Robots Can't Catch You If You're On Fire [OPEN]

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

The hallway just outside the med-bay was a pretty convenient place to be dropped. Doc would have wanted to go there anyway given the state he was in when GLaDOS finally spit him out, still smoking, in an unceremonious heap on the floor. He sat up slowly, looking himself over, patting a few places to be sure they were out before finally slumping against the wall opposite the one he'd fallen through, a slightly hysteric grin on his face beneath the mask. After a moment's stunned silence he began to laugh. "Hah...haha.... ROBOTS CAN'T CATCH YOU IF YOU'RE ON FIRE EITHER!!!" he finally shouted, throwing his arms up over his head in victory and then promptly flipping the bird at the wall. "SUCK ON THAT ANGRY TESTING LADY!"

Comments

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

"You were being attacked with robots. And you set yourself on fire to evade them."

Hanging from a nearby ceiling was Spider-Man, confused and amazed at the smoldering ninja.

"I'll need to remember that when I get attacked by robots. So, ah... you look like you could use a good doctor."

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"Oh, well, I AM a doctor, so that works out nicely." Doc replied, peering up at the dangling Spider-Man with surprise on his face.

"Also, to be fair, the fire was provided for me. I merely jumped into it."

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

Now? Spidey was just gawking at this guy.

"You're a doctor. And you're dressed up like a ninja." he said, matter-of-factly. "Y'know, I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, we have a Council that has a book, a cat and Superman as part of it, and... somehow I'm a helper to a group of Power Rangers. Yet, here I am, surprised."

Yeah, he's trying to wrap his mind around it.

"...actually, that's pretty cool. A ninja doctor who jumps into fire willingly. Wolverine's got NOTHING on you!"

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"Wow, I think that might be the coolest compliment I've ever been given." Doc laughed, slowly climbing up from the floor, checking to see that all his limbs seemed to still be in working order.

"I get the feeling I've been out of the loop for a while if a cat is on the council now, though..."

"Uh, so you would be Spiderman right? Judging from the sticky ceiling hanging business."

[metalwebhead.livejournal.com]

"Hoo, boy. Are ya?" Spidey said, jumping down to join McNinja on the ground. "And yup, one and the same. Don't mind the costume. Gift from Iron Man. Has come in real handy."

"So, ah... need any help?"

[craaazyisland]

Steve was on his way to medical when he heard the shout, and it occurred to him that hey, being on fire was pretty easy for him. Then he wondered why he was acknowledging such a bizarre statement screamed across the halls of the ship. Man, people went crazier here every day.

But then he spotted where the voice had come from, and his eyes widened to see a familiar face.

"Dr... McNinja?"

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

Doc looked up, smiling in something akin to relief when he saw Steve just down the hall.

"Hey! It's you!" he said, before a hacking smoke-lunged cough into his fist tripped up his terribly articulate greeting.

His lab coat and pants were rather blackened, really, and he sighed as he surveyed them a little. "Uh, do you know where I can get some spare clothes?

[craaazyisland]

"Um... maybe in medical or science?" he offered. That was the only place he could think of to find extra labcoats. He approached the doctor with his usual Stevely wariness, but seemed to relax as he was convinced it was the real McNinja.

"Have you really been in with that bitch AI all this time?"

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"Define 'all this time'?" Doc asked warily. "Have I really been gone that long? I mean it FELT like I was doing those tests forever but there's no turn of day or night in that stupid lab arena thing."

He rubbed the back of his neck, then deliberately torqued his neck from side to side until he heard a ripple of satisfying cracks from his vertebrae on each side.

"...Don't try that at home." he told Steve, almost as an afterthought. "How have you been?"

[craaazyisland]

Steve was a little hesitant to actually define how long "all this time" had been. Months, by his count. "Well, it's... been a while," he finally admitted. "A lot's happened. I guess I'm okay, overall, though I wasn't for a while..."

He made a face and sighed, looking like he wanted to change the subject suddenly. "But really. Are you okay?"

[cow-abunga.livejournal.com]

"Well that's a helpful piece of advice." said the Tauren with the robotic arm, not the least bit phased about the doctor's entrance.

"Need any help?"

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"You don't see any parts of me still on fire do you?" Doc asked, blinking up at the Tauren standing above him for a moment.

"If you don't I think I'll be okay, but thanks for asking."

[cow-abunga.livejournal.com]

Cowabunga scanned him quickly. "Smouldering a little, but otherwise you're good."

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"Okay good, smouldering is okay." Doc climbed slowly to his feet, leaning on the wall a little more than he really would have liked to. Oh sitting down was probably good.

