Final Resistance
Chapter 7: Ethel's Galaxy Celebration
Disclaimer: I don't' own the Voltron Force or its characters—they belong to World Events Productions. The good news is that Diane, Ethel, Bernice, Alex and Cheryl are my original characters.
"Have anyone seen Diana? I'm getting worried since I haven't seen her since she was taken away for her 'rehab' session?" Ethel asked Bernice, Cheryl, and Alex.
"Unfortunately, I haven't seen her since then either," Bernice and Cheryl responded before Alex could speak.
"Diana's being held up in her cell," Alex answered. "Apparently, since she didn't answer any of Wade's questions, he decided to punish her by refusing to feed her food or allow for a recreation break the last two days. I tried checking into her wellbeing when I passed by her cell but was told by the droids that she was on punishment and can't get visitors either. I was hoping that they would release her from punishment today, but I guess that's a no."
"Did he really think that Diana was going to answer any of his questions seriously?" Bernice said.
"I guess he decided to go with wishful thinking," Ethel answered, shrugging her shoulders. "I wonder how long he's going to keep her from food and recreation time?"
"The human body can last about a week without food or water. Arusian human bodies can last about a week and a half without food or water. Without social interaction, a human can last about 72 hours and still be mentally healthy," Cheryl listed off the facts without blinking. "And today will be day 3."
"But Diana has a strong psychological background, so maybe she'll be more resilient," Bernice said full of hope. The rest of group nodded their heads in agreement.
Meanwhile, several Wade droids grabbed Diana from her bed. "What's going on?" Diana asked the robots. The main droid's monitor turned on to highlight Wade's face. "Sky Marshal Wade, how can I help you today?"
"I knew you still had manners in you somewhere, Diana Smythe-Williams," Wade responded back. "I decided to end your punishment a little early. After drinking your protein shakes, I'll have you join your friends in the open yard. We'll try your rehab session again in a few days." The screen went blank and one of the droids opened the first protein shake and forced Diana to open her mouth to take the contents of the bottle. When the bottle was empty, a second bottle was opened and also emptied quickly. The droids rolled a few feet away to allow Diana time to get used to the shakes in her stomach before opening her door.
Diana slowly walked out of her cell and followed the droids to the open yard. It took Diana a few moments to get used to the brighter lights in the hallways since her cell was kept relatively dark the last couple of days. The droids bypassed the empty cafeteria and slowly rolled to a stop outside the open yard door. After a few seconds of light beeps, the doors were opened wordlessly and Diana stepped into the space, looking for her friends. If the hallways lights were bright, the open yard's lights would be even brighter. As she was getting used to more light, she slowly decided to see if any of her friends were in the yard. The droids wordlessly closed the doors behind her as Cheryl and the rest noticed that she made it to the yard. They quickly ran to Diana's side to check on her.
"Looks like you're off punishment," Cheryl said. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," Diana replied. "But at least they gave me some protein shakes to give me some nutrition today. I also have another rehab session to look forward to in a few days. But let's not dwell on that, I'm ready to sit down already." Alex tried to wrap one of Diana's arms around her shoulder to help provide support, but Diana shook her head to say that she could walk the distance to the bleachers. The group slowly walked back to the bleachers without saying a word. Once they settled on a few spots on the bleachers, Diana spoke to break the silence. "Why so quiet? The social isolation wasn't long enough to affect me. I'm also still getting used to seeing droids every day and all these bright lights after days of darkness."
"We've been here for months, and you're never get used to it. Let's not mention the wake-up alarms you can't control. And you thought fire alarms in the college dorms were annoying. At least you only had to hear them occasionally." Ethel said from her seat one row below Diana.
"Great, alarms I can't shut off," Diana muttered. Bernice was on the bleacher above Diana and started to mutter.
"This has to be against some galactic law. One of the first things I'm going to do when I leave here is to disable this treatment for all beings. Have I mentioned before that I hate mornings?"
"I hate everything," Cheryl said from her spot next to Bernice. "One of the first things I'm going to do when I'm free again is personally reprogram every Wade droid. They'll have nice personalities and everything."
"Not if I take every personal delight and take them apart first," Alex said from her spot next to Ethel. "Don't worry Diana, this is going to be an everyday thing. Hopefully, we'll be free soon."
