[Event]

[soul_mods]

Characters: OPEN to all the kidnapped victims
Location: Witch laboratory, Michigan
Rating: R for safety
Time: September 28
Description: The victims are trying to escape. How successful do you think it will be?

Comments

[thirteenthace]

Really, everything about this was rushed with little time to truly planned - most of them were already treading that thin line between sanity and insanity, desperately clinging onto that last shred of themselves. If anything this was their last chance - their only chance - of ever managing to keep themselves intact and alive. They had already lost much in their stay here, and losing more wasn't going to be good for anyone--

--but still, they had no idea where they are even if they did manage to escape, and being lost would just mean they'd be caught again, or slain by whatever lurked outside these walls. Too many uncertainties, far too many possibilities. Nothing could be definite in a time like this.

The alarm was loud and painful and screaming in his ears, but screaming was something Phoenix was used to by now, along with the pain and the constant struggle for his sanity. The man took a moment to think about what to do next, debating over what Suzaku had said. Water... his throat was parched, and water would be good either way.

"Water," he eventually agreed, taking a moment to peer over the edge before adding on. "And then we try to find one of the communicators that Shibusen gave us. They must have been confiscated when we were caught, so if we find one then we can send out an SOS signal for them to locate where we are." And then - and then - they could finally be out of this place, once and for all.

(Hopefully.)

[livelyhood]

He tried to sink into the 'mission,' the 'goals' - latched on to them with a firm nod and an even firmer determination, even if it was more than difficult to concentrate, because they had to get out. The witches would... Would they kill them? If they were found? (Them all still being alive had been the only light in that cell --)

"Office or storage?" A beat. "Or lab?" For where the communicators were, he meant; would they have been kept in a box or under a screwdriver, would they be able to make a signal reach Death City, were they actually gate-ways for the witches to listen in to everyone else, were they findable and if they were, they seemed like a better goal than 'get out.' More tangible, easier to hold on to. Suzaku cleared his mind and focused in on it: water, communicators. Maybe not in that order.

He didn't like just sitting behind these boxes, but once they started moving, there wouldn't be much time to talk. It was too much to ask for a map-- he had to fight down a twisted smile or laugh at that lone thought, returned to focusing on the goals. (It was, at least, much much better than sitting in that cell).

[thirteenthace]

Having a goal set in his mind, something to keep himself focused - that was something Phoenix could do easily; it was second nature to him, really. That was how he had been when he was a lawyer, and how he was in the seven years that was spent on taking down Kristoph Gavin. Keeping himself occupied meant that he wasn't going to slip, wasn't going to lose himself; he had a mission and his focus was on that mission. Something that he couldn't afford to fail, no matter what. Too much depended on this.

"Let's just see where we end up first," he replied in a murmur just loud enough for Suzaku to hear, trusting himself not to be heard. The good thing was that because this place was under construction, it meant that security wasn't exactly tight here - maybe, just maybe...

Keeping one eye over the edge of the boxes, Phoenix debated on what to do next. He knew he was at a disadvantage - the injuries he had received from what the Witches did to him weren't exactly very well-healed, and it took a tremendous amount of effort for him to even get here. The man didn't know how much longer he could keep himself moving, and it would be bad if he hindered them because of his injuries.

--and they weren't in their cell now, which hopefully could mean--

Phoenix glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers as he closed his eyes and tried to focus. Pushing away the darkness and concentrating on the power that still resided within him. He wasn't going to touch what the Witches did to him, but then perhaps, maybe... like this...

Glancing towards Suzaku, Phoenix then spoke. "...I'll change into my Weapon form, and then you can pick me up to find a room we can duck into. From there we'll try to figure out where we exactly are and go from there."

[livelyhood]

His legs were starting to feel as if they had been set on fire with the crouch they held, but Suzaku still nodded, calm and easy: all things considered, acts done by the witches still amounted to more pain than this run had given him, and so there was no reason to falter. Acts by the witches had awarded him with -- powers, too, and so long as he thought about them as useful assets and not further corruption of who he was (who was he anymore, anyway? an escaped prisoner making a reckless bid for freedom with a group of the same), he could use them. He'd been called a dog and a Weapon before, what difference did actually turning into either of those things make--

- a big, big difference, was the truth, but now wasn't the time -

"Understood." A room. They were in one of the unused corridors, so it had to lead somewhere. A room would be a better place to hide (and get cornered in, but he ignored that) in and speak than an open area, at least. He could force himself to run, anyway. Just as long as it didn't come to threaten his life, he could -- Phoenix wasn't a fighter, was a lawyer, wasn't meant to be doing these things. And one person would be harder to spot than two fully grown men - actually, a dog would be harder to spot than even a person, maybe he should be ready to use that (but what if it backfired?).

