Carcass 1.3.1

In the 80s, Seattle underwent rapid change. In a duel between supers that wiped out most of West Seattle, thousands were left homeless or dead. The area never fully recovered. Attempts were made to revive the area by constructing a new shipping yard and docks, and for a time it seemed as if the future had hope. The leveled urban neighborhood turned into numerous brick-and-mortar apartment complexes along with dozens of factories that seemed to pop up overnight. The regional government rented out the apartments at low costs and sold leases to the properties for pennies.

Like most things in a big enough place, West Seattle became a city within a city. The new beachfront property attracted families looking for a change, and a trade agreement with some Eastern countries across the Pacific caused the shipping yard to see a spike in action. Residents in New Seattle either worked in the factories, the shipping yard, or on the boats. It was as simple as that. With the inflow of money, new amenities started to appear. A downtown area boasted restaurants that catered to all walks of life. It didn’t take much money to live in West Seattle compared to the rest of the city.

While West Seattle knew a short time of peace, there were always those that desired more. This fact ultimately resulted in the rise of numerous gangs that desired to take control of the area. The booming population and the lack of restrictions on who could move in only heightened the problem.

Jay’s family had been enticed by the cheap prices and put down payments for a house to fit a family of four. The modest salary earned by Jay’s father was enough to get by. The man would be gone for long periods of time while out on the ocean, only briefly coming back during the slow months. He worked as a captain on one of the numerous fishing vessels at the docks.

Jay cherished those moments and would spend every available second with his father. He had been a patient man that doted upon Jay. They would walk the shore and his father would point out the different animals that inhabited it.

He wasn’t an attractive man. A red lumpy nose and thick eyebrows made him seem like he was always a wrong word away from swinging his fist at someone’s face. He constantly frowned, his brows would scrunch up as if he had to sneeze but never could. But he would always smile when he looked at Jay. It was in those moments that Jay felt like he could do anything.

It was in moments of confusion that he couldn’t help but remember his father.

Jay walked onto the gray sandy shore. His feet sank in the course, damp sand, and frothy waves washed away his footprints. Droplets of saltwater glistened on his bare skin and the setting afternoon sky painted the Earth a purple hue. Jay wiggled his toes and felt the grit of sand between them.

He inhaled a deep breath, the ocean air filled his lungs and he smiled softly. His hair was disheveled by the waters, and the minerals inside caused his wavy locks to constrict. Residue coated his body, and bits of seaweed and trash were peeled off and tossed away.

As Jay walked further inland the ground grew firmer beneath his feet and the ocean water receded into the depths. The steady rhythm calmed his beating heart and he collapsed onto the dry sand.

He had spent hours under the choppy waters of the bay, hiding out until he felt it was safe enough to return. He had felt at home in the water and felt no strain to his transformation while submerged. In addition, there had been no attempts to follow him into the bay, despite the relative safety from potential monsters. The wildlife had been virtually eliminated within the depths after the populace of New Seattle began to fear the thought of sealife Cracking.

In the early days of the beast waves, the waters had been overfished to the point where the only thing residing within the deep was human trash. And the skeletons of people who went missing.

Jay found himself confused about his next course of action. Stardust had been persuasive, the threat against his brother and himself had been extremely effective. He also came to terms with the fact that it would take training to be able to defeat Stardust if it was even possible. Her rays of energy were capable of shooting through almost any material. His flesh had shown no resistance either.

He thought back to her demands. She claimed that she wanted him to join The Drowned. They were one of the local gangs based in West Seattle. A ruthless community comprised of dockworkers and former fishermen that had been lacking jobs after their industries vanished. No one was willing to brave the waters anymore, it was public knowledge that doing so was condemning the crew to certain death. The waters that could be braved were empty.

The Drowned had tight control over The Docks in West Seattle. They operated ferries across the different islands, along with a ‘protection’ fee for the local businesses. Cops didn’t enter this part of the city so whatever the gangs offered was what the citizens of West Seattle got. The Drowned were lowkey, or at least their name didn’t appear on the news as much as other, more notorious, gangs did. Whenever they were on the news it was usually concerning territory disputes with rival organizations.

They were presently locked in open warfare with a group of individuals that referred to themselves as Maletos. The gang had wedged themselves between The Drowned and Blood Quakers, carving out slices of territory through murder. Jay recalled hearing that Maletos had a monopoly on illicit substances. Although, most gangs claimed to have the best and only supply of ways to get high.

It all boiled down to the fact that The Drowned were dangerous. Their preferred method of execution was tied closely to their name. Drowning a person. Very original. Very willing to do it to anyone that messed with them.

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Stardust had been right when she said The Drowned recruited exclusively from the area they controlled. Most of those under their protection had a neutral or positive disposition toward the thugs. It was hard to stay mad when the members of the gang were related to those that lived in The Docks. The scheme had worked so far to ensure loyalty and no news of a mutiny ever reached public news. The leader had sat in his seat for as long as Jay could remember.

Before he had been a gang leader he had been the spokesperson and union leader of the dockworkers and fishermen. Most of those that served under him had followed when he started to engage in criminal activities.

