John is left behind by Leilah and Seraphina during their escape from the facility. Left at the mercy of Keon and the authorities, he soon becomes one of EMBER's most prized Assets.
Is he truly unStoppable?
(This is set in the unCHANGED AU so if yo...
Fiddling with the crumpled face-scarf that rested at the base of his neck, John walked among the crowd. Although he got a few weird looks thanks to his warm, layered clothes and sickly appearance, he generally blended in. Grunting, he removed the scarf. He didn't have it on his face, anyway and he was getting hot with it around his neck.
He assumed it would be summer soon, given the heat and that everyone was wearing little clothing. The weather in itself was fantastic; the blue sky was cloudless.
Closing his eyes for a moment, John enjoyed the sensation of the sunlight bouncing off his skin. He'd only been let out for missions after nightfall, so the homely rays were something he had missed greatly. Not that he realised it at the time. But now, he was glad to feel them again.
Taking a deep breath through his mouth, he zoned out and absent-mindedly walked with the hundreds of other people around him. At that moment, he was so calm and clear. Like his troubles faded. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this way, without being eaten up by emptiness.
As he paced leisurely, he turned his head to appreciate everyone he passed. Everyone had places to be and things to do. Their hopes and dreams. Their responsibilities. Each person came with their own, unique, set of problems and worries. All of these people had a story to tell; one that was only theirs and no one else's.
The corners of John's lips gently turned upwards. Being one of many was strangely comforting. It made him feel so normal.
"I-is that J-John Doe?" he heard someone whisper. Using 003's heightened hearing, he focused on the direction of the voice and creased his brow.
"You mean the hero-killer?!" another voice asked. John froze, his eyes widening. What? How did they know?! Do others know? I thought I was a secret-
"Should we contact the authorities?"
John felt like time slowed down around him, while he felt everyone staring at him. Whether they actually were or not. His heart started to race and his palms sweated. He had to get away from there. Frantically looking at the buildings around him, he hoped to find an escape.
Suddenly, he felt someone grab his shoulder, "John?" The beige-haired man asked, "Could you please follow me? It's Kee-" John pushed him away, making him fall and drop his glasses. The boy bolted, running directly at a wall. This wall had windows on every storey, so John leapt from sill to sill, until he reached the roof and continued running. He heard the crowd that he left behind gasp and chatter, marvelling at his skills.
Slowly standing up, Keene pulled out his phone and dialled. After a couple of seconds, he said, "I found him but he got away. He's headed in your direction." -------------------
Breathing maniacally, John planned to sprint for as long as possible.
Why are you running away? Just kill yourself already. You said you would. Why are you stalling?
Ignoring the voice, he kept running.
Kill yourself, monster. Just die. No one will care. You're a disgusting murderer, you deserve death.
Tears started to pool in his eyes, quickly being swept away by the wind. He clenched his jaw. He didn't know why he was stalling or running away. He didn't understand why people knowing mattered to him all of a sudden. It shouldn't. He was meant to end himself as quickly as possible. Not get distracted by others! He was going to be doing them a favour anyway.
KILL YOURSELF. DO IT NOW. YOU FAILURE. YOU FU*KING WASTE OF SPACE. KILL YOURSELF, YOU MONSTER!! DO IT! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??! THE LEDGE IS RIGHT THERE!!!
"No!!"He started scratching at his neck, trying to claw off the EMBER mark, "I don't want to, right now. Leave me be!!"
He thought of Dani and her mother, they believed in him.
"Good luck, John."
"Mister saved me."
"Will you make a new bowl?"
He dug his fingers into his bangs, chaotically forcing his hair away from his face. He remembered Benji.
"You should really put up more of a fight."
"You're better than they say you are."
"You need to stay strong."
"They've forced you into this role. You have to fight!!"
But how could he fight? He already lost. There's no point.
"I love you. No matter what."
He collapsed onto his knees. Why did he have to remember all of this now?! It made everything so much more complicated.
Was suicide the right choice? Maybe he could find his dad, instead. But he didn't want to face the possibility of ruining his dad's perception of him. He clearly loved his son, the old John. The John that was a troubled kid but did his best to walk the right path. Not the John that fell so far as to kill superheroes because he was crushed under a system that he was too weak to fight.
Even if he said he'll love him no matter what, John wasn't the 'him' his dad knew. No one could love a monster.
Slowly, he crawled to the edge of the roof. Looking down at the chaos of the street, the asset took a deep breath. This was it, the moment. His final moment. If he fell from this height, he would die. No one would be able to save him.
John thought about his life, the parts that he remembered at least. He could piece together only fragments of his childhood and most of the people throughout his life were unrecognizable to him. Although, he assumed the recurring black-haired man was his dad. It was a shame he couldn't see a clear image of his face.
DO IT. DIE KILL YOURSELF MONSTER MURDER IT'S FOR THE BEST
Smiling faintly, he deactivated his ability and fell forward; off the ledge.
----------------
"Hey, do you see that kid, up there?!"
"What is he doing?!"
"I think he's about to jump!!"
This caught William's attention. He looked up to where they were pointing and finally spotted a boy on the roof of a building. He squinted, checking to see if it was John. He gasped, the boy had black hair. It had to be him. To his horror, he saw him start to fall. Some of the bystanders began screaming.
The father stood there, unbelieving of what the was witnessing. This couldn't be the end!!
Desperately, he sprinted to where he thought his son would land, preparing to try and catch him. But, suddenly, there was a flash of Lilac, which blinded him for a moment. Regaining his sight, William looked up. He stumbled back.
John was gone.
"Where did he go?" Many people were asking, looking around in confusion, William being one of them.
What just happened?!
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