Thunderbolt #3 - Advanced Measures
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Advanced Measures Wing, Black Oak Women’s Correctional Facility, Colorado
Melissa opened her eyes and blinked twice, her eyes adjusting to the light before sitting up and rubbing her head. Okay so where the hell am I now?, she thought as she ran her hands up her arms before coming to a small almost healed injection scar, and how long was I out? Slowly she staggered out of bed and walked over to the door and pushing down on the handle. Seconds later an alarm sounded, one that was so loud it caused Melissa to slam her hands over her ears.
“Miss Gold my apologies.” A voice announced over the PA system seconds before the alarm deactivated. “Please keep calm and we’ll turn off the automated lock.”
“Where am I!?” Melissa yelled as she slowly removed her hands off her ears. She got no audible reply save for a click and a hiss as the door she had tried to open unlocked and retracted back to reveal a well furnished lounge with several women relaxing on the various chairs and sofas scattered around the room.
“Welcome to the Advanced Measures Wing Miss Gold.” A woman dressed in a black training top and sweats stated. It took Melissa a few additional seconds to realise that the woman addressing her was the Warden. “I assume you know the rest of your fellow inmates from your escapades as the hero Songbird. Relax; we don’t care about what you’ve done elsewhere, only what you accomplished down in the yard.” She added her hand stretched out in welcome.
Okay this is weird, Melissa thought as she nervously took a seat on the nearest sofa, but she’s right I do know everyone here besides her. I fought Jackdaw a few years back in that brief period I worked solo, I met Water Witch back when I worked for Superia and as for the new Bulldozer, well every hero has fought the Wrecking Crew at one time or another. And if they weren’t bad enough Titania is also here, the others would be hard enough to counter but she tips the odds so far out of my favour that I would have to go to China to find them
“Miss Gold are you alright?” The Warden asked with a look of concern spreading across her face.
“I thought Advanced Measures would be…” Melissa stated.
“…a punishment? Titania snorted from her place in the furthest arm chair. “Nah the Warden takes the best fighters out of the pen and brings them up here. We all saw what you did to that little braggart; all saw a bit of the old Screaming Mimi creep back in during that fight, make sure it’s her we see and not Songbird or else there will be trouble.”
“Yes trouble indeed.” The Warden snapped. “Miss Gold is a viable candidate to lead this group. Anyone who harms her answers to me, do you understand me!?”
Yeah boss, no one will touch the little princess.” Bulldozer grunted as Melissa saw the look of sheer terror spread across the villainesses faces.
“Good I have some paper work to do,” The Warden told them before getting up and heading to the office on the opposite side of the room to the labs, “ Miss Gold if you have any trouble with them don’t hesitate to show off those famous pipes of yours.”
Waiting until she left, Titania and the others walked over to Melissa, towering over her with cruel grins stretched across their faces. “Well ‘Mimi’ it’s time to prove to us that you belong. Beating Joystick into a coma was a good start but we need a little more proof then that.”
“What do you want to see?” Melissa answered in the most neutral tone she could muster in the hopes it would mask the tinge of fear that was gnawing at her gut.
“Come with us.” Water Witch wheezed. “We’ll show you.”
**
Maintenance Shack, Black Oak Women’s Correctional Facility, Colorado
“Hey Hannah deal me in.” The tall blonde man dressed in the blue uniform of the prison’s custodial staff asked as he sat down at the table as the rest of the ‘afternoon’ shift looked at the cards they had been given. “I had one hell of a day, me and Curtis ended up taking another load of test subjects into the desert. Seriously one had a tumour the size of my fist on her neck.”
“Yeah some real sick stuff happens up in the Advanced Wing.” Hannah replied as she handed him a selection of cards. “Say where is Curtis anyway?”
“Who cares?” The man snorted, “Curtis isn’t my problem when I’m on my break.”
**
Compound Loading Bay, Black Oak Women’s Correctional Facility, Colorado
The dark skinned man in the blue custodian uniform dragged the sack of rubbish up the ramp and towards the entrance. Flashing his ID to the pair of guards he slipped inside and headed for the freight elevator that led into the main prison building. Stumbling he tripped and fell flat on his face, rubbish spilling from his sack just as a platoon of guards came his way.
“What this?” One asked as she bent down and picked up and empty beer bottle. “Sneaking alcohol into a restricted facility eh? Oh you are in a heap of trouble,” she added before pulling off his ID badge. “Don’t worry Curtis Jackson I won’t be the one you have to answer too, it’s the ladies up in Advanced Measures who’ll dole out your punishment.” She added as her colleges cuffed Curtis and dragged him towards the elevator.
