Syndicate

A couple of weeks had passed since the chaotic events in New Haven, and Jasper found himself standing in front of his high school once again, hesitating before stepping through the doors. The familiar building felt different now—almost like a relic of a life that no longer fit him. After everything that had happened, after the museum and discovering his powers, Jasper had questioned whether he should even bother coming back at all. But here he was, trying to cling to some semblance of normalcy in a world that had been turned upside down.

The day started like any other. The chatter of students filled the hallways, friends caught up on the latest gossip, and teachers tried to wrangle their classes into something resembling focus. It was jarring, really—how quickly everyone had moved on from the tragedy at the museum. People had died, some of them classmates and teachers, but the world kept spinning. In this superhuman society, death and destruction had almost become part of the background noise, something people had learned to live with. Collateral damage, they called it. Just another day in a world filled with superpowered people.

Jasper walked through the hallways, blending in as he always had. No one knew about his powers. No one suspected that he was different now. And maybe that was what he wanted—for things to stay as normal as they could, even if deep down, he knew that was impossible. He didn't wear a mask, didn't cover his face during the missions he had gone on with the Syndicate. But so far, luck had been on his side. No one at school had connected the dots, and none of the missions had taken place anywhere that would expose him.

As the day went on, Jasper found himself having small, awkward conversations with classmates and teachers, most of them touching on the loss they had experienced. There was a brief exchange with Mr. Holloway, his history teacher, who mentioned a student they had lost in the museum collapse. It felt surreal to talk about it so casually, but that's what everyone was doing. Moving on, pretending things were back to normal.

"I know it's been tough for everyone, Jasper," Mr. Holloway had said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "But we have to keep moving forward, right?"

Jasper had just nodded, offering a weak smile before excusing himself. The rest of the day passed in a similar blur—hollow words, empty condolences, and the strange, suffocating feeling that no one truly cared anymore. They had all moved on. He was the only one still stuck in the wreckage.

When the final bell rang, releasing the students for the day, Jasper found himself walking out of the school with his hands in his pockets, his mind racing. The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the campus as he made his way toward the street. His thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and doubt.

Why was he even here? What was the point of finishing school when his life had already changed so drastically? Was he really going to just keep going through the motions—graduating, going to college—while knowing he had these powers? Knowing that the world was so much bigger, more dangerous, and more complicated than he had ever realized?

As he walked, Jasper kept his head down, his mind spinning with questions that had no easy answers. He thought about the Syndicate, about Cipher and the missions they had been on. They had recruited him, told him he had a role to play, but now he wasn't so sure. Was this really the path he wanted to go down? Was he supposed to become like them, operating in the shadows, dealing with powers and dangers that regular people couldn't even begin to understand?

And what about Perseus? The boy was still on his mind, lingering there like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit. Why had both the Syndicate and N.E.M.E.S.I.S. gone after him? What made him so important?

Jasper stopped walking for a moment, standing at the edge of the school's parking lot, staring out into the distance. He could hear the faint sounds of cars and voices, the city going on as it always did. But something about it felt...distant, like it wasn't his world anymore. He wasn't just Jasper Hart, the senior in high school. He was Solaris, a superhuman with powers he barely understood, caught between forces that were far bigger than anything he could have imagined.

Was this really his future?

For a brief moment, he considered quitting. Just walking away from school, from the Syndicate, from everything. But then what? Was he going to live in hiding? Was he going to try to pretend this wasn't happening? Deep down, he knew that wasn't an option. The world had changed for him, and there was no going back.

A group of students walked past him, laughing and joking about something trivial, their lives seemingly untouched by the chaos that had consumed his. Jasper clenched his fists in his pockets, feeling the familiar warmth of his powers simmering just beneath the surface.

No. He wasn't normal anymore. He couldn't pretend like he was.

He glanced up at the sky, watching the last traces of daylight disappear over the horizon. Maybe it was time to stop pretending. Maybe it was time to start asking the questions he had been too afraid to ask. About his powers. About his place in all of this.

