Jackson didn't say anything, either mentally or vocally.

Instead, he dashed forward, to where Scott's lab was.

'I'm not backing down NOW.' he told her.

'SOMETHING big is happening down here, and I need to intervene.' he said.

'Remember when we first met?' he asked her.

'Yeah, I gotta butt in. It's my thing.'

'As careful as I can be, considering.' Jackson responded.

As they approached the lab, and saw the door in the distance, they were suddenly stopped by a pair of shadowed figures.

"What the!?" Jackson exclaimed.

"...looks like one of them isn't trying to hide." one of them, a male, said.

"You're either brave, or stupid." they commented further.

"Who are you!?" Jackson demanded.

"...you're pushy as well." the male growled.

'What the...?' Jackson thought, as he looked around.

"Where'd she go...?" he mumbled.

"Huh?" the shadowed male muttered. "What are you muttering about?" he asked.

"Well, no matter, suppose this is where your grave will be." he then chuckled.

"...tell me something." Jackson then said. "Have either of you considered having your likenesses immortalized in statue form?" he asked them.

"The hell are you ON about!?" the male exclaimed with a chuckle, seeming to miss Jackson's ominous tone.

Jackson's eyes widened when he saw the capsule... with the same glow that Ana exuded.

'.....ohhhhhh shit.' he thought.

"The stone boy?" the male asked.

"OH! Is that why we're wearing the goggles?" he asked his partner.

"..." Jackson was then silent, before looking at the other figure.

"I'm going to take a stab at this, and say YOU'RE the brains between the two of you." he commented, doing his best to sound and remain calm, but internally his mind was racing, trying desperately to think of a way to free Ana, with his powers being neutralized at the moment.

Without his powers, he was effective against people attacking him, but he guessed that they wouldn't be so foolish as to do so. At least, the figure he just addressed wouldn't be.

Jackson's eyes widened when he saw the dart coming his way.

'SHIT!' he cursed internally, as he moved to dodge the dart.

He managed to... just barely. He swore he felt the tip of the dart against his cheek.

However, as soon as he dodged it, he felt the floor under him start to shake and wobble... as though it had changed to an unstable, rubbery-like substance.

"Nice reflexes." the shadowed male commented, his hands on the floor now.

"But try dodging again when you can't get a foothold." he taunted.

Jackson was too busy trying to regain his balance, but he found that he couldn't.

He saw the dart coming straight for him, and decided his best bet was to flop down to the floor. Unfortunately, the figure had taken that into consideration, and he felt the dart hit him square in the shoulder as he hit the floor.

"Hah! Got'em!" the first one said.

"Damn it!" Jackson cursed, pulling the dart out of his shoulder.

"You bastards." he growled, gritting his teeth and finding himself suddenly feeling weaker.

"Bring me back?" Jackson asked.

"Damn it." he cursed again.

"By who!?" he exclaimed.

"You'll find out soon enough." the first individual responded.

"Then let Ana go!" Jackson then piped up.

"She's got nothing to do with this, if this is between you two, and myself!"

"No!" Jackson exclaimed, as he started to get up... but found that he didn't have the strength to.

"....no..." he said quietly.

"Heh." the first one chuckled.

"You'll be easy to transport now. I'll go and get-" he started to say further, before stopping abruptly.

"...what the?" he mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Glue?"

"I wasn't looking for them." Alex responded from behind.

"However, seems I picked a hell of a place to play hookey." he then commented.

"Alex....?" Jackson mumbled.

"Looks like you need your sorry ass saved." Alex responded confidently.

"...." Jackson was silent, before his vision started to go dark.

"Damn... it..." he mumbled, as his world went black.

"Sorry." Alex replied.

"But I owe those two some debts." he said.

"...and I'm a man that pays back debts." he finished, readying himself for battle.

-About a year later-

As she walked down the damaged and broken road, she noticed the statues that started to line the sides of it. All of them were of people, but something was off about them. Their expressions ranged from pain, to shock, to horror, but none of them were happy, or calm, or triumphant.

And that's when she saw a pair of people sitting on some wooden crates outside a store, chatting with each other.

"...so Shelly is gonna be the next one?" one asked, looking grimly at one of the statues across from them.

"We don't know that that happens for SURE." the second responded, looking at the same statue.