[log] I will hit the next person who tries to kill Dr. House with a shovel [closed]

[ecks]

Characters: Ecks, House, and the Joker
Location: Building 29
Date: 204 (night)
Summary: Ecks takes it upon herself to defend House from the Joker, with disastrous results.
Warnings: Multiple violent character deaths

[A small shed outside the school, going inside reveals sports equipment is being stored in here. There are hurdles, various sports balls, giant mats, and the like. There's nothing that could be used as a weapon, though, unless you're going to try to hurl a basketball at someone's head. This is the only place on the campus it's possible to stay in overnight--if you try to stay anywhere else, you'll be made to leave at 7PM. The following is written on the wall in blue ink: "This is Building 46 on the composite map. Contact @CaptSteveRogers for details." Underneath is a fairly accurate map showing the shed in relation to the school. The school is labeled "School. Food available in cafeteria; DO NOT STAY HERE OVERNIGHT." The shed is labeled "Shed". Behind the shed is a small army of snowmen armed with sports equipment. There's a drawing spraypainted on the inside of the shed. It has been labeled "GEROMY". The skin color has been left blank.]

Comments

[rubikscomplex]

[It probably would have been more efficient for Ecks to take both packs and fill them up at the school. Because at the moment, she's having to help a severely shaking, sickly, pained Gregory House back to the shed after filling up. He's silent apart from heaving breathing, at least. The lack of conversation might be a small mercy as he leans heavily on the golem and stumbles along. This wouldn't be so bad if it were just withdrawals. He's worked with withdrawal, even when his leg had been injured.

But that had been in a climate-controlled office where he was getting everything else he could want. Where he had his own house and his own bed and his own everything. Also, his face wasn't a mass of agony. That had helped a great deal.

When they get inside, House all but collapses before dry heaving. He'd thrown up a few times out on their journey today. There's really nothing left there. The doctor will lie wherever Ecks leaves him to do so. Although, she probably knows he has a preference for the corner of the room. It's close to lockdown, at least. That means they're almost safe in the sense that there's no one else intruding on his misery.]

[ecks]

[More efficient, yes, but Ecks would not have liked to leave him alone, undefended, and go about their business without him. Still, the day has been worse than she expected, and she suspects that the cost/reward balance is not in their favor when he cannot retain what food he has eaten. She's patient and quiet for the most part, doing as she's told when he has a mind and a voice to tell her. Her own burns hurt, but they do not hurt so very much as he seems to hurt.

She does indeed position him in a corner, getting out her tablet and turning on the fireplace application again before giving the device to him, insistent that he should wrap his arms around it. Maybe she will transfer the app to his device tonight, but for now it doesn't matter. Once Doctor House is settled as well as he can be for the moment she goes about pulling some of the food from her bag, not unpacking properly yet as she keeps half an eye on the shed's door, her shovel near at hand.]

[harlequinofhate]

[Joker leans against a wall and coughs raggedly, some blood bubbling past his lips. Months.

It has to have been months now with this damn cough.

Lou sits at his feet and sniffs his pantleg.]

Y'know, Doc, I've seen dead men who look better than you.

[rubikscomplex]

Everyone looks better than you. So what's that say, clown?

[He can't even be afraid right now. Well, he can, but the snap comes out before House can really think about it. It dawns on him that he's trapped in a small room with the Joker once more, though. And there's no way he'll be able to escape like he and Wilson had before.]

[ecks]

[Ecks stares openly at the Joker, gaze only flickering away long enough to look at the animal with him. Dog? Not a dog. She has not met this man before, but she knows who he is. Already she's looking him over for signs of weakness, noting the cough, the blood, the cadence of his breathing, the manner in which he leans on the wall. She does not pick up the shovel yet, but she is very aware of where she set it down.]

Doctor House is not dead.

[harlequinofhate]

Yet.

[Another coughing fit and he glances towards House.]

Our dear doc holds the town record for kakking it, dontcha, buddy?

[rubikscomplex]

You're not allowed to comment when you added to the tally, asshole.

[Ugh. He doesn't want to be talking. He doesn't want to be here. Can the Joker just go and die.]

Anyway, I'm 5-and-5 or 6-and-6 on revivals so far. Is batboy still a popsicle?

[ecks]

[Is that a threat or a statement of expectation? Ecks remains frozen where she is, listening. She isn't sure what Doctor House is talking about, but she sort of wishes he would stop talking in general.]

[harlequinofhate]

THE BAT IS COMING BACK!

