Hi thank you so much for all the requests you’ve done for me and everyone, I was curious if you could draw a little kid Zara with little kid Jackie?
Sadly this can’t be canon cuz when Jackie was a baby- Zara was like 19 XD but Jackie is older mentally at the moment so?? Don’t think about it too much and enjoy the cute I wish was real jghvh
I wish you would write either Chase or Jackie, getting kidnapped? Or both. Both is good.
(I totally didn’t get carried away- also if you’d like a follow up/aftermath of this send me an ask cuz I got some ideas but this was already so long!!)
Two friends sat side by side at the bar countertop, sipping whiskey and laughing. It had been so long since Jackie and Chase had gotten to go out and just drink- just have fun with each other’s company. Jackie was always busy with the kids or the channel- but luckily with Zara home for a few weeks, he finally had time to take Chase out for some much-needed bro time. And, boy did he need some bro-time. The poor guy looked exhausted. He always did really, what with saving the town and all. Constant patrols, fist fights and now working with Alt… but Chase never really let it show. He hid his exhaustion under sunny smiles and warm laughs. Jackie really admired how he could do that.
The boys had spent a couple of hours just chilling- shooting the shit and laughing about all the antics that have been happening in their lives. Chase was especially excited with how well things were going with Stacy. But, as the hour grew late, it seemed like it was wearing down on the hero.
Chase held his head and blinked slowly, looking out of it as he slid to rest his elbow on the counter. He cupped his head in his hand, blinking stars out of his eyes. Jackie was quick to be by his side and rubbed his shoulder.
“Yo, dude? You okay?” The father asked, bending to try to get a better look at him. Chase batted him away and rubbed at his face, swaying slightly.
“Y-Yeah… yeah-” Chase slurred, his voice low. “Just… h-head hurts.. S’all of a sudden…” His head dipped to his chest and he jolted, blinking sluggishly as he tried to get his bearings again. Though- doing so almost had him tumbling out of his chair. Jackie was quick to catch him- and then was hurrying to help him stand.
“This doesn’t look good Chase,” Jackie whispered as he fished out cash from his wallet- then left more than a generous tip for the bartender. He quickly began to steer Chase towards the back- but halfway through the motion, he was thinking that was a bad idea. This place was crowded as hell… too loud and bright. Chase was already leaning heavily onto Jackie- his breathing slow and shallow. He looked completely out of it. Had- someone gotten something into his drink without Jackie seeing? They couldn’t stay here- they needed to contact one of the others and get out of here. Jackie was too drunk to drive them home like he planned…
Moving quickly, Jackie helped Chase to stumble out of the pub. Rounding to the side of the building, he set the heavier man down and bent over his knees to catch his breath. Chase was not looking good at all- his head was lulling against the wall, eyes glazed but open. It didn’t look like he was taking anything in. Jackie quickly came to Chase’s side and tapped his face, trying to get him to meet the father’s eyes.
Eventually, Chase’s eyes locked onto Jackie’s face and Jackie gave the hero a tense smile. “Okay Buddy- i need you to stay awake for me alright? Its gonna be okay- I’m gonna call J and Alt and we’ll get you home safe…” He was trying so hard not to freak out right now.
Chase knit his eyebrows together slowly, as if confused by Jackie’s words. He sluggishly lifted a hand to try to clutch onto Jackie’s jacket, squeezing his eyes open and shut to keep himself awake.
“D-Dizzy…” He wheezed, “I… I don’t feel good Jackie- I… I can’t-” Chase tried to breathe- and Jackie could see the flicker of bright blue in the hero’s eyes. “M’powers… i… I can’t feel-”
That had Jackie’s heart dropping. He quickly knelt back down by Chase to whisper, eyes open with fear. “What? Your powers? You can’t feel them...??” Chase sleepily shook his head, his gaze falling to stare at the ground.
“N...Nothin’... I… I dun think I can… m...move-” He sighs, starting to fall back against Jackie. ‘S’hard…”
“S-Shit!” Jackie quickly grabbed Chase to keep him upright, “Just- try to fight it Chase! I’m gonna call for help!”
The hero was sat back up against the wall as Jackie hurried to his feet and tried to find his phone. Once he had it, he quickly worked to unlock it- but before he could dial… A click sounded off behind him- and the cold feeling of metal pressed up against his back.
Jackie froze, not daring to touch anything more on his phone. A female voice drawled from behind him, shoving the metal more into his skin.
“If you know what’s good for you- you’ll put that phone away.”
The father swallowed, feeling sweat start to drip down his face as he slowly moved to put his phone back in his pocket. Then, he raised his hands over his head to show they were empty.
“W-What do you want?” He breathed out, trying to hide his shaking. The girl nudged him again before speaking. “Turn around, Pick up your mate then you’re gonna walk till I tell ya to stop.”
Jackie did as he was told, turning around. He saw a flash of the girl- and the glint of her gun in the moonlight. Her face was covered in a mask, her blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail. Her dark outfit mostly concealed her in the dark alley. Jackie knelt down and gathered up Chase, slinging his arm over his shoulder. Chase groaned and raised his head slightly in confusion. Before Jackie could reassure him, the girl was poking Jackie with the gun again and pointing forward.
