Chereads / Virus System / Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Reborn, but still broken

Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Reborn, but still broken

The roar had not just caught everyone by surprise, it scared the life out of everyone in the room, and even the neighbors had been awoken and scared. It took about 3 minutes for Bry to finished processing what had just happened before he checked Jason's vitals. Bry let out a sigh of relief as he let everyone know Jaso was alive again. He was still baffled to see Jason alive again, unconscious but alive, and while relieved he was a doctor and for all intents and purposes, Jason was beyond saving. Luis was shocked and frozen in place just like Maria still unsure as to what he saw. For a split second, Jason didn't look human, and while Maria and Bry might not have noticed anything but the roar, Luis saw it all. He was a very high-level martial artist and his eyes were capable of catching things that others couldn't. For him, Jason's transformation happened almost in slow motion and he couldn't comprehend how that was possible. Transformative powers weren't unheard of, it's just that he had never seen a sudden transformation happened then revert in a blink of an eye, and not one that made someone look the way Jason had. That being said, Luis couldn't be happier that Jason was alive and to him, that was more important. Same for everyone in the room. Nothing like a near-death experience to realize how much you love someone, and now they were aware that they didn't want to abandon Jason. Family is not just blood, but a bond built over time, and all these years being responsible for Jason, had made a bond between them, Jason and each other. How sad to think, Jason had yet to realize this.

Luis and the rest were interrupted in their little relief when they heard knocking on the main door. Only Luis went to answer since Maria was now by Jason's bed holding his and crying in relief and joy, and Bry didn't dare to leave the room in case something else happened to Jason. At the front door, authorities had arrived as they had received many calls about Jason's not-so-little roar. They were naturally afraid. After all, while the city was protected, there were still rare occasions where a beast would slip through and cause havoc. When Luis answered the door there were two agents at his porch and a few swat vehicles behind them with other agents at the ready. The agents were apprehensive, dressed in combat armor, and with their weapons ready for a fight. Luis didn't know how they would react to the truth of what had happened so he acted as he had also made the call as he asked, "Why are you knocking here? Shouldn't you be searching for that beast?" The agents looked confused and one of them said, "We were told that the roar came from here." Luis then gave them a serious expression as if they had said something stupid and he said, "If the beast was here, I wouldn't be talking to you now, or asking you about it." The agents then looked at each other and one made the mistake of asking, "Are you sure there isn't a beast in your home?" Luis leered at him asking with his eyes if he was really that stupid to ask such a question. "If the beast was in my house I would've killed it myself. I am a Rank A Swordsman. Now since said beast is not here, why do you think I'm asking you where it is?" Luis said with an angry tone. The agents looked at each other then apologized for disturbing him and left since they didn't dare go up against him because of his rank. Luis waited till the agents left the porch and moved on before closing the door then ran upstairs still worried about Jason. Maria was still crying and holding Jason's hand while Bry was sitting opposite to Maria, by the right side of the bed. When Bry saw Luis he asked him what had happened downstairs and Luis explained what had happened and how he took care of it. The group didn't sleep a wink that night watching over Jason even if he was sleeping peacefully and breathing. They were on edge and felt like at any moment something might happen.

Jason remained unconscious till morning and when he opened his eyes the first thing he saw was a bunch of system messages.

[System set up completed]

[Metamorphesis Completed]

[All system functions operational]

[Rewards received]

