“So, Tomlee, what are you in for?” Zero was straightforward. “Floor 58 isn’t exactly the easiest floor to get to.” He let out a small laugh. “I should know that.”

Tomlee made his way to the cell’s second bunk and seated himself. Something was a bit off about how Zero’s said the last comment, but Tomlee dismissed it. Now wasn't the time to get sidetracked by cryptic responses.

“Tell me what you did first.”

Zero smirked. “Not the trusting type, are you?”

“I suppose not.”

The glowing pupils of Zero’s eyes contracted, and he appeared lost in a past memory. After a moment, he gathered himself. “I was…framed for something I didn’t do.”

Tomlee couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. It was very possible that Zero had committed the crime, but was so delusional that he believed it was someone else’s fault. Tomlee remembered what Dean had said in the police van: “I was accused of murder, an’ I didn’t even do nothin’!” But then again, maybe that had been the truth.

Zero fixed him with a cold stare. “I know what you’re thinking, and in this prison there are narcissistic fools who can’t admit their wrongs. I can assure you, I am not one of them.”

“Fine,” Tomlee said quickly. He didn’t want to get on his cellmate’s bad side. “So what happened?”

“You ever heard of the explosion that went off in Rhust’s western district?” Zero asked.

Tomlee’s eyes widened. “You mean the one with the mile radius? The one that killed--”

“Yes,” Zero snapped. “That one.”

Being that there was a history of gang activity in Rhust, acts of violence were often heard about there. However, Tomlee specifically remembered the explosion because of the heavy damage it had caused. Structures caught in the radius of the blast were destroyed, and many civilians had also been unfortunate enough to be caught in the heatwave.

Tomlee could hear the pain in the pale young man’s voice. It sounded real.

“But…that was three years ago,” Tomlee said.

Zero scoffed, “And you’d think the police would’ve dug deeper into the incident. They didn’t. Apparently, there was enough evidence gathered against me that even my lawyer couldn’t do anything. It was a damn setup.”

Tomlee was at a loss for words. If what Zero said was true, then someone had been out to get him, someone with enough power and influence to sway both the police and the courts. Who would be cruel enough to readily send Zero, who was probably sixteen years old at the time, to prison?

“Do you believe me?” Zero asked, his arms crossed. “I told you this so that we’d begin to trust each other. I’ve been backstabbed in this prison before, and I would rather it not happen again.” There was a slight undertone of a threat.

Tomlee nodded hesitantly, his mind still wary. They had just met after all. Only time could tell if Zero could be trusted. Unfortunately for Tomlee, there would be plenty of time to find out. Fifteen years to be exact.

“You have any idea who set you up?” Tomlee asked.

Zero’s jaw tightened. “Yes.”

Tomlee waited expectantly, but Zero didn’t elaborate. Instead, he gave Tomlee a sidelong glance. “So what’s your story?”

“I robbed a bank.” It would be best to leave it at that. Besides, there were plenty of smaller banks in Lucasta. Not like Zero would believe that he had tried to rob the biggest bank in the city.

A sudden thought hit Tomlee. He had asked Aleksandr why they didn’t try to rob the smaller banks. Aleksandr had replied with a mischievous grin: “We gotta go big. Th’ small banks don’t have as much gilded steel, and ya know how much it goes for. Ya want gilded steel nuggets or gilded steel bars?”

Had it really been about the gilded steel?

“Oh?” Zero raised his eyebrows, snapping Tomlee back to reality. “Huh, I was expecting something else. But then again, you don’t look like the murdering type.”

Tomlee leaned his head against the smooth white wall, remembering the giant hole ripped into the side of the bank. “There were a few civilian casualties. They weren’t part of the plan, though.”

“They never are,” Zero said, a hint of sympathy in his voice. “Tell me, what were you after?” There was a slight strain in his voice.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Tomlee looked quizzically at Zero and his sudden change in tone. After? Wasn’t it obvious?

“Just some gilded steel.”

“Ah…nothing else?” Zero spoke calmly now, his face blank.

“No, should I have been?”

“I…” Zero trailed off, but then gathered himself. “No…sorry about that. It was rude of me to pry.” He scoffed. “Don’t worry, though. There’s plenty of gilded steel here to go around.”

“What do you mean?” Tomlee asked.

Zero nodded with his chin over at the elevator. “You think each cell has a personal elevator for room service? That elevator has one destination, and that’s the mines. This prison has supplied Lucasta with all kinds of minerals and metals since it was built.”

Curious, Tomlee got up to inspect the small elevator.

“Careful!” Zero warned. “If that elevator is used without prison authorization, the elevator will automatically stop moving and guards will storm this cell.”

Tomlee stopped his advance towards the elevator, and chose instead to inspect the privy, which was a common toilet with one wall for privacy. “I take it that you know from experience?”

Zero snorted. “Yeah, and they don’t just give you a warning. They beat you into a bloody mess.”

