A claustrophobic's nightmare. That's how Jam would describe the cell he found himself sitting in. For him however, it felt like home. He had never needed much room and though he did enjoy glitz and glamour as much if not more than the next person he never felt it necessary in his home life. He was a minimalist at home and the blank greyish walls felt comfortable for him. Even the shabby little cot that he was given felt strangely comfortable, though he found he enjoyed lying on the floor looking at the ceiling more.

Things in his little cell would have been perfect had it not been for Audrey continually humming the song "Locked Up" by Akon in his ear.

"Must you?" Jam asked halting the sit ups he had been doing.

"Well, it's been over a week now and you haven't made any moves to get out of this place or told me what the plan is."

"There is no plan Audrey. I'm taking a break."

"A break?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep, I'm pausing the game. Besides, this place isn't so bad. The food is ok and its quiet. Except when you're making noise that is."

"Well then I'm logging off. Call me when you're through with your 'break'"

[ A.I. Designated Audrey Disconnected.]

Hmm. Didn't know she could do that.

Jam continued his sit ups then when he decided he was done with that he moved on to pushups. Then up downs. He worked long and pushed himself further and further, but he couldn't help but feel the work out lacking. His body was far more enhanced than it had been when he was on Earth. It had been over three hours of working out and he had barely broken a sweat.

On Earth by this time he would have been a crumpled and sweaty mess. His muscles weren't sore, his breathing wasn't overly heavy; he didn't have any of the usual issues that were able to take the attention away from his thoughts. His SP was replenishing faster than these work outs could drain it. He gave up and just laid on his cot. He tried his best to think about Rose and channel his love for her. Jam channeled his feelings as strongly as he could, but other thoughts kept slipping in.

Before he realized it, he was thinking about another subject entirely. The lights in his cell flickered then dimmed considerably before slowly returning to normal.

"You know, I've been lying here thinking about all the things I've done on this planet. All the people I've hurt. I try to feel bad about it, guilty. I just can't seem to. It's kind of scares me, knowing what I know now and still believing if I was in that situation, I might make the same decisions over again. I mean I made an impact on this world, that much is undeniable. I like that thought. No, I don't feel guilty. I feel angry. Hurting people was always my choice. I did what I did because I wanted to punish people but to know that the choice to do it to actual people was taken away from me. I was always afraid to hurt other people in the real world but this planet I could do whatever. Now I know that these people were flesh and blood the whole time instead of 1s and 0s, I know that the choice was taken from me and it makes me angry. Maybe I wouldn't have done anything different and maybe I would have but whether I did or didn't was my choice. Now I must face the consequences of choices I didn't get to make for myself. Does that seem fair to you brother?" Jam asked aloud.

"You'd call me brother after what you did to me the last time we met? You must remember how you sunk an arrow into my chest." Shadow Stalker responded.

"I stuck an arrow into your clone. Stop being melodramatic."

"How dare you."

"I couldn't have you leaking all my information out to the Lunar King."

"Still hurt my feelings."

"How unfortunate," Jam responded sarcastically.

"You know what they say, hurt people hurt people." Jam was still laid back on his cot relaxing with his eyes closed, and his danger sense had been slowly nagging him since he got locked in the place, so he wasn't prepared when Shadow Stalker drove a blunt object down into his stomach.

Jam rolled out of the cot in pain, gasping for air. The one hit had taken away a third of his HP completely bypassing his shield. He knew it had to be a critical and surprise attack damage bonus and he could kick himself for not preparing for the inevitable attack from Shadow Stalker. The two might have been like brothers at one time but he wasn't that man anymore and it had been five years for Shadow Stalker. Shadow Stalker was the one with the power here.

"What the hell man?" Jam wheezed.

Shadow Stalker didn't answer instead planting the toe of his boot into Jam's jaw. This time his shield managed to cut part of the damage, but he still tasted copper in his mouth. A flurry of kicks followed, and Jam had to pull himself into a ball to defend against the assault. Jam expected to find anger within himself, but for some reason he was calm. Unnaturally calm, without the Calm Mind skill even triggering. Jam was left with only fifteen HP after Shadow Stalker decided to move on leaving him in a bloody mess but luckily his slow HP replenishment closed his wounds, so he wouldn't lose any more.

