THE ONE CALLED J

The Shadow Entourage

Kronk and the teenager had gotten underground: directly below the surface of the car park, the teenager was the one carrying Joshua over his left shoulder. Whilst they were walking, they heard Dave's voice who was calling J.

They had stopped dead in their tracks in order not to make any noise that could jeopardize their position and get them caught, Joshua had suddenly woken up from his slumber, he had begun to dial his phone when he saw that their attention was diverted away from him.

Unfortunately for him, he had put his call volume to the max so immediately Dave's phone began to ring, Joshua's phone too did quickly alerting Dave and Max who were up.

"You bastard," the teenager who was carrying Joshua grumbled, he got to his knees hastily, slamming Joshua's head on the ground violently. Joshua passed out immediately. By this time, the two could hear two bodies landing softly inside the sewer.

"What are we gonna do?" The teenager asks.

"The most reasonable in this situation," the old man replies to him as he bends down to pick the phone. "Divert their attention."

"How?" Leon was tensed. "They can hear the phone ringing," he said pointing to the phone that was now on the floor. "My entourage is short-range so there's no way I can take it further from here."

"Relax kid," Kronk begins. "Those two aren't sure if there's anyone here, the only thing they know is that they heard J's phone ringtone, they don't know what they expect to find, we give them something to find," Kronk continues. "So long that something ain't us."

By that time, the two could hear the teenagers running towards their position, they were just about a few feet away.

"Leon, hang tight," Kronk says as he grabbed the teenager who still carried Joshua, he levitated above the ground towards the roof of the sewer, his entire body phased through but Leon and Joshua didn't, they would have fallen to the ground if not that Kronk had a really strong grip.

A rat had suddenly come towards the phone, it was eating bread which was comprised mostly of mold. Immediately, the rat came, Max and Dave had suddenly run into the area. They have off frustrated sighs but Leon tried his best to keep his mouth shut, the old man had yanked him by his hair so he felt quite the pain but he didn't whimper or show that he was in any form of discomfort as Max and Dave were directly behind him.

Max and Dave remained in that position for a while until Dave finally spoke. "They couldn't have gone far, I mean, J would have no business going underground, he might have been kidnapped or something."

"Yeah, he might have been," Max frowned. "And he tried to call us but what if the entourage user which took him was long-range, J could be anywhere in the country by now."

"But that don't mean we give up, we still have to look for him."

"Dave, no offense but I don't see J as a friend, I know he's a good person in his way but I am tired, it all first began with you letting me be the punching bag in school just because you were curious about what happened to phantom Eva and you felt only J would know cause he was the last one with her, we have gotten about three different leads today, each seemed legit but when we followed up on all of them, it all wound up to s**t, your phantom Eva might exist or not, J is already gone because he kept pissing off the wrong people, I don't know if you have noticed but the two of us can't exactly go into a den of entourage-users and beat them all."

"So what are you suggesting?" The lines on Dave's face had burrowed itself to show he was annoyed. "That we give up, that we just let one more person get kidnapped under our watch and we do nothing about it."

"No!" Max stops him. "That ain't it, I am saying we go back to Sensei, he taught us all we know, he would be able to provide some insight to this issue, if it was just a kidnap involving a few entourage users, we would be good but I am sure there's at least tens of them and their abilities keep getting worse as they come, we retreat now and live to fight another day."

"I suppose you are right," Dave sighs. "I guess we can take a break."

"Finally," Max says. "Now, let's get out of here, I need a shower."

"Aight," Dave says as he picks J's phone from the ground. "When we find J, I will give him back this."

"You are quite the optimist, aren't you?" Max smiles at him.

"I am more of a realist," Dave replies as his entourage suddenly materialized, it dashed towards the roof, extending its right arm, it punctures a hole into the surface. It retracts back to Dave's position as it carries Dave and Max away from the hole. They both land on the surface gently.

As soon as they land on the surface, Dave's entourage went back to the hole, touching it, the hole vanished restoring the surface to normalcy.

Leon and Kronk suddenly dropped back to the ground in the sewer, while Dave and Max were talking, Kronk had been moving Leon who was still holding Joshua away from the area of the two boys, when they heard the boys leave. They had then gotten back to the ground.

"Not bad thinking, old man," Leon tells Kronk but Kronk ignores him as he kept moving. "We don't have time to waste, we have to quickly get to the base and afterward, we go to Russia, I just hope I can sort things out with Madame."

"Relax, old man," Leon smiles. "We have in our hands the first Primordial, Madame would surely be pleased, you just gotta take a chill pill."

"You don't know Madame, if she gives four hours a job and you are late by even just a second, she eliminates you, I have seen her do that to several of her underlings."

"And yet, you still chose to work for her," Leon had a puzzled look on his face.