Tomlee backed away from the elevator and sat back down on his cot, eyeing the metal doors. Evidently, the prison rules were a lot more strict than he had imagined. The once harmless-looking elevator now cast a menacing shadow over the cell.

“So…what’s the inmate schedule look like?” Tomlee asked. It was best that he knew the prison system as soon as possible.

Zero nodded. “There’s breakfast from seven to eight in the morning, then the mines until five in the afternoon.” His mouth turned upward in a grin at Tomlee’s disbelieving expression. “Don’t worry, we have lunch from noon to one, and there’s free-time once we get back up here.”

“You call this free-time?” Tomlee pinched the bridge of his nose. If only that cursed girl Qwin hadn’t ruined the bank heist. Tomlee would be swimming in wealth by now. His share of the riches was probably already split between Julian, Sebastian, and Aleksandr.

“Don’t worry,” Zero assured him. “Every other day, we’re let out of our cells during free-time. There’s even a library on this floor. It’s very limited, but it eases the boredom.”

“Yeah, I bet.” Anything would be better than staring at the white cell walls and the humming energy window.

After a few moments of silence, Tomlee began to hear a faint buzzing noise coming from down the hallway. It would stop for a moment, and then resume. After each stop, it would increase in volume. Unnerved, Tomlee was about to ask what it was, when Zero suddenly rose from his bunk to stand at the humming cell wall. He beckoned at Tomlee to do the same.

“Dinner’s here.”

The mention of food caught Tomlee’s attention. He hadn’t eaten since before the robbery, and he felt a twinge of hunger in his stomach. He got up to stand by Zero. Through the cell’s forcefield, he could see the cells lining the opposite side of the hallway, and the other inmates standing behind their own windows.

The buzzing noise finally stopped at their cell, and Tomlee realized what was causing it. It looked to be a large metal box with wheels, about as tall as Tomlee. There were several dials on it and a rectangular door at the front, much like an oven. Pushing it was an automaton not unlike the ones guarding the Lucasta Bank’s vault. Tomlee grimaced at the memory of the taser.

Flanking the box were two prison guards, and as the box rolled to a stop in front of the window, Tomlee could see that they were both fairly young. Both lean and muscular, the first was a young woman. Her blue eyes reminded him of ice: hard and cold, but her tanned face wasn’t at all unpleasant to look at. Tomlee couldn’t say the same for the other guard, who was a young man with a broad face and even broader shoulders. He also appeared to be opposite his accomplice in personality, who carried herself with confidence. His eyes were nervous, and his hands were tight on his weapon.

“Does this prison take internships or something?” Tomlee muttered to Zero. “They’re our age!”

Zero smirked. “Actually, I happen to know these two.”

The male guard looked at Zero with a startled expression, clearly not expecting to see him. “What are you doing here?” He exclaimed. For his built physique, his voice was surprisingly light in tone.

“Thought we left you back on floor 55,” the female guard added, her face stony.

“Aw, did you miss me?” Zero said in a mocking tone. “It must be terrible for you, still stuck with meal duty.”

“You know what would be terrible? Getting your ass kicked by me again,” she shot back.

Zero rolled his eyes. “That beating was pathetic if you ask me. Were you softening your blows?”

Her face reddened and she gritted her teeth. “I’d be happy to give it another shot, you arrogant fool.”

Zero opened his mouth to retort, but Tomlee cut him off. “Can we just get something to eat?” It was clear there was history between the two, but Tomlee’s stomach was beginning to complain.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” the male guard apologized, quickly pressing a button on the side of the box. The box vibrated for a moment, before its rectangular door opened to reveal a tray with food on it. He then touched a keycard to the cell, and a small window opened at the bottom of the forcefield, allowing the tray to slide through unscathed. It carried a better meal than Tomlee expected. There was a steak, some beans, a salad, and a cup of water.

“Who’s your friend?” the female guard asked Zero, her eyes briefly meeting Tomlee’s.

“Sorry I didn’t introduce you,” Zero said, taking his own meal tray. He nodded towards the female guard and then towards the male guard. “Tomlee, this is Baylee Griffith and this is Neil Kent. They serve meals here. If you ask me, Neil is the better-mannered one.”

Baylee rolled her eyes.

“Nice meeting you Tomlee,” Neil said quickly, giving Baylee an apologetic look. “Um, we have to go.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’m pretty sure we’re not even supposed to be talking to you guys.”

Baylee snorted. “Talking with Zero is punishment enough.”

“Shouldn’t you be gone already?” Zero said in an exasperated tone. “Remember, we’re dangerous criminals.” He sat on his cot and began eating his meal, completely ignoring Baylee.

Tomlee watched the exchange with mild amusement. Were they…flirting?

The automaton turned the meal box around, and the buzzing noise resumed. Baylee shot Zero one last glare before the trio began their journey back down the hallway.

Tomlee shoveled beans into his mouth and wondered if his experience in the prison wouldn't be so bad after all.

Right?