Nightshift 23 -- Second Floor. Hallway Outside Medical Reference Library/Staff Training Area

[tartaros-avatar.livejournal.com]

[[From here]]

Recluse stopped at the top of the stairs, sufficiently far enough from the flashlight so that he felt a little less jumpy. He scanned the area, trying to make sure there were no unpleasant surprises waiting for him in the dark halls. Satisfied for the moment that the area was safe, he turned to speak quietly to the reporter.

"I haven't been to the chapel before. I assume you know the way?"

Comments

[blacksustenance.livejournal.com]

Eddie Brock most certainly did. He nodded. "Yeah."

The blond took the lead, pausing for a moment to try to remember the twist of the upstairs halls, and then setting off at a brisk, but careful pace. While he wasn't sure what the majority of the rooms were - this was honestly the first time he'd been on the second floor during the nights - he still had a good idea where the chapel was. Once they got to the rail overlooking the empty space above the Sun Room, he figured they were all set; the Chapel was just around the makeshift balcony.

Eddie was half-tempted to turn and see if that girl was following, but decided against it. After the painful experience the other night, he'd feel a lot better with Richter between him and anything trying to sneak up on them. No, they hadn't much cared for fire; Eddie was already hard-wired as a human to equate burning with bad, but it was now even doubly effective against them with his Other sharing his body.

[voiceless-rage.livejournal.com]

As Caim approached the top of the stairs, he stopped. There were people there, yes ... as he'd heard at the bottom and middle of the staircase. He squinted into the darkness. One of them was familiar, and after a moment of thought, he realized that it was the other patient from last night - the one who had gone after their enemy when the boy had plunged into the lake.

Caim glared. Ironic that they should meet up two nightshifts in a row.

Not bothering to make himself stealthy (because really, he had no need for that - he'd gotten by in life without it up until now, why start now?), Caim made his way up and joined the group at the top. He cast a glance around at the collective without much thought, simply assessing. If they were going to the chapel, then he would go with them - as unfortunate as it may be.

[afraidnot.livejournal.com]

Raven had waited a moment after the two males had left before continuing on her way, which resembled aimless wandering more than anything else. With no map or directions, what else was she supposed to do?

She soon discovered that many of the 2nd floor’s doors were locked up. Some bearing better locks than others, but all inaccessible without a key. Although she did find some more halls, Raven wasn’t quite sure that going any deeper in the Institute without company, or a weapon, was such a good idea.

The girl retraced her steps, and saw the two guys from before standing near an empty railed area, someone else had joined them too. Although she didn’t like the idea of asking complete strangers for directions, it was either that, or risk going around in circles. Or worse.

With her flashlight still on, Raven approached the male trio. “I don’t suppose any of you know the layout of this floor.” She asked dryly.

[tartaros-avatar.livejournal.com]

Recluse warily examined Caim as he approached, eyes narrowing. He didn't have any reason to trust anyone here, let alone a man he had never even seen before. Especially since Brock seemed to have decided to put him meatshield duty on point.

It didn't help that the girl with the flashlight was still following them. He hissed angrily "Point that damn thing somewhere else, if you insist on keeping it on." At night, his eyes seemed even more sensitive than before.

[blacksustenance.livejournal.com]

He'd turned to see what the hold-up was in time to see both another patient and the girl from before trooping up behind him. Glancing first at the male patient, Eddie Brock was startled to realize that he was that overzealous Mute Guy from last night; he even had the damn shovel he'd been brandishing back at the courtyard like he wanted an excuse to brain someone with it. The girl looked relatively harmless, kind of...Goth-y, but at least she didn't look as stereotypically helpless like that crazy ghost-girl he'd run into with Crane. Sure, she looked like she stepped out of Beetlejuice, but it was a big plus in her favor that she wasn't on fire like the last kid.

"I've only been up here once," Brock replied, keeping an eye on the Lydia-lookalike. There wasn't any kinds of crazy vibes, and, unlike last time, his Other did sense her, "seeing" her just as it acknowledged the existence of Richter, and the voiceless one. "We're headed up to the Chapel."

Where the devout kneel.

That would have had special meaning for him, but it felt like he was doing something wrong trespassing in with all these people - there were his own sins to consider and he didn't even want to consider Stefan Richters, seeing as the man was apparently some kind of anti-Captain America from wherever he came from. And then there was Mute Guy and Lydia. Maybe this Chapel didn't have any specific religious icons, but he couldn't shake the feeling that here it didn't matter; it was still a place of worship, a house of God.

Still, they were up here and there was only going forward.

[voiceless-rage.livejournal.com]

When a girl arrived, and the unfamiliar man recoiled from her light as if in pain, Caim narrowed his eyes. Only true evil despised the light. He kept his shovel in a tight grip, ready to strike out if the man proved suddenly unfriendly ... although his attire, as well as the fact that he was with the patient from the previous night, made him stay his anger.

There was no immediate threat. He would know when there was.

A chapel held absolutely no meaning for Caim. He had a very vague sense of religion, being that his entire world was kept in balance by a single woman's will to do so. There had never been any real chapels, any singularly devoted temples to the goddess; because she changed so often, there was simply no use in trying to change them. The idea of keeping the world of nightmares, of hell itself, at bay had given way to some places of worship, where the pure of heart gathered to prepare to defend the goddess against any threat.

And that had done so much.

Caim hissed through his teeth and made his way up to the second floor completely, no longer standing on the stairs. He looked both ways, attempting to discern where the chapel might be - but really, he had no idea. He could only hope one of the others had some mental map of the upper floor and knew where they were going.

[afraidnot.livejournal.com]

“Sorry.” One of them apparently had eyes that were sensitive to light. Well, she didn't mind turning off her flashlight. There was no telling how long the battery would hold out, and she could manage without it, at least for a while.

Raven then took notice of the guy who had yet to say anything, but didn't really pay too much attention to him, or his shovel. However, the blonde man’s mention of a chapel did pique her interest.

"A chapel, here?"

She couldn’t help but see it as terribly ironic. Religion, in a place that was supposed to treat the mentally ill (as far they had all been told)… In any case, she was curious about it.

“Can I… uh, come along with you three?”

How did Starfire and Beast Boy make talking to others seem so easy?

“I won’t get in the way.”

[tartaros-avatar.livejournal.com]

Much better. So much better, with that light gone. The quiet man seemed to be more wary of him, however. Just as long as the man didn't try to brain him with that shovel--more likely to give him a potentially serious cut, actually, if the thing was properly kept--everything would be alright. If he could have heard Caim's thoughts, however... Recluse might have taken it as a twisted compliment on some level.

And it had seemed rather obvious to him that the girl was going to follow them anyway. Recluse didn't bother to answer her request. Someone more inclined to being polite could do that. He just kept watching the surroundings as they continued on. The Sun Room was just below them, and after the events of last night, he would rather not be anywhere in its vicinity without devoting his attention to watching for hostiles.

That included within this little group. He kept an eye on the newcomers, and kept his sharpening steel hidden behind his forearm.

[blacksustenance.livejournal.com]

[Moving here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/101043.html)]