The common room was <strong>the</strong> most crowded it had been, but still large enough to accommodate <strong>the</strong> thirtyor so people hanging around waiting. Ludlow stood by <strong>the</strong> table and talked quietly with Conor, <strong>the</strong> latterwith arms folded defensively, yet willing to l<strong>is</strong>ten and exchange necessary facts. Martin l<strong>is</strong>tening frombehind Ludlow; John Constantine leaning against a shelf, smoking and attempting h<strong>is</strong> best to makeLudlow angry just by looking at him.Most of <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs sat scattered about <strong>the</strong> floor in smatterings of uninspired conversation, <strong>the</strong> groupdivided between those from Blocks F and L, casting <strong>the</strong> occasional suspicious glance at each o<strong>the</strong>r.Johnny Utah lay unconscious by <strong>the</strong> kitchen sink for all to see. Away from both groups, David AllenGriffin leant against <strong>the</strong> wall by <strong>the</strong> telev<strong>is</strong>ion screen and watched <strong>the</strong>m.Bill S. Preston Esquire felt highly out of place. He got a bunch of curious glances, which didn't makehim feel any better, and instead joined Ted in an animated d<strong>is</strong>cussion of what <strong>the</strong>y thought Sid was upto, and how he had gotten so orange in <strong>the</strong> first place.Near <strong>the</strong> back of <strong>the</strong> room, Tommy and Jesse were d<strong>is</strong>covering <strong>the</strong> extreme d<strong>is</strong>sat<strong>is</strong>faction that camefrom poking Marlon with a stick. All he did was look at <strong>the</strong>m, and sometimes not even that.The door opened. <strong>Not</strong>-Tim walked in, and <strong>the</strong> conversation from <strong>the</strong> Block F side of <strong>the</strong> room suddenlydied down into nothing.Ludlow looked up to see <strong>the</strong> source of <strong>the</strong> sudden quiet."Hi," not-Tim said, and tried to look inconspicuous.Ludlow walked towards him; he stopped at an arm's length away and stared at not-Tim with an intensecalculating gaze.<strong>Not</strong>-Tim fought <strong>the</strong> urge to look away.Ludlow turned to face <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs. "Why're you all so afraid of him?" he asked.No one said anything.Ludlow turned back to not-Tim. "He's just like <strong>the</strong> rest of us," he said.In a sudden motion he grabbed not-Tim and slammed him face-first against <strong>the</strong> wall, ignoring <strong>the</strong> yell ofpain as he grabbed hold of <strong>the</strong> actor's left arm and tw<strong>is</strong>ted it."Don't feel so powerful now, huh?""Let me go!"Paul and Shane jumped to <strong>the</strong>ir feet and dashed forward. Shane tripped over <strong>the</strong> cornflakes guy andfell."I'm taking over th<strong>is</strong> bunch of fucking morons, you understand that?" Ludlow continued, elbowing Paul in<strong>the</strong> nose."Okay," not-Tim gasped. "Okay. Let go my arm. Please," he added.Ludlow wasn't fin<strong>is</strong>hed. "And you'll do what I tell you, same as everyone else.""Yes!" not-Tim shouted. "Let go my arm!"
"Yes sir," Ludlow h<strong>is</strong>sed into h<strong>is</strong> ear."YES MR. LUDLOW SIR!"Ludlow released him with a shove, not-Tim stumbling to regain h<strong>is</strong> balance, massaging h<strong>is</strong> arm andblinking back tears of pain."Sit down," Ludlow said.<strong>Not</strong>-Tim sat down, still wincing and rubbing h<strong>is</strong> arm."I'm okay," he said quietly when Julian gave him a concerned look.Tommy real<strong>is</strong>ed that h<strong>is</strong> mouth was hanging open. He closed it.People from Block F looked nervously from not-Tim to Ludlow."Okay," Ludlow said, sweeping <strong>the</strong> room with h<strong>is</strong> gaze. "The <strong>is</strong>sue here <strong>is</strong> how to get home. Can <strong>the</strong>yget us home?" he asked, looking pointedly at not-Tim."I don't know," not-Tim said. "You'll have to ask <strong>the</strong>m.""How do we do that?""Get out... March on <strong>the</strong>ir headquarters...""I think <strong>the</strong>y're already doing that," Bill said. "That's why <strong>the</strong>y started shooting.""Who are you?" Ludlow asked."Bill S. Preston Esquire...""You're not one of us.""He's my friend," Ted said firmly.Ludlow gave up. "Fine. So we go out <strong>the</strong>re and join <strong>the</strong>m-""I think you m<strong>is</strong>sed <strong>the</strong> part about <strong>the</strong> shooting," John Constantine said drily.A bump at <strong>the</strong> door. Everyone turned."Hi, sofa coming through!" Ano<strong>the</strong>r bump. Paul got up and opened <strong>the</strong> door for Tod and Kevin and <strong>the</strong>sofa and helped <strong>the</strong>m attempt to drag it through <strong>the</strong> door, whereupon it got stuck and refused to budgeunless <strong>the</strong>y tilted it diagonally. They decided <strong>the</strong>y couldn't be bo<strong>the</strong>red, so <strong>the</strong>y left it <strong>the</strong>re.Tom Ludlow was not happy at h<strong>is</strong> plans being interrupted by a sofa. He glared at it.":(," vibed <strong>the</strong> sofa in <strong>the</strong> language of <strong>the</strong> cornflakes guy."Can we get b-"And <strong>the</strong>n a Mysterious Old Man suddenly appeared out of nowhere and rudely cut-short Ludlow'ssentence. He gazed casually at not-Tim. "I see you're alive," he said.Ludlow glared at him. "Who are you?""Could have fooled me," Dem continued, ignoring Ludlow. "I even sent Winston home.""You can send <strong>the</strong>m back?" not-Tim asked."The question <strong>is</strong> not if I can, but if I want to." Dem smiled."What do you want?" not-Tim asked."You haven't exactly been very cooperative, have you?" Dem asked. "Do <strong>the</strong>y know what you did toJjaks?"
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Neo sank down on the sofa.He looked
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Next morning62nd Floor. Arrival Lob
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It is in fact at the cafeteria that
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'There is no exit here', read the h
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Back from his breakfast, Griffin sa
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Alex looked up."...That's Paul, tha
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Yawning, Paul pushed open the door
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Jack lunged at his neck. Both of th
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"I did you a favour, Jack," Griffin
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New guy gave a start. "Uh," he said
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His mom made better waffles than th
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Tommy reluctantly handed over the b
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It is after a day or two living at
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There had existed for a time an Ame
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he was pretty sure was a broken nos
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Night. A shortage of actual beds me
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Neo yanked his finger away to safet
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Neo sat by himself in the cafeteria
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Splash.The sudden rush of cold shoc
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The stairwell door opened and the b
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"Get everyone in here in fifteen mi
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Human beings have a strange tendenc
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Jack shrugged. "Suit yourself." He
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