Hotel California

Chapter Nine: I was running for the door…

A/N: I felt super bad for the delay this summer, so I'm working extra hard on making up for it. My sacrifice is an all-nighter on a crappy laptop. -weak smile-

Oh yeah, obviously if you haven't gotten it by now, just about every chappeh is going to have at least one instance of shounen-ai from here on out. If it gets too bad I'll prewarn, but for the most part just count on some fluff, okay?

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Upon retrospect, knowing something was wrong with Hakkai in the evenings, it was probably wasn't the best idea for Gojyo to convince his friend to lead him into a dark empty room with locking doors. But hindsight was twenty-twenty, and reasoning upon the past wasn't going to help Gojyo in his current situation.

Backed up against the door, Gojyo scanned the basement, looking for anything that could help him get out of the locked room. Finding nothing, he returned his attention to Hakkai, who had yet to move from his spot on the floor where he'd collapsed. He had his hands buried in his hair, which seemed to be growing longer. He screamed again in fresh pain, and Gojyo almost ran to him in concern, stopping himself just in time, remembering the incidents in his room and the courtyard.

Watching Hakkai with rising fear, he groped blindly behind him for the doorknob, yanking as hard as he could. The vine tattoos were beginning to appear on Hakkai's arms in winding curls and spirals, while his nails slowly grew into claws. Gojyo knew there wasn't much time left before Hakkai lost what little control over himself his was maintaining.

He spun around, examining the door to see if he could break it down. He slammed against it with his shoulder, using all his strength. The door stayed put. He tried it again to the same avail. Turning again, he factored his chances of making it down the stairs and past Hakkai before the brunette's control broke. Maybe there was another exit somewhere in the room, a door, a window, anything. He took a deep breath and bolted down the stairs before he could change his mind. Running past his friend, Hakkai looked at him for the first time since his episode had begun. Gojyo turned his head, unable to look at the pain in the green eyes. He hit the wall before he could skid to a halt, the impact knocking the wind out of him momentarily.

Rows of dusty bookshelves lined the back wall, and the redhead leaned against them in an attempt to catch his breath. He didn't see any kind of escape, not even one of those tiny windows. His mind raced for another option.

Suddenly something slammed into him, pressing him painfully against the shelves. Gojyo let out a groan as Hakkai grabbed his shoulders and shoved him harder into the dusty wood. He coughed, struggling to free himself from the shorter man's grip. While normally Gojyo had the advantage of strength against Hakkai—although he's never tested the theory—this time the brunette had the benefit of both surprise and Gojyo was pretty sure his new form was much stronger.

Gojyo wrapped his leg around Hakkai's and kicked, sending him to the floor and freeing himself. He took off before Hakkai could get up, racing up the stairs once again, only to trip over the second step and fall down as well.

Hakkai was up by this time, closing the distance quickly. Gojyo backed up, crab-style, against the closest wall, reaching blindly for some sort of weapon. His hand grasped a book, and he flung it at his attacker. It happened to be a large book, thick and heavy. It hit Hakkai in the chest, but it was only a momentary reprise. Gojyo pulled book after book from the shelf, tossing them in Hakkai's direction.

After a minute or so of this, there was nothing left for him to grab; he was out of books. He stood up, considering his chances in being able to throw the shelf itself. He pulled at it.

To his surprise, the shelf moved at this, but not in his hand. It moved aside, revealing another secret passage. Without a moment's hesitation, the redhead ducked inside, slamming the shelf back into place. He leaned against it, hoping that he had enough leverage to keep Hakkai from getting in. Something poked him in the back, which, upon investigation, turned out to be a lock. With a silent prayer to the god of luck, he locked the passage.

While the passage in the upstairs hall was constantly pitch-black, this tunnel offered a little in the way of natural light. At least enough to see his way with, since he'd managed to drop his flashlight in the fight. He continued along the path, which was basically one-way, save for a few sporadic doors, for what seemed like half an hour. Finally he reached the exit. He opened the door a crack, in case he wound up in someone's room or something.

The passage ended in the dining room. Fortunately it was empty at the time. Gojyo made a note of this as he slipped out, closed it tightly behind him and started back to his room. He locked his door before taking a shower.

