[Honestly, Accelerator is just grateful there isn't some misguided outpouring of sympathy. That would be incredibly undeserved and only the guilt that still looms over him even worse. Five being casual about it all makes this easier to keep talking; his understanding means they can skip over the abject horror a regular person would be feeling.
He sighs, closing his eyes for a moment.]
I think a part of me always knew.
[Kids disappearing when he was younger, being separated from his classmates when his ability fully manifested, trying to talk to the Sisters when there was absolutely no point in him doing so.... Of course he knew. How could he not?]
But at some point you must have decided it was enough. I know people who would rather lie down and accept their fate, and they're not around anymore! Unsurprisingly.
[ He can see how it might be difficult for a kid who's not known anything else to start questioning what's happening around him. Honestly, good on him for breaking away. If he hadn't, he'd probably have ended up the same as Four. Disappeared without a trace. Five could never figure that guy out, not what made him so resigned nor why he had no will in him to fight. It was pathetic to watch. They may have shared a face but they were nothing alike. ]
[Five's conclusion isn't wrong. At one point he decided it was enough, one very particular point that he isn't going to forget for the rest of his life.]
Yeah. This third string knocked some sense into me. [Literally. He's never going to have any regrets over Kamijou Touma punching him out that night in the train yard.] And then....
[And then a little girl needed his help, and he didn't help her until it was nearly too late. But she's okay now, and that's what matters.
Of course, he falters when it comes to explaining Last Order. The words get stuck in his throat, and he isn't sure if he wants to keep going. He isn't sure if he should, so he switches gears, glancing over.]
[ He arches a brow when Accelerator trails off and turns the question around, but he ultimately shrugs and answers. ]
What? You mean when I caught on? They weren't exactly subtle when they were threatening me with execution.
[ His situation was a little different. First, he wasn't a kid brought up in their system who didn't know any better. Second, they told him he was dead if he failed and they didn't stutter! That kind of thing should set off alarm bells in anyone...unless you were Enhanced Person No. 4, apparently. But not to speak (too) ill of the dead. Four might have had the personality of a wet mop, but he deserved better. The witches in charge are the real villains here. ]
You wake up with no memories, somebody else's face, and get told you agreed to have your body messed with? It was fishy as hell from the beginning. I only went along with their plans because I thought it could benefit me.
[ There was no sudden or slow dawning moment of realization for him. He had been too perceptive to fall for it and too unscrupulous to refuse cooperation, but the simple heart of the matter is he'd been afraid of winding up dead. ]
[The frown already creasing Accelerator's face only increases as he listens, though he supposes he shouldn't be surprised. Peil made sure that their bases were covered so that any test subjects would have a near-impossible time backing out. How could any of them do that without their memories? They'd have no option but to believe the damn company. It's infuriating knowing all of this was going on.
He exhales roughly, giving a slight wince when that jostles his side.]
They really went to extremes to make sure you had no other options.
[It's going to take a lot of self-control to avoid going to Peil headquarters and trashing the place when he's healed up. For now he tries to put any violent thoughts at the back of his mind, focusing on another question.]
Did you ever try to come up with a plan to get out?
[Not that one would have been successful, but he's still curious.]
Who knows. Maybe Peil was the better option at one point. [ He holds up a finger and waggles it. Hear him out. ] I can't know what my past self was thinking, but from what I can piece together, it was worth changing my face for.
[ There's no guarantee his life had been any better before the experiments. The lab did away with most of his memories, but not all of them, and what vague glimpses remained pointed to one thing: he needed that new identity. Would it be odd to say he trusts himself to have made the best call he could at the time? Sure, maybe Peil had left out crucial details and misled him on what the job entailed, but he doesn't like thinking of himself as a victim in their schemes. That makes him seem helpless when he believes he's always been resourceful. ]
If you didn't step in, I would've given them the slip one way or another, but I wasn't planning on such a dramatic exit.
[ He shoots Accelerator a look. Indeed, in some other universe where he continued to botch his job, he would've quietly leveraged what he knew and gone into hiding, but this isn't that universe. ]
If I had fancy powers, maybe it would've been a different story. Is that how you got away?
