Savior


By: Jordan Wilson

In the Beginning…


Life. It has a different meaning to different people. To someone such as a murderer, a life would be nothing but a problem. They solve the problem of other lives by means that they see necessary. Unfortunately for them, their life will one day be contained, whether it is by the law, guilt, or even something higher up. Some think of a life as merely a number. If you are a salesman and a person buys your product, their life is a number on your sales record. To a leader, a life can be seen as something that he has to control. As well as different thoughts on what a life is, people also judge the life. If a man has committed a crime, people normally don’t have good thoughts about that man. This does work both ways though. People also judge good people. If a woman saves a child from a burning building, this woman is thought of as a hero. Many people pass judgment on others, whether they try to or not
Most times in life, we come across an occasional person who see’s a life as something that should be preserved. He or she sees it as being able to do whatever it chooses and having the chance to live freely. People like this may be ridiculed at first, but will one day find their place in the hearts of the innocent. People like this aren’t found everyday, but there was a time of great peril. And in this time, one man arose to face the darkness and help the people believe in peace once again.

They came to us from a far away planet; far from the sights of earth. They were forced here in a desperate attempt for survival. Their home planet, Forge, was making its final stand against a race stronger than theirs in a six-day war. When they knew there was no hope left, the queen sent away her son with her life-long friend. Together, the two fled their home world, in hope that there would be somewhere out there where they could find refuge. When all hopes of finding a planet seemed to disappear, they came across earth. The queen’s friend knew it was the only chance they had, so took the six month old infant and himself in for landing.
It was hard for him to land the spacecraft with the unfamiliar planet’s gravity. He tried to easy the ship down, but they were picking up too much speed. As a last resort, he reared the ship in the direction of barren area and made a crash landing. Their ship was durable enough to allow them to survive the crash, but aside from protecting them from the fall, the ship was trashed. When he stepped out onto the planet’s soil for the first time, what he saw was peaceful. There was no war raging in the skies above. No battleships firing endless charges at one another. It was the closest thing to peace he had seen in years. Then he looked up and saw it. Above him, glowing large and bright was a big yellow sun. It was so bright and beautiful. The sun on their planet was constantly having power drawn from it, limiting its beauty. But here, there was no worldwide war. There wasn’t the constant threat of hiding their presence and heat signatures. It was all so peaceful.
These two individuals were the last survivors of a powerful race known as the Aspen. Their race could do many things that humans cannot. They got their power from the sun, like solar energy. They absorbed the heat into their bodies and were able to manipulate it in ways that made them superior to many species. The queen’s friend was a very powerful man in this matter and could use this power very effectively. The Aspen can learn to control the heat signatures in their bodies to lift it off the ground. With the proper training, one could learn to fly rather well. When they had a sun like the one above Earth, they could move at an alarmingly fast rate. They were a quick species as well as a strong one. To them, a car would weigh about as much as a small paper weight.
One of their most adapt abilities was to be able to control the heat and produce it in the form of pure energy. They could throw it like a ball and it would burn through the strongest of materials. Once it is release, the energy can explode on contact if it is unstable. If it is stable, it can be much more effective in battle situations. When they used it as a controlled power, the energy was called sun tears. The tears were only able to be used by elite Aspen and even then only the best of them could produce more than one at a time. The queen’s friend was very adapt but could only produce on stable tear at a time. He was mostly skilled in hand to hand combat, which all of them had been trained in.
He knew nothing of this alien planet. It was all so different and strange. Although there was peace, he didn’t see anyone flying above him. He couldn’t even detect a single being’s heat signature. On the second night after their arrival, the queen’s friend left the boy alone to scout out the planets inhabitants and find a source of food. He flew through the cool night air smoothly, finally having a calm mind. He didn’t need to worry about being ambushed by the enemy because on this planet, there was no enemy. It was just peaceful. He had recalled reading about a world like this one in his previous studies, but couldn’t seem to remember the details.
He finally came upon a small group of buildings desolate from much of anything. It just seemed to be a small town like the ones Forge had centuries ago. Suddenly, he began to feel several heat signatures, followed by several more. This town was definitely inhabited, but by what? He landed, undetected, and began to scout the town. He looked around and began to observe the area. He finally saw some of the inhabitants come into sight. They didn’t see him, but once he had seen them, he figured that they wouldn’t care all that much if he had been seen. They looked just like the Aspen in appearance. Suddenly, he remembered reading of this species before. They were called humans.
Humans, in comparison to the Aspen, were a weak, inferior species. The more and more the queen’s friend observed them, the more he realized they just didn’t possess the powers that the Aspen did. He walked out into the town and decided that he would make contact with the species. He began to stroll through the town observing everything that he passed. His past research was slowly trickling back into his head. He had been walking around for no more than twenty minutes when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see a friendly looking man starring back at him.
“Hey buddy,” said the man, “you new in town?”
Among the powers that the Aspen possessed, they had a quick learning trait as well a function in their brain that allowed them to understand any language, and speak it fluently. He had understood what the man had said as though it were his own language.
“Yes,” said the queen’s friend, “I flew in two days ago.”
“Flew in did ya?” chuckled the man, “You ain’t one of those space folk are ya?”
Before the queen’s friend had a response, the man said, “Ha-ha! I’m just messin’ with ya buddy. We all know that aliens don’t exist, or at least from what we have learned.”
“Right,” said the queen’s friend, a little confused.
The friendly man held out his hand and said, “The name is Jason West.”
“The queen’s friend starred at the hand for awhile. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was supposed to do. Taking a lucky guess he reached out and grabbed the man’s hand. The man looked back at him with question and then shook his hand for him. The two of them stood there looking at one another for awhile when finally the man said, “This is normally where you say your name.”
“My name, yes of course,” said the queen’s friend said, “My name is, uhh…Alfred. Alfred Shard.”
His Aspen family was the Shard family. They were the family of royalty and honor. He figured that much didn’t need to change. The humans here wouldn’t be able to pronounce his real name, so he remembered the name from a book he had researched. He had hoped this name didn’t appear to strange to the man. He had kind of just made it up on the spot.
“Nice to meet ya Alfred. So what brings you to Georgetown?” asked Jason.
“Georgetown?” asked Alfred.
“Ya, you know the name of our town. Is your head screwed on right buddy?” he asked.
“I believe so, it doesn’t look unscrewed to you does it?” Alfred asked, taking it seriously.
“Uhh, yeah buddy. Man, you’re weird! Oh well. This town is full of strange folk.”
“That is good to know. Mr. West, do you know where I can get some food?” Alfred asked.
“Why yes I do. There is a store over that way,” Jason said pointing at a building, “They get all of their food from the surrounding farms.”
Thinking about the farms haunted Alfred’s memory. Everything was reminding him of the war.
“Alright,” Alfred said, “Well it was nice to meet you, Jason,”
“Hope to see ya around, stranger,” Mr. West said.
Alfred had landed on a strange planet. Everything here was so mysterious and wonderful. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to raise the young one here. He had made a promise to his queen though. He returned to the spacecraft with food and opened it up. He took the baby out and held him in his arms. The little hazel-eyed wonder looked up at his uncle giggling. The Queen was having difficulties naming her son, so Alfred was now left with the task. He was going to have to grow up as a human, with unique abilities on this planet. He had only met one human on this planet so far and didn’t know another acceptable name. He looked down at the baby with a smile.
“Welcome to Earth, Jason,” Alfred said looking up at the night sky.

On Your Own


The hot sun glared down on the ground below. Jason Shard stood, eyes closed, searching for something around him. He could hear the sounds of insects humming in the distance and felt the sweat dripping down his face. It was all old news to him. What he was looking for was something much more noticeable. Suddenly, he felt the signature above him. He opened his eyes to see his uncle high in the air. His Uncle Alfred was a tall man, strong man. He wore a confident face with everything he did. His brown hair helped compliment his brown facial hair that covered the majority of his face, below the nose. His green eyes reflected the sun as he looked down to Jason.
Jason stood with a sleeveless white shirt and a pair of jeans. He wasn’t wearing any shoes or socks. When he trained with his uncle, they only seemed to get in the way. Jason was an inch or two shorter than his uncle, putting him at about six foot two. He had mesmerizing hazel eyes that could look into the most sheltered of souls and see them for who they are. He had brown hair that matched his uncle, but no facial hair. He saw this, too, as a distraction. He was seen as handsome by most of the girls that he attended school with. From time to time, he would have a girl ‘hit’ on him, but he never showed much interest. He was interested in girls for characteristics beyond their physical appearance, but had yet to find one that had a likeable personality.
Jason attended a school that was nearly across the country in a town called Branson, Indiana. Jason would flew off early in the morning and train after school. On the weekends the intensity of the practices picked up. He knew today was going to be tough on the mind and body. When he saw his uncle high in the sky, something happened that he didn’t see every day. His uncle began to gather his flaming heat power into a visible orb, around the size of a globe. He held it in his hand and threw it downward at Jason. He hadn’t used this trick too often. Jason could feel the heat approaching fast and had to react. He used his own flames as another force and tried to push the orb to a stop. He pushed and pushed until the attack finally came to a stop. With a twist of his wrist, Jason spun the sphere and blasted it back at his uncle.
His uncle, amazed as Jason’s counter, barely dodged in time. He clapped his hands and slowly lowered to the ground. Flying for the Aspen was easy. It felt like there was another layer inside of their bodies that they could manipulate. If they willed their bodies to go up, they would go up. If they could maintain focus, their bodies could stay floating in the air with complete mobility. Once an Aspen had practiced this skill, flying came to them another sense. Their heat powers were something that was created in their blood stream. The ability to conjure and produce flames and heat energy would be created in their blood. The molecules in their bloodstream would rapidly overheat, producing excess heat that could be controlled by the Aspen host. They were truly powerful beings a whole.
Their last ability was to read other heat signatures. When something gave off heat waves, the Aspen could feel it. Jason could literally stand on the other side of a brick wall with his eyes closed and know exactly where everyone on the other side of the wall was instantly. Jason used this power as a battle tactic. It would alert him to where his opponent was at all times and helped him predict and counter. Jason had learned a lot from his uncle. This was just one of the many skills.
When his uncle landed on the ground in front of him, he put his hand on Jason’s shoulder as a sign of ‘good job’. Jason smiled and the two went into their house. Alfred had told Jason how he had made this house of the ship they had come in on. Breaking it down bit by bit was easy, but reconstructing it was a lot harder than he had imagined. They went inside and Alfred prepared dinner. Jason opened his textbook and began on the end of his homework. Since it was a Sunday, Jason would have to have every assignment done for tomorrow.
Within about fifteen minutes, Jason was served a type of beef with carrots and cooked potatoes. He grabbed a glass of water for a drink. As strange as it was, he loved water. All of the Aspen’s seemed to love water. Jason always found this puzzling due to the fact that they could command fire, but he found it pointless to worry about. Uncle Alfred had simply explained it as a way for reloading the bloodstream molecules that gave them the powers. To them, losing water would result in death just like a human. It was the equivalent to dehydration for Jason. In a lot of ways, Jason was just like humans. He ate the same things. He had grown up here and managed to blend in fairly well.
No matter where Jason went, he was able to understand every language. To his species ears, they all sounded the same. As an unknown action, they were able to simply speak back to a person in whatever language they chose. Jason usual spoke English, but had had to speak Russian and Spanish before. It was interesting to Jason at first to learn about his own kind, but now all he cared about was advancing his powers and learning about the humans. As his uncle and he ate, they talked about the lesson for the day. Jason had, as usual, passed the test of reacting appropriately to a strong attack.
Jason loved his uncle. He was always kind and patient. It wasn’t easy for him to grow up as an alien on planet where he didn’t fit in. He had to hide his powers from everyone and could only use them when he was with his uncle. Over the past two years, his uncle had helped him perfect the Aspen art of masking presences. With this talent, Jason would be able to manipulate the weaker forces around him into seeing nothing but a blurred image for his face. He could adjust it and turn it on and off at will. He generally covered his entire face, but had practiced showing his eyes. The Aspen were a species of many hidden talents. His uncle always told him that he had the strongest potential he’d ever seen before. Those words alone help Jason get by with his training.
When dinner concluded, his uncle called him back to the table to discuss something. He seemed serious about it, but it didn’t worry Jason. His uncle never seemed to have bad news. Their house was small and condensed. There was a small living room and an outhouse outside. The kitchen had a table nearly next to the sinks and the refrigerator. It also had two beds in a back room that were separated by a curtain. It was small but cozy to Jason. He sometimes wished he had a nicer home like his human friends, but just assumed it wouldn’t happen.
“Jason, you are becoming a man,” said his uncle, “Every day you become more and more mature. You never cease to amaze me.”
“It’s all thanks to you,” Jason admitted.
“I have done whatever I can for you, but now I am starting to realize I have done all I can for you,”
Jason’s face grew a look of confusion as Jason asked, “What do you mean?”
“I’m saying maybe it’s time you were sent out on your own. No, not maybe. It is time.”
“So…you’re kicking me out of the house?”
“Ha-ha! If you want to look at it that way, yes I am. But not without something. There is a house I had built out in woods area of Branson.”
“You want me to live all the way in Branson?”
“Why not? You fly there almost every day anyways and then you would have your distance from me.”
“I don’t know about this…”
“Don’t worry, my boy. I have a nice spot picked out for you. It looked out to Holden City. You can see it all. This isn’t just about you leaving me. It’s about you becoming what you were always meant to be.”
His uncle had always spoken of him becoming a hero of the human race. He would tell Jason that he would be an unknown soldier that would lead the humans out of their darkest times. He always talked of a greater destiny for Jason, but never explained it to him. He would only ever say that time would tell. Jason never liked such vague answers, but respected his uncle’s words. He believed in his uncle’s words.
Jason had tried numerous times to learn more about the Aspen history, but whenever it got to the point about their downfall, his uncle would grow very serious. He spoke of an evil race that pushed the Aspen to the verge of extinction called the Quixon. He described them as vicious monsters who’s only intent was to cause pain and suffering to everything around them.
Jason grew up hating the Quixons. He had never seen one, but he always wished he would. He wanted to fight one and put the race to justice. Alfred told him that his mother and father had both died in the war. The Quixon were dark and sinister if they could wipe out an entire race. Jason hated them right down to his core. He always told himself that one day, he would get his shot at revenge and would prove which species was superior.
“So, when do you want me to leave?” Jason asked.
“Tonight,” Alfred said with a smile, “Everything you’ll need besides your school work is already at the house. Here is the key.”
Jason took the small key to the house and slipped it into his pocket. He was starting to get anxious about what his house looked like. Jason looked back to his uncle, who was now holding a box.
“There is one other thing, Jason,”
“What’s that?”
“I want you to have something of the Aspen’s. It is an incredible material that is one of the few remaining things I have from Forge.”
“No, I couldn’t,”
“I insist. It’s yours,”
Jason pulled a shirt from the box and looked at it. The material was stretchy and durable. It was a black shirt with three grey Aspen symbols on it. There was a symbol on each shoulder and on right on the neck. It was tight fitting, which showed off Jason’s incredibly fit figure. He immediately tried it on. It was a perfect fit. It was like wearing an athletic Underarmor shirt. He liked how it felt on him. It was comfortable and smooth.
“I suggest wearing it at all times under your normal clothing. The longer the shirt is on, the more adapt to your body it becomes.” Alfred said.
Jason was so excited about everything that was happening but also a little sad. He was going to have to say goodbye to his uncle. He wouldn’t be able to see him everyday like he wanted to. It was going to be a tough transition.
“Will I get to see you again?” Jason asked a little worried.
“Of course you will! My door is always open. Just try to remember that you are on your own now. I have given you all the money you need. The rest is for you to do. No more help. It is your life to do what you wish.” Alfred said with a smile.
Jason smiled and hugged his uncle. They talked for a little while long, but eventually, Jason had to leave. He took off for his new house, leaving his uncle behind to wave. He looked back and saw the warm face of his uncle. He didn’t know it now, but he would learn to never forget that image. It would forever be held dear to him.
Jason flew across the country high in the skies and by sundown had finally reached the house his uncle had directed him to. It was on the edge of a cliff that looked out onto the entire city. Holden City was one of the larger cities in the United States. He often would head into town before school to grab something to eat or catch a quick haircut. When Jason landed in front of his new, wooden home, he couldn’t help but smile. It was such a good feeling to be able to choose what his next moves were instead of following after his uncle. He would miss his uncle’s help, but knew it was for the best.
Jason turned the key and opened the door. On the inside he found a home that had a little more room to it. The door opened up to reveal a kitchen to the right and a living room to the right. The kitchen had a countertop with a few bar stools. As he walked around the counter, he passed a large table that would fit about four to five people at it. The kitchen had a fridge and a stove attached to the wall. He opened the fridge to find many drinks and packs of food. He mainly ate meat, but had some vegetables.
The living room had a small desk that held up a large flat screen TV. Below it, Jason saw a DVD/VCR player ready to go. To the right and left of the TV, there were small windows that were covered with blinds. It had a lot of space in it and plenty of places to sit. He found a large couch directly across from the TV and two chairs on each side of the couch. They were all leather and very comfortable. Jason sat on the coach and breathed out in a relaxed manner. He was going to love this room. To the right of the living room, there were two doors. One was against the same wall as the TV, while another directly across from the front door. He opened the door on the same wall as the TV first and found a large bathroom with a stainless steel showed and a nice sink.
The other door led him back into a bedroom. There was a black, king-sized bed with white sheets. Inside the room, he found a closet and a nightstand as well. He also had a window that was also covered by blinds. Jason tossed his school backpack onto the floor and dropped onto the bed. He closed his eyes, so comfortable that he could nearly fall asleep. He had nothing better to do with the night, so he figured that he may as well settle into his new bed. He closed his eyes thinking how great it was to be alone at last. He was free to do whatever he wanted in this world. He was on his own.

First Save


The morning light shone in through the bedroom window. It was a little after dawn and the people everywhere were beginning there day anew. People down in the city would be rushing to their daily activities, whether that is a job or a duty. Everyone was doing their own thing and beginning their own safe lives.
Jason awoke at the sounds of the birds chipping out in the woods. He was shocked at first when he opened his eyes. This was the first morning he had spent in his new house all alone. He remembered the past days events and rose from his bed. He was on his own now. His uncle was far away and he was to carry out his normal life alone. He smiled at this. He liked the maturity he possessed to be able to do this. His classes wouldn’t begin for nearly two hours so he would run to the city and grab a quality breakfast.
He left his room and turned on his shower. On the table were the clothes he had already gotten ready the day before. Jeans were something he wore all the time. Whether it was jeans shorts or just plain, long jeans, he always had them on. There was a white, short sleeved shirt and a black sweatshirt to wear over it. He never liked to dress with the latest fashions. They didn’t suit him. Underneath the white shirt he would wear the skin tight black aspen shirt his uncle had given him. Wearing it at all times was probably the best thing to do. He had the money to replace the human clothing if it were damaged. He didn’t think the world would need his powers much though.
After his shower he stepped outside and felt the cool autumn air blow through the trees. He closed eyes and smiled. This world was such a wonderful place, what could ever go wrong? He walked over towards the cliff and looked out at the lively city. The honking of traffic was nothing more than a faint sound from up here. It wouldn’t be far away for long. He lifted himself off the ground and looked towards the city. Within about ten seconds he had traveled to one of the sidewalks, where everyone was too busy to notice where he had come from. He began to walk further into the town in search of a good breakfast diner.
The city was always a busy place. People always had somewhere to be and always in such a hurry. It was a mystery to him sometimes why people needed to rush everywhere all the time. When you are hurrying through everything, you don’t have time to enjoy life. From what his uncle had taught him, life on Earth was much simpler, but at times it didn’t seem that way. He found a nice diner on the corner of a street and went inside. It had a technologic feeling to it, with everyone working on their computers. He found a seat and ordered a large stack of pancakes and a side of bacon. He may have found some of the things on this planet strange, but the food was truly great. Once he finished he tipped the waitress nicely and left with a full stomach. Today was already going good.
He looked at a clock as he left and saw he had forty minutes before his first class. A normal human student would have been rushing to get all the way into his small town’s school; he however had a lot of time to kill. He began to walk through the town just observing things. A lot of people were on their cell phones talking about random things. He listened as people passed and laughed at the silly things that were worrying them. Why would these people need a savior? Nothing was threatening them.
That’s when he first heard it. The sound of screeching tires came from around the corner. A fast moving car with a guy hanging out the window was racing up the street. Following behind them were three police cars. The speeding car in front was dodging traffic and appeared to be trying to get away from the police cars. The man hanging from the window was shooting some sort of a weapon at police. The bullets coming from the weapon made passenger cars swerve and spin. Suddenly, a car began to spin out of control and come to a stop as the rear bumper hit a traffic pole. A girl that looked about his age opened the door and got out of the vehicle.
She was panicking. She had no clue what was going on. Her long, blonde hair was blowing in the wind as she looked around in question. The fear in her face didn’t hide her beauty. She was wearing a white jacket and a pair of blue jeans. She might may have been older than him the more he looked at her, but age didn’t change her distress.
As if things weren’t bad enough a police car hit another car and flipped up into the air. It was flipping uncontrollably and heading right for the panicking girl. Jason saw this quicker than it happened at acted fast. He quickly dashed in front of the girl and caught the police car in mid air like it was nothing. He saw that she was hiding behind her arms, just waiting for the impact. Jason slowly set the car on the road softly. He turned back to the girl and then realized he wasn’t masking his appearance. In a split second he masked it and humans wouldn’t be able to see the real him. The girl had looked up as he had been holding the car in his hands and was now staring at him in awe. She hadn’t seen his face though so his identity would be safe.
“Are you alright?” Jason asked the girl, who was still in shock.
“I-I think so,” she stuttered.
Behind Jason, a car door slammed shut. The other police had stopped to help their fellow officers who were also now safe. One man with a think black mustache stepped out the of car cursing.
“Dammit!” yelled the officer, “They just got away with all that damn money!”
“It’s too late to catch them now, boss,” stated another officer.
Jason turned a looked down the street to see that the speeding car was barely visible anymore as it sped through the city. He then turned back to the officers and said, “Wait here,”
He lifted into the air and soared after them split second. As he got close to the speeding car, he slowed down and flew above it. He thought about how he was going to do this. It was dodging car by car, and before long another accident would be cause. He quickly landed about a hundred yards in front of it and held out his foot. Right as the car was upon him, he slammed his foot down on the hood. The car flipped into the air and he caught it as it was upside down. He then rose into the air and began to carry the car back to the police.
The robbers in the car were screaming in fear the entire way back. The guy was still hanging out the window and was struggle to pull himself back into the car. Once Jason was back with car, the police stood their starring at him in amazement. The robber in the window fell out and Jason held out an arm and caught him. He lowered himself and set the car down, right side up. He tossed the robber to the ground next to the officers. They looked speechless. Jason ignored them and turned to the girl. He reached into his pockets and pulled out some money.
He handed it to her and said “Here, take the bus for the rest of the day.”
With that said he began to rise into the air again.
“Wait!” called the chief officer with the mustache, “who, I mean where did…uhh what are you?”
Jason looked down at him with a smile and said “I’m just someone who was here to help.”
Jason looked to the sky and flew up into the clouds. He spun as he flew, feeling so alive. He had just proved his own mind wrong. It seems humans need him after all. By now, the police had gotten over their awe and were arresting the robbers. He had done his job and saved a few lives in the process. His uncle had been right. He didn’t know what time it was or how long it would be until classes began so he quickly took off for school. As he flew, he thought about that girl. Something about her forced his mind to hold her image. Her captivating blue eyes starred back at him every time he closed his eyes.
He was close to his school and landed in the nearby field. He came out of it and began to walk towards school. He stopped his appearance masking as he began towards school. He had a human identity in this town. He had friends and others who knew him as the boy who lost his parents when he was young and had become an emancipated teen nearly a year ago. By telling people that he lived alone, it made things easier on his uncle. Now it wasn’t even a lie. He was really alone now and had a house to show for it.
His high school was an average size for an moderately populated town. Across from the high school was the large football stadium. It stood alone other than that. The school was on the edge of town and from there on out, it was fields, empty and full. They stretched for miles. The school, Jorenstad High School, was three stories high. It had a basement, but not much of it was used for classes. It was a good school. No crime, except for the occasional pot head. To Jason, it was great.
He walked in through the front doors and into the crowded halls. His locker was at the west end of the building on the first floor. He walked through the crowd, passing all the familiar faces of his classmates. He got to his locker and put in his key. All of the students were given a key which as used to open their locker. A student was given a locker for all four years and as a student graduated; their old locker was given to a new freshman.
As Jason fumbled through his locker and a guy about his age came up behind him and slammed his hand on the locker next to Jason’s. Jason lifted his head and turned to the guy. It was his good friend Matt Reynolds. His friend looked a little upset over something. Matt always expressed himself in a rather noticeable manner.
He was about the same height as Jason and had wild brown hair. He was a strong guy and played as a point guard for the school’s basketball team. He had hazel eyes and generally wore sports jerseys. Today he was wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.
“Something wrong?” Jason asked while picked up two of his books from the bottom of his locker.
“As usual, I forgot to study for the damn history test over the weekend,” he admitted, “Why do teachers feel the need to give tests on Mondays?”
“Well they are teachers,” answered Jason. His friend hung his head and sighed in agreement.
“So what did you do all weekend?” asked Matt, “Anything interesting?”
“I bought a house closer to the town.” Jason answered as he closed his locker.
“Whoa whoa whoa, a house?!?” Matt exclaimed, “Really?!? With what money?”
“I…uhh sold my old place in the city.” Jason lied.
“Damn, I wish I were free from my parents. They nag me all the time.”
“Ha-ha, well one day you will be.” Laughed Jason.
“Yeah, ok well I’ve got to go fail. See ya,” muttered Matt.
“Alright, catch ya later.”
Matt and Jason had known each other ever since Jason’s uncle thought he was old enough to attend human school and live among them. He was about ten years old when they met and they had become friends really quick. Jason found it easier and easier to hide his other life from him as the years went on. Jason thought Matt would be able to handle it, but it wasn’t necessary for him to know.
Jason left his locker and made his way to his first class, which was Spanish. Jason was in an advanced Spanish since he read all languages the same. He knew how to say and do anything in Spanish. He mainly focused on the Spanish history and culture. On his way there, he still couldn’t manage to shake the image of the girl in the city. Jason hadn’t ever felt this way about a girl. It was strange to him, but he had seen and heard about this feeling. Jason had never felt a big attraction to a girl. He liked girls, but things would only get complicated if he tried to manage a relationship. He hadn’t ever felt like this about a girl though. He tried to shake the image with the fact that he would likely never see her again.
He reached his class and seat near the window as usual. He didn’t know a lot of the people in this class, so for the most part he just stared out the window and listened to the lessons. He enjoyed learning about multiple human cultures. The more he knew, the easier his life here would be. The day progressed as most days did. He was a junior, by human standards, but took a lot of advanced classes. He enjoyed just about all of them, though was bored by them as well. Gym class was always fun because it amused him to see what the so-called athletes called exercise. The best human athletes wouldn’t survive two minutes of his training, but it didn’t change anything. He just did what it took to get an A in the class. He was good with numbers too. He had learned so much about the humans. Many humans didn’t know as much about each other as Jason knew.
His history classes were always fun. He really liked to know about how humans dealt with the problems of the past. He didn’t know much about his home world. As far as he was concerned, this was his home. He didn’t know his parents or any of the Aspen, like his uncle did. His uncle never talked about his father, while his mother was described as a goddess. Jason was told both were dead, but since he never knew them, that didn’t bother him too much. He did wonder from time to time if his father would be proud of what he had become and if he is growing up to be like his father. His uncle was surely impressed by his abilities and he was helping innocent people. What father wouldn’t be proud of that?
At lunch, Jason took his place at a table with his Matt and his other two best friends. Josh King was his big football star of a friend. Josh was tall and fast. He had a little less muscle than Matt, but had a fighting spirit. He also had brown hair but his was cut shorter. He had light blue eyes and big white teeth when he smiled.
Josh always had a huge interest in girls. Jason met him a year after he met Matt. Josh had a different girl every month it seemed, but he always seemed happy. He was a starting wide receiver and was on track to get scholarship. He may have been a huge athlete and all, but he had a pure heart and always seemed to make the right decisions. He said no to any kinds of drugs. He may not have kept onto his virginity like the law had wanted him to, but he was good other than that.
The other guy at their table was another good friend of Jason’s named Tony Servis. Tony wasn’t a sports guy, but definitely had athletic traits. He watched sports a lot though. He was always working out, but also really liked to read. Tony didn’t have long hair, or any hair for that matter. He had a completely shaven head. He liked it that way. He said it made his green eyes stick out.
Jason and Tony had met when they entered high school. They had a lot in common and enjoyed the same kind of music and movies. Tony and Jason were the only two of the four that liked horror movies. They, accompanied by a girl or two, would usually see them on opening night.
The table was never quiet. Someone was always saying something. When Jason reached the table with his food, he could hear Josh and Matt arguing over something. He guessed it was either about sports, girls, a TV show, or music. It was usually one of the four. As he got closer he found out it was about a girl. He sat down ready to listen to another argument that would end without a winner.
“Cathy was not at that party, man,” declared Matt, “She isn’t like that.”
“Of course she is!” yelled Josh, “Woman are all alike. She was there and from what I heard, with that Coty Haines guy.”
“Bull! No one would hang around that bag of crap,” stated Matt, “She is too nice of a girl to have gone anyways.”
“Yeah? Then where is she? She isn’t at school.”
“Maybe she was just sick,” Jason suggested.
“Jay, that girl is never sick. She gets that perfect attendance crap every year,” said Josh, “I’m telling you she is down at the police station.”
“Any one catch the score of the Cowboy’s game last night?” said Tony, changing the subject randomly. Jason had learned to tease with his friends a lot and knew what he could and couldn’t say to make fun of them.
“It’s the Cowboy’s, who care?” said Jason.
“They might win this year,” said Matt.
“Nah, the Jets have it all wrapped up again.” said Josh.
He loved how a simple subject change could end all the arguing and start a completely different discussion. His friends were good, loyal friends and always had one another’s back. No one really gave Jason a hard time, but Tony and Matt got some now and then. His friends were pretty well known around the school as well as he was. Jason was called popular by human standards. He didn’t really act popular. He was just liked to have a good time. He had done a lot of favors for people to help them out of the years. Many people liked him and could depend on him.
His day finished with a Trigonometry class. As he left his last classroom, someone ran into him in the hallway. It was a girl. She feel back and dropped her books. She groaned in irritation. Jason crouched down to the girl and picked up two of her books and handed them to her.
“I’m so sorry,” the girl said, “I wasn’t even paying attention to where I was going and…”
Jason stopped her by saying, “Oh, it’s no trouble at all.”
He looked down to her and she looked up at him. Jason couldn’t believe it. Just when he thought his day was pretty much over he sees her. It was the girl from the city. She was a student here. As she looked up into his eyes, he knew it couldn’t be anyone else. Her eyes held his mind captive again. They stared at one another for a bit. Jason could feel his heart pounding faster than normal. This was strange to him. She stared at him for few moments then stood up. He stood up as well.
“Thanks, I have been having one hell of a day,” the girl said.
“Yeah,” said Jason, “I know the feeling.”
“I don’t think I caught your name,” she said to him.
“Oh, uhh my name is Jason Shard.”
“Jason, huh? Well that’s a pretty cool name. My name is Sarah. Sarah Williams,” she said as she held out her small hand. Jason shook it. This was strange. He had just saved this girl this morning and now they were meeting all over again. He liked these circumstances better than this morning.
“Well, I’d like to stay and talk but I have to run. My car is busted and I have to catch a ride with my friend.” Sarah said.
“Yeah, uhh, no problem,”
“Well thanks again. I hope to see you around.”
“Yeah, me too,” agreed Jason.
With that she left down the hallway. Jason stood there thinking for a moment. Was that one of those moments he had heard about in all of the love stories? And a better question being was he in love? Could an Aspen fall in love with a human? He also wondered if he had hid his identity in time this morning. He really hoped so. He was wearing the same clothes as this morning. Jason hoped he would see her a lot more. However, little did he know, they would be seeing a lot of each other in the near future.

Assumption and Proposition


The trees were always so calm. Nothing seemed to bother them. They were probably one of Jason’s favorite Earth inhabitants, next to humans of course. This made his life near the trees pretty enjoyable. They helped add that home-like feeling too. His wooden home stood alone near the cliff side. It looked like one of those old log cabins from the history books, but the inside was much different than things were back in those days. Jason hadn’t added anything to his house other than his clothes and some food. When he had arrived, it already had a bed, a couch, a television, a fridge, and other normal household accessories.
Jason unlocked his front door and set his two school books on the table. It was getting close to dinner now. In his fridge, he found some carrots, a package of meat, and a carton of milk. He let the meat cook in the stove while he cut up the carrots and poured a glass of milk. Once it was all ready, he sat down and ate an early dinner. He clicked on the television and turned to the news. He only had to read the headline to know what the story was about. He turned it up and sat down to dinner. The young reporter looked as though she didn’t believe what she was saying as she gave tonight’s story. Standing next to her was the police officer with the black mustache.
“So you are saying this young man caught their car with his bare hands?” asked the lady reporter.
“I’m not sure how, but yeah, that’s what happened,” answered the police officer.
“How is anyone sure that this is what really happened, chief?” asked the reporter.
“Well look at the car we were chasing. You think we did that to it?”
“Did this young man have a name, or say anything for that matter?”
“He did not say his name, but he seemed like a normal kid to me, other than his face. I couldn’t make out exactly what his face looked like for some reason, but he did have a-,” started the police chief, but was interrupted by his cell phone. He walked off camera after answering the phone.
“Well there you have it. Our cities very own mystery hero. Now I’ll take you to Natasha Greenfield who is there with a not-so-mysterious hero. Natasha?”
“The screen changed to another woman who was standing next to a friendly looking man. He was a taller than Jason by a few inches making him about six foot, eight inches. He had short cut brown hair and a roughly shaved face. He was wearing a black suit and stood there looking very official. He looked to be happy. Jason turned up the volume a little more to hear what the humans have done this time.
“Thank you Kathleen, I’m here with a man who has not only found a way to benefit the handicapped, but change their life forever. Mr. Anderson, would you mind telling us about your product?”
“Well Natasha, our product is somewhat robotic. You see, in theory, it is put on and monitors the brain waves. If you were to tell it to walk then you yourself would walk. It is a support system that can completely change a person’s life.” Mr. Anderson said.
“Now when you say in theory, do you mean you haven’t tested the product?” asked the reporter.
“Not quite. We will be testing our product this Saturday, but we have been assured of about a ninety-eight percent chance of success.”
“Wow, now isn’t that something. Now how did you manage to develop such a high tech piece of equipment?”
“Ah, now I can’t tell you that.” He said with a smile, “It’s a company secret.”
The two went on talking about the machinery, but Jason had lost interest. He turned off the TV and walked outside. He found a nice place to sit out on the ledge that overlooked the city. It all looked so peaceful. Looks can be deceiving however. If Jason hadn’t gone into the city today, lives might have been lost. He needed to keep a closer watch over things. He retrieved his school work and began to work on his homework.
While he did so, he thought about Sarah. He knew nothing about her, yet she was flooding his mind. What made her stand out to him? He thought his friends might know something about her, so he figured it was best to ask them in the morning. He realized that just about everyone had a cell phone, except for him. He made a point to purchase one tomorrow. He looked up from his school work and out at the city when he noticed something out of the ordinary. Billowing up from one of buildings in the east section of the city was thick black smoke. This was bad. He closed his book and went inside, realizing what he must do. He removed his sweatshirt and T-shirt so that he was only wearing the Aspen clothing. He kept his jeans on though. He didn’t have anything else that felt good. He opened his door and walked back out towards the cliff. He stopped about ten feet short. He looked out at the smoke, took a running start and jumped into the air.
He flew the whole way in a hurry. It didn’t take him long to get there. As he got close, he could see that it was clearly a fire. He masked his appearance and landed on the ground. An apartment building had a fire on the second floor from the top. He could hear screams coming from inside the building. He observed as the firemen were desperately trying to put the fire out. Even with everything they were doing, it wasn’t enough to put it out. Jason walked forward towards the building. He saw the police chief and other officers staring up at the building. Everyone was rushing to do something, except for the huge crowd of people that was looking at the fire.
Jason felt a strong heat signature coming from the middle of one of the apartments. He guessed it was a kitchen problem. He searched the building for human heat signatures and found three. Two were small children and they were huddled an enclosed room. Another was a person who was lying on the floor motionless. They might have passed out from the smoke. Jason needed to get to those people, but the fire had to be dealt with first. He rose into the air. Behind him, he heard gasps come from the crowd. He flew forward and began to fly around the building.
He was flying quickly and creating a large gust as he did so. The more he flew, the less heat came from the building. The wind from him flying was putting the fire out. When the flames had died down, he stopped and broke through a window. He looked around and found man lying on the floor. The man looked to be about in his late thirties and was clearly unconscious. Jason grabbed the man and threw him over his shoulder. He jumped out of the building and landed on the street. He gently laid the man on the ground, near an ambulance, and turned back to the building. He jumped to the floor with the children and broke into the room. The source of the fire was close. It had nearly been put out and the firemen were still drenching the room with water to finish it off. Jason found that a fridge had falling in front of a closet door. He put his hand between the door and the fridge. Like it was nothing, Jason slid the fridge across the room and opened the door. The children looked up at him with their red, puffy eyes.
“It’s ok now,” Jason said to them, “I’m here to help.”
He held out his hand and the two stood up. They looked like twins but Jason wasn’t sure. He knelt down and had the two boys climb onto his back. Once they were on and holding tight, Jason lifted off the ground and flew out the window. The boys cried out, frightened. Jason knew it wouldn’t bother them when he landed. He landed near the police officers. When he landed, the boys dropped off his back and ran to a woman in the crowd. She hugged them and together they all sobbed tears of joy.
Jason smiled as he saw this. Another few lives saved thanks to him. Jason turned to take to the skies once more when a man called after him.
“Wait,” called the police chief. Jason wanted to continue to take off but something inside him told him to stay. He turned around and looked at the chief. The chief stared at him for a moment, and then held out his hand.
“Twice in one day huh?” the chief said with a grin, “You’re making us look bad,”
“Just dropped by to help.” Jason said.
“Well, thanks,” he said, “We wouldn’t have been able to get those three out without you.”
“I’m glad I helped,” said Jason as he looked back to the mother and her children. Before the chief could ask anything more, Jason looked up and shot into the sky. He had disappeared into the night and left the humans in question once more. He didn’t care if they had questions. There would be a time and a place where they could ask. Not right now though. Right now, they just needed to know there was someone out there who could save them.
Jason flew around for awhile. He looked at the city. Other than the fire, things were all normal. He flew past the Anderson Research Center. The man from the news must work there. Jason was curious about his technology. Humans were always evolving with their technology. Perhaps if they had used Aspen technology, they could improve their current way of living. Jason thought of the humans using the Aspen space ships and meeting foreign life such as his. If only it were possible.
He returned to his home and retired to his bed. He liked to get a lot of sleep. While he slept he had a dream of Sarah. She was standing alone in a field. She was wearing a beautiful white dress and looking down at a flower. Her long blonde hair was tied back with a simple barrette. Her big, blue eyes resembled the water in the sea. She wore pearl earrings. The sky was light blue with big, white and puffy clouds. It was a beautiful day.
He felt like it was a paradise. There were no worries in the world; just a perfect day with this stunningly beautiful girl. She picked the flower and held it in her small hands. She spun it around in her hand. He walked towards her and she looked up at him.
She smiled at him and held out the flower. Before he could take it, he woke up. It was already morning. He lay there for a moment thinking of her. Maybe he would see her again at school today.
He had a bowl of cereal before he left for school. He decided he would leave early and walk the whole way today. Nothing ever changed with this town. It had maybe one act of crime in the past four years. He was at the front door when Josh caught up with him. They talked about the homework and complained about things. He said nothing out of the ordinary, until they got to Jason’s locker where he brought up something different for a change.
“Did you hear about the guy who saved those people yesterday?” he asked.
“Who? The guy from the news?” asked Jason pretending to be clueless.
“Yeah, pretty weird huh? They say he can fly and has like super strength or something like that.”
“Wow, you don’t hear about that everyday.” Jason said still playing dumb.
“You’re not even a little excited about this?” asked Josh.
“No, I think it’s exciting. It’s good to have someone out there doing some good,” said Jason.
“You mean it’s awesome to have an alien here! Here of all places too.” cried Josh. He was pretty excited, but Jason decided that it wasn’t good to get his friends curious.
“Ha! An alien? It’s probably just some guy with a lot of money” declared Jason.
“No way! This guy has got to be from another planet or something.” Josh declared.
“Whatever dude,” said Jason began to grab his morning books from his locker. It was a pretty common schedule, but he usually threw his books to the bottom of his locker. There was a pause as Jason flipped threw old papers, seeing if he needed any of them today. He may have learned quicker than humans, but organization wasn’t a huge trait of his. Josh began to check out a girl or two as a group of them walked by. Jason stood up straight again and closed his locker. He thought about Sarah for a moment, then figured now was a good time to ask the girl expert about her.
“So, what do you know about a girl named Sarah Williams?” Jason asked.
“Williams? What about her?” asked Josh.
“Well is she cool and stuff?”
“Why?” Josh questioned with a laugh, “Has Jason finally taken an interest in a girl?”
“No, not like that,” Jason defended, “I just met her the other day. That’s all.”
“Whatever dude, I’ve got to run. See ya at lunch?”
“Yeah man, see ya there” agreed Jason.
The two took their separate ways and went about their normal days. He thought a little about what his friend had said. Maybe he did like this girl. His species was allowed to love right? He wouldn’t ever really know exactly what the Aspen were like. It saddened him to know that he and his uncle were the last of their kind. He never got to know his mother or his father. Jason always dreamt of his father being one of the greatest Aspen warriors to ever live. He pictured him as the kind of warrior that would lead enormous armies of noble soldiers to fight against those who caused chaos, death and destruction. They were led to fight the same kind of creatures that attacked the Aspen.
Every time Jason thought of the Quixon, his stomach turned over. He wanted to find them and destroy every last one of them. Any soulless monsters that would kill an entire species should be expunged from the universe. Jason wanted to come face to face with the one who led the Quixon. He wanted to find the one who killed his mother and father. He had a feeling, deep down inside, that one day; he would get his shot at revenge. He would finally be able to avenge the death of all the Aspen who perished years ago.
The first half of the school day seemed to pass by quickly. Jason found himself lost in thought for the most part. When he finally got down to lunch, he found his usual table with all of his friends. He could feel something was different today when he walked up. There were no normal arguments or conversations. They were all directing their attention towards him. Each one of his friends had a smile on his face that Jason did not like. He put down his food and took his seat. It was Matt who spoke first.
“So, my good buddy isn’t a homosexual after all huh?” he said with a laugh.
“What are you talking about?” asked Jason.
“Oh don’t play dumb Jay,” said Tony, “You knew once you told Josh, we would all know.”
“Oh,” muttered Jason, “That,”
“That??” cried Matt, “You call you’re first major crush a “that”?”
“Hey, I don’t know what Josh told you, but she isn’t a crush,” he declared, “She is just a girl I met and I asked Romeo here if he knew anything about her.”
“Jay, don’t BS us,” said Josh.
“Yeah, man, we support this,” said Tony.
“Yeah, we do,” seconded Matt.
“You guys are overreacting. I simply asked about her and that’s all. I’m not even really interested,” lied Jason. He knew as soon as he said it that his friends wouldn’t buy it.
“Well what if I told you that I knew something about her,” said Tony. Jason looked up from his lunch and starred at his friend. He played right into the trap he friends set. They knew by now that he was curious in what Tony knew.
“Yep, I knew it,” Josh laughed, “He is definitely into her.”
“Alright, so what if I am?” admitted Jason, “Is there anything bad I should know?”
“Nah, she is clean as far as I know,” said Tony.
“Yeah, I would have heard something if she had done something nasty,” said Matt with a grin.
“Me too,” Josh agreed, “I would have gone for her, but she is too clean for me.”
“Really Josh? I thought you liked to soil the unsoiled,” Tony laughed. The three guys all laughed and Jason shook his head.
“You guys are ridiculous.” He finished. The conversation about Sarah went nowhere from there. The four of them all began talking about other things. They discussed the mystery guy from the news again. Jason tried to lead them away from the idea that guy was from another planet. It was hard to convince his friends otherwise, but by the end of lunch, he was pretty sure that they had multiple theories.
The day proceeded as normal. Jason went to the remainder of his classes and walked home as usual. He even managed to clear his head from everything but school work. He was still crazy about human knowledge. When the final bell rang, Jason grabbed what he needed and began his usual walk home. The warm autumn air felt soothing on his skin. He felt like he wanted to just float in the sky for awhile and let the air flow throughout his body. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. This world was perfect.
Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He opened his eyes and stopped walking. He turned around to find the very girl he had been thinking about for the entire day starring back at him. She had a large smile on her face. Her hair shone in the afternoon sun and her hypnotizing eyes caused his heart to beat faster. To Jason, she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
“Hey there,” she said.
“H-hey,” stuttered Jason, “How’s it goin’”
“It’s going good,” she answered, “How about you?”
“Can’t complain,” he said.
“That’s good,” she smiled.
There was an awkward silence. Neither of them knew what to say. Jason, who usually wasn’t lost for words, was completely frozen. He didn’t know what had suddenly come over him, but something about being around this girl caused him to feel…unique.
“Umm, are you doing anything this Friday?” asked the girl.
“Not that I know of,” answered Jason.
“Would you like to…hang out or something?” Sarah proposed. He finally put together what was happening. She was just as nervous as he was. Had she felt a slight connection as well? Maybe this was his chance to find out if he had feelings for her.
“Well…yeah. Yeah I’d like that.” He said with a smile. He could sense her mood change from being nervous to being excited.
“Really?” she asked in disbelief, “I mean great! Well, I have to get home, but we’ll talk about the details tomorrow,”
“Alright, sounds good.” He said.
“Okay! See you tomorrow!” she said with another big smile and with that, hurried away. Jason was amazed. Not only was this girl interested in him, but he had a date scheduled with her. Things couldn’t be going any better than they were. He wondered what his uncle would think of all of this. He decided that once he got home, he would go visit. Jason’s life was stress free and relaxed. He didn’t have a worry in the world. Jason didn’t know, however, that this was the last time he would feel this relaxed and secure for a long time.

