Carcass 1.4.1

“I’ll also help you find a healer for your brother,” Madok said.

Jay couldn’t help the expression of surprise that jumped upon his features. Then he instantly narrowed his eyes. This deal just seemed to be too good to be true.

“You do this for every super you recruit?” Jay questioned, there was a tinge of caution in his words.

Madok rubbed the back of his neck.

“Not really, but you’re a special case. If I’ve understood you correctly, then you’d do anything to make sure your brother lives a normal life again. I have a few favors that I can call upon and see what I can do. I’m not guaranteeing anything, but I will swear to try.” Madok had a way with words. The genuine ease he spoke with made his voice honey-sweet. He had been dead on the mark, Jay did want his brother to be back to normal more than anything.

“And if you can’t heal my brother?” Jay questioned. The teenager already knew what that would mean for him. Kill Madok before he realized he had been betrayed.

“There’s a lot that can happen in this city, Jay. You’d be surprised how often things refuse to be set in stone,” Madok grinned and the wrinkles around his eyes creased.

Jay didn’t have to argue long. Stardust had told him to kill Madok and she’d heal his brother. He had been rushed for time when he was in Central Park, but now he had time to think things over. He didn’t trust Stardust at all, and waiting would allow Jay to see what his best options were. He was slightly worried that the sociopathic superhero would annihilate his family, but as long as she wanted Madok dead, she wouldn’t hurt them.

“Fine. I’ll join.” Jay announced. Madok smiled, the act showcased his yellowed teeth. He clapped his hands with a resounding boom that produced a perceptible shockwave.

“Perfect! I am immensely pleased. You will make a fine addition to the team. Although, there is one last box to mark before we can officially welcome you,” Madok noted. Jay was immediately on guard. Jay had believed the entire conversation had gone too well, and this was the point where it went South.

“Before we can formally induct you, we need you to handle a small matter. Have you heard of a group of people called Urchins?” Madok asked, his rough hands resting on the wooden table.

Jay shook his head in the negative. He wasn’t the finest at recalling things outside of West Seattle or that were recent. Life could change faster than the blink of an eye. Dynamics around New Seattle attested to that fact. It felt like every week there was a new cape or cowl throwing their way onto the scene.

“I didn’t expect so. They’re a newly formed gang of beggars and homeless that rallied around a street thief that Cracked. A middling super with a nifty trick that allows her to duplicate herself. I believe with your ability, you’ll have no problem wiping them out. It might be a tad bit annoying.” The gang leader explained. His tone was even and lacked any emotion, even while discussing the death of others. This was the type of man Jay had imagined when thinking about the leader of a murderous gang that ran The Docks.

“Why do you want them gone?” Jay cocked his head. The point of killing beggars and thieves didn’t strike him as important. Madok tapped the table. Jay’s heart chilled uncontrollably.

“They’ve started taking portions of my territory as their own. That cannot be allowed,” Madok declared. Jay didn’t argue, the Urchins meant nothing to him and stood in his way of potentially saving his brother. In addition to earning the safety that being part of The Drowned would provide.

Jay nodded which caused Madok to smile.

“Good. I’m glad you have no disagreements with this. How refreshing.” Hearing Madok praise his callousness made Jay feel a bit inhuman.

“Should I have pushed back? Said that I won’t kill innocents?” Jay was left conflicted. He didn’t want to hurt those that hadn’t wronged him, but he valued the benefits it brought him. His whole life would change with this seemingly simple act. Jay couldn’t help but relate it to a scenario he had once heard of. Push a button and get one hundred dollars, in exchange, one random person died each time the button was pushed. Jay was simply the one choosing who died. Jay wrestled with his inner emotions while Madok continued grinning. There was a strange glint in his eyes that the teenager didn’t notice.

“I know you must be tired. Shadow Man will take you to a compound where you can rest for the night. You can complete your task tomorrow.” Madok proposed.

Jay did feel exhausted. While his body didn’t wane, his mind lagged behind.

“Thank you,” Jay said, he blinked slowly.

“It is of no concern. Shadow Man will take you there directly. I hopefully will hear back from you soon. Best of luck, Jay. I have high expectations of you,” Madok’s voice was surprisingly temperate and Jay felt his chest swell with a feeling he was unaccustomed to. It had been a long time since he had heard those words. His father had been the last one to say them to him.

Madok sat up from the desk and strolled into the shadows. His large body disappeared instantaneously and a beat later darkness coalesced in front of Jay. A pair of piercing blue eyes formed above the teenager. The silhouette condensed into the form of a male figure.

A tall slim man with a masculine build draped in a deep black hooded cloak. A simple silver chain adorned his neck. Only his faintly green glowing eyes and slim mouth were visible beneath the darkness of his attire. His voice was sharp but hid a forceful edge. Faint tendrils of black hovered around him, like the tentacles of a squid.

