The underground complex was quite dark overall, with scant lighting throughout it, either in the form of the most basic of flickering light bulbs or the fluorescent glow of neon lights spaced out throughout the hallways and corridors throughout the complex, humming lightly as they gave off their turquoise glow.  The setting was designed to convey the notion that the place was meant to make one as uncomfortable as possible without physically torturing them.

Of course, that was where those charged with disciplining troublesome individuals came into play.

Anybody at a Genetics facility charged and found guilty of gross misconduct on campus grounds was punished thusly.  Whether it was a Pandora or a Limiter who was the offending person, punishment was doled out accordingly.  Of course, the vast majority of offenders brought here to be punished were Pandoras, given how reluctant Limiters tended to be in terms of outright assaulting another on campus grounds, aside from the occasional fisticuffs brawl between Limiters (which were rather few and far between, given how protective Pandoras tended to be over their Limiters once partnered up).  Well over 90 percent of convicted individuals who were brought to the brig to receive their sentencing were Pandoras, and only on the grounds of direct unwarranted physical aggression.  Other things like neglecting schoolwork, regular absenteeism from class, or other lesser charges tended to be handled by the more bureaucratic and/or secretarial staff at Genetics facilities, usually ending in the form of a demerit or a lesser mark against a student’s permanent record.

Here in the brig, the most troublesome students at Genetics facilities were given the firm hand of military discipline.

That discipline came in a number of forms.  Less serious offenders were usually locked up for several days (sometimes weeks for those deemed more problematic) with the most rudimentary and basic of meals to eat during their stay..  All temporary inmates were confined to individual cells during their time in the brig, to lessen the chance of fraternization with other offenders (and given that solitude was designed to assist in the punitive theme of the place).

Those who were brought in on more serious charges - like say, physical assault on another person resulting in either serious bodily harm or to the point of near-death - received some form of military-style corporal punishment.  This could come in a few different forms.  Sometimes, it would be a severe electroshock session that could last upwards of a half hour, usually in the form of brief spurts of high-voltage current running through a Pandora’s entire body, lasting a few seconds a piece.  The interim periods were a temporary mercy until the coming of the next shock during the session.  Sometimes the officer presiding over the execution of punishment would announce a higher level of voltage before the next shock, just to give the offending Pandora a heads-up of how much more painful the next shock would be.

Other times, the punishment was simple beatings with one’s fists or a cane, specially designed with the most durable of metals and/or plastics so as to do sufficient damage to a Pandora’s body.  After all, a Pandora could take quite the beating compared to non-augmented humans.  Injuries that could prove fatal to the typical human were far less dangerous for a Pandora by comparison; hence it was important that in the event of physically punishing was deemed necessary, the instruments required for such an act needed to be strong enough to do an adequate job in meting out the punishment effectively without killing or permanently debilitating a Pandora.

Some times, other punitive measures like temporary drowning, sound torture, sleep deprivation,  or starvation might be used from time to time, usually in the case of repeat offenders who weren’t deterred by previously used forms of punishment.  Sometimes, one needed to be creative in their brutality in order to set the more errant-minded individuals on the right path - straighten out the ‘crooked nails’ so to speak in the hopes of making them scared straight.

In the case of three distinct individuals, the order came down from the higher-ups that their sentence was to be two weeks in the brig (three for one of them in particular), kept separate from one another, while undergoing a series of floggings over their backs, as was done with militaries ‘back in the old days.’  Given that their actions resulted in the risk of a Limiter’s life nearly being cut short, it was seen as adequate punishment befitting their crime.

CRACK

The whip - or more accurately, the iron chain being used as a whip - cracked fiercely over the back of the Pandora who was held in place against the steel post she was currently shackled against, with her entire torso exposed and the whip marks showing evidently enough across her backside.  Whereas under normal circumstances, a strong rope MIGHT have sufficed (given the endurance and regenerative abilities Pandoras held), there was a last-minute change of instrument to be used, with a cast-iron chain as the preferred item to be utilized in doling out this punishment.

CRACK

The Pandora held against the post grunted her teeth and instinctively growled in response as the rusted metal tore through her flesh and muscle.  She had been enduring this punishment for more than a week now.  Everyday during her sentence, she was brought into this dank, poorly lit holding cell, shackled against the post in the center of the room, and had to endure a series of whippings until the session was over.  Apparently, she was told in advance that she would be enduring these whippings every single day of her sentence during her time in the brig.  Her comrades would get it as well, but not anywhere near to the extent that she would get it, given that she was the head instigator in the event that led up to this moment.

