Nightshift 24: Entry Room

[transgenix]

( coming from here.)

The hall was dark and quiet as Max led the way deeper into the building and away from the dorms. She could hear the faint murmur of voices coming from... somewhere, but couldn't quite pinpoint a location

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[muted_flame]

[ From here. ]

As usual, the Entry Room was crowded... And yet it looked like no one had actually gotten through the main door. He was one of the only people that had the key to it, then, though he was fairly certain another copy was floating around. Hopefully, he would be the first one to open the door and figure out where it led - for no other reason than he would have an advantage over the other patients, along with some bragging rights.

Then again, everyone in the room was going to see him open the door and would be able to follow them out, but there wasn't much he could do about that. He slowly trudged inside, glancing around cautiously. Was there no antagonist here? That was odd - usually there was something guarding the Entry Room.

Well, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Glancing back at the three who had come with him (would it turn out their help would not be needed?), he started toward the other side of the room where the door in question was located, ignoring the other patients there.

[haiiro_no_chou]

Rukia nodded at the Colonel's answer, staying close to him as they went into the entry room. She had never been in here before, but it almost seemed too easy that they could simply walk out the front door. She would have to be extra cautious.

Glancing around, she noted the other patients, then froze. Was that Vice Captain Hinamori??? She simply stared for a long moment before calling out softly, "Vice Captain Hinamori?"

[hajike_tobiume]

Momo slowly approached and stopped when she could easily see the details of Rukia's face, but did not get too close. The shinigami glanced briefly at the other three with Rukia, but paid them little attention.

"Kuchiki-san... So the Sokyoku got its blood after all," Momo said quietly. "I had hoped the ryoka would..." She bowed her head as she fought the tears again, refusing to cry.

"I am sorry, Rukia."

[broken_exorcist]

Allen nodded, but said nothing at the Colonel's refusal. It wasn't his place after all. It wasn't, but-

Allen's gaze darted through the dark room as Rukia called out a name. Another one. His jaw tightened, but he said nothing about the new "shinigami." If Rukia knew her, she was one of those, right? Though he couldn't help the glow from his left eye at the sight of them. But he'd keep his word. Even if it wasn't easy.

He glanced around the room, torn between unease and skepticism. This was the way out? All they'd needed was a key to the front door? It all seemed terribly simple. He kept a careful watch on the shinigami, though he managed to watch the way they'd come in as well. Just in case some awful monsters had decided to follow. Or better than that, if Ravi had decided to tag along. He was probably out looking for his Innocence. They'd still have to find that before entertaining any thoughts of return, he knew.

[notmyfather]

It seemed tat Renji hadn't been exaggerating when he said there were a good many of his people around. Or so Valyn assumed, when Rukia started calling out to someone else.

He just cleared his throat, quietly, rather tan show any disapproval of her actions. It was clear to him that Mustang wanted to be on the move.

[muted_flame]

While Roy could understand what it was like to run into a person from your world, he didn't have the time for it. He needed to get that door unlocked before something that wanted them dead did show up. As long as Allen and Valyn kept an eye on him, it probably wouldn't matter that Rukia was busy with other things.

So he didn't hesitate in moving across the room and stopping at the large, reinforced door he had gotten to and failed to open so many times before. He started searching through his pockets for his keys, making sure to send a few glances around as he did so. This was usually right when something decided to attack, after all.

[haiiro_no_chou]

Rukia was torn between stopping to talk to Vice Captain Hinamori and staying with Colonel Mustang. On the one hand, she was here tonight to assist the Colonel, and protect him (which he clearly needed, considering his apparently weakened condition) while he tried to open the door. On the other, Rukia has to assume that Vice Captain Hinamori had only just woken up here tonight; none of the other Shinigami had mentioned seeing her. While Rukia had no doubt that Hinamori could take care of herself, shouldn't the other Shinigami at least be informed of their situation

[hajike_tobiume]

Yes, indeed complicated. Momo wasn't sure how even Kuchiki Byakuya could stop the Sokyoku and prevent the Execution from going through. It had even been a pipe dream that the ryoku would have been able to change things, but stranger stuff had happened. This was something she immediately pushed from her thoughts when Rukia mentioned Hitsugaya.

Momo's eyes went wide and she let out a half-strangled "Shiro-chan?" She quickly shut her mouth and swallowed hard, once again refusing to cry. Now was not the time. Focus on the mission. She had to focus. And she was higher ranked. Acting Captain she was, so Acting Captain she would be.

A quick hand to her eyes and any trace of tears were gone. The shinigami drew herself to her full almost-five-feet height and nodded sternly.

"To your mission then, shinigami," Momo responded. "I am with two others in the file room over there," she gestured to the room Integra and Alucard were. "Should you require my assistance, simply ask. I will not hold you up any further."

