It was already nighttime. The once busy Para City now went partially to sleep, with only certain districts and services being open.
The city looked like a sea of stars watched through a cloud from up above, all with thousands of small lights coming from windows and streets, diffused only by the foggy steam.
A row of these small lights was just turned off at the largest prison in the city. There, they held small criminals with a chance at redemption that didn’t deserve banishment or death. They were divided in sections, not by the severity of their crimes, but by race and abilities.
The orgriash were kept in special cells, designed with their different anatomy and features in mind, considering some of them would have no problem escaping from ordinary cells that could stop a human.

Different yet were the parts of the prison where people with a mastery of any cosmic state were held. They had to be selectively separated by the type of their mastery and were considered the most dangerous and risky. Fortunately, nomads or anyone with such powers were rarely people that committed crimes. They usually had other ways of dealing with situations, without having to resort to breaking the law.

A train stopped at the last station, just in front of the institution. It was not an ordinary train, but one of the armored, weaponized enforcer types, that was used to transport the convicts. It was mounted with turrets and cannons, as well as reinforced hulls and windows. The locomotive was especially well equipped, being able to crush blockades and fend off potential attackers.

The door slid open and a man in boots and a long blue coat came out.

"Careful with the steps," he offered a hand to his assistant.

"Thank you, professor," she accepted, because disembarking while still holding her trusty book couldn’t be done deftly.
Getting out, she quickly fixed her glasses to have a better look at the large, menacing-looking building.

"Why do you think they made it look so scary?" Lalane asked Noix.

"Hmm…probably to demotivate people from committing felonies, I’d wager. In any case, I trust you have the documents ready. They will be asking for them shortly," he put out a hand and the documents landed in it almost immediately.

"Thank you Lalane."

"You’re welcome."

"Hey! How com’ she g’ts treat’d like a beauty, an’ I get ignored!?" a voice could be heard from inside the train car.

"Oh, where are my manners?!" Noix quickly turned around, offering his hand to Mai and dropping some documents.

"Hmm…" his assistant picked them up.

"My apologies Miss Mai but you must understand; with your demeanor, it’s easy to forget you are a lady as well," he made a back-handed excuse.

"Aye, suppose. Yer forgiven," she slapped his hand and came down on her own, "I was jus’ teasin’ ye anyway."

"Identification," a prison guard came over, holding out his hand as if expecting the documents straight away.

"Good evening to you as well. Here," the blue-coated man handed over the papers, "As you can see, we’ve already questioned the criminals and determined not only the motivation behind the attack but their place at your institution as well."

"Hmm…wait here," the guard went further away under a light to read them anyway, disregarding what he just heard.

A few minutes passed and the red-clad girl was getting impatient.

"Arr ye gonna make us wait f’rever mate?"

"Looks alright, except for these pages. Why are they so dirty?" he remarked, taking out the radio and pressing a button, "This is the gate. Central, come in."

"This is central. We hear you," a voice came from the radio.

"I need a team to accept a delivery. The train hijackers. All non-nomads. Over."

"The team is...busy. Is it important?" the voice on the radio asked.

"Nope. Nothing major," the guard replied.

"We’ll be there in about an hour. Over."

"Roger," the guard pressed the button again, turning to the trio.

"You’re looking at another hour. You may wait on the train. I’ll come back for you."

"An hour! Wha’cha doin in there, playin’ poker?!" the red-haired girl came closer to him.

"Back off," he pushed her.

"Ye…did not just do that mate," she went for her weapon, but Noix grabbed her arm.

"Let’s relax a bit, alright? We are all on the same side here."

"Aye, all ‘xcept him."

"Mai, please…let me take care of this," the professor reassured her.

"…fine," she turned her back and crossed her arms.

"Well done, leashing your dog," the guard tapped the electric baton.

"An extremely rude and unnecessary remark. Just goes to show how much of a gentleman you are, treating a lady like that," Noix replied.

"You call that a lady?"

"Well…perhaps you have a point, but if she had the fortune of growing up with proper education, I assure you Miss Mai would be a woman to turn all heads, including yours."

"Pfft! Look pal, I’m not here to entertain you. Just doing my job," the guard tried to leave but Noix continued.

"Well, you are terrible at it. You see, I am aware of the approximate time needed for that specific team to come down and do their work properly, and I can assure you that it is not an hour. Is there some kind of emergency or something?"

"Nope. No emergency. Just you, waiting for an hour."

"I will have a word with the warden about this," said the blue-haired man with confidence.

