Ghost of the Skies

Enemies

* Jack *

"What do you think's gotten into him?"

For a few moments, Hoodie remained silent. "I don't know," he answered in an irritated voice.

"It's odd. I've never seen a change like that in someone except for people being influenced by supernatural beings. But Ben is a supernatural being. It doesn't make sense scientifically speaking."

Hoodie came to a sudden halt. We were a ways away from where we found Ben, and nearly out of the forest. He faced me.

"Chatty, aren't you?" he said coldly.

"I just think it's intriguing," I replied without giving rise to his temper.

"Your human's showing," Hoodie said under his breath. I couldn't see his face, but I could picture the blank, menace-filled expression that would be there. We both had large portions of ourselves in the control of something beyond our mortality. I at least had some more lucidity than him. He used to fight against it, while I had learned to embrace mine early on.

I didn't respond to him. He needed to let his frustration fade, which would take a while. A couple of moments passed before he turned away from me and trod on. I followed him, but before I could make it more than a few paces, I noticed a person at the edge of my vision. Nearly losing my mask from moving so fast, I whipped around. But I was greeted by nothing more than shadows, though that woman's visage haunted me. There was no way it could have been who I thought. She was long dead. I had made sure of that.

"Coming?" Hoodie called out from ahead, clearly annoyed.

I hesitated but shook off my lingering unease. "Yes," I said, moving on.

* Jason *

"Uh, anyone wanna tell me what's going on? What's your cousin doing here?" Leo asked looking between me and Nico. I sighed.

"He's uh, dead."

"Like, dead, dead?" Leo said incredulously, eyes widening.

"Yeah, dead, dead," I said, trying not to smile.

"Why is he– what is he doing here?"

"Reforming himself, I guess."

"Reforming himself from what???" Leo asked, his voice growing higher.

"Uhm." I cough, "Murder."

At this point, I thought he was having an aneurysm. He couldn't seem to find words to put his confusion into. Eventually, though, he seemed to collect himself and find something to say.

"It's really good to see you." He reached out and gave me a grease-covered, warm hug. In all the chaos of the past day or so, I had forgotten that I hadn't seen Leo in person since he came back.

Nico gave a sudden jerk. "Oh yeah, here." He handed me a piece of paper with a number on it.

"What's this for?" I asked him, confused. Leo suddenly gave a nervous smile and released me.

"It's your place in line to punch him for not telling us he was alive sooner."

I grinned. "Thanks."

Just then, Ben came back out of the woods looking furious. Apprehension flowed into me. I was sure my hunch about Ben knowing those two guys was right. He stormed up to us.

"They found their way out," he told us through gritted teeth.

"Who were they?" I asked with a frown.

"People I used to work alongside," he said bitterly. So I was right then.

"I'm guessing that's not a good thing," Leo said. He was twisting some wire anxiously in his hands.

Ben shook his head and seemed to wilt. His exhaustion and bitterness covered him like a shadow. I could suddenly sense how much everything he had been through weighed on him. Nico's eyes flashed with sad and familiar warmth. He must have seen many people like Ben considering all the time he spent in the underworld. Ben hadn't become a killer on his own.

"We should call people together and discuss what this means," Nico advised.

Ben looked up at us and nodded solemnly.

* Hoodie *

He refused?

I felt the icy hard floor dig into my knees where I knelt.

"Yes." Stop shaking.

Silence followed my response.

Why?

"I don't—know." Stop. Shaking.

There must be a reason. What did he say?

My vision dimmed.

"He said– he said he was never coming back. That there was nothing we could do to bring him back." You're pathetic.

Then he has forced our hand.

I waited for it to continue.

And waited.

Why won't it say something? Is it angry? You're pathetic.

Then– He cannot be allowed to continue.

I nodded. Idiot.

You failed to do what you were told.

You will bring him to us. Whatever it takes.

Ringing...

You can't think anymore.

Weak.

A G O N Y