Darkness.

It's the only thing that Alroy can see as he regains conciousness after a nap of an an undeterminate amount of time. It was hard to know if it was night or day, summer or winter, if he has been there for days, weeks or years as the only tell of time passing came from when the guard came to feed him once in a while.

His current abode was a tiny, windowless room with the acrid smell of moisture mixed with that of old, decaying blood. It was completely soundless and probably a real torture to most people. Alroy didn't care much. He was just bored.

It wasn't the first time that he was put in solitary confinement. This time, it was because a green guard got too comfortable. The newbie didn't want to feed the mutant using only his hands and thought himself sly, as he brought organic wooden cutlery. Of course, wood being an organic chemical compound made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, should be safe since he can't manipulate anything organic. Thing is, these products always have a bit of polypropylene in them so they don't fall appart. Polypropylene being non-organic, was enough for him to have some fun. He deconstructed the carbon and hydrogen atoms and reconstructed them into a hydrocarbon : methane. He then spred a thin layer on the guards face and made the atoms vibrate to generate heat. The small explosion was just enough for a good show. The red and orange dancing light, the smell of freshly cooked meat and the symphony of the new guy's screems as he asphixiated from the fire consuming the oxygen around his head were magnificent. Alroy smiled as he reminisced.

He was lost in thoughts for a time before a metalic sound permeated throughout the chamber.

"Finally some action" He exclaimed in a raspy voice as he watched the door of his oubliette move to let the wonderful neon white lighting of the facility flood the room. 

He saw in the doorway the shape of man, his new appointed guard since he broke the last one. Alroy didn't dislike this one, as he would sometime stay a couple minutes longer to make some small talk. It was his only source of entertainment, so he quite enjoyed it. 

Albeit his liking of the guard, he looked at the man bringing his meal, smirked and thought : 

Will I have another great show today?

Empty hallways, scary ambience, people screaming here and there. That was Mateo morning routine as he walked towards the room of his new prisoner. For some reasons, he always ended up with the dangerous ones, until they ended up dead and a shallow grave somewhere on the property. To be honest, he didn't care at all, for him, they were all the same. They all ate and shit, all slept and woke up. Same logic applied for all humans in this place. He didn't hate anyone, but didn't love anyone either. He just wanted his paycheck form his appartment and food. After that, what happened to the enployees and prisoner, he didn't give a single flying fuck.


He knocked a few times on the door, as he always did before entering the room to see his new friend. Navarro had no idea how long he would be in charge of his new friend, as long as he didn't end up like the other bastard before him... Well he highly doubted it would be the case since he wasn't as dumb as him. 




-Goood morning to you! Brought you your favorite snacks. - he looked at the small portion of food he had in his hands. - I have no idea what that is, but I bet you're gonna love it. If not, well I'll try my best to bring something knew next time.

The guard dragged a chair near the mutant, but still made sure to keep a certain distance. So he fed the grown ass man like a baby. Some people probably found it weird, maybe even disgusting. For Mateo it was just a job, and he had someone that would listen, more like forced to listen, him talking endlessly.


- Don't worry buddy! You'll see the light of day soon, I'm working on it! Working on it everyday! 


After feeding the man, the guard sat down on the chair once more, enjoying the silence as himself snacked on some dried fruits.


- What's your plan after all of this? Not sure I'll be the one assigned to you after your isolation. Sad. I like you company. Maybe some poor newbie bastard will have the job, ask him more wood spoon, pretty sure he would do it... - the man thought about what he just said and what i implied... A newbie dying. Oh well, if they were dumb enough to bring such things near the mutant, they deserved what was coming for them.


Mateo showed the dried fruits, silently asking Alroy if he wanted some. He wasn't supposed to give him anything else then what was on the plate. They wanted to feed the man the most disgusting food they could possibly imagine. Did Mateo care Sharing his snacks with the mutant, going against the rules? No. He didn't give a shit. The guard got up and gave a few fruits to the prisoner, knowing that it tasted better than the shit prepared for him.


- I hope the new guard isn't into long conversation, because he will be bored out of his mind. - Mateo said with a huge smile on his face.

Alroy watched the oddly cheery guard approach him with his meal of the day. He then placed a chair at a safe distance and sat. This man was always cautious, not like the greenhorns that didn't understand the danger that Vega represents. It slightly annoyed the mutant since he could see that a small portion of the leather covering the chair was thorn, revealing some metal. Alroy liked metal. It was easier to manipulate since he didn't need to rearrange the chemical compounds, he could just reshape the metal as is to make a good weapon.

His thoughts were interrupted by the "food" touching his tongue. It was the same thing as always: some kind of pureed fruits and vegetables with enough starch to shape them into compact balls for easier hand-feeding. The texture was awful as the balls would instantly turn to thick mush as soon as it made contact with saliva and it had a slight taste of compost. It was hard to determine exactly what the ingredients were since they were heavily processed, but every sphere of slop was totally organic. The thought that the employees of the centre had to be extra careful, making their jobs a lot harder, pleased the restrained mutant.