Bounty or Personal Vendetta?


Jason thought long and hard about everything that he transpired in the past week. He started a life on his own, saved lives, and now maybe even falling in love. He tried to focus on other things but all that came to his mind when he tried were beautiful blue eyes. All he thought about was her magnificent blonde hair. All that was on his mind was a simple on human girl. Sarah Williams.
He thought about what she had said. Could she really have felt a connection as well? If so, how could he have feelings for a human? Aspen weren’t the same as humans. They were a different species all together. He was pretty sure that there couldn’t be love between the two, but yet he had these feelings for this girl. What was different about her? Jason thought about this as he left the school grounds.
He thought about what she had said. He decided that going out with her on Friday could serve as good research. Maybe if he explored these feelings more then he could figure out what they actually were. She seemed innocent enough. His friends may not have known her all that well, but perhaps that was a good thing. Some of the girls his friends knew weren’t exactly the type of people he liked. They did bad things that were harmful to themselves or other people, such as drugs or sleeping around. He tried to picture Sarah as one of those people and laughed as he thought about it. She definitely wasn’t one of those people.
There was another one of those Homecoming dances coming up next month. He hadn’t ever gone to one. He had been asked before, but was busy training with his uncle and had to say no. This time though, it was his choice and he was thinking it could be fun. His friends always seemed to have a good time. They picked a king and a queen for each dance as well. His friends had described the king as a popular jock, such as a football quarterback. They also described the queen as “someone everyone wanted to poke”, which still never made sense to him. His friends found it funny though, so he laughed when they mentioned it.
He became lost in many happy thoughts. The world was such an innocent place. There were no troubles or current wars. People died every day, but it was nothing that could be prevented. For the most part though, the world was all at peace. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Who would want to threaten such a peaceful place? As he thought of this, he was unaware of his surroundings. His guard was down. He crossed the street on the outskirts of town. He was near the road that led downhill and into the city. He was thinking of what to do for dinner when, suddenly, everything changed.
The blow came from the left and hit on his cheek. Something had hit him, and hit him strong. It sent him sailing through the air and into road sign. The sign split in half as he projected through it. He hit the earth, landing on his back and skidding across the ground. He dug his fingers into the ground to stop him from sliding and looked up. What the hell was that? What hit him? Suddenly, he felt a heat signature behind him. Before he could turn his head around, the signature was above him and coming down fast. Jason flipped backwards moving out of its way. Dust and dirt was thrown into the air. Whatever this thing was, it moved fast. Very fast. It shot towards him, delivering another blow to his stomach. After that it attempted another strike at his chin, but Jason dodged and kicked at the figure. He hit it head on and sent it sailing back.
Jason landed catching his breath. He looked at where the heat signature had gone. It had landed as well. The kick hadn’t done very much to it or, as Jason could see now, him. He stood there looking into Jason’s eyes. He looked like Jason in some ways. The hair and the eyes were the same. This man wasn’t him though. He wore a black cloth jacket and a pair of jeans. He stood an inch or two taller than Jason. The worst of all is that he looked angry. He was staring Jason down. Could this man be an Aspen? Was that possible? No, only he and his uncle were left. The Aspen died out. No one survived. But yet here stood a man that could not only move as quickly as Jason but do damage. Jason spoke first, masking his presence as he began.
“Who are you?” asked Jason.
“Silence!” hissed the man, “Something like you can’t be allowed on this planet!”
“Something like me?” asked Jason, “What do you mean? Who are you? Or better yet, what are you?”
“Shut it, demon! I cannot allow something such as you to live!”
The man raised his hand in Jason’s direction. Jason felt the heat coming and quickly held up both of his hands. The flames met in the middle of them both and erupted into a visible form. Jason pushed with all his strength against the man’s force. This guy was strong and at the moment it seemed that he was stronger than Jason. Jason was struggling to remain in control, but with one final effort, the flames shot at the man. By the time Jason had pushed them all at him, the man had disappeared. Jason felt for a signature. Where was he?
A sharp pain jolted through Jason’s body, starting in his leg. Something had cut him. He turned to feel a signature moving away. He was coming back though and it was time for Jason to act. He shot back to the sign that he’d been thrown through and ripped one of the metal beams out of the ground. When the man came after him again, Jason acted first and swung the beam. When he did so, it was cut in half. Whatever weapon this man had, it was sharp. Jason didn’t let the loss of his weapon phase him though. He threw his fist at the man’s face, followed by a kick to the side. With those hits delivered, the man shot back. Jason held his ground. His leg was bleeding but not too severely.
The man didn’t take long to commence with his next attack. Jason tried to guard, but he wasn’t fast enough. The man’s knee caught him right under the rib cage and that strike was followed by another few blows to the face. The man ended by grabbing Jason’s leg and throwing him high into the air. Jason attempted to regain focus and control of the fight but the man was making it next to impossible. Why did this man want to kill him? Was it that Jason stood in his way of something? He seemed to have a deeper motive, but what? No matter what his reasons were, Jason could not let someone so strong hurt any of the humans.
The man flew up to Jason and slashed at him with what he could now see was a sword. Jason dodged the first two, but was hit in the shoulder. It wasn’t a direct hit, but instead a deep cut. This guy knew how to fight. By not directly striking Jason, his blade was still free and he could continue to attack without skipping a beat. At the same time, Jason was bleeding and hurting. What kind of metal was this blade made out of? It was nothing of this world. Where did it come from?
Jason dodged another slash then made another strike at the man. The man, instead, grabbed his arm and spun him around. Once he had enough speed, he released Jason, sending him hurdling to the ground. He hit the ground hard. It rattled his mind, but he didn’t lose his focus. He wasn’t going to do that again. That blade could kill him if he wasn’t careful. There were a few cars on the road. All of them were stopped and most of the people that were in them were now running away from the battle. There was one car that had two little boys and a mother in it. The man landed next to it and the mother began to panic. He looked at Jason, then to the car. With his blade in his right hand, he used his left hand to grab the car and hold it above his head. This wasn’t good.
The man held his arm backwards from a moment, then in one powerful toss, sent the car flying at Jason. Jason wanted to dodge, but couldn’t knowing that there were people inside the car. He instead stood his ground and grabbed the car before it hit him. The force it was thrown with caused his feet to slide, but he still managed to prevent the car from having a hard landing. When he stopped sliding and had control, he lifted the car above his head with both hands. He was about to set it down when something hit him hard in the chest. He dropped the car and was sent flying backwards at a high speed. The car landed on it tires and the people inside landed safely, but Jason wasn’t as safe. He hit the pavement hard, tearing it up as he continued to skid across the ground.
He finally came to a stop. He looked at his chest. Whatever the man had shot at him, it was nothing like he had been hit with before. His other injuries were nothing compared to this attack. It had burned straight through his sweatshirt and down to the Aspen clothing. It had ripped that slightly as well, but it had taken most of the impact. Blood began to pour from the wound. His head had been rattled and he felt dizzy. He lifted his head and looked at the man, who was pointing his sword at him about two hundred yards away. Whatever he had shot at him, it had come from the sword. The man began to walk towards Jason at a slow speed. He wanted Jason to suffer before he died.
Jason tried to move but couldn’t. The attack had damaged him too much. He laid his head back on the torn broken pavement. Why was this happening? What had he done? All that he’d ever done was help the humans and now someone was trying to harm him. Did the man wish to harm the humans? Jason couldn’t stand by and let that happen, yet his body would not allow him to move. His vision was beginning to fade. The effect the attack was still settling in. Jason was in a lot of pain. He wished his uncle were there to help him. How could he have known that such a peaceful world would have someone out there who wished to harm him? His vision was almost gone now. The last thing he thought of before he closed his eyes was his friends and Sarah. He wanted to protect them. He needed to protect them. And now he was helpless.
That’s when something in his body changed. His strength was back. He could move. If anything, he felt stronger. He opened his eyes and stood up. Although he was bleeding from several spots, including his chest, he felt as though he could fight back again. The man stopped in his tracks. He was about a hundred yards away now. He looked at Jason in disbelief. Jason stared him down, but not in anger. He didn’t feel any anger for some reason. Something had changed. He felt more confident. The man wasn’t about to give Jason a free moment. He lifted his sword and shot the same kind of attack at him. It was a white hot beam of light. It came fast, but Jason reacted quickly. Before it hit him, he heated his arm deflected the attack. The beam went flying off into the air behind Jason. He had never done anything like this before. What was happening? Whatever it was, it seemed to give him an advantage.
The man looked worried. Now was the opportunity to strike. Jason dashed at the man and sent a kick at the man’s face. There was no chance of him avoiding or blocking this attack. Jason’s foot struck him across the face, but he didn’t stop there. He dropped down to the ground and furiously began to deliver one punch after another into the man’s chest. When the man finally could react, he swung his sword high above his head and attempt to strike Jason down. He may have been fast, but now for some reason, Jason felt faster. He dodged the slash and down kicked the back of the man’s leg. The man cried out in pain. While the man was in pain, Jason threw a punch at the man’s face. It sent the man soaring through the air and into one of the empty cars. As Jason hit him, his sword flew from his hand and stuck into the ground far out of his reach. The car exploded upon the man’s impact.
Jason didn’t cease from attacking. He jumped over to where the man hand landed to find him holding his side and down on one knee. He was bleeding from the face and the chest now as well. He hadn’t been used to being hit so hard. Jason wasn’t used to hitting so hard either. The man was angrier than before now. He had a fear of losing.
“H-how?” cried the man in anguish.
“Who are you?” asked Jason, “Why do you try and harm me and these people?”
“The people?” asked the man as he coughed up a little blood, “I’m trying to save the people…”
“Save them?” asked Jason, “Save them from what?”
“Ha, you pretend like you don’t know?” spat the man.
“I want to help you. I don’t want anyone to harm these people either.” Jason stated.
“You want to help me?!?” laughed the man, causing himself pain as he did so, “You are the threat! How can you help me destroy yourself?”
“I’m not threatening these people!” cried Jason, stunned by the man’s words.
“Not yet you aren’t, but you will…and that is why I must destroy you!” the man roared. That was the end of the conversation. He could not be reasoned with. This man needed to be stopped and now there was only one way to do that. The man held up his hand that wasn’t clutching his side and attempted to burn Jason. Jason saw his attack before it happened and held out both of his hands to produce a strong flame. They were locked in a battle of force like earlier, except this time, Jason had the upper hand. He continued to heat his flame and push against the man. They fought for nearly ninety seconds. Jason, with one final push, sent all of the flames at the man. He disappeared into the flames. Jason thought for a moment it was over, but then he felt a signature from above. He shot back to avoid the aerial attack, then lunged forward and struck the man in the face again.
The man continued to attack Jason, but they were all just failed attempts. Jason delivered attack after attack, with almost all of them hitting. Whatever had happened to make him strong again was a blessing. He ended his attacks with one a blow that he thought would finish the man off. Jason kicked the man in the stomach with a force that sent his sailing through the air. Jason was confident that it was over. The man was too beaten down to land on his feet. As he flew, he punched his hand into the ground to slow himself down. This guy was definitely trained to fight. He was bleeding from the mouth and the arms. Jason’s strings of punches and kicks had torn his clothing some and exposed where he had some wounds. He had cut from across his right eye from when the sword had been knocked from his hand. It was bleeding bad, and caused him to close it. That’s when Jason realized his intentions. He was now near his blade again. He jumped for it, but Jason was quicker. He kicked the man away and grabbed the handle of the sword.
Suddenly, something very strange happened. When his hand touched the blade handle, Jason felt as though jolts of electricity were pulsing through his body. He couldn’t move or let go of the blade. He began to shake as though he was being electrocuted. What was happening to him? Suddenly his vision began to fade, but he was still conscious. He saw images. They were images of horrible things. He saw dark shadowy things dashing through the air. They were attacking people. Killing people. It was a massacre. The biggest figure stopped and appeared to turn its head, if it even had a head. It appeared to look at him and all Jason could see was its red and black eyes. They were frightening and sent a chill through his body. The eyes appeared to be an indescribable evil. Why was he seeing this?
“You idiot!” he heard the man cry. The man must have either hit him or punched him away at this point because in an instant, the images went away and he was now flying through the air. He was flying higher and faster than any of the other hits. The man must have put all of his strength into it. As Jason fell through the air, he opened his eyes to see the man standing where he had been moments again. The man grabbed his sword and with a blue light, it disappeared. The man looked at Jason as he fell and then disappeared as well. Jason tried to move, but his body was back to the state it had been when he’d been hit by the white beam. He was beginning to close his eyes when suddenly he hit a tree. He fell straight down, breaking branches as he fell. He hit the ground with a thud and all was still. He tried to move one more time, but when he did so, he fell unconscious.
It was hours before he woke up. The woods were still. The birds were the only sound that was to be heard. Jason was lying on the ground surrounded by branches. The air was cool and the sun was setting. The blood that mainly came from his shoulder, leg, and chest had dried. He was still in pain, but could move again. It took him a few moments to recall what had happened. He wondered where the man had gone. Could he have a gone far in such a damaged condition? If so where did he go? Jason still hadn’t figured out who he was. It was a safe bet to assume that he was Aspen, but how was the possible? Above all of these questions he had, there one that was really stuck in his mind. What had happened to him?
When he thought he was done for, something had changed him. That force had changed him somehow. He was so much stronger and faster. He felt as though nothing could harm him anymore. Did he have some sort of hidden power inside him? Jason could only hope that his uncle would know more about it.
Jason was slow at getting up. His whole body ached from the fight. His clothes were torn and his body had been damaged. His wounds were deep, but would heal if he had enough rest. His uncle would have something to help the pain, as he always did. When Jason got to his feet, he got a bad feeling in his gut. The feeling wasn’t pain. It was just…bad. He ascended several feet into the air. It was a bit more difficult to fly when he was hurting, but he managed.
He tried not to rush himself as he flew. He didn’t want to exert too much pressure onto his body. While flying, Jason thought of the blade the man had used. What kind of a sword could cut his skin? It wasn’t anything he’d ever heard of before. His uncle had mentioned the Aspen using weapons in their wars but not blades. Jason assumed they were high tech firearms or something along those lines. Was it possible that maybe the man he’d fought was a Quixon? We’re Quixon that similar to the Aspen? His uncle always spoke of the Quixon as sinister, ghastly creatures that held great power. The man Jason had fought was certainly strong, but he didn’t get the feeling that he had an evil, destructive mindset.
The man had spoke of killing Jason for the safety of the human race. What did he mean by that? Jason had done nothing but help the humans since he arrived years ago. Did the man have him confused with someone else? And if so, who was that evil person he was confused with? If a man of such great power openly started a fight to the death, he usually had a good reason. That was another thing that crossed Jason’s mind. Why hadn’t the man finished him off? Upon touching the man’s sword, Jason had been unable to move a muscle. It was as though the sword was changing his body in some way.
The more Jason thought about it, the more he realized that something had changed. Something inside him was…different. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was even different from the power that had overcome him during the fight. No, this was something else. He forced every thought in his mind away as he began to concentrate on seeing his uncle. Though it had only been a couple of days, Jason missed him. His uncle was the only family he had ever known. It was a feeling of security knowing that he wasn’t alone in the world.
His uncle had been like a father to him. He fed him, trained him, and looked out for him. Jason had learned everything he knew about fighting from his uncle. One thing his uncle always told him was to remember to be independent. He would say that to be a true warrior, you couldn’t fight like anyone but yourself. You had to have your own style of fighting. You had to have a style that nobody to imitate and predict. Your fighting had to completely reflect who you were.
After about an hour, Jason had reached his uncle’s home. He landed about a hundred feet from the doorway and began to walk towards the door. He scraped the dried blood off of his body as he walked. He didn’t want to look too bad for his uncle. His wounds had sealed now and were beginning to heal. Aspen wounds healed faster than human wounds by quite a bit. By tomorrow, the only visible wounds would be one on his cheek and one on his shoulder. The rest would either have healed over or covered by clothing.
Jason reached the door and went for the knob. Before he reached it, his body went stiff. The door slightly opened and the entire room inside was dark. His uncle never left the door open. That’s when Jason noticed something that sent a chill down his spine. He couldn’t feel a heat signature. He hadn’t really been looking for one when he landed, but now that he was at the door; he could feel that no one was inside. There was something wrong about all of this.
Jason opened the door and looked around. The home that was filled with light and warmth was now dark and cold. As he looked around he found that the house was trashed. There were books scattered across the floor and cracks in the wall. The table had been smashed into multiple splints and looked slightly charred. There was even a large hole in one of the walls. Jason tried not to think of the worst, but the evidence was piling up. There had been a fight here. Jason was still hopeful that this was all just an accident. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he was misinterpreting the scene. It was then when Jason saw him. His uncle’s body was lying on kitchen floor, lifeless.
Jason’s eyes widened and jaw dropped. He was completely petrified. The horrible feeling of sadness and despair shot had stricken him. He swallowed and took a step forward. He slowly made his way across the room to his uncle’s cold, stiff body. Dropping to his knees, Jason placed his hand on his uncle’s chest. He felt no heartbeat. There was no heat signature coming from the body. There hadn’t been one for awhile. Tears trickled down his face as he admitted the horrific truth. His beloved Uncle Alfred was dead.
“U-uncle?” Jason hopelessly called to the body, “Uncle Alfred?”
Jason could feel the tears pouring from his face now. In front of him lied the limp body of the only family he had ever known. Jason’s sadness turned to anger. Who would have done such a thing? Who could have done such a thing? Was there even anyone on this planet capable of killing an Aspen? It didn’t take too long for Jason to realize the only person who could have murdered his uncle. Jason now saw a stab wound on his uncle’s chest. His uncle had died at the hand of a blade.
Jason saw felt the dry blood on his uncle’s chest. He had been stabbed in the heart. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. A flame sparked to life on a nearby bookshelf. Jason’s anger could have filled the entire room with flames. The only thing Jason could think of now was to find the man that had attacked him today and kill him.


A Knife to the Heart


After spending a few more minutes with his uncle’s body, Jason left his old home. He didn’t know what to do anymore. He was alone in the world. No one was there to look out for him. No one was there to tell him what to do next. He had no guidance. He had no family. He was now forced to live his life, based on his own choices, as his uncle had always intended. Now it was Jason’s lone duty to protect everyone from his uncle’s murderer.
Starring at the house that he had grown up in, Jason knew that he had to let go. His uncle always taught him not to let emotion get the best of him. It was time to erase the past. By simply raising his hand, Jason set the old home ablaze. He stood there, watching his childhood memories burn to the ground, wondering if he would be able to do everything on his own. His uncle must have known he wouldn’t always be there for him. But did he really prepare him enough to be isolated so early?
Jason flew high into the air, watching the rest of the home burn. It was time to begin anew. He soared away from the sight and began his journey home. His wounds were beginning to feel better now, so he was able to make the journey go quicker. The darkness of night had blanketed the town by the time he had returned. He landed on the edge of the cliff and entered his home. He half expected to find his home trashed too, but fortunately found it as he left it.
He didn’t bother to make anything to eat. All he wanted now was sleep. He plopped down on his bed and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to overcome him. He hoped he would dream of happy memories that night. He wanted to dream about his uncle. He wouldn’t have minded dreaming of Sarah either. Instead, he dreamt of something he had never seen before. He was walking through a desolate wasteland, just wandering.
He finally came across a shadowy figure standing several hundred feet away. Jason began to run towards the man. As he got close, the figure turned around and starred back at him with the most frightening red eyes Jason had ever seen. The eyes could only be described as evil in its purest form. His body was suddenly struck with paralyses. The figure pointed a pale, bony finger at him and darkness began to surround him. All he could here was a man laugh a wicked laugh. Jason screamed as though the darkness was growing closer to him. Then, as though the night had come and gone, he awoke to sunlight of the morning.
He got up and placed a hand on his head. His dream seemed almost real in parts. The red eyes that he had seen still haunted him. He got dressed for the day and grabbed a quick bite to eat. He walked trying to focus on happier things. It was hard not to think of his uncle’s murder. He figured the best way to start looking for this man was to search the internet for clues. He trudged into the school hallway and found his locker. He had almost forgotten what books he needed that day. He hoped today wasn’t going to be too complex of a day.
In his last class before lunch, a topic out of the ordinary came up. The class was about modern events and conflicts. Throughout the past couple of class days, they had been focusing on the problems in the Middle East. That was not the case today, however. Today, they were going to be talking about something that Jason knew better than anyone.
“Well, class. I trust all of you heard of the incident that happened last night?” the teacher asked. The students all began to whisper to one another and there were a few nods in agreement. Jason was really hoping that it wasn’t what he feared.
“Just in case some of you had your head in the ground last night, there was some sort of an earthquake that caused massive damage to the roads on the edge of town.” the teacher stated.
“I heard it was a fight,” a boy remarked.
“Yeah,” a girl agreed, “I heard that is was an alien fight!”
“Now that is just ridiculous!” laughed the teacher, along with the rest of the class, “Shard, you often have smart theories, what do you think occurred last night?”
Everyone was now starring at Jason. He knew exactly what had happened. He was in fact the one who had caused the damage. He couldn’t tell everyone though. He had to play this one of smooth.
“Well, I…uhh…I’m not entirely sure,” Jason responded.
“Nonsense! You must have some thought on this topic!” the teacher declared.
“Umm well…I don’t think that the idea of alien life should be completely tossed aside. Maybe it was an alien fight. It makes more sense than an earthquake in this state.”
“Yeah!” cried another boy, “Maybe it was that guy on the news!”
People suddenly began to talk about aliens. Before long, the class gotten so far off topic that Jason didn’t have to say a word the rest of class. The bell rang and he began to make his way to lunchroom. His day was going a lot slower than usual. He was almost to the stairs when he heard a girl scream. He turned in the direction of the voice and saw a guy shaking a girl. The guy had two other thuggish guys with him. It took him a moment to realize it, but the girl was none other than Sarah Williams.
Jason rushed over to the scene and saw that the boy was yelling in her face. The other two guys had grins on their faces and the biggest guy of them all seemed to be enjoying himself. Sarah was struggling to get loose from the big guy’s grip
“Hey!” Jason cried, “Let her go!”
The big guy looked up at him and snickered.
“What are you gonna do? Huh? You gonna stop me or somethin’?”
“Just let her go,” he said trying to stay calm.
“Why don’t you make me!”
Jason took a step forward and the big guy’s thugs stepped towards Jason. Jason really didn’t want to use violence on humans, but these guys weren’t about to reason. He would use as little strength as possible and avoid direct hits. The two thugs stepped between Jason and Sarah. They tried to intimidate Jason with dirty looks. Jason just starred back at them. When he took another step, one thug threw a punch at Jason. Before the fist reached Jason’s face, he grabbed it with his hand. The thug tried to pull back but couldn’t break Jason’s grip. The other thug lunged in Jason’s direction. Before the second guy reached Jason, Jason twisted the first guy’s arm behind his back. The punch that the second thug threw hit the first thug right in the face. Once the punch had settled in, Jason pushed the first thug into the other, causing them both to fall to the ground.
Jason stepped toward the guy who was holding Sarah again. He let her go and brought his fists up in a fighting stance. Jason really couldn’t hurt these guys so he allowed the guy to throw punches at him. Jason dodged punch after punch until the big guy was breathing heavily. When he threw about his fifth punch, Jason kicked the big guy’s legs out from under him, causing him fall flat on his back. The guy was still tired from throwing all of the failed punches and didn’t get up.
“I tried to be polite,” Jason said looking down at the big guy. He then turned his attention to Sarah, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” she said catching her breath from struggling, “Thanks,”
“Come on,” Jason said, “We should leave.”
The two of them left the hallway and began down the stairs. Jason led Sarah outside so that they could talk about what had happened. He liked talking to her. She gave him a good feeling inside. Jason pushed open the doors that led to the front lawn of the school. Kids were scattered across the grass enjoying their lunches. Jason made his way to the flag pole with Sarah where they finally sat down. He looked at the beautiful girl next to him. For a moment, he forgot that he had any pain inside him. It was as though everything was calm once again.
“What did those guys want back there?” Jason asked.
“Just a bunch of creeps who were trying to have their way with me,” Sarah said as she looked up at Jason, “They probably would have too if you hadn’t come along.”
Jason smiled and said, “I wasn’t about to stand by and let them hurt you,”
“Well it’s good to know I have someone looking out for me,” Sarah said smiling back at him, “Nice moves too. Where did you learn to fight like that?”
“Uhh my uncle taught me when I was little. I grew up with him and he taught me how to defend myself.
“That’s pretty cool. So you and your uncle are pretty close?”
“Yeah…we were,” Jason said looking back at the ground. The painful memory came back to his head again.
“Oh…I’m sorry, Jason,” Sarah said sincerely, “Who do you live with now?”
“I live on my own now,” said Jason looking back into Sarah’s eyes. He loved how blue and innocent they were. It helped him feel calm.
“Oh, all by yourself? Where are your parents?”
“They died…a long time ago,”
“Oh god…I’m so sorry. I keep bringing up bad things.”
“It’s alright. I didn’t really know my parents. The only family I really had was my uncle. Now it’s just me and me alone.”
“That doesn’t mean you are alone.” Sarah said as she looked back into his eyes, “You still have them in your heart. You also have friends who are there for you.”
Sarah placed her hand on his. They locked eyes with one another. Jason couldn’t get over how incredible this girl was. Even when he felt like he’d hit rock bottom, she managed to lift his spirits.
“So, what about you?” Jason asked, “What’s your story?”
“Well, I live with my parents for now. They are usually fighting with one another though. I want to move to the city when I graduate. I’m ready for something bigger in my life. This town is getting to be too small. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah,” agreed Jason. His life was big enough for now.
“So I was thinking about this Friday. Would you like to meet somewhere for dinner?”
“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Jason said with a smile.
“Well I have to run to lunch. I will see you Friday at…?”
“Why don’t we just meet in the park and decide from there?” proposed Jason.
With a smile and a nod in agreement, Sarah left. Jason sat there a moment watching her leave. Even the way she walked was beautiful. When she smiled, Jason got lost in the moment. He didn’t even try to question his feelings anymore. He didn’t care what the reason was that he felt this way. He just liked it. He got up slowly and began for the lunchroom again. Today, his friends were back to normal.
Josh was talking about his game this Friday, while Tony talked about changing his workout routine. Jason sat down and for the first time anyone could remember, brought up something that got all of their attention.
“So…I have a date this Friday.” Jason said, continuing to eat his food like nothing had been said. His friends stopped talking and starred at Jason in disbelief. No one said anything for a moment. They were all just starring. Josh had had a spoon full of jell-o that plopped back onto his tray. Matt’s eyebrows rose. It was as though he had told them he was an alien.
“You? A date?” Josh asked looking amazed.
“Yep, I’m going out to dinner with her this Friday.”
“Who?” Tony questioned, “Williams?”
“Yep, she asked me out today,” Jason said with a small smile. Josh slammed his spoon down onto the table and looked up at Jason.
“Jay, what did I tell you about lying?” yelled Josh.
“He isn’t lying,” Matt said with a laugh, “He really is going out with her,”
“Oh yeah?” Josh spat, “How do you know?”
“Well he did save her from Brett and what would have most likely turned into sexual assault.” Matt declared. Jason didn’t want to think what would have happened if he hadn’t been there.
“I hate that kid!” Josh yelled, directing his anger elsewhere, “There was this time in football when…”
“Yeah, Josh,” Tony groaned, “We’ve heard this story before,”
“Well excuse me for liking a story that involved Brett getting his ass kicked,” Josh laughed. At that, they all laughed. His friends were definitely like no others. Suddenly, Matt stopped laughing and looked at Jason.
“Dude, where were you last night?” Matt asked as though Jason had missed something important.
“I was at home, why?” Jason asked.
“There was a full scale alien death match going on! How could you not know about it?” Tony asked, now entering the conversation.
“Maybe it was that alien from the news. Remember him, Jason?” asked Josh.
“Yeah, I remember the guy who saved all of those people.”
“Jay, they said he could fly.” Matt stated.
“Ok, so what if it is an alien?” Jason asked, a bit worried, “What would that mean?”
“What would it mean?!?” asked an outraged Josh, “It would mean that this is amazing! There has always been talk of aliens. But now that one is here, so many things change. We have so many new questions. Like where did he come from?”
“Or did he come with anyone?” said Tony.
“Maybe the two that were fighting were brothers or something,” Josh suggested. Jason got an angry thought in the back of his head. There is no chance in hell that the man was his brother. This guy was far from being like Jason. This guy was something else.
“You guys aren’t afraid of these aliens, are you?” Jason asked. He had always worried about telling his friends. He thought that they might be afraid of him. He thought everyone would.
“Of course not!” cried Matt, “This is so incredible! I wish aliens would have arrived here years ago!”
“Yeah, I guess that would have been kind of cool.” Jason fake agreed, “Well, I have to head into my next hour early. Big project or something stupid like that. See you guys later.”
Jason got up from the table, with his tray and left the lunchroom. Josh, Tony, and Matt all just sat at the table. They waited for Jason to be out of sight before anyone spoke. When he finally disappeared behind the wall, the whole mood changed. The three boys all looked each other, ready to discuss the biggest thing on their mind.
“Do you think it was him?” Josh asked the others.
“It could be, I mean did you see that mark on his cheek? Looked like a cut you would get in a fight.” Tony said.
“Yeah, maybe,” Matt said, “But I mean come on, we’ve known Jason for years. Could he really be an alien?”
“I don’t know, man,” Tony said, “For now, all we can do is watch and wait.”
When the bell rang, the boys departed for their classes. The day carried out like any other day. The teachers gave their lectures that put students to sleep. The warm air of the departing summer blew in through the windows, like a hand attempting to pull the students from their prison. The town was always so peaceful and predictable. Every year, the leaves would fall off their trees at the same time. The young children would cherish the snowy months while those beyond sledding would dread the hassle.
There would be several festivals throughout the year where people would come to buy goods, converse about their lives, and just generally enjoy themselves. In the upcoming fall festival, shortly after homecoming, just about every person in the town would gather in the town square. The festival would be an opportunity for people to express their new ideas for the town.
Before the nighttime events started, a big football game scrimmage would be played under the lights for everyone to enjoy. The entire town would usually attend this as well. When the game concluded, there would be a big night ceremony for all of the athletes on the football teams. The town definitely didn’t change their traditions, which to most its citizens was a good thing. Why change something that is already good?
Jason left school that day, not needing any books for the night, and began his usual walk home. Nothing unusual happened today. He kept his guard up this time. If he detected one fast moving heat signature, he would be ready to fight. As he walked through the woods, he thought of how big the world was. Would he ever be able to find that man again? And if he did, would he be ready this time? Yes, he had to be ready. He couldn’t allow himself to be beaten this time.
When he reached his home, he walked out to the cliff that overlooked the city. If he were to fall, what would become of the rest of the world? Would this man try to takeover this world and claim it as his own? Or would he just want to see it all burn? If he was a Quixon, then the world was in trouble. Jason wouldn’t allow anything bad to happen to these people. He had to be strong. Without delaying another moment, Jason lifted into the air. He needed to practice his abilities. He needed to make himself stronger. Before he soared away, he felt a heat signature. It wasn’t just one either. There were three of them.
Jason suddenly tensed up. Had the man brought friends this time? Jason whirled around, looking for the signatures. He could feel that they were close. One was behind a large tree, while the other two were behind his wooden house. Jason descended from air, clenching his jaw. It was time to take revenge. He walked slowly towards the two behind his house. They were just leaning against the side of the house. Did they think he didn’t notice them? Could they really be that foolish? He raised a hand in their direction, ready to begin the fight.
Jason slowly moved to a point where he had a clear shot. His whole body was tense with anticipation. He had flame at the ends of his finger tips, slowly getting hotter. This time, he would not be beaten. He was almost in sight of his targets. He finally rounded the corner. He would not let this man destroy this peaceful world. When he saw his targets, he stopped. The flames disappeared from his finger tips and he lowered his hands. He was shocked when he finally saw what he was worried about. Leaning against the side of his home, were two guys. They were the same two guys that Jason had known for a long time. Looking back at him were none other than Josh and Tony, which made the other signature Matt.

