Just Fake It (Paradox) - [M]

[Ivory]

Well, it was nice to know the Chief could own up to his own faults.  It was a shame he couldn't see the fault in a certain Other Person -- but that was a path Mai was not in the mood to go down right now...

So, instead, she gave an indignant sniff, as though offended.  Their little moment was over, and Mai was more than ready to return to her usual prickly self.

In her usual, barely respectful tone, she answered, "Go ahead.  Feel bad and blame yourself.  You'll believe whatever you want to anyway."  With her head down, she pushed open the door of the infirmary and paused.  No, she didn't like the Chief, and she didn't like the Doctor.  She didn't seem to like much of anything or anybody, really.  But he had tried to protect her from Eck -- and she couldn't even blame him for getting her into that mess -- so she owed him one.  The least she could do, she felt, was give him a little advice...even if it wasn't delivered in the friendliest way.  "But the way I see it, if you try to save the whole world, you'll fail every time.  But if you can save just one person, then you haven't failed completely."  She shrugged slightly.  She knew from experience that, sometimes, the only person you could save was yourself...and that was okay too.

"I'll have my report on your desk soon."

She didn't bother to hold the door for him; it swung shut behind her, and she made her way over to admit herself for treatment.

What the hell had she been thinking, anyway?

[Paradox]

Growling softly at her snarky words, Runako started to open his mouth to say something. However, he clamped his mouth shut tightly and let her finish. That last bit surprised him a little. Normally, the woman was full on cynical or aloof- actually, she was usually a mixture of both.  Mai giving advice to him though? Well, that was certainly new. He imagined that she thought he was too stupid or narrow to heed anything she said. A week ago, she would have been right.

"Take it easy for a few days, Hazuko. I mean it!" He called after her just as she vanished through the door. Shaking his head, he doubted that she'd heed his words. She never listened to him anyway. Not unless she had to.

He thought to follow inside for a checkup , but that could wait. He needed to inform the Doctor about what had just happened.

~

The Doctor's office was on the floor level above the staff. Yes, he had a whole entire floor to himself which served as a personal living quarters and study. Few people had access to this floor. In fact , Runako and a handful of the medical staff were the only souls permitted on this floor without making an appointment first. The Doctor was a busy man, after all and his work was far too important to be disturbed.

It was late evening when the chief of security approached the man's desk. "Father, I'm sorry to disturb you but I bring ill tidings."

"I've heard that there was a commotion on the third floor," The Doctor replied, not looking up from writing in his book, "Did you kill someone?"

Runako nodded and lowered his head, "Eckhart. I had no choice. He murdered Peter, Tia and would have killed Astrid, Hazuko and myself if we hadn't stopped him.  "

The Doctor's thin lips pulled into a frown, "How disappointing. Such a waste of my resources and time, he was. I suppose we'll have to find another suitable candidate for the Seraph program then. Perhaps you have some recommendations to submit? "

Runako hadn't considered this, "I don't know. Right now Astrid is conducting a thorough investigation of the staff. The only person I would trust-" He stopped himself and chuckled softly. "Hates my guts."  And hates yours even more.  He thought with a shake of his head. "I doubt she'd agree to enlist in the program anyway. "

"Her loss then. Well , I will leave it to you to find a new-" He noted the peculiar look on his adoptive 'son's' face  , "What's on your mind?"

Runako looked uncertain at first, " Do you think I'm a failure?"

The Doctor stared at him, "What?"

"Do you think someone else could do my job better?"

"If I did, then you would have been replaced years ago. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I just needed to hear you say that."

"Are you alright, Runako? Perhaps you should visit the infirmary. You seem...unlike yourself. Anyway, if you have nothing more to report do see yourself out. I've got work to do. "

Runako nodded and replied half-heartedly and turned away, "Sorry. I won't disturb any further. Good evening, father, " and without another word, he left.

~

Three days preceding (ooc: lol oops. He's Dr. Who!) following Eckhart's death, Runako was free from the infirmary's clutches and back in his office, looking through paperwork from Mai, Astrid and other eyewitnesses involved in Eckhart's failed little uprising.

"How do I tell who is lying and who isn't? "

Astrid leaned against the wall ," I could help you with that. Discredit about 90% of male accounts. There you go. "

"Astrid..."

"What? I'm being honest. Most of the men here really are pigs."

"Sometimes I wonder why you volunteered to be Seraph."

