Carcass 1.6.2

Jay’s security and future depended on this mission. It wasn’t just his own life on the line, but the life of his brother.

“Don’t worry, kid. You got rid of the Urchins. Madok doesn’t usually expect much from newly sprouted powers. He’s realistic, no kiddy super is going to do great the first time.” The robed man showed a surprising amount of empathy for Jay. The boy in question looked at the teleporter with distrust.

“And what about…” Jay’s voice trailed off. A soft sigh escaped from the man’s lips.

“Tell you what. I’ll do you a favor and won’t tell Madok about your little fuckup. But in exchange, you’ll have to help me with something in the future.” Shadow Man extended a hand clad in black shadows. The other hand was gripping a half-empty soda.

Leviathan felt a bit of trepidation. Shaking the man’s hand would almost guarantee his acceptance into the Drowned. Something he desperately needed to ensure that he wouldn't be targeted as a solo powered. The gang name carried authority.

Shadow Man was undoubtedly extremely close to Madok.

But it also meant owing a favor to a dangerous man. Owing favors to other supers never went well in the shows and movies.

Jay felt his heart being split in half, his emotions eventually overcame his rationality. Too much was riding on the line not to do everything to secure his acceptance into The Drowned. What was a small favor to the life of his brother?

“What’s with you and handshakes? Your fingers feel weird.” Jay commented, but reached out and grasped the man’s extended palm. The robed figure gave off no heat and the shadows that covered his skin felt cold to the touch. It left Jay feeling uneasy and uncertain.

“You learn a lot about people from their handshake,” he shrugged, “In any case, let me be the first to welcome you, kid. Madok will most certainly be pleased to have a local with your powerset in the gang.

“Let’s go.” Jay grimaced as he felt space warping around him again. The shadows rushed inwards and surrounded the duo.

Jay briefly saw Stardust speaking with a reporter before the room vanished. He looked at her with confused eyes.

The man’s teleport was strange. During the time in between reaching here from there, Jay was left in a realm of darkness. There was no light, sound, or feeling. Only an absence of reality.

It left him feeling sick, like he had experienced something not meant for the human psyche.

Within seconds Jay and the man materialized in a different room.

A high ceiling and polished deep rich wooden floors. An antique gramophone sat in the corner, its brass horn gleaming in the gentle warm light. It played a soft tune, a melody from before the beast waves.

A taxidermy walrus head was mounted above the bookshelves, its glass eyes staring out into the filled space of plush couches and chairs. An abstract painting hung on one of the brick-coated walls, its bold aquatic colors and sweeping brushstrokes standing out against the gray background.

The painting reminded Jay of an iceberg, colossal, unyielding, moving forward unhindered by what lay in its path.

A single desk was towards the back of the room, a computer perched upon a couple of mismatched books. Each one appeared to have no correlation to each other.

A large flat-screen monitor was mounted on the wall, it displayed the same news report that Jay had been staring at moments prior.

Jay was too busy recovering from the teleportation to notice the man who watched them both appear. He sat in a chair behind the small, out-of-date computer.

“Welcome back. I see it went well,” the man’s voice was as calloused as his hands. Deep and rough, like he had screamed it hoarse years ago and it never fully healed.

“Yep, Levy here did alright for his first time.” Shadow Man took a seat in one of the numerous chairs around the room and kicked his soft-soled shoes up on a nearby table.

The man studied Jay with navy blue eyes, and weary wrinkles surrounding his sockets.

“And what of Argo and the Urchins?”

“Dead from what I saw. The delinquent was a tough nut, I was worried for our little monster here for a bit but the kid blasted her eardrums out and then chopped her head off. I have it here if you wanted confirmation.”

Jay watched with wide eyes as the robed figure pulled a soccer ball-sized severed head from the shadows. He dropped it on the table in front of him, not taking his eyes off the high-definition screen.

Madok grunted in acknowledgment and then turned to look at Jay. The boy was currently locked eyes with his recent victim.

“Are you sure this isn’t a clone?”

“Don’t know, you should know personally how hard it is to make sure body swappers are permanently dead. For all we know she could have slipped off in the confusion and left to fight another day.” The man clad in black shrugged his shoulders.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Indeed,” a heavy finger tapped repeatedly on the hard wood of his desk. Thick lips frowned behind a dense white beard. Numerous beads and trinkets were tied into the facial hair.

