Nightshift 35: The Coliseum
[from here]When she came to, Callisto found herself sitting in what appeared to be a small set of stands. That didn't last for long, as she was soon on her feet and staring around at her new surroundings
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The darkness was absolute.
When he came to, he found himself propped up in some kind of seat with no recollection how he got there. Blinking awake, the Jedi roused, and saw he was seated in some kind of stadium. He gazed around and noted how bright it was in contrast to the rest of Landels - whatever happened here, Martin Landel wanted them to see it, wanted there to be no mistake at all what happened. Goku and Callisto were already here, Sanzo's young friend asking him a question.
Struggling to shake off the fog and focus, Qui-Gon stood up, leaning forward. He found the group was high enough above the coliseum's floor that jumping down would be dangerous and foolhardy.
And below, dressed for some reason like the Jedi he was, was Obi-Wan.
"There they are," Qui-Gon said, voice tight. He pointed. "Both of them."
Peering down, he frowned. Something about Obi-Wan was different. He could sense it, even with his abilities dampened, and it was like seeing a bright star in the middle of the evil he could feel pressing down on him even now. Facing the evil, his friend stood tall, clipped to his belt a lightsaber. A lightsaber, Qui-Gon realized, that looked startlingly familiar; it was his, not Obi-Wan's, and he wondered how he'd gotten it. Sanzo, too, was dressed differently, wearing his robes with some kind of cloth with characters on it draped around his shoulders.
The purpose of this coliseum was obvious. Qui-Gon had to find a way down, he knew, and he began searching their viewing box, looking for a way down, outwardly calm. While nothing had happened yet, he was deeply concerned they would escalate. They shouldn't have come this way.
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But then what Qui-Gon said caused her to pause, and her attention was drawn to the arena below. She rushed to the balcony, peering over and down. Sure enough, there were the two missing members of their group. They were dressed differently now, and Callisto recognized the weapon on Obi-Wan as one of the light weapons she'd seen the night before. They'd had their clothing and weapons returned to them, then?
It appeared as though they were set up to fight. How infuriating! She'd rather be down there herself, not sitting up here as a spectator, even if the fight might prove interesting.
When this was over, she'd have to pay that brat back for interfering.
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... oops? "Eh-heh..." He should probably help her u -
What? Immediately his eyes followed Q.G.'s, needing to see Sanzo for himself. When he did, Goku gave a relieved sigh and trotted a bit closer to the edge of the stands; okay, Sanzo was fine and the other guy looked about the same (was he dressed different?). Something to feel eased about, despite how the situation was startin' to look.
Whatever, worry later, right (the infamous "later")? Goku, being the brilliant thing that he was, attempted to jump over the ledge right after seeing Sanzo. The height? ... probably somethin' to worry about right now, but since he wasn't thinking in "Landels power down" mode, he was going to do it anyway. Key word being "was". Before he could even get over the side Goku was bounced and landed uncomfortably back in the stands.
Goku jumped back to his feet, twitching. More stupid barr -
Sadly there wasn't much time for anger before someone started speaking. It was echoy, kind of condescending, and all-around familiar in a generally annoying sort of way. The face that came along with it a couple seconds later didn't help matters and Goku had to frown. He recognized the man, if only a little. That time in the chapel had been a pretty long time ago and he had been starting to forget what Landel actually looked like.
Great, what did he want?
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Only the young man bounced off of thin air and fell back. Qui-Gon breathed a sigh of relief; while it looked like they were trapped, at least Goku hadn't taken a one way ticket downstairs. And yet Callisto and Goku were still fighting, despite being trapped here. Qui-Gon almost, but not quite, lost his patience with the bickering.
"Now isn't the time for arguments," Qui-Gon told Goku and Callisto sternly.
He was about to say more when he cut himself off. Qui-Gon felt Martin Landel just a second before his voice rang out, a sense of evil and yet of nothingness coming in, oppressive, and sickening to his core. Qui-Gon turned. He could see Martin Landel in a viewing stand like theirs, saw him with his eyes and yet in the Force, there was nothing, just the deeply unsettling feel of void where a life should be. Qui-Gon stilled, eyes on the Head Doctor. There was a flicker of movement from his peripheral vision; turning, he watched as Sanzo strode forward, his gun up and aimed.
It's not going to work, Qui-Gon thought. He didn't think Martin Landel was a Jedi, but it was possible he'd been trained somehow by one - or a Sith. Someone had owned those red and blue lightsabers. Martin Landel could probably bend the Force to do his own biding, Qui-Gon realized, even as the shot rang out with a crack that echoed in the Coliseum.
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Callisto had never seen Martin Landel before, but she'd heard him a few times since she'd arrived. This was unmistakably him. So he'd come to watch them fight, was that it? He'd come in person and she wasn't even down there to earn his favor. This wasn't working out right at all.
