"Holy shit!" was Gloria's first reaction when she saw the scene before her. She barely had enough time to push herself and Christian behind a building wall. "You got your gun?" she asked

"Yeah, why?" he asked holding it out.

Gloria snatched the gun out of his hand. "Because I need it," she whispered. "Stay hidden."

She stepped out of the sanctuary and turned to face Christian. "If I don't make it back, I love you and I'm sorry about your gun," she told him. She made her way through the charlatan fanatics.

Though only seven minutes at most, it seemed to be hours to Christian until Gloria came back. "Follow close," she said and handed him a different gun, "shoot only if you need to."

And with that, Gloria took Christian by the hand and they made their way through the crowd with only five casualties on the other side. They got to the H.Q. in time to see James getting shot.

"NO!" Gloria screamed and the tears began to flow. "this can't be happening!" She rushed over to him screaming under her sobs, "James, no, don't die! You're gonna live through this!"

"Gloria Nesser, is that you?" James asked.

"Yeah it's me James. Where did the bullet hit? I'm gonna help."

"Gloria, who's next to you?"

"His name is Christian."

"Christian," James addressed him, "do you know the Jesus of Suburbia?"

"Yeah," Christian told the dying young man. "Why?"

"Tell him something for me. Tell him I'm sorry for leaving the fake suicide note. I'm sorry for making him think I left forever. You have no idea how serious faking a death is until you're actually dying." James turned to face Gloria. "Is he nice, this kid named Christian?"

"Why?" Gloria asked.

James smiled a somewhat grim smile. "Because," he started, making it dramatic, "I approve."

Gloria was eventually able to take the bullet out of James' side and patch up the wound. But it wouldn't stop bleeding. James knew this was his last hour (or maybe even last half hour). "Gloria please make sure I'm remembered as Jimmy. I'm tired of trying to forget what used to be."

"You're not gonna die. You will live through this," Gloria told him. A crowd burst into the room to see what the hell was going on.

Gloria was about to order them away but James spoke first, "Good, I need witnesses for this." he ripped the gold signet ring from his finger. The first members of the Underground had this ring. It was beautifully golden and had a broken pair of shackles as the signet. James placed the ring in Gloria's hand. "It's your turn now. You're the leader. Be fair and just and lead the Underground to victory. I believe in you," he mumbled to her. By now, his head was cradled in Gloria's lap and her tears were falling on his face. She didn't want the ring and tried to put it back on his finger (which would have easier if he hadn't clenched his fists so hard).

"James, no, it's not mine. You're gonna make it."

"Don't count on it," he mumbled and threaded part of Gloria's ponytail through the ring like a shoelace through an eyelet.

"Don't go, please," she begged. Christian stood next to Gloria, afraid to look in James' eyes. It all felt like it was his fault. Had Gloria not been gone, James wouldn't have gotten shot.

"See you in Al Aarraf, kid," he murmured with a smile.

He drew a breath.

And then he died.