The Mercy in Punishment: Chapter 3 – Desperation Taken Advantage Of

Chapter 3 – Desperation Taken Advantage Of

Back at the Dominion office, I take off my damaged armor and wear my casual officer uniform. After taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I enter the questioning room with Raziel to ask Zahara more questions. The room is casual with no divider and looks no different than a typical break room with a couch, chairs, a table, and carpet floors, but it does have guards outside the room.

“Where’s everyone else you converted?” Zahara asks as she takes a seat.

Taking a seat, I say, “In a waiting room of their own, where they aren’t restrained and being talked to, one by one, to see if they’re true to their repentance, before they’ll be interviewed for a possible job here or simply given what they were owed. I’m sure you understand that we can’t just slap people on the wrist who tried to kill us.”

“I get it. I’m just glad we weren’t brought here in cuffs and put in cold and dirty cells.”

“We wouldn’t want to do that for the people already kicked on the ground. Instead, that treatment was given to those who resisted. They won’t get a second chance and will be put in a jail cell for however long the courts decide. Anyway, the woman who contacted you. Can you tell us more about her?”

“As I said, the woman who suggested that I act on my thoughts was hiding her appearance. She was hiding under a hoodie because I thought she was hiding the blemishes that I saw peaking out from her skin and whatever was jutting out from her body, limbs, and head.”

“How did she convince you to act? Did she have a similar impact on your mind in the same way that Polina did with her powers?” Raziel asks.

“Yeah, she did, now that I think back on it.”

“It looks like we might be dealing with an ex-member of the sixth family,” Raziel says to me.

“Sixth family?”

“The sixth family is one of the unknown founding families of Meridian,” I explain. “They influenced the people of the city through their demonic rituals and powers in the undercity, where past structures of the city exist. Its members are being rehabilitated by the Dominion and Coronamento Corporation. What makes you think it’s one of them, Raziel?”

“What kind of person would otherwise be capable of this with objects jutting out of almost every part of their deformed body?”

“Hmm. You’re right. It would also make sense since some of the people helped by us are turning on us, and members of the sixth family would have the most trouble turning from their past lives. What else did the woman talk to you about?”

“Roping in others that I knew who needed help so we could be bolder in our planning and help even more people in the process. With her simple suggestion, I thought that we could be inspirational through force so that the debts to the poor and needy could be paid in full with interest.”

“Was there anyone else who is leading the Neglected, or is it just the one woman?” Raziel asks.

“There was one with a swirling spiral for a left eye and a purple left eye, who the woman who influenced me also gave marching orders to, but since I was so preoccupied with my own planning, I don’t know much about her other than her name being Penelope and general appearance, such as her light blonde hair, spiral on her right hand, and love of purple dresses. She looks like someone from the suburban and rural areas of Meridian.”

“We’ll look her up and bring her in as well.”

“I think we learned everything we need to know,” I say.

“Really?” Zahara says.

“I don’t have anything else I need to ask. Raziel?”

“Nope.”

As we walk out, Zahara gets up and asks, “Is that really it? What’s the catch?”

“There is no catch,” I say. “I’m going to find Penelope, and hopefully she’ll be the last person I need to bring in to take down the mastermind behind this whole mess. As for you, some people will come in and have you sign for a prosthetic replacement for the arm I cut off, give you what’s owed to you, and offer a job here at the Dominion, if you want it, and if you don’t, you can walk away, and put this all behind you.”

“Are you serious? It’s just as simple as that?”

“It is.”

Zahara looks at me as if she’s waiting for me to say that I was joking or lying, but when no punchline comes, she seems relieved and surprised, and starts thinking. Raziel and I walk out of the room and search the database for Penelope. Her name and the details about her make it easy for her to find, and what we do find lines up with the stories of the rest of the Neglected, giving an interesting story.

Reading aloud the file on her, I summarize, “Penelope is a simple farmer and artist who lives in the rural area of Meridian. Since that part of Meridian isn’t given as much attention as the city and the wealthy suburbs, the people out there struggle to get by, so she took a job as a superhuman for the government. The Coronamento Corporation experimented on her to give her the psychological powers she would use to interrogate people the government considered enemies, both outside and inside the country.

“She could’ve been who you were hearing at the festival, instead of our primary target from the sixth family,” Raziel points out.

“It would make sense that she was. Given the planning for this all, I doubt the mastermind would put themselves anywhere near the danger of being discovered, especially since she used so many others in her plan.”

Not seeing anything else worth noting on the record on her, Raziel and I drive down to Penelope’s address. It takes us a good hour and a half to drive down to the deep rural area of Meridian. The farms and houses are far from the shops and odd restaurants, dinners, and gas stations, making this place feel very isolated and different from the city, which is claustrophobic in comparison. When we arrive at Penelope’s farm, I see a series of buildings around the area with dozens of cars parked around them, but not a single soul in sight. Expecting trouble, Raziel and I draw our weapons.

