'The Pit: Hell Frozen Over' - Arc 3, Chapter 3: 'The One Truth' (Closed, Started)

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Lee studied the young Lieutenant carefully. What he saw there greatly impressed one part of him, and greatly troubled another. In her conviction, she reminded Lee quite a bit of himself when he was her age. He wasn't going to say as much though. In her current mentality, Clementina would take such a remark as the highest praise, and it would not be meant as such.

The silence hung there a few moments, before Colonel Lee spoke up.

"Lieutenant," he sounded as weary as he felt. "answer me this honestly, and think carefully before you speak... Why exactly do you think the Executives are here?"

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As they turned into the cell block that housed Inmate Agatha Moore, Chen's brother Yu, who had been watching to make sure all was clear, fell in beside them. A few seconds later, all three were level with the bars outside her cell. The two brothers stayed close, watching Lewis with eyes narrowed. Luckily, the Warden seemed to have good enough sense not to rush to greet his sister where everyne could see. Lewis' cell had been prepared right next to hers, and the wall between was thin enough so that they could talk to each-other.

"This is your stop." Yu told him, shoving Lewis inside the cell unceremoniously.

"Make your greetings, and quickly." Chen added. "There is much to be done, and time is short. We will be back again in 3 minutes."

 

[ProtoChimp]

Silence was in the air for what seemed an eternity before the Colonel answered."Lieutenant," he sounded weary, "answer me this honestly, and think carefully before you speak... Why exactly do you think the Executives are here?"

Clementina thought for a few moments before answering. "To evaluate the performance of all wardens, yours in particular sir. To assess damage of the riots and the recovery of the facility, and to assess the profits of the facility sir."

 

[The Funslinger]

Korovitch sat in the lobby outside Lee's office, waiting patiently. There was a lot to sort out. And in less than forty eight hours, he would be heading back into that outpost to gauge his associate's progress. He wondered idly if there would be blood on his hands when he left, that time.

 

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

There was a period of silence. But finally Aggie spoke.

"Lewis... is that really you?"

"I was about to ask the same thing, Aggie." Lewis answered back. "I never thought I'd see you... see you like this."

"How would you have liked to see me?" Aggie asked, curious of what Lewis had to say.

"Sneaking you out in a laundry hamper maybe." Lewis joked. Aggie smiled behind the thin wall. Even though he couldn't see it, he knew she smiled because she always smiled at his jokes. "But seriously though, I'm going to get you out of here."

"You don't think I haven't though of a way since the first day I was here?"

"You were never a Warden." Lewis plainly said. Aggie's "vision" was confirmed. That was Lewis she saw the other day.

"For how long?"

"A few months..." Lewis said.

"Not very good at the job are you?" Aggie mentioned.

"I'd like to see you be in my shoes."

"You mean a prisoner? I think I've got that covered."

"Don't worry, I have a plan. I'll get us both out. Trust me."

Aggie wished she could be for now she just humored him.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

A few minutes later, Yu and Chen were both back. This time, however, they did not even so much as stop to talk, and spared the two Inmates less than a passing glance. As the twins passed the pair of cells, they each slipped a note through the bars. Yu took Aggie's, and Chen Lewis'.

Spoiler: OOC

Aggie's note reads...

'9:15am, Production Floor West, Column G, Workstation 16. Mr. Connors will be there. When you see him, rub back of neck 5 times. Dispose after reading.'

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Lewis' note reads...

'We implanted a micro-transmitter under your skin. We will always be listening, and tracking you location. When you have ascertained status of target, key-words are as follows...

"Sanctuary" = Approach Target.

"Retribution" = Eliminate Target.

Dispose after reading.'

============================================================================================================================

"You would be correct." Lee responded with cool courtesy. "Now, exactly where in that job description lies the part which you find so threatening? You are too fresh a recruit to have committed any noteworthy infractions, even if you wanted to; and your previous record before joining us here is exemplary. I should know, I memorized it."

The Colonel peered at her over arched fingers, with that look he knew made people feel as if he could see right through them.

"Now, I have my suspicions as to where this hostility stems from, but you will speak nonetheless. If you have a problem with any member or members of the Executive team in particular, or to their presence here in general, then I would have you speak your mind."

