OOC- Plot Logs
Okay. These are all out of order for now, but they will be united in a giant post very shortly. I just need them to be here so I can link them, yes?
DISREGARD!
* EvanB fidgets in the hallway. He has located Leoben's room, which the man has recently disappeared into. Still clutching a stuffed toy rabbit in one hand he reaches out cautiously and knocks.
* Leoben just came in here, yeah, with Terrwyn trailing behind, and sits down at the end of his bed as Terrwyn curls up in her dog bed in the corner. So this is the beginning of the end. "Yeah, come in."
* EvanB enters cautiously. "Hey... sorry to intrude..." He'll put the bunny down somewhere. "Could we talk...?"
* Leoben glances up. The room's very sparse, by the way-- there's a bed and a chair and a nightstand, and Terrwyn's large plaid dog bed, but that's it. "Sure."
* EvanB will have a seat in the chair then, putting the stuffed rabbit beside it. "...You probably know, but I wanted to make sure..." Evan fidgets. "He's loose again..." Evan frowns and then speaks quickly. "You're sure he's..." He cuts himself off before saying Keyser Soze.
* Leoben nods. He can't seem to make eye contact with Evan, for some reason. "Yeah, I'm sure. Absolutely sure. I'm sorry."
* EvanB laughs but its a tad high and nervous. "You don't have to apologize... I mean he's after you right? I was just concerned... I wanted to make sure you knew." Evan frowns a bit. "You should be careful. I saw... he's." Evan closes his eyes. Dismembered bodies.
Leoben> Exactly. It's me he's after. Other people shouldn't've been involved.
EvanB> It isn't your fault... Why is he after you?
Leoben> Because I knew what he was, and made sure /he/ knew I knew. He thought I was gonna tell people.
* EvanB bites his lip. "Why would you do that? You know who he is right? He's... not someone you want on your bad side." Evan laughs nervously. "I didn't think he even existed... I mean my dad used to tell me stories about him when I was a kid..."
* Leoben closes his eyes. He doesn't know Evan well enough to show this kind of vulnerability, usually, but under the circumstances it really won't matter much longer. "I was /trying/ to provoke him. I thought he'd attack me directly. Not like this."
* EvanB frowns and looks at the floor a bit. "I don't see... why you would want him to attack you at all."
* Noises like the loud CRACK of a bullet connecting with a doorframe and subsequent gunshots can be heard from outside at the other end of the hallway.
* EvanB jumps a little, raising his head from his hands and peering over his shoulder. "What was that...?"
Leoben> *Terrwyn starts up from her bed, ears flattening back, and moves over towards Leoben. She's growling, quietly.*
Leoben> It won't be long, now.
* EvanB looks back at Leoben. "What?" He looks confused, standing.
* More gunshots, a flurry of them, like a panicked burst.
* Then a final pair of shots, quick, ONE. TWO. And silence.
Leoben> He's coming. I'm sorry.
* Soze abruptly wheels into Leoben's room (oh Evan, you should have locked the door behind you--,) gun raised. With his other hand, he snaps something to the door frame. It glows blue, briefly, before dulling. It would be a good guess that they've been locked in from the inside... and the outside has been locked from them.
Soze> Neither of you move.
* EvanB stumbles backwards and falls, eyes wide. Ohgod. Ohgod.
* Leoben isn't moving. "Took you long enough."
EvanB> He's... *Evan chokes.*
Soze> *a shrug* Sorry.
Nick_Wright> *the door can be heard rattling as someone tests it*
* Soze ignores it.
Soze> Face the wall.
Soze> Both of you. NOW.
* Leoben follows Soze's instructions. He's creepily calm.
* EvanB doesn't move for a second. He's frozen. But then he's scrambling to the nearest wall. "F-fuck..."
* Jonathan attempts to feargas the room.
Soze> Hands behind your--- aw, shit.
Soze> HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK.
* Soze is praying the gas won't take too much effect before he can get safely out of there.
* EvanB moves his hands behind his back as instructed. He's clueless about the gas coming into the room now. Poor guy's shaking.
Leoben> You could let the boy go, you know. He hasn't done anything to you.
Soze> LEOBEN. H-HANDS... Hands behind your back. *instinctively moves to cover his mouth. Oh, like hell this is working*
* EvanB glances at Leoben panickedly.
* Jonathan peers under the door.
* Leoben has his hands behind his back, and is trying /very/ hard to resist the first effects of the gas, since he saw it coming this time. He's still nearly calm, but shaking a bit now.
* Soze is also shaking, and rapidly losing his calm. Oh damn. Not this again.
* EvanB is whimpering. He doesn't even know he's been gassed. "P-please..."
* Soze slips something similar around Leoben's hands as he used on the door. It glows-- hot, painful, before cooling and locking in place.
Nick_Wright> *sound of lock-picking*
* Soze is shaking. Oh God. This is... no, stop it... this is... he can do this, he...
Jonathan> *muffled freaking out about there being other people in the room*
Soze> GODDAMNIT, CRANE.
Jonathan> letthemgo!
* Leoben flinches, briefly, and then leans his forehead against the wall. Calm, he has to stay calm, he's going to-- /calm/, he tells himself, come /on./
Soze> SHUT UP!
Soze> *quieter, dead calm* And yours too, Leoben. Thanks.
* Soze is shaking. He grabs Leoben and Evan roughly by their sleaves.
* EvanB yells again and even tries to struggle a moment in blind panic.
Nick_Wright> *sound of shoulder-ramming!*
Leoben> *Terrwyn, who the mun forgot, is barking madly and scrabbling at the door to try and get /out./*
Jonathan> A dog, no, not the dog D:
* SomeThing slides in out of a corner.
* Soze lets go of them quickly, and CRACKLE. Electricity! Electric shock! For both Leoben and Evan. All that good stuff.
Soze> Oh -fuck.-
* EvanB screams and falls to the ground writhing.
SomeThing> You human wo- *oh, hai, gas* WORM!
* Jonathan tries to get a finger through to reach the dog.
* Leoben shudders and collapses, groaning.
Jonathan> It's okay, good dog, here. Antidote, here. Good dog.
Leoben> *Terrwyn will bite anyone who touches her, right now.*
* Jonathan will let her bite.
* Soze kneels by Leoben and Evan, fighting the fear gas and trying desperately to move before the Thing starts doing creepy shit.
* Jonathan is trying to get her an antidote any way he can.
* SomeThing shudders, and swirls away from the wall as if it were about to bite it.
* EvanB is sobbing and trembling and muttering incoherently.
* Soze grabs onto both of them with one hand, frantically types something into his pinpoint... and the three of them disappear.
Leoben> *Terrwyn bites Jon's finger, then, because it's THERE AND MOVING AT HER GET AWAY*
* Jonathan kerantidote?
Jonathan> NO BRING THEM BACK
SomeThing> THEY'RE GONE!
* Terrwyn is kerantidoted, then, and after a minute calms down to just snuffling and whining, because gas or no gas Leoben is hurt and gone and she wants outta here.
Nick_Wright> What?!
Jonathan> Get the -dog-
* SomeThing is afraid of the dog. ;_;
* Terrwyn is much more scared than scary, right now.
* SomeThing bites its hands, fingers in its eyes, trying to stay away from the walls.
* Nick_Wright suddenly bursts through, with nothing left to hold him. He falls through, stunned a bit, then quickly reaches for the antidote and injects himself.
* Terrwyn jumps back and barks when Nick bursts through.
* Jonathan scrambles to his feet and will antidote the Thing.
* Nick_Wright gets up, holding his shoulder. "Owww..."
Jonathan> Dog...
Jonathan> it's all right, good dog.
Nick_Wright> Damn, they really are gone... what the hell was holding that door in place?
* SomeThing keeps its hand over its face, the fingers still in its eyes, watching Crane. It can't talk like that.
Soze> *There is a lock on the door! It looks like a string in an infinity sighn, actually.*
* Nick_Wright looks at the Something. "I thought I heard Evan... please tell me I didn't hear Evan..."
* Jonathan has antidote. "I'm sorry, I didn't think that you would be affected. I'll help you, here."
Soze> *If someone feels like checking, it can be traced back to a random earth alternate in 2058. Made in China. Aah.*
* Terrwyn is very twitchy, right now, and vaguely associates the smell of Crane with whatever she just bit. She flops down on the floor in a large puffy heap of miserable dog and whines.
* Nick_Wright glares at the lock. Lousy future lock technology.
Jonathan> Oh, good dog. Poor dog, good dog.
Nick_Wright> We'll need to see if we can get a trace... maybe Dr. Octavius can help when he gets back.
* SomeThing sucks on its fingers and says nothing.
* Jonathan attempts to inject the thing.
* Nick_Wright makes a mental reminder to himself to ask Otto for one of those crazy "no PIN kidnappings" watches.
* Jonathan then sits down on the floor between the thing and the dog and mumbles.
Nick_Wright> ...Dr. Crane? Are you okay?
* SomeThing is injectable! Though... it has no veins or blood. "Twomen... screaming. Light and shock."
* Jonathan looks over at Nick and holds up his hands helplessly.
Jonathan> No, no, you should be all right, no.
* Nick_Wright looks a little helpless too. "Leoben... Evan..."
* Jonathan tugs on the thing's leg.
* SomeThing has never been afraid before. It'll take a minute to get through the reaction, antidote or not.
* Nick_Wright 's shoulder hurts like hell. "I'm gonna make some tea... I think we could all use some."
* Jonathan tugs.
* Jonathan then peers at the dog. "Good dog, please."
* SomeThing shuffles to stand very close to Crane.
* Nick_Wright goes to head back to the main room.
---NEXT LOG, OUT OF ORDER--- INTERROGATION
* octopus and Cap!Jane were able to snag one of Soze's minions after he PIN'd a dead girl into the Sanctuary, a few days ago. Since then, the guy has been securely in Jon's Library vault and Ock has been carefully decoding the scrambled PIN address that the guy was sending messages to in his spare time, /and/ catologuing the different coordinates he went to with his PIN.
* AdamDuffey is... in a vault! He's leaning up against one of the walls. It's obvious from his eyes that he hasn't really slept, but he's isn't planning on giving up, not any time soon.
* Nick_Wright is here, though not looking entirely happy at the moment.
* Jeff_Levitt is here, and pacing nervously.
* Ichigo is hovering. Nervously. And folding her arms, trying to look cool.
* Adam_Duffey looks up. Oh. Goody. People.
* Jonathan is here. Of course. This is his library. The vault really is non-descript. Maybe there's a blanket in here, now.
* octopus has come in before, giving Adam food, letting him use the toilet and making sure that he's not going to run off.
* Jonathan has been very quiet, at any rate.
* Adam_Duffey hasn't been saying a word for the past day.
* Jonathan probably met with Otto, then, to see to it that the candy was mixed in with the food shortly beforehand?
* Nick[library] won't scream, but he's still a bit irritable. Found a bunch of random sex stuff around his office for some reason. That's enough to put anybody in a mood.
* Adam_Duffey clears his throat.
* Jeff_Levitt stops pacing and stares at Adam.
Adam_Duffey> So you've sent a bunch of people in here to look at me.
* Jonathan folds his arms.
* Nick[library] tries not to rile up. "Let's just say we're all interested in what you have to tell us."
Adam_Duffey> Aha.
* Adam_Duffey has consumed the truth serum candy, of course. He'll love this. Really.
* Jonathan will gas him if he has to.
* octopus stands to one side, stonefaced and impassive. "So, Adam... how did you meet the man who calls himself Keyser Soze?"
Adam_Duffey> Some guy contacted me last month, said th--... *pales*
octopus> Go on.
Nick[library]> [That candy's powerful stuff...]
* Adam_Duffey stares ahead for a moment, a bit overwhelmed.
Adam_Duffey> What...
Ichigo> [...Just keep talking, please.]
octopus> How did you end up meeting and working for Soze?
Adam_Duffey> Did you do something?
Adam_Duffey> Which one of you is doing that to me? Stop it.
Nick[library]> *mutters* Can't answer a question with a question...
Adam_Duffey> I just did.
Adam_Duffey> Listen, I've never met him, I-- *pales again* Oh shit fuck.
Nobody in this room possesses ESP, and although Mr. Crane is skilled chemist, his personal specialty is inspiring terror in his victims.
Adam_Duffey> Uhuh.
* octopus doesn't smirk. "How did you end up working for Soze?"
* Adam_Duffey clamps his jaw shut.
