Title: "Lockdown Get Down" (1/2)
Author/pseudonym: FatJoey
Email address: fatjsteel@ureach.com; send feedback on list or private.
Rating: PG for Part One / NC 17 to come!
Fandom: NSync / "OZ" xover
Pairing: Justin Timberlake/Chris Keller
Date: February 4, 2001
Archive: Yes, but give me a holler.
Archived: at Boy Band Fic http://www.boybandfic.org and at www.popslash.com
Series: I highly doubt it, but I may make a career out of crossing people with Keller
Category: Slash, RPS
Disclaimer: Okay, this is just my own little fantasy and not meant to offend or interfere with any copyrights or anything.
Summary: NSync is dumb enough to visit Oswald State Correctional Facility.
Dedication: For Robin and Mistress Marilyn on the SVUFanfic list, because they're both twisted enough to want to read this.
Warnings: Well, after all, it's prison, it's OZ, so what do you expect?

"What do you think I should wear?" asked JC Chasez, holding up a pair of black leather pants.

Joey gave him a long, disbelieving look. "You're gonna wear leather pants to visit a prison? Are you high?"

JC stared back, his large blue eyes unblinking. "What?"

Chris poked JC. "Just wear what you have on. It's not like playing the Garden."

"Justin needs to change, though," Joey said, pointing at the curly-haired young man who was whispering into the telephone receiver, using his 'sexy voice.' "They said 'no jeans.'"

JC walked in front of Justin, who was in a ball on the end of the couch, ignoring his friends. JC waved his right hand in front of Justin's face. "Hey!"

Justin looked up, covering the end of the phone with his palm. "What?" he asked impatiently. "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

JC sighed. "Can't you use your cell phone from the car? We need to leave in 15 minutes, and you have to change your clothes."

"I've gotta go," Justin said huskily into the phone. "I'll call you later, okay?"

When Justin finally hung up, Joey helped him off the couch and shoved him toward his room. "Change now. Let's go!"

Within 20 minutes the five members of the pop group Nsync were in a limo heading to Oswald State Correctional Facility. Warden Leo Glynn was expecting them by 2:00 p.m. that afternoon. Glynn, unhappy that the band had elected to invite no media to cover their visit, had offered to allow them one hour to visit the prison and sing for the inmates in Oswald's experimental unit, Emerald City.

Joey wasn't too keen on the visit; he personally knew a couple guys from his old neighborhood in Brooklyn who had ended up in Oswald State -- 'Oz,' as they called it -- and he had heard some of the stories about the place. Oz was one of the toughest prisons in the country, and Joey found it somewhat disturbing that one of the inmates had gotten JC's personal mailing address and started writing. Although the man had only asked that the band members sign some photos for his niece and mail them to her in Queens, JC had gotten it into his head that they should visit the prison during their next trip to NYC. And Lance had reminded everyone that it was in the Bible that part of a Christian's duty was to visit those unfortunate enough to be incarcerated, and Justin and Chris hadn't cared enough to protest. As always, majority ruled. So here they were, on their way to Oz. 'We're off to see the Wizard,' Joey heard playing in his head.

As they approached the prison, the guys lowered the tinted windows and stared out at the ominous structure. "Jesus," said Chris. "This is serious."

"Look at the barbed wire," said Lance, pointing.

Wait 'til they get inside, thought Joey.

The man who greeted them wore a uniform and a pleasant, if wary, expression. He introduced himself as Officer Sean Murphy and explained that he would be their guide. Then he started spouting off rules and regulations as he walked them through the metal detectors and iron doors.

"What are we gonna do with all this jewelry?" asked a man behind a desk. "These guys are covered with it."

Murphy looked at their rings, earrings and necklaces. "Would you guys mind stowing the stuff around your necks in a locker here?" He paused. "And maybe the watches. And your wallets."

Joey shrugged. "Whatever."

The band members reluctantly removed as much jewelry as was practical and piled it on a tray with their wallets; the tray was then placed in a small locker. Murphy handed the key to Joey.

"Just a precaution," Murphy added.

Joey noticed the guys were now looking much more uncomfortable, especially Good Christian Lance. Maybe Officer Murphy didn't believe he would be strong enough to stop a group of inmates if they decided they just had to have JC's lion pendant.

They followed Murphy through stark, dimly lit hallways. Joey noticed that sounds -- like their footsteps -- were weirdly distorted in the artificial atmosphere. Sometimes it was hard to tell where they were coming from. He imagined if you lived or worked inside, you got used to it.

"What's that smell?" Lance asked as they passed a large iron gate.

"Men," answered Murphy.

They entered one of the gated areas and saw rows of cells on either sides of the corridor. "This is Unit B," Murphy announced. "It's a typical example of where most of the guys are housed. The place you're going today is different than this, but the warden wanted you to see this."