His body hurt and though his wounds were closed they still burned like Satan's breath. Considering he had been there a week and Shadow Stalker hadn't attacked him until just then, Jam figured the Lunar King must not be in the castle anymore. Still he was being watched by the camera in the corner of his room and so Jam let his HP replenish on its own.

I've already shown him blink. No need to show him any more of my power. Good thing analyze doesn’t show skills, though I’m probably screwed on the whole power fluctuation thing.

Jam dragged himself up into a sitting position against his cot. Touching his ribs he could feel the broken ones fixing themselves. Reaching over to grab the water cup from his food tray sent pain shooting through his body. After swishing the tepid water around in his mouth for a moment he spit a large glob of bloody water back into the cup then tried to find a position that didn’t hurt.

Jam sat that way for a long time, his food tray was taken and replaced. He tried to eat a little of the food he was provided but he couldn’t find his appetite. Then he heard the shuffling sounds of a more welcomed visitor that had been coming to see him for the past few days. Well to say the small rat was visiting him would be a bit dishonest, as it was only majorly concerned with the food tray that Jam always left gifts for it on. Today he had quite the feast gnawing on the broccoli. Jam had reassured the little critter enough that he was able to move around the small cell without it being alarmed.

“Nice to see you again little friend,” he spoke to it.

The rat looked over at him and hopped around the food tray until he was facing Jam while he ate the food.

“You want to take those grapes with you? I know you probably don’t have quite enough space in those cheeks of yours.”

The rat chittered but continued to eat. Jam ripped his non-bloodied sleeve off and slid slowly over to the food tray. He collected the grapes into the small sleeve and tied it up until it looked like a tiny rucksack. He set the makeshift bag down near the rat who showed immediate interest in it. It tried to drag the small bag with its teeth, but it was too heavy. Jam took the sack and put it around the rat’s neck, who quickly bolted leaving Jam alone again to lie on the ground. It took 8 hours for his health to completely recover but afterward his SP started to slowly decline.

[ Status Ailment: Exhaustion ]

Jam continued to lay on the ground staring at the ceiling until he eventually fell asleep there. That was how the next week went, a visit from Shadow Stalker then a happier visit from his rat friend.

“Jam!” Camilla shouted.

Every so often he could hear Camilla’s faint voice in his head. Like an apparition hovering just behind his head. It was always passed by so quickly, she couldn’t say anything more than that before her presence disappeared. There was always this vague feeling that she was close, like he could sense her location, but it always felt like it was speeding away.

A few days later Jam felt the feeling of him being watched fade away. His acute hearing didn’t hear the faint buzz of the cameras anymore.

“You’re boring me again Jam. I mean come on, you’ve always been more exciting than this. Don’t you want to hit something? Bust out of this place? Burn the whole castle to the ground then send it crashing into the Aoruda Ocean?” Mr. Probably asked lying across his cot.

Jam just continued to stare at the ceiling as he answered, “I think I’m good here. This place feels right to me.”

“You’re hurting my feelings Jam. I didn’t help bring you to this planet only for you to decide you don’t want to play anymore. You’re a hero now, think of all the people out there you’re not saving right now. Come on, bust out of this place and go hit somebody.”

Jam just yawned in response.

“Jam, I’m warning you.”

“Just like you petulant gods to threaten when you don’t get your way. You know what, you said you didn’t help bring me here for that, how about you tell me why you did bring me here? I know there’s something you’re not telling me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do know that your girlfriend is probably wondering where you are right about now.” Mr. Probably obfuscated.

Jam just looked at the supreme being with Shelly Lang’s face, before taking a bite of his cold sandwich and returning to watching the ceiling.

“Fine, if you want to be boring then I’ll just have to find something else to entertain myself with. Maybe I can see if your girlfriends want to play.”

Then there was quiet again. It felt like he hadn’t seen the sun in a long time, which he hadn’t. He was beginning to grow listless, the thoughts of Rose and Thorn being the only things keeping him from melting into the ground. The food tray lay there untouched, and Jam couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten. Even Shadow Stalker had seemed to have grown bored of assaulting Jam. The only sensation he noticed was the rat that began to crawl over his body.