* Ichigo does smirk, just a little.
Adam_Duffey> [I start talking, and it all falls out. Goddammit. GODDAMIT.]
Nick[library]> ...has he threatened your family?
Adam_Duffey> He doesn't have to.
* Jonathan says nothing. He would like to have to gas him.
Nick[library]> It's understood?
Jeff_Levitt> His reputation is enough, isn't it.
Adam_Duffey> Right.
Adam_Duffey> Brilliant, guys.
Nick[library]> What did he offer you, if anything?
Adam_Duffey> 1 million.
* Jeff_Levitt nods slowly. "I've done some research on him. The guy's got more myths attached to him than Satan."
* Adam_Duffey clamps his jaw shut again. Oh dammit.
Adam_Duffey> mmmhm.
* Adam_Duffey is not opening his mouth.
Nick[library]> Enough to take care of all your family's needs for a while... has he actually put forth payment?
* Adam_Duffey 's lips are sealed!
Ichigo> [Money, money... why is that so important to humans? I don't get it...]
Nick[library]> Nod yes or shake no.
* Adam_Duffey done with this now, kthx.
* Ichigo idly wonders if tickling him would make him open his mouth.
* Adam_Duffey doesn't move.
Nick[library]> ...have you heard from your family since you started?
* Jeff_Levitt inhales sharply.
* Adam_Duffey pales a bit, but continues to stay still.
* Nick[library] still wouldn't hold it against Soze at this point.
octopus> You can speak freely, Adam... I promise that Soze will not live long enough to punish you for your treachery, but it will benefit /us/ to know all we can about him.
Jeff_Levitt> [ God, that wouldn't surprise me one bit... ]
* Jonathan goes to stand near Otto.
Adam_Duffey> ...
* Ichigo 's expression darkens. [Family...]
Nick[library]> Please, I need to know... have you heard from them at all?
* Nick[library] looks concerned. Mess in office can wait.
* Adam_Duffey closes his eyes.
* Jeff_Levitt mutters sofly. "...oh hell."
Nick[library]> ...you haven't, have you?
Adam_Duffey> *vaguely irritated by their worry* I've been in the Nexus since. It's fine.
Nick[library]> Would you like to call them to make sure they're okay?
* Adam_Duffey is definitely a little worried, though. And looking pale. But he closes his mouth again!
Adam_Duffey> *...so much for that* W-what?
Nick[library]> Call them. Just for a bit. We can wait.
Adam_Duffey> You aren't getting me with that one. No.
Nick[library]> ...but I want to make sure they're okay too.
Adam_Duffey> No.
Nick[library]> You don't want to make sure they're okay?
Adam_Duffey> Be quiet.
Nick[library]> ...are you not answering because you're afraid of the truth?
* octopus feels a bit impatient, but he holds his tongue and lets Nick do the talking. Even as a Dead People Counsellor, he seems to have a natural talent for PR.
Adam_Duffey> I'm not answering, because I doubt your intentions, and I'm not telling you where my family is. Is that good enough of an answer?
Adam_Duffey> You guys aren't here to make friends with me. I'm not here to make friends with you.
* Jeff_Levitt 's shoulders slump. He can't really blame the guy for being suspicious.
Nick[library]> ...I'm not asking you to tell me where they are.
Nick[library]> I simply would like to know if you'd like to call them. They must be worried about where you are.
Adam_Duffey> No.
Nick[library]> You're going to make them worry? You haven't been home in a few days.
Jeff_Levitt> No. We're not asking for you to be our friend. But we would very much like to know where *our* friend is. Isn't that reasonable?
Ichigo> ...Aaaah... it's been so long, hasn't it...
Adam_Duffey> Your friend?
Nick[library]> Our friend has been taken by Soze. We're worried about him.
* Adam_Duffey turns away from Nick.
Adam_Duffey> I haven't heard anything about it.
Nick[library]> [And he must be telling the truth.]
* Jonathan glances at Otto, wringing his hands. Too many people. Not enough fear gas. Look, maybe... maybe he should reach into his pocket?
* Adam_Duffey is telling the truth.
* Jeff_Levitt closes his eyes.
Jeff_Levitt> Then what do you know about where Soze is now?
Jeff_Levitt> Anything would help.
* Jeff_Levitt keeps his voice low and gentle.
* Adam_Duffey closes his own eyes.
Jeff_Levitt> Please.
Nick[library]> Adam... another friend of ours... he died horribly at Soze's hands. He doesn't care about the sanctity of human life.
* Jonathan scowls.
* Adam_Duffey snorts. "Duh."
Ichigo> ...The last bodies he dumped in the Nexus were all chopped up. You couldn't tell who they were easily.
* octopus raises a hand to Nick and Jeff, imploring quiet. "Paranoia is a criminal's only trutworthy companion. If he does not wish to contact his family, he probably feels that he has good reason not to."
* Nick[library] swallows.
* Jeff_Levitt bites his lip.
Nick[library]> ...like perhaps it's not so much that we know where they are as HE knows.
Ichigo> How horrible that has to be... not being able to tell if you knew somebody before or not...
* Adam_Duffey is looking away. "Tough for them," he says with a shrug.
Ichigo> It's like a horror movie, isn't it?
Ichigo> Imagine... what kind of irony you could achieve with that.
Adam_Duffey> Irony?
* octopus clears his throat. "/Ichigo/."
Ichigo> If you had to do the footwork for him, and dumped the bodies... I bet you wouldn't look too closely at them, would you...?
Nick[library]> ...
* Ichigo looks up. "Ah?"
* Adam_Duffey pales.
Nick[library]> ...if we let you call... promised not to listen in... would you do so?
Adam_Duffey> N-No.
Adam_Duffey> Stop this.
Nick[library]> Because he could trace where they are?
* Jeff_Levitt turns slightly green.
Adam_Duffey> He wouldn't do that. He'd lose whatever he had over me if I screwed up.
Nick[library]> Unless he doesn't care whether you screw up or not.
octopus> You already /have/ screwed up, Adam.
Nick[library]> Because it's obvious he never intended on letting you live through this anyway.
Jeff_Levitt> He's desperate. He knows full well this is suicide. He intends to follow this through to the bitter end.
Nick[library]> ...Do you have children?
* Jeff_Levitt seems to be talking to himself more than Adam.
octopus> We traced the PIN signature to the Paris Metro, where you stopped in as a go-between point several times. We captured you, and took your PINpoint.
Adam_Duffey> STOP IT! Just stop it, okay?
Adam_Duffey> I get it.
* Nick[library] looks away, looking pained. "One of the bodies you delivered... was a sixteen year old girl. Her only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time..."
Jeff_Levitt> Do you?
Jeff_Levitt> You can help us *end* this, don't you get it?
Adam_Duffey> I'm not going to end anything.
Nick[library]> ...her spirit was so sad, knowing she would never be able to go home again. She was...
* octopus frowns at Jeff and Nick. "Quiet. Your attempts at sympathetic mediation are admirable, but they're having utterly no effect."
Adam_Duffey> You're trying to freak me out. My family's fine. I'm fine. And I'm not going to talk or join your crusade or -anything.- You're forgetting which fucking side I'm on.
Nick[library]> And whose side ARE you on?
octopus> Adam... you really don't seem to get it, or you would have started answering our questions. You can't save your family. If they're dead, which, knowing Soze's track record, they probably are already, then such is life.
Adam_Duffey> *taking a deep breath* I'm working for Keyser Soze. I thought that much was obvious.
octopus> However, if /you/ would like to live, then you will cooperate with us and answer our questions.
Adam_Duffey> I'm not answering anything.
Nick[library]> But are you on his side?
Nick[library]> Are you really for his acts of taking children away from their families, their loved ones, trying hopelessly to terrorize a Nexus that won't listen?
Adam_Duffey> I'm on his side.
* Jonathan pulls out a canister now.
* octopus smiles, just a bit. He also reminds himself to gag Nick, Jeff /and/ Ichigo if he ever brings them to another interrogation session.
* Jonathan just plays with it.
* Adam_Duffey has been ignoring Jonathan most of this time.
* Nick[library] tightens his mouth. "Murderer." He walks away, unable to look at this idiot anymore.
Adam_Duffey> I do what needs to be done.
* Adam_Duffey might be trying to defend himself, but it's hard to tell.
Ichigo> Your definition of what needs to be done needs work.
octopus> If you don't want to cooperate, Adam, you don't have to. Your PINpoint, even with the encryption and all of the other obfuscations that Soze was using, has revealed enough information for us to track down and kill Soze.
Nick[library]> Bullshit. NONE of this needed to be done. You could've made money honestly, but you threw away your own fucking family's safety for MONEY.
* Jonathan taps the canister a few times, thoughtfully, then puts that back in his pocket, and loads a syringe instead.
* octopus turns back to the others, again, and glares at them. "I will have /silence/ from all three of you."
Adam_Duffey> *to Otto, voice wavering slightly* I won't believe that.
* Jonathan will be your quiet threat in the background for the evening.
* Jeff_Levitt glances at Jonathan nervously.
* Adam_Duffey 's eye is caught by the syringe. Wait. What?
* Nick[library] glares at Otto himself.
* Jeff_Levitt shuts up.
* Ichigo looks confused. Aren't interrogations supposed to keep the guy on his toes?
Nick[library]> ...tell me how this finishes. I don't want any part of whatever nasty shit you guys are going to do to him.
* Jeff_Levitt is suddenly very, very interested in his shoes. [Oh, God, are they...?]
* Nick[library] storms out.
octopus> You don't have to believe it, but if you don't intend to make yourself useful, then I have no reason to continue this questioning, and Mr. Crane has no reason to be sheltering you in this vault.
Ichigo> Ah... Nick...!
Adam_Duffey> ...So be it.
* Jonathan has one of those big dramatic syringes, here. Look, spraying liquid.
* Jonathan is not gassing the room. It's just dramatic. Okay.
* Jeff_Levitt watches Nick leave, but he stays put.
* Nick[library] is outside the room, if somebody feels the urge to join him. Glasses off, ball of hands rubbing his eyes. Fuck.
* Ichigo looks at Adam, then turns and flies out to check on Nick.
* octopus smirks. "Tell me... before I leave... are you a man of honour, or are you really such a craven that you accepted payment for a suicide mission, yet refuse to trust the only people in creation who are even considering cutting the noose from your neck?"
Nick[library]> *muttering* Hand Soze this much, he picks his flunkies well.
* Ichigo hovers by Nick nervously. "Nick...?"
Adam_Duffey> I don't believe that.
Nick[library]> Find the guy who's greedy enough to go for your offer, but easily scared into coercion by your reputation.
* Jeff_Levitt opens his mouth, then glances at Norman and shuts it again. Learns quick, this one.
* Ichigo hesitantly moves to touch his shoulder, hoping that's comforting.
Nick[library]> If I could just prove to this guy his family is safe... or otherwise...
* octopus rolls his eyes. "/what/ don't you believe? That Soze will let you live, after you've failed in your mission? That he would have let you live even if we hadn't caught you?"
Nick[library]> ...fucker sold his own safety for money. *slides down the wall*
Adam_Duffey> I can turn things around.
Adam_Duffey> I've gotten money from him before.
Ichigo> Nick... You tried.
octopus> How? By amusing Jonathan with your suffering to such an extent that he lets you live and keeps you in here for a while, possibly giving you time to escape from his intradimensional Library?
Adam_Duffey> What?
* Jonathan smirks a little.
* Nick[library] sighs.
octopus> You are a little, little man, Adam, and as far as monsters go in here, you're barely a blip on the radar. There is no way you're going to escape from this place, and as you've already refused to cooperate, I'm not going to bother telling the people who watch over Jonathan here that he has a human guinea pig in his vault.
* Jeff_Levitt looks up sharply and pales.
* Adam_Duffey swallows, looking up at them.
Adam_Duffey> Like I said, so be it.
* octopus chuckles, and gestures to Jeff to leave the room.
* Adam_Duffey closes his eyes.
* Jeff_Levitt hesitates.
* Nick[library] palms the magatama around his neck for reassurance.
* Jeff_Levitt looks between Jonathan and Otto, his expression clear. [ Don't do this. ]
* Ichigo looks up sadly. She sucks at this comforting thing.
octopus> Go.
* octopus moves to leave as well.
* Jonathan 's little smile breaks into a grin.
octopus> [...I only hope that this breaks him... /and/ that I can pry Crane away from him once it does.]
