(a/n: Alright! New story, new beginnings! Please enjoy and review!)
Prolog
Empire City, Years ago…
Nighttime in Empire City usually meant vibrancy and excitement.
Tourists and locals would mingle and hang out at some of the best clubs and restaurants in the city found in the Neon District, or catch a show at world famous the Penrose Theater in the Historic District, or even have a pleasant evening stroll through some of the city's famous botanical in the Orchid District despite the freezing temperatures at this time of year.
However, this night was colder than usual and an ice-cold rain came down in a torrent. People hurried to and from their homes to their cars, from restaurants to a bus stop and other places.
On such a cold evening, most folks would stay indoors. Unfortunately, there are a significant number of Empire's citizens don't have such a luxury.
Such is the case for one Mark "Mack" Wilson, one of Empire's many dispossessed.
At one time, he was a successful accountant for one of Empire City's biggest corporations. Then out of the blue, they cut his job and he was out on his ear. Once his job was gone, pretty soon everything that Mark had dissolved around him and he ended up on the streets of Empire City with nothing but the clothes on his back.
At first it was the most miserable time of his life, but soon he grew accustomed to his life.
Sure he had to scrounge everyday just to get by, people treat him like he was a plague rat and that he had no prospects, but Mark didn't have as much stress as he had from the office.
Working for a high-class corporation was enough to put grey in his hair several decades early.
Now, his schedule is wide-open and a clear horizon ahead of him. However, despite having unlimited time on his hands, Mark would every once in a while miss his old life.
Tonight was one of them.
The cold rain forced him to take shelter underneath one of the bridges in the slums of Empire, nicknamed the Warren, near a maintenance tunnel entrance. His shopping cart full of all his earthly possessions was covered by an old blue tarp and within sight. Mark stood next to a fire that crackled in an old metal barrel with several other men like him.
They stood there, clad in worn old clothes and disheveled, warming their numbed hands by the fire. The bridge overhead provided some protection from the icy rain but not from the cold wind that blew inland from the coast. Which is why they chose the maintenance tunnel entrance as shelter for the night. Even though it was a dark, smelly shaft of concrete that led deep under the city, it was better than any other alternative they had.
Mark and his friends, Lenny, Dave and Tom, talked a bit on local politics and about good spots in town whenever they met up. This night they talked about some recent rumors that seemed to be spreading like wildfire through Empire.
Some of the other folks in their camp, meanwhile, were listening to an old battered radio that sat on the ground by a short, elderly man they called "Small Paul".
Not a very clean bunch but Mark knew that they were good company.
Dave was a former doctor who lost his practice and eventually his house. Lenny used to be a bank teller, and Tom, he never really told anybody what he used to be.
As they stood around talking, the rain began to pick up and the wind howled like a banshee. Mark drew his tattered coat around him tightly in an effort to stay warm.
"…So like I was saying, there's no way that could happen!" said Lenny vehemently "He says that he met a guy who says that there's this secret group operating out of the Historic District, running the entire show. He says that they're behind everything; the police, the mayor, the governor, even the League. He says they're everywhere!"
"Really?" said Dave, arching an eyebrow.
Lenny scoffed "Nah, he's just full of it. He swore up and down that he saw them operating over on Orchid Avenue but I talked to his ol' lady and she says he was drunk off his ass, yelling at a bunch of lawyers".
The assembled vagabonds chuckled at that, except for a young kid named Mattie. He jumped in "I-I heard about them too!"
"Really?" said Mark raising an eyebrow.
The young boy nodded "Yeah, I saw 'em!"
"Did not" said Small Paul rolling his eyes.
Mattie rounded on the old man and scowled "Did too!"
"What did they look like? Who were they?" asked Mark, calmly. Normally, they would ignore the kid due to his tall tales and unconvincing fabrications. However, lately there were rumors spreading among the lower class of Empire. Whispers of scary dudes in hoods snatching some unsuspecting folks off the streets or even from inside of their homes, carrying them off into the night for reasons unknown.
Even though Mattie was just a child, there was a chance he might've seen something and it helped to have an open mind to everything.
Mattie thought for a moment and he spoke softly "W-well, there were three of them. Two of them were huge guys, they were bigger than all of you. There was a short guy with them in a nice suit. They were talking to this lady in an alley near Platinum Street. As they were talking, I saw the two large guys throwing a bunch of people in the back of a van"
Everyone looked at the boy silently. An eerie silence filled the night, with nothing to be heard except the soft music spilling out of the old radio and the patter of rain.