"I have the upmost faith in the Voltron Force," Diana said. "They'll get us free. It's just a matter of time," Diana stood up for a few moments and stretched before sitting back down on the bleacher. "Is there a chance that the protein shakes and most food here are poisoned? A little seasoning wouldn't hurt."
"Ssh, not too loud. If the droids hear it, they'll give you worse food," Cheryl replied. "Eventually, the mush gets a little better. I'm making the best version—fried and dusted with powdered sugar, topped with syrup a few days after I get home."
"I would say the food is a form of serious torture here, but I just went a couple of days without food which is worse," Diana replied. "Let's focus on something else."
"I agree," Alex said. "How about sharing more stories? Do you remember the Galaxy Celebration and how much fun it was at first?"
"Sounds like a good idea, Alex." Bernice answered.
"Sounds like a winner, to me," Cheryl and Ethel responded together. Diana nodded her agreement before Alex spoke again.
"How should we do this? I know for a fact that Cheryl and I were in the same spot at the celebration—on the balcony of my parents' hotel room."
"I was in the VIP section with Diana when she wasn't on stage or backstage," Bernice replied. "We were pretty close to the stage."
"I was staying somewhere near the back of the celebration, since I was late leaving my house," Ethel replied. "I guess the best way would be for Cheryl and Alex to tell their stories together. Bernice and Diana could share their stories together, too. And since I have a solo story, I'll go first and then we can go from there."
"That sounds good. With all of these stories, it's making time go faster and helping to keep my sanity better," Bernice replied. Ethel, Alex, and Cheryl nodded their heads in agreement.
"On the day of the celebration, I left my house late and public transit was a nightmare since it appeared that a lot of people were taking public transit to the celebration instead of their cars," Ethel started. "Luckily for me, it was in the afternoon because I honestly needed the morning to recover from Wade's gala the night before."
****Five years ago, at the Galaxy Celebration****
"Ok," Ethel said to herself as she walked out of her two story house and put her shades on. As she walked to the bus stop, she noticed that the traffic in her area was busier than usual. Ethel was glad that she was wearing a plain pink romper set with pink sneakers and the highest SPF sunscreen money can buy on her skin. Although she was used to the summer heatwaves in Florida, this early heatwave was hotter than usual. It also didn't help that they were also experiencing higher than normal humidity levels at the same time. The temperature outside started to rise quickly as the sun was shining brighter than normal. Just as Ethel made it to the bus stop a few blocks away, the bus arrived.
"4-Cape Canaveral Loop. 4-Cape Canaveral Loop." The bus announced as the doors opened. Ethel followed a group of kids into the bus and waved her watch over the farebox. The farebox beeped her acceptance and Ethel decided to take a seat in the middle of the bus. Just as she sat down, the bus quickly moved forward, and she had to hold on to the handle on the set in front of her to keep from falling off the seat. Her fellow passengers on the bus were talking excitably about the upcoming celebration. But it was the passengers in the two rows in front of her that caught her attention. It was a group of kids discussing their favorite Voltron lions.
"I can't wait! I want to see Red Lion," The lanky boy in a red and black shorts set called out. He looked to be about 9 years old. The other kids disagreed and chanted no way.
"I don't see how you'll think that Red is the best. It's obviously Blue—how can you not like water power?" A boy and a girl spoke together, as if they were twins. They looked about 7 years old, and both were wearing blue and black shorts set.
"I'm telling you, the best lion is Green. It's wind powered. And the pilot's a genius!" The small, 5 year old girl in a green dress called out.
"And I keep telling you, it's Yellow. It can move stuff around. And it's so cool looking—even with a scarred eye. It has the best character!" The tallest boy in a yellow shirt and cargo shorts replied. He looked to be about the same age as the first boy.
"You're all wrong! It's Black Lion that's the best." Another boy's voice replied. "One day, I'm going to pilot it." Ethel looked around and saw a little boy with violet eyes and messy hair in front. He looked to be around 10 or 11 years old.
"Only if you work hard enough," The man next to the kid replied. He looked like he could be the boy's older relative. "Good grades and some discipline will make it more likely, too. That goes for all of y'all."
"I'm already head of the curve, then." The boy replied. The other kids snickered as the adult admonished them all. Ethel turned from the conversation and noticed that the bus was pretty close to the celebration. She pressed the strip for the bus to stop and a few moments later, the bus finally came to a complete stop. The bus emptied out and Ethel followed the crowd to discover that the square was already filled with celebrators and the ceremony hasn't even started yet. As she stepped into the narrowing pathway to the park, she could hear several vendors crying out to sell all kinds of t-shirts, toys, and other festival gear.
