Endless noise fell in all directions. The best of it came from the dining hall somewhere right above, because at least then Gemmei could try to pick out individual conversations or phrases (even if the content tended to be dreadfully boring). After that, though, there was little else intelligible to parse. The HCC’s large industrial water pumps and heaters kicked on throughout the day and especially at night now that the cooler season finally arrived. Incessant flushing and banging and clattering came from the dishwashers somewhere above her as well at nearly all points of the day, and even when all did occasionally fall relatively quiet, the eternal high pitched whine of the prison’s electrical generators still poked through her conscious awareness for every hour of the day.

Then, on top of that, the monsoons arrived. Gemmei never got to experience what being out in a storm constantly would sound like and at this point she never wanted to hear rain again. Apparently the solitary confinement cell had been strategically located right next to a gutter or storm drain or tin roof or by some very dedicated inmates with the best maracas money could buy, because the constant white noise from the storms seemed to be particularly grating even through earplugs.

Gemmei’s new favorite sound was thunder. At least that broke up the monotony a bit. Laying back in her cot and staring at the stained concrete ceiling she even got a bit excited when a sudden pounding barely peaked over her plugged ears. That excitement quickly drained when she pulled them out and heard its true origin.

“Sit upright and don’t move.” The muted sound of a guard’s voice from behind the steel door barked out. “Warden Keio is paying you a visit.”

Letting out a long whistling exhale through her nostrils, Gemmei pulled herself up off the got and put both bare feet onto the cold cell floor. Shaking her head a bit she glanced up at the camera in the corner, then gave it a friendly, casually rude gesture with one of her hands. While the heavy locks clicked open she ran her fingers through her greasy red hair, which now grew quite a bit longer since her first arrival. If this kept up she might actually have to steal a comb from somewhere.

With a grating screech the steel door swung open like a bank vault, and there stood the uniformed Warden Keio with her trademark smile. Gemmei noticed her shoulders looked a bit wet, and she wore a bit more padded armor than usual. Armor meant the warden had been around prisoners today, and the water meant she’d been walking between buildings quite a bit. Neither of those portended good things.

“Why, hello there, duckling! Don’t you look relaxed.” Keio nodded to the two guards posted to either side of her as she walked in. Not all the way in, as separating the heavy steel door and Gemmei were still the rows of bars on the cell door as well. Despite that extra layer of protection, Keio leaned into the bars and slipped her arms through them as if this was just a friendly visit. “It’s been a while! I see some isolation has done you some good.”

The only response that earned immediately from Gemmei was a few slow blinks. She slouched down and picked at one of her toenails as the warden continued. “I consider it a blessing we haven’t had any more security incidents since placing you under protective custody. Machii could quite easily extend her influence even down here, but I’ve done a crackerjack job keeping you safe, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hm?” Gemmei propped her head up with one arm, finally turning to face Keio. “Doesn’t sound like you at all. I thought you’d jump at the chance to be rid of me.”

“Spot on!” Warden Keio laughed and clapped her hands together through the bars. “And I will be rid of you yet. The Hibiya Correctional Complex doesn’t need troublemakers. But, you see, the reason I am over here,” she gestured as if Gemmei couldn’t see her. “And you are over there, is because I follow the proper procedures. You will be transferred back to the AVAX SuperMax at the end of the monsoon season, when the roads are in better condition. I just thought I’d share the news with you personally.”

“What,” Gemmei yawned, “about my rights? You haven’t seemed terribly concerned about those protocols.”

Warden Keio feigned a concerned face and cast her gaze away from Gemmei. “Yes, yes, how unfortunate. You haven’t been allowed a single trip outside. Because of the weather, you see. And safety concerns. And staffing issues. Terribly sorry, out of my control.”

Now it was Gemmei’s turn to fake concern, and she began to recline back into her well used cot. “Like I told you, I’m not afraid of Machii or her muscle. Or getting a bit wet. If Nishioka wants to tear my head off-”

“Please, please, Inmate Gemmei.” Keio’s commanding voice quickly cut her off. “The HCC prides itself in its very low prisoner injury rate. Until your...incidents, we’d gone almost a full year without needing to use the infirmary for anything more than work injuries!”

“Another perk of Machii’s iron grip, I suppose.” Gemmei stared hard at Keio, who didn’t seem bothered by the attention at all. “So you’ve decided she’s more worth keeping around than I am?”

