THE ONE CALLED J

Unexpected Development II

Joshua slowly opened his eyes, the cold numb feeling around his body had gone. He opened his eyes fully. He saw Leon's entourage standing before him. Before he could react, the entourage touched him on his forehead, Joshua could feel several of his neuron-transmitters frozen, it was similar to the last time he had experienced brain freeze while he had taken so much ice cream and frozen yogurt.

"Don't try summoning your entourage," came Hendrickson's voice. Joshua looked behind him, he saw Max, Dave, and Hendrickson, they just laid on the ground. They were in an ice cage. The temperature kept dropping. None of them had their entourage cloak on; they were going to die if this keeps up.

Leon's entourage vanished from within the cage and disappeared outside. Leon was standing beside Terry.

"Is this the part I ask why you decided to betray us?" Hendrickson asks.

"Don't take it personally," Leon looked unhappy.

"We are frozen and nearly approaching death," Max had a confused look on his face. "How can we not take this personally?"

"I don't mean to be rude or anything," Max begins as he looks in Terry's direction. "But your face is missing a nose, weren't you born with one?"

Joshua could not help but laugh when he heard Max said that. If Terry was pissed at what he said, he did a good job hiding it.

"Terry," Joshua snickers. "You had to get a young boy to complete your work, you couldn't even beat me on your own, must be hard having a v****a between your legs."

Terry ignored him as he turned towards Leon.

"Remember the deal, you deliver J up to madame, I give you back Kronk and Ralph," Leon's face was unsure, it was obvious he wasn't happy with what he was doing, he wished he didn't have to betray his friends. "I hope you aren't getting second thoughts on me, I can easily kill Ralph where I stand and Madame would have some lovely prospects for your old guardian."

"I don't know," Leon mutters. "They helped me in my troubled times, it feels wrong what I am doing to them, it doesn't feel right to repay their help like this."

When Joshua heard what he said, his mind flashbacked to one of his walks with Eva.

THE FLASHBACK

Joshua was walking back home from school, he was frustrated and tired. People even from other schools had heard about the rumor between him and Vincent's girlfriend. He had gotten into a fight with students from another school.

Joshua had won even though he was against seven tough big burly boys. He made sure to smirk at them even causing them to do demeaning things to their selves before he left them alone but he was tired; the stigma was beginning to weigh him down. He never let it show on his face as he always wore his proudest and most demeaning look; he would never look distressed no matter what. After all, he was The J.

"J!" He heard a lovely sonorous voice behind him, Joshua turns sharply. It was one of the tallest girls in school who had called him; Eva. She was really pretty and always had a dazzling smile.

"Evie," Joshua now had a smile on his face. "Thought you said you wanted to help the chemistry dumbass with prep for the next practical."

"I wanted to but I noticed you during biology class, also, I looked through the window and saw you fighting with those boys from West High."

"You mean you saw some maggots getting pummeled so bad they are probably getting their v*****s waxed out by their mothers," Joshua puts on his most demeaning look.

"Come on, J," Eva smiles even brighter. "It's me who's here, you don't need to always form alpha-male around me, I know you are unhappy with the stigma. Though no one else sees it but I do."

"I am the J..." Joshua was about to speak but Eva touched his arm lightly, Joshua could feel currents rush through his body as he looked into Eva's eyes. He felt in a safe haven; he no longer felt the need to get defensive or form the hard guy he always did, he felt like opening up to her. "And I am bummed out," Joshua sighs. "The rumors about Vin's babe, you know they false but rest of the school don't think that way, it's tiring having to deal with stigma from school and abuse from home every goddamn day, I don't think I can handle it anymore."

"Come on, J," She smiles at him. "If there's anyone that can handle it, it's you, after all," she had a sly smile on her face. "You are the J."

"Not a bad guidance counselor, I am sure you would like to replace the school's one when we're done with the session," Joshua grinned as he noticed her right arm, she was bleeding though it wasn't fatal. He knew she must be in pain.

"You've got jokes, uh," Eva smiles lightly. "And you were the one getting all bummed out earlier, looks like you finally found your balls."

