Fragmentation 1.6

(Jason Freelow)

October 29, 2008

There were monsters in his closet.

Jason was sure of this. They creeped out after mommy went to bed, and snuck around him as he hid under his blanket. He saw their eyes one night too! There were creepy spiders and squirming snakes, and they were after him.

The scariest ones were the shadow blobs though. They could be anywhere! Not even Lucy could scare those away, and she ate spiders!

Lucy was on her bed in mommy's room though, and there were bugs crawling out of his closet.

Covers!

Covers were safe, but the monsters were still there. As Jason pulled the covers over his head, he promised to ask his mommy how to destroy the monsters tomorrow.

'Tomorrow' Jason thought to himself 'I will destroy them all tomorrow.'

Lauren knew the nightmares were back when she saw Jason's face the next morning.

"What's wrong honey?" Lauren asked him.

"The monsters were out again last night"

Lauren sighed.

Jason had been seeing monsters ever since Brad had passed. She and Jason both had their own ways of mourning, she supposed, her with forcing herself into her work, and Jason with his TV shows, and she had thought getting Lucy would help her son, but not even 'The bravest Goldie Retriever ever' could stop the nightmares and monsters.

But Lucy had helped, even if it was five nights a week her Jason walked down the stairs with a frown instead of seven. Maybe if she…

"Mommy, I need to get rid of the monsters."

That… was rather grown up of him.

"What do you mean honey?" she asked, proud that he was trying to be brave.

"Lucy tries her best, but she can't get the shadows." He said, sparing a glance at the grinning puppy. "So I want to fight them."

'Fight them?' Lauren thought she might have misheard him "How do you want to do that?"

"Like daddy's old movies, with the 'samri' and ninjas"

'Hmm, learning martial arts would get him out of the house more and maybe he'll make friends.'

"So you want to learn martial arts honey?"

"Marchial arts?"

"Martial arts, like what the ninjas use, and the samurai."

"What do sam-u-rai do? Swords are cooler."

"I think Samurai use something called Kendo, a martial art based around swords, but I'm not sure. I can go looking for a place to learn while you're at school if you want." She saw his hopeful face, the first time in months, and knew she had an answer.

January 29, 2011

It's been a little over two years since Jason had pushed himself through the Kendo lessons his mother had signed him up for, and even he could see the differences. His mother had complemented his growth (He was totally grown up, he could break wood with his elbow!) and his skill with his bamboo sword, even giving him a steel katana for his eighth birthday, although he had to promise to not use it on other people. He had learned from his teacher how to take care of his blade, "For practice" his teacher told him, in case he ever had to use it for real. His teacher warned him that he may have to use it to protect his mom, with all these 'crazy capes' flying around. He had mentally changed his promise to his mother after he was told that, promising instead to only use it to protect others. He was grown up now, he had to protect his mom.

He was one of the youngest in the class, but he was the fourth most experienced. His teacher had thirty-five years of Kendo experience, and twelve teaching, while the oldest student, Thompson, had been his student for eleven. The third was a girl by the name of Josie, and she'd been a student for four years. She'd helped him a lot when he first started, and she was pretty! He told her that when he first saw her, and she had smiled and said she was a little too old (He still didn't know what she meant, 18 isn't too old). Then Thompson started laughing in the corner and said that even HE was too young for her, and Josie's face turned red and she started hitting him, and Thompson started running around the room laughing his head off.

He still didn't know what had happened, even now, when the two were hugging and, kissing, all the time

But now the class was being called up to the front of the room, where his teacher was standing with a short blonde girl a little older than him.

"Hello class."

"Hello teacher."

"I've got someone new here that will be learning with us for a few days while she's in town, so please take care of her." His teacher looked towards the girl "Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"Yep!" The girl replied cheerfully "My name is Cassandra and I'm gonna kick all your behinds! Call me Cassie!"

Her face seemed to stretch with glee as she announced her name to the class. She seemed rather happy.

"Jason, care to come over here and show her the basics?"

"Sure teacher." He responded. He was about to question why it was him that would teach her, when he noticed Thompson and Josie kissing behind some of the taller kids. Ewww.