As Jasper walked back to his apartment, his mind was still swirling with the thoughts that had plagued him all day—questions about his powers, his future, and whether or not he could ever return to the normal life he once knew. The streets of the city were busy as always, the hum of traffic and the murmur of conversations filling the air. He barely paid attention to any of it, his focus lost in his own head.

That was until he heard the screech of tires and the unmistakable sound of metal being torn apart.

Jasper stopped in his tracks, his eyes snapping toward the source of the noise. A commotion was unfolding just ahead of him. A crowd had gathered on the sidewalks, some people pulling out their phones to record while others scrambled to get away from the chaos. In the middle of the street, an armored truck lay half-destroyed, its back doors ripped clean off, exposing the piles of cash inside.

But it wasn't just the wreckage of the truck that caught Jasper's attention. Standing over the smoking vehicle was a figure dressed in a mechanical, steampunk-inspired suit of armor. The villain's gear whirred and clanked as he moved, the brass and copper tones of his suit gleaming in the afternoon light. His arms were fitted with bulky, steam-powered gauntlets, and a rotating gear mechanism sat on his chest, emitting a faint glow of energy.

Gearmaster.

Jasper recognized the villain from the news. Gearmaster wasn't exactly one of the top-tier threats like the villains H.O.P.E. often dealt with, but he had a reputation for robbing banks, armored trucks, and anything else with high financial stakes. He was known for his mechanical genius, crafting powerful suits and weapons that gave him an edge in combat, even without superhuman abilities.

Gearmaster was busy tearing into the piles of money in the armored truck, the mechanical arms on his suit effortlessly ripping through the steel like it was paper. He tossed the bags of cash into a makeshift cart attached to his armor, paying no mind to the panicked civilians around him. It was just another day in the city—a villain on the loose, causing havoc in broad daylight.

Jasper stood frozen for a moment, his brain automatically registering the situation like he had done countless times before.

Oh, I wonder who's gonna show up and save the day today?

But then, reality hit him like a brick.

No hero was coming.

There wasn't going to be some last-minute rescue from one of the city's iconic heroes. There was no Aegis, no Gyrfalcon, no Gumdrop and no H.O.P.E. forces on the way. The police hadn't even arrived yet. It was just civilians watching from a distance, hoping the situation would resolve itself before things got worse.

And then it hit him even harder.

I'm a supe now.

His heart raced as the realization sank in. He wasn't just a bystander anymore. He had powers—strength, flight, the ability to blast energy from his body like a living sun. He wasn't a civilian anymore, and maybe... just maybe... this was the moment he was supposed to act.

Jasper took a deep breath, the warmth of his energy beginning to stir in his chest. His body felt light, the power he had been struggling to control now humming beneath the surface, waiting to be released.

Am I really going to do this?

His hands flexed at his sides, and for a moment, doubt clouded his thoughts. What if he messed up? What if he caused more damage than Gearmaster? What if—

No. Stop. This is what you are now.

He couldn't just stand there. He had to do something.

Without thinking any further, Jasper stepped forward, pushing through the small crowd that had gathered. He could feel the heat building in his chest, his energy sparking to life as he focused on Gearmaster.

The villain hadn't noticed him yet, too focused on his heist. Jasper's heart pounded as he tried to steady his breathing. He didn't have his Syndicate gear, no backup, no plan. It was just him.

Alright, let's see if this works...

Jasper pulled up the hood of his red hoodie, his heart still racing. He wasn't wearing a suit, nothing fancy like the other heroes he had seen on the news. Just a hoodie and some shades he quickly threw on to hide his face—partly out of nerves and partly because he wasn't sure he wanted to be fully recognized on his first solo "hero" moment.

Jasper's feet lifted off the ground as he willed himself into the air, hovering a few feet above the street. The familiar warmth surged through his body, his fists glowing faintly with energy as he hovered above the wreckage of the truck.

"Hey!" Jasper's voice rang out, a little shakier than he intended.

