Jake woke up the next morning and rushed to the bathroom.
He looked in the mirror and concentrated hard. The darkness began to appear again, but it wasn't so dark. It had a blue glow around it.
"Checking to see if it was all a dream, eh?"
It was Zack, his roommate. He got up earlier to get ready for work—well, work at his entirely different job. Thanks to the events of yesterday, Jake now knew Zack's real job.
Or at least he thought he did.
Fighting crime as the Expanding Man, a persona which still had a stupid name, with the ability to expand any part of his body at will. He was a Muman who used his ability to fight crime. Jake, on the other hand, was a different story.
He was now a shadow being, an alien creature with multiple abilities at his disposal. He has the capacity to be the greatest threat the earth has ever faced.
Yet he's using it to play a super. No, that didn't sound right; he's using it to help people any way he can, and being a super was the best option he could think of.
He'd be dead by now if Captain Rocket, Zack's boss, didn't listen to his proposition. And if he doesn't live up to it, he's a goner.
Prove himself useful or die.
That was it. Nothing more, nothing less. Jake felt a new chapter of his life had opened.
Might as well jump in.
Three hours later, Jake and Zack were walking on the sidewalk in civilian clothes, with Jake wearing a blue jacket, jeans, and white sneakers, and Zack wearing a green sweatshirt and shorts with sandals.
"Where are we going?" Jake asked Zack.
"Your store," Zack replied.
"For what? I thought we were gonna fight crime or rescue a kitty from a tree or something."
"Whoa now, partner! Slow down! We gotta give you a costume and a codename."
Partner, Jake liked the sound of that. It certainly beat being called a sidekick. Jake would really hate that. Another thing Jake would hate is going around being called something stupid.
"Codename? You mean like your trashy nickname?"
"Hey, my codename is awesome! You should see the looks on the villains' faces when they hear it! They're terrified!"
"No, I think they're trying to hide their laughter. Like I'm doing right now, and lemme tell ya, it's a losing battle. Expanding Man! Ha!"
"Keep laughing like that and I'll give you a name even worse, you maggot!"
That voice was grimy and deep, like a middle-aged dad... Or an out-of-his-prime soldier. It was Captain Rocket posing as Jake's boss, Mr. Buford, the grumpy old manager of this cruddy old convenience store.
He was just unlocking the doors to the place when he noticed Jake and Zack approaching and making enough noise to wake up the whole neighborhood.
"Hey, boss. What's up?"
"Hey, Jake! Don't be so informal on your first day! 'Captain Rocket, sir! Expanding Man reporting for duty!'"
At that moment, Mr. Buford stopped unlocking the doors and walked over to Zack.
To give him the slap of his life.
"Aaaak! What was that for, sir?"
"You're lucky I didn't reset your brain, you idiot! We're not inside, and you're already shouting all this nonsense! In front of people, no less!"
"Heh, that's my superhero expert for you. Ha!" Jake said, smirking.
"I'm s-sorry, sir, it won't happen again."
"It better not. Oh, and Jake, I'm good, bro. Word of advice, though, if you ever meet another more experienced super, don't talk so casually."
"I hear you, old man."
"Eh?!" Zack exclaimed.
"What's wrong with you?"
"W-well, sir, how come Jake gets friendly advice while I get chewed out? Wouldn't it be fair if..."
"Jake got friendly advice because he didn't go blabbering nonsense that could expose our secret identities. Now, enough lollygagging, let's go inside and start the show."
While Mr. Buford unlocked the door, Jake gave Zack the finger, and the two began violently (and quietly, of course) raining insults on each other.
"What a bunch of children," Mr. Buford thought, "But I can't help but be reminded of me and Austin back in the day. Captain Rocket and Hawk Knight. Good times."
Mr. Buford's reminiscing came to a close when the door finally opened and the trio entered the store. Then immediately after entering, Mr. Buford put on the "Closed" sign and locked all windows and doors.
"Now let's begin."
