Jake used his superspeed to dash across the city in mere minutes. The more he ran, the faster he got, but he still believed he wasn't fast enough.
He needed to save those people from whatever was trapping them. However, since he was on the road, he was struggling to dodge all the cars and people. At this rate, he wouldn't make it in time. That was until he heard a voice.
"Why don't you run through the people, my seed?"
"W-what the hell?!" Jake thought, as he questioned what the voice said more than the voice's presence itself.
"Fine, it seems you are too soft. How about running on the roofs, my seed?"
"Ah, thanks."
Jake obeyed the voice and ran on the roofs of buildings, leaping from building to building. "But wait, where did that voice come from?"
"From you... I mean me... hmm, it seems explaining this will be more difficult than I previously perceived, my seed."
"Lemme guess, you're the Baron inside my mind talking, right?"
"Ah, it seems you are surprisingly correct, my seed."
"Hey! I may not be the smartest guy around, but I'm not stupid, alright?"
"Noted, my seed."
"And what's with the 'my seed' business? I'm not a plant, dude."
"I call you that because you are my seed, my seed. Soon to mature into a mighty oak, my seed. Soon, very soon, my seed."
"Well, would you stop... wait, we're here! But who are those guys?"
Jake had reached the slaughterhouse but saw it was surrounded by police. A lot of police. More than six police cars and a heavy-duty truck's worth of them.
"Whatever's in there has gotta be a big threat if this many cops are around. Let's head over and lend a hand."
"I would advise against that, my seed."
"Oh, come on, Barry! It's cool if I call you Barry, right?"
"I am fine with whatever you call me, but I do prefer being called the Baron, my seed."
"Well, Barry, the cops are the good guys, and I'm a good guy trying to help out, so I'm sure they'll let me."
"You are free to test your theory, my seed."
"It's not a theory, it's a fact. Now watch."
Jake then ran into the scene but was intercepted by two police officers.
"Stop right there, freak!" one of the officers commanded Jake.
"Hey guys, come on! You're blocking the entrance here! How am I supposed to help (and prove my point) if you won't let me?"
"Cliff! What's going on here? Who's this costumed freak?" The chief of police, Mrs. Manson, said as she approached Jake and the police officer. She was a tall, bulky woman with short yellow hair and a long overcoat. If it weren't for his powers, she would definitely beat Jake in a fight.
"Uh, I'd appreciate it if you didn't use the 'f' word, please."
"This freak was trying to get in the building and help out. My guess is he's working with that monster holding those people hostage."
"No, I'm not! I'm one of the good guys like you! Wait, did you say monster?"
"That's none of your business! Whether or not you are a good guy, vigilantism is strictly banned in Empire City without prior permission from the mayor. We'll have to take you in." The Chief said as she pulled out her handcuffs.
"Oh, about that, uh..."
Immediately, Jake ran away at full speed.
"Shoot him down! Don't let him get away!"
At the Chief's orders, the police began raining bullets on him, but thanks to his superspeed and reflexes, he managed to narrowly dodge them all and escape.
He then took the long route around the building to avoid them.
"What the hell was that about?"
"It seems your law enforcement is not in agreement with the concept of supers, my seed."
"I'm not a super! I'm just a guy trying to help out!"
"Is there a difference, my seed?"
"Whatever! Let's just find another way to get into the building."
"How about we use the front gate, my seed?"
"You got memory loss or something? The place is crawling with cops!"
"I mean, what if we, as you humans say, 'take them out'?"
"Oh hell no! First you want me to run through people, and now you want me to fight cops? You know what? How about you shut up, okay?"
Silence.
"There. Much better. Now how am I gonna get in... maybe there's a back door around here or..."
CHOMP
Suddenly, a giant mouth spouted out of the building and consumed Jake. Just when some policemen were checking the back to investigate the noise, the mouth disappeared as quickly as it came.
All the policemen could hear was a small, sadistic giggle.
"Come on! Come on! Why aren't they picking up?!"
It was Zack back in the Nest. He tried his best to contact Captain Rocket and Hawk Knight but to no avail. That's when he realized...
"I have no choice. Jake is out there facing God knows what, and I'm here trying to call the other supers. I'm a super too, dammit!"
That's when Zack's phone got a message. It was his girlfriend, Paulina.
She was just as nerdy and fun-loving as him, so they made a great couple. She was also aware that Zack was a super, along with his job at the Empire City news channel.
"Hey! Have you seen the news lately?"
She then sent a link to the Empire City news channel, and Zack clicked on it and watched.
"This is Amy Armstrong here at the Empire City News! This just in, a mysterious assailant has taken over the Sleezy Sam Slaughterhouse and is holding all the employees hostage."
"I'm getting word the police were attacked by another assailant who is rumored to be the previous assailant's accomplice. However, he escaped the police before capture. All this reporter wonders is, who are these assailants, and what do they want with a slaughterhouse of all things?"
After seeing the story, Zack knew he had to intervene, especially now that Jake had been painted as an accomplice.
He then received another text.
"You know the new guy?"
"It's a long story."
"Tell me later. What are you gonna do?"
"My job."
"Kk! I'll heat dinner and send it to your place later."
"Luv ya. Bye!"
Then Zack headed out to help Jake.
Speaking of which...
Jake woke up in a dark room which smelled like shit. Literal shit.
"Where am I?"
"It seems you're in someone's digestive system, my seed."
"This is no time for jokes, Barry."
"Turn on your blue light and see if what I say is a mere jest."
