(Twisted Fates) The Phantom

Chapter 19: Memento Mori

4 weeks later...

Solitaire City, Luke's New Apartment

Luke, having moved from Baltimore to Solitaire City after being ran out by the militia, sat in his new apartment, regaining his strength and recovering. Here he had much more training equipment, and much more people he could rely on.

A knock on the door distracted Luke from his meditation session. He got up and opened it. It was Brian Wright, he was dressed in very nice clothes, suit and tie, even nice shoes.

"He's ready to meet you Luke." Brian spoke up.

Luke nodded his head and proceeded to get ready, nice and formal like. He soon walked out the door with Brian.

"I hope he's finding some peace." Luke commented.

Oceanside Asylum
10:34AM

They arrived at Oceanside Asylum, a place of healing and recovery. As they entered, a staff member guided them to a room where Jin Mori awaited. The atmosphere was tense, but Luke was determined to face the man who had once been Jackson Skull.

As the door opened, Luke saw Jin Mori sitting calmly. His blue hair and ethereal flames were subdued, a stark contrast to the chaos he had once embodied.

"Hello, Luke Miller." Jin Mori smiled, the edge and craze in his voice was completely gone.

"Jin." Luke replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, I think at least. These people here are super nice to me. I can't tell you how much I appreciated what you did for me Luke. You know... I knew you once upon a time." Mori said.

"Really? How so?" Luke asked.

"Well I never formally met you, but I remember when you were a baby, and you were your mother and father's whole world." Jin smiled.

Luke looked down and smiled as well. "Thats amazing. So you remember all of that?"

"Of course I do, except there's one problem. I can't remember anything after I was completely taken over by JS. Only bits and pieces- that man you knew and battled, he wasn't me." Mori explained.

"You see Luke, I was real good friends with your dad, actually he was the only one who ever really cared about doing the right thing."

"I can't believe that- what was he like? You know, back then?" Luke wondered.

"Well you are a big boy now, I suppose you can know some things. He was the vigilante of Baltimore for the longest time you know? They called him the Voice. A strange name I know, but he wasn't about flashiness. He worked to run a lot of criminals out of Baltimore. That was until he met Antonio Gambetti, they formed a bit of a friendship a little bit before you were born. Antonio helped fund Robert back in the day, gave him the money and land to build upon Miller Enterprises. In return he would stay away from Antonio and do him favors as The Voice. Eventually, Robert left but that wasn't before he helped the Scientific Division... or what we called it in secret, The Syndicate. I was their scientist, Robert was the muscle, now there was another one too! He was the ringleader behind it all."

Luke leaned back and he clenching his fist, his heart dropping and his curiosity only peaking more and more. "Who Jin? Tell me, please."

"Jason Walker... or we just called him Nexus." Mori explained.

Luke listened intently to Jin Mori's revelation. The pieces of a dark and intricate puzzle were falling into place. The names and connections unveiled a web of secrecy and betrayal that reached deep into the history of Baltimore.