Meadow sat alone in her cell. It had no windows, no screens - only bare walls and a solid door she couldn't break out of. She'd tried. Her shots barely left scratches on it.
The furnishings were bare-bones too. A bed with a sheet and blanket, a toilet, shower and sink, and a security camera to watch her every move. Mercifully, there were basic provisions for her privacy, so she didn't have to worry as much about some weirdo watching her shower on the camera.
Really, though, it was hellish. The military had arrested her after her last fight with Whiplash, Hot Rod and Barrier Maiden - the one where she'd almost died.
Was it mercy that she was in solitary confinement now? Would it have been better if Hot Rod had incinerated her? In the moment, she'd genuinely wanted anything but death, but now the adrenaline had faded to a dull dread.
How long had it been? It felt like forever. How many times had they slid meal trays under the door? How many times had those meal trays been retrieved? The lights were dimmed now. How many times had they brightened and dimmed since she was here?
Meadow heaved a sigh as she thought of Jase and the others. She remembered how things had been so long ago, when Phantasma had been locked up. They'd tried to save her. Tried and arrived too late.
Would they come for her now? Would the military snuff out her life before they could?
She snorted at herself. She hadn't had need for friends. Only people with similar goals. She didn't particularly care about any of the others. She didn't.
But not seeing Aubrey again would be unfortunate. Never seeing Jase again would be inconvenient. No longer hearing Niko's voice, talking with Bryce or seeing Randy's exasperated expression. Even having to listen to Ryder's nerd talk seemed nostalgic.
And then June...
The girl drove her nuts, and they'd never gotten along particularly well. She was lazy, unmotivated and a liability.
Yet, she'd been there. She'd done her best to save Randy. Based on what the Legion said, the two of them, at least, had gotten out.
Meadow groaned. She didn't care about other people, so why did she want to go back there? It would be in her best interest to hide literally anywhere else.
A human heart was an annoying thing indeed.
A noise pulled her from her thoughts. The flap at the bottom of the door they used to deliver food was opening. Was it mealtime? Time sure passed quickly.
No. The lights were dim, meant for sleeping. It was barely bright enough for them to surveil her. So why was the flap opening?
A flat box rolled into her room, propelled by small rubber wheels. The box was metal, and the whirring of a motor indicated it was robotic in nature. The center of the box was raised from the rest, with what looked like a camera in it. The camera swiveled until it landed on Meadow.
"Meadow Julianna Rich."
She startled at her full name. But of course it would know. It was a military bot, after all. The voice that came from it was rough and metallic, so obviously artificial it grated on her ears.
"You are accused of a myriad of charges I don't feel like listing. It's a long list. But hey, let's start going over your deeds. On July 21, 2618, you took a children's basketball team hostage in order to demand money from the military. You then injured several of said children, forcing them to be hospitalized. Does this sound familiar?"
Meadow glared at the robot. Was there a person behind it? Or was this conversation entirely AI generated? She couldn't quite tell.
"I don't like your silence. Please answer the question."
"I won't speak to anyone but a lawyer," Meadow replied coldly.
"I'm afraid that is not an option. You will speak frankly to me. I'm not with the military, nor am I with the official court system. Now answer me, Ms. Rich."
"Shut it." Meadow waved her hand and a spray of bullets pelted the bot. Static started coming through in its voice.
"Hence...use...drones...shit," it muttered. Most of the words were cut out by static, but Meadow caught a few.
"Who are you?" she demanded. The bot didn't reply. Instead it backed out of the cell, leaving her alone again.
Meadow rolled her eyes and was about to go back to her solitary thoughts when a second bot rolled in.
"So sorry. I couldn't hear your last words through my damaged microphone. Please repeat."
Why did she get the impression this new bot was sassing her? No matter.
"I asked who you are. If you're not with the military, or the courts, who are you and how did you get in here?"
"I am judge, jury and executioner in your case. I got in here because I know how to circumvent the military."
Meadow's heart sped up. Judge jury and executioner?
"So you're some kind of vigilante?"
"No. I am here to enforce the death penalty in cases where it must be exercised."
"The death penalty? That's not a thing!" Meadow almost shot the robot, but held herself back at the last minute.
"The death penalty was in place when Arx Nubibus was launched in 2344 CE. It was since removed by incompetent politicians who don't understand the precarious balance of the city that required it in the first place. I've let it be until now, but with new Gifts running amok I worry for the safety of the citizens."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You, bitch. You're running around with a Gift and using it to cause trouble and uproot public order. You've been on my hit list for a while, in fact. I'd just rather not cause more trouble when possible, so I've refrained from shooting you in the middle of the street."
Meadow's body suddenly started feeling cold. This thing...whatever it was, it was serious about wanting her dead.
"Now, do you understand the ramifications of your actions? You and your kind have emboldened Achilles and his Legion to further upset the delicate balance of Arx Nubibus. How do you plead?"
Meadow tried to reply, but her voice wouldn't come out. She wanted to defend herself, but the robot was right. She'd done things she couldn't take back.
"Who cares anyway?" she spat finally. "Maybe Arx should fall. It's full of corruption and disease."
"You don't know what disease is," the robot snapped back. "You've never been sick in your life. You have no idea what the outside world is like. Your kind would not survive there for a single generation. You're too coddled, too well-protected. Your ancestors wanted a safer world for you, and now you don't know how to handle the dangers outside your little bubble. This is the world you've inherited. You should take better care of it!"
"Shut up!" Meadow screamed, launching a new hail of bullets at the robot. This one couldn't move when she was done. She sat there, panting, staring at the door.
The flap opened again, but this time no robot entered. Instead, a male voice came through the bottom of it.
"You're unwilling to talk and I'm tired of trying to reason with you. So I'll give you a choice. How do you want to die? Shall I drug you like I did Olivia Hahn, or shall I put a bullet in you? Either way, I'll try to make it relatively painless. Call it an Executioner's mercy."
"Screw you," Meadow growled. She focused fire on the slot and unleashed as many bullets as she could.
The metallic sounds echoed through her head, pounding with every beat of her racing heart. She didn't know how long it went on, but there must have been hundreds of thousands of bullets by the time she was done. Finally, she collapsed, gasping for breath.
That had to have done it, right?
"Done?"
The voice sent a shock up her spine. Meadow shook uncontrollably, unable to move or look away as a round tube came through under the door. It pointed directly at her.
"Farewell, Meadow Rich."
The last thing she heard was a popping sound.