It was a good thing they'd spent a time before talking about Weapon forms, anyway. The sound of something broke through the alarm, and Suzaku's head snapped in its direction for a brief moment, before deciding whatever it was wouldn't be avoidable if they didn't move - so. Eyes once more back to Phoenix.

... Hopefully, transforming in any way would work. How did the witches stop them from doing that, anyway?

[thirteenthace]

Hearing Suzaku's consent and acknowledgement was all that he needed, and Phoenix closed his eyes once more in order to focus and concentrate. Ignoring the darkness that was temping him towards using the other part of him that was now tainted and evil - the situation now helped him to focus away from it at least, and instead reach out towards the real power that was inside him.

A brief flash of blue light flared around Phoenix, and at the next moment he was into his Weapon form - a combat knife, its handle adorned with an engraving of the ace of spades. It lay where the man had been sitting earlier, handle directed towards Suzaku himself.

Could a Weapon hold onto another Weapon, actually? Phoenix distinctly recalled it being possible - but possible or not, they had to do it anyway; he couldn't move well, and Suzaku was the real fighter between them. At least like this, he could manage to defend himself should the need arise. With luck though, hopefully that wouldn't come to pass - a battle would just attract attention and that would be the end of them.

[livelyhood]

No. No, a Weapon wasn't supposed to wield another Weapon.

But wasn't supposed to and wasn't able to were two different things, and Suzaku wasn't thinking on the past right then-- he was focused, and barely gave any thought before practically jumping out of his crouch and taking the combat knife with him. Immediately, the sensation of grabbing a burning branch spread up through his palm and into his arm, but it only made him grip tighter (no, not turn toward that spell, it made him feel even more disgusting, somehow) and lock his jaw, really run. It couldn't be any more pleasant for Phoenix, he realized, but did either of them care?

There had been someone inspecting the corridor, he soon found out. Found out by having to duck a sharp corner to avoid a blast of energy, to be exact - and while the new corridor was dimmer, it didn't seem to have any more doors. But... They were... somewhere low, and low floors usually had kitchens-- kitchens or a bathroom, either would work.

Quickly, hopefully. He might have been strong before, but a week of sitting in that cell hadn't been helpful in any kind of way.

[thirteenthace]

Inwardly, Phoenix winced at the disruptive resonance that they had the moment Suzaku grabbed him - hardly at all pleasant, but a necessity so that they could survive through this. It was hard to focus, but focus was what the man tried to do anyway, attempting to get their resonation into something that could be much more tolerable at the very least.

For the most part he did manage to do it, getting to something that vaguely resembled an initial resonance - not good or bad, but at least tolerable and usable. Considering all circumstances, that was the best Phoenix supposed he could ask for. He looked around as well, noticing their surroundings and trying to figure out a good way to go from where they were at the moment.

Just try to find somewhere we can duck into first, he went mentally to the other, hoping that the link would work - he had only ever resonated with Edgeworth (his Meister and all), so he wasn't sure if this would fly. We can worry about where to go properly later.

[livelyhood]

If he'd had the mind or breath to, Suzaku would've thanked Phoenix for managing the link -- might have worried and asked if he were alright, too, but they really didn't have the time, and with his mind put to the mission, his usual worries over the 'emotional' side of things were largely gone. Snippets of words made their way into the mind, static-filled but audible, and it initially startled him enough that he almost did drop the Weapon; but their meaning registered soon enough, and he sent back what he hoped was a feeling of assent, eyes peeled for something, anything...

Not down this little hallway. It must've been a connecting one, or something, because it was only when he turned onto a bigger, better-lit one that rows of doors showed up. Well.

Any one? There was a thread of bemusement, under all of his rush. It was too bad most of the witches had remembered to close their doors - hopefully, none were actually locked. Or at least one wasn't locked.

[thirteenthace]

Any will do, Phoenix returned, the slightest hint of amusement at the edge of his voice. They should have a floor plan or something around, hopefully. Especially if this place was under construction; it would mean that plans and blueprints would be lying around the place, and with luck they might be able to find one to help them.

