Disclaimer: I do not own the DC characters
Claimer: I own my OC characters
Chapter Two
A god's Wrath
"Dog get hit by a bus?" was the first thing he said walking up next to the man.
Alexander turned his head acknowledging the presence of his friend, and pleased to see his dark brown hair allowed out and free from the hair products he knew the man hated to use to tame it down. Cheekbone face to a toned out thinner body frame than his own and a dress suit for the office that Jake Syder never seemed to pull off as a natural look. Alexander turned away slightly amused and continued gazing at the city. He leaned his weight on the railing, not really caring just how much wind had picked up in the last hour.
"Just..." Alexander shook his head. "thinking."
Jake shoved his hands in both pockets joining the man in the gazing of New City. "What's it about this time? Old fire-head escaping or his lapdog returning? Kanenon coming back from the dead maybe?"
Alexander scuffed. "You honestly think I think about them all day long?"
Jake leaned his head towards him; "It's what you do," the sarcastic tone never failing to be even slightly hidden. "What else do you think about when looking at this city?"
He smacked his lips and shrugged his shoulders. "What the future holds for this city, what it holds for me."
"Right." Jake rolled his eyes not really in the mood for another philosophical talk and thankfully his friend seemed to notice this time. He must have had another meeting with Alli recently.
"Anyway, is everything ready for the party?"
Jake sighed annoyed. "Invitations have been sent out, party fixtures getting set up, and the list goes on and on but yes everything is ready."
"Good." Alexander stood up placing his hands in either pocket. "Just one piece of business to address before than."
"Right, whatever," Jake shook his head vigorously annoyed. "Why did you have to invite Bill Powers?!"
Powers Technology and Buchanan Inc. both dominate star companies of New City's economics and both heated rivals at nearly everything imaginable. Jake's furious feelings towards its CEO Bill Powers was shared if lesser in display. "For the same reason I invited everybody else. It's not like he wouldn't have come anyways. Any chance to sway more large investors for his rising cause even if it means putting up with us."
Jake just looked ahead, trying to keep his temper from showing. "You know it was his goons I caught yesterday stealing from Kanenon's Alpha place."
"I know." Alexander moved away from the railing, taking a seat on a nearby table chair. "I made sure all the stuff was taken to the hideout or effectively destroyed."
"I know we can't just take him in an alleyway and beat him for it but even I don't see why we're waiting."
"Well, Powers isn't going to be leaving that kind of hardware in the city for Thunderbolt to find. I look in one of his warehouses, he'd be finished before reaching the courthouse. Alpha and anything in it is highly restricted no matter what leverage he has with the government. So..." Alexander raised his hands and dropped them against the armrests. "he's fencing it for someone else to look at and hold onto for him."
"We know he's been talking with the bald guy on the east coast."
"And probably trying to find one of Luthor's more infamous places to store the goods in somewhere in this part of the country."
Jake instantly understood and nodded approvingly. "Tying two company figureheads together in the possession of illegal technology; instant jail time."
"That or we break their ties with one another for good. I'm sure the Superman guy would appreciate that." Alexander threw his hands behind his head pleased. "I may not be the streetwise expert of all time," he pointed at Jake. "but I know a thing or two about what people like him think about. You'd see it too if you weren't busy being angry at him all the time."
"F*#k you too as#*ole."
Alexander grinned and happily slapped his hands back on the armrests as he stood up. "Besides I got other things to worry about."
"Oh, man who can move at the speed of lightning, do tell." Jake turned to the man.
"Well," he fiddled around in his pocket. "I have a few things to discuss with Amy tonight after dinner."
"Yeah sure, please spare me the details of another romantic evening and what you can't do with her until...blah...blah...blah. Everyone knows your a class act."
"Thanks," Alexander smirked with effort to not take the remake as an insult. "But that's not the real topic of discussion for tonight."
"Oh, really then? What? A trip to the Bahamas?"
"No...it's uh, here!" Alexander tossed the thing to him and sat down again, fingers feverishly tapping away.
Jake stared at the thing and then at his friend before opening the dreaded box. Of course the band was there. Beautifully simple with a nice rock as its finisher.
"You think she'll like it?"
Jake raised an eyebrow at the question with an expression of common boredom.
"What? She finally said she'd dumb you if the two of you didn't get hitched now?"
Buchanan Tower, New City
The conversation took place four days ago. The Storm Rider disappeared from docking that same evening along with every means of tracking Thunderbolt's location. Since then, structural damages were reported all over town. Each one Jake investigated showed traces of electrical scarring and high concentrations of magical elements. With no communications from Thunderbolt and Amy being missing he had to assume the worst of the situation. It wasn't like Alexander to leave them in the dark about these kinds of things.