Family in Friends


Inside Jason’s house, his three friends sat on the couch saying nothing. Jason retrieved four bottles of water from his fridge and tossed one to each of his friends. They each unscrewed the caps and began to drink. Jason was amazed that he didn’t notice them following him. He had been so busy looking for fast moving signatures that he wasn’t watching for anything else. He thought about lying, but it was too late for that. They had likely seen him rise into the air and he had no reasonable excuse for that. He was stuck now. There was no choice. He had to tell them the truth.
His friends chugged their waters. Although they had suspected Jason was the alien, seeing it had taken everything to a new level of crazy. When they finished they looked up at Jason, not with fear, but excitement and question. They still weren’t afraid of him. If anything, they felt better knowing that it was Jason. Their heads were filled with many questions that Jason knew he would have to answer. He took a seat and waited for them to start.
“I knew it!” Josh declared, “I knew there was something different about you!”
“Yep,” Jason agreed, “I’m definitely different.”
“Yeah, a little,” said Matt sarcastically.
“So what…I mean how are you able to fly?” Tony asked.
“Yeah and what else can you do?” asked Matt.
“And why the hell didn’t you tell us sooner?” Josh asked with a fake tone of being angry.
Jason started from the beginning. He told his friends everything about him. He told them of the Aspen and how he arrived here when he was a baby with his uncle. He told them how his home had been destroyed by the vicious, blood thirsty Quixon. He described his life as a child and how he endured intense training. He spoke of how his uncle told him to become the protector of the humans. He explained the fight that had taken place between him and the mysterious, alien man. And lastly, he informed them of his uncle’s death and of his mission to kill his uncle’s murderer.
While he spoke, his friends for once didn’t ask questions. He told the entire story from the beginning to the present. His friends sat on the couch, with all of their attention given to Jason. Occasionally, their eyes would widen or one of them would gasp. Jason and his friends had switched places. For once, Jason was the one with all of the knowledge and his friends were the ones trying to learn. When he finished, there was a moment before anyone said anything again. Jason figured he would let it all sink in. He must have been talking for an hour.
“Wow,” was all Tony managed to get out.
“Yeah, that’s one way to put it,” Josh said.
“There is one more thing,” Jason said, regaining all of their attention, “None of you can ever tell anyone of my secret. I must continue to live like this without anyone knowing my true identity. No one but you three of course. I know this may be hard to do sometimes and I also know this is a lot for me to ask of you three b-”
“Jason, we will never tell a soul.” Matt interrupted.
“Yeah, if you believe that it is important to be an unknown solider, then we will help keep it that way,” Josh agreed.
“You guys…really don’t want to tell anyone? No one at all?” Jason asked, somewhat surprised.
“Well of course we want to tell someone,” declared Matt, “But we won’t. We are like a family, man. We are here for ya.”
“Yeah, he’s right,” Tony seconded, “And we will help in whatever way we can.”
“Wow,” Jason said. He was now the one lost for words. He didn’t expect them to take this so easily, let alone help him find his uncle’s killer.
“Do you know where this man could have gone?” asked Josh, slightly changing the conversation.
“No,” Jason said with a sigh, “He could be anywhere,”
“And you said he moved as fast as you?” Matt asked.
“Faster if anything. He was just like me, only a little bit faster and stronger,” Jason stated.
“If your body can withstand a steel blade without a mark, what kind of a blade could cut you?” Josh asked.
“I don’t know anymore about this man than you three know.” Jason said, “He is still a mystery to me as well,”
Before anyone could ask any more questions, Tony’s phone beeped. He grabbed it from his pocket and opened it.
“Dammit,” Tony muttered, “My mom needs me home for dinner,”
“Yeah, I probably need to get going too,” Matt said.
The four boys left the house. Maybe his friends knowing would work out better than he thought. Perhaps, with the four of them working together, they could find this man before he found Jason. Jason walked with them to the tree line. He was going to leave once they were gone. He still needed to make sure his powers didn’t go soft on him. When they three boys began to leave, Josh turned around and looked back to Jason.
“Before we go,” Josh started, with a small, hopeful grin, “Can you give us a little demo of what you can do?”
Jason didn’t answer him. Instead he walked towards the edge of the cliff. He picked a large stone up from the ground and looked into the air. He hurled the rock into the air and watched it soar upward. Before it was too far up, Jason held up a hand and caused it to explode in flames. He then jumped from the cliff and took flight for the clouds. The three guys watched in amazement as their friend disappeared into the sky. They all stood watching the point at which Jason had disappeared.
“Where do you think he went?” asked Matt.
“Who knows? He can go anywhere,” Josh chuckled.
The boys hiked through the woods and took their separate ways home. They each wondered the same thing as they walked. If there were two people from other planets already here, were there still more to come? Matt dreamed of there being many people like Jason here to help everyone else. Tony wondered what would happen if Jason didn’t find his uncle’s killer. Josh hoped one day he would be able to help Jason fight. Jason’s closest friends all had his best interests in mind, but they feared that there were others out there that didn’t feel the same way.
Jason flew over the town, just watching it. Everyone was getting home from work or school and getting ready to settle in for the evening. He flew over many houses, making sure to keep his appearance masked in case someone saw him. He eventually came across the house of someone he knew. It was just like any other suburban house in the town. It had white siding and stood about two floors tall. It had multiple windows which were just about all closed. One window in the back was open, however, and leaning out of it, just watching the clouds was Sarah.
He thought about how Friday would go. He could only hope that it would be as incredible as every other time he had been around her. He looked down at her, making sure that she didn’t see him, and noticed that she was frowning. Was there something wrong? He desperately wanted to talk to her. He wanted to give her someone to talk to. But he also didn’t want to seem weird by knowing where she lived. The truth was he had only come across her house by complete accident. Jason decided that best thing to do was to play it cool the next day at school and simply ask how she was.
Jason continued his flight around the town for a little while longer, and soon returned home. He walked into the home and went through his usual routine. He munched on his food, while finishing a simple Spanish assignment. Everything at his school came very easily to him. His biggest learning experience at school was the interaction with other students. Jason began to think of his first days in the school and how different he was from all of the other kids. He talked much more proper than everyone else back then. They had already begun to use English slang and were getting their independent tones. All of them treated him as an outsider, until Matt that is. He was truly Jason’s first friend.
These flashback thoughts made Jason think of his Uncle Alfred. Alfred had always been kind and warm in Jason’s mind. Sometimes the training got a little more intense than Jason would have preferred, but looking back on everything he was glad Alfred had pushed him. Alfred used to write at night. He would say, “Someday, these words I write will be one of your greatest resources.” Jason wasn’t sure what he meant back then. He still wasn’t entirely sure, but it hardly mattered anymore. Alfred and all of his possessions were gone. He was merely a memory now.
Jason leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. The humans spoke of a heaven and a hell. He hadn’t studied the religious practices of humans very much. From what he had seen and read, all religious beliefs did was bring segregation and war to the planet. Now Jason wondered if his uncle had made it into heaven, if there was a heaven. Jason smiled at the thought of his uncle looking down on him. Something about that thought brought him comfort. Maybe his uncle, mother, and father were all looking down on him. Jason accepted that he could only wait until his life concludes to truly find out. For now, all he can do is believe.
He closed his book and retired to his bedroom. He slept peacefully that night. There were no strange dreams or disturbances; only the peaceful sound of the surrounding woods. All he could think about was Friday and how he couldn’t wait for it to come. The next few days came and went. Things proceeded as normal. The only change was the discussion his friends and him had at lunch. They all wanted to know more about Jason and the Aspen. Jason didn’t mind the attention, but thought that it would be rather difficult to explain while trying to eat a turkey sub. He eventually agreed to answer his friends’ questions soon, just not at that exact moment. Reluctantly, his friends changed the topic to the football and baseball.
After lunch, Jason finished out the day and began his way home. He saw Sarah briefly in the hallway, but they were both in a hurry and could only exchange smiles. Jason and Josh walked out of the school together that day, as Josh tried to convince Jason to try out for the football team. Now that Josh knew about his powers, it was only a matter of time before he tried to get a slight benefit for himself.
“Come on, man!” Josh demanded, “Just go easy on the others. With you, we’ll be unstoppable.”
“Josh, I’ve told you before that I can’t just walk out of nowhere and humiliate you in front of your team.” Jason said with a smirk.
“Oh yeah, ha-ha. Real cool.”
“But honestly, I can’t take the risk.”
“Alright, let me know if you change your mind, then. Catch ya later.”
Josh ran off toward the football locker room to get ready for his practice. His coaches were going to be a little pissed for his absence yesterday. Jason began to cross the street and passed the student parking lot. As he walked by, someone called to him. He turned to see a guy with grease on his hands looking right at him.
“Can you come here for a sec?” the guy asked, “I need your help,”
Jason made his way over the guy’s car and set his bag on the grass. The guy had short and curly brown hair and narrow hazel eyes. He was a little shorter than Jason and looked to be build like a cross country runner more than a football player. He had a sleeveless white shirt and a pair of black sweatpants on. He had black grease all over his face, shirt and hands.
“Hey, can you just sit in the front seat and turn the key when I tell ya?”
“Uhh, yeah I guess.”
Jason opened the car door and sat in the seat. It was an old car, but very nice. It was a green car with a centered black stripe across it. The guy went to the front of the car and opened the hood. Jason sat in the seat for a few minutes as he messed with parts in the engine. Finally, he gave Jason the ‘ok’ and when the key turned, the car rumbled to life. Jason got out of the car and the guy put the hood down. He wiped his hands with a white rag and looked to Jason.
“Thanks, man,” the guy said with his hand outstretched for a handshake.
“Yeah,” Jason said shaking his hand, “no problem,”
“Name’s Kris,”
“Jason,”
“Nice to meet ya, Jason.”
“Likewise, Kris. That’s a pretty nice looking car.”
“Ha, yeah. 1972 Chevelle. It’s been in the family for about as long as I’ve been around.”
“That’s gotta be pretty cool,”
“Ehh, it has its ups and downs. Where’s your ride?”
“Don’t have one.”
“Damn, that sucks. Hey if you ever need a lift, just let me know.”
“Alright, sounds good.”
“We’ll I’d love to stay chat, but I’ve gotta run. See ya around Jason. Thanks again.”
“Yeah, take it easy.”
Kris got into the driver’s seat and closed the door. Jason grabbed his bag and began for his house again. Kris rumbled out of the parking lot and took off down the street. It was fun to meet new people. Kris seemed pretty cool to Jason. Maybe they would hang out sometime down the road. Jason made his way to his house and opened the door to go through the same routine he did every night. He watched the news while he ate that night. Everything he could find on the news either had to do with the alien hero or the alien battle royale. Jason watched TV until his eyes began to ache.
Everything just seemed to go slower than usual for the remainder of the night and the first part of the next day. He found himself looking forward to his date with Sarah more and more every minute. The Friday school days always seemed to drag on. When they were finally dismissed for the weekend, Jason ran to his locker so he could get everything and leave. Inside his locker, he found that someone had slipped him a note. Jason opened it to find that it was from Sarah.
Jason,
We completely forget a time! I hope five works out alright. If not, I can just wait at the park for you. Can’t wait for tonight!
Sarah
Jason folded the note up and put it in his backpack. He hurried home as quickly as he could. When he got home, he suddenly started to feel different than usual. He was suddenly concerned with everything. He couldn’t decide on what to wear. He figured that Sarah would be alright with his typical style of dress. After taking a shower, changing clothes, and grabbing some money, he left for the park. He wanted to try and be there earlier than five if he could. When he arrived, Sarah was sitting on a park bench. He walked up to her and when she turned around, his heart started pounding again. Just the sight of this girl got his heart going.
“Hey!” Sarah greeted.
“Hey, you ready?” Jason asked.
“Sure, where are we going?”
“We could just go to Sampson’s on the square?”
“Yeah,” Sarah said with a smile, “That sounds nice,”
The two walked to the diner on square of their town. On the way there and during dinner, they talked about many different things. Jason told stories about his friends that he looks back on. He spoke of the training that his uncle had taught him. He, of course, had to alter the story to make it sound human. Sarah told Jason about how her parents are always fighting and how she wants to move out. She told him about all the creepy guys that had tried to date her before and how she managed to avoid them.
They talked for hours. Jason was a little disappointed at how fast the time was passing. He wished he could just sit and look into Sarah’s eyes forever. At about nine thirty, which felt too early, they left the diner and began to walk around on the sidewalks of the town. As they walked, Jason noticed that Sarah was cold. He took his sweatshirt off and put it around her shoulders.
“You’re such a great guy, Jason.” Sarah said with a smile.
“You aren’t too bad yourself,” Jason replied with a laugh.
“That’s a cool shirt,” Sarah said, looking at Jason’s Aspen shirt.
“Oh this?” Jason asked, “Yeah, it was something my uncle gave me,”
“That’s nice,” smiled Sarah, “What are these markings?”
Jason looked at the Aspen symbols on his shoulders and the one by his neck.
“My uncle never told me exactly what language they were,” Jason lied, “I do know that this one on my right means ‘belief’. And this one on the other side means ‘strength’.”
“What about this one?” Sarah asked pointing to his neck.
“Uhh,” Jason said as he faked trying to remember, “I believe it means ‘hope’”
“That’s cool!” Sarah said.
Jason and Sarah walked through the town for nearly another hour before they finally decided it was time for Sarah to go. Jason walked her to her house, asking directions as they walked. He knew exactly where he was going, but he pretended to get lost once or twice. When they finally got there, they walked up to her porch.
“That was fun,” Sarah smiled.
“Yeah, it was nice,” Jason agreed.
“Well thank you for a great night,” Sarah said as she hugged him goodbye.
Jason could feel her heartbeat as she hugged him. It was very soothing to him. She was the most incredible person he had ever met. Every little thing she did was beautiful to Jason. He wished he could hold her forever. Sarah turned for her door and was ready to head inside when Jason finally said, “Would you, uhh, be interested in goin’ to the Homecoming Dance with me?”
Sarah turned around and smiled.
“I would love to,”
Jason smiled and the two went their separate ways. When he was out of sight, he took flight and made his way home. The sun had gone down and everybody was heading inside for the night. Jason masked his presence, even though it would be next to impossible for anyone to see who he was. This night had been more incredible than he had ever imagined. He hoped the dance would be just as good as or better than tonight. He floated in the sky for awhile just smiling. Everything was so peaceful.

Second Encounter


Things had been going so much better than Jason could have imagined. After his uncle died, he thought things would have fallen apart. He thought his whole purpose would have been a waste. But now, he could see that he was someone. He was actually two someones. He was someone who protected lives and saved people from tragedies and he was also someone who was a good friend to many people. Even his newly found friend Kris seemed to like and trust him. Things were definitely going great.
It had been almost two weeks since his uncle was killed. He was still searching for the man, but so far everything had led to a dead end. He figured the best thing he could do for now was to wait for the man to find him and be ready when he did. Jason had been practicing and experimenting with his powers. He was getting quicker with his body and his mind. There weren’t many other things he could do without a teacher. He had to learn how to use his powers on his own.
Jason made his way into the city on the weekend, sometimes. He had finally got around to purchasing a cell phone. He figured it was the best way for his friends to get a hold of him. Jason had managed to repair the Aspen shirt that his uncle had given him. He learned that when heat was applied correctly, it would regenerate the materials over time. Jason found this fact fortunate. There was no one on the planet who could fix it any other way.
It was a cool, Saturday afternoon and Jason decided to head into town for lunch. He even called his friends and asked them to meet him at a seafood place on the east side of town. As Jason walked through the crowds on the sidewalks, he looked up at the clouds. He wondered if his mother and father were looking down on him from somewhere. The humans had a pretty set idea that when someone passed away that they would go to a place called heaven. He was pretty well convinced that heaven was a true place hidden from the eyes of the living. He believed that his entire family would check in on him from time to time.
He hoped that the entire Aspen race was proud of his existence. He wanted to destroy the Quixon for making him the last of his kind. Thinking of those monsters often made Jason wonder if they would ever come to Earth. His uncle described them as world destroyers. If they went from world to world, exterminating entire races, would they go after the humans? If the Quixon had killed the Aspen, what threat would the humans pose to the Quixon? Where they really so heartless that they would come after six million weaker lives and wipe them out?
Jason had become lost in thought once again as he walked through the city. He walked along the outer section of the town, trying to kill time before he met with his friends. They weren’t supposed to get there from another twenty minutes still. The day had the slightest hint of winter in the wind. Jason had worn a gray jacket over his Aspen shirt. His typical jean shorts and a pair of black tennis shoes were the only other things he wore. His light brown hair was too short to blow in the wind.
Jason was brought back to the real world when someone accidently bumped into him on the street. A mere civilian had just not been paying attention. The man said sorry as he continued to walk down the street. Jason stopped walking and looked back at the man. His hands began to shake and his body went cold. It was him. It was his uncle’s murderer.
Had he noticed Jason? The man was on a phone. Perhaps he was distracted. Jason watched the man continued down the street. If he hadn’t noticed Jason, then this was his chance. It was finally time to finish it. He perused the man down the street. He didn’t want to act yet. There were still too many people around to strike. Despite wanting revenge, Jason still put everyone’s safety above anything else.
The man rounded the corner, still on his phone. Jason was determined to not let the man get away. He followed the man through the city. The man was wearing a thin black rain jacket and a pair of blue jeans. His hair was a little longer than Jason’s, but the same tone of brown. Jason wouldn’t dare to compare himself to this killer. The man finally put away his phone and went down an alley way.
Jason didn’t follow him right away. If he had, the man would have been onto him. Jason snuck over to the alleyway and peered around the corner. There was a shady parking lot with a lone car in it. The man was pulling a pair of keys from his pocket and walking towards the car. Jason couldn’t feel any other signature but the man’s. Now was his chance to strike.
The man approached the car and went to unlock it. His car slowly sank downward. He looked down and saw that the tires had been melted. He turned to see Jason with an outstretched hand point towards the vehicle. The man dropped his keys, ready to make a move, but Jason acted quicker. His knee caught the man under his chin and sent him hurtling upward. This time, the first move was Jason’s.
As the man flew into the sky, Jason jumped up after him. He recovered quickly, this time not about to let Jason hit him. Jason threw multiple punches at the man, but he deflected each one with his arms. Jason tried to kick at the man’s head, but he caught it and delivered a blow to Jason’s gut. He wasn’t going to beat him without taking a few hits. Jason broke free of the man’s grip and shot backwards, getting some distance between them.
“Stop this, Jason,” the man called out, “I refuse to fight you.”
“You try to kill me, and now you won’t fight me??” cried Jason, “And how do you know my name?”
“You are still misguided. Allow me to help you,” the man said with an outstretched hand. It wasn’t a hand of violence. Instead, it was a hand of kindness, but Jason wasn’t buying it.
He shot forward sending a blow across the man’s face, causing him to shoot backwards. Jason wasn’t going to let him recover this time. Jason flew above the man with his hands extended, and released his power. The figure became engulfed with flames. Jason appeared to be winning for the time being, but he wasn’t about to let up. Jason took the flaming sphere that had once been the man and forced it together. The flames tightened in on spot. Jason’s hands were shaking with the pressure. He had practiced this maneuver, but not with an actual opponent. The flames all imploded together at once, causing flames to shoot out in all directions.
Jason looked down as the flaming strands found their way to the ground. Could it be over? As if to answer his thoughts, the man’s heat signature appeared above him. Jason tried to avoid the hit, but wasn’t quick enough. The man hit Jason over the top of the head with his elbow. Jason plunged downward into the ground. Dust flew into the air upon impact, as Jason hit the ground hard.
Jason got up quickly and looked up for the man, but he was gone. Jason caught his signature just in time to block. The man sent a kick towards his way that Jason blocked with his arm. Jason countered with a kick of his own, but caught his leg with one hand, while sending his other hand into the back of Jason’s kneecap. Jason cried out in pain and struggled to break the man’s grip, but it was no use. Desperate to break free, Jason used one of his hands to burn the man’s hand.
The man pulled back his hand, while at the same time let go. Jason distanced himself once again from the man. He would not be beaten. In unison, the two pointed a hand at one another. The flames exploded together like clashing waves. It was once again a battle of force. Jason’s gritted his teeth. Using all of his might, Jason gained control of the flame. It was time for this fight to end. Jason, in control of the entire mesh of fire, pushed it all in the man’s direction. It was headed right for him. There was no running from this attack. Jason wouldn’t miss this time.
The flame wave was almost to the man when, suddenly, it split into two. The man was holding his blade in his hand. He had cut the massive inferno into two halves with a slice of his sword. Jason froze in his tracks. He was too stunned to act. Where did the man get his blade? Jason felt the hit before he saw it. The man had hit him square in the chest with his fist. Jason flew backwards and skidded across the ground. Jason’s whole body stung after that hit. He looked up to find the man holding the blade to his neck. He had failed to beat him again.
“Jason,” the man said, “I told you to stop,”
“How do you know my name?” Jason coughed.
“You aren’t in a position to be asking questions, now are you?” the man grinned.
“Get away from me!” spat Jason.
“Jason, don’t be so spiteful,” laughed the man.
“You say my name like you know me, yet I don’t even know yours,” declared Jason.
“My name?” the man asked, “My name is Jackson. Now, please, stop this fighting. We are not enemies. We are both on the same side.”
“You’re wrong!” Jason spat, “We are on complete opposite sides. You are my enemy!”
“You don’t even know who your enemy is,” the man declared, “We both fight the same enemy,”
Jason had had enough. He needed to get away from him somehow. If he moved, the man would surely cut through him with his blade. Jason desperately needed a distraction. The man stood, blade in hand, with one foot on Jason’s chest. The sleek had once been lightly pressed to Jason’s neck, but now that Jackson had been talking, the blade was only near his neck. He had to act quickly if he wanted this to work.
Jason watched Jackson’s eyes. He had been starring right back at him, but now he looked as though he as distracted thinking of something else. It didn’t matter to Jason what he had to say. Vengeance was everything now. Jason did several things at once. Jason grabbed the foot that was resting on his chest with one hand, while directing his other hand in the direction Jackson’s blade hand. The flaming heat dispensed from his hands, causing Jackson’s to jump away. Still not satisfied, Jason leapt to his feet and rocketed towards Jackson. He continued to produce white hot flames around his fist as he charged his enemy.
Jackson, still surprised that Jason had been so unreasonable, gripped his blade handle tighter. He detected Jason’s attack and was ready to counter. He wasn’t about to be beaten either. As soon as Jason was in striking distance, Jackson swiped his blade at Jason’s neck. He was correct in anticipating a direct attack, but he was wrong to think Jason wasn’t ready for his attack. Jason was now two feet away from his target. He ducked under the swinging blade and sent a scorching punch into Jackson’s ribs.
Crying out in pain, Jackson was shot backward like a bullet. He hit the ground hard, throwing dust and dirt into the air. Jason stood watching the dust. He waited for a heat signature to emerge from the dust. He was going to finish this man, Jackson, off for good. The dust began to clear and what he saw caused his fist to clench. He scanned around Jackson’s presence, but it was no use. He had run.
Jason’s anger was flooding through his body. His hands were shaking. He couldn’t remember feeling this way before. It was as though his hatred was the very blood pumping through his veins. He had been denied his revenge. After all this time searching, he had to start over. The only thing he had learned was his name. Jackson. Jason felt like screaming. Suddenly, he heard a phone ringing. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. He looked at the caller ID to find that it was Tony.
“Hello?” Jason said, answering his phone.
“Dude, where are you?” asked Tony, “You’d think that you would be the last person to be late,”
“Sorry, I ran into a distraction. I’m not gonna be able to meet you guys right now.”
“Was it a good distraction?” asked Tony. Jason could tell he’d said that with an mischievous smile.
“No…it definitely was not a good distraction. Can you three meet me at my place tonight?” Jason asked, “We can have dinner and discuss this whole thing.”
“Uhh,” started Tony, as he asked the others if they could attend, “Yeah, we’ll be there.”
“Alright, cool,” said Jason, “Come by around six thirty.”
“Sounds good, man. See ya later,” finished Tony. The phone went silent. Jason closed his phone and replaced it in his pocket. He hoped that maybe knowing Jackson’s name might help them find him. His friends may be able help him narrow down the people in the city as well. Jason lifted off the ground a few feet, still in disbelief that he had let Jackson escape. After starring a few more seconds at the spot where he’d disappeared, Jason ascended into the clouds.
Jason spun in the clouds, trying to calm himself. The air felt warmer up here. The sun was beating right down on him. It made his body feel good. He noticed that he’d attained a few bruises and his right hand was slightly burned. These wounds were only minor. In an hour or so, they would be nearly gone. He felt a little proud of himself now that the anger was gone. He had managed to react quicker to Jackson’s attacks this time and walked away without a cut from his blade.
Jackson’s blade was something that puzzled him. What kind of blade could be powerful enough to cut through flames? Until today, Jason didn’t believe such a thing existed. It was clear that there were still many things about Jackson that he didn’t know. Jason wanted to know the truth, but he also wanted him dead even more. He truly hated him. Even at the thought of his name, Jason got angry. He wanted to take all of his anger and direct it at Jackson.
Jason landed at his home after about an hour of flying and began to prepare for his friends’ arrival. He placed chairs around the table and began to cook about ten burger patties. By the time the three got there, Jason had a plate of burgers patties, a bag of burger buns, and a twelve pack of soda placed in the middle of his table. His friends came in and instantly smelled the food. The four of them sat down and immediately began to eat. Tony, Josh, and Matt were glad Jason could cook.
“So,” Josh began while stuffing the rest of a burger into his mouth, “Why weren’t you there today?”
“I found him,” Jason said wiping his mouth.
“Who?” Matt asked as he swallowed down the rest of his first soda, “You’re uncle’s killer?”
“Yeah. He said his name was Jackson,” Jason announced.
“Jackson, huh?” Josh said, “Never heard of him,”
“Yeah, me neither,” said Tony.
“Did you get him?” Josh asked.
“No,” said Jason, “I was about to, but he fled,”
“Damn coward!” Matt yelled, “How’d you find him?”
“I ran into him on the street. It was completely random. I was actually on my way to meet you guys and he passed by me. I followed him to his car, and then attacked.” Jason informed.
“Figures,” Josh spat, “He attacks you, you kick each other’s asses, and when you come to finish the job, he runs like a little school girl.”
“Did you learn anything else?” Tony asked.
“No,” said Jason, “Nothing but his name,”
“Damn,” Tony muttered.
“This guy, Jackson,” started Matt, “Do you think he is a Quixon?”
“I, honestly, don’t know.” Jason admitted, “All I know is he is strong, fast, and doesn’t seem to have my best interests in mind,”
The four boys talked for a few hours. They tried coming up with theories about Jackson’s blade and what it was made out of. They also tried out theories about Jackson himself. Matt had brought his laptop for them to surf the internet for clues. It seemed like every trail had gone cold. They found several men with the name Jackson in the city, but none of them had pictures to confirm their identity.
It was a quarter to ten when there was a knock on the door. Everyone looked up from the computer screen. Jason got up from his seat and walked towards the door. He stopped in front of the door and looked back at his friends. Matt closed the computer screen. Jason looked for a heat signature, thinking that maybe Jackson had found his home. When he saw it, he realized it couldn’t be Jackson. The figure was much smaller than him. He could hear a heart beating quickly and finally heard the sound of someone sniffle. Jason opened his door to a crying Sarah Williams.
“J-Jason,” she started, still in tears “Can I come in and talk to you?”
Jason looked into her eyes. It broke his heart to see tears coming from her gorgeous eyes. He looked back to his friends, who immediately stood up.
“We were just leaving,” Tony said.
“Yeah,” agreed Josh, “We’ll see you later Jason,”
Jason’s three friends left as Sarah came in. He walked with her to the couch where they both sat down. Jason could see that she wasn’t harmed, which calmed him slightly, but what had upset her so much that she would come all the way out here. He knew she didn’t have a car to get all the way out here. She must have walked a few miles just to get to his house. She wiped same of the tears from her eyes and turned to Jason.
“What happened, Sarah?” Jason asked.
“M-my parents,” she said, “They got into a fight about me again. This time, they blamed me for their “struggling relationship” and told me that I should leave,”
“They kicked you out, just like that?” asked Jason, surprised that her parents would do something like that.
Sarah nodded and said, “I didn’t know who else to go to.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked, “I would have come and got you.”
“You told me you didn’t have car,” she said.
“I still would have come for you,” he stated.
“I didn’t want you to have to trouble yourself any further with m-,” she started, but Jason interrupted her by grabbing her hand.
“If you ever need help, call me. You will never bother me, Sarah,” Jason claimed. She managed to smile, through the tears.
“Thank you, Jason.” Sarah said as she smiled, “I just don’t have anywhere to go or anyone to turn to,”
“You can stay here for the night,” Jason declared, “At least until you’re parents cool down a bit,”
“Oh, Jason,” Sarah cried, wrapping her arms around him, “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would do without you. You are so incredible. I just don’t want to be a bother or intrude on anything.”
“There’s no one here but me,” Jason laughed, “You are more than welcome to stay here.”
“Thank you so much, Jason,” said Sarah, still wiping away the tears.
“I’ll always be here,” Jason said, “Whenever you need me.”
Sarah smiled. Her hand was still on his shoulder. Their eyes locked again. Even in sadness, Sarah was still beautiful. He got up from the couch with her and led her into the bedroom. He told her to sleep in the bed and he would take the couch. Sarah wanted to argue, but she knew that Jason wasn’t going to let her sleep on the couch. Jason went out to the couch and sat down. He watched the news, until he could hear that Sarah was sound asleep. He shut the television off and closed his eyes. He tried to dream happy thoughts that night, but again, all he could see was the red eyed figure reaching out at him. He feared the day that he would have to meet the creature in his mind. He hoped that day would never come, but he knew that one day it would.

Quixon


The morning light crept in through the windows. The light hit Jason’s eyelids, waking him from his sleep. He sat up and looked around. The bedroom door was open and the bed was empty. Jason got up from his couch and looked around. He heard water coming from the bathroom shower. He walked into the kitchen and found Sarah’s clothes, draped over the back of a chair.
The bathroom door opened and Jason spun around. Sarah was standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a towel and saw the same surprised look Jason had. Jason turned around quickly, red in the face with embarrassment. Sarah’s face turned red as well. Although they both cared about one another, this was still an awkward circumstance.
“Umm,” Jason started, “G-good morning,”
“Yeah,” Sarah agreed with a small laugh, “Good morning, I didn’t think you’d be up so early”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep my eyes shut,” Jason assured.
“Umm…yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Sarah said, “Just let me grab my clothes really quick,”
As she walked past him and retrieved her clothes, she said, “I hope it was okay that I used your shower?”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine,” Jason laughed, “Just get dressed,”
“Right,” Sarah said. Jason heard her footsteps hurry back into the bathroom, followed by the door closing. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath of relief. Not even a month ago, he had been living with his uncle in a remote house in a barren area. Now he was living close to a city, with a half naked girl running around his house. This likely wasn’t what his uncle had in mind when he wanted him to live on his own. Jason laughed a little, thinking about what his uncle would have said having heard this story.
The bathroom door opened and out came a wet haired, but full clothed Sarah Williams. Her face was still a little red. The two of them sat down for breakfast and talked of relaxing things for the rest of the morning. Jason was amazed at how quickly the time passed by when he was with her. At about two in the afternoon, Jason convinced Sarah it was best she return home to see if things had settled down. He didn’t want Sarah to leave, but he knew it was for the best.
Jason offered to walk Sarah all the way home, but she insisted on making the journey on her own because she thought he’d already helped enough. Jason went outside with Sarah to say goodbye. As they walked out, something caught Jason’s eye. To the side of his door was a letter with his name written on the envelope. He stopped and picked it up. He opened it and read what had been written inside.
Dear Jason,
You will not get another opportunity like the one you had yesterday. You will look for me, but you will not find me. You can try and try to get stronger, but you will never beat me. I’m a stronger Aspen by blood. There is no hope for you. You will be inevitably destroyed by yourself. Consider this a goodbye letter. If only you would have let me save you.
Farewell,
Jackson

As Jason read the words written on the letter, anger began to flow through him again. He clenched his jaw. Sarah must have been able to feel that something was wrong. She came over to him and looked him in the eye. He looked up, trying to hide his anger. She could tell there was something wrong, but she wasn’t sure if she should say anything. Instead, Sarah leaned forward and kissed Jason on the cheek.
“Thanks for everything, Jason,” she said with a smile. The anger faded for a moment. A smile stretched across Jason’s face.
“If things go bad again, give me a call,” he said smiling.
Sarah nodded and walked off into the trees. Jason felt for her heat signature. He watched it until it was out of range. The day was cooler again. A small breeze blew through the trees making them seem almost alive. Jason went inside to get dressed. He decided to wear an old pair of blue jean shorts and his black Aspen shirt. He was dedicating the day to training. He thought about bringing his phone, but chose to just leave it at home. He was pretty confident that nobody would need him today.
Jason left his house and looked out over the city. It was humming full of life as it usually did. He wasn’t spending today here. He needed somewhere remote. Somewhere where he could do damage and still not affect anyone. He ran forward and jumped from the cliff, masking his appearance. He flew above the city. He was close to some of the taller buildings, but it didn’t matter to him. He wanted someone to see him. He wanted to remind people that he was out there.
After a minute or two, he set sights for the clouds and flew far from the city. He flew for what must have been an hour, before he finally settled on a good location. It was a large canyon that was a good thirty miles away from any life. Jason landed and began testing his body. He started with basic strength and reaction tests. He found a group of large rocks and began breaking them down with his hands. Once they were all broken into smaller rocks, he began his reaction tests. He hurled the rocks high into the air one by one. As they came down toward his head, he waited until the last moment possible and incinerated them.
Jason went through other tests pushing his body to the limit such as absorbing as much flame as he could without his body forcing him to stop. He also practiced enduring his own heat. As he trained, he began to picture his practice targets as Jackson. Jason found himself hitting the wall of the gorge repeatable with his fist. Lastly, he began to try and focus on manifesting his flame into a small spherical orb. His uncle had mastered the technique and used to practice with him.
He had mastered forming his flame into an orb and holding in that shape, but the technique his uncle had shown him could be used as a weapon. It could be used as a devastating explosive flame attack. Once the power was formed into the orb, if done correctly, it could be thrown, causing massive wreckage. Jason had been trying to perfect this attack for nearly three years and he had never been able to do it. Even now he was unable to perform it correctly. He could only imagine Jackson laughing at his failures.
Jason stood up in frustration and slammed his fist into rocky wall. His fist had struck the wall so hard that rocks began to fall from the very top. He stood there for a moment, thinking. What if Jackson was right? What if he couldn’t ever be strong enough? Before he got too lost in thought, a noise came from behind him. Jason whirled around. He saw nothing but barren wilderness. He looked for a heat signature, but found nothing. Was he just imagining things?
“Jason Shard,” called a cold voice from behind him. Jason turned and saw a pale, black haired man dressed in all black. Jason studied the man. He seemed to have a sinful aura around him. Merely his sinister smile sent a chill down Jason’s back. His eyes were closed. His head was tilted towards the ground. Although the man appeared harmless, Jason didn’t like him. It was a gut feeling that told him this guy was bad news.
“Who are you?” asked Jason, “How do you know my name,”
“I know lots of things about you Jason,” the man said.
“What sort of things?” Jason questioned.
“I know that you live alone in a small town. I know that you have been mentioned on the news for your acts of heroism.” The man started, “I also know that you are an Aspen. And that a man named Jackson killed your uncle.”
Jason clenched his fists and said, “Who the hell are you?”
“My name is Sollamance,” said the man opening his eyes, “And I am a Quixon,”
There were two things that struck Jason deep. The first was mention of this man being a Quixon. The thing he grew up hating was now standing in front of him. He looked nothing like he imagined a Quixon to look. Jason had always pictured them as larger, blood thirsty creatures that had nothing but the minds of animals. But this man looked nearly human.
The second was his eyes. When he opened them, Jason saw the same eyes for his nightmares. Those horrible black and red eyes came from Quixons, and now he was looking at one. His eyes gave Jason a ghastly feeling all throughout his body. This man was a pale manifest of immorality. Jason looked back into the eyes that haunted his dreams. The man only grinned as he looked back at Jason. Everything about this man bothered Jason and if he was really Quixon, then he must be destroyed.
Jason lunged at the man with fire surrounding his fist. As if he anticipated Jason’s move, the man dodged and sent a few quick blows into Jason’s stomach. The man moved behind Jason, but did nothing. Jason, anger growing, recovered and released his power. His flame collided with what looked like blackened flames, right in front of Sollamance. The flame disappeared and the Quixon stood still, just grinning at Jason.
Jason wasn’t going to let this man get the better of him. Jason jumped high into the air so that he was well above his target. He held out his hands, attempting to generate the flaming orb that his uncle had used. He needed to be able to do this. The orange ball of fire appeared before him. Jason began to control the flames inside the orb. He was ready for this. He was ready for his attack, but was cut off when the Quixon’s knee shot into his back. Jason lost focus and the orb vanished. He began to fall downward towards the ground. With a quick recovery, Jason landed on his feet. The Quixon landed in front of him.
“Jason,” Sollamance said, “I haven’t come here to kill you,”
“Then why the hell are you here?” Jason asked a little winded.
“You don’t know, do you?” Sollamance said.
“Know what?” spat Jason.
“The blood that flows through you,” he said, “The power you possess deep inside. You don’t know about any of it at all.”
“What are you talking about? What power inside me?” Jason asked.
“Tell me, Jason. Did you know your father?” he asked. Jason gritted his teeth. He couldn’t believe a Quixon would dare mention his father.
“He died fighting creatures like you a long time ago,” Jason said angrily.
“Yes, part of that is true. He did die a long time ago, but it wasn’t fighting the Quixon.”
“The hell he didn’t! My father died fighting for the Aspen!” Jason cried, “He died fighting you monsters!”
“You are wrong, Jason,” Sollamance declared, “Your father didn’t die fighting with the Aspen. He died fighting against the Aspen for the Quixon. Your father was Quixon, just like me.”
“You’re lying,” Jason said, “My uncle said he died protecting my mother, while we escaped.”
“Your uncle was trying to protect you, boy!” Sollamance spat, “It’s about time you started embracing what you are!”
“I am not a Quixon!” cried Jason in disbelief.
“You are and there is no denying it!” Sollamance roared, “Let me guess, you have a feeling inside you that you can’t control? You want your enemies to suffer painful deaths? When you dream, you have dark dreams of the red eyes?”
“You know nothing about me!” yelled Jason.
“I know enough, boy,” Sollamance said, “I know that the only way you will be able to kill your enemy is with this power. The only way you can defeat him is by embracing what you are.”
Jason squinted his eyes and asked, “How do you know of my enemy?”
“Like I said,” he began, “I know a lot about you. You can walk away right now and I won’t pursue you, but you will never kill him without my help.”
“Why are you trying to help me?” Jason asked, “What could you possibly gain?”
“I want Jackson dead just as much as you, boy,” Sollamance declared, “He has tried killing me as well.”
“Perhaps you should be killed,” Jason said, “You are from a blood thirsty, monstrous race,”
“You are a Quixon as well, boy!” spat Sollamance, “Neither of us are doing anything wrong are we? Jackson is the real threat. He wants us gone so that there is no one in his path to glory.”
“What if I can’t do it?” Jason asked, “What if I can’t change?”
“If you believe you can seize the anger inside you and release it all,” Sollamance said, “Then you will.”
Jason thought about it for a moment. Things were finally sinking in. If everything Sollamance was saying was true, then he is part Quixon. His father was a Quixon and his mother was an Aspen. He had always hated the Quixon for everything, but knowing this now changed how he saw everything. If his mother had fallen in love with the Quixon and conceived a child, then maybe there were some good Quixon. Maybe some of the Quixon were trying not to be known as monstrosities.
He still didn’t feel completely comfortable accepting the help of something he grew up hating, but he also knew deep down there was no other way to kill Jackson. Jackson must, at all costs, be stopped. This man was the biggest threat to the planet. As much as he wanted to fight it, Jason knew it was no use. He had to side with Sollamance.
“How?” Jason asked simply.
Sollamance grinned and said, “We will meet back here every night starting tomorrow. I will show you what needs to be done.”
Jason paused and looked down. Was he really going to do this? Was this the answer Jason had been looking for?
“I’ll do it,” Jason said.
“Good,” Sollamance said. He turned and began walking for the edge of the canyon.
“Wait,” Jason said, causing Sollamance to stop short of the cliff and turn around, “How do I know I can trust you?”
“You don’t,” smirked Sollamance. He took one step back and fell into the canyon. Jason ran towards the edge to see where he had fallen. He hadn’t been able to feel a heat signature on him the entire time. When he got to the edge, he wasn’t surprised to find that Sollamance had disappeared. Just like that, his whole world was changed. Nothing was making sense anymore. Could he really trust a Quixon? Was it really worth it just to defeat Jackson? Jason thought of his murdered uncle. The anger and hatred he held towards Jackson rose to his head. There were only three people in the world he could discuss this with. He figured that it would be a bad idea to run it by them.
About four hours later. They all sat in Jason’s house with root beers and potato chips. They were in the living room with the TV on the news. Tony held the remote and had been flipping through the channels. They were always so relaxed and easy going.
“A Quixon? Like the Quixons that killed off your race?” asked Matt, a little surprised.
“Yeah. He had the same red eyes I’ve been seeing in my dreams.”
“Jay, you should have killed that asshole where he stood!” spat Josh.
“He wasn’t trying to harm me. My uncle always spoke of them as evil and menacing, but this guy seemed like he had some good in him.”
“Could it be a trick?” Tony asked.
“Maybe, but it might be my only way to avenge my uncle,” Jason stated.
“Well Jay, we don’t know a whole lot about this alien stuff, but if you think it’s the only way, then maybe you should.” Matt said.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Jason agreed.
“Well what happens then?” Josh asked, “What happens if you ‘unlock’ this Quixon power?”
“That’s why I need your help. If you guys can find any information on Jackson, where he lives, what he does for a living, who he knows, than maybe I can end this once and for all.”
“We can try that but there are no promises on finding anything. My guess is that if this guy doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be.” Tony said.
“That’s fine. Just trying will be helpful.” Jason said.
“So, this Quixon power, what will it do?”
“I don’t know for sure. Sollamance told me that I had to release the anger inside me and that alone would bring forth this power.”
“So all you have to do is get angry?” Matt asked, “That’s it?”
“That’s the main idea.” Jason admitted.
Josh finished his soda and starred at the can. He crushed the can in his hands and looked at it again. Jason turned his attention to the TV. Josh took the crushed can and threw it, hitting Jason right in the side of the head.
“What the hell was that for, Josh?” Jason yelled.
“You said you had to get angry,” Josh said with a grin, “Is it working?”
“You’re a dick.” Jason said, while the other two laughed.
“But seriously, Jay,” Josh said, “What will happen when you succeed? Is it going to…change you?”
“I highly doubt that. Maybe my strength and speed, but I will still be myself.” Jason declared.
“Yeah, we hope.” Matt muttered.
“Guys,” Jason started, “This isn’t going to change who I am.”
“If you say so, Jay,” Josh said, “You got anything else to eat around here?”
“Josh,” Tony began, “Jason is a super strong, alien badass and you still eat more than he does.”
“Yeah, man.” Matt agreed, “All the food is going to your head,”
“Maybe his lady charm will wear off,” chuckled Jason.
“Ha!” Josh laughed, “Like that will ever happen! I think I have four dates to Homecoming right now. I just need to decide which three to let go.”
“Josh…you’re ridiculous,” Jason muttered, shaking his head.
The guys talked about other things in their lives for the rest of the night. As usual, it was mainly girls, sports, and how pointless drama was. Tony and Josh made a game of flipping through the channels and making fun of random actors and actresses. When midnight rolled around, the guys left Jason for the night. They always helped clear Jason’s mind. He knew that if there was anything out there about Jackson, they would find it.
Jason lay awake that night wondering about Sollamance’s offer. The possibility that his father was a Quixon and even he himself was a Quixon made him shudder. Sollamance appeared trustworthy, but Jason still wasn’t sure. His uncle had been so against the Quixon. Was it possible that his uncle was wrong? Or was he about to walk into a trap? Jason fought with himself about whether or not to meet Sollamance tomorrow night. Part of him was afraid that Sollamance would come to him if he didn’t show. He didn’t want a Quixon anywhere near his city. The one thing Jason was certain of was that Jackson had to be stopped. If this was the only way to avenge his uncle and put an end to Jackson, then so be it.