After Mateo had a one way conversation for a while, Vega watched him eat some dried fruits in silence. It was really not much, but compared to the stillness and deafening silence of his room, watching a man eat was some sort of entertainment. After a while, the guard said:

- What's your plan after all of this? Not sure I'll be the one assigned to you after your isolation. Sad. I like you company. Maybe some poor newbie bastard will have the job, ask him more wood spoon, pretty sure he would do it...


Alroy chuckled. The thought of being allowed to have a plan was amusing to him.

- A plan? How could I? I'm strapped to a wheelchair, can't even eat or go to the bathroom on my own, so my plan would be to simply wait until someone else makes a mistake. The mutant said sarcastically with a small grin. Guard Navarro was a funny guy and Vega was a bit disappointed about him being replaced by someone else after his Isolation.

After a brief pause, Mateo presented the dried fruits and ask the detainee if he wanted some.

Speaking of mistakes, the mutant thought. He nodded. This guard may be more experienced than the others, but humans all make mistakes. Dried fruits were often processed with additives and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which was not organic. Aspartame is composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, which he could rearrange to make nitroglycerin. There would be another great show today.

As the hands of the guard approached Alroy's mouth, he unfurled part of the leather covering his bottom lip, which had become loose over time. Only a graze was all he needed to make his dried fruits grenades. His thoughts were again interrupted by the food touching his tongue. The sweetness, the tang and most of all, the texture of the exotic fruit, a mango maybe? He could actually chew this. His jaw became slightly sore as he hadn't really used them in a long time. Was that what real food tastes like? The psychopath was so overwhelmed by the deliciousness of the treat that he swallowed it, forgetting to turn it into a bomb.

Alroy Vega then made a decision: he would not kill this one. He could use him somehow and in the meantime, he would provide enough entertainment. He heard the guard say something, but he didn't listen, he was forming his plan to get out of isolation.

- Mister Navarro, why do you partake in such dangerous jobs? It seems to me that no amount of compensation would be worth the risks. He asked quietly with his deep, honeyed voice. He didn't care much for his answer, it was only part of his plan. Humans are easy to manipulate; if you want something from them all you have to do is a trade. As Alroy was not able to do much, there was one thing he could provide, he just needed to convince Mateo that he needed it.

- Some of the people here are extremely vile and would do anything to kill a guard like you. You don't seem like someone who has much worries, but I am sure that death is not something that you seek no? Vega saw a small flash in Navarro's eyes. Was it fear? There was no way to know for sure but he had to take the opportunity.

- What about a deal? You get me out of isolation and you stay as my appointed guard and in exchange, I provide you with protection. Even without being able to move, my presence is enough to scare away most people and if not, well... You know what to do. Also I wouldn't mind some more of these delicious dried fruits. So, what say you?

Mateo had crashed back down on his chair, a small smile on his lips as he kept eating his dried fruits. It was almost time for him to walk out, he wasn't even supposed to stay that long in the isolation room with the mutant, but once again Navarro didn't care enough to listen to the rules. He was surprised when Alroy started to speak to him. It was something rare, some people would say that hearing his voice was a curse. Some pretty weird shit had spread out on that particular mutant. Reality slowly transformed themselves into myths, rumors, etc. A lot of false things had spread about the man, and Mateo... Just didn't care.

- Nah money is good here, even better when you deal with dangerous folks. 

His gaze was on the leather monster right in front of him, he didn't know why the man was asking him such questions, but at least it gave him so kind of entertainment. Usually he would be the only one making conversation, so, the change was welcomed. 

Seeking death? No, he wasn't. His primary goal wasn't to die, just to have a bit of fun in puce chaos. If death came with it, so be it. He knew everyone would end up there anyway, just for some it was sooner than expected.


- I Mean, don't get me wrong, I don't want to commit suicide. But hey, death is just another part of life. If I was scared of it, wouldn't be working with you. I'm here for the chaos, just a spectator, sometimes I can be behind the scenes for more drama though. Plus, I get a gun. 

His smile never left his face as he spoke. This was getting more and more interesting 

- What about a deal? You get me out of isolation and you stay as my appointed guard and in exchange, I provide you with protection. Even without being able to move, my presence is enough to scare away most people and if not, well... You know what to do. Also I wouldn't mind some more of these delicious dried fruits. So, what say you?