CRACK

“Rrrghh,” growled the Pandora against the post.  “That all you got, bitch?  That was little more than a tickle, far as I can tell.  You don’t have much of a whipping arm, do ya?  You’re better off just using your nails to dig into my back at this point.”  The Pandora finished with a chuckle.

CRACK

The chain had managed to dig a bit deep into the upstart Pandora’s back more than usual that time around.  If one were to examine a bit closer, they could actually make out the faintest bits of bone poking out within the freshly-administered wounds, indicating that the Pandora’s spine and shoulder blades were being exposed to the open air.  While such a thing would prove extremely serious to a non-augmented human, given the scarring and other permanent damage associated with being in such a physical state, from a Pandora’s perspective, such wounds were more tedious and bothersome than gravely concerning, what with their regenerative abilities and all.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Miss Layner?” asked the Chevalier officer currently holding the chain as she stared with cold eyes at the Pandora shackled to the post.

“Enjoying myself?” replied Petty.  “Oh yeah, time of my life and all that.  I just LOVE being tied against a post and getting whipped by some half-ass little Chevalier lapdog.  I mean, I’m not into S&M, if that’s what you’re wondering, but having said all that, come one!  Who just doesn’t get a kick outta being given a whoopin’ - or the semblance of one, anyway - when she could be doing something else in her free time, am I right?”

CRACK

The Chevalier officer was growing tired of Petty Layner’s incessant smartassery.  The girl had a habit of running her mouth at every chance she got, usually with the intent of aggravating her wardens as much as possible.  While the other two Pandoras she came in with were certainly far from pleasant company, Petty had gone out of her way to be as much of a bitch as she was able to be to both the guards and the other pseudo-inmates in the brig.  From what could be observed, Petty Layner’s vindictive bitchiness was akin to a fish in water - she was simply in her element and knew no other way to act around people.

“You’re certainly a piece of work, Miss Layner, I’ll give you that much,” replied the Chevalier officer.  “With a mouth like yours, it’s a small wonder you have any friends whatsoever.  I suppose the old saying holds true though, ‘Birds of a feather’ and all that.  Wolves usually tend to hunt and roam in packs.” Obviously, she was referring to the other two Pandoras who were locked up in the brig alongside Petty for their parts as accessories to the transgression.

“We’ve gone over your rap sheet, you know?” the officer stated as she twirled the chain in her hands playfully.

“Have you now?” asked Petty in response.  “Anything amusing in it?”

CRACK

“Quite a bit,” replied the officer.  “Numerous cases of assault, both among your fellow Pandoras and Limiters at other Genetics facilities before being reassigned to West Genetics.  Your handiwork is certainly sadistic, that practically goes without saying.  Broken bones, torn tendons and ligaments, severe bruising and internal bleeding, teeth knocked out, fractured eye sockets, fingers and toes either severed or barely hanging on.  The list is quite extensive.  But all done without killing any of your victims.  It’s somewhat remarkable in a way.”

“What can I say?” grumbled Petty.  “I aim to please.”  The grin in her voice was only too apparent, even if the officer couldn’t see her face directly as she reveled in hearing about her brutality.

CRACK

Petty grunted with a bit more gusto that time around, given that the chain went across the back of her neck on that hit.

“It’s a shame you can’t take that monstrous streak of yours and dedicate it more to your training and fighting off the Nova,” continued the officer.  “Somebody high up enough within the ranks of Chevalier must have your back to provide you the amount of ‘slaps on the wrist’ which you’ve gotten up to this point.  Under normal circumstances, you’d be expelled and barred from any and all Genetics facilities, have your stigmata removed, and probably be spending a lengthy prison sentence for your past aggressions.  The same for your cohorts.”

“Guess I have a guardian angel,” said Petty rather snarkily.  “Lucky me.”

CRACK CRACK

The officer brought the whip in a back-and-forth motion that time around, whipping Petty’s backside from the left and then the right in quick succession.

“Whatever will we do with you, Miss Layner?” sighed the officer upon completion of those last two whippings before proceeding to reach into her pants pocket and pull out a pack of cigarettes and a Zippo lighter with the Genetics logo printed on its side.  After a few flicks of the lighter, she lit up her cigarette and took a long, pleasurable drag from it, blowing a cloud in the air as she took in the results of her handiwork upon the temporary inmates backside.  At the moment, it was run rather raw and ragged at that point, though within a few hours, the skin and muscles would begin to automatically heal over.  The soreness would linger for a few days, but before long, the wounds would be practically nonexistent and the pain would die off completely after a few weeks.  Such was the marvel of the regenerative abilities of most Pandoras, with those like the legendary Roxanne Elipton being in a class of her own.

A moment later, the door opened up and in walked another Pandora.

