Day 44: breakfast

[thatdamnedninja]

Yuffie had died.

No, really. Seriously. She had actually died. Bleeding all over the place, making a horrid, sticky mess and scaring the hell out of Suzaku; she remembered it clearly. Kind of. Sort of. Through the blood loss, the pain, and the visions. Through Aerith's voice whispering in her ear, Cloud's stricken eyes, and her own panic. As bad

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[yourtravelagent]

The pain was gone, and for a moment, he thought he was gone, too. A voice he didn't think he'd be relieved to hear woke him up. The tone was one Manny had never heard from him before, and it was all he could do to pay attention to it so he wouldn't have to think about what had just happened. Whatever went down last night hadn't been Martin's fault. The apology might have been fake, but there was no blaming his lack of enthusiasm on his lack of coffee breaks. Something had happened to him.

Manny felt slightly dazed, not knowing if the fact he felt fine meant he really was fine, but he walked calmly to the cafeteria despite it, giving a quick glance over everyone he passed. The pang he got when he looked around and saw it was practically empty ruffled him a little, because it made him wonder if the explosion had been large-scale enough to wipe them all out--even if he knew this place was big and the blast had been isolated to a single part of the building. It looked early out, he idly observed, which put him at ease. They were probably in bed still.

Phoenix had seen Meche the night before last. Manny had to remind himself of that before loading his tray with food and picking a seat near a window. How long had that taken him? They needed waiters in here.

[closed to Meche]

[sheisthecause]

Meche dreamed that the Sun Room roof had broken open and the angelitos flew in. Somehow they'd grown up big and strong in the last week and a half, and they lifted all the patients out one by one to a big airship where Manny was waiting to take them to the other side. All she could think was that she needed to stop him, but he just kept waving and tossing down travel brochures.

When she woke up, she wasn't sure what to think about it. Her ankle and the scratches on her arms were rebandaged, not too heavily. So the night had ended without any more real trouble from Soma and Alita. Meche knew they could count on the nurses during the daytime to help make sure the girls were all right, which gave them the day to think about how to handle the next night.

She got up and had the nurse walk her to breakfast. The cafeteria was mostly still empty, but Meche easily spotted Alita by the buffet. That hair was hard to miss. Two red scratches ran across the girl's cheek--probably Soma's work, Meche guessed, but at least she was still in one piece. They could all have done a lot worse for themselves. Well, she'd just take a seat by the door so she could watch for everyone, and maybe today would finally be the day Manny came in...

Oh.

The smile took over her face all at once and refused to fade. "Manny!" she cried. "You're back! Where have you been? Are you all right?" She rushed toward the man by the window before she could stop herself, still grinning broadly, practically feeling ready to sweep the tray to the floor and leap into his arms--

--when the nurse caught her shoulder and pointed a stern finger at the buffet.

Meche felt like telling the lady exactly what she thought about that interruption, using a right hook as a visual aid if necessary. Then again, getting sedated would probably kill whatever scraps of the mood they had left. She made a quick face at Manny and hurried off to load a tray as fast as she could with whatever she could grab. Oh, it was so good to see him looking okay again. He was really back!

When she made it back to the table, she plunked herself and the tray down across from him and offered him a wry grin. "Do you want me to try that again, or has the moment passed?"

[yourtravelagent]

Manny's head jerked up at the sound of his name and the voice that gave it. It was so sudden that he couldn't resist straightening in his chair and grinning back, an almost childlike giddiness overtaking him for all of three seconds. The delay gave him the time he needed to tone it down a little, so he was ready to show her a wry smile of his own when she came back.

"Every moment counts," he cracked, propping an elbow up on to the table. "I took a bunk somewhere. I can't remember why."

[sheisthecause]

"They said you were sick," Meche replied. She edged the tray to one side so she could lean forward. "Well, actually, they said a lot of things. Believe me, that was the most comforting version." And his answer wasn't doing a lot to tell her which of those stories was right. Maybe even Manny didn't remember. "They didn't hurt you at all, did they?" she asked. If they had, she didn't think they'd let him forget it. But a sudden, weeklong illness didn't make much sense either. What in the world had happened to him?

It was a little hard to believe he was really sitting there--maybe even less because of the last week than because she still wasn't used to seeing him with skin. Suddenly Meche felt self-conscious about the bandages, wished she were wearing some decent clothes. That week probably hadn't done her any favors.

[yourtravelagent]

"What other versions did they give you?" he said curiously, tilting his head at her. "They said I was sick, but it's kind of hard to tell anymore."

He leaned back a little at the question; he didn't know the answer. After last night, he was prepared to think it had all been part of the plan: if he got out of there (which he did, thanks to whoever put Martin out of commission last night), they'd take him out some other way. Lucky for him, it had backfired.

But before the pause became very noticeable, he answered, "No, but I think I may have been one of the lucky ones." He gave her a grim frown as he glanced down at her bandages. You couldn't wait for me. "What happened?" A bit of concern had seeped into his voice.