[Joker shouts loudly enough that it startles Lou, who hops back away from him.]

...He better come back.

.....I swear to criminy if he doesn't come back.....

cw: suicidal ideations

[rubikscomplex]

Doubt he will. You were probably getting boring for him.

[It's not a good idea to taunt the Joker, but House doesn't care at this point. Dying would be preferable to being alive right now.]

[ecks]

[Ecks snatches up the shovel, just as startled as Lou.]

Stop.

[The command is directed at both of them. She's strung tight, still in place on the floor but all but vibrating with readiness.]

[harlequinofhate]

BORE HIM!?

[Joker takes a threatening step towards House.]

I never bore him, not me, no, I'm the only reason Old Long-Ears has any excitement in his life!

cw: suicidal ideations

[rubikscomplex]

[House's eyes are closed, but the sound of movement has them snapping open as he looks toward the Joker. he sees the menace, and the sees the threat... and rears up inside of him. But it's not enough to silence him with the agony of today spurring him to simply lash out at a convenient and deserving target. It's better than Ecks, and if the Joker knocks him unconscious or kills him? At least the pain will stop for a while.

He ignores Ecks.]

I'm pretty sure you do. Probably died just to get away from you. I think that means the joke's on you, clown.

[ecks]

[Ecks is on her feet in a flash, slipping naturally as anything into a ready stance as she steps to put herself between the Joker and Doctor House. She drops her voice to the bottom of its register, raises the volume. Her attention is entirely on the Joker now.]

Stop. Stay away from Doctor House.

[harlequinofhate]

You have a problem, Greg, you never know when to keep that fat mouth shut.

[He ignores Ecks and brandishes his fireplace poker, then attempts to charge past her into House.]

[rubikscomplex]

[Fuck.

House lunges forward and tries to grab Ecks' legs to physically shove her out of the way of Joker's charge. This is the same thing with Royce. God damn it!]

[ecks]

[Ecks shifts her weight, the shovel coming up as she moves to thrust it at the Joker's solar plexus. She's not expecting what she experiences as an attack from behind on her legs, and she goes tumbling, overcorrecting against the assualt to land right on top of Doctor House, shovel swinging wildly upward in the Joker's general direction.]

(sorry about the delay!)

[harlequinofhate]

[Joker steps back out of swinging range and cackles at the tumble of bodies below him.]

Oopsie, did something happen?

Hold still a moment, House.

[He swings the fireplace poker violently downward towards the doctor.]

(no worries!)

[rubikscomplex]

Fuck. Fuck!

[House shoves Ecks hard and the poker hits his neck, the sharp metal prong digging into his neck and turning his shouts to gurgles. If that comes out, he's dying. He's already probably dying. There are very few scenarios here where he's not dying, but maybe he can buy Ecks time to kill the Joker, instead.

He tries to grab hold of the poker, keep it in place, let the fleshgolem get up and attack.]

cw attempted low blow

[ecks]

[She knows that gurgle. Ecks does not have to look to know where the blow has landed, nor how severely Doctor House's chance of surviving this encounter has been reduced. Free of the tangle of his limbs, she rolls to her feet, swinging the shovel up toward the junction between the Joker's legs in one smooth movement as she goes.]

[harlequinofhate]

[The Joker pulls the poker free from House's grip and is about to swing again when the shovel strikes him in the groin and a shrill keening wail erupts from his throat.

He staggers to one side.]

LOU! KILL THEM!

[The hyena licks its hindquarters.]

Useless mongrel, I'm turning you into a rug!

cw: character death

[rubikscomplex]

[House doesn't have much to contribute once the poker is out of his neck. He's already losing sensations, body going into shock. The doctor reaches for the Joker's leg, his shoes, tries to do anything to trip him up. But his struggles are weak and the fade quickly. A well-placed kick or simply waiting a minute or so has House falling still.

Darkness closes, and he tries to tell Ecks to get out, get to the school if she can and lock herself in there somehow.

All that comes out is a gurgle before everything goes slack.]

cw: character death

[ecks]

[This time Ecks does look -- first at the hyena she expects to leap at her, then at -- at -- there is so much blood and he is not moving --]

I will kill you.

[None of her grief makes it into her voice as she zeroes back in on the Joker, precious seconds lost (failure, she should have hit him again immediately). She lifts her shovel and lunges at him, aiming to jab in the gut as she repeats herself like a broken record, the words louder now but no more outwardly emotional.]

I will kill you.