The young woman had a somewhat blank look on her face as she sauntered her way through the doorway and inspected the room.  After a few seconds of taking in the entirety of the view, she turned to the Chevalier officer and spoke.

“How fares our tenant?  Are we making progress in readjusting her behavior?” asked the newly arrived Pandora.

“Still rather stubborn, Miss Lee.” replied the officer as she took another drag.  She then reached for her cigarettes and offered one, which was politely turned down with a raised open-palm gesture and a gentle shake of the head from Miss Lee.

“I see,” replied the newly-arrived Pandora as she eyed Petty up and down with a rather analytical look on her face.

“Just taking a break from disciplining her, ma’am,” replied the officer.  “I can get right back to it, if you like.”

“That won’t be necessary,” replied Miss Lee.  “In fact, I’d like to take over from here, if that’s alright with you.”

“Are you sure, ma’am?” asked the officer with a raised eyebrow.  “Because I honestly don’t mind finishing up here.”

“No, it’s quite alright,” stated Miss Lee somewhat curtly.  “I’ve got it from here.  Feel free to go check on one of the other two and see how they’re faring.  Or take a small walk through the halls, stretch your legs and all that.  I insist.”

“Alright, if you’re sure then,” acquiesced the Chevalier officer as she proceeded out the door.  “Anything happens, feel free to holler or hit the alarm button.”

“Will do,” replied Miss Lee.

That just left two Pandoras in the room once more, with Miss Lee circling around the other Pandora who was tied to the post.  After a minute or so of silence, Petty decided to strike up a conversation.

“So, you just gonna stand there and look at me then, toots?” asked Petty with a side-eyed glance.

A second later, Miss Lee walked up to Petty and did something the young woman wasn’t expecting:  Taking a key in hand, she proceeded to undo the shackles which had restrained the upstart Pandora and kept her locked up against the steel post.

“What gives, bitch?” asked Petty.  “You letting me escape or something?”

“Not at all, Miss Layner.” replied Miss Lee.  “I merely wanted to discipline you on my own terms, that’s all.  Oh, and it’s Su-Na Lee, not ‘bitch’ as you’ve so eloquently put it.  Now then, feel free to try and escape.”

“Come again?” asked a slightly bewildered Petty.

“You heard me, try and escape from this room,” replied Su-Na.  “If you can get out of this room, I promise not to pursue you, plain and simple.”

Deciding to take her chances, Petty made a dash for the door, when a second later, she found a hand around her throat and her body being thrown hard against the wall.  Crashing into it head-first, Petty coughed in spasms before getting her bearings and eyeing the Pandora who had just tossed her like a sack of flour.

“Well?” asked Su-Na.  “Please don’t tell me that’s all you’ve got.  From what your file indicated, you’re supposedly quite the fierce fighter.  If you want out of this room, you’re going to have to dispose of me first.”

“Challenge accepted, bitch!” growled Petty before getting back on her feet and revving up the stigmata in her body.  The sudden change in air pressure and air current indicated that she was getting ready to use her Acceleration, either to dodge around Su-Na or else blindside her and strike from either her flank or behind her.

For her part, Su-Na merely smirked at the display before speaking once more.

“Try to entertain me if possible, Miss Layner.”

Petty roared with animalistic fury before rapidly dashing in a zig-zag pattern, darting from one end of the room to another, trying to keep Su-Na guessing as to her position.  This continued for a few seconds before Petty decided to make her move.  Balling her fist, she swiped in rapidly aiming for Su-Na’s head, ready to strike her with a hit coming in at more than 760 miles an hour.

There was a brief explosion of air as the wind currents changed rapidly and Petty’s fist collided…with Su-Na’s open palm catching it comfortably and preventing it from making contact with the Korean Pandora’s lovely features.

“Double Acceleration, huh?” muttered Su-Na.  “You honestly thought that was going to be enough to catch me off guard?  Do you think so little of me, Miss Layner?”

Petty growled in response by balling up her other hand and preparing to strike with it, only for Su-Na to catch that fist as well, smirking calmly all the while.  Before Petty could think of a follow-up move, she suddenly found her nose being broken as Su-Na headbutted her.  As blood began pouring from her nostrils, Petty instinctively closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, growling all the while from the impact.  She then found herself being lifted up once more as Su-Na wrapped her hands around the woman’s throat and used her own Double Acceleration to dash forward into a wall, with Petty’s body slamming hard enough into it so as to create cracks in the concrete surface.

