The Scorpion Oracle whispers, 'come on, turn the page.'

[wastlandrage]

The light filtering into the cells dims to an orange glow, and the scent of smoke and burning meat starts to carry through the air. The doors to every cell simultaneously grind open, and the guards - those not part of the walls of the dungeons - wait to lead the prisoners down the hall and up a set of stairs worn practically ramp-smooth

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[beenstoodover]

The key is still in Max's hand as he takes in everything around him, Mein Kampf tucked under his arm and his suitcase in the other hand.

He was supposed to be inside Hubermann's house right now--he was supposed to be safe. But he's not. Max is trying desperately to figure out how he could have been in relative safety just mere moments ago, and how he has shown up right here.

But honestly, it's hard to think straight because every fibre of his being is screaming that somehow he's been captured. He can see the other people surrounded by guards, and he silently curses himself for not putting the pair of scissors in his pocket. Now he has nothing to defend himself but a book and his fists.

Slowly, Max slips the key into his pocket, and stands rigidly, eyes darting around the room. There must be a way to escape. If he has to fight his way out, he'll do that, but not yet. He waits for someone to take action so he can slip away, breathing silently. He's more shadow than human at this point anyway. He just needs to wait. He waited four years in the dark. He can't wait much longer, but a few more minutes won't kill him.

[ruggdlyhndsome]

The two people to the side of Castle looked as though they had come directly from a Ren Faire, one complete with very realistic-looking dragons. Apparently they were just as disoriented as he was. Maybe this was a hallucination?

Castle turned to the man on his other side and watched as he discreetly put a key in his pocket. Hiding something? So far the man was just watching and reasoning - trying to find a way out. The man's arm moved slightly and Castle was able to notice the title on the book under his arm (books naturally drew his eye). He eyebrows went up.

"That's uh... some heavy reading there."

[beenstoodover]

Max glances up at the other man, his back rigid, the muscles in his legs tightening in case he has to run. He had been so focused on looking for a way out, he hadn't been paying much attention to the people around him. His eyes slide quickly over the man who spoke to the two dressed up like nothing Max has seen before in real life. His eyes almost bug out of his head when he sees the dragons. What is going on? How can any of this be real?

A panic slides into Max's stomach as he realizes this could all be a dream--he could still be on the train or even in the warehouse. That's the only explanation. He failed to stay awake, he fell asleep and now he's going to be caught for real, not just in a dream.

There's a question, though. Perhaps some kind of experiment, if he's already been captured? From the things Walter said, it doesn't sound out of the question that maybe they'd try a drug on him. Maybe he can still get out of this.

"It's a very good read," he says quietly, glancing down at the book that was supposed to save his life. "The Fuhrer writes very well."

Not that Max remembers a word, just burning anger keeping him going. Can he remember the passages? He has to stay on his feet now, and deal with this man's questions--he just has to stay alert until he can get out of this or wake up or whatever.

[ruggdlyhndsome]

"Sure, as far as completely crazy manifestos go. Though personally I'm more partial to Marx's. It sounds much less like it was written in between rounds of electric shock therapy."

Castle could tell that the man wasn't entirely sold on what he was saying. Why pretend to be a Nazi though? Castle had more pressing matters to worry about at the moment than this guy's potential anti-Semitism.

"Listen.. I have no idea... where this is, or how we got here, but we need to get out of here, man. My friend got shot... she's dying-."

He had to stop himself. If he kept thinking about Beckett laying in a pool of blood, he was going to start freaking out and completely shut down.

[fullbodycyborg]

The Major fails to suppress a chuckle at the man's description of Mein Kampf. She's standing a few steps from them both, dressed in her usual skin-tight special-ops uniform armour. After a short pause, it appears the purple-haired Asian lady decides she might need to comment on her chuckle.

"A good review, sir." She offers and nods, dryly amused. The younger man and owner of said book gets a glance before she looks back at Castle. "Wish I could help, but we all want the answers to those questions. Except how we got here in particular. Several of us were kidnapped from the carnival. I don't recognize either of you two, though." She gives the both of them a curious glance.

[ruggdlyhndsome]

Castle turned slightly to observe a lady with purple hair dressed entirely in leather. Now he was starting to wonder if this wasn't some weird sex party.

