"New Roomate"
———
"What the fuck is going on?"
Jason had calmed a bit, though panic still rattled his mind. No matter how hard he attempted it, he just couldn't wrap his head around the current situation.
"Damn it...How the hell do I get this off?"
He returned to pulling at the black sludge, but that still garnered no results.
Jason paused, the voice was back.
"Where the hell ar-?"
"Jay? You alright in there? I heard you screaming."
His uncle Max was knocking on the door, and immediately his stress worsened. Jason rushed to the door and was moments away from pulling it open when he had a thought.
'I can't let him see me like this! He'll think I'm some kind of monster! I gotta get it off.'
He instead pressed against the door and answered his uncle without exiting.
"Um, yeah! I'm fine! Just had a bad dream."
That was a criminal understatement.
"You sure bud?"
"Yeah! I'm totally fine! I'll be out in a few!"
His uncle paused for a moment. Jason could tell that the man was getting worried but he knew better than to open the door.
"Alright kiddo. I'm gonna go make some breakfast."
The boy listened closely for his uncle's footsteps to grow softer, before he finally released a loud sigh and slid down to the ground. The entire situation was far too stressful. The weird dream, his freaky appearance, the voice in his head. It was all too much.
Jason perked up.
"...Are you real?"
"...What the hell am I doing? I'm going crazy..."
The voice called him 'host' again. That only brought Jason more confusion however. If this was not a figment of his imagination—mere hallucinations—then what was it? What was this black slime stuck to his body? What was this voice in his head?
"I need to get this off...now."
"We will!"
He escalated from simply pulling at the black mass to clawing at his body, hoping to tear it off.
He ignored the voice, and continued tearing away, however he made no progress.
"Come! The fuck! Off!"
To Jason's shock and fear, the slime decided to fight back against him. It shifted and morphed under his grip, and horrifically shaped itself into a plethora of long tentacles which appeared to grow out of Jason's stomach. The tentacles wrapped around his body, holding him in place and preventing him from struggling any further.
Jason had no choice but to begrudgingly follow its instructions. With a horrified expression he watched as the black slime continued to shift around his body and the voice spoke up again.
Jason held back his frustration and fear, and reluctantly nodded his head. The voice went quiet, but to his surprise and great satisfaction the slime seemed to seep into his body before it vanished completely. He walked back over to the mirror and gazed at his reflection—immediately a large smile spread across his face. No longer stood the large black silhouette, instead Jason Reeves had returned. Weird, awkward, skinny and average height Jason was back. Though for once that made him happy.
"Jay! I'm heading out! I left breakfast on the table!"
His uncle brought him back to reality and forced the boy to stop marveling at his own features. With haste he darted out of his bedroom, but the man had already walked out the door. Seeing that, Jason sighed and walked over to the dining table, taking notice of a wrapped up plate of toast and eggs.
"I probably worried him..."
He took a seat, unwrapping the plate and taking up a piece of toast. He took a bite, and sighed loudly.
"Who am I kidding...? I worried myself..."
As the boy continued to eat, he began examining his arm, looking it up and down as if he was expecting it to change in appearance. He couldn't be quite sure what was happening to him. In fact he was quite scared about it, but the fact that he looked normal at the moment brought great relief.
["The witness said they heard a commotion around 1 AM. When they looked out of their bedroom window, they saw five suspicious individuals dressed in black fleeing the building. It seems that not even a night can go by without another thef-"]
Jason scoffed as he took another bite. The news was playing, he could hear the reports all the way from the kitchen. From the sound of it, someone's apartment complex got robbed in the middle of the night. Every day it was a new crime. It was getting tiring for the boy, hearing the same reports every day.
'Atleast it wasn't another murder.'
["Things are getting too crazy out here man! Like I can't walk down the street after dark without fear for my life! I mean come on man! My kids can't walk around in their own neighborhood and feel safe!"]
It seemed like the news had taken to interviewing random citizens, and everyone had a complaint about the current state of the city.
["I think city hall needs a serious remodeling! I mean we can boast a new mayor all we want, but you can't deny that things have gotten worse nowadays. Say what you want about Fisk, but things weren't this bad even when he was mayor."]
