Between Walls of Steel

[Centurion]

Cade’s expression was blank as he sat on the thin metal bench in the testing chamber. The room was mostly empty; four metal walls spotted with one-way observation windows and a cold linoleum floor. He stared at nothing. Memories he had tried to forget still bubbled in his brain like lava, ready to erupt. It was cold in the clinically bare room. All Cade had to cover himself was a loose pair of thin, white pants. He had double-tied the waistband to ensure they wouldn’t fall. Faint, dark streaks of dried blood spattered his crotch from previous scuffles. A bruise sat on his cheek, blood caked itself in a stream down from his nostril, and his hair was severely tousled. He sat with minimal dignity, slumped on the bench. His bare chest rose and fell slowly with shallow breaths.

Time had ceased to have meaning for Cade. He had stopped counting the physical tests and started focusing on surviving them after the gas. He had to be honest, even he was surprised that the armor hadn’t surfaced yet. During the psychological tests, the Apparatus had been chomping at the bit to activate. But now, without any anesthetics or energy dampeners, it refused to override his will. To be fair, Cade had no intention of giving the Doctor or his Medical Droid the satisfaction of seeing the armor in action, let alone harvesting any if its components. The Apparatus had obliged, just as it had when its tech was hunted across the stars and put the safety of others and the direction of its user over Cade’s well-being. Suddenly, Dr. Thomas’ voice buzzed through the loudspeaker that Cade still couldn’t find for the thousandth time.

“Mr. Faulkner! Are you ready for another session?”

Cade didn’t answer, not that his response could have altered the outcome at all.

“Excellent! Let’s bring in something a bit tougher than some riot troopers shall we? I’d like to see your armor shine!”

Cade closed his eyes, muscles still sore and skin still marked from where he had tried unsuccessfully to fend off three armed riot troopers without his Apparatus in a previous test. The bulkhead door slid open, and a strange machine trundled out. It was humanoid and bristling with wires and tubes. Its metallic frame was somewhat skeletal with a long bladed weapon on one arm and a broad shield on the other. Somewhat hastily, it seemed, a modified E-11 was mounted on its shoulder.

“A precursor of the Empire we plan to revive,” Thomas proclaimed proudly. “And your armor may yet serve to revive the Dark Trooper project starting with Phase I.”

The Phase I Dark Trooper hummed as its eyes lit up deep red. They flickered for a moment, then cleared into white.

“I’m done playing your games,” Cade said, his voice weary but defiant.

“This is not a game, Mr. Faulkner,” Dr. Thomas replied. “This is science.”

The Dark Trooper’s low hum hit a crescendo, and it burst to life. The machine dove forward, it’s bladed arm poised to impale the young Hawaiian. Cade’s training kicked in without asking first, and he rolled to the side. He had hopped up to his bare feet and raised his fists to face the Trooper before his mind caught up to his brain. The vibroblade scraped harmlessly across the floor and buried itself in the bench as the droid stumbled and caught itself.
Cade felt his heart rate quicken as the Dark Trooper gathered itself for another slash. Despite the clunky nature of the machine, it managed to swing its bladed arm with deadly speed. Cade ducked under a wide swipe and threw his weight behind his shoulder and into the droid. However, the Phase I reacted quickly enough to catch Cade’s charge on its shield and shove him back. The force of the push made the young man stumble, almost falling flat on his back. He hurried to keep his hands up and his focus on the machine.

Unfortunately, the Trooper gave him no time to rest. Already another slash of the vibroblade made headway for Cade’s throat. He twisted his entire torso to dodge the edge narrowly, but the sharp sting of cold metal along his flesh told him he was not fast enough. A shallow cut bled slowly along his collarbone. Cade gritted his teeth and rolled away from a fierce downward slice. The blade buried itself in the metal floor, catching barely a second before the Dark Trooper recoiled for another attack.
Cade could feel the Apparatus buzzing in tune with his own thrill. His muscles pulsed randomly with that familiar strength, a strength he desperately wanted to give in to. Despite his every logical inhibition, Cade had few other desires than to release the Apparatus, tear the Dark Trooper apart, and bury Dr. Thomas in its scrap. Ignoring his baser instincts, Cade willed the Apparatus to remain inert and put his weight into his back foot. Buzzing angrily, the vibroblade passed through where his chest had been mere moments before.

Cade jumped at the chance. He snapped forward like a spring and latched onto a handful of wiring. With a growl, Cade tore at whatever seemed important, managing to detach a tube of some strange liquid and a fistful of wires. The Phase I jerked violently. It backpedaled in what almost seemed like panic, eyes flashing between white and deep crimson. Finding its footing, the Trooper glared at Cade. He could swear there was real human hatred in its glowing red eyes.

--

Dr. Thomas watched with intense euphoria as the Dark Trooper kept the boy on the run. He noted every dodge, every slash, and every step of both subjects in his messy notebook. 2-1B stood beside him, no joy or distaste registered in its dead, automated expression. Then, the boy managed to tear at the Trooper’s wires. Thomas’s eyes darted to the switchboard in front of him, multiple diodes flashing before going out. He had lost contact with minor systems. Unfortunate. He’d have to retrieve some of the data manually.