"I was younger then and stupid, remember?" She smirked. 

"I do. I don't recall you ever being stupid though. "

" What can I say? You're an old man. Your memory is on its way out. "

Runako sighed, " Alright, so we have Peter who tried to kill me because he thought I was a threat to his friends, Hanna and Tia. Hanna supposedly went insane and tried to kill me but Eck killed her. Part of me wonders if -"

"I know what you're going to say and the answer is, yes, she still would have tried to kill you. What happened to Hanna... I don't think that's related to Eckhart. Remember , you sent me to the med labs to retrieve her file. Well, you might find this interesting." She dropped the folder down on his desk.

Runako opened it and flipped through the pages. He looked up at Astrid, confused, "It's clean. Where's my report!?"
 

[Ivory]

Mai chose that particular moment to grace the Security Office with her presence.  She was doing much better now - even if she was still not back up to full health.  The experience had done little to improve her attitude or relationship with her fellow security officers; she was just as determined to be disdainful and unfriendly.  For all that, she did as she was told, as she always had - with a lax salute and snarky "Aye aye, Chief" that bordered on insubordination.

Her entrance now was nothing short of common for her.  She knocked, briefly, then stepped inside without waiting for Runako's permission.  She looked well enough outwardly.  Beneath her clothes, however, the entire torso, it seemed, was wrapped in bandages.  She felt like a roll of gauze!  Still, whatever they had done to her had helped with the pain, and she was walking normally, if gingerly.

"Bad time?"  She asked, not caring whether it was or not, really.  "Here's what you asked for, but I don't know what good it's going to do you."  She set the single sheet of paper down on Runako's desk carelessly, not caring which stack of paperwork it landed in.  It was a short list of names written neatly in Mai's hand.  "Hanna and Tia were part of the same Rotation. along with everyone else on this list.  Notice something else they have in common?"

It wasn't even a trick question this time; all eight patients were dead.

"You don't want to know what I had to go through to get that," she added with a slight frown and a curious glance towards Astrid.

[Paradox]

Runako's desk had been nice and tidy until Mai decided to dump her paperwork on top of his so carelessly. It caused a stack of neatly organized papers to fall over and spill out onto the floor. How she managed to do that with a single sheet of paper...he had no idea but he was sure she'd done it on purpose. Because she was always testing the waters. "Hazuko," Runako began with a soft growl rumbling in the deepest depths of his belly. Feline body language was not difficult to read. Ears back, grey fur standing on end.

"Aside from the obvious, all of these patients were under Doctor Wilkin's care. All of them suffered from social anxiety from a fairly early age." Astrid interrupted, perhaps sensing the chief's agitation and wishing to extinguish that before the pair of them were bickering.

"And Doctor Wilkins is the same person who refused to even let us see his medical records." Runako added.

"Right until you went above his head and asked the highest authority." Astrid said with a nod. "And isn't interesting that your report file is blank?"

Runako leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin, a frown on his beastly visage.

ooc: A short post. I feel so dirty.

[Ivory]

Mai watched the collapsing tower of paperwork with a seeming dispassionate interest, as though intrigued where she had learned such skill to cause such a mess with a single piece of paper!

Once the papers had settled -- many at her feet, which she ignored -- she lifted her eyes back to the pair in the room.

Well, of course they were blank.  She gave aforementioned eyes a bit of a roll skyward.  The idiots.   "You aren't going to get any answers asking nicely.  Unless you ask the right people, anyway."  No, Mai didn't have any friends, among the staff or the patients.  What she did have, however, was, apparently, a better knowledge of the social structure and ranks among the patients...and she knew how to turn that into an asset.

"And, you're wrong about the group."  She jabbed a finger at the piece of paper, looking momentarily and honestly surprised when the remaining stack of paper caved forward onto Runako's lap.  "Ah, well," she amended, taking a careful step away from the desk with a new expression of distrust and caution on her face.  She was pretty sure the Chief was going to throw the whole desk at her now...  "That is, you're right.  But that wasn't the Rotation I meant."

Instead of being helpful, she put a few more feet between herself and the Chief.  She could practically see the steam rolling out of his ears...

"I'm sure Wilkins has other patients, too, but this was Sigma Blue.  And that means they received the same treatments, took the same drugs, followed the same schedule..."  It wasn't unusual, really; it was more effective to treat people with similar problems in a group rather than individually.  "Ask the medical staff.  Sigma Blue is defunct.  Because they --  all of them -- are dead."

