Author's Notes: So here we are with a new story outside of the ongoing Jake Cross series. As a warning, the update for this story will be kind of slow until Arkham Rising is finished. The main character is a male OC and will take place in the non-canon city of New Camford. There will also be a few other OCs who will play as minor villains and supportive cast to expand on the city itself.
Disclaimer: I do not own any locations, characters, or names related to DC Comics. All rights reserved.
The Markings of a Hero
Chapter One: A Back-story
Elias "Eli" Jackson took in a deep breath as he eyed the living room filled with boxes. In his mind, he really could not fathom the thoughts of his father being killed. The man seemed nearly invincible and now…
Now he was forced to move in with his Bialyan mother and American stepfather.
It had been four days since Eli's father's funeral and three weeks since his dad's death. In that time, Eli had stayed alone in the apartment by himself. He stayed behind the familiar doors and walls he called home instead of being surrounded by family constantly trying to get him to talk. In doing so made him feel like things were normal. He didn't have his mom. He didn't have to listen to his stepfather. There was just him and his dad. Except now, his dad was taken from him as well.
Eli slowly released the breath he was holding. Why did his father have to be a hero all the damn time?
The question was both metaphorical and literal in a sense.
Malcolm "Miles" Jackson was a veteran of the United States Army. After he had served his country valiantly, he returned home to work as a security guard at Stagg Enterprises in New Camford, Connecticut- where they lived. Miles would acquire some gifts and gadgets from the Research and Development department and get the idea of becoming some sort of hooded vigilante in New Camford in order to help lower the crime rate.
Miles would ultimately fail.
Eli shows a small scowl on his face as he thinks about the one problem his father had and how it played in his death. That problem was a little thing called gambling.
Miles loved to gamble- win or lose- and soon fell in deep with a certain Irish mob family centered in Gotham and that ended would Miles paying the ultimate price. Six hundred dollars of debt was all it took from some member of the Sullivan Family to pop up in New Camford and end Miles's life.
The sound of Eli's vibrating phone on the small wooden kitchen table reached Eli's ears. The teen of seventeen years moved into the kitchen to answer it.
Picking the phone up, he pressed the "talk" button on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Hey Jacks," It was his older cousin Mallory Saunders who lived in Gotham City. "You still hanging in there?"
"Yeah, I'm still moving around." The boy paused and sighed. "Well actually, I'm a little bummed out about having to move into my mom's. I'd prefer to just stay here alone or move down to Gotham with you."
Mallory hummed in thought. "Me and you living under the same roof? With my son and mom? I doubt you could handle the insanity of that Jacks. Maybe you should just move in with your mom and stepdad."
"And what? Listen to them tell me how happy they are that I'm there?" Eli angrily spoke. "You know how badly I hate being there. Dad wouldn't have forced me to go."
"He's the only person that forced you to go."
The statement was true in more ways than one and Eli begrudgingly groaned at the fact. His father was practically the only person in the world who made Eli keep contact with his mother and younger half-brother, Samuel.
"So what is your mom going to do with your dad's apartment?" Mallory's voice broke Eli's thoughts.
Eli gave a shrug as if he expected his cousin to see him. "I don't know. My dad had it paid until December so… I hope she keeps it. I hope I can keep it."
"If you do, maybe we can live there together. No parents." Mallory lightheartedly said. When Eli only gave a small groan in response, the older teenage added to her words. "It was a joke Jacks. Do you still remember how to do that?"
"Sorry if losing my dad has kept me-"
"I lost an uncle who raised me like a daughter, so don't do that." It was true. With her father leaving her and her mother at a young age, Mallory had turned to Miles for a father figure years ago.
"Mal, I'm sorry." Eli said after a minute of silence. "I just… This just sucks, you know? I mean… I don't… Damn it."
"I get it Jacks. Just take your time and call whenever you need to. New Camford isn't that far from Gotham and you know I'll come up there if you need me to." Mallory stated.
"I will… Thanks again Mal." Eli said.
