The Warden by Nehan Shinzui

Tokai za-nai.

The City of the Dead.

There were eight thousand nine hundred and seventy prisoners in Tokai za-nai the world's most impreganable prison. It lay in the middle of some far off desert or tundra--something of that nature. Nobody but the Royal Holy Guard Family really knew. Though, the warden thought, he wasn't sure exactly if Natalya had been able to figure it out, seeing as he hadn't shown her around that much like he'd had Nate. He had been hoping for her to get lost in the labyrinth. That would have been a lot less...unsettling he chose to call it. The prison was a complicated series of tunnels six stories under the top of the first division of the prison, which was called the "Border". The Border was a small, almost bungalow-like building surrounded by a lyche and a barb wire fence. There are only about fifteen people that live in the Border. They are called the Watchers;and they are there to congratulate the people that escape. No guards are really needed to protect Tokai za-nai. Once you enter the tunnels all that you need to get destroyed is your mind and your emotions.

The Watchers have never been able to congratulate anyone.

xxxxxxxxzxzxzxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

xxxxxxxzxzxzxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The Warden has three children that he knows of; his oldest, Natalie had been a fluke--she was little more than an idiot, unable to keep up with the daily life of the City. She'd killed herself shortly after her mother died, mimicking the latter's choice in suicide. He'd had two others before Adalyia (1) died--Natalya and Nate II. There had been some promise in Natalya at first; she could maintain a level head in serious situations and it was obvious she was a genius worthy of handling the prison when she was older. That had all changed when Nate had turned five. The boy had shown extreme evidence of a genius that far surpassed that of his sister and his mother who had been the sister of the Eleventh Queen, thus having the right to the best schools. Taking his son directly under his wing (which is something he had refused to do with the other two) he had felt(how long had it been since he actually felt something?) amazed at how much of a replica Nate was of him. Natalya had been cast aside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Prisoners were blindfolded on the voyage to the City(or mostly drugged when it came down to it) and were only able to view their surroundings once they reached their cells--and that's where the fun began. For several weeks the prisoners were only fed sparingly and were then unleashed to fight for survival in what was dubbed The City Games. Eight thousand nine hundred seventy prisoners were pitted in psychological and physical warfare against each other, the goal: escape. The Warden had been a called a master of manipulation--that was none so more obvious in how he was capable of successfully pitting so many people against each other.

Food, he said, was a big factor because what better to put one on edge than to starve him out of his stability? And space was a fine asset too, because a lion will lose the fire it once had when stripped of its pride and would become a nasty, foolish, brutish, thing. After the rise of Kira (who the Warden truthfully despised with what was left of his heart) he had taken advantage of the media approval of this so-called god (oh, how he loathed, how he scoffed at the very idea) and Tokai za-nai had become an Internet sensation.

The City now had ten times as many viewers as any television series in the world.

How hypocritical the good people of the world were. How vicious and bloodthirsty they were.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Nate II was his only son: his prize, his favorite, his heir. The Warden had let himself believe that he only thought of the boy as someone to pass the legacy on to, but woe unto the man that showed even the slightest hint of hostility to his son! The Warden had only let himself love once, though grudgingly, and look at what result that produced! His wife, dead at only 23! How utterly pointless and wasteful that death had been! She could've been a bit more useful if she wasn't so quick to her emotions. Aladyia had been gorgeous, intelligent....!

And yet...

As with everyone else her death was shrugged aside as a minor anomaly and the next more useful person obtained the Warden's focus.

He saw Nate as his protege--a partner,of sorts, in crime. This crime, was the torture and exploitation of society's so-called most dangerous criminals. During his teachings he had actually been impressed by the boy; the first time the Warden had felt so!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzxxxX

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzxxxX

Many times the Warden would wonder if he had done the right thing--abandoning his pride and joy. But, he recalled he had disregarded the meaning of right and wrong long ago.

xxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxX

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZ

The Warden General ruled with a smile and a kind demeanor--all lies. He was not a kind man. He was a cold-hearted, sadistic, perhaps insane, cruel man who had abandoned the one that had tried to please him. He had let his daughters kill herself or go mad trying to follow in his footsteps. He had laughed off his wife's death as a simple and idiotic anomaly. And he had taken pleasure in torturing thousands of men and women and then selling his madness, live commercially.

And he lived without regret.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

But, he was still human.

Yes,even a man like Nate River I had a soul and a heart no matter how damaged it was. And.....

He had one regret.

The Warden was bitterly alone in the world and everything he worked hard at was a sham. There was no one to carry on his name anymore. His son was no longer a part of his family...and The Warden is just as much a prisoner in Tokai za-nai as the countless other beings that inhabit the City's walls.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Hmmm....don't really know what to think of this one. I'm planning on making a Code Geass/DeathNote crossover and Kira's Kingdom is gonna be integrated in it and the Wammy's boys are trying to ensure a coup-de tat on it....still working on that idea. Yes, I'm shamelessly advertising. lol please review!

1. Aladyia Chanceux--his wife, duh. She's more in the DN/CG: LOR crossover fic. Thanks a bundle reviewers! Also! updates are gonna be sketchy so i you like this fic hang in there please!

Nehan Shinzui