Veiled Malice

Breathing a bit easier now that the nursing staff had left, Daisuke crawled out from under the curtain and looked around the room. Although there didn't seem to be anything immediately evident, his eyes finally settled on a chart near the foot of his bed. He picked it up and scanned the top page. School had never been a priority for Daisuke, but he knew how to read, and what he was reading wasn't good. The entries started in October, which is the month he thought it was. However, it appeared he was off a bit. "January?" he squeaked in surprise. He'd been asleep for three whole months? Not just asleep from the look of things, either. There was a laundry list of injuries he'd been diagnosed with when he'd been brought in. Most of them he didn't even recognize. For example, he had no idea what 'massive blunt force trauma to the thoracic cavity' meant, but massive blunt force trauma to anything had to be bad. Then he got to the final page. Words like 'decompensating', 'exsanguination' and 'sepsis' were sprinkled throughout, gradually building and becoming more frantically scribbled until... "no..." the chart slipped through Daisuke's nerveless fingers before clattering to the floor. It sounded like a gunshot in the silent room, but he couldn't hear a thing over the horror rising inside him. The clipboard landed face up, on the same page he had seen last. The page that had declared him dead. Daisuke sank back down to the floor, hugged his knees to his chest, and began to cry.

Just posted. I think it sums up the changes he's gone through nicely.

Just posted. I think it sums up the changes he's gone through nicely.

Just posted. I think it sums up the changes he's gone through nicely.

Slowly, Nanowire extricated the lighter from the satchel, still unbelieving what he was seeing. But floating there, high above the Earth, holding what he previously thought to have been a bomb but in fact turned out to be nothing more than the African merc's smoking accessories, he suddenly found the whole thing very funny. He let out a light chuckle, which led into a guffaw, which built into riotous laughter. If his sides had still been organic, Nanowire surely would have been holding them as he bend over double, unable to stop. After an indeterminate amount of time caught in paroxysms of laughter, Nanowire finally laughed himself out. "Very clever," he said, holding the lighter up in front of him. Silver strands, made up of the same nanomachines that bound him together, latched onto the little butane device, breaking it down into it's component molecules and storing it inside his body. It took no more than a few seconds to accomplish, but in that time, Nanowire saw everything it was made of, from the flint down to the small cloth wick. All inside him now. Forever. "I'll keep it safe," he said. "Maybe someday, I'll be able to give it back." He dumped the cigarettes and the rest of the satchel. As high up as he was, they'd burn up in the atmosphere before hitting the ground. Then he looked up. The moon was there, seemingly close enough to touch, just as it was before. He hadn't gone to visit it last time he was this high. And this time, he didn't feel like he had the right to soil it with his sins. "Maybe someday," he said, then peeled off, angling towards Earth, leaving the heavens behind. Nanowire had no business being here. Not yet.

Slowly, Nanowire extricated the lighter from the satchel, still unbelieving what he was seeing. But floating there, high above the Earth, holding what he previously thought to have been a bomb but in fact turned out to be nothing more than the African merc's smoking accessories, he suddenly found the whole thing very funny. He let out a light chuckle, which led into a guffaw, which built into riotous laughter. If his sides had still been organic, Nanowire surely would have been holding them as he bend over double, unable to stop. After an indeterminate amount of time caught in paroxysms of laughter, Nanowire finally laughed himself out. "Very clever," he said, holding the lighter up in front of him. Silver strands, made up of the same nanomachines that bound him together, latched onto the little butane device, breaking it down into it's component molecules and storing it inside his body. It took no more than a few seconds to accomplish, but in that time, Nanowire saw everything it was made of, from the flint down to the small cloth wick. All inside him now. Forever. "I'll keep it safe," he said. "Maybe someday, I'll be able to give it back." He dumped the cigarettes and the rest of the satchel. As high up as he was, they'd burn up in the atmosphere before hitting the ground. Then he looked up. The moon was there, seemingly close enough to touch, just as it was before. He hadn't gone to visit it last time he was this high. And this time, he didn't feel like he had the right to soil it with his sins. "Maybe someday," he said, then peeled off, angling towards Earth, leaving the heavens behind. Nanowire had no business being here. Not yet.