* Jeff_Levitt 's eyes drop t othe floor for a moment, but then he looks back up at Adam. "I'm sorry," he says, just loud enough to be heard.
* Nick[library] shakes his head. He has his own ideas for what to do when he finds Soze. He's been PREPARING.
* Adam_Duffey laughs humorlessly, eyes still closed.
Jonathan> Do you know what I can do to you?
* Jeff_Levitt looks back one last time before leaving. He can't watch this.
* Ichigo has her own ideas, too. She may not be planning on using the katamari anymore, but she still has the lighter.
* Adam_Duffey is silent.
* Nick[library] looks up at Jeff when he exits. He's currently sitting against the wall.
* Jeff_Levitt sits down next to Nick, drawing his knees to his chest.
Ichigo> ...No good?
Jonathan> Otto mentioned it briefly. I can activate the fear center of your brain and cause you to hallucinate whatever it is your mind -desperately- dreams up to explain it. I have extensive experience with this little trick.
Jonathan> Your boss knows this.
Nick[library]> Nice guys finish last, I guess...
* Adam_Duffey is still silent, eyes closed.
* Jeff_Levitt shakes his head. "He's going to torture him. Oh God, this is *wrong*."
Nick[library]> I know.
* Ichigo blinks. "But -- he said we already had the information we needed!"
Nick[library]> Probably bluffing.
Jonathan> You may think that you can be silent, now, but at the very least, you'll scream. I assure you.
Jeff_Levitt> ...I don't know.
* octopus exits, shutting the vault door behind him with a -thud-. He takes a reciever from his pocket and listens in on the conversation in the room. "...I give him five minutes alone with Crane, and then I will try again."
* Nick[library] swallows and looks away. He doesn't want to think about this.
* Adam_Duffey gives a weak laugh.
* Jonathan attempts to make the injection. With huge theatrical needle, there.
* Jeff_Levitt swallows audibly. This isn't the Jonathan he knows. This Jonathan is *terrifying.*
Ichigo> Just five?
* Adam_Duffey comes alive at once. He frantically tries to jerk away.
* Adam_Duffey is bound, however. Arms and legs.
* Jonathan is not strong enough to hold him down, but if the needle breaks off in his arm... not his problem.
* Adam_Duffey isn't going to stop struggling, really. Something breaking off in his arm is the least of his worries.
* Jonathan would agree with him, because as soon as that is in his system, he gets a little taste of what Soze went through, earlier.
* Adam_Duffey inhales sharply.
Nick[library]> ...I wonder if this is how the soldiers stationed at Guantanamo felt.
octopus> Just five. *he has the volume down low enough so that only he can hear it... and he has to hold it to his ear to do so, with his bad hearing.*
Ichigo> Guantanamo?
Jeff_Levitt> A place where prisoners were tortured. Supposedly they were terrorists. Supposedly it was for the safety of our country.
* Nick[library] nods.
* Jeff_Levitt 's position on that is pretty obvious from his tone.
* Adam_Duffey has been injected?
* Jonathan has made the injection
Ichigo> ...Torture? Terrorists?
* Ichigo looks completely lost.
Nick[library]> Bad stuff and bad people.
* Adam_Duffey begins to shake. Weakly at first.
* Adam_Duffey is gradually shaking harder, however. He grits his teeth.
Jonathan> You will.
Adam_Duffey> N-No. *doesn't even know what he's disagreeing to*
Jeff_Levitt> Torture. To...deliberately hurt people. Cause them pain so they'll answer your questions to make it stop.
* Adam_Duffey whines, curling his head into his chest.
* Jonathan leans down to peer at him closer.
* Ichigo blinks. "That's what he's doing? But... how would that help?"
Adam_Duffey> G-GET AWAY! *jerks away*
Adam_Duffey> GET THE FUCK AWAY!
* Jonathan 's shoulders shake for a moment, and then he cackles. "This is what you get. We'll be friends, you and I, shall we?"
Nick[library]> It... doesn't always, is the problem. Some folks will lie just to get it to stop. Though considering this guy CAN'T lie... *winces at the shouting*
* Jeff_Levitt also hears the shouting, and looks decidedly ill.
Adam_Duffey> W-what the fuck are you -talking- about??
Ichigo> ...He can't lie? He's under some kind of spell?
octopus> *the vault door should dampen the noise, though it will still be (barely) audible.*
Jonathan> You heard Otto. You've made your choice, hm? You're staying here with me.
* Adam_Duffey gives a whine, curling in on himself.
Adam_Duffey> Y-you bastard, you bastard, you...
* Nick[library] looks at Otto. "Some sort of candy...?"
octopus> He was given one of the truth serum pastilles that Clair Octavius invented.
Jonathan> This is ideal, seeing as how there are several projects I've needed to test... Oh, this isn't even the strongest toxin I've developed. You'll see, though.
* Adam_Duffey squeezes his eyes shut. His teeth are chattering.
* Nick[library] nods.
Ichigo> ...Huh. That's strange...
Jonathan> I'd really like to hear you scream, though. Perhaps I should show you now?
* octopus sighs. "...I only hope that I don't have to hurt Crane while prying him away from the man."
* Adam_Duffey flinches violently.
Jonathan> Yes?
* Jeff_Levitt looks up at Otto, alarmed. "You think you'll have to do that?"
Adam_Duffey> N-n-no, that's... please, no...
Jonathan> Do you know, I've devised the means to -make someone's heart stop-, by way of fear alone. Once, a man died with his mouth bent at such an odd angle, as if it had been dislocated, even... I didn't stay around long enough to check, but it was just so damned odd, how far his mouth opened up...
* Jonathan says this as he prepares another syringe.
* Adam_Duffey chokes a sob, curling up more. He doesn't even notice the syringe.
octopus> Quite possibly. *he seems a bit too casual about this whole thing!*
* Jonathan brings the needle closer.
* Nick[library] grits his teeth. He hates this.
Jeff_Levitt> ...oh Jesus...
Jonathan> Perhaps if you'd open your eyes, you'd see it. Or... what do you see, then?
* Adam_Duffey is muttering 'no,' over and over again under his breath.
* Adam_Duffey is not exactly encouraged to open his eyes.
Jonathan> The hallucinations are more intense with your eyes shut, hm? It blocks out what's really around you.
* Ichigo rests her head against the wall, sighing.
* Adam_Duffey gives another sob.
Jonathan> Look at me.
* Jonathan presses the needle against his skin, without breaking it.
* Adam_Duffey -jumps-, eyes shooting open.
Nick[library]> ...it's amazing how many people in the Nexus lack the imagination that whatever they're doing, things really could be worse.
* Jonathan lied.
* Adam_Duffey screams, squeezing his eyes shut again. He's trembling even harder now, hyperventilating.
* Jeff_Levitt tenses. He heard that.
Adam_Duffey> nonononono.
* Jeff_Levitt looks pleadingly at Otto. "Are you s-sure it hasn't been five minutes yet?"
* Jonathan shuts his eyes and smiles.
...sorry, only three minutes and.... 48 seconds.
Adam_Duffey> p-please don't s-stop it stop
Jonathan> Please don't stop it? What an odd thing to say.
* Nick[library] bunches up his fists.
* Adam_Duffey screams. "STOP!!"
Jonathan> Bless you, you're -perfect-.
octopus> ..... though I suppose Crane probably isn't keeping track of time, either.
Nick[library]> Yeeeeeah.
* octopus sighs, and goes to open the vault door.
* Jeff_Levitt is trying very, very hard not to be sick.
* Jeff_Levitt stands up anyway. Not that he's going to be much help if Jonathan doesn't want to give up his new friend.
octopus> *he shuffles quietly in, barely making a noise, and raises a hand to Jon*
* Adam_Duffey is sobbing quietly.
* Nick_Wright peers back in, then closes his eyes and decides he's just gonna stay out here for now.
* Jonathan glances at Otto and makes that second injection? >_>
* Jonathan :which was the antidote?:
* Adam_Duffey is not resisting at this point, but he does -jump- again.
octopus> ....so.
* Jeff_Levitt enters behind Otto.
* Jonathan withdraws the needle. Just a little pinch, hm? It should gradually take effect over the next few minutes. And Jonathan, worired as you all were, goes to stand behind Otto, off to the side, though he looks -terribly- reluctant to do so.
* Jeff_Levitt looks closely at Adam, brow furrowed in worry.
* Jeff_Levitt can't *quite* conceal a relieved sigh when Jonathan backs off.
* Adam_Duffey is still shaking quite violently, eyes squeezed shut.
* Jonathan goes to stand near his friend Jeff o_o
* Adam_Duffey 's shaking is gradually... gradually getting calmer, however.
* octopus drums his fingers together.
* Jeff_Levitt is trembling.
* Adam_Duffey has his forehead pressed against the floor.
Adam_Duffey> ...oh god...
octopus> I thought it would be callous of me not to give you a second chance to cooperate, considering that you can probably save us at least a bit of time in our investigation.
Adam_Duffey> I-I... I d-don't really even know anything, I...
* Jonathan smiles at Jeff, all proud and gentle. Look at what he did. Look. It will work now, see?
* Adam_Duffey still has his eyes squeezed shut.
H-he's... going to kill my family, he's...
* Nick_Wright furrows his brow. He's not in there, but he can hear the man.
* Jeff_Levitt looks back at Jonathan, but his expression probably isn't what he was expecting. His eyes are full of grief and *fear*. He has his arms crossed to hide the shaking, but he's *afraid* of you, Jonathan.
octopus> You will answer our questions. The faster we can stop him, the more likely it is that your family will survive... and yourself.
* Jonathan smiles more at Jeff. Jeff is afraid. That's wonderful.
* Adam_Duffey gives another sob.
octopus> Who contacted you with Soze's offer for work?
* Adam_Duffey is quiet, breathing in and out unsteadily.
* Jeff_Levitt can't look at Jonathan anymore. He watches Adam instead.
* Jonathan watches Adam, then.
* Nick_Wright peers in again, though it makes his stomach turn a bit
* Adam_Duffey hasn't even moved from his spot on the ground. His eyes are still closed.
octopus> Who contacted you with Soze's offer for work?
* Adam_Duffey trembles.
octopus> Please, tell me. He needs to be stopped, before more people are killed.
Adam_Duffey> I...can't, they'll--
octopus> They already tried to kill you once.
* Nick_Wright wanders in slowly. Seeing him like this he's... really sort of sad.
* Jonathan glances back at Nick. Look!
* Nick_Wright purses his lips. Yeah. Great.
Adam_Duffey> H-he called himself Yorick.
Adam_Duffey> It's a fake name. Obviously.
Jeff_Levitt> Jonathan, what have you done?
* Jeff_Levitt 's voice is low, almost a whisper.
* Nick_Wright nods.
* Adam_Duffey is not moving.
octopus> Did Yorick contact you through your PINpoint?
Adam_Duffey> He found me at home.
Adam_Duffey> I didn't know about the Nexus. He showed me.
* Jonathan whispers back, "I've helped us. Shh."
* Nick_Wright 's eyes widen. Oh Jesus Christ.
octopus> I see. Does Yorick have a PINpoint?
Jeff_Levitt> *to himself, quietly* ...God forgive us.
* Ichigo peers in after Nick.
Adam_Duffey> He gave me mine.
Adam_Duffey> He's the one I sent the message to.
* Adam_Duffey 's voice is broken.
* octopus nods. "That ID is encrypted. It has taken me some time to crack... Where did you meet with him?"
Adam_Duffey> He c-came to my home.
Nick_Wright> [Oh dear mother of God, his family...]
Adam_Duffey> He brought me h-here. I don't remember the coordinates.
octopus> What did the place look like? Was it a house?
Adam_Duffey> He told me they were keeping several million dollars down in the metro system, that he wanted me to guard it, and t-that there wre some bodies I had to drop off-- I... I didn't ask questions...
Adam_Duffey> I-it was a spot on a shore, under a large rock... it was... very quiet.
octopus> ....below a cliff?
Adam_Duffey> *quietly* below a cliff, large rock under cliff... ten feet tall. Maybe.
Adam_Duffey> Oh god. *trembles, curling up again*
Adam_Duffey> I'm going to die.
Nick_Wright> ...
* octopus nods. "With your cooperation, we will be able to kill Soze sooner and ensure your safety."
* Jeff_Levitt clasps his hands together and closes his eyes.
Adam_Duffey> Bullshit. I'm going to die.
