The Metahuman Agency: The Superhuman War

The Gathering Storm

Jason lay wide awake in the dark for a long time, resting his head on one elbow while he tapped his toned abdomen with his other hand. He stared up at the ceiling, listening to the sound of his own breathing. The mattress was comfortable but it felt a bit tense and unfamiliar. Jason smirked. Once he had been able to sleep anywhere. He still remembered stretching on gum-splattered seats of subway cars or using piles of trash as a makeshift pillow. Now he was finding it hard to sleep, despite lying on a nice bed amidst an air conditioned room. Perhaps his time at the Agency had spoiled him and he had simply grown too used to his former room.

Still, he might just be being overdramatic. He had collapsed into this bed and slept soundly for awhile, only his nightmares pulling him awake. Maybe now he couldn't sleep because too much was on his mind. The Skeleton Crew, Max, and what came next for all of them. The Skeleton Crew would strike again soon, Jason could feel that in his gut. How would they fight them? They had barely stood up to their forces in the Agency itself. Now, stripped of their resources, they were alone and up against an enemy that seemed to Jason almost unstoppable.

Jason sat up, rubbing his hands over his eyes. He was obviously wasn't going to get any sleep and got out of sleep, trudging across the room. He flicked on the light switch, squinting at the sudden burst of light that flooded the room. Blinking away spots in his eyes, Jason then turned and looked at his costume, hanging on the wall.

It certainly looked worse for wear. Covered in dried dirt, soot, a bullet puncture on its back. And of course, that damn cut through the spider symbol. Jason frowned at that slash. He hated, really fucking hated seeing the outfit he had been wearing for a long time defiled like this. And now, it might stay that way forever, with no one to repair it.

Jason sighed and looked away. He began to pace about the room but that failed to really calm his thoughts. So he ramped it up a notch. He did a somersault and landed on his hands. Carefully, he stretched on his legs and positioned himself on the tips of his fingers, pushing himself straight up like a needle. He kept the position for several moments before flipping back onto his feet. Jason then jumped onto the wall, scuttling up it and crawling onto the ceiling.

Jason looked down at the floor. He instantly felt slightly more relaxed. He really did love to climb and jump around. It's partly why he'd loved New York so much. Nothing beat jumping up onto a wall and then ascending upwards while listening to the wind whoosh past. The best part was when he'd look down, seeing the people and cars scuttling below like ants. Even now, nothing could really beat that feeling.

Jason released one of his palms from the ceiling and let it flop. He swung it back and forth, almost lazily, while keeping himself secured in place with his other hand. He still remembered those feelings well. Back then, using his powers had given him such a boost of confidence. He'd been able to strike back against the bullies of the orphanage and eventually leave that place behind, his powers helping him survive on the city streets. But now, those feelings seemed to almost belong to a different person. Jason cringed slightly at the memories, remembering what an arrogance shit he'd been, a vicious bully who enjoyed using his abilities way too much. He'd hurt people, stolen cash, and did it all for fun. Oh sure, there was always his goal of using the stolen money to buy a new apartment (he'd lived in basically a rathole in Harlem during his time in NYC) but thinking back, Jason wondered if he'd lost sight of his goal along the way.

But seeing Zeus and his cohorts had yanked him out of that mindset. Seeing the destruction those people caused and all the dead left in their wake had shown him the horrors metahuman powers could have on the so-called 'little people.' His time at the Agency had further refined his mindset and now, Jason positively hated looking back on himself during those days. The Agency had given him a home, friends, and even a family. They had changed him from a vicious thug into...well...a genuine hero.