Spy Guy: Dun dun dun...here it is. Lolz. Took me long enough didn't it.

This chappy is kind of Zimmers-centric, but, that's merely because his arc is coming to a close...you heard me. And it's so sad for me. but, I had this planned out long before he became as big as he is now. And, what happens must happen.

The small Phantom paragraph sets the premise for the next chapter, which is more phantom/Maddie centric.

Enjoy people, and please drop a review my way, k? I've been replying lately while I haven't been updating this. lolz.

He couldn't breathe.

But...somehow it didn't bother him. He felt as if he didn't have to breathe. As if he could hold air forever, and still feel fine.

"Zimmers." A voice called out through his haze in his mind. "Zimmers. Look at me."

Slowly, the young man complied, feeling slight fear at the tone of his commander's voice...

Of his Master's voice.

"Get up." The man growled, making a sharp motion with his hand. Zimmers clumsily obeyed, struggling to stay upright on legs that seemed too insubstantial. He swayed slightly, the room spinning.

His chest burned.

Zimmers looked down at his hands, noticing how pale they were. They had a kind of translucent quality to them, as if he could see right through himself.

Like a--People were screaming, rushing all around him. Gunshots echoed through the air--no--"Phantom, what are you doing!? Keep fight—" He couldn't be--something struck him hard in the chest, pushing him backwards—Not a— tipped over, hitting the ground with a sick thump. --Mother! Please! Don't let him hurt me anymore!--Red ran in small rivulets-- I'm tired of listening to him!-- pumping from the deep--Mother! Father!-- fleshy wound…

"Save me..." Zimmers begged softly as he turned his yellow eyes to his master. "Ghosts are evil."

The man smiled cruelly at him, coiling his whip around his hand.

"Aren't we all?" He asked, chuckling darkly. "I have not yet finished with you. You should not have died."

Zimmers nodded, feeling anger pulse within him. His Master spoke only the truth...he shouldn't have died. It was Phantom's fault...because he was a coward.

And he would make that half-breed pay for all the pain he had caused him.

Zimmers stared at his corpse often, mostly when he was feeling pain. Throughout the years, his face had been strangely preserved, the skin dull and ashen, yet still intact.

"Maybe it is waiting for its soul to leave this world..." The young man thought sadly to himself. "Maybe we are both waiting for each other."

He ran a hand over his cold features, brushing the ragged black hair from his face. Pulling back the sheet that covered him, he gazed at the gaping hole in his chest, still covered in the dusty remnants of his lifeblood...back when it had been red...and warm...and living...Back when what was inside of him didn't mark him as a monster. Then, it had only been his soul that was twisted...and now that his soul was healing, it was his very blood that was tainted.

He supposed he deserved the gun pressed to the back of his head.

His father was trembling, his hand quaking as he held his weapon in an unsure grip.

"Pull the trigger." Zimmers urged. "I am a monster, aren't I?"

Charles whimpered, his resolve wavering.

"Your son is lying on that tray." Zimmers continued, pointing down at the pale well-preserved features of his body. "You are obviously too small-minded to think of me as your son now…am I right?"

He knew his words were harsh...but all too true.

"Nathan..." Charles began. "Listen--"

"To what?" The ghost snapped. "I trusted you to save me, and you didn't. And then, I trusted you to save all those people at the Hartman tower....you let me down again. You weren't good enough to save them. How can I trust you to kill Vladimir Masters tonight?"

"Those were mistakes." Charles whispered, his voice trembling. "I know what's going on now."

"Do you?" Zimmers demanded, turning away from his corpse, glaring at the man before him. He felt tears welling in his eyes as memories of all his painful years came back to him full force.

For so long he had believed that someone would come to save him. It could have been anyone; he wouldn't have cared. He had asked for nothing more than someone to rescue him...and pull him away from his misery.

But...no one had ever come...and now...it was too late.

"How can I trust you to not let him slip through your fingers like when he took me?" The ghost demanded, hot tears coursing down his cheeks. "You were so content without my body. Didn't it seem a little suspicious to you that the man who confessed didn't know where my body was? Did you ever stop to think, that when he starting declaring his innocence in prison, that he might have been the victim of possession? Did you even think about that?"

The man took a step back.

"I'm sorry." Charles whispered, lowering his gun. "I can't believe..."

Zimmers paused for a moment, gritting his teeth in pain. The human part of him hated how he was hurting his father. Vlad was the only person to blame...and no one else. He knew that.

"I'm sorry..." the ghost murmured, biting his lip. "I've done so many terrible things...and nothing can ever redeem my soul..."

"Foley! Foley! Are you in there!?" Maddie cried, pounding her fist on the locked door. "Dammit Foley, answer me!" She paused for a moment, leaning against the wall, warily looking back and forth to see if she had been heard...

