The cafeteria sat quiet for the time being. There seemed to be some order to the usual disarray of tables and chairs. Some of the chairs had been cleared away, and tables pushed together. A few boxes sat scattered around the tables. Mirandahh 'Ash' Drachenn organized some items for possible trade on two of the tables. Fingernail clippers, a car jack, an antitheft device, and various other assorted odds and ends. Her work was joined by a tuneless whistle, from one tired and overwrought. That was no surprise. All the staff at the Hospital was overwrought.
The blur of a figure was seen as a woman dashed in from the rain. She shook out her hat and was then recognizable as Bliss Lovejoy. "I hope the rain doesn't eat a hole in my hat," she muttered. She saw Ash, busy though she was and nodded. "Evening."
Dr. Drachenn did not answer, engrossed in the continual search for items. Elliot's sing song modulated voice greeted them both. "Greetings, Mirandahh ... Bliss."
A muffled voice came from a box. "Hey, Elliot." Scraping and dull thuds from the box emanated through the cafeteria.
"It would seem that the phosphoric acid content of the current precipitation is rather ... foul," commented the ever-observant Hospital computer.
"Quite," came Bliss' simple reply.
Ash's head poked up from the box with a woolen scarf in her hand. It was moth-eaten and threadbare. Perhaps not much to bargain with here. She gave a quizzical look to a turnip twaddler. It was quite possible she was not the only person who had no idea what it was used for. It was discarded back into the box, a useless endeavor.
"Is it all right if I use one of Elliot's terminals?", Bliss asked.
"Elliot? Do you have a problem with Bliss tickling your data banks?"
"I have no problem with that," came the almost amiable reply. "The database is primarily public information."
Ash waved Bliss over to a terminal. "He's all yours." Her wares displayed, she placed a chair behind them and sprawled out into it.
She grinned and shrugged off her coat. "Great!" She slid into a seat behind a terminal and began tapping the keys. "Okay, Elliot, shall we see what you have for information regarding botanical subjects?"
"What sort of botanical information, Bliss?"
Her fingers never lost a beat. "Effects of present radiation on local flora at a cellular level. I'm also interested in the destruction patterns of what used to be the local flora." It seemed that Elliot had a rather tall order. There were so many variables to be accounted for. Images flashed up on the screen, narrated by the computer. It was true, most of the ornamental plants had died out in the years since the war. The only ones that stood a chance, according to Elliot's databanks, were those with woody exteriors and succulents. And of course, there was the She. Bliss crinkled her nose and instructed Elliot to leave the She out of this. When one studied the She, it was all too easy to become a part of it. Whatever the hell 'it' was. Discussion of the She was a week in and of itself. Elliot engaged a limited search mode, and Bliss' odyssey for plant knowledge continued.
The floor rumbled, and only one could make that approach. Grendel. The sentient mechanical thing with a feline appearance. No one quite knew what he was, including himself. He had first made an appearance at the Hospital some weeks ago, and had since become a familiar visitor. The mech stood over 15 feet in height and weighed half as much as he was tall. An enormous creature who required blood to sustain his systems. That was another peculiarity about Grendel. One for which he was obviously intended, else his sheathed tentacles would not be present. He was the first and the last model made before the production plant was destroyed. There were no more like him, nor would there ever be. He served as an avenging angel of sorts, seeming to fight on the side that was fair. It was no wonder that he was an associate of Justice.
He entered the lobby and scanned the area. Well, with whatever sensors were working at the time. There always seemed to be something malfunctioning, some system that was in a transient work mode. And tonight was no different. As he turned to examine the room, a light went out, and his vision turned to static. He smacked his head against a wall to restore it, a move well practiced. Bliss took a moment away from her studies and waved to him. "Hey, Grendel. Following me?" Her attention immediately reverted to Elliot and his current speech of the survivability of saplings and younger trees.
"Negative," spoke the mech.
The doors of the Hospital lobby opened, the patter of rain against the asphalt still heard outside. A man in a leather trench stepped in and approached the receptionist's desk. As he shook himself like a drenched cur, droplets of water sprayed around him and puddles formed at his feet. Another cigarette was retrieved from a gold-embossed case and lit and he addressed the receptionist. "Yo."