Jackie started to walk, holding Chase close to keep him on his feet. The hero was tripping and stumbling, gripping hands into Jackie’s jacket to keep from falling completely. But, even this out of it, he could feel Jackie shaking. Jackie could see out of the corner of his eye- the faint spark of Chase trying to awaken his powers. But, like broken lightbulbs, the blue glow only flickered in his irises before dying out. Superpowers weren’t gonna get them out of this one…
The father was absolutely terrified. What did this chick want with them? Did they find out who Bro really was? She must have been the one to drug him… he really can't think of any other reason the two of them would be at the business end of a gun. But… if they wanted Bro- why did they keep Jackie alive? He wasn’t sure he was ready to hear the answer…
Soon enough, the alley ends- and in front of the group is a parked van. Another girl is waiting, dressed in a similar fashion but with darker hair. She eyes the group then snorts and goes to open the back.
“Took you long enough,” The new girl snarks to the blonde. The blonde one huffs then rolls her eyes.
“S’not my fault these dumbarses took their sweet fucking time-” She growled, shoving the gun against Jackie’s back again. The other girl raised an eyebrow then shrugged, going to push both the boys inside the back.
“Fine then- but hurry up. God knows what happens when the boss gets fussy.”
The interior of the van was bigger than expected- but still too short for the boys to stand up. The blonde one shoved Jackie again as she demanded. “Drop him there, Red. No funny business.”
Jackie gulped again and quickly set down Chase against the metal wall of the van. Before he could take a breath, he was being grabbed by the back of his hood. He shouts in surprise, trying to find some way to fight- But soon enough, his arms are being roughly wrenched behind him and bound by duct tape. Then, he’s thrown against the opposite wall, hitting his tailbone hard enough to leave him dizzy. The blonde finally puts up her gun as her friend ties up Chase in the same fashion as Jackie. The hero tries to struggle but his movements are so sloppy and slow. The black haired girl is able to tie him up in no time at all.
The blonde snorts then knocks on the van wall, signaling to someone up front. “Alright Boss- they’re ready!”
There’s a sound of restrained joy as another female figure climbs from the front and makes her way to the back. She rubs her hands together in glee, her purple hair bouncing on top her head and light catching on her holographic jacket.
“Ah yes! Finally! I was getting bored-” She starts. Then, she stops as she takes in the sight of the boys- pointing to Jackie then to Chase. Her face sets into a displeased frown as she looked at her lackeys.
“What the fuck- it’s supposed to be the Youtuber who’s drugged, you fucking bimbos!” She shouts. The girls cringe. Finally the blonde one gestures to the dark haired one. “Blame Tess, Overdose. She’s the one who was staking the pub-”
Tess’s eyes widened and she shook her head, trying to explain herself. “I-It wasn’t my fault! I didn’t know this guy would take his drink! They got them confused-”
Overdose sighed and rubbed a hand down her face before shoving a hand in Tess’s. “Shut up- the important thing is they’re here. Well- one of them. Don’t really care for Orange here- but better than nothin’.”
Then, she gestures to the front with her thumb, not even making eye contact with the girls. “Laurie- take the wheel. Tess- make sure we make it to the warehouse. Alright?” She then kneels down in front of Jackie and grabs his chin, grinning wide as she met his eyes. “I’ll make sure our guests are nice and comfy.”
The sound of the engine revving rumbles out- and soon the van is cruising down the street. Jackie glared at the villain- but had to bite his tongue. He never had meet Overdose before- but he knew about her through stories he heard from Chase and Alt. She wasn’t the biggest villain in town… but she definitely had a reputation. “What do you want from us?” He growled, trying to jerk his head away from her grasp.
Her nails dug into his skin and she laughed, twisting his head back and forth. “Shhhh shush love-” She giggles as she digs into her pocket and then tosses a pill into her mouth. She chews it for a second then gently blows a glowing cloud of white into Jackie’s face. The father coughs and tries to back away- but the smoke quickly invades his senses. His vision doubles and his eyes start to feel heavy. Overdose chuckles and finally lets Jackie go, plopping down in front of him and giving him a shit-eating grin. “Sorry bout that- it’s so hard to talk to anyone when they’re sober.”
The vlogger wheezed and tried to push past the quickly approaching fog invading his head. Overdose studied him with a smile- then perked up after a second. “Oh! Right- you wanted to know what we wanted-” She giggles again and reaches into her pocket again- but instead of popping another pill, she seems to pop in a gumball. She chews for a second with a thoughtful expression before continuing.
“Well- you seem to be getting pretty popular, Mr. Jackieboy.”
“Wait- you were coming after me??” Jackie exclaimed. Overdose frowned, then kicked him in the stomach.
“Don’t interrupt me. So rude-” She huffs with a lazy eye roll. Then she starts up again. “Anyways- it seems your popularity is coming from one source… your good friend, Bro Fantastic.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. They- they didn’t know the truth about Chase… but they were trying to get to the hero through him! They had no idea they had accidentally kidnapped the hero unknowingly. Jackie just had to keep his mouth shut… for both their sakes.
Overdose non-chantly chewed her gum, like this was just a normal evening for her. Then, she seems to remember something else and digs into her jacket- pulling out what looks like a burner phone. She hums and flips it open, ready to punch in a number. “Oh yeah- you’re not gonna be able to talk much in a few- so let’s get a ransom started. What’s the number you want?”
The father blinked in confusion- but he started to see the logic. If he had Bro’s number- she could save it to use for tracking. Possibly coming in the future to off the hero while he slept… Jackie chewed his lip before whispering out. “M...My wife- I’d like to call my wife.”
