With a gasp Jones opens his eyes, breathing heavily. He was back in his room on his bed with the note Midas left him in his hand.

"Haha....I...I did it." He chuckles lightly. "I escaped!"

He was free from his inner demons. He managed to tame them and make peace with his troubled past. And he was finally ready to confront whatever life decides to throw at him, and that starts with rescuing Midas from the Mothership.

Glancing down at the love letter from Midas in his hand he smiles.

"Hang tight buddy... I'll rescue you and give you the answer to your question soon..."

Looking out the window he could see it was roughly 7 in the morning judging by where the sun was in the sky. Perfect. He had enough time to have something to eat and get whatever he needed.

He glances over at the manikin donning the items he wore when dealing with the Zero Point, walking over to it.

One by one he takes the pieces off and puts them on.

----------

While eating some toast he quickly reads over the scribbled writing Midas wrote, informing him of what to do. All the while he holds the silver ring that was once on his finger, observing it.

Within time, he figured out what the ring REALLY meant.

Everyone who works at the I.O has to dedicate their lives to the order. To represent that, the workers were a ring with the I.O's logo plastered on it that was to be worn at all times.

And he was using it as his marriage ring to Janice, since his original wedding ring had been lost for...a very long time...It was when he got the I.O ring that his wedding one went missing.

To be fair it wouldn't surprise him if Slone took it and either destroyed it or sold it for some extra money.

And now each time he looked at the silver ring he couldn't help but be disgusted, knowing that this ring had his enemy's logo on it standing out like a stain on a white t-shirt.

With a sigh Jones places it on the table, seeing as there was no point in wearing it anymore.

"I think the first thing I should do is try and recover the sceptre Midas was trying to get back in that castle." He mutters to himself. "Then I need to figure out a way to sneak into Corny Complex and find this Joey."

Putting his plate aside in the washing up bowl Jones heads upstairs into his room and grabs his old fieldpack. It felt a bit weird since it didn't have his rift device clinging on to it anymore, but Jones didn't mind.

As he leaves his room he notices Midas' bedroom door had been left open for a while, and sees his glittering gold pickaxe stashed away in the corner. Stepping inside he breathes in the refreshing air.

Midas' room had a fresh scent to it despite not being used by the real one in a long time. Jones couldn't help but miss the nights they shared together. The cuddling. His smile. He missed them a lot.

"Ah, stop it Jonesy. No time to dawdle. When Midas has been rescued you can share nice cuddles together again. And..."

*ahem*

"M-Maybe...go on a date with him..?"

He blushes to himself, shaking his head and taking the golden pickaxe.

"I'm sure he won't mind if I borrow this for a while."

He turns around and nearly has a heart attack when he sees a rift butterfly there in front of him.

"Jeez, you're a sneaky one aren't you? Haha.."

Naturally, it doesn't respond as it physically couldn't.

"I've been seeing you lil guys a lot lately. Or I keep seeing the same one." He points out as it lands on his nose, making him snicker. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're Janice reincarnated as a rift butterfly...but then I'm probably going crazy, haha."

A little ringing noise emits from the butterfly as it perches on his shoulder. Then, seemingly understanding where he wanted to go, teleports Jones away to the ruined castle outside the island.

He runs inside and finds the sceptre in the stone, it's golden texture glittering slightly. It was still drained of its power, and until it lands in Midas' hands, it would stay that way. Jones grips onto it with nervous hands and begins trying to pull it out.

"Mmph! C'mon, budge! ..damn golden enchanted staff!" He groans, his grip tightening.

No matter how hard he tugged on the staff embedded in the rock, it wouldn't move.

"C'mon!! I need to deliver you. to. my. BOYFRIEND!"

Exhausting his strength Jones falls back on the concrete floor, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ow."

The rift butterfly settles down on his shoulder again, emitting another ringing noise.

"Guess I was right. It really is like Thor's hammer with this thing." He mutters.

Normally at this point his old self would've given up by now. But Jones wasn't gonna quit here this time. He was going to bring the sceptre to Midas one way or another.

