“Oh, please let this be a swift death,” pleaded Jason to the haven above. He just couldn’t let his life go on. He felt depression before, but this was at its worst. He looked down off the bridge’s rails and let his one tear drop down to the swooshing brown waters below. He gripped the rail tightly, and he felt his sorrow over whelm him. He tensed and brought his right foot onto the railing. Then he brought his other foot up and his body along with it. He looked around. It was a chilly night on Brooklyn’s smallest bridge. Snow was already falling from places unknown to him. The snowflakes seemed to avoid a certain spot in the air, but his eyes did not register this. He tensed, bent his knees down, and started to jump out into the open air. He saw the suburbs of Brooklyn and he remembered his mother’s smile, before the terrible accident that left her paralyzed and had left her in a coma. It has been some time that he has even thought of his mother’s frail body. He felt his heart tug on his chest, making it feel like he was falling over. Death’s doors were opening in his mind, about to let his mind and soul enter and leave his soon-to-be-mangled body on the river’s depths. However, he felt a sudden tug not on his heart, but on his body and he felt the whole world stop. He had a certain feeling that the cause of this was in front of him, but he dare not look up to see the doors of Hell. Then, he heard a voice that seemed to vibrate through his entire mind. “Why have you decided to choose this path, Jason Gerster?” wheezed the voice. Jason’s eyes widened in fear, for his primal part of him was feeling fear itself. He relaxed, and brought his head to look up. “I have not found a reason to live anymore, stranger.” The stranger’s dark, clean cut eyebrows rose in amusement. “So, you have no reason to live? How about, if I were to say, that I can give you a reason to live a little while longer?” inquired the stranger in his monotone voice. “And why would I have a reason to live a little while longer?” asked Jason. The stranger made a smile, one that could still strike fear into Jason. “If you accept, I will tell you how. But! You will also be agreeing to my unheard terms. So either way you will die. Your decision right now is either to accept or decline.” Jason frowned, thinking for a second longer, and realized that he could have a chance to live. Jason raised his head, and spoke, “I accept.” The stranger then said, “Hear are the terms. I will open a gift inside of you your ancestors were given but did not know how to use. Second, you will learn to control this gift in any way you choose, but it will have effects on you. Thirdly, you have one day to master this power and come to this bridge. Here you will demonstrate that you have mastered it. I will give you the rest of the details on that day. Good luck Mr. Gerster, you will need it.” Then right before Jason’s blue eyes, Jason saw the stranger lift a finger and pint up. He saw from the ground a dark mass of something that could only be explained as darkness and swallow him up. But before the stranger was swallowed up, he flashed a wicked grin. Jason then just realized he just made a pact with one of the devil’s minions. Jason then felt a sensation in his body, something that mildly pleased him in an unspoken way. He looked down and saw the ground moving. Then he started feeling the winter chill and realized he wasn’t still anymore, he was falling. He flipped around and had his back point to the ground. He started to yell, falling down to the brown waters. Then, he felt that same sensation again and he felt something leave his body. He felt the wind rushing past, burning the liquid on the corner of his eyes. He shut them tight, and hit something cold but smooth. He had the sensation he was still falling, but it was on some slick surface. He opened his eyes when the momentum of him stopped, and he sat up. He rubbed his back with his cold hands and looked around. He was underneath the bridge on the riverbank. He looked behind him, and his eyes widened. A whole slide was made out of ice, and he saw that his keys were on it. He looked at his jacket pocket and saw the tear in which his keys dropped out of. He looked up to look at the slide of ice. The lights of Brooklyn made the slide seem like a beautiful sight to behold. His keys glinted faintly with the moon’s shine. He was glad for the placement of the keys. He got up and walked over to the slide on his cold, numb feet. He reached his gloved hand up to the icicle that caught his keys and broke it off. He slid the keys off of the icicle, and put them into his other pocket. He dropped the icicle onto the ground and breathed into his hands. He stretched on the frozen ground and jogged home, all the while wondering how the slide appeared.

