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Disclaimer: Don't own!
A/N: Hi everyone! I'm here to explain myself. First off, I know I haven't done the best job keeping Jack in character, not that anyone has really called me on it but I noticed myself. I do, however, have a reason. There has been a change in Jack that is screwing with his mind a little bit so he's not exactly completely in control. All shall be explained in time and once he's away from the craziness he'll finally manage to act like his old self once in awhile.
Now that I've thoroughly confused my readers, let's continue to the fic!
The Great Escape
The door opened just a crack to reveal an abandoned hallway. The red-haired boy scanned the area for any possible hiding places. Not far down the hall he saw a cart with sheets on it and then a little beyond that was a supply closet. The only problem was he couldn't tell if it was locked or not, he'd have to hope that it wasn't.
He looked back the other direction, still no one coming. Jack looked forward and whispered to himself, "Well, it's now or never." And with that he slipped his thin frame through the bedroom door. He moved as swift and graceful as a shadow along the wall and soon he was at the cart.
Jack flinched as foot steps came his way. As quick as he could think he grabbed a sheet from the top of the pile and draped it over the cart while he ambled onto the metal above the wheels. Just as the sheet stopped rustling a tall woman with high heels appeared at the end of the hall.
The boy could see through the sheet and instantly he panicked. He thought to himself, Crap! If she's going to my room security is going to be on alert and I'll never get out. Please don't go into my room.
The woman came to a halt in front of his door and looked at her chart. Jack held his breath as she picked up her pen and scribbled a note against her clipboard directly in front of his room's door. When she finished her note she put one foot forward and continued walking away from the empty room he should have occupied.
A hardly audible sigh of relief came from under the sheet. He waited a few moments allowing the woman to walk around the corner while listening for any more foot steps. None came so he chanced a dash to the closet. He reached his goal but just as he expected from a cliché movie twist more footsteps were heard approaching his direction.
Hoping with all his might the door wouldn't be locked he reached for the handle. His breath caught in his throat as he pulled the handle up. It wouldn't turn. The footsteps were growing louder and two male doctors rounded the corner talking to each other. He hadn't been noticed yet but he would be if he didn't come up with something now.
After a few milliseconds of panic he realized he had turned the handle the wrong way. His sweating palm closed around the handle as he tested pushing it down he leaned heavily against the door. The handle gave and he was sent tumbling unceremoniously into the room.
Before he had a chance to get up the door closed on its own and the click sounded as loud as an explosion to his adrenaline induced heightened senses. He knew the two doctors would be attracted by the noise so he did the only thing he could think of in his trapped state, he searched for a place to hide.
The closet contained three carts with drawers most likely containing medical supplies. White coats hung on a rack and IV machines lined the wall across from it. Voices drifted into the closet, "Did you hear something?" "Is someone in there?" Jack could see the door handle move and his eyes widened as it began to turn.
One of the doctors opened the door and peered inside to find an empty room. Nothing seemed to be out of place except that a drawer in one of the carts was open. The man walked into the room and peered at the drawer with a thoughtful expression. When he closed the drawer he half smiled and turned back to his colleague. "It was probably just an intern who grabbed something in a hurry and forgot to shut the drawer. They are pretty fast when they're on a mission. Remember what it was like when we were interns..."
As the talking faded and the door closed once again by itself a pair of white bare feet appeared behind a coat as Jack slowly lowered himself from the second bar behind the first. "That was close." He sighed out loud.
Jack sat on the cold floor and finally had a safe chance to examine his wounds. White gauze adorned many parts of his body including the top of his right arm and left forearm. His right ankle also had cloth on it, as well as his left knee. Many small band aids dotted his hands and fingers. Lastly a bandage completely circled his torso and for the first time Jack noticed the dull throbbing pain under those strips of cloth.
With a pained eye twitch, the red haired teen then looked about and took in his surroundings. Since he was in a supply closet he should obviously be able to find a few, well, supplies. Of course supply closets would have medical objects but Jack never expected it to be such a treasure trove of mechanical devices. They had IV regulators, battery powered thermometers, and various other little gadgets.