Taking ahold of the sceptre again Jones sighs, looking at the markings of Oro on the walls of the castle.

"Please Oro... I'm not your son...or heir... Whichever Midas is to you... and I know I'm not worthy to wield this..."

He pauses.

"...but I just want to get this to him. He's stuck on the Mothership, probably rendered powerless if he hasn't been able to escape, and I promised I'd rescue him... and give him this sceptre as it rightfully belongs to him..."

Another pause.

"I just... don't want to let him down again. I've already let down a lot of people this week...let me make things right... for once..."

A few moments of silence drifts by.

A rumble in the ground could be felt under Jones' feet as the sceptre wiggles in the rock slightly. He lets go as cracks in the rock become visible, letting the staff slide on to its side. When it stops, he reaches out for the sceptre.

To his surprise, it slips out with ease. And he could hear a distance voice whisper.

"I'm only releasing it so you can return it to its rightful owner. So don't let it fall into the wrong hands, John Jones. The Light won't treat you nicely otherwise."

Jones briefly admires the staff, gripping on to it before attaching it tightly to his fieldpack. Tight enough so no one could snag it away from him that easily.

"Okay. Next stop. Some place outside Corny Complex."

The butterfly on his shoulder glitters with life, teleporting Jones away.

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

Meanwhile...

"Picking him over me? I don't know why I'm not surprised at this point..."

"Mmm..."

"You love him more than your own family. That's how badly he's fucked with your brain Midas!"

"...a-ah...stop.."

"You're blinded by love. It's making you forget everything HE did to us!"

"Ugh!! It wasn't his fault... Jules..."

Midas gasps, waking up with sweat dripping down his face. He was in a black void, probably his subconscious. It wasn't the first time his insomnia and trauma had sent him here in his sleep and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"... perfect. What do you have to torture me with this time?"

As if to answer his question, a familiar person could be seen from a distance. Taking in the features Midas could identify them immediately;

Blond fluffy, yet messy, hair, red headband, short sleeved tuxedo shirt.

That was an illusion of Jones alright.

"Jones..!"

He runs towards him, desperate for his comfort. Jones turns around, although he looks different. His eyes were pitch black, with darkened tears rolling down his face. He looked... dejected and sad...

"... leave me alone Midas..."

Midas is brought to a halt by force seeing how chains had attached themselves to his wrists, restraining him.

"W-What?"

"Jules was right. I'm only corrupting your mind by being around you." He mutters, gazing at Midas. "Why should you be around a bad person like me..?"

"What? No no, Jones. Don't say that. Jules was just upset. Please don't let her words get to you..."

"I killed your mother Midas. Why should you be in a relationship with the guy who's responsible for the death of a love one?"

Jones takes something out his pocket. It looked like a love letter. The one Midas wrote to him.

"Wait Jones! P-Please don't leave!!"

"And to answer your letter. No."

With no hesitation he tears it in half, tearing up Midas' already shattered emotions in the process, and tosses the letter aside.

"I wouldn't date you even if you were the last Looper alive... you gold freak." He spits at him cruelly and walking away. "What made you ever think I wanted anything to do with you?"

Jones disappears from sight, leaving an emotionally destroyed Midas alone to be consumed by the dark.

"... please...stop it.... come back Jones..."

*sniff*

"... don't leave me..."

---

Slowly opening his eyes Midas finds himself back in the prison section of the Mothership again. Dark Jonesy was hovering over him, slightly concerned.

He could see what the corrupted snapshot meant. He had red scars that looked like they just stopped bleeding all over his body.

"How...long was I out for?"

"I... see..."

Dark Jonesy looks at him with worry in his eyes.

He remarks.

Midas hums with a sniffle, wiping his eyes and looking up at Dark Jonesy.

"I know you're not my Jones...but I could really use the comfort right now..."

The snapshot wraps his arms around Midas softly. He hugs back tightly, burying his head in his chest.

"That's fine...all I want is some comfort...then I'll try heading back to sleep..."

"... I'd like that Dark..."

It's not long before Midas drifts back into a deep sleep in Dark Jonesy's arms. He felt a little awkward, but didn't want to wake him.