"Hu. So it wasn't a dream." He said and immediately everyone noticed he was awake. He sat up and saw Bry leaning back sighing in relief. Everyone relief but Maria was so overjoyed she couldn't help but hug Jason. This caught him by surprise since she never had done so before. Luis was previously sitting crossed legs on the ground by the foot of his bed and once on his feet, he asked, "Are you ok, Jason?" Now Jason has an expression of confusion mixed with shock. Luis had never before called Jason by his name. He only called him 'Young master'. Then Bry acted strange as well when he started thanking God that Jason was alive, seeing as Bry was never religious before. Everyone was acting uncharacteristically and this was making Jason doubt whether he was still dreaming or awake. Bry then went into Doctor mode and started bombarding Jason with questions about what he was feeling such as, "Do you feel any dizziness, nausea, headache, trouble breathing," etc. All the while doing a full medical check-up on him, all the while with Maria still hugging him even after he asked her to let go. Jason didn't believe this was real until he felt Bry tying a medical band on his arm and then sticking a needle in his arm. 'Ok, I'm definitely awake now.' Jason thought. Still confused about everyone's affection and attention he thought, 'Maybe they were afraid they'd be punished if my family found out I died. Oh wait, those fuckers don't give a rat's ass if I live or die.' Jason wasn't convinced they cared about him. Last night's nightmare felt too real to him and he couldn't get it out of his head. He wanted to think they genuinely cared about him but he felt it was too good to be true.

After finally prying Maria off him, Jason went to take a shower to wash away the sticky feeling of sweat. Once he had dried himself and brushed his teeth, he looked at himself in the mirror. That's when he got hit with the realization that he had died last night. He felt dizzy and had to sit down on the floor with his knees up, his forearms on them and his head resting on top said forearms. He felt nauseous when a chill ran down his spine as he remembered how it felt when his heart stopped and he lost his senses. "Oh my God." he whispered to himself, "I really did die last night." Jason spent a while processing the fact that he had died just a few hours ago and that somehow he had restarted his own heart. Then he thought, 'Was it really me who restarted my heart, or did the system saved me at the last minute?' Then a message popped up in front of his eyes.

[Your will to live was what allowed the system to finish its set up and your metamorphosis there by restarting your heart. Had you given up and succumbed to the pain you would have died.]

"What?!" He yelled without realizing.

[Your Will to live, is a basic need to continue your existence and is a very powerful force if it's strong enough, even if it's fueled by emotions such as rage or hope. It was a vital ingredient to finish your awakening.]

'Why the hell didn't you warn me before I pressed yes?! I needed to prepare!!' Not wanting to yell this time he kept his question in his mind but covered his mouth just in case.

[Trial by fire. You either have the will to survive or you'll never get very far.]

[That was a message left behind by one of your ancestors.]

'. . . What!?!?!?!' Jason thought as he held his mouth shut trying very hard not to yell, 'What kind of psycho leaves such a dangerous test?!?!'

[Unable to answer your query. Mental strength does not meet requirements.]

At this point, Jason had a very hard time keeping his mouth shut just so he wouldn't curse out loud in an angry fit. After calming down he stood back up and went back to his room. He still needed some time to come to terms with what happened but unfortunately, he had school that day. He didn't have enough time for breakfast seeing as he got up a bit late and spent some time in the bathroom coming to terms with all that happened but if he left now and ran he could just barely make it in time for the morning bell. He got dressed as fast as he could and was about to leave but he got stopped at the door by Luis. "I already called the school to excuse you." Luis said and Jason responded with, "What?! Why?" Luis then pulled him into the dining room where Maria and Bry were already sitting down waiting for them. "We need to talk about what happened last night, and as your doctor, I don't feel you are ready to go back to school just yet." Said Bry as he motioned to Jason to sit down. Luis then sat down next to Bry while forcing Jason to sit down next to Maria and facing Bry and Luis. While the whole situation was unusual what threw Jason off was that everyone was still dressed in their night attire instead of their "uniforms". They had always made it a point to dress professionally, which Jason didn't really saw the point in it seeing as he didn't live in a mansion like his family and he didn't really saw any of them as servants. Is not like they were at his beck and call, and Jason didn't really saw the point in not doing anything by himself. Well, other than cooking that is. He loved Maria's food and he wasn't exactly good at cooking.

