Odyssey Nexus

The bounty office smelled of sweat, old parchment, and bad decisions. A mix of mercenaries, bounty hunters, and desperate fools crowded the cramped space, each one either cashing in a target or looking for their next payday. The tension was thick enough to choke on, but Jalen strolled in like he owned the place.

Behind him, Lucio kept his head down, blending in as just another bounty hunter. Nathan, for his part, had his hands tied behind his back, playing the role of a captured fugitive with an exaggerated scowl.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Nathan muttered under his breath.

Jalen grinned. "Relax, you look plenty guilty."

"Because I am guilty."

"Exactly! Makes it more convincing."

Lucio sighed. "Both of you, shut up. Let me do the talking."

They approached the bounty clerk, a grizzled woman with a scar over his left eye and a perpetual look of boredom. She barely glanced up from his ledger as he spoke.

"Name?"

Jalen nudged Nathan forward. "Hector."

That got the clerk's attention. Her eye twitched as he finally looked up, scanning Nathan's face with suspicion. Her gaze flickered to the bounty poster pinned to the wall behind him—the same one with Nathan's alias plastered across it, promising a hefty reward.

The clerk exhaled through his nose. "You're telling me you caught Hector?"

Lucio crossed his arms. "We are."

The clerk eyed them for a long moment before snorting. "Alright. Step aside. Let me get the enforcers to verify him."

Jalen kept his grin steady, but his mind raced. They needed this to go smoothly—just long enough to collect the reward before Nathan bailed. The hard part wasn't turning him in. It was making sure he got back out.

Nathan sighed dramatically. "You guys are the worst friends."

Jalen clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Cheer up, buddy. You're about to make us very rich."

He turned to the clerk. "So where's the money?"

"You'll be paid once that bastard Hector is tried and sentenced to death."

"I'm sorry, what?" Jalen and Lucio spoke in unison, their faces dumbfounded.

Frantically, Jalen pulled out the wanted poster and shoved it toward the clerk. "Here! It says DEAD OR ALIVE! I want my money—this was a hard job, you know!"

Irritated by Jalen's outburst, the clerk sat up and met his eyes. "After the incident in the market the other day, the wanted posters changed… these are out of date." Leaning back, she continued, "Now, you can wait until the sentencing to collect your money, or I can take you in as well for disrupting the peace."

'Oh, brother… time to leave' Lucio thought, casually shrugging his shoulders.

Jalen's aura flared as he stepped forward. "OH, YOU STUPID BIT—"

SMACK

"Let's go, idiot." Lucio grabbed Jalen and dragged him toward the exit. He shot the clerk an apologetic glance. "Sorry about my friend, ma'am. We'll wait for the hearing."

"THE HELL I WILL! LET ME GO, LUCIO! I'M GETTING US THAT MONEY RIGHT NOW!"

Lucio clenched his jaw, speaking through his teeth. "Can you use your head? We have to figure out what to do now, so let's just go outside."

Once outside, Jalen yanked his arm free and scowled. "You didn't have to hit me, man. That was uncalled for."

Lucio rolled his eyes. "You were about to get us arrested."

Jalen huffed, crossing his arms. "Well, excuse me for wanting to get paid."

Stix and Rhea caught up with them, both looking equally exasperated.

"So what now?" Rhea asked. "Are we really waiting for a trial?"

Lucio pinched the bridge of his nose. "We have to. If we try anything stupid now, we'll be the ones on trial next." He glanced at Jalen. "Which means no dumb ideas."

Jalen scoffed. "Relax. It's not like they're actually gonna kill him. We just gotta sit tight and let things play out."

Lucio narrowed his eyes. "You're way too calm about this."

"I'm always calm."

"You are the least calm person I know."

"Still." Jalen stretched, flashing a grin. "Nathan's not some helpless kid. We'll figure something out before it gets to that point. No big deal."

Lucio sighed, rubbing his temples. "Jalen—"

"Hey, I get it. We'll talk later. For now, let's just grab some food or something."

Lucio grumbled but eventually relented. "Fine. But we're having an actual plan by the end of the day."

Jalen clapped him on the back. "Of course, of course."

Internally, though, he was already running through every detail. He knew exactly how this was going to go. When the time came, Nathan would stop time, and together, they'd pull off the perfect switch. It was stupid, reckless, and exactly the kind of thing Lucio would never agree to.

Good thing Jalen had no plans of asking permission.

"On second thought, guys, I'm gonna take a walk around town. Here." Jalen tossed his wallet to Lucio. "Lunch is on me. Make sure the kids eat too—there's more than enough in there."