Jason smelled bacon in his room. He heard panting under his blankets and lifted them up. His dog, Muffin, was curled in a ball at the end of his bed sheet. He just rolled his eyes and glanced at his alarm clock. His eyes widened when he saw that it was 9:44 a.m. He threw off his sheets, which woke Muffin up. She yawned and a little tweet could be heard from her. Jason looked around until his eyes fell on her. She looked back and Jason knew that she was the reason for the bacon smell. “HEY!!! WAKE UP JASON!!!” yelled his father. “I’m awake, Dad! No need to yell!” yelled Jason as well. He looked around, trying to find something easy to wear. His selections weren’t good and he ended up wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans. He put on his deodorant and kicked open his door. “Hey, no need for your ruckus!” screamed Dad. Jason rolled his eyes and ran into the kitchen. He looked at his dad and was glad he got his looks from his Mom. He got his hair from his dad though. His Dad always had a military haircut, and wore his uniform each day. Jason believed it was to make certain that he was the Mom and Dad in the house. “So, what’s that you making Dad?” asked Jason. “Hm? Oh this is the breakfast your mom used to like. I made it because, it’s the day.” The day was rarely spoken about in this household, so all was silent afterwards. Jason looked up at his Dad, and felt sorry for him. He then looked at his watch and exclaimed, “Dad, I need a ride to school. It is a little late for the bus to pick me up.” Dad looks at Jason and says, “Don’t worry sport, I’ll get you there.” Jason feels a small sense of pride in Dad. He goes to the other chair in the room and sits down. He looks at the food with hungry eyes and starts to chow down on the crispy bacon, the scrambled eggs and the brown crispy toast. Jason looks back up when he hears his Dad sigh. His Dad is looking out of the window with an expression on his face that would move church choirs into a song. “Okay, let’s get going,” says Dad after a few sips of his coffee. Jason gets up and grabs his coat. He peers down at the hole and remembers the event last night. He puts on the jacket and walks out of the door on his Dad’s heels into the car.

You need to believe yourself. “Who said that? Dad, was that you?” questioned Jason. His Dad gives him a queer look and says, “What are you talking about son?” You won’t survive without me. You do know that right? Remember what the stranger said. Remember… Startled, Jason gazes outside at the passing houses. “Oh, it’s nothing Dad. Don’t worry.”

Jason feels the car coming to a quick stop. “Hey, Jason, wake up. We’re here.” Jason looks outside and sees his high school, Brook High School. Jason sighs, grabs his one folder and slowly gets out of the car. “Hey Dad, I’ll walk home if that’s okay,” sighed Jason. “Aye, that is fine with me. Just be home around 12 okay?” Jason nods his head and the tires start to squeal. He looks back and finds tire marks heading up the road. He shakes his head and starts to walk into his school. He walks through the entry way and finds the janitor looking at him with a murderous glare. “I’ll just be going now,” Jason says nervously. The janitor just gives him a dumb look and goes back to sweeping the floors. Jason walks around the swept area and finds that the front office is waiting for him. He strides over to them and says, “I’m here for a pass for 3rd period science?” The fat lady across from the counter points at a pile of papers. “Fill those out and be on your way then.” Then without a word she goes back to watching YouTube videos and sipping her 32 ounce soda. Jason rolls his eyes and fills out the paper work. He slides it across the counter into the thousand piles of paper and walks off to his locker. If you keep on ignoring me you will most certainly transform. Please, just say something to me. Jason looks around, hearing the voice inside of his head again. I am in your head you big load of cow manure. Think of saying something. Jason widens his eyes. He thinks carefully, and says, “So I can talk to you by talking to myself right?” Fine, you can do that as well. Jason walks to his locker, and enters his combo. “So who are you exactly?” Ha ha, I am your other you. Remember the stranger? He woke me up. Jason opens his lock, than opens his locker. “Wait, so by the gift he meant you? So how do I use you exactly?” Did you feel that sensation at the bridge? That was me. I can even allow you to transform, if needed. I will only act when survival is needed and I must teach you to use me. So therefore I have to talk to you. To get you to understand the power you hold. So for now I will allow you to use our power. But if you show any sign of weakness I will take over and you will have to watch me battle your battles for you. So learn to use me, until we meet Him. Well, that is all I have to say now. Bye. Jason scrunches up his face, his heart pounding, his head pounding. He wonders how to use his power when he walks to the science door. Without looking he bangs his head against the unopened door. It opens and Jaclyn sees him standing there with his hand on his face. “Hey Jason! You better come in. You’re my lab partner! This is so cool.” She exclaims quietly. Jason looks at her and walks in. He nods at the teacher and hand him the slip. He walks to his chair next to Jaclyn and sits his rump down. He bends over the table and puts his hands to his crown. “What am I to do…”

