Chapter VII
The stairs leading to the basement were steep and slippery. If one wasn't careful they would be taking a nice tumble down to the bottom, unless they pushed both hands against the slimy walls firmly. And even then the most they could manage was to make themselves fall with their rear on the edge of a step.
Rather unpleasant business if one asked him.
So he wasn't actually fond of going down this particular flight. But orders were orders and he had to obey, especially when it came from the old supervisor as a last favor.
Why though the man had asked Jade to 'go down and see if he would be able to do something', he hadn't yet managed to figure out. When said orders didn't exactly detail what it was that he was supposed to do, it was even more intriguing.
Even with him keeping his ears open to all information he might hear and asking when it would seem the least suspicious, Jade hadn't been successful in finding out what was going on in the lower levels.
People were unusually tight-lipped about this topic. Except the old supervisor - and he couldn't really call him that anymore, could he? The man left just this morning and the new supervisor will be coming sometime next week.
"Jade, come here! Won't you say anything to this old man leaving at the crack of dawn? You won't be seeing me again after all…Closer. Closer boy! Oh, for pity's sake!"
The man was taller than Jade almost by a head and wider by two. He particularly disappeared from view in the bear hug. He could hear the other scientists smothering giggles in the background. Even the few ones that were sniffing just a moment ago.
Of course, if he traded places with someone, he would be laughing and they would be scheming to get back at them through various means. Which may or may not include hiding tools, tweaking inventions and, naturally, spiking the coffee.
When the supervisor leaned into his ear and whispered some quick instructions he discarded all those time consuming plans and settled on employing the same methods he did with the group back in Auldrant. Much easier and guaranteed to succeed.
"Basement below the infirmary. Don't take anyone with you. Don't ask questions. Go and see if you can do anything."
He released him, his ribs creaking in protest, and immediately turned to grab the nearest person into a hug. He didn't remember ever seeing people disperse so quickly before.
His footsteps echoed lightly as he walked down the corridor. It was dark and dank, with an irritating smell in the air that could have been vomit, medication, sweat or even something dyeing in some corner.
He sighed tiredly, switching the torch he was holding to the other hand. For all the good recovery he's made, his hand still felt a bit weak. The unending corridor that he has been traversing for at least half an hour is definitely not helping.
He rounded a corner and stopped abruptly. There were two finders standing in the darkness in front of a door. The corridor went on from what he could see in the limited light, probably ending somewhere near the canals if he were to make an estimation.
And it would probably be correct, as it has been a straightforward tunnel up to this point. With no side corridors or dead ends or even rooms. Taking into consideration the route that he had been led down, then he's probably made half a circuit around the tower and then the zigzagging way has brought him close to the sewers and the canals.
Very long route to traverse for such an easy to reach place. Well, easy if one excluded the trip down the stairs, he amended remembering his almost tumble down.
The guards have probably been informed of the situation, as they didn't make a move to make him leave. Instead they gave him an envelope and mentioned for him to keep quite.
They gave him a chair to sit and a small flashlight and put out the torch he'd brought. Without a word, they re-took their stations in front of the door and seemingly engrossing themselves in a conversation through expressions and gestures and he wondered just how they could see in the darkness.
Chalking it up as well-adjusted eyes, he turned his attention to the papers he pulled out of the envelope. They weren't many and were sparingly written on. It was hand-written notes more than anything, really. Still, a skim would help pour some light into this bizarre situation.
An eyebrow lifted as he looked at the picture of a young girl on the only printed page. "Well, doesn't this look promising." he though with disdain. Nothing good ever came out of involving children in organizations, much less in organizations dedicated to war.
He started reading the notes below the picture, leaving the other few pages balanced on his thigh.
His eyes narrowed as he continued on to read the neat scrawl of the supervisor - former supervisor, he reminded himself with building irritation. If it was towards himself because he kept making the mistake or because of the observations on the notes, by the time he stood and walked right past the guards to go inside, he didn't quiet care.
"Lenalee."
The girl strapped on the bed didn't seem to even hear his voice, much less his calling her name. He observed her for some minutes quietly. It was already in the notes, but he wanted to check for himself.
He sighed, talking and silently staring at her hadn't worked for anyone else and he certainly hadn't expected it would for him.
He remained like that, standing by the door way, thinking for a good bit of time. When he turned to leave he snatched the papers and the envelope from the chair.
"I will need some matches." he murmured at the guards.
They reluctantly gave him the matches he'd asked for and before they could react he'd put the papers on fire. He pushed the finder that had come forward to stop him into the other one with enough strength to send them both stumbling into the wall.
He stared at the small flame until all that was left were ashes.
The torch he'd brought down was by the open door, forgotten open apparently by the scene he'd created. When he straightened, torch already ablaze with the help of a few matches, he noticed the girl looking at him.
He blinked at the sight, looking more carefully. No, not at him. She was looking at the torch.
A hand touched his shoulder hesitantly. Maybe, he shouldn't have used so much force. The guards asked him if he was over yet or not. They had orders to keep the door closed at all times so he should either get in or get out. They had left it open long enough.
He stared speculatively at them for a moment before one of his usual smiles appeared on his face. He handed the man the torch and instructed him to hang it in the room for as long as it burned.
