Chapter
Two- The Phoenix Revived
James was wasting away. A whole week had passed since he was
captured and thrown into solitary confinement. They didn't bother to chain him but he was held fast anyways by his own
guilt. During this time he had been
alone to drown in his shame and thinking how he could have fell for such a
trap. How could he have betrayed Jessie
twice in less than three weeks?
One part
of him told him to slit his wrists. The
other part of him told him to not give up. The two parts of him battled within him. One time the internal battle got so intense that at night he had
woken up brandishing a dull knife (from his meals) at an invisible enemy and
another time, he had discovered he had been unconsciously grazing his neck with
it. James couldn't even help but think
what would happen if he had stabbed himself with it. He was scared and terrified to the point that he couldn't even
cry anymore. His tears had been used up
long ago.
The handcuffs that still clamped onto his left wrist offered more guilt than anything; it reminded him of the sorrow bound to him, no matter how hard he tried to think happy thoughts. He could try to push memories away but they were always still there just like the handcuff, which seemed to be the physical embodiment of all his guilt and emotional pains.
James' hand reached into his pocket where the locket still lay; the only thing they had not confiscated from him. They had meant to leave it with him to torment him with guilty memories. However, it had been his [only] physical comfort during his imprisonment and perhaps it was what was holding him back. His fingers curled around the smooth surface that was almost as smooth as Jessie's human face had been.
The memory of Jessie nearly sent James into a torrent of tears that he didn't know he still had. His mind was in turmoil of crazed thoughts. He clutched the locket tightly, pleading to himself to regain a clear thought. Anything…anything…
Someone was screaming loudly somewhere. How pitiful his screaming is, James thought to himself. His scream is so full of anguish and sorrow.
"Hey! Will you shut up in there?" a shadowy guard growled as he walked past the barred window. Only then did James realize he had been the one screaming. He hit his head against the concrete wall and he let go of the locket, feeling a pain in his hand from holding it tightly. He had clutched onto it so tight the gemstone left a distinct impression in his palm.
"I have to stop thinking like this. This is getting me nowhere." James stood up and looked out the window. The guard had left and James was left alone in the semi-darkness. "I need to find Jessie! That's what I came here for and that is what I am going to do. I can't just curl up and die with my tail between my legs!" James had never felt more energetic since the whole 'James the Mighty Moltres' stunt. He patted his pocket, feeling silly to know the locket helped him boost his confidence a bit. He backed up and rammed the door several times with no success. "One...last…tiiimme!" he shouted as he ran as hard as he could, preparing his shoulder to ram the door clear off the hinges like he did once before with the storage room door.
The door opened and James crashed into the wall in front of him.
"Sorry, James-sempai," Mondo sweatdropped. James fell to the ground, slightly dazed.
"But Ebbee Jeshee…I didn't dwink it all…dose girls gave 'em to me…" James slurred.
"James, we've got to get moving now," Mondo hissed. "The guard might come back any minute now."
Seeing that James was still spouting nonsense, Meowth fury swiped him and James snapped back to reality again and punched Meowth into the wall.
"Where is she?" he asked. Xavier looked nervously around. James finally noticed Xavier and pinned him to the wall. "Where is she, you scum?" he hissed. Xavier glanced nervously around, avoiding the cold glare in James' eyes. Xavier wondered if he had lost his mind. Why was he helping this psycho, he wondered nervously.
"No, James! That is Xavier! He's going to help us get Jessie back," Mondo explained. James reluctantly let go of his captive. "Now…we've got to calm down and no running off by yourself this time."
"Well…where do we go?" Meowth asked. Xavier pointed to a doorway.
"This way! Leads right to the Labs."
"Great. Now...how do we get her outta dere again?" Meowth asked as they ran up the stairs. James hurried alongside Xavier with his handcuff banging against his body in time with his heartbeat.