The two said their goodbyes before they ended their call. Eli was once more alone in his dad's apartment with nothing but Malcolm's boxes and Eli's lingering feelings for the deceased man. The nostalgia was heavy in the air and Eli regrettably wanted nothing to do with it. He just wanted his father back, which in turn only built on the emotion he was looking to bury.
Fortunately and unfortunately, those thoughts were shattered by his vibrating cell phone.
Damn, it was his mother.
Nearly forty minutes later, Eli was once again walking in his mother's gated neighborhood, returning to her home. His mother stayed in the esteemed neighborhood named Mancastle Hills. It was on the northwestern outskirts of the town and filled with green lawns and luxurious European-styled homes.
The neighborhood was much different from the borough his father's apartment was located; Cheshire Square. Cheshire Square was filled with old buildings and struggling businesses while Mancastle Hills was far away from any businesses with a more pristine canvas.
Depending on traffic, the time between the two boroughs was twenty to thirty minutes by car. Eli, unfortunately, had no such luxury and was forced to take the bus. There was a metro system that most of the New Camford residents used to quickly traverse throughout the large New England city however the nearest metro station was out of Mancastle Hills and located in the nearby McIntyre neighborhood.
Taking in a deep breath, Eli continued down the sidewalk with his hands in his jean-shorts pockets. While he did not necessarily hate the neighborhood, he had a strong dislike for the upper-class. His father was a true blue-collar kind of guy from Gotham City who, after returning from service, had a bit of a struggle to get back on his feet.
And what did his mom and his snobby stepfather do to help out? Absolutely nothing. It was his anger towards them that changed his attitude about the entirety of the population of Mancastle Hills.
Eli ignored the voice in his head that told him to turn around and just wander off somewhere. His mother would just hound him down and then he'd have to listen to her talk more than he would if he just showed up at her doorstep.
Five minutes later, Eli had reached his destination. He spotted his half-brother playing with the kid next door- Eli did not remember the young boy's name. Eli's mom's door was left open, the screen door protecting the house of the pesky summer insects that seemed to appear out of nowhere at will.
"Eli!" Sam called as he spotted his brother walk towards the porch. "Eli!"
Ignoring his brother's calls, Eli opened the glass screen door and stepped inside. The cool air was refreshing to say the least, but the thoughts of being here just made him more agitated.
"Elias," He heard the Arabic accent of his mother call out to him. "In the kitchen Elias. We have to talk."
Begrudgingly, the teen moved for the kitchen where his mother stood, standing with perfect posture behind the L-shaped island where she had finished washing her hands.
Born Leila Rassan (pronounced rah-san), Eli's mother, Leila Nolan, was the Bialyan definition of brains and beauty. Standing at five-foot ten, the slender woman kept her long dark hair out of her face nearly at all times to allow her piercing earth-tone eyes to meet their mark at all time.
Currently wearing her beige pencil skirt and white Oxford blouse, the woman gave her son a fixed stare, one that he knew all too well. She was angry at him but unwilling to shout.
"Did you drop your phone somewhere?" She was, predictably, annoyed by her son ignoring her calls. And no, he did not "ignore" her calls in the new sense of hitting the ignore button. He simply just chose not to answer her.
"No." Eli simply answered.
"Then when I call, I expect that you answer. Understood?" Eli shrugged her statement off, turning for the stairs before hearing his mother speak again. "Eli, talk to me. Tell me what it is that I can do that will make this just a little bit easier for you."
"Easier for me?" Eli growled as he looked over his shoulder at the woman.
"Yes. Losing Malcolm… It's hard on all of us, you especially. I won't pretend that you moving in with me will make you feel any better either." His mother spoke calmly. "But I do know when my boys are feeling a certain way. And right now, I'm asking you if there is anything within my power to lessen this animosity that you have."
Leila had always been quick to pick up Eli's moods, even when he did his best to hide them. Miles always told his son that Leila had a natural sixth sense that allowed her to immediately feel whatever her loved ones are feeling, but Eli believed no such thing.
Though, he was beginning to believe it.
