Chapter Text
The van rolled ever closer to the concrete building. You felt your heart sink as the barred windows shone in the sun. You spent a lot of time in this depressing place, but this wasn't like the other times. Your trepidation only grew as you considered the unique aspect of Hillworth Womens' Prison.
Any prison would be daunting to some extent, but this one currently housed some of the oldest and most powerful trolls known to man. Thankfully, they stayed in their own section and rarely interacted with the general population.
The van stopped in front of the building and you climbed out of the front seat, thanking your friend for taking you to work. At least your car died on Sunday, so you had time to ask for a ride. But you would still have to face the music for last week.
You took a deep breath and stepped into the austere lobby. You made your way to the receptionist and presented your ID. She checked it and pressed a button, unlocking the staff area door. "Thank you," you said before entering, hoping she didn't notice the shakiness in your voice. You clocked in as you watched the halls, scanning for your boss. After your failed attempt at breaking up a fight, he said he'd decide what to do about your job on Monday. You were praying it would only be a demotion.
"(Y/N)," a cold voice said behind you. Your breath caught in your throat, though you managed to not jump or make a noise, "My office. Now."
You followed him to the small, bland room. He gestured to a chair that gave you flashbacks to middle school visits to the principal’s office and you sat down. All this needed as an obnoxiously bright light and a one-way mirror and this could be a scene from a cop drama, you thought.
"Quite a fuckup there," he said, "You got your partner sent to the hospital, because you were a coward."
That was a fairly accurate representation of what happened. You couldn’t talk a pair of inmates arguing about a stolen pair of shoes out of fighting and, when it escalated, your partner ended up with a concussion. She had forgiven you after you apologized profusely, at least.
"Ordinarily, I would have fired you. However, you’ve been an incredibly valuable employee and we have a position that desperately needs filling. So you’ll be Neophyte Redglare’s assistant…unless you want to resign, of course."
That name sounded familiar, and it only took you a second to realize why. She was in charge of the troll section, and one of her duties was training ordinary correctional officers to handle trolls. Nobody had lasted as her assistant for longer than a month, it was rumored. Accounts varied on whether that was because of Redglare herself or the other trolls.
"I'll do it," you said. You still needed a paycheck to deal with the broken car, after all.
"Good. Wait in the break room, then. She'll be here in a few minutes," your (former, as of a second ago) boss said. You left the room as soon as you got the chance. There was nothing about this particular section you would miss, except your partner. You invited her over for lunch on the weekends all the time anyway.
You barely noticed the object poking your leg at first. Then it happened again. And again.
"Hey, what are y--" The words died on your tongue as you turned around. A troll, taller than some of the tallest women in your previous section and wearing red glasses, stood before you. The poking must have been from her dragon-headed cane. "Are you Neophyte Redglare?" you asked. Why couldn’t she just greet you with words like a normal person anyway?
"You can call me Ms. Pyrope if you prefer. I know humans get annoyed with my title sometimes. And you're (y/n)?" she asked, her voice high-pitched and raspy.
"I am."
"People say you're good with non-violent conflict resolution," she said, "That's a good skill in my section, since even the weakest troll can wipe the floor with a human."
She walked away, and you followed.
"Anyway, your role in this is to be my guinea pig as I figure out how to train humans for keeping trolls in line. Please keep in mind that extended incarceration is a new concept for me, since most crimes were punished with execution, forced labor, and the like on Alternia."
You hoped her cultural background didn't affect her treatment of assistants.
"It was a terrible system. The human legal system is far from perfect, but i like it better."
You listened to her pseudo-lecture about the wonders of human rights. Her joy was infectious, but your heart went out for her. Here she was, excited about things you took for granted. You wondered what exactly the Alternian legal system was like.
She stopped in front of a well-reinforced door and swiped her card. It unlocked with a click.
"Sorry in advance about the ugly walls," she said, "The stuff on the walls blocks many varieties of psychic abilities, particularly psionics and ghost communication. It can't block some forms of mind control though."
And she was right about the walls. Most places were covered in some foil-like substance, then crudely painted over. Concrete paneling covered the foil in some places, so this was obviously a temporary solution while they made renovations. Why anti-psionic barriers were important enough to warrant a temporary solution, you didn't want to know.