Jason moved onto the eggs. Normally he'd change the channel but for whatever reason he didn't bother.
["You know what I think this city needs? Justice. And local law enforcement just ain't cutting it! I mean I respect the boys in blue...but things are horrible out here! We need someone like that Spider-Man guy from back in the day! If he was still around I bet this city wouldn't be so bad."]
That caught his attention. He'd heard that point of view before. Everything would be fixed if the Amazing Spider-Man was still around. Grown adults all wishing for a hero to return and save them. While it appeared a bit childish, it was also charming to see.
"The Amazing Spider-Man..."
However it was only a childish dream. The Spider-Man was gone, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. They all had to grow up and accept that there were no heroes coming to save them. Jason had accepted it a long time ago.
["Moving on to-"]
He walked over to the couch, grabbed the remote and changed the channel to something else. It flicked onto some show that Jason didn't recognize, however he didn't bother to change it again. Instead he opted to watch tv in silence, as he tried not to the think about the earlier events.
———
———
The day quickly passed by and evening rolled in. Jason had been rather unproductive, but in his opinion that was the point of the weekends. Still he couldn't deny that his mind had been occupied. Though he spent the hours silently watching television, his mind was wondering. His thoughts were clouded with a plethora of feelings. The entire ordeal was weighing heavily upon him, and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it. After what felt like hours of contemplation, he looked down at his hand, and addressed the strange creature.
"...You're still there, right?"
The voice was quieter, less invasive than before. Naturally Jason felt less panicked at its presence. Perhaps he was becoming used to his insanity.
"What are you?"
There was no verbal response, however black tendrils emerged from under his skin—this time he was less surprised. They formed a sleek second skin over his arm, like an elbow length black glove. Curiosity got the better of Jason, as he waved his arm around in awe, though there was still a hint of fear and hesitation.
"That's...kinda cool."
The voice didn't respond.
"Can you...can you do that to my whole body again?"
Immediately it spread from his arm, climbing up and down his entire form until Jason was completely covered.
"Um...take it off."
It retracted immediately, his normal appearance back. Jason released a loud sigh, dropping back down on the chair as he grabbed his forehead.
'What the hell is going on with me?'
"I need some fresh air..."
Quickly, he grabbed a black hoodie from his room, put it on and left his apartment. Initially, he had planned to go on a walk around the block, but decided it would be best at the moment to stay away from crowds or observant people. So, he instead opted to head up to his apartment building's roof where he could be alone. The trip was short, only a few flights of stairs upwards—his apartment was closer to the roof than the street. Like he assumed, the rooftop was completely vacant, exactly like he wanted. There was also a nice breeze blowing, and it provided a good view of the city. It was calming. Jason appreciated that.
He was growing a bit accustomed to the voice invading his mind, though that didn't mean he liked it. He walked to the edge of the roof, where he got a better view of the street below. Hesitantly he pulled his hand out of the hoodie pocket and sighed. Right now, his arm was normal, brown skin, nails, a normal appendage. He was hesitant to change that.
"Do it again."
Now it was coated in black slime. Jason sat in a cross legged position as he returned to examining his arm. In truth there wasn't much different besides the appearance. He couldn't even feel the slime upon his skin—there wasn't any change in temperature or sensitivity.
"Do the rest."
It stretched over his entire body and the black silhouette returned as Jason vanished. It felt...odd. Much like when it covered his arm there was no new sensations—it felt like his normal body. However there was a new feeling present. If Jason had to describe it, he'd say he felt the presence of another in his body and mind, far more strongly than before.
'It's probably the voice.'
He sounded unsure, though deep down he knew he was correct.
Jason thought for a moment.
"What do I have to accept? Does it have to do with you calling me host?"
"Excuse me?"
Jason couldn't mask his displeasure at its words. Unbeknownst to the boy however, the large angular eyes shifted, accurately conveying his expression.
"Are you like, some kind of virus? Did I get infected by you or something?"
"Then why are you calling me your host?"
'This is getting me nowhere.'
"Um, can you do the tentacles thing again?"
