On the job training they call it. Learn from the past, they said. You’ll be so much further ahead if you can learn from the mistakes of others, they said... Balderdash, Alex thought to himself as he and the 10 other new recruits to <insert agency name> wandered through the remains of what used to be Stronghold.
He nodded sagely as the instructor showed them the cells of once powerful Villains, gave some background information that he’d learned in high school. More of Destroyers propaganda but everyone had to tow the line. As the tour progressed he started to tune out the presenter. When bored, his mind would wander...
At one point in the tour they were shown some of the robots that used to work with the human guards. Most of the robots had been torn asunder after the Vanishing, when Destroyers goon squad took over. We were shown a mashup of metal bodies that had been placed behind glass. As the rest of the group moved away, Alex put his hand on the glass and said, “I’m so sorry my friends, that you have been dishonored this way.” As he started to move away he saw a flash of a red light. Looking closer, he saw one of the smaller robots had come to life, briefly, he looked at the others ahead of him, but they were almost out of this section.
He looked again at the little robot and thought, “if you come to me, I will restore you”. He waited but nothing happened.
He left the section and rushed to catch up with the group.
He didn’t mention anything to his comrades.
He woke up late the next day, and so he quickly showered and ran to the office. He hadn’t even bothered to listen to the radio on the way in.
Byron met him at the opening to the cubicles and motioned him over to the water coolers. “Did you hear about Stronghold? Something broke out last night! And we were just there yesterday!!
Shocked, Alex says, “What?? Who broke out? That place has been empty for years...”
No one knows, or at least no ones saying, Byron said.
This was the day the headaches started.