Gearmaster turned, his eyes locking onto Jasper. For a moment, there was silence as the villain sized him up, clearly not recognizing him.

"Who the hell are you?" Gearmaster growled, his mechanical voice distorted through his helmet.

Jasper took a deep breath. "Doesn't matter. I'm here to stop you."

Gearmaster let out a harsh, metallic laugh, the gears on his suit whirring as he took a step forward. "Oh, you think you're gonna play hero, huh? Cute. But you're about to find out the hard way why that's a bad idea, kid."

Jasper's fists clenched, his energy flaring brighter now. He was nervous, his heart pounding in his chest, but he had come too far to back down now. He wasn't just some bystander anymore. He was Solaris.

And today, he was going to stop Gearmaster.

His mind raced, but his body moved on instinct. The power surging through his veins was becoming second nature, humming beneath his skin, ready to be unleashed. He didn't have time to overthink it. Gearmaster was still mocking him, but that confidence would be short-lived.

"You're really gonna try to stop me? In that?" Gearmaster scoffed, adjusting the mechanical gauntlets on his suit as he started to advance. "You're out of your league, kid."

Jasper's fingers twitched with anticipation. He felt the warmth of his energy building in his chest, and before Gearmaster could take another step, Jasper made his move.

In a blink of an eye, Jasper closed the distance between them. Gearmaster's eyes widened in shock as Jasper appeared right in front of him, faster than he could react. Without hesitation, Jasper's fist shot upward in a powerful uppercut, his strength amplified by the red energy that coursed through him.

The impact was brutal. The metallic clang of Jasper's fist meeting Gearmaster's jaw echoed through the street as the villain's massive form was launched into the air. Gearmaster's body jerked violently, his mechanical suit sparking as he was sent flying, his limbs flailing helplessly as he ascended.

The crowd gasped, a mix of fear and awe rippling through the onlookers.

Jasper didn't waste a second. As Gearmaster soared upward, Jasper leaped into the sky, flying after him with ease. The wind rushed past him, and within moments, he was above Gearmaster, his hands glowing with the red energy that had become his signature.

With a determined look in his eyes, Jasper clasped his hands together, his muscles tensing as he prepared to strike. He brought his fists down in a hammering motion, slamming them into Gearmaster's chest.

The force of the blow sent Gearmaster hurtling back toward the ground, his body spinning uncontrollably as he crashed into the pavement with a deafening thud. The street shook from the impact, cracks spider-webbing outward from the point of contact. Dust and debris exploded into the air as Gearmaster's mechanical suit screeched and sparked, clearly damaged from the sheer force of the attack.

Jasper hovered in the air above, breathing heavily but feeling a surge of confidence. He hadn't expected it to go that well. In fact, part of him had thought he'd freeze up, but his body just knew what to do. The power, the speed—it all came so naturally.

For a brief moment, the street was silent. The crowd that had gathered was stunned, unsure of what to make of the scene. They had just witnessed something extraordinary—some random guy in a hoodie taking down a villain in seconds.

But Jasper wasn't done yet.

He landed back on the street, the soles of his sneakers touching the cracked pavement as he approached the smoking crater where Gearmaster lay. The villain groaned, his suit sparking and malfunctioning as he tried to move.

Jasper stood over Gearmaster's smoking form, thinking the fight was over. The crowd around him started to murmur in awe, some even clapping, but he didn't let himself relax just yet. His suspicions were confirmed when Gearmaster's suit began to whirr and hiss, the gears inside it shifting and rotating with renewed energy. Sparks flew from the damaged joints, but they weren't signs of destruction—they were signs of repair. The mechanical components began to realign, the cracks sealing themselves as Gearmaster's systems rebooted. Jasper's eyes widened as one of the villain's gauntlets transformed, the metal shifting and folding in on itself until it resembled a cannon. A low hum filled the air as the weapon charged with bright, crackling energy.

Before Jasper could react, Gearmaster aimed the cannon directly at him and fired.

