Evenfall

Prologue

The Fourth Floor Detainment Center would look innocuous enough to an outsider, were any ever allowed inside. The Fourth was large and sprawling with winding halls leading off into separate holding areas. The sections looked exactly the same despite the fact that they served very different purposes. Each corridor was silent and sterile with fluorescent lights glaring down. The overall appearance was very much like an institution or a hospital.

There was no way of knowing that deep within the Interrogation Center in the northern wing, blood-curdling screams were silenced by soundproof cells. Or that the walls and floors weren't made of tile for aesthetics but rather because it was easier to wash away the blood that often stained them. There were no indications that within those halls, people were dragged back to their cells or sometimes carried to the freight elevator-- an area that typically had one destination: the incinerator in the basement of the Tower.
The staff were just as deceptive. Psychiatric doctors on Fourth existed for the sole purpose of reading the inmates; figuring out what made them tick and what the best tactics would be before proceeding with appropriate interrogation and punishment. Medical doctors on Fourth were entrusted with the duty of keeping the inmates alive until the Agency was ready to dispose of them.

In reality, the Fourth Floor Detainment Center held a variety of inmates that ranged from enemy captives who were ruthlessly interrogated before their fate was decided, to employees of the Agency who had committed a severe enough infraction to warrant torture-interrogation or a stint in isolation in the Holding Wing. For others, the Fourth was a final destination as they awaited their termination.

And for one infamous man, the Fourth was a
holding area between his uses.

That man was at the forefront of everyone's minds today. Several guards were huddled inside a cell in the Maximum Security Wing and two were lingering outside in the hallway.

Officer Luke Gerant had seen several cells in Maximum Security but none of them were quite like this, which had been built specifically for the highly unpredictable man inside.

The entire wall between the cell and the hallway was made from bulletproof, high-grade reinforced glass, allowing no place for the prisoner to hide from the watchful guards. Even if the guards missed something in person, the guards monitoring the cameras would notice and raise an alarm. The entire Agency was watched by cameras but Luke had been in the monitoring room before. He knew that there was an entire wall of screens specifically for the Maximum Security Wing, which, unlike even the rest of Fourth, had cameras in the cells as well as the hallways. This area had more cameras than even some of the lesser-used buildings on compound had on all their floors.

"They're letting him out again?" Luke stared into the cell with an expression that was a mix of disgust and fear. His youthful features made him appear far younger than his peers, his wide-set eyes emphasizing the horror in his expression. "Captain Stevens was killed trying to detain him and now they're reinstating him? After everything that's happened?"

Office Travis Randazzo just shrugged and didn't seem particularly surprised by the information. He watched the guards inside the cell, large men who were outfitted in riot gear, surrounding a structure that could only be described as a box. It was six feet by five feet and appeared to be made of metal, although it was entirely white. The structure functioned as a cell within a cell-- an extreme punishment for a man who was known for performing extreme acts of violence. "I know you're the new kid but you need to learn that asking questions in this place is a good way to find yourself in your own little cell," Travis muttered softly. He shifted and crossed his arms over the black and grey uniform that all Agency guards were required to wear. "Even though we ain't agents, that still goes for us."

Luke glared at him for a moment, indignation clear in his dark brown eyes. "Don't call me kid, Travis. I'm not new anymore. My first day on the job was when we escorted this nutcase up here six months ago. I was backup security for his escort just like we are now and he fucking ripped my commanding officer's throat out with his teeth and the cowards I was with were too afraid to intervene."

Luke couldn't help grimacing at the memory as he watched the guards enter the box to extract the Monster. The events of that fateful day played through his mind like a movie; he vividly recalled the look in the Monster's pale green eyes as he'd dragged Captain Stevens backwards into the cell
. "He should not be allowed out of that cell," Luke said emphatically, gaze sharpening.
Travis arched an eyebrow and gave him a flat look, not appearing very impressed by the declaration. "You're preaching to the choir, kid. None of us guards like it but it ain't up to us. Not much is. We're just here to secure the base, turn a blind eye to the weird shit we see up here, and not ask too many questions." Travis gave a one shouldered shrug. "But if you want my opinion... It's fucking insane that they even let this crazy bastard work for the Agency."

