The Watchwomen

Chapter 18 (Act II): Reclaiming What's Ours

We last read Chapter 17, in which all four members of the Watchwomen were abruptly arrested and taken into custody by the warden of the Utah State Correctional Facility and his contingent of armed guards. When Monica Drevis a.k.a. Voltara recovers, she's saddened to realize that she's been completely depowered as a result of the institution's special chips.....not to mention that the first soldier she encounters openly mocks her and her team for their capture, calls them a danger to themselves and society, and even snarks that they should have stayed in the kitchen, since that'd give them better odds. However, that same soldier also reveals that the prison took their tangible gear and that the chips can only be removed with the warden's voice, something that the heroine takes into consideration.

A second goon then appears to unlock Monica's cell, at which point she is escorted to the prison's canteen for lunch. She meets up with Nightclaw and Coldsnap once again, and together, they watch as The Viper hands a prisoner named "Lucky" his behind on a silver platter, earning the fear and the silent respect of all the other inmates in the canteen in the process.

Once The Viper rejoins her companions, they begin trying to discuss potential escape options.....but all of a sudden, the forces of the Diamond Legion attack the USCF; their leader, Allie Bannister, has grown increasingly paranoid that the girls are in the same state and city as her skybase, and now seeks to eliminate them quickly before they can find her.

This time, our heroines jump into action as they try to navigate their way through the chaotic prison grounds and take back their possessions, while also making an uneasy ally on the way as well.....

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The Viper, Nightclaw, Coldsnap, and Voltara all climbed up the pile of rubble created by the missile's explosion and scrambled up to the roof of the canteen.....or at least, what was left of it. From their decently high vantage point, they bore witness to the utter massacre occurring around the facility's inner courtyard; there wasn't a single square inch of the property where bullets weren't being fired, and people were dropping like flies left and right, with the survivors—inmates and guards—either valiantly fighting back or running for their lives.

The helicopters were shooting missiles. The Legion gunmen within the biplanes were raining shells on their targets below. The turrets in the four corner towers had officially been hijacked by the Diamond Legion's forces and were now firing indiscriminately on any USCF staff they spotted.

"This is crazy!" Coldsnap exclaimed. "We've got to get out of here!"

But Voltara shook her head. "Not yet. Remember, we came here for a reason."

The Viper agreed. "To find two specific prisoners—'Ivan' and 'Gill'—and ask them about the mysterious red dust samples."

Voltara turned to the serpentine heroine. "You had them on you when we were apprehended, right?"

"Yes, but they got confiscated. They're likely with the rest of our gear.....wherever the guards took it."

"Great! So we'll recover our things first, then go after these 'Ivan' and 'Gill' people?" Nightclaw recapped. "I think I already have an idea of the one person I can kill....."

"If you're thinking of the warden, then no," The Viper asserted firmly. "Sure, he's a little misguided. But if we run into him again, I think I know a way he can help us."

".....How?"

The Viper smiled. "Don't worry about it. Like you said.....we should focus on getting our things back first."