They gave him a dubious look but didn't protest.
He returned to the basement a little later the next day, after he'd managed to extract himself from the clutches of the scientists in the lab with the promise to return when he'd finished his 'errand'. He would need an excuse to disappear now, he couldn't keep saying he had some unknown errand to run. They would all get suspicious.
The oil lamp he'd brought along this time was swinging lightly from its handle, making small screeching noises that echoed down the corridor. It was better that the torch he'd opted to bring last time. And he had a second one in his bag, to leave with Lenalee. It seemed to be the only thing that could get a response out of her.
When he made to bring it in the room, the guards protest. Instructions form previous doctors said to not bring any sort of object that can potentially be used as a weapon - which included just about any sort of object one can carry, Jade's mind reminded tiredly - and any sort of illumination should be limited and used only when absolutely needed.
He looked at them over the rim of his glasses for a moment. It seemed this organization was populated by more retards than he'd first imagined.
"Are there any other doctors coming to see to this girl?"
His replies were hesitant 'no's.
"Have these orders been exactly issued so that they apply to any new orders regarding the process of rehabilitating that I will be giving?"
"N-no, sir."
This time they were more formal. Good, they can learn.
"Then you will not be disturbing me while I am in the room for however long it takes this time, or the ones that will follow. Nor will you be questioning my methods of treatment."
"Yes, sir."
"Are there any other orders regarding Lenalee Lee that I should be aware of?"
This time they looked at each other questioningly, expressions changing for a few moments in silent conversation before they turned to him again.
"Inspector Lvellie has said to follow the orders of the doctors whatever they may be until the exorcist is ready to be active."
Jade has heard of things regarding this inspector, though not a bit of it is good. He hummed thoughtfully as he walked into the room, leaving the guards to breathe easily again.
He closed the door quietly behind him. Feeding the lamp a little more fuel, he turned to look at his charge. It seemed she was asleep this time and not at all disturbed by the light, bright as it was in the dark room.
He left the bag and lamp next to the door and walked the four steps it took to go from wall to opposite wall to the tiny side table and short stool. He dragged them over with as little noise as he could next to the head of the bed.
He sat on the stool and pulled his bag in his lap. The lamp was put on the corner of the table, the rest of the surface got covered with notes and papers about some new invention half the department was working on shortly after.
He wondered just what he would be able to do about the shape of some robot-like machine whose circuits were hanging all over the lab. Really, the only things he could help them with are organisms and chemicals. And the occasional scratch they got.
He found himself almost wishing Guy was there so he could dump him with the notes to take care of the architecture of the machine and go read a book. The younger man was infinitely more useful compared to him when it came down to machinery.
The memory of that one time at the Meggiora Highland's Sephirot where Guy went into one of his crazes over the AI-controlled maintenance robot sprang up in his mind. The blonde had been depressed over it's destruction for the rest of the trip through the Sephirot until they had to focus on something else.
A somewhat crazy idea popped up in his mind as he reminisced. He rolled the idea in his mind for a few minutes, trying to decide how he could work it out on paper. He was absorbed enough that he didn't notice Lenalee opening her eyes to a figure half hidden in the shadows, sitting in front of the light.
Needless to say that the lab was more than a bit excited to see the Jade's bastardized, half-forgotten memory of the robot that was more likely than not a pile of scrap metal gathering dust somewhere in Meggiora's Sephirot entrance.
Really, it was more scribbles on the side than an actual plan. It was though better than anything they had come up with by that point. Even if they started spotting flaws a minute into checking it.
Regardless, it took their attention off him so he could at last concentrate on what had been troubling him the past couple of days.
A heavy sigh left his lips just before walking out of the lab. Jade didn't pay attention to the hush that suddenly fell over the lab as the flaps of his coat disappeared behind the closing door.
Jiji breathed in through his nose and exhaled from his mouth. It would seem the old supervisor had given quiet the task to their newest member. And he knew exactly what was giving him grief.
His eyes swept across the room, taking in the worried faces of his colleagues. Since the man hadn't asked for help directly and all those careful inquires about the basement had ceased the day the director had left, it appears that the supervisor had specifically told him not to involve anyone else.
They couldn't outright go and tell him everything they knew - which admittedly wasn't much - but they could also not leave him to deal with this alone.
"We could always drop hints of ideas around. He's smart, he'll figure them out. If they work or not is up to him."
His proposition was taken in stride with random nods and yells of acknowledgement following him on his way to his station as all of them returned to work.
He just hoped Jade would either give up or get results before the end of the next week when the new supervisor will be arriving. They hadn't managed to learn much of anything about the guy and they had to be careful.
You can never know what sort of person one can be and how he will react to all this.
A/N: I told you I would be updating sooner than usual! Hope you like, though the chaper could have come out better.
And some of you might have noticed that the genre has been changed from Gen to Humor and the summary is entirely new. Yeah, neither of them had sat well with me from the beggining.
Anyway, thank you for reading and even though I don't particularily mind the absence, a review or two would be appreciated. Y'know, a little advice?
See you in the next chappy! (Which may take a while...sorry?)