With a heavy sigh, the doctor reached to deactivate the Phase I and direct it to return through the bulkheads. He turned the key to the Trooper’s deactivation sequence and grabbed for a sip of his caf. He watched, the hot drink caught in his throat, as the droid ignored the command and pounced at the boy once more. Peeved, Thomas put down his cup and turned the key again. Nothing. The Dark Trooper continued to slash madly.

“Sir, we’ve lost control of the Dark Trooper, Phase I,” Toby droned.

Dr. Thomas pressed buttons frantically in a vain attempt to keep the Dark Trooper from slaughtering his test subject. “I can see that, what is happening??”

“I am detecting a separate string of code feeding the CPU commands, Doctor.”
“From WHERE!?”

2-1B was silent

“WHERE, YOU INFERNAL DROID!?”

“From within the Dark Trooper, Phase I, itself sir.”

Dr. Thomas, mouth agape, turned back to the battle inside the testing chamber. Cade still stayed light on his feet, using his mobility and training to avoid and deflect the droid’s advances and push it off balance. He reached for the coffee again. No need to interfere anymore. Science always did have a way of figuring itself out.

--

Cade instantly recognized the newfound ferocity in the Dark Trooper’s attacks. Worse was the piercing red eyes, strangely familiar for the young hero. The Apparatus nearly screamed at him to fight back, and Cade’s resistance was starting to wear down. Another searing arc of pain made its way to his brain as the vibroblade cut a line from his left shoulder to his right hip. Thankfully, it was shallow, but Cade could feel himself tiring. He shuffled backward, giving himself some room, and steeled his gaze at the droid.

“Alright, doc. Time to give you what you came for.” Heat, an overwhelmingly thrilling heat, filled every muscle and every vein of Cade’s body. “Main event time!”

An invisible net of pre-programmed placement fields shimmered for a fraction of a picosecond, instantly followed by a pulse of silvery-grey. His Apparatus formed over his arms, chest, and back first. Then it started from the soles of his feet and worked their way up, meeting with his helm at the neck. His mask formed just as the orange lines of flame peppering his suit flared to life. His eyes and HUD joined the party, and Centurion was online.

He opened his hand and caught the plunging vibroblade. It hummed in his grip, sparks kicking off from the glowing energy wells that made up his palms. Centurion couldn’t help but smirk under his mask. Then a second passed, a second that unnerved him to the core. He locked eyes with the Dark Trooper, and it locked eyes with him. What had once been blank, mechanical, white plates of glowing plexiglass had turned into flaming orbs of scarlet rage. If the machine had a mouth, Cade could swear it would be screaming at him.

Then the shield smashed into his face, dazzling the hero out of his thoughts and back into the fray. His back collided with the far wall and Cade rolled horizontally to avoid being impaled by the vibroblade. In retaliation, he grabbed the blade as it buried itself into the wall with one hand and the droid’s elbow with the other. He jerked it to the side, spinning the Trooper so that its back faced him, and lifted his hand from its joint. With a roar, Cade dropped his own elbow onto the metal limb, shattering a massive portion of the shell and splitting wires from their housings. He followed up with a wild yank, completely tearing the vibroblade from the shoulder joint. A mangled hunk of metal bone and disconnected tubing hung uselessly from its torso.

Centurion finished off his assault with a kick that dented the Dark Trooper’s chest and sent it sprawling across the testing chamber. Cade instantly spun towards one of the observation windows, seething with rage.

“COME ON!! THAT ALL YOU GOT!? I GOT A HELL OF A LOT MORE DATA FOR YOU TO GATHER, YOU SADISTIC SON OF A-”

Cade simply stopped. His voice caught in his throat as something cold took hold of his heart. The sound of metal on metal, scraping harshly, captured his attention. He looked behind him, uncertain of what to expect. Near the bulkhead doors, the one-armed Phase I was rising to its feet. Its chest sagged, its arm swung loose, and its eyes burned with a thousand hells. With a whirring noise, the E-11 on its back swiveled to face Centurion. At first, there was no response. Time slowed down as the rifle charged up.

Cade had no time to move, to react. He knew his armor wasn’t strong enough in the Omniverse to absorb something like a laser blast. All he could do was watch in existential horror as the streak of red light seared its way towards his chest. His fist tightened in anticipation. Would it burn? Would it sting? Would he feel it at all?
His armor didn’t let him find out.

