Where?
It was vacant.. still.
Floating, in emptiness.
Something lingered.
He knows the feeling but can't define it.
Why?
Cold.
It was all void.
A crack was the only company he had.
Purple and strange, hypnotizing him to move closer.
Don't...
He reached.
...
The dim light of the elevator flickered as a few moths resided on it.
Inside the old, decrepit elevator, two escort guards waited beside a dolly carrying a detained prisoner.
The chains around him gleamed in the light.
Glancing down at the information on the clipboard in his hand, the guard began to read off the report.
"Prisoner 005, Kane Bolt, Charged for first degree murder, uncontrollable desire, and cannibalism of unidentified individuals."
"Unbelievable. "
"I know."
"Let's move."
The guard inserted his key in the gear marked five.
The rustic elevator cascaded down its shaft.
The guards gazed through the glass.
"Floor one is still the same as ever."
"You said it."
The prisoners worked tirelessly separating fuel from other minerals that arrived in steam carts. Chains.
Labor.
Inferiority spread across the prisoners.
Guards beat for enjoyment.
The elevator descended further.
Cogs, fireboxes, boilers, pipes, cylinders, pistons, and rods separated the sufferings of each floor.
The elevator passed the veil and the second floor was in view.
Endless mining.
No release.
The breaking of rocks into minerals.
Bent posture.
There was no relief.
The third was the same.
The isolation came into full view.
The fourth floor.
No movement, just quiet.
Dread of death.
Longing for escape.
Punishment for the one.
Screams from the other.
There was no escape.
The elevator reached the fifth floor.
The doors creaked open.
A warden, tall and menacing, towered over the dolly.
The transport handed him their documents.
"Transfer documents, Warden."
Gaul took it.
"Dismissed."
"Yes Sir."
Gaul commanded his attendee to push the dolly.
Each container they passed.
Looking into them with disgust.
Gaul stopped and rattled through the keys attached to his waist.
A black key extended towards the door lock in front of him.
Zero, the final chamber.
He inserted the key into the socket underneath the handle and pushed the door.
The door creaked as it was opening and rust fell to the ground.
Gaul let out a sigh and paused.
"Follow me."
Jayla followed. Gaul walked, each step echoed and the dolly wheels creaked in the silence.
Stillness.
The boy was unseen by the light.
Gaul took his last step.
"Stop."
Chains hung from the ceiling.
The void surrounded them.
Gaul pushed the boy in place.
Binding him.
The boy was more metal than flesh.
The legs, bound.
The arms buckled down.
He had no say.
The head slightly lifted.
A cold gaze.
Gaul turned away and Jayla followed.
There was no light.
Only emptiness.
The door was sealed.
Gaul returned to his office.
Jayla prepared him some tea.
He signaled for the void chamber to be activated.
The sound of pressing buttons filled the office.
Gaul used his identification as the final step for confirmation.
He sipped his tea in anticipation.
This chamber has always intrigued me.
A deep frost entered the cell.
The chains solidified.
His breath went stagnant.
The void encapsulated him. Kane was still.
The four walls around him became his only company.
Gaul reached for the snacks Jayla brought out with the tea.
He filled out his report and made a call on his communicator to headquarters.
Gaul reported.
"Mission Complete."
A soft yet firm male voice responded.
"Good Work Gaul."
"Yes sir."
Releasing a massive sigh Gaul hung up the phone and leaned back into his chair.
He often took naps after he finished his work.
Gaul tipped his hat over his eyes and propped up his feet, dozing off.
He remained.
8 Years Later...
The penitentiary was still ticking.
Ever in motion.
Procedures were followed and protocol was still intact.
...
Grimm grinned, as he leaped out of the hanger of a plane.
His suit cloaked his frame.
The mask hid his face.
He was heading towards his target of destruction.
Grimm raised a nucleus of red, orange energy above his head.
Let's get started.
He threw out his arms in front of him in a x-shaped formation.
The nucleus diverged and a bombardment rained down upon the surface level of Maker's City penitently.
The generators combusted into flames.
Guards screamed out in pain.
Prisoners hesitated before moving into action.
Pipes busted.
Alarms became the ambiance.
he commanders screamed orders but no one followed.
Everything was ticking to its own rhythm.
The lamp tower, overlooking the prison, fell and the order of operations destabilized.
Grimm used a small nucleus to stop his momentum to land safely.
Elaina, Art, and Joe all descended by rope to meet up with Grimm.
Joe patted Grimm on the back for opening a hole into floor one.
"As flashy as ever Grimm."
