Before Höllinsel

Before Höllinsel is a fanfiction by Theforest04 and ElectricFire 169. It is a prequel and sidequel to the Hell's Island duology and a prequel to the upcoming Höllinsel miniseries on YouTube, itself a sidequel to the webcomic (season 1)/YouTube series (season two onward) PIE: West Coast.

It was originally three different fan fictions - Höllinsel and Before Hell's Island by ElectricFire 169 and Before Höllinsel by Theforest04, until they both decided to join forces and combine their stories.

Prologue
Johnny Toast, sat in his grandmother's pink 1954 Fleetwood Series 60 Cadillac, rummaged through his bag for a few moments longer before pulling out a bottle of tablets labeled, "CORTANI". Cortani, an anti-psychotic drug he'd been prescribed to... ever since they'd deemed him mentally competent enough to get out again.

He'd been desperate to get out.

Toast then pulled out his phone and unlocked it before searching up on his search engine, "Side effects of Cortani". Toast then tapped on a website that showed him the hypocritical and brutal side effects of Cortani.

Cortani side effects:

Nausea

Temporary Blindness

Blood Clots

Depression

Mental Health Issues

Anger Issues

Johnny Toast turned off his phone, grabbed his package of Cortani and got out of his car. When he got out, he stared up to look at the PIE HQ sign, he was finally relieved to be back, but it all felt different without him...

Toast immediately frowned and threw his pills in the garbage. "Those doctors can go to hell...literally!", he railed in disgust. He didn't need this crap to make himself better.

All he needed was to focus.

Focus.

Focus.

Remember.

Toast decided to throw away all his anger and look at the morning sky, mind still dwelling on the events of that previous week. That fateful previous week... How his partner... How, how sir... How Johnny Ghost... Disappeared...

Chapter 1
The storm on the horizon slowly drifted across the dark, Opaline sky highlighted by a full moon, partially obscured by the trees as the headlights of a van streaked past through the dark woods.

Inside, Johnny Toast drove on. He willed himself not to cry, forcing, choking back the tears, trying not to think about the last moments of his partner.

Johnny Ghost was dead.

Johnny. Dead.

He couldn’t believe it. It just didn’t sound right.

He couldn’t be dead.

He just couldn’t.

Could he?

No, he told himself, it was some sort of trick. Maybe it was a ghost, Maxwell or Aimée or Toilet Toucher- Oh god.

He’s dead.

He nearly choked as he replayed the last few minutes in his head.

-I’m a puppet- don’t want to live like this- can’t jump – goodbye, Johnny – Goodbye forever –

Johnny tried to snap himself out of it. He turned on the radio to take his mind off of it.

“And I find it kind of funny-”

Johnny hit the button so fast he nearly broke it. “Mad World” was not the cheeriest of songs and he really didn’t need to get any more emotional.

Everything was different now.

First they’d lost Oz, then Roast, then Maloney, then Aimée, and now Johnny was gone.

Gone. Forever.

And why?

He swallowed hard. Outside, it started raining as a car sped past.

He missed the good old days, when it was just the two of them in the Ghostmobile, going around America with an inconspicuous TV crew following them everywhere catching everything they did on film and broadcasting it to the watching nation.

He didn't know what to do, he didn't know where to go. Yes, technically he was the boss, but having spent so long posing as Johnny’s apprentice, he just couldn't operate without his leadership, his guidance.

He needed to calm down, get a grip on himself. When he got back in, maybe he’d pour himself a nice cup of-

Johnny used to like his tea. He used to give it to him when Casket threatened to break out.

Wait, does that mean Casket is dead? Johnny doubted it. Casket had managed to take over other people’s minds before, it was probable he would try again. Then again, maybe after last time he was gone for good…

Whatever happened next, it was clear that nothing would ever be the same again.

And then, he realized what he had to do.

The van rolled on as he drove through the night, Total Eclipse of the Heart playing on the radio.

He couldn't get a room in the motel that night, so he slept in the back of the van that night.

It wasn't that far of a drive from Carolina, he figured.

Wouldn't it be so much easier, he wondered, if TONI was still here to do the driving? Of course, that was a little impossible seeing as TONI’s CPU got fried back in-

Yeah.

Toast didn't want to think about how many friends he’d lost. How many lives had been affected by his time in PIE? How much good had he actually done, and how much more harm had he caused?

How many lives had been affected by his actions? The lucky ones – if you could call them that – the survivors had to rebuild their lives after the ordeal and all they ever did was drive on. On to the next case.

He placed his internal monologue on pause as he came up to the corner leading to PIE Headquarters.

As he turned the corner, he realized that there was a police cordon around the building.

Hey, is that Sylar over there, by that oddly familiar-looking policeman?

Johnny stopped the van and ran over.

“Hey, Sylar!”

