zerotohiro | [Week 4, Wednesday]

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[Week 4, Wednesday]

[With nothing left to do but wait until they could leave the room, Hiro found himself backed against a corner with fresh burns stinging his skin and eyes narrowed as he watches everyone else. It's not hard to see Fie approach her own door, and though he can't entirely see what happens he hears the onslaught of attacks more than sees it with his eyes.

Everyone's rooms are designed to torment them, he realizes, but it's a lot less fair when they're under attack.

Shifting slightly, he gets to his feet and heads for her door to wait, watching in the doorway when he knows he shouldn't. He doesn't know who she's fighting, but if he has to guess based on everything else he's bound to be someone important. And all of those bodies...

His limbs throb and the smell of smoke still wafts off of him and makes his eyes sting, but the moment Fie defeats her opponent and the room lets her go, he stops her.]

Fie. [It's not "are you okay", but it's close.]

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[ She's bleeding. Bruised knuckles, gashes on both arms, and a look in her eye like she's trying desperately to not think about what just happened-- like she doesn't want to register it, even if the sting of her injuries meeting the air assure her that something about this did indeed happen.

So when Hiro stops her, and Fie pauses to look at him, vaguely taking notice of the burns on his skin... she looks nothing like the calm, composed person he's usually seen. There's a distinctly haunted look in her eyes, and something that speaks of being heartbroken. ]

... Hiro.

[...

Okay, so perhaps he just ran through a literal wall of fire and burned himself pretty decently, and perhaps there's a bit of a fire behind that, but seeing this, seeing someone like her so utterly broken because of this stupid island sort of makes him wish he could burn the whole thing down.

This was it, wasn't it? This was their way of finally getting to everyone and he doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know how to fix this or how to fix people. He's not Baymax with his medical knowledge and he's not Tadashi with his ability to make everything better with words. Instead, he takes a step forward before he stops, debating before holding out a hand.]

...yeah. It's over. [He's not going to say "it's okay" because that would be the biggest lie he's told in this place, but he really, really would like to.] You don't have to go back. The door's shut.

[ Good. She doesn't even want to glance behind her, as difficult as it's going to be to forget the look in Rean's eyes, bright red and unfeeling for the one obstacle left before him.

Elliot and Alisa probably would have cried. Fie simply looks... lost, vulnerable in a way she hasn't felt even when the illusions had happened before. This had left its mark, physically and emotionally, and it's clear she's struggling to at least pretend that she can function.

Even when she reaches out, hesitantly taking his hand, and the movement of bloodied arm makes her wince. ]

... Yeah.

[There isn't much in the way of hesitance when she does finally reach out, firmly taking her hand and gritting his teeth as his hand bends and morphs under burnt skin. It doesn't stop him from keeping a tight grip though and beginning to lead her away from her door. They don't exactly have far to go, but at least he can move them to the other side of the room opposite of her door, keeping her back toward it.]

I don't have much on me to help with your injuries, but some of the others might? We weren't given a lot of time before showing up here. [But he recognizes that kind of reaction and he's aware it's not the physical damage he really has to worry about. It's there, too, but there's something even more that requires immediate attention. It's why when they're far enough away he still doesn't let go of her hand and gestures to the ground.] Sit with me? [With your back toward the door, Fie. Ignore the door and maybe it'll go away.]

Don't worry about it. [ Her injuries, she means. Even with her arms dripping blood, it's not anything that's going to make existing and surviving for the next who-knows-how-long impossible.

But she knows what he's doing, and she chooses not to comment on it, only nods and sinks down on the ground. She's not interested in looking at that door right now, anyway. ]

You've really gotta stop telling me to stop worrying about stuff like this. [He briefly remembers her questioning the fact he was worried about her survival on this island and part of him wonders if Fie's really just not used to this. Given what he just saw though...

Well. They'll both settle to the ground and he'll keep her focus on him and not her door.]

Look, I know you're used to fighting but I'm kinda not? So of course I'm going to worry about it a little.

[ There's a pause-- and then Fie lowers her eyes, actually looking slightly guilty. ]

... Sorry. Getting injured usually just meant I wasn't good enough yet.

Considering what you were going up against, I think you're being a little hard on yourself. But what do I know? [There's a slight smile.] I just...these rooms don't really have a good read on what we can and can't do since they're apparently designed to mess with us anyway.

... You're burned.

[ Yeah, she noticed. There's maybe some concern there. ]

[...ah. Yeah. He settles for a hunch of his shoulders as he looks at his hands, shaking his head not long after.]

Like I said. The rooms are designed to mess with us and can't get a good read on what we can and can't do. [A beat.] I'll be fine. It...won't be so bad when they start healing.

... Soak them when you can.

[ Which may be awhile, but still. ]

I know...I'll see if there's a fresh water supply somewhere that hasn't been contaminated by corpse parts. I've burned myself before but this is a little different.

[A little?] How come you get to worry about my injuries but I don't get to do the same?

[ a careful raise of the eyebrow, but she won't pursue that curious thought. ]

You said it yourself-- you're not as used to fighting. People like that tend to have a harder time dealing with injuries.

[Fie, always pursue curious thoughts. That's how Hiro gets by half the time.]

As used. That doesn't mean I'm not used to training? I've never fought monsters like you or anything, but I've been sparring on and off for years. [It is hard to believe this noodle of a boy is capable of that, but here we are.]

Hm. You should spar me sometime, then.

[ Fie, you're both injured.

She's not going to doubt his words, honestly, because Fie doesn't look very capable either. ]

[Even with both of them being injured, he doesn't seem dissuaded by that.]

I'd be okay with that. Later. After we clean up a little. But I mean...only if you don't mind me being a little rusty. I haven't had a partner for a little while.

It's okay. I'm actually pretty patient.

I always sort of thought you just didn't want to bother with most people. But patience makes a little more sense in a weird way. If we make it far enough, we can practice then. Tadashi and I were training together for a couple of years, but don't go easy on me.

That's not really wrong... but you're not annoying, so I don't mind.

[ yeah, Fie continues to be blunt. ]

... Who's Tadashi?

[There's a slightly surprised laugh.]

Thanks, I think. I'll keep that in mind. [But ah...the laughter dies immediately and he allows his gaze to flick back toward his own room.] Tadashi's my brother. The one who created Baymax like I told you about.

The one you worked with. [ okay, right, she's on the same page. But she didn't miss the way he glanced back at his door, and it's in a quieter voice that she continues. ]

... Was he in there? Your brother.

Yeah. [And there's another pause.] ...yeah. He was. Not sure what that was all about or why the island would do this to him again, but yeah.

... I don't like how they seem to know us. And know what hurts.

It's just more proof to me we're in a simulation of some kind. There has to be a way it's picking at our memories and our fears and stuff. I can't think of anything else that really adds up. Think about the hallucinations from a few weeks ago, too.

Except this time, other people can see what we're seeing.

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