"Of course!"
Elaina let out a slight giggle.
Art kept her cool.
"We have a mission to do. Let's go."
Art chambered a shot into her railgun.
The four of them leaped into the hole.
Guards of the first floor were unable to respond to the sudden intrusion.
The prisoners fought back, swarming the guards.
Batons cracked skulls.
Steam cars tipping over.
Bullets flew across floor one.
Chaos.
The commander of the floor looked at the falling tower.
This wasn't meant to fall.
Art signaled for Grimm.
He weaved two nuclei in both hands and blew open a pathway to the second floor.
The structure of the prison was breaking.
Cogs sized.
Pistons froze.
The team continued into the second floor.
—On the fifth floor —
Beep Beep! The Alarm system tore Gaul from his slumber.
He lifted his hat into place, calmly pressing a button next to a speaker on his desk.
Gaul spoke.
"Status Report."
The commander of the fourth floor responded.
"Unidentified intruders are disrupting the prison."
"Hold out. Reinforcements are on their way."
Gaul pushed another button.
He signaled the guards of floor five to assist floor four.
Gaul rose to his feet and nodded at Jayla.
"Get my weapon."
Jayla handed him his coat.
"Right away."
Gaul adorned his coat and hooked the golden lash across his shoulders.
Jayla returned holding his weapon with both hands.
"Here, sir."
Gaul took his shotgun from Jayla.
The gun was as long as his arm and had two tubes that hooked into slots on Gaul's arm.
The shotgun rode parallel to his right arm and was supported by a horizontal handle that stretched out towards Gaul's right hand.
He began loading shells from his belt into the chamber of the gun with his left hand.
Gaul headed towards the holding grounds as his communicator device began to buzz.
"Sir, they reached the fifth floor. We're overwhelmed and in need of back--- "
The communicator only sounded with bullets, and screams of guards falling in a heated raid. The sound of the communicator being picked up could be heard on Gaul's end.
A young female voice began to ring through to Gaul.
"Ahh.. Hello, Hello? Gaul? Are you still sleeping on the job? Some things never change. Anyways thanks for the easy mission. We'll be going now! Bye-Bye!"
Gaul pressed the button on his device to cut the signal and pulled it out of his ear.
Gaul let out a sigh before crushing his earbud.
"That one is mine."
Jayla adjusted her glasses.
She had heard what was said to Gaul.
"Protocol 15."
Jayla activated her communicator.
"Maker's City Penitentiary requesting back-up."
A soldier's voice responded.
"Affirmative. Watchman II, codenamed Michael, is in route. ETA, 15 minutes."
After hearing this Gaul paused.
After a brief moment, his stride started to increase as the sounds of bullets were starting to dissipate.
Upon exiting the hallway, Gaul turned his attention to the furthest wall away from him.
Signaling his left hand, Jayla stopped moving and prepared to engage.
At the end, furthest away from them, the elevator shaft door slowly opened.
Blood dripped onto the metal floor.
A slender woman stepped forward.
In her right hand, she held a guard by the chin.
He was still.
Her left hand clutched a pink stuffed elephant.
She was clad in black infiltration gear, the fabric swallowing the light around her.
Gaul took aim.
Strange.
Gaul opened fire.
The woman swiftly moved from the elevator shaft, dodging the many pellets flying her way by flipping, cartwheeling, and using other types of acrobatics.
Gaul was having trouble keeping up with her when suddenly she stood directly in front of him.
Reacting to this Gaul launched a punch at her with his left hand.
His fist met something soft.
Squeak.
The stuffed animal fell to the floor.
The woman tilted her head.
Her finger pointed at him.
And laughed.
Gaul faced her.
"Joke's over."
He cocked his shotgun.
This time, the veins connecting his arm to the shotgun began to glow.
His desire to eliminate the disorder in front of him charged through his shotgun.
The shotgun rang.
The pellets compressed mid flight -- focused, precise.
Yet nothing worked.
Jayla felt a shift before she saw it.
Bang.
Jayla's desire moved her faster than sound.
She shifted Gaul out of the trajectory of the heavy bullet.
It grazed him.
I was too slow.
Blood ran from Gaul's shoulder.
The giggle persisted.
Art's feet were planted on the roof.
Smoke left the barrel of her railgun.
She blew the smoke and folded her weapon onto her back.
Art slipped past them and into the control room on the fifth floor. She spoke to Eliana through a communicator device.
"Keep them distracted, I'm almost in the control room."
All she got in response was a giggle.
Art reached the control room.
With her presence still undetected, she put down her railgun and unholstered her twin pistols from her belt.