The hall was empty.

"Prof. Fenton!" The man's voice replied on the others side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…but the GIW are here. We have to get out, now."

Damn." Foley cursed. "They'll arrest us all."

Maddie felt a shiver run down her spine. She hated thinking about what would happen if the GIW happed to find her, or any of her workers. Her lab hadn't exactly been entirely legal, and she had always known that there would be a risk involved in her research. Her employees had known the dangers as well...

Or at least...they had thought...

"Is there any way you can get out?" Maddie called. "Our scientists don't deserve to be arrested. They have to get out of here."

Foley was quiet for a long time, and the woman could hear her heart pounding in her chest, like the sounding of a great war drum. She wished that it would be quiet, so she could think...but it continued on.

"I think that I can rewire the door's circuitry." The man eventually replied, followed by the sound of metal hitting the floor. " If I do it right...it should open."

"Hurry." Maddie urged, her eyes darting down the hallway, listening to the heated battle in the main room. "We don't have long."

"Yes Ma'am." The man replied, the sound of sparks following his words.

Phantom limped along the corridor, the feeling painfully returning to his numb legs. It felt as if a thousand needles were digging into his skin over and over again. He could almost hear his master's sadistic laughter as he carried out such a deed, reveling in his pain.

Sam…

Maddie…

He had to find them. He had to get them away from the white-suited men with guns…but also get them away from Vlad who was even more dangerous. He knew that he had to get them out of Axion…even if it killed him.

His progress was painfully slow...he wasn't sure if he would reach them in time.

But, at least he would try.

He held the gun in his hand, feeling his muscles quaking violently. A part of him couldn't believe what he was doing...how could he even think to point a weapon at the only person to ever show him compassion?

But another part of him spoke louder...the part that was afraid of Vlad...

And afraid of loneliness.

"Stop this right now, Fenton!" He shrieked. His voice startled the little freak Master called Phantom, and Jack took the child lovingly into his arms. The sight made Zimmers long for someone to hold him...for a moment, he wanted to be Phantom...he wanted to be loved.

"Nathan..." Jack murmured, staring at him with calm brown eyes. "Please move."

"No! You fool!" The boy hissed, refusing to back down. He knew that he had to keep up his resolve, or Jack would leave him...he couldn't let that happen.

He didn't want to be alone.

"I'm not letting you two leave. Without you , Master would have no one to abuse but me. I like being ignored."

"Nathan..." Jack pleaded again, his voice calm and soothing. "You can come with us. Then you can be free."

Such a perfect thought.

The boy felt a stab of longing, and for that moment, wanted nothing more than to leave Vlad behind forever...But hard experiences had taught him that escape was impossible...and punishment all too real. He knew that if Jack tried to run, he would be caught...and he might be killed.

That couldn't happen!

"Vlad would never let me go free." Zimmers hissed.

"Nathan...move." Jack begged, his expression darkening. "I don't want to hurt you."

The boy snarled, trying to steady his quaking hand. The man's threats were so hollow when it was he who held the gun. It was he who could end the man's life with the twitch of a finger. For the first time in so long, he held a scrap of power, and clung desperately to it, refusing to give up.

Jack would not leave him.

"I'd hate to hurt you too, Mr. Fenton." Zimmers growled. "But I will. And Master will be proud of me."

For a moment, Jack paused, and the boy felt a surge of triumph. He was going to back down. He was going to give up, and go back to his room!

Zimmers wasn't going to be alone...

But then, the man roared, running towards him at surprising speeds, before tackling him to the ground. Zimmers hit the tile, crushed beneath Jack's massive weight, muscles spasming. His finger tightened on the trigger--

...a shot echoed through the halls...

...Zimmers felt something warm splash his face...

...Jack was sprawled across the floor, red covering his body...

The boy brought himself to his knees, trembling violently, his eyes snapping to the gun lying before him. He...he didn't...he couldn't have.

"Jack?" Zimmers whispered...but knew that he couldn't be heard. The man's body was still...too still.

He was...

The boy felt tears welling in his eyes, and turned to look up at Phantom...who was staring at Jack's corpse with an expression of disbelief.

"Oh God..." Zimmers whimpered, feeling bile rise in his throat. He couldn't have...how?

Slowly, he focused on Phantom, the thing that had taken residency within the body of Jack's son. Zimmers glared at the child...his creation...

Jack had only been trying to save his young.

If Jack hadn't been trying to save Phantom, he would have stayed in his room, cowed into submission by the threats against his family. Phantom had given him false hope...

Phantom was to blame for Jack's death...

Phantom...

Phantom...

...would suffer for making him lonely again...