(no subject)

[hundred_power]

Characters: Kotetsu and You
Setting: 3-16, then Floor 38
Format: whatever floats your boat
Summary: Kotetsu awakens in a strange place, and as usual, flubs up on the spot.
Warnings: Does burnt flesh require a warning...?

[Kotetsu crumples the letter in his hands as he lies on his bed, shaking uncontrollably. Could it be Ouroboros? They stopped Jake and Kriem, it should be all over. They were the masterminds behind it, right? If it was, then maybe Barnaby was here too. Possibly in a worse situation. Kotetsu had no personal dealings with the group, he just knew that what they were doing was wrong.

Obviously, he needed to find his partner. Thinking about it more, there was a possibility that Blue Rose might have been trapped there too. All this from chasing that creeper around backstage at a concert...

He groans, pulling himself up and finding that he'd been pried out of his super suit like a piece of tuna from a tin can. It doesn't look damaged, but he discovers why he'd been stripped when he swallows; there's a collar around his neck. Looking around more, he sees three other beds, and the trunks. This looks more like a dorm room and less like a holding cell.]

Nngh...come on...

[He pulls at the collar, but he can find no clasp or button to make it come off. His fingers bump the tubes and fumble over its smooth surface. While tight-fitting, he can still breathe. He ignores it for the time being to stand up. He needs to find somebody. And if he finds trouble, he's ready to go, even without the suit. Or so he thinks.]

---

Wild Tiger is thinking one of his younger fans must've gotten carried away!

[And that they're a mite crazy in the head. After those letters, it would make sense. 'I saved you. Let's all be happy here.' The floor supports the dormitory feeling, up until he walks towards the outer wall. Are those the clouds?]

This can't be right...

[The only way to get out of here is to keep going down, so Kotetsu returns to the stairs and descends. It appears that the power isn't working on the next floor. He stands there for a few moments, squinting into the darkness but being unable to make out anything. The breathing catches him, and he immediately goes into hero mode.]

Hello? Is somebody there? Are you okay? Don't fret, Wild Tiger will help you! Hang on-

[Kotetsu steps onto the floor with a bare foot, but quickly retracts it and hisses in pain.]

Gyaahhh! That burns! [It seems he stepped in some sort of weak acid. The skin on the bottom of his foot feels like it's on fire, though he's fortunate the substance hasn't eaten further. This causes a quick retreat back to the 38th floor. He stumbles to one of the couches so he can look at the damages.]

What is this stuff...?

Comments

[Floor 38]

[alephbet]

This is probably a bit late, but I wouldn't recommend taking a step off the staircase if you can't see where you're going.

[Aleph gets up off his beanbag chair and comes over to inspect.]

That looks pretty bad... At least it's just your foot.

[hundred_power]

Huh?

[Kotetsu perks up at the voice; turns out there is someone else in this crazy building. He laughs nervously.]

I'll be fine, it's just a little sore-

[He gently prods the ball of his foot with his index finger.]

Ooo.

[Still burning, but fortunately the acid is dried and doesn't transfer.]

[alephbet]

I can help with that, a little, if you promise not to panic.

[Hiroko would have been very good for this, having healing spells of her own. Aleph had to rely on his demons, which could easily scare someone.]

[hundred_power]

[Panic? Oh, he must be a fellow NEXT. It must be useful to have a healing power. Kotetsu could probably heal himself, but it's always been a practice of his not to waste his precious five minutes of power unless absolutely necessary.]

Ha, it'll take a lot to startle me. Don't worry!

[alephbet]

All right.

[Aleph presses a few buttons on the small machine hooked onto his arm, and a jackal-headed man appears.]

Anubis, heal him.

[The demon nods, and a glow of healing energy washes over Kotetsu. A Mediaharan was probably a waste on one person's single injury, but it was what he had on hand.

Job done, Anubis disappears.]

[hundred_power]

[Kotetsu doesn't audibly panic, but the shock is noticeable as Anubis heals him. It's a nice feeling though, and as it goes to work, his expression softens and he feels refreshed from head to toe. His foot looks and feels much better; he gives it a wiggle.]

Will you look at that. What kind of power do you have? I've never seen it before...

[alephbet]

[That could have gone much worse.]

I summon demons.

Floor 38

[hero_of_smiles]

[Well, Cross was just walking around when he found himself on floor 38. He was just hanging around there for awhile, when he saw some older man come bowling in looking like he just got a nasty surprise.

Curiously getting up, he walks towards the stranger. It doesn't take long to notice his injured foot.]

It's not very smart walking around in bare feet.

[He bends down to take Kotetsu's ankle and look at his foot.]

Uh, yeah, we may need to get you to the infirmary or something.

[hundred_power]

[It's pretty bad when you get scolded by a young person. But Kotetsu forces a laugh anyway.]

It's going to take more than that to stop Wild Tiger! Ooo.

[The flesh is still extremely tender and the nerves in his toes sting at the slightest movement. Not his best moment.]

What are you doing here anyway? Do you live here?

[hero_of_smiles]

[Not really scolding, just doesn't want to see people get hurt here.]