The villain rolled her eyes. “Typical- alright. Go ahead-” Jackie mumbled out the number, blinking rapidly to try to stay more conscious. The drug was working fast- he hoped he could get out the message he needed before it reached its peak…
Overdose held the phone to Jackie’s ear with a look of annoyance, then pushed his head to squeeze the phone in between his shoulder and his neck. “I ain’t holding it for you Princess- but make it quick.”
Jackie nodded and listened to the phone dial- until eventually he was greeted with a voice. But- It wasn’t Zara.
“Jackie?” A male voice glitched on the other end.
Jackie’s tongue felt thick in his mouth but he pushed through, trying to sound casual. “H-Hey love-”
Alt made a noise of confusion but stayed quiet, sensing something was wrong. Jackie thanked the gods for Alt’s paranoid nature. “...are you okay? Are you two in danger?”
“Listen- I… got into a bit of trouble with Chase at the bar-” Jackie slurs, trying to figure out how to signal what he needed.
“Is it Magnficient?”
“No- no! I’m okay I swear- but Chase is in a bad state. Dumbass must have drank too much-” Jackie laughs awkwardly, feeling more sweat running down his face. Alt listened patiently, but the other end was buzzing with electronic humming.
“A-Anyways- I can’t drive us home… too much. But- I’d need some… s-super help- g-getting him back home… d-do you think Dr. J come help you get some muscle?”
“Where are you?” Alt asked in a low voice, “Can i glitch to you?”
Jackie shook his head, “No! I don’t trust those taxi services- rather just ask one of the lads right?” He laughed, but he was starting to feel the drug really drag him down. His head lulls and he has to shake himself to stay upright. “I.. I’m not sure of the address hold on-”
Jackie looks towards Overdose and keeps up his charade- “Excuse me Miss? Do you know the address?”
Overdose looked a bit impressed at his calm demenor- but she muttered the address they were heading to with a crooked smile. She was buying it.
“Ah thanks-” He repeats the address back into the phone slowly. Alt made a grunt of affirmation. Jackie smiles but then leans into the phone, changing his voice to sound more desperate. “Please… p-please make sure my b-bro is there… okay? We need him…”
Jackie could practically feel the sparks coming off of Alt through the speaker. “Don’t worry Jackie- I got a plan. And i’ll bring as much help as I can get. Stay strong-”
The father laughs again and nods, “O-Okay Love… t-thank you… kiss the kids goodnight for me.” Alt’s end shut off with a sharp beep- right as Jackie was starting to lose his ability to fully sit up. The phone fell from his neck and he struggled to suck in a deep breath as he looked towards Overdose with glazed eyes. “It’s done… m-my wife knows how to c-contact him… h-he’ll be there…”
Overdose grinned and clapped slightly, “Excellent work, Jackieboy. If we get the hero- you and your friend just might live through the night~!” Jackie scowled- even as his heart beat furiously with fear.
Now… he just had to believe in Alt…
Chase was attempting to move, looking to Jackie with fear in his eyes. Blue still feebly tried to spark in his eyes- but at the sight, Jackie tried to subtly shake his head. Chase needed to keep his cool. He was gonna give himself away if he wasn’t careful. The hero looked to Jackie in confusion but eventually nodded. He slumped his head against the wall and closed his eyes, trying to quell his dizziness. Seeing the normally strong Chase curled up like that hurt Jackie’s heart. He could tell it was killing Chase inside that he couldn’t save them right now.
Eventually, the van came to a stop. Overdose stretched then whooped as she got to her feet. “Whoo- finally! Time for the fun stuff!” The villain grinned sinsiterly before grabbing Chase by his jacket and hauling him towards the floor. The hero oofs and blinks stars out of his eyes, hitting his head against the metal floor. Jackie feels anger spark in his chest- even if he’s slow to feel it in the rest of his sluggish body.
“H-Hey!” He tries to shout at Overdose, attempting to get to his feet. But its a struggle- “L-Leave him alone! He has n-nothing to do with this-!”
Overdose snorted then kicked at Chase, causing the brunette to moan. “So?” She drones, “As far as I’m aware- he’s only still here to keep you compliant, Red. Other than that- He’s practically free game!” She grins sadistically before picking him up by his hood again and dangling him up like a kitten. Chase growled low, glaring daggers at the purple haired girl. Overdose snapped with her free hand and called out to the front. “Hurry up you two! We got shit to do before the hero shows up!”
The two lackeys hurry over to take Chase from Overdose- setting the hero to his feet and steering him towards the building in front of them. Overdose grabs Jackie by the front of his shirt then drags him out of the van. Jackie yelps in surprise and sluggishly tries to get control of his feet. Overdose gives him just a second to get his balance before yanking him inside.
As they enter the dark building- Jackie feels a chill in the air. He shivers slightly and Overdose shoves him to walk faster. His legs wobble but he continues in his stride as best he can. The girls lead the boys to the center of the warehouse- where it seems a small lab like setup has been made. The two lackeys steer Chase off to the side while Overdose leads Jackie towards the lab. A chair sits to the side- and soon Jackie is shoved into it. He protests sluggishly as the duct tape is ripped off and his arms are strapped to the chair. Overdose giggles and tilts Jackie’s face up- studying his eyes. “Ohhh Mr. Youtuber- we’re about to have so much fun!”
