A Second Generation Whateley Academy Adventure

Jailhouse Lock

by

MaLAguA

 

Part Three

 

Saturday, January 29th - 11:40pm
Outside of the Stonewall - Prison

<Time to get going,> Lifeward’s voice buzzed in Obscura’s ear.

The young Syndicate operative nodded and took a deep breath as she looked at her destination: past the marshlands and murky lake teeming with alligator life, past the interweaving branches of the woods, there rested the walls of a prison. The structure stood tall, over six meters in height, which would’ve made it really hard to climb in the best of situations, much less unnoticed with the lights on. That being said, Obscura wasn’t exactly one that cared for verticality. Even with the heavy rain and thunderstorm going on tonight, she felt confident in herself.

Taking a deep breath and pulling the mask over her mouth, she sallied forth. With her body modified and adjusted for both strength and agility, she leapt her way through the marshland, crossing the river by stepping on logs, swinging on branches, climbing through trees and even leapfrogging over some of the alligators to cross to the other side. It was an obstacle course that would’ve been the end for anyone without her ability to both see and sense in the dark.

The extra add-ons and gear on her belt might’ve added some pounds to her suit and made her feel bulkier than she was used to, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t work with.

She covered the distance in the span of minutes, touching dry barren land for the last sprint towards the wall. In the corner of her eye, she could spy the exact moment where the survey and field lights suddenly blinked out, deliberately timed with a lightning strike nearby. That was the signal.

With quickening strides, even bounding off on all fours, she touched the high wall with her hands and quickly used her powers to create a field of darkness through which she slipped through without breaking pace. A quick trip through the dark in-between, and she emerged within the prison courtyard.

“I made it!” Obscura reported as she ran over to the nearby building before the lights could turn back on.

<Good job, Obscura,> Lifeward praised. <You have about ten minutes of darkness, but don’t take it for granted. Best to find a good spot and lay low.>

“Will do…” Obscura whispered as she headed towards the nearest building. According to the maps, that would be Building A, where the criminal cells were located.

“Time to find a sleepover spot,” Raffina told herself, leaping in through the building’s wall in quick steps and emerging into one of the prisoner corridors. Right now, the prison was her playground and no place was off limits to her–at least until the power came back on.

Creating pools of inky warp-space, she slipped from one end of the building to the other, jumping her way out between floors and into the cellblocks, specifically within one of the cells. This one appeared to be occupied by two men, both of them sound asleep if the loud snores were an indicator to go by.

‘Too loud,’ Obscura thought as she moved to the side walls of the cell. She stuck her head through the gaps to face-check for better options in the neighboring spaces before leaping either up or down, and again before stepping out into the hallway. Never lingering in the open, nor staying still for too long.

Her hunt was for the targets she was there to extract, and the faster she could go on the matter, the much easier the exit would be. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t take the time to enjoy the experience and take a couple of night-vision selfies of herself within the prison cells with their sleeping occupants.

In her perambulations, she used her powers to climb up through a portal, emerging right under one of the beds. It seemed like a good place to take a breather, accommodating herself just as Lifeward reached out to her: <Report.>

“I’m searching for the targets,” she said, specifically to the enchanted plaque that was fastened to the inner lining of her cloth mask.

<Leave the identification and outreach to Cole.>

“Alright, alright.” Obscura brushed the dust around with her free hand. Each and every one of these cells was incredibly filthy, though this one was slightly cleaner than the rest, and she was glad that she had the cloth mask on her nose and mouth, though inwardly wished her outfit would’ve included a hood. “I’ll play it smarter rather than faster.”

<Good. I’d suggest you find a good place rest in for when dawn breaks.>

“But it’s not like I desperately need the rest, you know? While I’m like this, I can keep on going for much longer.”

<I am aware.> Lifeward paused for a moment, considering things. <Alright, let’s go on with that. There’s about six hours until dawn, which should be enough time to deal with a few of our objectives. Think you can handle them?>

“Of course. Of course. You weren’t going to have me be on standby for the next six hours, were you?” She didn’t like the pause that followed. “...right?”

<For the next sixteen, at least,> Lifeward admitted. <But fine. Where are you at?>

“I’m… under the bed of one of the cells.”

<You’ve been talking all this time under a prisoner’s bed?>

“I’m being really really quiet,” Obscura whispered back.

<Alright, give me a second to pinpoint you. Which cell are you in?>

“I… I didn’t look.” Obscura admitted. “Somewhere on the second floor.”

<What block?>

“I… I didn’t see.”

Lifeward sighed. <It would be best if I could know where exactly you are. But anyway, you have time to figure it out. Listen, the things I want you to do are…>

“One second, let me take notes.” Obscura pulled her smartphone from her concealed pocket to type in Lifeward’s instructions. The screen, being at a brightness so low under the fabric limits, practically produced no light, and yet in the dark, that was enough to get a faint glimmer for normal eyes.

In the distance, thunder could be heard echoing, but to Obscura, the more pressing matter was the sound of a body jerking itself awake above her. The prisoner had been stirred from his sleep.

Discreetly, Obscura tapped the backside of the enchanted plaque, to signal that she couldn’t say anything at the moment, and Lifeward complied, quieting up.

With her arms crossed and her breath steadied, she observed as the man got off his bunk, mumbling “I just need to sleep. I just need to sleep. Take it one day at a time.” Raffina could hear a certain youthfulness to his voice, as well as frustration, rather than the more gritted and depraved tone she’d expect from a prisoner.

The man got up and froze. “Could it be? A blackout?”

He moved over to the front of the cell and tried to pry the door open only to find it still locked.

‘Guess it’s worth noting to Lifeward that the locks don’t open in case of a blackout… I mean, why would they?’ Obscura thought to herself.

“Worth a shot… Although… what would I’ve done? Skulked my way to the reception and out? Nah…” Obscura heard the man say before reading his way back to the bed. “Ugh… I can’t believe…” he grumbled as he climbed back on.

Obscura took a deep breath, quietly shuffling about in her spot. The moment he went back to sleep, then she would get to work.

“Is someone there?” the guy whispered.

Obscura froze in place, making hardly a sound or doing anything else. Her eyes, her ears and her dark senses were on high alert, waiting to see if he would actually make a move against her or if there was someone else in the vicinity attentive to what might be transpiring.

Maybe, maybe the man was taking a shot in the dark, trying to see if his imagination was playing a trick on him. And once he realized that there was nothing there, he would just roll over and go back to sleep… but at the same time, an idea sparked within Obscura.

“Don’t react…”

That made the man above gasp but, again, he took no action against her. Perhaps if he’s willing to listen, maybe her work would be easier. Obscura’s hand quietly moved over to one of the pouches of her belt, the one that contained the sleeping gas… even if she would hate to use the stuff this early on, it would definitely fix the issue and let her move on if her plan didn’t work.

