Chapter 18 part 1

Matias

He could feel the aching pain coming from all around his body before he even opened his eyes. His back and knees were sore and the had many wounds scattered up and down his body, both new and old.

When he opened his eyes his vision was blurry. He lifted a hand to hold in front of his eyes, his arm cracking painfully while he did so.

He stared at his unfocused hands. He continued to stare at his fingertips, squinting and then widening his eyes in an attempt to make his vision even slightly better.

Finally, after a few minutes of trying, he got his eyes to focus.

He let his hand back down and stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling above him. It was a light beige color and was filled with stains.

The stains were both big and small, dark and light. It was nothing like you'd see in a typical house.

The shock started to set in as he felt the bed he was laying on with his hands. It was nearly rock hard and he wasn't graced with a pillow or blanked.

He gritted his teeth as a headache began to pound in his head.

He moved his neck slowly to the side, trying to observe the room.

The walls were the same ugly and stained color as the ceiling, and the floors were grey concrete.

There was a sink only a few feet from the bed and beside it was a toilet that couldn't look more unsanitary.

It wasn't until he had already observed the rest of the room that he fully registered the bars that replaced the fourth wall of the room.

The officers put him in fucking prison.

He didn't remember even coming to the prison, or anyone even so much as mentioning taking him here.

He assumed they took him when he fell asleep, but he didn't remember doing that either.

Suddenly a large banging came from nearby, though Matias couldn't see the source of the sound. After the obnoxious echoing of the sound—which he assumed was a metal door slamming shut— he heard footsteps.

They were slow steps, but seemed to get closer and closer before Matias could fully register what was going on.

Eventually, coming from a hallway that Matias couldn't see down, four officers appeared.

There were three male officers, one of which looked particularly agitated, and one female officer.

When they got closer to the cell the female officer, who had slightly distracting platinum blonde hair, hand up a two-way radio and spoke into it.

"He's awake" she said calmly.

Matias took a moment to register who she was talking about. He didn't feel like he was actually in the cell, that he was actually a prisoner.

When he snapped back into the reality, the reality where he was locked up in a cell, he finally sat up.

Even the simple action was painful in all kinds of ways. Matias had to pause a couple of times when the pain got particularly bad, mainly in his stomach, where he had been stabbed.

One of the four stepped closer to the cell, still looking annoyed and something unknown.

Matias couldn't help but notice the other three officers making faces at one another as he did this, but chose to ignore it.

When the officer was close enough to the cell, no more that four feet from the bars, he paused. He didn't move or say anything, so Matias took the initiative.

"Why am I here?" He somewhat scowled, failing to hide the anger in his voice.

The man laughed dryly for a short second before his face became serious again.

"Are you kidding?" He asked humorlessly. "Why are you, the villain who killed people, stole from people, committed disgusting crimes, in prison?"

Matias noticed the irony of his question. To these cops, he was an awful person. But something in the officers tone still annoyed him. Still made his itch with anger.

"I didn't commit any crimes" he spat back, growing more and more irritated.

The officer laughed once again.

Matias grit his teeth, but didn't speak.

"Listen, I've heard all about how you lied to Officer Hinton, and I won't let you do the same to me. We are all aware of your history" he argued, getting louder with every word until he was nearly yelling.

Matias was about to respond when the other three officers stepped forward, turning the one he was arguing with around to talk to them.

He couldn't hear what they were saying, but Matias could tell they were all on edge. Probably having some kind of disagreement.

Suddenly, the man he was arguing with stepped away sharply and made his way out, to somewhere Matias couldn't see.

The other officers all glanced around at one another, worried and upset looks on their faces.

When they had all taken a breath and gave one last glance at one another they stepped forward towards Matias's cell.

"Is the hero okay?" Matias asked suddenly before any of the officers could say a word.

They all shifted awkwardly, but none of them dared to look at one another. They each stared either at the floor below them, a nearby wall, or the disgusting ceiling above their heads.

Matias scoffed and rolled his eyes slightly. He couldn't even ask a simple question without police's minds going to the worst.

"I just want to know if he's okay. Is he in critical condition?" He asked softer than before.

The female officer cleared her throat and held a hand up to her stomach briefly before letting it drop back to her side.

"He is fine" she said shyly. "He lost a lot of blood, but overall will be okay"

The two male officers looked at her with half-crazy expressions, but didn't say anything.

Matias nodded slowly.

He kept his appearance seemingly calm, but could feel his fingers start to twitch and his heart speed up.

