As Jason opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by the sterile smell of hospital equipment and the soft beeping of machines. He was met with a mixture of relief and concern from Sol, who was sitting beside him. "Hey, you're awake," Sol said, his voice filled with emotion.
But Jason's mind was still reeling from the events that had transpired. He couldn't shake off the image of Gary's lifeless body, and the rage that had fueled his flames still lingered within him. He stared blankly at the floor, his eyes unfocused, as if trying to process the trauma he had endured.
As Sol rushed to Jason's side, he noticed that his friend's face was deathly pale. "Hey, you're awake," Sol said, trying to sound cheerful, but Jason just folded his body into the corner of the hospital bed, his eyes fixed on the floor.
Sol sensed that something was wrong and asked, "Are you alright?" Jason's response was barely audible. "I'll be fine," he said, his voice monotone.
Sol tried to comfort Jason, telling him that his brother had gone to get some food and would be back soon. But Jason's mind was elsewhere. He could hear his brother's voice, begging for his life as two thugs tried to rob him.
Without warning, Jason got out of bed, removing the needles connected to his arm. His eyes were filled with rage, and Sol knew something was terribly wrong. "The doctor hasn't discharged you yet," Sol said, trying to talk Jason into coming back.
But Jason was beyond reason. A male nurse intervened, trying to persuade Jason to return to bed. "I'm sorry, but for your own good, I'll have to ask you to go back," he said.
Jason's response was cold and menacing. "I understand, but trust me, you don't want to try stopping me."
The nurse, despite being twice Jason's size, tried to grab his shoulder. But Jason pushed him back with ease, sending him flying across the room. Sol watched in shock as the nurse struggled to get up, muttering curses under his breath.
Before Sol could react, Jason was gone, sprinting out of the hospital with a speed and agility that belied his fragile appearance. Sol gave chase, but it was no use. Jason was already gone, leaving Sol to call Elio, who didn't answer.
Meanwhile, Jason was jumping high above the ground, his movements eerily silent. He landed on the main road, where a truck driver swerved to avoid him, but it was too late. The truck hit Jason, sending him flying.
The driver panicked, rushing to check on the victim, but Jason was nowhere to be found. Instead, the driver found a trail of cracks on the ground, as if a massive rock had been sent flying.
The driver followed the trail, but Jason was gone. He returned to his truck, shocked to see that it had been damaged, as if it had hit a pole. "It can't be that kid who made such a mark," the driver muttered to himself.
As the driver looked around for CCTV cameras, he spotted one facing his truck. "Yeah, this should do," he said, deciding to review the footage.
Meanwhile, Jason was dragging his left foot, his eyes fixed on the alley where his brother was being held up by two thugs. "Any last prayer?" one of the thugs sneered, pointing a gun at Elio's head.
Elio was furious, but he knew he had to stay calm if he wanted to survive. "You've taken all I have," he said, trying to stall for time. But Jason was closing in, his eyes blazing with fury.
As the thugs threatened to pull the trigger, Jason's voice dripped with malice, his words sending a chill down Elio's spine. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jason said, his eyes fixed intently on the thugs.
The thugs, emboldened by their guns, sneered at Jason. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, kiddo," one of them said, pointing the gun straight at Jason.
Elio's eyes widened in shock as he saw Jason standing at the other end of the alley, looking reckless and beat up. "Jason!!" he called out, but his words were cut short as one of the thugs used the edge of the gun to hit him across the face.
"You will speak when I tell you to," the thug snarled, but as he turned back to Jason, he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold. Jason had dragged his companion across the alley, throwing him like a rag doll.
Jason's movements were swift and deadly, his punch connecting with the thug's face with a sickening crunch. The thug's eyes rolled back in his head as he stumbled backwards, his face a mess of blood and broken bone.
The other thug, panicked, pulled out his gun and fired shot after shot at Jason. But Jason stood there, unfazed, the bullets hitting him with a series of loud thuds. He didn't flinch, didn't stumble, didn't even react.
The thug's eyes widened in horror as he realized that Jason was not human. He turned to run, but Elio was ready for him. With a swift swing of a plank, Elio knocked the thug to the ground, rendering him unconscious.
"I don't know what went wrong, but we need to get home," Elio said, rushing to Jason's side. Jason was swaying on his feet, his eyes glassy and unfocused. Elio caught him as he stumbled, holding him upright.
"Jason, we need to get out of here," Elio said, his voice urgent. But Jason just leaned against him, his body limp and heavy. Elio knew they had to get out of there, and fast.