“When Machii causes issues, duckling, she doesn’t cause thousands of dollars worth of property damage in the process and force us to throw out months of food as a precautionary measure.”

“Maybe,” Gemmei shrugged, “you should try following proper military protocol sometime, and not rely on the Houzou Hakkyou to do all your work for you.”

For a moment it almost looked like an emotion flashed across Keio’s face, but it disappeared just as quick. Instead she just gave that chilling smile. “Our motto here at the HCC is that every prisoner gets what they are due. Even unreasonable agitators like yourself. I’ll see about getting you at least one hour of outdoor time before you leave, Inmate Gemmei. Consider it my gift to you.”

Gemmei gave a loud sniff, then picked at her ear with her jagged fingernails. “And our deal?”

That statement brought a quizzical look to Keio, who offered her hands up in confusion. “What deal?”

“For Machii’s secret.” Gemmei cleared her throat, then sat forward again as if interested. “You still want that, don’t you?”

A truly befuddled expression crossed Keio’s face, not one of misunderstanding but one of disbelief. After a tense silence, her words came out in a cold tone. “We’ve already dug through your testimony, duckling. You have nothing we want. You have no value to me.”

“Not right now.” Gemmei responded with an unpleasant grin. “But you never know, right? Miracles can happen.”

Joining Gemmei in her bravado, Warden Keio let out a derisive chuckle. “I’ve been in this business a long time, duckling. I can assure you, there won’t be any divine intervention in your case. The gods have better things to do than look after outlaws and scoundrels.”

“I’ll be sure to tell whoever I meet back in the hole that you turned down my offer, then.”

The words came out almost threateningly from Gemmei, who did nothing but continue to smile at Keio with complete confidence. Keio frowned, perhaps disappointed Gemmei’s spirit had not yet broken, but similarly discarded any further attempts at communication. With a curt shrug she pulled her hands back out of the bars and straightened out her uniform, paying special attention to her armband. “I hope your time with us has been somewhat beneficial, Inmate Gemmei. If only you were better behaved, maybe things could have been different.”

Gemmei watched as she exited, and the door again slid shut. Once again the howl of the storm, the clatter of the loose duct work, and the hum of electricity became the only ambiance in her small cell. She sat upright for a while after that, switching between pacing and exercising in her normal routine. Even though little changed there, every now and then she did glance up at the camera with anticipation. So many doors, literally in this case, would never again be open to her. There was only one real way out at this point.

Well, apart from leaving in a body bag. If all else failed, Gemmei felt good knowing that in the event of her demise, she would be hurting Warden Keio’s track record of running a pristine prison. The thought gave her a little smile as she flopped back down into her hard cot. Serving time was making her an optimist, at least.

The world's colors looked much more vivid than usual. The dull colors of her solitary cell meant that even a moment back outside in the greenery felt like going back to an alien planet. It reminded Gemmei of her first day at the HCC. Both the good and the bad.

The shift caught Gemmei off guard in more ways in one, as the guards had suddenly sprang an unexpected recess on her in the middle of the day just a few days after the warden's visit. Having experienced a number of monsoon seasons herself, it felt almost childish to be so amazed by the sight of the overgrown grounds and smell of the fresh rain, but the old Gemmei never really cared much about the 'great outdoors' anyway. So many seasons just came and went for her in the past. Perhaps because this might be the last rain she felt in a long time, she found it that much more enthralling.

Not only that but as she moved through the grass and touched the rough bark of the trees, Gemmei realized the gulf of time she lost since her last taste of freedom. The earth beneath her feet felt soggy and the tree leaves now drooped in the typical fashion, as expected when the soil became too waterlogged. The air smelled wet and thought it was the middle of the day, the sun could not be seen behind the swirling morass of heavy gray clouds. Even the cold wind felt unwelcome as it brushed past her face. So much vegetation had grown in such a short time...had it been a short time? She ruffled the hair by her ears to remind herself how long it had been. How many birthdays had she missed? How many members of her family had passed milestones that she'd never be around for? How many more would go by without her? What weird thoughts to have. Definitely not something a career soldier should care about.