The Becoming


“Again, boy!” Sollamance barked. It had been nearly two weeks since Jason had started training with him. Every night since they had met, Sollamance and Jason had trained in hopes to release the Quixon inside of him. Sometimes on the weekends, they would train in stormy areas during the day. It was all based on Sollamance’s schedule. Jason panted as he looked up at Sollamance. He was hovering slightly above the ground with his red eyes glowing. Sollamance’s training was a lot different than his uncle’s. His uncle focused on control and balance. This training was endless, merciless sparring. Night after night, everything was the same. Jason would deliver attacks, one after another, lucky to land three. Sollamance was strong, fast, and possessed powers Jason did not.
When Jason would throw a punch, Sollamance would counter with four more. He seemed to be good at anticipating his moves as well. Maybe that was a perk for Quixons. Jason’s previous training had been nothing like this. He hadn’t trained with a partner in awhile, and never with one this aggressive. Every time Sollamance attacked, nothing was held back. Jason felt pain every night, but he was able to keep going with his mind on one thing. Jackson. No matter what pain came his way, no matter how many hits he had to take, in the end it will all be worth it.
The hardest part was trying to get angry enough. Sollamance would throw barbs at Jason like the fact that he won’t be able to defeat Jackson like this. He would also taunt him with words such as “weak” and “worthless”. Jason was definitely getting pissed, but nothing seemed to make him angry enough. He hoped that through battle, he would be able to release his power. He was getting better than when he started. At first, he couldn’t even keep his guard up, but now, he was able to be the offensive fighter. The few hits he landed on Sollamance helped Jason redeem his pride. Although, he was getting better, it still was not enough.
Jason lunged at Sollamance. He was a few feet above the ground, with hardly a scratch on him. Jason had to train his eyes for Sollamance. Without a heat signature, it was a lot harder to follow and predict his movements. Jason’s fist clenched and he rocketed it at Sollamance. With a dodge and a counter kick to the side, Sollamance once again came out on top. Jason recovered from the kick and sent one back. As Sollamance went to dodge to the right, Jason spun to give his kick more force and caught him in mid movement. Sollamance’s head jerked to the side and Jason jumped on the opportunity. Jason sent another three punches into Sollamance’s chest, before returning for another kick. Sollamance was ready this time. As the kick came, he grabbed Jason’s leg and sent a downward punch into his chest. Jason slammed into the dirt, unable to break the grip the Quixon had on his leg. Sollamance stepped on Jason’s neck, adding pressure by the second. With both hands on Sollamance’s ankle, Jason sent a flaming charge up his leg. Sollamance jumped away and allowed Jason to get up.
“You’re getting better, but you still aren’t there,” Sollamance declared.
“How long will it take to release this power?” puffed Jason, trying to catch his breath.
“It depends on you, boy!” Sollamance spat, “If you continue to stay ignorant and weak, then it will never be released,”
Jason gritted his teeth and shot from the ground and into the air. His fist extended out, just begging to merely graze Sollamance. When he went to dodge the attack, Jason swung his knee forward and into Sollamance’s chest. With a crash, Sollamance struggled to regain his balance. Unwilling to back down, Jason engulfed his clenched fist in flames and went in for power strike, hoping to damage Sollamance. Only inches away from impact, a sharp pain slashed through Jason’s forearm. Jason planted his feet and shot away from Sollamance. He could now see what had caused blood to pour from his arm. In his opponent’s hand was a black hilted blade. It was a long sword with a blood red stone in the middle of the hilt. The whole sword gave off an evil vibe.
“How the hell is that fair?” Jason cried.
“This isn’t about being fair, kid. In a battle to the death, there are no rules.”
Jason took a deep breath. He was right. When it came down to it, Jason was going to use whatever method it took to beat Jackson. Uncle Alfred had always warned him about letting his darker emotions gain control, but now he was gone. The only family member he had ever known was murdered. If he didn’t take action and avenge his death, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. Jackson had to be defeated. The sword Sollamance held suddenly changed to a thick, black smoke. The smoke slithered like a snake down Sollamance’s arm and into his sleeve. Sollamance sort of looked liked an evil wizard from an old-time earth movie. He had an enforced, black torso with similar looking greaves. His sleeves, however, were loose from the shoulder down as well as a cloak-like bottom that went down to the ankles, covering the greaves. His long pitch black hair and menacing red and black eyes really added to the sinister vibe Jason had about the Quixon man. It was no wonder the Quixons were feared.
“We are done for the day,” Sollamance declared.
“No,” Jason said, “I want to keep going,”
“Forget it, kid. I have business to attend to. We will meet again in two moons.”
“Why so long?”
“Like I said, I have business to attend to. I am very busy. But don’t worry. We will work extra hard when I get back. You aren’t the only one who needs you to reach you potential.”
“And what exactly does that mean?” Jason questioned.
“Another time, boy” Sollamance said. He backed away into the shadows leaving only his ominous eyes visible. When his eyes closed, he was gone. Sollamance’s abilities were unquestionably great. He was nearly undetectable, impossibly fast, and had a dark-hearted will. Although he was helping him, Jason didn’t fully trust Sollamance. He definitely wasn’t going to mention a thing about his friends. If he opened up to Sollamance, then perhaps he would open up a little more about the Quixons. Sollamance had been very helpful so far. Jason could feel himself getting stronger every time. His senses were getting sharper. Helpful or not, Jason wasn’t about to risk his friends safety for information he may or may not get.
Jason took flight for home, leaving their Arizona training ground in ruins. They had definitely made it look like a battleground. As he flew, he thought about the story his uncle had told him when he was younger. He was about 10 years old when his uncle finally decided to answer a question he had been asking for years. Since he was old enough to realize that he didn’t have a mother or father, Jason wanted to know why. His uncle spoke of his mother as though she were a goddess. He saw her as one of the greatest beings to ever exist. His father was hardly mentioned though. One day, Jason returned home from school for the weekend and demanded an answer. Much to Jason’s surprise, his uncle agreed to give him one.
He began by speaking of the planet Forge, on which the Aspen existed. He described Forge’s surface being much like Earth’s. There were no deserts on Forge, only jungles and cities. There were thousands of species of life within the jungles. The only sophisticated life forms were the Aspen. There was one large body of water that took up a good third of the planet’s surface. There were cities large than any one Earth. They had peace. They had order. The Aspen people were brilliant. Every day, they dedicated time to making their way of life safer and more productive.
Although the Aspen were a peaceful race, they were bred as warriors. They went through training much like Jason’s. The Aspen were peacekeepers on their section of space. Forge had four neighboring planets, each with its own race of intelligent life. The planets, Forge, Sarve, Vice, Yoven, and Kabel, all worked in unison to provide for the others. Yoven was a farming planet that grew crops and bred livestock that would all be transformed into food for the five planets. The farmers were of a race known as Darsies. They were good at their jobs, but had no means of protecting themselves. That’s where Kabel came in. Kabel was an industrialized planet that created machines to better help the planets. They created everything from defense systems to modern cleaning accessories. Kabel’s inhabitants were quite unique in the fact that they could alter their bodies into different shapes. They could turn their arms into tools or weapons simply at will. The inhabitants of Kabel, the Shifters, were able to create many types of machinery that could be used as enhancements for the surrounding planet’s way of living. With all of the defense systems, there would be no way an outside force could get in without everyone knowing about it. Even once the outsiders were detected, the defense cannons would be able to obliterate any threat.
Vice was the medical world. They had resources that could treat any wound or cure any disease. The doctors were born and raised to know all of the known medical procedures by the time they reached their fifteenth year. Once they had reached maturity, which in the eyes of the Inots was seventeen, they began testing and experimenting with their own new medicines to find faster and easier cures and treatments. The last planet however was different from the rest. Sarve was a planet that didn’t have much of a population. The entire planet had approximately 1.5 million forms of intelligent life. The Sarvanians were hard working and strong willed. They needed much from the other planets and had little to offer in return. In order to stay in the five planet circle, the Sarvanians devoted their time as a labor force that would work for the other four planets when they were needed. Although it was a small part, the other species agreed that it was enough.
All of the species lived together in harmony for centuries. The Aspen kept the peace over the others. It was a perfect way of living. The Aspen were ruled over by a king and a queen. The queen’s name was Zilah Shard, Jason’s mother. Zilah, as Jason’s uncle described her, was a beautiful woman with long brown hair and pure, blue eyes. Her royal uniform was nothing more than a white dress and a golden crown, as she decided. Alfred had told Jason that he and his mother were much alike. They both tried to see the good in others. They were always looking to help those in need. And the one thing that had stuck out above all was that they each had the strongest wills in the universe. The king, Jason’s father, had not been mentioned much by his uncle. Alfred had said he was an incredibly strong man with tremendous power, but it was never fully explained to him what those powers were. Jason knew that if his mother had married and conceived a child with this man, whether he’d been Aspen or Quixon, he couldn’t be all that bad. The Aspen had a wonderful way of life. Everything about Forge and its inhabitants was magnificent. That is, of course, until the one day where everything went wrong.
The Aspen were awaiting their shipment of food from Yoven. It was unusual for it to be late, but everyone made mistakes now and then. It had been about three days late when the Aspen finally decided to contact Yoven about the missing shuttle. Each planet had a hologram projection device that allowed the planets to communicate without having to travel from planet to planet. Queen Shard had tried numerous times to contact Yoven, but an audience was never established. So on the fifth day, she sent a shuttle of her own to Yoven. On that shuttle were seven soldiers and an officer. It arrived within hours and was ordered to personally meet with the Darcie King. The shuttle reached the atmosphere, expecting to be stopped and forced to state their purpose on the planet, all thanks to the defense systems. Much to the Aspen’s surprise, the defense system did not stop them. The shuttle proceeded to the surface, but with caution. The Aspen officer and his squad landed on Yoven and immediately found that there was something wrong. The planet that was once filled with fields of food and pastures of farmland was barren and empty. As far as the eye could see; everything looked desolate. Everything looked dead.
The Aspen from the shuttle flew to the Yoven capitol in order to find out what exactly was going on. As they flew, the Aspen soldiers all felt a deep dark feeling about what had happened on Yoven. They flew for miles when they finally came upon on of the most horrific sights they had ever seen in their lives. The capitol city, where the majority of the Darcie people lived, now lay in ruins. In shock and awe, the Aspen soldiers watched the pillars of smoke billow from the once peaceful cities of Yoven. Although Alfred was not on this Intel mission, he described the rest of the mission as told by two of the Aspen soldiers that returned from the shuttle. When the expedition group went into the ruins of the capitol, they were attacked by shadowy monstrosities. They had piercing red eyes and pale skin. The Aspen soldiers fought against the groups of creatures, but none of them had ever encountered such an evil. They simply weren’t ready for anything this horrible.
The Aspen used weaponry and their flames to push back the horde of monsters. In the journey back to the shuttle, only two survived. They returned to Forge to inform the Queen of what had happened, but the two soldiers only had time to find Alfred before the attack struck home. The monsters called themselves Quixons. The Aspen and the Quixon fought for six days straight. Although the Aspen were strong, the Quixons attacked in the shadows, picking the soldiers off slowly. On the sixth day, the Quixons were at the castle walls. Alfred described this as the day Jason’s father died. The sound of swords clashing rang through the air like rain in a thunderstorm. The Quixon seemed to come out of thin air. They were ruthless and blood-thirsty. The Quixon soldiers were truly the pure essence of darkness. Seeing her people’s fate before her eyes, Queen Shard, in a desperate attempt to save the bloodline, sent her son to a far away planet with Alfred. Alfred took one of the few remaining spaceships left on Forge, in search of a planet where they could escape the darkness of the Quixon. That’s when he found Earth.
Jason knew the rest of the story from there. Jason knew his uncle wouldn’t lie to him, but perhaps he left out some important details. Could his uncle really not have told him the truth about his father in order to protect him? And what of his mother? Was it possible that she survived? Jason knew that there was no way to be sure about any of it. He only had to believe the story his uncle told him. The only thing that mattered now was the present. Jason needed to unlock his power. He needed to defeat Jackson. It was the only way the people of Earth could live in peace. On his way home, Jason dropped off in a little town for something to drink. He walked into a small restaurant and took a seat in a booth. A young, smiling waitress approached his table with an apron and a writing pad.
“How’s it going today, sir?” she said smiling.
“Not bad,” Jason said with a smile, “How about yourself?”
“Couldn’t get much better than this. What’ll ya have?”
“I’ll just take a Coke,”
“Hate to say it, but we’ve only got Pepsi.” She said with a genuine frown.
“Wow, that kinda sucks,” Jason said picking his drink menu back up trying to decide, “coulda used one of those.”
“Tell you what…I don’t like Pepsi all the much either, so I keep some bottles of Coke in the back. How bout I pour one of those into a glass for ya?”
Jason smiled, handed his menu to the girl, and said, “That would be wonderful.”
The waitress disappeared into the back and reappeared a few minutes later. Jason sat with his drink looking at one of the many televisions on the wall. Most of them had either baseball or football on them. Jason sipped his Coke and watched as a replay of a home run caused some customers to cheer. As Jason sat there, he overheard three guys at a booth behind him. They, unlike the other customers, were not talking about sports. In fact, they were talking about something that Jason was quite familiar with. Him.
“But still I just can’t believe it!” one man exclaimed in a hushed voice.
“I know, it’s crazy! And to think, we have an alien hero living amongst us!”
“I heard he caught a car with his bare hands!” the first man said.
“I heard he can fly!”
“I know I feel safer at night knowing that someone is out there looking over us,” The third man said.
“Yeah, but he’s all the way in Indiana!” the first said.
“But if he’s here, then maybe there are more like him?” said the second.
“Who knows.” the third said finishing his coffee, “It’s just nice to know that we aren’t alone. We have someone or something looking out for us.”
Jason was a little shocked at first that the word of his actions had traveled so far, but at the same time, he felt good inside. He was making a difference. He was helping the people of Earth feel safe. The duty his uncle had entrusted to him was being fulfilled. He was finally living up to his destiny that his uncle had always spoken of. Suddenly, every channel in the room changed to a breaking news broadcast. A man sat at a desk with an image of an airplane behind him.
“We interrupt this broadcast to bring you ‘breaking news’. Nearly fifteen minutes ago, the white house received a distress call from the president’s personal aircraft. The plane’s engine began to give and now the air force is dispatching aircraft to try and escort the plane to safety. The plane is currently over central Kansas. Anyone in this area, please remain indoors. We ask you all to remain calm in the event that the worst comes. God be with us all.”
Panic struck through the room. Everyone began talking. Fear was in all of their hearts. The air force wouldn’t be able to land the president’s plane. If something wasn’t done, the country would lose their leader. Jason knew there was only one thing that could be done. He took a last gulp of his Coke and made his way to the waitress. She looked frightened by everything that was happening. Jason reached into his pocket and found about twenty dollars. He took the girl by the hand and gave her the money for the Coke and a generous tip. She looked at him, confused.
“Don’t worry, miss.” Jason said in a reassuring voice, “Everything will be alright.”
Before she could reply, Jason walked outside and looked up at the blue sky. The stormy weather was still all down south. He was about to make an impression on the country, but not for himself. He was going to be a hero for everyone else. Jason walked to the street and closed his eyes. He was scanning his memory for a path that would take him to the plane the quickest. He reopened his eyes and masked his presences from anyone who could possibly see him. He crouched down to his knees, took a deep breathe, and shot into the sky. He must have looked like a blur as he ascended high into the air and soared off into the distance. Jason pushed himself to fly as fast as he could. There was no way to tell how much time he had. Not only that, but he also had to find the exact spot of the plane. As he sped through the air, he began to look for the plane’s heat signature and listen for any kind of sound that would aide him.
Jason heard the plane before he felt its heat. He looked down to see the plane losing altitude and struggling to stay in the air. He could hear the engine making a grinding noise as it tried to spring back to life. Jason flew after the plane. It was moving quickly, but its speed was nothing in comparison to his. He moved to the front of the plane and, through the front windows of the plane, could see a few heat signatures franticly moving around in the cockpit. In the back, he felt another twelve heat signatures. He wasn’t sure who was who, but that didn’t matter to Jason. He was going to save them all. Before Jason could do anything, the plane tried to pull up, putting pressure on the wings. The sound of bending and breaking metal screeched from the right wing, when it suddenly broke from the plane, causing the plane to begin a downward spiral.
Jason reacted quickly and applied heat to the left wing. His burning power melted the other wing off, allowing the plane’s weight to stabilize. Jason darted for the front of the plane and positioned himself in front of the nose. He stopped and braced himself for the impact. He held his hands out, ready to catch the plane. The force of the plane hit hard. Jason began to exert all of his strength to try and slow the plane. His arms were pushed into the metal of the nose. Jason broke one of his arms free and aimed it behind him. He released his power in the opposite direction, attempting to get resistance against the planes force. Jason could feel it slowing quickly now. The plane’s speed dropped until its front was almost at a complete stop. The forward movement of the plane stopped and the tail end began to drop. Jason quickly dove under the plane and caught it at the middle. It was much easier to hold now that it wasn’t moving. He used his flame again to silence the engine, making the plane a forceless weight. He could feel all of the heat signatures still in the plane. Everyone was still alive. He began to ascend from the air with a tight grip on the bottom of the plane. He had to punch his hand through the bottom part of the metal in order to get a safe grip. As he descended, he found an open field below that seemed like a decent place to set it down.
When he dropped to about thirty feet above the ground, he began to lower the tail end of the plane. He carefully lowered it to the ground as he moved back to the front of the plane. When he finally set the nose down safely on the field, he looked into the cockpit to see the piloting staff starring back at him in amazement. He hovered to the right end of the plane and sensed for the heat signatures. He found a spot clear of any people and heated up two of his fingers. He jabbed them into the side of the plane and cut an entrance. Once a large square had been cut, he pulled the side of the plane off and entered the plane. He looked around to see all of the passengers looking back at him with the same shocked expressions that the pilots had. He knew that all of them saw the same thing. They could see him for what he was except for his face. Everything lower than the eyes was like a blurred image on TV. He wasn’t going to reveal his identity, but he knew that his eyes and hair wouldn’t reveal anything.
“Is everyone alright?” Jason asked.
A girl ran forward from the crowd and hugged Jason’s leg. When he placed his hand on her back, the whole group cheered. Within five minutes of Jason landing the plane, vehicles and helicopters arrived at the scene. Jason, one by one, had begun to lower each passenger to the ground below. From there, the rescue crew took over. Flashing lights surrounded the area. The president had insisted on being the last to leave the plane. As Jason finally lowered the president of the United States to the ground, everyone cheered and clapped for him. The president turned to Jason and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Son, I have no idea what else to say to you except that the nation and I are in your debt,” President MacMillan said.
“Mr. President, It is my duty to help everyone in this world that needs me. You looked like you could use the help.” Jason said with a concealed smile.
“Tell me, son, why do you hide your face?” MacMillan asked.
“It is best that I am not known by my real face. But I assure you, I look just like the next guy.”
“Well you surely aren’t like the next guy,” MacMillan laughed.
Jason laughed and said, “I just have a gift that I chose to use by helping others.”
“Well, that is very heroic of you, my boy. I owe my life to you. As my hero, if you ever need a favor, anything at all, let me know.”
“Thank you, sir, it’s time for me to leave though.”
“Wait,” MacMillan said, “what should I call you?”
Jason slowly hovered a few feet above the ground and said, “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
Macmillan smiled and said, “alright, Savior. I will never forget your actions today.”
Jason ascended into the sky, with all eyes on him, and soared away from the scene. He began to wonder if the news crew was there or not. It didn’t really matter now. Jason knew that everyone would know about what he had done here today one way or another. He flew until he reached his home. When he returned home, he found a letter at his front door. When he saw the letter, Jason knew exactly who it was from. He had seen the strange parchment before and knew that it was from none other than his new teacher.
He opened the scroll-like paper and began to read Sollamance’s letter.
Jason,
Your actions today have made you know to the humans. This is something that could be used to our advantage. Jackson will have fear struck into his heart. He will know that you are becoming stronger than he is. Although, I would have done things differently, you have done well. We will meet again on three nights from now. Do not be late. We have work to do.
Sollamance

Jason felt good inside to know that even Sollamance was pleased with him. Everything was going great. Jackson would see his actions and know that he was becoming a better warrior. Jason would defeat him and now Jackson would know there is nothing he can do to stop him. Jason had become what his uncle had always wanted him to be. He was brave. He was strong. He was the hero of the humans. He was their Savior.

A Night to Remember


Jason yelled out in fury as he engulfed his fists in flames. The night was young as the sun began to drop below the horizon. Jason lunged at Sollamance and swung his fists. Sollamance dodged and shot backwards to avoid the heat. Jason cupped his hands together and slammed them into the ground. Flames shot out from below Sollamance, dealing some damage to his hands. He shrouded himself darkness. Through his lessons with Sollamance, Jason learned some of the power Quixons had. One of them was much like his ability to conjure flames. Instead of flames, a dark, smoke-like power was manifested. It could be used for defensive purposes or an attack. Jason knew that everyone had a weakness at this point though. While this dark shield went up, Jason jumped into the air and went in for an attack. The darkness whipped out to grab Jason, but he reacted too quickly. He spun around it and met Sollamance’s face with his foot. The darkness dissolved and Sollamance shot to the ground. He wasn’t down for long though. When he reappeared out of the dust, he held his Quix blade in his hands. That was the name Sollamance had used to describe it to Jason.
Jason had no weapon that could match up to the blade, but he did have ways around it. Jason lunged for an attack and waited for Sollamance to react. He made a slash at Jason’s chest, but Jason was ready for it. He created a flame barrier in his hands to catch the sword. Jason gritted his teeth and struggled to hold the sword back. Sollamance, too, was beginning to struggle to make the attack. Jason increased his flames heat and the force it exerted. He pushed the sword away from his chest and swung his foot into Sollamance’s gut. Sollamance coughed out in pain, but also had a counter attack. The darkness gripped his leg tight, trapping Jason. Sollamance looked into Jason’s eyes and smirked. Jason reached up at his throat and gripped tightly. He was ready to heat up his hand when he realized that he couldn’t kill Sollamance. He needed him to help him release his power. Jason loosed his grip and Sollamance used it as a chance to attack. He drove his elbow into Jason’s chest. He flew down at the dirt and hit the ground hard. Sollamance released the darkness and grabbed Jason’s legs. He swung him back and forth like a toy, smashing him against the ground every time. Finally, he tossed him across the dirt. Sollamance’s blade turned to smoke and slid back into his sleeve.
“You hesitated, you must never hesitate!” Sollamance spat, rubbing his neck.
“I couldn’t kill you!” Jason said, “that wouldn’t be right. After all you’ve done to help me, I can’t just kill you.”
“Ha-ha, oh Jason, don’t you see?” Sollamance chuckled, “I want you to kill me. I need to die.”
“What?!?” Jason exclaimed.
“My mission is to teach you to use your powers and in the process, end my life.” Sollamance said.
“You’re mission?” asked Jason, “This has all been about you following orders and completing a mission? Who gave you this ‘mission’ as you call it?”
“I don’t ask questions about your life, you don’t ask about mine!” Jason spat.
“No, I don’t want your damn excuses! Tell me who’s making you do this!” demanded Jason.
“We all have our superiors at one point. Mine wishes that I assist you in defeating Jackson. It is none of your business who he is and why he sent me. As for my death, that is my own choice.” Sollamance said.
“Why would you want to die?” Jason asked.
“Why do you choose to live, boy?” Sollamance asked, “Because it is what you must do. I know you are far too young to understand my reasoning, but there is a reason why I must die.”
Jason thought about those words. Maybe there was a reason why Sollamance needed to die. Maybe he wants to make amends for past actions. Either way, he seemed pretty confident about everything. Jason didn’t want to, but it seemed to be the only thing Jason could do to repay Sollamance for all his work.
“When my power unlocks, and only when it unlocks, I’ll do it, Sollamance. If that is what you feel needs to be done, I will kill you.”
“Good,” Sollamance said, “I’m glad you understand. The night is almost here. You have done enough for the day. Go home and return tomorrow night.”
“I can’t do it tomorrow.” Jason said.
“What do you mean you can’t do it tomorrow?”
“I have…a personal thing that I have to do back home.”
“A personal thing?” Sollamance said angrily, “Boy, we don’t have time to be messing around with foolish social things.”
“Sollamance, I said no!” Jason declared, “Tomorrow night is a night I need to spend at home. We can go the next night. I’ll work twice as hard.”
Sollamance wanted to say something, but stopped himself. He looked to the ground and spat. He turned around and began walking towards the nearly stream. He turned back to Jason and said, “One night, boy. But no more nights away until I choose.”
Jason nodded his head and before he could thank Sollamance, darkness rose out from the stream and surrounded him. Within moments, it faded as well as Sollamance. He was always mysterious when he left. Jason took a deep breathe and relaxed. He was happy he was going to be free for a night. Tomorrow night was after all finally the night that he would be attending the dance with Sarah.
The remainder of the night went quickly. Jason returned home and fell asleep after briefly watching the news. The news was still covering the rescue of the Presidential plane in the middle of Kansas. The big question now was ‘who is The Savior’? That was the name he had taken on now. He was now known as Savior or The Savior. He thought the name was appropriate. After all, all he had done was save people. He was glad it was nothing corny like Superman or some kind of an animal name like Eagle. Many people debated about who he could be, where he could be, and how he came to be here. They could talk about it for the longest time, but there was no possible way they could find the one hundred percent truth without Jason telling them. So far, only his three friends knew the answers to those questions, and they would never tell.
Jason had another dream about the red eyes. He approached the figure and finally made it to him. When he got close, he could see that the figure had a blade. His body was paralyzed and he could do nothing but watch as the blade piece his chest, causing him to leak blood. He dropped to his knees and looked up at the red eyes. His breathing became harder. He could feel his heart slowing. This was the end. He awoke in a panic and sweat. He was beginning to wonder if these nightmares meant anything or if it was just his darkness inside trying to break loose. Either way, he was back to reality and nothing about the Quixons would interfere with today.
It was a Saturday, so school wasn’t in session. He made himself breakfast and planned to relax for the day. He had and Sarah had agreed to meet at five that evening. His friends were going to come over and meet him at about four. They had gone through a lot of trouble for this night. Josh and Matt were the only two that had ever gone to a Prom and both decided it was an overrated wreck. They devoted their energy to Homecoming and Homecoming only. They were all dressing up to match their dates. All of the Homecoming dances had themes, but nobody ever went along with them. This year’s was circus, which Josh described as a night for freaks to show their true colors. Jason laughed thinking about him and Sarah dressing as clowns in bright colors and painted faces.
Sarah had decided to surprise Jason with what she was wearing. She told him to pick something that he liked and she would do the same. She was sure that they would look good together anyways. Jason was confident in Sarah’s choice and agreed. He decided that the most reasonable thing to do was wear a black dress shirt with black pants with a white tie. He thought about Sarah wearing something along those lines. He thought she would look good regardless, but he thought that white suited her best. The day passed quicker than Jason expected. He put on some cologne and straightened his hair. He looked at himself in the mirror. His straightened brown hair sat nicely with his black and white outfit. He was hoping Sarah would think the same thing.
The clock finally struck four and shortly after his friends knocked at his door. He opened the door to find all of his friends dressed up and looking just as excited. Matt wore a white shirt with a red tie and black pants, while Tony wore a pretty normal blue shirt, black pants and black tie. Josh, however, was dressed in a white suit with a white tie and white pants. The only thing that wasn’t white was his black undershirt. It made him look very unique, but it suited him. Jason couldn’t help but laughing though. Josh would definitely stick out.
“Wow, Josh…you look…” Jason started.
“Like a sexy beast?” Josh grinned.
“I don’t think that’s what he was going for.” Matt said.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s what anyone was going for when they saw you.” laughed Tony.
“Oh shut up. I look good and you know it.” Josh said straightening his jacket.
The other three rolled their eyes and left Jason’s house. At the end of the woods, Jason found a limousine that his friends had rented for the night. The four guys entered the car. Matt, Tony, and Josh took their seats next to their dates. Next stop was Sarah’s house. Jason gave the driver directions. Along the way, the guys introduced their dates and they all told amusing stories. The car was filled with laughter. When they finally reached Sarah’s house, Jason opened the door and got out. Josh went to get up too, but Matt and Tony both pulled him back to his seat. He shot them a glare, but they didn’t care. This was Jason’s moment. He approached the house and walked up to the door. He knocked twice. His insides were twisting. He was so nervous, yet excited at the same time. The door opened to reveal Sarah’s father looking back at him. He stood at about the same height as Jason and had short blonde hair. He had glasses on and a tucked shirt. He looked very serious.
“Before you take my daughter out, I need to ask you something.” He said.
“Alright, shoot.” Jason answered.
“Are you a drug dealer? I feel like I am getting that vibe from you.”
Jason looked into the man’s eyes and could see that he wasn’t serious about any of this.
“No sir, but I must ask. Is there a reason why you know the vibe drug dealers give off?”
He squinted his eyes and looked back at Jason. He held out his hand and said, “Well played, son. Sarah will be down in a minute.”
Jason shook his hand and smiled. Her father smiled back and walked back into the living room. Jason waited for a moment when finally, down the staircase came Sarah. Jason felt speechless. Sarah wore hear golden hair up in a bun. She had some makeup on that really brought out her stunning blue eyes. Her smiled caused Jason’s heart to melt. She wore a white dress with a black ribbon around the waist and another black ribbon in her hair. Her shoes were black heels and gave her an extra inch or two of height. Jason couldn’t have ever imagined anything so beautiful. She reached and door and took Jason’s hand.
“Wow…,” Jason managed to finally get out. He was breathless.
“You look incredible,” Sarah said with a big smile. Her teeth were amazingly white.
“So do you,” Jason said, “I guess we ended up matching after all.”
“I knew we would,” she said.
The two left the house and went to the limo. They got inside where his friends all made smartass remarks.
“Well Jason, looks like you finally did something right.” Josh laughed. His date elbowed him in the gut causing him to grunt.
“You two love birds gonna be trouble tonight?” Tony asked. His date, too, hit him in the gut.
“I…” Matt began. He looked to both sides of him and saw his date and Josh’s date looking back at him, “I have nothing to say.”
Everyone laughed and they finally were off to begin the best night of their lives. They went to a fancy downtown restaurant. They got a large table at the back where the girls and guys all talked to one another. The boys shared jokes with the girls. Tony’s date told an embarrassing joke about Josh’s date, which caused her to counter with a joke about her. They all laughed and began teasing each other with good hearted jokes. The guys ordered steaks and the girls ordered sandwiches and salads. By the end of the dinner, the couples had seemed to be a little more attached to the other. Near the end of the dinner, Josh stood up and made a toast.
“Everyone,” Josh began, holding his glass out, “Tonight is a night that we will always remember. We are surrounded by people that care about us. Tonight is described as a night about finding yourself, but I think that it is just a night where we can enjoy ourselves enough to show the world who we are. Let’s make tonight the greatest night of our lives.”
They all rose their glasses in a toast and drank to it. Josh was right. Tonight was a night that Jason knew he would never forget. He was with all of his friends and the only girl he had feelings for. He couldn’t imagine anything being better than this night. He was going to make the most of everything tonight. They all finished their dinners and drinks and returned to the limo. When they got to the school, everything had already gotten dark. They walked in through big gym doors. The lights were dimmed. The music was loud. Everything was ready. Now it was time to take advantage of it.
They group stayed together for most of the night. At one point, all of the girls left to go to the bathroom. Jason’s friends explained that all girls do that. It’s just their thing. The guys talked about their dates and what their plans were. They agreed on all returning to Jason’s after the dance. The night was truly magical. Jason had managed to forget about everything else that was going on in his life. He forgot about Sollamance and Jackson. He forgot of the Aspen and Quixon. He had even forgotten about his uncle. He was able to put all his troubles past him for the evening.
While Jason’s friends were away getting drinks, his friend Kris came up to him with a friendly smile on his face. Since Jason had helped Kris with his car troubles, they had learned to like one another and could even consider one another pals. He came up wearing a white dress shirt, a black tie, and black pants. He seemed to be in a great mood. Everyone was that night. It was incredible.
“Hey, man” Kris said, “You come here solo?”
“Nah, she’s just in the bathroom,” Jason answered with a smile, “What about you?”
“Nah, couldn’t find anyone. Just thought I’d come a hang out with the crowds. Ya know? Live a little.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Jason said. Matt and the others had returned with plastic cups of soda.
“I’ll catch ya around, Jay,” Kris said turning to leaving, “Enjoy your night,”
Jason was glad to have met Kris. He was easy going and knew how to have a good time. Jason saw him go off into the crowd and engage a group in a dance. He didn’t seem to be talking to a lot of other people at school, but right now, Jason could have mistaken him for the most popular kid in school. He took a sip of his drink and joined the conversation his friends were having about the irritating PE teachers.
The girls returned just in time for the next song. The mood changed in the room. The song wasn’t a fast paced dancing song anymore. Things were slowing down. It was finally time for Sarah and Jason to have a slow dance together. Sarah and Jason walked out to the dance floor, hands locked. They moved to an open space in the crowd and grew close. Jason had heard the song before. It was called “If You Want Me” from a band called ‘One Less Reason’. He had heard the song at the diner where Sarah and he had had their first date. She must have remembered too cause her face lit up and she gripped his hand tight. Jason placed his hands around Sarah’s waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The two grew very close and began to dance slowly. Jason and Sarah locked eyes. She looked so beautiful. Her blue eyes reflected the blue lights of the room. Everything seemed so magical.
They danced for a while when Sarah finally spoke.
“Jason…there’s something I’ve been trying to say all night…I just didn’t know how to say it.” Sarah said looking down at the floor.
“And what would that be?” Jason asked. He wasn’t sure exactly was she meant by that. It made him a little nervous.
“I…I don’t know how to say this. I’ve never had to before.”
“It’s alright, Sarah. You can tell me anything. I’ll always understand.” Jason said with a smile. Inside, he felt like that was the most comforting thing to say.
“I think…I might be in love with you, Jason” Sarah said as she looked into his eyes. Jason was completely frozen on the inside. He hadn’t expected that. It made everything tonight feel…perfect.
“Well Sarah…I would have to say that I’m in love with you too.” Jason said.
“Really?” she asked. She looked so happy to hear those words.
“Would I lie to you?” Jason said with a smile. They stared into each others eyes. Their faces grew closer. For a moment, nothing else mattered in the world except for Sarah Williams. She was just…so perfect. They closed their eyes and their lips met. Jason felt a spark between them. Sarah held him tighter, as he did to her. Jason’s heart pounded in his chest. He had never kissed anyone before. No one had ever meant this much to him. Sarah had his very heart and soul. She was his everything. They stopped kissing and opened their eyes. Together, they looked into each others eyes. Sarah’s eyes had tears coming from them. Jason could see by the smile on her face that they were tears of happiness.
“Oh Jason,” Sarah sniffed, “I never wanna let you go.”
“You never have to, Sarah. I’m yours to hold.” Jason said.
Sarah hugged him tight and for once, Jason knew that humans and Aspens could love one another. It also gave him the peace of mind that maybe his mother was right to fall in love with a Quixon. They just stood their holding each other until the song ended. Everything about this night was perfect. Jason couldn’t imagine anything in his life being better than this. They night continued with the group of eight all dancing and enjoying themselves. Something about Sarah and Jason had changed though. Only Jason and Sarah felt it at first, but soon Jason’s friends realized it too. They seemed different together. Before the night was over, every one of them knew it. They truly belonged together.
When the dance ended, the group walked out of the dance more than satisfied. They stood in the parking lot waiting for the limo to pull up. Jason had his arm around Sarah. The night was the most incredible night of Jason’s life. That’s when Jason’s felt it. A chill went down his back. He could feel something…watching him. He looked around, trying to find something. His eyes finally locked on something that stood on the roof. He could see something standing there, just watching. Jason tensed up. It was him. Jackson had followed him the whole night. He was watching his every move. He could see him rise into the night sky and disappear. Everything Jason had managed to forget that night had suddenly all come flooding back to him. He looked back at Sarah, who was looking at him worried.
“Jason, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“It’s nothing,” he said, “Just thought I saw something. Come on, the limo is here.”
Sarah looked at the limo and began to walk with Jason to it. They got in, after all of Jason’s friends and their dates. The limo took each of the girls home. When they dropped Sarah off, Jason got out and walked her to her door. The shared another kiss and Sarah returned into her house smiling. Sarah once again had made Jason feel incredible inside. When he got back in the car, it was just guys left. They all began to talk about the night with one another. Jason knew they all wanted to say something about him and Sarah, but they seemed to be waiting for something. The limousine dropped them at the entrance to the woods that led back to Jason’s place. They all got out and thanked the driver for the night. They walked back to his house laughing the whole way. They opened the door to Jason’s house and all immediately loosed their ties.
“Wow,” Matt sighed.
“Yeah, what a night,” Tony said.
“Ehh, I’ll probably never call her again,” Josh said.
“Dude you’re an asshole.” Tony laughed.
“What are you talking about?” Josh exclaimed, “All she did was nag all night about how we weren’t doing things right. Plus she sucked at kissing.”
“Speaking of kissing,” Matt said, causing all three of the guys to look at Jason.
“What?” Jason said, trying to hide his smile.
“So you and Sarah seemed to have a good night.” Matt said.
“Yeah, it was pretty great.” Jason smiled.
“That means he wants to tap that,” Josh smirked as he took of his shoes.
“Screw off, Josh.” Jason laughed. He knew Josh was only kidding.
“So do you mind if we ask what happened?” Tony said.
“Well…we kissed and…I think I might be in love with her.” Jason said. Matt and Tony smiled.
“Oh really?” Josh said with a grin on his face, “Did she use tongue?”
Matt and Tony both turned and hit Josh in the arm. Josh yelled at them, while rubbing his arm. The four all laughed. They grabbed some drinks from the fridge and plopped down on the couch and chairs. They flipped through the channels and found some comedy movie. Jason had been keeping his friends updated about everything that happened with Sollamance, but he decided it would be best to wait until morning to tell them about Jackson and Sollamance’s secret desire to die. He wanted tonight to end on a high note. He lay back on the couch just thinking that tonight had been a night that he would hold close to him for the rest of his life.