"You the one who keeps tossing bodies in through the front door?", asked Ash. They had been receiving more than their fair share lately, and she had heard Grendel mention 'deposits' once before.
A damaged part was laid to his side as he replied, "Yes. I heard that your computer thought them too valuable to waste. So, I decided to deliver them."
"Well, yeah, but you can't just throw 'em in the door."
Any reply from him was lost in the sea of mechanical parts that he had disemboweled from himself. Some were beyond repair, and some still showed some signs of possibility.
A faint clatter of metal to concrete was heard as a man strode in through the door. The man known as Justice entered the hospital, surprisingly dry in spite of the weather. The ever-mirrored gaze cast about the room. He made his way to the cafeteria, only to be stopped by a swear in a familiar voice.
"By the medic, I owe for treatment."
Justice's gaze turned from the cafeteria doors to the direction of the voice, and he spotted its owner. In silence he moved towards her, stealth his ally. Her back was to him as he crept behind her silently. His voice, always in the hushed tone of a whisper, curled about her. "Boo."
The receptionist scowled at the man before her desk. "Yes?"
The still-dripping mongrel leaned over her desk and blew a prodigious billow of smoke in her face. "Chew deaf?"
The scowl furrowed deeper in an amazing display of facial control. "May I help you?"
He grumbled a few well-chosen profanities and his leg was hoisted up onto the desk, blood, shoddy bandaging and all. "Which way to the emergency room? I got shot in the leg by one of those bastard Freemen, and I need it fixed. Now."
With a look of someone completely unimpressed, she directed him through a pair of doors. "Right through those doors," she said dryly.
He smirked and limped his way through the doors, pausing only to toss away his cigarette. It was a miracle that the Hospital never burned down. A nurse greeted him in quick order and directed him to an exam room.
"Mirandahh, I believe that gentleman heading into the ER is in need of treatment." Elliot, the ever-vigilant had already taken record of the injured man.
"Geez ... it's my night off." She pushed away from the table, her limp still apparent, and tromped to the ER. The doors opened and she stepped through them, an eye cast about. "All right. There someone bleeding in here?"
The wounded man with the sneer raised his hand. "And what tipped you off?"
"Ohh, I don't know. Maybe it's because you're so pale." Asche merely rolled up her sleeves and snapped on a pair of number 2 rubber gloves.
Bliss did not give the expected reaction; she did not even flinch at Justice's approach. "Evening to you, too."
The screen flicked in his glasses. Lines of text and pictures of various plants glowed on the screen. She was clearly searching, but for what? "Looking for something?"
"Engaging in an old hobby; botany. And seeing what I can find on Fang-Face without setting off too many bells and whistles."
"You won't find much, Bliss. But I have all the information we need."
Ash studied the wound closely. The hasty bandage did little to stem the flow of blood from the mangled leg. The quadriceps were almost nonexistent, leaving only the bare bone. It was truly an appalling wound. One might think that such a blast would have either killed the man by now, or cauterized the blood, but neither had occurred. He was lucky that the femoral artery was still intact. That was the only thing that had saved him. A nurse was ordered to fetch a blood sample; this man would certainly need at least a pint or two. This was far from her normally cheerful patient. He was full of orders and dour expressions. His demeanor was answered in kind, Ash's gentle hand replaced by a cruder touch. She learned his name was Cypress, as if that should impress her. Hardly. They should all be as charming as this guy.
"Did you catch that Elliot? Register Mr. Cypress here."
"Registered, Mirandahh."
Cypress jumped and reached for his sidearm. "Whoa! No one is registering me for nothin'."
"Listen, pal. You want treated? You follow my rules."
The bleeding man shook his head and growled. It was quite clear that he had no intention of leaving any record of his existence. His hand curled about the butt of his gun and it was drawn to Ash's head. Appealing to reason, that shooting the doctor would not get his leg fixed quicker, did no good. He was adamant about his name being erased from any files. Asche granted to what him seemed a victory. The code she referenced to Elliot sent any and all material regarding Cypress to her own personal files for later reference. But this was not enough for him. He had to emphasize his point by firing a round into a nearby wall. Anyone on the first three floors of the Hospital heard that shot. Justice needed no further prompting, his gun already drawn and his search for the shooter already underway.
Bliss rubbed the back of her neck. "Something nasty is about."
"It's just the weather, Bliss."
