In the Absence of Luck

Waverly admired Faye's attempt to loosen up the tension. She decided to speak up.

"Hi, Faye. I'm Waverly Rolfs. I am in here for murder and attempted murder. I got here when I was twelve. I turn twenty in a month, two weeks, and five days. Some people say I'm crazy. I guess we'll just have to find out," she said shrugging. Sage gave Waverly a deathly stare. Waverly smiled.

"Why don't you introduce yourself, Sage?" Sage ignored Waverly and looked down at her feet. "Okay, Gabriel? Would you care for a turn?"

Gabriel shrugged. "I suppose. My name is Gabriel Stone. I was given a sentence of seven years for numerous counts of burglary."

Faye cleared her throat. "Is that all Gabe?"

"It's 'Gabriel,' not Gabe, and yes that is all." He crossed his arms. "I don't care to share anything more about my life with you."

Cole

"Rehabilitation, you say? Let's not kid, doctor. Your facility has very, very low success probability. You and I both know that."

Dr. Fields grew red; Cole could see it, even in the darkness of the observation room. Cole refrained from smirking as he turned back to watch the convict's actions. They all seemed to be staring at one of their own, as if the girl had suggested something ludicrous.

"We could have higher success levels if we were given more funding, and if the government would stop giving those silly behavioral tests to our patients afterward!" he cried shrilly. Cole turned to face him, and eyebrow delicately raised.

"Are you quite sure you want to say that, doctor?" he asked quietly. "I know many a court that would call such talk treason."

Fields seemed to freeze. Cole allowed himself a small smirk now. "As to getting extra funding," he began again. "You'll not be getting anything of that sort anytime soon, I'd suspect. And the tests are to protect you, doctor. They are to protect civilians such as yourself from these dangerous criminals. Another thing that is not likely to be removed from the agenda."

Fields seemed to collect himself. "What can I do for you, Mr. Cole?" he asked wearily.

Cole chucked, running a finger along a computer monitor, inspecting for dust. Rubbing his index finger and thumb together, he glanced up at Fields. "Why, show me around, of course," Cole crowed, smiling dangerously.

"There are not many facilities I can show you legally. You need a Code Yellow security clearance to get into most sections of the facility, and be on official business."

"I think you will find that I have more than enough clearance to get into places even you, doctor, could not," Cole took out his ID once more. "Code Purple," he said softly, quietly enjoying the look on Field's face. Code Purple was as high as anyone could go, reserved for their leader himself, and his direct associates.

"Very well," said Fields, flustered. "Where would you like to - "

"I'll cut straight to the chase," interrupted Cole quickly. His eyes once again locked on the convicts. "Let me see the criminals. I want to evaluate them before giving you a chance to prepare them. Just to ensure that the government tests are reliable."

"These patients are fresh," protested Fields. "You can hardly expect them to be civil - "

Cole smiled. "All the better, doctor. All the better."

Sage

Sage glared at her feet. She could feel Faye turning toward her expectantly.

"I am the princess of Shehababa," she sneered sarcastically. "I came here from a distant land to rescue my brother Akmenhala, but those idiotic government creeps caught me first. Happy?"

Sage looked up, thinking that maybe, just maybe, Faye and Waverly would be insane enough to believe it. There was little hope for Gabriel, but it was worth a try.

Sage was met with many eye rolls. Sage exhaled irritably. "I had ten years for killing an old man. It wasn't my fault, and I didn't mean to. But there's our government for you. Now are you happy?"

Waverly opened her mouth to answer, but she was interrupted when the cell door opened with a pneumatic hiss. Sage and the other convict spun around to face the door warily.

Gabriel Stone

Gabe rolled his eyes and was about to make a snide remark when the door slid open. He spun around, brows raised.

"And who might you be?" he asked languidly, grey eyes flicking over the newcomer's appearance. This was obviously an important man and, if his expression said anything, a dangerous one to cross.

He gave Sage a pointed glance. Hopefully she'd be wise enough to keep her head down. Not that he planned to do anything of the sort. No, Gabriel planned to be as much of a pain as ever.

John Vincent

The guard followed Mr. Cole from the room as soon as he'd bustled away, waiting out in the hall as the government man strode into the room where the criminals were kept.

Dr. James Fields

James hurried after the government man. He didn't trust him at all. He was skeptical, and skeptics were out to get James. Yes, they wanted to ruin his research and ability to help these people. They didn't understand.

"Well I'd hope you all have settled in by now, yes?" James said as he entered the room. There was already tension between Cole and the patients. James could feel it. This would not be good for research.

"Who's that," one of the captives, James hadn't learned their names so well yet, asked.

James opened his mouth to explain, but Cole cleared his throat and began speaking before he could say anything.

