𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗 || 𝘗𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘖𝘯𝘦

WHEN JASON WAS YOUNGER, FELIX OFTEN TOLD HIM HE WAS AS BLIND AS A BAT. The funny thing was that bats weren't blind. It was a myth to be used as an expression. Nonetheless, the man used it against the boy. Urge him to look at the bigger picture and to open his eyes. In life and training, Jason to become Precursor.

Everything Felix has done has been to better the young Samson. Help him become something greater than either of his parents ever could. It'd given him hope that he could be who people needed him to be. And it turned out, to an extent, it worked.

Jason embodied what New York needed for the long run. But it was his decision on the path he decided it would go down. And not having the guidance of Felix made that hard without him by Jason's side. He had Carlton and his mother, but no one had been there like Felix. No one could fill those shoes that Felix left behind. No one could understand what it felt for Jason to be kneeling in that building with no sign of Felix.

He'd lost a large piece of his childhood in a matter of seconds. And harder to process than Jason would like to admit. Finding himself sitting in the abandoned subway with his sorrow's clinging onto his back like leeches. Sucking the energy out of him with each second that went and building this darkness inside him.

"Run a hard diagnostic scan on the Tundra." Jason twirled the wrench in his grease-covered hands. The AI scans the vehicle in progress and highlights the components red in need of changing, repairing, or in jeopardy of breaking. None of it mattered, considering that Jason had been building this for months on end.

"You should be with your mother," a voice spoke up. "She needs your help figuring out the funeral for Felix. She can't do this on her own."

"Then maybe you should help her," Jason countered. "I don't see you doing anything of importance currently."

Carlton ignored the snide comment from the boy. Chalking it up to be the cause of today's events, he didn't blame him for feeling that way. Jason's and Felix's connection was far more something of importance than most realized. Even Carlton didn't know how deep that relationship went between the pair.

No one would ever understand that, and Jason liked it that way. "Stop working for fuck sakes and take a moment to realize what your actions are causing!"

A heavy layer of silence fell over the subway, with Jason lowering the wrench. Turning to Carlton, who scowled at him harshly and full of anger. His feelings were justifiable but not something Jason had the heart to deal with currently.

"Can't you see that going after Joseph is taking away the people in your life?" Carlton questioned. "First your father and now Felix."

"I didn't intend on Felix dying, Carlton."

"Wake up, Jason!" He yelled. "What did you expect when you got yourself into this? That there wouldn't be casualties? Whenever there is a war, bodies will follow in its wake."

"Then what do you want from me, Carlton?" Jason's voice boomed. His words echoed off the empty walls and narrow halls.

"I want you to stop and listen to the people around you," Carlton told him. "Listen to what Felix had told you."

"You do not get to use him against me!" Jason's voice cracked with his lips trembling. "Not now, not ever! You are a sick bastard!"

"I am using the truth!" The two Samson's rage and resentment slithered in the air like snakes. Carlton was scared for Jason. His fear is another member of this family would be buried under his watch. He took up the responsibility to take care of Jason, just as Felix had done. But each day he tried to stop the boy, it only seemed to push Jason farther away from him.

"You have to try and stop avoiding the truth and let it have its place here." Carlton walked down the steps and approached Jason.

Standing right in front of Jason, Carlton glared at the boy. "This is not a game, Jason," he said. "You've just started a war. Can't you see it?"

"Then what would you like me to do?" Jason asked. "Tell me what to do to make this better."

"Stop, going after Joseph-"

Jason let out a scoff and turned away. "Stop this before it's too late, Jason!" Carlton told him. "There is still a chance you can leave this all behind you."

"And do what, huh?" Jason questioned. "Act like he hasn't killed my dad and Felix? Act like he hasn't taken so much away from me?"

"He's gaining control of that city, day-by-day, Carlton," he hissed. "Trafficking guns and distributing them out to groups across New York. That city is my responsibility, and I am Precursor."

"You're a kid with too much money and anger issues!" Carlton cut him off. "This path, you have carved yourself, will not lead to any happiness you may think. I don't want this to be your end."

Neither Jason nor Carlton had always been this volatile with one another. Jason does remember a time when his uncle helped him with his math. Or the times he helped the young boy talk to girls for the first time. Their relationship ran deep, just as Jason's and Felix's did. Likely because they both shared an unbridled rage within themselves when they lost the people they loved. He lost his wife and his son during the attack on Earth by Thanos seven years ago.

He'd been able to keep that rage tied up in a cage. Meanwhile, Jason couldn't keep his on a short leash. It clung onto him and seeped into his pores like a venomous gas. It's grip on his mind causing him to act out and hurt the ones that deserved it and others who didn't. And this rage, it was building and grasping him tightly. Getting close enough that when he went out tonight, it would have him the moment he interrogated someone.