"Carnival? What are you talking about?"

Was that part of the sex party? There was no way possibly that he could have been anywhere other than at Montgomery's funeral, however.

[fullbodycyborg]

Admittedly it was a suggestive outfit--like a tight and padded motorcycle suit, but sex party? Oh you wish.

The Major raises an eyebrow and smirks sympathetically at the man's confusion. "Guess that means you're new, huh. Welcome to the strangest place you ever did see." If it was a party, she seemed somewhat bitter and suspicious of it in spite of the description.

[ruggdlyhndsome]

Since it seemed like this woman had more information than he did, he turned to her in order to speak with her more directly.

"I don't know where this is, but I need to leave. My friend is dying."

[fullbodycyborg]

"I'm sorry." Sympathy is joined with a touch of sadness. The idea of loosing one's friends is truly heart-breaking. Or; so she likes to imagine it to be -if she ever dared let herself have any. Or; so she tells herself she doesn't.

"There are quite a few of us who found ourselves stranded here. A forest, an old village, a carnival.. like being lost in a Brothers' Grimm story or similar. No one has found a way out yet. And then there's this place. No one I've spoken to knows where it is and we arrived here taken prisoners, but I'd say it's all the same fairytale dream." The Major looks back at the woman who addressed them earlier and narrows her eyes, thinking. Then she looks back at Castle. "My friends call me the Major. I can't help you get home to your friend but I'd advise you to be careful handling the locals." She gestures to the woman before the throne and the other huddled figures with a nod.

[ruggdlyhndsome]

Castle shook his head slightly.

"This is some kind of prison? How did we all get here?"

[fullbodycyborg]

She's silent for a moment and regards him thoughtfully. "Like I said, some of us was attacked while at a carnival in the forest. Knocked out. Brought here. What is the last you remember?"

[ruggdlyhndsome]

"I was at a funeral for a friend of mine. My... other friend was giving his eulogy and she got shot. I was laying over her, watching her die and then.. I was here."

He paused.

"Wait, did I somehow transport myself to another dimension?"

[fullbodycyborg]

Motoko listens gravely to his story, raises an eyebrow at the sudden pause... and answers his question by breaking out into a small smile.

"You catch on fast. That, or you're dreaming. Hallucinating. Perhaps you are a figment of my imagination." She looks at his and shrugs. There are no straight answers to find in the twilight zone, sorry. "I'm called the Major."

[ruggdlyhndsome]

"I'm Richard Castle."

Usually that was followed by "Yes, THAT Richard Castle.", but it didn't seem like it mattered much in whatever place this was."

"And I know I'm real. Pretty sure you are too."

Castle reached out and gently touched her arm. She was definitely solid.

[fullbodycyborg]

She offers a nod as they exchange names and watches, somewhat amused, as he reaches out to touch her arm. She look sup at him again and smirk.

"Haven't been on the receiving end of any real realistic simulations have you, Mr Castle?" It's less a question, more an assumed statement. "What your body perceives to feel is but a reaction registered by your brain. And the brain can be fooled, - and it's really far easier than most people think. You don't appear to be cyberized so I assume you haven't experienced any of that particular option of deception. Lucky you."

The Major shrugs, as if to say that's just the top of a long list of possible explanations to the hallucination theory. "Then again... different dimension -I suppose why not, yes?"

[beenstoodover]

Max eyes this man. Is that supposed to be a trap? He's a very good actor if it is, very good--but no one would openly mock the Fuhrer's writing, not even in jest. It doesn't seem real--it's as if it's all a dream. Wake up, Maxi Taxi, Max thinks to himself. Wake up.

But apparently the dream has other ideas. "Your friend is dying?" He scans the crowd, looking for any sign of a wounded woman. There are people here, and lots of them, but no sign of anyone who has been shot. But perhaps she's outside this space...

Max pauses. He's thinking about this dream like it's reality. "Do you have any suggestions?" he asks cautiously. He still doesn't know this isn't a trap. "I don't have any weapons or... dragons." He nods to indicate the other two. He does have a pair of scissors, but he's not going to share that. He needs to have a back-up plan of his own now, especially when Walter isn't here to help him. And he doesn't--can't trust this man.