Sage

Sage glared at Gabriel as he flashed her yet another condescending look. Sage was not an idiot! He had no control over her!

But Sage took one look at the man who had entered the room and shuddered. He seemed to drink in their dysfunction. It seemed to only give him pleasure when Gabriel asked him who he was. Sage felt in her gut that this was not a man to toy with.

Sage decided to stay quiet. For the time being, anyway.
Cole

Cole gave a taut smile to the convict. The man was a brash one, but he only helped Cole's case.

"Who I am is of no importance to you, convict," said Cole silkily. "But I sense that we shall be seeing a quite a bit of each other, yes?"

Fields coughed behind him. Cole turned to Fields, an eyebrow raised.

"Pardon me, sir - " Fields babbled. "These are active patients. You really won't be able to - "

"I said I would, so I shall," replied Cole severely, cutting Fields off. "But perhaps you can help me, doctor. I am conducting an impromptu evaluation of the criminals. Do you have some sort of room set up for something of that nature?"

Fields looked shell-shocked. "You can't do that," he said quickly. "Mr. Cole - sir - these patients are actively in the program. I can't have you interact with them in any kind of inspection - It might send them teetering off track!"

Cole smiled at Fields, then turned back to the brash young man of a few moments ago. With one of his slender fingers, Cole pointed to the convict.

"Your first, convict."

Gabriel Stone

"You're first, convict."

I arched one of my brows. I thought I was doing a fairly good job at keeping any apprehension from showing through my features.

"You know, it might be easier to tell us apart if you called us something other than convict. There's more than one of us, you know."

The corners of the man's mouth turned up in a sneer. "For the sake of evaluation, then, you can be male convict. Now, if you'd be so obliged..." He motioned towards the door.

"All right then, since it doesn't seem that I have much choice in the matter..." I stuck my chin out slightly and walked towards the door. There was a guard in the hall (his name tag read 'J. Vincent'), and he stepped forward.

"Would you like me to escort Stone, Mr. Cole?" There was a cold note in Vincent's voice that surprised me. This was one of his own people. Was there any real reason for him to dislike this man?

Dr. James Fields

James sighed as Cole pushed past with Stone at his side. This man would certainly ruin the entire program. James slightly lost track of where he was and what he was doing as he began an intense mental worrying session.

"Dr. Fields?" Faye asked. "Are you okay?"

James looked up at the young woman and half-smiled. "Yes, of course," he said. "Well, I suppose our new friend is going to be speaking with each of you individually so make sure you are prepared. Also, please don't do anything rash. That man has a lot of power in the business." James left the room promptly after his explination and looked down the hall. Cole and Gabriel were nowhere to be found.

"Where did they go?" James asked one of the guards. He pointed to the last door in the hallway. "Thank you."

James hurried down the hall and stopped at the door. He leaned against it to try to be able to hear what was happening, all the while feeling extraordinarily childish. It couldn't matter though, James had his program to look out for.

Cole

Cole shut the door to the inspection room firmly. He turned to see that the convict had positioned himself in the far corner of the room. When he noticed Cole's gaze, he met it unconcernedly, but Cole had noticed the tense look on his face.

"Sit, convict."

The man sat down at a table in the center of the room. Cole pulled out his clipboard, and flipped to the man's file from the government records.

"Tell me your name, boy."

"Gabriel Stone."

"Ah, yes. You were the one to conduct all of those heists years ago."

Stone remained silent. Cole slid into a chair at the opposite side of the table.

"Do you miss it?" Cole breathed.

"Miss what?" Stone replied wearily.

"Life."

Stone offered no answer. Cole leaned back in his chair. "You won't be getting out, you know."

A muscle in Stone's jaw twitched. Cole smiled. The man was good at hiding his emotions. But Cole was better. Cole could read people. Stone would break soon.

"This program," said Cole, gesturing around the room. "It is a formality. Really, it is I who will get the final say in your freedom. This place has many bobs and whistles to keep the public happy. But you are all mine."

Stone was silent for another moment. "Glad to get that out in the open," he said quietly. Cole's smile widened. He let out a long laugh.

Sage

Sage stalked to the corner of the room the moment Dr. Fields had left. She glared out of the window furiously and let out an exasperated growl. So now the government decided to send in that man, who obviously had no hopes for the program?! How were any of them going to get out?!

"What's up with you?" called Faye from behind Sage.

"Don't tell me you don't see it!" snarled Sage. "They are never going to let us out! I haven't been outside for years! I am sick of it! All of these windows in this place, they are only here to torture us! Mark my words, in six months, when we all fail the program, we will be hauled back to the prison and never see light again!"