“Don’t scream,” she added. And he didn’t.

<Obscura, what are you doing? Have you been found out?>

“What’s your name?” Obscura asked.

“N-Nico Sandoval…” Nico whispered back.

“Nico Sandoval,” she repeated, mostly to relay it back to Lifeward.

<Understood,> Lifeward said. On her end, she must’ve been quickly typing through the notes and messages she had from Cole because she had an answer ready to go not long after that. <Nicolas Sandoval. According to Cole’s notes, he’s close to one of the targets.> She appeared to catch up on Obscura’s plan as she added. <I leave this at your discretion.>

“You’re good,” Obscura congratulated the man.

“Who… who are you?” Nico whispered.

“Me? I’m just a monster under the bed. And I can do you a favor… if you do something for me.”

Sunday, January 30th - 12:40am
The Stonewall. Building A - Cellblock 2

“A monster under the bed?” Nico repeated, puzzled. The more time passed, the more he was convinced that this might not be a dream–and yet at the same time, he could hardly believe what he was hearing. So tempted he was to look down under the bed, just to confirm this wasn’t some sort of prank or trick. Slowly rolling over to look away from the wall, into the depths of the room. It was still pitch dark, though.

“Don’t even think about peeking.” The girl underneath warned him.

“I… I wasn’t going to,” Nico lied. Perhaps it was for the best to just hear this out or let this rather realistic dream play out. “So, what’s this favor that you can offer?”

“Well…” the girl seemed to be considering her options. “…I could offer you a chance to escape.”

A chance to escape? Nico thought. Could that really happen? Or was the dream teasing him? But the question was whether he would even dare to go on about it. To become an outlaw for his own freedom, knowing that people would probably hunt him… If anything, he would get out and have nothing… was there any hope to make the risk worth it? But then again, the alternative was for him to remain here forever and ever… Risk it for a perilous life, or remain here as a living dead man. ‘When did my life turn so depressing.’

“What other options do you have?”

“Really? You’re not interested in the chance of escape?” The voice sounded dumbfounded.

“I have no family,” Nico admitted. “Nor money. I would probably be caught and put back in here. It’s just a matter of time… that is, unless you can offer to help me, I don’t know, fake my death or give me a new identity or anything like that…”

“Well… I mean, if you have no money, I don’t think you qualify for those services anyway.”

‘Services?’ Nico wondered. There was something professional about the way she said it, like conducting a business. There was a thought that sprouted up in the back of his head. After all, there were several high profile criminals in the prison, like Fulminant. Could this be a professional jailbreak situation?

“Then, how about this? Is there anything you might want? Maybe you want some um… nutrient bars? Or a pocket knife to defend yourself?”

A knife could bring him trouble with the prison guards but, at the same time, it would be nice to have if he was going to be in this plan for a while… which would just make the first point inevitable. What could he ask for? Something to trade? That was if the Coyotes didn’t take it. “How about you tell me what you want first?”

“Really?” The ‘monster’ was taken aback. Perhaps she hoped to have the price settled before sharing any information. “Okay then... How long have you been here?”

“Over five months now.”

“Sounds horrible.”

“It is,” Nico grumbled with a sigh.

“And, would you say you know most of the prison?”

“I guess I do know a few things about the place and after serving in the kitchens, I know part of the backside." Nico sighed. “I still remember every step taken since I was brought in. Getting processed, my personal belongings being stored and even where the warden's office is.”

“That should be good enough," said the girl. “There are some places I need you to point me to. Of course, could I trust that you won’t tell anyone about this odd dream-like midnight episode you seem to be having?”

“Not sure if I can believe this is real or just a dream. I'm taking the most boring route ever.”

“You might be, but this just makes it easier.” The monster under the bed snickered.

“Do you have a name? Or do I call you Monster?”

“You can call me Obscura,” the person, Obscura, answered. “Now, give me an imaginary tour.”

From there, Nico spent the next hour or so describing the layout of the prison to Obscura. That might’ve sounded like an easy task at first. But as the words left his mouth, he realized that painting a map with his voice was a more complicated affair than he imagined. Still, he did his best to explain the places where she’d asked for clarification. All the while, she remained discreet about her intentions and objectives, but Nico did get a general sense whenever she asked to clarify a detail.

She also asked what he knew about the guards’ operations. And he, having spent the past months just observing while keeping to himself, had a rather apt insight on them. Things like the number of guards present during the daily operations and the timing of their shifts were some of what he could validate with near certainty. But then she also asked about cameras, courtyard spotlights and backup generators. He wasn’t exactly well versed on the last one, but he happened to recall spotting one located within a shed nested in the corner of the walls, just as the reinforced door closed on it, and another located within the basement of the cellblock.

Finally, she asked about some of the prisoners.

“Do the names Stones, Techno Revenant or Fulminant, ring a bell to you?”

“I knew it, you’re here to get them out,” Nico whispered.

“I’m certainly not doing this for shits and giggles…” She paused. “Well… I actually would do this for shits and giggles.”

“Are you, like, from the Syndicate?” Nico said, having heard the word thrown around within the people of the prison, especially those who lingered around some of the mutant criminals locked here.

“Does that change anything?” Obscura asked.

“I just wondered about it,” Nico said. “As for those names. I’ve seen Stones around the prison. He runs with one of the gangs, so I don’t approach him. Not sure where his cell is other than not in this block.”

“Alright,” Obscura noted.

“Fulminant got in trouble yesterday,” Nico said, leaving aside the detail that he was the one responsible for it. “So he should be in solitary confinement in the other building.”

“That makes it trickier.”

“And the other guy, Techno Revenant. I have no idea who he is. Never heard the name here.”

“Really?” Obscura asked.

“Yeah…” Nico asserted.

“Interesting,” Obscura said. There was something about her words that roused skepticisms. Yet before he could prod on that, she moved on to finish the conversation. “Well, I have what I needed and some things to do before the day starts. Thank you for the information.”

“You’re leaving?” Nico wondered how she got in here to begin with, now that he was more convinced this wasn’t a dream. Did she slip in through the bars or something? Or was she about to climb out from under the bed?

“Got things to do. Again, my organization,” she said. “Would appreciate it if you would keep quiet on the matter.”

“I can. I will… but would it be possible if I could also be gotten out of here?” Nico dared to ask, realizing that he’d already given up his leverage by this point, and yet still hoped. Maybe the Syndicate wasn’t that much of the criminal organization as the others said.

“Hm…” Raffina held her words and the silence after for a moment, as though she was hearing someone. “If things work out, there may be a chance for you… that is if you’re willing to… That being said, I’m not here for you, so understand that there’s no guarantee within.”

“There wasn’t going to be a guarantee for it either way, wasn’t there?” Nico said. While jaded by the lawyer’s deception, Obscura’s honesty felt oddly refreshing, more than it was disparaging.

“Be on the lookout. Something might happen soon,” Obscura teased.