“What about my bag?” He asked in a South African accented voice.
“Bring it, we’ll need to present the Warden with evidence or it’ll be us she’ll give to the prisoners.” The guard stated as she started placing the items back in the sack.
**
Advanced Measures Wing, Black Oak Women’s Correctional Facility, Colorado
Jackdaw smiled as she unlocked the door to the gymnasium and hit the light switch, rows of pristine equipment glinting under the high powered spotlights.
“So what do I need to do?” Melissa asked as she saw the majority of her fellow inmates take up position on the bleachers. Before she could get an answer Titania grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the punching bag. Staring in shock and surprise Melissa watched as Titania unzipped the cover to reveal a scantily clad dark skinned woman hanging from the ceiling, her skin covered in bruises and cuts.
“Meet Tilda, our punching bag, give her a good work over and we’ll know that Songbird has become extinct and Mimi is here to stay.” Titania stated as she slammed her fist into Tilda’s chest, the woman not so much crying out in pain but uttering a soft whimper.
“Does the Warden know about this?” Melissa asked as Titania bent down and opened a box near Tilda’s feet to reveal a tray of knuckle dusters, each supporting a variety of blades and hooks on them.
“Who do you think gave her to us? Tilda there refused to continue the research for the Warden so she was placed her to punish her.” Bulldozer snorted as she handed Water Witch a few ten dollar bills. “Thirty bucks says the Songbird is a chicken.”
“Please everyone knows she won’t punch her, those odds are…” Jackdaw stated only to be interrupted as Melissa slammed her fist into Tilda’s face, the strung up woman not making a sound.
“Too bad Bulldozer.” Jackdaw cackled as she took the money from Water Witch and stuffed it down her bra.
“Hit her again!!” Titania chanted. “Hit her, hit her or I hit you.”
“Do that and I call the Warden!” Melissa snarled at her before unhooking the restraints that held Tilda to the ceiling before hauling her over her shoulder and walking to the door.
”The Warden gave us orders!!” Jackdaw screamed as she and Bulldozer moved to block Melissa’s exit.
“What to get her to comply?” Melissa asked. “You’ve had weeks to break her, bend her to your will and you failed,” She hissed in a voice that caused the room to shake, “but unlike you I’m not a failure, now move out of my way!!” She order, her eyes flashing pink for a few seconds. Shaking both villains blocking her path moved to one side and Melissa left shooting Titania a cold stare before letting the door slam behind her.
**
The Hangman’s Forest, Black Oak City, Colorado
Abe sat at the table in the Hangman’s Forest Inn, a dive to be sure, albeit a dive made completely out of the wood of Black Oak’s formally infamous gallows. Even dressed in his MACH VI armour and accompanied by Valerie and Erik, both of whom were armed and ready for a siege the locals didn't bat an eye and completely ignored them.
”So ideas on how we deal with this?” Erik asked as he screwed up a bar-mat that had been sitting on the table. “We still don’t know who we are arresting, only the people we’re meant to be saving.”
“I’d go for the Warden and work down. Technically the place is covered by the Meta Humans Prison Security Act so the CSA has access whenever we want.” Valerie told the others. “And I can assume control until I see fit to relinquish said control back to its owners or a new governing body.”
“Anyone else’s jaw really ache?” Abe asked as he spotted sparks of pink energy running down Erik’s chiselled jaw.
”Melissa is making contact through a long range directed sound pulse.” Valerie stated. “We can hear messages she sends us, it’s how we got the initial Intel on Black Oak after her incarceration.”
“I have little time, I need extraction now.” A buzzing hissing tone stated, “While I don’t know what caused the mutations on some of the inmates from the Advanced Measures Wing I found someone who does, Tilda Johnson AKA Doctor Nightshade, she’s been tortured but she has agreed to co-operate if we spring her from Black Oak. If you come, no when you come it won’t be just the guards coming for you there is a select group of prisoners acting as some kind of elite fighting force for the Warden, and that brings us to the final problem. From what Nightshade told me, the Warden is Sup… All of a sudden the sound cut out and the buzzing in Abe’s jaw subsided.
“What does it mean?” Erik asked as he rubbed his chin.
“It means we're already too late.” Abe replied grimly before looking out towards the prison. Hang on Melissa, we’re about to hit this place like a thunderbolt, and bring ruin to them all.
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