"You know the drill. Everyone's working right now, so I'm going back to my office and trying to negotiate this stupid-ass cell change."
"Cell change?" you asked. Those were usually pretty simple in your section.
"Actually, come with me. I'll catch you up on everything going on here. All you need to know about the cell situation for now is that we have to separate by sex and we try to prevent large blood color discrepancies between cellmates. You know about the hemospectrum stuff, right? It was all over the news when humans found out about trolls. Anyway, this leads to any cell changes being difficult," Redglare explained.
You followed her to her office, which looked like a very tacky version of the office you were just in. Every single object seemed to be a different bright color.
"Here," she said, removing a laptop from below her desk and inserting a CD, "We usually don't show interview tapes without a special circumstance, but these guys are the definition of special circumstance." She played the CD and walked away, putting ground coffee in the machine stuffed in the corner.
The screen stayed black, but you could hear the static-filled sound of a microphone picking up background noise.
"Damara Megido, also known as the Handmaid. Arrested for felony assault," an off-camera voice said.The screen now showed a troll with fire-colored ram horns, wearing a dirty green dress.
"Can you explain your motivation for attacking the victim?" the voice asked.
"Felt like it," she said with what sounded like a thick accent she was training herself out of. She smiled in a way that would have melted your heart, had her response been less of a red flag for psychopathy. Her interview continued, her responses always short and remorseless. The screen went black again as the next interview played.
"Rufioh Nitram, known as the Summoner. Convicted of felony tax evasion."
You could only wonder how he got through doors with horns like his. You sort of spaced out thinking about that, missing most of his confusion about what exactly taxes were and why he had to pay them. The room was different from the one Damara was in, no one-way mirror this time. He seemed harmless. Kind of cute too. You ended up watching his wings flutter until the screen went black.
"Mituna Captor, known as the Psiioniic. Convicted for trespassing, resisting arrest, and involuntary manslaughter."
This troll sparked red and blue all around him. He talked quickly. The date stamp at the bottom of the screen showed that he came here recently.
"Just give me a quick death, please. I don't want to be a Helmsman again!" he cried, gold-colored tears streaming down his face as he thrashed in his cuffs.
"Please calm down, Mr. Captor," the off-camera voice said. It was definitely Redglare speaking. You had no idea how you didn’t realize it sooner, "This isn't Alternia. In fact, I would appreciate it if you stopped using your psionics. Now, how did you lose control of your abilities in the killing of Officer Robert Harkin, and is there a way to prevent it from happening during your incarceration?"
Mituna explained how he was involved in an anti-trollphobia rally, which was unknowingly trespassing on a company's property. When the police went to arrest them, they all ran. However, he panicked and, during a flashback to his life on Alternia, he lost control of his powers and killed a police officer. The sparks picked up again as he trailed off into rushed apologies. Somewhere in there he mentioned a special material that prevented him from using his powers.
"So that's why you have the wall thing?" you asked. Redglare looked up from pouring Faygo in her coffee. Wait...there was no way she would drink that, right? No, she drank half of it in one gulp. Your stomach turned.
"Part of the reason. I should mention that Mituna's doing better. Just don’t be too harsh with him."
You nodded and played the next interview.
"Kankri Vantas, known as the Signless. Convicted for trespassing and resisting arrest."
You couldn't see his face, since his hood cast too many shadows. He seemed to be the leader of the failed rally, from his description of the events. Redglare explained how prison worked before asking questions, in case he panicked like Mituna did.
"The red-blooded creatures treat their criminals fairly," he remarked. You fell in love with that spirited, rough around the edges kind of voice, "Is this the afterlife? It’s almost like someone tried to create a heaven specifically for me."
"We all seem to be alive, though I don't know how or why," Redglare said. Had they not been alive before? You decided it was some existential garbage and kept watching.
"Meulin Leijon, known as the Disciple. Convicted for trespassing and resisting arrest."
"So I just have to answer some questions? That's what Tuna told me," the short troll said. She had the fluffiest hair you had ever seen.