The tie was strictly annoying so Jake removed it and tossed it to the side taking in a gulp of his champagne. The jacket and the rest of the suit couldn't be removed so easily for party's sake of the spawned socially elite of New City. They being afraid of getting wet from the soon to be rainstorm chose to stay indoors, making the skyscraper's balcony the only retreat for him. The absence of Jake Syder, the co-commander of Buchanan Inc. to needless float around them went on without notice. He dropped his weight on the railings and sighed to being here amidst the fine dining to complement the conversations of the egotistically conceited. He shouldn't be here at such a capacity; the whole charitable thing for the homeless was Alexander's idea and was his party so he should be attending tonight. Not only that, but to break his 'big news' to everyone.
Among other reasons for the improper dismissal for a moment was simple. Jake pulled out the device from the pocket of his jacket and sprung it to life. "G? Status?"
"Nothing has appeared on sensors."
"Damn," he tilted his head back and poured the rest of the stuff that burned his throat down. He hated the rich drink and got just angry enough when it was gone to throw the glass out to the city and watch it fall out of sight.
Three days carried on and still no answer from Thunderbolt about his sudden departure. With the Storm Rider alerted to being on stealth mode made it impossible to track, leaving everyone blind-sighted. The person or persons responsible for his friend's behavior had to of known who Thunderbolt was and to take Amy. For whatever reason, Alexander didn't want them being involved. Streets made for a good teacher in the art of a personal vendetta kidnapping, explaining with no surprise at Thunderbolt's uncommon actions. Alexander was taking the bate and walking into a trap. He needed help from what the magic readings indicated.
If Amy was caught up in the middle of the mess of all it as feared, Jake had to find where Thunderbolt was; only by necessity was a public figure from Buchanan Inc. maintained.
"How 'bout the others? Any luck?"
"No recent signs to his location."
Jake brushed his hair and to his disgust retrieved an amount of hair product on his hand.
"Ugh!" said in frustration. His slighter long brown hair all neat and combed back from its usual wild state was another misfortune to the class he supposedly belonged to. He whipped the goop unsparingly on his pants leg.
He knew G was doing his best to find him, but something about just sitting back waiting didn't settle well. If he was out there looking his conscience wouldn't be in such an uproar. A friend in trouble and he was stuck doing his day job for identity's sake.
"G, is there any way you can track the Storm Rider? Alexander wouldn't be far from it."
"Working on other methods to locate. Standard means not possible."
He tapped the device at his chin thinking. "The slightest chance you can track him let me know."
"Understood."
Hearing footfalls behind him, Jake quickly tucked the device away and peered at the coming visitor.
"You're moodier tonight than usual," Vanessa's voice spoken delicately as it carried into his ears.
Vanessa stopped next to him and planted her hands on the railing, Jake eyeballed her for that one second of acknowledging her presence next to him. The woman was beautiful he admitted only to himself. Her long blond hair and slim figure to say nothing of what she looked like in uniform. Tonight however Vanessa chose a fine dark purple dress and some added jewelery, hardly portraying the woman crime fighter Jake was use to seeing in her. Seemed unnatural for one such as her who belonged in the movies or something to be out beating the daylights out of some crook.
Part of her charm he figured; a man could-
The line of thinking was cut off with a quick shake of the head. Vanessa probably picked up on it by the look she gave, but like his own line of thinking, there was a time and place for such things.
"There's more than one reason why I should be." Jake stared back out at the city frustrated at seeing her here. "Thought you were out looking for him."
The added scorn in his voice was noted.
"Been listening in on your talks with G. With the sound of things, you weren't going to last much longer by yourself."
"Maybe not," Jake brought his hands up and folded them under his chin. "But Powers would be the only who should worry if I didn't. Amy and Alexander take top priority right now."
"What did you tell the guests?"
"The truth; Amy is missing and Alexander went out looking for her."
Vanessa shrugged. Not the smartest cover story of all time, but not much she could do to change it. She gazed at Jake with a inward smile for it, thinking it was probably the same thing she'd tell people. A lot of him was so much like herself. Straight to the point and a take no caring crap way of going about doing things. Both grew up on the streets with no one seeing the potential of who they could become. Except of course Alexander; their friendship made for the better person they were today because of him. Most likely it was the reason for Jake to take the man and Amy's safety so personally.
She silently stared at him. A street version of Alexander with an attitude and looks to go along with Jake's unmentioned charm. Alexander was one thing, but Jake was a someone she could grasp her fingers around. Not that she has tried or anything, she reminded herself. But...
Her thoughts soon gave way to a burst of warm wind that demanded an arm to come up for some protection. She looked at Jake who hadn't moved and then at the city.
"You see that?!" Vanessa looked with amazement. "There's a concentration of lightening over there."
