[log] Scared of Lonely [closed]

[thewarningafter]

Characters: Stephen, Al, and Sylar
Location: Building 263
Date: Night 219
Summary: A space wizard, a suit of armor, and a serial killer walk into a bar....
Warnings: None yet.

[263: A small office building. It's the sort that looks like it should attach to some larger facility, but whatever it might have connected to is long gone. It's two stories: the first contains a small lobby area, a waiting room, and an area for secretaries. Going upstairs reveals a small honeycomb of eerily empty cubicles. There are desks and chairs in each one, but nothing on any desk or placed on any of the cubicle walls. There's one small one-person office in the back that's similarly empty, and two public bathrooms that work, though the water runs cold.]

Comments

[thewarningafter]

[The trip through the tunnels took a hell of a lot longer than Stephen expected, and the realization that others have spent even longer in the oppressive dark of the ruins, before they'd found the way through, doesn't do much to make him feel better about the long, dark days alone. The world on the other side is no less stark than the residential area, and the daylight dazzles him after having had nothing but the light of his tablet. Still, he's...here. He made it.

He lets himself into the first building he spots, wary of the time.]

Hello?

[His voice echoes in the lobby. If no one's right there, he'll make a circuit of both floors, unwilling to take off his pack and settle in until he's seen the entire place.]

[termineur]

[ Sylar is currently sitting on the first floor, behind the secretaries' desk. He'd had a look around, and he'll have another one soon. But he tires easily, especially when he has to bend to examine things. He looks up in the direction of the call, but doesn't even move to get up. ]

Hi. I'm over here.

[ Possibly a mistake to say that to a stranger, but he can call for Al if things sound dicey. And it doesn't sound like the Joker.

If Stephen approaches, he'll see a pale, reasonably well-groomed man sitting on a blanket, with a pillow propping up his left leg. There's a pretty significant cloth bandage wrapped around his upper calf that has faded blood stains on it. He's leaning back against a pack that looks like it's overflowing- he's clearly been here for awhile. His cane is flat on the ground next to him. ]

Forgive me if I don't get up. [ And he adds, somewhat dryly: ] Welcome to the Industrial Zone.

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen wasn't expecting a response, but the hope of having someone to talk to after nearly a week alone outweighs the fear that it might be someone dangerous. He shuffles his way over, an unshaven man all in blue apart from the heavy red cape draped over his shoulders. He peers over the desk cautiously at first, but on seeing the man on the floor Stephen simply sits down on the desktop.]

I don't believe we've met.

[termineur]

[ It'd been awhile since Al and him had seen anyone face-to-face, long enough that Sylar was quite looking forward to it. He smirks a bit when Stephen's face comes into view. ]

Not unless you dropped an accent in the past month or so. I'm Gabriel. Gabriel Gray. Good to meet you.

[ He supposes this would be the time he'd find out if someone really reacted poorly to his confessions of the past couple of weeks. But it's not like anyone has anything to fear from him, he can barely get around on his own. ]

[thewarningafter]

Godsend.

[Yeah, he remembers that username and he's definitely seen those confessions. Stephen's gaze returns more sharply to the bandaged leg and to the cane, trying to guess at the man's likely level of mobility, before he returns to Sylar's face. Stephen gives the other man a tight smile.]

You here alone?

[termineur]

[ Ah, of course. He smirks slightly and nods at the mention of his username. ]

Alphonse Elric is upstairs. He's been keeping an eye out for me.

[ Which has taken on something of a different meaning since a couple nights ago, when he'd spilled his fears all over Al, and the kid just promised to help him through even the worst of it. ]

We've been traveling together for awhile, so you can ask him how dangerous I am, if you want. With this leg, it's not very. At least I'm shuffling around on my own now.

[thewarningafter]

[He blinks in mild surprise -- Al's just a kid, but he showed his hand as far as that self-sacrificing streak went. If anyone's going to hang out with an admitted serial killer....

He gives a little nod, but doesn't move from where he is. He hasn't seen anything to indicate Gabriel is an immediate threat; he'll just have to watch his back tonight. He nods at the leg.]

What happened to it?

cw: discussion of violence and gore

[termineur]

[ He takes a moment to stare down at his leg, as if it had betrayed him somehow. ]

Remember that day when we were told to run? Star path, not supposed to stray, all of that?

This was what happened when we didn't do that. A monster showed up- some sort of robot monstrosity walking on human legs. And we were the lucky ones finding out how it got said legs. It drilled an inch wide hole through, here- [ He points to the outside of his left leg, just below the knee. ] -and thank goodness Al was there or it probably would've ripped the whole thing off. Not that it works now, but-

[ He shrugs, pretending it bothers him way less than it actually does. ]

Could you ask Al about his leg, by the way? He doesn't complain but I think he hurt it worse than he wants to tell me. I don't know if he's had a chance to heal it up.

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen grimaces in empathy -- specialist though he may be, he's automatically visualizing the kind of damage that would have been caused, the poor prognosis he'd give anyone who went through that, let alone went through it without so much as the option of hospitalization.]

I can have a look at it, but there might not be much I can do for you. Or him. I'm guessing it was the same thing for both of you?

[Even though Al is...armor. He's waiting to hear how that worked.]

[termineur]

[ Yeah, he totally gets that grimace. He wasn't too happy about it, either, although dealing with it for so long has at least gotten him used to the idea. ]

Yeah, it was. It got confused when it started trying to drill through Al's armor. That's the only thing that distracted it long enough.