“W-What’s going to happen?” Nico asked. If the Syndicate was involved with the jailbreak, would it be something big? Would it be destructive? Something like tearing down a wall or launching a great assault? Or would it be something so small he wouldn’t even know when it came to pass? Where should he be?

And yet, this time there was no answer from Obscura.

“Obscura?” Nico whispered.

With some trepidation, he dared to check, leaning over the edge to peek. Now, with the lights back on in the distance and his eyes adjusted, he could see enough to notice the lack of an outline. There was no one there. Even when his hand prodded the underside he found nothing but the flat concrete ground.

“What’s going on?” Nico asked as he rested his head back on the bed.

Sunday, January 30th - 8:40am
The Stonewall. Warden’s office.

“What do you mean there was a blackout?” Warden Smith demanded as he strode into his office, followed by the supervisor of the prison’s night shift.

“It was close to midnight when it happened,” the man answered as he tried and failed to stifle a leftover yawn from the night shift. “I was in the office when the lights went out, so I quickly contacted the guys on the wall to see what was going on.”

“That… that shouldn’t be the case…” The Warden was looking at the man as though he’d given the dumbest answer, only it was the apparent truth. “The backup generator should’ve kept the key areas from going dark.”

“I know but they weren’t working,” said the man as he lost the fight to stifle that yawn.

“Why is that?” the warden mumbled. He had to look away to avoid the temptation to imitate the yawn, and so instead looked out the window of his office. Beyond the glass lay one of the two yards of the prison. Some prisoners lingered about the edges of the building so as to avoid the mud puddle that had formed from yesterday’s rain. “Rogers,” he said to one of his men. “When was the last time they did general maintenance to the systems and power generators?”

“It was done in the first week of the year, sir,” the guard said.

“I checked it,” the night supervisor confirmed. “One of the backup generators was decoupled from the prison’s grid. That was the one under the south end of the wall abutting the cellblocks.”

“Strange…” the warden muttered.

“Could it’ve been a mistake from maintenance?” suggested another guard, this one with the nametag, Jeffries.

“I won’t discount the possibility, but there is something off about this situation. What about the recordings?” the warden asked.

“All regular prison activities… for the most part,” the night supervisor hesitated.

“For the most part?”

“Well… cameras were working fine and all that… but the option to automatically switch to night vision had been turned off. For the past couple of days, it seems.”

“Have we been infiltrated? Should we go on alert?” Rogers asked.

“If so, then why not just shut down the systems altogether?” Jeffries noted. “It could have also been a sort of error from one of the operatives.”

“Don’t blame it on me,” the supervisor snapped. “We checked the system. Only guards were seen going in and out of the security room.”

“Who has entered the room since?”

“Three different guards. Two of them were the usual people in charge.”

“And the third one?”

“We don’t know, the prison hat hid his identity. All we could see was the dark skin of his hands.”

“Hm…” The warden frowned. “Do we have any absences?”

“Well…” Rogers said. “I remember that yesterday, one of the guards didn’t show up to work.”

“I want to see the camera footage,” the warden ordered Rogers, who was already on the move out of the office. “I also want you to check this guard’s address.”

“At once!” Rogers said as he left..

“Sir. May I take my leave for the end of my shift?” the supervisor said.

“You may, unless you have anything to add,” the warden told him.

“No sir, nothing else to add.” The supervisor just seemed to want to go back home to rest, much to his superior’s annoyance.

“Dismissed.”

“Yes, sir,” the supervisor said with a quick salute before making his hasty retreat. That left the warden and Jeffries, with the latter awaiting to be dismissed while the former was seemingly too lost in a pensive mood to consider dismissing him.

“This is strange,” the warden thought out loud. “New arrivals two days ago, cameras turned off, generator disabled and then… there’s this…” With that, he produced the AA battery. Something that appeared innocuous at the moment, yet he held it like it was the killer’s bullet casing in a homicide case.

“What about it, sir?” Jeffries asked.

“This kind of thing shouldn’t make it into the prisoner’s spaces. While there are a few places where the criminals might come across one–the remote controller from the rec room comes to mind–this should be out of reach for them.”

“W-why?”

“Because we don’t want any criminal with a gadgeteer trait to build something with them.”

“But, it’s a battery, sir.”

“As harmless as a bullet, yet you only need a pipe and a hammer to make it into a gun.” The warden thought for a second. “Maybe this isn’t related… but I’m starting to suspect that we may be dealing with another smuggler situation.”

“Do you think so?” Jeffries half-stammered.

“You were in the mess hall when it all went down, right Jeffries?” The warden asked, getting closer. “Did you happen to see where this thing came from? Or if there were other parts that we appeared to have missed in the commotion?”

“N-No, sir,” the guard appeared nervous. Possibly too nervous, though the warden had learned the hard way not to confuse anxiety with culpability. “The other guards and I were thorough with our search, in both the prisoners and the cafeteria, and we found nothing.”

“I see…” the warden mumbled as he paced his way towards the window. “We’ll have to be very wary of what may come to pass.”

“What would that mean?” Jeffries followed his boss’s lead, looking down at the courtyard where the prisoners began to gather into their cliques. His gaze fixated on a particular one… the Black Fist, a gang of black men with a feisty demeanor and a sense of brotherhood. Members of the group had got themselves involved in the incident yesterday.

“We shall have to consider making an inquest if more things keep happening.”

Jeffries held his silence for a moment, putting his thoughts together carefully before opening his mouth. “Sir… I think… I may not have seen who had it… but I think one of the black men was fighting near where you found the battery.”

“Think it was them?” the warden asked. Having checked the footage of the incident, it didn't exactly reveal anything. It appeared as though the cameras had been angled oddly away from the crowd and more towards the walkways when it all went down. Nothing was revealed and it just spurred the idea that something might’ve been going under his nose. He clenched his fists at the idea that someone was toying in his prison.

“Yeah… I think they, er, the black guys might be the smugglers,” Jeffries asserted.

Sunday, January 30th - 02:32pm
The Stonewall. Courtyard

Nico strolled out into the yard as he took a bite off his stale bread and slimy ham. It wasn’t the worst of tastes for someone that had gone last night without supper, but still foul enough. This was not an abnormal occurrence, since the prison would sometimes dole out basic snacks as meals whenever there was a problem with the mess hall or the Warden wanted to teach everyone to be appreciative, and it ticked Nico that he’d been here long enough to experience this more times than could be counted on one hand.

This was his future. This was all he had to look forward to. No lawyer, no friends, no money even if he were to leave. He was out of luck in all ways. Just a criminal to the eyes of the world. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair… Nico took a deep breath and focused on the paper wrapper. Crumpling it into a tiny ball was just about the only catharsis he could get.