He went by the name of Madok, or by his cowl name Madok The Mad. Jay had heard horror stories about how those that faced him ended up tearing out their own eyes and attacking their allies. The power’s ability involved changing personalities in extreme ways.

Jay was reluctant to engage in business with the brutal man, even under coercion from Stardust.

The teenager rubbed at his face, he could feel a headache forming from the intense recent events. He wanted nothing more than to find a bed and collapse. His heart pumped blood through his system and forced him to remain alert. He felt as if he was still in danger, moments away from disaster. Even as he lay on the beach in the nude.

The easiest way to make contact with The Drowned would be to simply find a member and get in contact with Madok through them. They wore uniforms with their symbol stitched on the back. The human skull with drops of water surrounded by sea life. It looked like something that should’ve been on the front of a hipster’s shirt. Or some band logo. They also wore predominantly blue and moved in groups of two or more while on patrol. Jay had seen dozens go by when he stared out the window of his bedroom in the past.

The other way would be to wait for them to make contact with him. He felt his headache increase in intensity as he thought about how he had just ran naked through Central Lane. The street had some of the tightest security and was filled with cameras. His pasty skin and malnourished body was probably on every tv screen in the city. He was a wanted man.

He cursed Stardust for forcing him down this path. But he also blamed himself for his lack of control during his Crack. The way the capes acted made him realize they operated on a looser leash than he had originally believed. If he had played his cards right, he could have used his power as a cape of New Seattle and gotten revenge against Jackson and his gang. Now he had to deal with his mistake being used against him by Stardust. The promise of a pardon filled him with mixed feelings.

He had murdered people, but they hadn’t been innocent. Why did he need to be absolved of a crime when he had simply been defending himself? They had been the ones to toss him in the water. They had been the ones to force his awakening. They suffered the consequences of their actions and Jay’s judgment had been swift and deserving.

He didn’t need some uppity cape’s pardon. He did nothing wrong. Anyone who claimed him evil for getting revenge simply didn’t understand. No, Jay decided that he didn’t have any other choice but to follow Stardust’s orders, but he wouldn’t be doing it for the promise of a pardon. He would be doing it to save his brother.

He shuddered. Stardust’s apathetic eyes floated in his vision.

The Drowned would find him or he would find them. The faster the better.

He looked down. First, he would need some clothes. In the stories that he lost himself in, first impressions always mattered. Sort of like how eating three teenagers while in the form of a giant snake made him seem like a villain.

Jay knew that heading toward his mother's apartment was out of the question. After causing mayhem in Central, Central Pantheon would certainly send capes to watch where he lived. They wouldn’t stop their pursuit until the commotion fully died down or he was captured. Eventually, other emergencies would force whatever personnel deployed to his house to focus on other tasks. Central Pantheon stated that they were dedicated to upholding justice within New Seattle, but there were only so many capes to cover the gigantic sprawling metropolis.

The teenager wouldn’t be able to wait a week until the attention shifted off of him. Luckily, The Docks were full of impoverished occupants, those who were too haggard to be able to afford the cheap housing in the area. This group consisted primarily of addicts, drunkards, and those at the bottom of the barrel. The wealth of abandoned warehouses and buildings caused those who still stayed on the street to automatically be assumed as troublemakers.

Jay didn’t see those still out at this hour in any positive view. He contemplated stealing from one of the homeless, but that was too depraved of an act to truly consider. It would be dark soon and the lack of electricity in the area meant the street lamps would remain off. A perfect time to knick a shirt and some pants from some knocked-out alcoholic.

Jay pushed himself up and walked towards the wooden stairs that led to the grassy outcrop. The area was full of decrepit and rundown buildings, inhospitable for those with even the meagerest of means. The new power examined some scrawled graffiti on the wall in passing. The tagging had no purpose besides ugly decoration.

The sun had swiftly set behind the horizon and bathed the streets in moonlight shadows. Jay blinked and brought his heat vision to bear, searching for movement and signs of life. It wasn’t long before he found a victim. A group of men appeared to be staggering down the sidewalk, laughing at each other and bantering. Jay pushed down the sudden swell of embarrassment and appeared in front of them. His bare feet slapped against the cold concrete.

“W-wuh? Am I seein’ things?” The person in the front, a beanpole of a man with spare hair and beady eyes, squinted at Jay. He rubbed his eyes a few times as if he couldn’t consider what he was seeing. The two others followed suit before one began to laugh uproariously and clutch his stomach.

Jay sighed. Unsure of how to deal with the situation. He kept it simple and stated his purposes.

“Give me your pants and a shirt,” Jay demanded. His words were dry despite the state his victims were in. They giggled to each other, obviously under an influence stronger than beer.

“O-okay. Tommy, g-give the naked boy your shirt, a-and I’ll give him my,” he burst out giggling, “I’ll give him my pants!”

A couple of minutes later Jay was wearing a set of clothes a couple of sizes too large. They were spotted with stains and smelled of hops. Jay was trying to comprehend how easy it had been to rob the trio. He furrowed his brows and walked away. Unwilling to watch the now pantless and shirtless duo walk away.

He felt a spike of unease rolls through his body.

“Strange, isn't it? How different things are from your imagination.” A sharp voice penetrated through the shadows of the rundown street.