She glanced down to the file folder that had just, barely, survived the paper avalanche.

"And that's probably why you're holding that."

[Paradox]

Runako slammed his fists down so hard on his table that the wood cracked and splintered. It was a wonder that he hadn't smashed the thing into a pile of firewood. He stood up from his seat and papers went flying everywhere. For the moment, Runako couldn't have cared less. He towered above her, eight feet and well over four  ,perhaps five hundred pounds of muscle, fangs and fur.

"Indeed, I was getting to that. Anyway, Wilkins has been under surveillance before for questionable practices, " Astrid produced a second folder, "This is my full report which I unintentionally forgot to file."

Runako snatched it and opened it up. He flipped through the pages while he listened to Mai go on. "We know they're dead, Hazuko. " He said flatly, " What we're looking for is..."

"Blue ...Sigma?" He dropped the folder, his expression unusual. He covered up that surprised look with a scowl.

"Familiar to you," Astrid didn't ask the question. She'd been working alongside the Chief long enough to know his mood.

"Perhaps. Have either of you ever heard of a drug called Venerandum ius?"Runako didn't wait for either of them to answer,"  it was the first biological enhancement I received during my Seraph training many years ago. Doctor Graves created the elixir himself to help calm my feral nature. It was a success. Later on, he tried to use it on some of the aggressive patients in hopes that it would have the same affect on them. The results, however, were nothing short of catastrophic. It made humans even more violent and prone to hallucinations. No one died, but that drug was banned from use. I'm the only one prescribed to it and Doctor Graves is the only on permitted to prescribe it. The Project I was part of was called Red Sigma the other...Blue. It's odd that a rotation would be named after a failed experiment unless they were stupid enough to use Venerandum ius, again." The thought of that was unsettling. Doctor Graves surely didn't know about this but how could he not? He ran this place so meticulously.

He looked at the two of them , his expression and tone quite somber, "This information is to remain between the three of us. It does not leave this room. Are we clear?" He shook his head, " I need to know the names of the drugs that were used on these patients. Every last one. And not just their current names. If the name was changed, I want to know what they were called before that. Do what you have to obtain this information, but try to be discreet. Any questions? "


ooc: If this doesn't make sense or I goofed up somewhere, lemme know in PM or something and I'll fix it!

[Ivory]

Mai bristled herself, looking very much like she had slipped into a fight or flight response.  In spite of the tension of her body, her expression remained neutral.  She watched him darkly, unimpressed, it seemed, by the massive temper tantrum the much larger man was throwing.

Because that was all it was.  A temper tantrum.

She glanced sideways at Astrid, openly annoyed by the other woman's endless contributions to the discussion...and even more annoyed by Runako not beating up his desk when she brought bad news to light.

"I got it," Mai muttered under her breath in a tone that was barely audible.  "Who would I tell?"  There was a reason she was still alive...and assigned a security role at that.  That was because she kept her thoughts to herself.  Mostly.

Folding her arms beneath her breasts, she added, "And, yeah, I've got a question.  Why the hell am I sticking my neck out to get you information if she's already got it?"  She gestured to Astrid with a slight incline of her head.  "In spades, apparently.  I get caught, my head goes on the chopping block.  And so might a few others."  Because they would want to know where she got her information, after all!

[Paradox]

Ooc:If dyslexia strikes again ,kill me. Please. Now.

Ic:

Runako's tail flicked behind him back and forth. He wasn't the only one here throwing a temper tantrum, apparently. He ignored the majority of her snark and got straight to the heart of the matter, " This is not for me, Hazuko. It's for Hanna , Tia, Peter, Cortes, Miranda, Nicolai, Jeremy and Sheena. You may not give a damn, but I do. If you don't like or agree with my orders, feel free to step down and off this security team. You're not here to question my authority. It was you , was it not , who told me to reign in one of mine and like it or not, your ass is mine so long as you wear that uniform. Clear? I'm reigning everyone in now. Including you. If you have an issue with this, give me your badge and your uniform and leave my office. Otherwise, shut your mouth and listen. "

Astrid looked surprised though inwardly , she was impressed. Runako was usually not this authoritative and he needed to be. It was long past overdue. Unfortunately, she lamented, he was taking some of his frustration out unfairly on Hazuko who, Astrid thought, couldn't help being a bitch. Most of the time. The Seraph folded her arms across her chest and wisely kept her mouth shut. She knew she was going to get some sort of lecture later for taking things that she didn't have- well, shouldn't have had access to.   

