CONDEMN

DEFINITION

Express complete disapproval of; censure.

"most leaders roundly condemned the attack."

-

DATE - JULY 2ND 2015

-

I shifted my disease to Joslyn. Her eyes were glued down to a steel table and showed no signs of any harm except her heart and breath rate was excessive. To try and get answers, I switched through more visions to try and find out who was observing her.

Outside of the box, a buzz arose from the speakers; someone was at the door. One other scientist who was semi-focused on their clipboard looked up. The soldier I had first used to vision in darted his eyes to the scientist who had moved.

They stared for a while at each other before the man in camo spoke, "Get it for fuck's sake." His thumb pointed behind him towards the door, "Might be the old dog."

-

I flicked my vision over to the Warden. He sat in his office at his desk. Tabby sat across from him as her screen displayed a grainy video. From around a half-hour earlier at the mess hall where Toby and Adrien had their newest conflict.

There was a soft static noise from the walkie talkie, "Sir, quick question, over."

He picked up the walkie talkie and held it an inch or so from his face, "So make it quick." His voice was gruff, annoyed, and pre-occupied. His eyes were still on Tabby's screen. His fingers went in a loop motion, indicating for her to repeat the film. She obliged.

"Have you got an awol Virus?" The soldier's static-induced voice repeated, "Specifically MMHV-7, over."

His eyes scanned across his American-memorabilia decorated office. That comment seemed to sink in. He raised two fingers, and Tabby paused the footage. "I am not in a place to verify that." He explained, "Why do you ask?"

I flicked back to the soldier's view. He and the scientist were stood still, they watched vent piece that had broken off from where it should be and was now flat on the floor, "We think it dropped by, gave a bag of breakfast and a bagel to a scientist and crawled into a vent, he said he wanted it delivered to MMHV-1?"

Warden gave a moment of silence to the apparent fact that Toby had escaped again. He didn't reply for a while. Eyes stuck on the freeze-frame of Toby, who had eyed the Warden, right after Adrien had been sedated, "Any damage caused?"

"Just a broken vent," He answered, "Should we try and smoke him out? Over."

He inhaled sharply, not proud of the instruction he was about to give, "No, Just leave it be."

"Yessir, over and out."

Warden placed the walkie talkie down, watching the freeze-frame for longer in silence.

"Warden... I wanna go back to my room... I'm bored." Tabby's voice complained like a sulky child, "Pleeeeeease?" She dragged out until the Warden raised his hand.

"Play the clip again."

Tabby groaned, "Again? It's the same funky deal," Her arms exaggerated, "Adrien's a wuss, can't hit for shit, and the blonde-"

His fist plummetted onto the table, which provoked Tabby to recoil, "The blonde has an unidentified dangerous disease, is completely manic and uncooperative," Warden's voice gruffed, slowly elevating himself from his seat, "Play the clip again."

After a second, Tabby complied and replayed the same ten-second clip, no words against him this time.

"Slow it down."

She complied.

"Freeze frame it there."

She complied.

"Zoom into the Virus face."

Tabby did so.

Now Warden watched Tabby's screen. He seated himself and took his time to examine every detail of Toby's face when Adrien had started to throw the other to the floor. The glasses made it hard to tell, but the lack of bodily reaction seemed to show that this was not to his plan, if he had one that is.

After a minute, Tabby spoke, "Look, Wardz', I'm gonna be real with you; You have no clue what you're looking for," She began to explain, the clip disappeared from her monitor. Warden lingered still, eyebrow elevated in await for the TV to continue, "You don't even know what any of the Virus are called!" She crossed her arms, "They immediately went against orders when you left the gym too."

"Under your watch, Tabitha."

"Shut it, I'm making sense here, chief!" Tabby stood up on the table, and it wobbled slightly, "They don't respect you, are all fairly cray-cray, and they're teenagers!" She raised her arm up.

"Your point being?"

"My point is you don't get them, they're young, stupid, and probably and good at communication!" She explained, pitch raised, "Like the total opposite of you!"

"Tabitha, Sit."

With a huff, Tabby did so and dropped into a sit, "I'm recommending a child psychologist," She crossed her arms, "It'd keep them stable, they'd trust the psych with important possibly disease or escape plan related info."

Warden seemed to consider it for only a brief moment. Silence ran through the room for a moment before the Warden stood up and walked around the table, "Anyone can get info from anyone with the right tools."

"Even if the anyone, In this example, is teenagers with superpowers?" There was an intense silence for a time. "They're not scared of you," Tabby hopped down from her chair. She skipped over and tugged onto Warden's navy-green sleeve, "The only reason they haven't killed'ya yet is cus they don't see ya as a threat."

