Chibiyu: Back with talking and writing this story.
Nick: Finally. Am I dead again?
Chibiyu: Um…I haven't figured that out yet.
Nick: …only you.
IF I OWNED JONAS…well, you all would know. And sadly, I don't.
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I saw the light.
I saw death.
I heard death.
And now…I felt…
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KEVIN'S POV
Hang on Nick.
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JOE'S POV
Something felt terribly wrong.
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FRANKIE'S POV
If Joe's company could so easily kidnap me…what were they doing to Nick?
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VIPER'S POV
There are two things no one knows about JONAS until you're in. One: you must swear upon your life to uphold the JONAS oath because without it, LEMUR would run us down. Two: Every JONAS operative has a tiny chip implant in their skull. It's safe and needed. It serves as a 7 second killer if the agent wishes it in capture, it stores information on the operative to preserve his or her memories after death, and it stimulates the healing part of the brain. The part no one really understands except us. It makes permanent damage impossible and it even heals diseases like cancer and diabetes. But Python still had to act around his family. I was hoping that chip was saving Pyth like it did me. I knew the LEMUR torture; it wasn't fun.
But why did they torture? JONAS never left a mark. I knew that because before I was a Silver, I worked their. Everyone did at least once to learn the art. We did nothing what LEMUR did and we didn't even break them mentally. And yet, we still had more information than them. Ha. In your face LEMUR.
"Viper?" Lion whispered and I nodded, looking at them via the video chat in our eye screen.
"I'm ready. 15 hours and counting team." I replied and Cricket sent me a request for a private chat, which I accepted. "Cricket?"
"Vip…what if Pyth didn't make it? After all the things they do in there…" She trailed off, her fear for her friend showing clearly in her voice.
I smiled small, having worried the same. "Cricket, come on. This is Python we are talking about. Look at what he's done! Breaking in and out of the most highly secured places without a trace, on his own. Bugging the LEMUR HQ, on his own. Going through high level torture methods our own company provides so we can be ready, on his own. If anyone can get out of this place, it's out Pyth."
I saw her smile, renewed hope in her eyes. "Let's get this done. For Python!"
For Nick indeed.
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JONAS BOSS POV
Let's see how far Viper's little rescue get will get before my brother finds out…but then again…it is Python.
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JOE'S POV
Oh crap. Crap doesn't' even cover it! This is bad, bad, bad, BAD!
I managed to get the information out of Croc what happened to the newly brought in Silver Elite JONAS and he went mad with laughter.
"Dude, we got to play three games with him! Russian Roulette, Drowning and the Fire is going on right now! I hope he dies…" He trailed off looking happy. The fire game? Wait…Nick wasn't lying.
"The fire game?" I asked, knowing the other two just by their names and the death rates I managed to pull from them.
"Yeah…we put five JONAS silent's in the Black room and light a fire. Four die and the one that lives will be too injured for anything but…well, anything really."
My heart stopped at that. Oh God…Nick…I hope you are as good as they all say…but that won't matter here…I have to get you out of here…so please…be the one that lives!
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NICK'S POV
Fire lashed out from behind my closed eyes, creating a movie only I could see. I saw the girl go down, clawing at the door, leaving trails of blood. I saw the man screaming for help because of his kids and family. I heard the others scream and the fire bite my legs and climb. I felt something worse than pain, worse than anything ever before, and it wasn't going away.
Wasn't everything supposed to leave in death? The pain? The heartbeat…wait…
I beat the odds.
Four were dead.
I lived. In agony. Each breath brought an explosion of hurt and I could still feel the fire consuming my flesh, though I knew it had no been put out. I couldn't move from the pain and the small of my own burnt skin was disgusting but I had to bear it. It was actually worse than the time Joe covered himself in garbage to scare Kevin…and then tripped on my bed. Yeah…not fun…
But this was a million times worse, no exaggeration. But at least I was alive. At least my family's hearts were spared…unlike those before me.
I think I mourned for them, but I could feel nothing by the pain of the burns.
And then I remembered the implant in my skull and nearly cried in relief. With this much damage I would have been paralyzed and have breathing problems for the rest of my life. But thanks to JONAS, in a week or two, everything would be alright again.
