Prison

“Professor!” I shot up, eyes foggy as water dripped on my forehead from the ceiling. “Where the hell…”

The buzzing lightbulb above me was my only source of light, illuminating the crumbling concrete walls trapping me in. Water dripped from the leaking rusted pipes above.

I groggily got up–head pounding–and checked the only door in the entire room. It felt solid, unmoving, even as I tugged at the iron bars covering the small window barely the size of my head. I could see outside, sure, but the dim lights out there barely told me anything. “What kind of prison,” I muttered, apprehension creeping into my voice. Hell, I didn’t know Iero had a prison like this.

“Becca.” I said. No dice, not that I expected my AI to reach me. Wherever I was, these walls didn’t look very internet friendly. “Well, shit.”

Other than Kat, not a soul knew I was down here, and even if she spread the word, what could they do? They had no idea where I was. Hell, I had no idea where I was. Old concrete building didn’t exactly narrow the search down much in Iero.

“Well, isn’t this the most predictable outcome,” I sighed. With the adrenaline gone all that remained was a mix of annoyance and sorrow. Of course I was going to get caught! What did I expect? To waltz in here without a single person looking at the cameras. Sure a lot of Iero was incompetent, but someone high up enough to work at a place like this?

I’d been led in hook line and sinker, there was no other way to put it.

“Put shitty guards up, let me win a chase or two and throw myself at them. Why bother chasing me in the first place? God, I'm such an idiot.”

Kat was right about everything. Of course this was a trap. They expected my hothead ass to run down here without a plan and throw myself in the slammer. Damn it Kat, why didn’t I listen to you?

“Oy!” A banging sound assaulted my ears from outside, causing me to rocket towards the door. “Gate check.”

A man wider than I was tall whistled as he banged his baton on every door one by one. I could hear his footsteps hit the ground like steel weights drug along by chains. Just his sneer made me nauseous.

What to do… talk or let the man by.

“Hey, where the hell is this?” I shouted. Who was I to keep my mouth shut.

“Quiet!” I flinched as he swung his baton, making my door vibrate like a drill. “Who gave you the right to speak bitch? You are where you are and you’ll like it.”

“Woah… creative,” despite my situation I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Guys like this were always all bark and no bite, and even the ones that could bite were not particularly good at it. It was like a weightlifter getting in the ring with a seasoned fighter half his weight. Even with the advantage ten out of ten times he gets his teeth knocked out. “I’ll find out when I get out of here anyway. Give it a day or two.”

“Cocky one aren't you?” He sneered, walking towards my door and leaning in the window. “I’ll show you what we–”

“BAM!” My first flew through the bars, right in his face, teeth flying out like shards of glass.

“You’ll show me what exactly?”

“You bitch!” He stumbled back up, his arms raised. Not this again…

He stepped forward, unlocking my door before throwing a clumsy right hook even a monkey could duck under, followed by a punch to the gut.

Not that either hit of course. With barely a step I leaned to the side as his momentum carried him into the cell. Honestly, the fact he fit through the door was a miracle.

“That's all you–Bleh!” As I taunted, a sudden backhand slammed against my jaw. Now, this man truly was one of the fighters of all time, but if he figured out how to use his weight it was over. I couldn’t land a useful punch on a four hundred pound charging bull.

He sat up, knocking the dust off his blue denim pants. “We have a lot of your kind here missie. They normally don’t last long.”

“A lot of yapping for a single punch,” I faked a yawn. “Come on them, throw a punch or two!”

I eyed my cell. Talk all the smack I want there was one way out of here, and Mr. Pig was currently blocking my one miracle. See Kat, blustering can get me far in life.

“If there's no other way…” I muttered, eyeing the man as he dared not to make a move. If I couldn’t find anything in the cells, I’d just have to rob its inhabitants.

“Now now, I see you got yourself in another mess Asta.” Leaning against the door. Professor Juri twirled a pair of silver keys. “Now before you knock another one of my guard’s heads into the concrete, let’s take this opportunity to talk a bit.”