Maybe Cassie would be different? All of the other kids his age weren't serious about learning Kendo, either lazing around in the back of the room or talking with their friends, while he spent hours a day after school practicing forms and stances.

Maybe she'd actually want to spar with him! Other than Josie and Thompson, nobody wanted to spar with him because he was too good at it. If she had previous experience, maybe he'd have some actual practice!

"Hi, my names Jason! Nice to meet you!"

"You too, I'm Cassie! So you're going to be teaching me?" she asked with an eager expression on her face.

"Yep! So, what do you know about fighting with a sword?"

"Well…"

It was nearing the end of Cassie's time in the dojo, and Jason was already feeling sad. His newest best friend was leaving.

She had, in fact, known how to use a sword, at least a little, and her attacks had been a little violent for the other students, but it was great practice for him. He had someone to spar with! That wouldn't forfeit once his name was called! They became fast friends, learning from each other's experiences. Her Uncle had apparently taken her in after her parents died, and had taught her how to defend herself as well as homeschooling her. She told him she loved science, but was extremely interested in capes.

"I wanna find out how they do what they do!" She had whispered to him one day after class.

"What? You mean like fly and teleport? And shoot fire?" He whispered back, excitedly.

"Of course!" she said "I also want to find out where tinkers get all of their ideas from, and how Alexandria is invincible, and how Panacea heals people, and how Mouse Protector teleports, and…"

"Wait… Panacea's the girl in Brockton Bay right?" Jason questioned

"Yeah, that right! She spends most of her time after school in the hospital healing all kinds of people! Where did you hear about her?" She stared at him eagerly.

"Errm, my dad was on her waiting list when he died" he trailed off after that, fondly remembering his father as a caring man, even if he was in bed for all that he could remember.

"Oh…" Cassie said "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"It's okay." Jason replied resolutely "Besides, you know what it's like, living with your uncle and all."

"Yeah…" Cassie looked away at this, frowning

"Uhm, so what other capes are interesting?"

She grinned, turning her thoughts around so quickly, Jason wasn't sure if she had ever looked sad at all.

"Oh, well there's also Narwhal, who went through a second trigger event and can create force fields almost anywhere! And also…"

Jason happily nodded along, not really knowing what she was talking about, just happy to see her smiling instead of looking sadly out the window.

'So this is what a friend is…'

Cassie's last day.

'Sigh'

Jason didn't want her to go, and she had looked a little guilty when he asked to keep in touch.

"My uncle doesn't really have a computer, so…"

Cassie looked really sad when she said this, and when he asked if she could contact him when she stopped by 'a library or something', she had hesitated, then grinned at him and said "Sure Jason, here's my email."

He had a girl's email. A week before, he would have thought it was gross and forgotten it, but this was Cassie, his bestest friend in the WORLD.

But it was still her last day in class.

She had caught up to his skill level impressively fast, gaining more compliments from teacher than the rest of the students combined, and she had even won two of their spars.

'Out of 14' he thought proudly 'and one of the times was luck'

His mom had been proud of him teaching 'his little girlfriend' the proper stances so quickly, and he quickly objected to her being his girlfriend. Having a girl as a best friend was fine. As a girlfriend, it was gross. He still didn't see what was wrong with Josie and Thompson, but something had to be.

Teacher had gathered the class to the front of the room for her goodbye, and was giving them a boring speech about what true hard work was, and how they should be proud of Cassie and aspire to be just as hard working as her.

Cassie looked just as bored and Jason felt. Horribly.

"Well well well, so this is where you've been staying all day."

A voice came out from the entrance of the room, and everyone turned to look at the speaker.

"Uhh, hi Uncle Jack."

Teacher had quickly put the youngest behind him while Thompson had pulled a teary eyed Josie to his side.

"It seems Bonesaw's been training without us, guys. I guess we'll have to do something about that."

"Now wait a dang minute!" Cassie, no, that couldn't be Cassie! But it was. But she couldn't be Bonesaw! One of his monsters! Mommy told him she would eat him if he didn't do his homework! She couldn't be Bonesaw, she was Cassie.

"Shatterbird, cut the lights, and Cherish, cut their lights."

Everything shattered, he felt pain, and then his vision turned black.

