The longer I stayed in this place, the more I was becoming split mentally. I was becoming a different person in here, like it was forcing me to do things I didn't want to do, but had no choice.

I had to escape this place and return to the surface world. I had to get back to the Rebellion and tell X what was really going on. I knew he would think I betrayed the Rebellion by doing all of this.. But if this Thanos really was coming to Earth to invade...

The Eternal Circle would essentially become an unstoppable force. And with the Vigil Council preparing souls for this Malekith, we could have a three-way war on our hands. And nobody would be safe...

A distant, bloodcurdling scream signaled that they found another soul to send to Malekith. Her screams... were something straight out of a horror movie... I couldn't get it out of my mind...

"All you do is sit there at your damn desk, slaving over your goddamned papers! You never do anything fun! It's always work with you!"

James used to scream at me, day in and day out. I had enough.

"Give me a goddamned break, James! You should be happy I'm at least making a difference in MY life! All YOU do is think of ways to get us killed, and then you put the blame on me! You said it was my fault I lost Stephanie, but what have YOU ever done for me that was beneficial for us as friends? NOT a GODDAMNED THING. I'm sick and tired of you criticizing me over EVERYTHING I do when it's not convenient for YOU!"

James lunged at me, and I reared a fist back, placing it right across his face. He pulled out his pistol, and I threw the desk straight at him before he could fire a shot at me.

That was the last time I ever saw James or Stephanie in my lifetime.

Needless to say, my friendship with James wasn't always strained. When I became a detective to help save lives and bust down criminals, James ended up being on my list of vigilantes. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt by allowing him to have a free pass as long as he didn't do anything to get him back on the police radar.

For the longest, he did okay. Until he wasn't.

Something that James did, I busted him for it, and he never forgave me for doing it, either.

James got involved with a contraband cocaine syndicate known as the Users. Basically, they would come into town, set up shop away from the public eye, give you a burner phone to call them, and send you about 12 grams of the "good stuff", they called it.

My division would catch them in town and arrest the lot of them and warned them that if they tried that shit again, I would bring down justice unholy on all of the bastards for making a bad name for the people. I can't stand assholes who think they can ruin our reputation without paying dearly for it. I once put someone in the ground for trying that.

Anyway, long story short - The Users set up shop in town, and they recruited James for a special mission. That mission nearly caused 15 people to be brutally murdered if we didn't put a stop to it.

The police got a response that morning saying that the syndicate had taken hostages for a "test", they called it. They wanted to see how fast we could save 25 people before dawn broke, otherwise the number of deaths would go up by the hour before they bombed our station.

Needless to say, I was out for blood. I grabbed my nightstick and pistol and went to work. I knew where they set up, so it wasn't hard to find them. We showed up around 8:15 in the morning, hours before the kill time, and handled business. Everyone that was being held hostage was forcibly released as a gang war broke out. Over 50 members of the syndicate were killed, as were 14 of our officers. The leader of the syndicate tried to put up a fight, but I wasn't having it. I took my nightstick and beat him to a pulp for threatening our city and our people, all while James watched. As I looked at him, I sent my officers to arrest James and anyone else daring to revive the Users.

James never saw me as his friend after that day again. Even after I gave him the benefit of the doubt by releasing him three days later, he tried to physically fight me each time I didn't want to lose my job because of his bullshit.

Something in me snapped that day, and I finally told James how I really felt about everything he's done against me. He purposely tried to make me lose my job so I could get busted by the law. Be a vigilante like he was. And I wouldn't budge. Him trying to kill me that day revealed his true colors, and I swore I would end him if I ever saw him again.

So, I left that part of me behind, and that meant leaving Stephanie as well. We didn't really click or mesh together as well as I had hoped we would. I can't blame her, either. I still care dearly for her. But, we were sadly never meant to be. I guess my job as a detective was the last straw for her. I couldn't forget her, though. She was the only thing right in my life.

My thoughts shifted, and I was beginning to lose touch with reality. I was in a dark room, tied up as I watched a defenseless man get beaten over and over again. I tried to yell, but the words wouldn't escape me. I watched his throat get slashed and watched him fall limp before my mind snapped back to the night before, the soul of the unnamed man forced out like an exorcism for Malekith, only a thousand times worse, as his body contorted and twisted, bones and organs poking out of every orifice and surface as his eyes turned white, his scream being twisted out of his body, his spirit and mind following.

Multiple violent scenarios played out in my head, creating a personality I didn't recognize. I felt helpless and weak. Like it was controlling me and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I was getting worse... It was getting worse... I sat there as the mania and anxiety of my inner demons fought within my mind for what seemed like hours and hours, and I was beginning o lose it rapidly. I wanted to die again and start over within the Vigil just to end the pain and nausea.

And then... it stopped. I tried to stand, but I was so weakened, I collapsed.

I could feel myself being dragged someplace, so I kept still as voices spoke.

"I've had enough of this. Citizen V wishes to keep this traitor and newcomer here. I will not stand for it! No more. He will be sent to the Cavern. Then we will deal with Zemo."

The voice belonged to Anthony Masters. I tried my best not to shift in any way, knowing if I allowed myself to move, both of them would be dead in an instant.

"We shall burn them both, my lord?"

"Yes. Then we will take our fight to Malekith himself. He wants to bring that foul member of the Rebellion here, that murderer, X, to OUR domain? NEVER."

More dragging. I felt a very strong heat signature. This must have been the Cavern. The air that was behind me was now being rushed forward as I felt myself falling faster into the fire. A final act of revenge and betrayal finally did me in.

A soft hand was placed on my face as I opened my eyes.

"Steph... you came back to me..."

She smiled. God, I missed her smile.

"I never left. And now, you don't have to, either. Let's go home."

I smiled as I kept my eyes closed. I finally escaped this wretched Vigil homeworld.

I was finally going home...

So why was everything still so goddamned hot?

To Be Continued...