Nor Iron Bars a Cage (Jane Smith 10)

Story
Jane lugs a desktop to their campsite, as Argit is carrying a set of transmitters. They put them down in front of Otto, who inspects them.

Otto: Excellent, excellent! You two have done well! Now, all we need now is a teleportation frequency tracker.

Jane: What’s that?

Otto: It’ll allow us to tune into other teleportation frequencies and use them ourselves! That way, we can teleport out of here.

Argit: Where are we supposed to get that?!

Jane: The Rooters could get out. I guess that Null Void projectors would have this kind of thing?

Otto: Very good, Jane! That allows the Plumbers to keep active logs on travel expenses. It also allows them to hone in on a certain signal.

Jane: So if we snuck into a Plumbers facility, wouldn’t it be easier just to grab a projector?

Argit: Ha! Good luck! The only Plumber stations besides the Rooters out here is Incarcecon. And they don’t keep projectors on sight. Prison transport is done by ship, and they send a request to a Plumber base outside the Null Void to open a portal for them.

Otto: Ah, but don’t forget! Their computers would have the tracker data too! If you could get in, you could steal the info.

Jane: How would we know what the info looked like?

Otto: I’ll create a program that once inserted into the computer, will allow it to search for and download the information that you seek. It’ll be as easy as hacking into the security system of Galvin Prime!

Jane: Galvan Prime?

Argit: But you can’t hack into Galvan tech!

Otto: What do you think landed me in here? No system is safe from me!

Jane: Get that program up and running then. And we’ll need to find Incarcecon.

Argit: No problems! I broke out of there easily. I know where it is.

Jane: Then let’s move then. End Scene

Incarcecon is a heavily fortified building, with an iron gate surrounding it. Jane and Argit peek over a boulder, seeing the front gate defended by robots.

Argit: Huh. It had living guards the last time I was here.

Jane: Can you get us in?

Argit: Oh, don’t get your undies in a knot! It’s not like we’re crazy enough, breaking into prison.

They slink around the side, arriving at a section of the wall, with the ground broken by it, creating a minuscule tunnel leading to the other side.

Jane: You can fit through that?

Argit: Don’t underestimate my appearance. I was voted “most likely to be stuffed in a small hole” in the prison popularity contests.

Jane: (Sarcastically) Gee, what an extraordinary honor.

Argit: Though, I’m not quite sure how you’re going to get in there now.

Jane: I’ve got a plan.

Jane activates the Omnitrix, dialing through it. She finds the alien, and slaps it down. She turns into Walkatrout, smirking.

Walkatrout: If this isn’t a slippery situation, I’m not sure what is.

Walkatrout walks into the hole, trying to squirm her way through it. Argit goes over, helping guide her into the hole. She pops out the other side, flopping for a moment. Argit slips through, and he runs across the field, the robots not watching. Walkatrout waddles after him, making it across the field. Argit opens the door, as they sneak inside.

Argit: Okay. We are officially the craziest people ever.

Walkatrout: If this will help us get out of the Null Void, I’ll do anything. Now what?

Argit: For now, we need to blend into the populace. Most of them are forced to work in the mine shaft.

Argit leads Walkatrout through the hallways, as Walkatrout reverts. A large group of alien prisoners are being forced to dig, monitored by robots. A few stray pick axes are lying around.

Jane: So, we start digging too?

Argit: Yeah. Don’t give them any reason to suspect you’re not a prisoner. When they all line up to go back to their cells, we’ll sneak into an office or something.

Jane and Argit start working away, though Argit has trouble lifting his pickaxe. Several other prisoners, Quince, Trukk and Kwarrel, take notice of them.

Trukk: We should pound them. Put em in their place.

Quince: You want to add more time to your sentence? Leave em be, they’ll probably die from exhaustion within the week.

Kwarrel: I don’t believe they intend to stay that long.

Jane lifts her pickaxe with ease, newly formed muscles bulging as she does. Her strength has increased since her time in the Null Void. Argit stops after managing two complete swings, exhausted. He turns, and sees someone approaching.

Argit: Uh, Jane?

Jane turns, gasping as she does. Ssserpent slithers towards them, hissing.

Ssserpent: Well. It ssseems I’m not the only one to be sssealed away here.

Jane: Get lost, Ssserpent. I’m not looking for a fight.

Ssserpent: Too bad I’m looking for revenge.

Ssserpent swings his tail around, it wrapping around Jane. Ssserpent then tosses Jane at the ceiling, her collision breaking some rocks on the ceiling. A blue dust is released, Jane breathing it in. She hits the ground, and completely disoriented.

Jane: What?! Huh? No! Get away, giant monkey!

Jane slaps down the Omnitrix, transforming into Rath. Rath roars, catching everyone’s attention.

Rath: LET ME TELL YA SOMETHIN’ GORILLA KING! THERE’S NO ONE BETTER TO GIVE YOU A BEAT DOWN THAN THE RATH!

Ssserpent: Uh, what?

Rath charges Ssserpent, Ssserpent dodging and using his tail to trip her. Rath does a handspring, regaining her balance, then keeps going. She crashes into a boulder, and takes the pieces, throwing them in all different directions.

Rath: YOUR ARMY OF MUTANT KIWIS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE AMAZING STRENGTH OF RATH!

Quince: Looks like that one got a good dose of the dream dust.

Kwarrel: I suppose one of us should do something.

Trukk: I’ll take it out.

