Nightshift 45: Cafeteria

[arc_wrench]

[From here]HK skidded in through the door to the cafeteria, stopping dead and letting his concentration slip, meatbag reflexes returning to their pathetic norm. His heart rate and breathing had increased significantly, but he tried to hide that. He really wished this was not so taxing to do

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[quickdrawbkiddo]

Once through the door, Beatrix darted to the side knowing full well that the one following behind her was much larger in size and probably pretty scared. As it was, she could still feel that thing's wail deep in her bones.

"Tch. No wonder I didn't recognize the model of that gun," Beatrix replied, leaning back against the wall as she, too, tried to catch her breath.

That boy owes me a knife. That's two gone already.

[ruthless_hunter]

Lance charged through the door and slammed it behind him as quickly as he could. He usually didn't get scared, but that... that was almost too much. Something like that wasn't even suppossed to exist.

Maybe Lance was starting to go crazy again... he shook his head, trying to push that thought aside.

"What the fuck was that?" And would it follow them?

[arc_wrench]

"Statement: A brainwashed meatbag. Except in his case, he was reunited with his equipment and abilities, hence the giant screechy thing with the sword," HK explained, checking his weapons to make sure all of them were still in order. Scalpels still hidden, and his blade and axe were in his hands. Good.

[quickdrawbkiddo]

"Let us not linger," Beatrix said, jumping up onto a table to get a better look around in case there was something lying in wait in this room. Her lips curled in cold satisfaction when her eyes passed over the spot where Ophelia's heart exploded.

"I do not know what that was, but that does not matter. The longer we stay in here, the more likely it is that someone will delay us again. This room has a habit of doing that to us specifically," she said to Lockdown.

[not_rly_fai]

[[from here]]

Before he could even turn around, Yuuhi stopped a few feet inside the room, hands close enough to stop the others from going too far into another blind situation. There was just as much chance this room could be dangerous as the last. He glanced around the room as best he could without a light.

"Yue will folow soon," he said quietly, more for Sakura's benefit than Touya's. "It looks like this room is empty, so we'll wait here until he comes through, okay?"

He glanced to Touya, unsure how much either of them had seen before they'd gotten through the door. Besides, if it was easy enough to distract from their group... well, Yue was smart. He'd get through. The alternative meant leaving things to Fai, and he'd a feeling that was enough incentive to keep Yue from doing anything too dangerous.

[guardiancomplex]

Touya heard sounds coming from the Sun Room. Sounds he certainly didn't like. He'd never agreed to letting Yue fight that kid by himself--but now it was a little too late to express an objection. Especially now that Fai had assured Sakura that Yue could handle it. If Touya went back to the Sun Room now, Sakura would worry, and it would leave only Fai to protect her should this 'empty room' become more occupied.

So he clenched his fist and looked back at the doors. He didn't like waiting. Especially when it came to Yuki and a crazy kid with a gun.

[giftofstars]

Before entering the cafeteria, Sakura flinched as she realized the boy had shot himself in the head. Did that mean Yue was safe? If he killed himself, there shouldn't have been any other obstacle preventing Yue from moving on right? Yet the idea was too grotesque for Sakura to even think about, so she had ducked her head and followed the boys into the cafeteria.

She nodded at Fai's response but still looked back at the door, extremely worried. The longer they waited, the more and more it seemed that Yue was in trouble. She wanted to just rush back into the Sun Room and use Time to save Yue, but she didn't have her cards, and without her cards, there wasn't much she could do to help Yue escape, let alone face a person with a gun.

Sakura sat down, shaking with fear. Yue had to be all right. She wouldn't know what to do without him...

[winged_moon]

[ flee~]

It wasn't too long before Yue followed along after, half-staggering into the room before drawing himself up again as though everything was perfectly fine. Outwardly he looked well enough, though he was unaware of the light trickle of drying blood on his chin from when he'd bit his lip upon hitting the wall. He simply didn't have to tell them or otherwise let on about the other, unseen injuries that had resulted.

