Prison Break

Chapter: Glitch's Last Stand

The cold, metallic walls of the prison hummed with a low, oppressive buzz, each pulse reverberating through Glitch's bones. The lights overhead flickered, casting shadows that seemed to grow darker with each passing second. The faint scent of ozone filled the air as she paced back and forth in the cramped cell.

Her thoughts were a whirlwind, a storm of confusion and fear. She had failed—again. The last attempt to escape had ended in disaster, and now, locked away in a high-security prison, there seemed to be no way out. Worse yet, she had no idea what was coming next.

Echo and Havoc, the two prisoners she had managed to recruit, lay unconscious in the corner, their bodies battered and bruised from the relentless beating they'd received in their last attempt to escape. They'd both been knocked out cold by the warden's overwhelming power. Glitch was on her own now, but the weight of their failure pressed down on her.

"I'll get us out of this," she whispered to herself, her fists clenched.

She had to. She couldn't bear the thought of being stuck here forever. If she couldn't escape now, she'd die here, forgotten, a pawn in someone else's game. The warden was relentless, and he was always watching. He wasn't just a guard; he was the system itself, an embodiment of control. She had no powers anymore, no cybernetic enhancements, no way to fight back. All she had were her wits.

Then she heard it—a voice, distant but familiar. "Glitch…"

Havoc?

She quickly turned to see him stirring, weak but still alive. His bloodied face twisted in pain as he managed to sit up. Echo, too, was beginning to stir, blinking groggily as he regained consciousness.

"You still alive?" Glitch asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, trying to hide the fear in her tone.

Havoc grunted. "Don't look at me like that. You should've seen the other guy."

A small chuckle escaped her lips. "You've always been a smartass. But we have bigger problems. The warden won't stop. He's too powerful. If we don't act fast, we're done for."

Echo slowly stood, his movements stiff. "We need a plan."

Glitch nodded, her mind racing. She glanced around, trying to map out a strategy. The prison was massive—almost a fortress in itself. The guards were well-trained, and the warden... well, he was something more than just a guard. The warden was an enforcer of order, and Glitch had learned that the hard way. He had been built to serve the system, to crush anyone who dared to break free.

"I've got an idea," Glitch said, her voice suddenly sharp. "But it's going to require all of us. We need to get out of here, but we can't do it alone. We'll need a map of the facility, something that'll show us the way out."

Havoc frowned. "How do we get that?"

"Easy," Glitch muttered with a sly grin. "We get it from the guards."

They spent the next few hours carefully observing the guards, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Glitch had to use every ounce of her remaining energy to maintain the facade of calm. Without her powers, her body felt sluggish, weak. But she couldn't afford to slow down. She needed to escape. She needed to survive.

Finally, the chance came. A guard walked by, distracted by his console. It was the perfect opening. Glitch motioned for Havoc and Echo to move in.

The three of them were on the guard in seconds. Glitch, quick as a whip, used the small improvised weapon she had hidden in her jacket to knock him out cold. With a grunt, Havoc and Echo dragged the unconscious guard into a nearby storage room.

"Now, the map," Glitch said, rifling through the guard's belongings. After a few tense moments, she pulled out a small data pad, smirking. "Got it."

Just then, the alarms blared. The entire facility went on high alert, and the lights flashed red. The warden's voice crackled through the speakers.

"Glitch. Havoc. Echo. You've made a mistake. You cannot escape. I control everything."

The three of them froze. The warden's voice was everywhere, surrounding them, suffocating them. Glitch's stomach dropped as she realized they were running out of time. The countdown had already begun.

"We need to move," she hissed.

They followed the map through the maze-like corridors, dodging guards and security systems. But the warden wasn't the only threat they faced. The facility was littered with traps—laser grids, pressure-sensitive floors, and automated drones designed to hunt down escapees.

"Damn it, this place is a fortress," Echo muttered as he narrowly avoided a laser beam.

"No kidding," Glitch replied, her heart pounding in her chest. "Keep moving."

They reached the central control room, the last obstacle before the final escape. Glitch quickly assessed the situation. She knew there would be a password to bypass the system. But the problem wasn't the password—it was the warden.

The doors to the control room slammed open, and there he was, the warden, standing tall and imposing.

"You really thought you could get past me?" The warden's voice was cold, mocking.

Glitch gritted her teeth, stepping forward. "We'll see about that."

The battle was inevitable. The warden was stronger, faster, and more ruthless than anything they had faced before. Glitch lunged, using everything she had left to fight back. But the warden caught her by the wrist, his grip like iron. She tried to break free, but his power was too overwhelming.

"You're nothing but a glitch in the system," the warden sneered, tightening his hold. "A small anomaly that will be erased."

Havoc and Echo fought back, but they were no match for the warden's raw strength. With each strike, they were pushed back, unable to land a blow.

But then, Glitch remembered something—a plan she had set in motion weeks before. A trap within a trap. She had planted the seeds of rebellion throughout the prison, and now it was time to reap the rewards.

A massive explosion shook the room. The walls trembled, and the lights flickered. The warden looked momentarily distracted, and that was all the time Glitch needed.

She broke free from his grip, launching herself toward the central terminal. Her fingers flew over the keys, overriding the system. But just as she was about to succeed, the warden grabbed her again, pulling her away from the terminal.

"Enough," he growled, tossing her aside.

Glitch's body slammed into the floor, the air knocked out of her lungs. Her vision blurred, but she didn't give up. With a grunt, she forced herself to her feet, determination burning in her eyes.

But then, in the midst of the chaos, the room was filled with an eerie silence. The warden's form flickered—just for a moment—before vanishing entirely.

A chill ran down Glitch's spine.

"That wasn't normal," she muttered.

But before she could react, the room exploded with energy, and the warden reappeared—only now, he was different. He was stronger, faster, and more terrifying than ever before.

"Your time is up," the warden said, his voice dripping with malice.

And then, as everything seemed to collapse around her, Glitch's body went limp.

Her world turned black.