Jackie scowls- “Fun for me or fun for you?” He snaps. Overdose stands up and puts a hand over her chest like she’s offended. “For me of course! You’re a dumbass if you think imma make this fun for you- pffft!” The vlogger makes an annoyed face.
Laurie calls from the back, “Yo boss! Where do you want orange over here?”
Overdose sighs dramatically then waves her hand at the girls holding Chase- “I dunno- tie him to the wall or something- keep a gun trained on him though. In case Red decides to be difficult-” She eyes the vlogger and hums, “Or… if Mr. Fantastic decides to ghost out on us… we’ll make sure your buddy here pays for that…”
Now, Jackie swallows nervously. How was Alt gonna pull this off now? Bro was right here-! Was he gonna get Chase killed for Bro Fantastic not showing up? His heart was beating fast in his ears now, skin feeling clammy as terror gripped tight onto his heart.
Chase struggled against the two girls as best he could- but soon the girls had him secured to the wall. The hero slumped in his new bindings, gritting his teeth and trying once again to call upon his powers. But, if anything- the attempt seemed to exhaust him more.
Overdose seemed to pick up on Jackie’s rising panic- and she strode over to her table and started to fuss around- gathering up bottles and looking at their labels. “You seem so tense Jackieboy- relax~! I’m not gonna hurt you. No no, I’m gonna help you!” She hums lightly as she finds what she’s looking for and then pushes around more on the desk. She picks up a syringe and then starts to fill it up from the bottle. Jackie bared his teeth at her.
“Help me? What have you done so far that’s helped me?” He spat. Overdose looked over her work with a cocked eyebrow.
“Well- Maybe I haven’t helped ya yet- But i’m gonna help you calm the fuck down, Mr. High Strung.” She held the syringe up to the light to examine it then tested it by giving it a tiny squeeze. Clear liquid shot out the end and Overdose grinned. She slowly made her way back to Jackie, dragging a chair to sit beside him- then sitting in it backwards. She drums excited fingers on the back on her chair as she leaned over and pushed Jackie’s head to the side so she could find a good vein on his neck. “And in return… you’re going to give me some information that’s very valuable to me.”
“W-What?” Jackie exclaimed- then shouted out as the syringe sunk into his vein. Overdose pressed down and the liquid quickly started to burn through Jackie’s veins. He shouted out and tried to squirm away- anything to get the discomfort out from under his skin. Chase pulled on his restraints and tried to cry out to his friend,” J-Jackie!” But- Soon the barrel of Tesh’s gun is pressed to Chase’s head, silencing him. He watched in horror as Overdose removed the syringe and gently patted the injection side on Jackie’s neck.
“Beautiful work love-” She teased, tip toeing her fingers across Jackie’s neck. He shudders and tries to pull away- but doing so has the room spinning. He groans and blinks, seeing his vision double and triple before him. He tries to think through the thicker fog clouding his head. But- it’s becoming too thick- so hard to think at all. He feels his head start to dip to his chest- his formally racing heart starting to slow down. He feels… almost peaceful now- calm…
Chase makes a soft noise of pain- seeing the drug drag Jackie under. Power sparks painfully in his joints- trying to fire. His instincts are going crazy! But… the drug or the alcohol… something is supressing it. He feels tears gathering in his eyes as he watches helplessly- unable to help his friend.
Overdose practically purrs as she watches Jackie slump and sigh. She goes to push hair out of his face and fluffs it through her fingers lazily. “Feels nice doesn’t it, hoodie?” She hums. With practiced moves, she grabs something out of her pocket, tosses it in her mouth then blows. Soon, the air around the two of them is filled with colorful plumes of smoke. Overdose watches them like someone just cloud gazing. She leans on Jackie as she starts to talk again.
“I gave you something that’s been baffling scientists and government agents for ages, Jackie~ a true truth serum.” She grins and wafts a hand through the smoke above her, giggling like an excited school girl. “The perfect mix- just the right ratio of LSD and barbiturates…. A little bit of Sodium Penthothal and the tiniest smidge of Nembutal. Just for a kick- or you’d be sleeping like your family’s dead dog-” She leans back to look at Jackie, taking in his glazed eyes and shallow breathing. He looks mere seconds from falling asleep- yet, caught in a state between the two. Not asleep- but not fully awake either. She giggled before posing her question.
“Tell me Jackie- let’s really get to know each other for a second~” She bites down on another capsle and blows more smoke into the air. The new plume glows slightly and the villain runs an expert hand through the fog- making the glowing smoke travel in a spiral as it drifts in front of Jackie’s face. As predicted- his eyes soon lock onto the smoke and his pupils expand, staring at the pretty colors like they’re all that mattered. Overdose did her research- she knew this one was a patient of a hypnotherapist… and her research said that a little hypnosis with these drugs perfected the truth telling technique she needed.
“What’s your full name?” She asks the tranced father.
Jackie blinks sluggishly. His mouth feels funny… like it’s filled with cotton. But- It’s also scarily easy to just- let the words fall from his lips. He barely even has to think before he’s breathing out the answer to Overdose’s question.
“... Jackie Finnigan Mann…”
Overdose stifled a laugh. “Oh- your irish is showing there!” She giggles. Jackie nods dazedly and finds his lips getting looser- wanting to talk. Like it was all he could do- “...w..whole family’s Irish… my mum and me da… my sisters…” His accent gets thicker as he slurs his words, much to Overdose’s delight.
“And even your wife?” She prodded. Jackie shook his head.