Shots rang.
Bullets landed.
A quick reload.
Guns holstered.
Each soldier had a single wound.
The same place.
Art then walked up to Gaul's station and stuck out her right arm.
Mechanical tentacles with sharp edges extended out from her suit's knuckles and started moving on their own.
A multitude of checks and firewalls were bypassed and eventually the system was sent into a forced shutdown.
There was no light.
The escape wish was granted.
Prisoners emerged.
Unbound.
Guards shot each other.
Prisoners killed one another.
There was no control.
Only violence and disorder.
In the midst of all the chaos, a loud explosion was heard in the center of the courtyard.
Above the noise a light shone down into the darkness.
Everyone turned their attention to the spotlight, and inside was Joe looking up.
All the people could feel an immense pressure from the desire above.
Slowing descending into the fifth floor was a bright person.
They had an intense golden glow around them and four pure white wings were outstretched from their back.
On each joint of each wing, an open eye ball looked around.
In his right hand he held a golden sword and a spear in his left.
"You filth. Do not gaze upon God's servant."
Joe pointed his fermented scythe at him.
"Says, who?"
The winged figure held his head high. His eyes lowered.
"God's faithful servant of course."
Joe sprang up from the ground and began to clash with the winged man.
The spear and scythe clashed.
Tension rose.
Chaos endured.
Art contacted all her comrades using her communicator.
"I've joined up with our targets, let's get out of here."
Next to her, on the outskirts of the courtyard, were two prisoners.
They pulled their prison jackets off, stripping the ID in the process.
Grimm cleaned the path for a exit before joining them.
Due to the chaos, Eliana was able to shake off Gaul and Jayla.
She regrouped with them, giving Grimm a fist bump.
Joe contacted them.
"You... Guys Escape.
I'll hold off this winged freak."
Grimm responded.
"That wasn't the plan! Get over here now!"
"Just go man."
The communicator cut.
The battle intensified.
The team argued.
Nothing was in order.
In an instant... silence.
Time stalled.
No wind.
No breath.
If I move--- I die.
All were prey.
Clank. Clank.
Chains shook.
Tap. Tap.
Footsteps sounded.
The rustic door creaked open.
All heads turned.
Stillness.
A void.
A hand reached out.
Malnourished and pale.
Breath seized.
Cracks of purple.
Flesh tearing.
Gnashing teeth.
The hand opened.
Darkness dripped from the opening.
It stretched beneath their feet.
A veil.
Around all.
Cracks manifested.
Their mouths opened.
The cracks closed.
Prisoners collapsed.
Their ID numbers gone.
Guards collapsed with bites at their badges.
Gaul raised his shotgun.
The air around his badge shifted.
He glanced down.
It's gone.
Gaul fell.
The intruders remained.
The silence settled.
Bodies were split.
The purple fades.
Joe was able to wound the winged man because of the sudden pause.
He regrouped with the rest of his team.
Art was focused on the source of that stillness.
At the origin, a collapsed young man could be seen.
Art reached.
She lifted the man.
Grimm led them through the escape route.
Art was the last to follow them.
The team was silent.
They regrouped at the rendezvous point.
An airship descended and the hangar door opened.
The team entered.
Art placed the man on a stretcher.
His face was cold.
Long hair covered him.
A purple glow faded from his scars.
"Who's that?" Grimm asked.
He was pointing at the person laying on the stretcher.
"The source of that disturbance."
"Why would you bring him then?"
"I felt something."
"Whatever."
Grimm put his hands behind his head and rested his eyes.
Eliana was giggling and talking to Joe, making fun of him for losing.
Getting more and more annoyed, he smacked her on the head.
The two prisoners were given water and Jean was helping Tremor calm down by patting him on the back.
Art looked down at the stretcher the man was in.
Was it right to bring him?
Art relaxed herself and let out a sigh.
The friendly banter between the team continued as they traveled towards their destination.
---After the escape---
"You failed."
"He interfered. The fiend escaped."
"And your wing?"
"Faith will restore it."
He paused.
"Of course it will."
Michael's eyes narrowed.
"What brings someone like you here?"
"Curiosity."
"You?"
"005."
Michael's jaw tightened.
"That abomination is a defect. A mistake."
"No."
A quiet pause.
"He is incomplete."
"Filth resonates with filth."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Not filth."
Another Pause.
"Something broken recognizes something broken."
Michael's voice hardened.
"If he is a threat to the Maker, I will exterminate him."
"No"
That smile remained.
"You won't."
He's finally out.