 

[The Funslinger]

The smell of apprehension was strong in the air. Odin moved silently along with the pack. Soon, they would split off into two groups. One led by the Alpha, and one led by the big two leg with the cold leg who had been dying when Odin first smelled him. His Alpha had always been there, in Odin's memory and Odin would follow him always. Even though he was Alpha, he was not the Alpha. The strange female two leg with the cold arm was alpha over even him, and Odin gave her respect. But he loved his Alpha, who smelled of deer, and had the eyes of a wolf. Cold arm had not been there for Odin in the cold wastes. Wolf eyes had. Wolf eyes had come, and saved him as a brother. Those eyes unnerved other two legs, but they meant a great bond to Odin.

Odin remembered, with enough clarity, the female. Wolf eyes' mate. Wolf eyes had been happy with her. Then the fire had come, set upon them by the other two legs, Wolf eyes' old pack, too scared to face him when they decided they wanted rid of him. Wolf eyes still made the teeth baring that two legs made when happy, and the strange gasp bark that meant great fun. He did those things a lot; more than other two legs. But it wasn't real. Odin could smell it on him, and could tell by his eyes. It hadn't been real since the flames. Almost. Sometimes, he buried his face in Odin's pelt and breathed it in. Often times there was the wetness on his eyes, but Odin knew it was the only hint of real happiness left in his pack brother.

Now all that was left to him was the activity the two of them shared. The hunt. Which Wolf eyes always threw himself into, as he was now.

=============================================================

As they trudged through the undergrowth, coming towards the point where their group would split, Riley glanced back to see Odin staring at him. Those huge amber eyes almost seemed to be full of introspection. He supposed this must be what it was like for other people when he looked at them. Not for the first time, he wondered what his companion was thinking.

Shrugging, he gave Odin a wolfish grin, and turned back to what he was doing.

 

[ProtoChimp]

The Colonel gave Clementina a look that she could swear made him see right through her. She figured what she did din't make any waves but she was still paranoid about any obstacles she put in the Colonel's way. "Now, I have my suspicions as to where this hostility stems from, but you will speak nonetheless. If you have a problem with any member or members of the Executive team in particular, or to their presence here in general, then I would have you speak your mind."

"Sir," she said before pausing for a moment,"I... dislike that they are here to scrutinise your work after you saved their biggest money machine. I don't want you to think I am infatuated or anything that would be implausible, but I greatly admire all you have done for this facility and what you had to do to do it. You saved them when they were choking on their own fat and now they are accusing you of choking them in the first place. I've seen how these people react and Sir they aren't people. They are walking forms of paper given human form. This isn't an inspection this is a battle and if they win they will be losing and not even realising because they are too stupid to see that they need you. I was worried Sir because I thought even the slightest obstacle in your way would give them an edge to say you aren't fit for duty when no one is fitter for duty. I have a serious distaste for people in suits who refuse to enter the real world, then try to rule it. I have a problem with all of the executives sir, and perhaps it would be best I am separated from them before I embarrasses either of us any further." This was the first time she spoke clearly in front of the Colonel and she liked it. She didn't speak with worship or infatuation like some of her words may imply but with a cold edge and serious distaste towards the executives.

 

[Fappy]

"Are you okay?"

Kusanagi blinked a few times as she snapped back to her senses and smiles nervously, "Yeah, sorry, I uhh...." After staring at a bit of dirt between her fingers for a few moments she looked to Acolyte. "About the other day... I'm sorry I lashed out like that. Me being the way I am... it... I don't imagine Nikolai's men think highly of me, and us being so close, well..."

Her gaze strayed away to the wilderness before them, "Just let me know if you think I am weighing you down, okay? I've had enough people die because of my incompetence. It's time I started pulling my own weight. I don't need you going down the same road Samuel did."

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************

"... And from what I hear on the work floor the lower parts have become a 'ghetto of fear and violence'. Please tell me that's true."

The Reaper shook his head, "Fear? Certainly. Violence? Not so much as you'd think. The Colonel's got this place locked down tighter than ever. Everyone down there's too afraid to look anyone else in the eye, much less throw a punch." He led Travis out the door and continued. "That's why this recent murder is so strange. First warden killed in three months. That has to mean something, doesn't it? I would have known where to start in the old world, but things have changed. There are no 'bad' wardens. There are no gangs. There is no power structure to speak of, it's just the wardens and the prisoners now."