“Wife’s British… met her in college… h..here in Brighton…” Jackie smiled dazedly, the mention of his wife on his lips making him feel even more calm. Why was he so worried before? He feels like he’s floating on a cloud right now.
Overdose still wanted to test the serum’s effectiveness before she moved onto her goal. The more she got him talking- the more likely it would be that the answer she needed would slip off his tongue. “How’d you meet your wife?”
Jackie smiled more, looking up into the smoke with a dreamy expression. “In class… martial arts class… she kicked my ass- and… i instantly fell in love…” He sighs softly, the look on his face one of complete bliss. But, something crossed his foggy mind that caused his eyebrows to furrow as he looked slightly off into the distance. “... my mate… my mate didn’t like it- that i fell in love…”
“Oh?” Overdose asked with a raised eyebrow. That was all Jackie needed to keep going.
“He… he left- my… my best friend… h..he left...w-when me and Zara got engaged…”
“Do you still remember his name?”
“Marvin-” Jackie replied almost instantly. Overdose’s lips curled into a sinister smile at the quick response. She was about to prod again when Jackie’s head dropped, his eyes widening as he kept repeating the name.
“M...marvin… marv- he… he disappeared- he.. He doesn’t exist anymore-” He starts to say hurriedly- his thoughts getting all messed up in the crazy fog. A storm was brewing, memories stirring. His breath hitched as his eyes started to dart back and forth. “He’s bad- a… a bad man- he’s…”
Shit-! She let him spiral down- but Overdose could try to use this to her advantage. She quickly turned and gripped either side of Jackie’s face, breathing more colorful smoke into his face as she let her voice fall low and gentle. “Relax Jackie- Relax…” Jackie whimpers slightly, his head heavy in Overdose’s hands- ready to fall, slip away. But not yet- she was so close.
“Let’s talk about other friends,” She pushes, smiling as she feels the brunette’s shoulders start to slump. “Like- Bro Fantatstic. Do you actually know him?”
Jackie nods tiredly into Overdose’s hands, his voice thick with slurring as he tried to speak again. “Yeah… Yeah i know him… he’s m’friend… b..best friend…” He blinks sluggishly, trying to figure out why his heart was starting to race again. Why the thought of his friend was making him so nervous.
But, this was what Overdose was waiting for. She digged nails into Jackie’s cheeks with a manic grin, eyes bright. “His name Jackie- what is Bro Fantastic’s name?”
The air was buzzing with tension as Jackie seemed to think- his lips struggling to work. Something seemed to be stopping him- but Overdose was patient. Just a few seconds… and she’d finally know who that useless wannabe hero was. So she could finally end him- and rid the city of its biggest nuisance.
Chase was starting to squirm- hating that he can’t see past the smoke to what Overdose is doing. He can’t hear their quiet whispers. And even with his senses so dull, he knew this couldn’t be good.
But- it turns out the air wasn’t just buzzing with tension- it was also buzzing with glitches. Chase’s head snaps up as the familiar sound zips through the air, the magic prickling at his skin. He almost laughs in relief-
And that’s when the wall of the warehouse is broken through in a flash of green light. The girls guarding Chase gasp and point guns at the entrance. Overdose’s head whips to the intrusion and she suppresses a scream of rage.
“Haven’t you heard of knocking?!” She snaps as he gets off Jackie and lets the father’s head fall to his chest limply. “And I’m afraid I ain’t taking any appointments right now!”
“Aw- ain’t that a shame?” A familiar voice drawls as the rubble clears, “I heard you were quite eager to find me-”
Chase’s eyes widened as through the hole out steps… Bro Fantatsic himself. Chase’s head spun- seeing this perfect copy of him posing in the flickering light of warehouse. His copy seems to sense eyes on him and meets Chase’s gaze. The hero grins and winks at Chase- his eyes changing to green blue for just a second.
Chase’s heart leapt into his throat. It was Alt! But… somehow disguised perfectly as the hero. Alt couldn’t match his brother’s height and muscualture- or even attempt to sound close to the hero. But, he seemed to be using his magic to accomplish the feat- the only thing seeming off was the odd flick of green and blue across his skin.
Overdose’s eyes widened and then she grinned, quickly going to grab filled syringes from her table. “Why- Mr. Fantastic! Here I was thinking you didn’t care one bit for your youtuber here-!”
The fake Bro Fantatsic’s eyes flared blue as he bared his teeth, “You thought wrong Overdose. Now- let these two go. Your beef is with me, isn’t it?”
The villain giggled and quickly flipped another pill into her mouth and bit down- smoke quickly starting to leak out of both sides of her mouth as her eyes filled with madness. “Oh- yes it is, Hero- but I’m afraid Mr. Mann here is still in the middle of an important session!” She yells then throws a syringe at the hero- Bro quickly dodging down. The syringe sank into the back wall with a sharp twang. “So- get lost!” Overdose snarled darkly. Bro got back to his full height and snorted, giving the short villain a condescending look.
“You really think I’m gonna listen to you?” He pats his chest as he puffs it out tauntingly, “You want me gone? Gotta get rid of me yourself, drug princess!”
Shocked by the hero’s taunts, Overdose is still for a second. But then she’s yelling, charging at the hero as she pops a few more pills. She pulls out a vape pen and blows thick puffs of colorful smoke around her- the air becoming thick with drugged smoke that fills the whole warehouse.
