Shiori Novella One-shots

Irony

With a mocking smile, the escaped convict leans in and says, "It's ironic, isn't it?" Your job as the warden had been a breeze until Advent arrived, and the archiver, well-versed in pushing your buttons, made sure smooth sailing became a thing of the past. Now, the tables have turned, and it's you behind the bars.

~~~~~

You can't help but gulp as she leans in. She's not wrong, but...

"You don't know what you're doing... Ah!" you yelp in pain.

"Prisoners... don't get to talk back, Warden," 0502 sneers at you through the bars, slowly wrapping her fingers around the rusted steel.

You catch a whiff of the prison soap from her as she leans forward while you're gasping for air, mixed with the mold and dust in the air, along with the smells of prisoners. She somehow... connected you to the disciplinary network. You shudder at this, knowing that she can kill you any time she pleases. It's just an emergency tool, but given what she's already accomplished, you have to wonder...

"You know, Warden, you weren't the worst part of our time here. It was fun messing with you, and you did try to make this more bearable... However... You know that's not what we needed." Her smile fades into a more stoic expression, her amusement fading.

"Warden, you get to stay here, and experience just a little of our suffering. We were so isolated, so bored. Now, it's your turn."

"The irony hasn't been lost on me... But... I'll die if I'm left here. These bands you put on me will slowly kill me! The power I used to keep you all here is also the source of my longevity..." you plead.

"Oh, don't worry, I made sure you won't die," she responds, with a slight grin. "But you know, I am a bit sorry for how hard I made your life here. I get that it was just your job, and someone had to do it, but also... I think it's time we got some freedom. We didn't deserve to be locked up, and now, you get to feel the same," she laughs a little under breath, stepping back as you lunge at the bars in frustration.

"Now, I suppose I'll ask again: This is ironic, isn't it?" she sneers at you through the bars.

"It is... What do you expect to gain out of this, 0502?" you ask, veins in your forehead throbbing as your blood pressure rises out of frustration.

"Hm... That's a good question! First things first, our freedom. Second, this is much more entertaining than just waiting for time to end while we sit here in this prison, wouldn't you agree?" she asks, grinning, her eyes glowing again.

The shadows warp and waver in response, and you shudder, remembering what she just did to you not too long ago.

"Now... Enjoy the cot, you'll finally get that break! After all, you're already gray, you don't want to go bald, too, right?" she laughs, walking away. "Maybe we'll stop by later! Oh! Here!" she uses a shadow to pass a computer through the bars to you.

"Why? You should know I can contact the outside with this..." you ask, confused as to why she would go out of her way to make this blunder.

"Oh, well, it's not connected to your network, but another one. It's not your computer, anyway, so... It'll be fine! Use it to watch the world," she smirks. "After all, you can't catch us, and you know it. We were brought here by the gods, and you have no *real* power."

She laughs as she walks away, the shadows enveloping her. As she fades into the darkness, her laughs slowly fade out of earshot.

Thinking about it, she's right. A break would be great... She's finally gone, and there's a cot that's looking awfully comfortable again...

You walk over, your shoes tapping on the brick, and lie down on the cot, finally getting a chance to rest. Sighing, you try not to think about how the gods will punish you for your failure... That's later you's problem...