"I did it because I have a debt to her, one which I will never be able to pay," Kronk said as he brought his right arm and stared at his palms. "It's because of her that I have life."

"Madame is your Mom?" Leon asks. "So she's some sort of freak which can produce entourages, that's some next rated creepy shit."

"It's a bit more complicated than that but yeah in a way, she's my mother," Kronk answers him as the two had now arrived at a small door. Kronk pushed the door open, it revealed a small room that had just two beds, a freezer, a few chairs, and some food cans lying around.

"Set J down on one of the beds, we might not be able to eat anything for a while when we arrive in Russia..." Kronk says but Leon just dropped the body he was carrying to the ground.

THUD!!

"If he wants to use a bed, then he can go and lie on one," Leon sharply replies

Kronk shook his head but still maintained his neutral expression "Is there anything you would like to eat before we move?" He motions over to the food cans.

"I would love some sushi," came a deep masculine voice. Kronk and Leon turn towards the direction of the voice and sitting directly on the bed was Hendrickson. He had a sly smile on his face as he spoke again. "Don't tell me the offer was just for the young lad, hosts are to be welcoming to every guest."

"How did you get here?" Leon snarls.

"How else?" Dave smiled as he appeared behind Leon's back, his entourage was directly behind him and its right arm was on Joshua's head. "Through the front door."

"That's impossible," Leon's body was beginning to tremble. "We saw you two leave the sewers."

"Come on, don't be like this," Max smiles. "My illusion ability is pretty handy, you know," he was standing by the freezer and was drinking from a soda can.

"Heeey, that's my drink, I was saving it for the trip!" Leon shouts at him.

"What exactly happened back in the sewers?" Kronk thinks to himself as he surveyed the room as calmly as he could. "How was Maxwell able to put me in an illusion?"

"This is probably what you two are thinking," Joshua gets to this feet as he puts on his most arrogant smile. "What happened? How were we put into an illusion?" Joshua smiled as he brought his phone to eye level. "I am a bit of a pickpocket, while I was leaving the restaurant earlier on, I had picked off Jolie's phone, she forgot to take it while Mr. McCarthy here had teleported her to his side."

"Come on," Hendrickson smiles lightly. "No need to call me that, Henry will just do nicely."

"While we were in the car and moving towards the hospital," Joshua ignored what Hendrickson said as he continued. "I sneakily took Dave's phone from his pocket, he was riding shotgun, I saved my number on it without him even noticing."

"How did you know my password?" Dave asks.

"Your password was Eva and being how you had been crazy about saving her, I figured you might have used her name, so I tried it and presto, I was right," Joshua answers without even flinching in his direction. "I wasn't anticipating what was going to happen but friends should keep in touch and that was my intention until you two bozos had kidnapped me, when you did, the first thing I did wasn't to call, it was to send a text message, I told him where I was and also that you were an entourage," Joshua continues as he points to the old man who now wore an amazed look on his face as he heard him say that. "Don't be surprised how I figure it out, it was obvious from the bar, you look at least fifty and you weren't enclosed in any form of miasma so it didn't make any sense when you dodged my particles or you could keep up with my entourage, it was then that it hit me though it was too late, I am guessing your boy right there," Joshua pointed to Leon. "Was hiding under the counter during our little showdown, he's the owner of the ice entourage, that's why the entourage had just stayed around that counter as it too was short-range, you wanted to mislead me, that was why you never jumped above the counter as you know your boy's entourage range wouldn't be able to keep up, I had informed Max and Dave about it on a text message, the call, and ringtone, on the other hand, was just to give pay you back in your medicine, I was still quite pissed I was misled, I wanted you to know how it feels so when Max and Dave arrived at that scene, Max had already started the illusion as I told him you were in the sewers, they spotted you guys in the roof but since y'all were in an illusion, you didn't notice."

"That doesn't explain why he's here!" Leon growls as he points to Hendrickson.

"Ooh I," Hendrickson smiles. "Max's entourage had come to meet me while I was attending to my wife in the hospital, the entourage had a note which explained everything to me they were asking for my help and I can never say no to the request of a child, after all, children are the heritage of tomorrow, to ignore them is to ignore the future."

"I am still pissed with you for killing that woman," Joshua bit his lower lip as he walks towards Kronk. "Time for a bit of vengeance." He ends as his entourage began to materialize beside him, it dashed towards Kronk as it extended an arm as if to punch him but Kronk stopped it in the mid-air with his other arm. The entire room began to collapse.

"Leave Kronk alone," Leon shouted as his entourage suddenly materialized, it dashed towards Joshua but Dave's entourage appeared in front of it. It knocked the ice entourage away causing it to fall backward in the air, Dave's entourage dashed towards the knocked-back entourage as it was about to follow the attack with another punch to the jaw but Leon had a sly smile on his face.

