Nightshift 21: Hallway Behind Disciplinary Therapy Rooms

[high_prosecutor]

[[coming from here]]Miles Edgeworth had developed a routine over the years for how to handle nightmares. He would wake with a start, quietly walk to the bathroom and splash his face with cool water, then walk quietly back to bed. He'd taken to keeping a book by his bedside for the - common - nights when sleep didn't come again afterwards

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[grosse_sklaven]

((Coming from here. ))

Adelheid had never thought he'd ever be spending this much time breaking down doors. If he had been thinking properly, he would have stepped aside and let Eric, with his regenerative powers, take a stab at it. As it was... well, at least Adelheid was strong and getting used to bruises forming along his shoulder.

A few good slams into it and the door yielded to Adelheid's blows, then he cautiously walked into the room, spear at the ready and trying his best to illuminate as much of the hallway as possible. There had to be monsters there somewhere, right? But where?

Only when he had turned the corner into the hallway proper, and saw that he truly was too late again, did he finally make a sound- a hiss of indrawn breath, his fingers clenching around his spear. Adel knew he shouldn't have wasted so much time! But... there was one bright spot. Only one person seemed to be out; perhaps it wouldn't be too late for the others. Perhaps.

"Miles Edgeworth, wasn't it?" What else was he supposed to say? What else could

[prisonerofdeath]

[[Coming from here]]

Fox remained close to the wall, carefully looking around the corner to the people standing around. It looked like someone else was mounting a rescue mission as well, but he couldn't be sure just from looking.

After debating for a moment, he stepped out away from his hiding spot and walked forward. Fox vaguely recalled Big Boss talking about how it was sometimes nice to sneak around without a shirt on, that it felt a lot better. Perhaps that was so, but Fox couldn't say he was enjoying running around with his bandages and scars on display.

"Is this where they've been experimenting on patients?" Right to business, as always. His blue eyes flickered to the doors for a moment before he returned his attention to the blond young man who, judging from his body language, considered himself to be in charge.

[high_prosecutor]

Edgeworth nodded shakily to Adel - his head and neck hurt from the injections. "I am. You're Wright's friend..." This meant Wright was somewhere around, and despite his loner nature, he was glad to be around other people right at that moment.

Next, he addressed Fox. "They're experimenting on others too? I...was under the impression I was the only one." It wasn't a surprise, but how many others were being subjected to it - they didn't need that many people attempting a channeling, did they?

He peered into the shadows, trying to make out the faces of the others in the hallway despite his still blurry vision.

[141point12]

It was freezing here in this hospital, which Otacon could tell even with his overcoat on. He watched Fox with concern-even a "legend" like Snake could get sick during a mission, after all. Then again, with monsters and whatever else running around (as Fox's bloody bandages attested), perhaps the common cold was the least of their problems.

Otacon followed him to the four men gathered in the hallway, glad to be as far as possible from the fight back at the stairs. The blond one Fox was addressing looked like the youngest, another two seemed like his companions, and the last appeared rather... dazed? They were all wearing the grey patient uniforms-a good sign, maybe.

"We're looking for someone," said Otacon, hearing the dazed man speak. (Was he Miles Edgeworth, from what he'd heard when they were waiting around the corner?) "He's another Disciplinary Trial patient. Is this it?"

[in_your_defense]

Phoenix settled the medical kit and notebook in his lap, and he smiled a little before he spoke softly. "No...thankfully enough. And you're not the only one who owes them a thank you -- Adel and Eric brought me up here." Phoenix then scratched his head awkwardly. "I'm not much of a help to them, but..."

He knew Edgeworth was tired, just by the way he had given in to the embrace, but he didn't press it. Phoenix was merely thankful for the fact that Edgeworth was in one piece, with all of his limbs intact.

Phoenix then reached out and placed a hand on Edgeworth's shoulder. "Are you okay, though? I was worried that they'd hurt you..."

[high_prosecutor]

The question was a hard one to answer. Physically? Edgeworth was still weak and shaky. Mentally, though, he was about as far from okay as it was possible to be.

"I..." He started to speak and then stopped. He took a deep breath. It was hard to talk about what had happened, but he supposed that if Wright had taken the time to come find him after everything he knew about the place, he also owed it to him to level with him.

"I don't know what they're doing to other people. They didn't physically hurt me - I don't think there was permanent damage done."

He stopped and took another deep breath.

"Wright, your assistant. Miss Fey. She has the gift of spirit channeling. She's been training. I don't have this. I wasn't born with it. But tonight, I...they have drugs that can make a person do it."

The mumble in the back of his head was still there, and he did his best to ignore it.

[in_your_defense]

Phoenix stared at what he could see of Edgeworth, the expression on his face almost uncomprehending. "But that...that's impossible."

Channeling...? Maya...? But it was only Maya, and the Fey family. No drug could...

...and then it dawned on Phoenix.

There were drugs to do everything, but none of it was released to the general public. Who in the hell knew what the military was doing underneath the surface? They most definitely didn't tell anyone about it.

