DC: Zoom

The sound of sirens echoed through the campus as police officers combed the scene. What was left of the body barely resembled a person anymore. The victim, a star basketball player, had scouts lining up to offer him scholarships—a future full of promise, now reduced to nothing.

Jason didn't care.

His focus was elsewhere—on another kid. Johnson Walker. Tall for his age, talented on the court, and now the prime suspect. Jason wanted to go look for him, but he had other plans. Johnson is just fifteen, he had nowhere else to go, so he'll choose to stay near home.

That reminds me—my birthday's coming up.

The campus buzzed with tension, the once-casual questioning turning into a full-scale hunt for Johnson. Officers moved with urgency, their radios crackling with updates as students whispered among themselves, the weight of the situation sinking in.

Kara exhaled sharply, clenching her fists. "I have the power to help… so why didn't I?" she whispered, her voice heavy with guilt.

Jason, hands stuffed in his pockets, glanced at her but didn't catch the words. "You want me to walk you home?" he asked, his tone casual.

She waved him off. "Nah, I'm good. My dad's picking me up." Her gaze flicked to him. "Do you need a ride?"

Jason smirked, already turning away. "I'll walk."

She nodded, and soon her dad pulled up. They said their goodbyes, and Jason watched them leave before slipping into an alleyway.

In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

A streak of lightning cut through the city, and within seconds, Jason was home. He stepped inside, greeted his mom, and asked, "Where's Dad?"

"He'll be home late," she replied.

Jason nodded, relief washing over him. Good.

"Alright, I'll get ready for dinner then."

"Wait—why are you home so early?" His mother's question hung in the air, her gaze curious.

Jason didn't answer. He was already halfway up the stairs, moving with the quiet precision of someone who'd done this before. His dad's office door creaked as he slipped inside. The glow of the monitor bathed the room in pale light as he dropped into the chair, fingers flying across the keyboard.

"C'mon, Dad. You should really pick a better password than Mom's birthday."

A few keystrokes later—he was in. Files flickered open, lines of data scrolling across the screen. Most of it was the usual corporate junk. Useless. Until—

He froze, staring at the screen.

A list of terminated employees blinked back at him.

And there it was.

Andrés Rojas.

Fired for the failure of the particle accelerator.

Jason scrolled, eyes narrowing as more details unfolded.

His address sat below in neat, unassuming text. Jason leaned back, a slow smirk tugging at his lips.

"He lives outside the city?" He tapped the screen, memorizing the location. "Guess I'm taking a trip."

By the time the house was silent, Jason was already moving. He slipped out the door, the night air cool against his skin. Then—electricity surged.

The world blurred. He wove through traffic, streaking past startled pedestrians and rattling parked bikes in his wake. Horns blared. Shouts followed. He barely noticed.

Then—he was there.

The sudden stop sent a heatwave rippling over his body, and the acrid scent of burning fabric reached his nose.

"Oh, come on." He swatted at his hoodie, smothering the tiny flames before sighing. "Gotta fix that."

Shoving the thought aside, he turned to the door. This was either going to be a stroke of genius or the dumbest thing he'd ever done.

He knocked. Once. Twice.

A shuffling noise. Then—"The hell? Who is it?"

The door swung open, revealing a man in the dim light. His light brown skin had a heavier sheen than in the old photos, his once-sharp features softened by time. His eyes flickered with wariness, scanning Jason with suspicion.

He didn't move. "What do you want, kid?"

Jason didn't flinch. "Hey, can I come in?"

Before the man could respond, Jason slipped inside as though he already owned the place.

The room was chaotic. Fast food bags, empty cups, and a mess of discarded clothes scattered across the floor. But Jason's gaze locked onto the stairs leading up, where a cluttered desk stood, surrounded by an array of monitors—all flashing with activity.

"Hey, kid!" the man barked, his voice gruff. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I'm calling the cops if you don't get out."

Jason's lips curled into a smirk. Unfazed, he raised an eyebrow. "Before you do that, how about making some money?" His silver eyes gleamed in the dim light, the offer hanging in the air.

Andrés frowned, peering around for anyone else. "Is this some kind of prank?" He stepped to the door and scanned the street, half-expecting a camera crew or a group of kids to jump out laughing.

But when he turned back, Jason was already in motion—a blur.

A surge of electricity crackled through the room, and in an instant, Jason zipped around, scooping up trash, tossing out food containers, stacking the mess into some semblance of order. He moved so fast that the chaos seemed to melt into neatness before Andrés could blink.

Jason stopped right in front of him, face inches away.

"Now do I have your attention?"

Andrés stared, wide-eyed. "Oh my god—you're a meta!" His voice cracked with excitement.

Jason crossed his arms, leaning in with an air of calm authority. "Indeed I am. And I know everything about what happened to you."

Andrés' excitement wavered. "What are you talking about?"

Jason took a step forward, his voice dropping low. "You were fired, weren't you? They blamed you for the particle accelerator's failure. Harrison Wells threw you under the bus, stole your work… and left you with nothing. Sounds pretty messed up, don't you think?"

Andrés balled his fists, the anger flaring in his eyes. "That bastard!" He paced, voice rising with each word. "I warned him! I told him it was too risky—but he didn't listen. He just kept pushing forward."

Jason let him vent, then approached with a more measured tone. "What if I told you I could offer you a chance at redemption? A real opportunity."

Andrés stopped mid-pace, skeptical. "You? You're just a kid. What could you possibly offer me?"

Jason's smirk deepened. "Power."

Andrés' brow furrowed in confusion, but Jason pressed on.

"I can run faster than you can imagine. Faster than anything you've ever seen. And that's just the start. My powers are growing stronger every day. I think it's tied to my age—there are limits now, but they won't last forever." He took a step closer, his voice quiet but intense. "With my abilities and your knowledge, we could build something greater. Something far beyond what either of us could do alone."

Andrés hesitated for only a moment before exhaling sharply. "You know what, kid? Count me in. I don't know why I'm trusting you, but my gut is telling me yes."

He extended his hand, and Jason grinned, clasping it in a firm shake. Step one: complete.

"Also," Jason added, pulling back, "I need a suit that won't catch fire when I run."

Andrés smirked, already heading toward his cluttered desk. "That? Easy. I can build a custom one—there are plenty of underground markets for that kind of thing." He tapped at his keyboard, screens lighting up with encrypted searches. "But that kind of tech? Not cheap. You got the money?"

Jason leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Well… do you know how to launder money?"

Andrés shot him a look. "So, cash. Got it. And judging by how you're talking, I take it you're… resourceful for your age."

Jason smirked. "Let's just say I know how to get what I need."

He pushed off the wall and took a step closer. "But here's the thing—we need real funding, and instead of running around stealing small change, I say we sell something toxic."

Andrés' brow furrowed. "Wait. You want to sell drugs?"

Jason shrugged. "Yep. And we use the money to invest in your new company."

"Mine?"

"Yes. Think about it—I'm a kid. I can't exactly be the face of an empire. You?" Jason gestured at him. "You're the perfect cover. You'll be the legitimate front of the business, and I'll just be the investor pulling the strings from the shadows."

Andrés stared at him for a long moment before a slow, knowing grin spread across his face. "Damn, kid… you really are something else."