“Already resorting to violence, are you?” I hear a familiar feminine voice say. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after what happened with Zahara.”

Time seemingly slows, and everything gets muted, just like at the festival. It seems to only affect me as Raziel looks at me, concerned, and I try to talk about what’s happening to me, but can’t. Catching on anyway, Raziel nods and runs ahead into the series of buildings.

“Penelope? Is that you?” I ask.

“I’m surprised you know my name, Polina.”

“Zahara told us.”

“I’m even more surprised about that. We didn’t really talk to one another.”

“You both had roles to play in another woman’s plan. If you tell us what you know, we won’t bother you here or prosecute you for your crimes. We’ll also right any wrongs done to you, like we did with Zahara and the others who surrendered and helped us.”

“Do you think I would believe someone like you who uses violence to get her way, not to mention Raziel, who burned the city with his fire?”

“That was supernatural fire that did no real damage to anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

“So says you. On the other hand, I’ve done nothing but build up this retreat from the world for the poor, my neighbors, and the sick. Did you pay attention to the houses and businesses you passed by? Many of them are rebuilt because the people here lost them due to the lack of being able to make it out of here. I used all the money I made being a torturer for the government to help others first.”

“That’s why it was surprising to me that you’d help people who killed and endangered the lives of so many innocent and good people.”

“No one was innocent over there. Not the people who ran the charities or those who supported them.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because if there’s one thing I can thank the government for, it’s showing me that no one is innocent through my powers and what they had me do to people. Even you aren’t innocent and must be dealt with.” People start coming out of the building, and out of nowhere, from a distance, with guns in their hands. “Unlike you, I can take control of others with my powers and use them as go-betweens to influence the minds of others. You’re not going to get a read on me, and your friend won’t find me in the maze below you.”

I feel exhausted from making simple movements with my body. Even lifting my pistol and sword feels like lifting a car. Thinking on my feet, I try to read the minds of the people coming after me.

“I might not be able to read your mind through these people, but I can see that they all have their doubts about helping you, some of whom don’t want to help you at all.”

“Please, I know them better than you. There’s nothing you can see with your powers that I don’t.”

“You’re willfully blind. They know what you’ve done for them and are trying to accomplish, and are disgusted.”

“They understand that I have no choice! To get by, I had to torture and kill people. If I didn’t, we’d lose everything we hold dear.”

“There’s more to life than getting by, and the ends never justify the means. Your loved ones know it, and you know it.”

“Shut up!”

The people around me slowly raise their guns and look like they’re about to fire at me, until I notice flames rising from newly formed cracks in the ground. Looking back up, I see that the people’s hands are shaking, and some are struggling to speak. Eventually, an explosion of flame rises from the ground, the people fall to the ground, and I see Raziel flying up from the explosion with Penelope in his hands.

Raziel flies to me with Penelope, explaining that, “I found her because friends and my angel. Hold her here while I get everyone else out of the tunnels.”

I cuff Penelope and use my psychological powers to suppress hers. The people around here gather around us as they see that the flames aren’t harming them, even as they burn down all the buildings, from the playgrounds to the many statues, gardens, and walls.

“No! You’re destroying everything! How could you do this?!” Penelope says as she begins to cry and flails her legs and cuffed arms at me.

“Penelope,” one of her loved ones says, “It’s okay. It was all built on dirty, blood money anyway. We’ve rebuilt our lives before. We can do it again, as long as we’re with one another.”

These simple words make Penelope stop and drop the act of pretending to be righteous despite her deeds. She profusely apologizes to them as they all embrace her, and they tell her it’s okay and they still love her. Once Raziel gets everyone out, the ground starts to crack more, so we get everyone out before it all collapses in on itself. We call people from the Dominion to help get Penelope’s people to a temporary home, and after they come, Raziel and I personally bring Penelope back to the Dominion’s office. Along the way, we see that the many buildings out here are also burning to the ground or have already turned to ash.

“I’m sorry this had to happen, Penelope,” Raziel says.

“It’s…okay,” she forces herself to say. “As they said, it was all built on blood money, and we can rebuild if we have each other. If anything, in a strange way, I have to thank you…so thank you for bringing me to my senses.”

“We’ll help your friends and family rebuild their homes and businesses, Penelope. It’ll be free of charge.”

“Hmm. The woman who talked to me was wrong about you. I’m sure you want to know more about her. I talked to her more than Zahara did.”

“We’ll talk about more when we get back to our office. Afterward, we’ll let you go.”

“Just like that? No strings attached?”

“None at all.”

“Huh. That woman was really wrong about you then if you’re going to do that.”

“We will, since you’re cooperating with us. There’s no reason to kick you while you’re down, despite what you’ve done.”

“…thank you.”