"Begin what?"
"Getting your costume and codename."
The thought of just running around in tights shouting nonsense truly terrified Jake.
He needed to get out of this.
"Hey, why do I need to do this? Can't I cover myself in darkness when I fight?"
"Do you WANT to die?" Captain Rocket said while pinning Jake to the wall.
"Eh... am I supposed to say no here?"
"Of course not! How would you feel if a shadow were to be running around town saving people? Wouldn't you kill it?!"
That's when Jake realized he was no longer just a human. He was a monster, and society feared him. If he couldn't use his shadow powers, how was he going to help people? Was living all for nothing?
"Luckily, I have good news!"
"W-what?"
"Thanks to the unstable nature of the darkness inside you, your body has manifested its own ability!"
"So you mean..."
"Yep! You're some new kind of Muman, Jake!"
"Damn. So what kind of ability do I have?"
"You'll find out once you get your codename and costume, alright?"
"Ugh, fine, whatever! So where are we going, anyway? This store isn't exactly a good-looking base."
"Well, my boy, this convenience store is not what it seems," Mr. Buford said, and he took the two to the storeroom.
"Seems like just a storeroom to me. Please don't tell me this is our secret base or something."
"C'mon, Jake! Don't you have a sense of adventure? Of course, it isn't," Zack said enthusiastically.
That's when Mr. Buford turned towards Zack and gave him another slap on the head.
"Aaaak! What was that for?"
"Of course, he knew that! He was just playing along! Couldn't you have at least tried to follow suit?"
Jake then gave Zack another middle finger, and the two started fighting again (very quietly, of course!).
Meanwhile, Mr. Buford pressed a button, and the storeroom walls transformed into wood. They were now in an empty wooden room.
"Hey, you brats! I recommend not playing around in here, otherwise you'll suffer the worst case of motion sickness you've ever had."
But they weren't listening.
"Hmmf, their funerals."
And at the push of a button, they were heading to their destination. How, you ask? Well, it turns out this wooden room was in fact an elevator. Captain Rocket's base—well, not really his base—was the destination.
"I'm sure you're wondering how I managed to fit a giant elevator along with an entire base under a convenience store. Well, I can't tell you since it ain't mine," Captain Rocket said.
But they couldn't hear him. They were too busy screaming. It wasn't a surprise, though, since the elevator was moving at 150 miles per hour. They were even floating. However, Captain Rocket ignored their screams and kept on talking.
"Yep, it may come as a shock to you, but this ain't mine. It belongs to a certain super friend of mine. Well, retired super friend. I believe you've heard of him. He is... uh... was the Hawk Knight."
The elevator finally reached the final floor, a large circular lair with the walls covered in literal wood which all extended to secret tunnels.
The main hall, however, had a giant supercomputer of the X generation brand. It's currently illegal all over the world. And operating that computer was the Hawk Knight himself. Well, he was enjoying a nice can of worms while squatting on his chair.
To him, that was the life.
But the strange thing about all of it was that everything was made of wood.
This was The Nest. Hawk Knight's lair.
"Damn you, Buford, you moronic asshole! I told you never to call me that! My name is Austin now."
And as everyone could see, he had reached rock bottom.
"And I'm a human being! C'mon, Aussy! You can't separate yourself from that name. It's who you are."
"Correction! It's who I was!"
The "was" wasn't an understatement there.
Austin, who went from being a tall, muscular, imposing figure covered in birdlike armor, was now a sad, decrepit middle-aged man who looked like he couldn't even hurt a fly.
"Wait, so I'm supposed to believe that's the Hawk Knight? The Super Zack has always been gushing over?"
"I was never gushing over him!"
"I can see wh...."
But before Jake could finish his sentence, the man rushed towards him and, grabbing his shoulder and ankle, pinned him down to the ground and nearly broke his arm.
"Buford? Who is this?"
"That, my dear friend, is Jake! The third member of the new Danger Squad!"
