Avery chowed on a meat sandwich in the kitchen in the basement of one of SCAR's buildings. There was no one else in the kitchen. It was usually empty, as a significant number of people didn't know about it to begin with. Alone, he held his phone up against his water cup, watching random videos on the internet. He calmly ate without a single worry.

That was until he received a call from Ridley. Avery sighed, wanting to eat uninterrupted, and reluctantly picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Kid, what's up. Wanna grab lunch?"

"Eating right now in the kitchen."

Ridley groaned. "Without me? Dang, uh, I'll be there in a few."

Avery wanted to eat alone, but couldn't say no to him. "Sure…"

They exchanged goodbyes and hung up. Avery shook his head and continued eating without his videos. Knowing Ridley, he would be down here in less than five minutes. Ridley had a busy day–to–day schedule, and managed time as though he controlled it.

And sure enough, Ridley arrived in less than five minutes, aggressively breathing as though he had sprinted a mile.

"You didn't have to run," Avery said, looking up before taking the last bite of his sandwich.

Ridley took a deep breath until his lungs returned to normal. "I got stuff and can't waste time walking. I see that you finished your meal. I'll eat later in a meeting then."

Avery wiped his mouth with a brown napkin before saying, "You sure? It's mid-afternoon."

"Whatever. Oh, I got something cool to tell you." He took a seat and settled comfortably. "I got this big guy in custody. Like crazy big. Probably the biggest guy I've seen in my life."

"Like… fat? Or…?"

Ridley shook his head. "No, no. More like muscular big. But he's tall as well, like a miniature giant. You should go and see him. Guy's huge." He sounded like a child who hit the jackpot of toys. His wide grin nearly touched his ear, and his eyes sparkled in joy.

"What's he in for?" Avery asked.

"Public intoxication, vandalism, and attempting to escape authorities. They're serious crimes. Vandalism on SCAR's or the city's property expresses that this city or SCAR isn't good the way it is. He has options, but his life isn't ruined. The same goes for the others. We got four people in custody, and many more on the run. We debated tracking them down, but a little negotiation with the inmates will lead us to them."

By negotiation, he meant torture, which was banned within the walls centuries ago. Ridley, however, didn't care. He had a separate team and went out to an isolated location to proceed with his so-called 'entertainment.'

Ridley's phone buzzed. He quickly answered in a whisper. With a few hmphs, he stood and apologized for needing to leave. Avery waved his hand, insisting there was no need for an apology. Ridley smiled and jogged out of the kitchen.

Avery stayed seated, fiddling with his phone until boredom hit. He thought of a random thought.

There was only one person Avery knew who would fit the physical description Ridley gave. It wasn't hard to forget a man of that size.

Roger.

The name crawled into his head like a bad dream.

"No, no, no," he muttered, pacing. "If it's him… it can't be. It can't be." Deep down, he knew.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Avery kept tabs on everyone he met in the outside world. He knew Roger had snuck into sales and was successful lately.

He had his personal taxi pick him up and stated he was in a hurry. The driver nodded and did what he did best. The streets blurred in a mix of color and light as Avery sped through the city. Neon signs and billboards glowed with SCAR propaganda, featuring flashing, smiling faces and a bold promise of order and security. He clenched his fists in silence.

The prison was ahead with black metal walls spiraling upward. SCAR units posted up at their designated watchtowers, and hidden snipers were stationed at adjacent buildings.

Avery quickly exited the car. His heart thumped harder with each checkpoint he passed. Security hardly looked up since Avery was well–known. Still, his palms were soaked in sweat.

A receptionist in a gray uniform glanced up from her console; a faint blue glow from the holo-screens lit up her face.

"I need to see someone who entered custody recently," Avery demanded.

"I'll need clearance," she said in a flat voice.

"My name and face are all the clearance you need."

The woman blinked, but her fingers glided over the interface. Rows of names and numbers scrolled past on the floating screen. Avery leaned closer, his eyes scanning desperately.

"Recent inmates are in Gamma. A guard will direct you."

And just like that, a SCAR agent appeared behind and waved its hand in the direction Avery needed to go. He keyed Avery through numerous checkpoints before reaching Gamma.

Gamma is a section for new inmates who have yet to be finalized with their official crimes.

The corridor opened wide with metal all around. The floor was steel with blue and white strips of light running beneath his feet and the walls. Each cell door loomed tall with black panels broken by a glowing number: CELL 01. CELL 02. CELL 03. CELL 04.

Transparent barriers sealed the cells. A monitor stood before each door, displaying vitals and logs. Avery glanced at one without meaning to—heart rate, respiration, neural activity, height, weight. Everything was reduced to data points. He went through each one, hoping he wouldn't find Roger.

He kept walking. CELL 05. One cell contained a defeated man strapped upright, cuffs on his wrists and ankles glowing faintly in blue. Another cell was dim, but he noticed a woman crouched in the far corner, hugging her knees.

Avery's throat tightened. There he was. A massive man the size of a mountain. CELL 11. The number glowed against the dark wall. Avery stopped. Inside the steel bench sat Roger. Slumped, his wrists bound by cuffs that flickered a faint light.

"I wish to speak with him," Avery said to the SCAR unit. "I can enter the cell. He won't attack me."

"Subject has no past violent criminal record. Permission to enter the cell is granted. Duration of the visit must be under ten minutes."

Avery nodded. With that, the SCAR unit typed in special commands on the monitor, making the transparent barrier disappear. Avery entered with his head high, the barrier reappearing behind.

Roger looked up and squinted. He continued to sit on the bench while Avery stood over him, defenseless.

"Roger… you remember me?" Avery's voice was soft and welcoming.

"I've seen you… before. I—I don't…"

"It's Avery—Tim's friend. I was beaten and messed up in the woods, then you found me. Remember?"

Roger nodded gently with his mouth partially open. "I do. You're here. How?" He was visibly confused, almost as though he had seen a ghost. However, he didn't seem shocked about seeing Avery.

It could be a mix of things. Maybe he's too focused on himself.

"Logistics are inferior at the moment. I have other things we must discuss. One being… your situation. Public intoxication, vandalism, and attempting to flee authorities, I think, is the last one. As an Ionian citizen, these may be serious depending on how SCAR portrays these crimes. But you and I both know what you are. Luckily, I can try to talk to people and get you off the hook. I just… need some time."

Roger rested his head low, disappointed in himself. "I shouldn't have been stupid. I didn't only put myself in danger, but also Tim."

"Wait. What do you mean by Tim?"

"He fled the scene. He's always been pretty fast, so I'm not surprised. But hopefully there's no long-term consciousness for him."

The entire situation shifted. Avery wasn't only trying to get Roger off the hook, but also needed to ensure Tim's safety.

"Ok… ok… I need to find him. Roger, hang tight. You will get out of here."

"I don't want to ruin it for the others. But I also… I don't know what will happen to me. Will I ever see them again?"

"Roger, I assure you that everything will be okay. Hang tight. I will pull strings and hopefully get you out. For now, I must also ensure Tim's safety. He's at Aurora's University, right?"

Roger nodded solemnly and rubbed his face. The silence said it all. Leaving his mind blank, he didn't want to drown himself in worries. Avery tapped him on the shoulder and ensured his safety one last time before exiting the cell.

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