Carcass 1.2.2

Central Lane was where those with money to burn and time to spend enjoyed their afternoons. Numerous stalls and shops catered to rich clientele. Stores with extravagant meals that went for hundreds of dollars, pricey tours that promised to see heroes in action, all of it was here for upstanding citizens with deep enough pockets. It was also one of the most secure places in the entire city, far enough away from the wall on the outskirts and close to Central Pantheon headquarters.

It was one of the rare times Jay had ever stepped foot in the area. Special guards paid for by the local merchants kept the undesirables away and out of sight. No one wanted a beggar in front of their store, scaring away potential customers. Heros also patrolled the street, which in turn attracted more fans.

Jay risked a glance behind him. He spotted no trailing capes so he took a moment to slip into a nearby alley to catch his breath. His heart felt as if it was beating fast enough to kickstart a car. His breath expunged from his lungs with great bursts of steam, which fogged up the nearby surroundings. He briefly fantasized about himself as a dragon, ready to lay waste to his surroundings in hellfire. He chuckled and wiped the sweat from his brow. The high temperature that covered his body was like a shield, drying up anything that came close. His bodily fluids seemed immune to effects.

He heard footsteps and he ducked behind a garbage disposal. The green wall was big enough to cover his body and more. Jay tried to slow his breathing and disperse the lingering remnants of his breath. He strained his ears to listen to his pursuers. The footsteps halted nearby and Jay felt his throat tighten.

“Man, this is so boring. Stardust and Crystalline are the only ones who’ve even seen the dude. Should’ve sent us sooner, then we’d at least gotten some experience. I bet I could have knocked him senseless within a minute.” An arrogant voice boasted.

Jay had the overwhelming urge to rip the individual to shreds. He blinked and frowned. He was uncertain where that idea had come from. He knew he had been repressing himself but blatant murder just because an offhand remark seemed disproportionate. Jay didn’t have time for introspection as he tuned back into the conversation.

“Sure you would have. Next time you fight a colossal beast invite me to watch you get your ass handed to you.” A feminine voice snarked back.

“At least I can do more than fart sparkles out of my-” The words cut off and the two fell silent. Jay could barely pick up the sound of radio static and a faint mechanical tone. The exchange lasted for a few seconds.

“Finally, let the other team deal with this. Let’s go, I call dibs on the console when we get back.”

“Hey, no fair!” The other person responded.

Jay heard a pair of footsteps running off and he was left alone. He burned with curiosity, he wanted to know what had been reported to have them run off. He also wondered if this meant he was safe to come out. A sensation of danger associated with the thought of continuing his trek down to the bay kept him hidden in the darkness.

His uncovered back slid down the cold metal of his impromptu hiding spot. He squatted on the wall, unwilling to put his bare bottom on the concrete ground. Despite it being in a nicer part of town, Jay still didn’t want to risk attracting some disease.

He wondered briefly if he should slip into one of the clothing stores and repurpose some apparel. The idea was dashed across the wall once he recalled that every shop on Central Lane would have an alarm system of some kind.

Jay felt helpless. He was being hunted by the premier fighting force in New Seattle due to a sociopathic superhero for crimes he committed in the heat of passion. The one time he had tried to surrender to the chain wielder, Stardust had reminded him all she needed was a well-aimed shot to take off his head. A day he should have been celebrating was marred with weakness and futility. Jay couldn’t help but wish he had Cracked away from here, preferably far away from Stardust and her sudden hair-brained plan that would get him killed.

Most cowls stuck to enacting their schemes away from the center of New Seattle due to the increasing presence of cape activity the further inwards an individual went into the city. Cowls were those with powers that the public referred to as evil. Most of them were out robbing banks or causing other forms of mayhem. They refused to join Central Pantheon and the majority of them operated in prohibited activity.