But could there be something to hope for? Could there? The events of the night before were clear in his mind. Hearing the voice of a girl under his bed asking him for help, and him willingly telling everything she wanted to know, only for her to disappear the next moment as though nothing had happened. He must’ve spent a whole hour at that and was almost certain that he’d been awake, yet with no evidence on the matter and nothing apparently changed, doubt expanded throughout his mind, convincing him more and more that it had only been a dream…

Would it’ve been a nice dream, or just a torturing tease? Would he have dared to say ‘Yes! Get me out!’ despite knowing that he would be a wanted man? Was it worse than waiting for the unfair sentence to come to an end? He wanted to say it wasn’t, but that doubt would have him disagree.

Still, what things had he got from the dream? Apparently the girl was on the lookout for three criminals: Stones, Fulminant, and Techno Revenant. He only knew the first two, so it was best to keep an eye on them. If the dream turned out to be true, something was bound to happen around them. Stones stood with the members of the Black Fist gang, talking amongst themselves and just killing time, but at the same time this made him insulated from the rest of the yard. They wouldn’t take Nico’s approach well at all… In the meantime, Fulminant was still in solitary at Building B, the one meant to contain the stronger, more dangerous criminals. How could he check on that?

And that just left him with the last person, Techno Revenant. Who could that be? He was sure he’d never heard anyone in the prison go by that handle. So what sort of person might they be? The villain name made Nico think of some sort of ghoul or zombie, maybe with cyborg parts? Someone dressed from head to toe in armor, or maybe with a metallic arm or implant? Definitely a mutant, but maybe someone with a vendetta against humanity or just a zealous murderer? Maybe someone that was stuck in Building B on account of being too dangerous for anyone in the surroundings?

“Nico?” Someone broke him out of his thoughts.

“Ah! Hey, Seth… How are you? Are you doing okay?” Nico made some room on the bench.The limping man was noticeably slower than before. Seth waved away his concerns, which did little to assuage them.

“Not quite so bad. Still feeling the aftermath from yesterday’s little to-do,” Seth said.

“Yesterday was quite bad,” Nico countered. “Making you stand for hours with your leg like that… it’s not good.”

“I’m sure the warden thought I deserved it.”

“Where were you this morning?”

“Busy,” Seth said as he massaged his leg. “The guards pulled me aside to ask me if I knew anything about the incident yesterday. If your buddy Rodrigo asks, tell him I didn’t say–”

“He’s not my buddy. He’s just an asshole.”

“Well, if that asshole asks, tell him I said nothing. The guards have no confirmation that they gave me the material or that I built anything… by sheer luck.”

“Will keep that in mind,” Nico mumbled. His thoughts moved to a slight detail from yesterday. That the whole reason for the incident began when the Coyotes approached Seth, asking for an item that they asked him to build using smuggled scraps. Could it be? He wondered, glancing over at Seth, who was gazing upwards to the sky, and then he looked down at the prison walls down to the people around.

Could Seth be ‘Techno Revenant’? Nico’d thought that all the villains brought in were given the special collars with shock and tracking functions. As far as he knew, the old man never had one. If he was a baseline, would the Syndicate really be after him like that?

“Living here day by day… when can one get used to it?” Seth started the talk.

“I’ve been here for not quite half a year and not sure if my mood is getting any better… I may end up doing what my cellmate did last month…”

“Don’t say that. I may be prepared for my end, but you still have a lot ahead of you.” Seth’s voice had no particular candor, but Nico could feel the concern for him.

“I’ll hold off for a little bit longer…” Nico said quietly as he leaned back, watching the prison’s yard. “What would you do if you’d get out?” he asked.

“You know what I think about hoping for tomorrow just like that…”

“I know. I just wondered what sort of things would you hope for if you ever were to get out,” Nico said, earning a side look of disagreement from Seth. “Me? I would probably have no money after the lawyer incident… but if he hadn’t screwed me over and somehow managed to get me out, I’d probably be taking the week off. Staying in my apartment’s soft bed, or just any bed, for an hour or so, watching TV before getting up to start my day. I would go to the market and treat myself by learning to cook something new. Maybe some Puerto Rican food? My afternoon would be spent out, going on and meeting new people. Maybe I would find something interesting.”

Seth looked at Nico for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think the life I had before I came in would’ve been considered a good one, or much worth having…” He trailed off as his gaze drifted upwards to a very cloudy day. “But, if I were to just appear elsewhere… I guess…” he trailed off again. “Huh… I don’t think I have thought of it before. I guess…”

“Well, what kind of things do you like to do?”

“Wouldn’t know where to start.”

“Hm, okay. Why not start easy? Do you like sports? Or movies or just doing crafts?” He imagined that, if his dream happened to be real and there was a chance that Seth (or in the remote case, him) might be free soon, maybe this wasn’t the worst way to spend his time here…

Sunday, January 30th - 2:59pm
The Stonewall. Building B

Building B, the other holding building within the Stonewall, was where the riskier and more dangerous criminals were sent. Some of them lived deep within its walls, seldom seeing the world outside. The place was an empty corridor with doors into rooms that felt more like a trophy exhibit. If the person was known to have a high body count, be hyperaggressive, had GSD, or possessed power that could not be nullified with a collar, then this place was their home. They were only allowed out of their rooms for four hours a day, to meander around the recreation room or the inner garden, if the guards weren’t too distracted with other matters.

At the end of the dark and gloomy hallway was the entrance to the basement, where solitary confinement rested. It was the warden’s idea to use the gallery of special criminals as warning cases for those that were being given a timeout.

This time of day, guards were moving out of the building as rumors that the warden was planning something began to spread. They made their way past the reception desk, where one of their coworkers lay slumped on his chair snoring loudly. None of them made an effort to wake him up, understanding that tedium and boredom were particular features of the hours where the inmates of the block were kept in their cells–especially when they spotted a piece of paper taped to the window that read ‘Wake me at the end of the shift.’

By the time they passed by, the purple smoke had already dissipated into the air and the person that unleashed it had slipped through the door and into the solitary confinement area.

They trod through the wide corridor lined with rooms occupied by the ‘unruliest’ of them all. The men who’d been caught by the warden, or even a high-ranking guard on a particularly bad day, left there to be forgotten. They peered out through the panel plastic, looking for someone or something to break the seeming stillness to which their life had been reduced. Some even begged to be let back into the regular prison. And because of that desperation, they were more observant.

At first glance, the person who stepped in could be mistaken for a guard, if one were not paying attention. But the more one looked, the more one realized how they were shorter than the median, even with the bulky jacket and prison cap muddling the outline.

They stopped at the end of the corridor, before a door that housed one of the recent inmates. A handsome face stepped up into the window’s frame, looking at the stranger with an annoyed look that quickly turned into one of interest the more he observed, with his electric blue eyes studying the ‘guard’. They pulled up their cap just as their skin became velvety dark to reveal a girl with pointy ears, black eyes and sharp teeth. She greeted him with a grin.