"No, it ain't. My head's buzzing. Gran called it my early warning system."
At the sound of the gunfire, Bliss' head snapped up. "Told ya!"
And then, it went dark in the ER. It cascaded about them, the only sound being Elliot's voice. "No registration, no patient to treat. No need to waste power to the ER at this time."
The doctor swore under her breath. "Look, I can't treat you if I can't see. Elliot, bring the damn power back up!"
The lights blinked back on and eyes squinted for a moment in readjustment. "Power reengaged. Sedative auto-demics on stand by."
"Fix it. And add that damage to my tab."
"Thank you Elliot." Her attention turned back to her patient. "I would recommend you stay here for observation." She had not noticed his procurement of a medical instrument.
This was one of the few requests he agreed to. No local was given as she stitched up his wound. He showed no real sign of discomfort, but if he was insane enough to fire a weapon at a Hospital staff member, then that was no great surprise. This notion was furthered by his request for uppers. He was somewhat disappointed to learn that the two syringes Asche held were not what he was seeking. They were merely antibiotics, she told him. Granted, she left out that one contained a mild sedative. That was for both of their sakes. Asche administered the first of the two injections and found that Cypress had a weakness. Needles. He fainted, and none too gracefully. This was a lucky break. She signaled for two orderlies to strap him to a gurney. They nodded and did as they were told, stripping him of all available weapons. The small armory on the man was confiscated to the Personal Lockers and the straps secured firmly about his wrists and ankles.
"Elliot, have room 454 prepared for the patient," Ash directed. It was a private victory, this room in the psychiatric ward. Observation for his physical condition was only secondary.
"Room 454 is being prepped, Mirandahh."
Cypress fluttered his eyes, rousing from his faint. He blinked as he realized his current condition and the tone of his voice dropped to glacial. "Mirandahh was it?"
She smiled to him as the last shot was given. "No worries, Patient Unknown. Your belongings will be catalogued." She nodded to the orderlies and the protesting patient was wheeled away.
Not the orderlies, not the doctor, not Justice with his own gun drawn, noticed the man close his eyes. No one suspected that he was drawing on what magic was left in this world. All they noticed was Bliss doubling over in her seat, her hand clasped against the back of her head.
"Are you all right, Bliss?"
"Fine. It'll pass in a sec.," she hissed through her teeth.
"Mirandahh, my sensors report an unexplained energy build up approaching the elevators." Elliot had noticed what the others had failed to.
"What?", came the slightly shocked reply. She began to follow where the orderlies had passed. "What's the cause?"
The man on the gurney broke into a sweat. The sheen glimmered beneath the fluorescent lighting. The restraints which held his wrists and ankles bound began to unlatch themselves and slither away from his body. The attack hit the first orderly before he was even aware that anything was amiss. He dropped instantly, a hole through his neck from the pilfered instrument. A hand was smashed into the second orderly's nose and Cypress slid off the gurney and retched. The call for magic had definitely taken its toll upon the man, and he was not at his best to begin with.
An alarm calls out through the building. The computer's cheery voice blasts through the speakers. "Security alert. Security alert."
Zac had stepped into the hospital only moments before. It was unusual for such chaos to have erupted when he only just arrived. His hand reactively slipped inside his coat as he pressed against the nearest wall. He knew not where the disturbance was, only that it was out of the ordinary for an alarmed alert from Elliot. The cafeteria doors opened and a recently awoken man emerged. It was Archer. He joined Zac with knife in hand. "Any idea where the little event's taking place?"
Ash slammed through the emergency room doors in time to witness the first orderly fall and the other suffer what was certainly a broken nose. She saw Cypress hiss and wipe his chin. He made a drugged effort to move to the Personal Lockers, his gait sluggish, his movements as though through gauze. Mirandahh knew precisely to where he was headed. Her eyes widened as she barked to the computer. "Elliot! The unknown patient has escaped. He's heading for the Personals Lockers!"
"Patient Unknown now heading for Personal Locker Room," confirmed Elliot.
Justice had left the computer terminal in a sprint, with Grendel and Bliss close behind. They passed by Ash, allowing themselves to be directed by Elliot. The man they wanted was in the Locker Room, not here.