The Reaper stopped close to one of the mine entrances and sighed, "So where do you start when it's every man for themselves?" He scanned the area from the shadows, holding Travis back with his left arm as some prisoners walked by for their shift. "You go down to the miners' cells. Find people you remember and see if they know anything. I am going to pay some friends a visit. See if they still remember the old days."

Revealing himself to Blackrock was risky, but at this point he was about out of options. He had little faith Travis would be of much use and the old man was nowhere to be found.

Compromises would have to be made.

 

[The Funslinger]

"Just let me know if you think I am weighing you down, okay? I've had enough people die because of my incompetence. It's time I started pulling my own weight. I don't need you going down the same road Samuel did."

Samuel. This was getting ridiculous. Acolyte caught himself, opening his mouth to say that he was Samuel. Or had been. But he closed it again, and gave her a playful shove. "Oh, fuck that. You really don't have a high opinion of yourself, do you? You're one of the strongest women I've ever met, and that's a fact."

He took a breath and continued. "Look, Orphan-- um, Samuel wouldn't have wasted time on you if he didn't see the potential for someone who could stand on their own two feet after he was gone. So take that to mind, or the next stream we see, I'm gonna hold your head underwater to wash out all the bullshit you have stuck up in there." He said it not unkindly, but it was still somewhat blunt.

Not very monk-like, but it'd been a long time since he'd considered himself a model monk.

 

[Fappy]

"... I'm gonna hold your head underwater to wash out all the bullshit you have stuck up in there."

Kusanagi smiled and shook her head, "My mom always used to say she'd wash my mouth out with soap if she ever heard me curse. Funny, I've been doing some much of it since this all started." Her weak smile remained on her lips as she continued. "It's taken a long time, but I think I'm finally beginning to accept that I'll never get my old life back. My mother, father and brother... they're gone. Forever."

Kusanagi gave Acolyte a friendly pat on the back, "I've begun looking forward. Looking towards tomorrow. I may not have much, but I do have my life and I do have you." She paused for a moment, gazing in the vague direction of the other recon sqaud. "And, well, I suppose I have Nikolai too. Not sure he feels the same way about me, though."

 

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

Both of them disposed of the note after reading but only Lewis was slightly confused given the nature of how they were tracking him. He wondered how they got the chip inside of him without him knowing but he knew Lee had his ways. After some time, Aggie left her cell and she beckoned Lewis do join her on her little walk.

"First thing is not to attract attention to yourself."

"Yea I noticed." Lewis said curtly. He followed Aggie from some distance away so it didn't outwardly look like they were related. That's when he noticed the changes. Aggie had barely any hair left on her head. She looked more tired, older than she looked but not age wise. Aggie looked visibly worn as if years were taken away from her by force. Scar were sprinkled all over her body with the most noticeable one on her face, giving her a permanent grin. Aggie noticed Lewis gawking at her wounds and Lewis noticed too with him trying to look some place else.

"Its this place." Aggie whispered. "It always take something away from you piece by piece over time until there's nothing left."

They eventually arrived at the refinery. Lewis couldn't help but sweat but Aggie was already used to the heat. She saw Mr.Connors. She filled out her part of the bargain and rubbed the back of her neck before approaching him. Lewis was skeptical about the old man.

"Mr.Connors, this is my brother. No doubt you've heard about him." Aggie said.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Just as Nikolai's team reached their positions, they heard the staccato beat of helicopter blades approaching from behind them.

'Helicopter.' Nikolai reminded himself of the word. Down in the dark, he could use whatever words for things that served him, but he was in a different world now, and he had to learn to speak to strangers on terms that they understood. It would do for him to learn to read as well, when he found the time.

'Don't learn. Remember.' piped up the voice again, and it hit the heart of the matter. All of these things that he was struggling to re-learn, he already knew. The knowledge was there, somehow, somewhere, all he needed to do was find it. However, perhaps the most important question was, what else would he find when he did.

Nikolai shook his head, and focused on the present. There was a job to do and he couldn't allow himself to be distracted. Learn, or remember, in made no matter. Nikolai was in a different world now, and he needed to change.

As the helicopter passed overhead, they huddled in one, horizontal line, their backs pressed to the south bank of a small river that wound it's way through the trees. They had the canopy above them, so their was little chance of them being spotted from above. However, it was still prudent to be as small and still as possible. From this position, they had a clear view though the perimeter fence, little more than 50 yards away, while the ditch and treeline made them invisible to anyone looking out. In one way, their close proximity to the perimeter was an advantage. The snipers and machine-gunners stationed atop the high watchtowers just behind the fence were looking right over them.