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After hours of trying, Gojyo determined that he couldn't sleep. He decided to check the new passage. He'd passed up exploring the doors in favour of a quick escape, and now he was curious as to what else was down there. He slipped out of his room, careful not to wake Hakuryuu, and tiptoed downstairs.

Once inside the passage, he made his way to the first of the doors. It was locked, so he continued on. The next was more profitable, though the handle was a bit rusted and let out a creak when turned.

The room was small and obviously neglected. Cobwebs lined the walls and furniture, and everything was coated in a visible layer of dust. There wasn't much in the way of contents either. A large black file cabinet sat against the wall, next to an old wooden desk. There were tables lining the rest of the room, but there was nothing on them.

He went to the file cabinet first, opening the top drawer. It was empty, as was the other drawers. Disappointed, he moved to the desk drawers. Here he met more luck. There were a few file folders in one, and a small book in the other. He flipped open the book, which turned out to be someone's journal, and began to read. It looked very old, but the dates on the entries didn't list the year.

12/14

The Secondary subject has completed the experimentation process. He is being allowed to roam, although the remaining subjects from the first series are still under captivity. The boy is under control, although the Dragon is resisting fiercely. Drastic measures will have to be taken soon if he doesn't start cooperating. The Secondary, however, looks promising, and there shouldn't be any trouble controlling him. He rejects his 'other side', and will do as told to keep the demon at bay.

The limiters seem to be holding the power in check, in both subjects. To prevent another accident, the Primary subject will need further investigation before he can be freed. His memories have been erased, including all traces of the accident, as well as Konzen, Tenpou, Gojun or Kenren.

Kenren? Hadn't he heard that name before? Sanzo had compared him to someone with that name. It seemed unlikely that it was a different person. Kenren wasn't exactly a common name…

12/16

The new inhabitant has arrived today. He bears a resemblance to Konzen; I'm almost forced to wonder if they're related. Kannon has forbid any experiments on him, however. He and the Secondary subject seem to be interacting well.

The subjects have been progressing nicely. The Primary is almost ready for interaction again, and the Secondary is back to a regular routine. We've allowed him to keep the cat, as the animal comforts him. He is unaware of the animal's true form.

Cat? Hakuryuu? Could they be talking about Hakkai?

Gojyo shut the book and turned to the files. There were two of them, one marked 'Primary' and one marked 'Secondary'. He flipped open the Secondary folder. Inside were lab reports that he couldn't really understand. Behind them were personal information reports, each with a small photo paper clipped to the front. One of them was for Goku and the other for Hakkai. The Primary folder contained the same, only five reports instead of two. He recognized the people in them as the same from the picture he'd found in the basement.

Whoever had written this had either experimented on people here, or at least was crazy enough to think he had. Who were these other people? Gojyo assumed them to be former hotel guests. He flipped to the last report in the Primary folder, the kid who looked like Goku.

The name on the report was the same. Confused, Gojyo flipped back to Goku's report in the Secondary folder. He was definitely in both series. Was Goku the survivor from the Primary series the book had talked about? It explained the boy's curious amnesia, and why he was locked in the basement. And if the Secondary was Hakkai, then the new inhabitant must have been Sanzo. But why wouldn't Kannon let them experiment on him, if she'd allowed the others?

Well, if he wasn't sleeping before, he certainly wasn't now.

He looked up, remembering where he was. He decided to take the book and folders back with him to read. He still had a few rooms to go, and he felt a lot more comfortable in his room than sitting on the floor like cannon fodder.

The next room was locked as well, and Gojyo started to consider breaking these doors down. He came to the last door in the passage, which was jammed. Obviously these rooms hadn't been used in awhile. Determined to finish his search, he forced the door open.

The room looked like a mad scientist's lab from an old movie. Steel lab tables were centered in the room, caked in what looked suspiciously like very old blood. All kinds of machinery, old and rusted, stacked up against the walls. Gojyo had no idea what these machines did, and he had little desire to find out. Along the back wall, there were shelves with glass jars lining them. A thick coat of dust obscured the objects inside the jars.

Cautiously, Gojyo moved to the lab tables, looking around with a mix of awe and disgust. A rolling table was next to the tables, complete with rather antique-looking surgeon's tools. The redhead knew little about history, but he did know that medical procedures were pretty gory back in the day. He shuddered to think of the victims.

