The day drug on much the same way, walking from one pile of metal to the other and dropping the pieces into a messy pile. As the time left, Piccolo could see the weight of the metal sapping the strength from Negate but didn't offer to help. He had tried once but Negate had glared icy daggers at him and mouthed something under her breath about not being a weak woman and jogged with the next three pieces on her back. She looked as though she would collapse at any moment and Piccolo kept a close watch on her. He noticed that Nate had kept an eye on her as well, especially when she began to lag behind the others. The guards had noticed as well and stepped carefully behind her several times and threatened the whip. Every time she would hiss at them and pick up the pace long enough for them to lose interest. When the day was finally over they walked back to their cell, Piccolo ahead of Negate. The cell guard moved well out of Piccolo's way as he entered and tripped Negate when she stepped in. Piccolo caught her before she could fall and grasped the bar in the door and barked at the guard who was already half way down the hall and laughing. Negate struggled to her feet and collapsed onto the floor with a deep sigh. They had moved the mountain of scrap from the entryway to the far side of the room. Now all of her muscles throbbed dully with each beat of her heart. "Is the guard gone?" Piccolo looked out the window again and nodded. Negate turned onto her knees with a moan and pulled a stone from the wall. Inside Piccolo could see a couple of items in the dull lighting. Negate removed a bottle and uncapped it, breathing in the scent for a moment before dipping her finger in and slathering the oil around the cuff of her right wrist. She motioned for Piccolo so sit and reached for his hand. Piccolo pulled away but Negate only laughed and motioned for him to give her his hand. Reluctantly Piccolo set his massive hand in her smaller one and she pulled it onto her lap. Dipping her finger into the oil again, she began to rub the oil around the metal. Piccolo was about to ask her what she was doing when he felt a tingle of chi returning into his body. The surge made him gasp and she grinned up at him then let his hand go. "That's all you get, sorry." She capped the bottle and returned it to its hiding spot before moving the stone in place again. "That's why they came in here last night." She groaned as she stood and stretched. "They'll probably be here again tonight. Do you want the bed this time?" Piccolo shook his head. "No. What is that stuff, and why do they want it?" "It's an oil that counteracts the chi-rings. Unfortunately it has to be done over a long period of time. There are about seven people who have used the bottle before me, their chi-dampeners are broken but they're leaving the rings on until there are enough people to fight back at the guards." "I guess that answers both of my questions then." "Don't tell them it's here." Her eyes shone with a dull fear. Piccolo snorted. "As long as I get some of it, my lips are sealed." Negate smiled. "Sure you don't want the bed?" She pushed some of the stuffing back into the holes. "If I want it I'll roll you out." She grinned and lay down. Piccolo sat lotus style and crossed his arms over his chest. Several minutes later he looked over at Negate and saw her looking at him again. "What?" She yawned and rolled over with a grunt as she mumbled. "Well." Piccolo leaned trying to hear what she said but only caught a piece. ".beautiful."

The guards never came in the night, and Piccolo took that as a good sign. The woman needed all the sleep she could get. When she woke in the morning she looked like she had been somebody's personal punching bag. Her jaw had turned an ugly shade of yellow and greens as the bruise slowly healed, the cut in her upper back had reopened and seeped during the night leaving a trail of crusted blood. He couldn't see her ribs, but she was walking more stiffly and only assumed they were bruised if not broken.
Negate groaned as she rolled laboriously off of the tattered mattress. The block guards were coming for room inspection before work detail would start and rumor had it that today was the wash down for the prisoners. The door swung open only seconds after she stood on her wavering feet, Piccolo watched her from the corner of his eye, waiting for her to collapse. The same skinny guard entered with a chi whip followed by three guards each holding a cattle prod. The lousy man grinned at Negate and sniffed indignantly at Piccolo before the guards tore the small room into shambles again. They offered no words and didn't once step threateningly at them. Piccolo smirked.
As the guards turned to leave, the skinny man pulled his clipboard from somewhere and was scribbling furiously before he smiled sickly at Negate and Piccolo. "Numbers -00359 and 01009A, disregard of cleaning regulations. I suggest you two clean this mess up, this is the third time I've been here and it's been a mess. One more infraction and you'll get work detail for another two weeks." He turned on his heel and laughed until he began to cough, the three guards following him out of the door as it slammed soundly behind them.
As soon as they had turned the corner and their voices no longer heard, Negate slumped against the wall and sat down hard on the ground. She began to wipe furiously at her eyes with her dirty shirt. Piccolo looked down at her for a moment, torn between what to do. As he began to scoot and attempt to console her she shoved at him with strength he didn't know she had and he fell back, slamming his head into the solid concrete walls. He glared at her from his spot on the floor, clutching at his pounding head.
"I don't need your pity." She sniffed and scrubbed at her eyes for another moment, breathing deeply and grunting at regular intervals. Finally taking one last shaky breath she wiped her eyes one last time and stood slowly. Piccolo still sat on the floor, watching her warily, one long leg underneath him and the other crooked for support.
Negate gave a small apologetic smile and stepped forward, Piccolo narrowed his eyes and tensed as she squatted next to him. "I'm sorry." She reached out to move his hand away and see what she had done but he lurched out of her reach. Negate frowned, "Just let me see it." Reluctantly, Piccolo dropped his hand and Negate bit her lip as she studied the gash on his head. "It's not all that bad really." Piccolo snorted and tensed up slightly, the chi cuff sparked and then the gash was gone. Negate sat again and stared at the spot on his head where the wound had been. Growing tired of the attention, Piccolo pushed himself from the floor.
"Look I can regenerate okay? Get over it."
Negate struggled stiffly to stand and shot out a hand to grasp tightly in Piccolo's gi as she began to stumble forward until she righted herself. She let go and frowned deeply. "That must come in handy."
The door swung open and the same large greasy head guard from yesterday's work detail stood in the doorway, one hand bandaged tightly, shades of crimson painted pieces of the cloth. He glared at Piccolo but gave him wide birth as he exited and dared not look at Negate as she walked slowly out of the door.