Steamheart

PART 4.5, EPIPHANY

Jason stepped into the Hospital. It was Day 1 of his guard duty and he had been given simple instructions. Don't let them out, Don't let people in. He could (Attempt) to talk to any of the children or nurses, but never let the children free. He had decided to take an active role in this place, walking in with a smile. He wore the same gear he had before, minus the hood and mask. He began to wander the Halls, looking around to learn the place. Exploring the area, He found a Nurse talking to a crying patient. He walked over, looking at the two.

"Hey...what's got you today Francie?" The Nurse gently petted the child in the cell, sitting beside her.

"Today is the day I got here last year....." The child cried into the Nurse, shaking violently in their sadness. The Child was a short Irish girl. They had Red curly hair and a stained white gown. The gown was standard for Little girls in this Asylum, as they didn't want the children to feel out of place in straight jackets AT ALL TIMES, unless need be. The Child held the Nurse there for awhile, Just crying. "I still don't understand why I'm here.... I j-just want to go home...!"

The nurse looked to the door, seeing Jason there and gesturing him to come in. "Well it seems like your problem is that...you just don't feel like you are at home, you feel out of place because you are relatively new. This is the Newest Head of Security here. His name is Jason, and he is gonna be helping me and the nurses take care of you and keep you safe."

Jason knelt before the child, Offering a hand "Hi there, I'm Jason. What's your name?" He gave his best to give a warm smile.

The child gently took his hand, smiling back. "I'm Nia." They then looked back to the Nurse "Thank you Ms Vanessa."

After a little longer in there with her the Nurse and Jason stepped out, walking away together "So....Vanessa was it? What actually is wrong with that child.... To be here implies she's not ok. But she seemed not only sane but completely aware of herself."

Vanessa looked...saddened for a second. "For.... Reasons I cannot say I will not answer that question.... This is the final patient in my rounds today." she put on a smile, Opening another door. Inside sat a young girl, pure white hair with bright blue eyes. She looked no older than 6, with a wide smile. "Hi Ms Vanessa! Who is this?" she looked at Jason curiously.

Vanessa and Jason stepped forwards, looking at the Child. Jason spoke first, kneeling to her "My name is Jason Little one, i'm the new Head of Security. I'll be keeping you safe now."

"Don't you mean Alice? She's in one of the special cells in the Doctor man's offic-"

Vanessa hugged her into her chest "Shhhhh.... You seem tired, Cloud. Get some sleep." She brought her back to the bed and glared at Jason.

Jason approached the child on her bed, kneeling down next to the bed, Petting her head "Get some sleep little one. Relax and know that I'll keep you safe." He gave her a smile, sticking beside her until She fell asleep. Once he knew she was sound asleep he stepped out of the Cell, waited for the Lock....and Pinned the Nurse to the wall "What the hell was that child talking about?" a blade Flicked from his wrist.

Vanessa looked at him in fear, shaking already "I-in the Head Doctors office there is another secret c-cell block that houses the m-most important of patients! Alice is in there because of his book!"

Jason sighed. He let go of the doctor "I'm sorry, as of recent I've seen a lot of murderers... I was worried. I guess they need more help than the others..." he Turned away, trying to give this normal life another chance. He walked away and kept patrolling.

A week would pass. He would meet everyone around and all the sane kids. Constantly he wouldn't understand why they were here. They were all sane, if not a little misguided. And it got to the point that he Had to know. Outside the building he perched on the nearest high pillar. During his time he had learned to temporarily slow time for everyone that wasn't him, and how to Blink forward. New powers, New opportunities. As he saw Charles Dodgson finally leaving, He readied himself. He slowed time, Nabing the key and diving through the door in one fast move. Once he was in, He Fixed it and took a breath. It put a lot of strain on his head to do that and He now had a headache. But he needed to know. He slowly slipped past the Night Watchmen. Once past them he slipped into Charles office, and started poking around. He had taken the Skeleton Key, and it allowed him access to everything. He began looking through papers, and files. He found the File for everyone he Met. All clearly fake. Cloud was deemed on her paper "A threat to herself who needs severe treatment." despite being the most happy and friendly person Jason had ever met. The Irish girl he met was deemed a Murderous Psychopath, even though she had been too scared to even calmly touch Jason's hand when they met. He knew they were lies. But he wasn't sure why. The more he looked, the less sense it made. Shipping fees, deals with underground gangs of the area, even mentions of Magic. It didn't connect at all. Until he found another note. His jaw Dropped.

