It wasn't right, and Jessie knew it with every fiber of her being.

Everyone knew it, because there was no other reason why Von Crooken had pushed them like a shield between his men and Jimmy instead of ordering them captured. He didn't even think to use them to get Jimmy to back down, threaten him with their well-being.

Because he wouldn't care and it was obvious to everyone. That wasn't Jimmy. And it didn't hurt anyone as much as it did her.

"Hotstuff, what did you do?" she whispered.

"Jessie, what's going on?" Jerry asked. There was a tremble in his voice with only hinted at the fear he had to be feeling.

"Go on now, he's your brother," Von Crooken taunted. "Go to him!" He'd called all remaining men back, so now nothing stood between them and Jimmy.

There was so much blood on the floor, so many bodies. And he just stood there, panting, his swords out and ready, as if waiting for his next victim. There was no light in his eyes, no sign of recognition.  Was he back inside the void or had something even more sinister happened? It was hard to believe it was the same man who had proposed to her the last time they'd been together.

There were scared voices behind them, enraged calls as the henchmen demanded that someone shot Jimmy. As much as she loved him, Jessie could see their point. He was terrifying.

But he wasn't attacking them. Not yet at least.

Jimmy seemed to grow bored of the wait because he took a step forward, twisting his swords once as if daring them to step closer.

"What happened to him?" Tom asked, his voice low and lacking any form of amusement or sarcasm.

Jessie just shook her head, unable to provide an answer. Yet, she knew she should. They had to do something, because there was no way this would go on for much longer. The monster was restless, demanded action.

"I said move," Von Crooken barked.

Something hard and round, most likely the barrel of a shotgun, pushed against Jessie's back and she stumbled a couple of steps forward. Kay, and Jerry did the same, also pushed from behind.

"Move, or we'll shoot you!"

There shouldn't be a choice. Jessie should run to him, hug him. And yet, the chill surrounding him made her more willing to face Von Crooken's guns.

"Oh, this is perfect," the man said, his voice finally free of fear. There was only satisfaction there as he realized that he had them, that they had no choice but to go one way or the other.

"Any suggestions?" Kyle asked, taking a voluntary step forward and standing in line with the rest of them.

Jimmy stepped forward as well, his narrowed eyes fixed on Kyle, rightfully perceiving him as the immediate threat. Singled out by his size, the obvious sense of danger surrounding him, and the brainwashing of the Agency.

"We have to wake him up," Jessie whispered. "I don't know what happened, what he did, but this isn't Jimmy." He had to be in there somewhere, though.

"I have an idea," Tom said from behind them. "Let me talk to him."

Jessie and Kyle both turned to him, as did Kay and Jerry. Jessie saw the merits of Tom's idea, why he would suggest that, but  Angie, Christine and Sarah were holding him up, so it was too dangerous.

"No. You can hardly move," Kyle said. "If it backfires, you're defenseless."

"He's my brother. We grew up together. He's not going to hurt me."

"I beg to differ," Jerry whispered as Jimmy's killer gaze moved from Kyle to Tom.

"That's a great idea," Von Crooken declared from behind them. "Throw the cripple at him."

Before Jessie could do more than half turn, two goons had grabbed Tom, pushed Angie, Christine and Sarah to the floor, and tossed him forward. He let out a yelp as he hit the floor, hands first, and some of his cuts opened up.

Jessie moved out of sheer reflex and placed herself in front of Tom a second before Jimmy was upon them. She'd wanted to raise her hands in surrender, show that she meant no harm, but she only ended up grabbing his wrists to stop him from skewering her with the swords. The force of his strike brought her to her knees, but she focused her strength into twisting his wrists and disarming him.

It was all she managed to do before he inverted the grip so that he was the one crushing her wrists now. She could do this. She'd fought him before, came out on top. But not when he was like this. She winced and yanked back, but there was no breaking his grip. Jimmy lifted her off the floor like she was nothing and flung her away.

Her body slammed into something soft and knocked it over, and she found herself on top of Kay and Jerry.

"This is even better. Throw them back in!"

Von Crooken's orders were executed at once. Before Jessie could scramble to her feet, new sets of hands grabbed her and pushed her forward towards Jimmy, like some form of sick tribute meant to appease the beast.