The Apparatus leaped into action. A massive surge of energy filled Cade’s chest. He felt like his soul was on fire; every vein was pumping pure electricity into his heart. He hadn’t felt this good in a long time. Then the feeling exploded. Like being wrapped in a blanket, Cade instantly felt an innate sense of calm as the armor produced a field around him. In the same slow-motion as seconds before, Cade could see the hexagonal structure of the barrier layer itself in stark defiance of the inbound laser bolt. His body stiffened, bracing for impact, and the shield around his body closed completely.
From inside, he felt a slight bump against his chest. On the outside, the blast exploded on impact with no visible marks along the young hero’s armor. The barrier pulsed from the point of impact, dispelling the excess kinetic force, then stabilized. The Dark Trooper paused in surprise, as did Dr. Thomas. This was more than he could have hoped for. Quickly, however, the Phase I’s surprise faded into frustration. It opened fire, unleashing a rapid flurry of laser bolts. Centurion dash forward, the bolts slamming harmlessly into his shield.

He felt heavier, slower, but damn did he feel good. His barrier hummed as he tanked every shot, closing the distance. Just as Cade managed to grab hold of the droid’s torso, a laser blast exploded on his face. His head snapped back, the barrier blinking for the slightest moment. Good timing. He brought his head forward, using the momentum and the shield to smash the Dark Trooper’s faceplate utterly. It’s red optics flickered twice before blinking out. Cade dropped the machine, allowing it to crumple to the floor.

--

Dr. Thomas watched, wide-eyed, as the Apparatus burst to life. He quivered with excitement as Centurion tore the Phase I’s arm off without a second thought. He thought he had what he wanted, until the barrier. E-11 bolts, the Empire’s standard issue blaster, proved ineffective against whatever shield the armor produce. In fact, there was a primally horrifying factor to watching the hero barrel towards the Dark Trooper, undeterred by the storm of laser blasts, and easily crush its mechanical skull like a tin can. He’d need to improve the armor plating and overall structure of the Trooper, of course. Ideally, he could even reverse engineer the Apparatus’ shield projector and render the Imperial forces nearly impervious. This was a massive breakthrough.

He wiped his brow nervously and took another swig of caf. 2-1B watched the shaky scientist reach for a communicator, activating the video screen. The screen pulsed three times before a woman answered.

"What do you want, Thomas? I'm busy." Her voice was husky, almost sultry were it not for the apparent venom in her tone.

"You said to keep you updated on the Centurion. He's manifested a new ability."

"Ah... Good. See what else you can squeeze out of him and send me the recordings of this new ability."

"Uh... well..." Thomas licked his lips tentatively and blinked rapidly.

The woman's voice was ice. "What?"

"The Dark Trooper. It malfunctioned and I... Well... Did y-you happen to-"

"Yes," She snapped, cutting Dr. Thomas off. "Something from home, a program. And I expect it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Is there a problem with my methods?"

"Not at all, ma'am! Simply, maybe a warning next time."

"Maybe next time I'll remove you entirely and take care of it myself."

Dr. Thomas shut his mouth and swallowed. He nodded silently.

"Good boy. Now send me the data and keep pushing him. I'm already on my way to meet with the locals, and my companions will be watching me like a hawk. Do not contact me again unless absolutely necessary."
"Yes, ma'am."

The screen went dark, leaving Dr. Thomas breathless. 2-1B took a step towards the scientist.

"Sir, are you well? Your vitals seem elevated."

"Fine, just... that woman. Call the Warden please, tell him I have made impressive progress... And that he might need a new Dark Trooper."

"Yes, sir."

The medical droid trundled off to do its master's bidding.

--

Cade stared at the crumpled corpse of the Phase 1, still struggling to catch his breath. Seconds after the Barrier had deactivated, the young man had instantly felt drained and tired. Maybe the last few days (Weeks? Years? Hours?) of testing were taking their toll. His armor receded, returning to their hovel beneath his skin, as Cade stumbled back to the bench. He avoided the long gash and slumped down, back tot he wall. He took deep breaths, hands shaking.

"Brah," He said, glancing back at the machine. "Not cool."

Its dead eyes made no effort to respond.

"Do I know you?" Cade had no idea why he was trying to talk to the Trooper, but it was better than having a panic attack. "I swear we've met before."

Again, the Dark Trooper was silent.

"S'all good brah. We can talk when you're feeling better." Cade let his head loll backward and placed a hand over the long gash on his chest.

He took a deep breath, finally finding a rhythm to his breathing. His attention was grabbed by the bulkhead doors opening. He made no effort to move as two Stormtroopers, unarmed, entered and gathered the broken pieces of the Dark Trooper. They ignore the vibroblade stuck in the wall. A commander, with his orange Pauldron, and two Riot Troopers entered as well, gazes locked on Cade.

"Round two, gentlemen?" Cade said to the Riot Troopers, smirking through his pain.

They ignored him and the Commander spoke. "Fall in. We're getting you cleaned up."

"Cleaned up? For what?"

The Commander did not answer.

Cade closed his eyes and sighed. With some effort, he pushed himself off the wall and forced his body onto his legs. His muscles hurt, his bones ached, and the lacerations across his body burned, but he grinned at the Riot Troopers as they grabbed him by the upper arms.

"So, where can a hungry test subject get some grindz around here? I'm starving!"