Nikolai got a better view of the helicopter as it came into land, while he lay prone on the steep riverbank, his own binoculars out and his elbows resting on the lip of the rise. This one was not like the others he had seen at the prison. Those had been smaller, and more agile. The helicopter that was descending on the landing pad inside the base was long and fat, with two mighty sets of rotors on top, mounted one behind the other, instead of just one. It landed facing away from them, and no sooner had it's wheels touched the ground than it's rear opened up, and Men started pouring out. These were no Wardens, Nikolai knew that at once. While the Warden's had always been armed, and often decked out in full riot armor, especially when the few patrols came down to the Lower-Levels, these Men were covered almost head to heel in Kevlar. Their helmets covered their entire faces, apart from narrow eye-slits which were behind layers of reinforced perspex. Heavy plates hung from their thick flak jackets, protecting their rear and groin. Interlocking segments covered the join of their shoulders. As well as all this, they carried a deadly array of arms. Most had hi-tech assault rifles with huge grenade launchers mounted underneath the barrels, and with brand new optics on top. He also saw sniper rifles and LMG's that were almost as big as the men wielding them, and more than a few chunky missile launchers strapped over shoulders. The Pit may have been heavily guarded, but these were no guards. They were looking at elite shock troopers, an expression of all of Venture Horizon's military might compressed into a single soldier. Underneath, most of them could have been mere Men, no different from the rest, but in their armor some of them appeared almost as huge as Nikolai.

Behind them, specimens followed who seemed almost dwarfish in comparison. They were unarmed, unarmored, and wore white coats with an insignia sewn on their breasts that Nikolai did not know, but that looked similar to all the others that designated Men working for Venture Horizon.

============================================================================================================================

The Talon watched the same scene unfold from a different angle. Her squad had all climbed trees atop their more hilly approach, well above the eye-line of anyone who may be searching, and in their camouflage the canopy shielded them. The Talon was highest of them all.

The involvement of Behemoth Corps was a complication, but not an unforeseen one. The safe transportation of Phantom wasn't going to be entrusted to just anyone after all. They looked to be platoon strength, on top of the three companies of regular soldiers that were assigned to the compound. The transport that had brought them now made three helicopters, alongside the two gunships that were already in residence. On the ground, the defenders had several fortified pillar-boxes, armored trucks, LRV's, and five light tanks. Without Project Condor, such a garrison would have been impossible to conceal.

If the boffins were here, that meant that Phantom would be rolling out in no more than 48 hours. The time for waiting was truly done now. This group would only be transporting one batch, and there would be plenty of time until all stock was transported to all locations, but The Talon didn't want any slipping through her fingers.

 

[The Funslinger]

"And, well, I suppose I have Nikolai too. Not sure he feels the same way about me, though."

"Nikolai... I'm sure you're as aware as I am that he seems to have grown up fighting for his life in the Pit. I don't imagine he's been in the position to care about someone before now, or even really get away with thinking for himself. It's alien to him, I think. And given how relentlessly pragmatic he is by nature, do you really think he'd stick his neck out for you as much as he has if he didn't care? I just don't think he's great at expressing it, but I'm very sure it's there."

They moved up to their position and watched the men.

"Damn, they're like robots." Acolyte peered through the pair of battered old binoculars he'd been given, and then passed them to Lucia. "They're wearing Kevlar, like us," he said, falling automatically into his role as her impromptu instructor. "Remember, Kevlar may stop your bullets up to a point, but it won't do shit against your knife. Kevlar weave cuts just as easily as any other fiber. But it will absorb your blows in hand to hand combat. If you can't get at their throats due to size, get under their guard and aim for the armpits. They're soft and are the most vulnerable point on the torso. You can really damage someone's core like that."

As an afterthought, he added, "that British guy is going to go to town with those arrows of his."

============================================================================

Riley stared down from on top of the ridge. This was going to be worst case scenario, but it was worst case scenario they had taken into account. He watched the armoured. men. Covered in Kevlar, as he'd expected. He stroked the razor edge of a broadhead arrow, smiling wolfishly. He was going to go to town with these.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

The tour was finished, and what little new information that Selina had been able to absorb had already begun to trickle away. She knew that she must reconcile her next course of action with herself soon. It wouldn't do for her to be stuck in this state for the entire rest of this expedition.