There also appeared to be some sort of invisible field keeping them from interacting with the people below, if Goku's actions proved anything. Of course. And of course Sanzo firing his weapon would be useless also. Anyone who could keep people like them trapped in this place, brought in from Zeus knows where, wouldn't be the sort of being who could be stopped by a simple projectile weapon.
Her brows knit in frustration. There had to be some way she could take advantage of this situation. She had to get a meeting with Martin Landel!
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... yeah, he figured that wouldn't work either. Maybe he and Sanzo hadn't been in the same chapel, 'cause he'd had that barrier the last time he showed up. It hadn't let anybody close before (or, uh, slippers), so it was kind've obvious that it wouldn't work now.
Not that Goku wouldn't have done the same thing if he'd had the chance, or hadn't already slammed himself against the force field already.
"They're gonna have to fight to the death?" Goku frowned as he moved back to the edge. They probably wouldn't, he couldn't see any patient agreeing, but that was why there was -
- a catch. They were going to use the people in the stands as bait? How? Goku looked around himself, trying to see if anyone was around that could've hurt them. Maybe a trap, a line, something that would put them in danger. He didn't see anything yet that didn't mean it didn't exist. Was it something they couldn't see?
"Do you think he's buffing?" Goku could hope.
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They were all hostages.
Qui-Gon's face was impassive, but he felt cold fear for Obi-Wan grip him. Martin Landel, for whatever reason, wanted them to fight to the death and what made it worse was Qui-Gon couldn't determine the emotion behind the motive. He'd told Obi-Wan how important it was to do so and yet Martin Landel was a blank wall: all he could feel was nothingness and evil. Qui-Gon wasn't sure exactly how the Head Doctor would make things unpleasant but he knew if he said he would do it, he would. Would he use the Force and corrupt them like he had the staff?
The room was brightly lit, but the chill Qui-Gon felt then was very real.
"I don't know," he answered Goku slowly. "But either way, we're in trouble."
Turning away from the others, Qui-Gon took a few steps to the side, ignoring Martin Landel, ignoring everyone else, and pulled out his commlink. He held it in one hand, thumbing it on and keeping his voice quiet as he spoke into it.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon started, voice urgent, "Whatever happens to us, keep your focus on the moment. He wants you both in this position - you cannot act with anger, fear or impatience."
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"Hey!" she shouted, nearly cutting off the end of Obi-Wan's question. "What are you sitting all by your lonesome for? These seats are unbalanced. Let me join you."
She knew as she said it that this wouldn't please her other 'companions,' but there were just some risks that one had to take in life. Right not she had her priorities, and these men were just a convenient means to an end. If she was denied? Well, they had more important things to worry about at the moment.
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Suddenly, Goku was getting the idea of Callisto being a female Gojyo again. If the header doctor were a woman (... maybe if he were still a man too), he would probably be say the same thing. Goku shuddered and stepped away from Callisto, he really... didn't want to make that comparison. Gojyo was Gojyo, nobody else could be the exact same.
Since he was trying to ignore Q.G.'s conversation (at least he knew the other man's name was Obi-Wan now) his attention returned to the Head Doctor. He was still saying the same things as usual so not much was missed. Then, if he was faking it, nothing would happen and the two would refuse to fight. It probably wasn't, so what would happen? Would Obi-Wan and Sanzo fight to the death? It wasn't like that was against Sanzo's morals, especially when it involved -
Uh, what about Obi-Wan though? Would he do the same thing? He was probably gonna target whoever they were closest to. Would Obi-Wan try to kill Sanzo for Q.G.? Goku couldn't help but glance over to the patient anxiously before resuming his stare at the doctor. They'd have to wait, he had a feeling it wouldn't be much longer too.
In a slightly more dramatic-fashion than before, Goku took a staggering step backward. He really ... hated being right, sometimes. Grimacing, he gripped his now-bleeding side. It hurt, really, really bad (he winced and everything), but - he didn't want Sanzo to fight Obi-Wan. Not for this reason.
He took a seat on one of the stands and forced a neutral expression. Hopefully Sanzo didn't just see that.
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Qui-Gon's hand tightened around his commlink, knuckles white, as he fought to accept it and let it flow through instead of rule him.
It was the lightsaber wound. The one he'd at first thought he impossibly survived against all odds, only to find he hadn't - Martin Landel had brought him back, taken him from death and the Force and now it looked like he would take back his "gift" if Obi-Wan didn't do his biding. Qui-Gon made a point to remain standing, willing his legs not to buckle. He took a few steps forward to allow Obi-Wan, if he looked up, to see his former Master still standing at the balcony of the viewing stand. Qui-Gon kept one hand tight on the railing to keep himself upright in case the pain spasms became worse.