Slowly, Nanowire extricated the lighter from the satchel, still unbelieving what he was seeing. But floating there, high above the Earth, holding what he previously thought to have been a bomb but in fact turned out to be nothing more than the African merc's smoking accessories, he suddenly found the whole thing very funny. He let out a light chuckle, which led into a guffaw, which built into riotous laughter. If his sides had still been organic, Nanowire surely would have been holding them as he bend over double, unable to stop. After an indeterminate amount of time caught in paroxysms of laughter, Nanowire finally laughed himself out. "Very clever," he said, holding the lighter up in front of him. Silver strands, made up of the same nanomachines that bound him together, latched onto the little butane device, breaking it down into it's component molecules and storing it inside his body. It took no more than a few seconds to accomplish, but in that time, Nanowire saw everything it was made of, from the flint down to the small cloth wick. All inside him now. Forever. "I'll keep it safe," he said. "Maybe someday, I'll be able to give it back." He dumped the cigarettes and the rest of the satchel. As high up as he was, they'd burn up in the atmosphere before hitting the ground. Then he looked up. The moon was there, seemingly close enough to touch, just as it was before. He hadn't gone to visit it last time he was this high. And this time, he didn't feel like he had the right to soil it with his sins. "Maybe someday," he said, then peeled off, angling towards Earth, leaving the heavens behind. Nanowire had no business being here. Not yet.

Same as Heridfel, minus the first ed versions of everything save Crooks! I figured that would be easier than listing all of them. ;)

Same as Heridfel, minus the first ed versions of everything save Crooks! I figured that would be easier than listing all of them. ;)

Same as Heridfel, minus the first ed versions of everything save Crooks! I figured that would be easier than listing all of them. ;)

Well, Mashin-kun is the right age for this, and although I still have him in Japan, I can easily come up with a "fast forward", having all the solo adventures he has from this point on happen some time in the past.

Well, Mashin-kun is the right age for this, and although I still have him in Japan, I can easily come up with a "fast forward", having all the solo adventures he has from this point on happen some time in the past.

Well, Mashin-kun is the right age for this, and although I still have him in Japan, I can easily come up with a "fast forward", having all the solo adventures he has from this point on happen some time in the past.

:P Very nice twist, Barnum. I had some feeling the satchel was just a diversion, but there was no way anybody would pick up on that, with the situation as tense as it was.

:P Very nice twist, Barnum. I had some feeling the satchel was just a diversion, but there was no way anybody would pick up on that, with the situation as tense as it was.

:P Very nice twist, Barnum. I had some feeling the satchel was just a diversion, but there was no way anybody would pick up on that, with the situation as tense as it was.

Though he did not recognize the item itself, Nanowire certainly recognized the intent. The African had just thrown a bomb at them. At his fellow soldiers. Whether it was a ludicrous attempt to get away or simply a last thumbing of his nose at the inevitable, it no longer mattered. He had no answers for him, and nothing he could say would make any difference. "Get out of here," Nanowire said to Nightrival without a trace of trepidation in his voice. And then he was off, zooming towards the satchel at blinding speed. Gravimetric forces laid the path between him and the bomb bare in the fraction of an instant. He scooped up his objective along the way, then blasted straight through the roof. Concrete and rebar offered no impediment, not at the speed he was moving. As the clouds gave way to dead black sky, Nanowire took a moment to look about. "And it had all been going so well..." he muttered, waiting for the weapon in his hands to go off...

Though he did not recognize the item itself, Nanowire certainly recognized the intent. The African had just thrown a bomb at them. At his fellow soldiers. Whether it was a ludicrous attempt to get away or simply a last thumbing of his nose at the inevitable, it no longer mattered. He had no answers for him, and nothing he could say would make any difference. "Get out of here," Nanowire said to Nightrival without a trace of trepidation in his voice. And then he was off, zooming towards the satchel at blinding speed. Gravimetric forces laid the path between him and the bomb bare in the fraction of an instant. He scooped up his objective along the way, then blasted straight through the roof. Concrete and rebar offered no impediment, not at the speed he was moving. As the clouds gave way to dead black sky, Nanowire took a moment to look about. "And it had all been going so well..." he muttered, waiting for the weapon in his hands to go off...