The lackeys watching Chase shout out in fear as they scramble to find each other in the smoke, bumping backs together as they searched through the fog. “W-wait Boss! W-We don’t have our masks-!”
Chase quickly knelt his face down to sink his nose under his shirt collar- quickly trying to block the smoke. Overdose’s underlings coughed heavily from the smoke, trying to waft it away and pull their own jackets over their faces. But- the stuff hits too fast. And soon enough, they’re both crashing to the floor and retching- blinking through hallucinations and spinning vision.
Out of the smoke- a foot pops out and kicks one of the girl’s guns away into the thick fog. Another soon joins the first- sending the other gun down a similar path. A sharp inhale is heard as the pair of shoes stops next to the girls. Jackie recongizes the voices before they even clear through the fog.
“Oof- Rather tough break you lot got, eh?” Dr. Jameson seems to smypathize as he stands over the girls. Chase lifts up his head and nearly cries out in relief. But, soon a mask is being pulled over Chase’s mouth, startling him. But, the force putting it on just loops it over his ears as Jameson grabs the keys from the fallen girls. He quickly goes to unlock Chase and then two firm hands are grabbing him from under his arms and helping him get to his feet.
The voice is soft and gentle, filled with kindness even in a place like this. “Hang on there Sternschnuppe- we are right here. Do not worry! Careful now…” Henny encourages Chase quietly as he helps Chase’s shaky feet to stand fully.
Chase laughs dazedly, feeling the Doctor come to hold his other arm as his legs shake too much to control. He almost sinks into his friends’ grips. But- then he realizes and looks to his friends with panic.
“J-Jackie…!” He coughs, gripping onto his friends’ shirts to keep from falling over. “Jackie i-is…!”
“Relax Chase,” Jameson whispers soothingly, “Alt has Overdose distracted- and we have someone else grabbing Jackie.”
Chase knit his eyebrows together in confusion. This… was all of them right? Who else was there to help them?
Alt’s laugh echoed throughout the warehouse- clearly having a blast as he moved quick through the smoke. He releved in the sound of Overdose’s anger- and used just the barest amount of his glitches to get out of her reach. His illusion would not be convincing once Overdose realized she could stab through like half of his projected body- but he was fully charged up and Overdose was sloppy with desperation. This was a blast for Alt.
Jackie was lost in a fog of confusion. He barely felt like he could move- his head was too heavy. It was too hard to think. The noises around him made no sense… His chest was hurting and it felt hard to breathe. It felt like everything around him was slowing down. He was feeling cold…more exhausted than he had been in a while. He had no idea where anyone was in the confusing swirls of color around him. Each breath in seemed to hurt his chest more- and his asthma was acting up as he inhaled more and more smoke. Hadn’t he heard Bro…? Had Bro come to save him? Alt? He wasn’t sure… his head hurt so much.
The sound of rapid footsteps just barely had him lifting his head to try to look through the smoke. It was so hard to see… even as a figure seemed to approach- he couldn’t fully make out who it was. It… didn’t look like Bro or Alt…
Soft hands tapped rapidly on his cheeks, rousing Jackie a bit more out of his drugged stupor. But, the voice woke him up even more- his heart skipping a beat.
Zara- it was Zara. Zara’s face right in front of him. Comforting hands holding his cheeks- Jackie could feel the familiar weight of her ring on his skin.
“Jackie- Jackie love, are you there?” Zara’s voice hitched as she took in the slack look on Jackie’s face. He looked like he was barely hanging onto consciousness. “Can you hear me, dear?”
“...z..zara…?” Jackie slurred with great difficulty. Zara found herself laughing a bit as she nodded, tears building up in her eyes.
“Yes, Jackie- it’s me. Let’s get you out of here…” She had a mask already on her face as she quickly pulled one off her arm and eased it onto Jackie’s face. He squirmed slightly and coughed- the sound of his irritated lungs making Zara’s chest clench in worry.
“How… how are you here…?” Jackie mumbles thickly, watching dazedly as Zara grabs a scalpel from Overdose’s tools and slices through Jackie’s restraints. Soon, she was helping Jackie to his feet.
“Alt was over when you called him-“ She smiles lightly and tries to joke. “Was a bit offended you didn’t call me but I’ll forgive it.”
Jackie shakes his head and leans into Zara like sinking into his bed. “...wanted too…” Zara giggles softly and squeezes his shoulder.
“I know love- but you made a smart move. So, let’s get you out of here-“ The mother encouraged. But, the father could barely stand on his own, his body too slow and wobbly to really move on his own. Zara cursed slightly under her breath but managed to grab Jackie as best she could as she moved her way through the smoke, towards outside.
After a time- the smoke started to clear as Overdose was clearly feeling exhaustion wear down on her. She hadn’t managed to get one hit on the cocky hero! She looped around the space- trying to find him as she yelled in frustration.
“Where are you, you fucking rotten goody two shoes!” She growled.
There was another cocky laugh echoing across the space that had Overdose spinning around to shout at the air.
“Quit your freak show act, Fantastic! You think you can scare me? With- with your creepy laughs and cowardly ways of fighting! You’re not even acting like a hero-!”
The laugh was suddenly a lot closer as a new face appeared in her own- green blue eyes sparking with power as a cocky grin spread across his face.
“Huh- lucky i ain’t a hero then huh?” Alt snarks, his disguise dropped to reveal his true self as he giggles. He snaps and lets a bit of his magic swirl around his finger, smirking at the confused villain. “I think we both know I’m a better entertainer.”