Animal I Have Become


Jason awoke on his couch to find his friends were all gone. He sat up and looked around. Something wasn’t right. All of their stuff was still here. Jason walked outside and looked around. He felt something that struck him with fear all throughout his body. He turned to the cliff side to see Jackson holding Matt by the neck. Jackson had his bloody sword in his hand. Matt was struggling to break free, but couldn’t match up to Jackson’s power. Jason went to make a move, but before he could, Jackson impaled Matt with his blade. Jason froze in horror of the sight he was seeing. He removed the sword and dropped Matt of the cliff. He turned to Jason with the red Quixon eyes. He laughed as the sky began to grow cloudy.
“You knew this day would come!” Jackson said in a deeper voice than usual.
Jason turned to run, but Jackson was already behind him. He used the darkness to pin Jason against his house. He lifted his blade with both hands and held it at about shoulder height. He brought it forward, stabbing Jason in the heart. He laughed as blood poured from Jason’s body. Jason choked on blood as Jackson began to speak.
“Don’t worry. Your death is going to be much shorter than dear little Sarah Williams.”
Jackson removed the blade and laughed menacingly. Jason tried to move, but couldn’t. This was it. He had let his friends down. And now, the rest of the world was as defenseless as Sarah was. The pain was unbearable. He was going to die a failure. Suddenly, Jason woke up in a sweat on his couch. He looked around to see his friends all still sound asleep. The room was still dark. Jason peered over to the clock to check the time and was shocked to find that it was nearly twelve thirty. He got up from the couch and looked out the window. It was a complete downpour outside. He wondered how his house would hold up if the weather got bad, but didn’t let it get to him. The only thing louder than the thunder outside was Josh’s snoring. He wasn’t quite sure of what it was, but deep inside he had a feeling that today was only going to get darker…
Jason moved into the kitchen and found his phone. He flipped it open to find that he had a new message from Kris. Jason clicked the message open. Kris was suggesting that they should hang out someday after school. Jason wasn’t a fan of texting that much and figured he’d just see him at school. He closed and slid it across the counter top. He opened his fridge in search of food. As soon as he had taken the orange juice from the top shelf, his friends ‘suddenly’ began waking up. Josh sat up and began looking around, a little dazed. Jason pulled some breakfast from the freezer and within about twenty minutes, the four friends were all gathered around the table eating.
None of them had changed out of their dress clothes. Each of them still looked like they had come from a late night party. Their shirt collars were unbuttoned and their ties loosened. Each of them had messy, uncombed hair and shared the look of exhaustion in their eyes. The guys began talking about the Jaguar Jungle game that was coming up in about a month. Jason had been to the game the past few years. It was a pretty fun night where the football team would split up and play each other under the lights in front of the large crowd. It was a good way for the seniors to finish their last football season. Josh was thinking about playing in the upcoming game. He was really working hard to start on defense and offense.
Jason listened to his friends talk while he ate his breakfast. The guys all laughed and joked about things from the night before. Tony began talking about his plans to hack past the school’s firewalls to send a teacher spam messages all day long. Jason thought about the events that had occurred recently. His friends had, of course, already become aware of Jason’s new title and most recent act of heroism. Now and then, when it was just them, they would say things such as ‘whatever you say, Mr. Savior’ or ‘oh Jason, won’t you please save me from this Spanish quiz.’ It got a little irritating now and then, but Jason generally let the puns slide. He was now debating about whether or not to share with them the newest information about Sollamance and what his secret desire was. Jason was still having trouble understanding exactly what his motives for wanting to die were, but he had a feeling that when the time came, he would let Sollamance have his wish.
“So, Jason” started Matt, as if reading his very thoughts, “how’s your sadistic Quixon pal?”
“Yeah, is he still out preying on little children at night?” Josh joked.
“Nah, Sollamance is definitely strange, but I don’t think that he goes out and kills for the fun of it. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure that he kills at all.”
“What about all this ‘business’ he has to attend to?” Matt questioned.
“Who knows? All I know is that he stays out of my life and I stay away from his.” Jason said.
“Well are you two making any progress?” Tony asked.
“Yeah, is that big, bad demon coming out yet?” Josh asked while eating another fork full of waffle.
“Well, I’m definitely getting stronger, but it’s hard to tell if I’m anywhere close. Sollamance isn’t much help when it comes to answering when my power is going to come out.” Jason sighed.
“Well what has he said?” Tony asked.
“Well… the other night when we were training…” Jason started, making a pause to set his glass down, “he told me that when all is said and done with this, he wants to die…”
Josh looked confused and said, “Why the hell would he want to die?”
“Yeah,” said Matt, “Isn’t he pretty much a badass?”
“Maybe there is a little more bad to that than we think. He could have done horrible things in his life. This could be a way to answer for everything. He is helping me after all and it’s pretty clear that Jackson is a threat and I am not.”
“I still don’t trust him, man,” Josh said.
“Neither do I, but I need his help. Imagine the things I’ll be able to do in the world with that power.”
“Damn, Jay,” Tony sighed, “I wish we could be out there helping you too,”
“Yeah, the sidelines aren’t the same thing as the real game,” Josh said, “Just think if all four of us had your power. Jackson wouldn’t be around for much longer, now, would he?”
“That’s true,” Jason agreed. He wouldn’t want to put his friends in danger by any means, but to have partners in all of this would truly be great. He had been born with this power, though. As his uncle always described it, it was his gift and his burden.
“Oh…that’s the other thing,” Matt said, putting his fork down on his syrup-lined plate.
“What?” Jason asked.
“We found him,” Matt said, nearly causing Jason to choke on his food, “We finally got a solid picture match on him the other day.”
“Really?” Jason asked, almost in disbelief.
“No, Jason,” Tony said sarcastically, “We just love watching you squirm.”
“Well, where is he?” Jason asked impatiently.
“We are still working on getting his personal records from the company, but he works out of the Anderson building all week long. He only leaves twice a day. Once when he goes to lunch, and another when he goes home for the evening. Where he lives is still unknown, but we figured that it didn’t matter at this point.”
Jason couldn’t believe it. His friends had successfully found him. Jason had scanned the entire city for him for him, but hadn’t ever come close. The two encounters they had were all Jason had managed to get from him. Jason could feel it inside now. It was coming. With his friend’s help in finding Jackson and Sollamance’s ruthless training, it was finally time for him to do his part. He needed to unleash his power.
“That is incredible!” Jason cried, “I can’t believe you got that much!”
“Ehh, it was a peace of cake when we all worked together,” Josh said leaning back in his chair. Tony and Matt shot him glares that cause him to freeze.
“What Josh means,” started Tony, “is that he found everything easy when Matt and I did all the work and he sat there eating us out of house and home.”
“Hey! I helped!” Josh declared.
“Going to the gas station cause we were out of Mt. Dew doesn’t count, Josh” Matt sighed.
“Seemed to count when you needed it,” Josh pouted.
“Either way, thank you, guys.” Jason said with a sincere smile, “I don’t think you guys could have done anything better than this.”
“We are close to getting his personal business record from the company. When we get that, we’ll print it off for you. With that you’ll know his address, birthday, whatever!” Matt said.
“Hell, you could probably find out when he uses the can!” Tony laughed.
“Let me know when you guys get that. It’ll help a great deal in the end.” Jason said.
A beep came from Josh’s phone and he flipped it open. He read something from the screen quickly, and then got up from the table.
“Well, I’d love to stay and continue to stalk this man with you guys, but my parents need me back home. I’ll catch ya later,” Josh said.
“Yeah, it’s probably time I headed out too,” Tony said, followed by an agreeing Matt.
“Alright, I’ll catch you guys back at school tomorrow.”
Jason bid his friends farewell and walked into his bedroom. He changed out of his dress clothes and put on his normal attire. He had to meet up with Sollamance later that night, but had a few hours to kill. He threw on a pair of blue jeans and his black Aspen shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror before he left. He was pleased that the shirt always mended itself. You could hardly tell that he’d ever fought in it. The material was definitely alien to this world, but then again, so was he. He left his home and made a trip to the city. It was a cooler day outside, so before he left, he grabbed a black hoodie as well. The rain was still coming down hard, but he enjoyed it. The water skimmed across his skin as he flew. Part of him wanted to go to the Anderson Building right away and confront Jackson, but he knew he wasn’t quite ready for that.
Instead, he made a trip to the florist in the middle of the city. He walked most of the way, which caused him to receive many funny looks. Most people who were forced to walk held an umbrella above their heads. He finally made his way into the flower shop and picked up a white lily. He had it wrapped up nicely, to prevent damage, and got a little tag to write on. He simply just wrote To remember a great night on the card and then tucked it away in his hoodie pocket. He couldn’t help but remember the words that Sarah had spoken to him. It seemed to make everything else not matter as much. When he thought of her beautiful blue eyes, all he could think of was happiness.
Jason left the city and made his way to Sarah’s house. When he arrived, he could feel that no one was home. He noticed that her bedroom window was open and rain was soaking up on her carpet. He opened the window enough for him to reach through and place the flower on her bed. He closed the window as he left. He wondered if she would question how he got the flower there, but decided that she would think nothing of it. She, much like him, just enjoyed the kind gesture. He’d thought about telling her his secret countless times. He didn’t want to keep things from her, but Alfred was right to say that he should hide his identity. Not only for the fact that it could draw unwanted attention, but it could put his friends in danger. It was better off that they just spoke from their hearts and from who they were on the inside. Jason was still Jason, powers or no powers.
He flew around his town for a little while, just observing everyone as they went about their day. Everything was peaceful, as he expected. There was next to no one outside in the thundering rain. This made it easy for him to fly around unnoticed. When he finally returned home, a note from Sollamance had been pinned to his door. Notes from him always worried Jason, but usually just for the sheer fact that he was a Quixon. He removed the pin and read the dampening parchment. Sollamance requested that they meet tonight at eight near the high school. Jason wondered why he would pick a location so close to his home. There were a lot of open field areas near the school, but it struck him as a little odd. He wondered if tonight was going to be any different than the other nights. Maybe Sollamance had a new tactic for him or another method of training. Sollamance wasn’t exactly one to stick to the basics, but he also seemed to stay along the same lines of training. Although it hurt, Jason agreed that the constant sparring and exertion of power was a great method of training.
He waited out the rest of the day, until it was time to meet his teacher for another lesson. Jason thought about the training as a hopeful thing. He wanted to unlock his power and finally have the strength to avenge his uncle’s death. Jason wanted this new power to assist him in taking the life of Jackson. He never once thought of exactly how his uncle would have reacted to him using this Quixon power. If he had taken that time to think, maybe he would have realized that evil is evil. Maybe even lives could have been spared. But instead, the eager young Aspen continued to expose himself to the tainted powers of the Quixons.
Jason found Sollamance waiting in a field for him. He was dressed in his normal black uniform. His skin looked twice as pale in the rain. Every time they met, it took Jason a moment to let those soul-piercing red eyes sink in. Sollamance had his arms crossed and watched him as he landed. Jason had barely touched the ground, when the first attack came. Sollamance came at him with the blade straight from the beginning. Jason dodged to the right and swung a kick in Sollamance’s direction. Sollamance put his arm up to guard the attack and continued with his fury of sword swipes. Jason dodged and attempted a counter every three or four slashes. He was glad he’d become so good at dodging the blade. Whenever Sollamance hit him, it always felt like his wound was burning through him. The blood the drained from the wounds was nothing in comparison to the pain.
On one of Jason’s counters, Sollamance was sent hurdling back a few feet. Jason seemed to be getting the upper hand in the fights lately. Maybe he was finally getting stronger than Sollamance. Jason was ready to react to his next move, but this time, something different happened. Sollamance did something he’d never done before. He recalled his sword back into his sleeve and stared right into Jason’s eyes. Something was changing about this lesson, and Jason was about to find out that he didn’t care for it too much.
“That’s a wonderful way to spend your free time, there, kid,” Sollamance chuckled.
“What did you say?” Jason asked a little confused.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to be so vague. I was applauding your humans. Such good pals you have there.” Sollamance grinned.
Jason tensed up. How did he know about the guys? Had he been following him? He knew that he’d known where he lived and how to reach him, but had he really spied on him enough to see who his friends were?
“You’ve been following me…” Jason said angrily.
“Of course,” Sollamance laughed, “How am I supposed to keep my pupil in check without knowing a little bit about him?”
“We agreed that we wouldn’t mess in each others lives,” spat Jason. He was starting to dislike this side of Sollamance.
“Don’t you know better than to believe my kind?” Sollamance taunted, still grinning.
Sollamance lunged at Jason, catching him off guard. He hit him right under the chin, sending him sailing backwards. Jason flipped into the air, ready to block the next attack. He looked for Sollamance, but saw him just a second too late. The force of Sollamance’s kick sent Jason hurdling towards the ground. He managed to catch himself and land on a knee. He was losing an edge on Sollamance. His emotions were getting the best of him, and Sollamance could see it.
Sollamance landed in front of him slowly. He knew he was in control. His eyes stared right into Jason’s. He began thinking back to the night before. Had Sollamance been watching him that night as well? Was he spying on him during the school day? More importantly, how long had he been watching? Jason’s jaw clenched. Sollamance may have thought he could win with a few mind tricks, but it wasn’t enough. Jason was still a better fighter. Jason enflamed his fists and leapt out for another attack. As though he had predicted Jason’s movements, Sollamance reacted with a slash of his sword. It cut straight into Jason’s right shoulder, tearing his sweatshirt sleeve at the seam. Jason ripped it off, revealing his bloody wound, and tossed it aside. He was going to have to be defensive now.
He watched as Sollamance moved from side to side, trying to break Jason’s lock on his. Once he sprang, Jason anticipated an attack to the face and blocked the kick. Sollamance broke out in a fury of kicks at Jason. Struggling to keep his guard up, Jason attempted to ignite Sollamance with a punch. Instead of dodging, Sollamance grabbed Jason’s arm, ignored the heat, and sent a knee to his gut. With a cough of blood, Jason tried to break Sollamance’s grip. When he tried, Sollamance merely sent another two punches into his gut and one right to the head. Jason dropped to his knees. As a desperate attempt to get some distance between him and Sollamance, Jason sent a flash of flame into his foe’s leg. Sollamance hopped back a few yards, giving Jason a little distance. He was still on his knee, trying to refocus. It was as though Sollamance was giving it his all, but not trying at the same time. His confidence irritated Jason and the smirk he wore across his face didn’t help matters.
“Now come on, Jason,” Sollamance teased, “Is that really all you’ve got?”
Before Jason could answer, Sollamance was on the attack again. Jason had no time to react and took a head on kick to the face. He shot backwards, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. Sollamance suddenly seemed so much faster and stronger. Even the damage his blade did felt greater.
“That’s a shame too,” Sollamance said, with fake sympathy and an evil smirk, “It will pain me to see those innocent boys killed. And what of dear Sarah Williams? Perhaps I will just take care of her myself. Who knows? It could even be fun.”
Jason’s heart stopped beating. His blood was boiling and his hands shaking. The anger was rising quickly. He could feel something inside him just snap. His fists started to clench and his jaw tighten. He was losing his mind. Sollamance had known. He had known this entire time. He had taken this too far. He had found the one thing Jason valued most and threatened to take it away. Jason’s breathing had gotten much deeper and for a moment, he could have sworn he was losing all control over his body. The threat on Sarah William’s life had done it. He was changing.
The first thing he noticed was his heart rate. It began beating very slowly, but powerfully. His vision was blurring and his body growing cold. He felt as though all sanity was lost. He looked down at his hands. They were getting pale and cold. When his vision began to refocus, everything seemed to be going slower. He could hear each breath he took and every beat of his heart. The darkness inside of him was coming out. He felt nothing but hatred. He looked up at Sollamance, gritting his teeth, and knew what had happened. The beast inside was free. The power was in his control. He was a Quixon.
He wanted to be happy. He knew that deep down inside he should be grateful, but he wasn’t. Instead, all he felt was anger and the desire to destroy Sollamance. He didn’t just want to beat him…he wanted to kill him. All the lessons his uncle had taught him about control were being tossed aside. He was going for blood this time. Sollamance had dug too deep into his life. He had threatened his entire life and everyone in it. He wasn’t going to let him walk away from this.
Jason bolted for Sollamance. He felt so much faster than before. Sollamance tried to block the first punch, but Jason was too fast for him. The enhancement from this evil power was more than he could have imagined. To him, it felt like Sollamance had gotten slower and weaker, but in reality, his attacks were just quicker and packed more power. Jason sent a powerful kick into Sollamance’s ribs, making a loud cracking noise. The powers were increasing his senses. He could literally feel Sollamance’s ribs break when he hit him. Sollamance was now trying to recover, but Jason had changed. He was fierce and merciless. He wasn’t going to waste a single moment thinking about his next move. He was too blinded by anger to control his actions anymore. All his mind could tell him to do was attack, attack, attack.
Jason grabbed Sollamance by the shirt and threw him across the ground. Jason felt as though he was beating around a dummy, but Sollamance was trying with all his might to hold his ground. With a roll, Sollamance returned to his feet and released smoke-like whips from his finger tips. Jason’s first thoughts would have been to dodge, but not this time. He wasn’t about to back down for a moment. He tried to release his heat powers, but instead manifested the dark smoke as well. Jason created a single whip of smoke and swung it at the others. When they collided, the other whips dissolved. Jason, trying to get a feel for his newfound powers, slashed the whip at Sollamance’s legs. He jumped to avoid Jason’s attack, but now he wasn’t on solid ground. It was a perfect chance to get close.
Jason recalled the smoke and shot towards his enemy. Sollamance generated his sword and held it in preparation of the attack. Jason grew closer and closer, waiting for Sollamance to make a move. When he did, he ducked below the slashing sword and sent a strong uppercut at Sollamance’s head. He was sent shooting into the air from the force, unable to defend himself. Jason was way too fast. He wasn’t even sure if Sollamance had even expected him to be this powerful. Jason could still feel his heart beating strong and his blood boiling beneath the skin. The thought of Sollamance even laying a hand on Sarah just made him explode. Jason twisted through the air, faster than Sollamance was traveling, until he was above his adversary. With a spin of force, Jason sent a down kick right at Sollamance, dealing more damage and causing him to hurtle straight into the dirt. As Sollamance fell, Jason felt as though the power was trying to show him something. He could feel the smoky power inside him, but he also felt something else. He felt something that was more than mere smoke. He could feel a Quix blade.
Jason conjured up the smoke and manifested the blade. He gripped the handle tight with both hands and dove down for Sollamance. His Quixon teacher was still falling, unable to do anything about the attacks Jason had delivered. It was all going to be in a single moment. When Sollamance collided with the earthy ground, Jason drove the sword straight into the fiend’s chest. Blood splashed up from underneath Sollamance’s cloak. Jason’s Quix blade had cut through his pale body and back into the ground below. Sollamance’s eyes widened and he gasped out for air. Jason twisted the sword to the side, adding to the Quixon’s pain. He wanted him to suffer for daring to even mention Sarah’s name. Jason could see his reflection in his dying enemy’s eyes. His eyes were just like those that haunted him in his dreams. He was now one of them. He was an animal. He was a monster. He was a Quixon.
Sollamance’s sword transformed into smoke and dissolved into nothing. Blood began to leak out of his mouth. Jason could hear Sollamance’s heart coming to a stop. He was trying to say something, but was choking on the blood. Jason removed the sword and stared into his Quixon teacher’s eyes for the last time.
“N-now…you’re ready…” Sollamance breathed. With those simple words, the Quixon faded from the world for good. His red eyes closed and his heart stopped. The only Quixon Jason had ever met, was now dead. Through all of his anger, Jason given Sollamance’s the death he had longed for. He could now feel only his heartbeat. It was slowing down and balancing. He could feel himself returning to normal again. The sword returned to smoke and retracted back into his hand. His blood seemed to cool and he was calming. He could almost feel it as his eyes changed back from the evil red. He was back to the Aspen he’d always been.
Although Jason had killed him in anger, Sollamance had given Jason his wish as well. He now had the power to defeat Jackson. He could finally take a stand against the murderous man and protect the world from whatever treacheries he’d been planning. Jackson was going to know the pain that Jason felt when he lost his uncle. He would know that he could not threaten a peaceful world without resistance. He would see the animal that Jason had become. It was time for vengeance.

Vengeance


The day was progressing slower than Jason had expected. He opened his eyes, unable to wait for mid afternoon to come. He had been waiting in his chair since the early morning. He had too much energy and rage pumping through his veins to sleep any longer. His mind flashed back to the previous night. Sollamance had said he was ready and Jason knew his final words couldn’t be any truer. The time had come. He was ready. The power he held inside would finally bring down Jackson. He would be able to use this darkness as though it were a gift. It was time for action. It was time for battle. It was time for revenge.
His eyes looked to the clock on the wall. It was still another two hours before Jackson would be out in the open. To Jason, that felt like a lifetime. He was tired of waiting. He needed to go now. He knew that the plan may work better in the long run, but right now he didn’t care. All he wanted was Jackson to die. Jason stood up and made his way to the door. Today he only wore his typical tennis shoes, jeans, and his Aspen torso. He wanted to have complete mobility and comfort. He stopped short of the door and looked in the bathroom mirror. He could see his eyes were dark red and black like Sollamance’s. His skin had gotten pale and his hair was nearly pitch black. His own reflection was intimidating to him. He ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t like this look. It was as though he was evil. If things went the way he wanted them to, this would be the only time he’d ever have to use the power.
He stood on the cliff, looking out at the city. He could see the Anderson Building from here. It was one of the taller buildings in the city. It was in the eastern section, where a lot of small businesses thrived. Every year, the building helped develop something new to better the city. He’d never been in it, but a few of his chemistry teachers had talked about it. He had no clue where Jackson would be on the inside, but he didn’t think it’d be too hard to find him. This was the moment. Jackson was somewhere inside; unaware that Jason was even coming for him. He would be caught off guard, making him vulnerable to Jason’s ruthless attack.
Jason lifted into the air and took off for the building. He could feel many heat signatures inside, but he had no way of knowing which one was Jackson. His only option was to enter through the main entrance and learn more once he was inside. He thought about calling his friends to see if anymore information had come in on Jackson from the company, but he’d left his phone back at his house. He’d already come too far to go back now. He was going to have to do this the old fashioned way.
He entered the building through the big revolving glass door. Inside, he found a white room with a reception desk. The young receptionist sat typing away at her computer. She twirled her fingers in her blonde hair, while staring blankly at the screen. He approached the desk, returning his eyes to normal, and waited for her to notice him. Almost immediately, she perked up and put on a huge smile. She had obviously been trained to be cheery to every person that walked through that door.
“Good afternoon, sir” the receptionist welcomed, “how may I help you?”
“Hi there, I’m looking for a man named Jackson. I’m his…friend.” Jason lied.
“Oh, he’s on the ninth floor. There is an elevator right over there that’ll take you right up,” said the receptionist pointing to the right wall where, sure enough, were two elevator doors.
“Thank you,” said Jason, starting for the elevator.
“Should I tell him you’re on the way up?” the young girl asked.
“No, no,” Jason declined, “I want to surprise him,”
“Oh, well alright then,” the girl smiled, “have a great visit,”
Jason turned for the elevator grinning. This wasn’t exactly a secure location. He was merely two button clicks away from being at Jackson, and all it took was a few lies. In reality though, the employees that worked here weren’t exactly in danger here. They could have never imagined that two non-human beings were going to start a fight inside. After all, why would anyone want to hurt these people? Most of them devoted there time to helping others with new medicines or sciences. Jason made a point of trying not to harm anyone during his visit. Well, except for Jackson, of course.
Jason pressed the up button on the wall and the silver doors slid open. He stepped inside and selected the ninth floor. On the wall, there was a computerized newspaper. It scrolled up slowly, showing a summary of the main story of the day. Jason decided to read the article once he saw the title.
Savior

After the save of President MacMillan last week, the unidentified hero made another save in the city three days ago. A construction accident left a man dangling from a high riser crane. When it looked like time was up for the man, the Savior flew in and grabbed him before a gruesome fall. The man suffered no injuries and was brought down safely. The Savior is definitely becoming a celebrity, but who is he? Or what is he? All we can do is wonder and be thankful for everything that he has done since he arrived in our city. Well done, Savior.

Jason remembered this save quite well. The man had nearly wet himself in fear, but thanks to him, he was able to go home to his family that night. The news was buzzing full of stories about him. He was the unknown hero that everyone knew and loved. He just hoped that they didn’t completely depend on him. He is only there to provide security, not entire lifestyles. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. It revealed a long hallway with offices on both sides. On the doors, there were names of each of the employees. He walked through the hall searching for Jackson’s office. Jason really had pictured him as the desk job kind of guy. Just when it seemed like he wasn’t going to find him, he saw an open door at the end of the hallway. Inside, writing at his desk was none other than his hated enemy. Jason could feel himself tense up. His heart began beating faster. It was time to confront Jackson for the last time.
Jason walked into the room, without disturbing Jackson. He hadn’t noticed him yet. His Quixon powers must have prevented him from giving off a heat signature. He just sat there behind his desk wearing a dark grey pullover with a collar. He had a slight amount of hair on his face, giving him a professional look. Jason stepped forward, waiting for Jackson to look up and see what had just walked into his office.
“Can I help you?” Jackson said, without looking up. He obviously wasn’t paying much attention; otherwise he would have been able to see that he didn’t have a signature.
“I…have been waiting for this…for a very long time.” Jason stated.
Jackson looked up in shock and went to react. Jason didn’t give him a chance to do much. When he stood up, he released the darkness from his hand, knocking Jackson back through the wall behind him. Debris flew everywhere and Jason could hear people behind him scream. Jackson landed on the floor in between two pieces of a broken desk. The man in the room they had just broken into panicked and ran out of his office. Jackson was down but not for long. He leapt to his feet and looked up at Jason. He looked horrified. He must have really not expected Jason to seek revenge for his uncle’s death. Jason leapt for Jackson, fist clenched and threw a punch. Jackson countered with his own punch and the two slammed fists. Jason, not ready to back down, swung his leg around in a complete spin and kicked his enemy in the side of the face. Jackson slammed into the nearby cabinet, giving Jason another chance to attack first. Jason sent a volley of punches into Jackson’s rib cage, causing him to cry out in pain. Jason was going to make him suffer.
He grabbed Jackson by the neck and threw him up and through the ceiling. Jackson went sailing through the ceilings of the next few floors and finally caught himself on the thirteenth floor. Jason jumped up, but Jackson was ready this time. As Jason grew closer, Jackson threw an attack he knew all too well. His uncle had used this tactic in their last training session. A spherical orb of blue flame rested in Jackson’s hand like a basketball. Before Jason could avoid it, Jackson threw the scorching sphere directly at him. He put up his hands and conjured a shield of dark energy. The shield was holding, but it wouldn’t support the strength of the attack for long, Jason pushed at the attack until he had just enough distance to spin out of its path. The attack shot down and through the building, exploding when it hit the lowest floor. Jason held both of his hands out, pointed at Jackson, and released two dark cyclones. They slithered up at Jackson, but were quickly cut apart by his sword. This time, Jason saw where the sword came from. Jackson, much like Sollamance and Jason, manifested the sword out of energy, but it wasn’t the smoky dark power that Quixon’s used. It was a blue aura that shimmered out of thin air. It was almost stunning to see, other than the fact that now Jackson had a weapon, where Jason did not.
Jason tried to release the sword like he had done against Sollamance, but he couldn’t feel it. He didn’t remember how it had happened, it had just happened. He had spent the time before this fight learning how to release the darkness itself, but not the powers that came with it. The smoke-like attack was much like his own Aspen flame, but the sword was different. He didn’t have much time to try, however. He couldn’t let Jackson have the free moments. Jason shot up at Jackson, who hovered with his sword at the ready position. Jason began to spin, hoping to make it harder to predict his movements. Jackson stabbed out with the sword, as Jason moved. Jason managed to avoid most of the blade, but caught a piece of it on the left leg. He slammed his fist in Jackson’s chest, propelling him into another wall. Jackson broke through the wall and landed on his feet in another hallway. People all throughout the building were yelling out in terror and running left and right. Jason had completely ignored that fact that they were there. He didn’t care anymore. This was all about Jackson.
Jackson and Jason stood on the hallway floor, both waiting for the other to react. Jackson looked as though he wanted to say something, but Jason wasn’t about to give him a moment to try. Jason manifested a snakelike whip of the dark power. He swung it at Jackson, tearing the wall as it slid along it. Debris was everywhere in the hallway. There was broken glass on the floors and loose papers scattered everywhere. This fight definitely wouldn’t go unnoticed. Jackson jumped to avoid the whip aimed towards his legs. Jason tried to redirect the attack, but Jackson had already reacted. He sent a wave of heat energy out at Jason, throwing him backwards. The force of the flames knocked Jason out the hallway window and into the open air. Jason balanced himself and managed to avoid falling down too far. He ascended to the rooftop, where he knew Jackson would follow. This gave him more room to move freely and also limited the wreckage that would be thrown about.
When Jackson got to the roof, Jason could feel it inside of him. The Quix blade was ready. He held his arm out to the side, hand tightened as though it were around an invisible hilt. The smoke slithered out and spawned the dark blade in his hands. Now that he could see the blade in daylight, he could make out its features. The sharp sword had a long silver blade with Quixon symbols carved into it. the hilt was black with a red gem positioned in the center. The hilt almost made its ends look like two fangs. Jason only hoped that its imagery of evil was matched with immense strength. He twirled the blade in his hand to get a feel for it. He’d used a weapon a few times when he would train with his uncle, but usually they were long bamboo sticks. The techniques and stances were practically the same; it was just sharper and much heavier. Jason’s strength made the bamboo sticks feel like they weighed next to nothing, but the sword weighed enough to put slight strain on Jason’s arm. A human would still be able to lift the sword, but it would likely be with two hands. He held his sword with one hand and figured that would give him the most agility and flexibility in battle.
Jackson looked angry now. He had taken a few bruises and was bleeding from the right cheek, but wasn’t going down anytime soon. His clothes were torn slightly, but it didn’t seem to affect him much. Jackson gripped his sword tight and held it in a samurai-like stance. He was breathing heavy, which showed that Jason had at least caught him off guard enough to wind him. The two enemies stood there staring the other down. Jackson was the first to do anything, but instead of attacking, he spoke.
“This was what I was afraid of,” Jackson breathed.
“So you knew I’d be stronger than you?” Jason grinned.
“No, you idiot! I knew it was only a matter of time before you let that power get the best of you!”
“This power is going to help me save lives! There is nothing wrong with it!”
“Don’t you see?” Jackson cried, “No one can use that power for good. It is pure evil!”
“I’ve had enough of your words, you murderer,” Jason declared as he shot out at Jackson.
The swords clashed and the two were stuck in a battle of strength. Jason pushed with all of his might against Jackson, but he seemed to just be too strong. When it seemed that he was about to be throw off balance, Jason slid his sword up and spun away. Jason ran at Jackson, but he wasn’t trained enough with the blade. Jackson parried his attack and sliced right across Jason’s right shoulder. Jason yelled out in pain, but didn’t stop trying to attack. He released a funnel of darkness, distracting Jackson and giving him an opening. Jason slashed at his enemy, but again had his attack blocked. Jackson had definitely been trained to use the blade. Jackson pushed Jason’s blade away and set his elbow straight into Jason’s cheek. Jason stumbled backwards as Jackson got his distance.
“I will not stop,” Jason coughed, “You will die today,”
“No, Jason,” Jackson said firmly, “I won’t let this darkness get the best of you,”
“You’re talking to me about darkness? Ha! You are a cold-blooded murderer!”
“Jason, control yourself!” Jackson yelled, “I never murdered anyone!”
“Don’t you lie to me! I know what you did! You are the reason I’m all alone! You’re the reason the last of my family is dead!”
“Alfred is dead?” asked Jackson almost shocked.
Jason was confused. He knew Alfred, the much was clear, but he seriously didn’t seem to know that he’d died. It had to be a lie or some kind of a trick that Jackson was pulling. Jason gripped his sword tighter and lunged out at him. His anger was boiling. He couldn’t even admit to it after all of this. Jason went wild. He was swinging rapidly out at Jackson. He tried blocking, but Jason just countered and broke the block. He finally made contact with Jackson, cutting him across the chest. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it was still progress. He could still win this. He used the darkness to throw Jackson’s feet out from underneath him. He sliced another wound into Jackson’s leg, this time, piercing deep. Jackson cried out in pain, but retained his focus. He blocked Jason’s next strike and they were again at a standoff of strength.
“Jason, why the hell would I kill Alfred? He was like family to me!” Jackson declared.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Jason asked angry and confused.
“Dammit!” Jackson cried out, “You have no idea what we are, do you?”
“I know exactly what I am!” Jason declared angrily. He spun and slashed another wound into Jackson side. Jackson shot back to get some distance, but Jason followed right behind him. Jason went for another slice, but Jackson kicked the blade away and delivered a few punches to Jason’s face. With a flash of heat, Jason was thrown back against the rooftop floor. He was slow getting up. He had been waiting for Jackson to strike, but the attack never came. Jackson didn’t seem entirely eager to fight him. Jason got to his feet and gritted his teeth. Was he even taking this seriously?
“Jason, this doesn’t have to go down like this,” Jackson said sincerely, “We can solve this without fighting!”
“Don’t you dare try to talk me out of this…you brought this on yourself!” Jason cried. Jason dashed for Jackson, sword lowered, ready to make a fatal blow. Jason leapt from side to side, waiting for Jackson to make a move first, but instead he did nothing but wait. As Jason went in for the strike, Jackson him by the wrist and threw him across the roof. Jason flew a short distance, but quickly stabilized and landed on his feet. Jackson wasn’t even fighting back anymore. He was just toying with him now. Jason’s blood was raging. He could feel his insides shifting. The angrier he got, the more his head began to hurt. He could feel something…inside him. It was clawing at his soul. It was begging him to be set free. He was losing control. This had to end.
“Jason, stop!” Jackson cried, “I didn’t kill Alfred. I would never harm such an old friend. He and I knew each other before Forge was overrun! Before the war!”
“You came from Forge?” asked Jason, almost not wanting to believe him.
“Yes, we both did.” Jackson admitted.
“Alfred said we were the only ones…he said no one else could have survived!” Jason cried.
“He didn’t know about me…no one did. I had to fight through the Quixons just to get to the last ship. You and Alfred were taking off just as I got there.”
“So you’ve followed me all these years then? Just waiting until I was away from Alfred to attack?”
“I was reckless and feared for this world. I knew what you held inside and I couldn’t let that be unleashed on this world. They are harmless.”
“This power wouldn’t have come out if you hadn’t provoked me!”
“No, it came out because you’re lost! You don’t have anyone to hold your hand anymore and like a child, you simply reacted out of emotion!”
“Don’t you dare act like you know anything about me! I lost everything! My family is dead and n-.”
“My family is dead too!”
Jason calmed himself a bit. He was right. Jackson was Aspen, just like him. He’d come here alone too, probably very young. He left his family back in the war on Forge. They were more alike than he’d realized. Jason began to lower his sword. Maybe he didn’t have to fight him. Jason was starting to believe that maybe he really didn’t kill his uncle. Suddenly, Jason froze in place. He couldn’t move anything. He tried to move his arms and legs, but it was as though everything had been struck with paralyses. Without being able to control himself, something else began to operate his body. He took a step forward and raised his sword again.
Jason could hear a voice in his head. It was commanding him to attack. It was ordering him to strike. It was pushing him to kill. Unable to control himself, Jason leapt forward and released the darkness. Jackson fended it off with a few slashes off his sword, but now Jason was upon him. Whatever was in control fought like an animal. Ruthless slash after slash forced their swords to cause sparks between them. Jason was attacking as Jackson used all his strength to keep up with each hack. The sword clanked against each other, sending a ringing sound through the air. Jason could hear the voice laughing as he made every move.
“Jackson! I can’t control it!” Jason cried.
“Fight it, Jason! Fight it!” Jackson prompted.
Jason tried to hold back whatever was inside him. It was strong. Stronger than he was. He could do nothing but watch as Jackson slowly began to lose the fight. Jason no longer had the desire to kill him. He wanted that voice out of him. It was in control. He fought hard against this evil. He wanted to push it back inside him. He wanted it to go away. Nothing he did was suppressing the power. There was no hope for this to end without death. Jason knew that this demon in control would not stop until it killed Jackson or it itself was killed.
At the same time this all occurred, back at Jason’s home, Josh had arrived with important news. After knocking a few time, he let himself in to find that Jason had already left. Pissed off, he threw the file of papers he’d brought onto the counter. Papers slid everywhere. He’d been too late to stop Jason. He cursed a bit and slammed his fist on the counter. He picked up the phone and dialed Matt’s number. He told him the news and agreed to meet at the house with Tony. He kept thinking that if he’d only left a little bit sooner, maybe he could have stopped his friend from making a grave mistake.
Jason, still unable to control his body, fiercely attacked Jackson. He had no way of knowing what was controlling him or why it suddenly took control. All he knew was it wanted to kill Jackson. Its laughter still echoed through his head. Jackson was struggling to keep up now. Every move he made was countered with another three. Jackson had his back to the edge of the rooftop now. His face was sweating and he was breathing hard. Jason, on the other hand, couldn’t feel a thing. He was neither tired nor relaxed. Everything was falling apart. It was as though he were watching a movie take place. With a backhanded strike, Jason hit Jackson’s sword from his hand. It spun off the roof and fell to the ground. It happened in a mere second. All the planning of revenge and action that Jason had sworn to do was finally happening. Jason hadn’t realized it, but he’d been in control at the end of the fight. The anger that he’d held inside was his own. It had blinded him from reality. His actions up until this point were only influenced by the voice in his head. He only obeyed. Now was the final moment. He chose the next move. He was in complete control. And he just listened to the darkness.
He drove his sword forward and pushed it through the left side of Jackson’s stomach. The blood spilled out onto the blade. Jackson cried out in his tremendous pain. Jason pushed forward causing them both to fall off the building. The voice in Jason’s head laughed as they fell. His mind was jumbled. He again couldn’t control his body. He tried to tell himself it was all in his head, but nothing worked. His eyes began to shut as Jackson fell below him with the sword still stuck in his side. He felt the thud as he hit the ground and everything suddenly went black.
~
Jason opened his eyes and took a deep breathe. He had no sense of how much time had passed or what had happened since he’d fallen. He sat up in a hurry and looked around. He was back home on his couch. What had happened? Where was Jackson? He looked at his hands. The darkness was suppressed again. He’d returned to his normal self. He heard a noise behind him and jumped up ready to attack, but saw Matt looking back at him with an ice pack in his hand. The other two were sitting at the table.
“W-what are you guy doing here? What happened?” Jackson asked in confusion.
“We came here looking for you and when you were gone, we knew you could have only gone one place.” Matt said.
“When we got there, you and Jackson were both laying on the grass behind the building. You seemed to be hurt somewhat, but you were breathing.”
“What about Jackson?”
“He’d lost a lot of blood and had a deep wound in his side. H-he was stiff and cold when we checked him. He was close to dead if not already.”
“Why were you looking for me in the first place?” Jason asked, “You knew I was going after Jackson,”
“Yeah, we knew, dumbass,” Josh muttered, “We came to frickin’ stop you.”
“Stop me? But why?”
“Jason, we…” Tony started, but Josh interrupted him by throwing Jason the file he’d brought over. Jason caught it and opened it up.
“Jason, we’re sorry…we should have gotten this sooner.”
Jason read the file through and felt his stomach drop. The empty feeling he now held began to tear him apart. He felt sick. He wanted to scream. Nothing could have described Jason’s pain as he read the name Jackson Shard at the top of the file. He’d just killed his own brother.

