Chapter 5

[A.P.E.X industrial prison, 09:00 A.M.]

The room was a stark box, lit by a single, harsh overhead bulb. Two chairs faced each other across a steel table. Jimmy lay slumped, red overalls rumpled, a metallic collar biting into his neck. He stirred, eyes fluttering open.

Jimmy: Ugh… Did I… did I die again? Permanently this time? Oh please tell me this the afterlife's waiting room.

A tall, slim man with light skin, brown eyes, and slicked-back black hair entered, slamming a thick black file onto the table. He wore a sharp black suit.

Sora: Jimmy fucking Winston… Also known as The Beast. Or, as the reports are starting to suggest, the walking, talking corpse. It's good to finally meet you.

Jimmy: (He blinked, then looked down at his collar) Alive? Still? Fantastic. And you are?

Sora: Sora. And I've heard a lot of stories. Jason McKnight, Seto Sanchez, Barry Griffin, Kelvin Shaw, Johnny I'lan… the list goes on. And on. And on.

Jimmy: Ah, yes. You heard of My greatest hits. Heh, The world knows of my… godly acts.

Sora: Godly? You call what happened in West Queens West "godly"? That crater?

Jimmy: Crater? Oh, right. That. Ah, yeah, I didn't cause that. And trust me, you don't want to know what did.

Sora: We know. Gabriel. Gabriel Kelly caused that.

Jimmy: Nope. Gabriel is dead. That was… something else. Something worse. A celestial of light, if you will. I call him a glowing a-hole, he's actual name is Aggregor. And he's collecting shards. Shards that are going to end everything.

Sora: A celestial? Shards? Jimmy, you're not making any sense.

Jimmy: Look, I know I'm not winning any Nobel Prizes for clarity, but this isn't about me. This is about you. This is about everyone! You need to let me go and help me and the ZX stop him.

Sora: (Scoffs) Right. You think I'll just let you go after what you did in Hamilton?

Jimmy: Hamilton? That was… complicated.

Sora: 2022. Hamilton. The elections. You, Odiz, and Zeke were there when Ezra Darhk detonated a bomb. Everyone turned into… those things. Everyone but you.

Jimmy: That's not how it went down. We were there to protect the mayor from this one douchebag named Troy Harper. Ezra didn't do it.

Sora: Troy Harper? He was list as dead for 7 years.

Jimmy: Yeah well, He came back. Before the bomb.

Sora: And where is he now?

Jimmy: Dead. Probably, Hope so. Anyways, can we focus on the giant celestial trying to collect world ending shards?

Sora: (Opens the file, revealing photos and documents) The bomb's chemicals. They matched the M16s. And... WHO made the drugs again?

Jimmy: (Sighs) Me... In my defense the drugs were just a side business hustle, you know, a one time thing. (He shrugged his shoulders.)

Sora: (He slaps him across the face furiously before pointing at him) Your fucking "hustle" got thousands of people KILLED!

Jimmy: I know! I live with it every day! I want to die for it! But I can't! Not with this collar, not with anything. So, whatever you're planning, just do it.

Sora: (Stands, leaning across the table) I want to understand. Why did you make those drugs? And how did Troy get them?

Jimmy: They boosted mutant stats. Temporary powers for normies. It was just business. Maybe Troy was a customer.

Sora: (Slaps Jimmy hard) Your business killed people!

Jimmy: (Grunts) Yeah, I heard you the first time, dickhead, you didn't have to slap again!

Sora: I swear, You just might be the WORST person I have ever met in my life.

Jimmy: Oh yeah?!? Well same here! If it weren't for this damn collar, I would have taken you apart, STARTING WITH YOUR DAMN FUCKING VEINS!

Sora: Christ! you don't have scream!

Jimmy: I know! And It's Winston not Christ. I may be able to return from the dead as many times as I don't want to but that doesn't make me Jesus!

Sora: Oh my god, im gonna lose it... Guards! (Two guards enter, grabbing Jimmy's arms) Take him to the chamber to be with his friend.

Jimmy: Friend?

Sora: Yeah. Akashi's here alive and well. Wish that Brandon and Dimitri were alive here too. Maybe a conversation with them would have been waaay more pleasing than... this one.

