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> Adventures in Parodyverse - Saving the Future Part 28.6 (Epilogue)
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> Within the first two hours of the Psychic Samurai’s rein at the Safe, seven prisoners had been relocated. Some had their accomodations upgraded, some downgraded. They were all placed on a merit system - Chiaki would be watching their behavior, and they would have to earn various perks and freedoms within the prison walls.
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> Baroness Zemo suffered the most. She lost her prison suite - and while she was allowed to keep some of her plush furniture after claiming back and neck problems, she no longer had the Persian rug or the hot tub. She tried to call her lawyers at Sneek, Grabbitt, and Thuggery, but Chiaki would not allow her a phone call until she spent a full 24 hours without complaining.
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> She wasn’t angry though...yet. She was biding her time, swallowing her temper, as quiet planning boiled beneath the surface. The best revenge was served cold.
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> Jay Boaz heard about the shakeup at the safe during a visit to Commissioner Don Graham at the hospital. Graham was actually smiling as he heard about the news. As it turned out, the police commissioner felt as bad about having to arrest Chiaki as Jay did, and he was elated that the plan was working out.
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> That meant Jay was happy too. That smile Graham wore took a huge weight of his shoulders. He wouldn’t even mind if Yuki gave him an ‘I told you so’.
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> Naturally Marvellous Marv heard about the shakeup at the safe too, and he wasn’t at all happy. Part of his election platform was the closing of the Safe, and using drugs and mind control to bring the former prisoners in line. Killer Shrike was the experimental case - and it made him angry that Chiaki’s first act was to destroy that experiment.
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> Unfortunately, the Psychic Samurai was known for being, if not invincible, always aware of plots against her. It would be useless to attack her directly, especially now that she had such a high-profile job. It would destroy his mayoral campaign, too, so he would have to be more creative than that.
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> Meanwhile, Warden Westwood sought to test Chiaki some more. She was in her office, completing paperwork with the same efficiency as when she volunteered to take a similar Lair Legion paperwork load off of Jay. It seemed like there wasn’t much at the prison which would faze her.
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> “Are you sure you don’t want the Purveyors locked down? They do have quite a grudge against you.â€Â
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> Chiaki shook her head. “Without a leader they are far too disorganized to worry about. Which prisoner were you saving for last?â€Â
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> Warden Westwood motioned for her to follow.
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> ---
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> They were deep underground within the safe, in a basement that wasn’t really a basement. It was below the basement, dug deep into the earth like an inescapable vault that could be sealed off completely if necessary. It was where they stored prisoners with a high risk of escape, and a high risk to the public.
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> The hallway leading to that section was narrow, low-ceilinged, rough-cut, and damp as if cut through the bedrock but never insulated with structural support or smooth concrete. There was a vein of electrical cable running down the center of the rough ceiling with a bare bulb once in a while, illuminating the path.
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> Eventually the hallway widened slightly and the ceiling became higher. The walls became solid thick metal, like the door of a vault, with bulletproof plexiglass. Between that chamber and the hallway was a four foot thick metal door, which was open at the moment.
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> There were four cells in that area. Each was sealed off from the chamber by closed four foot thick metal vault doors with a very small passthrough for food and deliveries, directly next to a huge wall made of six foot thick bulletproof plexiglass. Tiny vents in the glass near the ceiling exchanged air and sound.
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> Only one of the four cells was occupied. A plastic sign with marker written on it was on the door, listing his name: Blackbird.
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> Inside that cell, a man in plain grey prison attire was busy playing chess with himself. He didn’t speak a word, or acknowledge the visitors.
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> Chiaki approached the window.
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> “Be careful.â€Â Westwood warned worriedly. He stood far back from the glass.
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> “I heard we had a new caretaker.â€Â the prisoner said in a near monotone.
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> “Don’t answer him.â€Â Westwood said. “He lives to get people riled up.â€Â
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> “That would be impolite.â€Â Chiaki told him. And then she answered the prisoner. “Yes, I am the new...caretaker.â€Â
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> “Fascinating.â€Â he said. He looked up and added, “Would you like to join me? I was just finishing up a game.â€Â
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> “Who do you play against?â€Â Chiaki asked.
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> He chuckled slowly, almost menacingly. “Why, the Hooded Hood, of course.â€Â He looked down at the board and shook his head. “Tch. Check mate again. He’s a slippery one.â€Â
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> “Indeed.â€Â Chiaki absent-mindedly agreed, not really paying attention to him.
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> She remembered the briefing in her office upstairs, and the reason why she stopped by. Blackbird was one of the most clever prisoners in the Safe. He understood the entire system so intricately, he could simply walk out one day, unnoticed possibly for hours or days. At least until he started killing again.
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> He made weekly demands, in exchange for staying put. They never seemed to benefit him, either - the demands would either cater to the general prison population, or something outside the walls.
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> Blackbird was a strange prisoner, indeed.
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> Chiaki ignored the frantic warnings from Warden Westwood and moved closer to the glass. He didn’t seem particularly threatening at the moment.
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> “You’re Asian.â€Â Blackbird commented, unmoving from his chair. “That’s such a rare treat here in the dungeon.â€Â
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> The Psychic Samurai knew that every word he said was to disarm and confuse everyone around him. She wasn’t falling for it, she remained focused. “Why do you make such strange demands?â€Â she asked.
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> Blackbird was busy resetting his chess game. He kept at it as he replied, “Why do you?â€Â
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> “Excuse me?â€Â Chiaki asked, unsure of what he meant.
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> He finally looked at her. “Since you’ve gotten here, you’ve rearranged the prison population, made the Baroness miserable, angered guards and interested parties on the outside. Which one of us is making the strange demands?â€Â
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> She smirked slightly for a second. She was starting to understand his tactics. He sat in front of a chess board, yet that’s not where the game was. “Point taken.â€Â she said. “I assume your demands will change now that I’m here.â€Â
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> “For a time, perhaps.â€Â he replied. “But you and I both know you won’t be here long.â€Â
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> Warden Westwood looked worried. He decided to stand up for his newest colleague. “She’s not going anywhere.â€Â he said in a warning tone.
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> Blackbird raised an eyebrow and looked at Westwood. “Do you think she’s going to stay here forever? A woman like this...is restless. You can’t cage her any more than you can capture the wind. Now if you don’t mind, the next game has begun.â€Â
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> He turned away, leaving no indication if he meant the chess game or another kind altogether.
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> Chiaki walked back to the elevator alongside Warden Westwood in silence. As soon as the elevator doors closed, she said, “He is...complicated.â€Â
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> “What do you mean?â€Â he asked. “We know he’s crazy.â€Â
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> “No.â€Â Chiaki disagreed with a shake of the head. “He’s a sociopath. Sometimes they aren’t crazy at all. Sometimes they do it on purpose. To prove something, maybe. Or they’re sometimes so intelligent they play games to feel superior.â€Â
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> “It doesn’t really matter though, does it?â€Â
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> “I suppose not.â€Â she said with a sigh. “Is it true, that the staff and guards dislike me?â€Â
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> The Warden stopped. “Does that really matter?â€Â
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> Chiaki smirked at that and continued on back to her office.
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> TO BE CONTINUED?
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> -- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2008 by Jason Froikin, and may not beÂÂ
> --  reprinted without permission. ÂÂ
> -- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
> -- Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
> -- Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin
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