Runako continued, " Astrid is well-informed as she should be. She specializes in Seraph Intelligence , but there are limits to what she can gather. Her report did not include the rotation's name so , you are mistaken in thinking her knowledge is so expansive. Were that the case, Eckhart wouldn't have gotten as far as we did.  So, thank you for that bit of information, Hazuko. " He gave her a curt nod. His gratitude would have been more pleasant if she hadn't waltzed into his office with an attitude from the start! 

"And neither of you knows the significance of Project Sigma Red or else you would understand that Venerandum ius is a very serious matter. I need to know with the utmost certainty that it isn't being distributed to other patients if even at all before I confront Doctor Graves. I need incriminating evidence. Preferably the drug itself." He moved over to his desk and removed a key from his pocket, unlocked one of the drawers and opened it up. He removed a vial from it and held it out for them to see, "This is what you're looking for. You will not find anything else here like it." It was a pale blue liquid. Nothing special , but Runako blew out all but one candle that was illuminating the room and, in the dark, the liquid glowed a pulsating intense blue. "This is what you're after."
A single candle remained lit on his desk and he used that to relight the others.
He started to pace back and forth, " I don't- I would rather this information be obtained through proper channels. "He turned his head to look over his broad shoulder and glared at both women, " However, if such methods prove to be ineffective, then do as you will within reason. I'm not asking you to place your lives at risk here. If you suspect that your investigation could lead to an unpleasant or lethal course, then back out but I doubt that will happen unless this is somehow connected to Eckhart."

"If you think it helps, use my name and send inquiries to me. I will deal with the explanations.
It seemed like an awful coincidence...

Runako bent to collect the mess of papers that Mai had oh so graciously knocked over onto the floor. "Or would you prefer to assume my job and make the report to Graves yourself? " He paused and looked over at her. Because, really, confronting Graves about the matter was going to likely be the most unpleasant part of the whole ordeal. Assuming that the security chief's fears were accurate. "So, are you in or will you be turning in your badge and your weapons? "

[Ivory]

A subtle expression of surprise flickered across Mai's face in response to Runako's tirade.  It quickly faded, to be replaced by a more natural expression of wariness.  Her body tensed, preparing for a fight -- or, perhaps, flight -- but Runako seemed only interested in proving his point with words, not action.

She folded her arms beneath her breasts once he had finished, eyes falling to the side.  "Well," she answered, unable to help herself, "As long as you know I'm not getting myself killed over this.  Any other orders, Sir?"

Sarcasm was, really, her last and only refuge on most days...

[Paradox]

He considered telling her to clean up the mess she'd made, but decided to let it go even as she reverted back to her usual prickliness and had to get in that snide 'sir' . He'd feign indifference because he couldn't let himself get worked up openly over every little thing. Of course he was irritated and of course he had thoughts of lifting that desk over his head and crushing her with it. Just for a moment.

I might need to take my medication soon. 

Runako moved to sit back down in his seat, "That will be all for now. You are dismissed, " He replied coolly , but his eyes were focused on her and they dared her to even try to provoke him again.

((I'd make this post longer but I'll wait in case you wanted to add in something before MISS GRUMPY-GILLS leaves.  xD))

[Ivory]

"Aye-aye," Mai answered with a half-assed salute.  It seemed more rote than actual challenge, however; he had his made his point, and, true to her personality, she had chosen to behave rather than perhaps provoke the chief into a fight she couldn't hope to win.  Snide she may be, but there was nothing of a challenge in her posture or expression.

As she left, she doubted she'd be able to come up with much more than she already had.  Besides, if he knew where she had come up with most of that information, he'd probably have discarded it immediately.  Who said Floor 3 was made up of crazies?

...Well, actually, most were quite insane, but they had their reasons and their uses both.

With all of the test subjects apparently quite dead, however, there wasn't much else she expected to turn up.  She'd put in a few inquiries...but she would let the Seraph do all the real work.  After all, Seraphs were allowed to go into a lot more restricted areas and ask a lot more restricted questions than a mere security officer like Mai...

