Day 44: Intercom, Evening

[damned_intercom]

Once again, it was Nurse Lydia who took over the daily announcements just after the jingle came on. She didn't seem to waste any time and launched right in

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M71

[emotionl4arobot]

Brainiac 5 was silent as he followed his nurse back to his room, distantly grateful that he wasn't in the wheelchair anymore and could make his way around on his own two feet again. But that was secondary to what was the focus of his mind now. Dinner would be, as always, spent with Peter...

Peter who he'd watched die last night, after his mind had been changed by those in charge of this place, only to return uninjured the next morning. Peter who made a target of himself to people like Grell out of some misguided attempt to protect him

[emotionl4arobot]

It was difficult not to stare when Peter entered the room, apparently whole and uninjured after all. He'd seen the note this morning, among many others talking about experiencing death only to revive the next day, and caught glimpses of the other boy around in other rooms, but it was entirely different now that they were face to face. Like rediscovering all over again that he'd seen his friend die, and now he was alive again.

His eyes itched and he switched to staring at his notebook quickly, faking interest in his notes in the hopes he could get himself under control again more easily that way.

"I'm fine," he said after a moment. And perhaps if he was lucky, Peter would miss the slight shake in his voice that said otherwise.

He risked a quick look up at the other boy. "...what about you?"

[emotionl4arobot]

Yes, Peter was alright now, and Brainiac 5 was determined to keep him that way. That was why Grell had to be stopped at all costs, even if--

He tensed up when Peter spoke again, staring fixedly at the page in his notebook as though it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart. Silence stretched out in the room again, and after a long moment he finally felt able to answer properly.

"I know."

It was only two words, hardly anything, especially when compared to how he really felt and everything he wanted to say. But despite everything he knew and his proclaimed intellect - an intellect that, as Sangamon had pointed out, apparently didn't even mean that much here at all, a dark thought reminded him - he couldn't think of any way to say what he really felt.

So he didn't say anything, just went back to his notes again.

[emotionl4arobot]

When the silence returned and Peter had simply sat there at his desk, Brainiac 5 had thought that maybe that was that, and that they'd simply remain quiet until the intercom announced the beginning of another night with no options of escape, then they'd go their separate ways

[emotionl4arobot]

Seeing Peter smile like that made his face flush again, though he had no idea why he'd feel embarrassed by the attention.

"Sure," he said quickly, "you can use it to practice in, not to mention keep a copy of the alphabet handy. Just in case."

He flipped a new page in his own notebook as Peter moved away, and realised with no small amount of surprise that for the first time in a few days, he actually felt... almost relaxed. He wouldn't go so far as to say he felt happy, since there was still far too much weighing on his mind for that, but definitely better than he had before.

Brainy looked up when Peter returned, and this time his smile was entirely natural and relaxed. "Ready?"

[emotionl4arobot]

"Well, it's probably easiest to start by giving you a list of the alphabet and running over it," Brainy said, frowning at his page in thought. He hadn't ever tried teaching someone else something like this, so he wasn't sure if that was the best way to go about it or not. But it seemed better than nothing.

His pen scratched across the page, rapidly printing out a couple of neat lines on the notebook before turning it so Peter could see.

[emotionl4arobot]

Brainy just managed not to laugh at Peter's mangled pronunciation, but couldn't keep the amused smile off his face. "That's close enough," he said. "Besides, it'll come to you with practice."

Besides, the writing would be easier as well as more useful, he mused, watching as Peter painstakingly copied out a line of text then taking a look when he was done. The 'n' looked like it was undecided about being an 'e' instead, but otherwise it was easy enough to read, if only because it could really only be one thing.

"Brainiac 5," he said quietly, mostly to himself.

He was quiet for a moment, before giving a tiny shake of his head. Old issues that he didn't have time for here.

"That would be one use for it, yes," Brainiac 5 agreed, trying to bring back some of the relaxed feeling he'd had a moment ago. "But you're right that it might be easy to figure out. And I believe there's maybe two others who might know it. Or at least they seemed to recognise my name, so it's possibly they know of the Legion."

[emotionl4arobot]

Brainiac 5 smiled slightly, but with a sinking feeling he realised he wasn't confident in his own linguistic abilities outside of English and Interlac anymore either. Before he could have simply opened up a language file and been fluent in seconds, but now...

Maybe there was something to be said for whatever seemed to be in place to allow everyone to communicate with relative ease.

"The Legion is very well known, yes," he said, turning his attention back to what Peter was talking about. "There aren't many other superheroes for one thing, not to mention the role we play in the United Planets..."

This was making him oddly homesick. "And I believe both individuals mentioned meeting the Legion as well. But... I suppose pseudonyms might come in handy."

He toyed with his pen absently. "My name is singular in my own time as well, so it's easily identifiable. Even discounting the... number... there's only four others who've shared it. So I can definitely see your point."