And that thought bred theory upon theory in Phoenix's head, thoughts he knew he would need to write down once he had gotten back to his room.

Phoenix understood, though, that it was more important to speak to Edgeworth about what had happened versus getting involved in his own thoughts about it. "...what happened...? How...who did they..." and then Phoenix stopped himself mid-sentence, not sure how to keep on going without sounding cruel.

[high_prosecutor]

Edgeworth sighed. He supposed there was no beating around the bush about this. It would come out eventually anyway, he thought, before beginning to recall what had happened.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning of this evening. I remember the nurse escorting me from the Sun Room to my own room, dinner being brought in, and then nothing until I woke up strapped down to a chair."

That had been the easy part of the story. The rest of it...it had only been moments ago, hadn't it? The injection site on his neck throbbed a bit, as if there was a needle being stuck there again. He reached back and touched it lightly.

"I don't know what they used. I don't even know myself, really, what happened in there. I..."

He stopped speaking before he finished the sentence. The words felt as if they were stuck in his throat.

[prisonerofdeath]

There were arms around him, strong arms. He almost fought against them before he realized that he was being rescued. That was a strange feeling, no one had rescued him like this in... years.

Fox couldn't help but wonder who it was, trying to focus his eyes in the dim hallway. 'Frank,' only one person ever called him that, and there was no mistaking that voice. He glanced up, relieved and surprised to see Big Boss standing over him. Part of him knew it was impossible, but the rest of him was just glad to see him again.

He reached out to grab Big Boss, to make sure he was real, staring at that single eye in the darkness. "Big Boss... you're always saving me, aren't you..." They looked so similar, Big Boss, and Solid Snake, "I'm sorry it took me so long get here, Boss... But he looked like you, and he looked up to me, admired me, and I..." He trailed off for a moment.

"I wanted him to be you, but he wasn't, and once I really got to know him it was hard to let go... But I'd follow you anywhere, Big Boss, against any enemy."

[prisonerofdeath]

There was still a slight ringing in his ears and he almost didn't hear what Big Boss was saying, but he nodded once slightly before elaborating.

"Yeah. I was actually jealous, at first. I thought you were going to replace me with him, because you knew he would be..." Strong just didn't cut it, Snake was something else entirely. "Because you knew how great he could be if he was given the chance."

After Outer Heaven, once he had recovered, he'd done his best to make Snake even more skilled and stealthy than he had been before joining FOXHOUND.

[in_your_defense]

[[from here.]]

When the door of his room had closed behind him, Phoenix had decided that he wasn't going to let the creepiness of the dark, empty halls get to him, and he made his way quickly back to the hall where Edgeworth had been found.

The flavor of Edgeworth's mouth lingered in his own, and Phoenix shivered at the recollection of his voice in his ear. He had never expected Edgeworth to kiss him -- in fact, he hadn't even known that Edgeworth had been interested in him in that way until tonight. The contact had been completely natural, however, as if they had been on that level of intimacy for years, and it was almost disconcerting as to how much Phoenix had liked it.

The thoughts made Phoenix slightly anxious. He had never told Edgeworth that he even had an inclination for that side of things when it came to relationships -- that is, that he was even into men. The thought that Edgeworth might think that he didn't want it worried Phoenix, more than it should have, but he shoved it out of his head. Right now, that wasn't

[grosse_sklaven]

((From the first thread up there, when it's completed.))

Adelheid managed to stumble away from the aftermath of the conflict, but just barely. His breathing was labored, his hands terribly bruised from the power he had channeled, and his shirt was soaked with his own blood.

Even worse than all of that pain was the sheer shame he felt. He had failed all of them. Edward, Eric, Rein... even Suou and the others would have been better if Adelheid hadn't been there. He couldn't have done any good against that creature on his own, and worse than that was the knowledge that Edward had forced himself into unconsciousness just to cover for that weakness. It was all Adel's fault, his weakness and failure overwhelming.

Disgustingly weak. Pitifully weak. Weak weak weak. No wonder his father had been so disgusted.

Adelheid was so caught up in his self-loathing that he didn't notice Nick, as the man still had his flashlight off.

[in_your_defense]

When Phoenix bumped into Adelheid, he jumped out of fear, squeaking in the most undignified manner possible. Flushing with embarrassment, he attempted to recover, his mind fighting over the desire to run, trying to figure out who it was that had bumped into him. He then reached an arm out to support the person against him, the medical kit bumping clumsily against the person's body as Phoenix dropped the journal onto the floor, his free hand scrambling to grab the flashlight out of his pocket. He then flicked it on, shining it upwards. Catching the glimpse of his pale skin and blonde hair, Phoenix averted the bright light so it wasn't shining directly into his eyes. "A-Adel

[grosse_sklaven]

Only that bright light and his stuttered name prevented Adelheid from whipping out with his leg and trying to knock out whatever it was that had bumped into him. It was likely to be another monster, or something like that