10.1 - Confinement

I followed Lieutenant Vali and his two officer guards down a corridor of gray concrete walls. Though the police station looked smaller on the outside, the interior was much larger than I remembered.

It had been ten years since I'd last been here. Back then, Vali provided me with a tour of the detention level to intimidate me into cooperation—to show me where I'd end up if I ever "misbehaved." Sure enough, I made it a priority to never give Vali a reason to bring me here.

Tonight, however, it was by my own free will to return.

I hadn't seen Mass Driver since they took him at the docking bay, but when we turned a corner down another corridor, I saw not only him but others—

Other Abnormals.

This new hallway had multiple cells along each side. Each one had a fully transparent wall facing the front, while the other three sides were constructed with a special material Vali refused to describe to me.

We passed through 28 cells in total.

All but one of them had an Abnormal imprisoned within. Each of them had their wrists and ankles bound to energy braces—all of them linked by strings of beam energy. You wouldn't lose a finger if you touched the beam strings, but they wouldn't leave you without a mild burn on your skin.

I wondered if the last empty cell was meant for me, and I felt a queasy feeling in my stomach.

"We've made a lot of progress since the last time you were here, Vector," Lieutenant Vali spoke up without turning to me. "Turns out the City Council's modifications all these years finally paid off."

Vali and his officer guards stopped in front of one cell, and he waved for me to take a look.

"Observe," he said, revealing the prisoner inside. "The Rumbler. Lawrence Zodilo. Apprehended on the night your old apartment building collapsed."

The Rumbler sat quietly on his wooden bench of a bed. He raised his head and glared at me as soon as he caught sight of my face. His expression was a mixture of anger, hatred, and a twisted sense of respect.

"Why do you lock them up like this?" I inquired to Vali. "Isolated. Confined."

Vali cleared his throat. "It's to demonstrate to these freaks that we are the ones who are always in control. Control over their futures, over their lives. We, the majority, control how they are meant to be punished."

"Punished?" I repeated. "For what?"

"What do you think?" Vali scoffed. "For causing trouble of every kind! They're all criminals, plain and simple, all serving the Science Division, no doubt! But, as much as I'd prefer that we simply force them all to starve, the City Council wants all of them well-fed and cared for. You know, at a minimum. We are not barbarians, Vector—"

"You may as well be for showing me all of these..."

Vali squinted. "These what?"

"...these people," I finished.

"Hmph!" a female officer scoffed as we walked past her. "None of these Abnormals should even be people, if you ask me!"

I locked eyes with her and balled a fist.

"But you, Vector? I guess you're all right."

I didn't answer her.

A male officer showed up as Vali led me to a large office. "Hey, hey! There's the man!" he cheered for me. "It's the Hero! The Hero of Ave Strata!"

Another male and female officer joined him.

"Yeah, Mr. Hero's here!" the second female officer smiled. "Who woulda thought my day would get this exciting!"

"Talk about luck!" the second male officer nodded. "You're Ave Strata's #1 Abnormal Buster!"

Their words made me feel uncomfortable, and they followed me and Vali inside the office.

"Take a seat," Vali instructed, and I took a solo cushioned chair by an old-style grandfather clock, which ticked ever so quietly. If I ever wanted to steal anything, I'd take that with me.

Vali sat down behind his desk. "Now..." he began, "I must say I'm very surprised you would willingly come here of your own free will."

"Color me surprised myself," I answered. "But I have my reasons."

Some other officers peaked into the office, but I ignored them.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions," Vali rested his chin on his folded hands as he stared at me.

"Me first," I stared back at him.

Vali frowned. "Fine. Shoot."

"Why are you keeping those Abnormals here?" I asked bluntly.

Vali raised an eyebrow. "I thought I answered that. Because they're all criminals, Vector. What else are we supposed to do with scum like them? All of them committed crimes against Ave Strata, in the name of the Science Division. Surely you know who they are?"

"I'm aware. I stopped Mass Driver myself."

"Yourself, eh?"

"Right."

"Man, that's impressive!" a male officer remarked.

"Shh!" two officers glanced at him.

"And we, of course, thank you for that," Vali begrudgingly replied. "Whether you accept it or not, and whether I accept it or not, the City Council owes you a great deal. Now then—"

I kept up my pressure. "Then why do you keep them all chained? Isolated like this?"

Vali stared at me. "Why not?"

"It's...a little excessive, don't you think?"

"Psh! For these freaks? I don't think so."

"...Aren't I...one of these freaks?"

"Well...as much as I'd love to agree with you, the City Council would say you're 'different.' The whole city thinks you're different."

"Can't argue with that."

"The same can't be said for all those Abnormals."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He met my eyes. "It means...You should count yourself lucky, Vector. You're the most normal of all the Abnormals. You are not in one of these cells because you've proven to me, the City Council, and the people of Ave Strata that you are not a threat to them—to us. You're an annoying bastard, yes, but when it comes down to it, your power is turned against Abnormals. We share a common goal in that. And for that, as much as it pains me to say it...I can at least respect that a little bit."

Vali's words baffled me. That was the collective mindset behind the City Council—Was that really their true face then? Was that the true face of everyone online who gave me praise? Is that what Normals really are? Filled with blind hatred for Abnormals?

For people like...me?

I lowered my head, staring at my gloved hands.

Really...? Was I really on...the right side of things here? Those guys and girls...They're Abnormals...like me...They're criminals because...they hurt people...or planned to hurt people...But these guys...The City Council...Those people online...The majority of Ave Strata...

Did they all just see us Abnormals as subhumans? As inferior beings to them?!

