A New Symbiosis

Part 1: Origins: Chapter 1

Our story starts a month after Blue Phantom, a recognized hero, was killed in combat. She was revealed as Jessica Thomas, an 18-year-old high schooler about to start college. Her family and her friend Lucas Smith were hit the hardest. Lucas fell into a state of depression and would disappear into his lab, an old shed his parents had let him repurpose, for most days. Lucas would miss school while working on his project, until his depression got the best of him.

This is it, all I need to do is inject this . . . whatever I've made, and then it will be over. Lucas thought to himself before stabbing the needle into his neck and pressing down on the plunger to inject his creation into his veins. "Now all there is to do is wait. I'll see her again," he said as he waited for the toxicity of his creation to take his life. It was meant to be a masterpiece, his masterpiece, the thing that would save countless heroes' lives. Instead, it would kill its creator. At least, that was Lucas' intention, but little did he know it would save lives, including his.

The next thing he noticed was that his vision was warped, and his eyesight improved. He's on the side of a building, but he wasn't the one in control. Another voice spoke in his head. "Awake?" he had no idea what was going on, what was he now, and why did this thing have a separate voice?

"Yes?" he said aloud, answering cautiously. However, the thing seemed to accept this answer. "Name." it said, and it took Lucas a moment to realize what it wanted. "Oh, I'm Lucas," he responded. "What are you?" he continued. "I mean, what are we? I mean, It's entirely unprecedented. We are 2 voices in 1 body, and shouldn't I be dead? Where are we." Lucas kept going, thinking aloud. "Quiet," it said, "don't know."

For the first time, Lucas noticed the reflection of what this thing was, it was a hulking black creature with white X's on the back of each hand, as well as a large one on its torso. It has a singular X replacing its eyes as well. He instantly thought of a name for it "Blackout." the creature made a confused noise at this. "Your name," Lucas continued, "I'm going to call you Blackout."

The thing seemed content with its new name, and it started climbing the building, digging its claws into the concrete. Upon reaching the top, it disappeared from around Lucas. The wind blows past him as Lucas looks over the city from the top of a skyscraper. "It's beautiful, isn't it" he trails off as he starts crying. "It will be alright, I feel your pain. We will heal," Blackout said. "Let's go home," Lucas said, "it's getting dark, and my parents might get worried."

But when he got home, he was met with something that would change his life forever.