“Are you Fulminant?” Obscura asked in a whisper-like tone.

“The one and only.” The man answered with a smile, his voice reeking of interest. “Who wants to know, girlie?”

“Located,” Obscura said into the neoprene-like cloth around her neck.

<Go on as rehearsed,> Lifeward told her through the enchanted earpiece. <Keep in mind I can’t hear what he’s saying, Obscura. Keep it to the bare essentials with this man.>

“Are you talking to your friend? Or with me? Either way, it’s been so long since I heard such a soft, high, pretty voice,” Fulminant mused.

“Okay, okay,” Raffina whispered. She took a moment to compose herself as she adjusted her bundled hair under the prison cap before looking back at the inmate. “Fulminant, it’s your lucky day. I am here as a representative of the organization that needs no naming. Your more recent exploits have brought the attention of–”

“Haha…” Fulminant smirked. “So it’s about time the Syndicate would decide I was worth bailing out? I think I’ll like this kind of rescue, the pretty kind.”

“Please keep comments until after the conversation–”

“Bet they were looking forward to this after my work in Athens.”

“About that, your more recent exploits in Athens have brought the attention of–”

“They even sent me the kind of rescue I like.”

“I’m just an operative.”

“Come on, we know what’s going to happen. You and I are leaving this prison. The moment you take my collar off.”

“How about I just walk away and leave you?” Obscura warned.

<Stick to the script.>

“He started it…” She hissed before taking a deep breath and continuing. “Your recent exploits have roused the attention of one of our clients, who has requested your extraction within an impromptu and reduced time frame.”

At least this time, Fulminant seemed to humor her on the request, but he made sure that she wouldn’t miss the wide grin on his face.

“As per the plans of Recruiting, Operational Support, and Evaluation, ROSE for short, you are one of the targets that will be extracted within the next few hours. Do you agree with the service and opportunity provided?”

“I accept.” His words buzzed with a thrill about him.

“Do you agree to follow any order given during the span of the escape?”

“I do.”

“Do you swear on it?”

“Sure, sure.”

“Are you a villain with a propensity for lying?”

“Maybe. Just get me out.”

“We’re almost there.” Obscura took a deep breath. “Understand that the organization that won’t be named does not hold itself liable for any injury or outcome incurred during the prison break. That this is a risk willingly undertaken at the promise of release, pledging obedience, and that any attempt to sabotage or abandon ROSE will be understood as a betrayal of the organization, ant that this carries a steep penalty which could extend to your life? Following me so far? All in order?”

“I said, yes,” Fulminant said, already sounding annoyed by the long terms of service.

“Good… I’ll be back later,” Obscura said, pulling her hat down before turning around, the black velvet fur receding from her skin as she did.

“Wait, what about me!?” Fulminant asked.

“I just needed to ensure your cooperation.” Obscura said as she walked away. “I’ll prep the exit and then someone will come for you later.”

“Tsk… there goes my company.” Fulminant shook his head, his eyes lingering on Obscura until she disappeared in the twilit lit hallway.

“Guy is… upsetting,” Obscura grumbled through the enchanted piece.

<With him, we have two of the targets on board. The last one should be contacted just any time now…>

Sunday, January 30th - 4:32pm
The Stonewall. Courtyard

“…so, you’d move on down to Florida?” Nico asked.

“It’s not my favorite of all the states in the union… but there are some things there to which I still feel attached,” Seth admitted.

“I suppose so.” Nico thought for a moment and snickered. “I’ve always wanted to go to the theme parks, take some of the rides, watch some of the shows.” He thought for a moment. “I remember seeing some clips of the parades and stuff, which always had me curious. Plus you get to see people from all over the world.”

“Hm… You’d want to talk to them?” Seth said.

“Well, I already know two languages. Why not take classes on a third or a fourth? That way, I can learn to tell a joke in other languages. Although most of them are wordplays, so they probably wouldn’t work.”

“Really? Tell me one.” Seth said.

Nico blinked. While Seth looked like a kind old soul, he’d seldom seen the man try to smile or even seek a reason to do it. This has to be a good one, this has to, he thought to himself, rubbing his hands for warmth as he fished his mind for a joke. “I got it. ‘What does a jedi say to an angry couple?’”

Seth rolled his eyes and humored him. “What does a jedi tell to an angry couple?”

“May divorce be with you.” Nico snickered. It took Seth a couple of seconds to parse the punchline, but when he finally got it, the surly older man chuckled.

“Same sense of humor as my daughter.” The words were out before the old man realized what he’d let slip. Nico could see the joy to slowly fade within him.

“You have a daughter.”

“We… we don’t talk anymore,” was all Seth said with melancholy. ”But that’s besides the point. Maybe I would just choose to stay at home during the summer, just enjoy my little comforts as I do some honest work to keep myself sharp.”

Nico noticed the redirection but knew when not to pry for what shouldn’t be. “What would you work on? Think you said were a teacher before, so would you give me a lesson or two?”

“Interested in electrical engineering?” Seth’s gaze casually drifted off to the side. Then he reached down and prodded his pants pocket, and down into the leg. Presumably he’d managed to sew a hidden pocket. “Darn…”

“What?”

“I thought I might give you a quick lesson with an extra battery that guy gave me… but I don’t have it with me anymore. Must’ve dropped it around the back of the cafeteria when I was taking a walk,” Seth said as he leaned forward with a stifled groan.

“Wait, let me look for it.” Nico was faster at getting up.

“Thank you, Nico,” Seth said, relaxing back on the bench.

“It’s over there, right?” Nico said, already five to ten strides away.

“It should be around the tall grass, somewhere around the corner,” Seth directed as Nico departed with a redoubled jog.

Once alone, the old man took a deep breath to compose himself. It’d been a while since he’d laughed. When was the last time? ‘When my Lara came to me with a similar joke. What was it again?’ His recollection was put on hold, though, as a figure paced around the bench, passing conspicuously close to his side before stopping.

It was one of the men he’d seen in the Black Fist, probably the ‘palest’ among the group but still enough to be welcomed among them, especially after he proved himself quite the fighter. All within the first couple of days since his arrival last week.

“You’ve been hawking over me for the past few hours, haven’t you?” Seth said in a quieter voice. He kept his eyes the other way, but he knew the man heard him. “You’ve been here since Thursday… but more overt since Saturday. When you deliberately stomped on my invention.”

“I’m sorry about that,” the man said, in an equally low voice. He kept his head forward, arching his back as though pretending to be stretching or warming up. “I did it to keep the warden from suspecting you.”

“I suppose I must thank you,” Seth said. “The warden would’ve cracked down on me harder if he’d come across the completed device, and not just a single battery.”

“Sadly, I was attacked before I could kick it all the way to the kitchen,” apologized the man.

“Well enough. It was thoroughly destroyed,” Seth said. “So, who are you?”