[Objectively, Accelerator knows that logic is sound. Some people's lives are so horrible that this option, as awful as it is, is the better choice between the two. But subjectively it's easier for him to quietly disagree, to just keep on thinking Peil only manipulated some poor kid into being a test subject.
Accelerator shifts a little at the smarminess, briefly glancing away. Yeah, he can't really argue that exit was dramatic. As much as he refuses to admit it, he's the kind of person who can get very theatrical when he gets going. Maybe that's part of the reason why he chose to help in this way? Of course, saying that would mean acknowledging his inner theatre kid and that is so uncool, so he only clears his throat a little.]
They helped, yeah. [Honestly, if it wasn't for his ability he'd have likely ended up in some Child Error corpse pit years ago.] The higher ups and other people tried to get around it, so sometimes I had to get creative, but I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for my esper ability.
[ Five probably won't let that go anytime soon. Not because he has a real problem with their exit (minus the getting shot and almost dying part), but because he likes giving people a hard time. He can be pretty theatrical himself.
But Accelerator gets spared any further teasing because he doesn't quite follow his next words. ]
Get around it in what way?
[ He could, like, exercise his imagination because whatever went on in that lab most certainly wasn't good, but consider him morbidly curious. ]
[There are several beats of silence where Accelerator seriously considers simply not answering that question. But... as much as he'd like to say the answer is a personal one, it isn't. Not really. A lot of people back home know about the choker and limited use of his ability. It may not be common knowledge, but all the powerful people know, so keeping it to himself is kind of pointless.
Drawing in a slow breath, he reaches up to tap the small black device around his neck.]
This thing. It fills in for some missing brain function and lets me use my ability, but it's limited and can be screwed with if you know what you're doing.
[He looks a bit pissed as he continues his explanation.]
For a while the higher ups could limit its function remotely or shut it off entirely, so if I did something they didn't like they could shut me down. It was a huge pain in the ass.
[ Five had mistook the choker for an accessory and had been a bit preoccupied during the escape to notice Accelerator fiddling with it, but now that he's seeing it with fresh eyes and understanding what it was really designed for, his stomach turns. It's fucked up, someone having that kind of control over another person's body. For once, he has no snarky or dismissive comments to make. He looks genuinely disgusted. ]
They not only messed with your head, they installed a twisted little off-switch, too? That's not an assistive device. That's a leash.
[Up until now Five has been pretty smarmy, so to see him actually drop that in favour of sincere disgust is interesting. He understand where he's coming from, especially since he doesn't know about the positives of the choker (that the Sisters came up with the idea, that they cared enough to be willing to support him even after everything he did to them). The corners of his lips tilts upwards a little, and he drops his hand.]
Guess so. I've taken care of that, though, so it isn't a problem anymore. [Sort of. Other people have been able to mess with him, but it mostly isn't a problem these days.]
I guess it's fine if it can't knock you out anymore... just be careful that tech doesn't get into the wrong hands.
[ Five's usually pretty perceptive, but he doesn't know what to make of Accelerator's expression. If it were him, he wouldn't want to keep a dark reminder of his past like that around, much less something that could potentially compromise him, but if it doesn't bother the guy to keep wearing it, then all the more power to him, he supposes?
His tone then takes on that familiar smarmy edge again as he adds with a grin: ]
It would be a pain if you tapped out on me again. We're not out of the woods just yet.
[Thankfully the technology isn't commonplace, even in Academy City, and as long as he has his crutch around for the built-in signal jammer he should be safe.]
Yeah, you're right.
[He sighs heavily. At least the two of them are used to life not being easy, though it's still a pain that neither of them can let their guard down quite yet.]
You got somewhere to stay while I'm stuck in here?
[Splitting up isn't ideal, though they have an entire planet to hide on.... Maybe the nurses would take pity on two kids and let Five hang around here past visitation hours.]
[ He replies breezily. After their harrowing escape, navigating an unknown planet feels infinitely easier. Even if it means sleeping on the streets or something, he'll still sleep easier than when he was in the company's clutches. ]
Besides, I want to have a look around and do a little digging.
