Day 28: Bus 1

[accursed_rock]

Zelgadis was not happy, at all. Not that this was any change, but the events of the past few hours had given him more to angst about than usual. Nightshift had been dreadful: first he was attacked by a small green man and then covered in leeches, neither of which lead to warm fuzzy feelings

Comments

[ol_canucklehead]

Logan awoke with a snap, again. Questions instantly raced through his mind. Did the kids make it to somewhere safe? Did they stop anyone else running into that thing? Do I still have the knife? That last question almost seemed the most important; not only was it a valuable weapon, it was also a symbol of the trust placed in him by Statesman. Loyalty was a valuable commodity, whether it as to a trusted friend, or a stranger with verifiable good intentions. Sitting up, he was amazed to find it still clutched in his right hand. Even curiouser, the wound in his leg had been re-bandaged, and, on closer inspection, even stitched. This place made no sense at all. Not only had they treated the wound that they were inadvertently (albeit indirectly) responsible for causing, they had bot bothered to remove an obviously dangerous weapon from his person, ultimately leaving him with a strange mixed feeling of gratitude and irritation.

Concealing the weapon between the mattress and bed (it would almost certainly be taken from him if he brandished it during the day), he looked up as the nurse came in. Unlike other days, the nurse was surprisingly uncommunicative, dumping new clothes on his desk, alongside a packed breakfast. "Hurry up, or you'll miss the bus." Her tone was flat, uncaring.

Wracking his brain, Wolverine tried to recall the most recent intercom announcements. After a brief moment of cursing himself for not being more attentive, a flashing memory finally presented itself. Day trip. Goin' inta town. And wasn't the grand bastard himself supposed to be in attendance? Oh, what he wouldn't give for even ten seconds alone with him.

Dressing quickly in hideous tartan golf pants, a sickening purple t-shirt and massive oversized crimson jumper, made solely from the itchiest wool in the world, he paused briefly to take note that Parker was still snoozing away. He wouldn't bother him, much as he wanted to, the kid got cut up pretty bad (because of him, no less), and Logan was more than aware of the healing properties of a good night's sleep. They'd surely come for him eventually anyway, and if they were all required to go on this damn trip into town, he'd have a chance to catch up with him later. He flung open the door to see his nurse waiting for him. "Come along now." He followed.

He was herded into a bright yellow bus, already filling up with other patients. He spotted a few that he needed and or wanted to speak with, but all but one were already engaged in seemingly deep conversation, leaving him with only one option. He limped his way towards the Chinese-looking man and sat down heavily.

"Mornin' bub. Ain't seen you in a li'l while. How's tricks?" His voice was laced with irony.

[icy_demise]

His mood had not improved with the small breakfast, or when Logan sat down next to him. It was better than some annoying, crazy, weird person at least.

"Nothing got done last night," Well, something had gotten done? Or maybe just happened. SubZero felt like he was on slightly better terms with HK now. There hadn't been any insults or arguing last night. HK had even been acting nice...

"Otherwise, I'm fine."

[ol_canucklehead]

"Heh, I almost wish I could say tha same thing. Got cut up a real treat las' night. Still, got a few kids outta harm's way, so it was probably worth it."

Having watched SubZero devour his muffin, Logan realised he should probably do the same. He didn't really have much of an appetite this morning, but knew that after a night like that, energy should be considered his number one priority. And whilst he didn't have the option of red meat that would have been far more useful in helping him regenerate, something was still better than nothing.

The muffin turned out to be quite good, and he spoke between mouthfuls as he finished it quickly.

"So I'm guessin' ya know about as little as I do what the hell's gonna go on today? Ya think there'll be any opportunity fer a man o' yer talents ta escape?" His voice was low, adible only to himself and SubZero, unless of course any of the staff had enhanced hearing.

[icy_demise]

Logan had said he healed more quickly, so SubZero wondered how badly he had been injured for him to bring it up. He decided for the sake of business, he wouldn't comment about Logan saving people.

"If I can get out of their sight I should be able to get away, but if they see me when I make my first move..." Well, if they saw him when he made his first move it would be a hell of a lot more difficult. But there would still be a chance.