"I don't want to be here." Eli finally voiced. "And I don't like that you're just having Dad's things sold off."
Sighing, Leila took a chance with her son. "Alright, we'll try to find somewhere for some of those boxes that are still in his apartment."
"Our. It was our apartment." Eli pointed.
"Right, right, you lived there as well. It was your home as well." Leila said. "But you can't expect me to keep that place and not be there." Eli turned to her, conveying his answer on his face. "Elias, do you honestly know how much money that will cost me and Robert?"
"I'll get a job and do it myself then." Eli told her. "Just… Just don't think I'm like you. I'll never leave Dad behind like you did."
Another thing about Leila that Eli has learned was that his mother never showed any guilt or regret, whether she felt it or not. She was always defiant, even in front of fault or grief, something that he had ultimately inherited from her.
The defiant look in Leila's eyes right now told Eli to never bring that statement back to the forefront of his mind, let alone let it slip off of his tongue again. She would never blame herself for Miles's death and would be damned if her son did, regardless if she understood his feelings or not.
"Fine," Leila finally spoke up. "Get a job. But here are the rules," Eli turned so now he was completely facing his mother. "Your grades don't drop below a B. The moment that happens, your job is gone. You will live here until after you graduate. I will allow you to stay there on breaks and every other weekend, but for the majority, here is where you'll check in Elias. Got it?"
"Yes ma'am." Eli responded.
"Finally," Leila counted off. "You will be joining us for family events. I don't care if your leg is broken or you have the winning lottery ticket, if Robert and I plan a trip for you and Sam, you will be there, no ifs, ands, or buts about it."
Eli groaned. He really, really, did not want to be a part of their family outings. It never went his way and it never would. But with his father gone there really was no other way out of it. He could go down to Gotham for the remainder of the summer with his cousin and aunt. But that would not help during the school year.
Realizing that this was the best deal, Eli relented.
"Fine," Eli voice was barely heard through his grit teeth. "It's a deal, Mrs. Nolan."
"Elias-"
"Eli!" The sound of Samuel's voice caught the two's attention as the young boy of eight entered the home, racing towards the kitchen where his brother and mother were. "Hey Eli, Tommy wanted to meet you!"
"Not now," Eli responded, though his brown eyes had yet to leave his mother's matching ones.
"Sam, go back outside for a minute. I need to talk to your brother." Eli snorted at Leila's words, turning to leave once more.
"I think we've said enough. I'm going to lie down."
He knew that that stunt would cost him later, but who cared? He was stuck here with an annoying half-brother, a crappy stepdad, a mom who would rather go into her office and worry about other people's problems than dealing with the problems within her family.
Ascending the stairs to the second floor, Eli reflected on the last few weeks. His father's death had angered him to say the least, especially with the obvious wrongdoers not being punished. The detectives on the case were most likely paid off by the Sullivan Family- again the city was no stranger to the dealings of mobs and gangs- which angered Eli more. His mother did nothing. His lawyer mother did absolutely nothing about that fact.
That pissed him off.
Even though Eli knew that Leila was a corporate lawyer and not a trial lawyer, he still believed that his mom could have done something to help with the case. But she refused to even try for a number of excuses that she attempted to feed him two weeks ago when they spoke about it.
Entering his rarely used room at his mother's place, Eli closed the door and made a beeline for his bed. There wasn't much he could do at the moment. His dad was dead. He was forced to live with his mom for at least two years. And to top it all off, Sam was going to be constantly near him throughout those two years.
Flipping onto his back and staring at the ceiling, Eli attempted to control his sporadic and angry thoughts. He needed to focus on something else- anything else- to calm down. But he couldn't. Everything that raced across his mind just reminded him of his problems with no solution in sight.
Kicking his shoes off, he took in a heavy breath and exhaled slowly.
"At least the bed is comfortable." Eli muttered as he closed his eyes.
Eli knew he wouldn't be able to go to sleep anytime soon. He just wanted to rest in private before dealing with Leila again. He idly thought about calling Mallory back or even leaving, but neither of those two ideas would help him in the long run. All in all, his best course of action was to lay back and think of an answer to all of his problems.
