They're coming to take me away, ha-ha...

[Brian]

Lazarus nods pensively.  I wonder what is down there, now ... if all this time there was an easy way out, and we ignored it....

[Bjorn]

It's not an easy escape, no matter what.  Either you need some way to breathe underwater, or you'll need to break the fountain and give the drain a chance to clear.  And there's a good chance it's a dead-end, a trap set up to fool people looking to escape.

It's too bad we don't have anyone to explore it.  Like... what was her name?  Erica... Montrose?  Montague?  Do you know who I'm talking about?

As he "talks" to Lazarus, Bjorn kneels down, readjusting his glasses, and starts to idly splash water at Bridgett's glass spheres, making them drift about the fountain.

[Brian]

<Brian> Bridgett looks up in surprise at your splashing, as though she had forgotten that you were there momentarily.  When she sees it's you, she smiles, and turns her attention back to making more spheres.
Bjorn grins at Bridgett, and does not stop.
<Brian> The door opens at about this point, and both the guy you glimpsed in passing and Megan are returned to the room.  The guy looks okay, but a little dizzy, and wobbles his way to a table before sitting down and rubbing at his temples.  Megan looks worse for wear, drained, and with a thin trickle of blood from one corner of her lips; she's actually being help up by two of the guards, and hauled into the room.
Bjorn stands up and starts to move towards Megan.
<Brian> The guards eye you warily, but Jonah jumps to his feet and runs towards her more quickly, waving him arms frantically.  The guards make no move to stop him, keeping their eyes on you.
Bjorn stops short of the guards, trying to look non-threatening. "I just want to see how she is."
Dracos is now known as Dracos
<Brian> "She's fine," the guard says, the first thing you've heard any of them say.  Jonah reaches out and brushes his fingertips across Megan's face with a look of intense concentration.
<Brian> roll 4#1d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 4#1d6 --> [ 1d6=3 ]{3}, [ 1d6=2 ]{2}, [ 1d6=4 ]{4}, [ 1d6=2 ]{2}
Bjorn looks at the guard skeptically.
<Brian> She looks much better after Jonah touches her, and jerks free of the guards' grips, glowering.  They back off, towards the doorway.
<Brian> -Idiots-, she sends to you.
<Bjorn> -Pardon me for caring-, Bjorn "writes" wryly.
<Brian> Megan looks worried, but doesn't remove her hands from the pool.  "I'm okay," she says aloud.  -They knew I was hiding something from them-.
<Brian> *Bridgett
<Bjorn> "Dare I ask why a 'conclusive P-series test' left you bleeding from the mouth?" Bjorn asks, quietly.  On the mindboard, though: -Does that mean we have to escape soon?  And... what are you hiding, or can you tell me?-
<Brian> -I can't let them know that Peterson's going to die-, Megan notes, as Jonah backs away, and looks at you curiously.  "
<Brian> "Who said anything about 'conclusive'?" she asks, frowning.  -I shouldn't let them know I know what _that_ means, either.-
<Bjorn> - Oh.  Right.  Duh.  Pardon me, been a busy day. - On the mindboard, Bjorn sketches out what he knows of his "shield" so far.   Out loud, "'Conclusive'?  Sorry, that's just a stupid joke from my graduate student days.  We used to joke there were tests, and then there were conclusive tests, and, uh... yeah.  Nevermind."
<Bjorn> Scratching his head in embarrassment, he turns to Jonah.  "Uh, hi.  My name's Bjorn.  Pleased to meet you."
<Brian> She shrugs indifferently, and the guards vanish through the open doors.  Jonah says nothing, merely squinting at you and reaching a hand towards your face.  "Broke eyes," he says sadly.
<Bjorn> "Yeah, I suppose they are."  Bjorn just stays still, though, as Jonah reaches out, remembering what Mikey had said about the newcomer.
<Brian> His fingertips touch your face, and your vision goes wavery.  It feels like there's a thousand strings holding you together, and he's just unknotted one of them.  He smiles at you, though your vision is now blurry.  "Fixed!" he announces happily.
<Brian> Humming to himself, he wanders back to his flower, completely oblivious to you.
Bjorn takes off his glasses, and blinks.
<Brian> After telepathy, this should seem mild, but....
<Brian> Hey!  You've got peripheral vision again!
<Brian> Megan smirks.  "He's a sweetie," she assures.  -I don't know about moving the schedule up ... but something's happening soon.  I see ... that the most successful attempt is going to happen the next time they take me away.-
<Bjorn> Lost in bewilderment, Bjorn goes to push his glasses back up in a nervous gesture, and stabs himself between the eyes.
<Bjorn> -What, you mean as they try to take you away?-