[Paradox]

((She totally won't do much of anything lol))

Runako waited until Hazuko had shut the door behind her departure before he slammed his fists on his desk and bellowed, "Astrid! What the HELL are you THINKING!? Are you out of your mind!? These documents are highly classified ! We don't have the clearance to be in possession of them!"

Astrid wasn't quite Runako's equal in terms of authority, but she wasn't afraid of him though perhaps she should have been. She stood her ground.
"Why are you keeping Hazuko busy with such a pointless mission? We don't need her help. "

Runako growled , "Don't change the subject! We are not talking about her. We're talking about your conduct!"

Astrid frowned and crossed her arms, "Why are you so angry with me?  Need I remind either of you how much I've risked my ass to save the pair of you? "

"That's not the point! " He lost his temper with her and knocked the papers from his desk again."

"What is? We're security we-"

"Exactly! We're guards, not detectives. This is none of our business. Therefore, this investigation is over. " He tore up Mai's report.

Astrid shook her head, " Are you fucking serious? Why did you even send Hazuko in the first place?  " And then it dawned on her, " You suspected something was wrong ,but you're afraid of being right. Something is really bothering you about this and you're conflicted. What do you know, Chief?"

"..."

"Fine. Don't answer that. Regardless, you know this incident makes Graves look bad and you can't keep defending him if Venerandum ius is found. You put Hazuko on this because you know she doesn't care. She won't risk a damned thing so she won't find anything. "

"Be quiet."

"Runako, Doctor Graves has eyes everywhere. You know him. He NEVER misses a detail. There's no way he couldn't have known about this. "

"I KNOW!" Ruanko picked up his chair and threw it.

Astrid sidestepped just in time and glanced over her shoulder with a frown as it burst into splinters upon hitting the door.

Runako covered his face with his hands. "I know..." He said more quietly.

"Runako , what about everything you said before? Think of the people that died..."

"Get out." Runako growled at her.

"Stop being such a stubborn fool. Graves is a grown man and he doesn't need your protection. The patients do. You owe it to them to investigate Graves-"

"Now!" Runako roared.

Astrid left quietly.

When she was gone, Runako flipped his desk over.

[Ivory]

Time passed, as it always did.  Life had, by and large, returned to normal for most.  The patients were in their usual treatments and programs, and Floor 3 was up to its usual antics again.  The guards had returned to their usual rotations, and even the the rumors and speculation had begun to die.

And just as peace was returning to the facility, that, naturally, was when Mai struck.

It was hard to say who was escorting whom when the door to Runako's office flew open to reveal pure chaos.  Mai came in first, her hand wrapped tightly around the forearm of and all-but dragging a gangly, red-haired youth named Kypri in her wake.  Behind her came a scientist, his voice raised as he insisted the fourth member of their troupe, a new guard called Morley, to, alternately, either detain or stab Mai.  Morley did have his weapon in hand, but he looked more like a lost child about to cry than an official guard -- and it was little wonder.  No doubt, his training hadn't covered what to do in this situation.

Mai gave Kypri a shove towards Runako, her expression one of triumph and determination.  "Tell him what you told me."

"I insist--"

Mai glanced over her shoulder at the scientist, her expression all daggers.  "And, you shut up."

The scientist harrumphed self-importantly, turning his attention on Runako.  "She stole from my lab!  That formula--"

"I said shut up!" Mai snapped, somehow giving the impression of a crocodile closing its jaw around its prey.  To emphasize her point, she set down a vial, perhaps a bit heavily, on the desktop.  It clinked ominously against the wood, splashing the blue liquid inside dramatically.

Morley flinched and timidly raised his voice.  "Chief, I'm sorry, but..."

Mai flat-out ignored the poor man, whirling, instead, back towards Runako.  "It couldn't be helped."  Those were her only words of excuse, given, for once, quite seriously.  "My investigation was interrupted.  By those two."

"I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but you had no right to be in the lab!" the scientist exploded at the accusation, this time including Runako in his sweeping glare.  "And--"

"What, afraid you'd be caught in the closet?  With your pants down?"  The petite woman fired back.  Kypri snickered, a bit too loudly, drawing scornful glares from both combatants, while Morley merely turned an alarming shade of red and attempted to stutter something.