Wild Tiger? [He's not really sure what he means.]

Anyways you shouldn't walk on that. Come on, I'll help you get down to the infirmary. [Before Kotetsu can really object, he's slung one of the man's arms around his shoulder and grabbed the man's belt. The guy is like 5'10, Cross is 5'5, he needs something as leverage.]

Oh, I was just making my rounds again. Gotta make sure the monsters don't wander into the dormitories. But, uh....not really? I guess I kind of live here now.

[hundred_power]

Aww, come on, I'm makin' a comeback!

[He's gotten popularity back ever since he defeated Jake Martinez. Perhaps not enough.]

You've got to know Bun-er, Barnaby then...

[Kotetsu carefully walks beside him, trying not to put a lot of weight on his burned foot.]

...Monsters?

[hero_of_smiles]

Comeback? A comeback from what?

[Honestly, he looks even more confused. Even at the mention of Barnaby gets Kotetsu a blank expression.]

Sorry, I never heard of him. Maybe I'm not from your world?

[He begins moving, carrying Kotetsu's weight.]

Yeah, I guess you're new than huh? Well, I'm sorry to tell you this uh, Mr.Tiger, but you've been kidnapped like the rest of us. Apparently this tower does a lot of bad stuff to people, like experimenting on people here, and monsters attacking people. It sounds crazy, but it's true.

[hundred_power]

[So it is a kidnapping. Human experimentation makes it much worse.

But the boy baffles him. 'Not from his world'? What is that supposed to mean?]

Do you know who's brought us here?

Floor 38

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[Jade was just kind of sitting on the couch, her legs kind of crossed awkwardly as she fiddled with the fancy looking camera she was currently holding. But then there's this funny looking guy that's rushing back up the stairs, and looking at his foot or something?]

Evil little dark night bugs that eat your skin cells?

[Totally the solution.]

[hundred_power]

[Nobody was here earlier. Where did this young lady come from? He hisses as a sharp pain shoots from his foot up his leg, clenching his teeth and squinting before scanning for the source of the voice.]

Dark...night...bugs?

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[She is a tiny red ninja of course.]

Fo sho' man; tiny little creepy crawlies that scurry around the sidewalk at night, waiting for unsuspecting sandal-wearing victims to walk so that they can crawl up and viciously strike.

Supposedly there's a special mutated form that can even bite through shoes!

[None of that was ever true at all.]

[hundred_power]

Hehe, you've got quite an imagination! This was...corrosive.

[Kotetsu bends at the waist and looks at the bottom of his foot.

Shouldn't have looked.]

Ch!

[But he's not important right now. This is a suspect. Or another captive. Either way, she may have some answers.]

Who are you supposed to be? Do you live here?

[reddeadvirtuoso]

[She just kind of...watched as the guy checked his own foot, and tried to stifle a small chuckle.]

I'm supposed to be Jade Strider, number one Rock Expert, Faux Time Lord and Creepy Crawly-ologist. I don't actually hobo it up in the lounge here, I have my own room on the second floor. But it's boring as tits and my roommate's kind of a lamer.

[hundred_power]

[Okaaaaay

Please don't tell him Kaede will talk like this when she's older oh god

But she said she lived here. That's not the same as being a captive, right? She should have an idea of why he's here.]

I need to find the exit. Also, this isn't mine.

[He points at the collar.]

The housekeeping and maintenance staff are also doing a terrible job!

Floor 38. So late! ;;

[warriorscribe]

*After fighting off straggling monsters at dawn with his roommate, Enoch had gone to the lounge floor and just...parked himself on a beanbag chair. Not a couch, he didn't feel like being reminded of the one back in Meridian - it was the only other encounter with a modern couch he'd had, making for an unfortunately painful association.

It doesn't make brooding on a beanbag chair any less unhealthy, but the feeling of usefulness that came from clearing out the stragglers was wearing off. When someone cries out in pain, though, the nigh-immovable hero in him is brought to the forefront. Enoch is on his feet as Kotetsu gets himself to a couch, at the armrest as he sits down.*

Are you all right?

<3!

[hundred_power]

Huh?

[What a strange man. He has light hair like Bunny, but very unusual style in terms of clothing. Or armor. It's hard to tell what purpose it serves. It might be easier if Kotetsu wasn't distracted by his pain. He tries to be attentive though.]

I...I'll be okay, hehe. Just a scratch!

[warriorscribe]

It seems worse than that, from the way you moved.

*Kotetsu has a helper whether he likes it or not.*

[hundred_power]

I'll be fine. There are more important things to deal with.

[The man is welcome to help, but Kotetsu's not one to focus on himself. If others are in trouble, they get first priority. He'll find a way to deal with it. Hopefully.]

Like getting out of here, heh. What is this building? I've never seen anything like it before.

[warriorscribe]

*Right, he's going to be crouching down on the floor to get a better look at his foot. Blood or burns - he has some knowledge of how to treat both.*

I don't know if it has a name, but this tower doesn't seem to have any escape...

[hundred_power]

[It's a chemical burn from the looks of it, but nothing too bad for the long run. He'll live, fortunately.]

Then how do people get in if you can't get out?