Though he did not recognize the item itself, Nanowire certainly recognized the intent. The African had just thrown a bomb at them. At his fellow soldiers. Whether it was a ludicrous attempt to get away or simply a last thumbing of his nose at the inevitable, it no longer mattered. He had no answers for him, and nothing he could say would make any difference. "Get out of here," Nanowire said to Nightrival without a trace of trepidation in his voice. And then he was off, zooming towards the satchel at blinding speed. Gravimetric forces laid the path between him and the bomb bare in the fraction of an instant. He scooped up his objective along the way, then blasted straight through the roof. Concrete and rebar offered no impediment, not at the speed he was moving. As the clouds gave way to dead black sky, Nanowire took a moment to look about. "And it had all been going so well..." he muttered, waiting for the weapon in his hands to go off...

Daisuke started to panic. He couldn't let them see him like this. Whatever had happened to him, there would be far too many questions, ones he couldn't answer. Frantically looking about the room, Daisuke finally settled on pulling the curtain around his bed and hiding behind it. He settled down on the floor, hoping that whoever was coming wouldn't think to look in there. "<...Yeah, but he's so gross!>" One voice, definitely female, said in a dismissive tone. Just hearing her made Daisuke realize how exposed he was here. He'd left the light on, and he was hiding in the prime area medical staff would think to look. He pulled his legs up closer to his chest and tried to disappear. He froze in terror as he heard the door open. At least two people walked in, both still talking to each other. "" the other said, mock lecturing the first. "" Please go away, please go away, Daisuke plead internally as the two moved ever closer to his hiding spot. "" Closer and closer, until finally... "" "" Daisuke nearly breathed a audible sigh of relief as he heard their footsteps recede. The door had just closed and the light went off when he heard, ""

Daisuke started to panic. He couldn't let them see him like this. Whatever had happened to him, there would be far too many questions, ones he couldn't answer. Frantically looking about the room, Daisuke finally settled on pulling the curtain around his bed and hiding behind it. He settled down on the floor, hoping that whoever was coming wouldn't think to look in there. "<...Yeah, but he's so gross!>" One voice, definitely female, said in a dismissive tone. Just hearing her made Daisuke realize how exposed he was here. He'd left the light on, and he was hiding in the prime area medical staff would think to look. He pulled his legs up closer to his chest and tried to disappear. He froze in terror as he heard the door open. At least two people walked in, both still talking to each other. "" the other said, mock lecturing the first. "" Please go away, please go away, Daisuke plead internally as the two moved ever closer to his hiding spot. "" Closer and closer, until finally... "" "" Daisuke nearly breathed a audible sigh of relief as he heard their footsteps recede. The door had just closed and the light went off when he heard, ""

Daisuke started to panic. He couldn't let them see him like this. Whatever had happened to him, there would be far too many questions, ones he couldn't answer. Frantically looking about the room, Daisuke finally settled on pulling the curtain around his bed and hiding behind it. He settled down on the floor, hoping that whoever was coming wouldn't think to look in there. "<...Yeah, but he's so gross!>" One voice, definitely female, said in a dismissive tone. Just hearing her made Daisuke realize how exposed he was here. He'd left the light on, and he was hiding in the prime area medical staff would think to look. He pulled his legs up closer to his chest and tried to disappear. He froze in terror as he heard the door open. At least two people walked in, both still talking to each other. "" the other said, mock lecturing the first. "" Please go away, please go away, Daisuke plead internally as the two moved ever closer to his hiding spot. "" Closer and closer, until finally... "" "" Daisuke nearly breathed a audible sigh of relief as he heard their footsteps recede. The door had just closed and the light went off when he heard, ""

Kudos to Heridfel for his great New Year's vignette. It really sets up the rest of Heavy's story, which I'm sure will be very interesting to read. This is coming a bit late, but I'm still getting back on my feet after my computer problems. :(

Kudos to Heridfel for his great New Year's vignette. It really sets up the rest of Heavy's story, which I'm sure will be very interesting to read. This is coming a bit late, but I'm still getting back on my feet after my computer problems. :(

Kudos to Heridfel for his great New Year's vignette. It really sets up the rest of Heavy's story, which I'm sure will be very interesting to read. This is coming a bit late, but I'm still getting back on my feet after my computer problems. :(