1093/A Dark, Distorted... (Part 2)

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A Dark, Distorted... (Part 2)
Date of Scene: 07 December 2014
Location: Njorun Station - Medical
Synopsis: Armsmaster is brought to Njorun medical, but will he ever be the same?
Cast of Characters: 20, 236, 554, 569


Defiant (554) has posed:
     Armsmaster gets a bed in Medical, although one doesn't seem him for a few hours. Miss Militia comes in, all business, to drop off a laptop and an overly cheery 'Get Well Soon!' card. "No sign of Mannequin or the other members of his group but we'll keep looking" she reports, and she's gone, just as quickly as she had appeared.

     Other members of the Union medical team begin to attend to Toph and give Bitter and Auron a check-over as well. There's muffled shouting from what is, presumably, Armsmaster's operating theatre. Dragon, by the Canadian accent, and others.

Bitter Medicine (569) has posed:
     Bitter Medicine... allows some of the medical staff to poke and prod, with much consternation. He still doesn't entirely /trust/ the Union, but eventually, he comes to a conclusion.

     Not even the Sodalts who create Autochthon's Chosen understand how the process works--so some foreigners just patching him up haven't got a roach's chance in a factory press. He receives some bandages across his midsection. His physiology will probably see the stab wound healed in a day. The shoulder should take about that long to quit bitching, too.

     Shouting and operating don't combine, but then, he's not a doctor. He plants himself in a seat.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Sadly medical seems to be a part of active field duty now and then, and while Toph is by no means a dream patient, she does keep her annoyance to herself, a grumpy look on her face as the healers work on closing up the hole in her arm and in her side. IV needles have been inserted in her uninjured arm, and there's IV fluids and blood transfusions going on in order to make sure she doesn't go into hypovolemic shock. At least her injuries could have been worse, and she only has to stay one night.

    Even as she is lying in a bed she listens to what's going on in one of the nearby rooms where they are working on performing surgery on Armsmaster, with both healers and medical personnel present. Her ears are sharp after all, and she sighs heavily, closing her eyes. "I can't believe we let that bastard get away," she asides to Bitter with a grumble.

Auron (236) has posed:
    Thankfully Auron had managed to come through the battle with Mannequin unscathed. A rarity for him, given his penchant for leaping into things headfirst. But he'd been more concerned with keeping Mannequin off of the injured Armsmaster and the medics that were attending him and had guarded them instead of joining battle with Mannequin.

    Technically he could probably just go home. But he wanted to make sure Armsmaster was all right. So he too finds a seat and waits until there's more information. Probably near where Bitter Medicine is. He looks to the Exalt, and then to Earthbender, "How are you both doing?" As for Toph's annoyed grumble? He smiles a little. "Armsmaster is safe. That's the more important thing. And I think you got your message across to Mannequin."

Defiant (554) has posed:
     "His body can take it," Toph might hear Dragon state, voice cool, as the nurses and doctors see to her wounds. She can hear other things, too: saws, drills, some sort of laser. It is faint, muffled, but it sounds like the Canadian Tinker is giving some exactingly precise directions to the medics. "Steady. Steady."

     Time passes. When Armsmaster is wheeled out on a gurney, he's clean, asleep. He shifts slightly, groaning at something. His voice is raspy, because they've had to shove a tube down his neck to allow him to breathe. And as he twists and turns, Toph, Bitter and Auron might catch a glimpse of the smooth prosthesis and artificial eye that sits in the new socket. His shoulder, too, is no longer a stump, but the grooved metal and socket of what must be a mounting bracket for an artificial limb. Numerous scars line his abdomen in precise patterns.

     What happened in there?

Bitter Medicine (569) has posed:
Bitter Medicine nods in agreement with Toph. "Be clearer if he was dead, comrade. At the very least, captured." Ever the optimist. "A serial killer is like a screw in a running turbine. Extremely difficult to find, and immensely damaging to the rest of the mechanism for as long as it continues to run." He takes a magazine from a nearby rack and glazes over the title idly before looking back up at Auron.

     "If I see him... if I hear him... If I even /smell/ him, I'll hunt him until he doesn't have any limbs left to detach. Let him know what it feels like to hope and hope and hope, for any possible contrivance or offer he could make to stay his pursuer's hand... So that he can look at every shadow, every corner, for possible respite, and find none. So that he can know what his victims felt. And then... when I educate him, I won't just kill him. I'll /erase/ him. ...for his sake, I hope the PRT finds him first."

