[log] the start of a bad joke [closed]

[armoured]

Characters: Alphonse, Tony, Amber, and Sylar
Location The hospital
Date: Day 167
Summary: Four intrepid adventurers meet up. Will also contain event SD card shenanigans when that's revealed.
Warnings: None yet

[A tin man, a superhero, a doctor, and a serial killer walk into a bar...]

Comments

[armoured]

[Al is tired, hurt, and fed up.

He looks pretty weird, a large suit of armour with a scarf wrapped around his entire helmet to hide the face from view, some fluffy earmuffs, and a bedsheet tied around his waist like a loincloth. He's not exactly stealthy, footsteps loud and clanking against the floor.

If he hears anyone else approaching, he'll immediately stop and look up, bringing up a warm tone rather than inflict his bad mood on anyone else.]

Oh-- I'm sorry, I thought I was here on my own.

[termineur]

[ Sylar had come to investigate the noise. By the time All looked up to see him, he seemed more concerned than anything else. ]

It's okay. So did I. It's kind of good to have company here, actually. I'm- uh, I'm Zane. Zane Taylor? We talked the first day I was here, but that seems like awhile ago....

[ He looks conflicted, and eventually blurts out: ] You okay? I mean, that sounds kind of dumb to ask, none of us are okay. But I heard you were following the Joker. Did that go...badly, or something?

[armoured]

Huh?

[That's actually quite a refreshing change, most people usually ask about why he's so tall and wearing armour with a pre-teen voice, so he's stumped for a moment. And then that melts into being touched, it's really kind of a stranger to have thought of him.]

No, no-- actually we caught him, he didn't even put up a fight. But, uh... Batman thought it might be a better idea to go on alone with him, so I've come back here.

[That's not true, Batman knocked him out and ran off.]

Are you okay, Mr. Taylor? This place can be kind of intense... weren't you meeting up with a friend?

[termineur]

[ Sylar is, in fact, very curious about the whole giant suit of armor thing. But after the talking dog and the giant war-chicken on the network, he's stopped expecting things to be normal around here. He's honestly expecting most of the younger-sounding children to have something strange going on like this. Al especially came across as far more mature than his voice let on.

The mention of a friend makes him frown. ]

Uh, yeah. I did. We tested our blood here, and then he went out on his own to the aquarium, and- I haven't heard from him since. No sign of him there, either, so...

[ He looks down and sighs, far more despondent than before. ]

Hopefully, he'll be back soon.

[armoured]

Oh.

[His shoulders drop a little.

There's not much he can say to offer comfort there. If someone has disappeared and isn't responding to messages, then it's pretty obvious what's happened. Another one gone, and he won't offer the false and hollow hope that he comes back. He still disagrees with that so strongly.

What he can do is offer comfort, so he steps forwards and lays a hand on Zane's shoulder.]

I'm really sorry-- so you're on your own? Me too, we can stick together, if you like? I'll help you out.

[termineur]

[ He looks up, actually a little genuinely surprised. Didn't everyone already have plans in this place?]

Thanks. I'd like that, if I'm not keeping you from anything. I'm going to stay here a couple days. The Cat- I don't know if he has an actual name. But he's coming by to help me out with something.

[ He lets his wistful expression say that he's also waiting for Mohinder to wake up in the morgue. Aw, what the heck- he lays it on even thicker. ]

I should've gone with him. I just wanted to check this whole place out thoroughly, you know? I was going to meet him there the next day.

[wilsonsheart]

[The suit of armor is looking at her and talking. Amber isn't able to erase the expression of shocked surprise from her face fast enough for it to go unnoticed. She leans heavily against the rake she's transformed into a makeshift cane, and tries to swallow her surprise as quickly as she can.]

Ah...

[Words, Amber. Use your words. You have them, don't you? She manages a smile, shaking off the shock.]

No, not alone. Sorry, did you want some privacy? I didn't mean to disturb you.