[ If he needed to skip town, then it was better he knew where to disappear to. Moreover, he's curious whether Peil has made any moves. Would they report the intruder or keep the incident hushed? Drawing too much scrutiny to the lab would only spell trouble for them, and it's not like they can put up a wanted poster for their own poster child. That's probably the only benefit to not having an identity and wearing someone else's face!
And if they were too far away for any news to reach the planet? That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing either. ]
Depending on where we ended up, it might even be possible to put you in touch with your people. Unless your title's just for show, you've got to have some contacts willing to pick you up, right?
[As dangerous as that sounds, digging up some additional information (or rather, dirt) sounds pretty damn useful. So while Accelerator can feel some mild concern welling up he only nods, understanding that the risk is worth the potential reward. The more information they have, especially on Peil's next moves, the better the position they'll be in to avoid some early deaths.]
Alright.
[They've got the beginnings of a plan, which is encouraging!]
Of course I do. [Now that they're in a hospital, it shouldn't be difficult to contact his administrative team back on Earth to arrange for a ride and payment for any and all bills they incur. He does give a momentary pause before continuing, though.] ... There's a chance Peil could intercept the transmission and trace it back to this hospital. We'll want to wait until we're prepared to deal with any potential shitheads showing up.
Then let's make the next move when you're on your feet again.
[ Because one esper versus whatever the company can throw at them? He's feeling fairly confident in the odds. That gives them a few days where they just need to lay low and not attract too much attention. Five rises to his feet, pausing only to share one more thought that occurs to him. ]
I didn't want the authorities involved and told the staff what happened to you was an "accident", so try to stick to the story!
[Accelerator makes a little huff at that. Once he's on his feet, which ad better be sooner rather than later. He's spent more than enough time in hospitals, thank you, and he's already feeling anxious about being stuck in here.]
Yeah, yeah. I'll try my best.
[A good medical professional would be skeptical of that reason, but as far as anyone knows they're just a couple of kids, so anyone who might be doubtful is probably giving them a lot of leniency. He can work with all of that until they can get out of here.
He shifts a little, tired, and a little hesitant to vocalize the other thoughts in his head.]
Don't do anything stupid.
[They're both in a risky position right now, and doing any investigating will put Five in an even more vulnerable state, so... that's just a bit concerning.]
Funny to hear that from a guy who decided it was a good idea to break into a secure facility alone.
[ Please, he's not the one lying in a hospital bed! That was a reckless decision as he's already pointed out. Will he ever stop giving him crap about it? Probably not anytime soon. The unfortunate downside of being acquainted with someone like Five.
He understands what Accelerator's really saying, though. He waves his hand in the air, dismissing the other's concern. ]
Worry more about yourself.
[ With that, he exits the room as nonchalantly as he arrived. ]
[Despite being used to spending time in them, hospitals have never been places Accelerator has particularly liked. He can admit it's several steps up from being dead or apprehended by Peil security, but only a few days pass before he's completely over the white walls and sterile smell and medical professionals constantly in and out of his room. The gunshot wound is healing nicely at least, and that means it isn't long before he's allowed to get out of bed and stretch his legs. As long as he isn't pushing himself, the doctor and nurses don't have a problem with it.
So he wanders around when he can, memorizing the layouts of different floors, remembering where emergency exits are located, noting any potentially dangerous chokepoints. It isn't that Accelerator is a paranoid person, but he and Five aren't out of the woods and it's better to be safe, just in case. He's had to deal with organizations like this in the past, and he wouldn't put it past them to pay some scumbags under the table to attack the hospital. Besides, this gives his brain something to do. It turns out recuperating is incredibly boring, and since he doesn't have access to any of his board chairman work he needs something to keep himself occupied.
That also means he finds himself looking forward to Five's visits which, for him, is pretty fucking strange. He isn't a sociable person but having Five as company is kind of... nice? He isn't boring, and only occasionally aggravating. Maybe it's because he has more in common with the other boy than he does most other teenagers, but it's easy to talk to him. At the very least, Five's presence makes things a lot less boring, and he can appreciate that.