     "Anyway," he says, as if that dark tirade never happened, "I'm fine. If I continue to eat as normal, my injuries'll heal by the end of tomorrow, with no further medical care needed."

     Armsmaster arrives, after a while. "It seems someone was listening to our radio channel some nights ago." He doesn't seem surprised, or even displeased. "Wonder how those measure up to my Charms."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    How is she doing? "The painkillers are making me freaking tired," Toph mutters. "And if I meet that freak again, he's /not/ getting away." Her expression is pensive, and her brow furrows as she hears some of the noises and words she hears from the operating theater...

    You better hang in there, dunderhead.

    "A screw in a running turbine is easy if you're me," Toph snorts. "For me it would be like trying to find a piece of coloured paper among white ones. But if we work together, we can hopefully find him. There's no way Armsy would join them, you heard him. At least there's some sense left in that thick skull of his," Toph snorts and shifts uncomfortably. Lying on her side now is impossible when they are working on treating her. Bitter's dark rant makes Toph snort. "Focus your energy on something useful instead of plotting his demise, would you? It's a waste of energy..."

    Eventually the healers and medics finish treating Toph, well before Armsmaster's surgery is over. Toph's injuries are of a far simpler nature, after all, and she seems to doze off, tired and slightly knocked out from the painkillers as her body heals up.

    When the gurney is wheeled out though the blind girl stirs, blinking and pushing herself upright with a pained grunt. Though she can't help but look shocked. What the hell...? While she can't see what's going on, she can sense metal there in a specific shape. Is this what she thinks it is...?

Auron (236) has posed:
    Auron winces sympathetically at the damage done to Armsmaster. The scars in particular cause a reaction, and his left hand raises to rub idly at a spot on the right side of his own chest. Bitter's tirade catches his attention then, and he listens. He doesn't chastise or scold over the words. In fact, he waits until after Toph has said her piece before speaking. When he does, he offers, "...Toph has a point. Be careful. You don't want to become what he is." Pause. "But, for the record..." Smirk. "I hope you find him first." Auron is indeed capable of being violent.

    He'll wait quietly until they bring Armsmaster back out. Then he turns his gaze back to the 'additions' to Armsmaster, and frowns a little. It's not in displeasure, it's in confusion. Until he figures out what he's looking at. "Ah. I see," he notes. "I hope it helps. I can't imagine having to adjust to life without a limb."

Defiant (554) has posed:
     Able to sense metal, Toph would be able to percieve that Armsmaster's body is /riddled/ with the stuff. Heart, lungs, digestive tract, the facial prosthetic, his new eye. The only things that don't seem to have been touched by whatever surgery Dragon was directing seem to have been his legs, arm and head. The nurses hook Armsmaster into a wealth of IVs and other tubes and wires. He seems to be in a stable condition.

     He stirs though, after a few moments, and he stares at the ceiling. "I... survived?" Armsmaster rasps.

     From the laptop, Dragon says: "Welcome back."

     "Where... am... I?"

     "Njorun Station," Dragon replies. "And your heart stopped nine times on the operating table. A lesser man wouldn't have made it. The others are here. A few beds over."

Bitter Medicine (569) has posed:
     Auron and Toph make good points. He's always tried to walk a tightrope. Will he fall? If he does, what will be the catalyst? Those questions have never given him much pause. What frightens him... what frightens him is the thought that he might not realize that he's falling. However right the both of his allies are, the Exalt doesn't say anything. Having taken to lying on an unoccupied bed from boredom, he stands and faces Armsmaster.

     That Colin speaks fills him with a seldom-felt emotion. Relief. For a moment, he smiles. But you can't force copper to behave like lead. Selfish fool, his thoughts reprimand. The would-be killer is still on the loose. Your so-called 'friend' is alive, but who will step in to take his place, and how many?

     The smile dies on his face, and having rushed so quickly to stand up, he turns his face away from Armsmaster.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's weird enough that Tony has a large metal casing in his chest. But this...? The others might not be able to realize just how much has been replaced in the man's body until they read the report. Toph eases herself to the edge of the bed, and she winces as she gets out of bed, reaching out to wheel her IV stand with her. Her left hand shakes just slightly, and she looks... annoyed? It's hard to read her expression. "I still don't know who the crud you are lady... but thanks for the help," she asides to the laptop as she stops to stand next to Armsmaster's bed even as the nurses finishes hooking him up to monitoring equipment, and while it might be uncomfortable for a few seconds, the tube is removed and replaced with a mask that is fastened over the lower half of his face. Speaking might still be tough, but it's at least possible. There's a soft beep of the IV pumps, and several electrodes are placed on his chest. The IV bags are many to replace both precious blood as well as give him necessary medicine. The surgery might be over, but he still needs to heal up afterwards and prevent complications. And the nurses and healers all seem to not relax just yet.