Jessie's body hit the hard stone and the breath rushed out of her lungs. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Kay had been tossed to the floor as well. She twisted towards Jimmy, her heart pounding with fear, her eyes wide.

His shadow loomed above her and her mind seemed to jam. All fight rushed out of her, driven by fear, and she was reduced to a frightened little girl unable to protect herself. It took all she had not to close her eyes, but that only left her staring in the mockery of the face she loved.

Jimmy dove for her, his hands poised to wrap around her neck and snap it.

With a mumbled curse, Kyle pushed her aside and Jimmy's palms hit his. Their fingers interlocked and Kyle managed to nudge him back, away from Jessie.

She scrambled back on her butt, her eyes teary, her entire body in tremors. She had to help Kyle, do something, but she couldn't move, couldn't attack him when she knew he'd strike back with the intention to kill.

Jimmy dug his heals in the floor and started pushing back, his soulless eyes narrowed, boring into Kyle. He glared as well, obviously straining to push him back more, but Jimmy wouldn't budge.

Silence engulfed the hall and it felt like the entire world was transfixed by what was happening.

Very slowly, Jimmy's hands moved on top and he pushed on Kyle's wrists. He winced and pushed back, but it wasn't doing it anymore. A grin spread on Jimmy's face, twisted and evil, as he continued applying pressure.

Kyle winced and fell to one knee, straining to keep it up, protect them all from certain death. But it was obvious he was losing.

Kay's fingers dug deep into Jessie's forearm. Jessie held her breath as she watched the man she loved and her best friend locked in a battle of strength and sheer will. But the pain on Kyle's face was proof it was about to be over.

Kyle shut his eyes and pushed, but there was no driving Jimmy back. 

Then, all of a sudden, Kyle smiled. Except it wasn't the smile Jessie knew, the one that drove her fears away. It was just as sick and as twisted as Jimmy's.

"You know," Kyle said, his voice low and carrying the sharp edge of a threat. In the deathly silence, it was perfectly audible. "All my life has been about control. But a part of me always wondered what would happen if I just gave in. See how strong this thing has really made me."

"No, don't do it!" It was Snitch Gravel's voice advocating for reason.

Jessie turned around to see their enemy joining the rest of the gawking crowd. Sam made his way forward and dropped on one knee next to her, his hand resting on her shoulder. He looked terrified by the sight before him. As they all were.

"Hold on to your sanity," Snitch Gravel insisted.

Kyle didn't listen. His eyes shot open and a devious grin filled his face, very similar to Jimmy's. And, just like that, as if someone had flipped a switch, he rose from his kneeling position until he was once again face to face with his brother, equals in the madness that consumed them. Then he pushed and Jimmy skidded across the floor, his face filled with concentration. He was no longer a match for the brute strength that was Kyle.

Jimmy inverted the grip and freed himself, then stepped back. Kyle did the same, but only to get momentum and kick him in the chest. The hit connected with a sickening crack. Jimmy flew back, but managed to catch himself before he hit the wall. In the blink of an eyes, he charged at Kyle.

Kay's grip on Jessie's arm hurt, but she couldn't open her mouth or pull away. Her eyes were glued to Jimmy and Kyle who had replaced their powerplay with a full blown fight, aiming hit after hit at each other at what was obviously full strength. But they were evenly matched, so they weren't landing hits, doing damage, but dancing around each other, perfectly capable of avoiding hits.

Kyle caught Jimmy's ankle in midair as he aimed a kick at him. It only left Jimmy with the opportunity to drop to his hand and use his other foot to kick him in the chest. Kyle stumbled back and Jimmy charged, landing a killer punch in Kyle's side. He groaned, but still didn't fall off his feet. He even managed to catch Jimmy's fist before the next hit, pull him towards him, and headbutt him.

Jimmy stumbled back, his hand over his bleeding nose. Kyle stepped forward and kicked him in the chest again, sending him flying across the room.

Jessie's heart was so small, she was sure she would die soon. Next to her, Kay let go of her and stood. Jessie caught her before she could launch herself in the fray. 