Mark frowned "What happened next?"
"I got out of there as fast as I can" said the boy quietly, "I didn't want to get taken" "Good call" said Tom with a smile, revealing his yellowed teeth.
As the night carried on, the wind picked up and the rain came down harder than minutes before. The group of homeless folks huddled closely to the flames that flickered in the barrel. Thunder rumbled in the night like an angry giant. Static filled the radio's speakers as long jagged fingers of lightning split the night sky.
Wind howled in their ears and tore through them like an icy dagger. Having enough of it, the vagabonds began filing into the maintenance tunnel for shelter.
As they made for shelter, a blinding flash of lightning illuminated the night, followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
Mark's senses were temporarily rendered fuzzy. His eyes filled with spots and his ears rang. Blinking furiously, his eyes managed to focus against the wind and rain whipping against his face.
Mark saw his friends standing in the darkened tunnel entrance waving him over and yelling something. He was about to rush over to them but something moved in the corner of his eye. Mark looked and saw a shape limping through the dark and rain. He squinted and focused on it. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the figure in the rain, causing Mark's eyes to widen in shock.
Limping in the rain was a man dressed in a long tattered coat with a hood carrying a woman covered in blood. Without really thinking Mark waved the man over "Over here!"
The man seemed to notice Mark, as he made his way towards the homeless man.
Once out of the rain, Mark led the stranger into the maintenance tunnel.
Once inside, the other homeless greeted Mark and the stranger with odd looks and questions but some of men helped the stranger lay the woman down on ratty old blanket and dirty pillow.
Dave pulled Mark aside "Mark, what were you thinking?"
"I couldn't leave them out there" explained Mark
"She's bleeding out" whispered Dave. They looked at the woman and Mark paled and his stomach churned at the sight of the wound.
A huge piece of the woman's side was missing and blood was oozing out. The stranger coat pockets and tried to bind her wounds but it was useless.
The man's wide blue eyes were wet and puffy "No, no, no, no…" "We got to get her to a hospital" hissed Dave
"You're a doctor" said Mark "Can't you-"
"Are you serious?" said Dave cutting him off "I don't have the equipment or medicine for something like this. Even if I did, the chances of her survival are very slim"
"Just do what you can!" insisted Mark "I'll send Mattie for an ambulance" Dave sighed deeply and nodded. He went to the woman's side and went to work.
The woman's heartbeat was faint and her breathing grew more laborious. The stranger gripped her hand in his, muttering a prayer of sorts under his breath.
Mattie had left to retrieve an ambulance from the hospital a couple of blocks away.
None of them had phones, let alone enough money to use a payphone, so they hoped beyond all hope that Mattie would make it. But they all knew that the woman wasn't going to last long.
Dave rose to his feet and stretched out his cramped limbs. He looked to Mark and shook his head slowly.
Dave turned to the stranger and said softly "I'm sorry…there's not much I can do for you. She has maybe a few moments left".
The stranger nodded slowly, acknowledging Dave's words.
He gripped his friend's hand tightly and held it up to his face. "I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry" he whispered, his voice beginning to break. Tears began to drip down his face.
Mark felt a pang of sorrow. It wasn't easy to lose a loved one. Most of Mark's loved ones died of less extreme things like natural causes or of random accidents but the pain was there all the same. He had no idea what was going through this man's head right now. Who was she? A girlfriend? Wife? He didn't know and he wasn't eager to start poking and prodding the poor guy with dumb questions.
There was a raspy sound coming from the woman. The stranger looked up at her "I know…I know its not but…I can't help but feel that I'm responsible" there was another raspy sound which, if Mark focused hard enough to listen, formed into words "…I don't blame you"
"I know" said the man with a small smile. Tears welled up in her eyes and she coughed a bit then expelled her final words, which to Mark, sounded like "Co…I…".
The stranger's expression was contorted in pain, sorrow and anger. Mark didn't know the guy but he had the sudden urge to get far away from this man. He looked ready to explode and destroy everything within reach and then some. The man shook and instead of the violent explosion Mark had though, the stranger broken down sobbing.
He stumbled away from the body of his deceased friend and sat slumped against a wall. He buried his face in his hands and continued.
For almost an hour, the man sobbed loudly. Mark and the other homeless folks kept their distance from him and tried to get some sleep.