[This feels odd. But he's clearly another one of the people stuck here, judging by the clothing. How does his voice sound so young?]

My name is Amber. You're one of the first people I've run into.

[armoured]

[Nothing to see here, just a normal person wearing normal armour. Normally. He doesn't recognise her name, that means she must be one of the newer people here. Poor woman, she's probably terrified.]

Well, don't worry, I promise I'm a good first person to run into.

[He chuckles and even flashes her a thumbs up to try and put her at ease.]

Come on in and sit down, you're not disturbing me. I'm Al, Alphonse Elric.

[wilsonsheart]

[Despite his intimidating appearance, his demeanor does suggest that, as he says, he's a good person to run into.]

You wrote the survival guide, right? That was a big help for me the other day when I woke up--thank you.

[She takes up his offer and sits down carefully, wary of her injury. Luckily, she's been able to find semi-decent supplies to wrap it, and it's not as if there's been any shortage of ice outside.]

It's good to meet you.

[It's not, really. It's not good to meet anyone. But she's going to play nice as long as she can get away with it. Or until it stops serving any real purpose for her. But she's new, and like she said, she's still meeting people. Amber can't afford to push anyone away.]

How long have you been here?

[armoured]

A long time, since the beginning. Or... I guess not the beginning, the town was here before us, but I've been here since our group started to wake up here. One hundred and sixty seven days now.

[He isn't an idiot, he can see Amber sits down gingerly.]

Are you hurt?

[That's much more important than anything else right now.]

[wilsonsheart]

This? It's nothing, really. Just a sprain.

[She reaches down and rubs her ankle carefully.]

I slipped on the ice in the tunnels shortly after I woke up. It already feels much better, but I’m going to keep avoiding putting my weight down on it as long as I can.

[Amber laughs, but there isn’t any humor in it.]

I feel a bit silly I made such a fuss on the network over it…it was just that on top of waking up here, I made a mountain out of a molehill.

[Ha ha ha. Oh boy.]

Over five months here…I think I’d go crazy.

[definingfuture]

[Tony looks relieved when he runs into Al. He had meant to find him sooner, but then he... never made it to him.]

Al.

[Tony doesn't look as well as he has. Yesterday was bad, but he's just happy to see Al is alive.]

You're here? I thought- Are you okay?

[armoured]

Tony!

[There's genuine warmth in his vice as well as the surprise, one hand coming up to touch his scarf to make sure it's still in place.]

Yeah, I'm fine. It's-- uh... Batman decided we should go separate ways, so I came back this way myself. I had no idea you were in the area.

[definingfuture]

[Tony gives Al a good look over, because the last he'd heard, Al was dealing with the Joker. Seeing him here, alone, of course he'd worried about the worst. He doesn't mention the scarf, but he definitely questions the comment about Batman.]

Separate ways. [Uh-huh.] Are you sure you're okay?

[After Clint's and Natasha's first impressions of Batman, Tony can't help but be a little protective.]

[armoured]

[He hesitates a moment, but he's so angry that he doesn't bother to keep it a secret from Tony.]

He hit me over the back of the head and knocked me out, then took off with the Joker while I was unconscious. I called him about it when I came around and he said he wasn't pleased with my 'track record' with the Joker.

[HE'S SO ANGRY. His voice is rising to become more like a shout, wound tighter and tighter.]

I don't even know which way they went, I came back up here to check for signs but I think they must have gone downtown. So now I'm going to have to go all the way back down there, and I'm just-- I was finally helping!

[definingfuture]

Al, you can help without dealing with the Joker.

[The way he talks makes it sound like that's all he does. Alphonse is helping other people with his guide and knowledge of the place. He doesn't need to chase one crazy man to be useful, but it sounds like that is all Al cares about.]

