Part 3

Scott returned much later when the sun was down and the moon and the stars were out.

"The-John-hour", Scott mumbled. During this time of night John could always be found watching the stars on different places. Scott felt his heart brake when he realized John wouldn't do it again, ever. He looked at the sea and in the wind he swore he could here John's soft laughter. Scott looked at the gravestone in front of him and started to read the speech he couldn't speak in front of anyone else, not even Virgil or his father.

"If I only had walked a different path
There is nothing that can change already taken steps
Would do everything within my power and give anything right now
But what I want to reach, I can never have

Dear brother I let you down
You believed in me, looked up to me and I let you down
So much that I have hid from you I'm ashamed here inside of me
And I wish so that I could get everything to change

There is no way out of the darkness
And no future
'Cause I'll never be free
So can my life be something good
Can I see a morning day?"

He stopped and looked at the gravestone.

"Without you John", he said and raised tearful eyes. "No I can't, none of us can. That man took our anchor from us. We still need you John, you left us too early."

"That he did Scott", Virgil said and came out from his hiding place. "You wrote that speech?"

"Not entirely… you remember that Disney movie Brother Bear?"

"Yeah I do… John loved that movie..."

"John once showed me the Swedish lyrics on one of the songs. The same one dad played. I asked him to translate it back to English to see the difference."

"And this is the result?"

"Yeah…"

"Scott…"

"What Virg?"

"It will be alright."

"No it will not Virgil", Scott yelled in pure anger and saw how his other two brothers came towards them. "Thanks to that man we lost something that cannot be replaced. He took something dear from us…"

"We managed to cope after mom's death Scott", Alan said and Scott glared at him.

"It was John who pulled me and dad back from the pit of grief", he growled. "No we have no one who can do that."

"We will not have to be pulled out Scott", Gordon said and glanced at the gravestone. "John hadn't wanted to see us grief in the way we did for mom. If we stick together we can help each other."

"They are right Scott", Virgil said. "We will find peace and we will cope."

"No not until he has paid", Scott yelled and sank down on one knee in front of John's grave. "Johnny wherever you are I know you can hear me, you always listen… I will not rest until that devil is dead! He will pay for what he did to you and to our family!"

"Scott what do you mean", Virgil asked and felt a strange feeling in his stomach.

"I'm gonna go after that bastard and make him pay the ultimate prize."

"Scott no", Alan said and grabbed his arm. "John hadn't wanted us to do that!"

"We don't know that! We didn't know him!"

"We did", Gordon said and sighed. "I know that John sang that song to you Virgil. I had heard him sing it with mom. I also know that John had to pull himself out of the pit of grief. He did it when he saw what happened around him. He even hurt himself to realize it."

"What are you talking about", Virgil asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you guys know how he got that scar on his forearm?"

"The one he got when he cut himself on that broken fence", Alan asked and raised an eyebrow too.

"Yeah that one, though that's not the truth. John had to prove to himself that hurt can stop. He took a knife and cut himself in the arm to prove it."

"He did what", Scott asked. "How could he have been so stupid?"

"John was depressed", Gordon defended John. "We all were and it woke John up. As soon as the blood started to pour he realized this was the wrong way to cope with pain. He came back. He even banged his head against the wall for his stupidity. Why do you think he was so determent for us to get back on track? He didn't want us to hurt ourselves like he had!"

They were all quiet.

"I knew John too", Alan said. "I knew he was the singer in the Miracles, one of Harvard's most famous rock-bands. He and I used some of the songs to create some special music-videos. I also know John loved us more than anything on earth."

"That he did", Scott said and sighed. "That is why the Hood must pay. He doesn't love anyone and he will continue killing innocent people. John was innocent and who will be next? The Hood will not care if it's children getting hurt. He is evil."

"You can't go Scott", Gordon said. "At least not on your own."

"You will not come with me!"

"John was our brother too Scott", Virgil yelled. "We'll do this together."

"You can't do it on your own", Alan said. Scott stared at the three of them feeling both pride, sorrow and worry. He sighed again.

"Right meet me in the hangar in one hour", He said in a whisper. "If you are not there I'll leave without you." With that he stormed off towards his room.


Everything hurt; he opened his eyes and moaned. He stared up at the sky and then turned his head a little and saw the sun starting to rise. He sat up and saw that he was on Tracy Island.

"How did I get here", he asked out loud.

"Ah you're finally awake", a voice said. He turned to look at his right and saw a man sitting on a rock. He was dressed entirely in black and had a heavy leather coat and leather boots. His hair was platinum blonde, his skin pale and his eyes were black. He smiled happily. "Good you are so boring to watch when you are asleep."