Resentment


The room was quiet. No one said a word. Jason sunk into a chair, reading over the name on the file. Why hadn’t he seen it? They did look alike. He was a surviving Aspen. He knew Alfred. It all added up. All facts pointed to who Jackson was…but he’d been too blinded by anger to see it. How could he have let this happen? The darkness had been consuming him. He thought this power would lead to his success, but all it had done was make things worse. Now he was truly alone. He was the last Aspen…and he wasn’t even pure. He wanted to get angry at himself, but he knew what anger led to. Instead, he began to feel sorry for himself. Jason had always avoided this, but at that moment, he truly felt like he had reason.
Josh, Matt, and Tony all stood behind Jason waiting for him to say something. They couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain and guilt he was holding inside. They, too, felt guilt for telling Jason where Jackson was before they knew who he was. They were just humans. A few months ago, their only concerns were girls, parents, and what classes to take. Now, they each were part of something bigger, just watching from the sidelines. They couldn’t even get that much right. Josh took it all the hardest out of Jason’s friends. He felt as though he’d let his friend down. They all felt sick, but each knew that nothing could be done. Jackson was dead.
After about ten minutes of complete silence, Jason rose from his chair and tossed the file back onto his counter. He could now see that there was no light coming through the windows. He glanced up at the clock to see that it was nearly ten at night. He’d really been out for quite some time. He looked to his friends and felt as though they were wearing their emotions on their faces. He could see that they felt the same pain as he did. He wanted to say that he shouldn’t have involved them in the first place. At least then they wouldn’t have to share this burden with him. His friends expected him to be angry, but he was not. They did what they thought was right. They helped him get what he wanted and once they realized the mistake, they tried their best to correct it. They even carried him, unconscious, back to his house to prevent his identity from being revealed. Honestly, he couldn’t have asked for better friends.
“J-Jason, we’re s-,” started Matt, but Jason interrupted them.
“Don’t be sorry,” Jason said as he fought to show a smile, “You guys helped me get what I wanted. I made the decision. I’m the one who acted out of anger. You guys were just trying to help me.”
“If only I had been just a little quicker…just one hour,” Josh sulked.
“It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. We had no way of knowing that Jackson is…was my brother. Nothing can take back what I’ve done. They only thing we can do is move past it.”
“I guess you’re right,” Matt sighed.
“Of course I am. Don’t blame yourselves. There won’t be any Quixon or Aspen threats anymore. Now…there is just me…and I have a duty. I will continue as this city’s Savior.”
“And what of your Quixon power?” asked a slightly worried Tony.
“That power…isn’t me. I have no reason to use it anymore. Will it still be inside me? Yes, but it can’t come out unless I use it.”
“Well…then I guess there isn’t anything left to say,” Josh said.
“Yeah,” Jason said, “Things will be peaceful now.”
“I guess we’re gonna hit the road then.” Matt said.
“Alright,” Jason said as his three friends walked for the door. He stopped them for a moment and said, “And guys? Thank you. I would have to say I wouldn’t be able to get through this without you guys having my back.”
“Everyone needs help now and then,” Matt said with a small smile.
The friends bid each other farewell and Jason returned to his coach. He clicked on the TV and found the news. As he assumed, they were talking about the Anderson building. According to what the reporter was saying, the building was going to be shut down for the time being. They were going to be cautious with repairs because the building was very unstable. Jason waited for a few moments, partly hoping that they would say that’d found a body. Instead, they continued to talk about the Anderson building repairs and how hundreds of people were now unemployed as a result of the devastated building. Jason clicked it off and closed his eyes. Maybe Jackson had survived somehow. He knew not knowing wouldn’t help him. He grabbed a sweatshirt and set his sights for the Anderson complex.
He landed on the ground behind the building. The lights were all off and there were many signs that labeled the scene dangerous and prohibited. He surveyed the building, trying to relive the events that had happened. In his mind, he saw himself viciously letting the darkness overcome his mind. He could feel it as though it were all happening again. He looked up at the roof and saw him and Jackson falling. They fell straight down, so they should have landed somewhere nearby. Jason looked around on the ground and found no body. He found some dried blood on a patch of grass. He’d left a small indent in the ground from where he fell. He crouched down and examined it. He had lost a decent amount of blood. He could feel the sword wounds still aching on his body.
He turned to the side and searched the area for where Jackson had landed. He finally came across another small indent, but this one had a deeper slit as though something had been stabbed into the ground. Jackson had definitely landed here. There was a lot of dried blood and some torn clothing, but no Jackson. Had the authorities already found him? He couldn’t have survived an attack like that. Jason had stabbed him in a critical area. The blood loss alone should have been enough to kill him. Jason stood up and looked up at the night sky. Why did he have to let his Quixon blood get the best of him?
Jason returned home, leaving everything as it was. He stumbled into his bed and fell into a deep sleep. The fight and the use of the power had taken a lot out of him, even with the rest he’d gotten earlier. He wanted to wake up and find out that everything was fine. He wanted to feel good about things. All he could feel right now was pain and regret. He needed something that could help him forget everything. He needed Sarah Williams.
The following day, Jason awoke, nearly forgetting he had school. He trudged his way to the school and went through the daily routine. His classes seemed to become less and less important every day. The language classes were the stupidest. He spoke every language just fine. Lucky he had that talent. The history class was another review over something he had read about years ago. He just wanted the bell to ring so he could put his books away and find Sarah. He made his way through the hallway, still walking funny due to his injuries. When he went to go to Sarah’s locker, he ran into Kris instead.
“What’s up, dude?” Kris said casually.
“Hey, man,” Jason replied, “Not a lot. Trying to find my girlfriend.”
“Oh yeah? You two got a hot date tonight?”
“Not really. I was gonna ask her if she wanted to do something tonight though.”
“Hey, hey. I understand. You don’t have to share your sex life with me if ya don’t want. It’s all good.”
“I don’t have s-,” Jason began, but Kris began talking again.
“I’m just messin’ with ya, man,” Kris cut him off, grinning, “But yeah, what’s her last class?”
“I think it’s some sort of English class. I don’t really remember.”
“Oh, well if she’s got Young, then the rest of this week is gonna suck for her. We just got hit with a huge research paper we have to do. If she isn’t at her locker, she is probably at that library.”
“Alright then, thanks Kris.”
“Hey, anytime buddy. Catch ya around?”
“Yeah, see ya.”
Jason walked down the hall and found the library doors. Sure enough, sitting at one of the desks was the beautiful Sarah Williams. She was reading a through a rather large book. She looked very bored and a little tense. Jason set his bag down and came up behind her, trying not to disturb her studying. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to rub them. She loved it when he would give her massages. He could feel her loosen up and smile. She put her hand on his and rubbed it. She looked over her shoulder at him, as he gave her a small smile.
“Got a big project?” Jason asked.
“Ugh, yeah,” Sarah groaned, “It’s pretty lame. I don’t ever want to hear the word Persia again,”
“Maybe you could take a break for a little while. We could grab a smoothie or something? They have your favorite special today.”
“Yeah…I could use a break. Sounds good to me.”
The coffee house was a few blocks from the school. It was a small business that sold just about every kind of drink imaginable. Jason and Sarah walked hand in hand to on the sidewalks. She told him about her day and how she had nearly been murdered by her lab partner in her advanced chemistry class. The girl had very shaky hands and had nearly spilled corrosive acids on Sarah. Jason teased her a little bit, but was glad she was alright. They talked about random parts of their day all the way to the coffee shop. Once they got their, She and Jason took a seat in two comfortable leather chairs near the window. Sarah ordered a strawberry and banana smoothie, while he ordered a vanilla and chocolate malt. They sat at the table for awhile just laughing about things, when Jason saw another news report of the Anderson crisis. Jason’s mind immediately went to Jackson and the events that had happened the day before. Sarah must have felt a change in his mood, because she instantly became worried.
“Something wrong, Jay?” she asked. He loved it when she called him that.
“No…it’s nothing,” He answered.
“Well it can’t be ‘nothing’. It’s alright to talk about it. I’m all ears.”
“It’s just…yesterday I got some bad news.”
“What kind of news?”
“My brother…was killed yesterday.”
“Oh my god! Jason, that’s horrible! How come you never mentioned you had a brother?”
“Well, the truth is that, until yesterday, I hated my brother. He wasn’t much of a brother at all. He never once cared for me. He left me with my uncle after my parents died and never looked back. From there on out, every time I saw him we just fought.”
“Did something happen between you two that set this fighting off?”
“He started the fighting. He thought he was doing the right thing by treating my like dirt. I swear sometimes he even wanted to kill me. But that’s just the thing. I hated him for as long as I knew him. In the end, though…I only resented myself. I made so many mistakes and instead of looking for a solution, I just retaliated and continued to fight with him. And now…it’s too late to fix things.”
Sarah grabbed Jason’s hand and squeezed it tight. He looked into her compassionate blue eyes and could see that she cared about this just about as much as he did. She was always so sweet and loving to him. If only he could just tell her the rest of his pain inside. If only he could say that he, himself, had killed his brother. But he had ignored his uncle’s words one time, and that was one time too many. Plus, it could put her life in danger if anything else went wrong. He wouldn’t let that happen. She meant too much to him.
“Jason, I am so sorry.” She said sincerely, “I want to say something to make it easier for you, but I don’t know what I could say that could make anything better.”
“Just spending time with you helps. I love you, Sarah.” Jason said with a weak smile.
“I love you too, Jason.”
Jason and Sarah starred into each other eyes, getting lost as they did. They could both feel that they had a strong bond. Jason never wanted to leave her side. He wanted to take her away to a place where they could be alone forever. She was his everything. He could feel her heart rate pick up when ever she was around him. He knew that she felt the same way. If only he could find a way to freeze time. Every time they were together, each hour felt like a minute. Each minute felt like an hour. He wondered why good things couldn’t happen in slow motion.
Above the door to the building, a small bell hung that would ring whenever a customer entered or exited. When Jason heard the bell ring this time, he could feel someone with a quick heart rate enter. Their heat signature was riddled with anxiety and worry. Jason looked away from his wondrous girlfriend and to the door. It was Matt. He was looking around the room and finally spotted Jason. He motioned for Jason to come over to him. He didn’t like where this was going. He told Sarah he would be back in a moment, and with a smile she dismissed him. He briskly walked over to Matt and saw the stress all over his face.
“What’s wrong?” Jason asked.
“Haven’t you heard?” Matt gasped. He must have run here, “Something went wrong in the city.”
“What kind of something?”
“Someone broke into the Midwest Central Bank. They’ve taken hostages.”
“What?” Jason asked outraged, “When did this happen?”
“Just now,” Matt explained, “The police are at a standoff, but the robbers are in complete control.”
Jason looked back to Sarah who was sipping the rest of her smoothie. He didn’t want to leave her, but there were lives at stake. He couldn’t let innocent people die. It would once again strike fear into the hearts of the world. They wouldn’t believe in their Savior anymore. He had a duty and no matter how he felt about Sarah, he had to stop this.
“I need you to keep her company. Tell her I’ll be back soon. I had a ‘family issue’ to take care of. Don’t let her leave. I won’t be long.” Jason said.
“Alright,” Matt agreed.
Jason passed by Matt and out the door. Matt watched him take off down the street quickly. With a leap, he jumped high into the air and took off for the bank. He looked at Sarah, who was now sitting alone at the table. He sat down where Jason had been and she gave him a confused look.
“So…how do you feel about baseball?” Matt asked attempting to strike a conversation. In his mind he could only think ‘Good luck, Jason’.
~
Jason unzipped his grey jacket and tossed it behind him. It blew away in the wind. He was now wearing his jeans and Aspen shirt. No one knew him any other way than with this uniform. He didn’t want anyone to remember what he’d been wearing that day and piece things together. He masked his presence and continued on his way to the bank. He could see the flashing lights of the sirens as he grew close. This was a little bigger than he thought. There were about fifteen police cars and a barricade blocking off the public. He noticed the police chief yelling talking into a radio and projecting his voice so that the robbers could hear him. He was trying the normal hostage-negotiation procedures. Jason could see that the robbers had the doors blocked off and windows spray-painted so that no one could see inside. The bank was large, but didn’t have a lot of ways to enter.
He scanned the area and found that there were twenty people inside. He could see that eight were standing upright and the other twelve were on their knees. The upright ones had to be the robbers, which also told Jason that they were in pairs of two. Two were covering the main entrance; while another two covered the staircase went to the roof. Two of the robbers paced behind the hostages, keeping them in check. Below, Jason could see two more in the underground safe. Jason knew that the front entrance would be a bad choice, but the roof had a good vantage point for him. As long as he didn’t alert the two guards the staircase, the hostages would be safe.
He flew up to the rooftop and found the door. There was a back room that had the staircase in it. If he took out the first two thugs quickly, he might be able to keep the element of surprise. He poked the door with his finger nail and slid it along the door, making an irritating screeching noise. The two thugs, as expected, heard it and moved closer to the door. They were down in a crouch and each likely had guns. Jason waited for them to be just close enough, then, with a strong kick, sent the door off the hinges and into the two thugs. The door sailed right into the two robbers and smashed them against the wall, knocking them unconscious.
He quickly moved into the building and scanned to see if anyone had noticed. Lucky for him, he was still undetected. He moved around the corner and into the main room. He hid behind the counter that separated him from the rest of the robbers. To his right, there was a door that led down stairs. He had to time all of this just right for it to work. He wasn’t about to let anyone die. One of the guards was yelling into a radio in the center of the room. There was only one pacing behind the hostages now. He needed the right moment. His head began to hurt. He could feel something inside him. It was the darkness. It was talking to him again. It was telling him to…kill everyone.
He suppressed it and waited for the robber to draw close. He leapt out from behind the counter and grabbed him by the neck. He threw the robber hurdling into one of the others that was standing by the window. The two robbers broke through the glass and fell out onto the street. The two robbers left in the room now saw him. Jason lunged at the other robber at the window. He turned to Jason and unloaded his machine gun on him. The bullets all had the same effect. Each time a bullet hit Jason, it bounced off harmlessly. The robber, horrified tried to punch Jason. When he did, Jason caught his fist and swung him out his window. The glass shattered and he joined his hurt friends out on the street. Now all that was left was one.
Jason turned to around to see that the robber had picked up a hostage and was holding his pistol to his head. The hostages were all tied at the wrists and had tape over their mouths to prevent them from screaming. The robber wore a black jacket and a dark green shirt. He had black pants and a black headband to match his outfit. The headband and the shirt set him apart from the others. He was the only one with these things. He was tall, but not the toughest of the robbers. He seemed to think that he was in control of everything still and showed his thoughts by wearing a large grin on his face. He was likely the leader of this whole operation. Unfortunately for him, he was about to find out that he was wrong.
“Don’t move!” the robber demanded, “You do and I’ll blow his pretty little face off!”
The hostage squirmed. He looked like an honest business man who had gone to the wrong bank at the wrong time. He wore a grey suit and a red tie. He was a little shorter than the robber. Nervous sweat was dripping down his face as made muffled noises from his mouth.
“Set down you’re weapon and let these people go,” Jason demanded as he held up his hand, “If you do, this will end much better for you.”
“Ha! I highly doubt that! From the looks of things, I am in control. That money is mine! All you did was increase my share.”
The robber didn’t know it, but Jason had complete control over the situation. His powers gave him an advantage over the man. Before he spoke next, the darkness began to speak to him. He could hear it saying for him to kill him. It wanted to be let out. He tried to suppress it, but it was taking control again. He could feel himself changing. He’d have to make this quick. He was fighting back the beast, but could feel it winning. Jason took a step forward and the robber freaked out again.
“Don’t you move, dammit!” he yelled, “I’ll do it,”
“T-then…then do it!” Jason yelled. The darkness was gaining control. He didn’t want to say those words, but it did. He took another step forward and the robber backed up. He pulled the trigger of the gun, but nothing happened.
“Something wrong?” Jason asked in a sinister voice.
To the man’s surprise, his only tool of advantage had been disabled. Jason had used his power to burn and bend the firing pin, rendering the gun useless. Jason walked up to the man and threw him through the protective glass behind the counter. He hit the ground with a thud and started to crawl away. The other two guards had finally made it up the stairs, but they hadn’t expected to see Jason. He shot darkness from both of his hands, hitting the two robbers in their head. They toppled down the stairs, losing consciousness as they did. He turned back to the remaining robber and grabbed him. Jason could feel the robbers heart start beating faster, as well as his own. He was beginning to lose control. He looked into the robbers eyes, who had gone from a look of defeat to a look of horror.
“Y-you’re…eyes,” the man gasped.
Jason knew exactly what he meant. His eyes must have changed. He closed his eyes and dropped the man onto the floor. Jason put his hands on his head. He could hear the voice speaking. It was clawing at his mind and his soul. It was begging him to kill the robber. It wanted him to tear him apart. The words ‘kill him’ echoed throughout his head.
“No!” Jason cried. He won his internal battle and once again the darkness was buried deep within him. He looked up at the robber. He was scrounging for a dropped gun. Jason jumped forward and kicked the gun away and grabbed the man.
“Fun’s over.” Jason declared.
He tossed the man across the floor and into a wall. He hit the ground and moaned in pain. Jason untied the hostage he had been threatening and removed his tape. The man was breathing heavily. He looked up at Jason with a look of relief. Jason proceeded to untie the hostages. He then took five of the ropes and tied the five robbers that were still in the building. When he returned, the twelve hostages were all looking back at him. They were all hugging one another. Some of them cried, but they weren’t tears of sadness. They were tears of shock and happiness. Jason walked over to the front doors. The robbers had tipped two marble statues, making it nearly impossible for the front doors to be opened. Jason lifted the marble statues out of the way and opened the doors. When he did, he could see all of the police officers looking back at him. When the first of the hostages walked up next to Jason, the whole street seemed to light up with applause.
They police chief, which Jason had bumped into a few times, ordering his officers to cuff the three robbers Jason had thrown out the windows. Jason reentered the back and, one by one, escorted the five robbers out to the police officers. Some of the hostages ran to people in the crowd. Others walked around, almost dazed. Jason wanted to feel good about all of this, but he didn’t. An elderly man exited the building behind him and put his hand on Jason’s shoulder.
“You did well today, son,” the old man said with a smile, “This old, wrinkled body has seen many days, but they wouldn’t have seen another if it weren’t for you,”
“I’m just glad everyone is alright,” Jason said.
“You truly are a Savior, aren’t you?” the man asked.
“Sometimes…I don’t feel like it.” Jason admitted. He lifted into the air, leaving the man with a look of pity on his face. He didn’t know exactly what Jason had meant by that, but he knew that being a hero puts a lot of weight on a man’s shoulders. Jason left the scene as it was. He didn’t want to answer questions. He didn’t want to get anymore involved than he already we. He went soaring away from the scene. He was angry at himself. He couldn’t believe it. He shouldn’t have ever listened to Sollamance. If he’d just stayed away, Jackson would still be alive and the Quixon inside him would still be caged. He wasn’t just mad at himself. He completely hated himself. He wasn’t able to hold it back. It wanted him to kill a man, who, although wasn’t innocent, could do no harm to him. It had almost won too.
As Jason flew back to the coffee house, he thought about everything. Jackson was right. He had acted like a child. He’d just waited for someone to guide him so he wouldn’t have to do things alone. And now, he was a monster. What would happen if it awakened one day when he was at school? Would he be able to control it? Or would it take control and attack innocent civilians. He had to gain control…he just had too. Jason passed over a park and saw his jacket lying on the ground. He snatched it up and landed in an alleyway. Unmasking his presence and putting on his jacket, Jason returned to the street. He wasn’t too very far from where he left his friend and girlfriend. He continued to walk up the street, with his hands in his pocket. As he walked, he made a promise to himself. He swore that no matter what…he would never use the Quixon power again.

Halyms


That night, Jason returned home ashamed. Sarah and Matt were still at the coffee shop when he returned and Jason quickly made up a story about his distant aunt needing help. Sarah seemed to buy it and they stayed for another two hours talking and laughing. Matt stayed with them for the rest of the night, on Jason’s request, and ended up adding to the fun. He and Sarah seemed to get along very well. They must have ordered two more smoothies each that night. Matt began to tell embarrassing stories about Jason from way back when they were in middle school together. Jason laughed and tried to forget what had just happened, but it was harder than he thought. All his thoughts kept going back to the robber and how his eyes had changed.
They stayed until nearly seven-thirty, when Sarah got a call from home. Jason walked her home, but on the way she got cold. Jason let her wear his jacket and continued to make a joke about how she just enjoyed stealing his clothes. While they walked, Sarah occasionally glanced over at Jason’s shoulder. Jason wasn’t exactly sure why until he dropped her off. While he flew home, he suddenly got worried about what she was looking at. He had a thought, but it was crazy. The Savior that everyone knew from TV wore a uniform. It had symbols on it. Had Sarah put together that it was the same shirt that Jason was wearing? She was bright, but she must have really been interested in the Savior to notice the resemblance in the shirts.
Jason shook the thought from his head and decided that by the end of the week, he would tell Sarah everything. She had a right to know. He was tired of trying to hide things from her. Also, if she did know, it could upset her to know that he is hiding something. As much as he had his mind set on telling her, Jason knew that he wouldn’t have the courage to tell her. He would just have to hope that she hadn’t put everything together. He didn’t know which would be harder, telling her that truth that he was in fact the Savior that had saved her on the day they met or not telling his love the truth and dealing with her reaction to his dishonesty.
Jason entered his house that night and put some pasta on the stove. He clicked on the TV and began to prepare his dinner. The TV was on some evening drama show that was easy on the ears. As Jason poured the hot, red sauce all over his steaming noodles, the show ended and the evening news came on. Jason ate and watched as they talked about the bank robbery. No camera footage of him this time, but something caught his attention. The police chief was talking about everything that Jason already knew. He talked about the hostages and the armed robbers. He also talked about how the Savior had come in a saved the day. The final thing mentioned was about thr lead robber. What he had said made Jason drop his fork. The interview went over to footage of the man as he was being pulled from the police car. He was yelling at an officer, but not just yelling. He was laughing at the officer. Better yet, he was laughing at Jason.
“You forgot him!” the robber yelled, “You forgot the last of my men, Ha-ha-ha!”
The changed over to the interrogation footage later on that day. It showed the robber sitting at a table with two officers questioning him. They were asking him about the missing man. The story of the ninth robber nearly caused Jason’s heart to stop.
“He…was a sinister man. He made our plans. Drew em’ all up. He was the weirdest fella…but one thing about him stuck out above all.” the robber said.
“And what’s that?” the officer asked, leaning against the wall.
“He had these…eyes. These red and black eyes,” the robber said, “Said it made him part of some other group. Even said he was one of its leaders.”
“What kind of group?” the second officer asked, who was seated across from the robber, “KKK? Nazi revivalists?”
“No,” the robber answered, “he called em’ Quixons.”
Jason fell back. He couldn’t breath. Was it possible? Could that whole thing have been a Quixons doing? Jason thought back to Sollamance. He had spoken of the Quixons now and then in their training. He said they all obeyed one lord and his queen. From there on out, there were six leaders and the rest leveled out from there in a chain of commands. He said all Quixons had a leader, even him. Jason couldn’t help but wonder if that ninth robber was Sollamance’s superior. Either way, it only meant one thing. There were more Quixon’s out there.
Jason walked to his counter and leaned against it. He thought it was over. He thought that Sollamance was the only Quixon that would come here. He thought that any alien threat would die when Sollamance and Jackson did. Now, after he finally was beginning to calm himself…everything starts again. He had a superior Quixon to hunt and find. And in the meantime, it could be killing humans every day. Jason slammed his fist on the counter in rage. He made a few cracks on the counter top, but he heard the sound of something fall come from down below. He walked around the counter and opened the cupboard doors. Inside, lying in the open was a large, tattered book. He looked up to see that it had been bound to the counter by a few ropes.
He retrieved the book and opened the cover. Inside was a folded note addressed to him. He opened it and read it over. It was from Alfred.
Jason,
You will stumble upon this likely after I have passed on. I don’t believe I have a lot of time. They have been hunting me for quite some time. This will help you along the way. This book is my summarized recordings of Aspen powers and how to use and develop them. They are things that you were not ready to learn. Do not rush into any of them, or it could have dire consequences. If you put your time and focus into them, you can master the best of these powers. Even I was not able to master the majority of them. You have the strongest will I have ever seen. You’re power can be unmatchable. You are the shining light in the darkest of times. Keep your light lit.
Forever with you,
Uncle Alfred

Jason read the letter over several times before refolding it. His uncle was always thinking ahead. He knew Jason better than anyone. A tear rolled down Jason’s cheek as he thought about his uncle. His uncle had known that he was going to die the entire time. Jackson hadn’t killed him. His uncle said they were hunting him. Jackson was alone, just like Jason was now. His mind could only think about the Quixons. They must have killed him. Jason knew his uncle didn’t care if he lived or died. He always spoke of how Jason was reason for his life, but he never truly understood. He had served as Jason’s guardian for his whole life all for one purpose. He recognized potential and power in him and he dedicated his life to helping Jason put that power to good use. His dying wish was to help Jason release his full potential as an Aspen and defeat all that threatened his world.
Jason opened the book and flipped through it. It was all notes on hundreds of different powers, techniques, and abilities that the Aspen had and used. He found one called the Soul Blade and began to read:
The Soul Blade is something that exists within every being. All beings have a Soul Blade, but only some can harness the power and unlock it. The ability causes a blade to manifest out of the beings pure soul energy. The blade cannot be broken or destroyed unless the soul, itself, is destroyed…
Jason stopped reading and closed the book. He looked at the cover. It looked like a normal, blue binding journal. He had a feeling that this journal would become his most important possession. With this journal, he can finally evolve his Aspen powers, also helping him resist the urge to use the Quixon darkness. Now all he had to do was read and practice. He was going to become far more powerful than his enemies could have ever imagined.
He stayed up that night reading in his bed. He found a lot of fighting styles and practices as well as sword trainings. He tried to release a Soul Blade, but was unsuccessful every time. He decided it was best if he got stronger first. He was enjoying every single word of the journal. It was as though his uncle were still alive, teaching him something new every second. Jason found a section dedicated to controlling the Aspen flames. He learned how to shroud his fist in flames without burning himself. If he transferred the heat on the inside of his body away from the fist, it would balance and do no damage to him. He wasn’t sure if these laws would apply in every day human experiments, but his body was another story. He wasn’t of this world.
Jason was about to turn in for the night when he read a section called Halyms. As he read, he could feel his hopes lift. This could be a dangerous procedure to try, but could prove to be incredibly helpful. A Halym is non-Aspen being that has been given a shred of Aspen powers in which the being can grow from. The beings would be able to adapt their powers to the point where they can serve as an Aspen’s equal. The process of Halymization changed the Halyms body structure to that of an Aspen’s. They would still be the same species, just with different properties and abilities.
Jason thought of his friends and how they wanted nothing more than to be right there next to him through everything. They wanted to fly and use the flames as well as have the strength and durability that he had. He knew that this was their chance, but he wasn’t sure about the concept yet. It could end badly and have negative effects. It could completely change their lives. They would have to give up a lot to do this, but Jason had a feeling that they didn’t care. He read over how to transfer the power nearly a dozen times until it was burned into his mind. Tomorrow, he would propose the idea to his friends. He already assumed their answer though.
Jason walked into school the next day with a white shirt that had the school logo printed on it. He still didn’t care much for the popular clothing from the big time retailers. He hardly ever wore something besides jeans and tennis shoes. He didn’t buy new shoes very often and when he did, they always seemed to be black or white tennis shoes. He found Josh at his locker as usual. Matt and Tony had lockers on the other side of the school, but Josh was just up the hall. He figured he’d get a good talk in with Jason every morning before class. Usually to boast about something he did.
“Nice job, yesterday,” Josh said casually as Jason walked up.
“Uhh yeah…thanks,” Jason said, hoping nobody listening knew what he meant.
“You don’t seem too enthused,” Josh declared, “something go wrong?”
“Nothing went wrong…I just…had an interesting night.”
“Those are always fun. I had this party one time and there were these two foreign exchange twins and man could they do some twisted stuff!”
“I didn’t mean interesting like that,”
“Yeah, yeah, I know what you meant.”
“Listen, I have something to show you after school. You’ll like it.”
“Did you grab me a cut of the money?” Josh asked jokingly.
Jason shot him a look as Josh grinned. Jason shook his head and laughed. The two agreed to meet at Jason’s house after school with Matt and Tony. He went through his day just as he always did. In his calculus class, the teacher got off topic and began to talk about the bank robbery the afternoon before. Jason pretended to be mystified and clueless to the whole thing, but ended up finding himself asking to leave for the bathroom. He thought it was a little weird to hear a bunch of nerdy math kids talk about their logical explanations for who or what the Savior was.
While he was in the hallway, he ran into Kris. Jason liked Kris. They had become pretty decent friends and always stopped to talk every time they saw one another. Kris always wore a black jacket everywhere he went. He always seemed to be in an easy going mood and wasn’t ever down about anything. It almost felt good just to be around Kris. When he noticed Jason, he made his way over to him and reached down into his pocket.
“Hey, Jason,” Kris said, “Here’s the money for the drinks at the dance. Sorry I couldn’t get it to you sooner.”
“Oh yeah, thanks,” Jason said grabbing the money and holding out the other hand for Kris to shake. Kris backed away though.
“Oh sorry, man. I’ve got a cold. Don’t want you to catch something too,” Kris said.
:”Alright, no problem. Catch ya around?” Jason said.
“Yeah, later bro.” Kris said as he continued down the hallway.
Kris wasn’t exactly the handshake kind of guy. He and Jason had only ever shook hands once, but it didn’t matter all that much. Jason continued to the bathroom where he turned on the sink and washed his face. He splashed his face with water and looked into the mirror. He looked different than he did a few months ago. His muscles were much more toned and his face was much more serious. He still looked the same to most people, but to him, he had lost the innocent look in his eyes. Suddenly, Jason watched as the image of himself grew pale and the hair turned black. The eyes turned into the sinister black and red again. The image began to act as its own figure and spoke.
“You cannot contain it, Jason,” the voice hissed.
Jason closed his eyes and backed away. When he looked back, everything was back to normal. He felt as though he was losing his mind. Was he perhaps going crazy? Or was the Quixon inside just trying to break him? Either way, he had to keep it inside him. The monster was never coming out again.
The last bell rang and Jason met up with his friends outside of school. Matt, Tony, and Jason hung around the school while Josh had a quick thirty minute walkthrough for football. Jason watched as the cheerleaders practiced their stunts on the track surrounding the stadium. The stadium was pretty large. Many people from the city came up to the small town for the football games. It was only about a month until the final scrimmage came up. Josh was looking to play in it, but if he agreed to the Halym idea, then he would no longer be able to play in the sport. It would give him an unfair advantage over everyone else. It would be just as bad as cheating. Jason thought of how fun the game would be. He had gone his freshman year, but missed last year’s. Sarah would be attending with him this year, which would make the night fantastic. He knew he couldn’t play in the game ever, but he wished that he would be able to step out onto the field…just once.
When Josh finished practice, the four friends walked to Jason’s house. When they got their, they set their stuff inside, grabbed some drinks, and sat outside. There wasn’t anywhere to sit outside except for the ground. For now, it was going to have to make due. The cliff that Jason’s house was next to was pretty steep. It probably dropped several hundred feet and wouldn’t be fun for a human to fall from. Jason enjoyed the view the cliff gave him of the city. He could overlook just about all parts of the city from here. If something was going wrong, he could spot it as it happened. The city was actually one of the large cities in the United States. It was about the same size as Seattle. He thought his city did a very good job of taking care of itself. He would hate it if their was a lot of pollution or crime. Luckily, those things were kept to a minimum.
The friends finished their drinks and tossed them aside. Jason asked them to wait outside while he grabbed something. He entered the house and reemerged with the journal. He explained everything that had happened since the robbery. He told them about how there was a Quixon superior on the loose and then about how he had found his uncle’s journal. He gave them the note to read, giving them time to let it all sink in. Josh was the first to finish with the note.
“So, this journal is going to make you stronger?” Josh asked, “I guess reading actually can do some good now and then.”
“Yeah,” Jason agreed, “It seems to have just about every Aspen power and technique every developed in there.”
“And it’s all new stuff?” Tony asked.
“Yep, it’s pretty much all new to me,”
“That’s great, Jason,” Matt said, with excitement, but also a touch of depression. Jason could tell that he didn’t like not being able to do any of these things. That was going to make his next news all the better.
“There’s more,” Jason said with a grin.
“Is there, now?” Matt asked.
“I read about it last night. It’s something my people call a Halym.”
“A Halym?” Josh asked.
“It is a being or beings, such as you three, that are given a fraction of Aspen power, which give them the same abilities as Aspens. They can fly, mask their presences, and even use the heat. That fraction can be adapted and advanced until the Halym is just as powerful as an Aspen.”
Jason watched with a joy as his friends mouths dropped. They couldn’t actually believe what Jason was saying. They were dumbstruck, but at the same time overjoyed.
“It’s a tricky process to perform, but if it is what you guys want…I think I can make you all into Halyms,”
“A-are you joking?” Matt asked, “Is it even a question? Of course we do! I think I can speak for all three of us when I say that we all want to be up there helping you.”
“Abso-frickin-lutly!” Josh agreed.
“You must understand that there will be sacrifices. Josh…I know it will be hard to do, but if I make you a Halym…you cannot play football or any sports for that matter.”
Jason thought Josh would hesitate, but much to his surprise, he seemed surer than ever.
“Jason,” Josh said, “There are more important things out there than a silly game. This is real-life heroism. I would be changing lives. Helping people. I’d be making a shitload more of difference out there with you.”
Jason smiled and nodded to him. As he expected, they were all eager to help Jason. He was a little shocker by Josh’s quick decisions, but it also gave Jason a warm feeling to see where their priorities stood. They, just like him, wanted to help make a difference in the world. Matt used to talk about being a superhero when he and Jason were young, but now he was actually going to get his chance to do what superheroes do. There was only one question left to ask.
“Alright,” Jason said, “who wants to go first?”
“I do,” the three said simultaneously.
“Jason, I owe it to you for your first test to be on me. I still feeling partly to blame for…ya know,” Josh said.
“Alright, Josh. You can go first,” Jason agreed. He knew exactly what he meant by that. Josh wasn’t ever going to live down not being able to stop Jason from killing Jackson. No matter what was said, he simply could not let it go.
Jason and Josh lined up about ten feet from each other. Jason had read that it took complete focus from both send and the receiver. The majority of it was Jason pulling the power out. Josh’s part was a lot easier. They sat on the ground and crossed their legs. Jason told Josh to close his eyes and only do what Jason told him to. Josh agreed and closed his eyes. Jason pushed his hands together, almost like an ancient history Earth monk. It was the way his uncle had taught him to meditate. He let his body and mind become one. He could no longer feel his body. All that he felt was his power flowing like a quick river. He began to focus the power at the center of his chest. He could feel the power flow suddenly change. The power was starting to build up, which was good, but he couldn’t overpower himself.
Jason waited until he had a good amount of power built up and halted the power flow. To him, it was like holding his breath. He was instructed by the book to slowly pull the power out of him in the form of a sphere. He tried to focus on the source of the power he’d built up. It was frustrating because it felt like the he was trying to cup water in a cup full of holes. With one final concentrated effort, Jason slowly removed the portion of his power and manifested it into a small ball of white light.
Josh’s eyes were still closed. Jason finally opened his and saw the energy cupped in his hands. He slowly moved it through the air and towards Josh.
“Josh,” Jason said, “when you feel the energy, just let it enter your body. It’s like holding your breath.”
“This is gonna sting isn’t it?” Josh said.
“Focus,”
Josh refocused and the orb of energy grew closer to him. He could feel the warm energy. Jason slowly pushed the energy into Josh’s chest. Matt and Tony watched quietly as the orb disappeared into Josh’s chest. Josh breathed in as it happened. Jason could no longer feel the energy connection. He opened his eyes and looked at Josh. He was fine. The energy transfer was a success. Josh had become Jason’s first Halym.
“Open your eyes,” Jason instructed.
Josh opened his eyes and the two guys stood up. Matt and Tony approached them with questions for Josh.
“Did it work?” Matt asked.
Josh looked to Tony and grabbed him by the shirt. Effortlessly, Josh lifted him off his feet and into the air. He set him back down and looked at his hands. Jason knew what Josh was feeling. He could feel the power flowing through him. He could feel his senses adapting. He was beginning to feel heat signatures.
“How does it feel?” Jason asked.
“Very strange…but very good.” Josh said with a grin.
Jason continued the same process with Matt and Tony and before long, all three of them had become Halyms. They all had the same reactions to the power. It was one thing to think about it, but it was another to have it pumping through your veins. From their, Jason warned them not to use their powers in public and must only use them under masked presence. Jason began his first lesson with his friends by showing them how to mask their presences. He explained that all they had to do was picture themselves and trick their minds into thinking that there is something covering their faces. It took them a few tries, but they all managed to somewhat mask their presences by the end of the night.
When the sun began to go down, Jason told his friends that tomorrow, after school, they would have another lesson and it would continue that way for as long as it took. Jason’s eager friends agreed to meet back here the second school was over. Jason was overall proud of how his friends had reacted. They had each pretty much just become superhuman, but they all managed to show self control. Jason knew that they would help him out their in the city. When they were ready, Jason could use them for multiple things. He knew that they could help make this world a better place.