He grabbed one of the extra lab coats and slipped his arms through the sleeves. Then he began gathering bandages and small electronic devices in the pockets. He knew he should take care of himself and if he was bandaged up that much he probably needed the care. In his search he came across a plastic pair of pants and plastic booties to go with them as well as a clip board.
Armed with a passable disguise, at least for 3 o'clock in the morning, Jack began preparing himself for his daring escape. Believing he'd found everything he was going to find Jack readied himself at the door. He put his precious goggles at the top of the pile in his already overstuffed pockets then opened the door and walked out.
One great thing about being tall and slightly arrogant, though at this time he didn't feel very arrogant, was he could easily pass as a young doctor. He even knew enough about human biology to be a bright med-student. Hopefully he wouldn't need to use the knowledge in case any nurse or doctor noticed his identity. Snow white skin, flaming red hair, and red eyes aren't exactly normal human features so he'd be rather distinguishable in a crowd. That's why 3 o'clock in the morning was a nice time, wierdos are out at that time and most people are probably too sleepy to notice.
Jack held his clip board in front of his face but determinedly looked just over it to examine his surroundings. Everything was white; the walls, the floors, the ceilings, even the counters; it started to freak him out a little.
He passed many doors before suddenly a hand rested on his left shoulder. Jack almost jumped but he managed to hold the jolt in his gut and turn around with a nervous, albeit forced, smile. The red head came face to face with a kind looking old man. He wore a white doctor's coat with a stethoscope around his neck. The man had white hair, a white mustache, and he was somewhat short.
"Why so nervous sonny? Is it your first time working the night?"
Thinking as fast as he could, Jack decided to use this situation to his advantage. He accented his feigned confusion with scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I was just wondering where the nursing station was, I got a little lost."
His new acquaintance pointed directly the way he had been heading, "You're in the right direction son, just keep going that way and you'll get there soon."
"Thanks sir, I'll be alright now. I better get back to work." Jack turned around and began walking again.
"Gosh son you sure look young, did you graduate early?" The man detained him.
Jack turned back to him after twitching in annoyance, "Yeah, I'm just a med-student but I've been the top of my class since like sixth grade." Okay so it had been since kindergarten but he didn't need to sound too extraordinary.
"That's amazing, you must be a very bright young man. I'm sorry, I shouldn't keep you any longer but you just look so young. Maybe I'm just tired." A withered hand reached up to his brow and he closed his eyes. "Well run along sonny, you've got better things to do than stand around talking to an old man."
"Thank you again sir. Good night." Jack continued down the hall before the man could catch him again. Damn he still looked too young to be walking around as an employee. He'd just have to hope he wouldn't be stopped again.
Thankfully Jack didn't get stopped and the closer he got to the next corner the more he could hear the gossiping voices of female nurses. Before he turned the corner he pressed his back to the wall and listened for Wuya's voice.
"Yeah, I think the administration needs to put healthier snacks in the vending machine…"
"I totally got screwed on my taxes this year…"
"Today, my son told me about his new girlfriend…"
"So Janise, you want to go grab some coffee?"
There it was, she's here. Jack heard her response.
"Sure Diane, but I should go check on a patient quick, I'll be right back."
Now was his chance! She would come back this way to go to his room then he could catch her off guard. Swiftly he leaped into another nearby supply closet turning the handle the right way this time.
This closet was a little different than the first. Two metal shelves lined the walls closest to the door but the wall in back was bare. He could grab her and pin her against it until he got her to spill.
Jack situated himself to jump out and attack at the sound of footsteps. He stayed poised to strike for a good thirty seconds before he began to wonder where she was. Curiously he opened the door slowly before it was ripped open and he found himself at the wall in the opposite position he'd planned on.
Wuya had grabbed him by the throat and held him off the ground by one hand, "Jack, what are you doing out of bed?" she tsked. "You're hurt, you need your rest."