[sheisthecause]

Meche shifted uncomfortably in her seat and began to study the tray with more intensity than it deserved. "Guess there wasn't much chance of our having a cheerful little breakfast in here, was there?" she asked after a minute. "It was a night early last week. They took me up to the third floor after dinner. The doctors told me they had you and they were going to kill you if I--" She broke off to give herself time to push back at the lump in her throat. French toast. Too bad she wasn't hungry.

"They gave me a sproutella gun," she started again, trying to keep her voice flat. Like she was giving the daily report to Domino: just run through the words, don't think about the implications. She said all at once, "I was put in the entry room and told not to let anyone get out of the building or they'd kill you." Maybe getting it out should've been a relief. It wasn't.

The tray also had an orange rolling around on it, but she didn't want that either. Her voice had started to sound harsh. "Turns out sproutella doesn't just work on bone here, in case you were wondering."

[yourtravelagent]

His face softened in shock. He was done pretending he was hungry.

They had locked him up so they could get to Meche. They didn't see him as a threat; they had just been using him as a bargaining chip. If they had seen her bio--somehow--then they knew the only way to get her to work for them was by making a deal with her.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say. She was probably the only reason he was here right now. But... What had she done?

"You shot people?" he asked incredulously, making sure he kept his voice down. How else could she have known that? He couldn't think of a more tactful response; it was his fault if anybody had been hurt.

[sheisthecause]

"I didn't kill anyone!" she shot back without thinking. "They're all fine now. It was just a dart or two, only enough to scare them off."

As though any of that made it better somehow. Meche had always understood that what really made those actions so terrible wasn't whether she'd caused any lasting injuries to anyone--it was that she could have, and that that might not have stopped her, and that she couldn't be sure she wouldn't do the same thing again. It was that she'd been willing to hurt innocent people on the basis of a story that didn't even seem to have been true. Getting defensive wouldn't change any of that.

"There are a lot of similar stories here," she continued quietly. This time she tried to keep herself in check--make it clear by her tone that she was stating a fact, not excusing herself. "About every other night, they take a few people, give them back their weapons or their special powers if they have any--" Meche stopped. "Oh, you probably haven't heard about that yet, so you'll just have to trust me there. Anyway, the same thing happens to them. They say it's brainwashing."

The shock was so apparent on Manny's face. Forget the DoD; if there was ever a time when Meche really felt she'd disappointed him, it was right now. He'd probably never want to talk to her again after this--but even so, he deserved to know everything. "I don't know if that's true or not," she admitted, glancing back at the orange. "But it's how I sleep at night."

[yourtravelagent]

Manny visibly relaxed. He could have let out a short laugh, but this was far from over yet. With his most major concern off the table, he was starting to notice how insensitive he sounded. He refused to think she could blow someone away for any reason, and it was comforting to know he was right about that, but the signs she was giving him--the ones he had seen in his office, the ones he had replayed in his head that whole year he was in Rubacava--told him she doubted it herself.

Brainwashing. Wright had told him about a rumor that they could erase memories. Manny supposed if they could manipulate them one way, they could manipulate them another.

She was obviously upset. He wished she hadn't sat all the way over there. "Hey," he said, leaning towards tender, "It was only one night, and you didn't hurt anybody. I couldn't have done that." Okay, he didn't know that, but he liked to think he could wave a heater around if it meant the difference between seeing Meche the next day and never seeing her again. The thought alone made him feel a little agitated, not that he let it show.

[sheisthecause]

That was Manny, Meche thought. She couldn't say she never doubted him, but he always came through. There was something deeply comforting about that, especially when she didn't have to wait two years for it. She managed a small but genuine smile. "I was lucky. Fortunately, injuries heal pretty fast in here. These--" she held up her arms, "--are from last night, and they'll be gone by tomorrow. So really it's not usually as bad as it looks."

That had been the worst thing, and now that Manny didn't look ready to give up on her, she really did feel a little better. "Boy, I'm starting to sound like a war veteran, aren't I?" she asked with a quiet chuckle. "You're not going to believe everything that's happened while you were gone. Should I start running through the highlights, or would you rather keep the business for later and talk about the Land of Hummingbirds and Butterflies now?" This time the smile was a little brighter. "You have no idea how good it is to see you."

[yourtravelagent]

It looks bad from this angle, he thought wryly. "Last night? That's when I went looking for you."

"You sound fine to me," he replied, not really hearing himself.

Wow. He'd picked the wrong week to dust out. "I'd rather hear it all from you." Because he had a feeling he wouldn't believe it if it came out of Wright's mouth.

[sheisthecause]

"You were looking for me?" Meche asked, somewhere between touched and surprised and disappointed that she'd missed him. Part of her could have kicked herself, but she knew it was really a lucky thing they hadn't run into each other. If she hadn't been there to hold Soma back, the first official LDGC meeting would probably also have been its last.

She finally picked up the orange and began to peel it, dropping the peel piece by piece on the tray. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I went over to a friend's room for--" A spear lesson that turned into a teenage zombie catfight. "--the evening. Phoenix told me he'd heard you were coming back soon, but I'd just talked to him last thing before dinner; I didn't expect it to happen that quickly."