The band members were greeted with a swell of noise, as usual. This time, however, the voices were low-pitched and somewhat derisive. Even the whistles and hoots sounded out of tune.

"They're unhappy because we locked 'em down for your visit. We'll open the gates back up in a minute."

Joey tried not to stare into the cells, but found it impossible. There was an inmate sitting on his bunk, another on the toilet, his pants around his ankles. Both men stared up at him, their expressions dark and blank. Further ahead, a man with startling blue eyes was standing near the door to his cell, his hands around the bars. He snorted as the group walked by.

"Look at the mouth on that one, Robson. How'd you like to feel that around your dick?"

Both Justin and JC's heads whipped around; they looked over at the man, who laughed loudly.

"Shut up, Schillinger," ordered Murphy. "You don't want to spend a couple days in the hole, do you?"

"Sorry, Officer Murphy," the man answered, still smiling. "I meant it as a compliment."

Joey felt a wave of relief when they left the cellblock. This visit was turning out to be worse than he had imagined, and his friends seemed to have come around to his thinking. Justin and JC were whispering together, probably trying to figure out which of their mouths the man in Unit B had been admiring.

Murphy stopped outside another huge gate and turned to face the group. "You're gonna hear more of that in here," he warned. "Better get used to it. The guys in Em City are considered lower risk than the rest of Oz, but they're still a pain in the ass. And they're not locked down. Guys will be moving around freely in here. First I'm gonna take you up to the unit manager's office. Then we'll show you around."

"What about singing?" JC asked. "We're supposed to sing."

Murphy looked doubtful. "Let's see how it goes. Then I'll see if I can get enough order so you can sing."

"Let's get this over with," Joey said, moving ahead of the guys to the spot behind Officer Murphy.

The gate opened and they entered Em City. All five stared around them at the large area surrounded by plexiglass walls and doors. It was so much lighter than the rest of the prison they had seen. And there were inmates milling around everywhere, walking in and out of the tiny rooms.

"This way," Murphy said, gesturing up a flight of stairs. "Tim McManus' office is up here."

Some of the men seemed to have noticed their entry, but there were no comments or catcalls. They walked up the stairs and followed Murphy into a small office.

The man who stood and greeted them looked tired and harried. His hands were on his hips and he stared silently at the group.

"These are the guys from Nsync," Murphy announced.

McManus nodded. "Welcome to Em City," he said, pausing for effect. "I want you to know that I wasn't in favor of this visit, because I'm not sure what purpose it will serve. But since you're here, we might as well make the most of it. I just hope you're not expecting an appreciative audience."

JC stepped forward. "We just wanted to come and offer some support," he said. "And I want to meet Chris Keller. He wrote to me."

McManus' eyebrows came together. "Keller wrote you? Jesus Christ. I wonder what that's about."

Joey glanced over at Officer Murphy and caught a look he threw at McManus. "Yeah," Joey offered. "He wrote to JC at his private address."

McManus twisted his mouth. "Well, these guys have a lot of contacts on the outside. You never know where he got that information. You need to know that Keller is a very dangerous man. He's here in Em City, but I don't want you -- any of you -- talking to him alone."

A stubborn look came over JC's face, which Joey recognized immediately. This McManus didn't know what he was facing. Hardened criminals were one thing -- spoiled pop stars were another.

"The Warden said it wouldn't be a problem for me to talk to him. He said you'd arrange it. We came all this way!" JC's voice had become even higher-pitched than usual.

"It's okay, Josh," Justin said calmly. "We'll all meet the guy, and Officer Murphy will be with us."

"You bet your ass he will!" McManus said. "Every minute." McManus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked over at Murphy. "Take them downstairs. I'll be down in a minute."

"Let's go!"

The band members followed Murphy out of the office, although JC couldn't resist one look back at McManus. Joey bumped into JC's back and also turned around, catching McManus staring at JC's ass. He didn't know what to make of that look, but preferred not to analyze it. This place was really starting to give him the creeps.

"Tim McManus founded Em City about five years ago. The men have more freedom here," Murphy was saying, leading them back down the stairs. "They earn the right to be here, and they can be transferred out at any time. We're not a completely contained unit, like some other prisons are building. These guys still do a lot of mixing with other units, like in the cafeteria and the gym. Instead of cells, we call their rooms 'pods.'"

Murphy led the group out into the center of the common area. Now Joey could hear individual comments coming from some of the inmates regarding their looks and dress. He tried to tune them out, but couldn't.

A dark-haired man in a tight gray t-shirt walked out of one of the upstairs 'pods.' His walk was more of a swagger, the shoulders and hips in the lead. He moved to the rail and leaned over, looking down at the group. Murphy gestured with his head. "That's Keller," he said, looking at JC. JC followed the gesture, and looked up at the staring man. Joey saw his friend swallow, nervously.