If they had stopped to look closely within the veiled shadows, their search would have been concluded. Cypress stopped to catch his breath, a last ditch effort to rid himself of the computer's surveillance granted by the magic. He leaned over as though he was going to vomit again, but a small compartment in his boot was opened, and a garrote retrieved. He waited in the darkened corridor. Waited and watched to see who he might claim as his next victim. The drain was beginning to take its toll. His heart went into wild palpitations. He could not do this much longer.
"Patient Unknown is now off all visual sensors. Alert. Last known location, Personal Lockers." Gone? Off sensors? Ash was stunned to consider that he may be using magic. A note she did not fail to make to Terra, who had started her shift after all the commotion.
"Mira ... what happened? Are you OK?"
"Yeah, I'm all right" Ash nodded and leaned against the wall. "My ears are still ringing a little."
Zac and Archer made their way for the elevators. Elliot directed them to the Personal Lockers and they prepared themselves for anything. Who knew what they might be up against, or how many of them. The telltale creak of the elevator announced their arrival. The doors opened and a flash nearly blinded them both. Justice, the first to react, had thrown a flash grenade down the corridor. The silvered cylinder rolled lifelessly away, its charge spent. He stepped around the corner, knives poised for an attack. Cypress threw himself out of the shadows and down the corridor. His eyes seared white from the flash, he could not have known what he was about to walk into. He knew he was not going to leave this place. And then the magic stopped. His drain upon it was too much. His eyes glazed over as his systems began to shut down. "Ashes to ashes ... dust to ..." was the last whisper heard from his lips before his eyes fluttered shut for the final time. A brief flare of energy drifted up from his form as it turned to little more than a pile of dust. A gold cigarette case with a Cult symbol etched in it glinted; the only substantial reminder of the man who had caused so much trouble.
"Patient Unknown neutralized. Exiting Alert status," sang out Elliot.
Zac was the first to notice the unconscious Bliss. "What in the hell ...?", he muttered, and lowered himself to her side.
"She was in lots of pain ... like a migraine or something. She screamed, then passed out ...," said Alyssa. Somehow, she had slipped in unnoticed during the ruckus. At least she could provide some answers regarding Bliss' condition.
Grendel noted the scene behind him and motioned to Justice. "Bliss."
Justice looked down the hallway, and for the first time, noticed her nonmoving form. "Bliss?"
Zac and Alyssa worked to stabilize Bliss as best they could. Dr. Skye and Dr. Drachenn, though Ash's ears still rang, assisted. Zac was doing no less what they could have done. Attention from all was focused on Bliss, and the mystery of her faint. The pile that was Cypress was all but forgotten. They had made a mistake. They had thought that it was done. That the battle was over. That Cypress would give them no more trouble. They were wrong.
A snaking tendril of energy licked out from the pile. It's light was so dim and it's movement so subtle that it escaped detection as it made it's way back down the hallway. It's course was not random. No, it had a mission. The mission was the fallen orderly. It slithered over the orderly's shoulder and curled up across his neck before it slipped inside his mouth. His eyes slowly opened with this granted new lease. It was doubtful that anyone would have noticed the color change in his eyes. Orderlies were not that closely examined to begin with. A hand rose to rub against his bashed in nose and he stood. He was an orderly after all, and orderlies helped those who were wounded. He walked towards the small, encircled crowd to offer assistance. It only took a couple moment's observation to discern that he was not needed. It was only cursory anyway, this proffered assistance. He had another locale in mind. Silently, he backed away from those around Bliss and moved towards the Personals Locker area.
Bliss began to cough, a thin trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth. Her heartbeat and breathing had returned to within normal range. If only her other senses were so normal. She began to struggle against those who were trying to help her. The pain had returned, and with a vengeance.
"Pain ... hurt ... stop! Stop! Let go! Let go! I wanna go home!" She batted at everyone. She only wanted to get away. To be left alone. Terra injected a mild painkiller into the IV line attached to Bliss' arm, in the hope that it would take the edge off. It was still not clear what had exactly happened to Bliss, a fact that ignited Justice's anger. His fists clenched and found an outlet into the wall as he swore loudly. Something familiar perhaps? Bliss blinked in rapid succession, her eyes starting to focus. Justice turned back to her.
"Bliss?" The question was asked simultaneously by Terra and Justice.
Her voice was barely above a whisper, cautious not to bring about the pain again. "Hi Terra. Hi Justice. I'll be okay in a few ... it's moving away."