Adam_Duffey> Oh God... I can't believe this.
* octopus sighs. "Relax, unless you also want to be drugged with a tranquilizer."
* Nick_Wright looks away. He's not sure what to say.
octopus> You were using your PINpoint to travel and communicate. Where else in the Nexus did you go?
Adam_Duffey> I just dropped off some bodies. Maybe.. four or five.
Adam_Duffey> I didn't go far.
octopus> Who else did you send messages to?
Adam_Duffey> ...
Adam_Duffey> P-please...
Adam_Duffey> I couldn't... I can't...
octopus> You can't...
Adam_Duffey> I knew who one of those heads belonged to.
Nick_Wright> ! Who...?
* Jeff_Levitt looks up sharply.
* Adam_Duffey sighs quietly.
Adam_Duffey> Richard Irne. I... I don't know if that's his real name. He had... I had been in contact with him. He was working with us.
Adam_Duffey> I don't know what happened.
Adam_Duffey> Oh god...
Nick_Wright> ...I'm sorry. For all of this.
* Ichigo pales. She didn't want to hear that she was right.
* Adam_Duffey gives a short, empty laugh.
Adam_Duffey> Sure.
octopus> Did he order you to commit any of the murders?
Adam_Duffey> It wasn't my job.
* octopus nods. "Did you kill any of the victims who were delivered to the Nexus?"
Adam_Duffey> *with his forehead still pressed against the ground* Once.
octopus> Where were you when you killed the victim?
* Jeff_Levitt inhales sharply, breath hissing between his teeth. Oh God.
Adam_Duffey> Empty stretch of Nexus. Where I'm supposed to collect them to drop off.
Adam_Duffey> *slowly* There was one who wasn't quite dead.
* Ichigo clings to the door frame, watching.
Adam_Duffey> It was what I was supposed to do.
* Nick_Wright winces his eyes shut. He's not sure how much more he can hear of this.
octopus> Nnh. *he nods again, business-like and (apparently) unmoved by Adam's confession.* Were there other meetings? How many others did you see or contact during this job?
Adam_Duffey> Three. Two, now. There's probably much more, though. No more meetings in person after that.
Adam_Duffey> *a bit resigned* There's no way I know enough to save me.
* octopus grunts. "The serum you ingested ensures that you are telling the truth, and... I promised you your life in exchange for your cooperation."
Adam_Duffey> He's going to kill me.
Nick_Wright> If you stay in the antiviolence field in the Sanctuary, he can't do a thing...
AdamDuffey> My family.
AdamDuffey> My family.
Nick_Wright> ...
* AdamDuffey laughs weakly. "I should have seen this coming."
* Nick_Wright looks at the others. "Could we support a whole family until this shit is over?"
AdamDuffey> You're right. They're probably already dead.
* Jeff_Levitt chews his lip. "Well, Hermes k-kind of owes me a f-f-favor..."
AdamDuffey> He tried to kill me th moment you caught me.
AdamDuffey> He knew that was it.
AdamDuffey> I'm through.
* AdamDuffey is strangely calm about this.
* Jeff_Levitt winces. Goddamn stuttering.
octopus> Hmph. If they are still alive, we can guarantee their safety.
Nick_Wright> Hermes... the providence of Hermes. Well, any protection has to work.
AdamDuffey> ...
Nick_Wright> Please. We don't want any more deaths.
* Jonathan watches quietly.
AdamDuffey> Okay.
* AdamDuffey opens his eyes.
AdamDuffey> If you can, please.
* Jeff_Levitt nods.
* Nick_Wright looks at Otto. "Who should go check on his home?"
octopus> Mr. Levitt... what is the nature of this 'favour' that Hermes owes you?
octopus> It would be far simpler for a god to spirit a family away and to safety than it would be for us.
* Nick_Wright looks down. "Ah..."
* octopus nods. "Do you think you could ask him to do that... right now?"
* AdamDuffey lies there quietly.
* Jonathan bites his knuckle.
Nick_Wright> I think we should check on them first.
* octopus nods. "True... it would be a waste if they were not still alive."
* Jeff_Levitt winces. "That's true."
Nick_Wright> Let's remain optimistic for now... I'll go check on the place.
* Jeff_Levitt looks at Nick. "Should you go alone?"
octopus> Alright... I'll go with you. Just in case.
* Nick_Wright nods. "Can you give us the coordinates?"
* Adam_Duffey quietly rattles off the coordinates.
* Nick_Wright looks at Otto. "Okay, let's go."
* octopus nods, copying them into his PIN. "Alright." He PINs out.
Jeff_Levitt> Be careful.
* Nick_Wright PINs out as well.
Adam_Duffey> *The house is a an unassuming ranch style. The weather is nice, the breeze is soft. There aren't any signs of forced entry.*
Adam_Duffey> *The neighborhood is quiet. Apparently, he's a decent enough criminal for that.*
* Nick_Wright looks. "Maybe they're still there?"
* Jeff_Levitt fidgets as he waits.
* octopus glances around, checking for passers-by or anyone suspicious before he sets to work picking the lock. It seems he's finally gotten around to installing a fine tool in one of his actuator heads.
Adam_Duffey> *the door is unlocked, actually*
* Nick_Wright watches Otto.
* octopus suddenly realizes this. "..." He slowly opens it and slips inside.
* Nick_Wright swallows. That's never a good sign.
Adam_Duffey> *in front of the door, there's a long... very long stain of blood stretched across the wood floor*
Nick_Wright> ...oh no...
octopus> ...stay here.
octopus> Don't touch /anything/. Don't scratch yourself. Don't even lean against the wall.
Nick_Wright> Yeah, yeah, I know about contaminating crime scenes, thanks.
* octopus nods, then creeps forwards, glancing about and into the nearest rooms.
Adam_Duffey> *the rooms are empty. other than the ominous stain in the front hall, it seems all right. at a glance.*
* Nick_Wright follows, but he's certain he knows the conclusion. Instead he's looking for something more... insubstantial.
Adam_Duffey> *a few chairs are turned over. one of the beds (a small one, actually) is unmade*
* octopus checks the adjacent rooms for obvious signs of struggle, but finds little evidence to reveal the fate of the missing family.
Adam_Duffey> *the master bedroom, should he think to check, also has a large pool of blood towards the side of the bed. Much more than in the hall.*
Adam_Duffey> *it's a good guess from the amount of beds... and from the blood stains, that there are two people here. were.*
Nick_Wright> Otto... *points to the puddle when they pass by that room*
* octopus nods, checking the room for spatter marks or any other signs of dragging/smearing.
Adam_Duffey> *There's a master bedroom, and another bedroom, decorated for a little boy*
Adam_Duffey> *There aren't any bodys, though. Perhaps they'll be showing up in the Nexus soon?*
octopus> ...I think we don't need to do any more searching.
* Nick_Wright nods sadly, but looks around one last time for a spirit.
* octopus PINs out.
* Adam_Duffey is now lying on his side, staring out at the far wall.
* Nick_Wright PINs back as well, having failed to find anyone.
* Jeff_Levitt is wound up enough to jump when Otto PINs back in. He looks anxiously at them both, not quite willing to actually ask.
octopus> No sign of them.
* Adam_Duffey slowly raises his eyes to look at them.
Nick_Wright> ...
Jeff_Levitt> ...none?
* octopus gives Nick a knowing look.
* Adam_Duffey can definitely tell from Otto's and Nick's expressions what they saw.
Adam_Duffey> *dully* I told you.
octopus> ....I'm sorry.
* Jeff_Levitt 's face falls. "I'm...s-s-s-sorry,"
* Nick_Wright looks depressed. "I so wanted... I..."
* Adam_Duffey closes his eyes, curling up again.
Adam_Duffey> I couldn't say no.
Nick_Wright> [More deaths on Soze's head... he'll pay for this.]
Adam_Duffey> When someone like him asks you to do something, you don't say no.
* Jonathan wrings his hands.
* Jeff_Levitt hugs himself and stares at the floor.
* Nick_Wright holds his magatama again. Still more preparations to make...
Adam_Duffey> I knew... the moment...
octopus> Where did your other meetings take place?
* Adam_Duffey is quiet.
* Jeff_Levitt stares at Otto. [ Christ, you're still interrogating after *this*? ]
Nick_Wright> [...I just wish he could get a chance to say goodbye.]
octopus> More people will die if we don't stop him as soon as possible.
Adam_Duffey> ...
Nick_Wright> ...we'll avenge them. I swear.
* AdamDuffey is still quiet, eyes closed.
Jonathan> ....?
AdamDuffey> This would have never happened if you didn't bring me here.
Nick_Wright> ...
AdamDuffey> You fuckers.
* AdamDuffey still has his head down.
octopus> You can believe that if it comforts you.
AdamDuffey> *bringing his head up* What else can it be?!
AdamDuffey> I'm caught. I'm useless. Twenty minutes ago, you were -torturing- me.
Nick_Wright> ...
octopus> Your failure to complete your task could have cost them their lives, but it's just as likely that Soze planned on killing you all from the start.
AdamDuffey> BULLSHIT.
AdamDuffey> That doesn't even make any -sense.-
Nick_Wright> It makes perfect sense. Do you think he'd pay minions when he can just fool people into doing what he wants and then doing as he pleases? He's killed DOZENS in the Nexus alone.
Nick_Wright> And THEM he didn't even need reasons.
Nick_Wright> He killed the other contact. Do you HONESTLY think he was gonna let you live?
AdamDuffey> -No.- I was good at this. I wasn't supposed to -lose.-
* Jonathan frowns.
Nick_Wright> You IDIOT! You were probably already on the list!
AdamDuffey> YOU FUCKERS! ASSHOLES!
Nick_Wright> [Goddamn it, where's this guy's family to kick some fucking sense into him?!]
* octopus is trying not to laugh.
* AdamDuffey just lost his family. He's allowed not to make sense for now.
AdamDuffey> SHUT UP!
* Nick_Wright is mostly just miffed he couldn't at least find a spirit.
* AdamDuffey is shaking again.
AdamDuffey> I was going to -live-, I was... they're all dead because of you! All of them!
* Nick_Wright is shaking.
* octopus sighs, realizing that they aren't going to get any more answers out of the guy for now.
AdamDuffey> Goddammit. Goddammit.
* AdamDuffey squeezes his eyes shut.
AdamDuffey> Goddammit.
* Nick_Wright 's hands are clenching into fists.
octopus> Jonathan... a tranquilizer.
AdamDuffey> Don't let him near me.
octopus> Nothing I can say will help you to come to terms with your loss /or/ convince you that you were scheduled to be killed by Soze from the start.
AdamDuffey> No.
AdamDuffey> No.
* Jonathan uncaps a normally sized syringe and crouches to make the injection.
AdamDuffey> NO.
* AdamDuffey jerks away.
* Jonathan smiles at Adam and will try again.
* octopus raises a hand. "Wait."
* Jonathan freezes.
octopus> Will you live on your own, then? I will be back later, with food and water, and more questions for you to answer.
AdamDuffey> Live on my own?
* Nick_Wright ponders PINning out now before he does something he regrets.
octopus> I would rather you remain alive.
AdamDuffey> I told you everything I know.
* octopus sighs a bit. "...though... I suppose that the likelihood of you committing suicide while in full body restraint is quite low."
AdamDuffey> Yeah, that makes things a little tricky.
Nick_Wright> I'm going to go guys... I need to calm down.
AdamDuffey> ...
* octopus nods and beckons Jon, gesturing to him to leave the room.
AdamDuffey> Is this place protected?
* Jonathan shuffles out of the room, obediantly.
octopus> It is warded, free of surveillance equiptment, and Soze has no way of knowing that you are still alive.
AdamDuffey> Warded?
* Nick_Wright PINs out himself. Phew. DIDN'T slap the guy.
octopus> This place has its own supernatural means of protection. If you fear for your safety, I can remove you to a side room in the Sanctuary.
AdamDuffey> And those are protected.
* AdamDuffey speaks lowly, voice still raspy.
* Jonathan stands outside of the vault room, staring at the wall across from him.
octopus> There's a ward in place in the Sanctuary that prevents abduction or physical violence.
AdamDuffey> ...Okay.
AdamDuffey> *suspicious* Why are you doing this?
* octopus grunts. "I have enough death on my hands as it is. I see no reason to let you die, if you aren't a threat to me."
AdamDuffey> ...I can accept that.
