Loki’s Successor System

Jin and Ashton were incarcerated behind thick, metal bars of absolute solitary. They had futuristic handcuffs cuffed to their wrists; restraining them from full body freedom.

The prison cell was egregious. The single toilet in there was leaking; causing sewage water to douse the dirty, stone tiles. The one light in the ceiling had lost power. There were drawings—blood used as ink—left by previous meta prisoners on the concrete walls.

Ashton was shaken by the presentation of the prison cell. He curled up in a corner; shivering in the cold. He had not thought about the consequences of smashes those heads. And now, he was paying for it.

Jin sat down on the bottom part of the double-decker bed. He was waiting. Waiting patiently for Officer Alessandro, who had promised to let them free.

Ashton looked down at his wrists. "Why are these handcuffs necessary? Aren't we already in our cells?"

"Magic," Jin said, "they don't want us using magic here to escape. These cuffs disable your ability to use magic."

"Ohh," recognition dawned on Ashton's face, "That's what this is? I thought these cuffs were only available at Metaprison. We're only at some random police station."

"They know about my possession of a teleportation ability," Jin said, "Should these cuffs get turned off; they know I'll be able to get outta here. And my withdrawal—as the murderer of over two hundred men—is not something they want."

Ashton heaved. "I guess we might get transferred to Metaprison, after all. They still haven't assigned us to a prison yet. But I have a great feeling that Metaprison is the place we're gonna be."

Jin looked at him. "It's not likely that they're gonna send a human to Metaprison. If we are to be assigned to this prison; only I will be taken there."

Ashton quailed. He certainly did not want that fate for his friend. But, of course, he had no idea what he would do to prevent it. "This isn't fair. It's all my fault."

Jin grimaced. "C'mon, Ash, cut me the crap."

"I'm being serious," Ashton continued, "it's really my fault. I didn't want the battle to stop. I know well that you could've ended it much earlier by taking out the cloner as you suggested. But I insisted on prolonging the battle.

"Now, because of my selfishness, we're going to be locked up for the rest of our days. Forever. This country despises the usage of magic, if the user isn't a licensed police or soldier. We're doomed, Jin. I'm sor—"

"For the last time," Jin chimed in, "cut me the crap. We're not going to Metaprison. Quit being pessimistic for a change."

"We aren't?"

"We aren't," Jin consoled, "that Italian Officer, Alessandro. He'll be back here soon enough. He's already gotten his rank points for turning us in. But he isn't satisfied with just that. He wants to be assure himself that he is the greatest teleportation user.

"Having seen me use it like that earlier today; his power was challenged. Now, all he wants is a fight. A battle. He promises to let us go free afterward."

"How can you be so sure about that? What if you fight him and somehow win; and he throws you back in prison out of resentment?"

Jin looked up at the ceiling. "You're not understanding these cops, Ash. These cops only became cops for power. Justice isn't a thing they want at all. With this power; they all endeavor their ways up to the very top via ranking up.

"But many of them don't care about ranking up at all. They are misfits. Power-abusers who cannot be predicted. They are like kids; doing whatever they consider 'fun' with their power. Alessandro is gonna let us out. And just in case he fights me and puts me back in jail, regardless of me being the winner—I have a trick up my sleeve," Jin smirked.

Ashton looked at him again, elevating a brow. "What trick might that be?"

Jin retained his smirk. "You'll see soon enough. We don't want them listening in on our plans, do we? As a tiny hint, just remember that hotdog I stole and ate earlier."

Ashton grimaced; wrinkling in confusion. "What's a hotdog got to do with this dire situation in front of us? That's the dumbest thing I've heard all day, Jin."

"Men who perform stupid deeds are the men I wish to comply with the very most," sounded a voice from ahead.

Both Jin and Ashton shifted their focus to the prison cell. It was Alessandro. As soon as he had appeared; the air around them felt ominous and dark.

Alessandro smirked. "Surprise to be me so soon, boys? I'm sorry, I just could not wait a second longer. I am overly eager for this time of day. Are you eager as well, pretty young one?"

Jin had assumed he was talking to him. He kept a glare to his face; not taking his eyes off of the Officer. After all, the officers weren't any better than criminals themselves.

Suddenly, the prison cell opened autonomously. Alessandro remained in the way; blocking the exit. He kept a strange grin to his face; that shouted trouble for Jin. Just by one look, Jin could tell that this man was out of his league.

Ashton stood, finding it difficult to push his glasses higher up his nose with the handcuffs on. "You better not be tricking us, mister. I am certainly not a fool either. And I request that I get my bat back before I leave."

Alessandro chuckled. "Fine, dear," he disappeared and reappeared with the bat in his hands. "Here it is. They were going to burn it."

Ashton kept his brows furrowed. "Alright. Now free us this instant!"

"Funny," said Alessandro, "I never took you as the bold one."

Ashton glared. "I don't like cops."

Alessandro glared back. "And I don't like orders from the weak."

"Well?" Jin raised a brow. "Are you gonna free us or not?"

Alessandro chuckled. "Ohh, my apologies," he bowed, and then moved aside. "Come on. I won't hurt you … at least not yet."

Jin started walking; Ashton pursued his path. He walked out of the prison cell, and walked past Alessandro, who was twice as tall as him. He had to be at least eleven foot tall. Jin stopped; turning to Alessandro.

Alessandro looked down at him, smiling. "Is there something else you want?" Knowingly, he still asked this question.

Jin simply raised his restrained arms—hinting at the presence of his handcuffs. Jin kept a glare to his gaze. He did not for one second trust this police officer.

Alessandro pretentiously placed a hand on his mouth. "O! That totally slipped me. I'll go get them turned off right now." He simply vanished for about five seconds, and reappeared right where he stood before. "That should do it," he said, smirking.

Jin and Ashton's handcuffs kept getting looser until the red LED lights on them had turned blue. From the time the lights became blue; the handcuff opened out and fell to the floor, clinging loudly.

Jin smirked. Remembering the bread he had eaten from earlier, he just couldn't help but smirk. "See ya," he said, swiftly placing a hand upon Ashton.

In an instant, he was there, in the other—he was gone. Jin and Ashton had disappeared. Suddenly the alarms sounded. Police officers came rushing in search of the escapees.

An officer shouted at Alessandro. "I saw the cameras! You killed the members of security unit seven; and freed those new prisoners. You're not gonna get away with—" suddenly the man's words were cut short from the time his head got ripped from his body. The now dead man hadn't seen the perpetrator of his death.

Alessandro teleported seven times as soon as the security guards had come rushing into the room. Then, finally, he returned to his initial spot; blood dripping from his hands. Focused, he stared mortally at the two handcuffs on the ground.

He heard bodies collapsing all around him. This he neglected. He focused on the hand cuffs on the floor. "Cheerio, Jin—a new I won't forget. Cheerio indeed. For now though. The deceptive doesn't end here; because I myself have gone out of my way to deceive you."

He smirked. "All I have to do now is use my computer to locate the trackers I've placed on their necks. And finally … I'll," he licked his eyes, "get my battle with them. I'll make them my toys!"

Looking back; Ashton and Jin saw that Alessandro had disappeared from the road; and reappeared in front of them again; blocking them from running for the bushes. Jin knew that there would have been a good reason as to why he would waste his energy teleporting trivially. However, he hadn't wasted any energy at all. He had placed trackers on their necks when they had least expected it.

"I cannot wait to battle you Jin," uttered Alessandro with laughing eyes, "you and your friend are such interesting beings. I certainly cannot wait. Deception will dawn."