"I am the J, I possess balls of steel," Joshua's haughty look twists to that of concern. "Your arm, you're bleeding."

"Jeez," Eva muttered out, clearly exasperated as she rolled up her sleeves hiding her injury. "You aren't the only one with a hard time at home, my stepdad isn't exactly the nicest one around, he'd win the award for biggest d**k of the year."

"Some Brazzers s**t ehn," Joshua grinned evilly. "He gives you hard and strong, right."

"No," Eva laughed. "Not that kind of d**k, the kind of d**k as in inconsiderate and mean, you have such a dirty mind."

"Just wanted to keep that lovely smile on your face," Joshua grins at her as he flexes the knuckles on his two arms. "Even though I have never been to your place before, I guess it's high time I come, time to show your stepdad no one f***s with Eva, she belongs to the J and he always protects his own."

"Thanks," Eva smiles. "But I belong to no one and I think I can take care of my s**t myself."

"But you are also distressed, why do you still help me?" Joshua asks, he was amazed.

"You see," Eva smiles as she nudged his arm lightly. "When someone keeps being there for you even though they are distressed or in difficult times, it's no longer help, that's love."

Joshua's eyes opened up as he heard that last word and for a while, he and Eva had their eyes locked on each other.

"Are you saying you love me?" Joshua finally speaks out.

"I am saying you need to get your s**t together and stop crying like a b***h who just got her balls emasculated."

"Bitches don't have balls."

"And yet, you do," Eva smiles as she jogs in the opposite direction while waving back at him. "Take care, J and if you ever feel down, just remember that I will always be there for you, you matter to me."

Joshua felt a tear about to drop from his right eye but he kept it in as he raised his two arms and said.

"I am the J, I matter to all."

THE PRESENT

"We were there for you when you were in need the most!" Joshua voices aloud. Leon and Terry turn towards him, he continues. "When someone struggles to be there for someone even though the person himself is also struggling, it's no longer help, it's love. Henry has a business, one he left behind just to ensure our safety, Dave put a hold on our mission yesterday just because he felt you needed time to cool off, and based on the way he talks about Sensei, that might be the only parent he ever had and yet, he didn't let that get him impatient when you were moaning like b***h. It's gone beyond help, it's now love."

Everyone had confused looks on their faces, Terry staggers backward as he placed his two arms on his ass.

"So y'all are gay, knew it was kinda fishy five good-looking white guys were traveling together," Terry spoke, he had an astonishing look.

"Wait, what?" Joshua was shocked as he then began to reminisce on what he has said.

"Bro, your words made you sound like we some sort of gay orgy couple who had a falling out," Dave says, he was the only one struggling to keep a neutral look.

"I see you guys as my kids but it ends at that, I am straight, I am not against gays, it will be wrong for an adult to criticize a group of people but that doesn't mean I am comfortable with someone fantasizing about me, I am married."

"Thought I saw you sneaking the receptionist into your place last..." Hendrickson quickly covered Max's mouth before he could finish his sentence. "Let's not derail from the true lesson here, married men don't cheat."

"Enough!" Terry shouts aloud as he places an arm on his forehead. "I don't get paid enough."

"So you get paid?" Joshua was shocked. "Like how much per work, lemme guess, Madame is like some top-notch bad guy with funds like Lex Luthor."

"Actually, she don't pay me at all," Terry frowns. "But before I met her, believe it or not, I was a billionaire."

"Suuuurrree, you were," Joshua had a sarcastic tone to his voice.

"I am not joking, for real, I was."

"Are you that insecure?" Joshua had an evil smirk on his face. "I wasn't arguing."

"Shithead teenager!" Terry cusses as he turns in Leon's direction. "This drama has gone on long enough, put the remaining motherfuckers on ice, J and Dave are the only ones who matter to me right now."

"I am the J," Joshua says with his most haughty look. "I always matter."

"Narcissistic f**k," Terry bits his lower lip. "Now!" He commands Leon.

"I thought about what J said and I realized something," Leon begins.

"That you are gay," Terry had a freaked-out look on his face as he staggered back. "Ooh God, are all teens this dramatic?"