* Jonathan sits on the floor,, outside of his vault, with his knees tucked up under his chin.
DISREGARD!
* EvanB fidgets in the hallway. He has located Leoben's room, which the man has recently disappeared into. Still clutching a stuffed toy rabbit in one hand he reaches out cautiously and knocks.
* Leoben just came in here, yeah, with Terrwyn trailing behind, and sits down at the end of his bed as Terrwyn curls up in her dog bed in the corner. So this is the beginning of the end. "Yeah, come in."
* EvanB enters cautiously. "Hey... sorry to intrude..." He'll put the bunny down somewhere. "Could we talk...?"
* Leoben glances up. The room's very sparse, by the way-- there's a bed and a chair and a nightstand, and Terrwyn's large plaid dog bed, but that's it. "Sure."
* EvanB will have a seat in the chair then, putting the stuffed rabbit beside it. "...You probably know, but I wanted to make sure..." Evan fidgets. "He's loose again..." Evan frowns and then speaks quickly. "You're sure he's..." He cuts himself off before saying Keyser Soze.
* Leoben nods. He can't seem to make eye contact with Evan, for some reason. "Yeah, I'm sure. Absolutely sure. I'm sorry."
* EvanB laughs but its a tad high and nervous. "You don't have to apologize... I mean he's after you right? I was just concerned... I wanted to make sure you knew." Evan frowns a bit. "You should be careful. I saw... he's." Evan closes his eyes. Dismembered bodies.
Leoben> Exactly. It's me he's after. Other people shouldn't've been involved.
EvanB> It isn't your fault... Why is he after you?
Leoben> Because I knew what he was, and made sure /he/ knew I knew. He thought I was gonna tell people.
* EvanB bites his lip. "Why would you do that? You know who he is right? He's... not someone you want on your bad side." Evan laughs nervously. "I didn't think he even existed... I mean my dad used to tell me stories about him when I was a kid..."
* Leoben closes his eyes. He doesn't know Evan well enough to show this kind of vulnerability, usually, but under the circumstances it really won't matter much longer. "I was /trying/ to provoke him. I thought he'd attack me directly. Not like this."
* EvanB frowns and looks at the floor a bit. "I don't see... why you would want him to attack you at all."
* Noises like the loud CRACK of a bullet connecting with a doorframe and subsequent gunshots can be heard from outside at the other end of the hallway.
* EvanB jumps a little, raising his head from his hands and peering over his shoulder. "What was that...?"
Leoben> *Terrwyn starts up from her bed, ears flattening back, and moves over towards Leoben. She's growling, quietly.*
Leoben> It won't be long, now.
* EvanB looks back at Leoben. "What?" He looks confused, standing.
* More gunshots, a flurry of them, like a panicked burst.
* Then a final pair of shots, quick, ONE. TWO. And silence.
Leoben> He's coming. I'm sorry.
* Soze abruptly wheels into Leoben's room (oh Evan, you should have locked the door behind you--,) gun raised. With his other hand, he snaps something to the door frame. It glows blue, briefly, before dulling. It would be a good guess that they've been locked in from the inside... and the outside has been locked from them.
Soze> Neither of you move.
* EvanB stumbles backwards and falls, eyes wide. Ohgod. Ohgod.
* Leoben isn't moving. "Took you long enough."
EvanB> He's... *Evan chokes.*
Soze> *a shrug* Sorry.
Nick_Wright> *the door can be heard rattling as someone tests it*
* Soze ignores it.
Soze> Face the wall.
Soze> Both of you. NOW.
* Leoben follows Soze's instructions. He's creepily calm.
* EvanB doesn't move for a second. He's frozen. But then he's scrambling to the nearest wall. "F-fuck..."
* Jonathan attempts to feargas the room.
Soze> Hands behind your--- aw, shit.
Soze> HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK.
* Soze is praying the gas won't take too much effect before he can get safely out of there.
* EvanB moves his hands behind his back as instructed. He's clueless about the gas coming into the room now. Poor guy's shaking.
Leoben> You could let the boy go, you know. He hasn't done anything to you.
Soze> LEOBEN. H-HANDS... Hands behind your back. *instinctively moves to cover his mouth. Oh, like hell this is working*
* EvanB glances at Leoben panickedly.
* Jonathan peers under the door.
* Leoben has his hands behind his back, and is trying /very/ hard to resist the first effects of the gas, since he saw it coming this time. He's still nearly calm, but shaking a bit now.
* Soze is also shaking, and rapidly losing his calm. Oh damn. Not this again.
* EvanB is whimpering. He doesn't even know he's been gassed. "P-please..."
* Soze slips something similar around Leoben's hands as he used on the door. It glows-- hot, painful, before cooling and locking in place.
Nick_Wright> *sound of lock-picking*
* Soze is shaking. Oh God. This is... no, stop it... this is... he can do this, he...
Jonathan> *muffled freaking out about there being other people in the room*
Soze> GODDAMNIT, CRANE.
Jonathan> letthemgo!
* Leoben flinches, briefly, and then leans his forehead against the wall. Calm, he has to stay calm, he's going to-- /calm/, he tells himself, come /on./
Soze> SHUT UP!
Soze> *quieter, dead calm* And yours too, Leoben. Thanks.
* Soze is shaking. He grabs Leoben and Evan roughly by their sleaves.
* EvanB yells again and even tries to struggle a moment in blind panic.
Nick_Wright> *sound of shoulder-ramming!*
Leoben> *Terrwyn, who the mun forgot, is barking madly and scrabbling at the door to try and get /out./*
Jonathan> A dog, no, not the dog D:
* SomeThing slides in out of a corner.
* Soze lets go of them quickly, and CRACKLE. Electricity! Electric shock! For both Leoben and Evan. All that good stuff.
Soze> Oh -fuck.-
* EvanB screams and falls to the ground writhing.
SomeThing> You human wo- *oh, hai, gas* WORM!
* Jonathan tries to get a finger through to reach the dog.
* Leoben shudders and collapses, groaning.
Jonathan> It's okay, good dog, here. Antidote, here. Good dog.
Leoben> *Terrwyn will bite anyone who touches her, right now.*
* Jonathan will let her bite.
* Soze kneels by Leoben and Evan, fighting the fear gas and trying desperately to move before the Thing starts doing creepy shit.
* Jonathan is trying to get her an antidote any way he can.
* SomeThing shudders, and swirls away from the wall as if it were about to bite it.
* EvanB is sobbing and trembling and muttering incoherently.
* Soze grabs onto both of them with one hand, frantically types something into his pinpoint... and the three of them disappear.
Leoben> *Terrwyn bites Jon's finger, then, because it's THERE AND MOVING AT HER GET AWAY*
* Jonathan kerantidote?
Jonathan> NO BRING THEM BACK
SomeThing> THEY'RE GONE!
* Terrwyn is kerantidoted, then, and after a minute calms down to just snuffling and whining, because gas or no gas Leoben is hurt and gone and she wants outta here.
Nick_Wright> What?!
Jonathan> Get the -dog-
* SomeThing is afraid of the dog. ;_;
* Terrwyn is much more scared than scary, right now.
* SomeThing bites its hands, fingers in its eyes, trying to stay away from the walls.
* Nick_Wright suddenly bursts through, with nothing left to hold him. He falls through, stunned a bit, then quickly reaches for the antidote and injects himself.
* Terrwyn jumps back and barks when Nick bursts through.
* Jonathan scrambles to his feet and will antidote the Thing.
* Nick_Wright gets up, holding his shoulder. "Owww..."
Jonathan> Dog...
Jonathan> it's all right, good dog.
Nick_Wright> Damn, they really are gone... what the hell was holding that door in place?
* SomeThing keeps its hand over its face, the fingers still in its eyes, watching Crane. It can't talk like that.
Soze> *There is a lock on the door! It looks like a string in an infinity sighn, actually.*
* Nick_Wright looks at the Something. "I thought I heard Evan... please tell me I didn't hear Evan..."
* Jonathan has antidote. "I'm sorry, I didn't think that you would be affected. I'll help you, here."
Soze> *If someone feels like checking, it can be traced back to a random earth alternate in 2058. Made in China. Aah.*
* Terrwyn is very twitchy, right now, and vaguely associates the smell of Crane with whatever she just bit. She flops down on the floor in a large puffy heap of miserable dog and whines.
* Nick_Wright glares at the lock. Lousy future lock technology.
Jonathan> Oh, good dog. Poor dog, good dog.
Nick_Wright> We'll need to see if we can get a trace... maybe Dr. Octavius can help when he gets back.
* SomeThing sucks on its fingers and says nothing.
* Jonathan attempts to inject the thing.
* Nick_Wright makes a mental reminder to himself to ask Otto for one of those crazy "no PIN kidnappings" watches.
* Jonathan then sits down on the floor between the thing and the dog and mumbles.
Nick_Wright> ...Dr. Crane? Are you okay?
* SomeThing is injectable! Though... it has no veins or blood. "Twomen... screaming. Light and shock."
* Jonathan looks over at Nick and holds up his hands helplessly.
Jonathan> No, no, you should be all right, no.
* Nick_Wright looks a little helpless too. "Leoben... Evan..."
* Jonathan tugs on the thing's leg.
* SomeThing has never been afraid before. It'll take a minute to get through the reaction, antidote or not.
* Nick_Wright 's shoulder hurts like hell. "I'm gonna make some tea... I think we could all use some."
* Jonathan tugs.
* Jonathan then peers at the dog. "Good dog, please."
* SomeThing shuffles to stand very close to Crane.
* Nick_Wright goes to head back to the main room.
---NEXT LOG, OUT OF ORDER--- INTERROGATION
* octopus and Cap!Jane were able to snag one of Soze's minions after he PIN'd a dead girl into the Sanctuary, a few days ago. Since then, the guy has been securely in Jon's Library vault and Ock has been carefully decoding the scrambled PIN address that the guy was sending messages to in his spare time, /and/ catologuing the different coordinates he went to with his PIN.
* AdamDuffey is... in a vault! He's leaning up against one of the walls. It's obvious from his eyes that he hasn't really slept, but he's isn't planning on giving up, not any time soon.
* Nick_Wright is here, though not looking entirely happy at the moment.
* Jeff_Levitt is here, and pacing nervously.
* Ichigo is hovering. Nervously. And folding her arms, trying to look cool.
* Adam_Duffey looks up. Oh. Goody. People.
* Jonathan is here. Of course. This is his library. The vault really is non-descript. Maybe there's a blanket in here, now.
* octopus has come in before, giving Adam food, letting him use the toilet and making sure that he's not going to run off.
* Jonathan has been very quiet, at any rate.
* Adam_Duffey hasn't been saying a word for the past day.
* Jonathan probably met with Otto, then, to see to it that the candy was mixed in with the food shortly beforehand?
* Nick[library] won't scream, but he's still a bit irritable. Found a bunch of random sex stuff around his office for some reason. That's enough to put anybody in a mood.
* Adam_Duffey clears his throat.
* Jeff_Levitt stops pacing and stares at Adam.
Adam_Duffey> So you've sent a bunch of people in here to look at me.
* Jonathan folds his arms.
* Nick[library] tries not to rile up. "Let's just say we're all interested in what you have to tell us."
Adam_Duffey> Aha.
* Adam_Duffey has consumed the truth serum candy, of course. He'll love this. Really.
* Jonathan will gas him if he has to.
* octopus stands to one side, stonefaced and impassive. "So, Adam... how did you meet the man who calls himself Keyser Soze?"
Adam_Duffey> Some guy contacted me last month, said th--... *pales*
octopus> Go on.
Nick[library]> [That candy's powerful stuff...]
* Adam_Duffey stares ahead for a moment, a bit overwhelmed.
Adam_Duffey> What...
Ichigo> [...Just keep talking, please.]
octopus> How did you end up meeting and working for Soze?
Adam_Duffey> Did you do something?
Adam_Duffey> Which one of you is doing that to me? Stop it.
Nick[library]> *mutters* Can't answer a question with a question...
Adam_Duffey> I just did.
Adam_Duffey> Listen, I've never met him, I-- *pales again* Oh shit fuck.
Nobody in this room possesses ESP, and although Mr. Crane is skilled chemist, his personal specialty is inspiring terror in his victims.
Adam_Duffey> Uhuh.
* octopus doesn't smirk. "How did you end up working for Soze?"
* Adam_Duffey clamps his jaw shut.
* Ichigo does smirk, just a little.