Jason leaned over the desk, housing all his computer screens and hardware. A deep scowl etched onto his face as he pushed himself to his full height and faced Carlton. The man wore the same expression as him.

"Carlton, who do you see when you look at me?" He asked. "The kid you babysat on the holidays? The boy you helped raise?"

"While you are here, I am out there," he said. "Searching for the bastard who destroyed this family. Tonight or even the next night will not be my end. But it will be his!"

"I am trying to save you from killing yourself!" Carlton yelled. "You're outmatched by these people..."

"I'm what?"

"You are not some hardened vigilante!" His Uncle spat. "You are going to get yourself killed! Leave this to Clint. Let him be the one to save Kate. Not you."

Something about that made Jason's blood boil. His Uncle had torn a scab that spilled anger into the boy. It was raw and had left a bitter taste on Jason's tongue. He knew, in some way, Carlton was right. He should just step back and let Clint help Kate. After all, he's more experienced and an Avenger. But something gnawed at him when considering that idea. Jason couldn't figure it out, but it pissed him off further.

"Saving?" Jason questioned lowly. He took a step towards his Uncle and wasn't surprised when the man didn't back down. Holding that intense stare with his nephew that could burn forests.

Pushing a finger into his Uncle's chest, Jason growled, "Don't talk to me about saving people when you let your wife and son die."

It was in a single second that one mention of Carlton's family had made the older man grab Jason by the collars of his shirt and pinned him to the edge of a table. Fury built in his eyes as he lifted a fist that trembled in the air. All prior restraints had been unlocked and giving him the one chance he needed to knock some sense into Jason.

"Carlton!" The yell got the attention of the pair. Looking upwards where the elevator was and found Kate standing there awkwardly. She's heard every single word come either of them, and she couldn't help but feel uneasy and anxious. Shifting under the pair's gazes that were full of frustration and annoyance.

What made it worse for Jason was his mother's face appearing beside Kate. His entire body tensed up as he stared at his mother. Her expression was indecipherable, but he could see the furious look in her eyes. Not just because of him, but also because of Carlton's instinctive actions.

Carlton sighed as he looked back at Jason. Heaving a breath before shoving the boy back and stepping away. Shaking his head slightly with a clenched jaw. "Felix believed that you could do some good with being Precursor," he stated. "But if you follow through with this, you go against his belief. And I won't stay to watch you get lowered into the ground."

He walked away without another word. Lilian followed closely behind, while Kate stayed near the railing watching Jason. Flinching at the abrupt action of him flipped a nearby stool. Closing her eyes as he let out puffs of fury.

But when everything died down, and Jason stood leant over the computer, Kate finally moved down the steps. Weary of anything she did, fearful that it would set Jason off. So, she avoided getting too close by making her way towards the customized Dodge Charger.

She ran her hand across one of the guns pushed out of the hood. A long time ago, she remembered sneaking into Michael's office to find the blueprints of a vehicle such as this. Kate knew that the man had planned on building a plethora of them so the army could use them. But she never thought she would ever see one in person. It seemed like a bigger dream than what Michael could ever imagine.

Her eyes went to the tires, but before she could look further, Jason's voice filled the cold subway. "They're fitted with spherical balls in the centre of the tire that rotates."

From what she could tell, he was still angry with the previous conversation with Carlton. His knuckles were a pale white as he gripped the wrench in his hand. But she could see he had relaxed when he looked at the vehicle he'd been working at for months. What she noticed was the proud smile that attempted to tug at the corner of his lips.

Jason motioned to the vehicle. "Because the weight of it is so much, I fitted it with a 1.6-litre four-stroke v8 engine," he explained. "As well as some Super Swamper tires to keep it up."

"Super Swamper?" Kate repeated. "You'd think people would make up some better names. Like, huge ass tires."

He laughed softly. "Well, I can imagine advertising that would be pretty hard," he stated. "It's also a bit on the nose, Kate."

Kate leaned down to inspect the inside with a hum. "You got a roll cage." Her eyes then drifted to the engine practically between the driver and passenger seats. "What the hell is that doing there?"

"Rear-wheel drive," he stated. "I'm still working out the specifics, and the computer is still running its scan over the vehicle. I'll likely move it to the back."

Since he was young, Jason tinkered with things. He would disassemble a device and refurbish its tiny additions. If you had a problem with your car, Jason could fix it in minutes. All thanks to the knowledge that both his father and Felix had gifted him over the years. It only just seemed to grow in scale. Because now Jason was changing the body of vehicles, the engines, the tires, and adding additions to it.