Sylar turned and her eyes lit up when she saw him, as they always seemed to. He could've sworn that girl had a crush on him. “Johnny! Where’ve you been? And where’s other Johnny?”

Johnny’s mind raced. How was he going to explain this to her?

“Uh… I’ll explain later. What’s happening here?”

“Didn't you here? Papa Acachalla’s gone missing.”

Johnny frowned. “So what?”

“He co-owns this building. They have a warrant, and they suspect foul play, so they’re saying this place is now officially Major Crimes jurisdiction.”

Johnny groaned. “Major Crimes Division! They’re handing it over to those bloodsuckers? Why not just give it to the Tellytubbies, you’d get better results.”

In the front, several PIE technicians were arguing with some policemen about seizing PIE equipment. Johnny noticed Spooker among the crowd and resisted the temptation to pull out his gun and shoot him there and then, in front of half of the North Carolina Police Department.

“OK, Sylar, I need you to call the guys at West Coast, tell them to come over here, and that it’s urgent. I’ll explain later, I promise. For now, I need to concentrate on finding us a temporary accommodation, give us time to think.”

“OK, I’ll get right on it.” She looked at him slightly bemused before turning to go and do just that. Johnny grabbed her by the shoulder. “Sylar…” He pulled her close and held her for a while. She patted him on the back, now rather concerned, and tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

After a moment that seemed to last an eternity, he released her and they continued about their business, an unspoken vow between them never to discuss that moment with anyone, ever.

Chapter 2
Hell's Island, July 25, 2014

Aurel is a 20 year old man from Hollinsel University (Aurel was raised a Catholic). He is wearing his school uniform which is a red shirt with, "Hollinsel University", printed on it and blue jeans. Right now, he is in a famous location on this island named, "Hollinsel Grand Church". The reason why it's so famous is because it was the first thing built on this island. The town was colonized in 1876 and then finally completed in 1882 by Karl Nash. However, it is still unknown why the church was built and why it is named, in German, "Hell's Island".

Hell's Island church looked pretty nice for a 132 year old building. The only thing wrong with the church was that all of the priest's were crazy. "S-s-sit...", The Priest stuttered for a moment. Everyone looked at the priest in confusion. "AHA, kneel for...to our lord and savior.", said the priest while shaking. Everyone in the church kneeled very slowly as they were all worried about the priest, which no one knew the name of. Baldewin, Aurel's friend, bent to Aurel's ear and whispered to him, "Hey, what's wrong with the priest today?" Baldewin is Aurel's 21 year old friend from Hollinsel University (also Catholic). In fact, the whole entire town is Catholic. The Priest cleared his throat. "In the name of the Father, the son, and the-HOLY!", the Priest suddenly shouted across the church. There was definitely something wrong with the priest. The Priest is a man in his early 80s and is always seen wearing his church uniform. Aurel moved closer to Baldewin and whispered, "I think the priest needs a hospital." Baldewin quietly laughed.

Suddenly, while praying, a man and a woman, both dressed in all black, enter the church. The Priest stops talking and focuses his attention to the man and woman. "Greetings, ag-, sir and ma'am.", said the priest. The priest widens his eyes while looking at the man and the woman. The woman leaned closer to the priest and started whispering something. "Mhm, thank...you.", said the priest. The duo possible agents walked out of the church and slammed the church door. Aurel swears that every time he comes to the church, he always see those two possible agents whisper something to the priest. "Who the hell are those two?", Baldewin whispered to Aurel. Aurel shrugged. "Al-al-alright, ladies and gentlemen, let's sto-start praying.", The Priest commented.

Aurel and Baldewin both sighed and rubbed their eyes.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Parson Nathanial was troubled. Something was amiss.

Something was wrong.

He couldn’t place what exactly, but he could place when he first felt it.

It was the day he had been called in to examine the body of Father Blatty the day after he passed away in his sleep, allegedly screaming “pray for death”. Nobody was quite sure who had heard him say this or why he would choose those as his final words.

Nevertheless, the fact could not be escaped that Blatty was dead, and dead he would remain.

He had sat in his study reading the late clergyman’s journal after being directed to it by a letter written by Blatty, presumably written to ensure that it was found in the event of his passing.

Of course he could not keep his full attention on its pages due to the ongoing excavation effort going on within the church.

He didn’t so much mind the students – for the most part, they tried their best not to disturb him too much. The odd bit of juvenility was to be expected but for the most part they were committed to their research.

No, what really got his goat was the people from the facility, the lab coat people and the corporate suits with their harassments.

Dr Stone was perfectly good company when they agreed on a subject, but her sponsor from the military establishment was considerably less so. His abrasive, brisk manner grated on the pastor’s nerves.

There was something worrying about him. Something... Unnatural.

Chapter 3
“What is that in the upstairs window?”

