revivalproject | Calibrations- I want out

Who: Billy Kaplan & Open
What: Calibrations
When: June 10th to July 10th
Where: Calibrations
Warnings: Depression, Torture, Bullying, Dark Themes in general due to his punishment

Those who have been inside Billy's mind before will find this set up...different. Whether influenced by the punishment he seems to be facing, or just the dread and anxiety he feels being tricked back into this place he was tortured before-(editors note: see however the hell long ago when Billy was lured down here alone, and tortured with memories until his magic created a whole other reality for a moment. fun times.)- it has clearly gotten to him.

The room is either some sort of prison or torture chamber, maybe both? Built from metal, there's rusty stains, and...is that blood? Billy is strapped up the wall, devices skewered through his ears and he's muttering spells under his breath, eyes squeezed shut tight.

There's a tray of bloody surgery tools left on a near by table, scattered files strewn about (is that a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo? That might be familiar to some...) There's an access panel by the door with a black screen, but currently any codes typed in won't open it up.

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She doesn't know any better. At all. These rooms are too strange, these spaces are pretty strange to her. How did any of this work? But what really gets Tae is... well, seeing Billy. Her little student strung up and hurting? Devices in her ears?

No.

"Billy," she says, quite distressed.

She needs to find some way to get him down!

Because of course he would end up here. In the place that he had had failed to be there for his brother. And Tommy was a bit sick to see it.

It's a dream. He knows it's a dream. And for now he nudges Billy's foot.

"Can you hear me, or do those really work?"

"Mm?" Billy opens his eyes in surprise, startled by the sound. "Tae-?" he says, voice sounding strange- shaky- but also sort of hollow. He can't hear himself, and it's disorienting to navigate.

He shakes his head at her despite the tight feeling in his chest. "You can't-" he says, "Just- just stay with me? Please?"

Billy foot jerks- or tries to, eyes opening to see his brother, and there's a guilty look on his face.

"...They only block me," he answers, voice having a strange quality to it. "We can just wait it out."

Oh Billy.

"I can and I will," she says with serious intentions, sounding concerned. "Can your magic get you down?"

At least they both understand what is going on here. It makes this easier.

"Is that what you want, B?"

He might go crazy if he has to stay here for an hour. This was just... a reminder of how he'd failed Billy that day.

"I can't...hear-" Billy tries to explain, and sighs, shaking his head. He tries to touch his shoulder to his ear to gesture to the device. "I need to hear my voice, and this...blocks it."

"I dunno if there's anything you're going to want to see-" he warns, knowing either is going to be a struggle for his brother.

"...I can't believe I'm back here. I'm so fucking stupid..."

How is that even possible? That makes her uncomfortable to even think about. That had to be so fucked up to even make! That's just so bullshit!

"I can't just be expected to leave you like this. You're my student. And you're one of the residents of the city I take care of!"

It takes some effort to keep calm, but Billy manages, taking a shaky breath so he can assure Tae- "...w-we're not really here. None of this is really happening. You're going to wake up in your bed when this is done."

"You're not stupid," Tommy hisses angrily. No one gets to call his brother stupid. Especially not his brother. Even when he was stupid. Which Tommy would call him. Okay, so Tommy got to call Billy stupid, but no one else.

"You saw it too, right? The Agrii that said we were going to go home? That's reasonable to fall for."

"And I saw this...place," Billy hisses back, angry with himself. They did something to him- he knows that much at least- to get him to agree, but still...he saw this was where they were taking him, and he willingly walked inside.

Not really here? Yeah, this doesn't entirely make sense but this isn't a dream she would have.

"I don't dream such, excuse me, fucked up stuff like this."

Tommy had barely even seen it. He'd felt...

"I hate this place too. Not as much as you," he says softly. He moves to lean against the wall.

"I should have been smarter and kept us out here."

Shaking his head is as much comfort as Billy can offer in the moment. It's not on Tommy. "...not your job," he manages, trying to swallow down his panic.

"No. You're in my mind. In my memories," he corrects, "Someone else is probably in yours. It's why they bring us here."

In his what? No, definitely no.

"That isn't possible," she says, so clearly confused. "There's no way to connect minds."

How did the Phantom Thieves steal hearts though.

Wasn't it though? This was the place on this world that was hardest on Billy. He had to be better.

"Pretty sure protecting each other is absolutely our jobs. But there isn't much I can do about it now. So I need to get you out of this memory sooner."

"There's no way to bring people together from alternate dimensions either, Tae," Billy notes.

...

"Don't make good points when I'm horrified by the condition you're in!" she says at last. Okay, back to searching for something to get her up so she can undo his restraints.

He sighs, likely heavier than he realizes, but nods his reluctant consent. Billy's chest is all ready tight, and he tries to take a few calming breaths before Tommy pulls them into some distressing memory.

Tommy reaches up to touch Billy's hip in what he hopes is a comforting manner. He knows it probably isn't.

"Direct me, genius."

"Can't help it," he muttered, putting on a small smile for her.

There's no ladders or chairs in the room. She might be able to drag one of the tables closer if she's determined.

"...there's a code for the door somewhere," he offers, not really sure himself, clearly. "I don't know, Tommy. I don't know what you're supposed to do."

Fair enough. Sometimes people seem to know. With a sigh he pushes off of the wall and goes to look around. A security code, huh?

Well, the most obvious place in his mind is amid those folders. Shield, after all, were the ones that did this to Tommy. He flips one open at random.

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Calibrations- I want out

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