“Well, I’ll say you’re the first to ever ask so many questions without bossman getting annoyed. Must be a record. The last fool that asked too many killed himself with a spoon, but hey, we aren’t all perfect.” Shadow Man shrugged. Jay frowned, unsure of how to respond to the man’s statement.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“A spoon?” Jay sputtered. The act was hard to imagine.

“Yeah, not the most bizarre thing though,” the person who could only be Shadow Man declared.

“He does that often, the killing?” The teenager questioned.

Shadow Man seemed to ponder over the question, a blackened hand resting upon his pointed chin.

“Hmm, maybe? It’s hard to keep track after all these years. He doesn’t kill without purpose if that’s what you’re implying. It’s more of a means to an end with him. Always thinking about the next step. Besides, I think that guy had been a mole anyways.” He shrugged again like he couldn’t be bothered with remembering.

“Anyways, let's go. I still want to sleep tonight. The weekend is tomorrow and I’m not wasting it by being a slug all day,” he said while sticking out a hand encased in shadows. Jay remembered the void he had been trapped in and flinched backward. Shadow Man seemed to know what he was brooding about and chuckled.

“Don’t worry, won’t be as bad as last time. The first is always the worst for everyone,” he declared. Although Jay felt like he was lying.

Jay knew he didn’t have a choice. He grasped the man’s hand and the two instantly fell into the shadows, leaving the warehouse empty beside the flickering light of a lantern.

The duo reappeared in a small living room. Mismatched furniture was shoved against the wooden walls, both of which were faded with time. A tattered rug lay haphazardly on the floor, sections of it were bunched up, its edges curled up from repeated use. A coffee table was modeled in the middle of the room, and magazines, newspapers, and various odds and ends were piled high on top. The air was heavy with the scent of sweat and stale food. A large tv mounted against the wall was dead and silent. Rows of movie disks were sorted into a small shelf underneath.

“You’ll have to endure the mess. The others don’t know how to clean up their trash. Been thinking about hiring a maid but that’d be a safety hazard,” Shadow Man explained. He gestured at some of the trash on the floor while moving to open a nearby window.

“The others?”

“You didn’t think you were the only one besides me, right?” He looked mildly concerned. Jay hurried to correct the misconception.

“I-I only meant that I expected everybody to be separated. Not this close,” the teenager explained.

“Everyone gets their own rooms, this is just a communal spot, but the junior team all stays in one building. Madok likes the newbies staying close to make sure you can keep an eye on each other. Know what the leading cause of superpowered death is?” Shadow Man asked.

“No.”

“It’s stupidity.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Jay felt awkward. Shadow Man was a hard man to read. He was unaccustomed to interacting with such individuals.

“You’ll get to know them eventually. Madok sent them out beyond the walls so it might be a couple of days before they get back. You can use that room, I don’t believe anyone has claimed it.” He pointed towards a closed wooden door. It was unadorned, compared to the decorated others. Jay could feel his eyes starting to droop and didn’t pay further attention to them.

“That sounds wonderful.” Jay twisted the handle and stepped inside. He blinked and the dark room instantly alighted with faint light. The room wasn’t large, but it was better than he was used to. He said his goodbyes to Shadow Man and collapsed into the bed. He was asleep within moments.

Jay woke up to a sense of peacefulness. A faint ray of sunlight streamed through the white curtains on the window. He had fallen asleep in his stolen clothes, which he now realized reeked. He took an inquisitive sniff and instantly reeled back. He clawed his shirt off and tossed it to the floor. His bare feet slapped against the chilly hardwood.

He wiped away the crust in his eyes and stretched. He could feel his muscles and bones strain with the effort. He let out a satisfied groan. He felt as if he had been racing around like a rat. His mind finally had a chance to rest. The previous day’s events had been the most hectic of his life. The thrill and adrenaline rushing through his veins while being chased by the capes had been some of the most pleasure he’d had in years.

He mulled over his thoughts for a bit but was startled by the sound of footsteps outside his door. He smelled the primal stench of a human, a strange odor that was contaminated by freshly scented clothing. He walked over to the door and opened it.

The room hadn’t changed from the previous night. It was still covered in leftover takeout, clothes, magazines, and empty cans.

Jay felt a bit of disdain for whoever lived here. He wondered who exactly was on the team with him. He hadn’t heard of a powered team under the command of Madok. Jay concluded that this was a recent action, likely taken to gather more power on The Drowned’s side. If the team members were all from The Docks, Jay understood why it was as messy as it was.

The Docks had always been dirty. No matter how nice buildings were constructed, the people that inhabited them would never change. When West Seattle was first destroyed, those without prospects in other places flooded in. West Seattle accepted those that weren’t accepted anywhere else, and they brought with them their behaviors and lifestyles.