    "Don't bother him too much," one of the nurses says to Toph, trying to sound not too strict as he gets one of the IVs dripping at a steady but slow pace. The blind girl merely lets out a huff, not saying anything to him. But she does tighten her grip on her own IV stand.

    "You're lucky you're too banged up to get a punch right now... Colin," she states. "Just how did that damn thing get in anyway?" And then as if she remembers something, she speaks to the two men behind her. "Dibs on not doing the report." Besides, Auron outranks her!

Auron (236) has posed:
    "That you are alive is what is important," Auron replies to Armsmaster's question. Though he does frown a little... nine times? Damn, that's near-superhuman stubbornness at work, he's sure of it. Seems he and Armsmaster may have more in common than Auron first thought...

    He sends a look to Bitter Medicine as the Exalt turns so abruptly. But he doesn't want to pry just yet. Besides, Toph has spoken up. He smirks. "I'll handle it," he offers. Reports are always a pain for everyone to do. Though he looks to Bitter. "Unless you want to? I think Armsmaster may not be in any shape to for some time."

Defiant (554) has posed:
     "I'm Dragon," comes the voice from the laptop, "I've been overseeing Armsmaster's confinement. I don't know how Mannequin managed to infiltrate the headquarters, or how he even knew you were there." She sighs. "I'm sorry about your face. And your new eye doesn't work yet. I think I know what's wrong with it, and I can get you something that will work, I just need more time."

     Colin's voice is muffled by the mask, but he can still be heard: "Good girl. It's alright. Besides, you have better things to be doing. I think I can pull off an eye patch." He looks to Toph and Auron and Bitter and gives each of them a small nod. As best he can with all the tubes around him, at any rate.

     There's a slight pause. "You're a fucking idiot, Colin. That was the stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen."

     The dragon has claws, it seems. Colin laughs, but his breath catches with each painful spasm. "Yeah," Dragon snarks, "I hope that hurt."

     "Wanted to provoke him..." Armsmaster rasps, "Find an opening..."

     Dragon says, more loudly: "I repeat: the stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen."

Bitter Medicine (569) has posed:
     "By all means," says the Alchemical absently. "Go right ahead." His response indicates that he's hearing, but not listening. Yeah, probably best if Auron writes the report.

     He manages to rouse himself from his ruminations long enough to give due credit. "You've done a hero's work, Dragon. If you need resources..." He's made the offer to Armsmaster before. The man certainly qualifies as a heroic mortal, and might even be able to field a Charm. So... why is it so hard to finish the sentence? "Hrn."

     Saving a life. It's an alien feeling, having helped do that. He looks at Toph, then Auron. Neither of them seem to have any difficulties. He's used to avenging, not intervening. "Armsmaster." What to say? "I think this is the first time I've seen you without your mask. You look like hell."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Dragon. The name is committed to memory, and Toph nods. Though she can't help but snark in attempt to lighten the situation. "Oh noo, only one working eye for now. How /will/ you get by...?" It's good to hear that Dragon can pull some strings and get things fixed though. Not to mention it sounds like she has some goddamn sense. "See?!" Toph states to Armsmaster, reaching out to prod him in the side. "I told you, you should listen more instead of babbling about how right you are! Then maybe you wouldn't be in this mess!"

    Dragon really sounds sensible, not to mention likable. "You're goddamn lucky I can't punch you now, because I agree... that was moronic of you! You should have waited until we arrived!" Toph mutters, then reaches over and pulls out a chair before she gingerly eases herself down into it, wincing as she presses her hand against her side.

    "My whole weekend was ruined because of you. I hope you're happy." But the tone in Toph's voice doesn't sound so much angry as it does sound relieved.

    As for Bitter's comment? Toph snorts. "He sounds and feels like hell too. And here I thought /Goldie/ was filled with metal..."