"Get your Galaxy Celebration gear here!" The vendor closest to her called out.
"Buy a piece of history here! I have the highest quality available!" Another vendor called out to gain attention to his tent full of shirts, plaques, caps, and bottles.
"Over here, lady! Your Voltron memorabilia is over here! I'll even cut a deal with you!" Another vendor called as he finished up his previous customer's sale. Ethel nodded her head no to all the vendors and made a path to see how much closer she could comfortably get to the stage. She could tell that all the streets that led to Victory Park were closed, and the crowd was filling almost every available space up. As she got into the thicker part of the crowd, she noticed that the large stage took up the normally open plaza and covered any sight of the food hall across the street and several screens where the side gates were normally located between all the buildings that bordered the park. She also took stock of all the buildings that surrounded the park.
At the left of the stage was an office tower with a couple of restaurants with patios on the first floor, balconies from the fifth story to the roof. Across the street from the office tower was an apartment building with patios on the first floor and balconies from the second to the rooftop. Across the street from that was a set of townhouses with rooftop balconies and balconies on the second floor as well. At the final street on the left of the park was a taller office building with no balconies—but had a large café with patio seating. At the back entrance of the park, stood a hotel with two towers. Each hotel tower stood about 15 stories and had balconies in alternating levels and a rooftop terrace that was just as full as the other rooftop terraces in the area. To the right of the hotel and slightly closer to the stage was another office tower with only the rooftop terrace and a restaurant with patio seating. On the next street over, was an apartment building with balconies on the fourth floor to the rooftop terrace. The next street over boasted of another apartment building that only had the rooftop terrace and Juliette balconies but was the building closest to the stage.
Focusing back on the scene in front of her, Ethel noticed that she couldn't get any closer to the stage and that her stomach was growling. It was then that a familiar voice sounded in her ears. "Ethel! Fancy seeing you here at the celebration." Ethel turned to see the handsome guy she met at the Installation Ball the night before. "And a wonderful sight you make! Are you just as hungry as I am right now?"
"I could say the same to you, George," Ethel responded as she took an appreciative glance at George Wavestrummer. George was a slim 6'0", with short and wavy brown hair and a lightly tanned face with remarkable grey eyes. Ethel couldn't help but love his full lips and aquiline nose that completed his facial features. In contrast to the suit he wore last night, today he was wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a blue short-sleeved top. "And actually, yes, I'm a bit hungry right now."
"Luckily a sandwich vendor is just a few steps away, then." George said as he took Ethel's hand. "Get what you want from him, my treat." Ethel nodded as they walked together to the vendor. The sandwich seller looked at Ethel and George with a smile and greeted them before asking what they would like. Ethel ordered the veggie sub with vinaigrette and a dollop of Miracle Whip with two oatmeal raisin cookies and a bottle of Topo Chico. George ordered a turkey club sub, Jalapeno chips, and another bottle of Topo Chico before giving the vendor his card to pay the bill. After getting their lunches, they walked back to where they previously stood in the middle of the crowd. "I'm glad to see you here. I really enjoyed our time last night. And it's a special treat to see Voltron in person with a new friend."
"I really enjoyed last night with you as well. And the occasion is even more special since we can see them here on Earth together," Ethel replied. Before either could speak, the ceremony started to the crowd's resounding cheers.
"Hello, everybody! Thank you for coming to the Galaxy Celebration! As you may know, I'm Solstic and I'll be your emcee today! The Celebration Committee planned today's entertainment with you in mind as well as Voltron." The crowd responded with louder cheers, interrupting Solstic. "Alright! We'll have music, speeches, some presentations, and finally we get to meet and celebrate our very special guests—the Voltron Force!" The crowd cheered again. "To start things off, we're going to introduce you to the Galaxy Alliance Honor Guard to present colors. After that, the Alliance Academy Honor Band will play five anthems—the Alliance Anthem, "Star-Spangled Banner", "Lift Every Voice and Sing", "Hymn to Liberty", and finally, the Arusian Anthem. After that we'll have a fly-over before the music starts!" The crowd cheered again. "Without further delay, let's welcome the Galaxy Alliance Honor Guard and the Galaxy Alliance Academy Honor Band." Solstice exited the stage to the left as the honor guard and band appeared on the stage together.