And- [ He gestures at his leg and shrugs. ] Yeah, I'm not expecting to use it again. I know that's not something that'll heal. I'm just hoping to keep it from getting infected, at this point.

[ He'd be able to tell on his own, if he could get a clear view of it. But it wasn't exactly a good idea for him to twist his leg that way- something he had to learn through experience. ]

It's kind of amazing, too. I've been told you can see right through it.

[thewarningafter]

Oh, yeah, that's super cool.

[Your leg is fucked, bro. At least Gabrielseems to have come to terms with it...more gracefully than Stephen came to terms with the loss of his hands, frankly, but he doesn't entirely trust appearances here. It'd be a special kind of stupid to trust appearances when it comes to a serial killer.]

I can help with that part, though. I mean, provided you don't knife me or anything.

[Stephen doesn't expect he will, so at least his tone is light when he says it.]

[termineur]

[ It's smart to not trust appearances here. He's hardly going to let on to another passing 'resident' just how bothered he is about his now-useless leg. It had been bad enough losing the telekinesis, now he can't even walk without help. But maybe- just maybe- it would be healed before they reached the end of this.

He smirks at that last comment. ]

Considering I'm going to need your help getting my pants off so we can unwrap the bandages? I don't think you've got too much to be worried about.

[ The smirk fades and he continues on in a slightly more serious tone: ] If it would make you feel better, I can explain why I did what I did back home. It had to do with stealing people's superpowers. As you can imagine, there's not much of that going on over here.

[thewarningafter]

Oh, so you were just killing them to absorb their powers. Very reassuring.

[How is that supposed to make him feel better? Stephen doesn't get up or move away, though; he actually shrugs his way out of his pack and swings it around in front of him on the counter.]

But alright, I'll bite. Not like there's much else to do but talk, right?

[armoured]

[Al hears the low conversation of two men while he's investigating the building, but because Sylar doesn't call out then he assumes everything is okay and this is just another resident like themselves looking for shelter for the night.

Which is why it's a bit later when he reappears, the clanking sound of his footsteps announcing his presence before he actually steps into the room and raises a hand in a wave.]

There's nothing much interesting up there, only a bathroom but the water is cold.

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen shifts to attention when he hears someone coming, straightening from where he's rummaging through his own food supply, debating how to ration out what little substantial food he has left to supplement the junk he got from a vending machine today. For just a split second he thinks he must be looking at an anomaly, because this person is huge, but he recognizes the voice (and also Sylar has probably mentioned that he's traveling with Al; it's a bit timey wimey.)]

Al. Hi.

I thought you'd be shorter.

[armoured]

[He chuckles a bit sheepishly, though he doesn't sound offended.]

A lot of people tell me that.

[It's his stupid voice, it doesn't match a body that's nearly eight feet tall.]

Actually, I'm glad you're here, I think Mr. Gray might need a doctor to look at his leg.

[thewarningafter]

You're not wrong.

[That leg was bad news. Despite the gravity of an injury that serious, Stephen can't help a faint smile. First one, now the other. That they're looking out for each other seems like a good sign.]

He mentioned you'd gotten hurt, too.

[armoured]

Oh, uh--

[His voice gets a bit higher and he shakes his hands in front of him in a 'no way' gesture.]

He's just a little worry-wart, that's all, I'm fine. I'm pretty much all healed up now.

[thewarningafter]

Really? Because a little bird told me something tried to drill a hole through your leg.

[He should probably have a look at that...except for how Al's not flesh and bone anyway. If he bleeds, though, presumably he's susceptible to infections.]

[armoured]

Mm. Well... maybe, but that was a while ago now, and I bandaged it up pretty tight. It wasn't as bad as it looked, and it hasn't stopped me walking all this time.

[So clearly nothing to worry about.]

[thewarningafter]

Uh huh.

[He's dubious, okay? And also kind of curious.]

Listen, it doesn't cost either of us anything if I have a look at it. I already looked at his.

[armoured]

[He can't really argue with that, and the doctor does already know that he's hollow, so...

He sighs and stretches out his left leg, removing a bandage to reveal a hole that goes almost all the way through his leg. It's still seeping blood, sort of, but not from any identifiable region as he's clearly hollow inside.]

I'm not sure what anyone can do. It's not healing up properly because metal doesn't grow, but it's not getting worse either.

[thewarningafter]

[That was easier than Stephen thought it might be. He kneels to have a look, squinting in the perpetual dim light of the indoors. And that's...that's pretty screwed up, right there.]

It shouldn't still be bleeding this long afterward.

[It shouldn't be bleeding at all, obviously. Nothing about the injury makes sense, but as with Al's companion, he can at least check for signs of an infection.]

Does it hurt?

[armoured]

Mm.

[It's the softest hum of affirmation. At least it doesn't seem to be infected at all, though.]

It's nothing I can't handle, and I've even been carrying Mr. Gray most of the time, so I know I can keep going. I think I just have to keep it wrapped and it'll be okay.

Night 221

[termineur]

[ Even though he felt himself take shape again and he could feel himself leaning on the bulk of his pack, Sylar didn't move for almost a full minute. The sensations, the pain in his leg...it was all too much for him to process for awhile. His hands shook against his jeans and he realized he was solid again. He was leaned back up behind the secretary's desk, as if he hadn't moved from the spot in the last two days.

He turned to dig into his pack, pulling out a well-worn genetics book and running his fingers over the cover. He grabbed the flashlight and turned it on, even though he knew he should conserve the battery.

A low, pained moan came out of him. It didn't sound like him at all. ]