The boy's hands grabbed her arm in an attempt to lift himself for breath. His world began to swim as tears rose from his lack of air. Twin streams ran from his eyes but the expression on his face was defiance.
Jack's tormentor released him and he fell to the floor gasping. "I'm sorry Jack," she didn't sound sorry," I just got a little carried away. I can't kill you but I can't let you escape either."
A white hand cradled his freed throat but he spoke in a hoarse voice, "What do you care? I thought I wasn't evil enough to be worth your time."
"Let's just say that I've recently changed my mind." She knelt next to him and held his chin in her hand.
Jack swatted her away, "Get away from me." Then he remembered why he needed to talk to her in the first place. "Where did you put my stuff?" He demanded.
Wuya faked confusion, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Red eyes stared skeptically at her and he smirked at her as he stood, "Next time you want to be sadistic," He pulled the goggles out from his pocket and twirled them on his finger, "try to do it without leaving clues."
She raised a hand in front of her mouth and had a cruel laugh, "Ah yes, your toys. I put them away Jack. I didn't think your goggles would help you escape."
"You keep saying how you don't want me to escape, what's up with that?" Then a thought struck Jack. He began to tremble out of a sudden rage. The shadows in the room started to waver and he leaped at Wuya in order to punch her, "You killed them didn't you?!"
Effortlessly she caught his fist. "Now now Jack, I didn't kill them. I can swear to that." Her sultry voice was still a cruel tease but there was a serious tone to it.
Jack couldn't seem to settle down even though she gave her word. He pulled back from her and began throwing the items off the shelves and on the floor. The tantrum didn't last long before Wuya blasted him against the wall with a green fireball. It was a weak blast so it left no mark; only slammed him against the wall, but that was enough to wind him and flare the terrible throb in his bruised ribs.
Her expression became serious and she warned, "You're going to have to learn how to control that new temper of yours." Her tone reverted back to sweetly condescending, "Now let me help you back to your room. I don't want to have to make you Jack."
He painfully gasped, "Stop talking like that." Another gasp, "You're creeping me out." Though it pissed him off that she hurt him like that, he was a little grateful it got him out of the berserker state. It seemed strange how he'd gone from calm and teasing to enraged in less than a second. "I just want to go home."
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that Jack. It wouldn't be good for you."
"Since when did you care about my well being? Besides these injuries are minor at best, my med-bots will be able to take care of me no problem."
"I care since you became of value to me Jack, now I'll warn you one more time before I take you by force, come back to your room with me."
Though Jack knew he was cornered and he knew she could overpower him with her pinky he glared at her anyway. She would have to take him kicking and screaming. As he stood rooted his eyes darted around for a moment and he managed to catch the familiar sight of a red, yellow, and black shell on the top shelf to the right of the door. So this was where she'd hidden the helibot and his trench coat.
Wuya moved one white heeled foot at a time closer to him. Jack made no attempt to run until she was within reaching distance. Then he side stepped her as fast as he could and reached up to grab the helibot. Just as his hand nearly closed around the shoulder strap a sharp tug on his neck sent him sprawling back to the floor. His ribs rattled once again and his mouth gaped open in a silent scream.
Wuya stood over him in seconds holding a green glowing chain which turned to grey stone. He felt something cool but gritty around his neck, a stone collar?
The tall woman's foot stood on something over his neck but since he felt no pressure on his throat there must have been a circlet of something over it. Already half dazed Jack could do nothing as she bent next to him.
"You should have listened to me." She scolded, "I hate to do this to you boy."
A sharp prick invaded his left shoulder and as the darkness invaded his vision he retorted weakly, "No you don't."
The last thing he saw before the inevitable sleep was her haunting confirming smirk.
A/N: That's the end of this chapter! I made a long chapter, how exciting. I hope you like it and I'm still sorry for knocking him out so much, I'm a horrible guilty little git for allowing myself such self-indulgence. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that will be the last time in a long time he'll be knocked out by injected sedative, but I make no promises. Reviews make the need to write another chapter grow stronger.