Eli snorted. "Hell of a way to start summer vacation…"
And indeed, it was.
As many would assume for a city of its size, New Camford had quite the nightlife that went on through rain, sleet, or snow. Sure, it did not compare to other Northern cities such as New York, Jersey City, or even Gotham City, but the nightlife of New Camford had hosted its fair share of parties throughout its existence. Living in Cheshire Square for most of his life, Eli could always hear the cries of the parties from his apartment.
But now here in Mancastle Hills.
Up here, it was quiet, so quiet that he could hear a distant train despite the tracks avoiding the neighborhood completely. Seated in a lawn chair in the backyard of his mother's home, Eli attempted to hear any signs of the downtown life that he had grown accustom to- he'd even settle for a random gunshot or two. He wanted to hear anything but the annoying chirping crickets.
He got his wish in the sound of the glass doors sliding open and then the thumping sound of them closing seconds later, a shadow casted down on him.
"You know," Leila spoke to her son. "I'm actually surprised you haven't run off yet. It's something I would have done at your age."
"…" Eli did not say anything until he heard the distinct sound of a lighter. Turning his head, he saw his mother lighting a cigarette before waving the flame out. "I…"
Recognizing her son's shock, Leila cocked a brow. "What? I can't smoke at my own home?"
"I didn't know you smoked." Eli stated.
"A teenage habit I do from time to time to calm my nerves." Leila spoke as she exhaled a cloud of smoke. "I don't think I need to tell you to keep this between us. Robert, and your dad for that matter, believes I quit ages ago. And Sam knows nothing about it."
Eli smirked, looking back at the yard. "Seems as you're not as square as I thought."
"I guess I'm not." Leila chuckles in response. A comfortable silence fell between them before Leila began speaking once more. "I know about the apartment, Eli. It's been paid off until December. But I don't want you staying there all the time, okay?"
"I'll try not to." her son replied, although they both knew that he would most likely reneged on said promise.
"You know, I never got to see my parents before they died, so I don't know how you feel seeing Malcolm. But that anger inside of you isn't healthy." Leila stated.
"And smoking is?"
"You were raised here in America. I, Bialya." retorts the woman while taking a small drag. "While obesity and bullying may be leading issues in your generation, I had to sneak into school to get an education and then risk my life to escape to American colleges. You don't know the meaning of 'unhealthy' yet."
"Is there a point to this?" Already tired of another lecture, Eli was more than ready to just up and leave for his bedroom again.
"The point," Leila paused and took another drag. "The point is that I lost someone too and you're too selfish to even let me grieve properly with my son." Eli whipped his head, giving his mother a hardened glare. "Be careful of what you say, Elias."
"I'm selfish?! You left dad for your doctor husband and your rich life!" Eli snapped.
"Your father wasn't… Sane. Yes, I think that's the best word to describe it. He wasn't sane. He wasn't insane but he wasn't sane." Leila told Eli. "The army changed him for better and worse and you… You just forced him to pretend that he was better."
Eli scoffed. "So this is my fault."
"No, that's not what I'm saying," Leila replied before sighing. "I'm saying that… The man I loved, your dad, died years ago. There were nights when he'd wake up and be a different person. Not the America that you were born and raised in. But the Bialya I worked so hard to escape."
"…" Eli sat quietly, staring at his mother's features. In her nightgown, she looked thinner than she had earlier and somewhat more vulnerable. "Is that why you don't care? Because he is something you wanted to get away from?"
"I care, Elias. Why else would I be up at this hour?" Leila returned. There was another pregnant pause before the woman continued. "Army Ant. Can you believe that?" Eli frowned and gained more confusion when his mother began laughing. "That idiot father of yours went around calling himself the Army Ant. I pray that you got my creativity."
Eli found himself smiling a bit. "I never knew that…"
"He told me a few months ago. And I, being so caught up in my job, merely brush him off and let him run out there to be a hero this city needs." Leila said with a grin, flicking some ash off of her cigarette. "Dumbest thing I ever heard. But, I guess, he was doing something he really wanted to do."
