The Legendary Junkmaster

Jason grinned as he watched the familiar ruins roll past. The walls of Highrise loomed before them. The caravan seemed to be generating a fair amount of interest as nearby scavengers started to come close. However, they paused when they saw Jason. He spotted a few of them whispering among themselves and shaking their heads sadly. 

'Hm? What's that about?' Jason frowned, but then he realised that it must be because he was using the ANT-V to get around. His legs were slightly visible, and with the way he was sitting, their slender profile could easily be seen. 'They're pitying me...' Jason sighed when he thought he had found the answer.

"Not very friendly... Are they?" Zach frowned when he looked at their reactions. He was used to being treated like royalty, with people fawning over him whenever his caravan appeared.

"No, I think they're just in shock to see me." Jason grimaced as he replied, causing Zach to eye him curiously. 

"Is that so?" Zach hummed as he glanced at the scavengers now keeping their distance.

The atmosphere between them became awkward as they silently rolled up to the gate. Even there, the guards were eyeing Jason warily. As if they were expecting him to do something out of their control. This confused Jason because this was a different reaction to the one he had seen from the scavengers. 

'Ok, maybe they're not pitying me... So what's happened then?' Jason frowned as he immediately thought that something had happened to his store. 'What's that geezer done now?'

"Zach, I'm going ahead. You know where to find me, right?" Jason said with a complicated expression. 

"Sure, if I get lost, I'm sure someone can point the way. I'll need to take care of the paperwork anyway." Zach nodded as he realised that Jason appeared anxious. 

Jason expected Zach to question him about his decision, but the latter remained silent on the matter. Jason nodded as he controlled the ANT-V to rush towards his store. Many people pointed at him in passing. But it was not the same as what he had become used to in the settlements that they had passed through. Those people pointed at his vehicle. These people were pointing at him directly. 

Jason felt a surge of anxiety appear in the back of his mind. He did not know what to expect, but he knew that something had happened. People swiftly moved out of his way whenever they saw him coming. They were afraid that he would run straight over them without caring about the consequences!

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-Antihero]

Jason breathed heavily as he urged the ANT-V to move faster. The corner that led to Crafters Street had just come into sight. The ANT-V slid across the cracked road as Jason suddenly changed direction. Jason's eyes scanned the street before they went wide. There was a long queue outside his store and it was open!

'Everything... Looks... Normal?' Jason sighed with relief as he slowly moved the ANT-V towards his store. Some of the customers who were waiting spotted him and immediately turned their heads. Nobody wanted to make eye contact with him. Jason frowned, but he could not care less. He had already confirmed that everything was exactly where it should be. 

"Gramps!" Jason shouted as he pushed his way past the crowd and into the store. 

There was a lone customer at the desk, while several others were looking around the shelves. The customer glanced at him nervously as the sounds of someone rummaging around in the rear of the store could be heard.

"Jason?" A familiar voice came from the workshop, causing Jason's heart to skip a beat. It was not Harry's voice! "It really is you!" 

Raymond's happy expression suddenly turned solemn when he was part way across the shop floor. Suddenly, the big guy hung his head as if he were ashamed. Jason could clearly see that there was something on his mind that he wanted to tell him, but was finding it difficult to do so.

"Jason... It's about Harry..." Raymond sighed, causing Jason to have a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "The thing is... While you were gone..."

"What happened Ray?" Jason could not stop hi8mself from asking. He did not want to hear what his mind was guessing, but he had to know at the same time.

"Look, kid... I don't know how to say this..." Raymond ran a palm over his head as he glanced at Jason. "He's in a critical condition. Dr Cee is taking care of him right now. Something happened while he was out of town, but nobody knows the details. It looks like he was attacked and beaten violently."

Jason took a moment to process this. His mind had immediately feared the worse and made him believe that his Gramps was dead! 'He's alive?' Jason sighed with relief before it dawned on him that it sounded like the old man could still kick the bucket!

"Ray, can you keep watching the store for me? A friend of mine might stop by..." Jason blurted out as he turned back towards the door.

"Of course, kid. Go see Harry. Hurry now." Raymond waved as Jason raced out of the store.

He finally understood why everyone was staring at him in such a strange manner. It was as if they expected him to lose his only family member at any moment now. Nobody had wanted to be the one to tell him, so they had been avoiding getting into a conversation with him!

'What was he doing out of town? And why would someone target him? What the hell is going on?' Jason's mind was buzzing with questions as he raced through the streets yet again, soon finding himself at Dr Cee's clinic. When he knocked on the door, he got no answer.

"Dr Cee! Please, open up! It's Jason Wright!" He screamed at the door violently.

Soon he heard the sound of someone moving about inside. The door creaked open a little bit, and Dr Cee's eyes stared back at him. He noticed at that moment that the skin around them was visibly red. As if she had just been crying. 

"You'd better come inside..." Dr Cee managed between sobs as she opened the door wide enough for him to pass once he shrunk the ANT-V's legs down. "He's through there..."

Jason glanced toward the room that she pointed to and a lump of saliva appeared in throat. He suddenly felt extremely thirsty, as he did not know the extent of Harry's injuries. A nervous sweat ran down his back as his hands began to tremble. With slow steps he moved towards the half closed door and peered inside. 

Lying on the bed was Harry. Breathing deeply and completely covered in bandages. The few pieces of skin that were visible looked like they had been severely burned. Jason almost could not believe his eyes as he moved to the bedside. He slowly pulled back the thin blanket to get a better look. 

"He's got multiple broken bones and severe wounds. It's a miracle he was still alive when he was delivered here." Dr Cee sobbed as she glanced at his shocked face. "It only happened recently, but nobody knows who brought him to my doorstep. Why would anyone do this?"

Jason grit his teeth as he felt an intense anger surge up inside of himself. He was furious that somebody could have done this to the old geezer! "I don't know... But I intend to find out!"

Meanwhile, in the Lord's residence at the heart of Highrise...

"Lord Farden, we made it in time to save his life. However, he was severely injured and there's no telling if he'll succumb to them." A hooded man reported as he knelt in front of Highrise's Lord.

"You did what you could." Lord Farden sighed as he stroked the arm of his throne. "It's lucky that we even received word in time. I want to know why the Emperor sent word to give our protection to this man..."

"My Lord, we discovered these items on the group that was holding Mr Wright." The agent placed the Arbalest and Viper on the floor of the audience chamber. "It seems to me that Mr Wright may be the murderer, Black Arrow. These people were likely hunters on their way to collect their bounty."

Lord Farden frowned as he stared at the items. "No... Mr Wright isn't capable of creating these things. It's his grandson who opened that store, right? Place extra protection around their homes and anywhere to do with them. I won't be blamed by the Emperor if something goes wrong. When the young Mr Wright returns... Bring him to me..."