The two prisoners sit in silence for a while, not knowing what to say;

Dark Jonesy not sure what to do as he doesn't get company in his prison.

Midas felt especially awkward as the person he was with had his boyfriend's face, but not the exact same personality.

He eventually breaks the tension by asking a question.

"I don't think I've seen you on the island before. Were you abducted by the Kymera recently?"

Dark Jonesy shakes his head with a sad chuckle.

Midas turns back to him in surprise.

"What? Years?! But I haven't heard anything about these aliens coming here before."

"Athena? The old version of Apollo?"

The Jonesy sighs, laying back against the wall.

-----------

"I suppose Doctor Slone really didn't like that. No wonder she's determined to keep us all in the Loop."

"Well erasing his memory probably didn't help at all."

"I've interacted with those two before."

"anyway, i may not be knowledgeable like them, but they were lucky to not get abducted that one fateful day."

----

"Humans, please come aboard. Us Kymera can't afford to waste anymore time."

Jonesy takes a step back, as do a nearby Red Knight and Wildcard. Neither wanted any part in this, but with aliens in front and behind them it seemed like they didn't have a choice.

"Let's just...do what they say." Red Knight mutters to Wildcard, him nodding.

They shamefully walk into the ship while Jonesy doesn't move an inch, too afraid and shaking in his boots.

"i'd rather not, thanks." He chuckles nervously, raising his hands defensively.

An alien behind him nudges him roughly with their weapon, pushing him onto the platform. The alien that was talking to him places handcuffs on his wrists, ordering him to walk inside. Begrudgingly, he agrees and begins walking through under the multiple watchful eyes of the Kymera.

-----

"Why didn't you and the others fight back? Surely you'd be enough if there weren't that many trying to capture you."

"please, there were 15 of them and 3 of us. we wouldn't stand a chance. 'sides, i'm a complete coward. just like the others..."

"Hmm. You and John's other snapshots differ in appearance and personalities. Yet you all share one unique trait."

"we're/you're all cowards."

"eeh, precisely. anyway, long after I was thrown into a cell the ship was taken off the island. that's when they brought out wildcard and red knight and started doing their..... experiments."

"Shouldn't I.O have seen the ship on the island?"

"what do you think?"

"I should have guessed that they didn't do shit about it."

--------

Jonesy watches as Red Knight and Wildcard are forced into separate cylinder shaped containment chambers. He noticed needles being poked through holes in the chamber filled to the brim with a unhealthy looking purple liquid.

"w-what are you gonna do with them?!"

The aliens don't respond to his question, though one with a hand on a nearby handle switch announces to his fellow comrades;

"Let us see if two puny humans are able to withstand the corruption and power of the cube."

And shortly after, pulls the switch down and activates the machinery.

Only the machines are making noise for the moment...but then...

Their shouts...

Their screams...

Jonesy could only watch with a pale, traumatized expression as his friends are used as guinea pigs and experimented on. Their cries for help slowly being drowned out as the containment chambers fill up with the purple substance.

An uncomfortable feeling of dread lingers in his stomach as a pair of aliens come towards his cell and begin unlocking it.

"no! s-stop!! leave them and me alone!"

They grab him and drag Jonesy to another empty containment chamber with purple liquid filled needles. He glanced at the other chambers, praying that the others were alive at the very least.

"Get in there human."

They shove Jonesy inside, close the door and activate the machine immediately. He thumps his hands on the glass barrier, trying to escape. The purple substance begins leaking in at a rapid rate, coming up to his chin before covering his entire body.

"this is it. i'm gonna die. this is the end!!"

Then, everything goes black....

---------

Present day

"What happened after you woke up?"

Midas hums, looking at the broken snapshot with a sympathetic expression.

"What about Wildcard and Red Knight? Did they come out okay?"

Dark Jonesy looks down for a moment before responding.

"Hmm..."

He goes on.

"How so?"

He sighs.

"What kind?"

Dark Jonesy stands up and stretches out a hand, a look of concentration on his face. Midas suddenly felt quite light in weight, a purple aura around him. He realises;

He was literally floating in the air!

"My god. That's incredible."

Dark Jonesy gently sets Midas back down on the floor.

He chuckles.

He turns to Midas.

"I believe they're only after one thing; my power. But they can't just extract it out me, I was born with it. It can't be removed."

Midas lies down on the floor, putting his hands together.

"But I'm sure it won't take long for Jones to notice me missing. He'll come find me."

"I have faith he will. Just wait, I bet he's noticed I'm missing and sorting out a rescue party right now..."

-------------------------

Meanwhile, back on the island...

"Midas!"

Jones' panicked voice awakens Midas from his sleep, annoying him slightly.

"John I was trying to rest. What is wrong?"

"You gotta come outside and see this!"

Despite the rude awakening, Midas follows Jones downstairs and outside where a crowd of people are surrounding something.

"I was going out for a run when I saw... this!"

In the center of the crowd stood a statue of pure gold. In fact, there were a few more as well. The scary thing was though, they all looked like snapshots of Jones;

Cabbie

Scuba Jonesy

Grill Sergeant

... and most shocking of all, Jonesy The First!

"Why have 4 of my snapshots been turned to gold? Midas, was this your doing?"

"No no! Of course not. I'd never do such a thing to them."

"Then what happened overnight?"

Midas clears his throat, straightening his tie.

"I was meant to tell you yesterday but did not get a chance." He apologizes. "...an alien disguised as me is running around the island. How it is able to replicate my touch, I do not know."

"You mean like an imposter? Yeesh, this isn't good."

"Indeed. And if we do not catch the perpetrator, the whole island could become the Kymera's goldmine."

"Why don't we call up Skye and the other girls. They can keep an eye out for us." Jules offers.

"No. I will go pay them a visit to make sure they are okay." Midas counter suggests. "Let us just hope the imposter does not get to them first."

Midas heads off out of Pleasant Park as the crowds disperse. Jones raises an eyebrow, turning to Jules.

"Hey, is it me...or is he acting a little weird."

"Maybe he still needs time to recover from his memory being probed by the aliens. I'm sure within a couple of days he'll be okay." Jules sighs, picking up one of the statues.

Jones does the same, moving them to a safer place before going for a run. His mind begins to wonder, thinking back to Midas.

"I'm not sure if it's just him recovering from the ambush. He usually never refers to me as John...

...I don't like this."