We see two guards unlocking Adrian's solitary confinement door.
Guard 1: "Ori'n 528, back to your cell. Let's go."
"Damn… finally," Adrian muttered as he stood up off the cold floor, stretching his limbs. He cracked his neck, muscles stiff from barely moving for the past two days.
The two guards cuffed him in silence and led him down the dim corridor.
As they walked past Cassie's cell, Adrian glanced at her door. A small smirk crept across his lips — calm, confident, unbothered.
"If my plan still works, we got a 100% chance to slip out clean…"
But just as Adrian was about to re-enter his cell—
Clack.
A heavy pair of boots echoed at the end of the hall.
A tall man in a sleek black uniform stepped out from the shadows. Trimmed beard, military posture, and eyes sharp like razors. The guards straightened up immediately.
The man walked forward slowly, almost like he was measuring Adrian.
Warden: "So, you're Five-Two-Eight… huh. I expected someone taller."
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
Warden (smirking): "Just got transferred in. Had to do some redecorating. This place was too… soft."He looked around the corridor. "Floor's been cleaned recently. Smells like smoke residue too. Odd, considering no one's allowed to light anything here. Strange, right?"
Adrian said nothing.
Warden (stepping closer): "I'll make this clear once. No stunts. No funny ideas. You do anything outta line, I will find out. And I don't play games."
He turned his back without another word.
The guards shoved Adrian back into his cell.
SLAM. The metal door echoed through his bones.
Adrian sat down on the bed, face frozen.
His thoughts spiraled.
"Fuck… fuck… FUCK."
"This Warden's different… he's not stupid. He just dismantled half my plan without even knowing it existed."
Adrian started pacing.
"Security rotations — changed.""Camera angles — adjusted.""New patrol schedule — unaccounted for."
He clenched his fists.
"Alright… breathe. Think."
"First step — I need my gadgets. Bobby's got all of them. I left it with him so the guards wouldn't find shit when they ransacked my bunk. Smart Move of me to do it."
Adrian leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples.
"Do I tell Bobby and Cassie the plan's changed…? No. Not yet. It'll cause panic. I need a revised blueprint before I loop them in."
He took a deep breath.
"Alright… I still got my High Specs. Time to rework everything."
New Escape Plan: Version 2.0 – "Shadow Route"
Retrieve the gear from Bobby without alerting any guards.
Resync walkie-talkies with a new frequency — the Warden might be scanning comms now.
Update the patrol route map using observation and High Specs data analysis.
Find blind spots in the new camera system — every system has at least one.
Modify the EMP grenade timing from 5 days to 3 days, coordinated with Cassie's collar.
Disguise the escape as a malfunction — make it look like an internal systems failure, not a breakout.
Steal guard uniforms and forge temporary access IDs.
Use Cassie's shadows to move through hallways where visibility is high.
Create a chemical reaction using stolen lab material — a smoke burst as distraction.
Escape through the old utility tunnel under Block D. No cameras, no guards, just risk and darkness.
Adrian stared at the wall like it was a chessboard.
"This plan could work… it has to. But with this new Warden, we don't have room for error."
He looked at the EMP timer.
3 days.
"Three days until we're either free... or buried under this place forever."
He exhaled slowly, a crooked grin spreading across his face.
"Alright, Warden… let's see what's stronger — your brain... or my High Specs."
Bobby POV
I heard from the guards that Adrian finally got out of solitary.
Tch... it's about time.
But I also heard the new Warden arrived today.
Shit.
I really hope that doesn't throw a wrench into Adrian's plan. He was confident before, but this ain't just some routine security shift. Everyone's been talking about it — stricter patrols, new tech, colder vibe.
I kept my head down and went through the daily routine. When they called for workout time in the commons, I made my way there casually.
Scanning the area — then I saw him.
Adrian.
Leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, but there was something off. He wasn't pacing, wasn't smiling.
Just thinking.
"Hey, man," I said, walking up. "You good? You look like you just solved world hunger and hated the answer."
Adrian glanced at me with that same sharp stare. Determined, locked in.
"No… I'm good. Nothing's wrong. You got all my stuff?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "It's in a hidden closet, sealed behind a fake wall. Used my spatial jump to stash it there. Got close to getting caught once, but I was in and out before they could blink."
"Good," Adrian said, nodding. "With all that, we can start."
"Wait—start? The plan? I thought we were launching in five days."
He shook his head slowly. "Change of plans. We do it in three."
"Three?" My voice rose a bit. "Dude, you sure? That's cutting it tight."
Adrian just smiled. That confident, dumb-ass smile like he already saw the future and won.
"We can do it," he said. "I just need to get one of the walkie-talkies to Cassie. We'll stay in contact that way. The rest will fall in place."
He looked at me like I was the most dependable guy in the world.
"I trust you, man. You never screw up."
I chuckled and gave him a playful Noogie. "Yeah, yeah. You asshole."
We both laughed for a second.
Then Adrian cracked his knuckles. "Let's start the ass-whipping."He raised his hand, smirking like a damn anime protagonist.
"I don't even need to use my hand for this."
"Hoho … that's gonna be a mistake."
We both grinned — the tension fading for just a moment.
But we knew what was coming. And it wasn't gonna be easy.
Cassie POV
Two days. That's how long Adrian was gone. Tossed into solitary because his mouth doesn't have a brake pedal.
Honestly, it was quieter without him.
Peaceful even.
But also... boring.
The dumbass talks like a genius, plans like a maniac, and walks around like he's invincible — even when I punch him in the face and him nose bleeding. The guy doesn't shut up, but sometimes, just sometimes, what he says makes sense.
I remembered the last convo we had — right before they dragged him off.
He said, "You know, if you smiled more, you'd look slightly less terrifying in the dark."
I told him, "You know, if you died right now, I wouldn't even blink."
We both grinned.
That's our thing now — sarcasm and jabs. Like wolves testing each other, but neither one backing down.
Now he's back.
I saw him from across the yard earlier. Didn't wave. Didn't smile. Just nodded like, Yeah, we're still in this and he gave me a walkie-talkie.
He's got that face again — the "I've already made the next five moves and you're just catching up" look. I've seen it before. It means something's happening soon.
The question is... can I count on him when it starts?
He talks a big game. But he's never lied to me. Not once. Not when things got rough. Not when things got quiet.
He hasn't asked me to trust him.
He just assumes I already do.
Cocky bastard.
But he's not wrong.
I sat on my bunk, let the shadows curl around my arm like smoke from a candle.
I'm not here to make friends.
I'm here to survive.
But if survival means teaming up with that reckless idiot and the crew he pulled together...
Then yeah.
I'm in.