What were the most important things for him to know? If Manny could pick, he'd probably demand to hear about Domino's visit, but Meche didn't want to talk about him right now. She finished peeling the orange and extended it across the table, offering Manny a slice. "It might take another week to tell you all of it, but I'll give you everything I can in the time we have. Why don't you tell me the big things you know about this place so I remember where we left off, and then I'll try to fill in the gaps," she suggested.

[yourtravelagent]

"Where did he hear that?" he said, lifting an eyebrow. More importantly, why had he been asking about him in the first place? Maybe Meche wasn't the only one who had been 'worried sick'.

She was doing it again. She was trying to distract herself, which meant something was on her mind. Oh, he hoped he didn't screw this up. He took the orange slice and held it between his fingers, feeling its texture as he thought about where to start, then put it down on his plate.

"Okay. First of all, we weren't meant to stop here; we're being held captive. I don't know where, or why, but the answer's gotta be there. Second of all, this place is full of scary monsters and even scarier stories. And last but not least, Phoenix told me Martin was cut down two nights ago, but he seems to be doing fine now."

[sheisthecause]

"I've had him asking your nurse," she answered simply. "I tried some of the other nurses and one of the daytime doctors myself, but no one seemed to have any real information on what was wrong with you or when you were coming back. And it probably won't surprise you that the day doctors don't have any control or warning over when we get released." That one was a slight gamble of faith on Dr. Wilson, but it was one she was prepared to make for now. He really had seemed so genuine.

She took the rest of the orange back, pulled out one slice for herself, and left what was left on her plate so they could both get at it. "That's a pretty good start. Okay. I still don't have an answer for why we're here. I probably told you my first theory was that everyone here has been dead, but that doesn't hold up. So far our best guess is that there's something 'special' about all of us. For some people, that means superpowers, but they're too weak here to do much good.

"Second: the monsters are real, and they're dangerous," Meche continued. "Bigger than in the forest, Manny." She knew he wouldn't need to ask what forest she was talking about. "I think one of my friends has a sword you can use. It's pretty blunt, but you can probably find someone to sharpen it." Come to think of it, maybe he'd need lessons too. The things roaming around here at night were a whole lot tougher than Domino.

She paused to eat the orange slice and clean her fingers before she kept going. Better at least to get something in her for the morning.

"I don't know about what's happening to Landel, but what you should know is that there's a resistance movement. It's a little fragmented, but there are still groups trying to..." Meche paused to think about how Salvador Limones would have put this. "...gather intelligence, train operatives, collect materials--that sort of thing. I've been working for one that calls itself the Arts and Crafts Club. A lot of our leaders are...well, I'm not sure you could call them 'reapers,' but something like that. One of them's a friend of mine; the two of you really should meet when we get a chance."

That was a bigger monologue than she was used to. "Any questions so far?" she asked, taking a sip of her juice.

[yourtravelagent]

Manny was staring holes through her by the end of it.

"Where do I start?" he said dryly.

He had learned from all those years in El Marrow that the closest the dead got to the living was on two occasions: when a soul needed to be reaped, and when everybody went home for the Day of the Dead. But they weren't allowed to mingle; that was one rule you couldn't break if you tried.

"What do you mean, it 'doesn't hold up'? Are you saying these people are alive?" He didn't realize how dumb it sounded until he had finished saying it. It had been a long time since he had seen the living through a living man's eyes.

"¡Híjole!" he exclaimed. "Forget about the sword. We need someone who can fight those things!" But as far as he could tell, even demons were scared of them. Or maybe it only applied to that one guy.

It had factions? It didn't sound like he was going to get bored here. And how could you be 'something like' a reaper? "What's your friend's name?"

[sheisthecause]

Meche laughed a little sheepishly. "Sorry. You get used to things pretty quickly here, so stop me if I gloss over something I shouldn't."

Obviously one of the things she'd already glossed over was the most important point. "Yes, these people are alive. So are you and I, at least in pretty much any way that matters from day to day." She swept one hand out in a small arc, indicating the bandages, the food, their skin. "I think I've met a few who remember dying right before they woke up here, but no one yet who even knows about the Eighth Underworld."

Meche tried to remember which members of the Living Dead Girls Club had actually been dead and which were honorary; except for Senna (dead, of course), she was drawing a blank right now. Oh, well, they could all sort it out when she introduced him. She decided just to press on for now. "Manny, finding someone else to fight monsters for you is easier said than done. There aren't many people who stand much of a chance against one of the big ones by themselves, and even if there were, we can't travel around with bodyguards all the time. A lot of good people have gotten hurt trying to protect me from the big scary monsters."

She began drumming her fingers lightly on the tabletop, trying to come up with a way to make her next statement sound anything other than suicidally ridiculous. After a few seconds she decided there probably wasn't one, so she just said, "So I've started fighting lessons. My first one was last night." Oh no, and she'd just realized she hadn't had a chance to get her spear back before the end of the night.

"And my friend's name is Senna," she said, then continued thoughtfully, "Actually, you know, she and my fighting teacher share a room, and I'll have to try to stop by tonight to pick up my weapon. Maybe you can meet them." Hopefully Alita wouldn't eat him. "Oh, what do you want to do tonight, by the way? If you're interested, you can come on assignment with me, or I can beg off."