Bloodguilty // FIVE HARGREEVES

4. the Maes

"Robots?" Five exclaims, probably questioning everything right now. With his mouth open, he watches a robot pass. The machine is around the same height as Five, and it's walking around with more grace than any miniature robot out of Elisa and Five's time could. The white, graceful machine doesn't react to their presence, though.

"It's a good thing he doesn't notice us," Elisa says, still watching the miracle. "For all we know, it could've roasted us both with lasers."

"This shit is crazy." Five shakes his head, and Elisa notices that his eyes have fallen on the gigantic building in front of them. Crazy is a term for it, certainly, but Elisa would call it so much more. The prison, 'Maes' it's called, is a huge castle. If Herb hadn't given the two the exact location, they would've thought it was the home to a queen and king.

But it's a prison, a scary one. While Elisa would've stuck to the theme and painted the walls black or grey, the makers chose for white. A modern choice, but a weird one for a prison.

"It's a good thing Gabriel Nikke is being transported," Elisa says and Five sighs in relief. "Imagine having to break in the prison itself."

"We'd be gutted." Five's hand goes through his hair as Elisa snorts. She wants to tell him he's wrong, but looking at all of this . . . Elisa realizes that Five is probably right. This time its technology is yet to be unraveled by the two.

Without another word, Elisa starts to walk, turning to her right. Next to the grand castle is a smaller building. It's the only way to get on the grounds since there's no other entrance—and the walls are too high to climb. And, it being 2083, who knows what those walls could do or what is behind them. A shiver goes down Elisa her spine. This time . . . It's all so unknown to Elisa. She doesn't have anything in control, and while she loves to know that she's in freaking 2083, it's terribly terrifying. But Elisa prefers this over being forced to watch the handler's face again and again without a doubt.

More and more robots are walking around Five and Elisa. They're not the only ones, either. Other humans are walking just outside the prison, too. It's as if they don't even see the robots. They're just as normal as cars are in Elisa her time. It's crazy.

Fortunately, the other humans don't notice Five and Elisa, either. Or they just don't want to lay eyes on the two—that's a possibility, too. Either way, it's working out great. Elisa and Five get to the smaller building in just a matter of a few minutes.

In only a few seconds, two guards are supposed to walk out with dear Gabriel. Herb assured they would travel on foot since the man's execution would happen just outside the castle its walls.

It appears Herb was right. Two guards appear right on time. A third figure follows directly behind them. And even though there are freaking robots in this time, the prisoner has a hood over his head. A black one. The other agents had described the man who attacked them, and he if they haven't lied—which Elisa expects they won't have—this is the hood of the hooded man or a simple look-a-like. Who knows, it might be easy to get your hands on one of those here, at this prison.

"I wasn't expecting human guards," Five mumbles quietly as his and Elisa her eyes follow the three. "Robots would be a better fit, I think."

"Why?"

"Killing others kills a part of yourself." Five looks down at his feet. "Robots would do the job without any trauma while these men . . ."

Getting it, Elisa nods. Killing others indeed has a way of killing yourself. It allows a certain darkness to take over. All this time, the darkness inside of Elisa hasn't taken over again. It's just as easy as Elisa remembered. But the danger is there. When Elisa has her walls down, the darkness might take over once again.