Adam_Duffey> [I start talking, and it all falls out. Goddammit. GODDAMIT.]
Nick[library]> ...has he threatened your family?
Adam_Duffey> He doesn't have to.
* Jonathan says nothing. He would like to have to gas him.
Nick[library]> It's understood?
Jeff_Levitt> His reputation is enough, isn't it.
Adam_Duffey> Right.
Adam_Duffey> Brilliant, guys.
Nick[library]> What did he offer you, if anything?
Adam_Duffey> 1 million.
* Jeff_Levitt nods slowly. "I've done some research on him. The guy's got more myths attached to him than Satan."
* Adam_Duffey clamps his jaw shut again. Oh dammit.
Adam_Duffey> mmmhm.
* Adam_Duffey is not opening his mouth.
Nick[library]> Enough to take care of all your family's needs for a while... has he actually put forth payment?
* Adam_Duffey 's lips are sealed!
Ichigo> [Money, money... why is that so important to humans? I don't get it...]
Nick[library]> Nod yes or shake no.
* Adam_Duffey done with this now, kthx.
* Ichigo idly wonders if tickling him would make him open his mouth.
* Adam_Duffey doesn't move.
Nick[library]> ...have you heard from your family since you started?
* Jeff_Levitt inhales sharply.
* Adam_Duffey pales a bit, but continues to stay still.
* Nick[library] still wouldn't hold it against Soze at this point.
octopus> You can speak freely, Adam... I promise that Soze will not live long enough to punish you for your treachery, but it will benefit /us/ to know all we can about him.
Jeff_Levitt> [ God, that wouldn't surprise me one bit... ]
* Jonathan goes to stand near Otto.
Adam_Duffey> ...
* Ichigo 's expression darkens. [Family...]
Nick[library]> Please, I need to know... have you heard from them at all?
* Nick[library] looks concerned. Mess in office can wait.
* Adam_Duffey closes his eyes.
* Jeff_Levitt mutters sofly. "...oh hell."
Nick[library]> ...you haven't, have you?
Adam_Duffey> *vaguely irritated by their worry* I've been in the Nexus since. It's fine.
Nick[library]> Would you like to call them to make sure they're okay?
* Adam_Duffey is definitely a little worried, though. And looking pale. But he closes his mouth again!
Adam_Duffey> *...so much for that* W-what?
Nick[library]> Call them. Just for a bit. We can wait.
Adam_Duffey> You aren't getting me with that one. No.
Nick[library]> ...but I want to make sure they're okay too.
Adam_Duffey> No.
Nick[library]> You don't want to make sure they're okay?
Adam_Duffey> Be quiet.
Nick[library]> ...are you not answering because you're afraid of the truth?
* octopus feels a bit impatient, but he holds his tongue and lets Nick do the talking. Even as a Dead People Counsellor, he seems to have a natural talent for PR.
Adam_Duffey> I'm not answering, because I doubt your intentions, and I'm not telling you where my family is. Is that good enough of an answer?
Adam_Duffey> You guys aren't here to make friends with me. I'm not here to make friends with you.
* Jeff_Levitt 's shoulders slump. He can't really blame the guy for being suspicious.
Nick[library]> ...I'm not asking you to tell me where they are.
Nick[library]> I simply would like to know if you'd like to call them. They must be worried about where you are.
Adam_Duffey> No.
Nick[library]> You're going to make them worry? You haven't been home in a few days.
Jeff_Levitt> No. We're not asking for you to be our friend. But we would very much like to know where *our* friend is. Isn't that reasonable?
Ichigo> ...Aaaah... it's been so long, hasn't it...
Adam_Duffey> Your friend?
Nick[library]> Our friend has been taken by Soze. We're worried about him.
* Adam_Duffey turns away from Nick.
Adam_Duffey> I haven't heard anything about it.
Nick[library]> [And he must be telling the truth.]
* Jonathan glances at Otto, wringing his hands. Too many people. Not enough fear gas. Look, maybe... maybe he should reach into his pocket?
* Adam_Duffey is telling the truth.
* Jeff_Levitt closes his eyes.
Jeff_Levitt> Then what do you know about where Soze is now?
Jeff_Levitt> Anything would help.
* Jeff_Levitt keeps his voice low and gentle.
* Adam_Duffey closes his own eyes.
Jeff_Levitt> Please.
Nick[library]> Adam... another friend of ours... he died horribly at Soze's hands. He doesn't care about the sanctity of human life.
* Jonathan scowls.
* Adam_Duffey snorts. "Duh."
Ichigo> ...The last bodies he dumped in the Nexus were all chopped up. You couldn't tell who they were easily.
* octopus raises a hand to Nick and Jeff, imploring quiet. "Paranoia is a criminal's only trutworthy companion. If he does not wish to contact his family, he probably feels that he has good reason not to."
* Nick[library] swallows.
* Jeff_Levitt bites his lip.
Nick[library]> ...like perhaps it's not so much that we know where they are as HE knows.
Ichigo> How horrible that has to be... not being able to tell if you knew somebody before or not...
* Adam_Duffey is looking away. "Tough for them," he says with a shrug.
Ichigo> It's like a horror movie, isn't it?
Ichigo> Imagine... what kind of irony you could achieve with that.
Adam_Duffey> Irony?
* octopus clears his throat. "/Ichigo/."
Ichigo> If you had to do the footwork for him, and dumped the bodies... I bet you wouldn't look too closely at them, would you...?
Nick[library]> ...
* Ichigo looks up. "Ah?"
* Adam_Duffey pales.
Nick[library]> ...if we let you call... promised not to listen in... would you do so?
Adam_Duffey> N-No.
Adam_Duffey> Stop this.
Nick[library]> Because he could trace where they are?
* Jeff_Levitt turns slightly green.
Adam_Duffey> He wouldn't do that. He'd lose whatever he had over me if I screwed up.
Nick[library]> Unless he doesn't care whether you screw up or not.
octopus> You already /have/ screwed up, Adam.
Nick[library]> Because it's obvious he never intended on letting you live through this anyway.
Jeff_Levitt> He's desperate. He knows full well this is suicide. He intends to follow this through to the bitter end.
Nick[library]> ...Do you have children?
* Jeff_Levitt seems to be talking to himself more than Adam.
octopus> We traced the PIN signature to the Paris Metro, where you stopped in as a go-between point several times. We captured you, and took your PINpoint.
Adam_Duffey> STOP IT! Just stop it, okay?
Adam_Duffey> I get it.
* Nick[library] looks away, looking pained. "One of the bodies you delivered... was a sixteen year old girl. Her only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time..."
Jeff_Levitt> Do you?
Jeff_Levitt> You can help us *end* this, don't you get it?
Adam_Duffey> I'm not going to end anything.
Nick[library]> ...her spirit was so sad, knowing she would never be able to go home again. She was...
* octopus frowns at Jeff and Nick. "Quiet. Your attempts at sympathetic mediation are admirable, but they're having utterly no effect."
Adam_Duffey> You're trying to freak me out. My family's fine. I'm fine. And I'm not going to talk or join your crusade or -anything.- You're forgetting which fucking side I'm on.
Nick[library]> And whose side ARE you on?
octopus> Adam... you really don't seem to get it, or you would have started answering our questions. You can't save your family. If they're dead, which, knowing Soze's track record, they probably are already, then such is life.
Adam_Duffey> *taking a deep breath* I'm working for Keyser Soze. I thought that much was obvious.
octopus> However, if /you/ would like to live, then you will cooperate with us and answer our questions.
Adam_Duffey> I'm not answering anything.
Nick[library]> But are you on his side?
Nick[library]> Are you really for his acts of taking children away from their families, their loved ones, trying hopelessly to terrorize a Nexus that won't listen?
Adam_Duffey> I'm on his side.
* Jonathan pulls out a canister now.
* octopus smiles, just a bit. He also reminds himself to gag Nick, Jeff /and/ Ichigo if he ever brings them to another interrogation session.
* Jonathan just plays with it.
* Adam_Duffey has been ignoring Jonathan most of this time.
* Nick[library] tightens his mouth. "Murderer." He walks away, unable to look at this idiot anymore.
Adam_Duffey> I do what needs to be done.
* Adam_Duffey might be trying to defend himself, but it's hard to tell.
Ichigo> Your definition of what needs to be done needs work.
octopus> If you don't want to cooperate, Adam, you don't have to. Your PINpoint, even with the encryption and all of the other obfuscations that Soze was using, has revealed enough information for us to track down and kill Soze.
Nick[library]> Bullshit. NONE of this needed to be done. You could've made money honestly, but you threw away your own fucking family's safety for MONEY.
* Jonathan taps the canister a few times, thoughtfully, then puts that back in his pocket, and loads a syringe instead.
* octopus turns back to the others, again, and glares at them. "I will have /silence/ from all three of you."
Adam_Duffey> *to Otto, voice wavering slightly* I won't believe that.
* Jonathan will be your quiet threat in the background for the evening.
* Jeff_Levitt glances at Jonathan nervously.
* Adam_Duffey 's eye is caught by the syringe. Wait. What?
* Nick[library] glares at Otto himself.
* Jeff_Levitt shuts up.
* Ichigo looks confused. Aren't interrogations supposed to keep the guy on his toes?
Nick[library]> ...tell me how this finishes. I don't want any part of whatever nasty shit you guys are going to do to him.
* Jeff_Levitt is suddenly very, very interested in his shoes. [Oh, God, are they...?]
* Nick[library] storms out.
octopus> You don't have to believe it, but if you don't intend to make yourself useful, then I have no reason to continue this questioning, and Mr. Crane has no reason to be sheltering you in this vault.
Ichigo> Ah... Nick...!
Adam_Duffey> ...So be it.
* Jonathan has one of those big dramatic syringes, here. Look, spraying liquid.
* Jonathan is not gassing the room. It's just dramatic. Okay.
* Jeff_Levitt watches Nick leave, but he stays put.
* Nick[library] is outside the room, if somebody feels the urge to join him. Glasses off, ball of hands rubbing his eyes. Fuck.
* Ichigo looks at Adam, then turns and flies out to check on Nick.
* octopus smirks. "Tell me... before I leave... are you a man of honour, or are you really such a craven that you accepted payment for a suicide mission, yet refuse to trust the only people in creation who are even considering cutting the noose from your neck?"
Nick[library]> *muttering* Hand Soze this much, he picks his flunkies well.
* Ichigo hovers by Nick nervously. "Nick...?"
Adam_Duffey> I don't believe that.
Nick[library]> Find the guy who's greedy enough to go for your offer, but easily scared into coercion by your reputation.
* Jeff_Levitt opens his mouth, then glances at Norman and shuts it again. Learns quick, this one.
* Ichigo hesitantly moves to touch his shoulder, hoping that's comforting.
Nick[library]> If I could just prove to this guy his family is safe... or otherwise...
* octopus rolls his eyes. "/what/ don't you believe? That Soze will let you live, after you've failed in your mission? That he would have let you live even if we hadn't caught you?"
Nick[library]> ...fucker sold his own safety for money. *slides down the wall*
Adam_Duffey> I can turn things around.
Adam_Duffey> I've gotten money from him before.
Ichigo> Nick... You tried.
octopus> How? By amusing Jonathan with your suffering to such an extent that he lets you live and keeps you in here for a while, possibly giving you time to escape from his intradimensional Library?
Adam_Duffey> What?
* Jonathan smirks a little.
* Nick[library] sighs.
octopus> You are a little, little man, Adam, and as far as monsters go in here, you're barely a blip on the radar. There is no way you're going to escape from this place, and as you've already refused to cooperate, I'm not going to bother telling the people who watch over Jonathan here that he has a human guinea pig in his vault.
* Jeff_Levitt looks up sharply and pales.
* Adam_Duffey swallows, looking up at them.
Adam_Duffey> Like I said, so be it.
* octopus chuckles, and gestures to Jeff to leave the room.
* Adam_Duffey closes his eyes.
* Jeff_Levitt hesitates.
* Nick[library] palms the magatama around his neck for reassurance.
* Jeff_Levitt looks between Jonathan and Otto, his expression clear. [ Don't do this. ]
* Ichigo looks up sadly. She sucks at this comforting thing.
octopus> Go.
* octopus moves to leave as well.
* Jonathan 's little smile breaks into a grin.
octopus> [...I only hope that this breaks him... /and/ that I can pry Crane away from him once it does.]
