I stood up as the lights on the cameras flickered on. I ignored Luko’s intense stare as I paced across the small room, slamming my fist against the solid metal door as a signal for the guards to return. As they escorted me out of the room, I glanced back just long enough to see one of the guards dragging Luko out of his chair- his golden gaze focused on me as I walked away.

The guards led me out of their Visitor Center, my pulse racing as I spotted the security terminal again. Pretending to lose my footing, I stumbled and caught myself against the computer system; a small device slipped on the edge of the machine before one of the guards pulled me upright. I muttered an apology, tense as they stared at the terminal with their inhuman masks for a moment before pushing me forward again.

Leaving through the massive, reinforced front gates, I had never been so eager to step out onto the streets of Neo Aurora. Sucking in clean air as I hurried away from the towering walls of the maximum security prison, I wanted nothing more than to return to Synchro and forget about the horrors of Purgatory. I headed toward one of the buildings crumbling at the edge of the streets surrounding the prison instead. Climbing up several floors, I ensured I had a clear vantage point of the front gate before I sat myself down to work.

My flippant words to Luko became a frustrating reality as I painstakingly worked my way into Purgatory’s security system using the linked device I had left inside. Several large screens filled my vision, shedding artificial light over the room as the sun set; holograms of neon keyboards floating before my fingers as the wiring in my gloves glowed the same brilliant green. There was a dull ache in my head by the time I finally breached the complicated security measures, confident enough to connect to the earpiece I had given Luko.

A faint buzz of feedback made me wince before the connection stabilized. “Can you hear me?” I asked softly, knowing how loud my voice would be with the device so deep in his ear. 

There was a pause before Luko’s low voice said with a trace of a metallic tone, “Missing me already?” There was a faint smirk behind the words, and perhaps the whisper of relief. 

Closing my eyes, I huffed out an aggravated breath. “I’m beginning to wish I could leave you in isolation,” I groaned before I raised my hands to the keyboards. “You’ll only have a few minutes once I take control of the systems and short out your collar. If you make a mistake, or you take too long, I won’t be able to help you.” I paused, trying to soften my tone as I asked, “Are you ready?” 

“You’ve given me little choice,” he muttered, his voice sounding slightly muffled as he grumbled through his teeth. “Alright baby, give us a signal.” 

“Don’t call me baby,” I hissed, glaring toward the prison as my fingers hit the keys to begin the shutdown of prison systems. With a faint buzz in the back of my head, I watched as lights began to shut off, until the eastern section containing Luko’s cellblock was swallowed in darkness. There was only a brief delay before the emergency sirens began to wail, nearly drowning my voice as I ordered: “Go.”