“What say you, Leviathan? How did you feel this went?” The question pulled Jay away from his staring match with Argo.

“It, it went well I think. Not really sure what the baseline is.” The robed figure let out a high-pitched laugh.

“The kid here wiped out the entire camp within seconds. His transformation did most of the work and then he just had to let the foolish bitch exhaust herself. Should’ve taken a video. Would’ve made for a great showcase for the yearly highlights.” He continued to chuckle to himself in a wheezing exhalation of air. It was as if the darkness was rubbing against itself.

A shudder passed over Jay and he felt his skin rise.

The older man gave a curt nod.

“I trust Shadow Man’s words. I am glad to hear of this Jay. It isn’t every day we add another super to our ranks.” His smile was warm and genuine. It turned his gruff and deadly appearance into one of warmth and approachability. There was a twinkle in his eye that reminded Jay of someone he had lost so long ago. A mischievous sense of humor hiding behind layers of hardened weathered skin.

Jay felt a sense of comfort and security in that toothy smile. Something that he hadn’t felt in months, perhaps even years.

There was also something strange about seeing the mass murdering gang leader of the Drowned, Madok, grinning. Years of hearing about his heinous crimes and acts against those that targeted him made Jay wary. What might be hiding beneath his strange and gentle persona?

“Does this mean I’m in?” Jay couldn’t help the rising of his voice. The string of words came out faster than he intended.

His sea-green eyes widened slightly and his previously despondent attitude perked up.

A thrill of excitement rushed through Jay. This was what happened in movies. The rookie power proved themselves to the more experienced ones and earned their respect. He could feel himself moving away from the pathetic high schooler that he saw himself as. Of course, he had always imagined himself joining Central as part of the good guys.

Madok nodded, the simple action caused Jay’s heart to swell with relief. He would take what he could get.

“Indeed, we already have your measurements and we’ll have you in gang colors by tomorrow at the latest. I’ve taken the liberty of stocking some clothes in the room you stayed in last night, here’s the key.” Madok informed Jay as he slid a key across the table. It gleamed with silver polish.

“I’ve also sent Fishbait to see what he can do about your brother. Your brother’s unique condition makes it unlikely for his power to take hold but we can always hope.” Fishbait was a strange man with the ability to utterly remove something from a complex organism. Such as removing the liver while leaving everything else there. Apparently, there were numerous conditions attached but the man was deadly. Jay hadn’t known he also had a healing ability of some kind.

“I also haven’t made contact with your mother. I decided to wait for your decision before inviting her here. She would be safer closer to the compound, but my instincts tell me you have a…unorthodox relationship with her.

Jay bit the inside of his mouth, his sharp teeth punctured the skin and drew blood. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

The face of his mother appeared in his mind, her lip pursed in disapproval, “monster,” she whispered to him.

“How could I have birthed the Leviathan?” She spoke in his head, her voice filled with scorn.

Jay shook his head.

“For now I don’t want to talk to her.” He stated, his youthful features were wracked with indecision.

Madok nodded, the glass beads in his beard clacked against each other with the movement.

“Very well, we’ll mark your old apartment as of interest and protection on our routes.

“Supers going after another’s family is taboo, and Pantheon holds that to the strictest notion. Any others that you might have hurt in your dash through Central Lane might have other ideas. They don’t dare target the center of our territory, but the outskirts…” Madok left the rest unsaid, more than enough had been implied.

Jay felt his stomach drop. He had been thinking about the possibility of some powerful super swooping down and blasting his brother and mother from existence, but would it actually be some mortal with a gun? At least the Drowned were there to protect them now.

“What about my brother? The hospital isn’t exactly near The Docks?”

“We’ll send a patrol out. Your identity is out of the bag and reporters will eventually make a connection to you and your loved ones. It’s only a matter of time before they start to harass him. We’ll send a message and stop it before it starts.” Madok declared. Jay could only imagine what the message would be. It likely involved spoons and eyeballs.

That makes sense, Jay thought to himself. The sudden events of the night had left him jittery and he opened his mouth to speak again. Madok held up a hand and he instantly halted.