So. Lightning storms weren't uncommon in New City and was hardly worth attention. Without interest he looked to what area Vanessa now pointed at. The formation of clouds was darker then anything around, the lightning clashing too close together, and too focused on the single area to be natural. Slowly he raised himself up not taking his eyes away.
"Son of a-" Jake rushed for the device in his jacket just as it began to release an alerting signal. He slide it open. "G?"
"Every notice how thunderstorms like that seem to happen when Thunderbolt is really in a fight for his life?" words toneless as they fell off her tongue. "That has to be where he is."
"Using an emergency maintenance signal sent to the Storm Rider, a electronic report was returned that indicates the extreme usage of the craft's on-board laser system. I have Thunderbolt's location identified."
"Where?!" Jake demanded.
"New City Resting Grounds."
"That would consist with that lightning storm's general area," Vanessa bolted in her heeled shoes for the building.
"See if you can break through the silent codes and get a message out to Thunderbolt. We're on our way." Jake turned, shoving the device in his pocket and ran for the inside.
On his way through the doorway the unimaginable happened.
"Ah, Mr. Syder," the figure of Bill Powers blocked the doorway and halted Jake's straight run through it.
A man who exalted the look of upperclassmen. A fine black suit of old gentlemen with the usual black and tan tie. His well trimmed bearded face and the smug look it always carried. Always with the tired eyes and black hair showing its graying. How by mere principal of his look demanded a punch in the face from Jake.
"Powers," Jake said roughly. "You're in my way."
Powers made a noise of annoyance as he looked down to the drink he was swirling in hand. "Isn't odd that a man who arranges a charitable event and doesn't even bother to show up for it? Strange, wouldn't you agree?"
"Not at all. He's out looking for Amy." Jake made to pass by him not hiding the displeasure of the encounter. Powers knew how greatly he hated him; by the mere confronting, Powers was out to aggravate that hatred.
"Tch. Finally realize she could do better?"
Jake snapped. He rushed Powers and grabbed him by the treads of his suit and shoved him into the doorway. The drink in Powers' hand dropped to the floor as Jake hissed at him.
"Amy Howardson and Alexander Buchanan is ten times what you are, slim. You got no place to say anything about them."
Powers remained calm, adjusting his neck and stared easily back at the face of the aggressor. "A person is defined by the company he keeps."
Eyes burned for the damn man's calmness. Jake cocked back his fist ready to deliver what was well overdue for Bill Powers.
"This is a picture for your boss's investors to see."
"Jake," Vanessa's hand took hold of his fist. "Don't."
He could barely hear her. Not even sure if he wanted to.
"We got other things to worry about now," her calm but forcing voice stated.
Jake turned to her with a startled look and then at the people in the room who fell silent as they all stared at him. He looked back at what he was doing and at Powers.
"Your move," Powers said flatly.
Jake bit his tongue with a hiss; releasing Powers and allowed Vanessa to escort him out of the room.
"That temper of yours best to keep under control there, Jake!" Powers shouted to him. "It'll get you into trouble one of these days."
Powers pulled down on his suit and adjusted it properly to his liking. Not a goal he set out for the party but good enough to call in as a night and Bill couldn't be more pleased with himself. Jake was street scum in a suit masquerading as if he were worth something. And Alexander? Alexander was a complete fool for working with someone like that. He must have known that just as well as Powers did. So why not come to try and prevent something like this as he always had to? Was Jake telling the truth about Amy's situation? Where was Alexander J. Buchanan?
New City Resting Grounds
He felt like he got hit by a truck -sadly Alexander did know what that felt like- making for opening his eyes an unwanted necessity. When he did manage to, all that was seen was fog surrounding this little area of the graveyard and these two beasts dragging him by the arms. Why had they not killed him? Mere reaction took over as electricity was sent both their ways making the dog things howl in pain and releasing Thunderbolt.
He jumped up to his feet and grabbed for the one on his right with both hands and to the other with his legs. With one violent flight half spin in the air, Alexander snapped the creatures' necks. He flew to a stance as their bodies fell dead on the ground. He wasn't pleased at all with having to kill something that resembled a living thing as they melted into the ground. Not in his nature at all to kill, but demon creatures and such weren't things of the living.
Somewhere in the fog the moans of the undead gathered around. They remained out of sight as the place was illuminated by some unnatural lighting. Of course the blasting of the Storm Rider was never far from hearing. One good thing Alexander could take in of this place engulfed with evil. The very air in the graveyard was laced with it. Arms came halfway up with electrical charged fists at the ready. Slowly he stepped forward looking every which way and above for another attack. Among the sounds of the undead was a low level breathing sounding made more as a growl to Alexander's ears. Its growing volume kept him on the alert and served as the reason for rolling onto the ground just as a shadowy figure flew passed.