Sage turned away from the window to look Faye directly in the eye. "I'll tell you one thing, though," Sage said quietly. "I am not having it. I'm am getting out of here, however I can."

Faye~~

Faye tossed back her hair, looking about the room. What this Sage had said was true but
Faye attempted to ignore it, she then tried to console herself by looking out a nearby window, the cheap glass reflected a somber girl who used to be able to fake it no matter what- the reflection lit up with a smile. She was going to fake it, a fake so great but what about the others??

She could get out then get them out later.. when did Faye become such a good person? Faye pushed back the thought, the ex con prided herself in disappearing, could she make a group disappear?

Gabriel Stone

"Sit, convict."

I wasn't sure what I felt more: contempt at being told to sit like a dog, or apprehension at being locked in a room alone with this man. Nevertheless I did as he said, not wanting to irk him too much. Yet.

He lazily flipped through the papers on his clipboard. "Tell me your name, boy."

Boy. I was thirty years old, for crying out loud. "Gabriel Stone."

"Ah, yes. You were the one to conduct all of those heists years ago."

I managed not to smile. So he'd heard of me.

He slid into the chair across from me. The way he leaned over the table, eyes boring into mine, made me think of a tiger stalking prey. "Do you miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Life."

Now really, how did he expect me to answer that? I kept my mouth shut for the moment; he leaned back in his chair. "You won't be getting out, you know."

I tried to conceal the pang of anger and fear that shot through me. Apparently I didn't do quite good enough as the satisfied smirk on Cole's face showed.

"This program is a formality. Really, it is I who get the final say in your freedom. This place has many bobs and whistles to keep the public happy. But you are all mine."

If he'd been trying to make me feel subhuman, he was doing a fair job of it. I met his eyes anyways. "Glad to get that out in the open."

A shark's grin spread across his face as he began laughing, long and hard. That was the last straw. I refused to sit by and provide amusement for this sadist, even if my future was in his hands.

"This place isn't that bad," I said languidly. "It's actually rather quaint, almost like a resort."

"Sure it is," the man said with a smirk.

"It's better than prison at any rate." I stretched lazily, hoping that I was doing a good job at concealing my irritation. "Seriously, if you're trying to set up some sort of horrible torture for us here you'd be better off getting rid of the windows. And I won't even address giving me a suite with all those lovely young ladies; I swear you're not even trying."

"You haven't been here for long. It's a little early to be writing this place off."

"With all due respect sir," I said in a tone of voice that meant the complete opposite, staring into his inscrutable eyes, "I don't intend on staying for long, regardless of what you or any of the other government stooges say."

In retrospect, I probably should have kept my mouth shut.

Dr. James Fields

He couldn't hear anything through the air-tight door. James yelled and slammed a fist against it anyways, even though it wouldn't even make a sound on the other side.

Cole was determined to destroy this program, James could tell. The integrity of everything he had ever worked for was going to be comprimised if he didn't do anything about it. If this program failed, James would never get funding for anything else he had planned. Everything would be ruined.

"But what can I do...?" he mumbled.

You could break them out. A voice in the back of his head whispered.

"What? But that's nearly impossible. I made sure of it myself. This is supposed to be a safe and secure environment in order to calmly and comfortably rehabilitate convicts." James answered himself.

Impossible? For a brilliant man like youself?

"Even someone as brilliant as I couldn't break out half a dozen criminals without someone catching on. I made sure of it. This place is iron-tight."

But you have something you didn't consider when makig sure no convict could escape.

"Go on."

You have an asset no convict could utilize, and you wouldn't never dream of using...until now.

"Do you mean...?"

Yes. You, sir, have Luck.

James was silent. He did have Luck, even though he hadn't taken advantage of that ability in years. It might take some practice, but he could surely use it to help him. If he could just get his convicts into a different environment, one without Cole, until he could figure out how to discredit the man who wished to destroy him then he would be able to continue on with his research. Yes, that is what he would do.

James ran off towards his office in order to test his Luck on something small at first. Then, he would begin to plan his breakout.

((Ooh, interesting...))

Oh, dear. You have just reminded me that in a storybook all about LUCK, no one has actually USED it yet... Well, that can be remedied.

Cole

Cole stood up quickly. "I think we are finished," he said sneeringly. "You've told me all that I need to know."

Stone stared at the opposite wall for a moment. Cole knew that he was regretting what he had said. After a moment, he stood up emotionlessly. Cole felt a small smile playing on his lips as he tapped the door and wished the lock to break. It did so with a loud crack. Stone stared at Cole's fingers before wrenching his gaze away.

"Ah," said Cole lazily. "Useful thing, luck." Stone met Cole's taunting gaze. Cole raised an eyebrow at him, and opened the door to guide Stone back to the convict area.