I stared at the cold cement wall in front of me. I stared at it for hours on end. There was little else to do but stare. At the Zig, medium security prisons were better guarded against escape than the maxiumum security ones anywhere else. It made sense considering the things the prisoners could do.
Because of the security there was little to do but wait. I heard yesterday that someone in maxiumum finally snapped and hung himself. I don't see why. All he had to do was wait. They always come if you wait.
I was in the worst place I could possibly be in right now. I was in my cell in 'the Zig' as the others called it. A prison built not to keep ordinary people in, but those with 'special abilities' such as myself. Special abilities and the smarts to use them. If you didn't have the smarts you became a hero, caught up in all that truth and justice crap.
More waiting.
Did I mention there was a lot of that? Just... wait. All day. They let those with really really really good behavior in the excersise yard. I wasn't one of those villians. I didn't even have a cellmate. They don't put the condemmed together. Everyone here was condemmed. Walking deadmen, all of them. Everyone was going to die. I could see it as they walked past. They might delude themselves otherwise, but the truth was that no one could avoid it, Even after escape, you were doomed to die. Some might live a few more years, but even they would fade away eventually.
They brought us out for food. Sometimes they let us go to the library. I always got books. I read them every chance I got. It seemed to be the only thing to do. Read and wait for the sentance to be carried out.
One book always caught my eye. Indeed I had been so fascinated by it I risked solitary to steal it from the library. They hadn't caught me. Not yet at least. Even now, after having read the book over five times front to back I didn't want to return it. Something about it had me gripped.
The book itself was called "Shadow's of the Heroes" and was written by a certain John K. Rashen. The name seemed a bit familiar, but I couldn't remember where from. I couldn't remember anything, actually. Not since Crey.
Crey...
I hated the word, Crey. I hated the very sound of it as it left my lips. That single syllable produced so much hate. It was like fire, pumping through my veins. My eyes burst into flames. I could feel my entire body on fire. I was burning up, consumed by the fire.
No.
My arms deflated and shrunk back to normal size. My eyes lost their fire. Everything went back. No one seemed to notice. I must control my emotions. Raging in the cell wouldn't be a good thing. I sat back down, staring blackly at the wall.
Boom.
Suddenly an explosion tore through the peace of the waiting. The ground shook and the guards looked around uncertainly. In a place like the Zig, explosions were never good things.
I stood as well. This interuption in the daily schedule of waiting, reading, and eating was something to be explored. Just as the sound from the first had dissipated, the second thundered in.
Boom.
I saw the guards look around, confused. One reached for his radio.
Boom. This one tore through the very block I was in. The fire devoured the wall, destroying all in its path. It was hungry. It wanted fuel to keep itself alive. I could feel it.
No.
This couldn't be real. It was the imagination, just like everything else had been. None of it was real. I sunk back onto the bed.
Gunshots.
This time I walked to the cell door, watching from the bars.
Soldiers dressed in black uniforms were filing in through the hole. The fire was gone. It had decided that the struggle for life was futile. Whooshed away leaving only the hole and a few charred guards.
The remaining guards were panicing, some drawing radios, some pulling out their own firearms, some running. This had never happened before. It threw them off-kilter. They hadn't practiced this kind of thing. They were lost. A few orginized quickly enough to merit a burst of machine gun fire. Then they to fell, bleeding from a dozen places. To bad for them. They were going to die anyway though. Everyone in this prison died. Even the guards. The prison was a deathtrap.
The other guards had either surrendered or been shot. The black uniformed soldiers were moving on, They pressed a lever on the wall, opening the cell doors. Mine grated open slowly, as if reluctant to work for these men.
As soon as mine had opened enough, I stepped out. I was on the second floor. Other prisoners were elated by their newfound freedom. They jumped to the first floor. Idiots. Nothing changed. I simply walked down the stairs. Theactrics would come later, after I got out of these rags.
-----
Smiling to myself I dusted my suit off and placed the red sunglasses over my eyes. I felt like a new man.
Walking from the room I began walking, across the room and out the hole in the door.
Night air hit me full force. I smiled to myself. It was good to be out. Leaning against the wall I watched others scamper around. Then I began to walk forward towards a group of inmates.
After talking with other inmates, I realised it was Arachnos, the legendary hand of Lord Recluse, coming to free us. I smiled to myself. They had me blow up some radar station before they lifted off. Easy stuff. I went in and killed most people inside before they even realised I had entered. I let them see me, grinning, before I showed them the last sight they would ever see: An energy charged fist heading straight for their neck. The bomb was easy stuff.
As the dropship lifted off I dusted my suit off again. As we started off the co-pilot began talking to me.
"Damukag eh?"
"The one and only."
"Well what can you do then, if you're so great?" he sneered.
I grinned.
"Well for one I can rip out the throats of those who are getting on my nerves. That's a useful one."
He shut up after that. Good thing to. I don't make idle threats. He seemed funny though.
As the ship landed I stood. The doors opened and I had to cover my eyes with a gloved hand. Good old fashioned hitman's gloves. They were useful in more ways than I could count.
I walked out slowly, still shielding my eyes from the glare of the morning sun. A figure dressed all in white stood on a stand, addressing those coming in.
The pilot pointed at her, waited for me to get off, then took off again. I watched him go before turning back to the figure in white. Kalinda, the pilot had said. I approached her.
"You're Kalinda, right?"
"Yes. Who are you?"
"Damukag's my name." I said, giving a mocking stage bow.
"Damukag. Good." she said, ignoring my bowing. "Damukag, you must now prove yourself to Arachnos. Prove that you are worthy of serving our great Lord Recluse."
"Oh? And how would I impress the
great Lord Recluse himself?" I said, tilting my head and proffering a smile.
I couldn't see behind the mask, but I was pretty sure Kalinda was glaring at me.
"As you might have noticed, we have a slight snake problem. I need you to take care of one of their snake holes north of here."
"Sounds like a plan then." I replied, still grinning.
I walked off slowly, feeling the bulk of the book I had taken from the prison library in my jacket pocket.
Well, time for a new start then.
((Damukag is a bit crazy. Obviously he was not really on fire. He alway's calm and grinning, even when he talks about how he's going to die a horrible gruesome death. Feel free to join in or comment or whatever it is you do here.
))