He started to the back of the room to investigate the jars. Halfway there, a noise stopped him dead in his tracks. Footsteps, and they sounded like they were coming closer. Quickly, he ducked behind one of the shelves in the back of the room, just as the door opened. He couldn't see much from his vantage point, only a pair of legs and something white…

Hakuryuu. What was the cat doing down here?

"Are you happy now?" an irritated voice asked. Hakkai's 'other half', "There's no one here. I don't know where he went, but he's not here. Stop being so paranoid."

Hakuryuu mewed in protest.

"I don't know! Do I look like his keeper. You're the one supposed to be watching him! He doesn't trust me anymore, and during the day I can't get control. Am I supposed to do everything around here?"

The cat meowed again, sounding a bit angry.

"Oh just shut up. How much do you expect to accomplish as a cat? If you'd done your job right before, you wouldn't be in this position, now would you?"

Hakuryuu hissed.

"Fine, whatever. He's probably just in the dining room anyway. Let's go before you have kittens or something…OW! What'd I tell you about biting!"

The door slammed, and the footsteps retreated. Gojyo waited until they faded completely before coming out of hiding. Whatever that was all about, there was something odd about Hakuryuu. Something more sentient than a cat should be. At least now he knew why it always seemed like the cat understood him when he talked to him. And he knew why Hakuryuu had stayed in his room since Hakkai'd been all weird; he'd assigned the cat to watch him in his absence.

But this other half of Hakkai only came out at night. During the day the real Hakkai managed to keep control. This meant that Gojyo could trust Hakkai until nightfall.

He peeked his head out the door to make sure the two weren't still in the passage. The coast was clear, so he made his escape.

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Back in his own room, he hid the files under some papers in the desk. He began to read the journal, sprawled out on his bed, with the door locked.

1/5

The lab is shut down. Another accident occurred, this time at the fault of Gojun, from the Primary series. He somehow managed to sneak into the lab, and, in the process of trying to return himself to his old form, caused some of the machinery to malfunction. He did not regain his form, and the Secondary remains unaware of his pet's true nature. The Secondary calls the animal 'Hakuryuu'. Gojun is beginning to answer to that. The lab clean up was almost impossible, and as a result, most of the machinery is broken. The working equipment will be moved into a new location.

Hakuryuu was an experiment too. One of the two survivors from Goku's accident. Since the journal started with the Secondary series, the writer didn't seem all that interested in explaining what this accident was. But from what Gojyo gathered, something happened that killed Konzen, Tenpou and Kenren. Goku and Gojun survived. Goku got his memories wiped clean, and Gojun was turned into a cat. After that, Hakkai was brought in, the Secondary. And then Sanzo came in, unaware of what was going on.

For the countless time since he'd gotten here, Gojyo got the vibe that he'd entered a B-movie.

1/10

The Primary and Secondary limiters seem to be holding nicely, and it appears the technology needs only a few minor adjustments to keep for long periods of time.

The inhabitant seems to be doing some detective work around the passages. He also seems to be showing an interest in the Primary. He seems dedicated to protecting the boy, although his attitude would tell you different. The inhabitant projects an icy demeanor that would suggest that he was uncaring. On several occasions, however, he's been responsible for keeping the boy away from me. Kannon indulges him, strangely enough, and it's becoming increasingly harder to get the boy for experiments.

The Secondary is becoming increasingly withdrawn. I sense depression. Publicly, he seems good-spirited, but I believe that this is a defense method. Tests are necessary to determine the subject's mental status.

1/13

The inhabitant has found the lab. When he took the Primary from the basement, he discovered the lab passageway. Now he has taken the opportunity to search the passage, and found the old lab. He's found the files, and stumbled onto the secret.

Kannon has—ridiculously, in my opinion—struck a deal with him. He has agreed to be passive about the situation, in exchange for the Primary's freedom. She has agreed to this, so I am forced to relinquish authority over the Primary. If the Primary were to be reminded of what happened, it could be catastrophic, and I'm not exactly sure what this would do to the Secondary or the Animal.

The Secondary's tests show signs of depression and self-hatred. He will have to be watched to prevent him from doing something drastic. I've put this task to the Animal. He believes I can return his form to him, and I'll let him believe this as long as I need to.