"Who are you?"

"Aw John don't you recognize me?"

"No I don't", John Tracy answered.

"Right I am Death." The man rose and threw away his cup of tea.

"Okay…" John said doubtfully and rose.

"No I really am Death and I've come for you John Tracy." He chuckled. "Ah I love to say that."

John raised an eyebrow when realization dawned on him. The Hood had shot him!

"Am I really dead", he thought and looked himself over. He couldn't see any injury and he was dressed in black jeans and a white T-shirt. That was not the clothes he had been wearing on the train.

"You are not dead", Death said and walked up to him. "Not yet anyway."

"What do you want? Wait did you read my mind?"

"Yes I did and don't worry. I'm still amazed you don't remember me John. Think really hard. Eleven years back, in the snow a cold hand gripping for you… But you were out of my grasp as soon as daylight fell on your face."

John paled. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to help you."

"Help me? Since when does Death help people?"

"You know right now your brothers are planning on killing the Hood." Death was nonchalantly watching his nails.

"What?"

"They are leaving in ten minutes."

"I gotta stop them." John started to run as Death called after him in a singsong voice:

"You can't!"


Scott walked around in his room and gathered the last things. Then he walked up to his drawer and looked at the photographs on top of it. John and their father had taken most of them. It was pictures of Scott with his brothers. He picked up the one of him and all his brothers. It was taken one week before they started IR. John stood in the middle with Scott to his right and Virgil to his left. The older two held their arms around his shoulders while John held his hands on his youngest brothers' shoulders. The terrible twosome was sitting on chairs before him. Scott ran his fingers over John's face.

"I'm sorry this happened to you Johnny and I swear that the Hood will pay." Scott didn't notice that John's "ghost" entered the room. John ran up to his oldest brother and he had heard his brother's words.

"Scott, don't do this", he said pleadingly.

"He can't hear you", Death said. He stood and leaned on the wall. "He can't hear you and you can't stop him."

"I'll revenge you John", Scott said and turned.

"Scott no!" John threw his arms around his brother's torso and pressed him towards his own body. To hold him back.

"You can't stop him…" Death mused with a smug grin. But it disappeared when he saw how Scott froze as John held him back. "Guess I was wrong. You can stop him."

Scott closed his eyes and pulled free from John's arms. The blonde Tracy felt how Scott just walked straight through them.

"At least for a short while", Death said.

"Will you shut up", John growled and was about to run after Scott when Death appeared in front of him.

"Now that thing we talked about earlier", he said.

"What", John spat and tried to sidestep him. "That you want to help me?"

"Yes."

"Why do you want to help me?"

"You see I can help you return to your life if…"

"There are always ifs and buts… If what?"

"I have a price for my help John. I'm gonna let you contact your brothers and show them whatever you want to from your life. I'll also think of returning your soul to your body. But all I want from you is this: do not try to stop me when I take my price."

John looked at Death and then over Death's shoulder and saw Scott head for the hangars.

"Is that all", he asked.

"No John it isn't. You'll see you can show your brothers anything but from now on you aren't allowed to speak. Not a word. You can show me pictures or visions, but no words, not even written ones or words you show me. Though you can use songs and music as long as the voices or tunes don't come from your mouth or anything your body can do. Do we have a deal?"

He held out his hand and John looked at it disgusted. Then he sighed, focused his mind and a paper appeared in front of both of them. On it there were drawn lines and a pencil appeared and made a cross beside on a thin line. Then John took Death's hand.

"I guess we have a deal then", Death said and smiled. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

John nodded and focused his mind. A plane appeared in front of them, it showed John try to hold a grasp on it and go straight through it and then changed to another plane where John could hang on to it as it flew.

"You wonder if you can hold on to a plane when you just could hold on to your brother for a short while." Death asked and John nodded. "But of course you can, the plane is a thing it doesn't have its own will or soul."

John sighed and ran out from the room towards the hangar.


TBC I don't own any of the songs or characters.

Starjester 12 - Are you sure I killed him? ;)

bubzchoc - I'm happy you think so :)

IITYWYGMAH - Okay first of all I don't care about what you say. When I write these kind of stories for another cathegory here on all the readers love it I've even won competitions writing like this so your comment is passing me without me taking heed to what you say. Second of all I have never lost a brother so I don't know how they would react. Third, the Hood is a crazy person who wants to make anyone feel bad about their good sides. And fourth the first song is called "No way out" and was made by PHILL COLLINS! for a kidsmovie named "Borther bear". And the other comes from the musical "Sweeney Todd: the demon/phantom barberer on Fleet street"! And fifth, after your review I got others saying they like this so I don't care for what you say and lastly: don't like don't read.