“Take the night to rest and recover. Shadow Man will be in contact with you and will deliver your gear to you tomorrow. Relax, you’re Drowned now. The other gangs won’t dare lay a finger on you, and if they do they'll have to go through us too. We protect our own. And you’re one of us.” Madok stood up from his chair.

Sitting down, the man seems grandfatherly, amicable even. But standing up, his height reached at least seven feet tall, his grandstanding stature was like a steel statue come to life. Numerous tattoos covered his arms, which were not covered by his sleeveless shirt.

Madok felt more man than a legend at that moment.

He put a hand on Jay’s shoulder, the appendage caused him to lean slightly with the added weight. It felt encouraging, it felt like if Jay was ever knocked down that hand would be the one to pull him back up.

“Go, enjoy the week. If something comes up we’ll let you know. Remember, be careful. We’ll get you some glasses and hats, along with some other clothes that might be able to conceal your identity so you can walk outside. ” The large man gestured to the robed figure who had passed out on the couch.

“I doubt they’d let you back in your former school. Reminds me of Shadow Man.”

He let out a deep gravely laugh, full of mirth.

“I picked him up much like you, a new Cracked with barely any control over his power. He’s been invaluable over these years. I’m hoping the same for you. But I ramble, something I’ve started to do in my old age."

Madok nodded and returned to his seat. His jovial attitude suddenly shifted into a serious one.

“Remember Leviathan, what you did today is a good thing. You have a lot of promise and you can do tremendous amounts of good for the people of The Docks. Don’t let your actions today eat away at you. The first bodies are always the hardest, you’ll see their faces in your nightmares and you’ll wake up covered in sweat. Accept it and move on. There will be more, but it is necessary to protect what we have here.

“Do you understand?”

Jay looked at the painting on the wall. The vague outline of the iceberg that continued on, no matter what was in its path.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, his tense body visibility relaxing. He lifted his head and made contact with Madok. A new light shone in his eyes, a glimmer of resolve that had not been there before. His movements were hesitant at first, but quickly his jaw and shoulders straightened

“I think I do,” Jay nodded, a newfound resoluteness in his mentality.

Madok let out a toothy grin.

“And just in case the betterment of the denizens of The Docks isn’t enough, here's a little bonus for doing a stellar job.” The gang leader reached under his deck, the hand which could have crushed the skull of a man held a roll of money.

Jay’s eyes widened as he noticed the hundred-dollar bills.

“It's five thousand, should be enough to get you some personal items and help that mother of yours. Or don’t, keep it for a rainy day. It is completely up to your discretion. Just know that there's much more of this in the future.”

He handed Jay the money, and the teenagers shaking hands harbored it in his grasp. This was the most money he had seen in his lifetime. Madok continued to grin.

“Perfect, my hopes for you continue to rise, Leviathan. Have a good night. Cynthia at the door will bring you back to your room.” The two exchanged farewells before Jay traveled through the doors, escorted by a lithe woman who had been standing guard outside. She escorted Jay through a series of winding passages and keycard doors before they both reached the outside.

The smell of the ocean brought a steady calm to Jay, he could feel his eyes growing heavy and he wished nothing more than to curl up in his bed.

A car waited outside, softly humming in the cold night air of West Seattle.

“Please, after you.” The woman spoke haltingly, her voice trembled slightly. Her posture was strained as if she was ready to bolt away at the slightest movement.

Jay noticed none of these, too preoccupied with his own inner turmoils to pay attention to the unassuming guard.

She opened the door for Jay. The Leviathan hesitated a moment before thanking her and sitting down inside. He ran his fingers on the expensive seats, noting the luxury he had never experienced before.

The difference between those with powers and those without. Jay rubbed the side of his head, unsure of what to think of the treatment. A part of him spoke of how he deserved this and more, the power and privilege that the animalistic side of him demanded. The child raised by an alcoholic and abusive mother told him otherwise.

Jay quieted both tiny voices, content to enjoy the ride. He drifted off to sleep. He was unsure of how long had passed but was woken by the driver. The same guard from the Drowned compound.

He thanked her for the service and stepped out of the car. Smog waited outside, smoking from a lit cigarette. She waved at him and looked at the door to the inside of the red brick building. He nodded back and entered.

A little while longer, Jay was under his covers, clutching the roll of cash.

He dreamed of the faces he had slaughtered.