...of course, that would work if the rooms could be entered in the first place, but the man had the feeling that security in their base was something they didn't have that all readily. Only just the part where they had been held, perhaps. Phoenix just hoped that his hypothesis would be true or things would get troublesome quickly.

[livelyhood]

Alright, alright. Any room, any room - how did Phoenix manage to sound amused even then? (The other could probably feel something like dumbfounded curiosity, over their unstable resonation).

His arm and lungs were burning, but... The next door to come into sight was the one he tried-- got an easy turn of the knob and an abruptly wide swing of the door for his troubles, making him almost stumble in and register a stuffy smell before twisting around to shut the door again, stand absolutely still against it on the other side with careful, even breathing. With any luck, they hadn't been sighted.

The only light was from the crack under the door, but after five, fifteen seconds passed and the door wasn't slammed open, Suzaku took a careful shuffle backwards, set Phoenix's Weapon form down on the ground (bit his lip to keep from crowing in relief at the sudden weight off what felt like his already torn soul) and backed off to start feeling for a switch. Though... -- Foolish question. They needed the light, even if the switch turned out to be for something else. Honestly, what was this room - it had the air quality of something small, but it couldn't be that little by the way sound didn't ring in his ears. (The alarms were muffled through the door, too. Alright, maybe he did honestly want to cry at that).

[thirteenthace]

Phoenix could feel Suzaku's confused feelings over his tone, and that did nothing more but to further fuel the man's amusement towards his current partner. In his own way, the man was simply trying to keep their hopes up, to not make them drown in the despair they were already wading into waist-deep. If they wanted their shot at escaping, at getting out of here once and for all, first they needed to have hope - hope which they so severely lacked now.

A rush of wind whistled past him as the other stumbled into a notably dark room - dark that Phoenix couldn't figure out what was this place as well. He felt himself resting onto the ground when Suzaku placed him there, and though he did want to turn back it was prorably better to play it safe for now; the room might be a broom cupboard or something for all they know, and two people being squashed inside was hardly a good idea at all.

All he could do now was to keep silent as Suzaku tried to find a switch to give them light. He couldn't do the mental link thing since the other wasn't physically touching him, and speaking aloud might just draw in attention which they did not need. Hopefully with luck, Suzaku might manage to find something to help them.

[livelyhood]

It was admittedly a bit of time in coming, but he finally did hit a light switch-- which was a bit odd on its own, wasn't it, what with the witches having magic and electricity not being necessarily needed and his mind was going off on a tangent when it should have been stable- and the light flooded the room to show...

Ah. That was why it felt stuffy.

A kitchen. A low-cielinged, wooden-tabled kitch. It didn't really seem like a place that belonged in the headquarters at all.

But shock aside, there was light, the alarm was muffled, and aside from the ones they left in the hallway, there didn't seem to be any witches in sight (though there were a few more doors that led to who-knew-where). It was, frankly, a fine place to be. Still, Suzaku hesitated, spied the sinks and closets and didn't move. "Can you...?" -- Oh. Yes. Bracing himself for and ignoring the spike of initial rejection he got from picking Phoenix's Weapon form up, he raised it so that the other would - probably - be able to see. There were footsteps in the hallway again (another perk to this connection: the light from under the door was maybe enough to grab attention, talking aloud wouldn't help), along with shouting, but right now--

They made it to a kitchen. It had sinks, maybe food.

... But was it smart to take time and look? Maybe they could even find a few more conventional weapons, though Phoenix would probably do better than any sort of regular knife. When Suzaku did decide, he'd move without thinking about it again, but the small second before was one of hesitance.

[thirteenthace]

In whatever space that he was in now at the moment due to being in his Weapon form, Phoenix blinked when the sudden flood of lights entered his senses, temporarily having been caught off-guard by it.

Once that initial surprise was over with however, Phoenix found himself looking around (or at least as much he could look around anyway, given the fact that he was in his Weapon form for the moment) in what seemed to be like a... he really couldn't tell, since he was on the ground.

He perked up at Suzaku's voice, confused for a moment about the way he trailed off before the other moved at the sudden discomfort that wormed into his soul once again explained all that was needed. Not the best, but considering all that was going all this was all that Phoenix could really ask for. At least the other was still able to wield him, which was already good enough of a thing by itself.

It would be nice if there was some grape juice in here... the man remarked not at all helpfully as he looked around as well, now able to see the kitchen better now that Suzaku was holding him.