[broken_exorcist]

Allen wasn't usually one to eavesdrop, but his suspicions made it difficult. His focus was torn between Mustang and the two small girls. He heard the jingle of metal as the Colonel fumbled for his keys and hoped the man made it quick.

But he caught that word again, from the new girl. Shinigami. Gods of death or something, hadn't Renji said? It seemed arrogant to refer to oneself as a God, though he knew from his travels with Master Cross that there were dozens of different religions. Some believing in only one God, some in many. They couldn't all be right, but...

Allen frowned. There was that gray area again. Why couldn't things just be simple black and white? He focused his gaze back on his present task. Was he supposed to be watching the way they'd come or were they waiting for something behind the door? If there was an Akuma close, he'd know.

[notmyfather]

Valyn kept his attention on Mustang. He wasn't entirely happy about playing nursemaid to some strange soldier, but he wasn't about to shirk his duties. And he was very good at ignoring conversations going on right beside him - years of tuning out his father's political wooing and the idle chatter of maidens had honed that skill.

He did pick up a hint of something in the air. Charged emotions, which didn't surprise him. He lifted his knife, just to be ready. Just in case....

Maybe things would continue going as smoothly as they had.

[muted_flame]

Finally, after picking out the correct key, he got it into the lock and felt it click open again. Biting down hard on his lip, he pushed forward and while the door was pushed back slightly, it wasn't long before it stopped completely.

Roy stared, and then pushed harder, leaning against the door and putting his weight into it. While it opened a crack, that was all. There was something on the other side of the door, barricading it.

Dammit. He banged the side of his fist against the door, but he knew it would do no good. It was more an act of frustration than anything else. Of course it wouldn't have been that easy.

How was he supposed to explain this to the rest of the group? He turned around slowly to face them, but found he was speechless for the moment. He had just dragged them on a wild goose chase, after all.

[haiiro_no_chou]

Rukia bowed, saying, "Thank you, Vice Captain Hinamori. Please be careful."

With that, she turned and joined Allen, Valyn, and Colonel Mustang at the door. None of them had said anything to her, but she could practically feel disapproval radiating off them. She supposed she had earned some of it, since she was here to protect the Colonel and had stopped to talk to an old friend. Still, Rukia knew that it had been necessary. If she had simply ignored the other Shinigami and reported her presence to Captain Hitsugaya later, she would no doubt have earned an angry glare.

Rukia was ready for an attack when the Colonel pushed on the door. A moment later, though, she frowned when it refused to open. "What is it, sir?" she asked. "Is there something blocking it?" Rukia moved forward, shining her flashlight at the small gap between the door and the door frame.

[hajike_tobiume]

Momo nodded to Rukia and watched the shinigami continue on her mission. It appeared that the tall dark-haired man had a keyt to the big door. Did that mean he had a way out? When the door refused to open, Momo returned to her place by the file room Integra and Alucard were in. She'd let Rukia handle her assigned mission while the vice-captain would continue hers.

She decided to keep an eye on Rukia's group, though, while she waited for Integra to finish with the files.

((Momo jumps back up to whence she came from.))

[broken_exorcist]

Allen watched Mustang struggle at the door. It seemed to budge only for a moment, then the man gave up! Allen wasn't sure if it was his place to say so, but Mustang didn't exactly seem the strongest among them. Shouldn't they try harder

[notmyfather]

While Allen was performing whatever magic he had - what had he referred to his 'weapon' as? - Valyn was gathering his own power, squeezing his power center and stoking up what remained of his abilities. He could at least manage a fireball, if Allen was unable to break open the door.

Of course this wasn't easy. But he had been roped into this, he was going to do his part. He held his hands near his chest, one atop the other, as though he was holding something between them.

"Stand back if you can't manage it," Valyn warned, a spiraling ball of flames gathering between his hands.

[muted_flame]

While Roy had been preparing to try and stick his hand through the crack in the door, it seemed that his company had other ideas. He knew that when someone told you to move aside, the best thing to do was listen, and quickly. So he backed away, watching with quite a bit of interest as Allen's arm morphed into something much heftier.

It was almost like the reports he had read about that homunculus, Wrath... Fascinating, really. He was curious to hear how that worked, if time ever permitted such a conversation. It probably wouldn't make much sense to him, as it had already been established that Allen's world was quite different from his own, but he couldn't help being curious.

Valyn was gearing up for something as well, it seemed, so Roy backpedaled even further. These three seemed to have a good amount of manpower between them, now that the time came...

And yet it didn't seem to be working. The door had barely budged. He glanced at the others and sighed. "I don't believe we're meant to get through. Not tonight, anyway."