Its wings were that of smoke, somehow maintained in a solid like form as it moved through the air screaming at its identical companion. The wings flapped much like a bird's would as it and the other landed on distant tombstones. Black smoke expelled from their forms and floated only slightly away from them. The low breathing growls sent a shiver down Thunderbolt's spin. Their teeth bore out at him, eyes staring with devilry, hungry to devour. Darkness looped around to give no features part from shape of wings and a lower body. Things of evil with a stare being of hypnotic terror. A lightning stream was held ready between Alexander's two fists.
The screeched before taking off at him rattled the man's ears. They came in fast and nearly paralyzed Thunderbolt with their gaze. He fell on his back and let loose his powers on the two targets. They screamed unearthly cries to the wounds as they flew over him. A jump to his feet and a turn about for another pass, Alexander was ready for them. Adrenaline of the action and fear hid his weary as none of it matter for the moment. They turned in the skies for another go at him and he followed with both eyes. Hands held concentrated forms of electricity for the demons to chow down on.
They came again.
"Grrrah!" his arms were thrown out to the sides, running into the demons who couldn't avoid it. Good hits and in return for his actions, a wing clipped against Thunderbolt's side. He buckled under from it. Not a wound of a physical sense as no damage was done, but of something else wounded him. Something that burned as it set in.
The earlier blood wound at Thunderbolt's side was at a very tendered state being only a cut away from bleeding out again. To say nothing of his shoulder wound. His fast movements were encouraging such a event. A shaky hand moved over it. The wound needed to be protected. One demon flew in and ran right through Alexander's body like a ghost. He gasped out of breath to the attack and fell to his knees in exhausted pains. He shook like crazy as if being frozen; both eyes wanted to bug out of his skull. A second more and he forced himself up again uneasily for another attack that sent Thunderbolt to the ground once more. He heard mumbling, something that sounded to come from a human tongue. A look up to see the fog fan out to reveal a man floating in the air. Legs crossed and hands resting on the knees appearing peaceful and calm. While shadows were friends at keeping the details of his face hidden Alexander knew he was staring at the man who took Amy.
The demons were perched on nearby tombstones waiting for the call. Thunderbolt didn't bother questioning and began marching towards the man in the air.
"Ugh!" He let out from the unwarned attack by an obelisk that crashed into him like a baseball bat. Sent against the ground much like a baseball, he broke through several tombstones until the smash into a burial vault stopped Thunderbolt cold.
He groaned, rubbing the back of his head. Two headstones were lifted up in front and shot at him. The first crashed and splintered into pieces, feeding Thunderbolt pain in his chest. The second he reacted quick enough with his power to zap and destroy before the collision. He took in air fast and deeply already fearing defeat at this man's hands. Before such thoughts could seep its hold on him, Alexander made a quick return to his feet. The obelisk returned for another shot at him; Thunderbolt leaped forward onto it and ran on its stone surface. At his fingertips a stream of his powers was unleashed aimed solely at his attacker.
The air rippled in front of the floating man as the electrical stream neared. Before Thunderbolt's very eyes his attack was absorbed by some mystical portal that converted the energy and shot it right back. The energy was of a dark purple, magic in origin that he dove for cover to avoid. The threat past and Thunderbolt charged for his enemy. Thunder boomed from his speeds increasing greater and greater. He charged in at his enemy ready to ram him.
"Raaahhh!" he shouted before the collision of some unseen barrier between him and the floating man. Thunderbolt stared at him and noticed first with confusion that his foe hadn't even opened his eyes. His black long hair masked a lot of his face, but it was without a doubt that the man's eyes were closed.
No matter. Energies were summoned and lightning was drawn forth at the foe. The attack made it through and chard away at the man's flesh. He squirmed against it yet did not let out so much as a peep. His hands calmly came together and brought forth a mystic ball of green energies and released it at Thunderbolt.
Alexander flew back powerless against the force skidding against the ground and came to a stop with the connecting to a headstone. The wind was knocked out of him as he got up slowly but surely. Dazed but all right, he returned a similar attack of electrical energies. To no surprise the floating man merely floated out of the way and avoided the attack. The green energies returned to his hands for another build up. The attack came quickly, but with a mere step to the side Thunderbolt avoided the attack. The retaliation of his own powers was automatic.
Another green energies summon and Alexander readied to dodge it. The release and speed was just as quick, but he could manage. In a puff of smoke the floating man disappeared. Thunderbolt turned and followed with his eyes the attack and to his surprise saw the floating man right behind him. The energy passed and the floating man caught and violently threw the energy attack back at Alexander who was hurled away once again by the mere force. His jaw dropped too tired to let out the sounds of pain as Alexander fell on his face side to push himself up.
The air moved so gently around him and with its feeling Alexander rolled out of the way as an energy impacted the ground he laid on. He dart up with a fist and landed it dead center of the floating man's face. The attack as surprising as it was did nothing more then break the floating man's jaw and through him back ever so much.