"Atten-hut!" The first command from the honor guard commander called out. "Company, forward march!" 20 seconds went by before the next command came out. "Company halt! About face!" The guard turned towards the crowd. "Present Colors." Each flag was unfurled. The Greek flag was the first flag on the right. The UN flag was the first flag on the left. The American flag was next to the Greek flag. The Arusian flag was next to the UN flag. Finally, the Galaxy Alliance flag was in the middle. Without further announcement, the honor band started playing the anthems. Each anthem had a kid dressed in a green top and black pants singing the words. After the band and the honor guard left the stage, the lions formed Voltron high up in the skies before doing a quick fly-over as Voltron. The crowd went wild and cheered even louder as Voltron disappeared far behind the stage.
"Now that all the pomp and circumstance is over, are you ready for some fun?" Solstic asked as she returned to the stage. "Sounds like it to me. The first group to perform is Arstic! They'll play a few songs before our next group. After that, we'll have our first presentation." Encouraged by the crowd, Solstic introduced the band. "Now, here's Arstic!" The group appeared on the stage and the crowd went wild. Ethel bobbed along with the music and occasionally looked around the crowd. Every so often, she would also noticed that the Alliance provided security for the event. She was a bit perplexed that some of the soldiers seem to be heavily armed for the celebration.
"Ethel, is it just me or some of the Alliance soldiers seem heavily armed for the occasion?" George asked Ethel as he took in some of the soldiers.
"No, I noticed that too. I think they're a little too armed for a civilian celebration, but I could be wrong." Ethel replied.
"I'm getting weird vibes, too. Maybe we're looking too much into it." George replied as another group was being introduced by Solstic. It wasn't too long before the next group starting playing. George and Ethel danced through some of the songs and merely listened to the others. It wasn't too long before Wade walked on stage and went through his presentation. They listened to Wade sharing about his experience along with several comments from people around them. "Always with the Lions," George and Ethel said at the same time. The people closest to them sounded their agreement. Ethel heard more comments about Wade and some of his future plans. She also heard some comments that made her head turn or raise eyebrows—apparently, she wasn't the only person in the city that wasn't too keen on Wade being promoted to the head of the Alliance military. At the end of Wade's speech, he encouraged people, particularly teens, to join the Alliance Academy.
Solstic returned to the stage again and announced the next group—a new group that was gaining fans and being known for perfectly fusing different genres. As the group performed, a wave of beach balls suddenly appeared and was continuously bounced around the crowd before returning back to the stage. As they played a heavy metal song, the lead singer jumped from the stage and crowd surfed. When the singer returned to the stage, they played one last song before Dr. Smythe-Williams and Diana were introduced to the crowd as the Arusian ambassador and her daughter.
"Wow, they're beautiful!" George said as he listened to Diana's mother speak about the Arus and the Alliance.
"They sure are," Ethel replied. "I know Dr. Smythe-Williams professionally since she was my first major client. If it wasn't for her and her daughter, I probably wouldn't be able to get my Alliance contract."
"Really?" George replied as Diana took over the speech and shared her experience as a child of a high-ranking officer in the military and as an ambassador's daughter. She also shared her experience through ROTC and reservist. Diana also encouraged people to try serving the Alliance at any level and if they wanted, there was the civil service. Dr. Smythe-Williams finished the presentation as Diana left the stage. Once Dr. Smythe-Williams left the stage, Solstic announced the next group.
"So, who are they? It's the first time I've heard of them." Ethel asked George.
"Antber and Matgom are the best voices in years," George answered as they performed their cover of "All I Ask of You" from the Phantom of the Opera. Ethel was entranced by the song and started to sing along with them. George joined her until the song ended with some light pyrotechnics at the end. The duo then performed their original song, Ruan—a fast paced song about celebrating the good things in life. As they performed another song, Ethel was completely amazed. "That's it! I'm getting all of their songs now. They made a new fan."
"I happen to have a large collection of their songs on different media if you want to listen to their catalogue. I know it's easier to get digital music, but I love hearing them on physical media too. And it's always nice to have physical copies for backup during emergencies. If you ever want to borrow some, just let me know."