“I’m a representative from your old supplier. The organization that shouldn’t be named.”

‘Syndicate,’ Seth thought, his fingers tensing. “I’m quite certain that I didn’t sign up for the -what was it?- The ‘Get out of Jail ‘ benefit before I was captured. Would that mean that you’re here to ensure my silence?”

“Please, no,” the man said with a muted laugh.

“Then what brings this special interaction?” he asked.

“We’re actually here to ensure the retrieval of some other inmates here and my handler wondered if you’d be interested in joining us in the jailbreak.” He paused to switch around his stretches to assume a more discreet stance. “You still have the money you drained from Trireme, don’t you?”

“Hidden bank account in the Caimans. I just haven’t been had the opportunity to retrieve it.”

“If you say it can be used as collateral, we can have you added to the ongoing plan… but it’s a decision that has to be made right now.”

“Putting me on the spot…” Seth muttered looking over, glancing to the side of the building. “You know… I think I’ll take you up on your offer.”

“Good,” the man said as he crouched down, pretending to be adjusting his footwear and the hem of his pants. “Glad we’re on the same page here. You can call me Cole, by the way.”

“It’s quite a daring move. Becoming a prisoner to organize a rescue.”

“Yeah… my mission handler said the same thing…”

“Where would it be?” Nico asked himself as he made his way around the cafeteria. Circling around the perimeter with a discerning eye, he let his foot brush around the tall grass in search of the battery Seth lost. And yet, after seven drawn-out minutes of searching, all he had to show was a paperclip and a couple of coins–which in prison terms were quite valuable. But not what he was looking for.

“Maybe someone else found it…” Nico said as he carried on with his walk, only to almost stumble over a chunk of concrete. How could Seth do this walk with a bad leg?

“Something feels off about this…” he was about to say when he heard something around the corner.

This being a prison, straying too far from the main overseen areas could spell trouble, and not just because it would provoke the guard’s ire. And yet, there was no guard passing over the walkways to look that way. Even more, there was something that drew Nico closer: the sound of dirt and grass being shuffled around and faint whispers in Spanish that tried not to be conspicuous.

“(I-I’m not sure about this,)” said an inmate, who Nico guessed must be from the Coyotes. That was immediately confirmed by the voice that followed.

“(You have to do this, Esteban. If Carlos gives the order to kill the old man, you have to do this.)” Rodrigo’s voice came in with a heavy hiss. Nico’s stomach knotted as he heard that. Killings in the prison weren’t out of the realm of reality… but it was always problematic people or casualties of the gang conflicts, things that both he and Seth had avoided. It had to have been because of the mess hall incident and the deal that fell apart…

“(But I don’t want to get in trouble…)”

“(It won’t be a big problem. Last time someone did this it was just a month in solitary, and that was mostly because there was a family who visited the poor bastard. Seth has no family to visit him.)”

“(But…)”

“(Besides, what’s a month with what we’re supposed to stay in,)” Rodrigo continued, his tone so slimy that Nico could feel it oozing. “(You’ll be just in time for the Coyote uprising and prison break).”

“(But you were the one who told him that Seth guy was double-crossing us.)”

“(And you played along.)” By now Rodrigo was irritated that he wasn’t getting a straight up ‘yes sir’ from his henchman. It appeared to be just the two of them. The creaking of a hinge and the slam of thin tin were distinctive. Nico realized that he’d just stumbled into one of the Coyote’s hidden caches. “(So whether you want it or not. You’re involved in this and I’m still your superior in the gang.)”

This time, Esteban said nothing.

“(Good. Here’s your shiv, go on and do it.)”

“(Weren’t we going to do it later?)”

“(I want to get this over with.)”

“(But… these things are valuable.)”

“(We’ll just get Jeffries to smuggle a knife or something we can sharpen… Now go!)”

“(Fine…)” Esteban agreed as he began to waddle his way around the tall grass back to the courtyard. And he did so in the opposite direction from which Nico was eavesdropping… because that was the shortest way to the courtyard. Which meant Nico would have to run all the way around in order to intercept the would-be stabber.

Still, he wasn’t willing to let this happen. He ran back the way he came from with redoubled steps.

“… I see,” Seth said. “So it’s a classic distraction and escape.”

“Hope it’s a plan you can get behind,” Cole noted as he pushed himself back up.

“Can’t say… There are many variables here. For one, the main plan relies heavily on this ‘Obscura’ person. What would be the backup plan?”

Cole wanted to say, “We’ll just wing it,”, but Lifeward had warned him that Seth was an organized planner. “We have a reliable ally outside of the prison that is ready to jump in if we need backup.”

“Hm…” Seth said before shrugging. “Alright, I guess no breakout is ironclad. I’m just used to being the planner… there is, however, one thing I want.”

“What is it?” Cole inquired.

“When I was checked into the prison, I had to surrender my personal belongings. I want them back.”

This makes it entertaining, Cole thought before speaking. “Very well. Once things go down, I’ll help you recover them. I’ll tell the rest of the team the Techno Revenant joins the plan.”

“Good. Thank you,” Seth said. “Ah, and one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Please, don’t call me by my business name. I always hated it.”

“Fair,” Cole said, dusting off his clothes. “Will see you later.”

And without waiting for an answer, he walked away, pacing his way along the side of the yard.

“Lifeward, he’s in on the plan,” Cole told the enchanted plaque pressed against the inner fold of the neck of his jumpsuit. And, as he pretended to scratch the side of his ear to briefly put the enchanted earpiece, he heard her answer.

<Fulminant has agreed, too.>

“That makes all the players,” Cole said.

<Now, it’s a matter of waiting till sunset. It’ll go off just about half past six. Do you have your route?>

“I do,” Cole trailed off as his ever alert eyes drifted to the side, getting him to take the enchantment ceramic off his ear. “Something is wrong, Life. Gotta go.”

The focus of his concern was a man pacing his way back into the yard, by creeping along the wall. The inmate was a nervous grey beneath his tan and had a physique that deserved the word ‘corpulent,’ but that just made it all the more apparent as he tried to make himself smaller. Slightly hunched over, fidgety and unsure of his steps, with eyes looking around at the big crowds: this was a man who was planning something.

And that became all the more telling as Cole noticed the man’s right wrist. It was held with deliberate stiffness, like the man was trying to hide something behind it. A weapon, Cole realized. And the way he appeared to be coming in on a straight line to Seth spelled out the target of his intentions.

‘The Coyotes must want to settle a score for yesterday’s incident,’ Cole reasoned as he clenched his fists in preparation.

Pausing for a moment in his path, as if pretending to remember something, Cole changed his path and began an arching curve that would intercept the inmate.

Of the two gangs about, the Aryan Brotherhood appeared oblivious of the matter, but a couple of members of the Coyotes could be spotted stealing furtive glances. The guards weren’t noticing anything of this from their vantage point up in the walkways, as they were paying more attention to their radios. But it was the appearance of the young man who’d looked after Seth during yesterday’s incident, Nico, moving around the corner with desperate haste which confirmed Cole’s suspicions.

