else could have done regardless."

The silence that threatened to press in when they weren't speaking was a little unsettling, though the Coluan dismissed the concerns as paranoia about the institute of a night in general. All because it was night time didn't mean that they were in immediate danger, and the rooms were supposed to be safer.

Unless the nurses themselves removed you from them, that was.

His hand clenched a little and Brainiac 5 pushed the thought away. There was little point thinking about that now.

"No," he said, looking back up at the tall, pale doctor. "He only said they were an upgrade that would assist me, but nothing beyond that. I..." He hesitated. "Is there anything you can do until Peter returns? I don't like simply sitting here waiting."

"I suppose you're right." He replied. He could appreciate practicality more than most. Scientific minds were useful without being to caught up in frivolous emotions, and the only appeal they required was logic.

Still, it wasn't hard to see that the boy was still nervous and obviously upset. He had reason to be. Muraki was intimately familiar with some of the 'upgrades' that could be made to the human body, and few of them could be appreciated by the test subjects. Furthermore, the ones he had preformed himself weren't quite this technical in nature. He couldn't predict what this might accomplish.

"I understand," He thought for a moment. "Do you need help getting your shirt off? Once we start, it would be best to look after things as efficiently as possible."

"I can handle it," Brainiac 5 answered swiftly, both because it was true - he was a little slower than normal but it wasn't entirely beyond his capacity at the moment - and because he wasn't comfortable with the idea of Muraki helping him, doctor or no.

"My torso wasn't a major site of tampering," he began as he slowly tugged the shirt up and over his head. "But with the use of liquid technology, I can't be sure where it all ended up, assuming it has stopped moving, or what effects it might have."

With the shirt finally clear of his head, he folded it to the best of his ability right now and set it on the bed next to him. Presumably Muraki would want to inspect the points the doctor had used for injections, as well as his general physical condition, but the exact methods he'd use for such things he wasn't entirely certain of. Physical exams without highly advanced computers had died out centuries ago from his perspective.

Muraki didn't care much either way. A measure of caution was useful, and the point of the question was to check on the boy's mobility, which he had improved since lunch, when he could barely manage to eat on his own. He'd experienced a similar effect when it came to his own wounds. The cut from the other night had healed rapidly and left only a faint scar.

Muraki nodded once, his gaze thoughtful but distant. "My sentiments exactly. There doesn't seem to be any obvious external damage, but..." He pushed his glasses up with the heel of his palm and crouched in front of Brainiac 5. "Let me know if you feel anything unusual."

Though this wasn't a normal physical, he supposed it would be typical to start it off that way. He pressed two fingers against the boy's neck, checking his pulse and moving on to other points with clinical efficiency.

Carter twisted his ring on with a firm look of determination. That video game had settled it, he just had to see the world outside Landel's Institute for at least one night. And he had the tool to do it, too, he'd had the ring and he knew how to use it and he knew other people had gotten out of the institute too so it wasn't some diabolical trap for noble but overeager heroes.

It'd be nice to find someone else to take with him who knew more about the future, though. Kairi had been a very nice girl to hold hands with and protect but she was a native islander heathen type and wouldn't know much of anything. If he could just find a very nice girl who was also a Future Expert, then it'd be a real night out.

Did people go on dates in the future?

[To here. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/989523.html)]

Silence fell after the last announcement (it was a testament to this place that it did lift the hairs on his neck, where in any other setting, likely, that chuckle and ominous, short message, would have seemed hokey, to be trying too hard), followed by the click of the locking mechanism. Uryuu took stock of his supplies.

In the end, Uryuu chose to empty the pillowcase-come-sack. The spare clothing would have little purpose when keeping within the institute. What he did do was put on a second shirt. It was a little snug, but easier than carrying it around, and provided he could tear it, would do for makeshift bandaging in a pinch. Not that he intended to need it, but it was best to be prepared. The debate, then: to bring the radio or not? The bulletin post had been more than clear. Another group had the assignment of listening to the radio, meaning that regardless of what he heard should he bring it, he would do nothing. It wouldn't be much of a burden, in his pocket. If important information of any kind was transmitted, he'd prefer to hear it himself.

Not that he had much time to think it over, if he didn't want to keep Kratos-san waiting. When Uryuu left the room, he wore the provided boots, and his pockets were filled: two pens, two pages torn from the journal and folded small, the key ring, and the radio. He held the flashlight, but did not switch it on. Uryuu could handle the dark, and though he'd only navigated the halls his first, confused night, he'd seen enough during the day to make this trek to the Main Hallway easy.

Just wait for what I have in store for you. As if they had a choice.

[ to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/990258.html?view=73520946#t73520946) ]

Edited 2010-10-14 08:26 (UTC)

He did no like the sound of that. The intercom message from the Head Doctor sent a shiver down his spine, a sense of dread welling in his gut. That was the voice of a man who knew that he had the power of life or death over another. England knew that sort of tone very well and hearing it from that smug bastard's mouth just made him want to prove him so very very wrong. The British Empire did not take being imprisoned lightly, even as diminished as he was.

His walk, when he left the room, was calm and unhurried, head held high and the torch gripped rather tightly in one hand. He had said that he would check upstairs for Germany hadn't he? If they were working together, then he hardly intended to be the one to break the alliance. Not until it suited him anyway.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/992361.html?thread=73544041#t73544041)]

Edited 2010-10-15 02:45 (UTC)

Night 52: M71-M80 Hallway

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SCREAM I THOUGHT I HAD POSTED TO THIS AGES AGO. /)___(\ Sorry gaiz.

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ONLY A BILLION DAYS LATE, SOB

HOLIDAYS DON'T COUNT. Also I think Peter can come back now?

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