The voice didn't respond verbally, but instead a tentacles sprouted from Jason's back and slithered from underneath the hoodie. He was weirded out a bit when he first saw it, though now that he had a chance to marvel he wasn't as shocked. The sensation wasn't all too pleasant however.
"That's...kinda cool I guess. What else can you do?"
A moment of silence.
"...Excuse me?"
Instinctively he looked towards the edge of the rooftop which was only about a foot and a half away. Jason couldn't believe his ears—he had probably heard wrong.
"What are you talking about? I'm not jumping an-!"
He was interrupted by many tentacles bursting out of his back. They all slithered out of the hoodie and began pushing against the ground. Slowly they slid Jason across the rooftop until he was balancing on the edge.
"What the fuck are you doing?! Stop! I'm serious, stop it!"
However the tentacles didn't stop. With one final push they slid him off the edge and Jason fell off the roof. He screamed in terror as he quickly approached the ground, waving his arms around frantically hoping for something to catch him. Coincidentally his hand grabbed onto the wall of the building, and to his sheer shock and awe, it stuck. He had stopped completely—no longer was he rushing towards the concrete, instead he was stuck to the wall like an insect. Weirdly enough, his singular arm managed to hold the weight of his entire body, and Jason felt no strain whatsoever. Slightly distraught by the events, Jason quickly grabbed onto the wall with his other hand and legs, and they stuck as well.
"What the hell...?"
It gad already been a strange day, but this took the cake. Jason watched as people passed along on the street below him, while he sat stuck against a wall dozens of feet in the air. Cautiously, Jason removed his hand from the wall with a small tug, and grabbed on a few inches higher. He did the same with his other arm, then his feet and repeated the cycle. Slowly, he climbed up the side of the building until he was back to safety on the rooftop.
"Woah..."
His awe didn't last when he finally processed what just happened. Suddenly his legs felt as flimsy as noodles and he collapsed onto the cold and dirty rooftop.
"I just fell off a building..."
His heart was thumping in his chest, his body felt a bit numb.
"I just climbed up a building..."
He couldn't help the smile stretching across his face, as he marveled at his recent achievement. The entire situation felt so unreal. It was as if he was in a dream. The voice soon commented calmly:
He rolled over onto his back and looked at his body.
"I'm not gonna lie..."
He flexed his fists repeatedly and stretched his limbs. Weirdly enough he felt more in touch with his body than before—a bit stronger.
"This is pretty cool."
He stood back up, looking across the horizon and the setting sun.
"Wonder what else I can do."
Jason paused for a moment, his expression was contemplative as he looked towards the door he came through.
"Should I...experiment a little?"
A smile grew on his face, mischievous and eager. This wouldn't end well.
———
———
Jason panted as he hopped from the edge of one roof to another. The two buildings were separated by a street, so the jump was quite the feat.
"This is so cool."
He started sprinting across the rooftop, hopping from building to building. The curtain of night had fallen over the city, allowing the neon pinks and greens to reflect on Jason's glossy form. He had been at this for a while—about two hours. During that time he'd learnt a bit about his new capabilities. For one, he was far more athletic, though not in a complete sense. While he could jump great distances and sprinted far faster than normal, he still had horrible stamina and felt extremely sore after each action.
'I'm really out of shape!'
Secondly, he was sticky. Like really sticky. That is he could stick to any surface he placed himself on. He was quite impressed when he noticed that he could easily scale up and down buildings like a spider. All in all, this was a lovely experience for the boy. After all, who wouldn't want to live out the childish fantasy of running around with superhuman abilities?
"I'm really starting to hope this isn't a dream."
He crouched on the edge of a building, taking in the view of the luminescent city. He couldn't lie, it was quite beautiful. Everything seemed to glow and shine brilliantly like stars. Atleast from afar.
"GET OFF ME!"
Suddenly Jason heard a voice, someone screaming. It was close, directly below him in fact.
"STOP IT! SOMEONE HELP!"