"Hah…good luck with that. I know the warden. We’re buddies. Now get in, before I make you," the guard turned on the electric baton.

The chestnut-haired girl pulled Noix by the sleeve, "Professor, let’s go inside. We are better than that."

"A moment Lalane," he reassured her, going back to the guard.

"My sincerest apologies. I was not aware you know the warden personally. May we start this over? My name is Noix Smythe," he offered a hand.

The guard accepted reluctantly, "Jack. But the inmates call me Blackjack, because of how I work the baton."

"That…is hard to comment. In any case, I am not sure if you are aware, but I am the man behind the radio you were using just a while ago. I designed it, as well as the baton you hold. Do you mind if I show you something neat that can be done with it? It will blow your mind, I assure you."

"Hands off. I’m not that stupid."

"Well, in that case, you can hold it and I will instruct you. I am just trying to get on your good side, really. Knowing a trick that no other guards know would boost your popularity as the infamous Blackjack, would it not?"

"…Go on," the guard raised an eyebrow.

Noix smiled and fixed his glasses, "See the bottom part? If you nudge it just a bit, it should make a click and then you can open it."

"Hmm…like this? Oh yeah, would you look at that…"

"Now if you reach inside, you should be able to feel the battery."

"Ungh…I can’t. The opening is too small."

"Would you let me do it?"

"No. I told you already. Hands off. I got it, just a little more…"

"Suit yourself. I was just offering since I wear fingerless gloves…"

"Oh right, the gloves…gotta take them off. Let’s see now…OWW!!!" the man got shocked by the baton, letting it go. It fell to the ground and pieces of it scrambled all over the place since its inner mechanism was left open.

"Oops…that wasn’t supposed to happen," Noix made a puzzled face and the girls giggled behind him.

"Y-you tricked me! You’ll answer for this. A-a-attack on a guard is punishable by banishment! I don’t care if you’re enforcers, geniuses, or whatever. You are not above the law!"

"Attack? What attack? Did you fine ladies see any attack on this man?"

"Nay."

"No professor, there was no attack of any kind."

"Hmm…I wonder if you’ll be so bold as to report it to your ‘buddy’ warden that you got tricked into putting your fingers inside your issued weapon. I am certain that will make him rethink your position to somewhere even further than the prison gate," Noix remarked.

"…tsk," the man held his hurt hand.

"Now that you’ve learned your lesson, let me ask you if you need us to call for some medical assistance?"

"…yes, do call them…"

"What was that?" Noix leaned and put a hand behind his ear.

"Please call for medical assistance…sir."

"Let’s see what I can do. Don’t mind me," he took the man’s radio and went a little further away.

"Hello. No, it’s Mr. Smythe… yes…we need a medical team at the main gate. Oh...well, I guess it can’t be helped. About the reception team: do tell them to stop playing cards and get down here right now. Yes. Have a pleasant evening."

He then came back and put the radio back into the guard’s pocket.

"Lalane, Mai, I just heard something rather peculiar… they said the team to accept our prisoners will be here in ten minutes."

"Odd indeed…" Lalane stared at the guard.

"I told’ya they were playin’ cards, the lot of them," Mai scowled.

"What about the medical team?" the guard looked at his reddish hand.

"Oh, they said it’s going to be an hour. It is truly unfortunate…" Noix grinned.

"…Look, I’m sorry. Can you guys help me? This really hurts…"

"I see you are under the impression I am doing this on purpose…But it’s your medical team that is slacking, not mine," the blue-clad man crouched down next to the guard.

"…have you no first aid on the train… I’m sure there should be some…"

"The train? Of course, we do! Oh, but wait silly me…You are not allowed on the train. Your jurisdiction is only valid on the prison grounds. The train is enforcer property. You could if you want, ask Miss Mai to let you on the train or bring you some," Noix showed over the shoulder at the red-haired girl behind him.

"…Enough professor. I didn’t think you so tasteless," Lalane lightly punched him in the back.

"Ouch..." Noix stood up.

"Beating a man that’s already down is not something a gentleman should do," she gave him a stern look.

"Perhaps you’re right. I did let my evil side slip out a bit, didn’t I...? Alright, Miss Mai, would you be so kind to go and bring a med kit?"

"…If I ‘ave to…" she went into the train.

"Thanks…" the guard looked at Lalane.

"Don’t misunderstand. I am doing this to save Professor Noix’s face. You deserved whatever comes your way," Lalane turned her face away from the guard.

The enforcer captain came back and the once pompous guard was now gritting his teeth, as she was applying the ointment and bandages to his hand, not quite gently.