The cold sterile halls were all to familiar to Warp and Circe. Meta Detention Centers were all alike really. Perhaps different marking, different faces, the ones not covered in polarized helmets. Deja vu all over again, the blonde empath thought, perfect lips curling into a perfect smile. But even she quickened her pace a bit.
"He was brought in from Brazilia on the same Skimmer the big green came on herself," their escort, a skinny metrocop with fine hair seemingly naturally orange, was saying. "There was some hangups with processing him into the Project. Ivy had some demands."
The two guards in front of the cell spared the party a glance. One stood just beside the door. The other was inside a sealed monitor station. He (or she, the midnight black armor left a lot of room for doubt) didn't even look up as they were ushered inside.
Black Scarab. Wanted in most of the western hemisphere, dreaded criminal enforcer. Somehow the figure locked behind 3 inches of plasteel was disappointing. Certainly not pretty. Humanoid but covered in chitinous armor, the Black Scarab truly resembled his namesake.
As they entered he cocked his head to the side curiously, meeting the gaze of everyone present. Well, I guess this is it, Basham, he thought. I owe you this, and though it may be a far cry from giving the orders myself, I did promise. He lowered his head and put his hands up in a gesture of 'So, what now?'
Photon looked at the cop who had escorted them. "You were saying Ivy had some demands? You wouldn't happen to know what they were, would you?" She continued to study the prisoner.
"Mainly in the care and handling of this hardcase," the guard shot a glare in Black Scarab's direction," Some additional security measures, limitations on his movement things like that. Personally, I think his movement should be limited to a box but…" he shrugged as if to say "oh well".
"Great," Photon sighed. What the Hell am I supposed to do now? I am not going to treat him any differently than the others unless I'm forced to, Ivy be damned. Life was so much simpler when all I wanted was mechanic certification and an ME degree… "The whole basis for the Purgatory project is that people deserve a chance to redeem themselves, so I'm forced to hold a somewhat different viewpoint. I assume he's been made aware of what's going on?"
The guard's look said "whatever" but his tone was nothing short of professional. "He's been fully prepped and debriefed and is all yours."
"Very well… let's get on with this. Let him out."
With a look that said, "Your funeral," the card keyed open the cell door. With a whispered rush of air, Black Scarab was free…
Warp watched the latest addition to the team walk out of the cell. Just what this team needs, more murderers.
Photon struggled to keep from instinctively putting up her force field. No. No different from the others. Mary might have admitted to 27 murders, but she was still familiar, still a friend. Black Scarab was neither.
"Black Scarab, you can consider yourself to be officially part of the Purgatory Project. If there's anything you'd like us to call you other than 'Black Scarab', now would be the time to mention it." She paused, waiting for his response, then continued, "I'm Photon–or Jennifer, if you prefer, I don't really care–and I act as the liaison between Purgatory and regular law enforcement. To be honest, it's also my job to keep an eye on all Purgatory members. You'll get the full induction spiel when we get back to PCF Alpha, but at the moment we're on assignment." She proceeded to fill him in on recent events.
For the majority of the briefing Blacscarab was silent. Truthfully he was glad to be out of that rock. It was really uncomfortable, the walls had been coated with a frictionless material that kept him from getting a good vantage point. Man, I wish I was back at the villa in Cairo were I could actually stretch out. Blacscarab bowed deeply at the waist, touched one hand to the floor and threw his feet into the air. The incarceration left him quite stiff and full of kinks. The impromptu handstand only served to pop a few vertebra back into flexibility. Loudly. If he was going to get back into the top form of a true Maestre he needed to get to a gym soon. Maybe even actual combat. Placing the other hand on the floor he walked forward a few handsteps and stood. Turning to the group he signs to them all. "Get shoved in a can that size and see how cramped YOUR body gets."
I'll translate, Holly volunteered, putting a display of what Black Scarab was signing.
Blink looked at him. "I can mesh that, Scarab. I've been in coffin sleep before. NOT an experience I care to repeat."
Circe wasn't sure what to make of this new person. She could feel Jennifer's agaitation, almost tangible. From Scarab, coldness, determination, but nothing more without deeper penetration, not something she was willing to try at the moment. Shrugging, she leaned against the wall. "So, when do we move out?" she asked.