Auron (236) has posed:
    Auron offers a nod to Armsmaster as well. Though he seems to agree with Dragon. "It's not wise to provoke a walking string trimmer with blades and chains in place of string," he says quietly. But he smirks a moment after, noting, "Even if I would have done the same thing." Hey, a stupid decision on his part helped him find Jecht's son! He also greets, "Hello there, Dragon."

    He nods to Bitter's mention of him writing the report. And Toph's statement about having only one working eye prompts, "Same way I did at first." Since he's missing an eye. "Though if Dragon says she can restore his sight, it may not be a problem." As for sounding and feeling like hell? that prompts a chuckle. She's right, he does. But he'll recover, and that's what's important.

Defiant (554) has posed:
     "I feel like hell. Heavy. Tired," Colin replies, eye flitting over to glance at Bitter. He's an unremarkable man, really. He might've been handsome, once, but the prosthetic has left him permanently marked.

     "That would be the prosthetics and implants," Dragon comments. "It's all prototype stuff. They're temporary, but I can make better. I'm afraid you're going to need to go under the knife a few more times." Pause. "More than a few."

     Colin looks from the laptop and over to Toph. "He was going to kill me anyways. I hope it hurt. But I'm not happy about it, Toph. About any of this, but I am alive. Everything else is negotiable."

Bitter Medicine (569) has posed:
     "Now I'm curious," says Bitter Medicine. He means it, too. "I began life as a lump of clay, grease, wax and Soulsteel. You'll have to tell me what you see when you look at me, sometime."

     "So," he says, before too much time has passed. "I take it things are going to be different. The question is, what happens now?" He turns and faces the nearest window, pretending to look outside. "Are you going to retire...? Is that negotiable?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Auron earns a snort. "Way to miss the joke, Pavarotti." At least they /can/ see. But it's fine, she can joke about it since she is able to 'see' with her bending.

    So Armsmaster will need more surgeries before he's well... Toph is quiet at that. Yet when the injured man turns and talks to her, she blinks, her eyes widening slightly for some reason. Then she lets out another huff. "If he dares show his ass again, we'll kick it real good. Next time you wait though, otherwise I'll have to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours."

    Bitter does get one comment. "You seeing people really are too occupied with appearances..." the blind girl mutters.

    Is he going to retire? Toph doesn't speak, looking stern as she presses her hand against her bandaged abdomen.

Auron (236) has posed:
    Come to think of it... Auron hasn't seen Armsmaster without his mask either, has he? The voice is the same, the presence... even injured like he is, it's the same man he'd come to know. While he might not have been completely reliant on his other senses the way Toph was, his sight generally wasn't used for much more than navigation while moving around. So it was... less of a concern for Auron, to see who Armsmaster was 'behind the mask'. He had already seen that, in his radio conversations over the last few weeks.

    As for Armsmaster's words? He nods. "I was hoping to hear you say that." He admits, "When we heard you provoking Mannequin, I thought you had decided it wasn't worth continuing on and was trying to commit suicide." Pause, and a frown pulls at his brow. Left unspoken is 'like I did'.

    Toph's snort and her statement gets a chuckle. "I understood what you meant," he assures her. She was making reference to her own blindness. As for being concerned with appearances? "Most people are just curious what others who have alternative ways of 'seeing' perceive them. I have to admit to being curious myself."

Defiant (554) has posed:
     "He'll be back," Dragon comments, and a photo blips onto the screen of the laptop. It's the etching into the glass of the window. Three letters. B R B.

     "I can't retire," Armsmaster says, "But I can't go back, either. Maybe I can do /better/ as opposed to doing /more/." He props himself back onto the pillow, as a nurse returns to usher the healthy out and the wounded back to their beds. When he's sure that they are out of earshot - or reasonably sure - Colin smiles. "But what was this I heard when I was passing out? 'I need you'?"

     The silence stretches out for far too long. He knows she is there, listening, and Colin knows by the length of silence that he's made some sort of faux pas. Stupid. He should know better by now. It's his flaw. Never knowing what to say, how to say it or who to say it to. He's just about to apologise when Dragon speaks up.

     "Those prosthetics I gave you? They were part of a bigger project. Something I'd intended to use for myself."

     "I'm sorry," Colin replies. "I didn't know." She had been there, at Newfoundland, when Leviathan had dragged it beneath the waves. Was the fact that she might need prosthetics such a surprise? Maybe that was the real reason why no one ever saw her face... After all, he was sporting a new craniofacial implant.

     "No," Dragon says. "It's not that. There's something you need to know about me."