Someone was screaming in the alleyway beneath him—they were calling for help. Immediately, without a moment of thought, Jason leaped off the building and dove into the dark alleyway. He stuck to a wall before he reached the ground, and immediately began scanning through the darkness. There he saw a man, holding a crowbar, towering over a bruised woman who was clutching a purse tightly to her chest. Jason was surprised for a moment, but then a realization struck him. The alleyway was pitch black, without a single light yet he was seeing everything with perfect clarity.
'Huh, guess I can see in the dark too. Neat.'
"Just hand it over bitch!"
The man raised the crowbar threateningly and the woman screamed in terror. Jason watched with wide eyes a few feet away, and he finally understood the severity of the situation. He knew the woman needed help—that was what drove him to dive into the alley in the first place. However, now he couldn't act without hesitation like before. The reality had hit him.
'Can...can I help her?'
Deep down he wanted to, but he was also afraid. Should he really jump out and try to protect her? He dove into the alley without thinking—as if by relfex—but now was much different. What if he got hurt? What if the guy killed him? He really wasn't certain that he could help at all. Still, deep within his core he knew what choice he had to make. He knew what he had to do. Save her.
'I can do this...'
The man was about to bring the crowbar down onto the woman, but Jason finally stepped in.
"Hey!"
He detached from the wall and walked towards the two, as they both turned to look at the new arrival.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Both of them looked at Jason with confusion and mild concern. All they saw was a small frame, wearing a black hoodie and shorts, with no discernable features besides two large white angular eyes which peered st them through the darkness.
"Leave her alone."
Jason couldn't help the slight tremble in his voice, he was nervous. Really nervous.
"What was that? Fuck off!"
The man turned back to the horrified woman. She tried to inch away from him but the man grabbed her arm.
"Hey! I said leave her alone."
Jason was downright horrified now. He wasnt sure how this would work out for him, but something wouldn't let him back down. Seeing her so scared compelled him to act. The man however just turned back to Jason with a look of intense disdain, before he charged towards the boy with the crowbar.
"And I said to fuck off!"
Hadn't it been for his acute vision in the dark, Jason would've been hit clean in the head by the weapon, however he managed to duck below the man's swing just in time. The man grunted in annoyance, peering through the darkness trying his best to find the boy—no one but Jason could see well in the datk alley. Jason however took the chance to get up, and for the first time in his life he punched someone. He slammed his fist into the man's side, and to his surprise he was sent flying into the nearby wall with a loud thud. Jason stood in awe of the scene—he hadn't expected so much power.
'I'm super strong too. Gotta remember that.'
Quickly, he turned around and ran to the woman's aid, squatting next to her as he attempted to help her up.
"Um, are you okay?"
The woman only trembled in fear as she attempted to free herself from Jason's grasp.
"Ah! Get off me! Please, just leave me alone!"
She didn't see a hero who saved her. All she saw was some weirdo dressed in all black who beat up a guy and was probably about to mug her next. Jason wasn't quite sure how to calm her down, and to his great dismay it only got worse. The man he knocked out—or atleast he thought he did— slowly rose from the ground with crowbar in hand. It took him a moment to get his bearings, but when he saw his assailant squatted a few feet away with his back turnt, he took his chance. He charged at Jason through the darkness, ready to strike the boy who was completely unaware.
Jason was surprised to hear the voice after the hours of silence, but the warning caught his attention more. Jason turned around and noticed the man ready to strike him, but it was too late. He didn't have the skill nor the reaction time to properly stop the man's assault. However, moments before he was hit, the tendrils burst through his back and tore through the hoodie, before they slammed the man roughly against the wall yet again. This time he was definitely unconscious, if not suffering from severe head trauma.
Jason was surprised by how much happened in the last few moments, but when he saw the man's defeated form he decided to focus on the victim. He turned to the woman who stared at him with a pale face and shocked expression. He was confused by her reaction—despite his untrustworthy appearance he was still her savior. Though unbeknownst to the boy all the woman saw was a black silhouette with sharp white eyes glaring at her, and many black tentacles whipping around in the darkness behind it. With one final scream the woman managed to get on her feet and ran away from the dark alley, leaving Jason and the man behind. The boy stood in confusion for a moment, but decided not to think about it.