"What's that guy in for?" Joey asked Murphy in a low voice.

"Murder," Murphy answered. "He's pretty much a lifer."

"Great," Joey said softly.

Another man, slimmer and seemingly a bit younger, joined Keller at the rail. He elbowed Keller and grinned down at the band. Keller said something to him, the two leaning in toward one another. Joey watched them, his scalp starting to crawl. There was something about this whole thing he just didn't like.

"The guys watch t.v. right here. They can play cards, checkers, chess, whatever. That's the computer room. We also have classrooms for the guys to study in." Murphy pointed around the unit as he listed the features of Emerald City.

"We passed the laundry when we came in, and the showers are over there."

Joey turned and saw two men walking out of the shower room, one naked with a towel over his shoulder, the other wearing a towel around his middle.

"Put somethin' on!" Murphy yelled. "What's the matter with you guys!"

The man with the towel, his arms and chest covered in tattoos, now dropped his covering and grabbed his cock, wagging it at the band. The other man did the same, wiggling his hips.

"Nice routine, boys. I hope it keeps you warm in Ad Seg."

"No big deal, Officer Murphy," Chris said. "JC and Justin do that all the time."

Murphy motioned at another officer and pointed at the two men, now disappearing inside one of the pods. "Make sure those guys get dressed," he ordered. He turned back to the band. "Sometimes we don't know how to act around company."

Joey shrugged. "It's a prison, not a tea party," he answered. Then he pointed at the large cage elevated in the center of the room. "What's that?"

"I bet it's not a disco cage," said Chris in an undertone.

"It's one of Tim's ideas for keeping order. If anybody gets out of line, he goes in the cage."

Chris raised his eyebrows. "How's that workin' for you, Officer?"

Murphy shook his head. "It's too early to tell, really."

Tim McManus walked up, giving JC a sideways glance. "You guys ready to sing?" he asked.

"Sure," Justin answered. "Where do you want us?"

McManus pointed at what appeared to be a guard station about halfway up the quad. "There. Will that do?"
The members of the band looked at each other, then back at McManus, nodding.

"You don't need any equipment or anything, do you?" McManus asked. "I mean, you don't have instruments."

"We're a vocal group, Mr. McManus," Joey said. "We'll just sing a couple songs a capella."

"Okay, let's do it then."

Murphy walked up the stairs, his deliberate posture commanding attention. "Okay you guys, everybody down on the floor. Let's clear out the pods! We've got a special treat for you guys, and you're gonna act like you like it!" He looked up to the second level. "Keller, O'Reilly, that means you guys, too!"

Several correctional officers walked around both levels of Emerald City and 'encouraged' the inmates to move to the floor. The two flashers from the showers were now wearing clothes, but they seemed unimpressed by the prospect of the upcoming performance.

NSync spread out across the platform, looking down at the floor of Emerald City. Men of every description looked back up at them, hands on hips or arms crossed. It hardly appeared to be a receptive audience. The man Murphy had identified as Chris Keller was now down on the floor, still standing next to his companion from the rail; he looked up at the group expectantly, a small smile on his face.

The guys had picked their songs, a ballad and a more upbeat number. "Let's start with 'It's Gonna Be Me,'" Joey suggested. "Let's do the simple moves."

"Okay," Justin agreed. "Everybody?"

The guys looked at each other. JC, standing next to Justin, hummed a note and Justin nodded. The youngest member of the group started the song and the rest of the band joined in.

There was restless motion on the floor and the man with the tattoos said something that Joey couldn't make out. Murphy and McManus were glaring at the inmates, who continued milling around.

"Shut the fuck up!" yelled a booming voice. Nsync stopped singing, and the inmates went silent.

Chris Keller had his arms in the air, and he was glaring around the room. "I want to hear these guys sing," he said. "If we were on the outside, we'd pay big money to hear them. So shut up."

Somebody from somewhere in the room said the word "faggot" very loudly, and then there was silence. Another inmate moved next to Keller and turned to face the room. "Keller's right," he said. "Let's hear them sing."

McManus nodded over at the band. "Go ahead," he said. "The next guy who says one word is going to the hole. For a week."

NSync started the song again, and this time the room was silent. When they finished the a capella version of their hit single, they launched into their latest release, the ballad, "This I Promise You." During the song Joey noticed Keller stared at the man who had verbally supported him earlier, instead of watching the group sing. This man, more slight than Keller and more intelligent-looking than most of the bunch, had longish wavy hair the color of thick honey. He also seemed aware of Keller's eyes, but he avoided them.

"Okay," yelled Murphy when the group had finished. "Let's show our appreciation."