Suddenly, Petty Layner found herself gasping for air as Su-Na tightened her grip around the woman’s throat.  For a split second, she let up her grip and reverted to using her right forearm to pin Petty against the wall, keeping her left arm free in case Petty planned some kind of counterattack.  It was a smart move on Su-Na’s part, since Petty instinctively used her right arm to swipe at Su-Na’s head.  Said arm was immediately caught in mid-swipe, with Su-Na gripping Petty’s wrist as hard as she could.

“Not so fun when it’s you who’s the one gasping for air, is it?” inquired Su-Na with a smirk.  “Thought I’d help you appreciate the seriousness of what you put that Limiter through - the one whose throat you had your hands around not so long ago, remember?  That and the whole idea of karmic backlash and whatnot.”

“You…BITCH!” growled Petty through grit teeth and limited air (given that Su-Na still had her windpipe closed with her right forearm).

“I thought I told you, Miss Layner,” replied Su-Na, “it’s ‘Su-Na’ or ‘Miss Lee’.  We’ve gone over this.”  She then proceeded in one swift motion to crush Petty’s wrist with nothing but her bare hand, tightening her fingers around the limb with a force strong enough to bend steel.

If not for the soundproofing quality of the interrogation and torture rooms within the brig, Petty’s Layner’s screams would have been heard throughout the hallways running up and down the main corridor.  For her part, Su-Na merely winced slightly at how high the volume was in the upstart Pandora’s voice.

‘Little higher than I would have guessed,’ mused Su-Na at Petty’s vocal reaction.  ‘Guess she could be a soprano if she worked her vocal chords the right way.  I pegged her for more of an alto.’

Su-Na proceeded to keep her grip on Petty’s throat, letting up ever so slightly so as to allow the woman to breathe, but at the point where one would be breathing through a drinking straw.

“Now please, listen and listen well, Miss Layner,” stated Su-Na.  “I know what kind of person you are.  You are a full-blown, stone-cold psychopath, plain and simple.  Your file indicates as much, and the same can be said of the other two Pandoras who you normally associate with.  If not for those within Chevalier who have given you quite the generous pass for your past transgressions, you’d be serving a solid twenty-five years in solitary confinement at a minimum.  Now I know of your behavior as a mad-dog killer, because I’m not so different in a way.”

“That so?” muttered Petty through strained breathing.  “Could have fooled me.”

“The sarcasm in your reaction is much appreciated, Miss Layner.” replied Su-Na.  “You see, I believe that you and I are basically sociopaths at our very core.”

“Thought you said I was a psychopath?” grunted Petty.

“Ah, my apologies,” quipped Su-Na.  “I suppose that’s splitting hairs to some extent as for the differences between those two terms of classification.  If you’ll forgive my choice of words, since I’m not a licensed psychologist.  Either way, you, me, and those other two Pandoras you pal around with, we’re all damaged goods mentally speaking.”

“Then why side against us?” growled Petty.  “If you’re really like us, then shouldn’t you see us as your allies?  I’m sure you’d fit right in.”

“Because I was saved by a man whom I owe my life to, that’s why,” answered Su-Na.  “And I’ll be damned if I let a bunch of wild dogs like the three of you try to threaten the peace of this school with your wayward displays of aggression.  If it were up to me, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.  I’d simply walk into this room, break your neck, harvest your stigmata, and have your body either torched or dumped into a landfill.  But it’s not my call to make.  Having said all that, please do not misunderstand.”  Su-Na leaned in towards Petty’s face so that their noses were practically touching one another.

“If I hear word of you doing anything like what you did to that Limiter before coming here, I WILL hunt you down like the wild dog that you are, and I WILL put you down myself.  If I’m given the go-ahead from the chairman, you’ll be able to count your hours left on this world with one hand, understood?” Su-Na’s eyes were laser-focused on Petty as she laid out these terms.

Petty simply nodded her head in agreement, moving her neck as much as possible (what with Su-Na’s arm still pressed against it and all).

“I’ll hear you say it,” growled Su-Na.

“Fine,” grumbled Petty.  “I’ll be on my best behavior, yatta yatta, et cetera, et cetera.  Scout’s honor and all that good stuff.”

“Don’t test my patience, Miss Layner,” replied Su-Na as she loosened her grip on Petty somewhat.  “The way I see it, I think the next Nova Clash that happens in our part of the world, I’ll do what I can to make sure that you and your cohorts are on the frontline of the battlefield.  Because the way I see it, it’s a win-win situation no matter how it pans out in the end.”

“How do ya figure that?” Petty retorted.

“If you three win the battle, then that’s another Nova threat which has been driven off and more peoples’ lives saved.  And if one or more of you happen to fall in battle, then that’s one less mad-dog killer I have to keep an eye on.  So no matter how I look at it, it’s win-win.” stated Su-Na in a calmer tone of voice.

