The Metahuman Agency: The Superhuman War

Tears in the Sun

Jason and Hiroshi made their way down the hallway, the noise of their feet providing a rhythm to the empty hall. Rounding a corner, they made their way back to the entrance of the building, where they found two soldiers standing before the shut doors. One soldier raised a hand as they approached.

"Where are you two going?" The man asked, eyes flicking between them. He seemed outwardly calm but Jason noted a slight tremor in his voice, suggesting a hidden nervousness. He frowned and tried to adopt a relaxed posture, hoping to put these two at ease.

"Going for a walk," Jason said matter-of-factly. "It's getting a bit cramped in here for my taste, so I figure we'll go out and enjoy some fresh air."

"Uh..." The two soldiers glanced at each other. "I don't think you can do that."

"Who said?" Hiroshi asked, folding his arms.

"Yeah, who said?" Jason interjected, jabbing a finger at them.

"Alright, alright..." The soldier raised a hand. "I'll clear it. Just wait there, alright?" He pulled out a radio and spoke into it. "Got two of the metas here at the exit. They want to go for a walk. Over."

The soldier thumbed the radio and held it to his ear, waiting for a response. Jason glanced at the other man, the second soldier's stoic stare making him resemble a well crafted statue.

"So..." Jason said awkwardly, biting his lip. "Uh...what do you guys do for fun?"

"Nothing." The soldier grunted.

"Nothing? Sounds lame...nothing at all?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Geez. That sucks. Sorry dude."

A voice, slightly garbled, suddenly spoke up on the other soldier's radio. The man nodded and stepped aside. "Alright, you all have permission to wander around outside. Do not cause any trouble, go into restricted areas, or approach personnel without their consent. Copy?"

Jason nodded in response. Hiroshi echoed it. "Copy." They both said simultaneously. The soldier nodded again and gestured to the doors. Jason pushed them open, a wave of fresh air splashing over him. He held one door open as he moved outside, Hiroshi moving out next to him.

They stood on the dirt road before the military building. The sun was now high in the sky, so Jason guessed it was getting near noon. Around him, he caught glimpses of soldiers moving about, some dressed in full uniform, others in more casual wear. Many of them glanced in their direction but none moved toward them. Jason hoped they had all been informed of them, so they wouldn't have potential incidents of jerks trying to pick a fight.

Hiroshi closed his eyes and breathed in sharply. He then winced in pain and put a hand to his ribs, groaning uncomfortably. Jason put a hand on the kid's shoulder. "How's your ribs?"

"They hurt," Hiroshi grimaced, opening his eyes. "But it does feel a little hurt. Like...like a weird ache instead of like constant pain, you know? Whenever I breathe though, like real deep, is the worst though. Feels like a punch to my gut, a nasty burning whack, when I do that."

"You'll get better," Jason patted him on the shoulder and started walking, kicking up dirt in his wake. Hiroshi followed, keeping pace with him as he continued to clutch his side. "I've got a healing factor. A 'mild' one according to the people who examined me, but its pretty cool. I got the shit kicked out of me during the battle of Quincy but now, all those nasty wounds, cuts, and stuff don't hurt as much anymore. I feel a bit sore but considering I got slapped around by a giant elephant man? That's pretty good. Maybe you have something similar."

Hiroshi cocked his head, eyes widening. "Ooh...that would be cool if I did...I'd be like Wolverine! But, uh, maybe not to his level. I haven't seen anything like that though but hey..." He grinned. "I don't really know too much about my powers yet. The Agency staff didn't mention anything like that though, when I got my own examination...but to be honest, it seemed kinda rushed when they examined me."