Trukk charges at Rath, who sees him as an octopus spider. Rath charges, flipping over and slamming her arm into his face, knocking him down. She then grabs his leg, and tosses him at Ssserpent, who escapes unharmed. Ssserpent slithers at Rath, who spins and strikes Ssserpent on the head. Ssserpent hisses in discontent, ready to attack. His face drops, as he backs off.

Rath: YEAH, YOU BETTER RUN, LORD OF THE FISHIES!

Kwarrel hits Rath on the back of the head, knocking her down. Rath reverts, as Jane groans, a knot forming on the back of her head. The robot guards respond, and go over to retrieve her.

Kwarrel: Oh, now you respond. Fine, fine.

Jane is thrown into the warden’s office, strapped to a chair. She regains recognition of her surroundings, as she tries to struggle free from her binds.

Jane: Hey! Let me go!

Voice: As if I’ll allow a loose prisoner free.

Morgg comes out of the shadow, an alien with rough green skin and horns coming out of his head. He sits in his chair, at the desk across from Jane. Jane notices the computer on the desk.

Morrg: You are an anomaly. I have no clue who you are, or where you came from. And quite frankly, I don’t really care. So, here is how it’s going to go. I don’t care about any of that. All that matters now is that you are mine. You will work in the mines, and mine my deposits.

Jane: Deposits?

Morgg: The dust you inhaled down there. Your sole purpose now is to mine that. And if you refuse, you shall be beat. You shall be tortured. Your life will be made a living nightmare. Obey, and you will live your life without conflict. Do we have an understanding?

Jane tries to bolt out of her chair, but Morgg reaches across, punching her to the ground. Jane is still strapped to the chair, as Morrg goes over, using his foot to press Jane’s head to the ground. Jane winches in pain, as Morrg smiles with pleasure, pushing down even harder.

Morgg: You are my prisoner now. I own you. It doesn’t matter who you were before, because now, you are my servant. You do whatever I want, when I want. Is that clear.

Jane: (Muffled) Uh-huh.

Morgg reaches down and pulls Jane by the hair, her screaming.

Morgg: What was that?

Jane: (In pain) Yes! Yes! I’ll do whatever you want!

Morgg: Good.

Morgg lets go, allowing Jane to drop to the floor.

Morgg: Guards. Take her back to the mine. I want her working. And get a cell ready for her.

Robot guards come in, as they unstrap Jane from the chair. She willingly allows them to manhandle her, dragging her away. While being dragged, Jane observes the office’s location, and the path to it.

Jane: (Under her breath) I’ll do whatever you want. Pah! I’m not the girl I was. I’m no one’s puppet. End Scene

At the Rooters lair, Leander is dragging Aggregor, a human with four spikes on his forehead, to the laboratory. Aggregor is struggling like crazy, him yelling and snarling as they go.

Aggregor: NO! Off of me! Let free!

Leander kicks Aggregor from behind, Aggregor roaring in pain. Leander then pushes Aggregor in, as he’s caught in lightning. Aggregor screams in fear now, as Servantis levitates Aggregor in, and straps him to the center slap.

Servantis: Relax, Aggregor. It will all be over soon.

Aggregor: No! Power bad! No more pain for Aggregor!

Swift enters the room, followed by Nailah pushing in a cryotube.

Swift: Proctor, I have done as requested. But is this really necessary?

Servantis: Our plans with utilizing Jane to combat the fighting storm are all but lost. We must move to having another take her place, an equal.

Nailah: Will one of you guys tell me what’s going on?

Servantis: Quite simply, my dear Nailah. We are going to take the one inside this cryotube, and make her our new tool.

Nailah: And why this thing?

Servantis: Because this one, has no memory, so her mind can be created to suit our needs.

Swift opens the cryotube, revealing that the body inside is the dead corpse of the Original Jane. Nailah sniffs in disgust, as Servantis uses his telekinetic lightning to lift it and put it on the other slab. Swift looks nervous to the side, as Servantis goes over to the console.

Servantis: Thank you for your efforts, Aggregor. Despite the fact you are considered a failure, I do believe that you have enough power to revive her. At the expense of yourself, that is.

Servantis turns the machine on, as it drains energy from Aggregor. Aggregor screams, as the energy is transferred to the corpse. Electrical energy sparks, as Servantis turns the machine on to full power. Aggregor’s screams become deafening, Nailah holding her ears. The machine starts to overheat, small explosions occurring.

Swift: (Screaming) Turn it off!

Servantis: No! It must succeed!

Servantis shoots lightning from his brain at the device, overloading it. The console explodes, knocking Servantis away. Leander helps him up, as the system shuts down. Everything is quiet, when a small moan is emitted. The Original Jane stirs, her skin grayish from decay. Her hair is almost all gone, her feminine features seem to have disappeared.

Servantis: And so, Janezarro is born.

Characters

 * Jane Smith
 * Argit
 * Otto
 * Kwarrel
 * Quince
 * Trukk

Villains

 * Morgg
 * Morgg's robot guards
 * Ssserpent
 * Rooters
 * Proctor Servantis
 * Swift
 * Leander
 * Nailah
 * Aggregor
 * Janezarro (birth)

Aliens Used

 * Walkatrout
 * Rath

Trivia

 * Jane and Argit break into Incarcecon to get the data they need to escape.
 * This will be Morgg's biggest role to date in an Earth-68 series.
 * Aggregor's appearance is based on the canon version being revealed to be artificially made by the Rooters.
 * Aggregor going mad is evidence of him being a failed experiment.
 * It originally thought of having Morpheus appear due to the appearance of the dream dust.
 * The original Jane is brought back to life, and becomes Janezarro.
 * Janezarro is based off Benzarro in the canon series.