Warden seemed to reflect upon this for longer, eyes stuck down onto a photo frame he had placed flat on a filing cabinet. The Warden jerked his sleeve back. He turned around and picked up the walkie talkie, "Get the experimentation rooms ready for the Virus before the half-hour. Over." He flatly ordered.

"Yessir, what about MMHV-7?"

Warden was sure to look at Tabby, who was stood by the door, "I can handle it."

He pocketed the walkie talkie and marched out. Tabby toppled out of the way to avoid being a sacrifice to the Warden's soundless storm. The TV huffed as she watched Warden leave, the door slowly closed when Tabby slipped out, "What the hell do I do now?!"

"Wait in the observation deck, Be there in fifteen minutes, no less." He shouted back before he rounded the corner.

Tabby's joints slumped, the white and pink planet sweater drooped down slightly. Her large silicone hands raised, "Wait in the observation deck, fifteen minutes blah-blah.." She mimicked, then thought for a second, and body language jolted up, "Fifteen minutes, ey?" She began to chortle and snicker.

It was then she saw the soldier by the Warden's door, the one I had used to watch her hushed parade. She pointed to the soldier, who pretended to not notice her, "If you tell him anythin', you'll be zapped." Before she ran off down the hall. It was likely an empty threat.

-

Warden kept his pace up, headed towards the cafeteria where the Virus would soon be picked up from. He paused momentarily. Loud chants, cheers, and screams had become more audible the closer the lunch bay became. Warden slowly approached the double doors of the cafeteria. He hesitated before he shoved the entryway wide open.

The scene was undoubtedly the last thing he expected. Many, many soldiers were huddled around the edge of the table. Their fists pumped into the air as they chanted the names of who they voted for. One of Naya's hand's was firmly clasped around a rugged soldier's white-knuckled wrist. Naya's spare hand was held an apple juice box that she was leisurely sipping on.

The spare Virus had a mix of expressions. Dex's cheer was for Naya, as expected, his hand on her shoulder and occasionally patting it when he thought it seemed like she was about to lose. Though, by Naya's face, she was never in any danger, just putting on a show.

Clover was in the same spot, being the coach was occasionally stuffing her maw with a breakfast muffin.

Skylar had her face in her hands, ultimately had enough, and seemed to be in some withdrawal or disappointment. Likely both. Adrien had recovered from the tranquilizer, was in a similar boat, now eating, however, which only made him seem slightly less angry. Very slightly.

Mike's hand was shoved into the table with a devastating shove by Naya when she seemed to be bored. A round of sighs, groans, chants, and the whole series started up. A few Soldiers started to exchange cigarettes and contraband. All while Warden watched, stood still at the door.

He gathered enough cohesion to walk further towards the table, finally much more viewable. Adrien was the first to acknowledge him, only giving him a harsh glare as he chewed a piece of toast with his handprint. Warden's eyes scanned the table, "It's not back yet?" He eyed the seat beside Adrien.

Adrien's eyes squinted his eyes at the Warden then at the seat beside him. In response, Adrien rather literally spat in Warden's direction. Of course, he missed entirely. Still, it was the principle that counted as the ginger gave a hideous scowl.

Warden had nothing to say to Adrien. He merely watched him with furrowed eyebrows. Was he meant to hit Adrien? Approach him menacingly? Get a soldier to approach him? No, he could actively combust under any pressure.

"Yo, Warde- this guy's the Warden, right?!" Naya questioned, voice loud and radiant. The room's energy started to decrees rapidly as each soldier finally saw and acknowledged the presence of their commander. Naya, however, continued to spiel proudly, "Yo Warden, these chumps reckon you can't beat me!" She gestured to around her best she could with her confines, "You win; get the title of the only person to beat me, and the first to beat a Virus in arm wrestling!" She pointed to herself, cheers behind her clearly dead and gone, excluding Dex, who was still promoting her with applause, "I win, and I get a baseball bat!"

Skylar's eyes widened as she darted her eyes between Naya and the Warden, "Naya, shut the fuck up!" she hissed. Her threat fell on deaf ears as Naya's bright face barely faltered, and she remained on her feet.

Warden's mouth opened to speak, but a rattle in the vents, followed by a loud thud behind them, ceased the chances of that. Warden took in a deep breath and chose not to turn around.

"And I'm back!" Toby's voice greeted, ruffling his frame of dust, "Alright, be honest, who missed me?" He walked up behind Warden, who still refused to acknowledge him yet, "This guy did, looking for me all over, I'm flattered, thank you," He then pets the Warden's arm as he was eyed Toby as if it would frighten him. He waltzed over to where Adrien was slowly firing back up, as he muttered curses under his breath.

