[@Arty Fox]

The ship dipped and swerved before finally entering the world’s atmosphere. Drake groaned as he was bobbed back and forth like a rag doll in a dryer. He hiccupped and held his hand over his mouth before swallowing and letting out a sigh, “I really hate moving at this speed.”  He’d never been subjected to motion sickness, and moving within lightning wasn’t too bad, but this was a whole different story. He kept the morning's meal down but could taste it slowly creeping up in his throat. However, before it could fully be expelled from his body. The ship began to slow down and gently land on the world’s surface. Drake sat back in his seat and let out a sigh of relief, “Thank God that’s over.” 

Drake looked out the window of the Gummi ship and saw the Surge Guardians waiting from him in the desert. They stood in front of a large boulder that was half submerged in the sand.  Nails just stood there staring at the Gummi ship with his arms folded. Drake wasn’t sure if he could see inside the Gummi ships window, but his stare sent a shiver down Drake’s back. Alice seemed to be playing hopscotch with lines she drew in the sand to keep her occupied. Pain was there with new skin that covered his metal frame. He seemed to be talking with Panic who stood there, still in his half shark, half human form. He seemed to be a little annoyed at how hot it was. Sitting in front of Panic was Prim. She seemed scared out of her mind as Panic seemed to look down towards here and give her a toothy smile. Mark and Viper were there as well, but they seemed to be in a heated argument about something.  It seemed Zack and Damien were absent from this meeting or just out of sight. 

“Alright, let’s get this over with,” Drake said before he stopped himself and added, “if you’re still with me, then make sure when I open the hatch. You use whatever magic you have to turn off your hearing.  Since Damien isn’t in sight and he uses sound to create illusions. Best to have backup that can help.” Drake waited for several minutes to let Natasha do whatever it is she was going to do before he opened the hatch and climbed out of the Gummi ship. 

Nails snapped his fingers and the Surge Guardians behind him stopped what they were doing. He waited until Drake was several feet away before he said, “So you came after all. Knew those bastards you replaced us with made you a Goody Two-Shoes.”

“I see Prim, but not the other hostage,” Drake said calmly. Inside he was shaking with rage. If he could he’d go after Nails and the others right now, but he knew he needed to play this game to save both Prim and Jinx. 

“Alice,” Nails ordered. Alice nodded as she giggled and a ripple appeared high in the sky. From the ripple, a large mummified bird soared out and into the open air and circled before landing on the boulder behind the group. On its back was a bronze sarcophagus that was chained to its back. The chains seemed to come from its own body as green ooze dripped from the open wounds caused by the chains.  The sarcophagus slid open and from it came the red-haired woman wrapped in cloth like a mummy. The straps from the sarcophagus placed the woman on the ground gently before they retracted back into the sarcophagus.

“Jinx!” Drake yelled as he began to run towards her.

“Not so fast,” Nails said with a smile as Panic moved one of his sharpened claws close to Prim’s throat. Drake quickly stopped and glared at Nails who continued, “Are you truly going to choose Jinx over the girl you’re so called buddies are looking for?” Drake’s hands balled into fists before he calmed himself with a long breath. 

“I’m choosing both of them,” Drake finally said after a long while. Nails let out a large, long laugh as he shook his head in disbelief.

“How dumb have they made you? I told you in my message: you can only choose one since you have nothing else to bargain with.”  

“But I do,” Drake said before he lifted his right arm and a hologram of a list appeared above his watch. He pressed several images before Nails own watch began to blink and let out a chime.  Nails lifted his arm and a hologram of a vile appeared above his watch’s face. 

“What the hell am I looking at?” Nails asked. 

“The Shadow Nexus Primal,” Drake explained before he continued, “A much more powerful strand of the Shadow Nexus.” The image above Nails watch disappeared as a smug smile formed on Drakes' face. Nails continued to look at where the hologram once was and then looked over at Drake before a sadistic crooked smile formed on his face.

“So let me get this straight: you’re trading yourself and this Shadow Nexus Primal for these two?” Nails asked. Drake simply nodded. Nails looked back at the group of Surge Guardians before he looked back at Drake and said, “Agreed.”

“Good, but I need to let Prim and Jinx into the ship so they can be transported back to the ship,” Drake explained. Nails nodded and snapped his fingers. Panic seemed to let out a frustrated sigh before he used his large black claws to slice the bindings around Prim. 

Prim quickly got up and rushed over to where Drake was. Meanwhile, Mark walked over to the mummified Jinx and picked her up before slinging her limp body over his right shoulder and walked over to Drake.

“Put her in the ship,” Drake ordered. Mark snorted but did as he was told. Drake smiled and added, “Thanks a ton Mark.”