Daydreams and Disasters

Protect and Disturb

AN: For those who may not yet have encountered him, Krunch is a young poltergeist who came to the library with a shipment of his books. He was an overweight young man originally, who starved to death after falling into a deep depression at the hands of his classmates. His older sister tried to help him after their parents died but was unable to do so. He remained a poltergeist with a love of candy, until Mecha, Jamie's adopted daughter and Nancy's niece, brought him back to the light with some well placed friendship.

Protect and Disturb

The Head Librarian is a young woman, no more than her mid twenties, and she smiles as she beckons the officers in. Colin thinks she's kind of cute, with her floral sundress and two tone hair. It's a shame they're here to sweep the place for nonhumans. He'd like to stay and chat with the woman describing with relish the 30s era architecture. But of course some anonymous informant had told them that the RDB Library was harbouring fugitive metas, so instead of flirting he really did have a job to do.

"Miss Solo," Michael's voice is polite but firm, "If you would be so kind as to give us the full tour?" Nancy, as she introduced herself when they first walked through the door, smiled wider.

"Of course," her eyes twinkled, "Anything for the men keeping our beloved city safe." She gestures to the closest stacks, "Right this way!" Colin finds himself craning his neck upward as they pass the wishing well, trying to get a good view of the many floors that opened into the main area. Light streaming in through the glass dome above them fades as they walk further into the stacks, the old oak shelves towering over them and blocking the morning sun.

Colin shivers as the tomes seem to lean in over them. It's ridiculous, he knows, but there is the distinct feeling that the walls are closing in on them. He breathes a quick sigh of relief when they cross the full space and towards an open hallway. Metal grates at the side remind him of old stories of Capital's original hidden tunnels, buried beneath the current well known set. But this is even more silly, as the halls are clearly visible and well lit by... gas light?

"That's a unique choice." He comments and Michael rolls his eyes at him. Nancy merely lights up, excuse the pun, and starts chattering cheerfully about the renovations done to keep the library as close to the past as feasibly and comfortably possible. Colin loses himself in her tone, the sheer joy she obviously takes in her home.

"You clearly care about this place," Michael interrupts her as they walk deeper into the bowels of the library. The floor has started to slope downward and the flicker of the gas light creates shadows out of nothing. "Why would you harbor meta fugitives in it? Particularly one who has pyrokinesis?" Colin wants to smack him. Why pick a fight with their pleasant guide?

Nancy frowns, dark eyes sad and confused. "I'm not harbouring anyone." For a second Colin could swear that the hallway is darker and colder, that the lights flicker worse. "And I would never let a fire near the documents." She gestures to a fancy looking door at the end of the hallway. "The government document archives, officers."

Michael leads the way, reaching for the door knob while Nancy steps to the side. Cool air rushes into the corridor as the door opens and for just a second, a terrible liminal second, Colin feels more than sees the figure out of the corner of his eye. He spins, finds nothing but air, and his own creeping sense that something is not quite right.

"Officer?" Nancy gives him a concerned look and he realizes with a start that they had gone on ahead of him, that he'd lost time to a never-ending hallway that just minutes ago had definitely had an end. "You don't want to get left behind. It's very easy to get lost." He nods, shakes himself from his daze.