Nightshift 25: M21-M30 Hallway

[itneverwas]

As soon as the doors had unlocked, Xemnas already headed outside. His amber eyes scanned the dark hallway, but there were patients nor monsters lurking within the darkness. Keeping his flashlight off as to avoid any unwanted attention, the Superior quickly proceeded

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[stray_shinigami]

"Kidou is... spirit techniques, I guess," Renji said, shrugging one shoulder slightly. "Dunno. I've heard people call it magic, but they'd also call what you do magic. I'm not sure how to put it. And... eh, good teacher or no, both Rukia and Momo are really good. So I figure it doesn't hurt to try."

He took the knife from Ed, out of habit checking its edge and finding its balance point. "Thank you," he said. "That's nice work." He smiled. "And it'll do a lot of good." He trusted Valyn to use the weapon to help other people. Whether Valyn was outwardly emotional or not, he was a good kid.

He was mildly surprised Ed hadn't enquired about the sword yet, but he figured he wouldn't bring it up. It was his own business if he wanted to loan it to Rukia. Though he hoped, perhaps the next night, that he would be on a more hazardous duty. He wanted to go looking for a fight. It'd help blow off some steam.

Rather than follow that train of thought further, he ripped off a portion of the sheet he'd used to wrap the metal and made it into a makeshift scabard for the knife. No need to cut himself accidentally. He hoped he'd be able to find Valyn tonight to give him the knife, though if not, it was a bit comforting to have some sort of weapon.

[lost_metal]

Spirit techniques? Nothing he'd ever heard of then. Sounded vaugely religious which never sat well with him. But Renji had a point. Tamaki had thought alchemy was like magic when he'd seen it. And it wasn't. It was difficult to comprehend when you'd grown up using it and learning its concepts. "I'll see what I can do."

He grinned at Artermis, his ego very definitely soothed by the other boy's reaction. "It's alchemy. I break down the metal into its component parts and then reform it. It works on anything pretty much, but you have to use something of equal mass. The array focuses the energy. At home I wouldn't even need one. And the reaction usually goes much more quickly." He flushed with pleasure when Artermis said he was a prodigy. "I was the youngest State Alchemist ever where I come from. And I'm one of about four people who can perform alchemy without an array."

He smiled at the other boy. "It's nice to talk about it to someone who finds it interesting. I'd normally have my brother to talk to about it but... he's not here anymore." His face fell for a moment before he forced himself back to the present. He had things to do still.

"I'm glad it'll be of help," Ed said, looking up at Renji. "And I'll be happy to try and teach your friends alchemy if they want."

[byname_bynature]

"The youngest State Alchemist... able to do this without an array. That sounds impressive," Artemis smiled back at Edward. "I suppose in that respect, we have much in common. In different areas though." He continued making notes, thinking to himself.

Artemis looked up at Ed when he mentioned his brother, "I'm sorry to hear that. Someone told me that it's a curse to have your loved ones here--especially when they're killed or they disappear." He stood up with Ed, "If you ever want to discuss the subject of this, alchemy, with anyone--I hope you'll think of me," The boy smiled pleasantly. "I'm very interested in the mechanics of it."

He looked back at Renji as the man examined the knife. Artemis' eyes traveled from the blade to Renji's wrists. He frowned. There were bruises. On his neck too.

This may be more serious than I originally thought, Artemis mused, looking slightly disconcerted at Renji's injuries.

[stray_shinigami]

"Kidou is more like... using your will and strength to make something happen. I guess." Renji snorted. "You're supposed to imagine yourself in a dark circle but... fuck, I've never been able to do it. I stick to my swords and I'm happy." He grinned, and the expression was almost normal and right. "This Alchemy stuff... sounds too complicated to me. I'm glad you're good at it."

He examined the makeshift sheathe just to make sure it would hold right - and come off quick if he needed it - then tucked the knife into the back of his pants. It'd do for now. If he had to run, he'd probably have the knife out anyway.

"You should talk to Hitsugaya-taichou at some point," he said to Ed. "He's... eh, a prodigy too, when you come down to it. He's younger'n me by a few decades and he made Captain. And I even made Vice Captain kinda early." And, he thought, it would be kind of amusing to see the two short, grumpy guys being... grouchy, most likely, at each other.

When Artemis spoke about having loved ones here, his expression settled back into its usual grouchy lines. It wasn't something he wanted to think about, particularly. He didn't want Rukia here. Especially not now...

He shook his head and leaned against the wall by one of the desks. "Mind if we hang around here a little longer?" he asked Ed. "Just waiting for Suou to show up. Though... if he doesn't make it in a few more minutes, I think we'll go looking, eh."

