"No…no please I'm sorry I'M SORRY!" he whimpered as a shadowed figure came forward a pistol drawn into its hand.
"He deserved it… Isn't that what you said?" it said with a deep inhuman voice. When the victim didn't answer the response was a heavy kick to the chest.
"Yes….thats..what…I… said… and… I… don't… regret… it." He coughed trying to catch his breath.
The shadowed figured smirked. "Then you won't mind if I quote you?" BANG
Pain shot through the victim as the world faded to black the words "He deserved it." Echoing in his ears.
James shot forward panting, hand moving frantically to the imaginary wound.
"DAMN IT!" he cursed remembering the contents of the dream or nightmare rather that had shaken him from his sleep for the past few nights.
Shakily looking at the clock he signed…. "4AM that's fucking great." Laying back down in his sweat soaked bed. Suddenly a knock was heard at the door.
Slowly crawling out of bed and to the door he looked through the spy glass to see Douglas, opening the door when he recognized his mentor.
"Yes?" he said in a half sleepy half pissed manor.
"Oy you've been screamin in your sleep for the past few nights, Donald and I would appreciate it if you would take these and knock yourself out for awhile." The Scot said slapping a few pill packets in his hand to which James looked at curiously.
"Wait what are these?" he questioned as the Douglas was walking away.
"Melatonin, should help you out." He said slamming his own door shut.
Back inside his own apartment, locking the door behind him he walked over to the bathroom fiddling with the small pills in his hand.
Turning on the faucet he bent down splashing some water onto his face, then looked up into the mirror.
"Shit I look horrid." He sighed as he took stock in the bags that had formed underneath his eyes.
Taking one last look at the pills in his hand he downed one sticking the others in the medicine cabinet.
Making his way back to the bed he laid down, and within a few minutes was fast asleep.
Edward was at his usual bar side post when Thomas walked in for the evening.
"Just what are you doing here?" the older spat at the younger,, not forgiving him for his display of support for James that night.
"I've come for a little chat and beer oh course. You wouldn't turn down an old friend and paying customer would you?" Thomas said calmly.
"No I suppose not. What did you want to talk about?" Edward sighed handing him his requested drink.
"I just want to know why you are so against what James is doing. All the pain and destruction of lives that the takeover caused, doesn't it give you just a little bit of satisfaction when those guys pick on them?" he asked taking a sip of his beer.
"How it makes me feel doesn't change the fact that two wrongs do not make a right. James got shot in here the other night due to one of their little retaliation schemes. I just don't want to see the violence escalate and him get killed." Edward shot back at the younger.
"You see that's just it, we need to fight back against the idiots, not let them rule us." Thomas growled back.
"We will have to agree to disagree then I suppose, now if you are finished I have other customers I need to attend to." Edward said irritation leaching into his voice.
"One other thing do you know the way to his apartment, I need away from Percy for a little while, he's driving me nuts." Thomas said.
With directions in hand he left the bar leaving a very pissed off barkeep with no tip.
James was deep in sleep still when the sound of distant knocking started to echo through his mind.
Taking stock that whatever it was would have to wait he rolled over to continue his much needed sleep only to be nearly jarred by the sound of what felt like a battering ram at his door.
James haphazardly made his way to the door to see a familiar face through the spy glass, opening the door just enough to let sodor's former #1 in.
"Geeze James, its only 8pm, don't tell me you go to bed this early?" he joked at the groggy phoenix."
"Not that I mind Thomas but would you mind letting me know you are coming next time? I haven't been getting a whole lot of sleep lately, nightmares and what not." He rasped, his voice still dry with sleep.
"Don't tell me that old grouch Edward has gotten to you?" Thomas said sitting down on the couch.
"No not really just something that happened the night after the fight, say why did you come over anyway?" James asked, curiosity peaking.
"Well, I had been thinking it over and was wondering if that Scottish blokes offer was for real?"
Confusion than realization hit James as he thought about the offer itself. "I suppose it was, yes, you know what you're getting into right?" the phoenix questioned his younger.
"I do, I am meant for more in life than to be relegated to delivering mail with Percy, I want to make a difference in this town." Thomas said a shimmer in his eyes.
"So be it, just know that it comes with incessant nagging from Edward, I will talk to the twins later, for now let's have a smoke eh?" James said with a smirk on his face. The two, walking out onto the balcony, James discussing some details about the job as well as a few other things such as Duck's particularness and Oliver's cockiness. A knock on the door sometime later revealed the twins each wearing identical grins.
James waited outside the door as Thomas was taken into the branding room, the man still not being able to look at the spectacle.
After awhile Thomas was released into James' care for the night and the phoenix made sure to dress the wound, finally letting the pained but excited man crash on his couch. Then himself crawling back in bed.
In his office, Duck was busy chatting with the twins and Oliver over these new developments.
"It seems our investment has turned out to be a true winner doesn't he?" Oliver said with a smug grin.
"Ay but can you quite calling him and investment? He's an actual human being after all." Donald asked slightly put off with how the others saw their charge.
"Yes and James is quite the specimen, polarizing the people like never before, one could almost say lead them to overthrow the new NWR." Duck purred to a shocked group.
"With us as the leaders?" Oliver questioned.
"Precisely"
