The Watchwomen

Chapter 8 (Act I): The Legion's Might

We last read Chapter 7, in which Hailey a.k.a. The Viper pays a visit to the Mercury Heights Correctional Facility in her bid to visit the quartet of female assassins whom Monica Drevis a.k.a. Voltara apprehended the previous day outside the Tessa Gardenhigh Therapy Institute. After gaining entry to Commissioner Marvin's office, the two of them reconnect and discuss the recent events involving the Paragons' legal fallout, such as the Battle of Cairo. The Viper then proceeds to brief the Commissioner on the Diamond Legion's most recent attack, to which he informs her that not only is he already mostly aware of it, but has both the assassins and their pink SUVs in the MHPD's custody. The two of them then formulate another plan; The Viper will get in touch with one of the Commissioner's contacts and be taken to the assassins' cell block, while Commissioner Marvin will visit the correctional facility's storage hangar to examine the pink SUVs for more clues. 

This time, we see how well their respective searches go.....

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Commissioner Marvin's contact ushered The Viper to one of the many cell blocks composing the Mercury Heights Correctional Facility. Upon reaching the main entrance, the contact swiped his identity card on the black slot next to the front door, causing the previously-red LED light near the top of it to glow green instead. 

"Again.....thanks for this," The Viper said. "It's nice to know there's still some people who are on the Paragons' side. Or at least.....my side." 

"Sure. But if this is related to another crime-fighting endeavor.....you really aren't supposed to be doing it," the contact argued. 

"Hey, come on! This isn't crime-fighting. This is inmate visiting!" 

The contact exhaled. "All right, whatever you say." He pulled down the handle of the big steel door in front of them, opened it outward, and gestured inside. "The assassins whom Voltara brought in for us yesterday are in the last cell to the right, still wrapped up with her electric tendrils. Our forces had to wear rubber gloves just to transport them safely." 

The Viper chuckled. "Yeah, that's usually what counters electricity." She took a deep breath, did a couple of brief leg stretches, and tilted her head extremely to the left and right to exercise her neck. Then, she rolled her shoulders in a few circles and cracked her knuckles as well. 

"I'll be okay in there," she informed him matter-of-factly. "Will you be okay out here?" 

"Yep. Just get in there and ask them what needs to be asked. Don't forget that despite the Commissioner's stance on you---and mine---there are people in the MHPD who don't look upon you kindly anymore.....at least for right now. If you're in there for too long, or if I'm seen guarding the cell block door for too long, people might get suspicious." 

"Got it." 

The Viper then entered the cell block, with the contact closing the door behind her. The sudden loud noise would have made any other person flinch, but the heroine, having seen and heard it all by this point, barely moved a single muscle. 

She unflinchingly advanced down the path, mostly ignoring the captivated stares, the uncivilized mouth drooling, and the deeply inappropriate catcalling of the rest of the inmates in the other cells. However, when one of them even tried to reach through the bars to touch her, she knew that she couldn't let that go unpunished. Not only did her super reflexes allow her to catch his wrist as he was trying to, but she also immediately retaliated with a punch to his nose, causing him to stumble back and hold it in a fruitless attempt to stop the bleeding.