Mayhem 2019 (JackSepticEye Prompts)

Day 23: Champion

Jackie listened intently to the police radio that was sitting on his night stand. Most of the talking was just unimportant chit-chat or cops pulling over speeders, but something of use could pop up at any moment. He had to be prepared.

It had taken him weeks of planning to be able to sneak a radio from the police station, an offence that would surely land him a jail cell if the police ever found out who stole it. Jackie had justified it by saying he would only use it to help people, though the guilt kept plaguing him as he listened to static conversations through it.

Unable to sit still anymore, Jackie stood and began pacing around the room, glancing at the cork boards hung on the walls. They were covered with newspaper clippings of gangs, robberies, and unfinished detective cases, all connected together with string. Though the visuals didn't help Jackie much in the way of solving anything, he had to admit the movies had something going for them; it was good to help keep things organized. 

There wasn't much space to walk. Jackie knew he'd either have to find a better job than fast food or else look for a roommate as soon as possible. He'd prefer the former, since having someone else live with him would make it hard to have a secret identity, but he wasn't sure if that was possible for him. College had been a no-go, which meant less opportunity and less money. Why couldn't he be paid to be a superhero?

Jackie yawned. It was getting late. If something didn't pop up soon, he'd have to leave it to the cops for the night. As much as he disliked the idea, he still wasn't sure if his whole superhero gig was even plausible yet. After all, he'd never even been out in uniform or stopped a crime. It could end up a total disaster.

As if the universe heard his thoughts, the radio crackled and someone started yelling through it.

"--down on West and Fifth, heading toward Syn Bridge! We were blocked off and have to take a different route to stop him, we need backup NOW!"

Jackie practically jumped for joy, tripping over himself as he made his way to the window of his apartment building. After gathering himself again, he hopped onto the window ledge and looked down upon cars and stoplights a few stories below. He shuddered, having always hated heights, but his equipment was trustworthy and he had superpowers. It took some getting used to, yet he'd never once fallen on one of his nightly runs.

Heart pounding, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a calming breath, letting the sounds of the city fade into the back of his mind. This was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. He was finally going to prove himself a hero and become the protector of his city. Everything he'd ever dreamed was going to come true.

All he had to do was not mess it up. Simple.

Jackie slipped his mask onto his face and kicked off the building, free falling into the air for a moment before reaching out his hand and activating his prized grappling hook. It shot out from a place on his wrist and latched onto the side of a building, allowing him to swing from it like a trapeze artist as he soared through the streets. No turning back now.

With a yank, Jackie shot out another hook and swung his way across the city, moving much faster than the cars below him. Never had he been so glad to have read too many comics as a kid; he never would have thought this up if his favorite superhero hadn't shot webs from his hands.

Jackie whooped in excitement as he flew past buildings, making his way toward the bridge. He was on an adrenaline high now, thriving off of the blood rushing through his ears and adrenaline coursing through his veins. Everything couldn't be more perfect in that moment.

It took no effort to find the baddies, streaking down the roads as they made their getaway. Jackie smiled with anticipation, slowing down a little so he was moving at the same speed as the car. All it would take was a swift kick off the building and he could land on top of the car perfectly, allowing for a quick take-down.

Jackie glanced at the building to gain his footing and time seemed to slow down as he stared at himself. Something was wrong, very wrong, his eyes had never been green, it wasn't possible for his mouth to go so wide, there was a wound on his neck that hadn't been there before and a knife that most definitely wasn't in his hand. The world began to collapse inward on itself, darkness surrounding him like a blanket and leaving nothing but the strange reflection, only for it to shatter a moment later and suddenly he was falling into the abyss with no light, no hope of ever getting out--

Jackie gasped, snowflakes clinging to the tips of his eyelashes as he emerged from a pile of snow. A blizzard raged around him, the harsh winds biting at his nose and causing him to shiver violently. How had he ended up here?

Quickly, Jackie stood and brushed the snow from his uniform, but found it difficult to move his fingers. He couldn't seem to get enough friction to warm them up and it felt like they'd become solid blocks of ice. Further inspection after taking off a glove confirmed that he was, in fact, slowly freezing into an ice cube, beautiful frost crystals making their way slowly up his arm. He was going to die here in this icy wasteland.

"Hello?" Jackie called out, wading through layers of snow. "Can anyone hear me? Please, help! Help me!"

Help me! his voice echoed back. Jackie was certain voices didn't echo during snowstorms.

~~~

I uploaded a new cover for the story, though I'm a bit peeved that Wattpad took away all the pixels though. Ah well, still looks way nicer than the old one (a pic I drew over a year ago at this point not meant for the Mayhem stories at all). Simple can be good guys!

Not sure exactly how the whole ice and cold theme ended up becoming Anti's "thing", but I'm super into it, so he likes creating nightmarish snowstorms now in your dreams. Hooray!

June 2nd. We're gettin' there, folks.

- a faulty grappling hook