[Paradox]

The day had been quiet so Runako had opted to take a short ten minute break to read a book at his desk. The book itself was an old classic about a man whom had been changed into a monster by a mage he had mistreated. In order to become human again the monster had find true love or something ridiculous like that. The monster in the book did indeed find someone but the woman he fell for would not return his feelings because of how hideous he was and the book ended with the monster being consumed with loneliness , ending that agony with suicide. It was a really depressing book and he wasn't sure why he bothered reading it ,  but it was a gift that Doctor Graves had given to him many years ago. The only thing Graves had ever given him, really.

Runako was turning to the next page and about to read about the rejection of the monster's love when someone burst so suddenly into his office. Runako slammed his book closed and sat up in his seat as the door smashed open into the wall and a face he didn't expect to see greeted him. "Hazuko? What -? Stealing ? " He looked at Doctor Adams and then back to Hazuko. Hadn't she said that she wasn't going to stick her neck out for this investigation? Stealing from a lab without the consent of Graves was a pretty serious crime. Why had she changed her mind? She wasn't supposed to! That was why he'd specifically selected her!

But now that she'd done it, this put him on the spot because he HAD given her orders. He couldn't get angry with her because she'd ACTUALLY done what he'd told her to.  He had to assume responsibility for this because it was the right thing to do. He cleared his throat and kept a nonplussed composure in the face of Adams's accusatory glare.

As Mai set the vial down on his desk, the Chief leaned forward in his chair to pick it up. He held it up before his eye. No. It couldn't be.

He half-listened to the exchange between Mai, Adams and Morley and waited until it was finished before he spoke. "Actually, she was under my orders, Doctor Adams. I have authorization from Doctor Graves to use any means necessary to expose any security threats should I suspect them. You're not immune from my investigation Doctor, but what do you have to be concerned about if you've nothing to hide? "

That left Adams speechless for a few moments. " That's not the point! Runako, that bitch didn't follow protocol. She just waltzed in unannounced and took that very important formula. Do you have ANY idea what that is? That took years to perfect and it's worth more than you-"

Runako banged his fist on his desk and growled, " Quiet!"

Adams stared at Runako, looking and sounding as though the wind had just been robbed from his sails.  He shut his mouth.

Runako turned his gaze back to Krypi, "So," he held up the vial. "I take it that you know something about this? Explain."

Krypi licked his lips nervously and looked pleadingly at the Chief, " I don't know what she's talking about. She's a crazy bitch, okay?  "

Runako blew out candles and , much to his displeasure the vial was glowing brightly. He closed his eyes. "Morely," he sighed.

"S-sir?"

"Out."

"But sir.."

"I said leave!"

"Yes sir..." The rookie left hastily, quite relieved to be excused from this. Whatever it was.

"Start talking , Krypi. No bullshit. "Ruanko growled.

((This is building up to something. Promise. Feel free to make things up! I'm fairly confident that I can still mold it to what I have in mind! xD))   

[Ivory]

Mai looked rather pleased when Runako sided with her -- pleased and, perhaps, a little bit surprised.  After all, she had expected the Chief to immediately side with the scientist, orders or no.  That was one constant you could rely on with him...

Kypri fidgeted a minute more, then nodded a little in resignation.  "Well, you see, I haven't really been taking my medicine."

Mai looked sideways at the young man, growling out his name.  "Kypri..."  The glow from the liquid made her expression look much more menacing.

"...For the last two years," he ground out with a cringe.  "So I can hear everything."

Kypri had a rare gift for reading minds.  When he had first developed it, the constant presence of so many others nearby had nearly driven him mad.  To protect him, a dose of suppressants had been recommended to halt his ability almost altogether.  Obviously, there had been other benefits as well...

"And it's not like I've been spying.   Not intentionally, anyway.  But, you know, sometimes I overhear things."  He gestured to the vial.  "Things like Sigma Blue.  And...some of the other things."

Adams was seething.  "That's it!  I'm going to the Doctor.  This is way above even your clearance!"

[Paradox]

He knew he couldn't detain the Doctor without explicit permission from Graves. Unfortunately, this wasn't something he had so he nodded, "By all means, Adams, go have a chat with Graves. " Runako gestured to the door and didn't give the huffy scientist another glance.

"Believe me, Chief, I will!" Adams sneered at Runako , turned on his heel and stormed out , slamming the door behind him.

They heard Adams yelling at Morley, "Get away from me, you imbecile!" 

Moments later, Morely poked his head inside Runako's office timidly, "Sir, do you want me to stop him ?"

Runako shook his head, "No. Leave him, but make sure we aren't interrupted. Exceptions are to be made for Doctor Graves, of course."