"Dammit, kid. You scared the ... " and he could not finish the sentence.
"Terra, Patient Unknown was reduced to his component elements and a tendril of energy. If someone would be so kind, please collect the remains of Patient Unknown and deposit them into one the recycling bins. Thank you."
"OK. Thanks, Elliot," replied Terra.
The reanimated orderly entered the Personals Locker area with a smirk. He saw the locker ahead of him and knew his articles lay inside. A low-grade security key was swiped through the locker's terminal and the doors opened. He kept close to the locker, most of his movements shielded by his body. He did not want to take the chance of anyone becoming suspicious. Unfortunately, he had not counted on anyone noticing his travels. A tactical error.
"All right. Stop right there." It was the other mechanical creation, known only as First.
The possessed orderly looked to him. "Yes? Can I help you?"
"What are you doing just wandering around delving into the Personals Locker?"
"Actually, I am securing these goods and moving them to security."
First stepped in front of him. Cypress' gaze stayed locked on the thing. "I work here. Can I help you?", he queried again.
"Yes, drop the duffel and place your hands above your head."
Cypress looked towards the ceiling. "Elliot, this person before me seems deranged. Please call security."
"Security, please report to the locker room area," ordered the computer. "Unknown assailant in offensive posture against medical orderly."
"Elliot," snapped First. "This person is the recipient of the energy tendril." He grabbed the orderly's arm. "I would like to have him checked out."
Cypress sighed. "Okay. You gonna release me now?"
Bliss looked up to Justice. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Terror filled her eyes as Terra prepared to give her another injection. "No meds. No more ... please. I'll be good, I promise."
"Bliss ... it's me." His normally quiet voice dropped another notch. "What's wrong? You can tell me, you know that."
"Meds ... can't control ... no control ...," came her soft reply, having no real way to explain it to him.
No one would have guessed Justice could affect a fatherly tone. But then, few had seen him around Bliss. "Bliss ... control what?"
"The tingle in my head."
He looked up to Terra, his grasp still tight around Bliss. "She gets these tingles when trouble is near."
Bliss gave a tiny grin to Terra. "I can leave if I want?"
Dr. Skye nodded and went to retrieve some medication for her.
"Bliss, you will leave here tonight." Terra smiled at her, upon her return. "We need the beds for sick people," she teased. "Now." She looked pointedly to Justice. "Try to make sure she rests."
"Don't worry. I will, Terra," he said with a smirk.
Terra motioned him to the side for a more private conversation. He patted Bliss on the shoulder and followed Terra. She needed supplies, fruit to be exact. He nodded to her, signaling that he could follow through on her request. He asked nothing in return, save Bliss. He wanted her well. He knew that Terra would not let him, or Bliss, down.
The stomping boots of the security detail rumbled down the hallway as they approached the locker room. It was a look of relief on both faces that greeted them. The sergeant spoke up. "Leave the orderly alone, Sir."
"I have no intention of hurting him," began First. Cypress moved ever closer to the door, putting as much distance between both the security detail and First as possible. "I observed this gentleman removing a very lethal weapon from the lockers. Not something an orderly would have."
Cypress made another mad dash from the room. He skirted through the hospital, already familiar with exit routes. "STOP HIM!" bellowed First. But his request for halting the assailant came too late. He was out of sight before the words finished issuing from First's mouth.
Grendel had already caught Elliot's reference to an energy tendril and the call for security and was interrogating the computer. "Elliot, when was the locker containing the deceased's things accessed?"
"Approximately five minutes ago."
"Elliot," Grendel's logic circuits had gone into overdrive, "who accessed it?"
"One of the medical orderlies, who had previously sustained a neck wound from Patient Unknown."
The mech remembered the cigarette case. Gold. Slim. With a Cult symbol on it. The Cult of the Demon. And this man using magic ... "Is there any mention of the Cult of the Demon being able to control someone after death?"
"Grendel," rang out the computer, "my data on magic is limited at best."
"Elliot, locate orderly." Which by that time, Elliott was unable to do even as the outer door at the East end of the hospital slammed open. Feet raced across the gravel towards a side alley. He pace slowed and he took on a casual gait. His merry whistle was oblivious to the rain that drenched him as he skipped through the puddles down the street.
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