DC : Architect of Vengeance

The clone adjusted his uniform as he moved through Blackgate's dimly lit corridors, his footsteps echoing softly against concrete walls. At 11:15 PM exactly, he approached Cell Block D, where Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni waited with the anticipation.

"Time to go," the clone whispered, sliding Theo's master key into Falcone's cell lock.

Falcone stepped out first, his prison uniform replaced by civilian clothes his lawyer had smuggled in days earlier. Behind him, Sal Maroni emerged from his adjacent cell, the stocky don's face splitting into a relieved grin.

"Theo, you beautiful bastard," Maroni whispered, clapping the clone on the shoulder. "I was starting to think we'd rot in those cages."

"Keep your voices down," the clone replied in Theo's characteristic tone. "We're not clear yet."

The clone led them toward the service corridor, using Theo's security card to bypass the first checkpoint. Red LED lights blinked green as the system accepted the guard's credentials, each successful access point bringing them closer to freedom.

"How many guards between us and the exit?" Falcone asked, his voice barely audible.

"Three checkpoints, but I know their routines," the clone replied. "Officer Martin is on his smoke break, Thompson's should be in the can—kidney stones—and Riaz is watching monitors on the main floor. We take corridor B-7 to avoid them all."

As they moved deeper into the prison's administrative section, both criminals felt the suffocating weight of captivity begin to lift. The terror that had consumed them since witnessing the Architect's brutal methods was slowly being replaced by hope.

"Christ, this is actually happening," Maroni muttered, flexing his shoulders and stretching his arms as if casting off invisible chains.

The clone paused at a junction, holding up one hand for silence. Footsteps echoed from the main hallway—Officer Stevens making his rounds thirty seconds early. Theo's memories provided the perfect solution.

"Stevens!" the clone called out softly, stepping into view. "Medical emergency in D-Block. Transferring these two to the infirmary."

Stevens looked up from his clipboard, noting Theo's calm demeanor and the official-looking paperwork the clone had forged using Theo's administrative access. "What kind of emergency?"

"Possible food poisoning," the clone replied smoothly. "Maroni's been puking blood, and Falcone's also showing similar symptoms. It could be that newly arranged pork meat from dinner service."

Stevens grimaced and stepped aside. "Better safe than sorry. Need backup, Theo?"

"Doc's already been notified," the clone lied. "We're good to go."

As Stevens disappeared around the corner, both prisoners looked at the clone with newfound respect. This wasn't some idiot who only knew how to pocket a bribe—this guy was a true professional.

"Theo," Falcone said quietly, "when this is over, there's a place for you in my organization. Real money with real power."

The clone smiled,"Let's focus on getting out first, Mr. Falcone. Rest can wait."

Twenty minutes into their escape, Carmine Falcone felt the familiar intoxication of power seeping back into his bones. Each barrier cleared reminded him why he'd ruled Gotham's underworld for three decades. The Roman wasn't finished—he was just getting started.

"Theo came through exactly like he promised," Falcone murmured to Maroni as they descended a maintenance stairwell. "By sunrise, we'll be free men planning our comeback."

"Look at us—crawling like bugs minutes ago and now we're strolling," Maroni remarked, his breathing becoming more steadier.

"It feels like the air's getting cleaner already," Falcone agreed with a pleased tone.

The clone led them through increasingly narrow corridors, Theo's memories served as a flawless internal map providing perfect navigation through Blackgate's labyrinthine infrastructure.

Service tunnels that most guards didn't know existed, maintenance areas forgotten since construction, passages that hadn't seen inspection in years.

Falcone continued. "That freak thinks he's got us cornered like rats. He would probably be monitoring every visitor, every phone calls and every legal meeting we get. But you can't watch what you don't know about."

"When he comes he will be staring at empty cells, wondering how the hell we vanished," Maroni said, laughing under his breath at the image. "While he's watching the front door, we're strolling out the back."

They reached another checkpoint, where the clone used Theo's card to access a restricted maintenance area. The heavy steel door opened with a soft pneumatic hiss, revealing a tunnel that ran beneath the prison's outer perimeter.

"This connects to the old treatment facility," the clone explained. "Abandoned since they modernized last decade. Your ride's waiting just beyond the eastern exit."

Both criminals were beginning to straighten, their postures shifting from hunted animals back to apex predators. Falcone smoothed his civilian jacket, running fingers through his hair that had grown shaggy during imprisonment. The transformation was remarkable—from a paranoid wreck back to criminal mastermind in minutes.

"Sal," Falcone said, his voice carrying echoes of the authority that had once commanded hundreds, "first priority when we're out—secure location. Then we start making calls."

"What about the Architect?" Maroni asked.

Falcone's eyes gleamed with renewed cunning. "The Architect made his first mistake—he let us know he was coming. Now we know what we're dealing with. He should be some kind of enhanced individual, probably some government experiment gone rogue, but definitely unhinged. But he could be killed like anyone else."

The clone listened with Theo's ears, memorising every word.

"I'm thinking we hire professionals," Falcone continued as they walked deeper into the maintenance tunnel. "Deathstroke's expensive, but he specializes in enhanced targets. Or those LexCorp contractors—they've got gear designed for Superman-level threats."

"What about that crew from Hub City?" Maroni suggested, warming to the subject. "Heard they took down some kind of cannibal monster. Professional freak-hunters—exactly what we need."

The clone guided them past junction boxes and water piepes, deeper into the tunnel. This tunnel system had been designed as an emergency evacuation route for staff, complete with independent ventilation and power.

"The point is," Falcone said, "the Architect might have caught our boys off guard, but they were just street muscle. We're going to be ready. Professional soldiers, Metas with top grade military hardware, maybe even some of that Wayne Tech surveillance equipment."

Both men were walking taller now, their terror replaced by the familiar arrogance that had served them well in Gotham's hierarchy. They were already mentally carving up territory, planning eliminations, calculating how to spin their escape into a demonstration of strength.

The clone smiled with Theo's face, leading them exactly where they needed to go.

Notes : I kinda rushed this chapter. Do comment below any mistakes you find.