Seven steps away… Cole picked up the pace.

Six steps away, he already had his starting play ready.

Five steps ahead, the gang member began to pick up the pace, seemingly wanting to end this fast.

Four, Cole thought of doing the same, just to be sure…

Bang! Bang!

Two shots fired into the air. A signal for all the prisoners to stop what they were doing and pay attention to the guards. “Everyone!” The shooter called out his voice amped by the prison’s PA system that rang through the compound, with his gun being pointed down. “Nobody move!”

The gang member heeded the words, stopping on his tracks. Cole followed in suit, but kept his eyes on the would-be assassin.

“Due to suspicion of smuggling activities in the prison, every inmate must leave what they are doing and report to their cellblock for a thorough inspection for contraband.”

Some of the men around began to groan, but the more concerned ones were the members of the Coyotes, amongst whom was the man that Cole would’ve taken down. His eyes were nervously looking around for a way to disappear the weapon in his hand.

Another gunshot was fired up into the air. “I repeat. DO. NOT. MOVE.” the guard reiterated.

This time, no one said anything.

“We’ll be doing this in an orderly fashion. First, inmates of Cellblock 4, back to your spaces.”

That was the block Cole was utilizing, one that housed many of the members of the Black Fist. But also, ironically, it also housed the bulk of the members from the Aryan Brotherhood. It was the proverbial powder keg ready to blow up. As the request was given, the corresponding people began to move and Cole forced himself to play along.

Judging by the Coyote’s expression, he appeared to have lost the will to shank Seth, especially with the guards up in the walkways pointing their guns at each of the inmates in search of the outliers, the smugglers.

Cole could only hope that would be it for now–but at the same time, he knew that wouldn’t be the case. If Seth was a target already, they would definitely try again.

And yet, he was being ushered back into a different cellblock, probably for the rest of the night.

Sunday, January 30th - 6:09pm
The Stonewall. Building A - Cellblock 4

Of all cellblocks in Building A, number 4 was the riskier one. Whether it was for the warden’s amusement or just sheer luck of the draw, it contained the bulk of two rivaling gangs within the prison. Both of them had a particular distaste for the other and were more than willing to settle the matter with their fists.

And with the doors in and out of the space locked and everyone being left waiting for a good hour, the tensions were climbing to the boiling point. The two gangs stood across one another to throw insults in an effort to start the conflict with the claim of self-defense. Others just paced around, grumbling about.

“What’s wrong with the Warden?”

“Is this about yesterday?”

“What now?”

In between the muttered words and movement, no one was paying attention to one of the recent arrivals to the prison resting within his cell, his head resting against the wall to conceal the enchanted clip on his ear.

<…Obscura is mobilizing to get you,> Lifeward reported.

“Have her reach Seth first and then get back to me,” Cole told the piece of enchanted ceramic in his fist.

<Are you sure? Wouldn’t it be best to have the two of you free to move first?>

“The Coyotes seem to have put a hit on Seth,” Cole reasoned. “They’re sequestered in Cellblock 3 while he is in Cellblock 1. And, with what’s going to happen, they might try to act.”

<All the more reason to get you out first.>

“He has more chances to survive armed than waiting unarmed.”

<Very well, I’ll relay the instructions to Obscura.>

“Good.” Cole put his fist down, then looked forward to the black man in the power nullifying collar who had been standing guard at the entrance of the cell all this time. With his arms crossed and his large physique, Stones made for an imposing barrier that covered him. He looked down at Cole before stepping aside just enough so he could see what was going on.

“What did I miss?” Cole said.

“He’s been accusing us of smuggling,” Stones said.

While the conversation had been going on, the PA system crackled to life, and the warden delivered his message to this area. Starting his justification. “… In addition to the missing guard, we also have testimony from one of the members of the staff that would single out members of the Black Fist as the ones behind illegal smuggling activities in our prison.”

Cole happened to just pause the call at the right moment to hear the outburst from the prisoners. Maybe they thought the warden would hear them, or that the guards would instantly relay the message to the Man in Charge.

“This is bullshit!” one of the members of the Black Fist snapped.

“You stupid negroes!” one of the members of the Aryan Brotherhood snapped back.

“Shut your fucking mouth, ghost,” another member of the gang yelled. “Are you stupid?”

“It’s all the Mexicans’ doing!” Someone else said.

“I don’t see any difference between y’all mudskins!”

“The fuck you say?!”

The screams and hollers were punctuated with the distinctive sounds of fists being exchanged, turning them into war cries as the crowd got riled up.Cole could hear the chaos getting closer and closer to them.

In the meantime, the warden kept on talking. “Pardon me if I don’t spare any sympathy as you beat yourselves senseless in my prison. But the moment you try to tamper with my systems, that is when I tighten the grip on the leash.”

“We’re going to have a bad time…” Stones noted. “Are we going to make it out okay?”

“We just have to hold on as well as we can,” Cole told him, just as one of the buffer neonazis carved his path into the Black Fist’s frontline, bringing the fight ever closer and prompting some of the younger members to call out for help. “You okay with dropping them?” Cole asked.

“Hey. They may have taken me for my skin color… but that’s about all we have in common.”

 

Sunday, January 30th - 6:30pm
The Stonewall. Building A - Cellblock 2

Nico sat down in his cell with the open door overlooking Cell Block 2. In a half-curfew, one could walk out and back, but not leave the communal space. Many of the other inmates took this as an opportunity to get out and mingle, expressing their frustrations and anger at the warden for doing his little social experiments on them. So far they hadn’t been told what was going on, with nary a word from the Warden or the guards stationed at every entrance.

It was by sheer fortune that Block Two was rather mild. Sure, they were all criminals and there were always one or two troublemakers around, but considering the stories he’d heard from Cell Blocks 3 and 4, there was a marked difference.

Still, there was no peace of mind that could be shared for Nico. His heel tapped against the concrete floor as he pondered what to do.

Just an hour ago, the Coyotes plotted to shank the old man. He’d been there when Rodrigo gave the order to Esteban. A hit job on Seth, probably to silence him after yesterday's incident. Esteban happened to be just about six steps away by the time Nico made it to the yard, running as fast as he could. Could he have caught up in time? Could he have stopped the guy? He could’ve called the guards on the assassination attempt–but there was a rule in the prison about what would happen to tattletales… He didn’t even have a chance to warn Seth before being called into his cell.

But then again, interfering with the assassination would’ve put him in the Coyote’s black list, for certain this time, which would pretty much ensure that his days in this hell hole would be numbered. The only thing he could think of was to try to cut a deal with the Coyotes… but he had nothing of value, nothing to his name but literally an empty bank account. He did have himself. That just meant offering to become a member of Coyotes in exchange for Seth’s protection… but would he be willing to do that? He wasn’t a hero, not someone who’d put his life at risk for anyone else. But he couldn’t allow those bastards to follow through with it.