“Some of which are less than stellar,” Jay thought to himself. His father had been a clean man. His mother was less so.

Jay pulled himself away from his inner musings and gazed at the lone individual standing at the entrance of the hallway. It appeared the communal room connected the bedrooms of different powered in addition to having a public kitchen and dining area.

A woman leaned against the wall, a mug of what smelled like coffee in her hand. A faint tendril of steam wafted upwards. She said nothing, but her gray eyes studied Jay. She wore loose clothing. A sweatshirt a size too big, and pants that pooled around her ankles.

“Good morning,” Jay ventured, uncertain. There was no clock in the room, and he was unsure what time it was. He took a step back and put on the shirt he had taken off.

“Mornin’, how was the first night?” She asked. She continued to sip on her drink, not blinking once.

“It was good. I was exhausted.”

“Understandable. Before we get ahead of ourselves, I believe you would benefit from watching the news. Shadow Man is below average with tours. He never leaves the TV on after a strike or informs the recruits.” She walked to the device and pressed a few buttons. The screen came alive and displayed a soccer game being played uptown. Jay could recognize some of the better architecture in the background.

The strange woman flipped through the channels before landing on a news segment. A handsome man dressed in a light gray suit spoke with a grave face.

“Twelve confirmed dead and twenty injured in yesterday’s attack on Central Lane and Park. Reports and video evidence confirm a massive serpent rampaged through Central, destroying property while it battled with Pantheon capes.” A video of the event of Jay slithering his way down the street was displayed on the screen. He watched as his bulk tore through the asphalt and concrete, obliterating storefronts with his mere movements. The camera briefly panned over to the rubble, where corpses were being pulled out from the stores. It appeared some had decided to hide in the buildings instead of the different safehouses.

“Apparently the snake is not an awakened wild animal and is in fact a cowl new to New Seattle. Citizens are warned to report any suspicious activity in their area. The identity of this villain is a resident of West Seattle, Jay Donnelly, and we caution those residing near any large sources of water to remain vigilant. After the murderer’s retreat into the water, Pantheon sent long-time hero, Current, to investigate, but no new information was discovered,” the newscaster reported. A picture of Jay’s face was displayed on the screen, his gaunt features, captured by a security camera, brought for all to see.

Jay had heard of Current. The tidal-themed cape had been vital to clearing the waters near New Seattle back when they were still a threat. Current eventually escaped the spotlight to enjoy the rest of her days riding the fame and fortune offered to her by various corporate sponsorships.

The teenager hadn’t seen Current whatsoever while under the water. He wondered if the story was fabricated, a ruse to increase sales of the disgusting fish farm companies that paid for Current’s lifestyle.

“It is likely Donnelly is currently residing in West Seattle. His mother refused our requests to speak. A few of his classmates have volunteered their time to join us here today,” the camera panned outwards to encompass three extra bodies. Jay barely controlled his rage as he saw the fake pitiful faces of those he had known for his life.

“You three went to school with Jay, what can you say about him? Did he ever display any worrying behavior?” The news reporter questioned.

“Jay was always weird. He’d look like he’d stab you with a knife if you looked at him wrong. Everyone was too scared to ever talk to him.” A girl with braided hair and wide eyes spoke fearfully. Jay recognized her as one of many that would laugh behind his back as he walked the halls.

“We all felt bad for him. We knew his home life wasn’t the best, so we’d try to help him. He always refused us and threatened us each time we tried.” A boy with a wide frown and brown eyes added. Jay remembered the time the boy offered a dollar if Jay would dump his lunch tray over himself.

“It isn’t surprising that this happened. He always felt like a loose cannon waiting to go off. We were never too sure if he’d bring a gun to school or not.” Another boy said while shuddering. Jay didn’t know this one, but at a certain point, the faces of his tormentors sometimes blurred together.

“Wow, you’re all so brave. I can’t imagine what it was like to be in constant fear. I’m also told some of the first deceased were students of your school. Are you aware of the relationship between Jay and them?” The man asked.

The three seemed to hesitate for a moment before the girl spoke up.

“Many of us would try to help Jay, but none more so than Jackson, Tim, George, and Alexander. They would bring Jay out every Friday and feed him. To hear what they did to him is horrifying. We’re glad Jackson is still with us.” She shuddered in her plush seat. Jay could feel himself fuming. Heat waves rolled off his body and his hand clenched into a white fist. He took a step forward and grabbed the remote off the table and mashed the buttons. The TV blinked rapidly as it flipped through channels and settings. Jay clenched his hand and the remote shattered into wires and plastic. He threw the remnants to the floor.

“They call him Leviathan.” A feminine voice came from the speaker.