Darkhawk was flying fast. Jack had to push the suit to full power just to keep up, staying invisible the whole time.
After a few minutes he noticed something strange.
Darkhawk veered left — sharp.
Then suddenly shot straight up.
Then dropped back down like he'd missed a step in mid-air.
Jack squinted, still tailing him.
"…Okay, what is this guy doing?"
Darkhawk banked again — hard right — then dipped, then climbed, then zig-zagged like he was drawing something in the sky.
Jack slowed slightly, watching.
"…Is he lost?"
Darkhawk looped upward again.
Jack blinked.
"Wait. No way." He leaned forward a little mid-flight. "Is this guy practicing tricks?"
Another sharp turn. A sudden drop.
"…Oh my god. He's doing aerial warmups."
Darkhawk cut left again.
Jack groaned.
"Bro. This is not the time for air yoga."
Darkhawk spun halfway, corrected, then boosted upward again.
Jack stared.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
He tilted his head, still following.
"Is this like superhero cardio? Do you have a routine? 'Three spiral dives, two near-death drops, one dramatic hover'?"
Darkhawk slowed — hovered — then darted forward again.
Jack sighed.
"Cool. Cool, cool, cool. I'm out here burning a hundred percent power just to keep up, and this guy's doing sky doodles."
Another zig-zag.
Jack deadpanned.
"He's absolutely drawing something. If I look down and it spells 'Hi' on Google Maps, I'm done."
Darkhawk dipped again — fast.
Jack flinched.
"Okay — nope — who flies like that on purpose?! Pick a direction, man. You're stressing me out."
Darkhawk climbed again — higher this time.
Jack followed, struggling to keep pace.
"I swear, if he says this is just how he flies, I'm quitting. Going back to running. Running never betrayed me like this."
Darkhawk cut left again.
Jack groaned.
"…This dude flies like he's got lag."
He paused.
"…Wait."
Darkhawk slowed.
Then stopped.
Mid-air.
Jack froze.
"…Oh."
A beat.
"…Oh no."
Darkhawk turned — right toward him.
Jack went completely still.
He wasn't doing stunts.
He was checking for a tail.
Jack exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah. That makes way more sense."
Darkhawk hovered in place, scanning the surrounding air carefully. Not certain — but suspicious. Something had caught his attention and he wasn't letting it go.
"I know you're there." Darkhawk dropped into a defensive stance. "Show yourself."
Jack hesitated for a second. Then he cut the invisibility.
Darkhawk's eyes sharpened — genuinely caught off guard that someone had actually been there.
"Alright — who are you?" Still guarded. "And why are you following me?"
Jack raised a hand slightly, keeping it calm.
"Hey — relax. It's me." He paused. "The guy you pulled out of that mess a while back."
Darkhawk watched him without responding.
"…The one the media's been calling the Blur," Jack added, a little awkward about it.
A beat.
Darkhawk's posture eased — just slightly.
"Oh. Yeah. I remember."
"Yeah." Jack nodded. "I didn't really get a chance to say it before, but… thanks. For that day. You saved me."
Darkhawk shrugged like it wasn't worth mentioning.
"Don't worry about it. Anyone would've done the same."
Not really. Jack almost smiled but kept it to himself.
A brief silence settled between them. Then Darkhawk looked him over again — more curious now than defensive.
"So what's your deal?" he asked. "I've seen you around. Different forms, different powers… what are you? Some kind of lab experiment?"
"No. Nothing like that."
Darkhawk waited.
Jack hesitated half a second, then said it straight.
"I'm an alien."
"…Wait — what?"
"Yeah." Jack kept his voice even. "Alien. Same as you."
"Okay — no." Darkhawk shook his head and stepped back. "No, no, no. I'm human. Completely human. So whatever you are — don't lump me in with it."
"You don't have to pretend," Jack said. "I've seen records on your unit. The Raptors. Ancient enforcement group."
He watched Darkhawk carefully.
"You're one of those, aren't you?"
Darkhawk went quiet.
Yeah. That landed.
He's wondering right now whether his powers are actually alien.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Darkhawk said finally. "And stop following me."
He turned and flew off without another word.
Jack watched him shrink into the dark sky.
He'll need my help eventually. And now there's a seed of doubt planted — about his power, about where it really came from. That doubt will grow.
If I play this right… I gain a real ally.
He checked the suit's power reading.
[Very low.]
The chase had drained almost everything.
"Great," he muttered. "Perfect timing."
If I get the chance, I'll study how Darkhawk's suit works.
The next day.
He was halfway through the classroom door when a voice called out behind him.
"Hey — Extremely Straight."
Jack stopped.
Didn't turn around.
He already knew exactly who it was.
"Gwen," he said, turning slowly as he walked toward her. "Can you please let that go."
She had the smile on.
"Oh, come on," she said. "It fits."
"I don't like it," Jack replied, dropping his voice. "And now everyone's staring."
He glanced around. Yeah. People were definitely looking.
Gwen followed his gaze for a second — then shrugged.
"Relax," she said. "It stays between us."
A small pause.
"No new leaks."
Another tiny pause.
"Probably."
Jack stared at her.
"That 'probably' is really not helping."
He was about to say more —
Then something flashed across his vision.
[New DNA signature detected — range: 100 meters]
[Add to database?]
Jack froze.
…What?
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