"Where is she?!" Thunderbolt demanded of him.
The jaw bone snapped back in place; the floating man unraveled his legs and planted his feet soundlessly on the ground. His head tilted towards the ground as if were a pain to move it again. The electrical burned flesh healed instantly and the man began speaking. His words were soft and weak like that of a tired old man. Ancient words Alexander heard before but couldn't understand.
"Who are you?" Thunderbolt asked.
The man looked up. "I am he...who is nameless."
The nameless man floated into the air and with a wave of his hand the fog expanded their battlegrounds. Thunderbolt looked quickly all around him expecting an attack but stopped dead to the sight at the expanding edge ahead of him. A man size cross was revealed and when the shadows of it lifted, Alexander looked in shock to see a slender woman in a green dress tied to it. His beloved Amy Howardson.
Lightning broke out from Thunderbolt's eyes.
"You sick..." A thundering charge of incredible speeds at the nameless foe.
He didn't see it coming as Alexander's fist landed fast and hard to his face. The attack was loud with a force of power breaking the nameless one's neck. Another fist for the other side and and gut punch that curled the man over. A clawed fist with an electrical charge followed that hit the chest with a bang. The nameless foe flew back into the fog with more then one bone crushed by the impacts.
Only a second for several deep breaths.
"Amy," Alexander flew to her.
"Alex," she raised her head. Amy was tired and the effort to move seemed strenuous. He swept aside the shoulder long brown hair over her face. She didn't appear to have been physically harmed.
He kissed her madly, thanking God that she was alive.
"Alex you have to get away from here," she pleadingly said.
"That's what I intend for both of us," Alexander ripped her restrains off and tapped the controls of the device on his belt to summon the Storm Rider.
"I mean it! He has power beyond anything I've seen and all he wants is to kill you."
"Rest Amy," Thunderbolt took her in his arms. "I'll take of him."
In the fog his should be dead form stirred. A spark of life continued inside of him that wouldn't die. It was so quiet with nothing but his thoughts and what laid ahead of him when the task of killing one of the protectors of humanity was accomplished. He could have back what he sold for life. The mistake to soon be corrected. His growls and grunts slurred as the nameless one snapped his neck back into place. The rest of his unresponsive limbs followed in coming back into place. Magic erupted and restored his broken body into a working form, he sat up and snarled.
Alexander waited as the sleek silver craft landed and the hood slide open. He hesitated to place Amy inside with the alarms going off to the overheated laser cannons. The result allowed for a maintenance signal of the craft to be sent and the approaching tracers of SkyDive and Night Fighter.
"Clever G," Alexander said.
"Alex?"
"Shh...this will take you out of here as fast as possible."
"Wait," she pushed him. "You're not coming?"
Alexander sighed. "I've got to stop whatever that is back there."
"Alex, you have to come-"
The whistles in the air stole his attention. A breath of air with a quick step to the side, narrowly avoiding a number of energy spikes piercing through the Storm Rider's hull. Amy's only means of a safe and quick getaway made useless right before his eyes. The craft's fusion engine began to overload with the inside being flooded with electrical bursts. Amy still in his arms, Alexander leaped away and dropped to the ground covering her as the Storm Rider exploded. The blast was nothing for him to endure, not the worst he had been through. Few shrapnel pieces hitting his back left bruises from the weakened state he was in.
He huffed at the injuries looking back at the destroyed vehicle.
"Amy? You alright?"
Amy rubbed the side of her forehead. "Yes...yes, I think so."
Alexander tapped the device on his belt, activating his distress beacon. He took the device in hand and gave it to her. "Take this and run as far away from here as you can. Jake will pick you up."
The undead moans grew louder. Amy gasped as both looked to the fog to see the creatures approaching them. Alexander's eyes released more sizzling lightning. His arms powered up and aimed towards the ungodly things.
"Sweetie, cover your ears."
Amy looked obeyed. Alexander had never looked so determined. With a strained groan, Thunderbolt unleashed hell upon his foes. Nothing was held back with his shouts to push the lightning powers out and strike at them. One after another the undead were headless and dead once more. Though his breathing as Amy notice became strenuous, the element of lightning was under his full control, not one of the things fired upon stood a chance. One final burst of energy that ended with a gasp and a near collapse. The energy blow to his body was felt but a clearing to an entire area for passage was achieved.
"Run!"
"Alex," she nearly whispered.
Alexander saw it in her eyes the fear. His pupils turned as far as they could and with one swift strong struck with an upward rear elbow strike. The attack was caught easily by the nameless one's bare hand. Thunderbolt rose to his feet to face him and it was then that the man opened his eyes. They were completely white, devoid of anything that resembled life. No soul could be depicted from gazing into the glassy realm.