You don't have to go. If he cares so much, let him deal with him. It's not your sole responsibility. He seems to know enough about him to handle him alone for a while.

late forever

[definingfuture]

[Tony arrived at the hospital a few days earlier, but after a serious panic attack, he ended up staying over to calm himself. And then, while he was there, he had to look around. When they all got notice of the SD cards, he sticks around to explore--he has to check things out before moving on anyway.

He's looking just a bit harried when he explores the various rooms of the hospital, unkempt, but still worried enough about his appearance to try to keep himself looking presentable. He cares about maintenance. When he runs into someone, he waves, offering a small smile.]

You haven't seen a coffee house around this place, have you?

[termineur]

[ Sylar snorts at the joke. This SD card was just not wanting to be found, so he might as well take a little break, right? ] I wish.

[ He brightens up as a thought apparently strikes him. ] Oh, but if it's hot water you're looking for, I've actually got some of that. Just came back from the aquarium. Sadly no coffee or tea to use it with, though.

[definingfuture]

[Tony is starting to wonder if the SD cards actually exist. They've been searching for some time, and he isn't sure whether or not to believe anything that comes from Eve, since she's been so secretive to begin with. Maybe the hunt is a will goose chase just to see what they'll do to each other to obtain the elusive data on the cards. The thought does stick in his mind.]

Thanks. I might call you if I ever find coffee. We can trade.

[Because that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all to him, presuming they ever do find coffee.]

You'd think there would be some left in these buildings. Did the original group never stock up on it? Isn't that sort of thing something you'd put on your basic rations list? It's weird not to find any at all.

[termineur]

I'll have to keep an eye out. Hot water on its own is nice, but kinda disappointing.

I have heard rumblings of hot coffee being somewhere, but I was too new at the time to pay attention. [ He shrugs, a little wistfully. ] You'd think that would be more important for the Admin to supply than popsicle molds and posters, but who knows? The priorities around here seem just a little out-of-whack.

Speaking of, I don't suppose you've had any luck yet? [ Seeing as they're still looking for SD cards. ]

FINDING THE SD CARD

[armoured]

[The morgue was always a creepy place to be, and Al did his best not to look too closely at any of the sealed drawers. He didn't want to see the people he knew and loved this way.

It's because he's trying so hard not to see the bodies, that he finally sees a flash of plastic.]

--OVER HERE! Hey... Hey, I found it. Oh, it's... it's got blood on it.

[He slides it into his tablet gingerly, where his whole screen suddenly turns red and then it powers off, and then restarts a few seconds later.]

--urgh, urgh. Urgh. I can taste blood.

[definingfuture]

Al?

[Of course Tony lost track of him. He got caught up in the search and he curses himself a bit when he hears Al calling from his side of the morgue. He should have stayed with him.

At least he comes rushing over when Al calls out. Just in time to see the whole display.]

Blood? You can taste-?

[Could he even taste things if he was a suit of armor? Tony frowns deeply.]

Do you feel okay?

[armoured]

[It's such a weird sensation.

Even when Al eats the food here, it's just by opening his faceplate and dropping it inside. He doesn't know how it nourishes him, he doesn't taste it, he doesn't-- and so this is extremely bizarre.]

Huh? Oh-- oh, no I'm fine. I don't think I'm hurt, it's just...

[Urgh, it's awful.]

...it's so weird.

[definingfuture]

Can I see?

[He asks gently, because he's pretty sure that Al doesn't want him prying. Especially since it could be dangerous for him if Tony decides to do anything to him. But he is honestly worried about him and wants to know if there somehow is blood filling the armor. Al shouldn't be tasting blood. There's no way that could happen. Whatever he just downloaded must have done something.]

I promise not to touch you.

[armoured]

[He hesitates a second, but he does trust Tony.

It's a quick glance around to make sure nobody else is coming down to the morgue, before he opens the faceplate of his armour and bends down so that Tony can look inside. There's nothing to see, he's completely hollow but for the old blood seal on the back of his neck.]

Can you see anything?