[lost_metal]

Ed nodded weakly, but a little smile was on his lips. "I'm glad he's not here, but I lost him twice to this place and it means I can't protect him." He'd promised Al so much and he hadn't managed any of it. Hearing about things that would happen in the future was hardly compensation. It felt like a betrayal somehow to have friends here, to be having fun with Tamaki and Adel and everyone else when Al wasn't around and wasn't restored.

"I'd love to discuss it with you sometime," he said to Artermis, his smile brightening at the prospect. Artermis seemed interested in all of the ideas surrounding it, not just the results.

He turned back to Renji, catching Artermis' gaze and frowning as he too noticed the marks around Renji's wrists and... was that bruising around his throat? "I'll have to talk to this Hitsugaya at some point, and you're fine waiting." His frown deepend. That was bruising. Had something happened last night or was it something to do with the note on the bulletin.

Well, only one way to find out, and Ed had never really been what anyone would call tactful. "Renji, what happened to give you those brusies?"

[byname_bynature]

"Wonderful," Artemis said with a smile, "I'll be happy to learn from you what I can."

And then, it happened. Ed asked about the bruises. Artemis had already guessed that whatever had prompted the note on the bulletin board has caused those bruises as well. From what Artemis could tell, Renji wasn't one to let a few bruises or psychological torture drive him into the state he was in now. And the bruising was so deliberate-looking. Artemis had never seen anything like it before, except in cases of domestic abuse and self-torture he'd looked into. If it was anything like those two options, it was not something Renji would discuss so quickly.

Well, so much for there being no point to it anymore, Artemis thought grimly before fixing his face into another smirk.

"I was just about to ask that myself, Ed. I'm surprised they're even visible, really. Most victims choose to hide their injuries to avoid questions, but I suppose lying about them and the victim's state is another road some take. But what do I know?" The boy said with a shrug, "I just published an article on the subject."

[stray_shinigami]

Renji gritted his teeth. He was getting tired of being asked shit by people, of being pushed. First the bulletin board, and now in person. He didn't want to think about it, and it wasn't any of their business anyway. Nosy bastards.

"I got in a fight," he said, keeping his words measured, though he couldn't hide the annoyance. "I don't know why everyone is so fucking curious, because I've always got burns or bruises or fucking scraped knees or whatever the problem is." He half-grinned; it was more to show his teeth than anything else. "I've lived over a century and nobody gave a fuck about my bumps and bruises. I don't really need the concern now."

It was a lie. Rukia had always cared. And he'd always done his best to not worry her, like he was doing his best to not worry anyone else. That was why, he told himself, that was why he didn't want to talk about the... fight. There was no need to worry people. No need at all.

[lost_metal]

Ed had been snapped at by far scarier people than Renji. Especially when he sounded the kind of annoyed that Ed was when he was trying to hide something. And Ed hated people hiding things from him. It pissed him off and maybe it was none of his business, but after the bulletin note, it was difficult not to pry. Especially when he was worried about Renji.

He glanced over at Artmeis, nodding in agreement. He traced a ring around his flesh wrist with the automail. "I've been of times," he said, watching Renji warily. "I had that kind of mark around my wrist. Winry did too when she was kidnapped. But I've never had that kind of mark from any fight and I've been in a lot."

[byname_bynature]

Good LORD Ed, Artemis thought, Just let me take the fall already. The boy was running out of ideas. He had been certain that if he was horrible enough to Renji, Edward would have assumed the snipe was directed solely at himself.

But Ed did bring up a good point--the bruises looked like Renji had been detained against his will. False pretenses aside, now Artemis was curious.

"Did they experiment on you today?" As far as the boy knew, patients were only taken at the beginning of the night--which meant that this couldn't have happened to Renji the night before. And he'd seemed just fine on the message board... until before dinner. "Some people saw their psychologists today--did you?" The more he asked, the more annoyed he got.

"You do realize Abarai-san, that by keeping this to yourself, you could be dooming someone else to your fate. If you do not made whatever happened public, some poor man, woman, or child could be blindsided by whatever happened to you. And if it caused you to be so unlike yourself, I'm not sure I want to think about what it was."

[stray_shinigami]

Renji maintained his semblance of calm as Ed talked, and even through most of Artemis' words. It wasn't until the boy's final point, when it hit on the quandary that Renji couldn't resolve, that he lost it.

If I don't warn people, it'll happen to them. But I can't say. But they'll know if I tell them. And it doesn't matter anyway because

we

are

helpless.