"It was stupid." Eli said. "Why would he go out there and fight crime? Especially with his debt with the Russians!"
"Because that's just who your father was. He was more than the man I, or even you, deserved. Too bad he never did quiet the criminals that run freely here."
Eli sat quietly for a while before looking up at his mother. "He really wanted to be another one of them? Another one of those guys that think that they can just put on a mask and some stupid costume and save the day."
"I never understood that myself." Leila told her son. "Then again, why do half of them do it? Fame? Money? I don't know and I doubt I ever will. But what I do know is that he would call every time he would go out and I would always ignore it. I ignored every call except for the night it happened."
There was another silence that fell over the two, Eli quietly trying to figure out his father's motives for becoming another heroic victim of New Camford. By now, Eli assumed that the city officials have lost count to how many civilians have given their lives in a vain attempt of becoming New Camford's version of Superman or Wonder Woman. And it wasn't just normal guys and gals attempting this gig. Meta-humans that have lived in secrecy within the city have tried and, to this very day, none of them have succeeded.
So, with the odds already stacked against him, why would Miles attempt such a tedious job? Was there something meaningful behind it or was he just bored?
"Whatever the reason was," concluded Leila. "His actions were foolish and reckless, with his gambling problems being the end of him." Leila scoffed lightly. "And even with all that said, I still love him dearly…"
Eli leaned back in the chair and let those words replay over and over in his head. He felt the exact same way. He thought that being a hero in a hero-less town was stupid. He thought that Miles's actions were stupid and irresponsible. And yet…
Yet he still loved his dad and wanted nothing more than to kill the sorry bastards who took Miles away from him.
After a few minutes, Eli had realized that his mother had finished her cigarette and was staring at the moon. He would have asked if she wanted to sit, but her face was transfixed on the celestial object. Her crossed arms made her appear agitated at first glance however her eyes told Eli that she was calmly in deep thought, possibly reliving pleasant memories.
Not knowing what to do or say in this situation, Eli simply stood up.
"I'm going to bed." Eli quietly stated, hoping he was heard but not loud enough to disturb whatever mood she was in.
Leila made eye contact with Eli that had him freeze in his steps. For a moment, he thought he had indeed ruined her thoughts and she was going to lash out at him. However she merely turned her gaze back to the moon.
Taking this as a nonverbal goodnight, Eli stepped by his mom and soon reentered the house. The feint smell of cigarette followed him inside, though nothing that would last for a few minutes, let alone hours when Robert and Sam got up. But it wasn't the smell that Eli was worried about.
Giving his mom one final glance, Eli left the kitchen with a new problem on his mind.
Was his mom okay?
Author's Notes: So there is the first chapter. This will have a slow start where Eli won't become a fully resolved hero for a while. Also, this story will take place mostly within New Camford. The villains that Eli will face in the beginning will not be well-established villains with a world-renowned rep sheet. Eli will simply work his way up, starting with the local criminals. Other heroes and villains will appear later on to add to Eli's character as a person and as a hero.
Another thing I want to mention is that this story itself will touch on a lot of real life things that are normally avoided in FF. There will be times of racism, sexism, homophobia, and more. There will be warnings on the chapters where these will be found in for those who are easily offended. But please, do not think that everything in this story reflects my personal thoughts and beliefs. Yes, I am the author but I cannot base every character on me. Everyone would be identical and the plot would be boring as hell.
Again, these first few chapters will be pretty slow with more character build than anything. They will pretty much shape and expound on Eli and his family life, a little bit more detail about his father's vigilantism, and how New Camford plays into the DC society. The next chapter in particular goes a bit deeper in Eli's looks and likes and his home neighborhood of Cheshire Square. Hopefully by the end of this, Eli and his city will be well established in all of our minds.
Thanks again for reading, especially if you are someone who jumped over from my Jake Cross series. I can't express enough how much I appreciate your support. As always, leave a review or a PM for any question, thoughts, or comments that you have and I will catch you next time. Peace.