He was once more ignored as they took him through the bulkhead doors and into the hallway. He barely had a second to take in the long metal catwalk lined with test chambers before a blackout mask was pulled over his eyes.

--

"But... sir there is still so much for me to uncover!" Dr. Thomas waved his arms frantically as he pleaded with Warden Ellis in his office.

"Unfortunately, Thomas, I can't condone any more tests. With this Avengers Liaison coming in, I'm hard-pressed to cover for you. I can't have this... Edwin Jarvis poking his nose in where it doesn't belong." Ellis gathered a pile of papers, preparing his report on the riot.

"I... Yes, sir. Very well." Dr. Thomas blinked rapidly, his thoughts going to the woman on the monitor screen.

Now make sure that boy is clean, healthy, and presentable."

"Yes, Warden." Thomas rushed out of the office back towards his lab.

--

Cade enjoyed the water from the community shower. It was completely empty, except for him and the two Riot Troopers that had escorted him there. The foamy soap that he rubbed furiously across his body helped him clear his head and his skin. However, the memories and tension from Dr. Thomas' experiments still haunted Cade. He did his best to focus on anything else as he bathed. Once he was suitably cleaned and dried, he slipped on the dirty clothes he had first come to the Omniverse wearing. He tugged on the hoodie, feeling the empty pocket where he had wished he could find Gwen's hat. He tried to capture one of the Trooper's attention, but they didn't seem to listen. He wasn't leaving this hellhole without that hat.
Then he was escorted to a small room, decorated with beakers, books, and Bunsen burners. The office had many laboratory capabilities and shelves lined with books. It was not quite as clinical as the testing chambers, but there was something unnaturally clean about it all. A nametag on the desk read 'Dr. Byron Thomas'. It took Cade a moment to register the thin man in the corner stroking his beard. The man turned, a cold and empty smile on his face, and motioned to the young man.

"Ah! Centurion. Come, sit."

Cade remained standing for a moment if only to spite the doctor, before sitting in a thick, red, leather chair. He glared at the man across the desk as the Doctor found his own chair. Dr. Thomas leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk's surface.

"Your efforts have provided us with a plethora of data."

Cade scoffed. Thomas' forced sincerity grated against his ears.

"I would like to thank you and offer you a sizeable reward for your participation."

"You think you can buy me!?" Cade gripped the armrests of his chair, teeth gritted. "You tortured me!"

"For science, of course. Nothing personal."

"NOTHING PERSONAL!?" The young man shot to his feet, pushing the red chair back, and slammed his fists onto the desk.

"Mr. Faulkner," Thomas soothed. "I want you to know that the Empire is not responsible for any damages sustained during that riot. You involved yourself."

"I... Excuse me?"

"The riot. We tried to patch you up best we could."

"You're gonna blame all this," He motioned at his chest and face, bruises and cuts still aching beneath his hoodie. "On the riot? You think you can bury what you did to me!?"

"I assure you, Mr. Faulkner, I have no idea what you think may have happened, but out Troopers have only your well-being in mind. Now, you are to return to your cell and rest up."

Seething, Cade clenched his fists. In the same instant that he dove across the desk, the Riot Troopers grabbed him by the hood and yanked him back. e roared and shouted, raging against their grips. The Troopers were unfazed, and they dragged Cade out of the office. The smug, yet scared look on Thomas' face was burned into Cade's brain as the doors closed before him. As soon as the young man was gone, Dr. Thomas' façade fell apart. He instantly became gaunt and terrified, resting his forehead on his hand. Fingers shaking, Byron Thomas flicked on another monitor. It pulsed a few times before activating, the woman's shape looming over him.

"Thomas. There better be a good reason for this. I'm nearly to the meetup point."

"I... The Empire might be turning the Centurion back to the Avengers." Thomas cringed, balking as if he was about to be struck.

Much to his surprise and utter terror, the woman started to laugh. It was a cold, mirthless laugh that turned his stomach. The genuine pleasure on her expression, however, was unmistakable.

"Perfect. I'll be seeing him very soon then. I assume the butler has something to do with it."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I see. He has an... authoritative air about him. Were he a younger man..." She smirked. "You did well. You'll be well compensated."

"And... and my work?"

"Consider it approved. I'll speak to the Emperor... at least whatever lackey he sends my way."

Byron bowed his head. "Of course. Thank you."

"And Thomas?"

Her voice chilled him to the bone. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Salvage the Dark Trooper. It has some software I need back."

Dr. Thomas nodded. He wiped his brow with relief as the screen blinked out. A deep breath helped calm his nerves. He prayed he'd never have to see that woman again.

--

Cade was tossed roughly back into his cell, his clothes once more stolen and his damaged body forced into an orange jumpsuit. He threw himself at the bright orange barrier that closed him off, fully knowing it would hurt, out of pure frustration. His shoulder burned with the impact as he flopped into his cot. A new Inhibitor disc had been placed on his neck and it itched like Hell. He could feel the suit, just as desperate as him, clawing at its restraints. It had felt good to use the armor again, especially against something he actually hated. A glance at the bustling prison outside reminded him of who he hated now.

