A containment facility in Neo-Tokyo (PL 1)

A girl with wiry hair and strange calloused skin bashes into the bars of the cell with her shoulder. She's thrown back, and clutches her shoulder. Soon however, the callous on her shoulder hardens, and she smashes into it again. While its only barely budged, its clear she can destroy it eventually in a battle of attrition.

A nearby guard approaches her. "Hey, # 2738, stop that racket. It's late and you're disturbing the other prisoners." As a higher ranking officer passes by he stands up straight and gives him a polite salute before turning back towards the girl.

The girl yells at the high-ranking officer as he passes to try and get his attention, "Hey, wait!" She gulps, and continues, "When are you letting me out of here?"

The sound of boots can be heard echoing down the halls of the containment facility. They slowly grow louder, as the footsteps come closer to the girl's cell. Stepping from beyond the view of her bars, a tall man wearing a lab coat and surly face steps up to the bars. He gives her a condescending smirk, "Hello, miss." His graying hair is slicked back and his face is heavily wrinkled, with sunken eyes and the left half of his face appears paralyzed, with his lips slightly drooping and his left eye only half open. "My name is Otaka Umichi. It is a pleasure to meet you. Are you hungry? Thirsty?" He snaps his fingers and a nervous looking boy steps into view, holding a tray of comestibles. He stoops down and puts it onto the floor, just out of reach of the cell. "If so, I need only but one question answered: what is your name?" He gives a half smile, his tar-stained and crooked teeth at the fore as his smoke-smelling breath chokes the air.

She frowns at him suspiciously, then clears her throat. "An honorable warrior does not hide their identity, I am Chiyoko Mimura," she says as her stomach growls, and she sneaks a glance at the food.

Otaka nods and motions to the boy, who pushes the tray under a small opening in the bottom of the cell. "Now then, since we know each other's names- I am the head of the Department of Research a for the Dome. Who are you?" He continues to watch the girl intently, his left eye seeming to laze further left.

As the food is passed to her, she takes a moment to bow to the bow, "Itadakimasu," she says. She reaches for it hungrily, but then stops herself, and grabs a pair of chopsticks from the tray. She sits cross-legged, and between mouthfuls of food she replies to Otaka, "I already said I was a warrior. And one day, an honorable Bushi."

"Hm. A warrior, eh? But you seem more than a mere human. Mutant, more like." His eyes run over her calloused skin. He watches as she eats and drinks, continuing his disgusting smile. "You see, Ms. Mimura, I like mutants. Most other people within the Dome finds them detestable abominations- and many are- but they fail to realize the potential they possess. What better way to conduct artificial evolution that by studying what nature can do? Scientists like myself have always observed the magnificent wonders nature can make and we simply strive to artificially reproduce them or augment and enhance them. To make the human race thrive out there in the wastes and reclaim what is ours, we must adapt; science is the answer. Let nature make changes to the genome in individuals, find and isolate the traits you want, refine them, then add it to our own. And I want your help doing this. So, tell me, what powers do you possess?"

She glances up at Otaka, and look of consternation crosses her face. "Do you people in the dome not consider mutants human?" she asks.

"Unfortunately, many here don't; you are right." Otaka puts a hand to his chest with pride, "But I am an outlier; an eccentric. On the contrary, I believe mutants like yourself are more human- better humans. Humans nature has endowed with amazing gifts. I am here to share what nature has gifted you and many others to everyone else unfortunate enough to not get the same kind of love." He leans slightly closer, "So, now, what can you do? I'm dying to know."

She touches a point on her stomach, "A dart struck me here yesterday. If someone tries to fire another dart here, it wont pierce my skin. Whenever my skin is damaged, it recovers very quickly, and when it does, it grows back much tougher. This usually takes about a day," Chiyoko explains.

"Hm." Otaka strokes his chin. "How does it fair against internal attacks?" He points to the food and drink she is consuming, "I've laced it with a potent poison that, coincidentally, takes about a day to kill its victim." He raises a hand from behind his back, "And only I have the antidote." He leans ever closer, his pungent breath fouling her food, "So, think real hard before you answer my last question: will you come to my lab once you are let out of here?" His smile disappears, and his left eye seems to refocus on the girl, also seemingly interested in her answer. "Please?"

With practiced speed and precision she attempts to grab Otaka's shirt, and pull his head against the bars, and with considerable strength that is now apparent from her biceps. "An honorable Bushi would die before they worked with snakes like you! And I mean all of you, men who imprisoned me too!" she forcefully lets go of him as she continues to yell, "We eat whatever we can find in the wastelands, you think I havent eaten poisonous food before?" she asks before jamming two fingers down her throat, and begins forcing herself to puke.