He leaned back, sighed, and then paced his way out of the cell to lean over the handrail with a view of the vicinity. Watching the other inmates still pacing about. A crowd had gathered around the local jokester as he tried out some new material, while the others stood at the doors, trying to prod the guards for information.

“Guards are acting weird,” Nico heard one of the men on the side mutter.

“I heard ’em gossiping. Something about a guard that disappeared or someone messing up with the cameras. I think maybe someone’s got themselves in here without askin’.”

“Who the hell would do some batshit dumbfuck thing like that?”

“Dunno, don’t care… but the guy in the cell next to mine claims he saw something moving out there in the dark.”

“What? like a ghost?”

“Maybe? Says he saw it disappear into a wall.”

“Maybe the Syndicate’s come to break us out?”

‘Yeah, sure, and I got a lovely bridge in Brooklyn to sell ya…”

And that was another thing. Nico’s mind went over to the memories from last night when he talked with the monster under the bed, Obscura, giving her a word map of the prison’s layout. Judging with how things were going, he was more inclined to believe that it’d been real. Which meant that three people would be leaving the prison. He still had to confirm if Seth was the Techno Revenant… but considering the alternative,he really hoped that was the case.

Stretching his legs, wobbly as they felt from the past couple of hours of poor eating, he moved along the block’s walkway. His goal was one of the gates that connected to the axis hallways of the building. There, the prisoners were completely focused on new communications that were being delivered to their radios.

Before he could even come up with an idea for what to do or how to do it, the lights above and around flickered and then suddenly died.

Prisoners hollered out in surprise. Some saw it as their chance to move, but Nico knew it for what it was: the signal. Whatever Obscura and her people were planning, it was going down.

Sunday, January 30th - 6:29pm
The Stonewall. Building A - Corridor annex to the administrative area.

PO Rogers, one of the original members of the guard staff and right hand man of the Warden, paced his way through the corridor at a redoubled pace. He was followed by one of the newer members of the staff. His objective was the camera room to check the security footage for any clues to be found on the mysterious dealings.

According to Warden Smith, there appeared to be several things going on. Things that needed to be overseen.

The first one and most obvious, was the problem with one of the guards. Last Friday, one of the guards failed to show up. While it was a complete dereliction of duty, Rogers would be lying if he said he didn’t know how sometimes guards took unscheduled days off. The problematic part was that some of the rescued footage and records showed this guard going in places he wasn’t supposed to before departing the building without following the usual protocols, one of which included the backup generators that’d been decoupled.

The second item was the rumors of smuggling within the walls. Someone was providing the inmates with items from the outside world. Maybe it was just small and basic things like batteries for now, but that didn’t mean it would stop there. And even then, all it would take for it to become a problem was for someone to get creative with a thing. The evidence here was a tad more apparent, even if subtle on the details. Things like items found within the last struggle… but there was also the likelihood that guards had to be involved, considering how some of the cameras were misdirected.

And finally, there was the feeling that there was something off in the prison. This one wasn’t anything the warden had said, but it was something Rogers picked up from talking with the subordinates. They talked about seeing a figure in the cameras skulking in the dark, even with the night vision turned off. Some heard sounds in rooms that were supposed to be empty and, by the time they stepped in and turned on the lights… nothing. There was no evidence for this one just rumors.

He made his way down the corridor only to get a glimpse of a person passing by with hasty steps. In those four seconds under the light, he realized something was off. This person was smaller, with the prison’s jacket appearing bulking around their frame… And then, a youthful, androgynous face glanced at him from beneath the prison cap. No guard in this prison had looks like that. Bright eyes widened and the suspicious one quickly picked up the pace.

And as if that wasn’t enough, they were walking away from the camera room.

“Go to the camera room, check that everything is in order!” Rogers told the guard behind him as he broke into a run chasing the ill-fitting guard.

Going from a hurried pace to the full-out sprint, he rounded the corner, definitely set on surprising the stranger with a burst of speed. They upped their pace, tried to make a break for it. And despite having some trouble with the clothes, they would’ve gotten away if another of the guards hadn’t emerged just then from the other end of the hallway. The odd man out had to dodge for another corridor, and that cost them time.

“Got you!” Rogers said, catching the ill-fitting guard by the sleeve before they could slip away.

He yanked at the sleeve, pulling them to a stop, and his grip sought to catch the wrist through the garment. But, like a desperate animal, the fake guard backed away and swung the arm, making it very difficult for him to hold on. The surprise came as the cap got knocked high enough for Rogers to get a clear look at the face. Whatever he’d expected, it hadn’t been a young woman, practically a teenager, underneath those bulky clothes.

He stood a couple of seconds, dumbfounded. A single, thin beep rang through and a small grin appeared on the girl’s face.

There were about four working backup generators located throughout the Stonewall, interconnected to ensure that the facility would keep on working in the case of a power outage. Each of them had received a mysterious visitor, either during the night or over the course of the afternoon.

The figure, a girl dressed either in a black ninja-like suit, or in a loose guard’s uniform, had placed her hand on each of the generators to create a pit of darkness through which a small device was deposited in sensitive spots.

From there, a small explosion would trigger a targeted major malfunction that could be disguised as a mechanical breakdown.

As the clock marked 6:33, the devices went, off one after another.

The girl’s grin was unnaturally bright as the lights above lost power and cast the world into darkness.

Rogers felt movement from the sleeve, reminding him of his duty as the warden’s right hand. “Oh no! You’re not getting away!” he shouted as he lunged forward, following the sleeve up to catch the rest.

He caught the jacket between his arms, but it was loose inside. There was no body within, much to his confusion.

The guards on the other side of the corridor turned on their flashlights, shining it over Rogers. In his grasp was an empty jacket, while the pants, shoes, and hat that the girl had been wearing lay scattered on the floor… but no sight of her, as though she’d disappeared into thin air.

Sunday, January 30th - 6:33pm
The Stonewall. Building A - Corridor beneath

As the lights died, the corridor fell into darkness. Not that it mattered, though, as no one was there to see the pool of night appear in the ceiling and a girl fall and touch the ground in a graceful three-point landing. Her legs had changed to a more animal structure while a tail slithered out of her suit's adaptive posterior.

Eyes swept down the corridor, confirming that she was alone. The darkness was no hindrance to her, and with the knowledge of the prison, she resolved to find her way back to where she’d meant to be before she took that unfortunate turn… although an impish smirk did grace her lips as she imagined the surprise of the guard.

“Quite sure this still counts towards my stealth score,” she mused with a thrill in her voice as she pulled the mask over her mouth and set off in fast strides.

“Now it’s all up to me, again.”

 

To Be Continued