“You-!” Overdose screeched, “You’re that little punk illusionist!” She whipped her head around the space- taking in her now destroyed warehouse. Her tools, her experiments and vials- her lackeys passed out on the floor. “Where- where did Fantastic go?!”
Alt chuckled and eased into a relaxed pose, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His eyes glowed in the dark as he eyed the tired villain, “He was never here Sweetheart-” He clicks his tongue and shakes his head with false sympathy. “Seems like you got played, Love- such a shame.”
Overdose sputtered and backed up, double taking the state of her warehouse in. “W-What? N-No!”
Alt glitched up to her and poked her nose, a shit eating grin on his face. “Seems ya lost this round Overdose-” Then- in a flash, he’s grabbing the villain by the front of her shirt, growling in her face and baring sharp teeth her way.
“And next time? Don’t mess with my fucking friends, bitch.”
He drops Overdose to the ground harshly- and before she can fully open her eyes back up, he’s gone. Leaving only the taste of metal in the air and faint sparks of green and blue.
I see these and automically think of overdose- and then I wanted to draw Zara coming to help Jackie when he was exposed to Overdose’s truth serum smoke ;A; babies-
Jackie swam agitatedly in circles by the Aurora, pulling at his hair and growling under his breath.
“Fucking… white suits! Things were finally okay… why-? Why did they have to come and ruin everything?!” He screams at the end, his roar rocking debris from where it was buried in the sand and sending nearby prey fish scrambling away in fear. The merman pulled at his hair, trying to reel his anger in. If he wasn’t careful… he could hurt someone.
Then, he heard a roar in the distance. His head whipped up- and he smiled. He knew that roar by now!
In a hurry, the Reaper mer shot down towards the sand behind the Aurora, eyes eagerly searching for a sign. A hint of murky blue and dark red- another roar. He turned, and was meet face to face with who he was searching for.
Mama Grim appeared in front of Jackie and came in closer, blowing a bunch of warm bubbles in his face followed by a roar. Jackie grinned and swam up to the large reaper, wrapping his arms around one of her mandibles. The reaper made a low grumble that made Jackie smile- especially after she tried to bump her face against the smaller boy.
“I missed you too,” Jackie said, patting down on her head. Mama Grim swirled around in a circle before coming back up and nudging Jackie. Actually nudging was too gentle a word- she was trying to toss him back as she made a playful growl.
Jackie blinked, then grinned back at her, his fangs flashing. His tail swished under him in anticipation as he flexed his hands and his claws sharpened at his fingertips. “You really get me, Grims. This is exactly what I needed!”
The older reaper roared in challenge, trying to knock Jackie into the resulting current. Jackie was fast though- he had a bit more speed than her because of his size. He used his hands to break through the current, then gave his own roar. He flung out his mandibles and managed to nick the reaper’s face. Jackie laughed and quickly ducked the reaper’s attempt to nip at him. She blew out bubbles in a huff- and before Jackie could brace himself he was getting a full reaper tail straight to the face.
He sailed through the water towards the ground, then rolled a bit in the cloud of sand. But, he quickly shook it off and grinned up at Mama Grim. She always knew how to give Jackie a challenge when he needed it. He roared at her, and she returned it, getting closer to his face to make the dust blow up again around Jackie in a big puff. Jackie laughed and tried to wave the sand away from his eyes. “Hey! No fair!” He tried to tease- inching towards the reaper’s face. Mama Grim made a playful clicking noise with her teeth, getting closer… then Jackie seized the moment to swoop out his tail to smack sand in her face.
The older reaper bellowed out and shook her whole body. Jackie threw back his head and fell back on the sand as he laughed. Mama Grim made a small growl and pushed her snout against Jackie’s belly. The merman giggled and tried to push her away. Mama Grim pushes further and tries to snag a tooth on Jackie’s hood. Jackie really fought back at that, laughing, “hey! I don’t have many of these! Careful!” Eventually, the teasing got them into a little wrestling match- Jackie trying to shove the mighty reaper back with his arms and tail strength while Mama Grim used her mandibles.
It’s been a while since he came to see the Reaper. Getting Jack and Anti back had really taken up his time. And while it was so great to have his family coming back together, he felt bad that he neglected his other family. But, Mama Grim always picks up right where they last left off, and Jackie needed that. He needed some familiarity in these uncertain waters- and he needed someone to be with that could take his punches.
Jackie’s arms shook as he tried to fight against the Reaper’s mandibles. He swore he felt some give. Mama Grim blew water out of her clenched teeth and Jackie had to close his eyes with a laugh. Then, he felt a slip in the reaper’s stride- and Jackie took that opportunity. He quickly locked his arms around one of her mandibles then used his own as leverage as he turned the reaper, flipping to throw her back through the water. The reaper made a surprised noise but quickly righted herself then looped to roar at Jackie. He roared back through giddy giggles. He was getting stronger!
Hopefully he’d be strong enough to keep his brothers safe from those new white suits. The thought of that changes his expression, his face setting into a frown. Mama Grim waited for a second before flicking out her tail to light thwack Jackie to get his attention back. He blinked at her and she snorted then tapped her tail twice against the sand. Their little way of showing that they were gonna train. Jackie’s eyes got a spark back into them and he smiled at the reaper. Then, with mandibles outstretched far, he dove straight towards the reaper with a yell.
But- something aimed to stop him. A black and blue blur-stark violet eyes.
