Hide lay on his side in the damp filth, his cheek pressed hard against the freezing floor.
The visitor's mocking words hung in the darkness, grating against his mind like glass shards.
"And you think you're better than me?" Hide snarled, his voice rough and wet with blood, spitting the words toward the shadowy partition. "Huh? Why don't you come around that wall, take these fucking cuffs off, and let's see what's up your ass!"
Silence settled over the room once more.
For several long seconds, the only sound was the faint ticking of the titanium device.
Then, from the hidden side of the concrete partition, a dry, dismissive snort echoed through the gloom.
"You are like a child right now," the raspy voice answered, completely devoid of anger or offense. The tone was flat, hollow, and terribly calm. "I have no interest in talking to a mindless, barking child. I will return later. You better not completely turn into one by then."