"Believe me, I will definitely take you up on that offer," Ethel answered before focusing back to the stage and the music. Antber and Matgom finished their performance, took a bow and even did a couple of encore songs before leaving the stage. Since their performance, the sun started to set, and the temperature was slowly going down. George told Ethel he was going to get two more bottles of Topo Chico and he'll be right back. As Solstic shared some more information, Ethel noticed that the guard shifts were changing, and the soldiers were noticeably lining up around the crowd.
"There must have been a shift change. There're more armed soldiers than before and they're surrounding the crowd. I'm getting a bad feeling about this."
"While it's not completely unusual for big events, it can't be good news for more armed soldiers. I'm getting the same bad vibes, and I can't explain why, though."
"Let's try to enjoy the rest of the celebration." George said as they turned back to the stage.
"Alright, everybody! I know that you're having a great time, right?" Solstic asked the crowd as she stepped on the stage once again. The crowd answered in a loud cheer. "And the time everybody has been waiting for anxiously has arrived—the Voltron Force!" The crowd cheered again. "As you can probably hear, the Lions are circling the area and will land on the stage. After getting out of their lions, the pilots will make a few speeches then we'll end the night with fireworks!" The crowd cheered even louder as the Lions made laps in the air as Solstic left the stage and allowed the stage crew to make room for the Lions to land. Ethel raised her head and smiled as the Lions flew overhead a few more minutes before they slowly descended on the stage. Yellow Lion landed first to the left, Red Lion followed next, then Green Lion to the right. Blue and Black Lions landed behind them on a higher platform. The pilots stepped out of the lions and the cheers grew impossibly louder. "Voltron! Voltron!" The cheers repeated for a few minutes until the ovation finally died down.
Hunk took the microphone first and started speaking. "Now, that's a welcome! And I have to say…" Hunk continued on with his speech, focusing on how good it was to return to Earth victorious. Hunk went on to say how he enjoyed his homecoming week on Earth and how it was an honor to defend not only Arus but the Galaxy as well. Hunk also shared how he loved Arus and was looking forward to helping with the full recovery efforts there. "It's good to be back home. I hope to see some of you in the future!" Hunk finished to cheers before giving Pidge the mic.
"Hi, everybody! It's nice to be back on Earth for a few days! Anyway, I love coding and everything programming related. If you would have told me that…" Pidge continued on about some of his adventures as a pilot as well as upgrading a host of things as the resident computer engineering expert. After a few more minutes, Pidge's speech ended with louder cheers, while Lance grabbed the microphone.
"Hellooo, Canaveral!" Lance introduced himself to the crowd. "So…did you miss me?" Lance asked the crowd who laughed and cheered at the same time. Several ladies around Ethel called Lance in response as he winked at the VIP section. "It's good to be back on Earth! I loved the adventures of being the ace pilot of Red Lion. When I wasn't fighting evil, I was winning hearts." Ethel rolled her eyes as George laughed and Lance continued. "But, let me share a quick story with you and hopefully I'll be able to inspire everyone. So, things were looking…" Lance shared how there were times when things looked bad for Arus and the team. Then, he shared how they were able to change things around. "Remember, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. Goodnight, Canaveral!" Lance finished to loud cheers before Keith and Allura started to speak as Lance blew a kiss towards the VIP section.
"It's a pleasure and a privilege to be here today in front of you," Allura started. Keith repeated the same sentiments before Allura continued with her speech. She shared her feelings and how grateful she was that the Alliance sent some of the best to the Denubian and by extension, Arus. Keith took over the microphone and shared his story of how they arrived in Arus. Allura took over the speech again and focused on how Arus changed since Voltron returned and gave the planet a fighting chance. Keith shared how the team was happy when they were allowed to stay on Arus and fought for their new home. HE also shared that they were just awarded permanent duty to Arus, meaning they'll be there for the rebuilding effort and peacekeeping missions. Keith and Allura then shared that they were able to find the most precious thing since Voltron's return—hope. Keith ended their combined speech by saying that he will always defend the universe. The rest of the team nodded their heads in agreement.
After Keith and Allura finished their speech, the fireworks started going off. The crowd was reduced to oohs and aahs as the Voltron Force waved to the crowd nonstop. Lance even managed another wink and blew another kiss to the VIP section. Suddenly…everything changed. The Lions started to attack the crowd and Alliance soldiers started to recommend that the crowd disperse. As Ethel was taking in what just happened, George shielded Ethel from the crowd and took all the accidental kicks and punches. Once the crowd was significantly smaller, George stood and helped Ethel to her feet. Ethel and George watched as the Voltron Force struggled to control the lions until Keith was finally able to enter Blak Lion before the Alliance soldiers were able to use their heavy weapons on them.