Thunder boomed outside and echoed down the tunnel, drowning the man's cries a little. Hours passed and everything eventually went silent.
The rain had slowed to a drizzle and eventually came to a stop. The winds calmed and were still.
Mark had dozed off a little but Mattie woke him. The boy said that the hospital was busy with a injuries from a botched robbery but they were sending an ambulance soon.
Mark thanked the boy then sent him off to get some sleep. The homeless accountant looked around the dark tunnel. He saw the sleeping forms of his his eyes adjusted better to the dark, he decided to see how their guest was faring.
He got up and went further down the tunnel a bit and saw that the deceased woman, a blanket now covered her but he also noted that man was gone.
Mark frowned and confusion and tried to think of where he may have gone. He then thought of the only place he may have gone and retreated up to the tunnel entrance.
He found the man standing at the tunnel entrance. The man stood there, silently staring out at the warm glow of Empire City' skyline.
The stranger turned abruptly, looking a little tense but when he saw Mark he relaxed a little "Oh, its you"
"Hey" said Mark quietly "How are you feeling?"
"Lousy" admitted the man "but I should've seen it coming, considering…" he trailed off for a moment then glanced at Mark "Thank you, for trying to help"
"No problem" said Mark "Sorry we couldn't help your friend".
The man's face was expressionless but Mark could see sadness behind those eyes "Its alright…there's nothing you could've done."
Silence fell between the two. Mark and the man stood there quietly observing the city. Minus the dead woman and the grief stricken stranger, Mark enjoyed nights like this. Rain seemed to momentarily cleanse the city and the morning after just made Mark think of his childhood. He wanted to say something to console the stranger but the words didn't come.
He looked and noticed something in the man's eye that made Mark think that the man was rather nostalgic for something. He shook his head, dismissing those thoughts.
Finally, Mark turned and looked at the stranger "So…what now, for you I mean?"
The stranger took a deep breath and exhaled. The homeless man noticed that the stranger was gripping something tightly in his hand.
After a moment of silence, the stranger looked at Mark "Now…I fix this" he turned and walking away. He shoved whatever it was that he held into his coat pocket.
Mark blinked "What?"
"Thank you for your kindness. Please take care of my friend's body for me." continued the man as he walked away "For now, I have to undo everything. I have to make sure that everything is done right"
"Huh?" said Mark, more confused than ever.
The man stopped and he looked at Mark. Guilt flashed across his expression and he said, "I will fix this. I will make this right. You'll thank me for this…you all will"
Ok thought Mark, with a frown on his face. The man turned to leave but Mark asked, "Wait! Just who the heck are you?" he paused for a moment and then said "Kessler. My name is Kessler".
The man named Kessler left behind the small homeless encampment with new resolve.
Though sorrow weighed his heart down like an anchor, Kessler saw one thing that gave him new strength and purpose.
It worked. They weren't sure if they were going to make it or not. It didn't really matter at the beginning.
If it didn't work, they would've been vaporized and turned into a cloud of dust and atoms. But if it did, which thankfully it did, they had one shot to make it all work. To rewrite events before they could happen.
That awful, hellish wasteland would be no more and maybe he could save them. He tried then but it was too late. He ran and hid for so long that that damn creature was too strong. There was nothing he could do but watch in horror as it tore through them and slaughtered those he loved dearly.
He tried to save whoever or whatever was left. There was nothing, except for her. She was his oldest friend and she was the last one that was on the chopping block.
Luckily, Kessler managed to get her out of that little hole it stashed her in just in the nick of time.
They hid and tried their damnedest to survive and fight back but it all wore them down.
Eventually, Kessler got an insane idea. An idea so insane that it could work.
He would fix everything before it could get too strong. He would use his new ability and save the world.
It was brilliant. Months of preparations, planning and practice went by. They were almost free, almost in the clear. Then it caught on and tracked them down.
She stalled it momentarily with her sacrifice, just enough time for Kessler to get them out. Now she is gone and he is on his own.
Kessler's hand drifted to his coat pocket. He felt the small shape press up against him. Her locket was all that was left.
He clenched his fist tightly until his knuckles turned white. He quietly vowed to nobody "I swear that I will save you…I'll save you Dana. I'll save all of you!"
First things first, he needed to pay a little visit to the worm Alden and the First Sons.
End of Chapter
(a/n: So, what do you think! Please review and let me know! I hope you enjoyed it!)