Katsuko made a dry sound. After a moment, she said, “There’re two scientists in charge of this. ‘Kaminari’ and ‘Inazuma’. For them, I don’t think the war ever ended.” She held up one arm, turning it so Asuma could see the fresh acid burns and weeping cigarette wounds on the sensitive skin of her wrist and the inside of her elbow.

“There’re experiments, yeah, but sometimes they just get...bored.”

Asuma grimaced. “...well, that's about the least comforting thing anyone's ever said to me. Y'ever tried escaping?"

Her laugh toed the line between ‘bitter’ and ‘three seconds away from a nervous breakdown’. “Be my guest, man. There are wards around this place three feet deep. I haven’t been able to stand since the first month, so you’d have to go solo.”