Chapter 29

Jason didn't know what to expect.

Well, he sort of did.

He thought Zombieman would live in perhaps a run down hotel at the edge of town, a place where no one would know his name or care about his coming and goings. However, he was rather stunned to find that Zombieman lived rather comfortably. He had a fair size house, on a street with no other houses around him, but it was what was inside that caught his attention.

"This way kid."

He followed Zombieman in without a word, it was rather clean and well kept. "Drop your stuff here, we're going downstairs."

Again, he nodded and placed his bag down. He followed Zombieman to the back and down a flight of stairs that was off from the kitchen. He punched in a code before the doors opened up. Jason walked down the steps with caution, but was amazed. The entrance was narrow, but along the walls were various weapons his older brother has been known to use in combat. He watched on as there were some weapons being picked off the wall. "What are you using those for?" Jason asked.

"You'll see…"

He took weapon after weapon, Jason was starting to get more and more nervous as they came to the end of the stairs. A strange door stood before them, Zombieman merely kicked it open, and inside Jason cringed. There was blood all over the place, on the walls, the rocks that laid about for perhaps landscape combat. He was distracted by it all, he didn't realize what his older brother was doing. He still wondered how he fit such a massive training room under the house! He became lost in it all, until he heard. "Here kid!"

Snapping out of his gaze he turned and saw the weapons lined up on the table. There were swords, daggers, fire axes, guns and various blades. "Which one do you want to try first?"

Jason froze. "Wait, is this weapons training?"

He shook his head. Zombieman took one of the daggers and then suddenly, stabbed himself with it! Jason cringed as the blood flowed out of him, but then he took the blade out and his wound began to heal. "Wait… why did you…"

"Shortly after I was turned… I tried to kill myself." He explained. "I tried every method known to man to do so, and yet, nothing worked."

"But… why are you telling me this?"

"Do you want to kill yourself?" he asked bluntly.

Once more it took him aback. "What! No… I mean… I don't think so…"

Zombieman didn't appear to care either way, yet he left the weapons where they were. "The point of this kid is if you want to try… here you go. I won't stop you, but it will also let you realize that you can't die by traditional means. I didn't know if you hit that phase yet…"

"So you thought taking me to your training room would be the best idea on the notion?" Jason demanded. "What the hell are you thinking?"

He merely shrugged his shoulders to it all. "Either way, just thought you wanted to try, here's everything. Let's get some grub them…"

Through the rest of the day, it was awkward. He thought his older brother would offer profound advice, encouragement or at least some sense of guidance… not different ways to try and kill yourself. Yet as the day came and went, Jason began to feel it. He was staring at his hands again and how they looked normal, yet at any given moment, they could turn into serpent dragon like monsters. He didn't know or understood how he was able to do it the first time, it was as if his body acted on its own accord.

"I think I am going to bed… where do I sleep?" Jason asked.

Zombieman nudged his head. "Second door on the right. Bathroom is connected to your room."

"Thanks…" Jason trudged up the stairs with his bag, he didn't bother to unpack, and he just wanted a better understanding as to why he was here…

#

2am.

Zombieman was lying awake, after all, he heard his security system go off. Checking his phone, he found someone had entered his training room. Which could only mean one thing.

He sighed aloud and ventured down in his bathrobe. By the time he entered, he saw it.

Lying about on the floor, chunks of flesh and blood. Yet standing over the table of weapons was Jason, panting out of pure exhaustion. His hand trembled as he reached for a dagger, then, without warning, he stabbed himself in the heart. A moment of cringe came over his face until the dagger was shifting and pushed out of his body. The wound instantly healed as Jason trembled and broke down into tears. "My God, what the hell am I?!" he cried.

"I keep asking myself that every single day."

Zombieman walked into the training room but paused. The wads of flesh were moving. Next thing he knew, a small monster formed from Jason's side and gobbled up the blobs. He stumbled back fearfully as it happened, then, the creature merged back into his body. "Oh God…" he whispered.

"Seems about right…" Zombieman said. "You got to remember where your power comes from. Eclipsa's father to my knowledge had eaten part of the original monster King Orochi, I recall Flash saying it could absorb other monsters into himself… but also consume them."

Jason shook his head to it all. The kid was a wreck. "How… how can I live like this?" he asked.

Zombieman sighed aloud. "Better question to ask, what can I do with this?" he took a seat on one of the rocks within the training room, he took out a smoke and even offered one to Jason. "Want one? It's not like it's going to kill you."

Despite it, he refused the offer. Zombieman lit up his smoke and took a few puffs before continuing. "Look kid, it's no picnic, I know. You got it harder than me now too, but you also got to look at the positive side of it."

"What the hell are you talking about? What's the positive!" he demanded.

"There's a certain family I know that can help you develop your abilities…"

"I want nothing to do with them…" he muttered lowly.

"Still holding a grudge huh? Look, better to move past it and get on with your life, you threw yourself a pity party, party is over. You want to make something of yourself, talk to the family, talk to Garou in particular. Unless you just want to exist, you can do that do. Do nothing, be nothing, and live for the purpose of taking up space. Your call. Or… you can train yourself and be the best damn hero you can be. I know you can too. But in the end, the choice is yours."

The kid fell silent to him. Zombieman sighed aloud as he got up from his rock. "What's it going to be kid?" he asked.

Jason didn't answer him. He kept silent for the most part, but his eyes kept staring at the weapons. "Can… can you help me with one thing?" he asked gently.

He was curious. "Oh?"

He took a sword and tossed it to him. Zombieman caught it by the handle as Jason came out from around the table that held the weapons. "Train me… so I won't be afraid of any weapon pointed at me" he said with determination.

Zombieman smiled. "Now we're talking. Get ready kid, it's gonna be a long night!"