The nameless one snarled and presented his hand. From the tips of his fingers sharp darkly energy blades emerged. The sight of them was both real and unreal. In the worlds of magic the trait carried commonly with such dark forces. Purple energies crackled between each digit, adding to the level of their danger.
The nameless one hissed with a carving strike to Thunderbolt's arm and calf.
"Dah!" came the responding yell and too quickly followed with another attack to Alexander's back he arched forward from.
"Alex!" Amy shouted as she watched in horror to the man she loved being struck right before her eyes.
The foe grabbed him and tossed Thunderbolt back to their field of war. Amy thought fast; she looked around for anything to be used as a weapon. First choice was a long piece of shrapnel from the destroyed craft she picked up. The nameless one turned his back to her, his big mistake. She held the thing like a spear and stabbed it into the back of the man aiming for his heart. The attack went through his entire body, but to Amy's surprise he didn't fall. The metal rod he pulled out from his body, dropping the thing useless next to her. With an angry scowl returned at the woman came a slap for her efforts.
Amy got back up to her feet and watched Alexander and her kidnapper face off. Thunderbolt was the first to throw a punch. The impact was heard like a gunshot following another and another. The hits received forced the nameless one back. She prayed hard for his safety and would continue to ask for it until the undead became another of Amy's concerns. Those that remained gathered and moved towards her. She feared them but no so much as to pick up the metal scrap piece once more. She attacked with precision for at first undead thing that neared. Its skull crumbled to the ground and others followed. A roll over their backs and Amy continued her fighting against them one at a time. In her life of knowing Thunderbolt, the woman picked up a thing or two when it came to defending herself.
The blade claws came at his sides and he let out a short yell for them. Alexander fired a fist in return but was caught and held up, opening up another window of opportunity for another slashing attack. The attack was deadly and opened up a clear blood flow to the wound at the shoulder. Thunderbolt pulled away with battlement wounds all over him. He examined his shoulder and the rest of the injuries made so simply. Any tolerance or strength he body could endure counted for nothing against the dark magic the nameless one possessed. Fists continued to be launched and the deadly magic claws continued to strike. The aggravation as clear as day on the nameless one's face as he struggled to overpower Thunderbolt.
He who was nameless spun around Thunderbolt no longer amused by the combating. A drop of his weight to push aside the protector's next attack, leaving the chest openly exposed. With a single killing motion the nameless one came up targeting where all life in a person was kept. The theft would be painful for the protector as the claws would dig and grab hold of the very essence of life. The extraction the foe was ready for, but as the tips touched Thunderbolt's body an unforeseen event happened. The attack against the protector's life bounced right off.
What? He questioned.
Thunderbolt stood just as confused but responded quickly as the nameless one struck again and again for his heart. The results were the same, the claws were rejected and shoved off by some unseen element not under his control.
The nameless one had no explanations for it. His masters gave him enough magical powers to quell any resistance a protector of humanity could offer. Convinced that it was true and whatever happened was simply an impossible error, he went for the attack again at Thunderbolt's heart. This time however, he resisted the repelling and his hand fought hard against the unknown force to pass it.
Thunderbolt grabbed at the man's forearm crushed the bones and delivered a knockout punch sending the nameless man clear across the graveyard arena. Thunderbolt sighed and took to the air flying at great speeds to a spiraling down landing on the nameless one's chest. More bones were crushed and not a second wasted to fire several punches to the man's skull that continued on and on. Killing; Alexander's concerns was only to stop this monster indefinitely. Not allow someone with such powerful evil at their fingertips to roam free to harm Amy or anyone else ever again. The principal of no killing of other people by his hands vanished.
Both arms rose up as one with fingers tied together; with all the power in Alexander the man's skull would not survive such an attack. Evil that is what this creature is in human form. No soul by the gaze of its eyes, yet it looked human. Thunderbolt hesitated for but a moment. The nameless one gave an evil grin and shifted his sights elsewhere to his next target. Alexander knew what he was after and brought both hands down fast and hard. Too late.
The nameless one disappeared in a puff of smoke.
He turned and got to his feet as fast as he could, before any speed could achieve the ground broke underneath. Earthly looking chains reached forward taking hold of him.
"What?! No!" He struggled with a madly dash to break free, rallying against what seemed to be the very foundations of the earth. His strength impaired and the bounds of magic made for an impossible means of breaking free.
"Amy!" the cried echoed and carried to every corner of the graveyard.
Amy turned from her latest victory over the undead and saw him bound in chains all over his body. She dropped her weapon and made to run for him.
"Alex."
He who was nameless appeared behind her and grabbed Amy's arm, turning and twisting it behind her back. His other hand went for her throat and pulled her to him. His face grim as he raised his hand to Amy's eyesight allowing her to see the energy claws extract from his fingers. She stared at his hands as the energies sparked between each blade with him whispering of his intent. Thunderbolt shouted in defiance and begged for mercy for her. The nameless one turned the blades to Amy's chest ensuring that the selfless protector of humanity could see every last second of his failure.