The Empire.

He wouldn't let them get away with this, not when he was confident he was not the only person they had tested. His fiery stare fell upon every Stormtrooper he could find, bonding vehemence with the white, plastoid armor. All Cade had to do was be patient. Eventually, he would get out. Eventually, the Empire would let their guard down. Eventually, he would make sure no one would ever be tortured again. His mind wandered to Daedalus again, to the Chimeras, and he couldn't help but see that same spark of disturbing glee in Thomas' eyes. Cade laid down on the cot and closed his eyes. Maybe he could sleep.

Despite his best efforts, nightmares and memories blended to create horrifying images that he didn't want to see. Eventually, Cade gave up on sleeping and just stared at the ceiling. His body still ached, even with the hot shower, and he absentmindedly ran his hand along the thin scar across his throat. This Omniverse was Hell. He had to do something about it.

[Koal]

"...and that's how we ended up here." Angel finished, her voice reverberating through the metal wall to Koal, who sat with his knees curled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. The soft orange light of the ray-shield cast long shadows across the Demon's cell and his face was contemplative as he mulled over Angel's words.

"So, you want me to join you." Koal stated, unwrapping his arms from his long legs as he slowly stood, wincing from the burning ache in his chest. Bracing himself against the wall, he rose the rest of the way to his full height. His dark eyes regarded the outside world, violet eyes scanning the prison through an orange filter. The Avengers. Doom had mentioned them the last time they spoke, given Koal strict orders to shadow them.

It would be easy to do so. Laughably easy, in fact, to gain their trust and execute his orders. Opening his mouth, Koal felt his voice catch in his throat, the words that would convince the girl on the other side of the wall that he was on their team wouldn’t force themselves into existence. Closing his mouth, Koal walked back to the wall, where he knew his mysterious new friend was waiting for a reply. A thousand words raced inside of his mind, each one a parent to a different outcome, a different path that this conversation could take. A million different voices in his mind, screaming at him from the safety of his memories. Most of them calling for justice. Justice for the man who had ripped their lives from them. 

But Koal also remembered his promise. Not that he'd had a chance to forget it. 

"Angel, I-"

"Look Alive, prisoner!" 

Ignoring his body's protests, Koal whipped his body around to warily regard the two armor-clad troopers who had entered his cell. White plates and emotionless masks didn't do much to mask the glee in their voices as they roughly grabbed his arms and forced him to his knees. His face burning with shame, Koal lowered his face as they laughed. 

"For someone who they say is a nightmare, this kid looks like the scrawniest piece of shit to ever disgrace this cell!" He roared to his companion, who chuckled behind his helmet before they both hauled the Demon to his feet and shoved him out of the cell.

"The Warden has a guest who would like to, ah, speak with you."

Koal felt his interest pique. Had Doom come to bail him out? He felt the little bit of hope he had in his chest wither as he thought about it. Doom was a wanted man. If he so much as showed his face to an imperial trooper, he would be either detained, or there would be one more death to add to the Latverian Lord's body count.  Shaking his head to dispell his thoughts before they derailed, Koal instead cast his gaze to the rest of the building interior. It was dome-shaped, cells lining its outer rim, with guards and inmates all the same milling about. Behind the sickeningly familiar orange ray-shields, Koal could see prisoners of every sort lurking in the shadows of their gilded cages. Like wild animals, most of them spat and raged as Koal passed them with his escort. It was all the young man could do to keep his composure and not snarl back at them. 

"Say, Kid, How many people did It cost to take you down? No way the reports are true." One of his captors lightly nudged him as he asked the question, And Koal didn't even try to hide his chuckle as he felt his eyes drag maliciously across the troopers body before he looked forward again. 

"I slaughtered about fifteen men a foot taller than you before they dealt any damage worth talking about. If you don't believe me, take this infernal collar off an maybe I can-"

"That will be quite enough, Mr. Lynch. I'd hate for them to do any irreparable damage to that young, handsome face of yours. Not yet, at least." Locking his gaze onto the newcomer at the sound of his nasal voice, Koal noted his lab coat and imperial insignia before a moment had passed. Powers overriding the collar for a moment, Koal felt his temper flare and he let a growl rumble through his chest, sending the two Troopers at his sides into defensive stances as they put their hands to the stun batons on their waist. The Doctor lifted his hand as he let out a wide and unnerving smile, dismissing the troops as they interpreted the silent command. 

"Peace, Mr. Lynch. I wish to exchange words, nothing more." Koal nearly scoffed, but cautiously approached the Doctor, who opened the door to his "office" with a wave of a security pass-card. Inside, Koal could see little more than hulking mass in the corner of the small interrogation room, with scarlet eyes (not unlike his own when enraged) and from what Koal could tell, It was breathing with difficulty.

"Take a seat, Mr. Lynch. Me, you, and our little Puppy have some business to address."