The guards began to drag Jimmy out, he calls back:

Jimmy: Hey! Wait! You're making a huge mistake! The worlds are in danger! We need to stop him! Hiiiim!

Jimmy's words echoed through out the quiet hallways as he's dragged deeper into the dark.

[Newcastle upon Tyne.]

Inside a hotel room, is the second group of the ghost team which had; Samuel, Zack, Ethan and Kyle.

On the bedsheets, Kyle assembles a sniper rifle while Zack and Samuel have a short conversation while looking out the windows for any signs of the inhumans.

There Is a TV on the wall that's playing a cartoon that Ethan is watches in boredom.

Zack: Tch... (he clenches his teeth and fists.) ARE you seriously watching a cartoon instead of preparing?

Ethan: mmmm, yep.

Zack: Childish... Are you sure you the true son of Satoshi.

Ethan: Tch... (He gets off the bed and stands closely to Zack's face.) Don't ever say my father's name again, Zack.

Zack: Or else what?

Ethan: Or else I'll...

Samuel: Hey! Dickheads...

Both Zack and Ethan turn their heads to Samuel.

Samuel: Nows not the bloody time to be on each others necks. We a team not douches working together just for the hell of it.

Zack: Hm... (he walks away from Ethan to Stand infront of Samuel with his arms crossed.) That's Easy enough for you to say dead man...

A female voice is heard behind them in a more ominous tone as she says "Greetings." After hearing her voice they all turn over to her direction with their guards up.

Seku: Whoa... I'm one of you guys.

Zack: If that's so, Odiz would have told us.

Seku: Urgh I wasn't sent by him. I was sent by Klaus.

Kyle: Klaus? But he's dead. Odiz told us he died in his arms and shit.

Seku: Klaus... made a recording. Wanting me to find the shard of the nexus in this very area.

Samuel: Hmmm... Just how and why should we trust you Ma'am?

Seku: Uhm... First of all call me Seku... second I would have killed you guys or tipped off the inhumans where you guys are. But I didn't.

Samuel: Hmmm... Alright.. Demon.

Zack: (He grunts) We wasting time here! Jimmy and the others are probably fighting Aggregor... We need to hurry the fuck up and find this damn shard already.

Seku: (She grunts and rolls her eyes after hearing Samuel call her a demon before speaking to Zack) The shard in the Castle. Klaus told me that the shards are located in only the areas were time had been tempered with.

Samuel: Oooh... So thats why most of the shards on earth. (He chuckles.)

Kyle: Huh? What could be tempering with time?

Seku: A speedster.

Samuel: Oo! She right... Ha ha haaa!! The castle is where the battle between David and Darksmoke took place at.

Ethan: ...Forreal?

Kyle: David fought Ethan?

Samuel: Yeah! And no... it was Johnathan Walker.

Seku: (She snaps her fingers 3 times) Aye aye aye... Getting side track here.

Zack: Agreed... We need to get to that castle ASASP.

Kyle: (clears his throat) ASAP...

Zack: What?

Kyle: It's ASAP.

Zack: That's what I said.

Kyle: No you said ASASP.

Zack: Urgh! Same fucking thing Mercer Don't correct me! And you... Samuel make us a portal for us to get to the castle.

Samuel: Oooo uhm... Hate to break it to you ya but Unfortunately I can't do that. I don't have the sword of executioners, Dimitri has it.

Zack: (he grunts in frustration) Well then Ill take flight... (He walks over to the windows and opens them.)

Kyle: ... Wait? I'm sorry what?

They all stare at Zack wondering what he's about to do.

Kyle: Uhm... Zack, what are you doing?

Zack: See you guys there. (He jumps out the window and begins flying into the sky)

Kyle: Huh... that's... new did you know he could do that? (He looks at Ethan.)

Ethan: Nope....

Samuel: Hold on You guys never seen him fly?

Kyle: Well yeah... We still the newbies man.

Samuel: Oh right... Try not to mess up this mission Yeah? Last guy died from having intercourse.

Kyle: Forreal?

Samuel: Yeah... died getting his soul sucked out of him.

Ethan: uhm... guys... The demon's gone.

Kyle: HUUH?! She can teleport!?

Samuel: Wow... well Pack whatever you need we need to catch up to them.

Kyle and Ethan both nod their heads and they all pack their equipments.