What she really needed was advice, she begrudgingly conceded. That only raised more complications however. One wrong word in the wrong ear, and Lee would know what she had uncovered, or perhaps the Director. Either way, the choice would be taken out of her hands, and Selina still wasn't sure which of those would produce the worst outcome. If she was going to do this, she had to play it smart. Involving a third party was one thing, but involving them without said third party even realising what they were being involved with was quite another. In a bizarre turn, committing to this thought made Selina feel greatly more at ease. This was, after all, what she was good at.

"Rich-I mean, Dr. Lu!" she called out as the group emerged from the top of the Atrium and began to disperse. She offered her colleague a small, shy smile, blushing slightly as if embarrassed by her oh-so-impulsive lapse of professionalism. "I believe I'll take you up on your offer of a drink later..." It was always better to keep them waiting. "If it still stands of course. I-I think it might do me some good."

===============================================================================================================================

Lee couldn't help but be a little cowed by Clementina's praise, even if he had been expecting something of the sort. He had, of course, encountered Clementina's type before, but even so Lee was particularly disquieted by the bitterness in her tone when talking about the Executives.

"Well, I thank you for your vote of confidence, Lieutenant Abreu." Lee replied, frank but composed. "Although you give me rather too much credit. This facility is far from saved yet. We will not be turning a significant profit again for several fiscal quarters; and even after that mountain has been climbed, there's much more that I hope can be accomplished. Before my time is up, I'd like to be able to call myself a Warden without feeling like a fraud. The name implies pastoral care, a protector, and well as a custodian. So far, my progress on that score has been woefully slow. Every day, innocent people are suffering on my watch, and even among those who are not so innocent, there are thousands of Inmates who could have, should have, been reformed and released by now, were I presiding over a system that knew any small measure of justice. The harder lessons are the ones that must be taught first, and I teach them every day in The Hive, with that damnable glass box of mine, but I do not enjoy playing the part of the Tyrant."

Lee paused for a moment, grinding his teeth. It occurred to him that he had been gripping the edge of his desk rather harder than was necessary. When he looked at Clementina, his eyes were as dry and sharp as ever, and when he spoke again his voice did not crack. However, there was a rawness to him now.

"Like you, I've never pretended to be fond of bean-counters and pencil-pushers, but even so we dismiss them at our peril. This world is in dire needs of more checks and balances, more accountability, more... justice. You say that they are the one's not living in the real world, but what about us? We are about as for removed from civilisation out here as can be without leaving orbit. We are coloured by the harshness and misery that we see all around us every day. We preside over a mixture of some of the most terrible, and most vulnerable, people on this Earth, and too many of us find it all too easy to tar them all with the same brush. I've seen too many good men lose themselves in my years, and if tolerating a few irksome bureaucrats is what it will take to prevent me seeing any more, then that is a price that I will gladly pay.

You have incredible drive and self-belief Lieutenant, and I respect it immensely. Out of that respect, I will give you a warning. Do not turn into a zealot. There is no person more suspect in this world, than the one who believes, unshakably, that they are doing the right thing; and when a man claims to have all the answers, that's all the more reason to start asking questions. Too many people died to teach me that same lesson. Some were friends, some were foes, and there were corpses on both sides who had been far better men than me."

Had he said too much? Not enough? Lee was no longer as confident in these things as he had been. The colonel dropped his gaze, and chose instead to busy himself with some new files in his in-tray.

"No-one is likely to be harsher on your mistakes than yourself, Lieutenant." he said, not looking up again. "I see no gain to be had from disciplining you further. You are dismissed."

 

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

"If it still stands of course. I-I think it might do me some good."

"That's good to hear." Richard smiled warmly at Selina and then made their way to the Bar which was called the "Gates of Pandemonium". He had been there a few times but only to stop by. He had never actually gotten a drink there but now seemed like the best time. He needed to know what was bothering her so much and maybe some alcohol would prove as a sufficient truth serum. He never refused drinking on the job but he knew his limits. Richard wondered if Selina knew hers.

"May I please have a White Russian, please?" Richard asked the bartender. He then turned to Selina who sat herself on a seat facing the bar so Richard sat next to her.

"So how are you faring in this little slice of paradise?" He asked, jokingly of course as he tried to break the ice.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"May I please have a White Russian, please?" Asked one of the Executives as he entered the bar, Abigail had seen this one poking around the Gates a couple of times now over the last few days, but he never actually ordered one before, guess there is a first time for everything. Alongside the man was Selina who he sat next to.