"You're welcome...I guess."
He turned and looked at the man, and decided he wouldn't think about that either.
'I think it's time to get out of here.'
Quickly he crawled up the building and began sprinting across rooftops towards his home. He had enough for one night.
———
———
Jason clung to the wall outside of his apartment as he peered into the living room window. He could see light from his tv and his uncle sitting on the couch. This was a problem.
"How the hell am I gonna get inside?"
He had initially planned to just go in through the door like normal but that was because he didn't assume his uncle would be home yet.
'I could go in through my bedroom window. No wait, that'd be weird. He probably knows I'm not home so I can't just appear in my room so suddenly.'
After a few minutes of thinking, Jason decided he'd just go through the front door and hopefully his uncle wouldn't question why he was out so late. So he got to crawling. It wasn't that hard, scaling buildings was quite simple actually—as long as you didn't fall off. So, Jason quickly made his way to the fire escape, avoiding any windows of the other apartments as he made his way inside. He stood outside of his door and quickly reached for the doorknob, though as he touched it he noticed he was still covered in black.
"Uh, can you come off now?"
Quickly it all retracted and his normal appearance was back.
'Hm, convenient.'
He quickly turned the knob and walked into his apartment. His uncle turned to see him, and Jason tried to play off his arrival..
"I'm back."
Max looked down at his watch and back to Jason.
"You were out pretty late kiddo."
Jason shrugged, trying to keep cool.
"That watch is wrong remember? It isn't that late."
He walked towards the couch and pat Max on the shoulder.
"I was at the library."
Max rose an eyebrow.
"For the whole day?"
"Nah, I went in the evening. I've got a project due so I had to do some research."
Max seemed to accept the excuse and Jason smiled.
"Well, I'm gonna get some sleep."
He started heading towards his room giving Max a full view of his back, at which point the man stopped him.
"Wait, what the hell happened to your hoodie?"
Jason paused in confusion. He reached a hand to feel his back and had to stop himself from cursing a loud. He felt a bunch of holes littered across the fabric, and started panicking.
'How the hell did that even hap- Oh shit, the tentacles.'
This was bad. Making up an excuse for why he was late was one thing, but trying to explain why it looked as if he was hit in the back by a shotgun was another.
"Um, oh crap! I didn't even know this hoodie had so many holes when I threw it on! Guess I gotta buy another one."
'That's the best you come up with dumbass?!'
Max stared at him for a moment before he returned to watching the television. Thanfully the excuse seemed to work.
"Alright, g'night kid."
Jason smiled with relief and turned back towards his room.
"Yeah, good night."
He was about to enter when his uncle told him one final thing.
"Also try not to stay out too late next time. There have been a lot of muggings lately."
Jason put on a strained smile.
'Oh you have no idea.'
"Alright, see ya."
With that Jason vanished into his room and left Max alone in the living room. The man sat in silence for a moment but soon put on a confused expression.
"The library huh? Since when has that kid ever gotten a project on something he didn't already know?"
———
———
Jason quickly took off his hoodie and threw it on the floor before he plopped onto his bed with an exasperated sigh. It was a long day, and an exciting day.
'My entire body hurts.'
Even though he hadn't been injured in his little scuffle, Jason was quite tired and sore after his day of parkour and experimentation. Turns out even if his body was strengthened, he still felt the strain of hours of activity. Still, he had fun.
"Hey, you there?"
Jason wasn't sure if he had to be worried about his new tenant, but he definitely appreciated the perks he got out of their little relationship. So, he decided to make the most of it and set up a good relationship. For future endeavors.
"I'm not sure I'm on board with this entire host thing, but I can't seem to get rid of you. So let's just promise nothing bad will come of this. Deal?"
The voice took a moment of silence before it responded.
Jason smiled and stretched his hands behind his head, ready for some sleep.
'Guess I've got a new roomate.'
He chuckled to himself as his eyelids grew heavy. However moments before he succumbed to his fatigue, he looked towards his side and saw his damaged hoodie on the floor, witnessing all the damage it had gone through.
"Hey..."
"Next time, cool it with the tentacles."
———