The Comeback

"Zed, get the van." Jax, the dark washed up brown-haired leader of the gang ordered.

Zed responded with a slight nod and walked towards a widely spaced dark alley.

"Jay, Luca! You've got the entrance" He said snapping his fingers. 

They nod slightly and fade into the shadows.

"What about me?" Lila asked from behind Jax.

"You're going with Zed... Keep it together, I can't have you messing this up" Jax replied, not moving an inch from where he stood.

Right almost immediately, an all black Enzo van pulled up beside 'em.

"Get in!" Jax ordered, still without moving. 

Lila hit a button on the top left corner of her leather jacket and the back door of the van slid open. 

She stepped in, took a seat and the door slid back close.

Jax raised his right hand 'van-window high' and snapped his fingers, signalling Zed to 'move'.

The van zoomed of and slowly faded away into the darkness.

Jax took a few quick steps, fiddling with his smart watch, then stopped abruptly. 

In an instant, he was beamed out of his current location and into the main building of their destination, The Carters' Mansions. 

It was 1:23am, the lights were still on. 

He wasn't surprised. 

Mr John Carter was involved in a whole lotta shady shit which barely ever gave him some time for himself nor his family. 

You could say he was the bloodiest man alive in their time. 

Jax walked briskly past many halls and rooms, his eyes fixed on one, The Vault. 

It was the room Mr Carter stayed in to carry out his shady dealings which didn't require him to be present in 'em physically.

Jax was close, he was extremely close to revenge. 

He wasn't stable any longer. 

He'd already started turning flush with anger. 

The memories flashed in his head, making him boil even more, his hands shaking violently with rage. 

His pace quickening but somehow, noiseless. 

He was a few seconds away from the motherfucker who deprived him of everything he'd ever loved, ever cared for. 

Made him emotionless after all these years.

Hitting the button on his watch, the titanium doors blew open in seconds.

Meanwhile, Lila and Zed had joined Jay and Luca at the entrance, leaving the van on camouflage right in front of 'em.

They stood in the 'W' formation. It was the most convenient for this operation in case of a slip up.

Standing in their positions, away from all the cameras, they awaited the signal Jax would give if anything went wrong.

"Well look who it..." John was saying before a hard punch from Jax cut him off.

After the punch came series of hits and takedowns.

He'd reached his climax, zoning out the rest of the world surrounding him. 

He unleashed the rage, the pain, the fury, everything. He'd bottled it up for way too long. 

He wanted his pound of flesh.

Amidst the heated beating he was getting, John seemed unhurt, unbothered sorta, a smirk curving on his lips.

Seeing that John wasn't in pain only but aggravated Jax's anger. 

He'd had enough.

He wanted to end the scamp. 

He was about pulling out his gun when John landed him a heavy blow which took him down in an instant.

Mr Carter took every step towards Jax gracefully, not breaking his pace. Standing right in front of him, he hit him right in the face.

He pulled him by his sweat-soaked hair, bringing him off the floor and taking him down almost immediately with another punch on his face.

Mr Carter derived pleasure in giving Jax a whoopin' and that he was doing it without breaking a sweat was like his cherry on top.

Jax laid on the floor, halfway up, exhausted. 

He tried to slowly normalize his heart rate before making a move but John didn't let him have his way.

Like a stallion of high roots, Mr Carter took every stride approaching Jax, holding a small metal sorta like a pearl in between the first two fingers of his left hand.

Jax's eyes fixed on his, quickly fixed in coordinates of the desk area in The Vault and hit the button on his watch.

"Don't y'all think he's been in there a little too long? Lila asked, fidgeting

"Hey. He'd let us know if he needs us. Just stay put." Luca said as calmly as he could.

The sound of a work desk chair shattering The Vault's side window broke the silence.

"Oh God! I told y'all something was up." Lila said and attempted running into the building but she was held back by Zed.

Stay back, stay calm

Zed communicated to her using his neuralink.

