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bestdadinamestrisThere was no good way of telling how long Hughes had been in the Nexus at this point. He'd be trying to catch a few z's on a couch next to his phone booth home when the sky would go from the dark of Midnight to sunset. He'd read and heard others talking about the strange goings on of the Nexus as if it had a mind of its own. Honestly? Hughes was pretty sure they were right.
He'd spent most of his time here trying to get his phone booth to open up. Any method of entrance that he could think of, he'd tried - tugging at the door in various manners, trying to pry it open, scratching at the glass with his push knives, attempting to break one of the windows to open it from the inside. Hell, he'd even looked for a lock to try and pick. The only thing he hadn't tried was firing at it with his standard issue firearm, which he had only a single clip for on his person.
All of it had been for nothing. With each passing hour, he was more and more sure he wasn't going home, that all of the threads he was trying to tie together would scatter to the winds. It only made him more determined to prove himself wrong, but the constant defeat hurt. Now, however, he had help. Now he had access to a whole new set of options that someone as normal as him could never dream of doing on his own. This was his chance, and he wasn't about to blow it.
Hughes looked over at Katsuya, who had followed him over from the large table of sweets the officer had provided to residents of the Nexus.
"So, where do we start?"
He'd spent most of his time here trying to get his phone booth to open up. Any method of entrance that he could think of, he'd tried - tugging at the door in various manners, trying to pry it open, scratching at the glass with his push knives, attempting to break one of the windows to open it from the inside. Hell, he'd even looked for a lock to try and pick. The only thing he hadn't tried was firing at it with his standard issue firearm, which he had only a single clip for on his person.
All of it had been for nothing. With each passing hour, he was more and more sure he wasn't going home, that all of the threads he was trying to tie together would scatter to the winds. It only made him more determined to prove himself wrong, but the constant defeat hurt. Now, however, he had help. Now he had access to a whole new set of options that someone as normal as him could never dream of doing on his own. This was his chance, and he wasn't about to blow it.
Hughes looked over at Katsuya, who had followed him over from the large table of sweets the officer had provided to residents of the Nexus.
"So, where do we start?"
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Date: August 14th, 2015 11:17 pm (UTC)"What the..."
He can't even manage words right now.
Slowly, he turns his attention away from Katsuya and back to the phone booth. Or, rather, the large billow of smoke where the phone booth stood. Most of the barrier around it had been charred by the flames, making it all but useless. Not that it mattered, but Hughes was a little sad to see all of the hard work into getting it up go to waste.
As the smoke began to clear, though, his heart sank. The phone booth was in as pristine condition as it had been before Katsuya's attempt. His shoulders slumped and the inevitable depression began to set it.
"...damnit."
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Date: August 14th, 2015 11:25 pm (UTC)He can feel a headache starting to build. How would Maya handle this?Bad idea--Maya would unload every clip she had at the booth while cackling like a madwoman. Snrk. What would Baofu do? Katsuya falls deep into thought, pacing around in a little circle while he does so.
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Date: August 14th, 2015 11:56 pm (UTC)As he waited to see what Katsuya might come up with next, he flicked out another knife and wedged it between the door and the frame. This was one of his favorite pastimes while he tried to come up with a new course of action.
He ticked through all of the things he'd already tried as he kept prying at the door. Hinges, windows, cutting different pieces out of the booth to get to the inside, and now guns and fire. What the hell else was left to try?
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Date: August 15th, 2015 12:01 am (UTC)Katsuya takes a red handkerchief out of his front pocket and wraps it carefully over his hand before making a fist. He rears back and puts his full strength into punching the glass as hard as he can.
Not even a dent.
The officer can't help the small groan of frustration as he shakes his hand, pulling off the handkerchief and rubbing his knuckles before falling back into his pacing.
"We can't force it open. There has to be another way."
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Date: August 15th, 2015 12:11 am (UTC)"What else is there to try? If we can't force it open, are we supposed to try talking it into opening? Didn't notice any ears on it, but hey, if you think it would work." He's just being petulant now. All of this effort being for naught has him in a bad mood.
With a sigh, he crosses his arms in front of his chest and glares at the phone booth. "I wish I'd walked back to my office to make that damn call. With all the headache this has caused me, it could've waited." Another sigh. "I'm never using a phone booth again."
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Date: August 15th, 2015 12:24 am (UTC)This was the Nexus. If the anti-violence fields were stopping them from forcing the booth to open, they would have to try something else.
"Do you still have enough change to place another call?" Katsuya glances toward Hughes.
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Date: August 15th, 2015 01:05 am (UTC)The rational part of his brain reminded him that he couldn't possibly jinx himself, because such things weren't real. The less rational part told him to dig through his pockets faster, you know, just in case. When he's pulled every last coin from his pockets, he holds them out in front of himself in the palm of his hand. He digs through them slowly, doing the count a few times over to make sure he isn't fooling himself.
"Just a little over..." His voice is barely above a whisper as he shakily reaches out for the door handle. All those hours of trying and now... He takes a slow, deep breath and gives the door a gentle tug.
It opens with ease.
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Date: August 15th, 2015 01:10 am (UTC)Katsuya's face splits into a wide grin. I mean, sure, there's a chance it will function as a phone and nothing else, but Katsuya's pretty sure if Hughes has a tangible target in mind, it'll work like Nexus portals are supposed to.
"And I wouldn't advise coming back without change. Just in case."
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Date: August 15th, 2015 01:31 am (UTC)"Come on, come on, come-- Gracia? Is that--" There's a large number of emotions that quickly wash over Hughes' face. Relief, happiness, a touch of panic, and then, finally, a contented calm. By all that could be considered holy it's good to hear his wife's voice again.
"Listen, honey, I'm sorry about all this. I'll explain more when I get home." Pause. Slightly guilty look, then a smile. "I promise, I'm coming home."
As he continues to listen to his wife, Hughes looks out at Katsuya once more. His smile widens and he gives a short nod. The time to know for sure where this will get him home is now. He cups his hand over the receiver and whispers, "Keep it safe for me, will you? Don't tell anyone else how to get in."
He quickly removes his hand again and begins giving Gracia even more assurances that he'll be home soon and that, maybe, he'd get home sooner if she would let him get off the phone. With one last nod to Katsuya, he pulls the door to the phone booth closed.
And promptly disappears before Katsuya's eyes.
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Date: August 15th, 2015 01:45 am (UTC)Katsuya folds his arms across his chest and smiles. It was good to have a family to go home to. He hopes that this isn't the last he's seen of Hughes.
All that's left to do is to salvage what Katsuya can of the defenses around the phone booth, check his handgun has the safety back on, and make his way back to the more populated corners of the Nexus.