As Dave's entourage was about to punch him, the ice entourage had a dagger comprised of ice slowly forming in its left arm. Once the punch had connected to the entourage's face, the ice entourage lifted the dagger as if to pierce Dave's entourage on its right cheek. While it was about to pierce through, Hendrickson's entourage appeared at that spot, kicked the dagger out of his hand, and followed it with a punch to his neck. Both Leon and his entourage flew backward as they hit the ground forcefully.

Hendrickson now stood before Dave.

"Thanks, Henry, I owe you one."

"You welcome," Hendrickson smiles as he turns back his attention towards Leon who was now getting to his feet, his face, the representation of annoyance. "But it's not yet over."

Leon hit the ground lightly, ice spikes suddenly formed all over the ground as they rapidly made their way towards Dave and Hendrickson. The two jumped to the opposite sides, their entourages following similarly.

Leon's entourage grabbed him by his hair and flung him towards Dave. Once Dave had landed on the ground after jumping from the incoming ice spikes, Leon had suddenly appeared overhead as he punched his face square.

Dave felt lights pop in his field of vision and he could see stars.

"I was able to touch you with my hands," Leon had a sly smile on his face. "You are a Primordial and we know you are being taught by Oda-san, one of the strongest entourage-users, it was vital you were put down first."

Before Dave could reply, he felt his entire body going cold and stiff, his entourage had disappeared, and standing in his place was now an ice statue of him.

"Your entourage is quite something," Hendrickson begins as he begins to move in circles around him. "Ever thought of doing some public good."

"Thought about it," Leon put up a lackadaisical look. "And I said naa."

He ends as his entourage dashed towards Hendrickson. Hendrickson slid out of the way, his entourage appeared from underground, it landed a punch on his lower belly, the entourage makes a motion as if to fall backward but Hendrickson's entourage pressed on, it stepped the ice entourage on his right foot helping him to gain stability on the ground.

"Check out my battle cry," Hendrickson had a sly smile on his face as his entourage has already readied his fists.

"Ooh f**k," Leon mutters as Hendrickson began to shout as his entourage began to punch the ice entourage vehemently, without pity. "WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY!!!!!!!!"

Leon even though he wasn't receiving the punches directly was dancing on the spot as he could feel punches hitting his body.

Joshua's entourage jumped backward from Kronk. it was now standing at Joshua's right-hand side. "I have been called many things," Joshua began. "Mean, bad, runt, beat but never evil," He said as he began to walk towards Kronk, his entourage moving along with him. "I have seen many people do things for their selfish needs that seemed evil but it wasn't, it was because it was for their benefit, that isn't outright evil as it's in human nature to want what's best for yourself but hurting and killing people is the true definition of evil and that," Joshua wore a scary and grave expression as he was now about 20 centimeters from the man's position. "I can't forgive."

Joshua's entourage dashed from beside him towards the man.

"ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE!!!!!!!!!!" Joshua screamed at the top of his voice as his entourage dished a fury of blows which Kronk kept defending against, he didn't dodge everything, for some punches, he punched back and for some others, he skillfully maneuvered himself to evade them until finally, the barrage of punches stopped. Kronk still wore his calm demeanor.

"I know you are an entourage," Joshua begins. "I don't know if you guys have emotion, my entourage just does simply as I tell it to, I am sure you aren't Madame's entourage, you are capable of making your decisions, why then did you still kill that woman, she wasn't your target, why didn't you just leave her alone and kill me like you was supposed to."

"If I told you the reason, you wouldn't believe me," Kronk tells him sharply.

"You are wise not to talk anymore cause the only thing that s**t is gonna do is piss me the f**k off some more," Joshua grit his teeth as his entourage dashed at Kronk, it was about to land a punch but Kronk evaded the onslaught as he dashed towards Hendrickson who was still dealing punches to Leon's entourage, he carried one of the chairs effortlessly with an arm as he threw it towards Hendrickson. The chair crashed upon Hendrickson as he wasn't expecting it causing his entourage to stop punching as it was being led by every of Hendrickson's thoughts.

"You dumbass!!!!" Joshua shouted, clearly angry. "You don't leave me while I am talking to you." He ended as his entourage dashed at Kronk from behind, it kneed him at his back causing his body to propel forward, Joshua's entourage dashed to Kronk while he was still in the air, he held him tightly by the neck as he crashed his face violently on the hard ground

Leon had recovered partly from the onslaught of punches, he could feel his body aching all over but Hendrickson's entourage had stopped fighting and it was directly in front of him, Leon smiled to himself as he saw this as his chance to seize the initiative. "All it needs is one touch and that i***t will get the frostbite." He thought to himself.

Hendrickson pushed the broken pieces of the chair away from his body, he sat up on the floor and his face was painted with fear, Leon's entourage was about to touch him. And he knew from the state that he saw Dave what it would do to his entourage and damage on the entourage always traveled back to the user.