[The Vision]

Mr. Jarvis sat patiently on the uncomfortable metal bench, left leg laid over his right. His fingers were interlaced. His nearly bald head gleamed a little in the artificial light. Even in the reception area of an Imperial prison, the butler felt trapped and stifled. He didn't show any of it. He was, after all, a proper Englishman.
 
The Stormtroopers watching Mr. Jarvis were unnerved. Usually, the pair were in charge of unnerving the visitor. This time, they noticed, the visitor was considerably not unnerved, thus unnerving the Stormtroopers.
 
Or, perhaps, it was the fairly mysterious power armor that was watching them just as intently.
 
Mr. Jarvis smiled amiably as he noticed the Stormtroopers look his way. The armor whirred quietly next to him.
 
***
 
Warden Ellis rubbed his eyes. Parole Officer DEMachina-01 stood at attention in front of his desk.
 
"So," Ellis groaned, "he's just... sitting there?"
 
"Yes, sir."
 
"And the armor is just..."
 
"Standing next to him, sir."
 
"Not doing anything."
 
"Yes, sir."
 
Warden Ellis scratched his beard.
 
"What the hell," he grumbled, "Aren't the Avengers more of the 'punch your way in' types?"
 
DEMachina-01 shrugged. "I dunno, sir."
 
Warden Ellis sighed and rose from his seat. He strolled over to a shelf and poured himself a glass of brandy. DEMachina-01 straightened his back.
 
"Thank you, DEMachina-01. Send him in."
 
DEMachina-01 saluted and left the office.
 
***
 
Mr. Jarvis and Warden Ellis stared at each other from their seats for almost a full minute. They blinked, but it hardly seemed like it. DEMachina-01 and Retort-03 were each standing behind each of Warden Ellis' shoulders, ominously holding their rifles tensely. Ellis’ lawyer Mr. Brown, dressed in a caramel suit, tawny necktie and walnut shoes, holding a chocolate leather briefcase, stood at his side. Behind Mr. Jarvis, the Iron Butler armor held a similar stance.
 
The two men continued to stare at each other.
 
"Well, I'm getting a bit bored of that now," Warden Ellis said, clearing his throat, "What can I do for you, Mr. Jarvis?"
 
"Mr. Ellis, I understand that the Avengers are currently in your custody."
 
"Warden Ellis, you don’t need to answer that,” Mr. Brown interrupted.
 
Mr. Jarvis frowned. "...you cannot answer whether or not you imprisoned the Avengers?"
 
Mr. Brown sneered. “Indeed."
 
"I see," Mr. Jarvis said, calmly taking out a small device from his jacket pocket.
 
The two Stormtroopers behind Warden Ellis raised their blaster rifles in a snap. The Iron Butler armor raised both arms, its palm repulsors whining at a higher pitch than normal.
 
"A Coruscant stand-off," Mr. Jarvis mocked, before revealing the device. It was a phone.
 
The Stormtroopers remained in their hostile stance.
 
"Mr. Jarvis, you seem a smart man," Warden Ellis smirked, "If I were to send my boys to another room, would you send yours with them? After all, we both know that either of us attacking the other would be a sorry, sorry mistake."
 
"I cannot deny the truth of your statement," Mr. Jarvis replied, "But of course, you are - you believe - in a position of power.”

Warden Ellis raised an eyebrow. “I believe.”

“In such a scenario,” Mr. Jarvis continued, “can you truly expect me to deactivate the Suit?”

Warden Ellis grinned, almost relieved.

“Ooh, I like you,” the man said, “Fine. Officers, please leave myself and Mr. Jarvis alone.”

“But sir-“

“He’s a frail old man, and I’m a trained Empire soldier,” Warden Ellis interrupted, “I can handle him. You too, Mr. Brown.”

“Sir, it’s my legal responsibility to advise you against-“

“I said you’re dismissed.”

The two Stormtroopers looked at each other before stepping past the butler, walking out of the room. Mr. Brown followed suit.

“If you would turn the audio off, please,” Mr. Jarvis said calmly.

“Of?”

“Your surveillance cameras.”

Warden Ellis sighed, disappointed. “Who do you take me for, Mr. Jarvis? A fool?”

Mr. Jarvis eyed the camera behind him from his peripheral vision, then mouthed to the warden.

“I take you for a man who would not be happy with the audio files I am about to play. I will continue if you insist, but I’m sure your superiors will not be happy with the result.”

Warden Ellis’ face darkened, even as he smirked.

“Troops, give us some privacy please. Code: Blinking Ears.”

After a few seconds, Warden Ellis nodded.

“What files?”

Mr. Jarvis pressed a button on the phone.

Sounds of a lively, bustling environment boomed from its speakers. Occasionally, clattering noises could be heard from a distance. Warden Ellis’ voice rang clearly from the phone.

“Has the target been neutralized?”

Another voice replied.

“Of course. That’s what you pay me for.”

“Yes, please announce that to the entire casino. Your payment will arrive later today.”