“I guess you’re here to eat me now?” He asked it. The rat gave a squeak in response, he lifted his head up and looked down at the rat that sat perched on his chest. He tilted his head to the side and the rat seemed to mirror him. There was this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he understood what was happening, but he couldn’t quite figure it out.

Powers

[ Powers

Time Until Power Cycle: 14:09

Current Powers

Acid Spit

Sharpshooting +6 (Deadeye, Perception)

Spirit Tame ]

Spirit Tame huh? Let’s drop some points into that.

Jam sat up against his cot and put 10 refinement points into spirit tame and his mind got flooded with information on the power. Apparently, he could tame any beast with a spirit if his level could accommodate it.

“So, you want to be my friend?” Jam asked the rat as he slowly moved to pet the rat on its head.

He casted purify to cleanse the rat of any diseases it might have picked up in its journeys while he pet it. The rat pushed its head into Jam’s hand while trying to find the perfect spot.

“I'm going to name you Ben.” Jam told the rat that seemed to squeak happily in response.

Jam knew the next part if the ritual, but he would be lying if he said he was looking forward to it.

“Go ahead Ben,” he said shutting his eyes.

The rat chomped down onto his out stretched finger just enough to draw blood and then licked the blood that trickled down. A cold shiver rolled through Jam’s body, but he brushed it off as he rubbed a bit of the blood between two fingers and pressed it to the top of Ben’s head. Ben began to glow with a golden light that shimmered all around him. The once dingy looking brown city rat shook out his fur and the light had changed his colors to a black rat with white specks going down in a stripe on his back and one of his eyes glowed gold.

[ Beast Tamed: Ben - Lvl 4 ]

[ Exp Gained ]

Hmm, that’s interesting.

[ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 28 – Successful ]

{ Beast Type: Tamed Beast

Beast Name: Ben

Race: Mutated Rat

Rank: Scout/Gatherer

Level: 4

HP: 80/80

MP: 5/5

SP: 200/200

Powers: Flight

Enhance Rat Biology

Status: Soul Bound ]

“You can fly huh? I was wondering how you got up here, how do you do it? You have 5 MP is it wind magic?” Jam asked him.

In response Ben wriggled his body side to side and small white spotted black wings popped out of his sides.

“Well, that is. . . disturbing. Good thing we’re friends now Ben or I would have murdered you with fire.”

Ben squeaked frantically in response but Jam just pet his head in response.

“Well, now that I named you, I can’t just let you go.”

Use Power Lock Token

[ Using Power Lock Token. .

Power Lock Tokens Available: 2

Current Powers:

Acid Spit

Spirit Tame

Sharpshooting ]

[ Which power would you like to use power lock token on? ]

Spirit Tame

[ Power: Spirit Tame – Chosen for power lock. ]

Are you sure you would like to use power lock token on Spirit Tame?

Warning: Using Power Lock token will permanent bind the power Spirit Tame to you. Any refinement points used on Spirit Tame will not be refunded after next Power Cycle. Refinement Points Used: 10

[ Yes ] [ No ]

Jam read over the warning four times in his head and bit down on his lower lip, then he looked down at the glowing golden eye of the adorable little nightmare rat.

Fine. Yes.

[ Power Lock Token Used ]

Congratulations! First Power Locked

You’ve locked in your first permanent power: Spirit Tame

You will now get three additional powers while keeping your Spirit Tame power permanently.

A new beast tab has been unlocked.

You have unlocked all related skills to this ability that can be accessed at current level.

Exp Gained

[ Skill Learned: Beast Senses ]

[ Skill Type: Active and Passive ]

[ Skill Learned: Beast Heal ]

[ Skill Type: Active ]

[ Skill Learned: Summon ]

[ Skill Type: Active ]

[ Suit Skill Learned: Cape Lair ]

[ Skill Type: Active and Passive ]

[ Skill Learned: Minor Beast Telepathy ]

[ Skil Type: Passive ]

Level Up

Congratulations You’ve Reached Level 29

+2 Heroism Points

All attribute received +2 points per level up.

All currently known skills gain one level per level up until maxed out at current player level.

Hmm. I can learn suit skills when I’m not even wearing it. Interesting. Lair though? Weird. Show skill Cape Lair Lvl 1.