“Well, Mr. Gerster you are a little late. But don’t worry I do not believe you missed everything. So now class turn to page 213 in your books on the destruction of the food chain in the 2034 and how it was caused.” Jason gets his book out when he gets a sudden uneasy, similar to the good sensation but bad. Mr. Pan-ling, a Chinese college professor on the verge of a divorce, asks, “Gerster, can you please read on how the food chain was before the destruction of it?” Jason looks around, and his gaze slides by a shadow at the window. He looks at it more closely, ignoring Mr. Pan-ling’s requests. The shadow at the window disappears, and Jason finally answers the teacher. “Yes, I will. The food chain was first established in ancient times…” Jason didn’t get to finish his sentence. There was a huge ear splitting screech and the windows shattered. A fragment lands next to Jason, almost piercing him on the hand. Jason looks up, his breath having the effects of cold on it. He stands up. The shadow starts to swirl faster and faster until a hand starts to form. Jason’s jaw clenches up. His hands do as well. He feels a pierce in his skin on the bottom of his hand and sees claws growing in. HA! This is the transformation. You know, we have such a cold personality that it even affects everything. Jason widens his eyes. The shadow creature is almost fully formed. It looks like one of those mythical creatures, a griffin. Its back feet have not been formed yet. Jason feels the sensation again, and the griffin is flung back into the school yard. He feels himself getting warm, and he looks at his hands. They are covered in ice, and then his body suddenly turns to ice and becomes covered in it.

Jaclyn looks around and sees the ice chunk in the middle of the lab. Jason is nowhere to be seen. She then sees a figure inside the ice growing. She feels unnaturally cold. The ice, now clear, has cracks running along it. There is also ice covering the floor. She notices it makes a flower on the ground. Ice chips starting falling away from the ice structure and a wing can now be seen inside it. She backs up, up against the wall. The ice starts to fall off, and the wing breaks free. She gazes at it in horror, for there are holes on the thin membrane that is part of the wing. A tail slivers out of the crack at the bottom, and she sees it is covered in scales that are a blue-tinted white. The other wing opens up and crashes out of the ice crystal, and the whole thing shatters. Jaclyn shields her eyes away from the shattering of the crystal, and her gaze is drawn back to the… thing. It had a serpents body, with what appeared to be a mouth similar to the skeletons in a prehistoric carnivorous museum. It had two well-muscled back legs that ripple each time it moved. Its wings were its arms, and it walked on them. When it started to sniff around, it looked straight at her. Ice seemed to fall each time it exhaled. It looked away from Jaclyn, and she shivered from holding in her breath. It turned away from her, its horns scratching the ceiling. It looked outside, to wear the griffin screeched like a hawk. Jaclyn looked at the, wyvern, and it roared back in return. The griffin started galloping toward the breach in the wall. The wyvern stepped towards the griffin and opened its mouth. It exhaled a frosty breath that formed an ice crystal and it started to drop. The wyvern spun in a 180 degree and smacked the crystal at the griffin. Jaclyn saw the crystal gain a rotation, and the griffin’s eyes widened. The crystal hit the griffin and it squawked, leaving a trail of feathers that disappeared when they touched anything. The griffin crashed into the wall, and the wyvern walked steadily towards it. When it got there, it breathed on the griffin, forming ice around it. The griffin clawed feebly into the air, and it went up in smoke. The ice fell to the ground, and the wyvern looked to the sunny sky. It started to beats its wings and Jaclyn runs to it. It takes off and flies low over the houses and away from her sight.