Even so she idled around, kneeling next to various patches of exposed earth and rolling in between her fingers to remember how it felt. From time to time Gemmei cast her gaze back at the sole guard keeping watch, who looked exceedingly bored. Whenever she moved slightly out of sight, like behind a tree trunk, he very quickly shifted position to make sure nothing tricky was going on. Occasionally he whispered into the small, badge shaped radio tucked tight into his breast pocket, but otherwise stayed out of the way. What a dutiful employee!

The quiet in this part of the property might have been calming, in normal circumstances. Whenever Gemmei wasn’t warily watching her hanger-on, she was keeping an eye on the nearby tall grass. Not a single other soul apart from the two of them stood out in this far field at the edge of the prison. In fact, a small hill blocked line of sight for quite a bit of the surroundings. It felt almost as isolating as that solitary cell.

Gemmei preferred the camera in her room to a living person, though. For one very clear reason.

“Stay over there.” The guard’s gruff voice barked out as Gemmei tried to walk back over the hill. It was the fourth such warning. Despite not being told so, it was clear there was a tiny box Gemmei was supposed to stay confined too. She barely acknowledged her watcher’s comment but walked back towards the tall grass marking off the invisible boundary where her Houzou Hakkyou would trigger. As she did the guard stepped forward again, shrinking the range where she could wander. She ran her fingers through her hair to get it out of the way of her ears. The wind died down, and the distant sound of the lunch horn sounded back on the compound.

A distinct buzzing came from the guard’s radio. Gemmei didn’t hear it.

He pointed, and opened his mouth wide as he delivered a specific order in a tone familiar to all the inmates. “Stand right there.”

The gesture could not be ignored so easily. Gemmei turned and faced the guard with an uncertain expression, prompting him to repeat his command. “Right where I’m pointing. Walk there and do nothing else.”

Tracing the path of his finger Gemmei saw it land squarely in the barren, soggy field far past the where the tall grass grew. She turned back and pointed at herself as if unclear on the concept.

A small amount of frustration shot across the guard’s face. He pointed again, placing his other hand on the long baton at his hip. “Inmate Shinshi Gemmei, I am ordering you to move there, quickly and quietly. Do so now.”

She squinted, but with a hesitant, begrudging movement, she began to walk towards the spot. Her feet dragged through the earth so much that mud began to cake the outer layer of her cheap prison footwear. She crossed both her arms to shield against the chilling breeze. Her jaw clenched and a small bit of blood came out from where she bit hard into her lip. All that proved futile- she continued to march forward, like a zombie, past the point from where there would be no return.

The guard placed one hand over his radio and switched it off, lest any noises somehow get through. He followed a safe distance away from Gemmei as she shuffled towards the barrier, occasionally turning his head in all directions to ensure no witnesses would be present. The timing, of course, was perfect. Unnaturally perfect. Gemmei realized it too- all the conditions lining up in just the right way to make this moment possible. The clouds above swirled as the monsoon winds far above their head began to stir.

Gemmei was going to be forced to step over the boundary and die. Snuffed out, like a candle. Her death would be written off as an escape attempt and that would be that. Clean and easy. Sweat began to bead across her forehead, mixing with the flecks of precipitation that just then began to fall. Warden Keio wouldn’t have ordered this, oh no. An escaping inmate threatened her record of running a tight ship, after all.

No, no, this was almost certainly the underhanding dealings of Machii. The woman’s influence extended even to the guards themselves. Someone like her would never get her own hands dirty. Gemmei looked back at her faceless executioner, who again restated his demand and pointed with a gloved finger at the spot that she was to move too. His demeanor was cold and distant, as all guards tended to be. Why wouldn’t he be? Gemmei was a convicted offender and troublemaker. This was no different than putting down a rabid stray dog.

Looking down at her own hands Gemmei tried to recall that first day at the prison, when the warden let her cross the threshold. More cold rain hit her cheeks, a portent of what was to come. Dying in complete agony...

Well, that meant whatever happened, it was better than the alternative, wasn’t it?

There was almost a picturesque serenity to the scene as it unfolded. Unlike the frantic, tooth and nail struggles with Kokona and Nishioka, Gemmei said nothing and moved with rigid precision. When she put her first foot over the edge there came no scream or yell or demands for answers or help. Gemmei passed through like a ship sailing into the night.