[ Skill ]

[ Skill: Cape Lair Lvl 1 ]

[ Skill Description: Your cape now holds a portal to a specially made lair that only soul bound tamed beasts can enter. A specialty home exclusively for your tamed beasts to live in peace until called upon. ]

Whoa. Weird

“Well little buddy, once I put my suit back on, I have a very special home for you.”

Ben squeaked appreciatively and though Jam couldn’t understand exactly what he was saying he did understand the feelings he was sending out.

[ Skill Level Up: Minor Beast Telepathy Lvl 1 has become Minor Beast Telepathy Lvl 2 ]

“So, you’re a scout rat. Does that mean you live in a colony?”

Ben nodded his head, then his golden eye glowed and Jam saw flashes of a giant swarm of rats before the picture quickly faded.

[ Skill Level Up: Minor Beast Telepathy Lvl 2 has become Minor Beast Telepathy Lvl 3 ]

Jam noticed that Ben’s fur seemed to shine for a second before it returned to normal.

Tamed Beasts

[ Tamed Beasts ]

[Current Tamed Beasts: 1

Tamed Beasts:

Ben – Mutated Rat Lvl 5 ]

“Sweet, you leveled up. Soon you’ll be unstoppable.”

[Reconnection Request from A.I. Designated Audrey. . ]

[ Accept? ]

Yes

[Reconnected. . ]

“Jam? I’ve been getting a bunch of system messages? What are you . .HOLY MOTHER OF GOD WHAT IS THAT THING?” Audrey shouted in surprise.

“That’s Ben, my flying rat,” Jam beamed at the small rodent.

"That’s horrifying.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it, but he’s my only friend so you treat him kindly.”

“Whatever. Wait, you used your power lock token? I thought you were saving it.”

“I couldn’t very well tame Ben here and then just let him go after the power ran out. He’s my little buddy now. We’ve developed a rapport.”

A troubling thought itched at the back of Jam’s mind.

“Shit,” he exclaimed.

“What?” Audrey asked.

“The cameras, they’re going to see Ben. They’re going to hurt my little buddy,” Jam sent her. He pulled the small rodent closer to his face to whisper in its ear. “Ben, you have to sneak out now. Avoid being seen at all cost. Don’t return until I summon you. Can you fly off the castle completely?”

Ben squeaked in the affirmative again in response.

“Go. Hurry up and get out of this place.”

Ben hurriedly slid under the door of the cell, Jam was able to feel his presence as he left. Jam tried to connect with him and out of his left eye he could just barely see visions of outside of the castle.

[ Skill Level Up: Beast Senses Lvl 1 has become Beast Sense Lvl 2 ]

Sweet

Jam was left alone again but over the next few days he trained his new skills. Connecting with Ben to see where he was and what he was seeing. Attempting to communicate with him. He chose not to practice summoning Ben and put him at risk. It was interesting using the beast sense; he could smell so much and so many smells, though not all of them pleasant. He had acute hearing, so he was used to hearing more than normal but Ben’s hearing was still insane. The skills were hard to keep connected to and kept giving him headaches, so he only used them a little at a time.

All the work he was doing almost made him forget about his current circumstances, but he got a reminder when his lights dimmed again, and Shadow Stalker entered his room. Jam sighed, it had been a few days since the last beating, he figured Shadow Stalker had become bored of it. No such luck, he was just waiting for Jam to think he was safe before he returned. Jam once again didn’t fight back as Shadow Stalker drained his HP to a measly 13. One more well-placed strike would kill him. His right eye was swollen shut, his ribs hurt, and he could barely see through the rage was boiling inside of him. Jam gritted his teeth and he was about to heal himself and fight back when Shadow Stalker decided he’d had enough. At least that’s what Jam thought had happened at first, but Shadow Stalker’s clone had disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Then the door to his cell creaked open, heavy on its hinges. A small feminine face popped into the doorway, with large pink eyes and blue hair, though Jam could just barely make her out.

“You been waiting for me long lover?” Jam heard a groggy Rose ask him.

“Rose?” he questioned.

The door opened all the way and on the back of the small feminine figure was Rose smiling at him with Skyfire beside them watching up and down the halls.

Finally. Break times over.