Releasing her hold on Petty, Su-Na proceeded to make her way towards the door when she heard a distinct glow from behind her, turning around, she saw Petty Layner become enveloped in bright light as her hair went from its dark blue hue to shining white while her irises lit up with a  magnificent golden glow and light blue rings of light encircled her wrists and ankles.

“Pandora Mode, huh?” inquired Su-Na with a raised eyebrow.  “Alright, I owe you more credit than I gave you initially.”

“Never turn your back on an enemy who you haven’t fully beaten, bitch,” replied Petty with a toothy grin and murder in her eyes.  Already her wounds began to heal all along her body, both the immediate injuries she got from Su-Na as well as the whippings she received earlier.

Petty charged forth with a mad crazy dash, running forward faster than the human eye could process.  In one smooth motion, she brought her fist back and punched straight forward, aiming for Su-Na’s head.  She would have proceeded to pop the woman’s skull with such a punch as indeed her arm made contact with her target’s head.

Or more accurately speaking, her fist made contact with the head of her target’s after-image, followed by the wall of the interrogation room.

‘What the hell?’ thought Petty at that moment.  ‘Was that…Illusion Turn?’

Petty stood there shocked for a moment before she sensed a presence right behind her.  Turning as fast as she could, she spotted Su-Na with her own balled up fist, ready to let loose with her own punch.  The Korean beauty simply said two words before letting her own punch fly hard into Petty’s temple and everything (from Petty’s perspective) went black:

“Nice try.”

A moment later, a pair of Chevalier officers - one of them the interrogating officer from earlier before Su-Na entered the room - dashed through the door to see what the commotion was all about.

“Miss Lee,” said one of the alarmed security personnel, “what happened?  Are you alright?”

“I’m just fine, ladies,” replied Su-Na with a calm grin.  “Nothing to worry about here.”

“How did the inmate get free?” asked the other guard.  “I could have sworn her restraints were secure.”

“I’m the one who let her out of them,” Su-Na answered as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“W-why would you do that, Miss?” asked the first guard.

“I felt like administering my own punishment on her, only I prefer to give my prey a fighting chance.  That way I don’t have to hold back too much or feel bad after doling out the punishment.  Please don’t fret over this affair, ladies.  I had everything under control and there’s no permanent damage done to her.  I wager that in twenty-four hours that most of her injuries should heal up well enough.” said Su-Na.

Both of the Chevalier guards looked at one another, figuring that they best not press the Korean Pandora too much on the rumble which had just occurred, for two reasons in particular.  The first reason was that Su-Na Lee was Gengo Aoi’s personal attendant, meaning that she had the chairman’s ear and he would defer to whatever she told him over that of a pair of typical Chevalier Pandoras (at least in this situation anyway).  The second reason was that Su-Na’s reputation throughout Genetics and Chevalier was rather pronounced.  The woman was the top-ranking Pandora in her class globally, meaning she was an outright powerhouse in a class of her own.  The only other Pandoras at West Genetics who could come close to matching Su-Na in overall fighting capability would be Chiffon Fairchild or the other members of the top five ranking 3rd-year Pandoras on the global scene.

“V-very well then, Miss Lee,” replied the second Chevalier guard.  “Will there be anything else you need of us while you’re here?”

“No, I’ve finished what I’ve come here to do.  I’ll be taking my leave then.  Best to get back to Chairman Aoi and see if he has need of my services.  Good day then, ladies.  Keep up the good work.”  Su-Na waved politely with a close-eyed grin as she headed out the door.  As she made her way down the halls, she said one more thing to the guards.

“Oh, and sorry about the walls.  I’ll make sure to send down a cleanup crew to patch up the cracks and wipe up the blood.”

And with that, Su-Na Lee was gone, leaving the two guards staring at one another, the wreckage done to the interrogation room/torture chamber and down at Petty Layner’s unconscious form, passed out and bleeding from her eyes, nose and ears, with a rather distinctly fresh episode of swelling forming on one side of her head from a high-speed punch driven directly into her temple.

Realizing that it would be a while before Petty came out of her unconscious state, the two guards proceeded to carry her back to her cell, each one of them grabbing the woman by the arm and semi-dragging her down the hallway to her temporary home.

“Remind me never to get on Su-Na’s bad side EVER,” said one of the guards as they walked.

“No kidding,” replied the other.  “Though she’s a bit of an odd bird in terms of socializing, she manages to hide that monstrous side of her pretty well.  She’s practically the Chiffon Fairchild of her own graduating class - as beautiful and courteous as she is terrifying and dangerous.”