Considerable amounts of money ran through New Seattle, most of it in the form of Techno tech. The metropolis had a higher than average level of people who Cracked into a Techno category super. The classification denoted the individual as being able to assemble technology that would be considered leaps and bounds better than what was currently available, futuristic in design and capability. Jay thought of it as the people who crafted indestructible bunkers to hide away while they experimented and cackled maniacally. Although, most often Technos were those that could make things marginally better. It was rare to get a Techno that could make more effective guns and weapons. Technos often had a specialization, Jay had heard of a man who Cracked and gained the ability to construct pens with dozens of features.

New Seattle sent most of this product off to neighboring cities, and after the beast waves appeared the list of buyers shrunk. Efforts by governing actors with a vested interest in not losing money learned to employ powers with combat abilities to guard their shipments against possible raider and monster attacks while they traveled between civilizations.

With an extensive number of miscellaneous exports and the still-rising tech industry, New Seattle had long been a city rich with resources. It also made the discrepancies between social classes clear to see. Districts in the city were noticeable. Similar to the way graffiti would be apparent the instant a corner was turned.

This part of the city was unfamiliar to Jay and he could tell that he was beginning to panic. He steadied his breath and remained patient. This was nothing unique. He could wait here as long as he needed. It wasn’t that different from hiding from those that wanted to hurt him. In fact, it was exactly like that.

Jay’s roaming eyes locked onto a manhole. The small circular door embedded in the ground had blended into the darkness of the alley. Jay left his spot behind the garbage bin and walked towards the rusted covering. He slipped his fingers into the sockets and pulled. The lid came off with a heavy thunk and Jay flinched in alarm. His head swiveled on his neck to check for disturbances. A moment passed and Jay dipped his head into the pitch-black sewer.

A strange urge made Jay blink. When he opened his eyes he could see a hazy outline against every object. It was as if he had glued a pair of heat-vision goggles to his head. He saw the red outline of what appeared to be a rat scurry across the floor.

The sewer was a long giant tube, one end went further into the city while the other went towards the ocean. Jay noticed the flowing water below, the bits of waste floating at the top caused him to gag. A horrific stench wafted upwards and Jay’s eyes watered at the smell. He replaced the lid, refusing to go into the disposal system as he was.

He ran a grungy hand through his matted hair and let out a sigh. He’d have to risk venturing down the street. The sirens still blared in the background so Jay knew Central Pantheon didn’t consider him escaped or dealt with yet. He bit the inside of his mouth while he stewed in his pot of nerves. He gritted his teeth and turned towards the street. A cautious examination of the area led him to take a small step onto the bare sidewalk.

He instantly started running.

The wind whipped past him and his hair flowed free. The rest in the alley had done wonders to his stamina and also to his injuries. They had faded to a dull ache before regenerating completely. His arm was back to perfect condition, despite being blasted off twice. He felt a bit smug about the power, his plethora of boosts put him a step above what he believed to be the common super, and it made him satisfied despite his current circumstances.

A shout nearby made him involuntarily curse under his breath.

“Unknown target running down East Central Lane. Suspect matches description given!” The voice sounded young. Jay briefly wondered if the more experienced superheroes agreed he wasn’t worth their time and decided to send the younger teams instead.

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His train of thought was disrupted when a loud explosion went off to his right. The detonation barely hit him and did nothing to obstruct his sprinting.

“I said no excessive damage! What do you not understand about that, Expo?!” The owner of the voice was masculine and loudly and forcefully, exasperation coated their words.

“S-Sorry!” Someone stuttered off to the side.

“You didn’t get anywhere near him!” Rebuked an immature voice.

“I said sorry!” The nervous voice gained a bit of edge.

“We’ll talk later. Slip, you know what to do,” commanded the masculine voice.

Right as that was said, Jay felt the ground beneath him give way. His bare feet slid against the concrete of the sidewalk and he went tumbling down. He continued to roll down the hill towards the bay with increasing speed. He attempted to stop but it was as if he couldn’t get a grip on anything. A quick change of plans brought him throwing his weight into the roll, urging him to go faster down the incline. Bouncing against the hard surface wasn’t pleasant but Jay didn’t feel damaged by it.