They all had one to communicate and pass across messages as inconspicuously as possible.

Lila made no response to Zed. 

All she wanted at that point in time was to go check on her brother.

Jax had sustained a huge cut from the shattering glass.

John, just a few bruises here and there.

Hang on, I'm coming to help.

Jax received from his implanted neuralink.

Fuck no! Stay exactly where you are.

He beamed back.

No! I'm almost there, chill.

He received again and inhesitantly pulled out his gun, took a quick aim and pulled the trigger.

Just then, he spotted her. She ran as fast as she could into The Vault and spotted a shot Mr Carter on the floor, back against the wall.

You did it!

She beamed to him with a smile.

Jax smiled back. Then, he noticed the metal pearl still in John's hand. 

He tensed. 

His heart rate quickened. 

He knew that pearl anywhere. 

He saw the smirk on John's face as he was about activating it.

John's eyes closed shut, his hands dropping to the floor, an activated bomb rolling out of it.

"Jay, run. Run!" Jax ordered as he found his way from behind the work desk and outta The Vault.

Jay ran as fast as her legs could carry her, Jax following behind. 

He fiddled with his watch and held onto her tightly. 

He hit the button and beamed her and himself to the entrance.

"Where's the van? Where's the fuckin' goddamn van?!" Jax asked and Zed took it out of camouflage.

Jax got in, taking the driver's seat. The rest of the gang following his every move.

"Gimme the keys. Now!" He ordered.

Zed threw him the keys.

He started the van and stepped on the gas pedal as the entire mansions blew up in flames.

Fuck! The wife and kid were still in there.

Jax thought to himself.

Getting back to their small lodge, Jax took off his jacket and slumped on the bed. 

He felt so much satisfaction and a hint of joy. 

John Carter was gone, finally.

The rest of the gang took of their shoes and their jackets and called it a night.

"Jay?" Lila called out.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for going in to help him."

"Anytime. Now get some sleep" Jay replied with a smile.

Lila gave a slight nod and shut her eyes. 

"You're not coming to bed?" Jay asked.

Hesitating a little, he answered. "I'm gonna stay up and work out the details on how we're gonna leave first thing in the morning".

"Alright then. G'night." Jay said and went to sleep.

A few months later, they were clean. 

A whole new life, whole new city. 

Still together as friends, but free from the stealing, the killing, everything.

"Later tonight, Jay and I are going out. Please, act like adults and not high schoolers okay?" Jax said to Luca and Lila from over the counter.

"Got it!" Lila said with a quick nod and Luca gave a salute to show agreement.

"Where's Zed?" He asked.

"I dunno." Lila shrugged.

"Zed? Zed!" Luca called out.

No response.

"Y'all chill. I'mma go check his room." Luca said and went upstairs.

Getting to the door, he leaned closer to listen for any sounds.

None.

"Zed?" Luca called out again.

Still no response.

He slowly pushed open the door and froze instantly at what he saw.

"The fuck?" Luca said in utter confusion. 

He was dumbfounded for the next few seconds, his brain tryna process what he'd just seen then he abruptly burst into laughter, indicating his presence.

"What the heck Luca?!" Zed screamed taking out his earphones.

Luca was still laughing his ass out like a total idiot.

"Would you fuckin' close the door?"

Luca nodded and slammed the door still laughing.

Zed just glared at him till he was done.

"I'm sorry" Luca said tryna catch his breath.

"But were you just twerking?" He continued and erupted into another round of laughter.

Zed ignored him and took a seat on his bed, staring at his phone screen.

"You done?" He asked with a stern glare.

"Hold on - just a few more seconds." Luca said, trying to hold down his laughter.

"Wait a minute!" Luca said again walking towards Zed and holding his face up.

"Is this make up?" He asked and burst into another series of laughter.

He slumped to the floor, hands on his knees, laughing his ass out.

"Would you fucking shut up?" Zed said, getting pissed.