"Is the medical bay still that way?" he asked jerking a thumb toward the end of the hall. "I think I've been gone a while..."

[cow-abunga.livejournal.com]

Cowabunga nodded. "Yup. Still that way. And considering I've been here for a pretty big chunk of time and have never seen you before? I'd say so. Name's Cowabunga. You?"

[starlightace]

Well, that hadn't been someone she'd been expecting to see - no less in his current smoldering state. But the mage quickly dashed to his side. "Doctor?!"

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"Nanoha?" He blinked up at her, a touch surprised by mostly pleased, waving briefly before continuing to pat at a few still smouldering bits of his pants.

"Hey, how have you been?"

[starlightace]

"I've been," a telling pause, "...all right!" She offered him a slender hand if he needed help standing up. It was true, she'd mostly been all right - but her fiancee's evil mother was on board the ship, said fiancee had reverted to her 9-year-old self, and things were getting kind of hectic.

But that could wait. "Please tell me she didn't have you running mazes all this time."

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"...Well, yes, yes she did. She also reminded me constantly that my completion time was tons better when you were testing with me."

He shot her a wry grin through the mask, accepting her hand and letting her pull him back to his feet.

"Thanks." he told her, leaning a little more heavily than he liked on the wall. "I think I'm gonna go find an oxygen tank in medical. Maybe just.. breathe some of that till I don't feel so lightheaded. Want to come along and fill me in on what I've missed?"

[starlightace]

"I don't think it counts when I can fly," she murmured sheepishly as she helped him up, offering him a shoulder to lean on.

"I'd be happy to. What's the last thing you remember?"

(Med Bay hope this is OK)

[8wings.livejournal.com]

Anwei was in Med Bay, trying to write up a list of things they should ask de-aging patients. Were they ever in severe accidents, did they ever have open-cranial or open-abdominal surgery (that would be unpleasant, someone walking down a corridor and their body just opening up), past incidents of paranoia, mind control, delusions, doppelgangers...

She smelled scorched cloth, and looked up to see a man in a lab coat helping himself to an oxygen mask. She frowned: the man wasn't familiar, but he seemed to know his way around Stacy's equipment which suggested he had been here before. She hadn't heard about a pod pop. Maybe someone who'd regressed to a past medical career, and dressed the part? Or someone out from GLaDOS?

She tucked her clipboard under one arm, approached the man and asked diffidently, "Are you new here?"

( This is in fact totally OK! :D )

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"Old, actually. I got a little hijacked." Doc replied, wheezing a bit into the oxygen mask, holding it to his face with one hand and shrugging his burnt coat off of the opposite arm.

His eyes skimmed the unfamiliar woman head to toe, curious rather than lecherous, and gave her a sheepish half-smile by way of hello. She seemed like she belonged there, having been camped out there with her clipboard and all, and there was no sense being unwelcoming to fellow medical staff. Swiping his newly freed hand on a relatively clear spot on his pants he held it out to her to shake.

"Doctor McNinja. Forgive the smoke, I promise I'm not usually recently charred."

Re: ( This is in fact totally OK! :D )

[8wings.livejournal.com]

"Hiajacked by GLaDOS or by something else? There's usually something else waiting in the wings," she said wryly.

She accepted his glance as a given - she was wearing her grey military jacket over the skintight plantsuit, and she knew how humans tended to research everyone around them as possible company.

She recognized the name. "You were here before. I'm Anwei Ayles, Senior Medical Admin under Doctor Henderson," she said, returning the handshake. His fingers were strong, and their calluses rasped together at the touch. "And we should have a spare labcoat around here somewhere for you."

[wantstobebatman.livejournal.com]

"GLaDOS, we go waaay back." Doc told her, puzzling for a moment over the feel of her handshake and her rough palm. He was immmediately distracted by the happy prospect of a new coat though. Mild shock and sustained attention wern't always the best of friends...

"A new coat would be swell, I feel naked without it."

He paused, watching her for a second.

"So, it's 'Anwei'? That's an interesting name. That Gaelic? Welsh?"

[8wings.livejournal.com]

"Well, we wouldn't want you to feel that, not if you're going to want to get to work - and I expect you will." There were coats around here somewhere; she didn't think Miss Reinforce had made them, so either someone had gone through Weapons & Possessions and scooped them up, or unearthed them from some locker.

"Living People, from the planet Fle. I'm not human," she said, and yawned to prove it. Her mouth opened wide, terribly wide, round cheeks splitting back to her ears to show forty chisel-shaped teeth and a narrow tongue.

Always better to get that out of the way up front. The yawn wasn't quite as alarming as the smile, apparently.