* Jeff_Levitt 's eyes drop t othe floor for a moment, but then he looks back up at Adam. "I'm sorry," he says, just loud enough to be heard.
* Nick[library] shakes his head. He has his own ideas for what to do when he finds Soze. He's been PREPARING.
* Adam_Duffey laughs humorlessly, eyes still closed.
Jonathan> Do you know what I can do to you?
* Jeff_Levitt looks back one last time before leaving. He can't watch this.
* Ichigo has her own ideas, too. She may not be planning on using the katamari anymore, but she still has the lighter.
* Adam_Duffey is silent.
* Nick[library] looks up at Jeff when he exits. He's currently sitting against the wall.
* Jeff_Levitt sits down next to Nick, drawing his knees to his chest.
Ichigo> ...No good?
Jonathan> Otto mentioned it briefly. I can activate the fear center of your brain and cause you to hallucinate whatever it is your mind -desperately- dreams up to explain it. I have extensive experience with this little trick.
Jonathan> Your boss knows this.
Nick[library]> Nice guys finish last, I guess...
* Adam_Duffey is still silent, eyes closed.
* Jeff_Levitt shakes his head. "He's going to torture him. Oh God, this is *wrong*."
Nick[library]> I know.
* Ichigo blinks. "But -- he said we already had the information we needed!"
Nick[library]> Probably bluffing.
Jonathan> You may think that you can be silent, now, but at the very least, you'll scream. I assure you.
Jeff_Levitt> ...I don't know.
* octopus exits, shutting the vault door behind him with a -thud-. He takes a reciever from his pocket and listens in on the conversation in the room. "...I give him five minutes alone with Crane, and then I will try again."
* Nick[library] swallows and looks away. He doesn't want to think about this.
* Adam_Duffey gives a weak laugh.
* Jonathan attempts to make the injection. With huge theatrical needle, there.
* Jeff_Levitt swallows audibly. This isn't the Jonathan he knows. This Jonathan is *terrifying.*
Ichigo> Just five?
* Adam_Duffey comes alive at once. He frantically tries to jerk away.
* Adam_Duffey is bound, however. Arms and legs.
* Jonathan is not strong enough to hold him down, but if the needle breaks off in his arm... not his problem.
* Adam_Duffey isn't going to stop struggling, really. Something breaking off in his arm is the least of his worries.
* Jonathan would agree with him, because as soon as that is in his system, he gets a little taste of what Soze went through, earlier.
* Adam_Duffey inhales sharply.
Nick[library]> ...I wonder if this is how the soldiers stationed at Guantanamo felt.
octopus> Just five. *he has the volume down low enough so that only he can hear it... and he has to hold it to his ear to do so, with his bad hearing.*
Ichigo> Guantanamo?
Jeff_Levitt> A place where prisoners were tortured. Supposedly they were terrorists. Supposedly it was for the safety of our country.
* Nick[library] nods.
* Jeff_Levitt 's position on that is pretty obvious from his tone.
* Adam_Duffey has been injected?
* Jonathan has made the injection
Ichigo> ...Torture? Terrorists?
* Ichigo looks completely lost.
Nick[library]> Bad stuff and bad people.
* Adam_Duffey begins to shake. Weakly at first.
* Adam_Duffey is gradually shaking harder, however. He grits his teeth.
Jonathan> You will.
Adam_Duffey> N-No. *doesn't even know what he's disagreeing to*
Jeff_Levitt> Torture. To...deliberately hurt people. Cause them pain so they'll answer your questions to make it stop.
* Adam_Duffey whines, curling his head into his chest.
* Jonathan leans down to peer at him closer.
* Ichigo blinks. "That's what he's doing? But... how would that help?"
Adam_Duffey> G-GET AWAY! *jerks away*
Adam_Duffey> GET THE FUCK AWAY!
* Jonathan 's shoulders shake for a moment, and then he cackles. "This is what you get. We'll be friends, you and I, shall we?"
Nick[library]> It... doesn't always, is the problem. Some folks will lie just to get it to stop. Though considering this guy CAN'T lie... *winces at the shouting*
* Jeff_Levitt also hears the shouting, and looks decidedly ill.
Adam_Duffey> W-what the fuck are you -talking- about??
Ichigo> ...He can't lie? He's under some kind of spell?
octopus> *the vault door should dampen the noise, though it will still be (barely) audible.*
Jonathan> You heard Otto. You've made your choice, hm? You're staying here with me.
* Adam_Duffey gives a whine, curling in on himself.
Adam_Duffey> Y-you bastard, you bastard, you...
* Nick[library] looks at Otto. "Some sort of candy...?"
octopus> He was given one of the truth serum pastilles that Clair Octavius invented.
Jonathan> This is ideal, seeing as how there are several projects I've needed to test... Oh, this isn't even the strongest toxin I've developed. You'll see, though.
* Adam_Duffey squeezes his eyes shut. His teeth are chattering.
* Nick[library] nods.
Ichigo> ...Huh. That's strange...
Jonathan> I'd really like to hear you scream, though. Perhaps I should show you now?
* octopus sighs. "...I only hope that I don't have to hurt Crane while prying him away from the man."
* Adam_Duffey flinches violently.
Jonathan> Yes?
* Jeff_Levitt looks up at Otto, alarmed. "You think you'll have to do that?"
Adam_Duffey> N-n-no, that's... please, no...
Jonathan> Do you know, I've devised the means to -make someone's heart stop-, by way of fear alone. Once, a man died with his mouth bent at such an odd angle, as if it had been dislocated, even... I didn't stay around long enough to check, but it was just so damned odd, how far his mouth opened up...
* Jonathan says this as he prepares another syringe.
* Adam_Duffey chokes a sob, curling up more. He doesn't even notice the syringe.
octopus> Quite possibly. *he seems a bit too casual about this whole thing!*
* Jonathan brings the needle closer.
* Nick[library] grits his teeth. He hates this.
Jeff_Levitt> ...oh Jesus...
Jonathan> Perhaps if you'd open your eyes, you'd see it. Or... what do you see, then?
* Adam_Duffey is muttering 'no,' over and over again under his breath.
* Adam_Duffey is not exactly encouraged to open his eyes.
Jonathan> The hallucinations are more intense with your eyes shut, hm? It blocks out what's really around you.
* Ichigo rests her head against the wall, sighing.
* Adam_Duffey gives another sob.
Jonathan> Look at me.
* Jonathan presses the needle against his skin, without breaking it.
* Adam_Duffey -jumps-, eyes shooting open.
Nick[library]> ...it's amazing how many people in the Nexus lack the imagination that whatever they're doing, things really could be worse.
* Jonathan lied.
* Adam_Duffey screams, squeezing his eyes shut again. He's trembling even harder now, hyperventilating.
* Jeff_Levitt tenses. He heard that.
Adam_Duffey> nonononono.
* Jeff_Levitt looks pleadingly at Otto. "Are you s-sure it hasn't been five minutes yet?"
* Jonathan shuts his eyes and smiles.
...sorry, only three minutes and.... 48 seconds.
Adam_Duffey> p-please don't s-stop it stop
Jonathan> Please don't stop it? What an odd thing to say.
* Nick[library] bunches up his fists.
* Adam_Duffey screams. "STOP!!"
Jonathan> Bless you, you're -perfect-.
octopus> ..... though I suppose Crane probably isn't keeping track of time, either.
Nick[library]> Yeeeeeah.
* octopus sighs, and goes to open the vault door.
* Jeff_Levitt is trying very, very hard not to be sick.
* Jeff_Levitt stands up anyway. Not that he's going to be much help if Jonathan doesn't want to give up his new friend.
octopus> *he shuffles quietly in, barely making a noise, and raises a hand to Jon*
* Adam_Duffey is sobbing quietly.
* Nick_Wright peers back in, then closes his eyes and decides he's just gonna stay out here for now.
* Jonathan glances at Otto and makes that second injection? >_>
* Jonathan :which was the antidote?:
* Adam_Duffey is not resisting at this point, but he does -jump- again.
octopus> ....so.
* Jeff_Levitt enters behind Otto.
* Jonathan withdraws the needle. Just a little pinch, hm? It should gradually take effect over the next few minutes. And Jonathan, worired as you all were, goes to stand behind Otto, off to the side, though he looks -terribly- reluctant to do so.
* Jeff_Levitt looks closely at Adam, brow furrowed in worry.
* Jeff_Levitt can't *quite* conceal a relieved sigh when Jonathan backs off.
* Adam_Duffey is still shaking quite violently, eyes squeezed shut.
* Jonathan goes to stand near his friend Jeff o_o
* Adam_Duffey 's shaking is gradually... gradually getting calmer, however.
* octopus drums his fingers together.
* Jeff_Levitt is trembling.
* Adam_Duffey has his forehead pressed against the floor.
Adam_Duffey> ...oh god...
octopus> I thought it would be callous of me not to give you a second chance to cooperate, considering that you can probably save us at least a bit of time in our investigation.
Adam_Duffey> I-I... I d-don't really even know anything, I...
* Jonathan smiles at Jeff, all proud and gentle. Look at what he did. Look. It will work now, see?
* Adam_Duffey still has his eyes squeezed shut.
H-he's... going to kill my family, he's...
* Nick_Wright furrows his brow. He's not in there, but he can hear the man.
* Jeff_Levitt looks back at Jonathan, but his expression probably isn't what he was expecting. His eyes are full of grief and *fear*. He has his arms crossed to hide the shaking, but he's *afraid* of you, Jonathan.
octopus> You will answer our questions. The faster we can stop him, the more likely it is that your family will survive... and yourself.
* Jonathan smiles more at Jeff. Jeff is afraid. That's wonderful.
* Adam_Duffey gives another sob.
octopus> Who contacted you with Soze's offer for work?
* Adam_Duffey is quiet, breathing in and out unsteadily.
* Jeff_Levitt can't look at Jonathan anymore. He watches Adam instead.
* Jonathan watches Adam, then.
* Nick_Wright peers in again, though it makes his stomach turn a bit
* Adam_Duffey hasn't even moved from his spot on the ground. His eyes are still closed.
octopus> Who contacted you with Soze's offer for work?
* Adam_Duffey trembles.
octopus> Please, tell me. He needs to be stopped, before more people are killed.
Adam_Duffey> I...can't, they'll--
octopus> They already tried to kill you once.
* Nick_Wright wanders in slowly. Seeing him like this he's... really sort of sad.
* Jonathan glances back at Nick. Look!
* Nick_Wright purses his lips. Yeah. Great.
Adam_Duffey> H-he called himself Yorick.
Adam_Duffey> It's a fake name. Obviously.
Jeff_Levitt> Jonathan, what have you done?
* Jeff_Levitt 's voice is low, almost a whisper.
* Nick_Wright nods.
* Adam_Duffey is not moving.
octopus> Did Yorick contact you through your PINpoint?
Adam_Duffey> He found me at home.
Adam_Duffey> I didn't know about the Nexus. He showed me.
* Jonathan whispers back, "I've helped us. Shh."
* Nick_Wright 's eyes widen. Oh Jesus Christ.
octopus> I see. Does Yorick have a PINpoint?
Jeff_Levitt> *to himself, quietly* ...God forgive us.
* Ichigo peers in after Nick.
Adam_Duffey> He gave me mine.
Adam_Duffey> He's the one I sent the message to.
* Adam_Duffey 's voice is broken.
* octopus nods. "That ID is encrypted. It has taken me some time to crack... Where did you meet with him?"
Adam_Duffey> He c-came to my home.
Nick_Wright> [Oh dear mother of God, his family...]
Adam_Duffey> He brought me h-here. I don't remember the coordinates.
octopus> What did the place look like? Was it a house?
Adam_Duffey> He told me they were keeping several million dollars down in the metro system, that he wanted me to guard it, and t-that there wre some bodies I had to drop off-- I... I didn't ask questions...
Adam_Duffey> I-it was a spot on a shore, under a large rock... it was... very quiet.
octopus> ....below a cliff?
Adam_Duffey> *quietly* below a cliff, large rock under cliff... ten feet tall. Maybe.
Adam_Duffey> Oh god. *trembles, curling up again*
Adam_Duffey> I'm going to die.
Nick_Wright> ...
* octopus nods. "With your cooperation, we will be able to kill Soze sooner and ensure your safety."
* Jeff_Levitt clasps his hands together and closes his eyes.
Adam_Duffey> Bullshit. I'm going to die.
Adam_Duffey> Oh God... I can't believe this.
