Nightshift 35: The Coliseum

[givemeoblivion]

[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_head_doctor]

The Head Doctor didn't flinch or blink at Sanzo's sudden move, though he did turn his head to watch curiously when the bullet's speed seemed to slow and then stop completely at a space a few feet away from the balcony. Landel's eyes followed the object as it fell to the floor and he chuckled as he glanced up again.

"Really, Mr. Sanzo..." he took a few steps to the side as he met the man's eyes, clicking his tongue admonishingly. "I'm not going to die as easily as one of your home-grown demons."

He paused, as if in thought, and smirked. "Although... you might. You see -" he extended a hand towards the two men as he leaned over the railing, "that's the way a battle always ends in this room: with a death. Oh, yes-" he said, anticipating the protests that would follow his words as he paced to the other side of this section, "you may be thinking nobly and you may think there's a way out of here, but trust me, you won't be so keen on morality once you hear the rules you'll be playing by."

He stopped, a hand on his chin.

"You only receive your prize if one of you defeats the other. And to ensure your cooperation, for each minute that one of you chooses not to fight..." His eyes wandered towards the spectators and he let out a small sigh. "I regret to say that your friends might become unhappier and unhappier."

[31st_of_china]

Another barrier. It'd been worth a shot.

Sanzo was already reloading the Smith & Wesson, sliding in a bullet to replace the one he'd just spent, mind running over the implications of the Head Doctor's words.

So that's what this was all about. A battle to the death, and all for his entertainment. If anything, the monk detested being a pawn in someone's plans.

Sanzo glared up at the man. "I"m not playing your fucking games, you piece of shit."

He didn't see any guards, or any archers or marksman stationed around the arena, much less any vantage points for a sniper. Which left the question of just how the bastard could make good on that threat... or whether it was even a threat at all.

Could be a bluff, Sanzo thought. Not likely though. From what he knew of Landel, the asshole didn't have to use bluffs.

[braidless]

((From here.))

Obi-Wan made his way a little closer to where Martin Landel's seat overlooked them, his hard boots kicking up a little dirt as he did so. But unlike Sanzo, his demeanor was less aggressive, though his face was creased with an uncomfortable frown.

"But why go through all of this trouble?" he spoke up. The situation was looking more and more grim, and while it might have been easy for most people to spout out insults and wave pistols around, Obi-Wan wanted some genuine answers behind all of this. "The basement, the challenges, the artifacts...just to lure us in here for a battle and a prize. Is this your idea of entertainment, Martin Landel? Or is there another reason you've graced us with your presence this evening?"

After all, this was only one of two times he'd seen their captor personally. This man, or whatever he was, didn't appear for just anything.

[the_head_doctor]

[ To Callisto, Sanzo, and Obi-Wan. ]

While the validity of the Head Doctor's statements was still unsure, what did seem fairly certain was the fact that he'd been bombarded with insults and questions like this many times before. He rolled his eyes and rested an elbow on the railing while he gestured at the railing.

"I think I'm fine right here, Miss Callisto, and Mr. Sanzo-" he glanced at the priest, "-I think you'd do well to mind your language."

Martin Landel's intercom announcements had never proved him to be anything less than a horrible hypocrite, so it wasn't surprising that his remarks in-person followed the same form. His eyes moved towards the Obi-Wan and Landel gave a wide smile at the young Jedi.

"As for you, Mr. Kenobi, I'd advise you not to underestimate me or my surroundings." The Doctor dusted his shoulders off in a very self-satisfied way as he continued to stare at the patient. "I didn't come all the way down here to get sand in my face; that's for sure. This is all a game - I won't deny that - but even the most primitive rat race is no fun to watch unless there's a chance of a rodent winning, is it?"

He paused for a moment and then gave a comically defeated expression, holding his hands up in the air.

"In any case, lady and gentlemen, I congratulate you all for getting one step closer to freedom - that I do plan to reward eventually, so you know - but..."

He glanced down at the gold watch on his wrist.

"I believe Mr. Goku and Mr. Jinn are due for your punishment right about... now."

[31st_of_china]

At that, and despite his original stance not to give the fucker what he wanted, Sanzo turned to look back towards Goku.

He didn't expect to see blood. The kid was clutching his side, a look of pain and sheer surprise on the monkey's face, right before the idiot tried to pretend that he hadn't just been mysteriously hit. Dark red blossomed from underneath his fingers, staining the uniform.

What the hell? The monk hadn't heard anything, no whistle of arrows or gunshot, and that wound looked just like a gunshot. He'd seen enough of them, been the cause of them to know what they looked like by now.

Sanzo turned, eyes narrowed. So the fucker wasn't lying about this. They were on a timer, until they fulfilled his mind game. And there wasn't jackshit he could do about it.

Fury was welling up in him, with such intensity that it was almost alien, all of it directed at the man above them.