"Chill!" He paused. "Zee, explain... This!" He said with a waving motion around Zed's face.

"Well... I make tiktoks okay?"

"For real? Why'd you decide to go with 'Pink Princess' to make 'em?"

"To get crazy followers, obviously!"

"Wait! What's your... Her... Its username?"

"At ShadyBella"

"No way! I fucking follow you... Her... Whatever."

"Yeah, I know. Now get the fuck outta here!"

Luca chuckled and took his leave.

"He's all good. Just had his earphones plugged in."

"Earphones. Jay, where's your neuralink?" Jax asked

"My room. Why?"

"Take it with you. We're leaving in an hour."

"Sure."

"Zed, Luca! Tell Lila we left. We'd be back by ten."

"Alright." Luca said.

"See ya!" Zed added.

Jax beamed himself and Jay to a dark alley opposite the restaurant they'd be eating at.

They waited for the lights to turn red so they could cross the road.

Jax's eyes caught something.

He was still tryna process it when Jay cut his thoughts short.

"Hey, what's up with chu?"

"Look." He said, gesturing across the street.

"What?"

"John."

She chuckled.

"You're seeing things. Let's go, light's red."

They crossed over and he looked in that direction but he wasn't there anymore. He shrugged and concluded his mind was messing with him.

"Zee?" Lila called out.

No response.

"Luca?"

Still no response.

She walked to Luca's room first.

No one.

Then to Zed's door, listening closely for sounds.

She heard muffled noises then she turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door.

Luca and Zed were tied to both sides of Zed's bed on the floor.

"What the fuck?!" She exclaimed and hurried in to try to get 'em loose. 

Suddenly, she blacked out.

Her eyes slowly opened to see a grin she could recognize anywhere. 

John.

"Don't ask questions, it's of no use." John said bluntly.

"Now, if you don't mind, say hi to the devil for me, would ya?" He added, turning his back on them and walking towards the room door.

"The fuck? I smell gasoline!" Lila exclaimed, petrified.

He threw the metal pearl and beamed himself outta the house to the rooftop of another. There, he watched the house blow up. 

It all seemed like a firework festival to him. 

The grin on his face, priceless.

"I need to go to the bathroom." Jay said

"Alright. Take your time" Jax replied with a smile."

She smiled back and made her way to the bathroom.

I'm the only one in here? Weird.

She thought to herself as she went in a stall.

On coming out, she shrieked as her eyes met the dark cold ones of Mr John Carter.

She tried beaming Jax a neuralink message but she couldn't.

"Don't. It's useless." He said, taking slow steps towards her.

"Don't what?"

"I'm not here for chit-chat. Go to hell bitch!" He said and hit a button on his phone.

Extremely high frequency music started playing into her brain. 

It was too high for her brain to withstand.

She screamed as she felt her brains turning to mush. 

Within seconds, she slumped to the floor, dead.

She's been in there too long.

He thought to himself and called on a waitress to help him go check on her.

She's gone. So are the rest. You want me? Come get me.

John beamed to Jax.

He spotted him across the street from the restaurant's window.

He ran outside, staring at him, at that evil glare.

I thought he was dead but there he is, across the street, smiling at me.

Jax thought to himself. 

He wondered, how?

John beamed himself to a warehouse Jax knew very well.

You know where to find me.

He sent again.

Jax beamed himself to the warehouse too. 

"You came."

"You bastard!" Jax said from within clenched teeth.

"Why thank you. I try."

Jax couldn't take it anymore.  

He ran towards John like a raging bull but stopped suddenly and slumped to the floor, holding his head.

"Yes. Watch them burn. Watch me smile at their agony. Watch the beginning of your pain. Entertaining, isn't it?" John said with a hint of mockery.

Tears rolled down Jax's cheeks.

"You're nothing but a weak foolish child."

Those were the last words Jax heard before the sound of the metal pearl, the last one informed him of his death. 

John smiled, beaming himself outta the warehouse.