Syndicate

Jasper Hart had always been ordinary—or so he thought. A senior in high school, just 18 years old, he blended in like wallpaper. His life was unremarkable—wake up, go to class, work part-time, and go home to his tiny room in a shared apartment in New York City, which he rented after aging out of the orphanage. It wasn't much, but it was his—a place where he could escape the world and pretend that his past didn't haunt him. He'd learned to bury his emotions long ago; nothing could touch him.

Until today.

It started out like any other day, except that his senior class was on a field trip to one of the city's most famous landmarks—the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was supposed to be an easy, laid-back day, an excuse to skip a few hours of school and wander through galleries full of ancient sculptures, paintings, and relics.

Jasper wasn't particularly excited about it, but his best friend, Zach, had managed to talk him into going.

"Come on, man, it'll be fun! Plus, it's better than calculus," Zach had laughed that morning as they boarded the bus. Jasper had rolled his eyes but agreed. Zach always knew how to make things less terrible.

"Fine, fine," Jasper had muttered, stowing his backpack under his seat. "But if this ends up being as boring as the last trip, you owe me lunch for a week."

Zach chuckled, adjusting his snapback cap as he flopped down next to Jasper. "Deal. And you know I'm good for it. Besides, you need some culture, man. You can't keep hiding in that apartment of yours, playing video games and eating instant ramen."

Jasper shot him a sideways glance. "Hey, don't knock the ramen. It's a classic."

"Yeah, but you eat it every day," Zach shot back, nudging him with an elbow. "Come on, you need more than noodles and 'Call of Duty' to survive."

Jasper smirked but stayed silent, staring out the window as the bus wove through the crowded streets of Manhattan. It wasn't that he didn't want to go out and do things—it was more that, most of the time, he didn't see the point. His life was ordinary, just like him. Zach was one of the few people who could drag him out of his shell, who made things seem a little more exciting than they really were.

"So," Zach continued, leaning in conspiratorially. "I was thinking... After the museum, we hit up that pizza place on 14th? The one with the massive slices?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were buying lunch for a week if this trip sucks?"

"Pfft," Zach waved him off. "Like it's actually gonna suck. But even if it does, I'll still buy you pizza. Consider it an early apology."

Jasper chuckled, feeling the tension in his chest ease for the first time that morning. Zach had that effect on people—he could lighten any mood, make any situation feel less daunting.

They talked about nonsense for most of the ride, everything from video games to Zach's never-ending crush on one of the girls in their class, Emily. Jasper teased him about his inability to just ask her out, and Zach responded with a string of terrible jokes that only made Jasper laugh harder.

By the time they pulled up to the museum, Jasper had almost forgotten why he was so anxious in the first place.

"Alright," Zach said, jumping out of his seat as the bus came to a stop. "Get ready to be dazzled by ancient artifacts and weird paintings. This is gonna be epic."

"Epic, huh?" Jasper rolled his eyes, following him off the bus. "I'll believe it when I see it."

They made their way through the entrance, Zach bouncing with energy as they joined the rest of the class in the main hall. The museum was as grand as ever, the high ceilings and marble floors echoing with the sound of footsteps and hushed voices. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting patterns on the floor as they moved toward the first exhibit.

"You're gonna love the ancient weapons exhibit," Zach grinned, nudging Jasper. "Swords, armor, all that medieval stuff you're into."

"Finally, something interesting," Jasper said, his spirits lifting a little. "Maybe this trip won't be a total bust."

"I told you, man! Stick with me, I got you covered." Zach gave him a wink and made his way toward the exhibit, gesturing for Jasper to follow.

The museum was packed with people—students, tourists, families—all moving from exhibit to exhibit. Jasper and Zach stood by the Greek and Roman statues, joking about which of the marble figures was the "coolest" gladiator when a low rumble shook the floor.

"What the—?"

The lights flickered, and another rumble followed, louder this time, like thunder rolling across the sky. People around them stopped, looking confused, but no one seemed to know what was happening. Then the screams started.

Suddenly, the building shook violently, and pieces of the ceiling started crumbling, raining down like stones from the sky. Zach grabbed Jasper's arm, pulling him toward the nearest wall as chaos erupted around them. The museum was collapsing, and panic spread like wildfire. People screamed, running in all directions as the ground cracked and debris began to fall.

"What's happening?!" Zach shouted, his voice barely audible over the noise.

Jasper's eyes darted to the windows, where flashes of light, explosions, and energy beams illuminated the sky. Outside, high above the city, H.O.P.E. heroes were locked in a battle with a towering villain—a massive figure made of molten rock and flames, tearing through buildings with reckless abandon. The heroes were launching massive blasts of energy, sending shockwaves that rippled through the city, but they didn't care about the collateral damage.

The museum was directly in their path.

