To Find the Infection 2: Gladiator

Chapter 22: Social Time

In another prison cell, possibly half a mile away in length, compared to Zain's cell, a familiar figure sat on the floor. His arms crossed around his body. This man was huge, his muscle mass possibly twice the size of Zain's new figure. The man was tall, but not too tall. He was about an inch higher than six feet, and wore a white muscle shirt with a long sleezed jacket, which the man preferred unzipped. His black pants stretched all the way down to his feet, were they were stopped by black boots. His hair spiked straight upward, glowing a dark blue in the bright yellow sun above. The heat always seemed to cause a few hairs to fall over his forhead, but it never seemed to bother him.

"Hey, 'Juggernaut'," a guard that appeared in front of the man's cell teased, "get up, its time for you to chatter with the others."

The man simply ignored the demand, and looked upward into the sky. "One day." he muttered to himself. He used to look at the stars twinkle in the night sky, and think about were he had gone since his departue from the Earth. He had traveled many dimensions by using the same strength he had used on during that Day. But now, he was held captive, here, as a Gladiator, to fight for the masses that would watch for their own entertainment. He felt degraded, he was now a low life, despite his obviously absurd strength, compared to all the other fighters. No matter how powerful he became, he would still be below the level of the people.

Majotte turned around towards the guard, and with a long sigh that caused dirt to swirl on the floor, he stood up. He had already known that it would be that time. The time of day were all the gladiators would socialize, something he really wasn't too fond of anymore. He would still be caged up like a common pet, and guarded by those weaker than himself.

"These weak fighters," he would think to himself, "just killing off the oxygen out here." The only entertainment Majotte had was during the gladiator battles, inside the coliseum, and yet, he still felt degraded. The fact that he could finish off all his opponents within a single punch or kick strongly annoyed him.

"I will escape someday, but for know," Majotte said, touching his collar, "this damn ring. So long as it's on my neck, I'm no more than the guard's dog."

Another being from another region of the large prison also awaited his release to the social cage. This being was a new prisoner, his stable was no more than a foot wide, a foot long. A temporary until the guards gave him his new "home" in the deeper regions.

How he hated the fact of talking to others. He would rather not go at all, and keep to himself all the time. He grumbled and snarled, rubbing his hands against the wall in fustration, causing them to dirty into a black color due to the wall's dirt.

"How is being here going to help me find out just what really happened to my father?" Tanna (Jr. will be referenced as Tanna from here on out) said. He closed his eyes, remembering the angelic demons last words before being sucked into that warp that lead here. He remembered nothing, except waking up with a collar on his neck.

"I miss him." Tanna spoke aloud, speaking of his dad. He would remember all the ventures his dad would take him on. Hiking in the woods, training underneath waterfalls, everything, they did together. Then one day, Tanna just left without saying a word.

"And fighting..." Tanna began. He stretched his arm back as far as possible, then punched a giant hole in the wall, causing it to crumble. His hair began to spike upward and glow gold. "...doesn't get me any closer to the truth!" Tanna roared, and punched another helpless wall down. He could already here the footsteps of several guards heading his way.

"Why the fuck am I forced to fight!" he roared. Suddenly, his hair shot straight downward, back onto his shoulders. A searing pain shot through his body, he looked to see the collar on his neck glowing, cackling with electricity that sapped his powers. Tanna fell limp and out the space where the wall had just been.

"Get up boy, it's social time." The guard that controlled Tanna said. Without resisting, Tanna stood back up slowly, and began to walk down the seemingly endless hallway. He was poked by the guards weapon, which controlled the collar on his neck.

After a minute or so, ahead, Tanna saw a large cage with fighters already inside. Most were chatting amongst themselves, but Tanna had no desire to join in. After been pushed into the cage, Tanna walked to a dark corner, and sat down, looking at everyone and what they were doing.

In the opposite hallway that also led to the large social cage, Zain was being pushed to the cage. The guards snickered as Zain was "dragged" into the cage. The door opened in front of him, and slammed hard behind him. He knew it was useless to resist, or he'd just recieve a zap from the collar. There was a final open corner of the cage that had yet to be taken. Zain approached that corner, and sat down. A pack of humanoid snakes who seemed deep in conversation looked towards him, and hissed. Zain stared back with a menacing heartless glare, until the snakes shivered, and turned away.

He leaned against the bars of the cage, and watched as the crowd moved among each other and "mingled".

Zain hated all of them...

And he was sure they hated him...