"Certainly sir, one White Russian coming up." Abigail said with a brief smile before she turned to gather the ingredients; vodka, coffee liqueur, and fresh cream. Whilst the first two made sense for a cocktail, the fresh cream always puzzled her somewhat, but nevertheless, if its what the customer order, than that is what they got.

Abigail first poured the vodka and liqueur into a mini cocktail shaker, which already had ice in it. A minute or so later, the chilled contents was poured over some ice in an old fashioned cocktail tumbler, and given a short stir with a spoon that came from the shaker. Next came the fresh cream; she had some in case someone ordered a dessert style drink. A couple of small spoonfuls, and the nearly finished cocktail was then slowly stirred, allowing the concoctions to come together. Finally, Abigail placed the drink on a coaster and nudged it towards the male Executive, and then she proceeded to clean up the shaker and spoon.

"There you go sir, a White Russian, enjoy." Abigail said politely before turning to Selina.

"Ah, welcome back Miss Hernandez, a pleasure to see you again. Would you care for another Seville Cocktail?"

 

[Fappy]

"... that British guy is going to go to town with those arrows of his."

Kusanagi bit her lip as she examined the troops from afar, "Suddenly this who operation doesn't seem like such a good idea. The wardens didn't even have half the gear these guys do. Do you really think we'd stand a chance against such a well armed force? Sure, Nikolai's men are all experienced fighters, but that was the Pit. Fighting out here against these guys... I doubt any of us have ever experienced anything like it."

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Mr. Connors was retrieving a cigarette from his jacket pocket when a familiar voice reached his ear.

"Mr.Connors, this is my brother. No doubt you've heard about him."

Connors turned around to see the pair. Without a word he pulled out a lighter and took a long drag. His eyes looked over the man thoroughly, "Hindsight's 20/20, but it still wouldn't have been too hard to peg him as a warden." Connors smiled as a look of wariness appeared on their faces. "Don't lose yer shit, son. Most prisoners are fuck'n morons. You don't have a damn thing to worry about."

He glanced around the room and signaled for them to retreat to a more private section of the refinery. After a short trip he turned back to face them, "So what is it that you two want?"

 

[Mr.Ivebeenframed]

"So what is it that you two want?"

"We need to talk to the Reaper." Lewis said first. Aggie clenched her first and restrained the urge to smack Lewis across the head because of the way he talked Mr. Connors but she also questioned why. She managed to hide her curiosity as well for her own brother's motives but she just went along with it.

"I'm calling in a favor, Mr. Connors. -My brother- needs to talk to the Reaper." Aggie said to the old man. Hopefully the man would comply otherwise would be hard contacting such an elusive man inside such a dangerous place.

 

[The Funslinger]

"Fighting out here against these guys... I doubt any of us have ever experienced anything like it."

"What I told you to do is the best advice I can give you. Besides, I doubt this is gonna be like the riot. We're going to have a strategy. A plan to get the drop on these guys."

 

[ProtoChimp]

Clementina found herself speechless. For the first time in her life she was stunned. Others had made her speechless through sheer stupidity or shameful cowardice but for the first time in her existence she was stunned beyond words. It took her a moment to react but she saluted the Colonel with a sharp salute, standing up and saying with all the ice in her voice melted "Colonel." She turned to leave and exited his office. Clementina walked out into the open air of the Siberian ice. The Colonel had so much experience and knew so much yet it would be foolish to romanticise his life. According to him he could very well be in the prison, and he never made any attempts to sound like a hero. Unfortunately his reputation preceded him along with rumours and lies to both discredit him and make him sound like some sort of super hero. She sighed and stared at her breath in the air as it dissipated. He had given her food for thought and her belly was full. A zealot? She could never become a zealot. The two worse people in the world were zealots and weak people who sought to control the strong. Could she become a zealot? Easily dismissing people who could help? Many people down there were vulnerable but they are just collateral damage when it comes to saving this place. Yet... could they be helped? Saved? Could those who had done terrible things be reformed? Surely they only deserved to toil their worthless lives away but the Colonel seeks to save them? Why? That glass box in the hive teaches them a lesson they better fucking learn!