Is that supposed to be the majority opinion here?!

Now was the time to learn. "I'd like to believe you aren't subjecting any prisoners to psychological torture...Lieutenant Vali."

Vali glanced back at me. "Define 'torture,' Vector."

"Social isolation? That's just one, for starters. How about physical abuse, human experimentation, or even...Need I say more?"

Vali folded his arms. "You know, Vector...You really shouldn't stick your hooded nose into business that doesn't concern you. In fact, you should keep being the new 'Hero' Ave Strata wants right now. Enforcing the law is our job. Keeping the Science Division in checking, and keeping any hopeful Abnormals who'd try to join them in line, is also part of our job."

"Ah, lighten up, Vali!" one of the male officers said, walking in to the office. "Rest assured, Vector. None of those freaks are being tortured. They're just serving time."

"Yeah!" a female officer added. "Time they rightfully deserve for causing so much trouble for the city!"

"That's not reassuring," I said to the two of them, and I turned back to Vali.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "The affairs of the Police Force are not for you to worry about. I don't really care what you do with your time. As long as you're using your damn powers against Abnormals, then we don't need to have a problem with you."

"I want to talk to The Rumbler," I stated. "And just us. I'd like to ask him some questions."

Vali frowned. "For what purpose?"

"He probably wants to give the other prisoners an example!" a male officer grinned.

"Yeah!" a female officer added. "Give 'em a beating and make the others freak out!"

"Like the animals they are," another female officer laughed.

"Serves 'em right!" the second male officer snorted.

Vali continued. "Explain your reason for such a request, Vector."

"Like I said," I stared at him. "I'd like to ask Larry a few questions. Just between us."

"Larry?" the first female officer raised an eyebrow. "Oh. That's his name?"

"He's got a name!" the second male officer laughed.

"Maybe he knows how to play fetch!" laughed the second female officer.

"You can't possibly think I'd let you two talk alone," Vali answered me firmly. "I'll be there to listen in. Besides, anything you tell him shouldn't be anything of concern..." He glared at me. "...right?"

"Right," I nodded once. "Which is why there's no reason for you to be ther—!!"

Suddenly, an ear-piercing alarm blared through the police station. I instinctively covered my ears, and all the officers jolted up.

Vali raised his right wristwatch to his mouth. "Status report!"

"Breach!" a panicked officer's voice screamed through the communicator. "T-There's an Abnormal here and—AAAAGGHHH!!"

Vali lowered his arm and glanced at the other officers. "Perimeter breach! Level Red! GO, GO, GO! Secure the prisoners! No one leaves!"

"Yes, sir!" some officers replied.

"Sir!" the others answered.

All the officers, except Vali sprinted out of the office.

Vali himself opened a locked gun case and took out a laser rifle. He loaded it quickly with a magazine of plasma ammunition.

I got up from my seat and approached him. "Vali! Let me help! I can—!"

"YOU need to STAY HERE!" he yelled, pointing a finger at me, and he cocked his rifle. "If you step out of this office, we will be forced to kill you. Don't be stupid."

I kept still as he slammed the office door shut behind him.

I heard other officers call out to each other as dozens of their shadows sprinted past the door. Multiple muffled gunshots rang out somewhere else in the police station, but they were definitely loud enough for me to know they were close, and...getting closer, still. The rattling of a laser machine gun rumbled beyond the walls, and I could only imagine what was happening in the halls and corridors.

The entire room shook several times.

I controlled my breathing and decided to sit on Vali's office chair.

The emergency alarm kept blaring for another ten minutes, until it suddenly cut out mid-blare.

It was now ominously silent.

Just then, there was a scream, followed by another, then a cacophony of panicked yells and more screams. There were a few gunshots mixed in with the high-pitched sounds of metal being grated and shot through.

The screams stopped a long minute later.

I kept still, listening for any sign of movement outside the office.

There was a rush of multiple footsteps, followed by hushed muttering. But just as quickly as the footsteps came, they faded away.

I swallowed.

I took long steps toward the door, trying to move as slowly and quietly as possible.

When I was just a few paces away, the door opened by itself.

At that moment—

—a tall man appeared in the office doorway, wearing a long, white lab coat that stopped at his shins. It was stained with red splotches of blood, and his formal black suit underneath had several splatters on it, too. A strange insignia appeared at his top left chest pocket, and a line of chemical diagram lines flowed from his shoulders down along his sleeves. He wore black dress pants and brown dress shoes, and he had a tie with silver, green, and black diagonal stripes on it. His hands appeared to be covered, hidden in black leather gloves.

But his head...was completely covered in an iridescent titanium helmet. It had four lenses—one large circular lens at the center front and back, one where his forehead should've been, and another that curved outward at the top of his head. His helmet curved into a large circle where his ears were meant to be; his left "ear" was replaced with a glowing red atom, while his right "ear" was replaced with a glowing blue atom. Both of them had a pair of miniature particles orbiting their spherical atomic nucleus.

His entire neck was likewise completely covered in armor plating with the same iridescent titanium, going down from his helmet in tiered layers.

The masked man lowered his head and the two circular lenses on his helmet—the forehead lens bathed in a lime-colored light, and the front lens illuminated with orange—brightened to a menacing glow.

Two small bursts of steam blew out from the mini vents along the chin part of his helmet.

"Jacen Jacinto," the man said, his deep voice was a blend of organic vocal chords with a slight muffle—similar to a faint voice on an old-school radio. "At last, we meet. Though, I suppose you already know who I am? To think, of all the places we'd finally cross paths, it would be none other than in this vile facility built by Normals."

I froze with terror. "Doctor...Molecruel...?"