Jimmy was back on his feet and he and Kyle continued to throw hits at each other. Unlike before, this time they were connecting. Playtime was over. Blood already dripped down Jimmy's chin and Kyle moved in a way that showed he was trying to protect his left side.

"We have to stop them," Kay said, her voice weak.

Jessie agreed, but seeing them like this made one thing clear. "They'd kill us." If it was just one of them, then maybe they could attempt it, but getting between them was a whole different story.

"We have to do something." Kay turned to the others as she said this.

Jessie did too, but there was no answer. Sam, Jerry and Tom watched their brothers with wide, terrified eyes, looking just as helpless as Jessie felt. Even Snitch Gravel's goons and the leader himself seemed to be in awe.

There was nothing they could do, and it killed them.

"Maybe we should..." But Sam let his words trail off and he winced once Kyle hit the floor and Jimmy climbed on top of him.

He only managed to land two punches before Kyle twisted and threw him off. He managed to get to his knees before Jimmy charged and landed another punch to Kyle's jaw. He fell over and for a moment, Jessie thought this was it, that Kyle had been finally knocked out. Jimmy obviously thought so too, because he stepped away from Kyle and bent his knees slightly, as if to pick up one of his swords and finish the job.

The moment his eyes moved to the floor to locate the weapon, Kyle jumped to his feet. Jimmy sensed the movement and turned back, but it was too late. Kyle's fist caught him straight in the chest. 

Another sickening crack filled the silence. Jimmy flew off his feet and hit the back wall. The flimsy structure couldn't take the impact. With a lurch and a sound louder than any thunder, bricks started falling.

Sam grabbed Jessie and pulled her away as they all scrambled back to the safety of the hallway. Wooden rafters joined the bricks in an avalanche that drenched the room in dust. Jessie shut her eyes. Her heart raced, her ears rang and cold sweat covered her body. What she hated most was the sliver of relief sneaking through her veins.

Please don't be dead. Please stand down.

But what she truly wanted was for him to wake up, be Jimmy again, not the soulless monster who attacked her. His brother. Everyone he loved.

"Kyle!" Kay moved from next to Jessie and headed into the cloud of dust.

"Shit." Jessie darted after her and managed to catch her just as Kyle's silhouette became visible.

The moment he turned to them, it was obvious that he wasn't okay. The madness was still there and he took them in with a calculating gaze, as if trying to determine which one of them was the bigger threat.

Jessie held her breath, but even with the imminent danger staring her in the face, she couldn't help but search the cloud of dust for another figure. Her breath caught in her throat when she heard the sound of movement. Kyle heard it, too, because he turned to face the real threat.

The dust settled. A part of the outer wall and the adjoining patch of ceiling had fallen into the void beyond. A fresh breeze filled the room, sending Jessie's hair flying. It was warm, reminiscent of spring and hope.

The bricks and rafters moved. With a groan, Jimmy made his way out of the rubble, his face screwed up in pain. There was a cut on his forehead and his entire body was shaking and covered in grime.

"Shit," he breathed.

Jessie took a step forward. "Jimmy?"

His gaze flickered to her. His eyes were chocolate brown and warm again, filled with life, confusion and a little fear. Without thinking, she shot forward and jumped into his arms. He squeezed her back for a second before pushing her to the side and crossing his arms in front of his torso.

Kyle's punch almost sent him flying off his feet again and into the void below.

"Kyle, no," Jessie called.

"Run!" 

Jimmy scrambled in the opposite direction to make sure Kyle's attention was drawn from her. It worked, but Jimmy winced with every movement and was no longer as fast. Kyle's punch caught him in the stomach before he could take more than a few steps. With a groan, he fell to the ground. Kyle kicked him in the ribs and sent him sliding across the floor, towards the others. He stopped a few feet from Tom.

Jessie got on her hands and knees, panting. Before she could move, Kay charged at Kyle and took his face in her hands. He jerked away, but she'd been ready and kept her hold on him.

"Look at me!" she said. "Wake up!"

Kyle did not wake up. He grabbed her shoulders and squeezed until she cried out in pain and her arms fell to her sides. There was a chorus of cries and Jerry and Sam rushed forward to get Kay away from him. But it was Sarah's voice rising above everything else that stopped the mayhem.