There was a smattering of applause from the floor of Emerald City. A few of the men actually nodded at one another, seeming to have enjoyed the songs.

Joey let out a sigh of relief and headed to the stairs. Now they could leave. He felt J.C. prodding him in the back, wanting to pass. No, that was right. They couldn't leave yet. They now had to meet this Keller.

"Get them a private interview room and get on with it," McManus told Murphy. Then he turned to the band. "Thanks for coming. I hope this was of some value for you."

Justin nodded, staring at the man. "It was very interesting, Mr. McManus. You do a very important job."

McManus seemed taken by surprise. He stared back at the young man. "Uh . . . thanks." He abruptly turned and walked away.

JC shrugged at Justin, then leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Joey moved toward Officer Murphy.

"How long will this take?" he asked.

Murphy glanced at his watch. "Not long. I'll take you guys to a private interview room now. I'll have somebody else bring Keller." He gestured to another c.o. and the two conferred quietly.

Next to Joey, Lance was fidgeting. "This place is really creepy," he said in a low voice. "I can't imagine spending every day in here."

"I can't imagine spending another ten minutes in here," Joey answered.

Murphy gestured to the group and they followed him toward the huge gate that led in and out of Emerald City. Joey glanced surreptitiously around him as they left the cellblock. It seemed like every inmate looked somehow suspicious and threatening. He was starting to become paranoid. Good thing JC wasn't wearing that lion pendant now!

Joey couldn't believe the relief he felt when they left Em City. The interview room was stark and somewhat cramped. There weren't enough chairs for everyone, so Murphy radioed another c.o. to bring a couple more. Before the chairs arrived, Keller was escorted in.

The inmate stared around the room and smiled at the band members. His presence was palpable, wavering on the edge of being intimidating despite the smile. His teeth were straight and white and somewhat pointed-looking, like a carnivore. His eyes were dark blue, with thick, strong brows. But his most impressive physical feature was his build; his neck, shoulders and arms were muscular and defined without being overly bulky. The same seemed to be true of his legs and buttocks, encased in dark pants. He was a man aware of the effect his physicality had on those around him and seemingly happy to exploit it.

"Sit down, Keller," Murphy ordered, obviously unimpressed by Keller's physical gifts. "We're waiting for more chairs." He gestured the other c.o. out of the small room.

Keller very slowly took a seat, spreading his legs wide. He continued to smile, his eyes narrowing as they landed on JC.

"You the one?" he asked.

JC hesitated before nodding. "I'm JC."

"You're a pretty thing. No wonder Maureen's crazy about you."

JC glanced over at Murphy, uncertainly. The officer motioned for JC, too, to take a seat.

JC and Lance sat down in the two available chairs, and Officer Murphy moved to the door, watching for the c.o. that would bring more. The other guys stood near the back wall, happy to avoid Keller's somewhat scary eyes.

"How long have you been here?" JC asked in a conversational tone.

"A couple years," Keller answered. "But I've been in other prisons, too."

Joey halfway expected the man to pull out a resume of his criminal past.

"Do you have a job here?"

Keller rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I do whatever I'm told." He smiled over at Officer Murphy. "I get assigned around, usually cleaning up storerooms or working in the library."

Murphy glanced out and then opened the door. A young c.o. came in with a stack of small plastic chairs. He handed them to Murphy. Before he could leave, Justin Timberlake moved forward and addressed Murphy.

"Can I use a bathroom?" he asked. "Maybe he could take me."

"Johnson, take him to the bathroom and then bring him right back."

The young officer nodded and led Justin out.

"You seem to be in good shape," Lance said. "Do you have a gym?"

Keller nodded. "Oh, yeah. We're allowed gym time."

The wail of a siren interrupted the stilted conversation inside the interview room. Murphy reached for his radio, holding out one hand to command silence. He spoke into the radio and then held it to his ear, trying to hear above the crescendo of the siren.

"What's going on?" JC asked, his eyes huge.

"Sounds like a lockdown, a breakout or a riot," Keller responded calmly. "Probably a riot."

Joey felt his heart start to pound. Jesus Christ! Why hadn't they left when the songs were over?

Murphy spoke into the radio again, but it was difficult to understand his words. Joey pushed over to the older man.

"Can we get out of here?" he asked.

Murphy's expression hadn't really changed, but his eyes were wary and hard. "Not now. You guys just stay put. We'll have help in a few minutes."

"What is it?" JC asked again in a shrill voice.

"Riot," Keller said.

Murphy glared at Keller. "We're having a little trouble in one of the cellblocks. It shouldn't interfere with us here, but we can't get out just now. All the gates have been secured."

Keller looked over at Murphy. "What about the curly-haired kid?"

Murphy's eyes widened as he was reminded about the band member who had gone to the bathroom. JC let out a gasp.

"Justin!"

End Part One