According to Martin Landel's threat, that was a very real possibility.
Qui-Gon could feel sweat beading on his forehead. The first time, he'd been run through so quickly he barely had time to register what happened before he found himself suddenly falling, hitting the floor, and then everything had gone dark until Obi-Wan came, the touch of his Padawan reviving him just barely. Now he could feel an invisible, burning point centering itself right over the old wound, as if the very tip of the Sith's lightsaber was hovering over his skin, about to drive home again.
Glancing to the side, he could see Goku was sitting down, expression neutral but face pale. He was trying to hide it like Qui-Gon was.
As for Callisto...Qui-Gon normally wouldn't allow himself to be distracted but he knew right now anything was a welcome one. Was she really trying to join Martin Landel? Did she really know what kind of being he was or was there an ulterior motive? His gaze roved from Callisto back down to the figure of Obi-Wan on the Coliseum floor; Obi-Wan would remember the Jedi Code and do what he had to, recognizing his emotions and setting them aside. He had to.
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Their wounds appeared from nowhere. Qui-Gon hid his far better, but the former warlord knew pain when she saw it. Goku was bleeding all over the place. How interesting that they'd been injured differently, and without any real source. There was no way to know how or if they could retaliate, and she found herself a bit impressed.
Even more interesting was the fact that she'd been left alone. Her disconnection from the others must have been obvious enough that Landel knew injury to her wouldn't do much for spurring the combatants on.
She smiled slowly, a most unfriendly smile, and turned back to the Head Doctor. "Oh, that's nice."
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"Qui-Gon, what's happening?" he quickly asked into his commlink. "Is someone else up there with you?" He couldn't sense anyone, but that didn't necessarily mean anything here.
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"There's no one here. But I suspect Martin Landel just now gave us all a warning. I don't think he's open to negotiation or reasoning."
He glanced across at Goku and noticed the blood starting to stain his clothes. His eyebrows furrowed. The wound had come from nowhere, like his, and while Qui-Gon could still feel that burning point just touching him, making his breath hitch painfully in his chest, he was still a Jedi and couldn't ignore Goku's injuries. He'd have to try to staunch Goku's flow of blood if he could - there was nothing he could do if Martin Landel decided to reopen his own lightsaber wound, but maybe he could do something about Goku.
Qui-Gon stepped back from the railing and wheeled around, moving past Callisto to kneel before Goku, bringing him to his eye-level. Despite the tightness in his throat, Qui-Gon's voice was gentle.
"You need to put more pressure on it," he said. Removing his knife from his belt, he reached down and cut off part of his tunic. "Here, this might help slow it down."
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So much for that idea, he should have known it wasn't going to work; Sanzo was too keen and the ledge wasn't high enough to hide what blood did come out of his side. Goku clamped down a bit harder, covering the entirety of the wound. What was done was done - it was what was coming that worried him.
"It's not so bad," was the reply, along with a shrug. Doing that hurt his stomach a bit, just not enough to be more than a little annoying. Besides, the injury itself wasn't too bad either - not compared to other things he'd lived through. What was one bullet (was there even a bullet in him?) when he'd had his ass handed to him by beads?
He really wanted to wave off the make-shift bandage, only... it was later. Q.G.'d already ripped off his dress to make it. Reluctantly, Goku took the clothe and moved his hand away long enough to slip it under his shirt and on top of the wound. He muttered a "thanks" after finshing.
Oh, but Goku - even bleeding - couldn't resist making fun of Callisto. "He rejected you really quick, guess you're not his type."
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Pushing away from the railing, she came over to kneel beside him. She glanced between his face and Qui-Gon's, winking at the latter. "Problem is, I'm the only one here not in immediate mortal peril. Good job on that, by the way."
Though she would rather be below, she couldn't help but point out the irony in their current situation. The fact that she was here, and that he was bleeding, was essentially his fault.
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If he panicked, he wouldn't be able to think rationally.
A "warning", Qui-Gon had said. He didn't want to see Martin Landel make good on his threat, but he didn't want to fight Sanzo, either. Negotiations were looking like less and less of a possibility, and yet, as a Jedi, a peaceful solution -- even surrender -- was always better than taking a life. But he also had his mission of investigating the institute to consider, as well as Qui-Gon, as selfish as that might have sounded. The thought of leaving his friend alone here made his stomach turn, not to mention he didn't think one Jedi was enough for this job. Landel's Institute, and everything it encompassed, was already much larger than the two of them, perhaps even the Order itself.
He did not fear death, but Obi-Wan knew it wouldn't be practical, or right, for him to forfeit his life, either. They needed to exhaust all other options before resorting to violence.
((To here to talk with Landel again.))
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