"Don't hurt her! She's pregnant!"

The news slammed into Jessie harder than any hit. Everything seemed to freeze again, just like it had when Kyle and Jimmy had clashed for the first time. Kyle frowned, his gaze still unfocused, his grip on Kay too strong. 

Jessie held her breath, afraid the monster wouldn't care, that he would crush Kay into oblivion and then kill them all. 

"Please," Kay whimpered, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I know you can do this."

Kyle's grip loosened, but he still looked confused. Kay wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, crying silently. Then, pain took over his face, his shoulders slouched and as he caught Kay in a hug, his entire being seemed to shatter. The color returned to his eyes as his pupils shrank to normal size, but the misery in them was heartbreaking.

Jessie stood on shaky feet, her eyes taking in the damage, the ruins around her. Ruins of the castle, ruins of people who had been driven to the edge.

Jimmy and Kyle who gave away their sanity for the protection of the ones they loved. Tom who had rid the world of a threat. Sam and Jerry, battered and broken, their last shred of innocent taken away from them. Her and Kay, Sarah and Angie. Even Christine. And all for what?

"Get out."

Snitch Gravel's voice cut through the silence, as broken and defeated as them. All eyes turned to him, including those of his men. He was gritting his teeth, glaring at the worn stone floor, his fists clenched.

"No!" Von Crooken said, outraged. "They're right here! They're broken, tore each other to pieces. This is our chance to finish them!"

At his words, Kyle let go of Kay and pushed her behind him, taking on step towards their real enemies. Jimmy got to his feet as well, even if he was holding on to one side. Sam and Jerry fell in line with them, holding Tom between them.

And in that moment, Jessie saw it. It didn't matter that they were beat down and broken. They were warriors, ready to face anything. And she'd be damned if she didn't join them. So she picked up a sword off the floor and placed herself next to Jimmy, weapon raised. Kay, Christine and Sarah lined up with them, ready to die fighting.

But none of the goons moved, all of them staring at Snitch Gravel. He raised his face. His eyes burned with anger.

"I said, get out!"

"Boss--" Von Crooken started.

"You!" Snitch Gravel turned to him, pointing an accusatory finger which looked more dangerous than any gun. "I have matters to discuss with you. With all of you. Because this--" He waved his arm to indicate the entire room "-- has been a clusterfuck from beginning to end. I am so fed up with this." He turned his gaze to Sam. "I said get out! Do you need a special release form?"

Sam twitched, but lowered his fists. He hesitated for another second then nodded towards the exit. It was all they needed to turn their backs on their enemies and head out to freedom. Jessie walked over to Jimmy and the relief she felt when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders was immense.

No one said a word as they limped their way down the narrow hall and out the door. The darkness outside seemed brighter than the warmest summer day. And as they made their way down the stairs and no guards came to stop them, Jessie could finally breathe again.

It was over.

🏯

Sam couldn't believe it. As he navigated the suspended bridge, his mind was numb. Which was probably a good thing, because otherwise he would've puked his guts out from the height. Instead, he kept his eyes trained forward and led the others towards freedom. A freedom which had come so unexpectedly that a part of him refused to accept it.

And yet, further down the bridge he went, images of what had happened in the last hour swirling inside his head.

The talk with Snitch Gravel, the clues, stealing the jewels which was still in the pocket of the borrowed coat he was wearing. Jimmy, out of his mind and dangerous. Kyle losing it. The fight between them, the despair and fear he felt as be watched his brother battling it out.

The castle crumbling, the news of Kay's pregnancy. The way it seemed to break Kyle in every possible way.

They needed to talk. There was a lot of talking. But for now, they needed to get back on solid ground and get away before Snitch Gravel changed his mind and shot them all.

Sammy. He needed to get to his daughter. And he would, as soon as they closed this chapter up.

After what felt like a million years, land came into view. The bridge ended on a stone platform and beyond it, there seemed to be a forest of massive rocks. His feet hit hard ground and a infinitesimal amount of the pressure lifted off his shoulder.