I opened my eyes slowly, pleased to find the action did not hurt and refrained form looking at myself as I glanced at my watch. 14 hours. I can do this. I have to.
I took a deep breath and looked at myself and nearly screamed from the sight. I can't even begin to describe the fear my blackened and smoking skin sent through my heart. I can't fathom a guess how to anyone would react to the black mess of limbs, bone and blood. But not all of me was burned. Some parts were tomato red, like my right fingers and right neck and shoulder. But everything else was terrible. If I didn't have JONAS tech and the promise it would work, I would have killed myself here and now.
I didn't move, feigning the very real pain and I pretended to black out. But really I was gathering strength and reviewing my plans because as soon as my watch beeped at dawn, I was gone.
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KEVIN'S POV
I walked into our giant loft bedroom and saw Joe starring at his hands in worry. I wish I could tell him everything but I can't. I can't tell him Nick is ok…well alive. I can't tell him my part in all of this. I can't even comfort him because he would lie.
"Earth to Joe?" I called and he looked up and tried to smile. "Are you ok?"
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah…Stella and I just got into a fight…She wanted me to be in blue but I told her that was the last award show color. I am waiting for her to call back…as you know she will." Nice acting little brother. If I hadn't known better, I would have believed you.
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JOE'S POV
I hated lying to my unknowing brother. I hated knowing that Nick could be dead and he had no idea. I hated this. But the most I hated was that it was my entire fault.
So I lied. It was very probable to Kevin that Stella and I got into another fashion fight; it happened like four times a week. But it was still a lie. One Stella would probably verify. But it was still a terrible lie. I crawled into bed with a heavy heart.
And if Nick wasn't the one that made it…
What have I done?
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NICK'S POV
6 hours to go.
"You seem to be a quick healer…like all the other JONAS scum." Crocodile sneered as he walked into my cell, covering his surprise that I was sitting. It was true. Thanks to the chip implant all of the red burns have faded to nothing and I wasn't bald anymore, thank god. I had about an inch of hair and in two hours it would be normal again, thank god. Again. The worst of my burns were better but they still hurt like no there and cracked when I moved and bleed. But I had to ignore the pain and focus. "How do you heal so fast?"
I smiled and glared but said nothing. He knelt in front of me and touched the small portion of flawless skin on my hand, awe written on his face. I didn't move away. I had to make them think I was still incapable of too much movement. I had to keep them unaware.
"JONAS agents are built of strong stuff." Croc commented dryly with a scowl. "But they all still die in the end."
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JOE'S POV
As soon as midnight came, I was up and working out a plan. I wanted Nick out of LEMUR HQ by dawn and I needed to perfect everything. I couldn't just waltz in and break him out…unfortunately. I had to loop video feed, dodge infrared on the floor above, and pick a huge lock that was over 15 tumblers, the works. And I had to do it without ANYONE finding out.
This would be fun…
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VIPER'S POV
Lion and I gauged the depth of the river and found that it was perfect for someone to dive off the top of the building into. Which we assumed was Python's plan. Because he never took the easy way out and he knew the top floors better than the bottom.
The water was cold but it wasn't too bad and the current was just enough to hide the fact that two enemy agents hid under it with JONAS underwater motors. We used the night vision function on our goggles instead of risking light. Somewhere above the surface, Shark and cricket were carrying out their own assignments. After all, six hours is not a lot of time for a spy.
You can blink…and the time is gone and your mission…failed.
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JOE'S POV
Ten minutes to go. Wow time flies.
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NICK'S POV
Ten minutes to go…and no one around. Why not be a little early?
I stood, holding back a wince and forcing the pain from my mind as I approached the door. I quickly inspected it and found the electric current had been shut off and the camera on it was on a loop. Good ol' Viper. My fingers skimmed over the miniature lock and I smiled. Only 17 tumblers? Childs play. I took the rogue nail I had secretly taken from the fire room and in seconds the lock was open before me.
But I didn't open the door immediately. I listened. Nothing. Very slowly I pushed it open and I smiled at what I saw. All of the LEMUR guards were sleeping on the floor thanks to their emergency sleeping gas in their vents. Ha, I loved it when enemy weapons backfired against them. I crept silently out the door and stealthily ran down the hall, meeting no obstacles. Too easy.