“Baggins, now!”

Jay had a moment to react before a dark cloak was wrapped over his body. He had fallen directly into it on his uncontrolled dive downwards. He was brought to a sudden halt and his face smeared against the rough ground. If he had been less durable his skin would be ripped to shreds. He struggled in the bindings, his arms and legs had been tightly sewn together by the burlap cloth. His newfound strength did little to assist him.

Jay began to breathe rapidly and his face flushed. Sweat covered his skin as he struggled to release himself. He shifted his weight and tried to move his hands to no avail. Jay did not like being trapped.

He heard footsteps approach him and he turned to look up at four childish faces. Jay cursed himself for not knowing them, which he felt like he had been doing a lot lately.

“Perfect! With this, we should be above Team Rascal in points.” A young boy that couldn’t be more than a few years Jay’s junior exclaimed. He pumped his fist in delight. A rough-hewn sack covered his torso, along with numerous stitched pockets that covered its entirety. Jay thought the boy looked ridiculous. His features were slightly visible each time he jumped up and down, the loose mask that covered his face did little to provide any sort of hidden identity.

“Let’s not celebrate too soon. I’ll call for retrieval, and Slip and Peaches will secure the perimeter. One of you take the bay and the other the top of the hill.” A man that Jay assumed was around his age commanded. He wore a skintight suit that showed off his muscular frame. His handsome features were half visible behind a mask that covered the upper portion of his face. Light brown hair was matted with sweat, whatever gel he had used had barely worked to keep it in shape. His suit was an eggshell white splattered with dots of green. He looked as if someone had vomited over an outfit and called it good.

Jay couldn’t help the small smile that began to form on his lips.

“Oh he’s smiling, that’s never a good sign! Something always happens when the villain smiles after they’ve been caught!” The boy swathed in sacks warned while backing away. The man dressed in white and green, who Jay assumed was the leader, stepped in front of the boy and looked down at the apprehended power. The other two capes had left already, fulfilling their orders.

Jay frowned. The casual remark of the boy dubbing him a villain struck a nerve.

“I’m not a villain,” Jay stated. His eyes were half-lidded and his features expressionless.

The puke man smirked.

“Sure, tell that to the three bodies and the civvy you injured.” The man turned his nose upwards, adamant in his moral superiority over the naked teenager.

“They were trying to kill me.”

“Sure sure, is that why you came to New Seattle? Too powerless tried to kill you and you were driven out. Should’ve just disappeared into the plains, done everyone a favor.” The young man remarked.

Jay could feel his frustration building.

“You’ve got it all wrong.”

“And what do I have wrong? Are you going to tell me some sob story about how you were touched by your uncle as a kid? Is that why you feel the need to kill people? Hardly original.” The masked man scoffed and the sack boy gave a mousey laugh.

Jay studied the younger boy. He appeared a bit nervous and eyed Jay with visible fear. His earlier enthusiasm had been severely dampened.

“I’m from here. I just Cracked. That was my first time using my abilities.” Jay stated. He attempted to break out of the bindings once more but they didn’t budge.

“Likely story. You look young but it wouldn’t be the first time someone like you thought it’d be easy to start over here. They always slip up eventually,” the team leader sighed dramatically and eyed Jay, “don’t even bother trying to transform. Baggins here nullifies the powers of people he’s trapped.”

“Is that right…” Jay got eerily quiet. His eyes trained directly upon the boy. Although the two would have been nearly the same height when standing up, Baggins took a step backward under the scrutinizing gaze of Jay.

“You think I’m some mindless killer who enjoys tearing into the soft bodies of humans.” Jay retained his unblinking eyes on the boy, who shuddered briefly. The vomit man didn’t appear to notice and resumed his gloating.

“Indeed, we were given strict instructions to constrain you as fast as possible. We all saw pictures of what happened to those high schoolers you ate.”