"This way." Jimmy walked past him, a slight limp in his step, and took the lead, one arm still wrapped around Jessie's shoulders.

Sam let him, fascinated by how he now seemed back to normal. The old Jimmy he knew and loved before the whole outer space mess.

They all followed Jimmy and Jessie for what felt like a half an hour, down a dusty road that seemed to lead to a remote village. Before they entered the village, Jimmy took a turn to the left and disappeared between two cliff sides. Nestled at the bottom of the right side one was a low wooden house. On the other side, two more buildings which looked like sheds rested against the wall of the cliff.

They entered the empty house and Jimmy turned on the light. It was warm and welcoming, someone's actual home. They all navigated the narrow hallway and ended up in a large room which served as kitchen and living area.

"Jimmy, where's Kato?" Jessie asked, her voice trembling.

Jimmy shook his head and leaned against the sink, his arms crossed over his chest. His forearms and face were still covered in cuts and blood. Sam fleetingly wondered how much of it was his own.

"You guys should sit down," Jimmy said. "We have a lot to talk about and not much time. This place is safe for now, but we're too close to the castle."

"Great," Tom said, the only one already on the floor. "Because I have a shit-ton of questions."

"Whose house is this?" Jerry asked, sitting cross-legged in front of the table.

The others followed his example except for Kyle. He leaned his back against the wall, the same mixture of anguish, disgust and determination on his face. Christine sat next to Sam and placed her hand on his knee. It shook.

Jimmy took in a deep breath, held it in for a few seconds, then heaved a sigh. It was so strange to see him like this again, rational, in control. For some reason, it made Sam feel as if the last year hadn't even happened. The feeling was joined by guilt because it negated his family, Sammy. But he shook it off, because there would be time for that.

"I guess this is as good of a place to start as any," Jimmy said, drawing all eyes to him. "This house belonged to Harumi Kato."

"Belonged?" Jessie asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "Jimmy, what happened to him?"

Jimmy took her hand and squeezed, but his attention remained on them, taking them all in. "Kato took Jessie and I in after we escaped from the Agency and came here to find you. He trained us, and not just on how to fight, but how to best use our abilities, how to tame the serum and use the increased strength it gives us without losing ourselves." His eyes fell on Kyle as he said this.

"How did you even escape the Agency?" Tom asked, shifting a little and wincing. Angie helped prop him up more comfortably.

"Busted out the way we always planned, just without you guys," Jessie said. "We'll get to that too, because it gets very complicated." She turned to Jimmy again.

He picked up the story immediately. "After Jessie was taken, I knew I had to get all of you out. I was out of time. But I was apparently not fast enough. By the end of the day, some goons came for me, too."

The news startled Sam a little since Snitch Gravel had called him to figure out how to get Jimmy there peacefully. But he didn't interrupt. It was very probable that the request came as a result of the failure to take him by force.

"They didn't," Jessie said, her eyes wide, covering her mouth with her hands.

Jimmy just nodded, his face scrunched up in pain. "Kato and I owned them, but they had snipers. They missed me and got him."

The news was met with silence. Even if Sam didn't know this Kato person, the news that he'd died while trying to help them still sent shivers down his spine. The pile of bodies which stood between him and Snitch Gravel was getting bigger, and he wasn't sure how much more he could take. Then there was the idea that they would've shot Jimmy.

Jessie leaned her face against Jimmy's shoulder and sobbed. He rubbed her back, resting her cheek against her hair.

"It's okay, Sunshine. He's with Maya now."

"What the fuck?" Tom breathed. "This doesn't make sense. They killed that poor man, almost killed you, and now they're letting us go? We need to get out of here before this house explodes."

"I don't think that will happen," Sam said. He was a little surprised by how steady his voice was. He agreed with Tom. This had to stop. "Because the way Snitch Gravel sent us out makes me think they're devouring each other in there. They could've killed us all. We were defenseless."

"I agree with Sam," Jimmy said, still trying to soothe Jessie. "What happened in there..."

"What happened in there?" Jessie asked, her voice drowning in tears. "How did you lose it like that?"

Jimmy winced. "Yeah, about that... After the goons attacked and I buried Kato, the cloaked dude showed up."

"Really?" Angie asked.