"We need to get out of here!" Jasper yelled, pulling Zach with him as the crowd surged toward the exits. But it was too late. The ceiling groaned, a horrible sound, like metal being twisted and torn apart. A huge chunk of it broke loose, crashing down toward the floor.

Zach saw it before Jasper did.

"Look out!" Zach shoved Jasper to the side, but the falling debris was too fast. Jasper hit the ground hard, rolling onto his back just in time to see the massive stone slab collapse over Zach.

There was no time for him to scream. Zach's body disappeared beneath the crushing weight.

Jasper's heart stopped.

"No, no, no!" He scrambled forward, hands shaking as he tried to pull at the rubble, but it was too heavy. Far too heavy. His hands dug into the dust and stone, but Zach wasn't moving.

Around him, people ran, screaming, injured, but none of it mattered. None of them mattered. All Jasper could see was the blood pooling from beneath the debris, mixing with the dust on the floor.

Zach is dead.

His best friend. The only person who had ever really been there for him. Gone.

Everything blurred. His vision, his thoughts, his emotions—it all became a fog of terror, rage, and despair. The noise of the collapsing museum faded into the background, replaced by the sound of his heartbeat thudding in his ears, louder and louder.

Why didn't they care?

Why weren't the heroes protecting people?

Why was it always like this?

He couldn't think straight. The grief ripped through him like claws, shredding his mind. The panic, the horror of watching his friend die right in front of him, broke something inside him.

And then... the heat came.

At first, it was a faint warmth under his skin, something he barely noticed. But within seconds, it intensified, spreading like wildfire through his veins, a burning heat that made his body tremble. His hands, still grasping at the rubble, started to glow—red energy crackling at his fingertips. He pulled back, staring at them in horror.

What is this?

The ground beneath him began to sizzle, smoke rising where his hands had touched the stone. The heat surged, and his skin felt like it was on fire. The intensity of it made him gasp, made his heart pound faster. He couldn't control it. Couldn't stop it. The energy was pouring out of him, threatening to consume him.

No, no, not now—

But it was too late.

The power exploded outward in a blinding flash of red light, sending shockwaves through the museum. Jasper was lifted off the ground, hovering, his body glowing with the same fiery red energy that had been building inside him for days. The world around him seemed to freeze, the destruction, the chaos, the screams—all drowned out by the roaring power surging through his body.

He felt it coursing through him, raw and unfiltered—energy that made his muscles swell with strength, his senses sharpen, his skin crackle with light. He was stronger than he had ever been, faster, alive with power. He could feel it pulsing through every inch of his being, demanding to be released.

But with that power came fear.

Jasper struggled to contain it, his mind reeling as he floated above the wreckage. He clenched his fists, the red energy swirling around him like a storm, growing more intense by the second. The building trembled beneath him, debris rattling, walls cracking. He had no idea what he was doing, no idea how to stop it.

The flashes of light from the battle outside caught his eye. The heroes from H.O.P.E.—the people who were supposed to protect them—were still fighting, still sending blasts of energy without a care for the destruction they were causing.

They had killed Zach. They had destroyed everything. And they didn't even notice.

Jasper's heart twisted with rage.

The red energy around him flared, brighter and hotter, and before he could stop himself, a blast shot from his hands, a beam of red light tearing through the air and crashing into a nearby column. The structure crumbled instantly, stone and dust filling the space.

He had done that.

His mind raced, trying to make sense of the impossible. But there was no time. The ceiling above him began to give way, and Jasper, still hovering, still pulsing with power, shot upward. Without thinking, he flew—soaring through the hole he had created in the ceiling, out into the open air. His body moved faster than his thoughts, streaking through the sky like a comet, the red energy leaving a blazing trail behind him.

The fight continued above the city, but Jasper didn't care. He just flew, his mind spinning, his heart breaking. He was a danger to everyone around him. And the people he had once looked up to, the so-called heroes, were the ones responsible for it all.

The wind whipped past him, the city below becoming nothing more than a blur of lights and shadows. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't care. All that mattered was getting away.

Away from the destruction.

Away from the pain.

Away from the power that was now a part of him.

Jasper didn't stop flying until he reached the outskirts of the city, collapsing in a crumbling warehouse. His entire body shook with the aftershock of the power still simmering inside him. His clothes were singed, his skin hot to the touch, but the energy was finally beginning to fade, leaving him gasping for breath on the cold concrete floor.

He had no idea what had just happened to him. No idea what he had become.

But there was one thing he did know.

His world would never be the same again.

Thank you so much for checking out "Syndicate"! I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your thoughts and opinions mean a lot to me, so feel free to share your feedback. Whether it's a comment, critique, or just a quick note to say hi, I'd love to hear from you! Thanks again for your support and happy reading!