A Story of Cinders: From the Ashes

Chapter 12: Rusty Cage

 Sarge shook his head in frustration. He should've recognized that there was trouble when the colonel personally greeted them when they arrived onto the base. I can't believe I didn't see this coming! He noticed the same look of disdain on Gray Wolf's face, mixed with a look that seemed to say not again. Now disarmed, Gray Wolf and Sarge were escorted to their cells. They were thrown violently into cells across from each other. Gray Wolf angrily swore at the soldiers in Russian. Sarge sighed heavily. "You have any ideas?" he yelled to Gray Wolf.

"I'm thinking."

"Let me know when you get one."

"Will do. It's not like I'm going anywhere..." They heard Brawler still chuckling down the hallway in his solitary cell. Gray Wolf was on his feet, pacing and thinking, muttering out loud. "Tagged. They're tagged. Like fucking dogs. Can you believe that shit? I mean, I know Karlov's a pretty sick bastard, but tagging his men? Seriously?"

"We should do something quickly before we lose him completely," Sarge yelled to Gray Wolf, talking about the Brawler. "I don't think he particularly enjoys being in solitary."

"God damnit, give me a second! Fuck, I should've known this Star Wars bullshit wasn't gonna work in real life! Hell, it didn't even fool the goddamn storm troopers!"

"No talking!" the jailer yelled at the two in Russian, banging his baton on the bars of the cells. Sarge looked at Gray Wolf, and noticed a look of pure mischief light up on Gray Wolf's face. He had an idea.

The steel blast door swings shut, sealing the Brawler off from the outside world. A mechanism spins in the door, locking it shut. There is silence. Then all-consuming noise takes over his head. Screaming. Pure rage. The Baron is clawing at the back of his mind, gouging and fighting tooth and nail to take control. LET ME OUT!!! LET ME OUT!!! I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL RIP THEIR FUCKING HEADS OFF! LET ME FEED! The Baron begins to babble incoherently about death, blood, and killing. Brawler tries desperately to block the noise out, banging his head against the cold, concrete, cell wall. The steel chains around his wrists and ankles are tearing at his skin as he strains against them. He can feel himself lose control bit by bit. The Baron is winning. "No!" he yells to the Baron. "I locked you away for a reason!" You need me! Now more than ever!

"It didn't work last time, what makes you think it'll work this time?"

I saved you! You owe me! Visions flash before his eyes. Bars. Cells. Blood. Hysteria. I can get us out. Trust me. If you keep me locked away, I will die. You don't want that. I'm your only friend. It takes great effort, but he finally surrenders. He lets out a primal howl as Baron takes over. A flood of euphoria overtakes him. The Baron sighed with relief as he was finally able to have control. A grin cracked across his face, and he began to chuckle.

"Hey Sarge, have you figured out how we are going to escape?" Gray Wolf yelled to Sarge, deliberately loudly. He winked at Sarge. Sarge looked completely confused.

"They don't speak English, you moron."

"I hear it's amazing when the famous purple stuffed worm in flap-jaw space with the tuning fork does a raw blink on Hara Kiri Rock. I need scissors! 61!"

What the Hell is he doing? Sarge thought to himself. "Go with it," Gray Wolf mouthed at Sarge. The gears were slowly turning in Sarge's head. His facial expression showed it.

"Sometimes, I lay on the kitchen floor and pretend I'm a crumb!" Finally the guard yelled back at Gray Wolf in Russian. "Shut the fuck up down there!"