“Don’t send another fucking Stormtrooper. Do you know what’s more conspicuous than a Stormtrooper in a Level below 5? Nothing. Nothing, Ellis.”

“Shut your fucking mouth and be glad the Empire is doing business with your kind at all.”

The second voice chuckled and said, “You know where to go. H-“

Warden Ellis’ lungs reminded him to breathe. He noticed the sweat on his forehead. Pretending to brush his hair back, he tried to covertly wipe it off.

“Yes, the Empire sometimes does business with third-party combatants,” Warden Ellis said, his voice miraculously still monotone as ever, “as you and your... team very well know. Outsourcing, you might say.”

“Does the Empire do business with known terrorists, sir?” Mr. Jarvis asked, “Or just the ones that have yet to be publicly revealed?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Mr. Jarvis hit the play button again.

“-ail Hydra.”

“Not so loud,” the casino Warden Ellis snapped.

Mr. Jarvis smiled. “Sir, I’d like the Avengers to be released at your earliest convenience. Or, shall we be frank, immediately.”

Warden Ellis smiled. “And why should I be afraid of you?”

“Because the Avengers have, despite Imperial media coverage, been revered as heroes from their efforts in the Vasty Deep. And after HYDRA’s very public statement regarding the Avengers...”

Mr. Jarvis flicked his fingers, and the Iron Butler armor projected a hologram from its mask. It was a picture of the Avengers Tower, burning.

“I imagine the Empire would rather not have to deal with the bad press.”

“You must be new here, Mr. Jarvis,” Warden Ellis smirked, “There is no bad press in Coruscant.”

“How confidently could you say that, sir, in Tier 6, I wonder?” the butler cooed, “Or, as a matter of fact, in the gang territories? How do you think members of the Westside alliance might react?”

Warden Ellis twitched.

“Perhaps,” Mr. Jarvis smirked, “I should consult my superior, the Vision. I’m sure my high-profile, robotic friend who was last seen saving the Omniverse from certain doom would have a few choice words to spread all over the Dataverse. Imagine all of the overtime you’ll have to pay the fellows at propaganda when they realize that the Empire has imprisoned the very heroes they praised not a year ago, or that a decorated warden of a high-security Prime prison was galavanting with a known HYDRA agent.”

Warden Ellis smiled. “You are very bold, Mr. Jarvis. But I could have you arrested right now and nobody would know.”

“Please don’t insult my intelligence,” Mr. Jarvis sighed, “Unlike my friends, I know that on any day you could raid our base and remove us from the face of the Omniverse, and nobody would notice. Another of my friends is waiting outside as we speak. I told him to wait two hours before posting all of the evidence we’ve compiled. It’s not quite 3:00, is it, sir? That’d be worrisome.”

Warden Ellis made an impressed expression. “So you do have back-up.”

“Obviously,” Mr. Jarvis said, “Please understand, Warden Ellis. The Avengers exist to keep the peace, and have upon multiple instances cooperated with the Empire. Why would you disrupt this alliance?”

“They broke the law,” Warden Ellis stated.

“As did you,” Mr. Jarvis said.

Warden Ellis smiled.

“Listen, Mr. Jarvis; like I said, you seem a smart man. You know why we imprisoned the Avengers.”

Mr. Jarvis shrugged. “Too uppity.”

“Quite,” the warden continued, “But we weren’t going to keep them forever. Like you said, you’ve been helpful. Plus, I like you. So how about this. I’ll release the prisoners if you agree to... owe us a few favors.”

“How many?”

“We’ll let you know,” Warden Ellis grinned, “I think your friends may cooperate better from now on anyways.”

This time, Mr. Jarvis’ face darkened.

“If you have hurt any prisoners in your custody-“

“We had to,” Ellis lied very obviously, “There was a riot.”

The warden stood up and clapped his hands twice. Mr. Jarvis rose from his seat as well.

“You’ll have your Avengers back, Mr. Jarvis,” Warden Ellis sighed, “just let me do the paperwork and I’ll get back to you.”

“And the..?”

Warden Ellis chuckled. “Do what you will with the files. It doesn’t matter.”

Mr. Jarvis paused. He gave one cold smile, then left the office. The Iron Butler followed him.

Warden Ellis grinned and muttered to himself, “Fool forgot to ask when I’d release them.”

[Moon Knight]

The perpetual darkness of the tight spaced cell surrounded Spector at every corner leaving only a cold, spine-shivering draft that crept up his body cause goosebumps and hair to stand up but besides that the cell, this solitary confinement left only the ability to wait. The darkness of close quarters might have scared the weak but to Marc, there was only one thing that could break him. It was the defining silence of the cell and times passing. It allowed thoughts of desperation, worry, and yet worse the one thing he vowed to never let happen again - the harm of friends and loved ones. 

Though madness had always followed him since he was a child, it was the idea of being confined in a space and being left there locked away forever. That out of everything else was the deal breaker, the straw that broke the camel's back, the one thing he feared the most.   

“...Khonshu?” 

I am here my son. 