As Toby was just by the firey Virus, Adrien's eyes were forced shut while the blonde merely smiled; he knew full well the havoc he could cause. "Wow, is it hot in here or is it just this guy?" He poked at Adrien's cheek, which snapped him out of his purposeful dissociation. At first, the ginger went in to try and bite the other's finger.

"I wish you fucking died." Adrien hissed, eyes squinted at the other.

Toby just giggled with a snort soon to follow, "Don't waste your wishes on me, hotspur," Toby lightly shoved the other's face as a playful-bored response, "I'm kidding, by the way, I can see there's like thirty people in here." He mumbled as if it were a half-apology just to Adrien.

"Bagel-boy!" Naya pointed at the blond who was now leaned on Adrien with an arm lounged over his ginger ruffles. Toby to look up at the short Virus who had attempted to stand on the bench, "You're stealing my thunder, dude!" She exclaimed, "I'm about to win a baseball bat!"

Toby gave an unemotive, 'wow,' but yet, he sounded vaguely amused. A streak of fire grew on Adrien's shoulders after ten seconds of his desperate attempt to kick it back into gear. In response, Toby just moved off the other and snuck a bagel out of his pocket. He rested the dough sphere over the fire instead of being concerned.

Skylar glared at him, which Toby, of course, overlooked. So Skylar slapped the bagel out of his grasp, it to fell onto Adrien, the bread set alight and ruined. Toby just hummed in acknowledgment, hand still as if the bagel was still present.

Naya cleared her throat, grin growing as she raised her arm, "So, Warden, hows' that bet soundin'?" She offered again. Warden's pupils dragged from Adrien and Toby to Naya, eyes thinning as he glowered at the girl in silence for a long time.

Silence tensed the room; Clover had slid under the table, and everyone had tightened. A few soldiers even sneaked out of the room. Adrien's fire had dimmed but never vanished. Naya's arm had stayed splayed out, smile only wilted once she heard the doors close behind her vanishing crowd. However, her pride never fell utterly.

Static came from the walkie talkie in the Warden's chest pocket. He picked it out and listened, 'The rooms are ready, sir. Over.'

"Received, Over," The Warden almost placed the radio back until he noticed Toby had disappeared from that spot and had nearly made it to the door, starting to open the door. Toby ceased movement when Warden spotted him. To the soldiers already in the room, he spoke, "Take the female Virus to the private showers."

He clicked his fingers into a point at Toby, "Take that one to the viewing stations." Toby's head lightly shifted to the soldiers before he darted out.

"I don't give a shit who," Warden quietly snapped before he pointed the walkie-talkie to the door, "get the bastard before it crawls into a vent!" Several soldiers ran out, hands-on their guns.

"Fucker really can't take us with him?" Skylar huffed heavily, eyebrows furrowed, "He at least freed us last time."

Dex shrugged, "I don't really want to follow him into a vent," He said to Skylar as her binds were being undone, "Maybe he's like- workin' towards that or somethin'?"

"Maybe..." Skylar waited for the Warden to walk closer to the exit that Toby took, stood as her leg braces were undone, "He better be."

"I'm sorry; literally, all he's done is used us for our- what- diseases?" Adrien hissed at his sister, "Are you just gonna not care about that?"

"He's used our diseases to get us food, and to free you, dumbass," Skylar's gaze peered over her shoulder to her brother, "Stop being fun to annoy, and he'll stop." Her eyes rolled.

"That's easy for you to say!" He tried to stand up, likely wanting to continue the bicker. He stumbled quickly and almost fell, "You're into that shitty power-prunk shtick!" He jabbed, a grin had grown over his face.

Dex tried his best to turn around and watch the argument ensue. Naya was the same, though she was still actively being moved out.

Skylar froze up, the soldier behind her thudding into her, "Keep it mov-" A few light jolts of electricity came from Skylar's frizzy ginger locks.

She forced her body around, "Fuck did you just say?!" She shuffled out of the soldiers grasp with the help of electric jolts to shake them off. She started to storm a few steps towards, "Better cut whatcha preachin-"

Naya's whispered to the officer escorting her she wanted to watch, which shockingly, the soldier obliged. They were both eager to witness the teenage sibling drama with the feature of superpowers. Soldiers get bored quickly in the Moth-Mound.

"You fuckin heard me!" He cackled, a smug grin growing, "That preppy-punk shit-tier act." He taunted, "You fall for it like all the fuckin time, Sky!"

She let off an offended gasp as she started to storm over. The fog began to emit from Skylar's mouth and form a cloud in her path, "That's some bold fuckin words for someone who's had a crush on Brendon Urie for two whole years!"