He flicked a quick glance around the room, tense with the concern that something might have happened or was about to, but he saw nothing but the three of them, unharmed and - worried? Yue blinked once, then gestured stiffly toward the door on the far side of the room. "Keep going," he ordered, starting to move on himself. "He might follow."

[bprd_fishman]

[ From here.]

Fortunately for Abe's nerves and sanity, the cafeteria seemed to be completely unpopulated by man or beast. Abe slipped inside, holding the door for Scar and still tensed in case something nasty came out of the woodwork.

[longlivetehking]

Scar followed into the cafeteria after Abe entered. He, too, didn't sense anything in particular within this area, but it'd be best to remain on guard.

The former lion took a few steps into the large room. "You thought the entrance would be somewhere around the cafeteria, correct?" he said, before gesturing towards the door on the other side of the room, behind the counter. "I do know that beyond here is a location called the 'kitchen'."

[bprd_fishman]

Now there was a strange way of phrasing it. Abe tucked it away into his mental pocket, along with an idle wonder as to whether Scar was a nonhuman like Beelzemom.

Abe crossed the cafeteria cautiously, alert for things poppg out of the shadows. "Yes, but the question is--what's beyond that?"

[longlivetehking]

"I suppose we could take a look," Scar answered. The night had ended before he could reach any location beyond the kitchen back then. He had noticed it had been rather busy there for some reason. That and along with the fact the Sun room seemed so popular, there was a fair chance of something of interest hidden in this area.

The remaining doors led outside, so the kitchen may be their best bet. "Let us move on before something else shows up."

[To here]

[angels_inflight]

[ from here ]To distract herself, Naminé pulled up the map she memorized in her mind as the three of them made their way into the cafeteria. As far as actual exploring had gone, she and Alita only made it as far as the kitchen... which held another beast. She shuddered as she remembered how that one looked. It had killed a man, apparently, and she was starting to wonder if it was a good idea to continue going forward

[falseblack]

[From here.]

He refused to stop, not until the Sun Room no longer lined his vision. When that came to being, Nigredo halted abruptly in his steps, boots coming to a skid against the tile. It was here that he remembered there were two others with them.

The temptation to look back crept into his mind, but the U.R.T.V. did nothing. He only stared at the ground, trying and failing to calm the shudders in his breathing. It was difficult to forget what happened in that room, especially with one of the participants so close in proximity. Taking the matter so lightly.

They were also trying to traumatize those two, even if now Nigredo was only using that as an excuse. For what, it was arguably obvious.

[rocksthecourt]

There was no way this could have been considered a pleasant outing so far, but any lightheartedness David might have been feeling faded as soon as he walked into that room. The Sun Room. It was supposed to be a place of relaxation, but with all the bad things that tended to happen to him there, it had the complete opposite effect on him, especially after last night. This room and these kids... a combination that never worked out well for him. Just seeing the place brought up vivid flashbacks of that nightmare from last night. He didn't... no, he didn't want to remember! He didn't want to think about that! He was better! He couldn't let himself give in to dread or fear because then...

Too late. When he scanned the room, all he could see was destruction. The floor had been broken apart in some areas and there were burns scattered on the walls as though a war had broken out just before their arrival. He was not seeing this. This wasn't happening. There was NOTHING THERE!! That's what he told himself. That is, until Yoshiko looked at him

[purpletaint]

Even now, the reaction was harsh and sharp, and Albedo's first response was an intake of air--fresh air, even, one would say--as the emotional reaction flowed outward. Mmm. This was better than any words Nigredo could have said to answer, and although it seemed a bit... much? Both brothers were alive and well, if that was the fear and panic in truth. Well enough, after all. As well as monsters could be.

Nigredo rushed forward then, taking Albedo's hand and pulling him along, and Albedo grinned to himself behind Nigredo's back, biting his lip to keep from laughing. Really? This was a quaint, cute reaction, darling dear, but truly? This much fear, Nigredo? How cuteThe youngest stopped in the next room, and something breezed over Albedo's mind, something almost like a kind of concern. Albedo watched him momentarily as Nigredo tried to even his breathing. His brother seemed so very small in this moment. So very fragile. Albedo squeezed the hand he was still holding, and pulled even, running a hand over Nigredo's head in some small