"Noooo!"
He sank his claws into Amy. The action stole her breath away as a brilliant light emerged from the extracting point. She felt cold from the furthest ends of her body and continue all the way to her assaulted heart. Her eyes wide open fell upon the skies. Helplessly she drew her last breath as the nameless one grabbed hold of her very life and ripped it from the woman's body. The bright light from her body faded and in the nameless one's hand was a bright orb of incredible beauty shining like a radiant star. He presented it to Thunderbolt, the life force of Amy Howardson, her very soul in his possession.
Thunderbolt's bellowing reached to the very heavens as the nameless one absorbed the orb into his body. The winds haled and the storm above stirred. In a flash, a bolt of lightning came down and struck Alexander. A pain shouted of a man's very being. The bounds that held him buckled and shattered with madness to fuel his vengeful heart.
Freed he fell face first into the ground. A chance to weep but not a tear could be shed.
"Amy," he whispered.
"Alex,"the voice called to him softly and ever so sweetly.
He heard the voice in his head once more. A woman's voice he dared to hope that it was her. That she was still alive. His breathing became that of hisses as he aimed sights to the murderer. Amy's body dropped to the ground and in that second of her falling, Thunderbolt raced at her killer. His fist from below came up and hit right under the nameless one's jaw. His feet fled the ground from the attack and in that same second, Thunderbolt summoned all the powers he could and shot it forward at his enemy in a single bolt of lightning.
The nameless one flew fast into the sky and like his pleas of before, the heavens granted him aid. The skies struck down at the nameless foe, pinning him like a metal conductor for the sky lightning and that of Thunderbolt's. He shrieked and cried of that of inhuman means. His very atoms were splitting apart. His hair turned white and burned away as all of him would soon follow. Magic counted for nothing with the nameless one whose cry of pain distorted by the might of the electrical powers. His desperate reach for all of his powers to sustain his form dug down deep inside to that of Amy Howardson's trapped soul. The forbidden power granted by tapping into such a source was far more then expected. The soulless one's body remained intact because of it.
Still alive from what Thunderbolt could see and wanting nothing more to see the thing burn for what he did, but Alexander's powers were spent. He dizzied and fell to the ground. The heavens ceased as he did in the attack and finally yielded its watering content. The nameless creature was still alive, Alexander was sure of it. With everything he had to throw at him was not enough to destroy the monster.
"Amy, I'm sorry."
"Alex," the sweet voice called again. "Get up."
The nameless once crashed into the earth. Not even his sights could move; dead yet unable to pass away. The cartilage in his joints were burned to a crisp, muscles cooked, and skin charred. His arm burned still upward began to move its digits. The flesh snapped like wood as it became more mobile. He moved his neck with a groan that followed with the rest of his body in motion. A spark of magic began at the joints and renewed what was destroyed. His flesh began to renew as a wave of evil magic appeared and restored the nameless one's body.
"Alex," she whispered in his mind.
Alexander looked up hating the sight of his foe coming to his feet again. He struggled to stand on his own and meet him.
When at last he was on his feet again the voice called; "Alex, run. Leave here."
Alexander refused to listen. His heart pumped his blood with hate for this creature that stole Amy's life from him. He ran forward, towards his love's killer.
The nameless one snapped his back into place just in time to see the protector charging at him once again. It was unbelievable, a hoax of some kind. The man named Thunderbolt knew now bounds of fatigue. No limits to his power. The heroic man leaped into the air mere milliseconds away as the nameless one summoned a vast collection of dark magic to catch and ensnare him.
The bubble mass of dark magic imprisoned Thunderbolt. He fought with all his might to break free of it, but the trap began its build up. Magic lightning of the darkest kind struck from all directions. It burned and tortured Alexander being powerless to resist. The nameless one concentrated all his magic, focused it into this one trap attack against the protector. Everything he had left was put into exterminating Thunderbolt here and now. Shouts of horrid pains grew louder and louder as a result.
Alexander's wounds renewed in bleeding, his skin burned and all the energies of his body fled. From his wounds, the dark magic entered into his blood streams, poisoning it in every shape and form. Not a red blood cell was left unaffected. He cried out for God's help, for anyone's help.
"Alli!" he screamed.
The screams stopped as he had not energy left to express the pain. His heart slowed. His conscious mind wavered. Inner coldness came to his body.
Death was upon the protector, the nameless one could feel it.
In the seconds of his death, Alexander admitted he had failed. Amy was murdered before his eyes and the killer succeed no sooner in killing him as well. Painfully he admitted to now embraced his own death.
"No," the woman's voice said to him.