Today is one of those days where he's feeling overly restless, so he's itching to go do some exploring. The hospital has issued him some pyjamas and slippers, and he's already sitting on the edge of his bed as he impatiently waits for Five to show up.]
[ Five, on the other hand, has had plenty to occupy himself with, starting with getting the lay of the land and chatting up the locals for information. Luckily, the city they landed in turns out to be a large enough international hub that a displaced kid hardly sticks out and he can move about without issue. Being broke, however, meant a lot of scrounging around for food to eat and places to sleep, but he'll take being a vagrant over being locked up any day.
Eventually, he happens on a university campus where he can blend in with the student population and make use of their facilities. It gives him a sense of deja vu, but more importantly, it means he can access the public network. He skims what's in the news and runs a few searchs for Peil, their current distance from Earth, and what travel ordinances are in place. Because he has no shame when it comes to snooping, he also looks up Accelerator and Academy City. What turns up tracks with what he's been told, but public records paint a rosier picture. There's no mention of the dark side of esper experimention, which doesn't surprise him in the least. The student lounge also happens to be a great place to catch a nap without anyone asking questions. By the time he heads back to the hospital for his daily visit, he's looking well-rested.
Five arrives sipping complimentary coffee from the hospital lounge. He casually tosses a tourist guide to the city onto the bedside table. He can tell someone's been getting restless being cooped up over the days. ]
[It's a subtle shift, but when Five arrives Accelerator perks up slightly. The next while, at least, won't be as boring as this morning was, so he's happy about that. He eyes the coffee for a moment before turning his attention to the book.]
... Seriously? [Reaching over to pick it up, he scrutinizes the cover. A tour guide? It's hard to tell if this is a joke or meant to be useful for their current situation, or a weird combination of both of those things.] I'm not the kind of person who takes vacations.
[He adds in a dry tone, despite the fact that he's immediately starting to flip through it. Reading is Accelerator's only real hobby and a book's a book. There's no reason not to read it, especially since he doesn't have much else to do while recuperating.]
[ He parrots back with no small amount of judgment. A teenager who's already a bigwig and workaholic at his young age. Can't relate. Five would rather be on vacation. The way Accelerator says it with a straight face makes Five's lips curl in amusement, and even moreso when Accelerator begins to flip through the book. He'd grabbed the guide because he figured he would either appreciate having something to do with all his spare time or it would drive him mad being stuck inside seeing the city through its pages. Either outcome is acceptable. His sense of humor might be a little twisted.
Five drags a chair over and turns it backwards to sit on, folding his arms over the head. ]
You should try hiring a body double and skipping town sometime! I hear CEOs are doing it.
[A regular person would likely balk at the joke, and a small portion of Accelerator's brain that understands common sense quietly goes what the fuck, but overriding that is his own sense of black humour. Instead of being appalled or concerned (isn't humour a coping mechanism? Therapy would probably be a good idea), he merely sighs.]
I'll pass, thanks. Making someone else wear my face and take over my fucking job is a level of cruelty even I can't stoop to.
[ Consider this. Instead of therapy, Five gets his kicks from making other people uncomfortable. ]
Must be a real shitty job! Can't imagine why anyone would want to tie themselves down with it.
[ He grins when Accelerator doesn't recoil at the innate horror in his joke but instead leans into it. It's not the kind of humor that can land with just anyone. Five takes a sip of his drink. In any case, he doesn't see the point in skirting around his past or sanding down the uglier parts to make it easier for others to handle. He's not looking for pity or consolation, either. It's enough to finally say it out loud and have someone get it without making a fuss. ]
[Sadly, Accelerator is aware of just how satisfying it can be to openly talk about something horrific without having to brace for pity. That's something he isn't a fan of, whether it's giving it or receiving it.
He snorts lightly, setting the guide on the bed and grabbing his crutch.]
It's called being responsible. [As if this was a completely normal level of responsibility for someone his age.] It's better that I deal with it than let someone else suffer through it. Or worse, let one of those sharks on the board of directors take over.
[The city isn't in a great state for kids who have been abandoned or fallen through the cracks, but ones with families get along just fine. He can't imagine how bad things would get if one of the directors took over.