"What can I do?" Hendrickson thought to himself. "At this range, the ice entourage is gonna have the advantage if I try to deflect it, if I recall my entourage back, the enemy might use this as an opportunity and even freeze me out of commission...."

While he was yet thinking, he saw the unmistakable glorious entourage of Dave, it appeared before Leon's entourage. Both Leon and his entourage had their mouth opened, they weren't expecting Dave to still be in the game. Leon quickly looked at the spot where he had supposedly frozen Dave but Dave was not here, who was there was Max and his scrawny-looking entourage waving at him.

"That bastard..." Leon tried to speak but Dave's entourage extended his arm, he brought it speedily upon his entourage's face given him a devastating slap that was so powerful that the entourage flew several miles away, they both crashed against the door, breaking it as they fell into the sewers. Dave walked towards Hendrickson who still sat down on the ground, extending his right arm towards him. "I guess that makes us even now."

"Yeah, it certainly does," Hendrickson smiled at him as he got to his feet, his entourage had now come directly at his left side while Dave's one had now come to his right side. "Though I thought I saw you being put on ice."

"Was just Max's illusion ability, I am too hot to be frozen," Dave grinned showing his perfect set of teeth.

"And I thought J was the narcissistic one," Hendrickson grinned. Leon who had fallen into the sewers stream had gotten to his feet, he was stinking terribly. His entourage was not too far from him.

"Someone needs a nap, what do you say?" Hendrickson smiles at Dave.

"I say we put him down," Dave sharply replies as the duo runs towards Leon. Leon bit his lower lip as his entourage moves towards the duo blocking him from their view.

"WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY WEREY!!!!!!!!!!!" Dave and Hendrickson began to scream at the top of their voice as their entourage released a flurry of blows on Leon's entourage. It went on for a while before they finally stopped, Leon fell face-down to the ground, his entourage vanished with him.

Joshua's entourage was mercilessly beating Kronk as it lifted him by his feet and begins to hit him vehemently on the ground, it eventually threw him towards the freezer. Joshua called his entourage back to his side as he began to walk towards him but almost immediately, he stopped as an entourage suddenly appeared before him.

The entourage was 213 cm tall, it had an athletic build, it was completely black with grey dots around its body, it had creepy beady eyes, not too far from it was a black portal on the ground, Joshua could see some fingers holding the edge of the portal.

"It must be a short-range entourage," Joshua thought to himself. "That's why the user is that extremely close, for some reason, he doesn't want to show his face."

The Strange entourage suddenly lifted Kronk from the ground by his neck as he brought him to eye level. A voice that seemed to be reverberating around the room began to speak. "Madame is heavily disappointed with Ben and you for failing to capture the first Primordial within the allocated time, since you haven't been able to serve your use, you shall return to the slum from where you were brought."

"Noooo!!!!!" Kronk screamed, his normally calm face was now painted with great dread and fear. "Please, I can't go back, I will do anything."

By now, Dave and Hendrickson had run into the room, even Leon was beside them, he had crawled into the room, he wasn't looking so good.

"GYHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!" came a burst of scary laughter which reverberated around the room. "The word called mercy doesn't exist in Madame's dictionary, Ben has been taking care of, it's time you too disappear."

Kronk was now crying profusely, he was terrified. "J," he began. "I know you have no reason to trust me or grant my favors but I beg of you, please protect Leon, I am sorry about the woman that died, I take full responsibility but Leon doesn't deserve a harsh life, it's all my fault."

"Aww," the reverberating voice spoke. "When did the merciless Kronk get so soft."

"Who gave you permission to take my toy?!" Joshua growled. "I am the J, the first Primordial and no one dares interfere with my dealings." He ends as his entourage dashed towards the entourage but as he was about to get to him, a black portal suddenly appeared before the entourage, Joshua's entourage entered and he reappeared right behind Joshua. "What the f**k?!" Joshua was shocked.

"I AM THE SHADOW ENTOURAGE, THE JUDGEMENT, AND PUNISHMENT OF MADAME!!!!" The voice reverberated once again. "AND FOR THE REST OF YOU, YOU HAVE GAINED MADAME'S ATTENTION, THIS IS ONLY JUST THE BEGINNING OF A LONG LIFE OF PAIN AND ANGUISH!!!!"

With that, the entourage holding Kronk entered the portal where there were human fingers. Leon screamed as loudly as he could, tears were falling from his eyes.

"Nooo!!!!!!!!," Leon cries. "Kronk!!!! Old man, you promised to always be there for me, don't leave me," he ends as he breaks down in tears, the black portals had vanished.

Everyone had puzzled looks on their faces, none of them were expecting the night to turn out the way it did.