He was walking towards a light.

Was he dead?

Mommy said when they died daddy would be waiting for them, but all he saw was this… campfire.

He'd never been camping before.

He noticed some people sitting around the fire, one glowing green, one metal, one all bandaged up, and one playing the guitar.

He didn't recognize the song, but it was nice to his ears. Calming.

The fire sparked and his attention was drawn to it.

His eyes followed the spark as it drifted skyward, and then he saw the stars. They were dancing, and he began to glow.

Then all faded to black again.

He awoke, and immediately noticed something was wrong.

He felt… different. And then he opened his eyes.

"Is this why we stopped by the chicken farm Bonesaw? I have to say, I'm very impressed."

"Yep!" It was Cassie, but not Cassie "I had a tough time merging their DNA, but I love the way his wings turned out."

"Yes, fusing his arms and wings together, yet restraining the strength needed to fly, as well as giving him the beak. Very well done." Jason saw Jack Slash pat Cassie, no, Bonesaw, on the head. "But why this one? Did he tease you in class?"

"Umm yep! While the others let him! It was terrible!"

"Well then I see it was better to humiliate this one than to kill him like the rest of the town." The town…

"Yep, he really deserved it!" Bonesaw cheered out

Why would she leave him alive? And, what did she say? Fuse him with a chicken?

"Do you want to make some final edits? Or leave him be to regret his actions?" Jack asked Bonesaw

"Well he doesn't have control of his muscles yet, so I think leaving him here on the operating table will be fine! Oh, and Jack! Do you want to sign the 'get better soon' card I got him? I already got Siberian, Shatterbird, and Cherish to sign it, but Mannequin and Crawler didn't want to." She leaned in close to Jack with her next words "I didn't ask Burnscar because I think she'd want to burn it."

"Sure, let me talk to the kid first though."

"Ok!" Bonesaw replied as Jason felt her hopping off.

"Well kid," Jason knew he was grinning at him "I know we enjoyed our visit to your town a little too much, but I hoped to give you a goal before we left."

Jack leaned over Jason's body into his vision and looked into his eyes.

"I know you triggered back there kid, we all felt it, and whether you wanted us to know or not, there's something I've got to tell you." He lost his grin as he spoke his next words.

"If you want revenge for killing your town and mom," They killed mom? I'm… I'm going to…

"Ohohoh, there's the rage. Well, as I was saying, you're going to want to do some real training before you catch up, as we'll be waiting for you. I don't know what you got in the power lottery kid, but you're gonna have to make the best of it if you want to get back at us."

He'd have to. He'd do what no one had done before. He train and train and train…

"Well kid, here's your card, and I really do hope you get better, as I can't wait to see what you become."

Jack placed a card on his chest, and turned to walk away, stopping before leaving the room.

"And be sure to close the door on your way out, won't you kid?"

And then he was gone.

Home, he had to get home.

His sword was home, and maybe they lied about mom? She had to be alive, he needed her help!

But when Jason rounded the corner and saw his house, he knew she was gone. Just like daddy.

Where his house had once stood, a crater now existed. And in the center…

His mother.

With his sword in her chest.

He stumbled down the crater's wall as he approached his mother's corpse, and began to cry.

Taking his sword out had been the hardest thing he'd ever done, and her body physically deflating caused him to vomit. The sheath was placed next to her body, and when he picked it up, something fell out of it.

A note

'My name isn't Cassie, its Riley.'

'I'm sorry.'

He wanted more time with her, back when she was Cassie, back when they were friends.

He needed time to think about this, to mourn, to train, to cry.

He needed time.

And then he felt the world around him slow, but not his thoughts.

.

.

.

Was this his power? Jack Slash had said he'd triggered, and Cassie had said something about people getting powers from trigger events, so he could get time to think?

Then he noticed he could walk around just fine, but couldn't move his hands as quickly. He saw a bird slowly flapping in the sky, and grew even more confused. It was slow, and then it wasn't. It had passed his neighbor's… his dead neighbor's old house down the street, and then it sped up again. He slowed time in a large area?

He had time to think now.

Time to train.

Time to cry.

Time to think.

Time to plan.