“Hey guys, I think I found our next victim. He he he he,” said a thug. Jason peeked open his eye lids and found a group of four standing in front of him. They all had scars on them, and they wore dark clothes with a single piece of white clothing. Jason blinked furiously, and felt his surroundings. He was in a dumpster that appeared to have been blown open with tremendous force. “Look guys, I don’t want any trouble, but do you know what happened?” asked Jason. “Ha! Like we would ever tell you that. Just fork over your doe and let us beat the crap out of you. It isn’t that hard,” joked another thug. “Stop being such a smart ass you punk!” yelled the first thug to speak. Jason looks over at Mouthier and sees him lower his head like he was a dog being scolded by his master. Jason sees that they have metal bats and pipes. “Hey, you don’t want to mess with me. I am warning you,” warns Jason. “We will be the judge of that! Get him boys!” Jason sees the other three thugs closing in. Jason gets off his trash pile and stands there, in thought. “How did I do that again?” he asks himself. ‘Do you remember that sensation that was pleasing?’ Jason opens up his eyes, and looks at the thugs. He feels the area getting colder, and looks at his reflection from a trash can lid. His eyes look as if they are ice blue. He looks away and stares at the 3 thugs. His arm starts to warm up, and ice seemingly forms over his arm, forming a blade of pure ice. It starts getting a white-bluish tint to it. The thugs look at this in total fear. One thug drops his pipe and runs. The thug leader sees this and sticks his arm out and knocks the thug off his feet. “Stay and fight! You are just hallucinating! Go!” Yells the leader in anger. He brings the thug to his feet and pushes him back in. The thug picks up his dropped weapon and walks back in, shivering from the intense cold and fear. Do not forget to watch their movements. Strike only when needed. We do not need death on our hands. That is another’s job, says the other Jason. Jason nods to himself and allows them to come closer. One starts to swing hit bat, and Jason blocks it with his icicle arm. Another hurries in, the smart ass Mouthier. He swings his pipe and Jason grabs it with his left hand. He sticks out his foot and kicks Mouthier in the shins, which makes him fall into the dumpster. One eliminated. Jason turns his attention to the other thug, but to his surprise has turned on his leader. Although the winning thug would be the leader. Jason looks to the guy with his metal baseball bat shattered in two. The thug looks up after Jason exhales and icicles drop to the ground. The thug panics and runs away from the fight. Jason turns to the last one, the leader of this group. “Heh, your dead meat, ice boy,” remarks the leader and he swings hit bat. Jason goes to block it with his icicle but realizes that the bat has barbs. He panics and ice starts to form on his other hand. It becomes a glove of ice, and he blocks the bat at the handle with the ice glove. He brings up the icicle to slice down when he looks at the leader. The leader has a pained expression on his face, and Jason feels bad. So he stops his hand and kicks the guy in the family jewels, disabling him. The heat in his arms goes away, and the ice melts of his arm. Jason thanks his other self in silent prayer and walks over to the badly beaten thug who helped him. He extends a hand and the thug smiles, grasping it and getting pulled up. “I didn’t know I could do that,” says Jason with a weak smile. “Hey, no worries here, I thank you for helping me. Getting out of that gang I mean. My name is Ty, by the way,” says the thug. “Well, bye stranger, I thank thee for my rescue,” says Ty. “May we cross paths again,” replies Jason. Jason watches Ty go, and walks back home.

Jason walks into his house through the sliding glass door. He takes off his shoes and jacket, leaving them on the hanger. He shuffles across the carpet, and walks in to find his Dad sitting at the table with Jaclyn. “Um, Dad, what is SHE doing here?” asks Jason. “Oh, she was worried about you. She was saying you were missing from school after that weird accident with the chemical lab,” Jaclyn looks up with wide eyes and says, “but it wasn’t an explosion! Something attacked us at school! When it appeared, the wyvern, I mean, you were gone Jason. Completely gone with no trace what so ever.” Jason ponders this in his head, and says, “I ran into the bathroom. I didn’t come out until I heard the bell,” Jaclyn looks at Jason with a suspicious look on her face, and Jason sees this. “Hey, don’t worry, this most likely will never happen again,” Jason exclaims in reassurance. Jaclyn smiles at this and asks, “So where are you going now?” Jason looks at her and points his finger back towards the backyard. “Can I come with you then, Jason?” asks Jaclyn. Jason ponders this and says, “I’ll just be there so you can if you want.” He turns around and walks out of the room. Muffin is following him with a chew bone and he walks to the shoe and hooks. He puts on both his jacket and shoes, opens the door and walks outside to talk to his other self.

It’s nice to know at least you haven’t forgotten about me. Also you have learned to use our powers. But remember that you can only take our secondary form if I’m with you as well. Jason rolls his eyes at this. I am serious! At the school it was us as the wyvern. You should realize that you had a black out. That is a sign of weakness that I took control of and I took over the body. Even though we are one, we are still different. Keep that in mind when choosing someone to keep this secret. I may not agree with you on this matter, but we will have this discussion another time. The girl is coming. “Hey Jason, why are you just laying here? We should play!” Jason opens one eye. “Okay, if we I was going to play with you, what game would we play?” grumbles Jason. Jaclyn looks at him and says, “I don’t know… Okay never mind, forget I asked!” Jason sits up off of the grass. “Hey I’m going to the bridge now. Don’t follow me okay?” Jaclyn looks at him with a puzzled expression, “What bridge?” Jason blushes and says, “Never mind, forget I ask.” He stands up and slowly looks up at the setting sun. “What a beautiful day it is. Too bad that darkness follows us everywhere.” He walks out of his backyard and down a dark and foreboding street. Jaclyn looks after him, and walks in the same direction.

