Chapter Zero: Human
It was strange when it all happened. None of us knew what to expect, or what would become of us. The human race, mankind, the species that created the planet the way it is today, for better or for worse. We had no idea, and that was frightening. Some people died. A lot of people died, actually. The exobytes would dig into our skin and through our cells and reshape them. Some people couldn't handle the change and their bodies rejected it, like my parents. My little brother, Josh, and I could, though. We accepted the new cells and our bodies changed into something greater than what they used to be. Something no longer human. So, would that mean the human race would be wiped out?
I don't know where my little brother is. We got separated on a Brainiac harvester ship. Superman found me there, and he saved me. We couldn't find my little brother. Superman took me to the Watchtower over the Earth, where all of the heroes were and were all of these new humans – Meta Humans, we were called – were trained. It was a war now, and whether we liked it or not, we were drafted into it. We had these exobytes, and we had to use them for something. No one would want to be caught with big wings on their backs and selling burgers, now would they? No, instead we were trained to fight Brainiac's robots, and the other villains that plagued the world. Lex Luthor, Circe, and the Joker. They saved their own share of Meta Humans as well, who worked for them. Really, it seems like everything evened out still. Just as many good guys as bad guys. Just as many problems in the world for everyone to take care of. Only now there are greater things at stake. Our lives. Our planet. Our own humanity.
Can we even be considered human, anymore? Our DNA has been shifted so much, some of us don't even look human. We look more animal, or alien. Some of us have blue skin, some of us glow. We have wings, like me, and dark eyes. We look frightening, or even down right silly. But many of us no longer look like who we used to be. We don't look human, so some people treat us like we're not. They're scared of us, because we're different and not all good. I understand where they come from. I have a hard time trusting other Metas. It's not natural, of course, and it's scary, but the best thing we can do is just try to convince people that most of us – I hope it's most of us – are actually trying to help. I still think I'm human. I bleed, I can laugh and cry. I mourn for my parents and for my little brother, who I'm looking for. I've lost many friends, my best friend in fact. He died from the exobytes.
But maybe one day, things will go back to normal. Or maybe everyone will change and just evolve. Become a different kind of human, but human still. Because I know I am. I used to be just like you, and even if I can do a few different things, that doesn't mean I don't feel anything any different than before. The world is a lot colder, now, a lot scarier. And everyone has to toughen up for it, or else we'll freeze to death, or burn in the fires that are keeping us warm. Human, Meta Human, or otherwise.