(Twisted Fates) The Phantom

Chapter 17: Walking Dead Man

Q arrived at Brian's house with a collection of high-tech equipment, ready to assess Luke's condition. The room was dimly lit, the glow of monitors and the hum of advanced machinery creating an atmosphere of urgency.

As Q worked on the diagnostic procedures, the results painted a grim picture. The blood toxicity levels were alarmingly high, indicative of the virus's potent effects on Luke's physiology. The once vibrant man was now becoming a living paradox, gaining extraordinary power at the cost of his health.

Q observed the physical manifestations - the paler skin, the blue strands in Luke's hair, and the piercing purple eyes.

"Luke, we're dealing with something beyond my initial estimates. This virus has granted you formidable abilities, but it's tearing you apart from the inside." Q explained with a mix of concern and determination.

The technology surrounding them hummed as Q continued his analysis. "We'll need to work fast to stabilize your condition. I'll craft an antidote, but it won't be an easy fix. You might have to endure some side effects during the process."

Luke, though weakened, nodded in understanding.

"Before I give this up... this supposed power beyond comprehension. I have to take him down- let's face it Q. I'm not strong enough to take him down without the ability he's given me."

"Luke, you may die. Do you not understand this situation?" Q asked.

"It's better than having him kill more people, destroying more parts of the city... promise me this Q. Promise me that even if I can't be saved in the end, you'll save Jin Mori of his curse?" Luke looked up to Q for a moment, starting a hole through him.

"I will try to help you both. I'll create 2 vials. One for you, and one for him. Luke, if you die... it's game over for Baltimore. You've done so much already- but now you are being hunted by your own company, both the Phantom and Luke Miller. They are trying to hide something, I know it."

"Seth Young and Josey Quinn, Jason has to be innocent in this, he's the spokesperson and chairman. He was the face of it after dad died. He was his best friend." Luke stated.

"Be careful on that, people you know are the ones that can hurt you the most." Q said before turning away.

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll have to tell that cop that Giovanni is now heavily guarded behind bars in Lockstone Penitentiary. I'm sure she already knows, but I've got to remind her to hold up her end of the deal."

Q nodded his head. "I'll leave you to it then, be good. I'll have a cure soon, hopefully."

Q walked out the door and Luke got up and looked at the suit again.

"I'll have to leave you here for now. This is something Luke Miller has got to deal with."

Baltimore Police Station
2:34PM

Luke made his way to the police station. Upon arrival, he approached the receptionist, seeking information about Mia Harlow's whereabouts.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where Officer Harlow is?" Luke inquired, his expression reflecting a sense of urgency.

The receptionist looked at him with a hint of sympathy. "Officer Harlow turned in her badge last night and left. But she left a note for you, Mr. Miller." The receptionist handed over a folded piece of paper.

Opening the note, Luke read Mia Harlow's words:

Miller,

Giovanni Gambetti is locked up in Lockstone Penitentiary. Therefore my job here in Baltimore is done, and I'm returning to my home in Japan. As for your friend, Voltage, he's been released. I pulled some strings, but don't think this changes anything. I'm watching.

Mia Harlow.

With a mix of relief and suspicion, Luke processed the information.

"Thank god..."

Luke walked out of the building and took a look outside. From the police station you could see the giant tower of Miller Enterprises.

"My once home is now being overrun by a bunch of people who want me dead." Luke scoffed and walked the sidewalk.

Luke looked over at it again- he tried not to but it kept dragging him in. "No! Dammit! It's not fair!"

Luke began to walk to the building, his eyes glowing more than they had before.

With each step, the glow in his eyes intensified, reflecting the internal turmoil that raged within him. The building, once a place of familiarity, now loomed over him with an air of betrayal.

"Seth... Josey... it ends here!"

Luke charged through the building, to hide his identity, the Phantom Deity covered Luke's face in shadows.

"WHERE IS SETH YOUNG AND JOSEPH QUINN!" Luke said as he slammed his fist on the table.

The receptionist pressed a red button below their desk before responding.

"They are gone on a business vacation."

2 men bust through the door and point their guns at Luke.

"STAND DOWN!!" The men yelled.

Luke, seeing no other way out of this- and the amount of rage he has for these men- knowing that they had a part to play in all of this. Loses himself, and allows all urges to come out. No longer hanging on to mercy.

Luke zips into one of them, punching them so hard that his fist goes through their chest. He then grabbed the other by the face and expelled a phantom blast, exploding the man's head.

He turned to the receptionist, covered in blood, and smiled.

"I won't stand down... not until I see them!"

The receptionist screamed and rolled backwards in the chair.

"They are in Japan!! Don't hurt me! Please! I've got a family!" The receptionist pleaded.

"Japan, huh? Thanks for the info." Luke said, swiftly making his exit, leaving the bewildered receptionist behind. The echoes of his presence lingered in the once-familiar halls of Miller Enterprises, a phantom's reckoning with the shadows of his own past.

Before more of them showed up, he had jumped up to a building. His vision started to kick back in as he saw the aftermath atop the building.

"Did I just-"

Luke looked down, and he had been paralyzed. What he had done was something he never wanted to become.

Luke took out his phone and called Q.

"Q- I- I'm sorry. I need help now! Where is Skull... please tell me. Some sort of pattern right? Some sort of something to where you can help me? I just killed 2 Miller Militia Men." Luke sits down and watches the police and the rest of the militia close in on the scene.

"Jesus... ok, ok. I'm trying here! Trust me on that! Let's see, he was last reported near Shadow's End. You know that area."

Luke, overwhelmed with guilt and desperation, listened to Q's guidance. The weight of recent actions pressed heavily on him as he realized the path he was treading. With a nod of gratitude, Luke Phantom Dashed towards the reported location, hoping to confront Jackson Skull and, in turn, find a way to address the dark changes within himself.