The blast hit Jasper square in the chest, sending a searing jolt through his body. The force knocked him back a few feet, but to his surprise, it didn't hurt as much as he expected. The blast burned bits of his hoodie and singed his skin, but his natural durability absorbed most of the impact. Still, it caught him off guard, and he stumbled backward, regaining his footing just as Gearmaster fired again.

This time, Jasper was ready.

He dodged to the side, the blast barely missing him and scorching the pavement instead. Another shot came his way, and he deflected it with a quick swipe of his arm, redirecting the energy into the street. The blasts kept coming, Gearmaster's cannon firing at rapid intervals, but Jasper moved with precision, dodging and deflecting with each burst of energy.

His heart pounded as he realized he couldn't just keep dodging forever. Gearmaster was still dangerous, and Jasper had underestimated him.

It's time to end this!

Jasper shot into the air, his body moving with the speed and grace he was starting to get used to. He charged toward Gearmaster, fist glowing with red-hot energy, preparing to deliver a powerful right hook. But Gearmaster wasn't done yet. His other arm shifted, transforming into a massive mechanical fist, and with a cold, calculated precision, he swung it toward Jasper.

Gearmaster's timing was perfect.

The massive fist collided with Jasper's face, the impact sending him flying across the street. Jasper's body smashed through the front of a convenience store, glass shattering and shelves collapsing around him. He hit the ground hard, his ears ringing from the blow. Dust and debris filled the air as he groaned, pushing himself up slowly.

Damn, I really underestimated him...

Jasper wiped the blood from his lip and stood up, shaking the disorientation from his head. He had forgotten that Gearmaster wasn't just some throwaway villain. Sure, he got put back in jail all the time, but he also broke out just as often, always upgrading, always coming back stronger. If Jasper wanted to take him down for real, he'd have to take this more seriously.

His fists clenched, the red energy around him flaring brighter. No more holding back.

Jasper shot back into the sky, aiming straight for Gearmaster. This time, he was focused. He watched as Gearmaster raised his cannon again, preparing to fire. Jasper's eyes narrowed, waiting for the right moment.

As soon as Gearmaster launched another energy blast, Jasper deflected it back toward him with a swift punch. The blast hit Gearmaster square in the chest, knocking him off balance and sending a cloud of smoke into the air. Jasper didn't wait for the dust to settle—he flew forward, using the distraction to close the distance between them.

With a burst of speed, Jasper grabbed Gearmaster's mechanical arms, his hands glowing with intense red heat. The metal hissed and sizzled as Jasper's energy surged through his palms, melting the mechanical joints and rendering the gauntlets useless.

Gearmaster roared in frustration, trying to pull free, but it was too late. Jasper's grip tightened, his energy burning through the mechanisms. The gears inside whined and screeched as they melted away, sparks flying from the exposed circuitry.

"Looks like your tech's not so tough after all," Jasper muttered, his voice steady as he focused on disabling the gauntlets.

With a final surge of energy, Jasper yanked the mechanical arms free, leaving Gearmaster's suit defenseless. Before the villain could react, Jasper planted his foot firmly into Gearmaster's chest with a powerful front kick. The force of the blow sent Gearmaster flying backward, his body crashing through the remains of his suit and slamming into a parked car on the other side of the street.

Gearmaster's body crumpled against the car, unconscious and limp, his armor shattered and smoking.

The crowd that had gathered erupted into cheers, their phones raised as they recorded the entire scene. Jasper stood over the wreckage, breathing heavily but victorious. His fists were still glowing, but he allowed the energy to fade as the adrenaline began to subside. He had done it.

For a moment, he looked down at the wrecked villain, the armored truck still half-destroyed, and the chaos that had erupted in the middle of the street. This was the life he had stepped into. He had to take this seriously now.

Jasper pulled his hood lower and glanced around at the crowd. He didn't stick around for the praise or the questions. Without a word, he shot back into the sky, disappearing into the clouds before anyone could get a good look at him.

He may have just made his debut, but there was still a lot for him to figure out.