Deceived


Jason closed his eyes. He was searching for a heat signature somewhere in the high tree tops. The air was cool and the day was calm. Everything seemed to be standing still. None of the animals in the forest made a sound. The cloudy sky added to the shade that the rainforest trees projected. He was waiting for the next attack. He could feel something moving up above, but couldn’t help but wonder if it was a distraction. He heard a sound to his right and reacted to the coming attack. Matt threw a punch at Jason, but missed his target. Jason leaned away from the hit and kicked Matt’s chest, sending him sailing into a tree. He could feel two more signatures approaching from above. He back flipped away and watched as Tony and Josh missed their marks as well.
Tony and Josh, not ready to give up, jumped in separate directs and tried a duel attack again. Josh tried low kick to the legs, while Tony attempted to swing his elbow into Jason’s chest. Having more fighting experience than both of his friends, Jason knew exactly how to counter. He lunged at Tony before he could follow through with his attack. Jason grabbed Tony by the arm and swung him up into the air. As he ascended into the sky, Jason shot up above him and hit him with a downward kick. Tony rocketed to the ground and right into Josh. To Jason’s surprise, Josh dodged his falling comrade and leapt up at Jason. He clenched his fist, ready to deliver the hit on his friend.
As Josh grew close, Jason clenched his own fist and propelled himself towards him. The two threw punches at the same time, but Jason’s packed more of a punch. Defeated, Josh fell from the sky quickly and hit the ground with a bang. Jason slowly landed on the ground and smiled. His friends all got up and walked over to him. Jason was proud of his friends. They had all come so far in the past two weeks. It wasn’t easy to train your body to fly, use powers, and take damage in that small amount of time. They had mastered masking their presences, but fighting and flying was taking a little bit longer. Josh picked up on the flying first, but Matt had incredible agility and balance. He had complete control of the flames as well. Tony was fairly good at both, but was definitely the underdog of the three.
It had been fun for Jason to be the teacher for once. It helped him advance his own powers and clear his mind. When he was training with his friends, he could only think of the good that would come out of it. Every attack meant they were all one step closer to becoming warriors. They all showed great patience and focus in their fighting styles. Josh had some built up anger, but was able to work it in his favor. Quitting the football team hadn’t been an easy thing for him to do. He was starting on the varsity squad as a junior. He had wanted to play in the scrimmage this year, but now knew he wouldn’t get his chance. He was given crap for his decision sometimes when he would walk around the school, but he knew that this was a greater cause.
Matt and Tony hadn’t been involved in any sports, but they also felt like different people when they walked down the halls. Everyone that looked at them wasn’t seeing who they were anymore. They, much like Jason, had a secret life that no one could ever find out about. Matt enjoyed the boost in gym class when they had to run the mile, but he tried to make it look harder than it was. He had never liked the mile before, but now he could have run 10 at a sprint pace and not even broke a sweat. Tony found himself a little disappointed that lifting weights no longer cut it as a workout, but his after school sessions with Jason made up for it. They were all very happy to have become Halyms.
“Great job, guys. You’re beginning to make me sweat,” Jason teased.
“Watch it, Jay,” Josh warmed, “one day; I’ll put the beat down on you.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Matt laughed.
The four friends masked their presences and left the training ground they had chosen for the evening. Jason wanted a place that would help train his eyes and ears opposed to his heat readings. They found a large rainforest in South America that was pretty far from any civilization. It also helped give his friends the element of surprise. They had been many places to train. They started at Jason’s house, but once they got to the more physical aspects, they began to occupy forests and wastelands that were far from any society. They flew high in the clouds to prevent even being spotted from anyone on the ground. Jason wasn’t able to move at his full speed due to the fact that his friends didn’t have his speed, but they still managed to make good time getting back home.
When they finally saw Jason’s house, they landed and went inside for dinner. His friend’s parents were pretty easy going and didn’t mind how long they stayed out or what they did as long as they got dinner and were at least home by curfew. The four friends walked inside and hung around while Jason cooked burgers and French fries. Jason had become a better cook since he’d been living on his own. He had always known how to cook, but the technique wasn’t really his until he tried it out on his own. His friends loved eating over. Jason always had good foods that helped fill them up. While the burgers cooked, Josh clicked the TV on and flipped between sports center and the news. He was anxious to see the injury status on his favorite football player.
When he switched to the news, Jason glanced over to see yet another news report on him. Four days ago, he had stopped an out of control monorail from breaking off the unstable tracks, saving nearly sixty lives. Jason considered himself lucky to be in the area. He managed to stop the monorail nearly seconds before it hurdled onto the street below. Upon further inspection, the police found that the conductors had been stabbed and the engine speed cracked to max. The adjustment device for the speed had also been broken off and was nowhere to be found. The police were out on a manhunt for this mysterious killer in town. Random abductions and murders had been happening around the city, where the killer wouldn’t leave as much as a single fingerprint.
Jason had been looking into the case since before the bank robbery. He suspected the Quixon involved with the robbery was committing these random actions of crime to toy with him. Luckily, Jason had managed to stop the majority of the crimes before they got bad, but he never managed to catch the criminal in the act. Every time he thought he’d found something, the trail went cold. The Quixon superior was clever and very good at covering his tracks. Of course, Jason knew the murder of the two conductors had been done with a Quix blade, but the police would continue to suspect the wrong people and eventually the case would go cold. Crimes in the city had to be big to stick around for awhile. With such a big city, the precincts were forced to drop a case after about a month if the criminal hadn’t been caught.
He asked Josh to turn up the volume as he listened to the police chief present his details about the murders. He suppressed exactly how bad it had been by simply saying that the two conductors had been stabbed by an unknown assailant who fled the scene after sending the train thundering down the tracks. He then spoke of how his precinct had found a connection between the crimes of the past weeks. In every crime, one of the witnesses or apprehended thugs had encountered a man with red and black eyes. No security cameras have been able to help them in capturing the convict either. All the footage had either been mysteriously deleted or just wasn’t good enough to make out any details. Jason knew that the Quixon had something to do with that as well. They were tricky and smart. They wouldn’t make a single mistake.
His friend knew the same information that he did about all of this. They, too, had been helping Jason find the superior. He was blending in somewhere, but that somewhere was harder to find than they had originally thought. Jason desperately wanted to put an end to the murders, but he also feared the moment when he crossed paths with the Quixon. Sollamance was strong enough, but to even think of the power his superior possessed worried him. He knew that when the moment came, he would have to fight to the death. No matter what.
Jason put the burgers and buns on the table and his friends scrambled over to them. They truly knew hunger now that they had been training with Jason. They could always eat a lot, but now, between the four of them, Jason had to prepare fifteen half-pound burgers just to fill them all up. As they all sat down, Jason could hear the chief start to talk about the Savior. He made a few comments after the reporter asked him his views on the Savior. He mentioned that the Savior added to the help out there, where otherwise things could have gotten a lot worse. The thing he did next surprised him. He looked to the camera as though he were talking to Jason.
“Savior,” the chief said, “If you are out there and can hear me, please help us bring this criminal to justice. I fear only the worse if we cannot catch him soon.”
Jason felt the man’s words hit him. The city wasn’t relying on him, which was good, but now they were asking him for his help. He felt as though he had more of a responsibility now. They needed him to save them and catch the Quixon. He had a duty to the people…and he was prepared to fulfill it.
The news broadcast channeled off to pointless celebrity drama and Josh switched back to sports. As they ate, Jason talked about what they would be doing tomorrow. Jason was going to take his friends to the training ground his uncle used to take him to. There, his uncle had set up a target range where they could learn to focus their powers upon a single object and increase power. They seemed excited about the whole idea and began ask Jason if he had learned any other tricks from the journal. Honestly, Jason had learned a lot about how he could use his powers, but hadn’t gotten to test them out yet. He agreed to show them a form of the flame power tomorrow that he wanted to try.
On that note, his friends finished their dinners and went home for the evening. Jason spent the rest of the night on his math and physics homework. He wasn’t a huge fan of numbers, but figured it was a good skill to have for the future. When he went to bed, he managed to sleep peacefully for the first time in awhile. There were no nightmares or cold sweats. He had a calm dream of him and Sarah staring up at the stars. He turned to her and asked her if she really loved him. She smiled and said there could be no one else. He proceeded to carry her up into the sky. She was shocked at first, but accepted it pretty quickly. The two of them drifted through the night in happiness, never wanting to let go.
Jason awoke the next morning with a smile on his face. He had the strongest feeling inside that today was going to be a great day. He left his house and went to school in a great mood. The day wasn’t any different than usual. He got the normal lectures from teachers and mingled with his friends as he usually did. He didn’t see Kris at school that day, but figured he was just sick. He and Kris had become pretty good friends. He was an honest and direct guy who seemed to live freely. He was pretty humorous and always seemed to walk around with a can do attitude. The strangest part about Kris was that Jason never saw him with any of his other friends. He said he’d moved here from down south, but Jason figured he would have picked up a few more friends during the time that had passed.
At lunch, the four guys sat at their usual table with pizza that was served every Thursday. They talked about the upcoming football scrimmage again that was now only two weeks away. Josh, although he was no longer playing, still wanted to go to the game and have a good time. They all decided that they would meet up there. Jason admitted that he would likely go with Sarah and his friends gave him their typical taunts. He didn’t mind them that much, mainly because he knew they didn’t mean them. And even if they did mean what they said, he wouldn’t mind. He and Sarah were happy and nothing was going to ruin that.
After school had finished, Jason found Sarah in the library again. She had been coming here for the past two weeks, due to the back to back assignments her history and psychology teachers had given her. She was a little pissed off about them, but had no other choice besides just doing them. Jason stopped in after school to talk with her a little bit before he left to meet his friends. He found her hard at work, scratching letters onto the paper furiously. They talked a little bit, but Sarah wanted to finish it all that night and thought she could do so with a little focus. Jason kissed her goodbye and left her to her work. He hoped that by tomorrow, she would be free to go out and have fun.
As he left the school, he met up with Matt at the crosswalk to go to the football game. He was texting someone and didn’t look up until he had finished his message. He opened his backpack and showed Jason all of his books.
“Dude, I am crammed with homework tonight,” he said, rezipping his pack, “I don’t think I’ll be able to come tonight,”
“That’s fine,” Jason said understanding, “Tell Tony and Josh that we’ll just go on Saturday.”
The two agreed and took their separate ways. Jason had been meaning to head into the city to purchase some new jeans anyways. He dropped his books off at home and made his way to the city. He landed on the northern part of the city, which had the river flowing right past it. In the summer, a lot of families would go out boating on the river. There was a big, black bridge that stretched nearly a mile long to the other side, leading to the highways out of the city. He had gone out with Tony’s family once and enjoyed it quite a bit. It wasn’t often that he would come to this side of the city. It wasn’t the best part of the city. Apartments were run down and there were a lot of warehouses in the area. It was the development part of the city, which basically meant the storage part of the town. The city always claimed to have plans to fix that part of the city up, but it never happened.
Jason, however, had found a nice haircut parlor and a clothing store he liked in that part of the city. He couldn’t find the type of jeans he really liked anywhere else at such a good price. He found himself making trips to the store now and then and seemed to get a haircut about every six weeks. This part of town wasn’t very active. He saw some people walking on the sidewalks, but aside from that everything was very dull. He turned onto a street and got a strange feeling inside when he saw no cars and no people. It wasn’t unusual for the river side of town, but it still bothered Jason.
He was walking on the sidewalks, only a few blocks from the clothing store, when he suddenly heard screams coming from inside a warehouse. He looked up from his phone and turned to the warehouse. He dashed for the side door and entered, not knowing what to expect inside. When he got inside, he saw a bunch of crates stacked against the walls and going further into the warehouse. The ceiling was high and there was a lot of open space with everything pushed to the back. He found the source of the sound at the center of the room. A man was tied to a chair and struggling to get free. Jason ran over to him and the man looked up in a panic.
“It’s alright,” Jason esured as he began untying the man, “you’re safe now,”
The man looked up at Jason and grinned. “I may be safe, but you sure aren’t,”
Caught off guard, the man kicked Jason backwards and into a group of crates. Jason stood up to see the man on his feet with a look of satisfaction. He was tall and had charcoal hair. He was a strong looking man with a slightly disfigured face. Two other guys, just as big as the first, dropped down from above. Jason spat and gritted his teeth. Quixons.
He could feel now that they had no heat signatures. The first man’s skin changed to a very pale color and his eyes grew dark red and black. The others already had the appearance working for them. They all looked very happy to see that they’d lured Jason in here. The two that had dropped down looked to be about as strong as the first, but one was a little thicker, while the other was taller and thinner. He clenched his fists and began to stare his three foes down. He didn’t want to let his anger get the best of him so he took a deep breath.
“It’s about time you stumbled in here, Aspen. Our boss has been waiting for you.” The chunky Quixon said.
“So,” Jason said, “I see I’ve been making an impression.”
“Our boss has got his eye on you, boy. He could strike at you any moment he wants.” The tall one said a little irritated that Jason was being a smart ass.
“Then why doesn’t he?” Jason questioned boldly, “Is he afraid?”
“He isn’t afraid of a dog like you, Aspen scum!” the first one said.
“Then where the hell is he?” Jason asked, angry about the comment.
“He simply instructed us to take care of the pest…he has other matters to attend to.” The tall one grinned.
“Have at it then, you assholes!” Jason cried.
The three Quixons leapt off in different directions. Jason saw one shoot up at the roof and pursued him. The Quixon looked down to see Jason coming for him. A whip of darkness snaked down at Jason, but he dodged the attack. He got close to the Quixon and sent a few punches into his chest. It was the taller one of the bunch. He tried to block Jason’s attacks but they were much too fast. Jason resisted the darkness inside him and slammed his fist into the Quixon’s face. Dazed, it couldn’t avoid the crash as it flew towards the ground and into some crates.
Jason heard a noise from behind him and sensed an attack coming. Jason, still in mid-air, dodged the anticipated attack and elbowed the first Quixon in the gut. As he did so, the fat one snuck around behind him and hit him in the back of the head. Jason, not willing to go down, dropped down a little ways and landed smoothly on the floor. The two Quixon’s from above descended on him, ready to attack. Jason lifted his hands into the air and thought now was as good a time as ever to try his new attack. The attack not only sent a wave of flame at the enemy, but hit them like a truck. Jason released the flames and saw the impacted erupt into a large aurora of orange and red color.
The first Quixon took a direct hit and collided with the roof of the warehouse. The thinker Quixon was a little more resistant to the attack and continued down at Jason. He could see that the red eyed menace was now holding his Quix blade. He jumped back to avoid the attack, but was immediately caught from behind. The tall Quixon had rejoined the fight and was ready to help his friend double-gang Jason. Jason struggled to avoid all of the hits. He had a sword swinging at him from one side and a volley of punches and kicks on the other side. Jason caught a few of the punches in the chest and back, but managed to avoid the sword’s vicious slices.
Seeing that he was loosing against the double team, Jason dodged one last swipe of the blade and sent a flaming punch into the fat Quixon’s gut. It flew back into the warehouse’s wall, while the taller Quixon continued his attacks. Jason, now only having to fight one, quickly countered the punches and caught his arm. He cracked the Quixon’s arm over his knee, causing it to cry out in pain. He may have broken the bone, but at the very least he dislocated the arm. Ruthlessly, Jason lunged out at the Quixon and grabbed him by his black uniform. They all seemed to be wearing the same clothing that Sollamance had worn. Their sleeves weren’t loose like his though. Their sleeves were much tighter and resistant to ripping. With the Quixon in his hands, Jason slammed his knee into his ribs causing more pain.
The first Quixon Jason had found was back on the attack and ready to save his comrade. He shot a dark whip out at Jason, ready to do some damage, but he was ready for it. Jason spun the Quixon around and kicked him up at the shadowy whip. The whip tore right through the back of the taller Quixon and straight through his chest. He coughed up blood and hung limp. His head dropped and his eyes closed. The whip pulled back to the first Quixon, letting the taller Quixon’s body drop lifelessly to the ground.
Angry, the first Quixon landed on the ground and was rejoined by chucky one. The first one manifested his sword and the two held them at the ready position. They weren’t about to give Jason a chance to attack again. They lunged forward and Jason bent his knees. He was going to have to time this just right. The two bloodthirsty Quixons charged at Jason blindly ready to swing their swords. As they did, Jason pushed up into the air and flipped upside down. He hung in mid-air with his hands extended. Flames exploded around the two monsters causing them to yell out in pain. He landed a few yards from the flames as they settled.
The Quixon’s were done with Jason’s tactics. Out of the flames, a dark whip shot at Jason’s legs and wrapped around his ankle. It held him in place as the large Quixon jumped from the flames and into the air. His sword reflected off the hanging lights in on the ceiling. Jason struggled to get away, but was making no progress on the whip. He saw the blade coming down on him ready to slice through him. With a strong pull, Jason yanked the whip backwards, pulled the first Quixon a little ways. The sword came down on the whip, cutting Jason free. Jason sprung at the chucky Quixon and kicked him across the face. He dropped his sword and slid across the warehouse floors. The floors were slick and hard. It didn’t feel good to go sliding across them.
Jason paced over to the hurt Quixon, but heard the first one coming from behind. He turned so that he could see the attack coming. With a strong wave of heat, Jason sent the charging Quixon hurdling back into the boxes. Debris shot out of the hole in the crate where the Quixon had gone in. He wouldn’t be back for awhile. Jason continued after the large Quixon, which was trying to get up. He had blood running from his mouth and snot coming from his nose. They were truly like animals…and this one was helpless.
Jason looked into the Quixon red eyes, intimidating the demonic creature. It shot another smoke-like whip at its blade, trying to reclaim his weapon, but Jason crushed the whip with his foot. He had had just about enough tricks from this monster. He held both of his hands at his side and opened them wide. The flames began to encase around the Quixon’s body. He cried out in pain as the fiery attack burned him alive. Jason increased the flames heat, hoping to put an end to the Quixon’s miserable life. Within a few more seconds, the Quixon stopped making noise and dropped its head back. Jason stopped his attack and the flames disappeared, leaving the charred body of the large Quixon.
Jason turned to where the final Quixon had been. He thought he was still inside the crate from a moment, but a noise from the side gave away the attack. Jason slid back to avoid the slash, just barely catching a scratch across the arm. Jason could feel his arm sting, but knew it wasn’t as bad as it felt. He reached out and grabbed the Quixon by the throat. The Quixon struggled to break Jason’s grip, but it was no use. Jason hit him with a few low punches to the ribs then slammed him into the ground. The Quixon gasped out for air, but Jason had his knee in his gut. He was now on top of the fiend, with his hand on his neck and a knee in his gut. He wasn’t going anywhere. Jason punched the Quixon in the face two times and watched him quiver in pain.
“Where’s your boss?” Jason asked in a low, angry voice.
“Ha!” The Quixon coughed, “you think I’d rat him out just like that?”
Jason punched him another two times in the face. More blood came out of the Quixon’s mouth and a bad wound was starting to form. “Where is he?”
“Oh, but don’t you already know?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Stupid, stupid Aspen.”
Jason put his hand on the Quixon’s forehead and ignited his flames. The flame was small and controlled, but hurt the Quixon immensely. The flames started to burn out the Quixon’s eyes, causing him to cry out in agony. Jason wasn’t too bad at the whole interrogation process.
“You bastard! He’s been right under your damned nose the whole time!”
“Who is he?” Jason yelled angrily.
“Think about it. I know your kind can feel the heat signatures. I’m kind of surprised you didn’t realize he was missing one.”
It all hit Jason at the moment. He knew exactly who the Quixon was talking about. He felt so stupid for not realizing it sooner. He had been right under his nose the whole time. The Quixon superior and he had known each other for some time now. It almost made Jason sick to think about how big of a fool he was. Jason tightened his grip on the Quixon’s neck. He was having difficulty breathing now.
“T-too bad about your girl.” The Quixon laughed.
Jason’s eyes widened. He squeezed the Quixon tight and snapped the life right out of him. The body went limp and his bloody mouth opened wide. He couldn’t breathe either. Those last words were enough to drive him insane. His anger was increasing his heart rate. He had left her there all alone. He wasn’t there to protect her anymore. This whole ambush had been a distraction. The Quixon could have killed him a month ago, but now he was much too strong for even the three of them to handle. None of it mattered to Jason though. He slammed his fist on the ground, causing it to crack. He proceeded to slam his fist against the ground in anger. How couldn’t he have seen it?
~
Sarah Williams sat at a table in the school’s library hard at work. She had almost finished the last page of her research project. Her pencil lead broke and she furiously tossed it aside. She reached down to binder to grab a new one and saw a pair of legs. An unfamiliar face stood looking back at her. He looked kind, but it was a little strange that he was looming over her.
“Can I help you?” Sarah asked.
“Oh,” the guy said, “yeah, everyone else has gone home for the night and I need someone’s help to jumpstart my car battery. Would you mind giving me a hand?”
Sarah’s car had recently been repaired and she couldn’t deny someone a helping hand. She got up from her seat and pushed her chair in.
“Alright, no problem,” Sarah agreed, “but what’s your name? I don’t think we have met.”
“Of course, where are my manners? My name is Kris,” he said with a small grin.
“Sarah,” she said, “Sarah Williams,”
“It’s very nice to finally meet you, Miss. Williams,”

Sacred Grounds


It was too late. Everything was going so wrong. Jason’s head was spinning and his heart was pounding with rage. He was still knelt down next to the dead Quixon where there was a large dent in the warehouse floor. He had never checked to see if Kris had a heat signature. Ever since he had encountered a Quixon, Kris avoided all contact with him. Every handshake was evaded and he never shared anything about himself. Kris, the good friend that Jason had thought he was, was practically a stranger. His friends knew nothing about Kris. Nobody did. He wasn’t even human. Jason thought back to the moment he met and could now see that there was no heat signature to him. Kris was undeniably a Quixon.
Jason looked up to the ceiling. He knew he had to get back to the school. He shot up with his hands raised. When he got close, Jason used his flames to blow a hole in the roof. He flew out of it spinning. He had never flown so fast in his life. He knew it would only be seconds before he arrived at the school, but he almost didn’t want to know what awaited him at the school. He landed on the ground and broke out into a run. He was bolting for the doors, praying to God that they were open. He pulled on the door and was glad to find them open right up. He made his way through the school until he reached the library. He walked in to find nothing out of the ordinary. There was a librarian typing away at the main desk. For a moment, Jason thought everything was going to be alright. Then he saw Sarah’s purse.
Jason felt his heart drop. He couldn’t even breathe. His head was ringing. The anger inside him was rising fast. He wanted to let the beast come out. He wanted it to help him find the Quixon. It wouldn’t be long now before he just snapped. Jason left the library ready to breakdown. The love of his life had been taken by a sadistic monster. It was his entire fault. He had gotten her into this mess…and now she could be gone forever. Jason dropped to his knees. They were too weak to hold him up anymore. He could feel a tear slide down his check. All hope had been lost.
“Jason!” Matt cried.
“Matt?” Jason asked looking up.
“Jason, the Quixon is here. He has S-,”
“I know…I was ambushed in the city by three of them. I didn’t get back in time to save her,”
“She isn’t gone, Jason! I know where he took her!”
Jason looked up in shock and jumped to his feet, “Where?”
“Follow me,”
The two friends ran down the hall to the back of the school. Matt pushed open the doors and led Jason to the back wall of the sports building. The sports equipment building was in the back of the school and held all of the sporting equipment in the school. On the wall, Jason could see something strange. There was a large red symbol imprinted on the wall. Jason put his hand on it. He wasn’t sure what had put the symbol there, but he could tell it was Quix. He turned to Matt, looking for answers.
“I came back to the school after I went home looking for my chemistry book when I saw a red light shining from the window. I walked outside to see A dark looking man holding Sarah in a headlock. This symbol was opened up wide enough for someone to walk through and that’s exactly what they did. He just walked through. I tried to run after them, but the portal thing closed, just leaving this symbol. Jason…I think it was that Kris guy,”
“It was…he’s been playing me the whole time. He’s the Quixon superior.”
“I knew there was something eerie about him!”
“So…if I can get this portal opened, I can get to Sarah?”
“Make sense to me, but how?”
“Wait here. Don’t leave for any reason at all. If that gate changes at all, you call me. Alright?”
“Yeah, but where are you going?”
“I’m going to get my uncle’s journal. Maybe it can help me find a way to open the gate.”
Jason took off for his home leaving Matt to stand guard. He could only pray that there was something in the journal telling him how to open the gate. He landed hard on the ground outside his house. He opened his door and ran into his room. He found the journal under his pillow where he always kept it. He flipped through it a little, and then left his house. He figured that getting back to the school was the best thing to do right now. At least there he could have the symbol as a visual. He took off, masking his presence and flew off to the school. His insides felt sick. Sarah had been taken God knows where by these monsters…and it was all his fault.
When he returned, Matt was still standing there waiting for him. Jason landed on the blacktop and began flipping through the journal. The sun was still up, but it was covered by cloudy skies. It was as though the sky felt his pain as well. He put his hand on the symbol and then opened the journal. He searched and searched but could not find a single thing about the Quixons. His uncle wouldn’t have ever thought something like this would happen. He never wanted Jason to use his Quixon powers and hoped he never had to fight them. He didn’t know where he could look to find information on the Quixon’s either. Sarah was lost inside that portal and Jason could do nothing about it.
He slammed his fist against the side on the building and looked at the ground. How could he have let this happen? What was going to happen to her? Would they keep her prisoner or just kill her? Jason knew that whatever it was, it wasn’t going to end well. He turned to Matt, who had a look of sympathy in his eyes. Jason looked back at the symbol in defeat.
“Jason…I’m sorry,” Matt said.
“It’s not your fault, Matt,” Jason said in a depressed tone, “You couldn’t have done anything to stop this. Whatever happens to her is on me.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
“But why not? If it weren’t for my emotions getting in the way, none of this would have ever happened.”
“Your emotions made you who you are now. Without them, you and I wouldn’t have become friends. You wouldn’t have had a personality. You and Sarah wouldn’t have fallen in love either.”
“If I hadn’t wanted revenge against Jackson, I wouldn’t have tampered with the Quixon powers. But instead, I ignored my uncle’s words and killed my own brother with an evil blade. He’s dead because…”
Jason stopped in mid-sentence thinking for a moment. He suddenly had an idea. He looked back at the symbol and ran his hand over it again. This symbol had been cut into the wall. In the center of the symbol, he found a red line that was about as thick as his blade. Maybe the power was his key after all. He knew he’d made a promise to himself, but he’d vowed to destroy the Quixon’s first.
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked.
“Step back,” Jason warned, “I don’t want something bad to happen,”
Matt, confused, took a step back. He didn’t know what Jason was planning, but didn’t like where it was going. Jason let his rage get the best of him. He let it all out in one outburst. He could feel his body grow cold and his eyes change. The darkness had been released and he was still in full control. He extended his hand and felt for the blade. He closed his eyes to help him focus. He couldn’t feel anything at first, but as he dug deeper, he found his Quix Blade. The smoke erupted from his hand and manifested the blade. He gripped the handle tight. There was only one thing that Jason could think of to open this gate.
Jason looked back to Matt, who was now looking a little worried. The red eyes made him shudder, but the blade just made him feel sick. It was a strange thing to see happen at once. All this power had been given to him recently. He wasn’t ready to see what abilities the villains possessed. Jason turned back to the wall and brought his blade back. He stabbed it forward into the line. They lined up perfectly. Jason waited for results, but nothing happened. Could he have been wrong about this? He dare not think what to try next. Suddenly, to Jason’s relief, the symbol gave off a red glow. He ejected his sword and stepped back. The symbol opened into a full sized rectangle that was about eight feet high and six feet long.
Jason looked into the newly created portal, but couldn’t see anything but the red glow. It didn’t look like a friendly place to be, but he knew that there was no other choice. Jason’s biggest question was where would the portal take him? He almost didn’t want to know. He wasn’t afraid to admit it. He was a little worried about what he’d find. He had been trained not to be scared, but this portal still gave him the creeps. He knew what had to be done. He loved Sarah. He couldn’t just let Kris have her. He had to go. He turned to Matt and changed back to his normal, Aspen self.
“If I don’t come back…don’t forget all that I’ve taught you.”
Before Matt could speak, Jason stepped into the portal. He felt as though the whole world was shifting. It was a strange feeling for him to describe. He felt as though he’d merely taken a step, but everything around him was different. He seemed to step onto a completely different planet. It made his stomach drop and his head slightly dizzy. He looked back to see if the portal was still open, but only found the same symbol carved into a rock. He was here, wherever here was.
He could only describe what he saw as evil. He was no standing in a barren wasteland where there wasn’t any life in sight. The hard, rocky Earth was cracked all over and ever created a few valleys. The sky was the most unusual part. It was colored a light red color that took away any peaceful feeling to the place. He looked to the horizon and saw a black shape off in the distance. He couldn’t make it out from here, but had a bad feeling about finding out. He began walking. Flying would be too dangerous here. It seemed as though the rocks were watching him. The whole aura of the place felt like death and despair.
As he walked, he searched around for a heat signature of some kind, but found nothing. Was he in hell? He’d only read bible stories about hell, but it could be true. There was no sun on this new found planet. He didn’t know which way to go. His only sense of direction was the blurry structure off in the distance. He walked in that direction, hoping to find Sarah when he got there. The smell of blood tickled into his nose and the cold breeze made him shiver. The whole place was spine-chilling. He wanted to yell up to the sky for help, but knew it wouldn’t do any good.
He didn’t know how long he’d been walking. Twenty minutes? An hour? The whole sense of time was fuzzy here. He could finally make out that the object was a black tower. It was still pretty far away, but he was at least getting closer. The flat ground sloped down into what looked like a road. He began to follow the road. He figured that all roads led somewhere and that somewhere could be to Sarah. He was getting a headache now. It felt like nails were scratching against his skull. He tried to close his eyes, in hopes of relieving the pain, but it was no use.
Jason felt his heart rate pick up and the pain in his head intensify. Jason dropped down to his knees and put his hands on his head. He could feel the darkness shifting inside him. It felt stronger than ever since he had arrived in this place. It was whispering softly to him. It was begging to be set free. Jason could hear the cold voice echo through his very soul. It reminded him of his nightmares. This wasteland resembled the one in his dream. It was dark and eerie. This place felt like death’s birthplace.
When he opened his eyes, he could see the shadowy figure as well. He stepped forward, ready to defend himself. He saw the red Quixon eyes look at him. He stopped in his tracks for a moment. They petrified him for a moment, but he managed to continue. As he drew closer, he half expected to awake from another horrible dream. This time, however, Jason did not awake from a dream. Instead, he got close and the Quixon looked up revealing its face. His eyes widened as he saw himself looking back at him. It was his darker self. It had the Quixon eyes and the pale skin. Its veins where bulging from his body and he had a wicked grin on his face. He dropped down to his knees and held his head.
“Get out of my head!” Jason demanded.
“You can’t escape me, Jason!” the darkness hissed, “You and I are one in the same. It’s only a matter of time before you give in to me.”
“No!” Jason cried.
He closed his eyes wanting it all to go away. The voice didn’t respond and Jason could hear nothing but his own heart beating. He looked up and saw that the figure was gone. Had it all been in his head? Was he beginning to lose his mind? He rose to his feet and looked around. No…the darkness was inside him and there was no stopping it. All he could do was fight the urge. He wished he could destroy it. If only there was some way to rid himself of this darkness.
Jason continued down the dry road for miles. He was beginning to think that he was alone. There was no sign of life at all. It was just him and his dark power. What if he and Kris had been sent to different places? For all he knew, this had been another trap Kris had set. Jason was beginning to give up hope. He couldn’t live without her. She was everything to him. He wasn’t going to see her wondrous smile or her stunning blue eyes again. He would never get to hold her close and tell her that everything was going to be alright. He wouldn’t even get to say ‘I love you’ one more time.
Jason was on the verge of a breakdown when he felt it. There was a heat signature close by. He dashed in the direction of the signature until he finally came up to a rocky wall. It rose pretty high up, but Jason wasn’t concerned about how big it was. He was more concerned with what was in the small indent. In front of him was a circular device that stretched in a complete circle. It had chains at the bottom and the sides. Inside the device was his beloved Sarah Williams, chained up and unconscious. She was still alive and didn’t appear harmed.
Jason took a step forward, but stopped himself. He could feel something else. It wasn’t a heat signature. It was something much worse. The cold breath made Jason’s spine tingle. The aura of darkness was surrounding him. He didn’t need to turn around to see what he felt. He knew that the red eyed demon was right behind him. He turned to face him. He was smiling a few yards away. He looked the same as usual, except now he was showing his Quixon face. His eyes were dark red and black and his skin was as pale as could be. The blue veins in his arms were pressed against the skin, making him look even more menacing.
“Welcome, Aspen,” Kris spoke.
“Kris,” Jason growled, “You lying bastard!”
“Oh, please,” Kris teased with a grin, “Call me Vayne,”
Jason had had a feeling that Kris wasn’t his real name. It didn’t strike him as a Quixon name. His once presumed friend was now staring back at him with a look of personal victory. He had taken something of Jason’s and made him come right where he wanted him. Kris, or Vayne, was very pleased with himself. These Quixon were devious creatures.
“Where the hell are we?” Jason questioned in anger.
“We’re home. Well my home at least. This is the Quixon realm. We called it Vaetix. It’s our sacred grounds. Our unholy sanctum.”
“Vaetix?”
“Yes, a world where blood is shed and the weak cry out in pain and misery. Home sweet home.”
Jason clenched his jaw and glared at Vayne. No wonder everything had felt so dark. If this was the Quixon’s world, he expected nothing but corrupt and dark. This place definitely fit the picture. He looked back at Sarah for a moment. Why they had her in there escaped Jason’s mind. He didn’t want to know. However, Vayne did. He was confident that Jason could do nothing to stop him.
“Don’t worry,” Vayne falsely assured, “She’ll be fine. For now at least.”
“Leave her out of this. You don’t need to kill her.” Jason declared.
“Kill her? No, no, no. I have something much better in store for her.” Vayne grinned, “I can make her like me. Becoming a Quixon only takes time and discipline. We can mold her into whatever we want.”
Jason’s anger was exploding. He clenched his fist tight. There was no way he would let them turn her into a monster. She would not become a Quixon as long as he was around. Jason leapt out at Vayne and sent a kick towards his hand. Vayne held up his hand and caught Jason’s leg in mid-air. He snickered at Jason’s failed attempt and delivered a punch to the stomach. Jason flew back and skipped across the ground. The punch had been strong. It was a lot stronger than any other Quixon’s attacks. He jumped to his feet and awaited Vayne’s next move. This was the beginning of the end.
“Not even going to use your gift?” Vayne laughed, “Poor judgment, Aspen,”
“It is not a gift!” Jason growled.
Jason jumped at Vayne and threw a few punches. Vayne blocked each and every one of them, and then countered with a few of his own. Jason avoided the first two and jumped high into the air. Vayne followed quick behind him, ready to attack. Jason flew up higher and higher, hoping to get distance between him and his foe. Vayne was quick. Before Jason knew what was happening, he’d managed to get above him and was ready with the darkness. Much like Jason’s forceful flame attack, the darkness erupted from Vayne’s hands and knocked Jason back to the ground.
Jason fell downward and barely caught himself on the ground. He landed on one knee, avoiding the damage from the impact. Jason looked up to the sky, but Vayne was gone. He searched around for him, knowing that he would be coming back for more. Jason sensed the attack coming and dodged the fist. He lunged out at Vayne and slammed his fist into his gut. Vayne took the attack as an advantage. He grabbed Jason’s arm and spun him around like a top. He released Jason into the air and leapt up for another attack. He soared above Jason and sent a downward kick into Jason’s ribs.
Jason was strong and durable, but with attacks like these, he wouldn’t last too long. Jason hurdled to the ground and this time was unable to prevent collision. He crashed, breaking up some of the ground and creating a body print of himself. Dirt and dust flew into the air and Jason felt the ground shift. He could feel the damage in his ribs and his back. The hit was strong, but it would take a lot more than that to keep him down.
Jason arose to his feet, ready to get back in the fight. Vayne landed a good distance away from him. Jason charged at Vayne. When the two enemies were only a few yards apart, Jason dropped down and slammed his hands into the ground. Flames exploded up from the ground at Vayne. Caught off guard, Vayne tried to shroud himself with darkness. He caught a bit of the heat, but managed to avoid the majority of it. Not ready to give him a moment, Jason attacked again with a stronger downward punch. This time, Vayne was sent tearing towards the ground. He landed on his feet, but pushed into the soil.
Vayne raised his hands and created a large wave of darkness. The wave shot out at Jason, preventing him from dodging. He had only one option now. He had to burn his way out. Jason created the scorching hot sphere of power. Its heat no longer bothered Jason and he was able to grip it with his hands. He put up a slight coat of heat around his hands to prevent the attack from actually harming him. Luckily, the blue globe of blazing flames maintained stability and form. He lifted the ball above his head and threw it down at the darkness. As it reached up to swallow Jason, the orb flew into its center and created a large hole. Jason flew through it and let the darkness pass by him harmlessly. The blue orb continued down at Vayne, who now had to avoid that attack. He jumped to the side and the blazing attack exploded against the dirt.
Vayne, now growing irritated, gritted his teeth. He was done playing games with Jason. He flew up with his fists clenched. A layer of the smoky darkness surrounded his fists. This wasn’t going to feel good. Jason tried to release his flames, but the Vayne moved away from them. When he was close enough, Jason felt the strike hit his stomach. Vayne’s other fist grabbed Jason by the hair and pulled him down. Jason caught Vayne’s knee in the nose, leaving him a little dazed. Vayne tried one more punch, but Jason caught it in his hand. He pushed the fist down and smashed his head into Vayne’s. Jason kicked him away, creating breathing distance.
Vayne held his arm out to the side and released the darkness. It twisted itself into the form of a Quix Blade. His was much different than Sollamance’s. This blade was more like a katana then a longsword. It curved at the top and had a small hilt. In the center of the hilt was a blood red gem. It added to the Quixon image of the sword. The shiny blade had a small engraved line down the side of it. It was just as menacing as the rest. Jason, not wanting to use his Quixon power, was now without a weapon. He wasn’t liking where this fight was going.
Vayne hacked and slashed at him with his new blade. Jason dodged the swipes until one caught him on the knee. He grunted in pain, but continued to dodge the attacks. Finally, another slash caught his left shoulder deep. Jason cried out in pain and went to kick Vayne. He caught him in the side of the face, but did little damage to the Quixon. At this rate, Jason was going to get cut down to size in no time.
Jason went in for another attack, but caught an uppercut below the chin. His head whipped back and Vayne spun around for a roundhouse kick. The kick sent Jason down towards the ground in pain. He landed on both knees this time. The cut on his shoulder was bleeding badly and causing him a lot of pain. His head was still aching. Vayne landed a little ways away from Jason.
“My king will be pleased when I dispose of you.” spat Vayne.
“King?” Jason asked a little surprised.
“Did you think we were without a leader?” Vayne asked, “We follow our king and queen until the death. Forever we will live for them and never shall we fail them.”
“You’re kind disgusts me! All you do is hurt the innocent for your own personal pleasure!” Jason yelled.
“The Quixon’s are the superior race in the universe. We have killed off hundreds of species that begged to differ with us. Much like the Aspen.” Vayne grinned.
“I’m still alive, aren’t I?” Jason said like a smart ass.
“Not for long,” Vayne growled.
He swiped Jason’s feet out from beneath him and used the darkness as a whip. It wrapped both of his legs and snapped him back and forth. Jason slammed against he ground at two different spots, denting the ground more and more every collision. He could feel his face start to cut and bleed. His shoulder wound was only getting worse. Jason released his flames, freeing himself. He didn’t have much balance and toppled to the ground. He knelt down trying to catch his breath. He spat out some blood and looked at his hands. He was strong…but it just wasn’t enough.
Jason knew there was only one way of beating Vayne, but he didn’t want to do it. he had sworn to be done with the darkness for good. He needed to keep the darkness inside, but at the same time needed to use it against his enemy. Vayne could only be beaten with it. Jason looked over to Sarah, who was still unconscious. He had no choice. He needed to save her no matter what. He closed his eyes and felt the dark being scratching at his heart. In his mind, he could see his Quixon self grinning. There were no other options. He had to give in.
“You win,” Jason muttered to the darkness. It was time to let it out.