Charles

You said I would have The white haired girl in the cell today, however I looked and nobody is here. Hasn't even been touched. Does this have something to do with the New security leader? Because if you stop supplying me with Children for my sales, I will stop paying.

James Gundark

Charles was selling them all off to people for numerous Jobs, Jason didn't even want to know what jobs. But one thing didn't make sense. What would be so dangerous for him to have Special cells for different people? Jason kept looking through the Desk, finding a button inside the top of a drawer. He pressed it,the wall nearby opening up. Feeling like this was the only thing that could give him answers, He stepped inside. Heading into the Abyss below.

After a long walk down a spiral stairwell, He came to a room. More accurately it was a very large hallway, with Metal Barred Cells all the way down the sides. The room's walls matched the Staircase, being all Red and Maroon bricks with Mortar in between the Bricks. There were 4 cells and at the end of the Hall, what looked to be a Vault. He would get to the vault later because he figured it was just Charle's money. Jason approached the Cells, all of them being Empty but one. A Black haired girl in a straight jacket sat inside. She was visibly shaken, and traumatized, and as Jason stepped inside to look at her, He recognized her. This was Alice Lidell herself, Being Something that Charles deemed dangerous because if it got out what had happened to her and where she was, She would be taken legally due to experience or illegally by kidnappers. He had read this upstairs. But he never read what happened to her. Jason walked over to her and lifted her up, untying her jacket and helping her move about. She said nothing, Looking at Jason with tears in her eyes, Embracing him while shaking. She had wire holes in the sides of her head, and visible scars on her fingertips that very much didn't look like imposed injury from others, but by scratching. The Bed had no Blankets, or even a mattress. Just a stone slab. And the room was mostly barren. He walked her upstairs and Set her down in the Office chair. "What happened to you, Alice? What did he do to you..?"

Alice said nothing, staring at a wire. She looked deranged, truly insane. Like the people you expect to be in a place like this. He lifted the wire, a screen switching on nearby the middle of Charles' desk. Jason looked at Alice and held it out to her "I'm gonna put this in your head ok? I'm Gonna help you get out of here afterwards." He slowly connected it to her head, looking at the screen.

Alice was there on the day of the London event. But on the very VERY outskirts. Instead of being eaten away however, Her brain was eaten away somewhat. She became fully insane, deranged, and trapped in her mind. In a near lifeless state. Frozen at her age. She was transported to multiple hospitals before ending up in Charles' Care. Using technology he invented he opened her mind and began using her delusions to write his book. If anyone was to find out about what he did he would be put in prison so he locked her away, where she slowly gained her body back and subconscious movement. But to this day she is still trapped in her brain. Jason was about to unplug her but he noticed that she was forcing a memory back. A memory of Someone being put in the vault. No possibility to see who but the people bringing her in were the most heavily armored and covered guards he had seen in his life. Jason unplugged her, Lifting her in the air and sighing. "I'm gonna go back for whoever is in the vault. First, let me free everyone already in the cells." He brought her back to the entrance, sitting her down. Then headed inside, and walked down each hallway, killing the minimum wage guard people that refused to leave, and letting the agreeable ones go. Basically he killed one guy and the rest ran. After freeing all the children he pointed to a police Station "Follow me there." He led the children back to the police station and began helping them be sent to their homes as some were kidnapped, and the others to orphanages or even true hospitals. As he was walking out two Children ran up to him. The first was Cloud, smiling widely and hugging him, the other was the Irish girl. Both were thanking him for sending them home and to places to find homes. While he acted as happy as he could, and gave them the smiles they wanted to see, he was skeptical on the inside. He didn't believe his job was done. He still had to handle Charles, and even the Hospital itself had an odd...pull to it. He Sighed, understanding he would never escape this life. All he could do was make sure that he saved everyone, And stopped every monstrous person he could. And Charles was number one on that list.