"Understood, sir!" Morley vanished and the door closed again.

Runako turned his attention back to Morely now, looking slightly perturbed yet inquisitive,  "It's a form of unintentional eavesdropping, but no matter.  " He growled and narrowed his eyes, " What do you hear?"

"Sometimes after the lights go out at night, I hear the doctors talking about ..." He looked around nervously as though he expected someone or something to be coming to get him. " About you Chief."

Runako's expression darkened. That wasn't something he was expecting to hear.

"Yes. Um, but they refer to you by your number. Nine. Yes, I think that's it. "He licked his lips and shook his head, " You have been prescribed  Venerandum ius your whole life, correct?"

Runako scowled but nodded. He was still wondering where this would lead. It was a little too late to turn back.

"And it looks like that which you hold, yes?"

Again, Runako nodded.

"I hate to disappoint you , Chief but your fears and suspicions are very real.

"...explain."

Krypi shook his head, " It's better that you do a little hands-on-experiment and see for yourself. " Before Runako could inquire, Krypi added, "Stop taking it. "

"I can't..."

Krypi grinned and inclined his head,"Can't you? Have you ever tried?"

"I..."

"It's not what it seems, Chief. Trust me. Just give it a whirl. Go clean for one whole week and you'll see everything a lot more clearly .Just don't let on that you've quit or it will end badly." 
 

[Ivory]

Mai glanced between the two, a look of unspoken curiosity on her face.  After all, Kypri could read minds...and she assumed that, rather than fill Runako in on the details, he was just agreeing with whatever Runako was thinking about...

...Although she couldn't say if that was true or not.

"Is that it?" she asked with a slight frown.  "Does he know everything?"

"Moreorless," the patient answered with a slight, careless shrug.  "Everything he needs to know."

Mai stared hard at him -- a practiced Stare of Death that she had perfected over the years.  He merely glanced at Runako, like he was hoping the Chief would save him from the crazy woman beside him.

"While we're chatting, is there anything else you'd like to get off your chest, Kypri?"  It was almost asked in a sweet tone...but the unspoken threat -- a thought directed right at the telepath -- made him cringe visibly.

"Look, I already know how much trouble I'm in, okay?  You don't need to remind me.  But I've been talking to Walt.  He kind of filled in the blanks for me."  He must have picked up their thoughts, because he nodded slightly.  "Yeah, that Walt.  He isn't all crazy, and he's been here longer than me.  That's why he's locked up on red.  Because of what he knows."  His eyes shone with an unsettling certainty that made even Mai think twice about pushing him around -- but only briefly.  "And he knows all about you, Runako."

[Paradox]

Runako also stared,  not seeming to appear entirely convinced, " Don't withhold anything. I'm going to find out sooner or later and you'd rather that it be sooner than later." His tone was even and it was difficult to discern whether or not he was making a threat or not. Runako wasn't known for such things, but maybe Eckhart had changed him a bit.

His ears perked up at the mention of the Red Floor, the lowermost floor of the building. Access was restricted even to Runako there and he had only questioned what lie beyond those doors twice when he was probably a few years younger than Mai was now. Doctor Graves had assured him that it was just a place where the very sick patients went to be taken care of. "Intensive Care" the Doctor called it, but sometimes he had heard things that used to make him question that explanation. And Mai wasn't even supposed to know about the Red floor. Few people did. He sighed. Too late now. He had to keep pursuing this , wherever it was going.

But when the conversation turned to this Walt and 'knowing all about' him, Runako shook his head because he was sure that he knew everything there was to know about himself and he had no secrets. "Really? What does this Walt know about me that I don't? " 

Krypi shook his head and gave him a sly look, "Why don't you go to the Red Floor and ask him for yourself, Chief?"

Runako leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his massive chest, "That area is off-limits. You're baiting me and I'm not falling for it.  "

"To everyone but you. "

"No, you're mistaken . I'm not allowed in and I will not risk breaking Doctor Graves's confidence in me."

Kyrpi continued , "Do you wonder why you get tired and black out sometimes for days? Why you have nightmares that seem so real? Do you want to know why he pretends to care about you? Why he gave you special treatment? I'm not so sure that you do. The truth hurts. In your case, a hell of a lot. Frankly, I don't think you're strong enough. "

Runako tried not to appear phased , but inwardly, he was shaken that anyone who couldn't have known this, shouldn't have known this, knew.  Especially when he and Kypri had hardly met. He leaned forward and grabbed Kypri by his shirt collar and yanked him forward so that the man was eye level with the Chief's fangs, "You're lying!"

