guiltbombs

[guiltbombs]

[guiltbombs]

*      & .    〔    sebastian   stan,   cis   male,   he/him    〕    jackson   blake   is   a   forty   year   old   superhuman   known   to   be   methodical   and   loyal,   yet   caustic   and   prideful   at   the   same   time.   rumor   has   it   they’re   a   vigilante   who   has   invisibility    —    you’d   never   guess   it   when   you   see   them   working   at   alchemist’s   lounge   as   a   bartender.   apparently   they’re   always   listening   to   zanzibar   by   billy   joel,   which   makes   sense   since   they   kind   of   also   remind   me   of   lying   about   where   your   bruises   came   from,   cigarette   smoke   clinging   to   a   leather   jacket,   and   the goosebumps you get when you feel like you’re being watched.    

content warning : mentions of abuse , neglect 

—   ONE.   jackson was born in new jersey to henry & janice blake . his father was a hero , with pretty standards abilites ( strength , healing ) , nothing flashy , but the cameras loved him . he was daring , charming , & handsome . the media portrayed him as this picture perfect , all american man , but to anyone who really knew him , saw the side that his family did . they saw the machismo , the man who treated his wife more like a servant , & saw his only child , his son , as an extension of himself , rather than his own person . at the start of project echo , henry was all too quick to sign up his child . henry would stop at nothing to see his son grow up to be the greatest hero the world had ever seen . 

—   TWO.   even as a child , jackson’s father scared him . he yelled often , and had so many rules that jackson had to follow . jackson wasn’t allowed to cry ( real men don’t cry ) , he couldn’t play with toys ( though he was allowed to play sports with the other neighborhood children ) , & his mother wasn’t allowed to coddle him . despite all this , jackson was very close with his mother , & whenever he got in trouble , janice was right there to take the brunt of the punishment . jackson decided very young that he did not like his father . 

—   THREE.   when jackson developed his powers , he was thrilled . his father , on the other hand , decided that invisibilty was a weak power . this didn’t deter henry , & he taught jackson  to use his powers offensively . henry was a strong believer that their powers made them superior , & that they should use their gifts to their advantage . after finishing fifth grade , jackson get pulls from school to be taught by his mother at home , much of his day consists of physical training with father . part of him enjoys the attention he gets from his father . henry is not a warm man , and this is closest thing they get to bonding . but when he looks at his mother , and the bruises that she tries to hid under her sleeves , jackson feels that hatred for henry all over again . 

—   FOUR.   when jackson is ten , the keene act is passed . henry is left without a job and refuses to get a placement test at d.o.s.a . he spends more time at home , much to the horror of his family , who are constantly targets for his anger . one night , jack overhears his mother talking on the phone with his aunt ; she wants to leave , she says , and she wants to take jack with her . it delights him , to think he’d finally escape his father , and that night he packs a bag and stuffs it under his bed . the next morning , she’s not at home , & henry informs him that janice decided to leave without him . 

—   FIVE.   as jackson grows older , more & more of him believes that his father had something to do with his mother’s disappearance . not a single bone in his body believes that janice would leave without him . he loved his mother , & he knew she loved him too . jackson goes back to public school to graduate , & when he does , he leaves home as soon as he can . he moves to new york city & attends college , majoring in journalism . his father had always wanted him to become a police officer , but the thought of it made his stomach churn . despite jackson’s negative association with heroes , the idea of helping others was something that resonated deeply with jack . he decided to become an investigative reporter , that way , he’s at least spreading awareness on issues that don’t normally get media attention . 

—  SIX.   it takes jack a while , but eventually , his father stops being a voice in the back of his head , the anxiety doesn’t pit in his stomach whenever he thinks about him . life continues ; jack gets hired on at a news company , & he even starts his own podcast , detailing the corruption within cain industries . he even gets married , & for this first time jack finds himself content with his life . 

—  SEVEN.   when jack is laid off , he lies and tells his wife he quit willingly . he needs a change , he needs to reflect , he says . it’s not a complete lie , the newfound free time had given him time to think . he has these powers , & yet he doesn’t even use them . what good is he ? he starts to wonder if he did any good at all , working as a journalist . he thought he was helping , but he notices the crime spikes , & the corruption . the murder of michael king makes headlines . its then that he decides to turn to vigilantism . its easy for him to sneak around , he’s invisible after all , & gives him an outlet to take out anger . after a particularly bad night , he looks at his hands and wonders if he’s become his father .