"That's right. And were you told about how you would serve your sentence?"
"Yes. It's such a relief! I was worried I'd lose Kankri again, but I get to be with him? This is wonderful!" You had never seen anyone so excited to go to prison. Then again, it seemed like this group had been on the wrong side of the Alternian legal system at one point. You wanted to ask what happened to them, but at the same time you didn't want to know.
“Porrim Maryam, known as the Dolorosa. Convicted for trespassing, resisting arrest, and assault.”
The first few seconds of the video were too shaky to see anything. Redglare finished adjusting the camera and it focused on a tall troll. Green tears streamed down her face and either something was wrong with the video or she glowed erratically.
“Do whatever you want to me,” she said, “Just promise you won’t harm my son.”
“I promise nothing will happen to either of you.”
Porrim’s glow dimmed and she smiled a little, still crying. Redglare definitely had a talent for putting others at ease.
“Thank you.”
“Now, I know you’re a rainbow drinker. What sort of accommodations would I have to make for that? Any dietary needs, necessary supplements, or anything like that? You’ll have some time to go outside every day, so sunlight shouldn’t be an issue.”
“What’s a rainbow drinker?” you asked.
“Similar to a vampire. They can be treated like normal trolls. Just be aware that they’re extremely fast. You have to outthink them if you want to apprehend one.”
You turned your attention back to the last bit of the video. Porrim smiled a little when Redglare told her about an endangered species conservation work program she was being considered for. She, like the rest of her group, was polite and cooperative. You had thought these trolls would be difficult to deal with. So far, everyone except Damara would be easy. You hoped this was true of everyone else.
"Aranea Serket, known as Marquise Spinneret Mindfang. Arrested for--do I really have to list all this? I do? Okay, convicted for several counts of robbery, grand theft, petty theft, aggravated assault, murder, possession and sale of controlled substances, public inebriation, indecent exposure...okay I think we hit the highlights. I'm not reading everything here."
The troll being interviewed struggled against her handcuffs, long hair tossing as she did so. She had fluffier-looking hair than Meulin.
"What can I say? It's a pirate's life for me, Neophyte," she purred.
Redglare asked some questions about a car theft, and other crimes committed while she had the car. Mindfang recounted everything in lurid detail, smiling and joking the whole time. You were a little terrified, especially when she talked about speeding away from the police, the blood of the man she hit earlier still all over the hood. She made no attempt to make herself look innocent, something you had only seen with lifers who had nothing to lose. So maybe they wouldn’t all be easy to deal with.
"Horuss Zahhak, known as Executioner Darkleer. Arrested for grand theft."
He wore a strange pair of glasses and sweated profusely, his handcuffs jingling as he fidgeted.
"Now, Darkleer, exactly what did you do with the horses before they were found in your house?" Redglare asked.
A gray arm reached around you and skipped through most of the interview.
"The answer gave me nightmares for weeks," she said, "I'll spare you."
On screen, Darkleer's handcuffs released with a click. You could see a twisted scrap of metal (it looked like part of a belt buckle, contorted into a point) in his clenched fist. Redglare knocked the camera over as she leapt at him, the lens breaking into a spiderweb pattern. The video cut off there.
“Kurloz Makara, known as the Grand Highblood. Arrested for two counts of first degree murder,” Redglare said.
The camera bobbed wildly as she adjusted it. The date stamp showed that this was earlier than the others you had seen. Once the camera stabilized, you could see his real height. Damn. He had to be above eight feet tall, even without those ridiculous horns. He had been put in a straitjacket and he had either been sedated or was just high.
“Good to motherfuckin’ see ya, Redglare,” he slurred, “Now let’s get outta here before they realize you ain’t workin’ for them.”
“Actually, sir, you aren’t my boss anymore. I do, in fact, work for them. Now, can you tell me exactly why you decided to paint your house with your victims’ blood?”
He blinked a few times, raising an eyebrow like she was surprised he would ask that question. You felt your heart sink. You would have to interact with him, too?
“Sets a motherfuckin’ example, ya know? Don’t be like these guys or I’ll up and cull ya too,” he said, slumping forward onto the table, “Damn, I wanna Faygo. Can ya be a little miracle and get me somethin’?”