When he was in the alley he remembered so vividly the awful condition Samuel was in. He could still imagine the blood oozing around his fingers and the distant look in his eyes with pinpoint accuracy.

Now he couldn't help but imagine him being perfectly fine again. As if the fight had never happened. He knew how unrealistic the thought was, that Samuel was unhurt and enjoying his life at the hospital, but the idea brought him comfort.

"How about the new villain?" He asked abruptly.

The officers, like they had already done multiple times already, made worried expressions all while avoiding any sort of eye contact with the villain, Matias.

"I don't.. associate.. with her—at all" he hurriedly explained, "I just want to make sure she hasn't attacked or anything" he confirmed, suddenly nervous.

The idea of them, or anyone really, thinking he worked with the new villain–Meera– made him sick to his stomach. Knowing what she had done and the people she killed, he couldn't bear the thought of him participating in it.

This time it was the taller of the male cops to spoke up.

"Nobody has seen her" he answered quickly and blandly.

Matias nodded, though relief rushed through his veins. Surely with Samuel being in the hospital and him being in prison if she were to attack there wouldn't be anyone to fight back.

There were the police, sure, but most of them wouldn't dare to try and defend against her.

He was unsure of what to say next. He had already calmed his nerves regarding the hero and the new villain. The only other thing worrying him was Ellie, but he couldn't ask about her.

He knew she was with that lady who said she was taking care of Ellie while Samuel was out, but it had been days now. What if she isn't safe for Ellie to be around for that long?

The idea of her being in danger was soon pushed out of his mind when he remembered the officer who had escorted him into the hospital.

He saw the three cops debating what to say next, about to speak up, so he quickly spit out his question before they could say anything more.

"The bald officer, the one who had escorted me into the hospital" he paused.

The three raised their eyebrows at him, but didn't interrupt.

"Where is he?" He finally finished.

If he were going to explain himself to anyone—regarding his 'crimes', him being the villain, why he ran off into the hospital, or anything else— it was going to the him.

He was certain the bald man was the one who allowed him to be taken to this god forsaken prison, but Matias still trusted him, oddly enough.

He trusted him more than the other officers at least.

The third officer, the only one who hadn't addressed Matias yet, opened his mouth to answer, and then closed it in hesitation.

"His name is Officer Hinton" he finally answered.

He hesitated once again.

"He is at the hospital at the moment" he continued after taking a breath.

Matias nodded, "will he be here anytime soon?"

"Sometime in the next few hours" the female officer interrupted. "But we really should be going now"

She half-smiled all while still not looking Matias in the face.

He turned around and made her way back to the hallway that they had come from, ushering the other two to follow her, whispering something to the them along the way.

Matias signed. He was out of questions anyways, but them leaving only allowed his mind to wander.

All kinds of potential situations popped into his mind. What if the new villain just started attacking, killing as many as she had before. Maybe even killing double.

What if Ellie was being taken care of poorly by that lady, not to mention his worried she must be about her father.

And then what if Samuels injuries are worse than they're letting on? What if he dies in the hospital? Wouldn't it largely be Matias's fault if he did?

In the midst of all his horrifying thoughts he laid himself back down on the stiff bed. His wounds seemed to hurt less while he was distracted by his busy mind.

Sometime while he was thinking, his mind consumed by awful situations, he must've drifted off.

He was startled awake after an amount of time he didn't know by the sound of a heavy metal door slamming nearby followed by footsteps that filled his quiet cell.

He sat up, gritting his teeth at the pain coming primarily from his stomach once again, and looked out of his cell.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours of listening to slow, patient footsteps, a man walked out of a hallway.

His uniform was wrinkled, but overall clean. It had clearly been worn for a long day, but was well kept.

He walked in long, confident strides and it was clear that he had plenty of muscle under his uniform.

Most importantly though, to Matias at least, was the bald head that he had. It shined lightly against the annoyingly bright lights he was under, but Matias couldn't help but be glad to see it.

It was Officer Hinton.

When he reached the cell, staring a disapproving hole into Matias's forehead, Matias stood and walked over to the bars.

Matias hardly noticed the pain as he was determined to talk to the man. About what he wasn't exactly sure, but he knew a discussion was needed.

The two stood no more that three feet apart—each just slightly over a foot from the bars— but they were in entirely different worlds. Entirely different positions.

Matias was inside the cell, trapped, and Officer Hinton was outside the cell, the one who trapped him.

-------------------------------------------------------------

It's late but it's here!