Getting to his feet, he only needs a moment or two to make sure his side isn't going to cause him any unnecessary pain, then gives Five a pointed look. He can smell that coffee, man.]
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He sighs, closing his eyes for a moment.]
I think a part of me always knew.
[Kids disappearing when he was younger, being separated from his classmates when his ability fully manifested, trying to talk to the Sisters when there was absolutely no point in him doing so.... Of course he knew. How could he not?]
It was just easier not to think about it.
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[ He can see how it might be difficult for a kid who's not known anything else to start questioning what's happening around him. Honestly, good on him for breaking away. If he hadn't, he'd probably have ended up the same as Four. Disappeared without a trace. Five could never figure that guy out, not what made him so resigned nor why he had no will in him to fight. It was pathetic to watch. They may have shared a face but they were nothing alike. ]
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Yeah. This third string knocked some sense into me. [Literally. He's never going to have any regrets over Kamijou Touma punching him out that night in the train yard.] And then....
[And then a little girl needed his help, and he didn't help her until it was nearly too late. But she's okay now, and that's what matters.
Of course, he falters when it comes to explaining Last Order. The words get stuck in his throat, and he isn't sure if he wants to keep going. He isn't sure if he should, so he switches gears, glancing over.]
What about you?
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What? You mean when I caught on? They weren't exactly subtle when they were threatening me with execution.
[ His situation was a little different. First, he wasn't a kid brought up in their system who didn't know any better. Second, they told him he was dead if he failed and they didn't stutter! That kind of thing should set off alarm bells in anyone...unless you were Enhanced Person No. 4, apparently. But not to speak (too) ill of the dead. Four might have had the personality of a wet mop, but he deserved better. The witches in charge are the real villains here. ]
You wake up with no memories, somebody else's face, and get told you agreed to have your body messed with? It was fishy as hell from the beginning. I only went along with their plans because I thought it could benefit me.
[ There was no sudden or slow dawning moment of realization for him. He had been too perceptive to fall for it and too unscrupulous to refuse cooperation, but the simple heart of the matter is he'd been afraid of winding up dead. ]
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He exhales roughly, giving a slight wince when that jostles his side.]
They really went to extremes to make sure you had no other options.
[It's going to take a lot of self-control to avoid going to Peil headquarters and trashing the place when he's healed up. For now he tries to put any violent thoughts at the back of his mind, focusing on another question.]
Did you ever try to come up with a plan to get out?
[Not that one would have been successful, but he's still curious.]
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[ There's no guarantee his life had been any better before the experiments. The lab did away with most of his memories, but not all of them, and what vague glimpses remained pointed to one thing: he needed that new identity. Would it be odd to say he trusts himself to have made the best call he could at the time? Sure, maybe Peil had left out crucial details and misled him on what the job entailed, but he doesn't like thinking of himself as a victim in their schemes. That makes him seem helpless when he believes he's always been resourceful. ]
If you didn't step in, I would've given them the slip one way or another, but I wasn't planning on such a dramatic exit.
[ He shoots Accelerator a look. Indeed, in some other universe where he continued to botch his job, he would've quietly leveraged what he knew and gone into hiding, but this isn't that universe. ]
If I had fancy powers, maybe it would've been a different story. Is that how you got away?
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[Objectively, Accelerator knows that logic is sound. Some people's lives are so horrible that this option, as awful as it is, is the better choice between the two. But subjectively it's easier for him to quietly disagree, to just keep on thinking Peil only manipulated some poor kid into being a test subject.
Accelerator shifts a little at the smarminess, briefly glancing away. Yeah, he can't really argue that exit was dramatic. As much as he refuses to admit it, he's the kind of person who can get very theatrical when he gets going. Maybe that's part of the reason why he chose to help in this way? Of course, saying that would mean acknowledging his inner theatre kid and that is so uncool, so he only clears his throat a little.]
They helped, yeah. [Honestly, if it wasn't for his ability he'd have likely ended up in some Child Error corpse pit years ago.] The higher ups and other people tried to get around it, so sometimes I had to get creative, but I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for my esper ability.
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But Accelerator gets spared any further teasing because he doesn't quite follow his next words. ]
Get around it in what way?