"What about you, planning anything?"

[ol_canucklehead]

After finishing the muffin, Logan pulled out the juice box, but instead of using the attached straw, deftly bit off a corner and began pouring it down his throat. Apple juice, not bad.

"Hm, maybe ya can have someone cause a distraction? Tho' they're probably gonna be mindful o' such tricks. No way they'd take us outta tha asylum unless they got tha town locked down jus' as tight. But there may be loopholes if ya look hard enough." The juice was also quickly consumed, and he crushed the box in hand before returning it to the bag.

"Me? Nah, I don' fancy my chances o' gettin' outta here, not tha way I am at tha momen'. Ran inta a real nasty beastie in one o' tha bathrooms last night, an' it damn near tore my leg off at tha knee, I c'n barely walk, let alone run or put up much o' a fight. Besides," his voice lowered to little more than a whisper, "If ya recall, I already said tha' I don' intend ta leave until I know what's goin' on here, an' whether or not I c'n put a stop ta it from tha inside."

That was seeming less likely in light of how ineffectual his attacks had been against that thing in the bathroom, but he wanted to consider all the angles before he decided he'd need help from the outside. "I'm gonna do me some detective work, see what the perception o' tha place and Landel is among tha local populace. Probably turn up wit' nothin', but ya never know."

[icy_demise]

SubZero shrugged slightly, it was a difficult choice to decide if his current problem was more deserving of his professional skill, or if he would be better off returning to the mission in the Netherrealm.

"Even if I got out of the institute, I have no way to return to my own world... You asked if it could be done, not if I would."

[ol_canucklehead]

Smiling at SubZero's perception and clarification, Logan raised his voice again to a casual conversational level. "Ya got a good point there, bub." The topic seemed to have petered out at that, so he changed tack. "Ya run wit' just yer robot buddy last night? I noticed once again that a lot less tends ta get done in larger groups." He thought about asking SubZero if he would be interested in offering his and HK's services to Statesman as a sub-team of their Hero group, but figured that loose-moraled assassins were possibly not the best choice for that kind of work, and so declined to bring it up.

Digging through the paper bag he'd been handed by his nurse, he was somewhat bemused to find a small book of coupons. Two free meals (maybe he could get a nice, big steak to help regenerate red blood cells), a free massage (maybe a good idea, he was feeling a bit stiff), and a free manicure. He almost laughed out loud at that one, he'd probably be better off getting assistance from a hardware store's angle grinder, but then, since he couldn't use his claws anyway, that was a moot point.

Well, at least this gives a li'l bit more info on what ta expect. Just ya regular run-o'-tha-mill slice o' Americana. Yeah, right. He was convinced that the town would probably be as much of a facade as the asylum itself.

[icy_demise]

"Just HK... but we spent a lot of time watching..." SubZero paused for a moment and shrugged. "There were a pair of patients in a disagreement. One of them cornered the other and... HK likes to watch," Though he had the feeling HK would have enjoyed giving them a few pointers and improving the technique applied.

SubZero had watched the coupon book and made couldn't hold back a laugh at the free massage, grinning in amusement. He would have to take HK for that, if only to keep him out of the smiling man's greedy hands.

[ol_canucklehead]

"Watchin'? Ya din't try ta intervene? Ta help either o' 'em?" He rubbed a hand across his stubbled face thoughtfully, then added, "on second thought, that's prob'ly not yer style, huh?"

He hadn't noticed the Lin Kuei gazing over at the coupon book, but guessed correctly that the source of the other man's amusement was probably the same as his own. He grinned back at him, thinking to make a witty remark, when the bus ground to a halt. Looking out the window, he saw the outlay of buildings of what looked to be a quaint little New England Village.

The doors opened and staff began herding patients through them. Not wanting to waste any more time in scouting the place and in reporting back to Statesman, Logan was among the first to leave his seat.

"I gotta talk 'shop' with a coupla other people this mornin'. Maybe I'll run inta ya later in tha day. Enjoy tha sights, bub." The last sentence heavy with sarcasm as he moved toward the front of the bus.