Otaka shakes his head and rubs where it hit the bars. "Ah. I see. You think me 'dishonorable' simply because of what I have had to do to help out all humanity. I'm guessing you've never been able to enjoy the amenities of the Dome, but I assure you it is merely a smokescreen for the hell behind the curtains. If I don't do what I do, some even less savory individual would take my place. You deny me, you injure me, but I will not retaliate. If I were any other department head, I would have you tortured to within an inch of your life and then thrown back in here. I simply want to help humans, to help end the suffering of them all- 'pure' humans and mutants alike. So I would kindly ask you to reconsider my proposition, and understand that I try to to the best for all with the least amount of suffering I can." He turns and begins to leave, before stopping and slightly looking back. "I'll bring you some fresh food tomorrow. And don't worry, it will be safe next time." He continues forward, his boots echoing away until they fade into the distance.

Chiyoko wipes her mouth, and with another grunt, she punches the bars, spitting to the side. "Bastard..!" She grunts, before glancing around, and rubbing her heavily calloused shoulder, "We'll see about that.." she murmers.

"Hey fresh meat!" A tanned man of foreign descent shouts from across the corridor. He's sitting on the floor of his cell, leaning against the cold concrete wall carelessly. While he is distinctly not Japanese his facial features betray an Asian heritage. Furthermore, he speaks with a strange thick accent. "Hey, sapo, that's right I'm talking to you!" he hollers loudly.

Chiyoko's lip curls into a snarl, and she looks the man up and down, "What?" she responds with irritation.

"What are you in for? A little feo sapo like you doesn't seem capable of assaulting someone. Did you steal? Woo some unlucky bastard out of his lunch?" the incarcerated foreigner gives Chiyoko a toothless grin and lets out a slight chuckle.

Chiyoko cocks a brow, and clears her throat, "An honorable warrior does not steal or harm innocents. I got mixed up with the purity crusades, and was dragged here," she replies as she glances around and sighs, slumping against the wall, looking over to the foreigner, "You?" she asks.

"Eh, the usual. Arson, larceny, and a bit of terrorism," he mutters nonchalantly before looking at the girl curiously "by the way, what the hell is a 'purity crusade'?".

Chiyoko narrows her eyes, "A terrorist? So a warrior without honor?" she asks. "The purity crusade are a group of bastards who burn mutants whenever they see them."

"Terrorist is merely the label those Jap dogs gave me. In truth, I am a freedom fighter! Battling for the independence of my people and the values of true democracy like the fabled Americanos of old." the man whispers nostalgically. "It is a travesty what your people are inflicting upon you. It was after all, gifted individuals such as yourself who turned the tide of the 2nd war in the favor of the Neo-Tokyans. And know look upon you, imprisoned and humiliated at their leisure." the foreign terrorist chuckles at the irony. "My name is Emilio, second in command of Los Hermanos de Libertad. And you are, Ms...?" he asks courteously.

"Chiyoko Mimura, follower of Bushido. So long as you didn't raise a weapon against innocents, I'll believe your story. These men aren't exactly trustworthy, one even tried to poison me," she responds. Her gaze softens, and she seems to noticeably relax. "I heard about that war, I think my father fought in it. I don't know what an 'Americano' is though," she says.

"How could your family not teach you about the legacy of the Americans? They were a complicated people both conquerors and saviors. They helped my people earn freedom from colonists yet, in the end, seized control for themselves. Nevertheless, let not the actions of the few mar your opinion of the many. For while the Japanese brutally attacked my nation and stripped my people of liberty I blame your corrupt regime rather than the people such as you. The American nation stood for equality and representation of the common man amongst the government unlike the oligarchic regime of your governing 'Council of Thieves'. We Filipinos hoped to recreate a great democratic state here among the isles of Asia yet the Dome brought ruin to our dreams. Now we fight on por libertad o muerte. Why were you so unjustly locked away here? Don't these 'purity crusades' burn mutants?" he ponders compassionately.

"There was no reason I was locked in here. That's why it was unjust," Chiyoko says as she sidles up closer to the bars, listening to Emilio intently. She glances around the hall, checking for guards, before continuing, "That's why I'm trying to escape. There are bad men here, one even tried to poison me, and he's coming back," she mutters as loud as she dares.