There is a figure in a jacket standing on the bridge, gripping the railing tightly. He looks down, as if ready to jump. Jaclyn is there, hiding behind a steel beam. Suddenly, the light of the moon is blocked out. Jason is looking down from the bridge, gripping the railing tightly. A hole in the river, deep as it is dark, appears. The shadows rise, causing ripples to form in the air. A sudden chill appears when this happens, and a hand pops out of the veil. “You have come at the right time, Jason Gerster,” says the stranger. “If you lose to me, I will take your soul, but if you win, you can continue to live, if you so desire.” Jason looks at the half-formed shadow. “I dare you to try.” The shadow grins its chilling grin, and Jaclyn shivers. “Gooood. We shall begin.” The shadow raises its hand, and a black hole appears on the bridge. Jason looks at it, and takes off his jacket. “Jaclyn, you should take my jacket to keep warm.” He throws it behind him, and she runs to grab it. She backs away slowly when she sees someone appearing out of the shadows. “Hey, stranger! I think I owe you. Do you need help?” yells Ty. Jason looks at him, his body forming over with ice. “Aye, you take care of whatever comes out of this… portal. I’m going after the big guy.” Jason looks at Jaclyn, and smiles. Suddenly, his body is covered in ice and the transformation begins. Ty, looking at the massive ice crystal, sees a mechanical dog hybrid. “Hey, that doesn’t look too hard,” exclaims Ty. The dog looks at him, and opens its jaw. Its teeth are two chainsaw blades rotating in circles. Another pops out of the hole and runs straight at Ty. The dog’s back opens up and tiny birds pop out, with explosives on its backs. Ty widens his eyes, and draws a machine gun out of his coat. “Let’s see if they can eat led.” Ty grins. He raises the gun and starts shooting at the birds and dogs. The shadow laughs.

Jason can feel himself heating up. He feels the ice covering him, and him himself growing. Ah, you are aware. Says the other Jason. We shall begin the transformation. Jason nods his head, and the ice crackles. He feels himself expanding more, and he tries to speak. He hears a growl instead. Suddenly, his arm breaks free. He opens his eyes but sees just shattering ice. Then he feels his legs free, along with another appendage. He then breaks his other arm free, along with his head. The ice shatters and he breaks free all together. He gets on all fours, and sees that he has wings. On his arms. He snorts, and some birds freeze. He looks around and slices a dog in half. Ty yells thanks, and he looks at the shadow. He sees it has a grin no more, but a snarl. We must attack now. But you will be fighting and I will intervene when necessary. This is your battle. Jason nods his head, and leaps off the bridge. The shadow leaps out of the veil, and he lands as well. Jason sees he looks human, until his enemy’s back grows wings and he grows fangs. Jason widens his icy eyes and knows he is a vampire. He shoots crystals at the vampire, and the enemy merely bats it away. The vampire takes a step forward, and is suddenly next to Jason. Jason rears back, and he opens his mouth. The vampire grins, and is frozen in place. Jason sees a long column of ice covering the river. The ice starts to vibrate, and the enemy breaks free. Jason backs up, but the vampire goes up and slices open Jason’s neck. Jason widens his eyes, and falls down heavily. His breathing becomes labor. Then, he suddenly feels a change within him, and he can freely move his arms. But all he does is twitch his claws. His wings feel free, and he realizes that he may have a chance. He sweeps his wing under the vampire, who falls down. Jason gets up, and he can feel some anger boil inside of him. He looks at the vampire, who has returned to shadow form. The shadow’s eyes widen, and it says, “My master will not be pleased by you extinguishing my existence.” Jason looks at him with his icy eyes and says in a ruff, resounding voice, “I care not, for every enemy I make, and I make a new friend. You may try, but you will fail to kill me.” With this, Jason inhales the icy air around him, and breathes an icy wind that instantly froze everything enveloped in it. The shadow, looking at Jason, raises his hands in the unwavering front of cold and instantly freezes on the spot. Jason, with his humongous paw with claws, raises it and crushes the ice sculpture of the shadow into a fine dust. Jason, fatigue catching up with him, crashes down, and he feels the heat leave him. The ice body of his new transformation flows into the river after melting off of Jason. Jaclyn runs up to Jason and says, “We have to bring him to the hospital!” Ty runs up and exclaims, “NO! They will just question us. Just bring him back home he will most likely be fine. I will stand guard at his house to see if I can help.”

Jason squints, “Ugh… what happened? I remember battling, but that’s all I remember…” Jaclyn looks up off the chair, screaming, “Oh My God! You’re alive!” Ty and Dad run into the room. Dad clenches Jason’s hand into his hand and weeps. Ty asks, “So what do we do now? Do we wait?” Dad looks up questionably. “Jason says to Dad, “I will explain later.” He looks up to Ty, his body always cold, and says, “We will let them to come to us. We must prepare for further assaults.” Ty looks down, reassured. Nice job, other me. We will prepare, because there is training to be done. But the time will come when they attack.