Her body seized up and she crumpled like a pile of wet laundry. Even a candle going out would have made more noise than Gemmei. She landed face first into the wet grass and started convulsing, exactly as she had months ago the first time she got a taste of the Hibiya Correction Complex’s invisible field of agony. Her rapidly vibrating eye caught limited glimpses of the guard as he approached, his dark form looming over her like the gray clouds far above. His weapon wasn’t drawn! He was watching her like one would watch a cockroach die, flailing on its back helplessly. Was he still trying to issue orders? The helmet covered a good deal of his face, but his mouth still seemed to be moving. Talking into the radio?

No, not yet. Not while she still twitched and spasmed. He wasn’t happy with where she fell. His finger jutted aggressively to try and urge Gemmei farther, but she wasn’t budging. She needed to be farther out, otherwise the paralyzing force of the signal wouldn’t kill her quick enough. How bothersome! Even dying pathetically like this, Gemmei still made trouble for the people around her. Of course the guard was impatient, they all were. When you were used to inmates jumping when you said how high, even the slightest inconvenience could instigate rage.

His boot rose up. His substantially larger mass than Gemmei meant kicking her a little bit farther past the boundary would be as easy as a child rolling a toy across the lawn. The steel-tipped part of his boot pushed into Gemmei’s stomach. Not an ideal situation, but-

-his voice broke out loud enough for even Gemmei to understand. Not a command, but a string of profanity, punctuated by a thick and understandable expression of utter confusion.

“WHA-?!”

Opening his mouth at all was a mistake. Regaining her composure immediately Gemmei snapped around and hurled a well aimed ball of mud straight upward from her prone position. The mud shot up and went right under the helmet’s visor, splattering into the guard’s eyes and mouth as he switched to spitting out the foul tasting substance. His single moment of confusion at Gemmei’s unexpected control and precision lasted only a second. In the next moment he drew his club and reacted exactly like a trained professional would. Gemmei barely got to her feet and bumbled into him before he landed a savage blow across her head with his truncheon, sending her reeling sideways and stumbling away on her skinny legs. Even with that stunt, the girl didn’t feel a thing from the girl’s tiny, feeble attempt at a punch. The situation hadn’t changed at all, she was still far too weak to resist.

Rather than try to wipe off the inside of his visor the guard tore the helmet from his head and chucked it aside. His reddening face turned towards Gemmei, who was struggling to remain upright after that last blow. Her motor control looked unaffected, as if the Houzou Hakkyou’s signal hadn’t affected her in the slightest. “Don’t move, Inmate Gemmei!” The words ripped out of the enraged guard’s mouth as he approached, albeit with more caution than before. “Get on the ground and remain motionless! That’s a direct order!”

Finally regaining her footing, Gemmei’s ratty looking hair shook back and forth as she tried to clear her head. Then she let out a shaky breath, revealing an infuriating grin.

“Don’t spend much time on the edge here, do you? The barrier is farther than where the tall grass starts, any inmate could have told you that.” Her voice sounded considerably shaken from the guard’s blow, but even so the satisfaction dripping from it couldn’t be denied. “Wonder why the grass was so tall there, though? Maybe a few months ago someone put a little extra fertilizer there? Pretty lucky for me, right?”

This wouldn’t do. Gemmei faked being under the Hakkyou's pain-inducing power, and now she ignored orders? The guard reached to turn his radio back on. Even if he could easily take her down, he would need to report he was being attacked, so that killing her in self defense was reasonable. Warden Keio didn’t look too kindly on executions without following proper protocol.

His fingers brushed up against his armor, and slid off it without grasping anything. He clawed a few more times before finally looking down at his chest. The little silver device no longer hung from his uniform.

“Looking for this?” With two of her fingers Gemmei wiggled something into the air. Now her real ploy became apparent. The little brat hadn’t been trying to hit him at all- she had swiped his communication device! It wasn't like she could use it, but knowing she nicked his stuff just further angered the guard. The petulant girl deserved nothing short of a savage beating now. Rather than delay any longer the guard’s heavy boots tore into the earth and he charged towards Gemmei. Of course, being a tiny runt and not a musclebound strongman, the wild-eyed Gemmei easily took off running in the opposite direction with quite a bit of spring in her step. Sheets of rain began to fall and in the distance another one of the prison’s melancholic horns blared out. It was a chase!

But where could a rat like Gemmei even run to?