“You worked for someone like that?” you asked Redglare. She nodded, lips pressed into a thin black line. She pushed the soda-laced coffee an inch or so away from her as she continued reading over some documents. You would have asked what that was like, but she didn’t seem to want to answer. The next interview played before you could ask anything more.
“Cronus Ampora, known as Orphaner Dualscar. Convicted for kidnapping and resisting arrest.”
He had fins. Okay. He had gills too, and cartoonishly ridiculous armor. He looked like a villain from a bad superhero show.
“I didn’t do it! The bitch is lying!” he said.
“Really? Because Mindfang and Rufioh had very similar testimonies. Sure hers seemed…embellished, but not enough to be a lie, and I could easily get the real details. So, what was your motivation for abducting Rufioh Nitram?”
“They’re matesprits! They collaborated on making up the whole thing!” Dualscar yelled, leaning as far forward as he could with his hands cuffed behind him. You could hear Redglare’s sigh.
“And why would they do such a thing?”
“I was competition, that’s why. Without me selling guns, her business is bett—oh shit,” he trailed off as Redglare chuckled, trying to conceal it with a fake cough.
“You were selling weapons? I’m going to guess you don’t have permits for that sort of thing?”
The rest was just Dualscar lying his ass off and Redglare calling him out on it, until he had at least five charges added.
“This is a pre-trial interrogation,” you said. Actually, most of them were. Only Rufioh’s and Kankri’s group's were post-conviction interviews, yet Redglare led all of them. Your brain had just been too scrambled by a lack of coffee to notice it before, “Were you a cop?”
“I switched when the prison got a substantial troll population,” she said, “These videos are the ones that best show off the peculiarities of trolls, such as Mituna’s powers and Kurloz being cavalier about murder. Now…watch the last one knowing that you’ll be interacting with her directly tomorrow.”
You played the last video, wondering exactly what would require a warning.
“Meenah Peixes, known as Her Imperious Condescension. Arrested for embezzlement, fraud, and conspiracy to commit treason.”
No way. No freaking way. She was here? Her attempted world takeover had been all over the news a few years ago, and she was said to be crazy powerful. She should be in a supermax facility somewhere far away from here.
They brought her in straitjacketed, her ever-present tiara either removed or lost in her hair. Both options seemed likely. Her fins flared in what you were sure was supposed to be a threatening display as the officers restrained her legs. They had to use their strongest restraints, and even then they asked Redglare if those would hold.
“You can’t glubbin’ do this!” she sputtered, “I’m ya empress, tealblood!”
You heard papers shuffling, presumably Redglare going through her file. You heard a quiet “hmm” coming from off-camera.
“Actually, I can. You became an American citizen in 1921, did you not? That means you can be prosecuted under American law.”
“I—cod dammit…”
A glowing symbol (Mindfang’s perhaps, the video wasn’t good enough to tell) appeared on her forehead. Redglare, the same symbol glowing on her head, came toward her. She had an empty look in her eyes.
“Now untie me.”
The officers who had restrained Meenah both tackled Redglare. You admired the way they kept her arms, how the awkward positioning forced her to use weaker muscles if she wanted to push them off. It was a good way to get the upper hand against a stronger person. Not that you could ever do it.
“Not my…proudest moment. Trolls are more susceptible to mind control than humans, so I’m glad I had backup,” Redglare said, “On that note, Mindfang has the same power and a tendency to misuse it. Keep an eye on her.”
“And tomorrow I’ll have to deal with Meenah too?”
“Pretty much. I’d expect some of the work programs to let out soon, by the way. Good luck out there!”
Wait, that was all? You at least had some things to keep in mind from the videos (watch out for Mindfang, Darkleer can improvise lockpicks, and don’t be too harsh with Mituna), but this didn’t feel like proper training at all. Redglare had admitted up front that she had no idea what she was doing, but this was…
This must have been why the others quit.
And since you couldn’t quit until you could pay for the car repairs, you just left, hoping your job would be fairly intuitive. You got some coffee on your way out, even adding a little Faygo in case that somehow helped your situation. You needed any miracles you could get.