<Brian> -No, a little after I'm gone.  They take the ... the new guy, I haven't talked to him, but his mind feels raw from here, like they read him inside and out.  He's going to try something.  I don't think even he knows it, yet.  But when he does, he sets of something that causes a lot of attention to go towards him.  If you can get out of here, and to him....-
Bjorn grunts mentally -- and when you grunt mentally by visualizing drawing it, it's a bit weird. -Then how do we find you again? And is it really important to get to him?-
<Brian> -I'm ... not sure,- she admits.  -He's got a tie to Ezmereth.  That's a start, because he's the only one who's ever broken out of here.-
<Brian> -Well, been broken out,- she admits.  "So, enjoying your new vision?"
<Bjorn> -Gaaaaah.  It's going to be hard enough to manage this escape without added complications.  And that's assuming we can trust this guy.  But I suppose I don't have much choice but to trust what you see, eh?-  "I'm in shock, frankly.  I've been wearing glasses since... well, forever.  And I'm so bad about cleaning them that my vision is pretty lousy even wearing them."
<Bjorn> With a shrug and a lop-sided smile, Bjorn hands his old, now useless glasses to Bridgett.  "Here you go.  Ten gets you one that you'll enjoy these more than I ever did."
<Brian> Megan smirks, and walks to the bridge, a few meters away from Lazarus and Mikey.  "You'll adjust."  Bridgett looks initially startled, then thoughtful, and accepts the glasses, popping the lenses out easily.
<Brian> -What, exactly, did you see?- Lazarus asks, nodding at the little girl.  -I'm worried.-
<Brian> You catch that something is being thrown between the two that's too complicated to make it through even your weakened shield, like a chalk drawing of a two-dimensional cross-section of a three dimensional object.
<Brian> Lazarus sits down heavily, and Mikey just looks confused.
<Bjorn> -I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.-
<Brian> -I disagree with the lady's assessment,- Lazarus sends flatly.  -Megan, think about this.  The image of the new one fighting are undoubtedly accurate, but the....  I do not like the plan.  He will likely die in the attempt.-
<Brian> Megan shows no outward reaction, but you can sense the desperation in her thoughts.  -We have to get out of here, Lazarus!  All of us.  I....-  She looks at Lazarus out of the corner of her eyes, and some communication you're not privy to is sent.  Lazarus flinches.
<Brian> -I do not like this plan,- Lazarus sends again.  -But ... this is your choice.  When?-
<Brian> -Tonight,- she says.  -I think it's night.  I don't know.  When they take me away again.-
<Bjorn> -I still don't like that part.  Do you now how much time we'll have between when you're taken away, and when we need to try to escape?-
<Brian> -It's uncertain.  It could be many things, but I'm not sure which is right.  A ... call from the north wind?  I don't understand that part, yet.-
<Bjorn> -Mmph.  Lazarus, can you keep a link with Megan for as long as possible?  I'd rather not have to search through the entire complex in the middle of an escape attempt.-
<Brian> -I will try,- he agrees.  -This strikes me as the best course.-
<Bjorn> -Then that's what we'll do.  I'd go on record as objecting to this plan, but what record?- Bjorn stretches, and then looks at Megan seriously. -I trust you, and I understand there's things you can't or won't tell me.  But is there anything I should know about what you've seen?-
<Brian> -Timing is of the essence,- she sends.  -Help comes ... though I don't understand from where.-  She hesitates, looking visibly nervous, and adds, -...and ... Victor can be trusted, if only because he hates his captors more than us.-
<Brian> Lazarus visibly starts, gasping aloud before he recovers himself.
<Bjorn> -That would probably scare me if I knew who Victor is,- Bjorn "writes" dryly.  -And I hope whatever the new guy does is pretty dramatic, because it's hard to have good timing when you don't know the start signal.-
<Brian> And then, even though you know it's far too soon, the doors fly open.
<Brian> Megan takes a deep breath, and nods, marching to approach the guards.
Bjorn turns to look at the door, blinking. 'Boy, it's nice to be able to see that far naturally....'
<Brian> -Megan truly sees Peterson's death,- Lazarus sends, worriedly.  -But this is all so fast, and so soon!-
Bjorn grins widely, and twiddles his fingers at the guards in a polite, if slightly effeminate greeting.
<Brian> They eye you uneasily, and escort Megan away.
<Bjorn> - It doesn't matter,- Bjorn replies. -Fast or slow, soon or later, we will escape.  "Allow no other options, and there will be none."-
<Brian> -Be brave, Old Man Lazarus,- Mikey sends.  -And you too, Mister B.  Miss Megan and Bridgett are being brave....-

[Brian]

They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Ha merges with Hey!  Teacher!  Leave That Kid Alone! here.