“How long have I been in here?”

Days, weeks, a month. 

A month? How did so much time slip by? He wasn’t in a dark cramped cell any longer, no, it was a time capsule from hell built to hold him for his past sins. At least it was something he deserved. Shifting through the dark he stretched out one of his legs in a failed attempt to get any comfort out of the small cell. It didn’t feel like it but a month did truly pass. His unkempt hair had grown long, the stubble he had coming into Coruscant was now a beard and his body was filthy from how long he had been in the cell. Giving a low sigh, he shifted out his leg and stretching out the other to wean out the sharp pain of a cramp.   

“Khonshu?” 

Yes?

“I’m tired of waiting. You can predict the future. Tell me, is Jarvis coming back or not?” 

Patience, all will be solved soon… very soon. 

“What do you mean?” Marc said, his attention dragged away from his god. 

Echoing footsteps could be heard bouncing out back and forth his cell door. Was this it? Freedom? Or was this something different? For all Spector knew they could be just passing by or better yet execution? No, they were probably sent to torture him and steal what little information they could gather about the Avengers. His heart began racing, pounding in his chest as if trying to burst free. His breath turned heavy and thick of anticipation, blood racing with adrenaline as he cinched both fists. If they came to kill or torture him he would make sure they had a good fight to remember him by. Make them fear him more than God. The footsteps stopped at his door leaving only silence to follow. This was it, whatever it was he was more than ready. The large blast door slammed open with an unpleasant metal screech following with it. Marc by instincts stood straight with his brown eyes narrowing as two guards stepped closely in. 

“Get dressed. You’re free.” A guard growled, tossing the costume Moon Knight wore before arriving at the prison onto the cell’s floor.

As quickly as they approached, the two guards left the small cell taking positions outside as if they were guarding the doors.     

Like a child reaching for candy, Spector snatched his armor off the floor, pawing for his white mask. He pulled it over his face once again dawning the persona of Moon Knight. 

-

Did you ever doubt me?

“A little.” The Moon’s Knight of Vengeance pushing through the glass door leading into the prisons main lobby.  Stepping into the room Jarvis as expected was already waiting for him and the others. 

“Moon Knight,” Jarvis said smiling, happy to see that his teammate and field leader left with no more injury. 

“Jarvis.” Moon Knight replied narrowing his eye a bit. 

“I am glad to say that you and the others are finally free from but it came with a cost.”

“What’s the cost?” He said furrowing an eyebrow under his mask.

“I would expect sometime in the future that the Empire will call onto us for our services.” 

“As in working under them?” 

“Yes.” 

Moon Knight gave a short sigh. 

“We’ll have to discuss this later without the watchful eyes the Empire.” 

“Of course, Ahem, It seems another approaches.”   

Turning around to his surprise it was Cade. It seems that the Empire felt that his time was over as well. With a bit of short-lived glee, the Silver Avengers rushed to the Centurion, placing his right hand over the young man’s shoulder. 

“How do you feel?”

Cade shrugged, his body still sore from the constant experiments.

“I’ll be fine but no way in hell am I ever coming back to this place.” 

“I completely agree, here comes more of us.”

Marching their way into the main lobby the other Avengers, Angel, Dick, Marcus, and Ratione showing eagerness to leave as well.   

“Is it true? Are we free?’ Dick asked scratching at his greying beard. 

“Yes, the warden has agreed that every last one of you is free to go,” Jarvis answered with a nod. 

“Hold UP! Wait a minute, where’s Dust?!” Angel shouted her eyes bulging with confusion. 

“Yeah, I haven’t seen him either.” Cade chimed in. 

“If he isn’t here by now then Empire hasn’t let him free yet. He might have caused more trouble with guards, who knows. Don’t worry Angel Dust’s a grown man and more than capable of handling himself.” Moon Knight said attempting to defuse Angel’s panic. 

 "I swear if they hurt him, I'm... I'm... I'M GONNA SICK CADE ON THEM!!!"

“Excuse me?” 

“I believe that is our queue Team, shall we leave this most unpleasant place?” Jarvis said pointing towards the prison’s exit. 

“Lead the way.” Moon Knight retorted following with a nod. 

With each Avenger huddled together they marched out of the prison, making their way down a series of stone stairs and as is somehow summoned they were swarmed by the Imperial press. Like vultures they made their way to each hero, shouting questions like cannon fire. 

“Moon Knight! Moon Knight! What does it feel like to be free but still in the clutches of our Empire?” A female reporter shouted shoving her mic close to Moon Knight’s mask, her cameraman moving in close as well. Narrowing his eyes at the camera, a sneer grew under the Night Protectors mask. 

“As long as the Avengers are around it doesn’t matter who or what is watching. There will always be vengeance and justice to be brought into the light. I have nothing more to say.” 

With Jarvis leading point, the team pushed through the mountain of reporters making their way to an already prepped Quinjet. They were free and hopefully for good this time. Now it was time for them to leave for their new base. With a roar of the Jet’s engine, they were off.