Who: Dan Smith When: Early Morning Where: Near the Rift Rating: PG-13 (language)
Open. Check. Slam.
Dan's crusade began at the nearest building, a desolate line of condos. He needed to find it: the curious place called Harman's Room, where the Smiths could manifest themselves to repair damage and reinforce their collective body. Hopefully, its bizarro physics as a figment of Harman's imagination would let it get here.
Open. Check. Slam.
It was easier when he could sense where important things were. Of course, that was Garcian's ability, not his -- without the Smiths, he was only a man, if an incredibly awesome one. Right now, all he could do was try every door in town and try to find the right one.
Open. Check. Slam.
Open --
Locked.
Harman never locked his doors (to a Smith, anyway), so that was right out.
Open. Check. Slam.
Locked.
Open. Check. Slam.
If this wasn't the most boring thing he had ever done...
Open. Check. Slam.
He stopped, staring at the next door. There was no way he could ever do this alone, and there was no one he could ask for help. They would see an ordinary room. Only he could reach into Harman's Room and use it.
Crap. CRAP!
Dan slammed his fist into the wall. This was pointless. He'd never find if he had to check every single door individually. Maybe he was better off camping somewhere safe. If anyone could figure out the interdimensional vortex of doom it would be Harman. Dan began to beat the wall, beating it as viciously as he could. Pain erupted in his fists. Dan stopped, looked on them.
Blood crawled down his knuckles. They hurt like hell, that felt good after so long. The Smiths didn't feel pain. Explosions, bullets, smiles, blasts of pure psychic malice -- none of it phazed them. Injured them, sure. But never pain. But now it was back. His old friend, pain, was doing a reunion tour. It made him smile.
He moved onto the next door. He wasn't some whiny teenager. He would keep at this until he found Harman's Room and left. Blood flowed down his hand, leaving a red stain on every doorknob he touched.