Luke nodded seriously. "Exactly."

"You know his story, right?" Travis looked at Luke sidelong.

"Just rumors."

Travis looked into the cell again, his eyes narrowed slightly. "He's the son of some bad ass agent that used to work for the Agency. The Monster was maybe fourteen or fifteen when he started working here and he was so pro at the job that they instated him as an agent. He fucking made level 10 when he wasn't even sixteen, man. Do you know how rare that is?"
Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise at that. Level 10 was the highest rank a field agent could achieve and as far as he knew, it was very rare for anyone to make it that far at all. The fact that the Monster had done it as a teenager was shocking.

Travis moved closer to the cell as the guards inside began backing out of the box. "But even though he's like super assassin, he was always fuckin' up. Killing the wrong people, sometimes killing everyone. I mean, honestly, I don't give a shit about that if that's what he's assigned to do but it's the other stuff that bothers me..."

The guards pulled a tall, lanky man out of the box and dropped him unceremoniously.

Slumping against the sterile floor, the man appeared to be in his twenties and was heavily restrained. He wore only close-fitting black shorts so his body was completely displayed to the heavily armored men that surrounded him. He was sleekly muscular and incredibly well-toned despite his slender build. His light olive-toned skin was marred by horrific-looking scars, gashes, what had obviously been bullet holes, and a tattoo. Hsin Liu Vega, or Sin as he was widely referred to in the Agency, was emaciated and had a wild look about him. His untended hair had grown long during his time on the Fourth and was hanging limply about his face. The jet-black strands were dyed a deep red at the tips, the color having otherwise grown out.

Despite his reputation and the fact that Luke had almost expected Sin to burst out of the box growling and snarling like an animal, the man had a naked, vulnerable look on his face and he was shuddering uncontrollably. Almond-shaped eyes of a startling light green flitted around quickly and, in his half-alert state, made him appear very much like a caged animal looking for a means to escape.

Even then, it didn't seem as though Sin was entirely lucid. His face morphed into an expression of terror and his full lips were twisted into a grimace, dark eyebrows drawn together as the guards hauled him around without care.

"What's his problem?" Luke couldn't help feeling almost annoyed that the notorious Monster who had haunted his dreams for almost a year looked like nothing more than a frightened boy at the moment. "Oh, he's claustrophobic. That's why they keep him in that box. Pretty fucked up, but he deserves it. He'll liven up when the drugs wear off."

Luke stared at the Monster for a long moment before looking away. Despite his strong convictions that the man should be kept locked up, it seemed almost inhumane to keep him that way. "Anyway, what's the other stuff that bothers you?"

Travis gave Luke a distracted look before he seemed to realize he'd never finished the story. He reached up to idly toy with a pendant on the pocket of his uniform and looked into the cell again.

"Well, after he started taking assignments-- This is all based on what I heard, by the way. The people around here think we're fucking deaf and stupid just because we're not field agents." Travis snorted. "Anyway, after he started taking assignments they realized there was something wrong with him. Like no shit, he's a fourteen-year-old running around killing motherfuckers left and right, but they noticed that he was real strange. He'd flip out sometimes, just go completely nuts and turn on people. They ignored it at first-- maybe 'cause of the work he does, killing a few guards seemed inconsequential," Travis spat that part out bitterly. "But then, he went nuts in public one time. I don't know what happened but the bastard went on a rampage and ended up getting picked up by local cops."

"Oh, shit." Luke looked into the cell again and raised his eyebrows high. He was surprised that the Agency had allowed Sin to live after such a lapse. The Agency existed in the shadows, conducting its business covertly and doing anything to maintain the integrity of its cover and the cover identities of the people who worked there. As far as the public knew, and even most of the government as far as that went, the Agency didn't even exist.

