Night 53: Disciplinary Therapy Corridor

[toxicspiderman]

[from here]

"Of the times I've been up here voluntarily, a couple have gotten out before we got up here. Usually we have to cool our heels for a while." He shrugged, and then started unearthing unpleasant memories. The investigation pulled up nothing except the sneaking suspicion he could still smell SLUD-induced vomit in the cracks in the floor. "The other time, fuck if I know how long. Spider raided the drugs and the janitor's closet before passing out here."

"Don't try to kick these doors open. You'll break your leg. They're less normal than the rest of this place. The Frankensteins don't ever show on this side." A lot of people forgot that Frankenstein was the mad scientist, not the monster he created. Igor had achieved a cross-media cultural blitzkrieg that no one confused him with Abby Normal's. Just the top brass and their monster. Middle-level management strictly not liable. "Transporter doors, staff only. Have to be." He didn't have to add not to open them. Mello wasn't an idiot, even if he was getting way too into this for an impartial observer.

Comments

[hasnomeaning]

Movements were noted quietly behind her. The others filing in and experiencing the scenery. Rei remembered the feeling of before, of coming to this place because of a pull within her--the knowledge of familiarity near to her, far ahead. Here, there was a close similarity. Something like that. But nothing as clear as there had been before. Rei understood Ikari was nearby. But she did not know where he was.

So Kaworu Nagisa moved without hesitation to try a nearby door. The sound of its locked nature echoed briefly around the room, and Ayanami walked further in, stepping to the next door and trying it. Nothing gave. This one, too, was locked.

[sainted]

Stefan stood at the mouth of the corridor for a moment, staring after the backs of the children who made their way inside, lingering in particular on the pale, messy hair which marked Kaworu out as clear as if it was daylight. What did he mean, talking of fear like that? Could he read minds, like Edward? Maybe, but it wasn't much of a stretch to think Stefan was afraid — but not for the obvious reasons. Not for himself. Even last night, he hadn't been afraid for his own safety.

Or maybe Kaworu was thinking exactly along the lines he was. They were all here in search of someone. However, Stefan was the only one here for Elena, and he moved finally to the doors on the opposite side of the hall. Still keeping an eye out for any possible danger to the three he was with, Stefan tried each door in turn. He even put his full strength into it, or at least whatever had been left to him. Nothing.

And if Elena, or anyone else, was behind any of these doors, he couldn't hear it.

"How did you get in last time?" he asked after the fourth locked door, sounding frustrated.

[lookitmemama.livejournal.com]

Asuka didn't make a sound (being a leader of sorts came with sacrifices), but that didn't mean she couldn't roll her eyes at Kaworu's sudden bout of philosophical drivel. What was there to be afraid of? There were four of them, and three of them dismembered monsters for a living. They didn't have their evangelions anymore for that, but the pilot was still confident that numbers would ultimately win the battle. Plus, Kaworu was oh so holy; he could probably neutralize monsters with his powers, especially if it was the only way through to Shinji.

It occurred to her that if the albino angel was this "devoted" to wonder boy, Kaworu would be a good bodyguard during the nights. Not that she would ever sink so low as to ignore the fact he was an angel, but a good leader needed to look at the big picture and keep all his or her options open. That's all.

Passing Stefan, Asuka ignored his question and continued the seemingly futile assembly line that Rei and Kaworu had started. "You idiots are hopeless. Let me do it!"

She set her baseball bat against the wall beside the fifth door and tested the doorknob. Locked, of course. But unlike the others, the redhead wouldn't give up so easily. Stepping back, Asuka raised her leg and began kicking the door around the lock. She got the shack outside open this way, it would work eventually!

But eventually was becoming increasingly distant. Her leg was going numb from the tremors running up her foot. Panting from the exertion, she lowered her leg and glared at the stubborn door. It was about the time she lifted her left leg to finish what the right had started that she heard a mechanical click which made her pause.

"What the...?" Hoping against hope, Asuka tried the door handle tentatively and guffawed victoriously when it turned. "See? Perseverance always wins in the end!" The door swung open slowly and Asuka was greeted by the painful brightness of an overhead light. It reflected down on a familiar shape that she longed to reacquaint herself with.

[moral-liberty.livejournal.com]

Kaworu had moved to eventually stand behind Asuka, but with distance still between them. Where she felt anger or frustration, Kaworu could only now identify the tension that had been with him since he had realized Shinji was gone. When he stayed out of her range, away from her wrath, he felt more comfortable. Kaworu watched her strain against the door, which only relented of its own volition after her assault ended. They had no impact on the things that would pass here.

Kaworu responded, or his body did, with an audible gasp he could not control. The door revealed what he had perhaps already pictured in his head, and his powerlessness and desire for distance were forgotten. He recognized the shapes inside too easily. The sharp lines of what was intended to be an entry plug. The unsettling bright light highlighted it, and neither the light nor the tube belonged here. All of it was unwelcome, and yet, Kaworu didn't hesitate. He moved past Asuka, even brushing against her as he angled for the space between her and the door, but the moment of contact was gone too quickly. Too quickly for him to wonder about her distaste. How she might be disgusted by him, or by the way he ran to Shinji now.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/1022236.html?thread=75139612#t75139612).]