DC: Zoom

The sun blazed overhead, its light searing the sky, but Jason barely registered it as unconsciousness pulled him under. His body, limp and soaked, sank deeper into the water. The cold liquid surged into his lungs, and a sharp gasp shot him back to life. His chest heaved, his body trembling violently as he fought to drag himself toward the shore. Every movement was a battle against exhaustion, his muscles screaming in protest. His battered body felt raw, but he refused to stop. The pain in his limbs pulsed with unrelenting force, yet the deeper ache in his chest gnawed at him, growing more unbearable with every desperate breath.

Then, the memories hit him—his parents.

A guttural scream erupted from his throat, raw and broken. His body trembled, violent and uncontrollable, as tears blurred his vision. He collapsed onto the muddy earth, fingers clawing into the wet soil, desperate for anything to hold on to.

"Why… why them?" His voice cracked, a mere whisper, drowned by the weight of grief. His breath caught in his throat as images of his mother's gentle smile and his father's laughter flashed in his mind, each memory now a painful reminder of what he couldn't save. If only I had been faster…

His hands balled into fists, dirt slipping through his fingers as grief surged over him, suffocating him in its relentless grip. 

He cried even as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, the weight of his loss pressing down on him. The cold breeze whispered against his skin, the moonlight casting a pale glow over the empty landscape. Then, the distant rumble of tires on dirt broke the silence, followed by the glare of headlights cutting through the darkness.

A car.

Jason squinted against the glare as the vehicle rolled to a stop. The doors swung open, and through his blurred vision, he saw them—Kara and her father.

Kara didn't hesitate. She ran to him, dropping to her knees and pulling him into a tight embrace. Her arms wrapped around him, firm and steady, as if she could hold him together while he was falling apart. Jason's sobs came harder, his body trembling against hers. His tears soaked into her shoulder, his gasping breaths broken and raw.

He wanted to ask—how did she find him? How did she know? But the words never came. The questions didn't matter.

She was here.

The next thing he knew, bright hospital lights pierced his vision, the sterile scent of antiseptic filling his lungs. The world felt distant, muffled, like he was drifting through it, not quite present. As he was wheeled down the hall, familiar faces came into focus—Jeremiah, Kara's father, standing tall beside his wife, Eliza, their expressions etched with concern. Beside them was Alex, her gaze intense, and Kara, watching silently as the doctors moved around him.

Jason was drained, his body weighed down by exhaustion and grief. 

Jason's eyes shot open, the sterile white of the hospital ceiling coming into focus. For a moment, there was peace—soft beeping from the machines, the distant murmur of voices in the hallway. But it didn't last.

The door slammed open. Boots thudded against the floor, the scent of sweat and coffee clinging to the air as a cluster of officers pushed in.

"Listen, kid, how the hell did you end up outside the city?" one snapped, his voice sharp, eyes drilling into Jason.

Another officer exhaled, shaking his head. "Come on, man. Look at him." His voice dipped, softer. "Let me handle this."

A gentler presence stepped forward. "Hey there," she murmured, crouching slightly to meet Jason's gaze. "I know you've been through a lot. Can you tell us what happened?"

Jason's throat clenched. His breath shuddered. A tremor crawled through his chest, and before he could stop them, tears spilled over, hot and silent. He couldn't breathe, couldn't speak.

The officer watching him sighed, his rigid stance loosening. "You know what? We won't push." He started to step back.

But Jason's voice, raw and barely above a whisper, stopped him.

"I… I remember the explosion…" His fingers curled into the sheets, gripping tight as if to anchor himself. "And then… my parents…" His breath hitched. "Gone."

Silence.

Then, like a knife to his gut—panic.

His sister.

Jason lurched upright, his heartbeat hammering against his ribs. "My sister—Is she okay?!" His hands clawed at the tubes in his arms, tearing at them, desperation blinding him.

"Wait, wait, kid! She's fine—calm down!"

The words barely broke through the static in his head, but the urgency in the officer's tone stopped him. Jason froze, chest heaving. Slowly, the panic ebbed, and he slumped back onto the mattress, his fingers tangled in the sheets.

One of the officers cleared his throat. "Listen… witnesses saw a man covered in yellow electricity. We believe he took your sister to safety and, for some reason, left you in the middle of the lake." His gaze locked onto Jason's. "Do you have any idea who it was?"

Jason's throat tightened . "No… I don't."

The lie weighed on his tongue, but he forced it down.

The officers exchanged a glance—silent, uncertain whether to believe him.

"Alright," one finally said. "That's all for now."

They exchanged one last look before turning to leave, their footsteps fading into the steady hum of machines, leaving Jason alone in the sterile quiet.

He exhaled, relief washing over him. They hadn't pressed him for more—good. He still had to find his sister.

Carefully, he peeled away the tubes, the adhesive tugging at his skin. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he pushed himself up. His body felt steady, stronger than he expected, but his mind was a tangled mess. None of it mattered. He just needed to see her.

The hospital halls blurred around him as he moved, his footsteps quickening. "My sister—where is she?" he asked anyone who would listen, his voice edged with urgency.

A nurse finally pointed him down the hall. He bolted, nearly crashing through the door.

And there she was.

His breath caught. She lay curled beneath crisp white sheets, her chest rising and falling in slow, even rhythms. Peaceful. Untouched.

Jason's legs wobbled beneath him, the weight of his fear finally loosening its grip. She hadn't been as close to the blast. She was safe.

Relief surged through him, so intense it stole his breath.

He reached for her, his hand finding hers, warm and real. The moment his fingers brushed against her skin, she squeezed—weak, but certain.

Her eyelids fluttered before slowly lifting. Sleepy, dazed eyes met him.

"Brother…"

The word barely left her lips before Jason pulled her into his arms. They clung to each other, sobs breaking the silence, grief pressing between them. Their parents were gone—ripped away in an instant—but in that moment, they held onto the only thing they had left. Each other.