[ He could, like, exercise his imagination because whatever went on in that lab most certainly wasn't good, but consider him morbidly curious. ]
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Drawing in a slow breath, he reaches up to tap the small black device around his neck.]
This thing. It fills in for some missing brain function and lets me use my ability, but it's limited and can be screwed with if you know what you're doing.
[He looks a bit pissed as he continues his explanation.]
For a while the higher ups could limit its function remotely or shut it off entirely, so if I did something they didn't like they could shut me down. It was a huge pain in the ass.
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They not only messed with your head, they installed a twisted little off-switch, too? That's not an assistive device. That's a leash.
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Guess so. I've taken care of that, though, so it isn't a problem anymore. [Sort of. Other people have been able to mess with him, but it mostly isn't a problem these days.]
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[ Five's usually pretty perceptive, but he doesn't know what to make of Accelerator's expression. If it were him, he wouldn't want to keep a dark reminder of his past like that around, much less something that could potentially compromise him, but if it doesn't bother the guy to keep wearing it, then all the more power to him, he supposes?
His tone then takes on that familiar smarmy edge again as he adds with a grin: ]
It would be a pain if you tapped out on me again. We're not out of the woods just yet.
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Yeah, you're right.
[He sighs heavily. At least the two of them are used to life not being easy, though it's still a pain that neither of them can let their guard down quite yet.]
You got somewhere to stay while I'm stuck in here?
[Splitting up isn't ideal, though they have an entire planet to hide on.... Maybe the nurses would take pity on two kids and let Five hang around here past visitation hours.]
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[ He replies breezily. After their harrowing escape, navigating an unknown planet feels infinitely easier. Even if it means sleeping on the streets or something, he'll still sleep easier than when he was in the company's clutches. ]
Besides, I want to have a look around and do a little digging.
[ If he needed to skip town, then it was better he knew where to disappear to. Moreover, he's curious whether Peil has made any moves. Would they report the intruder or keep the incident hushed? Drawing too much scrutiny to the lab would only spell trouble for them, and it's not like they can put up a wanted poster for their own poster child. That's probably the only benefit to not having an identity and wearing someone else's face!
And if they were too far away for any news to reach the planet? That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing either. ]
Depending on where we ended up, it might even be possible to put you in touch with your people. Unless your title's just for show, you've got to have some contacts willing to pick you up, right?
[ And foot the hospital bill... ]
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Alright.
[They've got the beginnings of a plan, which is encouraging!]
Of course I do. [Now that they're in a hospital, it shouldn't be difficult to contact his administrative team back on Earth to arrange for a ride and payment for any and all bills they incur. He does give a momentary pause before continuing, though.] ... There's a chance Peil could intercept the transmission and trace it back to this hospital. We'll want to wait until we're prepared to deal with any potential shitheads showing up.
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[ Because one esper versus whatever the company can throw at them? He's feeling fairly confident in the odds. That gives them a few days where they just need to lay low and not attract too much attention. Five rises to his feet, pausing only to share one more thought that occurs to him. ]
I didn't want the authorities involved and told the staff what happened to you was an "accident", so try to stick to the story!
[ Must be one freak accident ... ]
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Yeah, yeah. I'll try my best.
[A good medical professional would be skeptical of that reason, but as far as anyone knows they're just a couple of kids, so anyone who might be doubtful is probably giving them a lot of leniency. He can work with all of that until they can get out of here.
He shifts a little, tired, and a little hesitant to vocalize the other thoughts in his head.]
Don't do anything stupid.
[They're both in a risky position right now, and doing any investigating will put Five in an even more vulnerable state, so... that's just a bit concerning.]
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[ Please, he's not the one lying in a hospital bed! That was a reckless decision as he's already pointed out. Will he ever stop giving him crap about it? Probably not anytime soon. The unfortunate downside of being acquainted with someone like Five.
He understands what Accelerator's really saying, though. He waves his hand in the air, dismissing the other's concern. ]
Worry more about yourself.