“Uh, sir, um-”

“I saw something, tell me you saw something.”

Johnny sat by the projector in a darkened room and watched through Johnny’s tape. It seemed odd, looking back, that they had decided to film what had turned out to be Johnny’s final case as a documentary for the Discovery Channel.

Another thing, although it wasn’t very significant, was that he hadn’t enjoyed a case before quite as much as he’d enjoyed that one. His relationship with Ghost seemed to have reached its apex, it’s high point. There was still the odd good-humoured ribbing, but that was to be expected. It was a bit like that TV series, the Persuaders, which had an upper-class British Guy working with an American as secret agents.

“I’ve been volunteering to do your crap since we were six years old.” Ghost’s celluloid spectre ranted at his onscreen counterpart. “I’m not doing that thing-”

Johnny hit the fast-forward button and suddenly images of Benny and Papa Acachalla flashed before his eyes. He hit the play button and-

“Sir, isn’t that- you?”

The camera panned away from Toast to a third body lying on the ground.

It was Ghost.

Ghost came in close to the body, trying to get a better look at it, when it disappeared.

Johnny felt a shiver run down his spine.

It was almost a premonition.

“This is, ah… Johnny Toast.” Johnny cringed. He hated watching himself on TV. “I don’t know if you saw that… hair flip I did there… And today I’ll be… investigating this… creepy haunted awesome mansion.” Why did I keep pausing, he asked himself, I sound like William Shatner.

Then he remembered his paralyzing stage fright.

“Johnny? I think I saw something outside of that window.”

“What-what?”

“I saw a big purple rabbit standing outside of that window.”

Suddenly the camera panned in as Toast turned around and said, “Tricks are for kids!”

The sound of ghost’s laughing partially obscured the voice of the owner explaining that they were on the second floor and that there wasn’t any ledge outside.

“Hey, I saw it again!”

Funny how it only ever seemed to be Ghost to see it, Johnny mused.

“It’s in the maze!”

“You can’t go in there! I’ve never seen anyone come out!”

“Get this jump, sir! This is gonna be ‘Maze Runner 2’!”

And with that, Johnny Toast disappeared over the ledge.

“JOHNNY, JOHNNY! THERE IS CURRENTLY A PURPLE RABBIT IN THE MAZE FOLLOWING YOU.” Johnny shouted into his radio.

“He’s in the clock tower.” Toast said to himself idly.

The camera panned up. There was, indeed, the silhouette of Johnny Toast standing at the top of the clock tower.

“JUMP!” shouted Ghost. “DO IT!”

“ARGH! MY LEG!”

“UH, MAN DOWN, MAN DOWN, WE NEED AN EVAC.” Again, the mics jarred. Toast winced as his eardrums whined from the screeching.

“JOHNNY, RUN! No, JOHNNY!”

Johnny winced as his onscreen double was hit full-on in the chest with a massive spike. Just as a precaution, he checked his chest. There wasn’t even a scar. What was in that balloon, he wondered. Not that he could ask Swift Taylor about it.

Suddenly from somewhere within the building came an inhuman scream.

“What was that? Hurry, get inside! There’s a whole army outside, they’re closing in Johnny!”

The rising panic was apparent from Ghost’s voice. He was losing his normal cool and collected composure in a matter of moments. “They’re everywhere!”

“RUN SIR!” A brief flash of Foxy before the camera went dark.

“OF COURSE!” Johnny jumped up. “That’s what happened at the Pizzeria! They’re turning them into-” Johnny stopped in sudden realization. “My god. Those poor people.” Toast started crying, he wanted to turn off the video, but he just looked down at his legs and continued to sob.

Chapter 4
If some universal consciousness truly penetrated and affected all things, Dani mused to herself, then said force must get very bored of always knowing what is going to happen next.

Light bounces off everything; the leaves fall from the trees; the teachers teach and the students learn; the jocks continue to fail at impressing the girls and the girls continue to rebuke their advances only to continue to be preyed upon.

She and her three friends Sherri, Devon and Chandler, had all arrived as exchange students from the US as part of an archeology program. All of them were accomplished in their respective fields; Sherri was quite accomplished in analyzing data streams on a computer; Dani herself was a senior in translating ancient theological texts; and Devon and Chandler were both adept at spectrometry and quantum mechanics. They'd been drafted in - without prior notice - with the promise of additional grades worth an entire extra semester for just three weeks' work with the local students. Which, of course, the students jumped at.

The students reached the island by boat, ferried there by the island's ferrymaster Owen Odell. Owen was a gruff man, a weather-worn salty seadog from days of yore with dry, cracked voice and a cantankerous attitude. He was a caring family man at heart though, and the apple of his eye was his beloved daughter Sasha. Sasha however, whilst she held her father in great esteem and even on occasions tried her hand at helping him out on some of the shorter hauls, had no love of the sea, or the island for that matter. Her brother Cody was more open-minded to the trade, though he found the long sea hauls and the poor weather just as unbearable.