"You sick son of a bitch..." Sanzo said through clenched teeth.

[braidless]

The Jedi Knight heard Qui-Gon's message through the commlink, but he did not outwardly respond, choosing to act upon his words instead. He kept his gaze on Landel and listened to what he had to say. Too bad he couldn't take much comfort in the fact he planned to release them eventually. Not when he had this mess to deal with.

It was then Landel announced the first punishment. Obi-Wan didn't need to see the spectators, or feel Sanzo's fury washing over him, to know something was wrong. Still, he suddenly looked towards where Qui-Gon, Goku and Callisto were, saw the condition that the boy was in, and his thoughts turned to his former Master, who appeared to still be standing. Qui-Gon would not let him see any signs of injury for his sake, he was sure, which only made the fact he was holding onto the railing even more worrisome.

At least two lives were at stake here.

He briefly closed his eyes, and accepted his anxiety for what it was. He could not leap into action until he'd fully assessed the situation. Glancing towards Landel, he brought the commlink to his mouth.

((Talking to Qui-Gon over here.))

[the_head_doctor]

"Now, now, Mr. Sanzo," the Head Doctor replied calmly amidst the priest's insults and the tension that was slowly mounting in the room, "there's no need to blame me for your predicament. The solution is very simple: all you have to do is kill the Jedi and your friend will be made good as new."

He tilted his head, making eye contact with Sanzo and smiling. "I promise you I'll fulfill that end of the bargain, and you'll be rewarded with even more than your life and the safety of your friend should you succeed."

He paused in his words and glanced down at his watch. He sighed.

"Fifteen seconds until you hurt your friends even more. Really, it's painful to watch."

[31st_of_china]

"I don't care about the fucking reward, and he's not my friend!" Sanzo snapped back. The fact that the asshole was making assumptions like that was only pissing the monk off even more, tacked on with the fact that he thought Sanzo could be bought with the promise of some reward. It did nothing more than further fray his nerves.

The monk wasn't looking at Goku, instead just scowling at the ground. He had nothing against killing, but he also had nothing personal against Obi-Wan either or Qui-Gon. And it wasn't like he got off on the act itself, it'd nearly always been self-defense.

He especially didn't like being fucking coerced into it.

Sanzo didn't trust Landel at all, at least not that he'd fulfill his part of the deal. He wasn't stupid, and he'd seen more than enough twisted fuckers before. Sanzo just hadn't ever been in a position where he had to submit to their whims.

He had no illusions that Landel was the picture of honesty.

What he did know was that he was definitely telling the truth about his threat. The kid might be tough as hell to kill, but he bled like the rest of them, especially here. How many more wounds could he take before the blood loss was fatal?

Sanzo angrily sucked in a deep breath. He hadn't felt this cornered in a long time.

[Heading back over here, silently thinking it over]

[braidless]

((From here.))

Obi-Wan knew he was running out of time and options. But he had to do what he could, and if that wasn't enough, he and Sanzo would need to reach a quick decision over what to do next.

He quickly strode closer to Martin Landel's seat, his expression neutral. "Why a death?" he suddenly inquired. "Surely we can have a fair competition without one of us killing the other. We could offer something else of value that the person who loses must give up -- something else to keep the game interesting."

He wasn't sure if their captor would agree -- he and Qui-Gon had just finished saying it was likely impossible to negotiate with him -- but he wasn't going to try to take another life so easily.

[the_head_doctor]

"Killing another man is the truest expression of loyalty to your friends." The Head Doctor smiled at Obi-Wan as he ignored Sanzo's yells. "But don't take it from me. Ask your master, the man who will surely die if you don't act."

He moved away from the railing and sat down in the large chair at the center of his section.

"I tire of your indecision, so either act or don't. One is more interesting to watch than the other, but..." he glanced down at his watch again, "it's your choice, not mine. Three, two, one..."

[braidless]

"My loyalty lies, first and foremost, with the Jedi Order," Obi-Wan responded firmly, but he tried his best to mask the cold fear he felt for Qui-Gon's safety. It was natural to be worried for his friend, and for the other hostage as well. As a Jedi Knight, it was his duty to make sure as few lives were lost as possible, to ease their suffering if he could. Regardless, he could not let his emotions cloud his judgment.

But he was running out of options, and the thought of losing Qui-Gon a second time was enough to make his heart pound harder than he wanted it to.

The Jedi stopped short once Landel counted down, and he abruptly turned to look over at the spectators. He could sense their pain and distress through the Force, particularly Qui-Gon's, and he swallowed hard. For a moment, he felt anger wash over him -- fury over this man's crimes, and his disregard for life -- but he knew now was the most crucial time not to lose his head.

He needed to speak with Sanzo. They would have to fight, if only to buy some time.

And it was at that moment the other man struck.

((Getting sucked into the fighting over here.))

[the_head_doctor]

( Moving to respond to the fighting thread here. )