I was expecting a room full of showerheads spaced a few feet apart on each wall, one drain in the middle. It's a small luxury but at least the showers are separate rooms. It's just a four-foot by four-foot room and there is a ton of them, but they have walls and a door that locks so I'm not complaining.
I start to take off my clothes.
"Ah, agh, damnit!"
Fuck this hurts, these clothes they put me in barely stretch at all so I have to move way more than normal. My body is fucked. Everything hurts. They put new bandages around my arms so I don't know if I should take them off, I might not get more.
After finally getting my shirt off I noticed my gunshot wound.
"They stitched that up too." Looks like they really don't want me to die anytime soon. So that means I've got some time.
After taking off the rest of the clothes they had put on me I turned on the shower, making sure to keep my bandaged arms out of the water. When the water hits me my legs almost give out. Despite the colder temperature of the water I burned. Grunting I endured the pain that was coming from my thighs and crotch.
I guess chemical burns really don't like to be washed--FUCK--but I have to keep my wounds clean. I just have to take my mind off the pain.
From the way that bitch over the intercom responded, I take it they didn't find anything that tells them I have a power. She would have brought it up if that were the case. So the plan is still on track for now.
This Wayne guy is probably trying to get something out of me, no other reason for him to be helping me. He said he had a catastrophic level ability too. I don't have a fucking clue what that means but it doesn't sound good. My best bet is to get away from him, at least until I have more information. He could be a group leader in here and by associating with him I'll make enemies with other people. I just need to blend into the background.
I finish my shower and get my clothes back on, even if it took me a while.
Shit hurts a lot more when you don't have adrenalin running through you, I don't know how I fought those twins like this.
I open the door, "What are you still doing here?"
"I told you, I'm your tour guide."
"You guided me to the showers, that's all I needed. I can find my way to a cafeteria."
"Well, the guide really isn't about where stuff is. It's about who is who. If you don't know who is who you could really end up in a bad situation, so that's why you need me!"
This guy is fucking persistent, "Why are you trying to help me? What do you want?"
"Oh, I just figured it's the right thing to do, you know? That and maybe we could become friends. We don't get people here often, and you seem like a good guy."
Is he fucking with me right now? There has to be some ulterior motive, he doesn't even know anything about me?"
"Just leave me alone. I don't need to know whose who if I stay out of everybody's way." I walk away before he has a chance to respond to me. Walking through the halls I can feel my anger starting to bubble more and more the longer I continue.
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Finally, after walking for a while I turn around, "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Who, me? I'm just going to the cafeteria, that's where you said you were headed right. Makes sense we would be going the same way doesn't it."
Persistent little fucker.
I turn and continue walking through the halls, every time I would take a turn he would mumble something like 'You sure this is the right way.' or 'I wouldn't go that way.'
I stop and without looking back at him I admit my defeat, "What way is it?" He steps up beside me and starts walking. I follow him until we finally reach the cafeteria, "Thanks for showing me the way but we split up here."
He looks at me with a smile on his face, "Okay, if you say so."
I find my way to the line for food, everybody giving me looks as I do.
Just act like they aren't here. I'm nobody, just act like your supposed to be here and no one is staring at you. It'll be fine.
There aren't too many tables most of them are large ones populated by separated groups so if I sat in between them I'm sure they both take an interest in me. Probably will get mad about whose side I'm encroaching on, luckily there is one of the smaller table way off to the side, completely empty. I get my food and make my way back over to the table as fast as I can without making a scene, even though everybody was already giving me glances.
I keep my head down while I start eating, not looking up no matter what. That was until a tray was set on the table right next to me, I look up and sure enough, it was Wayne.
"Why are you sitting with me, I told you--"
"Actually you're sitting with me, this is my table."
That's why he was smiling, after telling him I was going to avoid everybody he knew exactly what table I was going to pick.
I sigh, putting my head back down and continuing to eat.
"You gonna hear me out now?"
"It's your table, you can do what you want."
"Great! As you can see there aren't many of us here in the penitentiary wing only about thirty of us. That's because to get in here you either have to have a strong ability, like me, or get kicked out of the disciplinary wing."
"is that why everyone is staring at me, they think I got kicked out of the disciplinary wing?"
"Oh, no. They know you aren't from any of the other wings."
"Then why are they staring at me like that."
"That's because they didn't see you being brought in, which means your room is by mine."
"What does that have to do with anything."
"My area is the high-risk area, you know, for the people with strong abilities."
"No, they've got that wrong. I don't have an ability."
"What do you mean you don't have any ability? Everyone they bring here has one."
"They made a mistake bringing me here. I tried to tell them, but they took me anyways."
"If that's true, then why did they put you in here? If you don't have an ability then you'd have a hard time in the main wing, but someone without an ability here, or even just a weak ability, is going to get hurt."
"I... I don't know. Wait, why would I get hurt?"
"Because--oh no, she's already coming over."
looking up from my tray I see a girl walking towards us who was a little taller than me, but she easily had twenty pounds of muscle on me. Her shirt had one sleeve ripped off up at her elbow, the other, entirely gone. She was rubbing her shaved head as she approached the table, a deep smile on her face. Despite her more masculine appearance, she was wearing red lipstick.
"Who is she?"
"Listen, whatever happens just don't piss her off, she'll leave us alone eventually."
Us?