"No, not that, I love p***y, Kronk and I used to go and bang bitches together..." Everyone's attention turned at Leon, they each had puzzled expressions on their faces.

"That's wrong on so many ethical levels," Hendrickson looked disappointed.

"Can we get back to the part when you were gonna say what you got back to!" Max speaks aloud.

"Yeah," Leon says. "J said it's not help but love, I was able to reason with the logic and he's right, I have never had any friends and I never felt I needed them but even though I haven't spent a long time with them, it was fun, those short times, the look on Dave's face when he lost his s**t cause he flunked the race or that on Joshua's face when Max put him in an illusion."

"Thought you were brooding that time," Max says.

"I was but I can never miss a golden opportunity to be a spectator to a phenomenal prank," Leon smiles as his face reverts to normal. "But these guys are the closest things I have to friends, there was something Kronk always told me, it goes like this; when you find genuine friends who give a s**t about you, keep them, they don't come twice. It was at this moment that it was confirmed."

"And you never thought to think of this last night when I gave you my proposition," Terry had a frustrated look.

"C.mon, man, I was grieving about that man," Leon sighs. "So many things on my mind, man, couldn't get it to settle at what matters."

"This is great, just f*****g great," Terry was annoyed as he paced around, his entourage materialized beside him.

"Leon!" Dave calls. "Watch out!!!"

But too late! Terry's entourage had impaled one of its arms in Leon's stomach. Leon opened his mouth wide as blood dripped from it, Terry's entourage removed his arm causing Leon to drop to the ground, he was bleeding from two holes simultaneously; both from his mouth and the one Terry made in his stomach. A black portal appeared beside Terry, Terry's entourage raised Leon by the neck, Leon was in too much pain to be able to summon his entourage.

"I thought we could work together, kid," Terry sighs. "I was already thinking you was the next Kronk but I guess disappointments happen," he ends as his entourage dropped Leon into the opened portal, after the poor kid was tossed inside, the portal closed.

"Where the hell did you send him?" Joshua asks, flustered.

"Chasm of endlessness," Terry replies. "The shadow of any object is proportional to the light being cast on it, the chasm is the highest length any Shadow can ever attain which is infinite, in other words, Leon will keep falling for eternity. Never stopping, never landing, if he doesn't die from blood loss, he will lose his mind in the realm of nothingness and darkness."

"You dumbass!!!" Joshua gritted his teeth.

"Now, with that gone," Terry sighs. "It's time I take you to Madame and right my wrongs, don't you love it when everything turns out for the better."

"Terry," came Max's voice.

"I don't recall telling you my name," Terry had a puzzled look on his face.

"I am only going to ask politely," Max continues with a grave expression. "Release us from this cage."

"Wait, how were you able to know my name? J wasn't in a haste to butt in and say he was the one who told you, then how did you find out? Did you but no, Leon told me he froze you before you could try any shit..."

"I asked nicely," Max ends as he pressed one of the buttons in his shirt. Two miniature toy hands suddenly shot out from Terry's right leg; his humerus was badly shattered.

"AHHHRGGHHHH!!!!!!" Terry winced in pain as he dropped to the ground, he couldn't help himself as tears began to drip from his eyes. "I am going to kill you for this, you shithead!" He kept crying unhappily.

"I am the best hacker in the country," Max begins. "And I am not bragging, I hacked into the Pentagon last week and transferred a few thousand from their main account to mine without them noticing anything, a feat no one else has in the U.S.A. Just two days ago, I also hacked into the systemic algorithm of J's ride, the vehicle with one of the best voice recognition technology till date."

"Why the f**k are you telling me this s**t!!!??" Terry kept crying as he rolled in pain.

"Cause my entourage was summoned when you were trying to pull me underground, I always leave it summoned even though it's mentally tasking but you hadn't noticed as it manipulates the senses of the human body, you were dragging a mannequin down but you thought it was me thanks to that illusion, while I saw you dragging the illusion, I looked to my left and saw a man holding a transformers model pack, I am guessing he wanted to give it to his kid, I took it from him, he couldn't notice as I already had my aura cloak on and that moment, I tore open the carton and began to work on the models, the technology there was primitive, the modulation employed was pulse-width modulation but I am used to turning primitive tech into advanced, being in my school taught me that, my entourage then moved into your portal, made itself intangible and placed the model I was done working on inside your right humerus, it was now operating with spread-spectrum technology which could actuate the control surfaces using servomechanism, that's why the hands were able to break through your leg, it was next gen tech," Max grins evilly as he points at the button. "And just as I did that, I felt my body frozen, I guess that's when Leon found me."

