The atmosphere in the conference room was tense, a heavy silence hanging in the air. The request came out of nowhere, especially considering Jason had never shown any signs of discontent staying here. The man in question noticed the prolonged silence and decided to press on.
"Look, I've been thinking," he started, standing up and pacing back and forth. "We're fed, we're given time to train and hang out with each other, and we're given rooms as well. That's great! But we can't leave! And how do you think we'd be treated if we tried?"
He stopped pacing and looked at the group, still serious. "This is a military complex, guys. We likely would be treated like we're going AWOL, aka criminals. Now I don't know about you, but that sounds no different than being a prisoner to me, don't you agree?"
Max furrowed his brow, crossing his arms. "I think that's an exaggeration. Besides, what do you suggest we do, Jason? The lockdown has been put in place for a reason. There's some maniac nuking survivors, and we don't know how they're doing it. It's safer to stay here until we know all the facts."
Jason had an annoyed expression, but it quickly faded as he changed tactics almost immediately, as if this was the expected response. "Safer maybe, but at what cost? Innocent people are dying out there! You talk about the danger we're in if we risk letting them in, but what about the other survivors out there? Do you really believe they would stand a better chance than us?"
Elara chimed in, her eyes narrowed. "We get that, Jason, but rushing into something recklessly could just get us killed and help nobody. We wouldn't even recognize the culprit if we saw them."
"But if we stay idle, that's also a guaranteed death!" Jason implored, his voice passionate. "You know the supplies aren't going to last forever. How long do we have? A year? Months? Days? Do any of you even know? What happens when we can't feed the people here anymore? Don't you think we have an obligation to help them? To do something?"
The group fell silent, exchanging glances as Jason's words hung in the air. He had a point; there was no denying that. Up until now, he had been very laid back about almost everything, and now he was passionately petitioning for rescue missions?
Leo was the first to finally just ask outright, "Why do you care so much? Prior to this, all you were concerned about was your own safety and having fun. You'll have to forgive me, but I find it hard to believe you now care enthusiastically about people you've never met."
Nobody reacted to his words, but nobody denied them either. It was an unexpected show of humanity from Jason that didn't fit.
Jason shot Leo a glare and lowered his voice. "Is that what you think of me? That I'm some narcissistic hedonist? God, you sound like my mother."
He held that gaze for a while before he sighed and sat down. "You know what? No. I can't blame you for feeling the way you do; people are conditioned to just see what's on the surface. It's my fault for expecting you to understand. Leo, was it? May I ask you a few things?"
Leo simply nodded and allowed him to continue.
"Have you ever seen me do anything that would endanger innocent people? Have you ever seen me miss an opportunity to punish those who are impure or who would dare to attack those who are pure? And given the opportunity, have you ever seen me not attempt to save an innocent life?"
These questions were directed at Leo, but the whole group considered them seriously. Looking back, while his actions were gruesome and excessive, he had a point. He had been one of the first to charge in when people were in danger, and even Frank's parents seemed to trust him, suggesting that this wasn't the first time.
Yes, he had been cruel to the monsters, but hadn't they been cruel to them? They had forcibly ripped their peaceful lives out from underneath them and spent every hour of the day trying to kill them. Even now, the sounds of their hands scraping against the concrete walls of the compound filled the otherwise silent room.
Seeing the gears in their heads turning, Jason felt a little dejected, but he continued.
"Can I tell you all something? Something I haven't told anyone before?" he asked, earning their undivided attention.
"Before all of this, there was a woman, and she was my everything." He began, and his demeanor drastically changed.
"I... I wasn't in a good spot, but despite my history, she was kind to me. She listened to me, she understood, she helped me accept myself for who I was. Truly and honestly, she saved me, and I fell in love." The memory was tough for him to recount, and the man who usually was so upbeat looked defeated.
"There... there was a man. I didn't know him, but she told me stories, and they made my skin crawl. He thought he owned her, and he did unspeakable things to her. She never told me this outright, and I knew she was too kind to condemn somebody like that."
"Over time, I watched her purity slowly fade, corrupted by this man, until eventually, she was no longer the person I had fallen for. It was heartbreaking, but that was only the beginning."
He looked at Frank before he continued, an unreadable look in his eyes. "Eventually, that man did something unspeakable, and it ultimately led to her death..."
Tears started rolling down his cheeks as his tone broke. "I-I had no one. My parents didn't want me, I had no friends to speak of; she was my only light, and then she was just... gone."
Hearing those words, Frank's heart softened. Even though the way Jason behaved always gave him the creeps, he knew what it was like to be in that situation. In fact, his story was almost a direct mirror of Frank's own.
He thought about it seriously; how easy would it have been to go off the deep end like Jason clearly had? Looking back, the answer definitely was: far too easy. If it hadn't been for Ana and his parents, he didn't know what he would have done.
Seeing the grieving man, Frank stepped forward and patted him on the back, which was met with an appreciative nod.
"I made a decision that day; to punish the impure before they could cause harm to the pure. You may think my methods are extreme, but I believe in justice. Nobody and nothing should be allowed to do whatever they want without consequence. So that's what I've been doing. And now I'm expected to sit by idly while not only are innocents being killed, but they're being denied safe haven by those who swore to protect them?"
The group was silent; it was like their entire view of him changed. They had made assumption after assumption and decided he was not to be trusted, without ever once truly getting to know him. Even though his actions were off-putting, he was doing his best in his own way.
The realization filled each of them with guilt, none of them able to meet his gaze.
Guilt built up in Frank's stomach until finally he couldn't bear it anymore.
"Jason... I'm sorry. I've been a real dickhead. Here I was making judgments about you without bothering to get to know you. It was wrong, and it won't happen again." He apologized earnestly, shooting a look to the others that they should do the same.
This was followed quickly by words of apology from the other three before Frank continued.
"I know how you feel, I really do, and I think you know that."
This was met with a nod from Jason as he wiped his tears. Frank allowed him to collect himself before offering him his hand. Jason was hesitant at first, but eventually accepted, and Frank helped him to his feet.
Frank gave him a firm handshake before continuing, "I think it's best if we start over, don't you think? I'm Frank; it's nice to finally meet you, Jason. And for what it's worth, you're right. This world hasn't been fair to anyone, and it deserves every bit of our wrath. If you want to protect the innocent and punish this world for daring to threaten them, I'm in."
Elara was the next to stand up, offering her hand. "I'm Elara, and I can't just watch this world burn either; I'm in."
Max was emotional as he stood up and pulled Jason into a hug. "I'm Max, and you should have just said so from the beginning, idiot. I'm in!"
Leo was the last to fall, but eventually, he too gave in. "I'm sorry, Jason. You're right; we're here to help people, and we can't forget that just because we're scared. I'm in."
Jason shot them all appreciative looks before fully composing himself. "Thanks, guys. Then here's what we need to do."
Explaining clearly, he outlined his plan and the roles everyone would need to take. It was surprisingly well thought out, and none of them could think of much room for improvement. If everything went as planned, they'd be able to leave and come back without anyone ever knowing they were gone.
"Let's give ourselves a week for training and preparation," Jason proposed. "During that time, we can solidify our combat skills and try to gear up properly. I'm hoping I'm invited this time?" he asked, flashing his signature mischievous grin.