Adrien grew flustered, looking to the small group with his startled eyes, "Y-you-you know that shit's different!" He forced himself as far as he could go, faced off to his sister, who was surrounded by dark clouds that thickened by the second.

The soldier who was in charge of Skylar had approached the girl, "Hey, shut it, we need to-!" As soon as his hand grabbed her shoulder, it was zapped back violently. Skylar's head swiveled around, eyes wide with a snarl and pointed eyebrows. Adrien had an identical expression at the soldier.

"Don't touch me, shit-face!" She hissed after she had turned around. She shuffled her feet up to the soldier who was shaking the smoke from his hand.

The brother pitched in, "Keep your old-man claws off my shitty sister, dickweed!" The flames on his shoulders picked up even more. What followed was collected shouts of threats, commands, and cuss-filled shames at the soldier.

After a second of being witness to the domestic chaos, Naya snorted, "Ok, I'm good now, I can go." She gazed up to the soldier with a content smile.

"Alright, let's go." The soldier ordered, and Naya obliged. As she was led out where Clover was asleep and being transported like a balloon. Naya's eyes guided down the hall on her right, where Toby was held up by his arms by two Soldiers. Warden was seemed to be giving him a rant, and Toby smiled smugly in return. The Virus' camo jacket now shed onto the floor to show his figure, which was more petite than I expected.

-

Naya's eyes trailed down to the floor as they walked up the stairs to the second level of the mound, where the private showers were located. Naya's head raised as she noted her surroundings. A rare sight was upstairs; natural light. Naya paused as she noticed the windows, head stuck on it.

The soldier who transported her noted the pause and the cause, "You can check out the windows on the way back, you must-"

"Sorry!" The short girl lunged, the back of her head slammed into Troy's chin, which seemed to be useful as he let go and stumbled back, his heel tilted on the edge of the staircase. Naya jammed her elbow into Troy's ribs and then jabbed her foot into Troy's tibia. He was sent back down the flight of stairs, a yelp, and a flurry of curses directly followed.

The solider in front of Naya was already aware. He took out a walkie-talkie and quickly approached Naya, who bolted around the corner to the windows.

Warden's walkie talkie activated, "Backup needed on level two. MMHV four has deviated, I repeat, MMHV has made a break for it!" Warden listened, then eyed Toby as if this was his idea. His response; an unimpressed yet lightly amused 'wow.'

He then chortled, "Fifteen years, ey?" Toby finally looked up at the Warden, "and they say hard work pays off." The way he phrased it sounded like he planned to continue the sentence. But he didn't, that was it.

-

Naya had made it to the windows; it was a lovely day out, and the shade from the trees beyond the wire-walls was still crisp. Naya froze when she heard the sound of guns clicked behind her. The soldier earlier had made it to the hall quickly, and footsteps of backup were on the stairs.

"Virus!" He started, "Do not take another step back or I will-" He cut off as Naya's eyes darted to the window temporarily, only for a millisecond. But it was noticed.

"Do not!" He warned. But the warning fell on deaf ears as Naya plunged her whole body into the glass. Rather than breaking it, the pane of glass had bounced out of its place and plummetted with Naya.

Naya's shifted quickly, reflexes getting ahold of her as she covered her face. She held her eyes open until she hit the rapidly approaching sandy earth.

Her elbow hit first, but instead of Naya's death or paralyzation, the ground crackled. Naya took a few stumbled before she stumbled up, arm slightly more limp than before.

"Virus on the loose!" The voice of the soldier screamed from above before he took out his walkie talkie. Naya's eyes widened as she made a break for it, holding her arm as she made it to the corner of the base's barbed-wire-electric fence. She noted the sign on both sides that stated the electricity factor. But, she ignored it.

Naya's fingers looped around the sharp wires as she gained her footing. The electricity on the cables must not have been there. Her hands were still cuffed, but she seemed to have a strategy. She inhaled as she forced her hand to clutch and feet to be on the wire. Naya jumped, fingers taking another higher-handful of the sparked wires, then faster, and faster until she reached the top.

"Aha!" Naya called out, "Suck it, government!" She jeered at the base as many soldiers' watched from the empty slot of where the glass was. Naya reached into a tree and hastened down, her legs bolted through the thin layer of woods around the base, scratched by stray sticks and prickly bushes.

Once those trees dissipated, Naya finally met the outside of the Moth-Mound. Nothing. Dead bushes, keeled over trees and miles of sand and dirt. The only sign of life being a cracked road and a rotted bus stop sign rusted and crumpled at the center. Though I couldn't see it, I knew Naya's smile fell when she let off a single defeated chuckle.

I could only imagine the defeat she felt as the heartbeat in her eyes dulled quickly, breath had become slow. Then the sound came, a light beep in her nape, and with that, Naya had collapsed.