Mel stared at the man in front of her in silence.
Looking at the elusive doctor standing in front of her, one word came to mind.
" Arrogant."
Even the prison Warden was cowed in his presence.
And the Guardians, the Dominion's pride—reduced to a joke.
The fearsome elite of the Dominion, cowed by a single man. It was ridiculous abd incredibly amusing.
But it was understandable though.
The man himself, was quite the the enigma. His very existence was legendary. So much so that the records about him were a tightly kept secret.
And he also happened to be her benefactor.
In fact she could easily picture the envious looks most of the other unfortunate souls in the Dominion would make if they found out about it.
"Do you know how many years you could spend in this place before your execution?" He asked incredulously.
She stared at him expressionlessly.
" Are you even listening?" He asked, palming his face in visible frustration.
"Well, he's certainly quite the actor. "
He was really good. So good that if she didn't know who she was dealing with she'd probably have fallen for his act as well.
But for qhat it was worth, she was listening.
She was just waiting for the relevant part of the conversation.
The good doctor was quite the artist.
The world, his canvas. He was so adept at mixing the lies with the truth that the line between the too blurred just enough to make even falsehoods plausible.
The man was execceptionally adept at deception and even that much more skilled at manipulating his enemies.
Sometimes even she was fooled by y his exceptional abilities.
He threw up his hands in exasperation.
" You're quite something you know that."
The doctor let out a sigh, shaking his head.
Staring up at her, with a somber gaze, he elegantly clasoed his arms behind the back.
" Fortunately for you, I managed to convince them not to execute you and they agreed on one condition... "
For the first time since he'd entered her cell, the doctor had her full undivided attention.
Almost as if he could look beyond the impassive mask she wore, he smiled.
" I see, I'ce piqued your interest."
Mel slowly shifted her gaze upwards, piercing with an icy chilling gaze.
She stared him at him silently for a few moments.
But sadly, he was right. Abd it was probably better than setting in the metallic contraption for the entirety of the day.
" Well? " she asked evenly.
" What condition must I fulfill to get out of this place?"
The doctor's lips curled into a small triumphant smile for a split second. Immediately hear adopted a solemn expression, his voice turning somber.
" The condition is you must participate in Broadcast. The second auditions are coming up soon. Of course, I'llmake sure you're well taken care of. You are quite dear to me after all."
Mel's expressionless mask cracked for a split second.
" That barbaric show?" She asked silently.
The doctor let out a sigh, nodding wearily. Suddenly it seemed like he'd aged several years. To anyone else, it must have looked like a father sending his daughter to the gallows, theoretically speaking of course. She couldn't imagine a cruelest joke.
Of course, she knew this was all an act, on his part.
He was the one that had taught her after all.
She'd learned from the very best.
And now one convenient mistake, had cost her everything she'd steadily built over the years.
It was ironic but sadly there was nothing she could do to chabge that particular outcome. For all her brilliance, she'dprobably still make the sane decision if she had to do it all over again.
Even in that elusive game known as chess, in the end, there could only be one king.
And this time, she'd lost.
Through the haze of thoughts running through her mind, she could vaguely hear him droning on in the background.
"...It was the only way I could get them to avert your sentence. If you agree, then you'll have another chance. "
Mel turned her gaze away from the doctor.
If it had been any other person, they'd have probably bought the act, but not her.
"Well, what do you think? We'll—"
"I'll do it. "
In truth, she had already made up her mind. It was tucked out of this place.
Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw it.
The small slip in his ever present mask of lies.
The doctor was surprised.
Usually she'd refuse.
Death was better than going along with anything that the man standing before her had planned.
The mysterious doctor was a spider at the centre of an intricate web and his unwitting victims often didn't realize that they were trapped in his web until it was too late.
But she wouldn't be one of his unwitting victims.
Not this time.
Glancing up, her cold violet eyes boring into his own.
"I'll do it. I'll play this game of yours."
The doctor smiled, his cold grey eyes lighting up for a moment.
He silentlly nodded at her.
He strode out of the cell.
A few moments later, she heard the Warden's startled gasp.
The Warden barked furiously.
Seconds later, the restraints to the contraption holding her slowly came undone.
The sound of metallic humming filled the room, the intricate locks holding her, opening with a hissing sound.
The doctor stepped back into the cell with thin a smile.
"Come. We're leaving."
****
ONE WEEK LATER…
The arena slowly reconfigured itself morphing and changing according to the BRASS's design.
Mel watched the entire process in curiosity.
As an Enforcer, she'd watched the Entries enter the arena countless times but she'd never gotten the opportunity herself.
From what she could tell, the arena itself was a marvel of technology.
The BRASS and the Dominion rigged the two dead continents to do their bidding, something that was supposed to be entirely impossible.
Vivid holograms materialized, the land masses shifting erratically.
The Earth surged beneath their feet, parts of it sinking then rising before their very eyes.
For the first time in a very long time, Mel felt…strange.
"Am I excited?"
It was a truly interesting notion.