Chapter 22

He nearly didn't get him out the door. Yet, Zombieman was able to convince Jason to follow him. He got him long, dark clothing, bandana and sunglasses to cover his appearance. Only if someone looked hard enough would they realize he was something different, but with the weather getting colder. No one would bat an eye. "Let's go kid, I don't got all day,"

It took him ten minutes to step out of his room, from there, they took the emergency exit out of the restaurant and on to the streets. Zombieman paused as he led the way. "Keep up kid," he called.

Jason kept his head lowered. He didn't say much as they began to move down the street. Zombieman began to slow his pace until he walked next to the kid. "What are we doing out here?" Jason muttered.

"Patrols."

"I am not going to be a hero like you…"

"You haven't tried it yet. Since we're alike, I wanna see what you can do. You going to humor your older brother?"

He shied away. But Zombieman was determined to break him out of the rut he was in. After all, he knows what the kid is going through. They ventured out of the city, and went into City T of all places. Jason has never really been here before, yet Zombieman knew it is full of criminal activity. "We're going to be spying on a gang here… They called themselves the harvesters." He explained.

Jason froze. "You are asking me to help you spy on a gang!? What the hell were you thinking!"

"Shhh, you are going to blow our cover. This way." Zombieman ducked into an alley, Jason was close behind as they took a fire escape ladder up and on to the roof. From there, Zombieman found a skylight and peered down. "Yep, they are here…" he whispered and nudged Jason over to his side.

Jason was reluctant, but he peered down and saw a group of shady men, but in the back, people were behind held hostage. "What's going on?" he whispered.

"Gang is called the Harvesters. They kidnap people, they target those who are desperate, Families on hard times, homeless people, some are just victims of circumstances. Their parents had debts to pay and couldn't afford the payment, so they take family members… Here they process them… harvest the valuable organs to sell on the black market."

Jason froze to the news. "Wait… you're going to stop them?"

Zombieman smiled. "We are!"

"I don't know what I can do like this!"

"Trial by fire." Zombieman said without worry. "Let's do this, because it looks like a little girl is on the chopping block. Follow me in got it!"

"Wait…"

It was too late, Zombieman threw himself through the skylight and landed in the middle of the warehouse. Despite breaking his legs, they were quick to heal. He stood at the ready as he looked about. "Let's see… one, two…" he counted up twelve men. "I've dealt with worst…"

"KILL HIM!"

They pulled out their guns, and took aim. Yet they jumped as someone else dropped through the skylight. He didn't land elegantly, but he picked himself up rather quickly as he looked about. "What are you going to do kid?" Zombieman asked.

Jason froze.

Too scared to move for the moment, and yet, his hands began to tremble and shake. "Your friend is going to piss himself Mr. former S Class hero!" They laughed aloud until suddenly…

BASH!

All twelve men were held to the wall by monstrous serpents! It grabbed hold of their shoulders and pinned them into place. Their guns dropped to the ground as Jason stood there, shaking to what happened. His arms turned into these creatures, and at a moment's notice, they struck without warning. "Ah…AH AHHHHHH!" Jason screamed.

"Calm down…" Zombieman said gently.

"HOW CAN I!"

He sighed aloud and called the police.

They came rather quickly and obtained the 12 men of this gang, but this wasn't all of them. When Jason released them, the creatures recoiled back, he shook as the creatures hissed and snapped before melding back together, forming a human like arm and hands once more. Jason tucked his hands under his arms as he fell to his knees shaking. "Wh… what did I just do!?" he asked with fear in his voice.

"Apparently, part of your ability is to change your body. Not a bad move, you were able to disarm 12 men before they could open fire… no doubt those who were held in the cages would have been struck by stray bullets. But you ended it before any one could pull a trigger."

The kid shook his head to it all. "I'm a freak"

"So am I," said Zombieman. "Get up, we ain't done, that was just the start. We take down these assholes tonight"

#

They went twelve hours straight.

Zombieman taught Jason all he knew about spying, sneaking in places, taking down crooks before they get a chance to counter. But throughout the whole thing, he found the kid growing more distant. After all, the takedowns tonight, Zombieman barely did a thing. It was Jason who reacted faster than him. He was slowly adapting to what his body could do, but was still very uncomfortable with it. The last raid of the night proved it.

They had their hands full with the leaders of the Harvesters. They were a lot tougher than the small fries they took out earlier. Jason was left to defeat once himself. The guy was massive and wasted little time in attacking. Zombieman cringed as he heard the kid's shoulders break.

"AAAHHHH!" he screamed aloud, and fell to his knees in pain. He couldn't move his arms.

"KID!"

Yet as the brute went to attack, Jason other arms caught his attacker's strike, the monster ones! They were quick to catch the fists of the thug, that was when the words came out. "Wh… what the hell are you! You're a freaking monster aren't you!"

Jason had clenched down on the brute's hands, Zombieman could hear them break from here he stood. And one solid punch across his face knocked the guy out.

When it was all said and done, the kid trembled again. "Kid!" Zombieman checked him over, but found his shoulders were already healed. "Hey… it takes me a good half an hour to heal. How long did that take you?"

Jason was silent. "They… healed a minute after they broke…"

His healing ability was greater than his own. Zombieman paused to think over this development. It's obvious the kid has his abilities, but what else did he gain from Eclipsa? With their mission done, Zombieman turned to the kid once more. "Want to go train at the Association?"

Jason shook his head. "I want to go home…" he whispered.

"Yeah, we have been out for twelve hours or so, you are probably tired…"

"I'm not…"

Checking his watch, it was only four in the morning. "Wanna get a bite to eat? I know a place."