* octopus sighs. "Relax, unless you also want to be drugged with a tranquilizer."
* Nick_Wright looks away. He's not sure what to say.
octopus> You were using your PINpoint to travel and communicate. Where else in the Nexus did you go?
Adam_Duffey> I just dropped off some bodies. Maybe.. four or five.
Adam_Duffey> I didn't go far.
octopus> Who else did you send messages to?
Adam_Duffey> ...
Adam_Duffey> P-please...
Adam_Duffey> I couldn't... I can't...
octopus> You can't...
Adam_Duffey> I knew who one of those heads belonged to.
Nick_Wright> ! Who...?
* Jeff_Levitt looks up sharply.
* Adam_Duffey sighs quietly.
Adam_Duffey> Richard Irne. I... I don't know if that's his real name. He had... I had been in contact with him. He was working with us.
Adam_Duffey> I don't know what happened.
Adam_Duffey> Oh god...
Nick_Wright> ...I'm sorry. For all of this.
* Ichigo pales. She didn't want to hear that she was right.
* Adam_Duffey gives a short, empty laugh.
Adam_Duffey> Sure.
octopus> Did he order you to commit any of the murders?
Adam_Duffey> It wasn't my job.
* octopus nods. "Did you kill any of the victims who were delivered to the Nexus?"
Adam_Duffey> *with his forehead still pressed against the ground* Once.
octopus> Where were you when you killed the victim?
* Jeff_Levitt inhales sharply, breath hissing between his teeth. Oh God.
Adam_Duffey> Empty stretch of Nexus. Where I'm supposed to collect them to drop off.
Adam_Duffey> *slowly* There was one who wasn't quite dead.
* Ichigo clings to the door frame, watching.
Adam_Duffey> It was what I was supposed to do.
* Nick_Wright winces his eyes shut. He's not sure how much more he can hear of this.
octopus> Nnh. *he nods again, business-like and (apparently) unmoved by Adam's confession.* Were there other meetings? How many others did you see or contact during this job?
Adam_Duffey> Three. Two, now. There's probably much more, though. No more meetings in person after that.
Adam_Duffey> *a bit resigned* There's no way I know enough to save me.
* octopus grunts. "The serum you ingested ensures that you are telling the truth, and... I promised you your life in exchange for your cooperation."
Adam_Duffey> He's going to kill me.
Nick_Wright> If you stay in the antiviolence field in the Sanctuary, he can't do a thing...
AdamDuffey> My family.
AdamDuffey> My family.
Nick_Wright> ...
* AdamDuffey laughs weakly. "I should have seen this coming."
* Nick_Wright looks at the others. "Could we support a whole family until this shit is over?"
AdamDuffey> You're right. They're probably already dead.
* Jeff_Levitt chews his lip. "Well, Hermes k-kind of owes me a f-f-favor..."
AdamDuffey> He tried to kill me th moment you caught me.
AdamDuffey> He knew that was it.
AdamDuffey> I'm through.
* AdamDuffey is strangely calm about this.
* Jeff_Levitt winces. Goddamn stuttering.
octopus> Hmph. If they are still alive, we can guarantee their safety.
Nick_Wright> Hermes... the providence of Hermes. Well, any protection has to work.
AdamDuffey> ...
Nick_Wright> Please. We don't want any more deaths.
* Jonathan watches quietly.
AdamDuffey> Okay.
* AdamDuffey opens his eyes.
AdamDuffey> If you can, please.
* Jeff_Levitt nods.
* Nick_Wright looks at Otto. "Who should go check on his home?"
octopus> Mr. Levitt... what is the nature of this 'favour' that Hermes owes you?
octopus> It would be far simpler for a god to spirit a family away and to safety than it would be for us.
* Nick_Wright looks down. "Ah..."
* octopus nods. "Do you think you could ask him to do that... right now?"
* AdamDuffey lies there quietly.
* Jonathan bites his knuckle.
Nick_Wright> I think we should check on them first.
* octopus nods. "True... it would be a waste if they were not still alive."
* Jeff_Levitt winces. "That's true."
Nick_Wright> Let's remain optimistic for now... I'll go check on the place.
* Jeff_Levitt looks at Nick. "Should you go alone?"
octopus> Alright... I'll go with you. Just in case.
* Nick_Wright nods. "Can you give us the coordinates?"
* Adam_Duffey quietly rattles off the coordinates.
* Nick_Wright looks at Otto. "Okay, let's go."
* octopus nods, copying them into his PIN. "Alright." He PINs out.
Jeff_Levitt> Be careful.
* Nick_Wright PINs out as well.
Adam_Duffey> *The house is a an unassuming ranch style. The weather is nice, the breeze is soft. There aren't any signs of forced entry.*
Adam_Duffey> *The neighborhood is quiet. Apparently, he's a decent enough criminal for that.*
* Nick_Wright looks. "Maybe they're still there?"
* Jeff_Levitt fidgets as he waits.
* octopus glances around, checking for passers-by or anyone suspicious before he sets to work picking the lock. It seems he's finally gotten around to installing a fine tool in one of his actuator heads.
Adam_Duffey> *the door is unlocked, actually*
* Nick_Wright watches Otto.
* octopus suddenly realizes this. "..." He slowly opens it and slips inside.
* Nick_Wright swallows. That's never a good sign.
Adam_Duffey> *in front of the door, there's a long... very long stain of blood stretched across the wood floor*
Nick_Wright> ...oh no...
octopus> ...stay here.
octopus> Don't touch /anything/. Don't scratch yourself. Don't even lean against the wall.
Nick_Wright> Yeah, yeah, I know about contaminating crime scenes, thanks.
* octopus nods, then creeps forwards, glancing about and into the nearest rooms.
Adam_Duffey> *the rooms are empty. other than the ominous stain in the front hall, it seems all right. at a glance.*
* Nick_Wright follows, but he's certain he knows the conclusion. Instead he's looking for something more... insubstantial.
Adam_Duffey> *a few chairs are turned over. one of the beds (a small one, actually) is unmade*
* octopus checks the adjacent rooms for obvious signs of struggle, but finds little evidence to reveal the fate of the missing family.
Adam_Duffey> *the master bedroom, should he think to check, also has a large pool of blood towards the side of the bed. Much more than in the hall.*
Adam_Duffey> *it's a good guess from the amount of beds... and from the blood stains, that there are two people here. were.*
Nick_Wright> Otto... *points to the puddle when they pass by that room*
* octopus nods, checking the room for spatter marks or any other signs of dragging/smearing.
Adam_Duffey> *There's a master bedroom, and another bedroom, decorated for a little boy*
Adam_Duffey> *There aren't any bodys, though. Perhaps they'll be showing up in the Nexus soon?*
octopus> ...I think we don't need to do any more searching.
* Nick_Wright nods sadly, but looks around one last time for a spirit.
* octopus PINs out.
* Adam_Duffey is now lying on his side, staring out at the far wall.
* Nick_Wright PINs back as well, having failed to find anyone.
* Jeff_Levitt is wound up enough to jump when Otto PINs back in. He looks anxiously at them both, not quite willing to actually ask.
octopus> No sign of them.
* Adam_Duffey slowly raises his eyes to look at them.
Nick_Wright> ...
Jeff_Levitt> ...none?
* octopus gives Nick a knowing look.
* Adam_Duffey can definitely tell from Otto's and Nick's expressions what they saw.
Adam_Duffey> *dully* I told you.
octopus> ....I'm sorry.
* Jeff_Levitt 's face falls. "I'm...s-s-s-sorry,"
* Nick_Wright looks depressed. "I so wanted... I..."
* Adam_Duffey closes his eyes, curling up again.
Adam_Duffey> I couldn't say no.
Nick_Wright> [More deaths on Soze's head... he'll pay for this.]
Adam_Duffey> When someone like him asks you to do something, you don't say no.
* Jonathan wrings his hands.
* Jeff_Levitt hugs himself and stares at the floor.
* Nick_Wright holds his magatama again. Still more preparations to make...
Adam_Duffey> I knew... the moment...
octopus> Where did your other meetings take place?
* Adam_Duffey is quiet.
* Jeff_Levitt stares at Otto. [ Christ, you're still interrogating after *this*? ]
Nick_Wright> [...I just wish he could get a chance to say goodbye.]
octopus> More people will die if we don't stop him as soon as possible.
Adam_Duffey> ...
Nick_Wright> ...we'll avenge them. I swear.
* AdamDuffey is still quiet, eyes closed.
Jonathan> ....?
AdamDuffey> This would have never happened if you didn't bring me here.
Nick_Wright> ...
AdamDuffey> You fuckers.
* AdamDuffey still has his head down.
octopus> You can believe that if it comforts you.
AdamDuffey> *bringing his head up* What else can it be?!
AdamDuffey> I'm caught. I'm useless. Twenty minutes ago, you were -torturing- me.
Nick_Wright> ...
octopus> Your failure to complete your task could have cost them their lives, but it's just as likely that Soze planned on killing you all from the start.
AdamDuffey> BULLSHIT.
AdamDuffey> That doesn't even make any -sense.-
Nick_Wright> It makes perfect sense. Do you think he'd pay minions when he can just fool people into doing what he wants and then doing as he pleases? He's killed DOZENS in the Nexus alone.
Nick_Wright> And THEM he didn't even need reasons.
Nick_Wright> He killed the other contact. Do you HONESTLY think he was gonna let you live?
AdamDuffey> -No.- I was good at this. I wasn't supposed to -lose.-
* Jonathan frowns.
Nick_Wright> You IDIOT! You were probably already on the list!
AdamDuffey> YOU FUCKERS! ASSHOLES!
Nick_Wright> [Goddamn it, where's this guy's family to kick some fucking sense into him?!]
* octopus is trying not to laugh.
* AdamDuffey just lost his family. He's allowed not to make sense for now.
AdamDuffey> SHUT UP!
* Nick_Wright is mostly just miffed he couldn't at least find a spirit.
* AdamDuffey is shaking again.
AdamDuffey> I was going to -live-, I was... they're all dead because of you! All of them!
* Nick_Wright is shaking.
* octopus sighs, realizing that they aren't going to get any more answers out of the guy for now.
AdamDuffey> Goddammit. Goddammit.
* AdamDuffey squeezes his eyes shut.
AdamDuffey> Goddammit.
* Nick_Wright 's hands are clenching into fists.
octopus> Jonathan... a tranquilizer.
AdamDuffey> Don't let him near me.
octopus> Nothing I can say will help you to come to terms with your loss /or/ convince you that you were scheduled to be killed by Soze from the start.
AdamDuffey> No.
AdamDuffey> No.
* Jonathan uncaps a normally sized syringe and crouches to make the injection.
AdamDuffey> NO.
* AdamDuffey jerks away.
* Jonathan smiles at Adam and will try again.
* octopus raises a hand. "Wait."
* Jonathan freezes.
octopus> Will you live on your own, then? I will be back later, with food and water, and more questions for you to answer.
AdamDuffey> Live on my own?
* Nick_Wright ponders PINning out now before he does something he regrets.
octopus> I would rather you remain alive.
AdamDuffey> I told you everything I know.
* octopus sighs a bit. "...though... I suppose that the likelihood of you committing suicide while in full body restraint is quite low."
AdamDuffey> Yeah, that makes things a little tricky.
Nick_Wright> I'm going to go guys... I need to calm down.
AdamDuffey> ...
* octopus nods and beckons Jon, gesturing to him to leave the room.
AdamDuffey> Is this place protected?
* Jonathan shuffles out of the room, obediantly.
octopus> It is warded, free of surveillance equiptment, and Soze has no way of knowing that you are still alive.
AdamDuffey> Warded?
* Nick_Wright PINs out himself. Phew. DIDN'T slap the guy.
octopus> This place has its own supernatural means of protection. If you fear for your safety, I can remove you to a side room in the Sanctuary.
AdamDuffey> And those are protected.
* AdamDuffey speaks lowly, voice still raspy.
* Jonathan stands outside of the vault room, staring at the wall across from him.
octopus> There's a ward in place in the Sanctuary that prevents abduction or physical violence.
AdamDuffey> ...Okay.
AdamDuffey> *suspicious* Why are you doing this?
* octopus grunts. "I have enough death on my hands as it is. I see no reason to let you die, if you aren't a threat to me."
AdamDuffey> ...I can accept that.
* Jonathan sits on the floor,, outside of his vault, with his knees tucked up under his chin.