"I'm not!"

He shoved Kypri away, "Hazuko , escort him to his quarters. I've heard enough."

And then he remembered, "Morely!"

Before Hazuko left, he added, "Come back you're finished that task." He needed to speak to her.

The rookie opened the door and poked his nose timidly in the room, "S-sir?"
"Come in and take a seat. We're going to have a discussion about your er... relationship with Doctor Adams."

Morely's face paled and he looked about ready to wet himself. 

Minutes later, Morely left the Chief's office, looking as though his life was over.

Alone, Runako grabbed the vial and stared at it long and hard. He then opened the desk drawer and removed his own medication. He considered what he'd been told. Stop taking his medication? What a stupid suggestion! How would that lead him to the truth? The truth of himself? What did that mean? He knew everything about himself! But the black outs...

Sometimes it felt as though pieces of his life, his memories were missing. Sometimes it felt as though Graves really was hiding something, but he never wanted to believe it. Lately , the Doctor seemed to just stare right through him and more patients were dying than usual.

And now there was this...

Runako sat there for a good ten minutes , staring at the vials and contemplating. He thought of Astrid, the dead patients, of Hanna. And then, he turned around in his seat and threw the vials at the wall.

Yes, something in him had definitely changed.

((edit: shit. How many times am I going to misspell that damned name? lol. I keep it the way it is only for your amusement, Ivory. ))   

[Ivory]

(OOC: Names are so hard!  <3 )

It didn't take Mai long to deposit the telepath where he belonged.  She did feel somewhat bad about it -- because of her, he was in a lot of trouble.  But, then again, if he had just cooperated rather than play games...

"Mai," the young man said, pausing in the doorway and turning to her with a serious look.  "He's going to get you killed, you know."

"I appreciate the warning, but--"

"No," he said firmly, cutting her off.  There was utter certainty in his expression and voice, as if he had peeked ahead in a storybook.  A shiver ran down her spine.  "He is going to get you killed."

Mai frowned at him, then slammed the door of his room in his face.  "Creep," she muttered under her breath and made her way back towards Runako's office...

...Arriving just in time to hear a crash.  Perhaps a little more hastily than she should have, she threw open the door, a tessen already held in her left hand...but there was no one there except Runako, although she could clearly see the liquid trickling down the wall.

Well, now she felt like a little bit of an idiot...but Kyrpi's warning had, apparently, left her a bit on edge, more than she'd like to admit.  "Sorry," she said sheepishly, perhaps the only apology Runako had ever heard from her.  "Heard the crash."

She indicated the remains on the wall with her free hand as she neatly tucked her weapon away again.

[Paradox]

Mai's appearance at the end of his outburst startled him a bit. For a moment, he thought it might have been Doctor Adams returning with Doctor Graves. And if Graves saw him destroying something so valuable...Runako wasn't sure how the man would have responded, but the thought of making Graves made put the fear in him and made him immediately feel guilty for choosing to defy the natural order of things.

Runako gave her a peculiar look. Since when did Hazuko apologize for anything?Why now? He shook his head at her. What a strange woman! Though he wondered. Her tone was different than the usual which led him to think that , for once, she might have been genuine. Perhaps.

He relaxed and composed himself immediately, " Hazuko, that was ...fast. " She was never eager to rush off and carry out any orders that he gave her, but maybe she was walking on clouds because she'd exposed something that may have tarnished Graves's image?  It hardly mattered. Getting angry was not going to get anything accomplished. He'd taken a blind leap and now, like it or not, he was going to have to let himself fall and get hurt. 

He nodded at her and gestured to one of the two chairs positioned on front of his desk , "have a seat if you like. This will only take a moment of your time." He waited for her to get comfortable before he continued, " I'm going to try an experiment. Before you open your mouth,  let me finish. I have pulled you in far enough- sometimes against your will.  This time , unexpectedly, you've done a lot more than I thought that you would. " Hey, it was a compliment of sorts! He didn't want to pat her ego too much .He imagined that his words were mostly empty of meaning to her anyway.

He looked at her very seriously now, "Before I explain to you what I'm about to do, I need to know where you stand with the current information that you now possess. What do you think about Kypri and what he claimed?"