"Jason, what exactly happened last night." Luis asked in a very serious tone. The kind of tone a father asks concerned, which threw Jason for another loop. 'Am I crazy or did he just called me Jason again? And what's with that tone?' Jason thought wide eye as he looked at Bry and Maria as if asking that question out loud but with his eyes. They both looked just as surprised seeing as Luis was the only one who had retained his professional butler-like demeanor these many years of service. However, since that wasn't the main concern at the moment Maria and Bry quickly became serious and looked back at Jason. Jason was perplexed but then he got worried as he didn't know how to answer Luis's question. Is not that he couldn't explain it, is just that he didn't know if he should. Jason didn't know if they would even believe them or even if he should trust them. The implications of how he had a game-like system, access to the TDCS, and all 200 hundred genes awakened made him a target for many as a scientific miracle, a source of power, or even a dangerous enemy to be eliminated. If Jason was cautious before, not he had to be doubly so. He couldn't afford to have people finding out about his powers without first being able to protect himself. Everyone was still waiting for Jason's answer and eventually Bry's patients ran out as he asked, "Well?" Jason just couldn't bring himself to answer honestly and said, "I don't know." Everyone knew he was lying as it was obvious he knew something because of his lengthy silence. "Jason, you can trust us. We're just worried about you." Maria said as she placed a hand on his shoulder with a very concerned expression. If only they knew about Jason's nightmare they would understand his reservations. Jason just looked away refusing to answer with an expression of anger. Part of him wanted to trust them but fear can make people withdraw into their own little shell. Although now Jason felt there was hope for a better life because of his awakening, that didn't mean years of torment and abandonment issues went away in a single night, and that nightmare didn't help. "Jason, we are just scared for your safety." Luis said, which was kinda hard to believe he was scared seeing how imposing Luis was with his muscular built and his demeanor. "Jason, you died last night. Your heart stopped for nearly 20 minutes. It should be impossible for you to be sitting here." Bry said with a very concerned tone and expression before adding, "And that roar, that's just... It doesn't make sense. None of this makes any sense." Jason went wide eye as he asked, "Wait, what? I roared? What do you mean by I roared?" Everyone looked at each other and then at him as Bry said, "Jason, you roared last night." Then he made motions with his hands as he added, "Not a scream but an actual roar. It sounded like a beast. Nearly scared us half to death." Then Luis interjected saying, "Even the neighbors heard it. I even had to deal with the authorities when they came by." This had shocked Jason as he didn't think the roar he had released inside his mind would actually bleed into reality when he revived. He didn't even understand how it was possible until he remembered the metamorphosis. 'Am I even still human?' he thought and the system answered.

[You are a Human Virus now.]

"What?!" He yelled shocked. Which was a mistake since it surprised everyone but they just thought he was responding to Bry's and Luis's words.

[A Human Virus. You are still human, but now your cells and even yourself will work as a virus.]

'What do you mean by 'work as a virus'? Am I like infectious? Is this like a zombie kinda deal?' He asked in his mind.

[It means that you are human and a virus at the same time which means you have can use both human abilities but you also have the abilities, needs, and powers of a virus. Depending on the kind of symptoms you develop you may infect someone and potentially be deadly if you wish it. Things will become clearer as you grow, but for now, think of it as being able to create a deadly disease you have full control over. Except you are the disease and you may choose how you operate.]

'. . . Why does it feel like I have the powers of a supervillain? I mean, is cool and all, but not exactly what the kind of ability that people would look upon positively.' He thought then the system said.

[How you use this power is up to you.]

That comment made Jason think, 'Why does it feel like you are alive?'

[I am your mind interpreting your subconscious and part of your consciousness.]

'OHhhh! So you're like my conscious but instead of being like a little voice at the back of my head you speak through your system.' he thought and then added, 'Well that and you interpret the information from the TDCS.'

[In a way. Further information will be provided as you grow.]

'Um ok? Whatever. I can figure this out later. Right now I need to figure out what to tell my staff.' Jason thought to himself, 'Shit, how the fuck am I gonna explain this?'

"Um, Jason? Are you ok? You are acting really weird." He heard from Maria and then looked at everyone as they were all looking at him as if he had gone crazy. Jason then realized his expressions had given him away as he had a mental conversation with the system. 'Aaaah shit, I'm really fucked now.' he thought before bringing both of his hands up to his face and placing his elbows on the table as he tried to come up with an explanation, or rather a believable lie. 'There is no way I'm gonna get out of this one is there?' he asked the system.