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JOE'S POV
I ran in HQ 7 minutes too early and I was shocked when I saw all of them sleeping on the floor and the sleeping gas tanks empty. Why?
Nick.
I ran down to his cell, knowing I wouldn't need any of the precautions I readied and bust open te door in a minute, but it was empty.
Nick!
He can't have gone out the front, I cam that way and there was no back so…the roof! But first…As I ran I checked the vault with his stuff and I found it empty. I also checked the prisoner status and found he was the only living JONAS operative here…the others died yesterday.
Nick…
I ran up and to the roof, figuring he would use his shoes to fly away but that was not what I saw. I nearly fainted at what I saw.
"NICK!"
He spun around, his eyes wide but the surprise turned to uncertainty to a glare when I moved towards him. He was standing barefoot on the roof but that was not what startled me. I saw the bleeding and cracked burns but I didn't want to believe it. He had lived but at a terrible cost. But wait…how was he standing right now? That looked so painful and bad…
"Nick?" I asked lightly, knowing I wouldn't need more but he didn't answer. "Are you…ok?" Again no answer. He had been telling the truth. He had kept his JONAS secrets and he had seen his fellow agents die. How could he be ok? But he couldn't have done all of this alone. He had to have reinforcements to pick him up…
A cricket sounded a few times and Nick smiled. He ran to the edge of the building and I screamed when I remembered he wasn't wearing his shoes of a jetpack. But he didn't care. He jumped straight over the edge of the building.
My heart stopped.
I ran and grabbed a jet pack from the hidden panel and jumped over as well. I used full thrust to catch up with him and to my surprise; Nick punched me hard in the jaw and managed to kill the jet pack in one strike. He tried to push me from him but I didn't let go, shielding him from the waters impact.
And then underwater, something pulled me off of him and I opened my eyes to see Viper handing Nick underwater equipment and something nailed me in the gut. Nick spun around to look at me and is eyes connected with whoever was hitting me, which is a hard feat underwater, and the blows stopped. The agent let me go and swam over to Nick and they were obviously talking but Nick waved them off. He looked to me and I nodded and he smiled.
I wouldn't tell anyone. I would go home and act oblivious. But something told me I had earned Nick's trust back. Something told me he knew what I had tried to do for him.
Viper touched Nick's shoulder and Nick winced a bit but nodded before grabbing a handle on the motor thingy and it pulled them off. I swam to the surface and two girls with JONAS badges helped me up and out. They smiled and gave me a towel before running off, Nick's stuff in their arms.
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VIPER'S POV
I flinched when I saw the damage Python had taken and Cricket was instantly on him, bandaging the burns and putting soothing/healing medicine on them. Her gentle fingers not even making Pyth wince.
We were at my house, which had a secret spy base by the way, and Nick was happy to see us all and we were happy to see him alive.
"Pyth, you need to know…we broke away from JONAS to save you. They didn't want you saved. The boss said you…"
"Dishonored her and the company and were better off dead?" He finished and we all nodded. "I knew it. I only hoped you would do this for me and you did. I can never thank you enough or repay you."
"You don't need to." Lion whispered, shocking us all because he wasn't one to speak. Nick smiled at him, which was about the only thing he could do.
"Who did what?" Nick asked looking around. "Wait, let me guess. Cricket and Shark, you both got my stuff back and lopped the feed and dismantled the security didn't you?" They nodded looking very proud. "Lion and Viper, you both waited for me and Lion could beat up any agent that threatened everything, am I correct?"
He was. As always.
"What about you? What happened to you?" Shark asked and Nick sighed.
"I watched 7 agents die and none of the broke the JONAS Oath." They all relaxed but tensed again when the words sunk in. "One died in Russian Roulette versus me. Two died in one of LEMUR's drowning games. And four in the fire." He clenched his blackened knuckles and I bit my lip as I watched the skin break. But Nick didn't acknowledge it. "I was the lucky one each time."
I never heard his voice sound so bitter and cold. I have never seen the hate inscribed on his face. And none of us had ever seen the tears in his eyes.
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Chibiyu: WOULD YOU GUYS RATHER WEAR A TUTU OR STILLETTO'S FOR A FULL DAY???Random I know. And yes this chapter was supposed to be quick with time and all that. This story is close to being over, idk how many chapters left but it is close. Until Next Update!