Tainted Power


Jason felt everything in his body changing. He felt his strength increase as the darkness inside surfaced. His eyes changed and his hair blackened. His body grew ice cold. His fist clenched as he heard the monster inside laugh maniacally. His legs were shaking and his joints began to pop. It was as though his entire being was changing. He looked to Vayne, who tried to hide his fear. The taunts had just been a way to mess with Jason’s head. He didn’t actually expect him to change. Vayne watched as his enemy grew strong very quickly. Jason’s wound on his shoulder felt numb. The darkness had been let loose.
He glanced over at Sarah, who still hung unconscious and unaware of what was happening. Jason’s anger was pulsing through his veins. It was all coming out now. Vayne’s lies and actions were too much. Jason would not forgive him for anything. This was going to end right here, right now. Even in this Vaetix, Jason knew that Vayne was not going to win. He may have been powerful, but Jason’s will to kill his enemy was much stronger. He turned his red, angry eyes to Vayne. It was time for blood.
Jason darted to Vayne, catching him off guard. He slammed his fist into his abdomen and caused him to cough out blood. With a quick kick, Vayne was sent hurdling across the ground. He caught his balance and readied his sword. Jason could have used the Quix Blade, but didn’t think it was necessary yet. Jason shifted to the right to avoid Vayne’s stab and drove an elbow into his enemies face. Vayne fell off balance, giving Jason a moment to attack. The darkness whipped out of Jason’s hand and wrapped around Vayne’s wrist. Jason yanked him close and smashed another punch into his face. Vayne shot backwards at an alarming rate and collided with the rocky wall that held Sarah. She was higher up and didn’t seem to be disturbed by the collision. It wouldn’t have mattered for too much longer anyways. Jason was going to win this fight.
Vayne had impacted the wall hard and left a good three inch imprint when he recovered from the attack. He was breathing heavy and starting to bleed. He didn’t like this one bit. Jason grinned as his enemy spit blood to the ground. Vayne twirled his blade in his hand and stared Jason down. Jason’s recent training had made the power feel even stronger. Every hit he made, every drop of blood that dripped from his enemy…it all made Jason feel good. The darkness had changed him last time, but he was in control this time. He could feel it shifting in his bloodstream. It was like something was under his skin, slithering. As creepy as it was, Jason was willing to deal with it.
“Looks like you couldn’t control yourself after all, huh?” Vayne laughed.
“This isn’t about wanting to use this power. It’s about needing to kill you!” Jason declared angrily.
“Isn’t it always about the killing?” Vayne grinned.
Jason lunged at the Quixon and sent a violent chain of punches and kicks. Vayne blocked most of them, but caught a few blows to the ribs and the legs. This time, he wasn’t going to be beaten around by Jason. He countered on of the attacks and gripped Jason’s neck tight. Gasping for air, Jason kicked Vayne’s hand away and flipped into the air. He gathered the dark power into a massive wave. It must have looked like a tidal wave of black smoke. Jason blasted the wave down at Vayne. In the nick of time, he slashed a large tear in the attack and let it fall around him. It looked almost like a curtain of smoke ripping and tearing around Vayne. The wave collapsed to the ground and threw soil and rock into the air. Jason lost sight of Vayne, but knew he’d be on the move.
He searched for a sound that would alert him to his foe’s position, but couldn’t manage to find him in time. He took a knee to the gut, causing him to bend forward in pain. Vayne lifted his sword high above his head and ripped in downward at Jason. Barely managing to escape a fatal blow, Jason evaded the sword but received a gash down the left side of his chest. The blood spilled out and soaked his clothing. The cut had been deep, but wasn’t enough to keep him down. He could still see his own blood on Vayne’s blade as he returned with his own attack. Jason surrounded his fist in darkness and swung at Vayne. With a few quick dodges, Vayne managed to stay on top. He spun around and kicked Jason backwards. Jason felt bruise on his face before the attack even hit. It was painful, but still not effective enough to knock him out.
He held his arms outstretched to the sides and released the darkness. The snake-like whips slithered out of his hands and made their way to Vayne. He snapped the whips at Vayne, alternating with each attack. Vayne avoided them for a while, but finally took a hit to the leg. As he cringed from the pain, the other whip hit him over the back, sending him hurtling towards the ground. The impact echoed through the dead air. Cracks formed in the Vaetix surface, making it look like something was arising from beneath it. Vayne was on his knee, still recovering from the attack. His anger was boiling as well. He was disgusted that he was weaker than Jason.
Jason landed a few yards from Vayne. He normally wouldn’t have waited for his enemy to get up, but he wanted Vayne to live with the pain. He wanted him to understand that Jason was stronger. The blood dripped from his mouth as he got back to his feet. He looked to Jason in complete anger. Jason was pleased to see him enemy suffering.
“Dammit,” Vayne spat.
“Vayne,” Jason began, “You must realize you cannot win,”
“Don’t you undermine me, half-breed!”
“Why does your race feel the need to do this? Why are you all filled with this need to kill?”
“It’s the way we’re built. You should know that by now. It bothers you, doesn’t it? The feeling that you have inside. The instinct to kill that your body has adapted to. It scares you, boy. It’s all over your face!”
Jason didn’t want to say it, but Vayne was right. The power was…corrupting him. It was changing his very being every time he used it. He wanted to retain his Aspen side, but was having difficulties. He was the Savior of the human race. He was their hero and protector. He couldn’t be seen as a monster. It wasn’t him
“If you set her free and promise never to return to Earth…you can walk away from this,” Jason stated.
“Ha-ha-ha!” Vayne laughed, “You’re still a stupid Aspen at heart. Your kind’s downfall was due to their merciful ways. We won the war because we are vicious and relentless. Our victory was bloody and direct. I, alone, must have killed a hundred. Maybe two hundred. It was like killing insects as they squirmed to survive.”
“Typical Quixon scum. You can’t live without causing pain and suffering.”
“Like I said, it’s they way we’re built.”
Vayne jumped at Jason and tried to cut him again with the blade. Jason had had enough of dodging the blade. He was ready to counter it. He felt the blade instantly and summoned it forward into his hand. The smoke shaped the blade and Jason tightened his grip around the hilt. He swung out at Vayne and cut into his forearm. Crying out in pain, Vayne slashed at Jason again. Jason met his blade in between the two of them. Attack after attack, Vayne swung his sword only to clash it against Jason’s Quix Blade. Sparks began forming as the two blades collided over and over again.
The two warriors were locked into a sword battle of skill. Jason would attempt a counter on Vayne, but would only have the same thing happen. They were evenly matched in their sword fighting ways. Jason began to remember the stances he had learned from the journal. Instead of blocking with his own sword, Jason dodged the attack by leaning backwards. The blade slid right past his chest. Jason found his opening and stabbed out at Vayne. The blade sliced a cut into Vayne’s right side. The blood spewed upon impact, but stabilized quickly. Vayne retreated backwards and held his sword up to fight. He wasn’t going to give up easily either.
Jason remembered the stance that he’d read over. He grabbed the blade in two and held it low. He let the tip sink to the ground as he held it over his hip. He stared right into Vayne’s soul with his eyes. He could feel the Quixon growing worried. He didn’t want to believe it, but Jason was a better fighter than he was. He was going to lose this fight if things continued this way. He bounded out at Jason with his sword raised above his head and gripped tightly in both hands. As Vayne’s blade came down, Jason swung his up. They clanked together, making it a battle of the strengths. Jason and Vayne were both using all of their strength to win the fight. Jason could see the blades rising slowly. He was winning. Losing this standoff could put him in a bad position. His guard would go down and he’d be completely vulnerable to attack. That could not happen.
Jason pushed one final effort into his attack and knocked Vayne’s blade away. He slashed the blade downward and cut into Vayne’s flesh. The blade sliced across his face and down his chest, leaving a large wound. The blade had cut across one of Vayne’s eyes, forcing him to keep it shut. Blood leaked from his wounds as he shot himself away from Jason. He wasn’t going to lose. Not like this. He turned and set his sights on his captive. She was still chained his holding cell and wide open to attack. Now was his chance.
Vayne left Jason and bolted for the unconscious beauty. She was helpless to everything. After all his tough talk, Vayne resorted to dirt tricks. Jason couldn’t help but mutter ‘coward’ as the move was being made. Jason wasn’t as wounded and was able to dash in front of Sarah. Vayne, fuming that his plan was foiled, tried to fly back to the ground. Jason wasn’t going to forgive a thing. Not anymore.
He shot down to the Quixon and kicked him to the ground before he could land. Vayne fell to his knees and spit blood up. Jason landed and grabbed the back of his hair. He slammed the Quixon’s face into the ground repeatedly. Every smashing thrust caused more and more blood to appear on Vayne’s face. He was trying to break free, but didn’t have the strength to anymore. Jason lifted his head up one more time and drove his knee into his nose. The beaten Quixon fell flat on his back and choked on his blood. Jason stood tall and walked over to his wounded enemy. He knew that this was going to happen. His body wasn’t letting him stop. Although Vayne was beaten, the darkness wasn’t satisfied.
Vayne, using the rest of his energy, tried to run. He propelled himself into the air and began to fly away. No matter what he did, Vayne couldn’t avoid the inevitable. The battle was over. Jason crouched low and pushed off of the ground. He chased the Quixon, gaining on him with every passing second. When he finally managed to pass him, Jason cut in front of him. Vayne stopped abruptly, looking for a way out. Jason had to end this. He condensed his darkness into a spherical shape, much like his Aspen attack. He watched as the black smoke started to get a purple colored center. The smoke began to heat up quickly. The center of the orb began to make a crackling sound and glow the purple light. It was the Quixon equivalent to his fiery Aspen attack, right down to the last detail
He gave the attack a slight push towards Vayne, who had nowhere to run. The orb drifted towards Vayne and finally made contact with his chest. Vayne’s eyes widened and he cried out in pain. The purple orb burst into a flaming aurora that pushed Jason backwards slightly. The intensity of the attack began to break Vayne down. The light grew brighter and brighter as the attack got bigger. Jason had to cover his eyes as the bright flames destroyed Vayne. The last breath he took was cursing the Aspen. Jason could no longer feel the heartbeat of his foe. The attack had disintegrated Vayne, ended his nightmare once and for all.
Jason took a deep breath and watched the light show fade away with Vayne’s life. He had done it. The Quixon superior was gone forever. He felt as though he had won the fight between the Aspen and the Quixon for his ancestors. No more would the he threaten Jason’s real home. The humans would no longer be threatened by Vayne. It was all over. He had saved his love’s life. She was going to survive.
Jason made his way back to the chains that bound the beautiful girl. He cut her free from the holding contraption and she dropped into his arms. She was still breathing, but wasn’t awake. Jason flew slowly through the air and back to the rock where he’d entered Vaetix. It was time to head home. He knew that Sarah would have questions for him when she awoke, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered to Jason was that she was safe.
They got to the gate and Jason laid his girlfriend gently on the ground. He manifested the blade and approached the symbol. He stabbed his blade in and, like before, the portal back to Earth opened up. He looked up at the red skies. He never wanted to return to such a horrible place again. Jason turned around to pick up Sarah, but something terrible began happening. Something Jason had hoped would never happen again. He couldn’t control his body. The Quixon inside was taking over again…and was setting its sights on Sarah.
Jason fought against the force, but it was too strong. It got close to Sarah and tried to raise the blade. Jason, using his inner Aspen strength fought against the dark power. He managed to lower the sword and get some control over his body again. Jason put his hands on his head, trying to soothe the burning headache. He could hear the laughter inside his head.
“Leave me alone!” Jason cried.
“Jason, you and I are one in the same!” the darkness hissed, “We were created to rule the Earth, not protect it. The human race is inferior! They will destroy themselves anyways!”
“Let that be their doing, not ours!”
“Don’t you see? We are helping them. The end will come quicker this way. We are the good guys. You want to save them, but in order to do that you must destroy them!”
“No!”
“You weak fool! This is my body as well and I’m going to use it how I chose!”
Jason could feel the darkness fighting back and trying to control his body again. It was strong. He could feel it binding around his nerves and taking command. It took a step forward, but Jason forced himself to step backwards. He closed his eyes and tried to picture the darkness inside. He was at war with himself. Everything inside was causing Jason to feel crazy. The darkness was trying to manipulate his mind. It was twisting his thoughts, hoping to take over. It wanted Jason to give up and accept the darkness, but he wouldn’t let it happen. He had to fight it.
“I will enter your world and destroy everything you know!” the darkness growled.
“N-not if I…have anything to do…about it,” Jason forced himself to say.
The darkness was pushing too hard. He couldn’t control the power anymore. It was going to take control and kill Sarah. He had to destroy it somehow. He had to free himself of this curse. He extended his hand and released some of his darkness power outward.
“We can become the most powerful being in the universe! We can have unlimited power! The weak shall bow before us and the strong shall serve us! The Quixons will rise to the top and control this god forsaken planet!”
“The humans aren’t something that should be controlled. They are free people! They have the right to think and chose for themselves!”
“When we are finished, they will have nothing but us! We will provide them with leadership in their dark, cruel world. We will become their kings! Their masters!”
“Never!”
Jason had to do something. He couldn’t hold back the monster for much longer. It was coming out whether he wanted it to or not. Jason extended both of his hands and began to exert his dark powers. He wasn’t aiming for anything. He just hoped to weaken it.
“What are you doing?” the voice hissed, angry and surprised.
“G-get…out!” Jason growled as he fought his internal fight.
The darkness began to spread out and surround him. It was all spilling out of him like a smoky-foam. It began to gather into a massive blob of darkness. He could hear the voice screaming to him. It was working. The exertion of power was weakening it. The dark power was separating from him all together.
“Jason, you don’t have to do this! Together, we could be unstoppable! We could be a god!”
“Nothing about this darkness is godly!”
Jason was getting weak, but forced his body to push out the darkness. The voice inside began to cry out in agony. It was all seeping from Jason’s finger tips at first, but now it was growing. The dark power began to flow out of Jason’s wounds and mouth. He could feel it all being exorcised from his body. He was setting himself free from the darkness. He pictured Sarah in his mind. He could picture what would happen if the darkness controlled his body. She would be slaughtered and cut apart. Nothing could save the world from this darkness but him.
“No!” it cried out in anguish.
“Free me of this curse!” Jason cried out to the sky.
The last bits of the darkness passed out of Jason’s body and he finally dropped to his knees. The smoky-substance was still levitating in front of him. He looked up at the shadows in front of him. Jason stared into it and felt his body tremble when he saw the red eyes form in the cloud of dark energy. Jason stood up and lifted his hands to the darkness. He shot the flaming wave of energy at the darkness, causing it to burn up and fade into the wind. It was over. He was free.
He dropped back to his knees and lay there for a moment. He had separated himself from the dark power within. He was no longer a Quixon. That side of him had been destroyed. He was now a full blooded Aspen and nothing more. No more nightmares would come late in the night. The headaches and voices would disappear. He was free from everything once and for all.
Jason thought of his uncle. This hadn’t been the path he would have chosen for him. He would have had him avoid this all together. Somewhere though, he knew Uncle Alfred was watching, proud of his actions. He had used the darkness for the last time. Thinking about it, Vayne most likely killed his uncle. Without even realizing it, Jason had avenged his uncle’s death. He could now sleep at night knowing that the darkness had been silenced.
Jason also thought of Jackson. He wished he would have been able to stop the darkness faster. If he had only listened to the warnings and accept his help, things would be different. Jackson was Jason’s brother .He could feel it in his bones. He would forever hate himself for killing his own blood brother, but he knew that Jackson wouldn’t be angry. Something told him he would also be proud that he’d flushed the darkness from his body and destroyed another one of the Quixon monsters. Jackson was around during the war. He knew the pain and suffering the Aspen went through against the Quixon’s.
Every drop of tainted blood that had been spilled rejuvenated the pride of his people. The Aspen were the stronger beings. If only Jason had been there to fight in the war instead of just escaping. Maybe he could have made a difference. Perhaps he could have saved his poor mother. Jason wondered from time to time if she would be proud of his actions and decisions. Would she understand his anger? Would she know why Jason fell in love with another species? Alfred had always said that Jason had his mother’s heart. He hadn’t really known what that had meant until just now. Even when the enemy should have been unforgivable, Jason still took mercy on the monster. It may have been his weakness, but he also knew it was his strength.
Jason stood up and approached Sarah Williams. He picked his girlfriend up and walked towards the glowing portal. It was time to go home and leave this place behind him. He stepped through and felt the bodily change again. This time he managed to keep his balance. On Earth, the night had come and the cool evening air blew through his hair. He could see the stars shining down on them from up above. The night was so calm. He was truly home.
Matt, Josh, and Tony all were standing close by, waiting for Jason to return. There was no telling if a few hours had passed or a few days. Regardless, he was home and Sarah was safe. He stepped forward and his friends ran to him. They must have had thousands of questions, but he simply didn’t have the strength to answer them all. They saw it in his face. He was tired and beaten bloody, but he was victorious.
“Did you find him?” Josh asked.
“Yeah, he’s dead now, and the darkness is gone. I separated myself from it.”
“Then that’s it then? You are just an Aspen, now?” Tony asked.
“No,” Jason said, “Not just an Aspen. I am a human.”
Jason felt Sarah starting to come to. He could feel her moving and starting to lift her head. Jason laid her softly on the ground and let her wake up. Her beautiful blue eyes opened up and looked into his. They were all gathered around her as she woke up. She looked around in confusion and then looked to Jason.
“W-what...happened?” Sarah asked, still a little dazed.
“It’s alright, baby,” Jason assured, “Everything will be just fine.”
“So, is it over?” Matt asked.
“Yeah,” Jason said, “It’s over.”

Out of the Darkness


With a small click, the TV picture faded and blackened. It had been channeled to the Holden City news. The commissioner of the city had come on to announce three things. He spoke from a podium set up on a large stage. In the center of the city was a grass patch that served as the central point of the city. He stood upon his stage, confident to speak out to his people. The first thing he announced was that the crime spree was over. The alleged murder’s identity had never been confirmed, but it had been nearly two weeks since an attack. When the city was still living in fear and needed some reassurance, their Savior came down from the sky and announced that the criminal had been stopped and brought to justice. No details on how the Savior managed to stop the evil man were released, but the people believed in him and that’s all that mattered to the commissioner.
He proceeded to say that his heart went out to the victims and their families. All the lives lost and the damage done would not be forgotten. The destruction of the Anderson building was blamed on the mysterious villain. Although it wasn’t the entire truth, it was what the people wanted to hear. They wanted closure to their terror. In the back on the commissioner’s mind was the file he had seen of the one missing victim. His name was Jackson Shard and he worked in the building. After the attack, he was the only one unaccounted for. There was some information about the employee. He had worked at the company for two years. His date of birth was written as March 14th, 1981 even though a birth certificate was never produced. He was listed without any family members and no next of kin. He was alone in the world and would likely go unnoticed.
The commissioner did not want to worry his people with the issue and continued on to his next topic. He, the one who had served for years as an officer and as a commissioner for the past six, was now stepping down. He loved his city and enjoyed his time serving it, but his family needed him. His daughter was just entering high school and a baby boy was on the way. He owed it to his family to retire and spend the rest of his days with them and them only. He then called up to the stage the police chief of precinct four, James Lyons. He walked to the stage as thunderous applause came from the hundreds of people gathered at the square.
The proud police chief strolled up to the stage and shook the commissioner’s hand. His blue uniform complimented his black mustache. Many people didn’t know this, but James was the first person to speak to the Savior. He was the officer in charge when the Savior appeared and caught a car with his bare hand. He was around quite a bit when the saves were made. He was there when robbers tried to take the bank. He was there when an angry husband threatened to throw his wife from the rooftops. He was even there when the train had been hijacked. He was there through it all. Through his entire life all he ever wanted to do was get close to the action. He was good under pressure and seemed to always make the best decisions. The people had seen him on the news and successful every time. They were more than happy to have him as their commissioner.
He came up to the stage and looked out at the crowd. The soon-to-be former commissioner decided it was best for James to speak to his people and address his last topic. The two men both considered it the most important point of all. James put his hands on the podium, getting comfortable to speak to the crowd.
“Good people of Holden City,” James Lyons opened, “The spree is over. The new era of justice had begun. We have been blessed with a supernatural hero. Although he can do great things, he is not so different from you and I. We don’t know of his family or history at all for that matter. He is an alien in our world. But he is here for us. He protects us. He is our Savior. We are merely hanging in the balance of events to come. Some of them can be good. Some of them could be bad. With him here, we can help us stay on track to success. He can help us become a better world. All we have to do is believe.”
The crowd applauded their new commissioner as he stepped away. He, as well as the rest of the city, felt that the Savior was a blessing to them. Crime rates everywhere were down. All across the country, fear was struck into the minds of criminals, while hope and security was returned to hearts of the innocent. They felt like the world was a better place now. He may not be normal. He may not even be human. But he was here. He was their Savior in their moments of darkness.
Jason arose from his chair, not curious to hear the rest of the news. He walked to his cabinet to retrieve a glass, and then proceeded to fill it with water from his sink. He sipped the water with a feeling of pride. He was making a difference in the world now. Things were better with him here. His uncle had come to Earth with one thing to accomplish. He wanted Jason to utilize his powers to help the humans, but he also wanted Jason to live a happy life. Jason thought about everything in his life and could agree that his uncle was successful.
He excelled in school and had great friends. He managed to help people in his every day life, as well as his secret life. Whenever the people needed him, he became their unknown Savior. More importantly, Jason was in love. She was the most important part of his life. Every time he looked into her gorgeous blue eyes, he could feel the sparks between them. They had met twice technically. Jason had saved her life as his first save and, as if it were fated to happen, they later on met in his real life. They were completely in love with one another when the dance came about. Normally, relationships that were this rushed ended bad. But this was different. Fate had meant for them to be together. There was no one else that could have matched up with Jason better than she did. Sarah was all he knew.
When Jason returned for Vaetix, he was worn out. All the fighting and use of power had drained his strength. On top of that, he had lost quite a bit of blood in the process. When the portal closed behind him and his beautiful girlfriend began to wake up, Jason did the only thing he could do to protect her. He lied. It pained him to lie to her, but he knew it was best for her. There was no reason for her to worry anymore. The darkness had been destroyed. Vayne was dead. As Sarah Williams awoke, Jason assured her that everything was going to be fine.
Trusting her love, Sarah closed her eyes again, still exhausted. The last thing she could remember was walking out the doors with a stranger in need. He simply was having car trouble, but she couldn’t remember what happened next. All she remembered was feeling short of breath and everything going dark. When she came to, Jason and his best friends were surrounding her. Her connection with Jason was stronger than anything she had ever felt. If she was with him, she was confident everything would be alright.
Jason let her eyes close as she safely feel back into a peaceful slumber. He lifted her up in his arms, looking into her face. She was beautiful even as she slept. He turned to his friends who all knew what was going to come next. He promised them the entire story once he’d returned home and that they could wait for him there. Jason slowly lifted into the air, leaving them on the ground smiling. It was good to know it was all over. Matt, Josh, and Tony exchanged looks that said it was time to leave. The three of them took in the opposite direction to wait for their friend at his home.
As Jason flew, he saw the stars sparkling above in the night sky. They gave him comfort as he took Sarah to the hospital. He realized that he was wearing a torn and bloody Aspen shirt exactly like the Savior. He couldn’t go and clean up his wounds. Making sure Sarah was alright was priority one. He masked his presence and landed outside the Holden City General Hospital. People watched him in awe as their Savior landed next to them and walked calmly through the doors. When he walked in, people saw the unconscious girl in his arms and immediately began to spring to action. Two doctors took her from Jason and put her on a rolling bed. She was safe now.
Jason knew that she would be alright. She had only been knocked out due to the way Vayne was holding her. Other than that, she had been unharmed and the results would be that she was just fine. As Jason handed her over, the other patients and doctors in the building all stared at him, wide eyed. They could all see his wounds, but the fact that he was still standing amazed them. Jason turned for the automatic doors, but two doctors ran after him. They wanted to help, but they wouldn’t be able to do anything for him. As he shot up into the air, they called out to him, pleading for him to stay. His Aspen talents would see to his own recovery.
The rest of the evening moved pretty slowly. Jason remembered talking with his friends about Vaetix and what happened with Kris. He told them how his real name had been Vayne and he’d been spying on Jason from the beginning. He also spoke of the exorcism of his the dark creature within. They understood the majority of the story and had very few questions. Sarah had been taken as bait for Jason to be lured into Vayne’s trap. Jason used the darkness to destroy Vayne and free Sarah. Once the darkness had been released is when his friend began with their questions.
“So, that’s it then?” Tony asked, “No more darkness, no more Quixons?”
“There are no more left in our world. Vayne was the last of them, I believe,” Jason declared, “And now that I have been purified, the dark power can never be released from Vaetix again.”
“Well…then I guess the only question is what now?” Josh asked.
“We will continue what we were doing. The only threat to humans is the humans themselves. I am their Savior and you three are my Halyms. We will continue to train and adapt your powers until, eventually, you will all be able to help me out there in making this world a better place.”
With the being said, the four guys went about their lives as though everything was peaceful. The days passed by, and Jason continued his life with his friends and girlfriend happily. Sarah woke up in the hospital the next day to see her boyfriend looking back at her. He told her that she had fainted at the school and must have hit her head. She believed that story, as usual. She never wanted to doubt Jason for a moment. She knew that whatever he said was best. Sarah looked into his eyes and smiled. In that exact moment, Jason realized something. She and his friends weren’t just ordinary friends. They were his family. He loved each and every one of them. He had been thinking he was alone this entire time, but the truth was that he was never truly alone in the world. As long as he had them, everything was going to be great.
That day, Sarah and Jason returned from Holden City and back to their hometown of Branson. The two love birds went out for smoothies and enjoyed one another’s company. They talked for hours about everything that had been happening. Jason, of course, didn’t mention anything pertaining to the Aspen or Quixon, but they did discuss the Savior. Sarah finally told Jason that the Savior had saved her life a few months back. Jason said he was grateful for the Savior and was thankful for her being alive. He wanted to tell her that he had saved her life that day, but was already in too deep. He couldn’t tell her after all this time. It wouldn’t be right.
From that day forward, Jason went about everything like he normally would. He would go to school like a normal teenage boy and learn. After school, he would spend some time with Sarah before going to continue his friends’ teachings. They were getting better with every lesson. The moments he shared with his family in those two weeks were going to be some of the best in his life. He didn’t know it yet, but nothing was ever going to get better than those two weeks.
It was now Friday, about two weeks after Vayne’s demise. Everything was going wonderful. He was meeting Sarah and his friends at the football scrimmage that night for a night of fun. They were going to watch the game and be as loud as could be. It was a night for them to lose themselves in pure happiness. After the four o’ clock news, Jason finished his homework and got ready for the game. He put on an orange shirt and his typical jeans. His brown hair had recently been cut short, making it easier to comb through. He had his Aspen shirt on beneath. It had fully regenerated itself within two days of the fight. He had sealed his wounds with his flame powers, causing them to heal up rather quickly. Fortunately, Aspen’s bodies didn’t scar. He would have no ties to the fight anymore. It was all said and done.
Jason went to leave, turning the lights off, but stopped a moment to look back into the darkness of his home. His life couldn’t have gotten any better than how it was right now. He woke up every day with a smile on his face. Jason didn’t know it, but this would be the last time things were this good for him. He hadn’t learned the lesson for a hero in a world that wasn’t his yet. Things never stayed good for too long. Nothing was ever going to be the same after tonight passed. But instead of realizing his mistake in not destroying the portal symbol, Jason simply smiled and closed his door.
He arrived at the game and found his friends at the gate to the stadium. Everyone in the town was here, just as usual. The crowd all wore either orange or black. It was called ‘A Night in the Jungle’. The teams were going to play several games. There was a freshman scrimmage, a junior varsity scrimmage, and a junior vs. senior game. The hundreds of people were pumped up and loud all night. The stadium was almost completely surrounded by bleachers. Jason, his friends, and Sarah had all managed to get good spots to stand right up to the railing. His friends would occasionally yell comments about the game out loud, but other than that there was very little talking. At one point, though, they did start a conversation over the noise.
“Wow, this is getting intense!” Josh declared loudly, over the deafening cries of the fans.
“Yeah!” Jason agreed, “Sucks you couldn’t join in the fun.”
“Why did you leave the team again?” Sarah asked, leaning forward to look at Josh.
“Ehh, it just took up to much of my free,” Josh lied.
“That’s too bad,” Sarah said, “I used to play basketball in the winter, but that didn’t work out so great for a social life either,”
Jason smiled and pulled Sarah closer to him. She looked up at him and kissed him with a smile on her face. It was the time of their lives that night. Jason had no worries or regrets. It was all too perfect. While the entire town was out at the stadium, no one noticed what was happening at the school. The symbol that led to the Quixon world began to come to life again. It twisted and turned into the doorway that led to Earth. Out of the dark world stepped a large creature made entirely of the shadows. It had yellow teeth and the sinister red eyes. The muscles on the creature made it look like a superhuman. The smoky substance slithered all around its body. It was angry and looking for vengeance.
The body it had once possessed had been taken from it. It thirsted for Aspen blood. It was like an animal. It crouched low to the ground and sniffed for a scent. It found multiple ones, but there was only one that reeked of the Aspen’s blood. It leapt up onto the school and got down on all fours. Setting its sights for the lit up stadium, the creature growl in anger. The Aspen would not get away with taking his body. With another large leap, the creature landed right in front of the gates. Many people hadn’t noticed the monster yet, but they soon would. It pushed and shoved its way through the crowd until it finally saw its enemy leaning against the railing with a smile on his face.
Jason hadn’t felt it coming at all. The air was cool and the smell of popcorn drifted through the air. He felt heat signatures all around him. He turned to his girlfriend and smiled as he looked into her eyes. She smiled back at him. She was thinking about how they could be together forever and it still would go by too fast. Jason heard a loud noise behind him and glanced back to see what made it. He got his answer when the dark fist uppercut Jason over the railing.
It all happened in slow motion for Jason. As he got hit, he felt no pain at all. He realized exactly what it was the moment it made contact. It was his own dark Quixon energy. The voice that had spoken to him, insisting that he hurt instead of save was free. It had manifested into its own being and was back for Jason’s blood. The anger inside the Quixon came out as he smacked his foe through the air.
When the dark creature hit Jason, Sarah had been looking into his eyes. She watched as the love of her life was sent hurtling through the air and towards the field. All of the players were at the opposite touchdown zone. She screamed as the dark creature leapt up into the air, following its target. She felt empty inside, thinking her boyfriend was going to be killed by a monster.
Josh, Matt, and Tony all saw the dark creature attack Jason. They were frightened by what they were seeing, but at the same time wanted to help. As the monster leapt into the air, Josh went to react, but stopped himself. Would they just get in the way? They were strong, but their powers weren’t fully advanced yet. All three of them had the same thoughts. It pained them inside, but they just couldn’t do it. Jason wouldn’t have wanted them to get hurt in the first place.
As Jason flew backwards, he thought of his whole life. All the happiness and freedom from the dark he thought he had was all just an illusion. He collided with the soil of the field and threw dust and dirt into the air. The Quixon landed about thirty yards from him. The players and the people in the stadium started to see what was happening and began to panic. The players and coaches ran from the field as the alien death match unfolded. The beast was breathing heavily, waiting for Jason to get up.
When Jason hit the ground, he felt no pain. He was just lying there, thinking about it all as it happened. The attack had done a lot of damage, whether he felt it or not. It weakened his body and gave him a disadvantage. But all Jason could think to himself was that he needed to protect. He couldn’t safely fight this thing. Not around all of these people. He would have to end this fight quickly if he didn’t want anyone harmed. He was trying to stand up, but couldn’t. Something was happening inside. It wasn’t the darkness…it was something much more pure. He could feel the power he’d felt months ago flowing back into him. When Jackson first attacked him, the mysterious power had given him strength to fight back. That power had returned out of nowhere. It was his chance to end this.
Jason walked out of the dust and grazed at the darkness. It roared and ran towards him. With a reared back fist, it threw a punch right at Jason. Although the creatures fist was a lot large than Jason’s, he held up his hand and caught the punch in his hand. The monster struggled against Jason’s incredible power, but couldn’t break free. The crowds of people that had been fleeing were beginning to notice what had happened. Their Savior was here for them, but they were beginning to worry for him. What would happen if the monster won? Some ignored this thought and continued to flee.
There were four who didn’t move at all. Josh, Tony, Matt, and Sarah all stood watching the fight unfold. Sarah gasped when Jason emerged from the dust alive. She could see his face for what it was. He had been the Savior the whole time. It all made so much sense to her. She was completely breathless. The guy she had fallen in love with was the one the world had been depending on to save them from perils. He was a superhero. And now, he was out there fighting for her again.
Jason twisted the beast’s arm, causing it to cry out in pain. He drove his knee up into its face, driving it upward. The beast flew up into the air a few feet before Jason jumped into the air. He cupped his hands together and slammed them down. The beast’s head whipped back towards the ground and dug into the soil. It growled and tried to get up. Jason knew what must be done. This beast could be beaten and beaten repeatedly, but it would constantly come back for more no matter what. Jason could feel power. He had to protect these people. It was his duty. He had to save them.
Jason flipped around behind the Quixon monster as it got up to its feet. He put a hold on the beast with his arms, preventing it from moving. He was on its back, holding in place with his unleashed power. It fought to break free, but was unsuccessful. Jason looked to the stand to see his family looking back at him. Josh, Matt and Tony looked as though they wanted to do something. They wanted to get out there and fight, but knew better. They were just not strong enough yet. Jason could hardly take on the creature on his own. He wished they could have helped…but it would have just been suicide.
He then turned to Sarah Williams. She was just as beautiful as the first time Jason laid his eyes on her. Her golden hair flowed through the wind giving her the appearance of a goddess. Her soothing blue eyes broke through to his soul. She looked back at him in awe of what he was. Jason thought she would be upset with everything. He thought she’d be scared of what he was, but in reality, she wasn’t scared at all. He stared into her heart. She was wearing her feelings all over her face. She had so many emotions pouring out, but the one that stood out to Jason was love. It was undeniable.
Jason thought back to the first time he had seen her close up. When she dropped all of her books and he looked into her dazzling blue eyes for the first time. He didn’t speak of it back then, but he knew at that moment that he would always love her. He remembered the dance where they had actually first shared those magical words of ‘I love you’ with one another. Their first kiss was elegantly unexplainable. The spark between them that night made everything else meaningless. Everything about Sarah Williams was amazing.
Jason could feel his heart break into two as he looked into Sarah’s eyes for the last time. He thought of their most recent kiss, now realizing it would be their last. He looked into her and she must have read his mind. The look of awe turned to a look of worry. She knew what he was going to do. All four of them did. Jason felt a tear tickle down his check as he closed his eyes. This was his goodbye.
Jason increased the heat around him and the darkness. It began to form a funnel up to the sky. The Quixon squirmed as he cried out in pain. The red and orange flames quickly turned to blue flames that were slowly burning the two of them away. Jason thought it would be painful to die. He thought it would happen quickly and be done. However, to his surprise it happened slow and painlessly. He watched as the Quixon’s body began to disintegrate away. He looked to his own shoulders and saw the same thing happening.
It was strange for Jason to see himself disappear from existence. His skin started to glow an orange and white color as his hands started to break away from his body. The heat intensified and Jason felt the tear on his check evaporate. This was his final moment. He thought of everything as it all passed before his eyes. He thought of his childhood and when he met his friends. He thought of the lessons of his Uncle Alfred. He remembered the pain of killing his own brother for a crime he didn’t do. He remembered the passion between him and Sarah. But lastly, Jason remembered the look of relief on the people of Holden City that he’d saved. He was ready to die as their Savior.

Into the Light


It had been three weeks. The weather outside had gotten cloudy and cold. Everyone in the world knew of what had happened on that fateful night. Those who were witness to Jason Shard’s sacrifice were thankful more than he would ever realize. Only a select few knew exactly who the Savior was. The world had been at a state of depression ever since the headlines wrote ‘Savior is no more’. The world had had him for such a small amount of time and needed him for so much longer. They wanted the young man to come back to them and help them through their troubled lives. They all felt confident enough to face their darkest hour, just knowing that the Savior was looking over them.
In everyone’s heart was pain, but there was also something more. A piece of him had found its way into all of their hearts. In a way, he was still alive in each and every human’s heart and soul. His heroic actions had set him apart from everyone else. When everyone else was ready to give in, he didn’t. There were rumors that had been sent by the heavens. Other said that was simply blessed by the gods. Very few believed that he had fallen from the stars, but they were actually right. A little more than sixteen years ago, he did fall from the sky.
The Aspen race was spoken of in a group of three friends from now and then. Mainly, they just spoke of their friend and how much they missed him. He was always the one who would help raise their spirits. Even before they knew of his greatest secret, Jason had helped them through their everyday issues. He was the greatest friend that Tony Servis, Matt Reynolds, and Josh King could have ever asked for. They still had their Halym powers, but refused to do anything but advance them in secrecy. Jason was the Savior, not them. They didn’t have what it took in their minds.
In weeks to come, Sarah Williams would leave school and sit alone at the coffee shop. She would sit there and look out the window at the sky. She needed her Savior to come down and help her. Her parents were still fighting like no tomorrow. Jason was the one who had helped her keep everything together. He was her savior before she even knew of his gift. She wasn’t sure exactly how he’d gotten that gift or why, but it didn’t matter. Her heart was empty and needed Jason to fill it.
She would cry from time to time, awake and alone at night, praying that somehow she could be with Jason again. She came home from school one day to do her homework, but simply couldn’t concentrate anymore. She threw her books on the counter and grabbed her keys. She got into her car and drove to the Holden City Square. There, in the beautiful park-like center, was the place she would come to remember him. The city owed him a great debt and in his honor created a faceless statue of him. The inscription below read: Believe in him and he will live on in your heart.
Sarah knelt down in the grass and started to cry. Her pain was almost unbearable. She looked up at the statue of him. She knew the face. In her mind, she saw the face too. He seemed like a normal boy. The more and more she thought about it, she had always known somewhere inside. The symbols on his shirt, his endless will to make her happy, his compassion towards people…they were all signs. It just took until now for her to realize what they all meant. She stood up again and began to wipe the tears. She was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of light blue jeans. Her hair was down and flowing down her back. Jason had always liked it that way. She was even wearing his jacket that he had never asked her to return. She refused to let him go.
“He must have meant a lot to you,” said a man’s voice from behind her.
She looked over her shoulder and saw a man that looked somewhat familiar to her. She wiped her tears again and returned her gaze to the statue.
“I think he meant a lot to everyone,” Sarah sniffed, trying to stop crying.
“He was a great, kid, wasn’t he?” the man said with a sigh.
“Yeah,” Sarah said, starting to regain control of her tears.
“You know,” the man said, “I once hated the Savior. I believed that there was no just man with that kind of power. I thought that something inside would corrupt him in the end…turning him into something he was not. But look how wrong I was.”
“He was…always pure inside. He wanted the best for everyone even though his life was hard sometimes. He didn’t have a family. He was alone in the world.” Sarah said.
“I think he had a family. It just took him awhile to find It.” the man said reassuringly.
Sarah nodded and sniffed again. She thought of all the wonderful times they spent together. They loved each other. She looked up at the faceless statue and thought to herself, “Jason, why did you have to go?”
“Don’t worry, my dear,” The man said confidently to Sarah, “This is not Jason’s destiny. It is mine. I cannot let my only brother die when he has so much left to do…that’s why I’m bringing him back to life.”
Sarah’s eyes widened and she whipped around, but the man was gone. She didn’t know his name or why he came to speak to her, but she realized why she knew him now. The face resembled Jason’s a lot. Jason had once spoken of a brother that had died. Could it be possible that that was his brother? Sarah wasn’t sure of anything right now. She only had one thing she could do now. She had to believe.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 17.06.2010

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