Jake did so and saw he was in a tunnel covered in a soft, flesh-like substance. It really felt like he was in someone's digestive system.
"H-how did I get here?"
"You were eaten by a giant mouth, my seed."
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Jake shouted angrily.
"May I remind you that you were the one who commanded me to shut up, my seed?"
"Oh, well, I didn't mean it! I was just pissed off. That's all. I was just really not into the whole murdering stuff you were saying."
"Listen, my seed. Be very careful of what you say. I am not some artificial intelligence. I am... uh... was a living being with thoughts and emotions, and you shall treat me as such, my seed. Me helping you out is only out of pity, my seed! Remember that, my seed!"
"Hehe... kinda hard to take you seriously with all that 'my seed' talk."
"What was that, my seed?"
"Hehe... nothing. Look, I'm sorry and all that, okay? Let's just focus on the task at hand."
"Noted, my seed. Now I believe it's time we find out more about our new surroundings. I do not believe this is how a human slaughterhouse looks like."
"Agreed."
So Jake used his superspeed to run all over the place, but the more distance he covered, the more lost he became.
"Ah! This place is a giant maze! We'll never get outta here!"
"AAAAAAAARH!! LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE!"
It was a woman, and she was screaming.
Instinctively, Jake ran to the scene, using his super hearing to trace the woman's location.
"Wait, my seed! We must assess the situation before just running in there!"
"Sorry, Barry, but someone is in danger, and I can't waste time here."
"This heroic need to protect others will be the death of you, my seed."
"There's nothing heroic about this! It's my duty as a person to do the right thing. That's what I'm doing. And about my death, let's hope I save that lady first."
Jake reached the woman and saw her running from some creatures.
Horrifying creatures.
They were all some sick amalgamations of flesh. Each had several eyes, hands, mouths, arms, and feet all over their bodies.
And they were in pain. Jake could feel it.
"Quickly, my seed, destroy those creatures with your newfound strength! Or you can use mine, my seed! If the woman threatens to reveal our true identity, then we take her out as well, my seed! It will serve her right for not showing appreciation, my seed!"
Silence.
"My seed!"
"They're in pain," Jake said with little emotion but sadness in his voice.
"It doesn't matter, my seed! We must destroy the..."
"We must save them!"
"No, my seed! How can such monsters need saving, my seed?!"
"Because they aren't monsters! They're human! And I'm gonna help them."
"I knew it, my seed! Your heroic needs will be the death of you, my seed!"
But Jake just ignored him and focused all his K.E. power into his super sight, and luckily, he pinpointed the cause of those people's mutations.
He saw some kind of finger-shaped projections on every single one of their backs, and even though all their designs were different, that finger remained the same. At all the same spots.
Jake then charged his superspeed and reflexes and ran. He zoomed past the woman, and once he got to the meat monsters, he removed every single finger from their necks. Once he was done, they all began to fall unconscious and return to normal.
It was over, Jake had won.
"W-who are you?" The young woman said. She was short but very attractive with black hair. Not the type you'd see working at a slaughterhouse of all places.
"Just a friend, but you can call me the Blue Blur." (Damn that name takes some getting used to.)
"Y-you're a super?"
"Eh... I wouldn't say super. Just a guy who's happy to help. Now tell me what the hell is happening here? Did you try some redecorating and it went wrong or what?"
"Well, we were just working, and I took a break to smoke outside. Then a giant mouth spouted out of the building and ate me. Next thing I know, I'm inside this nonsense, and those things are chasing me."
"Hmm... well, it seems those things are your coworkers. Any idea who could've done this to them?"
"No clue. This is my first time encountering any of this kind of stuff."
"Hmm. This would be my third."
"She's proving to be useless, my seed! Let us use her as bait to catch the culprit of this crime, my seed!"
"Would you just shut it?! We are not using the life of an innocent woman for our gain."
"E-excuse me, uh... blur guy. Who are you talking to?"
"Eh... no one... hehe... I'm uh... a little crazy. Just some voice in my head."
"Just some voice, my seed? I'm beginning to regret not absorbing you!"
"C'mon, Barry, don't be like that! I was just..."
That's when a mysterious noise started to appear, getting louder with each passing second.
"What's t-that?"
"I don't know, but stay close to..."
The woman soon disappeared into the fleshy ground.
Jake looked around but couldn't find her anywhere.
And that is where he appeared.
A humanoid creature with all his innards and muscle on the outside. A truly disgusting sight. He pointed his finger at Jake and shot a small amount of flesh at him, but Jake used his super reflexes to dodge it.
"Ha! Missed me, you... uh... whatever you are!"
"Oh really? Did I?" the creature said with a raspy, almost dead voice, grinning menacingly.
Jake dodged it with his super reflexes, all right, but it doubled back, enlarged, and surrounded him. After trapping him, it grew long, lanky fingers and ran to the fleshy wall. It then attached itself to the wall, trapping Jake in place.
That's when the woman soon sprouted out, also trapped and exhaling deeply like she was almost suffocated.
Which she was. And Jake knew it.
"Who the hell are you?!" Jake asked, angry at how someone could just do such a horrible thing to so many innocent people and nearly suffocate a woman so easily.
"Ooooooh, you're mad. I'm gonna reeeeeaaally enjoy you!"
"WHO ARE YOU!!" Jake yelled, burning bright blue with rage.
"Oh, don't explode yet, my meal, the fun is about to start!"
"I AM MEAT."
To be continued...