[ With that, he exits the room as nonchalantly as he arrived. ]
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So he wanders around when he can, memorizing the layouts of different floors, remembering where emergency exits are located, noting any potentially dangerous chokepoints. It isn't that Accelerator is a paranoid person, but he and Five aren't out of the woods and it's better to be safe, just in case. He's had to deal with organizations like this in the past, and he wouldn't put it past them to pay some scumbags under the table to attack the hospital. Besides, this gives his brain something to do. It turns out recuperating is incredibly boring, and since he doesn't have access to any of his board chairman work he needs something to keep himself occupied.
That also means he finds himself looking forward to Five's visits which, for him, is pretty fucking strange. He isn't a sociable person but having Five as company is kind of... nice? He isn't boring, and only occasionally aggravating. Maybe it's because he has more in common with the other boy than he does most other teenagers, but it's easy to talk to him. At the very least, Five's presence makes things a lot less boring, and he can appreciate that.
Today is one of those days where he's feeling overly restless, so he's itching to go do some exploring. The hospital has issued him some pyjamas and slippers, and he's already sitting on the edge of his bed as he impatiently waits for Five to show up.]
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Eventually, he happens on a university campus where he can blend in with the student population and make use of their facilities. It gives him a sense of deja vu, but more importantly, it means he can access the public network. He skims what's in the news and runs a few searchs for Peil, their current distance from Earth, and what travel ordinances are in place. Because he has no shame when it comes to snooping, he also looks up Accelerator and Academy City. What turns up tracks with what he's been told, but public records paint a rosier picture. There's no mention of the dark side of esper experimention, which doesn't surprise him in the least. The student lounge also happens to be a great place to catch a nap without anyone asking questions. By the time he heads back to the hospital for his daily visit, he's looking well-rested.
Five arrives sipping complimentary coffee from the hospital lounge. He casually tosses a tourist guide to the city onto the bedside table. He can tell someone's been getting restless being cooped up over the days. ]
Brought you a souvenir!
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... Seriously? [Reaching over to pick it up, he scrutinizes the cover. A tour guide? It's hard to tell if this is a joke or meant to be useful for their current situation, or a weird combination of both of those things.] I'm not the kind of person who takes vacations.
[He adds in a dry tone, despite the fact that he's immediately starting to flip through it. Reading is Accelerator's only real hobby and a book's a book. There's no reason not to read it, especially since he doesn't have much else to do while recuperating.]
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[ He parrots back with no small amount of judgment. A teenager who's already a bigwig and workaholic at his young age. Can't relate. Five would rather be on vacation. The way Accelerator says it with a straight face makes Five's lips curl in amusement, and even moreso when Accelerator begins to flip through the book. He'd grabbed the guide because he figured he would either appreciate having something to do with all his spare time or it would drive him mad being stuck inside seeing the city through its pages. Either outcome is acceptable. His sense of humor might be a little twisted.
Five drags a chair over and turns it backwards to sit on, folding his arms over the head. ]
You should try hiring a body double and skipping town sometime! I hear CEOs are doing it.
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I'll pass, thanks. Making someone else wear my face and take over my fucking job is a level of cruelty even I can't stoop to.
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Must be a real shitty job! Can't imagine why anyone would want to tie themselves down with it.
[ He grins when Accelerator doesn't recoil at the innate horror in his joke but instead leans into it. It's not the kind of humor that can land with just anyone. Five takes a sip of his drink. In any case, he doesn't see the point in skirting around his past or sanding down the uglier parts to make it easier for others to handle. He's not looking for pity or consolation, either. It's enough to finally say it out loud and have someone get it without making a fuss. ]
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He snorts lightly, setting the guide on the bed and grabbing his crutch.]
It's called being responsible. [As if this was a completely normal level of responsibility for someone his age.] It's better that I deal with it than let someone else suffer through it. Or worse, let one of those sharks on the board of directors take over.
[The city isn't in a great state for kids who have been abandoned or fallen through the cracks, but ones with families get along just fine. He can't imagine how bad things would get if one of the directors took over.
Getting to his feet, he only needs a moment or two to make sure his side isn't going to cause him any unnecessary pain, then gives Five a pointed look. He can smell that coffee, man.]
Come on, I need something to drink.
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