"It doesn't matter," Terry keeps crying as he struggled to get to his feet, he was bleeding profusely from his right leg. "You all don't matter, you are trapped in this ice cage, there's no escape. Majority of your neuron-transmitters are frozen therefore y'all lack the will to summon your entourage as several of them are connected to your frontal lobe, limbic system, and cerebrum."

"I am The J," Joshua had an evil grin on his face as he stood on his last good foot. Terry was visibly shocked as he staggered backward. Joshua's entourage was getting shaped directly beside him. "I always matter."

"Leon froze your brain, how can you still stand? You should be paralyzed."

"This isn't the first time my brain has been attacked directly by an entourage attack," Joshua grins evilly. "And I always find a way to ensure I am not done in by the same trick twice, that's why a very small fraction of the energy that had been released every time I am in an entourage fight, I always put it within my cranium and obviously, it's converted to heat energy and with my proper knowledge about components in various brain centers, how sensitive and delicate they are, My theories based on existing knowledge on how those components would react to external stimuli, I came up with the appropriate places within the cranium that wouldn't be harmful to my brain itself and yet, be very effective against external attacks. I was a bit skeptical about using it at first cause of the fact that I ain't a certified neurosurgeon, then I remembered I was the J and I knew all would be well, it took quite a while for the heat to disperse around my brain as I had to be careful enough not to let it damage my skull, that was the only reason I hadn't broken out since to come and ode ode you."

"You are just a kid, how does it seem like you have thought of everything beforehand, what kind of sorcery is this?"

"Sorcery? thought you black f***s don't believe in that s**t," Joshua grinned evilly as his entourage appeared at his right-hand side. It punched the ice cage shattering it to bits. "I am not what you will call lucky, I know I am not but I know everything will always work out for me, why, cause I am the J." Joshua jumps outside with his entourage flexing its fists.

"J 2.0 right here can't wait to ode ode you, are you ready for round three?"

"No, you shithead, I won't let you ode ode me," Terry was visibly scared as he sighs. "I thought I could handle all of these on my own but turns out I was wrong, the first Primordial lives up to his reputation, the scariest being in all of existence, Madame told me the fable was wrong that the first Primordial had defeated her by his lonesome even though she was revered as the most cunning in all of creation, I have to let Madame know the truth. The first Primordial is here in Moscow and he is more dangerous than ever."

"Earlier, you said one bullshit about the eyes being the window to the soul," Joshua grinned as he hopped towards him. His entourage had scattered into various parts. "And when I looked into your eyes, I saw a man without balls, you have lost your spunk, haven't you? You intend to run back and suck Madame's d**k but I have to inform you. That won't work."

Joshua's entourage body had scattered in a circle around Terry. "My entourage travels way faster than light on a norm but the parts are even faster independently, It's surrounding you so in case you try any funny business, you would get a nice embrace with the soil underground tonight" Joshua had a wicked smile on his face. "I am sure you would make good fertilizer, after all, isn't that one of the few s**t blacks are good for."

"You shithead!!" Terry chuckles evilly as he pulls a detonator from his pocket. "I always have a contingency plan, when you are a black man who lives in Russia, you will be surprised at how much brains you will have just to make it in here, this isn't the average TNT explosive you know, this was made by the only entourage blacksmith existing and as a result, the timer isn't in seconds or minutes, it's in nano."

Joshua turned back at his friends, there were TNT explosives everywhere and a timer etched on the biggest cluster of them. His friends were still brain-frozen so none of them could move, they all remained paralyzed in their position.

"Now," Terry has an evil smile on his face as he clicked the button on the detonator. The timer came on, it was just reading 10 nanoseconds and it was counting down. "You have a choice, save your friends or beat the s**t out of me."