“Jackie!” Zara shouted, hands outstretched towards him. “Don’t do this! Don’t hurt them!”
“Z-Zara?!” Was all Jackie really had time to say before the two of them collided and fell back to the seabed. Jackie had fallen on top of Zara and he quickly spit out sand before retracting his mandibles and helping the girl up. She rubbed at her shoulder and checked to make sure her tank wasn’t busted.
Jackie stared at her with wide eyes, “Zara- I… what are you doing here? How did you find me?”
Zara had a grumpy expression as she massaged her shoulder. “JJ told me you hang out here when you’re upset… he’s the only one of you I’ve seen today since….” Zara looked up and saw the faint trails of yellow leaking into the water, which got her back on track.
“Oh- never mind that!” She exclaimed before getting a bit too close to Jackie’s face, eyes a bit icy. “Why are you attacking some random reaper? Do you have a death wish?! And I thought you were working on your anger-!”
Jackie blinked more in confusion, “w-what? No Zara- it isn’t what you think-!”
Their conversation gets interrupted by a wave of warm bubbles flowing over the couple, and four beady reaper eyes staring right at the newcomer. She bared her teeth and gave a low growl. Zara couldn’t help but scream and then cling to Jackie as she hid slightly behind him.
The merman looked between the two in more confusion. Then he tried to turn Zara to see, taking her hand. “Hey Z- relax! She won’t hurt you, I promise.”
Zara slowly lifted her head from Jackie’s shoulder, but looked perplexed as to why she wasn’t fish bait right now. She looked to the reaper nervously. “H-how can you be so sure- you were just attacking her!”
Jackie can’t help but laugh. He holds out a hand in front of him and the reaper’s posture relaxes. She goes to settle in the sand, hitting her tail three times against the sea floor before she laid down and put the base of her horned head in Jackie’s palm.
“Well… cuz- she’s my mom.” Jackie said simply, patting the reaper’s head then looking back to Zara. The girl stares at the display with a dumbfounded expression.
Then, her eyebrows furrow as she processes that- “Wait- mom? Like, you got your reaper dna from her?”
The reaper mer cocks his head at that then shakes his head. “Well- I dunno… but I don’t think so…” he hums as he relaxes and looks back to the resting Reaper. “She just… feels like what a mom should be… as far as I know at least. When I got injured right after meeting Dr. Danan… she helped take care of me.” He smiles fondly and pats Mama Grim again. She grumbles back in response.
“She did more than that actually,” Jackie rememised. “She taught me how to hunt better, learn reaper body language, and fight. And when I got infec- intefect…?”
“Infected?” Zara offers and Jackie nods eagerly.
“Yeah yeah! That!” He beams, then continues while looking at the sea floor, flicking his tail in an anxious motion. “I… I couldn’t get up cuz I had a bad fever. So, Mama Grim got me, and looked around for my brothers to help-“
Zara raises an eyebrow with a smile, “Mama Grim?”
Jackie flushes and looks away as he tries to stammer. “Oh uh,.. y-yeah… that’s the name I gave her.”
The blue suit giggles into her hand then lays a hand on his tail. “It suits her Jackie.”
He beamed at her with a smile that could light up the whole ocean.
Mama Grim made a noise that sounded almost like a question, nudging her head against Jackie then looking towards Zara. The girl couldn’t help but whimper slightly and hide behind Jackie again. She’d always had seen the Reapers as hungry, scary creatures of the dark sea… whose soulless back eyes held no mercy. But… this reaper did seem- a bit different. Maybe she just never got to know them like Jackie had.
Jackie chuckles slightly at Zara before gently tugging on her arm to help her glide forward. “C’mon Zara! Sounds like she wants to meet you-“
“R-Really?” Zara stammered with a nervous smile. “A-aah jackie-! I… I don’t know-!”
“It’s okay Z!” Jackie quietly encouraged, then Zara felt a slight push as the merman announced, “Mama Grim! This is Zara!”
Before she knew it she was right in front of the reaper. Her muscles seemed to tighten up on their own but she tried to wave. Mama Grim tilted her head at Zara and seemed to study her, head rising off the sand to tower over the girl. Zara swallowed nervously, trying not to focus on those giant razor sharp teeth, perfectly set into a cartoon villain-like grin.
After what felt like an eternity, Mama Grim shifted then bent down and blew bubbles in Zara’s face. She could feel them tickling against her suit and she giggled at the sensation. Jackie cheered then went to hug Zara from behind.
“She likes you!” He roared in happiness.
Zara giggles and elbows Jackie in the stomach slightly. “How do you know, fish boy?”
Jackie grinned and puffed out his chest mightedly, “Uh- I’m King of the Reapers, duh?”
There was a huff before Mama Grim plopped back down into the sand and roared at Jackie, making the ground shake and current rush by. But, not enough to blow Zara and him away. She then dug her tail slightly in the sand before flicking it at Jackie. The merman coughed at the sand, rubbing against his face. Zara covered her mouth as she laughed. She swam over and helped get the dust out of his hair.
“It seems like she disagrees with you, mighty reaper king~” She teased.
Jackie blushed then messed with the back of his hair. “Oh well- if I’m the king- and she’s my mom, she’d be queen of the reapers!”
“Wouldn’t that make you the prince?”
“Listen, I just know the names! I dunno how that human ruler stuff works!”
Zara laughed again and Mama Grim huffed bubbles at them in amusement.