Ah! There it was, the deal, the contract, the drama. Navarro's smile only grew bigger, gaze still on the mutant. He didn't know if he truly needed protection. Vega was right on one thing, people did want him dead and it came close quite a few times. His scars on his body could attest to it. The guard leaned forwards, elbow resting on his thighs, slowly chewing the dried mango he just threw in his mouth. If he did help this guy get out of isolation, it meant that more fun things would happen. The center was so quiet without him on the floors. A lot of people would say that he wasn't the mot dangerous mutant walking those grounds. But Mateo could easily tell that, yes, he was one of them. His power was much more insidious then others. It wasn't in your face, you always had to be careful, he could change anything (almost) in seconds. Contrary to other dangerous mutant that their powers were, yes very powerful and intense, but... They were easily controlled. Fire could be put out with water, or you simply had to keep your distance to neutralize the mutant. Electricity was kind of the same thing, you just had to be careful were you put your foot down. Every single power Navarro could think of, it was easy to find the down side of it, the one thing that would help him survive. But with Alroy, Ô such a joy! It was so complex, such a challenge. 

The guard finally leaned back, a pout on his face. Letting him out earlier would say more drama and entertainment. Him bring assigned to the man also meant not being bored with other mutant that thought they were so cool and tough. This whole deal was a pure mess, pure chaos.

- Sure, why not? Chaos has always been entertaining after all. 

The guard smiled once more, a huge smile on his face. 

- I'll get you out, hopefully tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. - He said before leaving Alroy. 


And so he did, the next day, Alroy Vega could walk free... It was a metaphor. Obviously. The procedure was so long and boring, everyone seemed so stressed about this whole thing, Meanwhile, Navarro was in the corner, eating peanuts while waiting for his new 'friend'. If it was just him, he would simply let the man walk free, curious to know what would happen. Would he take his sweet ass time to kill every single soul in this place? Or would he just crush everyone in a few seconds? Mmh, nobody could really guess such thing. 

- I guess Afterall I'm not the only one that wants to see the world burn. Never thought I would get you out this quickly. - He said as he carelessly walked towards Vega.  - You are a free man, and I'm just here to follow you around. Pretty sure you know what guards are supposed to do when they follow someone, so I guess I won't need to tell you what my duty is... I'm just more generous then others, less strict. what now? where do you want to go dear Mister Vega?

The hallways were pretty empty, and Mateo enjoyed the look the other guards or poor souls" faces when they walked by. It was mostly pure terror. If terror was a drink the guard would have been drunk already and asking for more. He slowly pushed the wheelchair as he whistle. This was fun, more than he had anticipated. Once outside, Navarro sat down on a bench, just beside his new friend, as he pulled a cigarette seemingly out of nowhere and lite it. His gaze fell on his leather friend before smiling and looking back at the sky, enjoying the view.



- How I did it? - He took a big drag of his cigarette before answering- Weeell. Everyone has secrets. And if these secrets see the light of day, it can destroy so many lives... career, facilities. Once you get your hands on those secrets oh! What a joy! - He looked back at the mutant, a weird light of excitement dancing his his gaze - People will do anything to protect those little dirty secrets. And I, just happened to know them, and use them. Chaos. 



The guard looked back in front of him He could remember the look on the chef of guards' face when he told him he knew about his little escapade with minors. It was even funnier when the chef's friend tried to back him up and Navarro simply said the name of his wife and kids, and how well they would fit here since they had powers. People here were truly hypocrite assholes. So blackmailing them was so easy. Too easy. 



He had made his way up like this, finding everyone's dirty little secrets. He had lost count on how many times he had put people against each other, just because he could. Seeing them scream obscenities to one another. What a beautiful symphony. His favorite part was when he could manage to pull families, couples, friends apart. It didn't always worked, sometimes the "power of friendship" was stronger. But when it DID work. masterpiece!



- Goals? Why I truly got you out? - Mateo pouted as he thought about the question. - Mmmh, I mean entertainment is a big part of it. I guess I'm just so fucking bored. And getting you out just means more drama, more chaos. - He gave him a big smile to his new friend. - Seeing all those bastards that think they are so strong, seeing all the mutants that think they are the best crumbled and cry like a Madeleine, that. That is pure entertainment. 



The guard took another long drag of his cigarette before leaning against the bench.


- People are so fake, and boring, and useless. I just want a bit of fun before I go.




They stayed outside as long as leather guy wanted. Navarro was to follow everything the man demanded. Of course, he could decide not to do so, but what was the point? where was the drama if he refused? 


They were now walking in the hallways once more, and Navarro kept going with his whistle concert. 


- What is your big plan now, that you are a step closer to freedom? I'm surprised that you haven't created chaos already. surprised that these Bastards are smart enough to keep you like this. 




The guard was slowly pushing the wheelchair back to the man's room, taking the longer way up there just to annoy the other guards. Dangerous inmates couldn't walk around during that time of the night. But since Vega just got out of isolation and was with a guard that didn't give a fuck, he was able to roam around a bit longer. Mateo greeted everyone that came their way, he knew their names by heart, but most importantly, he could remember their faces. Faces and names were really important when it came to dig up little secrets.