The gatemaster was Owen's brother Oswald, a former Private in the local TA before being drummed out, supposedly on grounds of instability. Oswald prided himself with his job despite it being a purely menial task of little importance, and could probably be handled more efficiently by a machine if one could be afforded. He spent his nights in the apartment building on the waterfront, and sometimes rode into town on his rusty old bicycle.

The work was poorly organized. The local students and the exchange students barely communicated; the Church objected at every point; and the local milita presence funded by ARC corporation, considering itself the cusp of the entire island, acted the part of an aggressive and oppressive presence trying to domineer every angle, like an overbearing mother or a rock star with an ego five sizes too big.

At that moment, Another Brick in the Wall started playing on the radio.

- *ADHD moment intensifies*

Work in progress! (Please finish this, Adam- theforest04)

Chapter 5
*P.I.E. HQ*

Johnny Toast sat on his comfy, black, and leather chair with wheels attached to the bottom of it, his face was planted on the desk with his hands covering his face too. Johnny tried to avoid his head bumping into his phone or the Dell Computer he bought at some small and sketchy tech store. Johnny also tried to avoid other people, he just wanted to be left alone, he knew the company would never be the same without Ghost. So to avoid the presence of other people, he taped a paper sign on the door reading, "Nobody is allowed in my office unless I allow you to enter." But like Johnny Toast expected, a sudden knock came from his door.

"Hey, it's uh...me, Fred.", said Fred Spooker. Johnny Toast grunted, out of the 58 employees in the building, it was Fred Spooker who came to his door, Fred was probably the most disliked P.I.E. member. "What is it, Fred?", Johnny Toast asked in a unenthusiastic tone. "I want to talk about Ghost.", responded Fred Spooker. At that point, Johnny Toast wanted to avoid Fred at all costs, the word, "Ghost", was the last thing he wanted to hear from anyone's mouth. "Go away, Spooker!", Johnny Toast shouted. "Please, it's important.", Fred Spooker immediately responded. Johnny sighed, he changed his mind about letting him in. "Fine, you can come in.", said Johnny Toast. As Johnny kept facing down at the desk, he didn't see the door open, but he heard it open. Johnny lifted his head to look at Fred, Spooker was standing right at the edge of his desk. "So, Toast, our scientists have conducted studies and they say that Johnny Ghost may not be dead.", Fred Spooker reported. Johnny immediately disagreed with his "scientists" theory. "Spooker, I saw him float into the air, so I just want to say, he's dead.", Johnny argued. Fred rubbed his left eye, he then sighed. "Just because he floated away doesn't mean he is dead, he could be in another dimension.", Spooker commented.

Johnny started to get a little mad, he's tired of the pointless comments from Spooker's stupid mouth. Johnny Toast slammed his fists on the desk, he shouted, "For the last time, Fred, Johnny Ghost is-!", Toast was interrupted by another knock on the door. Fred and Johnny both turned their attention to the door, it was PIE's priest, Father York. Father York is a man in his mid 60s and is wearing his average priest uniform. "Fred, would you mind stepping out of the room?", Father York asked. Fred Spooker followed Father York's orders by walking out of the room, York closed the door and turned his head to look at Toast. "Johnny, you don't have to worry, Ghost is in a better place.", Father York preached. But, Johnny Toast didn't want to hear any of it. Nothing could make Toast happy, every time he looked at the photo of the original P.I.E. crew he'd always be reminded of how only two people were alive from the picture (William Barricade and Johnny Toast). Every time he'd look at a photo of Mary Toast, his late wife, it would distract him from reality for a while, but he'd soon realize, she's dead too.

Johnny Toast thought that almost EVERY single person he meets, soon dies. "Anyways, I hope something makes you happy, and may the lord be with you.", Father York said before exiting the room.

* One Hour Later...*



Nothing had happened since Father York had left the room, which was an hour ago. Johnny Toast is still resting his head on the desk, strangely he wasn't bored, he didn't know why he wasn't getting bored. Unexpectedly, he heard his creepy ringtone ring from his phone, he picked up his head and looked at the phone. "Unknown Caller ID", the phone read. Johnny Toast started getting suspicious of this, he has never seen any number called that. But, due to Johnny's curious feelings, he answered the call. "Hello?", Johnny Toast asked. Toast first heard unhuman like breathing. "It's me.", The voice answered. This made Toast confused. "Who is this?", Johnny asked. "Hell's Island... five months.", said the voice. The unknown caller disconnected the call. Although, Toast was kind of creeped out, he thought it was probably a prank caller...or was it...

Chapter 6
Work In Progress!