[I cannot answer that question. I am only an extension of your mind and can only provide information. Your choices are your own.]

'Of course.' he thought with sarcasm. After he sighed he then felt defeated. Then he figured he could just tell them some stuff but leave out his powers and the genes and maybe, just maybe he could convince them to stop asking questions. Jason took a deep breath dropping his hands from his face and leaving his arms on the table as he began, "I had a nightmare last night. It wasn't pleasant, to say the least. I won't bother with the details but it did something to me. I don't know what it was or how I died and apparently roared. All I can really remember is that when my heart stopped I was scared, trapped in my own mind, and somehow I managed to pull myself out of it and jump-start my heart." The best way to lie is to sprinkle some truth into the lie. While it might've fooled someone else, they could tell he was withholding some information. Much like how a parent knows when their child is lying to them, and being with him since practically his birth, they knew him too well. Internally each of them debated whether they should confront him, until Bry broke through and said, "Jason, none of that is a believable explanation. You were in pain I have never seen before in all my years of practice and you were conscious through all of it until your heart stopped. We even heard you laugh before you started screaming." Jason then thought, 'Shit.' but then came up with, "I never said my nightmare, started as a that." They still didn't believe him and now they started to think that somehow he had done something to himself, which was half-true considering he did agree to go through the system setup voluntarily. "Jason, I may be out of line, but you need to stop lying and tell us the truth. Did you do something to yourself?" Luis had said in a very serious voice, the kind that just screams, 'Either you tell me the truth or I'm gonna whoop your ass.' or what you would call 'the dad voice'. Jason felt a bit of fear but he also felt like he just absolutely couldn't tell them the truth. He was genuinely afraid Luis, Maria, and Bry would turn on him, and then his worst fears would become reality. He didn't want to be betrayed and abandoned, or hunted down and experimented on. Luis was mad now, not just because Jason was lying, but because he thought that last night wasn't an accident. He thought that Jason might have used some kind of drug or worse, that he tried to commit suicide. After all, Jason's actions and behavior were beyond suspicious and he was clearly afraid of being found out. That's when the father inside Luis came out. Luis then got up and after placing his hands on the table, in a very serious voice, with some anger bleeding into it, asked, "Did you used something?" This shocked Jason but also made him angry as he said, "What?! Of course not!" And Luis said warned, "Jaso!" But then Bry stepped in saying, "Wait! Luis, he's telling the truth! If he had used something I would've noticed and I even tested his blood. There was nothing in his system that would cause what happened last night. If there was I wouldn't be so baffled."

Luis wanted to believe Jason and Bry but nothing made any sense other than some kind of drug and it was clear Jason had done something and knew something he didn't want them to know. It bothered him being lied to by Jason, especially after agreeing with Maria and Bry that they would remain by Jason's side even after his 18th birthday. It was finally time for Maria to step in as she held Jason's shoulder and said, "Jason, I know you are afraid but you can trust us. We just want what's best for you and we don't want anything to happen to you." Boy was that a mistake. That made Jason snapped as he pushed her hand away standing up and saying, "Bullshit! My own parents don't give a shit about me, no one does! So don't lie and pretend that you do! You're just scared of losing your jobs! I don't have to tell anybody about myself or my secrets! Especially to people who are just gonna leave me in the end!!" He then stormed off out of the house with tears building up in his eyes but keeping them from falling despite how hard and how much it hurt. That's when everything was clear to Maria, Luis, and Bry. His words had hurt them, but they also finally realized Jason's wounds ran deep and how much he hated the world for how it had treated him. Luis was the first to quickly leave the room to go change then chase after Jason. Bry also went to do the same, but Maria was wounded. She couldn't move from her seat as she felt pain, but not just hers, but Jason's. What he had said made it clear he didn't trust them and that they had made a mistake in trying to keep their distance from him. They may not have harmed him, but they definitely contribute to his torment and that just made her cry on the spot.