“I see. You’re right. I did enjoy killing them. I particularly enjoyed crushing the bones of the first one. Have you ever had pretzel sticks? When I can get them I savor them. Bite them bit by bit until they’re broken and in pieces,” Jay continued. At some point, his eyes had transformed an amber hue and stretched vertically, like the pupils of a serpent. Baggins looked to be on the verge of tears.

“You’re right. What I said before was a lie. I was forced to flee from Portland after their capes found me. That didn’t stop me from shattering the skeletons of dozens in my maw by then,” he increased his intensity as Baggins looked to be on the verge of running off in a panic, “I enjoyed the younger ones the most. Their flesh was tender, and when I popped their skulls…” He grinned. “It was like popping grapes.”

Baggins finally broke. The younger child babbled something indiscernible before sprinting away. Vomit man jerked in surprise at the sudden movement.

“Baggins! Where the hell are you going?!” He hollered towards the fleeing super. Baggins ran up the hill and didn’t respond. The team leader swung back towards Jay and narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t know what your game is but I’ll make sure to report your statements to my manager. You’ll answer for your crimes and I’ll make sure you suffer for the ones in Portland too.” He threatened. Jay rolled his eyes. The teenager’s posturing reminded him of every kid that wanted to prove themselves. Jay’s experience with that kind of behavior was him being the target as highschools students endeavored to curry favor with Jackson.

“Will I?” Jay could feel the restraints slowly coming undone. His gamble had paid off. While he had cringed internally with every word he spoke, he didn’t regret scaring Baggins away.

“Can’t really answer for crimes I never committed.”

“What kind of mind games are you trying to play? I’m not some inexperienced boy that you can manipulate. Besides,” he sniggered, “you’re not even wearing underwear.”

“Let’s change that,” Jay said. A heatwave exploded outwards, centered on Jay. Vomit man went flying from the impact.

Jay's body trembled and his breathing quickened as a searing heat spread throughout his limbs. He clenched his fists as if trying to fight off an invisible force that was overtaking him. His skin appeared to bubble and boil as if it was melting from within. The blood that seeped out of his pores hissed and steamed as it hit the ground.

The transformation was painful and gruesome to witness. His bones popped and cracked as they lengthened and reformed. His skin, once ragged and worn, twisted and stretched into a scaly texture that covered his entire body. The scales were jagged and uneven as if they were growing out of his flesh instead of laying atop it.

Jay's face contorted and twisted, his features were unrecognizable as they morphed into something monstrous. His jaw unhinged and his teeth sharpened into fangs, dripping with a corrosive substance that burned through the ground beneath him. His eyes glowed an amber hue, giving off an aura of primal rage.

His body grew and swelled, towering over the surrounding buildings like a giant monster from legend. His skin was now covered with patches of polluted green and gray, with patches of blackened scales that shimmered in the dim light. He let out a guttural roar, causing the ground to shake and nearby objects to shatter.

“This is more like it.” Jay thought to himself as he turned towards the bay. His brief stint as a prisoner under the care of the obnoxious Vomit man had made him realize how much would hate a more real prison experience. He glanced down at the puke green suit and the struggling super.

The young man pushed himself to his feet, he unsteadily swayed back and forth. It appeared as if he had a concussion.

The sight of weakened prey made Jay reflexively swallow. Unlike the first time he shifted, Jay was much more in control of his thoughts. He restrained the urge to devour the man and settled for a casual swipe of his tail. The appendage was much larger than the wobbly cape and smacked him into a nearby brick wall. Jay, satisfied with the petty revenge, surged down the hill once more.

He left a path of destruction in his wake. His great size upturned vehicles and destroyed anything that had been abandoned in the evacuation. Storefronts were demolished under his snaking path. He briefly noticed a small woman outfitted in a light gray outfit cowering in one of the shops. Jay recognized her as one of the capes who had tried to apprehend him. He ignored her and moved on.

Moments later he slipped into the waters of the bay, his size caused a small tidal surge that flooded the piers. Jay sunk down to the depths and fled to The Docks. Back towards his home.