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Gojyo awoke later that morning, with the book draped over his chest, and someone knocking on his door. Slipping the book inn the desk with the files, he went to the door, stretching languidly as he walked. He opened the door and found both Goku and Hakuryuu standing there. Once the door was open, the cat slipped past them both, indignantly curling up in the chair.

"You locked your door last night," Goku stepped inside, "Are you okay?"

Gojyo cast a glance at Hakuryuu before answering. "Yeah. I'm just kinda worried about that guy getting in, and I didn't notice Hakuryuu wasn't here."

The answer seemed to satisfy the cat, who closed his eyes. After a moment, Goku registered what he meant and nodded. "Wanna walk to breakfast?"

"Sure," Gojyo shut the door behind him.

"Hakkai asked me to talk to you," Goku whispered after the door was closed. "He said to make sure no one knew, even Hakuryuu. I dunno why though…"

'You wouldn't…' the redhead thought.

"Anyway, he's in his room, okay? I'll tell Kannon you're in the shower or something, so don't take too long."

Gojyo nodded, and the boy ran down the hall. After watching him down the stairs, he turned and walked to the brunette's room. He knocked on the door, and it opened a bit.

"Gojyo?"

"Are you gonna ask me for a password?" he asked with a smirk. "Cuz the monkey didn't give me one."

Hakkai smiled, opening the door and ushering him in. Gojyo took a seat on the chair. Instead of sitting however, Hakkai stood next to him, looking him over.

"Um…yes?"

Hakkai frowned worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Oh. You mean about last night, right? I'm fine. But I did a little research too."

"What?"

Gojyo explained everything to him, from his escape into the passage to the journal. Hakkai didn't say anything, only watched him carefully. Finally, he sighed. "So you know what's going on then?"

"Somewhat. I'm not done reading yet, and the journal doesn't have all the stuff about this Primary thing, but I know a lot more than I did."

Hakkai went to his desk, digging through the bottom drawer. "I can't explain anything to you, it's too dangerous to try. But I can give you something," he extracted a ledger from the drawer, handing it to Gojyo. "These are a different set of notes. These are from one of the experiments, Tenpou. He did a lot of research on himself and his friends, trying to figure out what was going on. He and Kenren were also working on a plan to free them all."

"So what happened?"

"They never made it to completion."

Gojyo stared at the ledger in his hands. "The accident."

Hakkai nodded. "You have to be careful with this though. Don't let anyone see you with it, not even Hakuryuu."

"Yeah, your other half put him in charge of watching me. I heard them last night." He crossed his arms.

"I hope this can clear things up for you, and it might help us in the long run. Sanzo thinks you can help, and we're running into a sense of urgency. I've lost one of my limiters, Kannon's beginning to forget her promise to Sanzo, and I'm afraid you might be next."

"For what? An experiment? The guy's still alive?"

Hakkai regarded him seriously. "Gojyo, do you know who wrote that journal?"

Gojyo shook his head. "It looks old though. I guessed that the guy kicked the bucket decades ago."

The brunette smiled, without a trace of humour. "If we could be so lucky. The writer of the journal, and the one in charge of the experiments…is Ni."

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Ooh, suspense. You guys'd prolly already guessed that tho, huh? -grins- You guys are pretty smart about this stuff. Well, my wrists hurt and I've listened to the Code Lyoko theme in French about a hundred times while writing this, so I'll get right to review responses!

VG Terra: Actually, yes it is, which, coincidentally, I'm listening to while I type this. -grins- Your idea is awesome! Very creepy indeed! And if you have some connected to the song, even better!

Koryu-Sanzo: -laughs- Enjoying that part, ne?

C.T Saiyukilly Twisted: I could, but I'm flat broke. -laughs- Maybeh someday... Glad you liked the 39, and I can definately see the possiblity of Seiten...(yes I could read it quite clearly. -winks-)

Ondesxaiver: Always happy to please a fellow fan.

Wantanabe Emi: It's a looooong story involving captivity. But I'm FREE now. Hope this quick update made up for my absence?

Kurisutaru39: -coughcough- I don't know WHO it might beh! -winks- How could I? I happen to beh a sadist with cliffhangers. Sorry to beh the one to tell ya... Good to know you're still clingin' on. Don't worry, I get really behind sometimes too. -grins- You have no idea how much catching up I have to do from summer...Eesh.

Until next time!