Lucio looked surprised. "Since when do you have a wallet?"

Looking back, Jalen chuckled. "Who said it was mine?" He slipped into the crowd, already forming his plan.

'Alright time to put my plan into motion.'

As Jalen weaved through the crowded streets, his casual grin never wavered, but his mind was already at work. The plan had to be airtight. One mistake, and Nathan would end up dead for real.

'Step one: Find a body double.'

He slipped into a side alley, scanning for someone who could pass for Hector with the right setup. It didn't take long. A drunk slumped against a crate, his clothes ragged but his build eerily similar to Nathan's. The guy had clearly seen better days.

Jalen crouched down and patted his face. "Hey, buddy. Ever wanted to be famous?"

The man groaned, barely coherent. Perfect.

'Step two: Secure an outfit.'

Jalen had already spotted a street tailor earlier. It wouldn't take much to get a cloak and some bindings that looked just like the ones Nathan would be wearing at the trial. He made quick work of purchasing what he needed, swiping a few extra materials while the tailor was distracted.

'Step three: Set up the courthouse.'

Jalen strolled near the trial hall, scanning the building. Guards at the front, enforcers patrolling. That would make slipping in undetected difficult—unless he gave them something more important to worry about.

He tossed a coin to a nearby street rat, a kid no older than ten. "Listen up, little man. You start a fight over there by the market in an hour, make it loud, and there's more where that came from."

The kid snatched the coin and took off running. Jalen smirked. That would keep at least a few guards busy.

'Step four: Make sure Nathan is ready.'

Jalen slipped through the side entrance of the bounty office where Nathan was being held. He leaned against the bars of the cell, grinning. "How's death row treating you?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Oh, just peachy. Let me guess, you're here to say something incredibly vague and unhelpful?"

"Yep. Stay loose. You'll know when to move."

Nathan squinted at him. "Jalen. What are you planning?"

Jalen shrugged. "Don't worry about it. You'll see."

Nathan groaned. "I hate you."

Jalen patted the bars. "Yeah, yeah. See you in court buddy." Walking towards the door Jalen began to laugh in amazement. "I really can't wait to get this money."

The courthouse was packed. Whispers filled the air as the judge read Nathan's crimes aloud. Treason, theft, destruction of property, impersonating a noble—the list went on. Jalen sat with Lucio, Rhea, and Stix in the gallery, his feet kicked up on the railing.

Lucio shot him a glare. "You're acting way too calm. We didn't even discuss a plan you just came back to the brothel and went to sleep! What are we supposed to do?"

Jalen smirked. "Just enjoy the show."

The judge slammed his gavel down. "For these crimes, the sentence is death, to be carried out immediately."

Nathan smirked, shaking his head. "Took 'em long enough."

Jalen's aura flickered. 'Alright, Nathan. Now.'

Everything froze.

Jalen felt the shift immediately and donned his time breaker form. Two celestial clocks floating around him

Tick Tick Tick

The courtroom fell silent, bodies locked in place, the judge mid-sentence, enforcers caught mid-step. The only two still moving? Him and Nathan.

Nathan rolled his shoulders, stepping out of his bindings like they were nothing. "Alright, genius. You swapping me with a ghost, or…?"

Jalen grinned, dragging in the drunken man—now dressed exactly like Nathan had been. "Meet Hector 2.0."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "You're a menace."

Jalen chuckled. "It's not like he was doing anything important anyway."

Together, they positioned the unconscious man where Nathan had been kneeling. With everything perfectly in place, Nathan took a seat beside Jalen, mimicking his relaxed posture.

Nathan smirked. "Let's see how this plays out."

Time resumed.

The guards grabbed "Nathan" and dragged him toward the execution chamber. The crowd watched, none the wiser.

Lucio, however, tensed beside Jalen. His eyes narrowed. "...What did you do?"

Jalen stretched, feigning innocence. "Nothing at all."

Lucio's expression darkened. "You son of a—"

Jalen just smirked as the courtroom erupted in cheers for justice.

Now all that was left was to slip out before anyone caught on.

"Alright Lucio let's go collect this money so we can get some new clothes, gear, and most importantly food!" Jalen began to walk to the collection desk but Lucio stopped him. 

"Jalen..." His face burned with anger. "Who did you just put to death? Was he an innocent man? Did he have a family? Did he value his life or dreams?" 

"I don't know Lucio it was just some drunk I found in the ally. I can see why you are upset but I don't see the issue. I told you before I'm not here to be a hero... I'm just trying to get us home so why should I care about anything else here that isn't important to me..." Turning coldly Jalen walked away.

"You're thinking too much, Lucio. That's what gets people killed."