Baki shakes his head in dismay as he reads through the report, then raises his gaze to the genin before him. He keeps his face still, like an unreadable stone, as he watches the young man. Baki can see the sweat beading on the smooth brow as the silence bloats the uncomfortable atmosphere in the room to intolerable levels for the young med-nin currently under hard scrutinty.
"...and then he.. He just melted the wall.." The genin completes, then studies his toes sticking out of his sandles with great interest.
"Sensor nins have been searching the hospital grounds for the small golden one since his medical equipment set off alarms a day ago." One of the council members provides. "He could be out of the village by now."
Baki graces the man with a cursury glance with his one visible eye, but turns his full attention back on the young mednin.
"Is that all..?"
"..um y-yeah."
"Thank you." Baki says firmly. "You may go."
As the council door swings closed with the nin's departure, the incessant buzzing of worried whispers fills the room.
"I've seen the surveilance tapes. It looked like Lord Gaara's sand technique except for all the lightening..." A council member supplies.
"A lightening technique that malipulates sand..?" Baki hears another say incredulously. He chews his bottom lip as he considers the implications of such a notion. None of them are very good.
"So he is a missing nin after all." Baki says gravely, and feels the weight of eyes as the council's attention settles upon him. He allows the silence to stretch a few breaths as he slides his eye about the room, then folds his hands before his chin.
"To be able to combine those two elements, I think perhaps he posesses a kekkei genkai that interested Orichimaru at one time. To have the skill to hide his true chakra amounts so well as to fool even the most experienced med-nin, the boy is obviously a highly skilled nin. Likely a jonin."
"A Sound jonin? I've never heard the like." On council member comments.
"Whatever he is, I for one consider him a huge security risk to the village that we can't afford to have. He needs to be found and detained. Immediately." Another says with a pounding fist on the table.
"What is your decision, acting Kaze-kage?"
Baki rises to his feet and says.
"I will alert the hunter nin."
---ooo--
In an empty heartbeat, Ed starts, and jerks awake. He listens to his own panting breath, and widens his eyes to warm velvety darkness. Slowly, he works out what happened, and finds he is glad he has no eyes on him. No one needs to know that he passed out while in the midst of a dramatic escape.
His stomach knaws his spine and rumbles in displeasure, sending queasy dizziness to his pounding temples as he tries to move within his small... SMALL??.. Not small!!!.. chamber. He created it for himself, he knows. It does not make it small.
Of course you passed out. Idiot. You haven't eaten for..! How long? The answer flutters from his grasp on butterfly wings. How much time has passed anyway?
He wrickles his nose in disgust at himself. Fool! All transmutations take their toll on the body!! What use will you be for.. For...
His spinning thoughts come to an abrupt halt, grasping the name that feels as important.. No.. More important. Than even his very selfhood.
Al. Alphonse. He fists his shaking hands, forcing them to be still. The name tastes sweet on his tongue.
Where is he..?
Where am I?
He mentally kicks himself to his unsteady feet, and breathes in fresh air as he sways. He marvels that he managed to make an airhole before the embarrasing black out. It's within easy reach, as wide as two of his knuckles, and he sees light shining like a small star from it. He holds his breath and presses one of his eyes close to the life-giving opening.
All is still in the room beyond, and he can clearly see a draping cloth hanging from what looks like a hook on a smooth wall. He sniffs in the air experimentally, analysing it carefully for any clues. He exhales his disappointment at the anaseptically clean odor.
Still in that damned hospital, then. Can't do anything right, can I?
With a self deriding snort, he eyes the rooms beyond carefully.
His patience thins as his quivering straining muscles force him to lean on the curve of the rough sandstone ..no ..transmuted.. sandstone wall. He sees no movement in the room, and grits his teeth to steel himself. He has no choice but to chance it, and hopes he doesn't faint from the strain of the reaction this time.
He touches his palms together, and presses his hands against the rough stone. Warmth fills his being, and the bright discharge dances harmlessly up his arms, momentarily blinding him. He holds his breath as he hurriedly blinks away the afterglow.
Icy fear grips him for a breath, and his shaking muscles tense. He darts his eyes around.
He sees a closed door in the far wall, and realises his luck is holding. He tilts his head in silent observation of the room: smooth sticks attached to stringy masses; more draping cloth, hanging upon hooks; the odd empty bucket; bottle after bottle capped on the floor. He reasons why he is alone in this room, and allows a corner of his mouth to lift.
Afterall, in a hospital, who would bother to occupy a supply closet?
He shambles unsteadily towards the welcome door, but leans heavily on a wall before he turns the knob. He looks down at his hospital garments then considers the cloth hanging on the wall at his side.
They will likely be looking for a patient, he reasons, and narrows his eyes. It's best that I don't look like one. He recalls the loosely fitting garments of his captors, and pulls down a long tunic off the hook with clumsy fingers. He judges he can figure out how the strange clothes should go together.
As he peels off his thin hospital shirt, he winces at the twinge he feels thoughout his left shoulder and arm. He glances down, and widens his eyes at the seeping dark stain on the large white bandages taped to his skin.
"What the shit happened to me..?" He says softly.
Sent via Blackhole
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