"WHAT?!" Austin, Jake, and Zack said in unison.
"This has to be some sick joke, Buford. You're trying to mess with me, right?" Austin said, with an alarmed, shaking expression. Zack was obviously shocked, and Jake noticed it.
"Hey, Zack, my man, what's with the face? You look nervous," Jake whispered.
"S-sorry, Jake. It's just... I've never seen Austin so distressed before. He's always so calm and collected, so why is this phasing him so much?" Zack replied nervously.
"Because it's the biggest insult someone like him can give to me."
"Austin?! You know I wouldn't..."
"That's what I thought too," Austin said, then he faced Jake and Zack.
"You two must have put him up to this, right? Well, you should know what you're getting into. There was only one Danger Squad, and this will never be it."
"Wh-what do you mean?" Jake asked; he was confused because he wasn't an expert on Supers so he had never heard of the Danger Squad.
"I'm sure you've never heard of us, even though your friend here is supposed to be a super expert. Well, let him tell you."
"The Danger Squad is an elite team of Supers that go for the more dangerous and controversial missions. Missions that aren't supposed to reach the public eye."
"So you fight behind the scenes?" Jake asked, curious about the nature of what he was getting into.
"We fight the good fight so society won't be as dangerous as it was before."
"Well, shiiiiiiit. I really don't give a damn here!"
"J-Jake, what are you saying?" Zack asked nervously, worried about Jake's sudden brashness.
"What I'm saying is, who gives a damn what the team does? All I want to know is, do I get to help people?"
"Of course! The Danger Squad helps those who don't have the voice to call for help. Those whom society deems unfit to need help. To us, everyone is equal."
"It's settled then." That's when Jake grabbed Austin's arm and forced him into a handshake.
"I'm joining this team."
Jake couldn't believe what he was doing. Everything he did today went against his timid nature. Could the Baron be taking over? Or could it be his true self?
Whatever it was, he liked it. He felt more free to express his opinion, and what opinions he had!
"What kind of nutjob are you pairing me with, Buford?"
"Why so shocked, Austin? Isn't he more like her?"
That's when Austin began to lose his cool.
"Speaking of her, C'mon, Jake, I gotta show you something."
Captain Rocket and Jake then headed to one of the hidden rooms, and thanks to branches made by the wood, they were pulled away. Austin wondered where they were going for a second, and then he realized.
And he was horrified.
In a wooden room filled with display cases of the same wooden material, there were 5 costumes on display. Captain Rocket had his eye on one in particular.
"This is the Blur, a Super able to run and fight with superspeed. She and her teammates, White Wolf, Ace, and Diamond Light (leaving out Hawk Knight) died in the line of duty. On behalf of her, I transfer this costume and the codename, the Blur, to you, Jake."
There was a loud silence...
"Do I have to wear such a lame suit?"
Buford looked at Jake, and he was appalled. He raised his hand instinctively and...
SLAP!
It was Austin, and he was furious.
"How dare you, Buford! Not only do you shame the squad by bringing this asshole here, but you also shame Kara for even suggesting he take the mantle of the Blur. You disgust me."
Pteew
Austin then spat on Buford and began to rain insults on him.
That is, until Jake intervened.
"Hey, man, who said I'm even interested in having a dumb costume like that!"
At that moment, Austin pinned Jake to the wall. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break you apart."
There was another loud silence.
Until there wasn't, when Jake started laughing.
"Why are you laughing?! Answer me!!"
"Hehehe... sorry, but do you think this person whose costume you're trying to protect would really give a damn about what you're doing right now?"
"Of course, she..."
That's when Kara's last words hit him... before their final mission.
"Austin, please, if anything happens here, forget about me."
Austin let Jake go and started walking away.
"Austin?" Zack asked, feeling concerned.
"Don't worry, Zack, I'm fine, but Buford... About this new Danger Squad you're forming..."
"Yeah, Austin?"
"Keep me out of it."
To be continued...