As per the mysterious voice’s request, Kyle was taken from his cell. He was dragged heavily from his cell as he refused to be taken. But little did he know, this was his best chance. The thoughts of escape were right in his mind, but as Clown dragged him by the chains around his neck, he knew that was impossible.
A single lift was at the end, to which the two stepped in.
“Where are we going?” Kyle asked but received no response.
The lift took them up. High up. Far higher than Kyle would have assumed.
Until DING
The doors open to a messy steel-walled room, larger than a car park. Various metal plates, pipes, machines and contraptions were thrown about to collect dust.
“Where is this?” Kyle asked,
“It’s my room,” The same feminine voice spoke, this time revealing itself from the corner. “I’m Jessica, Nice to meet you.”
The slim girl moved around on an office chair, wheeling around the space as she avoided all the mess she had created herself, her baggy clothes were covered in oil, stains and burns.
“You can go, Clown,” Jessica said as Clown stepped back into the lift, moving back down to the cell.
“Who are you?”
“I know about you.” The girl said as she continued to spin around in circles, only giving Kyle an inconsistent glimpse of her tired eyes. “I know everything about you. I know you grew up an orphan, I also know who your parents are and where they are. I know how many steps you took in the year 2005, along with how often you’ve used the word cabbage.”
“What?”
“My name is Jessica.” Her long greasy hair stained her oil-covered blue overalls. “I’m one of the generals of this place, I create all the cool stuff. I was tasked with finding everything out about you. Did I do good?”
“What?” Kyle repeated.
“You’re Kyle, right? Clown did get the right one, he isn’t bugged, is he?”
“Bugged?”
“Of course, Clown is a machine, machines get errors sometimes. I made him. He’s cool, right?”
Kyle was speechless, but luckily, he didn’t need to get involved in the conversation.
“Here,” Jessica threw over a key to Kyle’s feet. “It’s for your chains. Tom can’t see us here; that was the condition for me working with him.”
“Why are you telling me this… why are you doing this?”
“Isn’t it uncomfortable in those chains? I saw your fight with Clown and analysed all your movements and attacks. That knife of yours is very cool, it’s not normal, is it?”
“Wait!” Kyle said, “Aren’t you going to experiment on me?”
“If you want me to then I can. But I just said that to let you out of your cell.”
“Your goals aren’t the same as Tom’s, are they?”
“Of course not. Tom wants to rule this place. I want to blow it up. The Claw’s are evil, but then so were the Cassettes. You both solved crimes by killing others. The Cassettes claimed to only kill those who have done evil, but no one should have the power to choose what is and isn’t evil.”
Jessica’s eyes darted back to Kyle.
“I know everything about the Cassettes, and their past.” She said.
“The Cassettes were made to help the weak.”
“And yet you still thought of yourself as a god. Tell me, why did you kill my sister?”
A fearful bloodlust washed over Kyle, but it wasn’t his own.
“What do you mean?” He said, carefully.
“My sister was killed by a member of the Cassettes, more importantly, my sister was killed by you.”
Kyle’s head dropped in shame as he was reminded of the shackles all over his body.
“She was involved in a gang, not by choice.” Jessica said, “She was blackmailed. Her body was used and she was forced to comply. Until the Cassettes came along and ‘freed’ her.”
“So you plan to get revenge by blowing up the capital?” Kyle asked.
“Yes, and afterwards I’ll be with my sister.”
Kyle’s sense of justice was shaken, but he never forgot anyone he killed. He couldn’t remember the face, as he never saw it, but he remembered the smile as she was being released from her terrible pain. Pain left her body with hundreds of scars, something she never showed her younger sister.
“And you think I’ll let you?” said Kyle.
“Of course, you will, you also want to kill Tom, don’t you? My plan might just do that.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Jessica turned her head.
“You think I’m just gonna let you kill yourself?”
A smirk rose on Jessica’s face.
“How are you going to stop me?”
“I don’t know, I’ll figure something out. But for now, I want you to know that I’m not your enemy. I don’t want to hurt you, my only plan is to kill Tom.”
“And avenge your friend? The same way I want to avenge my sister?” said Jessica.
“Yes. I’ll kill him for what he did…”
“Well, your friend is alive. That image was edited by me.”
“What?” Kyle’s confusion came back again but quickly collapsed his body with relief. “Thank you so much…”
“That’s what happens when you completely gain someone’s trust. However, if you want to go for Tom you’ll need to deal with Clown first.”
“Can’t you deal with him, didn’t you make him?” asked Kyle.
“I did, but another part of the deal was to give Tom 50 per cent of him.”
“Damn it,” Kyle dug his nails into his head, “How much power does Tom have over this place.”
“Well, do you know how the Claws were formed?”
“No…?”
“Well, would you like to know?”