"Wow…what just happened here?"
"That's a good question, Ethel," George answered as he noticed that the soldiers surrounded the lions. "But the Alliance is all over the lions. I hope they don't spin this negatively."
"I hope they don't either, but I think Wade is going to spin it anyway he can," Ethel said as they left the park. "I really believe that this came from the top and he has a lot to do with this event." Ethel and George waited with what was left of the crowd at the bus stop.
"So where are you getting off?" George asked.
"I live not too far from here. Yours?"
"Downtown. I live on the mainland. Why don't you stay over at my place? I live alone and I have a guest bedroom with your name on it."
"I couldn't impose on you. I should be able to get home with no issues."
"I insist. We can even go to Prime to get everything you might need for an overnight stay." Ethel paused as she thought more about George's offer. "How about we'll get on the bus and go from there?"
"Sounds good to me," Ethel answered as the bus pulled into the stop. They got on the bus and took the last two seats. The bus was full of whispers and George couldn't help but share his feelings about what just happened at the park.
"Something very fishy about this," George said softly.
"Very fishy," Ethel replied. "I hope that there's a good explanation for it. The Lions never malfunction. Their engineering is the best unknown secret," George and Ethel stopped their conversation when they noticed that the people sitting around them were taking an interest in them. As they approached Ethel's stop, the streets were blocked and the Alliance soldier in charge said that area was locked down for the evening. "I guess I'm staying the night on the mainland," Ethel sighed, defeated.
"Hey, don't be sad. I got you covered. We'll get off downtown and hop into my car. There's a Prime shopping trip with your name on it."
"If you insist," Ethel said before letting out a quick yawn. They rode to the downtown station in quiet. After getting off the bus downtown, they walked to George's car in the large parking lot. It took George about 15 minutes to make it to the Prime store and another hour before they were able to get everything that Ethel needed for an overnight stay and a few other last minute things George needed for his townhouse. Once they made it to George's place, it didn't take Ethel long to fall asleep in the guest bedroom.
Early the next morning, her watch chimed. Beep. Beep. Beep. Ethel groaned as she grabbed the watch from the nightstand next to her. She looked at the time and didn't like the fact that it was 8:00 AM and somebody was already trying to talk to her. "Why me?" Ethel asked as she sat up and pressed accept on her phone to answer the call.
"Good Morning, Ethel," Keith greeted, looking haggard himself from staying up all night. "I know it's early, but can you come to Arusian Embassy?"
"Sure. What time do you want me there? I'm already on the mainland." Ethel told Keith, with a yawn.
"How about now?"
"Good enough. It must be important."
"You have no idea. Just tell them at the gate that I'm expecting you and they should let you in with no issues."
"Alright, I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Thanks, Ethel. See you soon." Keith said before hanging up. A few moments later, her watch had the address to the Embassy on the screen and reminder to mention Commander Keith at the gate.
"I know where my biggest customer lives at," Ethel mumbled as she got out of bed. "But first things, first. I need a shower to wake myself up."
***Present Day, The Void***
"And that's my Celebration story."
"So…this George fellow?" Bernice asked Ethel.
"A very close friend."
"Close friend? Not lover…"Bernice asked, not believing Ethel's answer."
"Close friend. Sympathizer. Hopefully, he's keeping my business floating until I get back home. And before you ask, Bernice, I already approached being lovers, but he said he only sees me like a sister. And I'm okay with that."
"It's too late, Ethel. Bernice's other secret hobby is matchmaking." Diana shared.
"I'm good at it. Look at my best friends! I may have helped pushed Lance and Diana along when they first visited Cetrac together."
The group looked at Diana expectantly. "No comment," Diana responded to the stares. "Bernice is a romantic at heart. So anyway, back to the stories…"
"Playtime is over! All prisoners return to your cells. Playtime is over, return to your cells." Wade droids chimed as they rolled into the open yard to herd the prisoners back to their cells.
"Not near enough time for me," Diana muttered softly to herself as she followed the droids and her fellow prisoners in her wing. A few minutes later, she was laying on her bed and focused on how she's going to be resilient for the next round of Wade's interrogation.