Luke shook his head in dismay. "And they still used him after that? Wasn't his cover blown?"

"Yup. He was all over the news and everything too." Travis shrugged and walked a few steps closer to the glass, watching the activities on the other side. His gaze traced Sin absently, a slight frown marring the guard's face.

"It was nuts. The local cops tried to pin him with all kinds of murders and rapes and shit. I don't know how much of it is true, but that's when everyone started calling him the Monster. Then in county jail, what the fuck does this crazy bastard do? Decapitates the Chief of Police's son."

"Good God." Suddenly the fact that Sin was kept in the box was starting to seem understandable. "Why his son?"

"He was one of the cops," Travis said, gaze on the Monster as the man twitched against the floor. "There was some big manhunt after he escaped but the Agency got involved and took custody of him. They put him up here for fuckin'..." He looked over at Luke with a small frown, seeming more thoughtful than disturbed. "I don't even know how long, man. Years. When he got out the bastard was crazier than ever-- he just killed the partners they tried giving him and tortured his psychiatrist. That's why they got that." He tilted his head toward the box. "I thought they'd given up on him for good but guess not."

"That's crazy." Luke stared at Travis incredulously. He knew the Agency would do anything to achieve their goals but he couldn't entirely understand the thought process behind employing a mass-murderer to stop terrorists. "How can they trust someone like that?"

"I dunno man, but it's better if you don't go around asking too many people. I knew a guy who asked too many questions and let's just say that guy ain't around no more."

Luke looked at Travis in alarm but before he could get a word out, he realized that General Carhart was striding down the hall. His short blond hair shone under the fluorescent lights and Luke couldn't help noticing how surprisingly young the General looked up close. He was tall and well-built and his expression was darkly serious at the moment. Still, his face had a youthful quality that took away some of the intimidation that would have otherwise been there.

Luke nudged Travis and they both stood at attention, saluting the General when he approached. "Sir!"

"His status?" Carhart stared into the cell with hooded cerulean eyes; he didn't seem pleased by what he saw. "They just removed him from the box, sir. The drugs are not out of his system yet."

Carhart nodded and looked at Luke, eyes narrowing slightly. "Have him taken to the medical unit and have the collar installed before he wakes up. I expect him to be ready at 1200 hours."

Without another word, the General turned and walked back in the direction from which he'd appeared. Luke watched him go, unable to help feeling a mote of pride that General Carhart, the third most powerful person at the Agency, had pretty much entrusted such an important task with him specifically. Luke couldn't help idly wondering why Carhart hadn't given the order to Travis but after the 'kid' commentary, Luke felt vindicated.

Still, he didn't say any of that. All he did was ask, "What collar?"

Travis rolled his eyes. "I guess they came up with a new way to control him. Let's do this before the freak wakes up and rips our throats out." Luke shook his head and followed Travis into the cell.

They transported the Monster from the floor to a gurney and secured his wrists and ankles. Luke couldn't help sneaking glances at the Monster's face, marveling at the fact that someone so vicious could look so helpless. "What do they have him on?" "Who knows," Officer Dennis McNichols rumbled. He smirked and smacked the prisoner in the face; the Monster didn't even blink. "Whatever it is, sure turns him into a docile little faggot, eh?"

"Hell yeah, it does," Officer Harry Truman commented with a guffaw. "We used to have fun with him up here before Carhart installed the window."

Harry reached down and let one of his large hands slide down the Monster's bare skin, extending a finger to trace the well-defined chest before sliding it down his stomach. His gaze sharpened on the Monster in self-satisfaction. "Imagine how pissed off he'll be when he wakes up. If he even knew what was going on anyway..." Luke and Travis looked at each other and then at Harry in disgust. Luke glanced at the other guards, expecting them to share the sentiment, but to his surprise none of the other men seemed to mind. Then again, he and Travis were fairly new to Maximum Security. Harry and his crew were the typical guards so the information likely wasn't surprising. It was even possible that they all got in on it together.