2nd Cut -- [Visual - reflective surface] -- [around 7:00am]

[twopercent]

[Visual, much like Paul Ben's last night, of what is actually a fairly nice room with plush carpeting and wallpaper. And Jack, completely naked, who has managed to pull the desk he's cuffed to over close enough to the wall to awkwardly scrape his numbers into the wallpaper with the metal edge of the cuff. It's crazy, but there's nothing else he can do... and being crazy is pretty low on his list of concerns now.

It's clear Jack's been in a fight recently from the scrapes, bruises... and he's also completely missing an arm, although it's clear that's a much older injury from months and months ago. He also has a few incongruous burn marks and is half-soaked, as is the carpet around the desk. In short, he just does not look in good shape at all, painfully sore and and close to passing out from exhaustion and lack of sleep.

There's nobody else in the room, though, and no obvious immediate danger.]

Listen. I'm not sure how much time I have. Whatever's coming, though... they think we don't have a chance. Not even close. Just trying to make it easy for them to take over. I still don't know who... or what it is.

[bitter laugh, thinking back on his initial confrontation]

Crazy bastard.. caught the bullet.

The General's probably out there, trying to get more intel on the network now. Sounds like they don't have anything to do with it... and want to know more. Who's involved, how many. I can hold out... but make sure they don't uncover anything out there.

[God, what else. Jack racks his brain trying to think of anything else useful to pass along -- but there wasn't much, and his mind is muddled, wild memories jostling up against current reality.]

If you get this message, let me know you copy. Not keeping the channel open long... I'm scratching out the number before they come back.

Comments

[Text]

[professorwolf]

[This shows up as typed across whatever surface Jack is using.]

I copy. You need to get out of there.

And we need to find some way to secure this network, or at least destroy the parts of it where we shared personal information, if they know about it now. This is bad.

[twopercent]

[If he wasn't so out of it, Jack would have a realy sarcastic response to that. As it is though, that's a little more effort than he can dredge up.]

Don't worry about me. I've got this.

[Got it, at least, in that he doesn't care what happens to him, surely that counts, right?]

Yeah. Only good part is they probably don't know where to start with... shit. They have my phone.

[professorwolf]

I would like to know how you've got it, if you don't mind.

Have you kept records of the network conversations you've had on your phone, or were they deleted after you closed them?

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

You let them know it existed?

[twopercent]

[Thanks Bakura, he already feels guilty enough.]

I thought they might've been involved somehow. Everything started with it... but I was wrong.

[shiromadoushi]

[[Sorry there, Jack. Bakura's destabilized and you're getting the focus of his anger]]

After what happened yesterday why the hell did you think that was a good idea, you idiot?!

[horrorterribubble]

you unbelievable fuckin moron

if you die doin this stupid shit i'm gonna laugh

[twopercent]

Heh. I think they're planning on keeping me alive for a while... [...unfortunately.]

[horrorterribubble]

OH MY GOD i can't believe this

we had one fucking up on these freaks and you ruined it!

[voice on his end, probably transcribed to text?]

[comparative_insanity]

[He's having trouble breathing properly, but nonetheless this is a bit too important not to reply.]

Well, at least we don't know if they can use this thing. I mean, no one who hasn't got this number in their head has tried, right? And that- that kid's link died when-

[Okay, he really feels like throwing up.]

Just try to... to stay safe.

[who even knows how this crazy shit works, I tell you]

[twopercent]

I don't think we want to give them the chance to try.

[He gets the sentiment, but something about the incongruity of being told to 'stay safe' under the circumstances... well, Jack doesn't laugh, but he does think it's funny, in a dark kind of way.] You too. If... it's any consolation, I don't think they're gonna kill me.

[crazy shit yo]

[comparative_insanity]

No we don't. But at least there's a big chance that even if they do, they won't succeed.

[Fay just really wants for this to not be a thing that is happening.]

It is, but... God, I hope we can get you out of there somehow.

[dorkytracksuit]

You told them about the network?!

[twopercent]

I thought... [Jack sighs] I thought I had a chance to clear up what was going on. But I didn't. I never had a chance.

[dorkytracksuit]

You went to one of the people that had a hand in that kid's death and WILLINGLY told them about the only thing we got going for us right now?! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE.

[Text]

[chalicejoker]

Trust no one in charge any farther than I can throw them. Got it. Pretty sure I got it when that guy died.

You need any help?

[Hajime likes text. So much easier to sound like he is perfectly calm and cool about everything instead of being kind of freaked out at all of this.]

[twopercent]

No. I'll be fine. Stay clear of the base. It's too dangerous.

[Fine is a pretty relative term. Jack wishes he had more information to offer, anything that would have made it worthwhile...]

[chalicejoker]

You really think they're going to let you go?

[This is all way, way more than Hajime ever thought he'd have to handle, but he's attempting to man up here even if he's secretly relieved he's being told to stay away.]

audio

[struckout]

[ ... Well, isn't Kallie glad she chose to give a false name now? Save for, you know, the part where this makes it hard to be glad about anything. She has no interest in watching another person die for the second time in less than 24 hours.

Incredulously: ]

Did you go to them?

[twopercent]

[Yeah, that was probably a good move Kallie. Jack's worn out, and even an incredulous voice is enough to make him more subdued, withdrawn.]

Someone had to go take care of the General. It just... didn't work out like I planned.

[struckout]

[ 'Take care of' the General... Kallie doesn't even want to know what that means.

All that matters is that now they - whoever they are - know about the network too, and all she can think about it how stupid this guy Jack is for handing them that information. Silently, she just puts her face in her hands, frustrated; she already told herself that she had to do something, that she couldn't run away... but she has no idea what that something is. She doesn't know what she should do here when presented with another person who's been captured and very likely has no more than an eggtimer's worth of minutes left in this world. ]

[Voice]-[Written]

[shendude]

[The tone is grave and quiet, and only two words before it moves to text. Apparently the old man wanted Jack to hear those words.]

Brave soldier.

[And then it's handwritten.]

Chance of escape?

[twopercent]

[Not brave. Just stupid, Jack thought bitterly to himself.]

Not right now.

[ visual; mirror ]

[secondcomingof]

[ Seven in the morning.

It's seven in the morning. Why is he still awake? It's seven in the morning, he's still awake, and he's trying to ignore everything but it isn't working. Nothing is helping, it's seven in the morning, he's still awake, and...

There's a message flashing. On the network. A face he recognizes, reflected on a vanity mirror. He wants to turn away from it but then they start to talk and the more he listens the more he's forced to confront it. Just as before. Sooner versus later, his earlier advice to Jack mocks him.

Sluggish and weighed down by what feels like lead, the more he listens, the more he realizes something isn't right. Jack's bleeding. He's injured. Where's his arm? Why isn't he moving? What's happened? Soldier's instinct kicks into a hard overdrive and shoves the panic that's enveloped him aside, and he lifts himself from his self-imposed cocoon of sheets to blink, blink, blink at Jack's reflection. ]

Jack?

[ He rubs a hand over his face, draws closer to the battered image in the glass. ]

What's happened? Where are you?

Re: [ visual; mirror ]

[twopercent]

[Jack says it like he's trying to keep a good sense of humor about a terrible situation... but it really isn't working this time. His voice is quiet, maybe a bit more rough than usual when he responds:]

Tried to go take care of the General. Gather some intel. Didn't really go like I was planning.