He exploded. There was no other word for it. One moment he was outwardly calm; the next, he drove his fist into the wall, hard enough that he put a dent in it, hard enough that he felt something in his hand crunch and break.

It was that pain that gave him enough control back that he didn't yell. "Enough." He lowered his hand down to his side. "Both of you. Enough. I've had enough bullshit questions. I told you what happened. Believe me or not, but get the fuck off my back. I'm not in the mood. And if I'm that goddamn untrustworthy..." He wiggled his fingers; it hurt, but it was good. It was a distraction. He clenched his aching hand into a fist. "I'm gonna go look for Suou." He pointed at Artemis. "You stay here."

He walked out the door, shoulders tense, back straight, and headed down the hall.

[lost_metal]

Ed listened quietly to Artermis' words. He wasn't entirely sure what the other boy was getting at, but it was clear that Renji was hiding something. He knew you didn't get marks like that in such places from a normal fight. Had someone managed to get Renji restrained in order to beat him up or something?

But before he could even voice that thought, Renji punched the wall, levaing a fist shaped dent in the plaster. Ed's eyes widened, hearing the crunch in the man's hand. Broken bone, had to be. Maybe a fracture.

He stared at Renji as the man spoke, his voice harsh and obviously angry which only made Ed angrier. Couldn't he see they were just worried?

He stood up quickly when Renji started to walk off, going to the door. His fists were clenched in absolute white rage as he stared down the hallway after the man. "I guess adults all lie then, when they say talking about stuff helps you. Last time I bother listening." It was cruel and petty, he knew that, but he was just so infuriated!

[byname_bynature]

Artemis winced when Renji exploded, nearly raising his hands to shield his face. He was certain that his little speech would have earned him a punch or an answer--which one was unclear. But he got neither. And he had been reasonable this time!

He sighed and turned to Ed after Renji had left, "I'm sorry. I fear that I'm responsible," Artemis shook his head. "I was just trying to find out what happened to him. I know you probably don't approve of my methods, but I doubt very much that a man like Abarai-san will give up information to those who appear to care for him."

The boy watched Renji walk down the hall, brow furrowed, "But he's endangering us all. Information can save or doom us--and I don't approve of anyone withholding anything."

But putting that aside, Ed was still in front of him. Artemis smiled weakly at Ed, "Adults are interesting creatures, aren't they? So unwilling to share their secrets, on the false pretense that we are merely 'children'." He gave a small laugh and shook his head again, "I'm almost embarrassed for them."

[stray_shinigami]

[Renji goes here]

[lost_metal]

Ed turned away from the door, taking a deep breath and then clenching and unclenching his fist a few times until he felt calm enough to speak. No sense taking it out on Artermis when it was Renji he was pissed off at. He rubbed his forehead with the automail and then sat heavily down on his bed. "Not your fault he's being an arsehole," he grumbled.

He glanced back over the door. "He's pretty tough," he said musingly. "Must've taken a lot to mess him up like that. Or take him down enough to get him tied up." It was a worrying thought, especially if they were starting to drop the facade during the day.

He smiled back, a shadow of his normal manic grin and nodded. "They're pretty dumb at times. And they think they're protecting us when we don't need it, or when they cause more damage doing it." He shook his head, chuckling wearily.

[byname_bynature]

"It must have..." Artemis trailed off in thought. If only he had the missing pieces of information he needed. Then, solving this mystery would be simple, and he could do the talking Renji couldn't.

"I'd be willing to bet that you and I could take any sort of horrific news with a calm countenance," the boy continued, "Age is not necessarily a measure of maturi--"

The boy perked his head up, his face a mix of curiosity and fear. He heard noises--chattering, screaming noises--coming from down the hall.

"I'm shutting the door, Ed," he said quietly. Moving quickly towards the door. "There is something out there."

[lost_metal]

Ed nodded, a wry smile on his lips at that. Yeah, he'd taken terrible news without flinching. It hurt, but he kept going. He hadn't even cried at her funeral, hadn't cried or screamed when the automail had been fitted. "Yeah. I've been through lots of stuff that most adults couldn't handle."

He glanced over to the door, hearin the noises now that he was listening to them. "Probably cats or something. They come out at night." A frown crossed his face. "They normally don't come so close to the rooms this early though."

He went to the door, listening until the noises died down,screams of pain showing that whatever the creatures had been were defeated. He turned back to Artermis and pushed the door open again. "I have to go fetch Adel, but I'll drag him back here since the metal's here. I'll be back soon."

He felt a little guilty leaving Artermis to Renji's tender mercies (and oh hell, wasn't Tamaki with Renji tonight?), but he'd promised Adel he'd help him again.