Wait, was she doing it now? Becoming a zealot? She was certainly acting like one. "Isso é desgastante, eu preciso de uma bebida ou dois ... ou três ..." she sighed as she made her way towards the Gates of Pandemonium.
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Travis was disappointed to hear about the lack of violence down on the lower levels. He was looking forward to someone giving him an excuse to use the wondrous knife he was given.

"You go down to the miners' cells. Find people you remember and see if they know anything. I am going to pay some friends a visit. See if they still remember the old days."

Travis mock saluted the Reaper as he made his way down to the miners cells. By the time he was out of sight and could tell that he had gone elsewhere he pulled out the knife and swaggered down across the cells. Whistling he came upon a tired man looking just a couple years older than him. He was chinese and looked exhausted, probably just coming from a shift. Travis rapped on the bars with the sheath of the knife while he waved it in the air like a toy. The man took one look at Travis and immediately got ready for a fight.

"Dragon." he said sternly.

"Tiger," chuckled Travis, "may I come in."

The man looked at the knife and said "Are you gonna use that if I don't?"

"Oh I'm probably gonna use this even if you do, but depending on what you say depends on who I use it on." The man sighed and nodded his head for Travis to enter, keeping his eye on him the whole time. "Why thank you good sir-"

"What the fuck do you want?" the man interrupted.

"Woah woah hostility. How rude Mr Tiger." Travis kept laughing as he sat down on the man's bed. He stepped forward about to intimidate him but Travis held up his knife and the man stepped back frowning. "That's better." Travis put his hand and the knife at his side.

"You still haven't said what you want."

"Well... first I want you to remind me of some history. Who were here first the Tigers or The Dragons?"

The Chinese man turned up his lip and answered "My Tigers."

Smiling Travis continued "Yeah yeah you were. And what a dumb fucking idea that was. Starting a gang based off authority? Did you really think people'd take you seriously?! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Travis barked and laughed hysterically in his face as The Tiger just stood there and took it.

"Oh yeah cos we were both big dogs weren't we? The Dragons? Our downfall came from being stupid and a lack of creativity." Travis stopped laughing and stared up at the man curious. The Tiger flinched a little before carrying on "Arctic wolves, Zulu, The Aryan Brotherhood, the biggest gangs all came from being creative and smart, not just being strong. Put together we wouldn't have even had a hundred people in our crew. So don't think for a second you're better than me Dragon cos you're not."

Travis stood and the Tiger backed up against the wall. "Says the man who's entire crew got wasted by mine." He spoke with ice in his veins colder than the prison that surrounded them. "Remember? Dozens of mine killing dozens of yours, I even remember the mine it was in. But I remember a couple young guns a couple days before the riot came up to me acting all big dick. I hurt them, hurt 'em bad, and killed them slow. You wanna be the same? Look at you!" Travis sized him up, "out of shape. Weak. After the fight in the mine you just gave up didn't you? No more of that "bring honour to the tigers" bullshit you just focused on surviving. I bet you hid out in a little warden cubby hole in the riot you ******!" Travis ignored the fact that that's exactly what he did during the riot. "Huh! ANSWER ME!" Travis pinned him to the wall and pressed the knife against his throat. He kicked and choked as he tried to escape The Dragon's grasp but he was too weak. Lack of exercise had made him weak, the one thing Travis could say he kept up was exercise.

"What do y-you want??!!" he choked out.

"I'm glad you asked. Warden, sexy thing, got raped and murdered down here and I need to know who did it."

"WHat? Why the fuck would you care? Sucking warden dick no-" He was interupted by a harsh headbutt.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Travis kept head butting him until he had him down on the floor. He stood over the man brandishing his knife ready to end his life. "Yeah I'm doing a couple warden favours so what? No worse than you actually doing work for them! FAG!" He yelled as he stomped on his testicles. The man screamed in pain and Travis continued "At least this way I get some nice new presents. Now I think you know something, and if you don't give me an answer that helps me out I'm gonna be leaving here with pieces of you in my pockets. Now SAY SOMETHING!"

The man snivvled and drooled onto the floor before saying right before Travis hit him again, "Someone's been gloating about a dead Warden. Saying he ran a train on her. I don't know who but he's been saying all sorts of shit."

"What did he look like?"

"I don't know I just heard people talking about it" he whimpered.

"Ah you're fucking useless!" Travis kicked him hard in the face knocking him nearly unconscious before heading out. He could find more info somewhere down here.