lucetilogs | Sometimes a man goes to slay his demons

Sometimes a man goes to slay his demons

Who: Trafalgar Law, Itachi Uchiha, Adele LeBlanc, Gai Tsutsugami, others
What: The fallout from a failed(?) kidnapping
When: 28th of January ongoing
Where: House 22 moving to the Battle Dome
Summary: For every victory a price must be paid, and sometimes the currency is in blood. It’s an arrangement Law’s long accepted; one can’t move ahead without sacrifice after all. But in winning this battle, the cost might not fall on him alone.
Rating: Mature

One of them had hung back.

The world greyed, tunnelled in, and consciousness collapsed, thoughts spiralling down, down, down. One of them had hung back, while the rest had come… come… co…m…e…

Sway. Sway. There is soft moaning. Where is it? Him? Is he making sounds? He should be silent.

Sway. Sway. There is fire on him. Where is it? Fire on his back. His wing. There is fire but no flames. Torn clothing, mangled flesh. Feathers. B-L-O-O-D.

Pain. Blood. Sometimes his vision goes red. His body is… crunchy sometimes, swollen other places, under his careful fingers. Trauma. Broken ribs. Internal bleeding. Down, down, down - look down. Darts in thigh. Shiny.

His head hurts.

Concussion. DRUGGED.

One of them had hung back while the rest had come. Why, why, why? Could it have been scared? No… droid. Sleek droid. Shiny and new. Droids don’t feel fear. It had watched. But it had a brain. Do droids with brains feel fear?

Something hit him. His thigh. Fight we...nt… bad then… can’t think. "… help."

Help.

Very bad. Can’t… THINK. CAN’T REMEMBER. Lightning, parts flying… all smeared and twisted… CAN’T REMEMBER. Grappling. Fabric tearing. Wings exposed.

Agony and the world breaking.

He broke the world. He broke it and the droid left.

All wrong.

Wrong.

T-E-S-T?

(for whom?)

Maybe. Bad.

He doesn’t know.

He broke the world… the forest --- didn’t he? Where was he? This was his house. His front door. Did he walk?

Knock, knock.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There's an empty exam room just one door down the hall. I'll have one of the staff make you some tea; you shouldn't be walking home just yet.

[She doesn't quite reach over to take his hand only to check his pulse. Honest.]

[His pulse is fine, he's just tired. Just be glad you went for the human hand. The prosthetic feels strange if you're not used to it.]

Thank you.

[He's starting to ease out of Jedi mode, though. His face softens and he pulls down the hood.]

I'm sorry, for the brusqueness. I made a promise.

I am the last person that should be put off by brusqueness, Luke.

[There's a spare chair in the room and as weary as he looks? It might be better for him to take a breather here. She pulls it over and motions for him to sit, checking the cabinets for mugs and a hot plate.]

If I cannot take it, I should not dish it out, yes?

You are right.

[He doesn't argue, taking a seat quietly. He knows better, but he's worried. About a lot of things, of late.]

You're worse than Kyle.

I'm better than I was a year ago. But that is not saying much.

[One eye on the kettle, half her mind on Law's statistics and the rest on Luke. Mental juggling and the crossover of personal and professional compartments in her mind and she'll just have to learn to deal with it.]

You, however, seem weary from more than just this.

True. I half expected you to snap at me to leave.

[Luke rubs his nose and leans back in the chair. No use hiding that, anyway.]

It's been a strange month.

I was half tempted to. People have been hovering since he came out of surgery- but you are not one to hover.

[He worked within reason, for a reason.]

Stranger than most?

Interpersonal conflicts, nothing related to the Malnosso.

[He shook his head]

Things that need mediation, and friends leaving. Not to mention this. [He waves towards Law]

I am almost afraid to ask.

[For those could be wide and varied and in a place with so very many personality types? Ugly and messy.]

Is there much I might do to ease the burden?

Oh, just people being needlessly antagonistic too each other. Have you had the joy of meeting Garrosh Hellscream yet? Charming fellow.

[Luke rolls his eyes at the memory of the big man.]

This is good enough. Tea with a friend, even if it is in the clinic.

Oh. That ass. I have. He crushed Derek's leg and brought him here for treatment. I'd rather not deal with him again if at all possible.

[Tea steeped long enough she hands him his mug and cradles hers between her hands.]

I'll have to meet you for it more often in the mornings, if I'm able. With Law laid up like this we'll be shortstaffed while he recovers.

Derek? He's back? [Luke hasn't seen him yet...]

He crushed a man's leg? And picked a fight with Loki. Lovely.

[Luke doesn't sound surprised.]

That's fine. I'm usually more free in the mornings anymore.

Back and remembers nothing of his previous stay. It's...interesting.

...

As I was not summoned to the god's aid I assume it was either a draw or Loki managed to hold his own?

[She sighs.]

Then in the mornings it will be. A good, sedate start to the day would be best.

He seemed fine. Why? Have you become his personal physician?

[Luke raises an eyebrow at that. And a little worried.]

It is less that and the fact that I am the only one he will trust- and even then? Not terribly much.

That's...probably something you should attempt to extricate yourself from.

I won't tell you that it's wrong, but he's dangerous.

He has not called me for anything in some time, nor do I go out of my way to share his company. He's...

[She shakes her head.]

Unstable. In so many ways.

That, Adele, is an understatement. I work with him regularly, to keep an eye on him. He unsettles me when I'm around him.

[Luke eyes the injured pirate seriously for a moment.]

When Law is better, perhaps it might be wise to introduce them. A physician who can defend himself should there be trouble might be better.

Once my debt to him is paid in full he can bleed out for all I care.

[She scrubs her face with a hand, tallying out what he has done to what she has done. She's almost in the clear at this point.]

Might be? It would be ideal. I would have handed him off in a heartbeat were the circumstances different.

What debt?

[Luke's reaction was more than a little surprised. That was new.]

He assisted in the removal of Apep's influence from my mind some time ago, which is the largest portion of it. The rest I can safely say I have paid off.

I'd wondered about that. But don't let him drive you farther into debt.

He's dangerous, and he's insane. Who knows what his...whims will bring.

If he continues to find his way into trouble it will be he in mine- and I am not at all certain what would come of that.

Best nothing.

[Luke shakes his head tiredly]

I think he and I are on even footing. No debts, so far.

And that is likely for the best.

[She massages the bridge of her nose and looks back over. Perhaps a change of subject is in order.]

...It...is not official yet by any means but. I have asked Ben if he would like to move in with me.

Sometimes a man goes to slay his demons

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