Chapter 89: I Intend To Build My Own Gang

The train horn blared drawing VERY close now.

"I’LL TALK!" Jax screamed.

The masked figure leaned closer.

"You have less than 30 seconds."

Jax’s voice cracked.

"OKAY OKAY OKAY."

The figure leaned in, ear inches from Jax’s mouth.

"Speak."

Jax inhaled deeply as the train thundered toward them while the masked figure waited.

"I sent it to..."

Jax suddenly grinned.

"Your momma."

The masked figure froze.

"What?"

"Your momma owns it."

The train horn SCREAMED.

Three seconds.

The masked figure panicked slightly.

"What did you just say?!"

"I SAID YOUR MOMMA!"

The masked figure let out a low sigh.

"Tell me who owns the money!"

Jax squinted.

"Still your momma."

The masked figure facepalmed but Jax kept going.

"And if not her, then probably your auntie. It runs in the family."

Jax leaned forward slightly despite being tied.

"Listen man. If you wanted financial advice, you could’ve just asked."

The masked figure growled.

"You think this is funny?"

"I’m literally tied to a railway. Humor is all I have."

The masked figure grabbed him by the collar.

"You will die here today..."

The sound of the train grew louder as the masked figure stepped back.

Metal grinding against metal rang out loudly accompanied by blaring sounds.

Jax stared at it with wide eyes and shaky breath. He was only using humor as a coping mechanism... he was very scared right now.

"Well," he muttered to himself, "this is unfortunate."

The masked figure stood several feet away with his arms folded.

The rumbling grew violent beneath Jax’s back. The track vibrated so intensely his teeth chattered.

He swallowed.

"Okay listen!" he yelled toward the masked figure. "If this is about the money, we can split it! Fifty-fifty! Sixty-forty! Okay seventy-thirty but I keep the emotional trauma compensation!"

The masked figure didn’t move.

Jax squeezed his eyes shut.

"...Your momma still owns it!"

The train roared over him as he braced for impact and the crushing pain.

’Looks like I’m dying a virgin... Fuck you West, see you on the other side brother.’

However...

Even after seconds had gone by... there was nothing.

No pain...

No pressure...

No bones snapping...

He cautiously opened one eye and was stunned by what he saw.

The train cars were phasing through him like mist through air.

The were transparent...

Ghostlike.

Each carriage slid harmlessly across his body.

"...Huh?"

The world around him began to blur.

The railway, trains and sky started dissolving like watercolor dragged through water.

The rumble faded and the horns dimmed until everything went silent.

The entire scene suddenly collapsed and Jax found himself no longer tied.

He stood in a wide open empty lot under dim evening light.

He blinked rapidly.

"What in the budget Inception was that?"

Slow clapping echoed behind him.

He turned to see the masked figure standing there, removing the mask.

Jax squinted.

"...West?"

West pulled the mask off fully with an almost amused expression.

Jax stared.

"You—"

Behind West, another presence materialized.

Gor’thala stepped forward with her magical aura spreading across the air.

Jax’s mouth dropped open.

"Okay I’m either dead or high."

West tilted his head slightly.

"It was an illusion."

Gor’thala’s voice flowed like silk.

"I constructed the scenario to test the resilience of his mind and loyalty to my Master."

Jax slowly looked between them.

"Test?"

West nodded.

"To see if you’d talk."

Jax blinked.

"You tied me to fake train tracks."

"Yes."

"You let me think I was about to die."

"Yes."

"You almost made me pee myself."

West considered that.

"Almost?"

Jax stared at him for a long second before bursting into laughter.

"You psycho!" he wheezed. "That was insane! I genuinely thought I was gone!"

He wiped at his eyes.

"But that was a top-tier prank. I ain’t even mad."

West watched him carefully.

"I believe you."

Jax tilted his head.

"Believe what?"

"That I can trust you."

Jax scoffed.

"Bro. Of course you can."

West shook his head slightly.

"No. I needed to be 100% certain."

His expression changed subtly, becoming more serious now.

"I intend to build my own gang."

Jax blinked in surprise.

"...Oh."

He processed that.

"...OH."

He took a step back.

"Like... Not just join one... Build one?"

"Yes."

Jax ran a hand through his hair.

"Okay that’s kinda hard."

He looked West up and down.

"You’d definitely be the cool boss."

West ignored the compliment.

"I don’t plan to recruit traditionally."

Jax frowned.

"What does that even mean?"

West’s eyes sharpened.

"It means I don’t need to rely on external factions."

Jax blinked.

"...Okay you lost me."

West reached into his inventory and then a small glowing voucher materialized in his hand.

It glowed faintly with strange violet energy.

Jax stared.

"What is that?"

"An item that can make someone into Tier 1 Awakener."

"...You’re joking."

West didn’t smile.

"Put this on your lower abdomen."

Jax froze.

"...Excuse me?"

"It will make you an awakened."

Jax stared at him in utter silence and then looked at the voucher before looking back at West.

"...You’re serious."

"Yes."

The humor drained from Jax’s face.

He stepped closer slowly.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. So you’re telling me..."

He pointed at the voucher.

"That thing?"

"Yes."

"...Turns normal people into awakened?"

"Yes."

"...And you have it."

"Yes."

"...And you’re offering it to me."

"Yes."

Jax stared in stunned silence.

A million thoughts raced through his mind.

Could West... create awakeners?

Was that even possible?

That wasn’t just rare.

That was revolutionary.

That was world-shifting.

"That’s why you tested me," Jax said slowly.

West nodded.

"If you can’t be trusted under threat of death, I cannot entrust you with power."

Jax exhaled.

"This is crazy."

He looked at the glowing voucher again.

"...You’re basically saying I can go from barista to battle unit."

"Essentially."

Jax blinked rapidly.

"I mean... I’ve always wanted superpowers."

He reached for the voucher but West raised a hand.

"Wait."

Jax paused mid-reach.

"What now?"

"You’ll likely go unconscious."

"...Like nap unconscious or hospital unconscious?"

"Probably nap. But you’ll need time."

Jax lowered his hand.

"Okay that’s fair."

West looked around the empty lot.

"We’ll activate it before we leave."

Jax nodded slowly.

"I still have something else to do..."