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Are there any, uh, specialized mechanics here? Engineers, maybe?

[No, Nick has no real idea what he's asking for, but he has to try to find someone to fix his friend. And speaking of helping a friend...]

Also, I've been told there's a doctor on staff here. Is that still true? There's something I need to discuss with you.

[And with that out of the way, Nick pauses for a moment, debating how to phrase what he needs to say next. Finally, he goes for vague, at least over these.]

Reese, man, you got a minute?

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About damn time you showed up.

Yeah, looks like. We were gone a hell of a lot longer than I thought.

Yeah, looks like. Next time I comin' with ya to keep yer ass from gettin' lost.

[Medicine be damned.]

[He grins a bit.]

You're more than welcome, man, but I think this time you probably would've just been lost along with us.

Where are you?

In the kitchen so get yer ass down here.

[He might sound grumpy but really it's just him being relieved.]

I'm coming, I'm coming.

[Nick's used to dealing with grumpy people, man, he gets it. And he's moving quickly for the kitchen, tucking his journal in his pocket. Fortunately, he's only a floor away, so it's not too long before he's there.]

I miss anything good?

[He'll find Reese sitting at a table with a glass of milk in his hand. The cowboy looks bothered by something, but when he sees Nick he gives him a smirk.]

Just a lot of confused folks and a failed rescue attempt. Besides that it's been business as usual.

[He pauses.]

Good to have ya back.

[Nick makes note of that look, for later, but says nothing about it for the moment. Just grins back.]

Failed rescue attempt, huh? How far did you guys get, or did they lock the doors behind us?

[He makes a face, because being back here is not normally something he'd be glad about. But then he smiles slightly and shakes his head.]

Good to be back. And considering where we were, I think I actually mean that.

[Reese snorts and drinks more of his milk.]

Didn't even find any damn doors. Couldn't find a trace where any of you went.

[He gives a soft chuckle. Right now he's not feeling too humorous.]

Considerin' this place, that's sayin' somethin'.

Great. Should have known getting in that elevator was a one way trip.

[He starts rooting around in the kitchen for something to eat. Ever since finding out how long he's really been gone, it feels like he should be starving.]

Yeah, it is. First part wasn't so bad, it was a lot like in the barracks. The rest of it...

Tell me everythin'. I want details.

[And now he's gone into serious inspector mode.]

[Nick recognizes that mode. He grabs a piece of fruit and sits down, more than prepared to tell him everything.]

We found an exit in the hallway, but where ever we ended up didn't look at lot like Earth. There was someone there, a hooded figure with an axe, but he didn't do anything but point us in a direction. A direction that turned out to lead us to a cell with a man chained up and being tortured. I'm still wondering why the hell whoever that us wanted us to find this guy.

Guy with an axe huh? Once-ler warned me about a guy like that. Sounded like he was pretty bad news.

[Reese sits and thinks about what Nick is telling him. Why wouldn't he just attack them like he did Once-ler?]

We could sit here and wonder all day, but without gettin' answers from the guy himself we'll never know. What about the fella ya found? Think he could give a reason?

Looked like he was pretty bad news to me, too, but he never did anything other than point.

[Yeah, that's all on Nick's mind, too. Along with how he feels about having apparently rescued another member of staff here - and what to do with the fact that he actually kind of likes Change.]

I doubt it. We got him out, but the Keep guard - Duran - wasn't exactly pleased with that. We were on the run more than we could get any answers out of him. He turned out to be a former staff member, who apparently stepped on some toes and landed himself there. He's been reinstated now, it seems.

Definitely gotta be some motivation fer that but hell if I can think of one now.

[Perhaps the hooded man isn't so loyal to Deior, or maybe it's all a ploy of some kind by Deior. As he said earlier, there's no point in speculating when they have so little facts.]

Guess those are the two that were talkin' on the journals earlier. Sounds to me like this former staff member is the perfect guy we need to get our answers from.

Me either. But it's something to file away for the future.

[Nick nods, taking a bite of his fruit.]

That would be them. Change seemed willing to answer us when we were rescuing him, just not exactly able, with all of the running and crashing. Now? I think things are a little more complicated. But he pushed a friend of mine out of the way of getting electrocuted, and he gave himself up to save us. As far as I'm concerned, of all the staff members, he'd be the one to go to.

[This seems like it's bringing more questions than answers, but Reese makes sure to remember every detail just in case. Maybe they're just not looking hard enough.]

I've got hard time belivin' any those fellas are on our side, but I'll leave this one up to ya. Yer the one that found him and got him outta there after all. Still, that's one lead we can't pass up.

[Yeah, Nick's there with him. He's starting to wonder if they'll ever be able to go in searfh of answers without finding nothing but more question.]

I'm not sure if any of them are really on our side, but-

[He shrugs.]

He's okay. Not sure I'm going to fully trust him, but for the moment, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. He's human, as far as I can tell, but as powerful as these staff members seem to he, it's possible he's blocking me somehow.

Until we get some proof that they ain't, we gotta assume that they are.

[This is enemy territory as far as Reese is concerned, and their all just hostages. These people may feed them, treat their wounds, and give them shelter, but their still being held here against their will. There has to be a reason for that.]

Powerful or not, they're still just people. People can be beaten. Talk to this new fella. See if ya can get something out of him.

[Pause.]

Just how hard are ya willin' to press him?

Better be a hell of a lot of proof. They're still involved with this, when it comes down to it, they'll still keep us here.

[It's more complicated with Change, only because of the way Nick met him, because of the risks they took for him, and because of what Change did for them.]

I'm thinking a lot of them are more than just people.

[There's a pause, as Nick carefully considers the question. It's not as if he hasn't threatened people before, used physical violence before, killed people - but it's still a new concept for him, still something he only does when desperate.]

I don't know. What I saw down there, what they did to him - pushing him right now might not be the best idea. Not with going back there hanging over his head.

My thoughts exactly.

[Nick are you a telepath?]

I've dealt with plenty of people that were 'more than just people'. Maybe they're tougher but I'll bet ya they still bleed like everyone else. Sometimes we just gotta get creative.

[What really makes things tough is how they neutered him in this place. No magic and a gun that barely works will be an interesting challenge to get by, but at least he's still got his hatchet.

Reese nods his head. He'll let Nick decide how to handle this newcomer.]

If that's what ya think then all right, but if ya ask me he seems like the weak link in this chain.

[Not quite. But he could be!]

Yeah. Same here. Of course, we'll have to get a little more creative than usual, considering all of my weapons have been tampered with somehow.

[But at least most of them are still somewhat useful. Except for the squeaky toy, which he's saving to give to Monroe at some point when it's more appropriate to be a jackass.]

If nothing else, we know more about him than any of the others.

Yers too? Seems like they're messin' with all our stuff.

[The biggest problem Reese faces right now is his condition. As long as he's like this he's only useful for gaining intel.]

We know he was held prisoner fer somethin' they didn't like here. That still ain't too much, unless he told ya somethin' more down there.

It's not just weapons, either. It's - abilities, magic, whatever you want to call it, too.

[Not so much for Nick himself, though he has noticed it a bit, but more in people like Monroe and Julian.]

Just that he stepped on Deior's toes, and was in trouble for 'aiding a fugitive.' The way I see it, he's either learned his lesson and isn't going to be eager to help anyone any time soon, or - well. He's done it once already. Not sure which it is yet, though.

Yeah, noticed that too.

[They've stripped him of his magic and without it, he feels empty. A part of himself is gone, and important part, and he's got no idea how to get it back.]

Sittin' here and guessin' won't do us any good. If we wanna know we're gonna haftah go fer it.

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