And one of those additions had been the gun, which Kate was saddened to see. But she didn't want to add more weight onto him. He already has to deal with the fact that Felix is gone. That simple loss was enough for Jason to crumble to the ground and die of heartbreak. So she had to avoid being any form of overbearing to him.

"Why didn't you tell me Lilian was alive?" Kate mused, with her hand brushing across the roof of Challenger.

Jason pursed his lips as fiddled with the wrench in his hand. "When my dad, she'd been in critical condition," he said. "I knew that her position would be in jeopardy, and she wouldn't be able to do the work my father did. So, I bribed the hospital's nurses, even bought the hospital and got her brought here."

"Felix and Carlton have been taking care of her since," he continued. "I just knew she wouldn't be able to walk into that building without breaking down. And if I stepped into power, all the directors and executives for the company would back down. So, we faked her death, and I took over."

Now, Kate wouldn't usually agree with Jason's methods. If anything, she thought them to be dumb. But it was Jason's intent and the thought of his mother that made his actions somewhat justifiable. She knew how much Lilian loved Jason's dad, and she knew that the woman wouldn't be able to sit in that office and take control. Not with the thought of her husband being dead in the back of her mind.

Lilian was the caregiver of the family. Not the CEO of a company. So, for Jason to step up, and take the initiative, something about that warmed Kate's heart. He was doing it all for his mother's well-being. Going too far lengths to take the weight off her shoulders and carry it on his own. Give his mother the chance to grieve and recover with the time he's given her. And the weight he carried showed in his actions and his eyes.

Oh, God, she could see the pain in his eyes. The torment, the suffering, the inescapable fear that mocked him everywhere he went. He faced futility when he was outside of that suit. Even with all this money, all these people in his power, all these people in this mansion, he still felt alone. Facing every obstacle that came his way and taking it on the chin each time.

Kate could feel it all when he was around her. It didn't matter if he was talking to her about something completely different. Or laughing at a stupid joke she'd made, she could feel it. Feel the weight he carried around the pain that was left in its wake. She wanted nothing more than to help him let go of it and leave it somewhere it wouldn't ever be found or thought of again.

So, without so much as a whisper, Kate hugged the boy tightly. Jason grunted as his body tensed under her touch. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he wrapped an arm around her and relaxed. The arm pulled her closer as his face found itself in the crook of her neck. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to savour this embrace for as long as she allowed.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "Felix didn't deserve what happened to him."

"It's my fault, Kate," he said. "Carlton's right. Joseph's picking off everyone I love because I keep going after him."

"Hey, hey, hey." She pulled away and cupped his face gently. A scolding look pressed onto her face as she shook her head. "This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault. You were trying to help."

Tears stung the back of his eyes as his eyes avoided her gaze. Shame was swimming in his gut as he shook his head. "But I didn't."

Kate should've known how much Jason took this "side job" to heart. It was one thing to lose an innocent civilian you didn't know. But he lost a friend. Something far worse than just any other person dying. Jason would take it badly, she knew this, and it scared her that the possibilities were endless.

He had a dedication to this lifestyle. Kate was proud of him for that, but what scared her was what he would do when he failed. It was a probability that he hid away the feelings. He'd lost all the hope that he could carry and give back to this city and replaced it with fear. And as sad as it was, fear was what sent the message to the criminals of this city.

His hands carefully grabbed at her wrists, keeping them on his face. Her thumbs brushed away the rogue tears that escaped. He needed to soak in her warmth for as long as he could before she would inevitably leave. Jason let go of Kate's wrist and bowed his head with a deep sigh.

As Jason walked away to regroup and grab the handle of his emotions, Kate spoke up. "I want you to come to dinner with me tonight," Kate announced. "If you aren't there, then I might just stab Jack in the chest."

A chortle escaped Jason as he turned away and walked to his computer. "Oh, and listen to your mother scream at you?" He asked. "I'll have to pass. And what's your problem with Jack? He's a good guy."

"You're saying that because you've fallen under his weird little curse thingy," she spat. "He's so damn suspicious, and I don't trust him. I know he's up to something."

"I swear I've heard you utter those six words for years now," Jason chuckled. "It always turns out that you were wrong. I've talked to him, and he's a good guy. A lot better than how you made him out to be."

"Just please come with me to this." Kate pushed her lips out into a pout. "I need my plus one."

"Oh?" He hummed. "That's what I am now? Your plus one? That's a first."

The girl groaned in annoyance, hiding her flushed cheeks. "Are you coming or not?"

Jason leaned back from his computer and sighed. A smirk formed on his face as he turned his head to her. "I perhaps can see you make an embarrassment out of yourself."