Sam was a little surprised too, seeing as he already knew he'd turned up to help Angie and Tom. He'd then apparently turned his attention toward Jimmy. But who was he? How could he move between the castle and this place, know where everyone was? And why on earth was he helping them?

"Yeah..." Jimmy took in a deep breath. "He gave me a pill. Said it would help me in case I go in there and get overwhelmed. Seeing as I didn't have any more of Kato's tea, I thought the effect would be similar. That it would help me focus."

Sam winced because he could definitely see where this was going.

"It made you black out, didn't it?" Jessie whispered.

Jimmy nodded. "In an instant. I couldn't even begin to fight it. I mean, I guess it helped in a way, but..." He looked at his blood covered hands, then at Kyle. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Kyle mumbled.

"I do worry about it." Jimmy pushed himself off the sink. "Because this was so much more than the pill, than the blackout. This was them."

"Um...Them who?" Sam asked, having an awful feeling that he didn't want to know.

"Here's where we get to the complicated shit. So first, I want to make sure all of you are okay. What the hell happened  in there?"

Tom huffed. "Where do we even begin?" And he launched into the story.

Sam was glad that his twin was telling it, because he didn't think he had the strength for it. The adrenaline had faded and the confusion over what was going on was making him weary. And, unlike him, Tom had been part in the final fight and could state everything a lot more bluntly than he ever could. He didn't leave out the nasty details about the torture or killing Cannon. 

The only thing he left out was him and Angie, but Sam had a feeling even he wasn't sure what that was about. Yet, by the way they stuck together, he guessed something important had happened between them. Just like it had between him and Christine on some level.

"One more thing," Kay said, the moment Tom ended his story with them all ending up in Kato's house. "I'm not pregnant."

"You're not?" Sarah asked, honestly surprised.

Kay shook her head and stood, making her way to Kyle. He immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I won't lie that we thought I might be, but it turned out to be a false alarm."

"But you were... I was..." Sarah fell silent once Kyle winced again which clearly indicated that it was a sore subject for them.

"There is one more thing," Sam said, deciding it was time to wrap it up. They really did need to get out of there. So he reached out inside the jacket, took out the jewel and placed it on the table.

Once again, everyone fell silent as they stared at it.

"Where did you even get that?" Tom asked after what felt like forever.

"Snitch Gravel's office. I wasn't about to just let him have it."

"Are you going to let them have it?" Jessie asked, her voice higher than usual.

Sam didn't have to ask, he knew she meant the Agency, and it would make sense that she'd be bitter against them after everything that happened to Jimmy. The truth was, he wasn't sure what to do with it, and it felt like something they should all decide.

"I don't know," he said. "I thought we might discuss it--"

"We're not giving them that jewel," Jimmy said at once. "They're trying to weaponize them." He turned to Jerry. "That's why they sent us to outer space. That satellite they had me fix was a weapon. I went out again to sabotage it before they tried to kill me."

Jerry's eyes widened, and for the first time since he'd brought Jessie in, the guilt seemed to seep out of him completely. "What the actual fuck?"

The shock of Jerry letting that word out was bigger than everything Sam had been through that day. He shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around it.

"They're a bunch of assholes," Jessie said between her teeth. "You don't even know the half of it."

But Jimmy seemed bent on telling them the half they didn't know. "Not only that, but they tried to brainwash me while they held me." He turned to Kyle again. "All they wanted was to use me against you."

Kyle cursed so furiously, it put Jerry's outburst to shame. Sam looked from him to Jimmy, then Jerry, then Tom who looked just as shocked as he felt. It was finally confirmed. The Agency were the bad guys. Snitch Gravel was the bad guy. And now they were trapped somewhere in between.

The jewel on the table suddenly seemed to weigh a ton. And to make matters worse, there was a knock on the door.

🏯🏯🏯

I know this chapter is huge, but holy hell so many things are happening. The climax is over and that fight... Were you expecting it? Was it shocking and gut wrenching and oh-so-overdo?

And now, everything is coming to light. Secrets are being spilled left and right and there's someone at the door. Who could it be?

Stay tuned for the final 3 (yes THREE!!!) chapters of the story.