On his chest a warmth appeared to an accompanied growing light breaking the dark magics attacking Thunderbolt. His eyes dully opened to see, it gave off a song of a thousands harps all playing at once. It was a heavenly tone with such beautiful light that cut away at his bubbled prison. He moved with a struggle and pierced the gaping hole the light had made.
"Impossible!" the nameless one shouted.
Thunderbolt was breaking through. On the edge of death was still fighting against his magic. The nameless one intensified that only prolonged the escape. The bubble broke further and Thunderbolt pushed his head and shoulders through. His face was old, hair grayed, and skin pale, but the anger in his eyes faltered none as he turned them towards the nameless one.
He who was nameless panicked!
In desperation he summoned the dark magic to converge and in a flash of darkness, Thunderbolt disappeared. Thunder claps overhead and the rain poured down upon the land. The nameless one dropped his knees exhausted. Power beyond measure and it still was not enough to destroy his only goal. The moans of the undead caught his attention and with a wave of his hand retrieved all the magic that animated them. The corpses fell dead once more without his magic to sustain them. The fog dissipated and all the evil magic surrounding the graveyard receded. The demons of darkness and smoke faded away into the ground as the nameless one took to his feet and left the battlefield silently. There will be much to pay for the failing very soon.
The Skies of New City
Thunderbolt's distress beacon was heard by everyone. SkyDive plunged into the skies doing whatever he could to shake some time off to reach Alexander's location.
"Alright up there?" came Night Fighter's voice on the comm link.
Lightning was everywhere and the winds made more drag on SkyDive's backpack sized jet-pack. It was dying out with every second but the threat loomed over him every second he was in the air. With his arms out and the controls at hand, he pressed forward disregarding the risks. Flying was faster then driving anyway.
"I'm alright," SkyDive said. "The storms starting to clear up."
"G said he'll meet us there. I got an incoming all ears call coming from him."
"Let's hear it."
The channels in SkyDive's earpiece switched.
"Attention SkyDive and Night Fighter, the Storm Rider has ceased transmitting."
The Storm Rider craft was down. It gave worry to SkyDive's insides about his friends but Thunderbolt could handle himself. In the most desperate of times he always pulled through. Always.
"I'm coming up on the graveyard now," Night Fighter announced.
"Standby, I'm right behind you." SkyDive dipped his hands down and began his decent from the clouds to where the earth was actually visible. He continued with a sonic boom into the fields and flew alongside Night Fighter on her motorcycle.
The pack powered down and the controls on SkyDive's hands retracted. Booths dropped into the mud.
The sight of the destroyed Storm-Rider sent them onto high alert. Back to back, SkyDive and Night Fighter readied to unleash all hell. Hell which seemed to have already come to this place. The place was a battered mess with bodies everywhere.
"See anything?" she asked.
"Out of the ordinary? Yeah, bunch of dead bodies that are suppose to be in graves."
The smell was gut wrenching.
Night Fighter measured just only an inch shorter than her counterpart. Her costumed attire consisted of a tight black fit, gloves and all. A covered eye piece mask over her face and her lustful blond hair which fell back behind her. Not an attire of much fashion, but fashion was hardly a concern of hers.
He looked around, nerves as tense as any moment of someone in a graveyard in the dark. Something about the air around him didn't sit right.
SkyDive wore a black attire, a dark orange strip from the right shoulder that fell across the chest to the left hip. On the left side of his chest bore the encircled symbol of SD with a matched color of the orange. A belt that matched the orange and its few compartments. Both forearms of the attire armed with one small cannon like weaponry, both pointed out into the darkness. His mask covered all around his head other than the top where the dark brown hair hung down and the mouth area.
The seasoning of the streets prepared him for a lot of things and the shadowed past Night Fighter lived hardened her nerves, but both tensed with the sight of the disturbed graves. Magic they both knew. Time and again the affairs of magic and its dark users have crossed paths with the New City defenders. A fearful encounter each time.
"What in the name happened here?" she nearly whispered with the fear hinted in her voice.
SkyDive didn't answer. His eyes studied the grounds, expected anything beyond reason to happen. He held up his wrist and tapped an the communication device there.
"Thunderbolt," he said quickly. "This is SkyDive, come in."
Moments passed with nothing but static as a response.
Thunder roared above that gained their attention.
"Thunderbolt, this is SkyDive calling. Come in, damn it!" he shouted with a heated passion.
Night Fighter followed suit. "Thunderbolt; Night Fighter here, where the hell are you?"
No answer.
"He might be out of range."
SkyDive shook his head. Alexander's distress signal still came from this area. "If he is, I don't think he's not answering us by choice anymore."
Night Fighter grabbed him. "Don't you dare say things like that! He's alright! 'Can take care of himself. He always does."
SkyDive could agree with her, but the next thing he saw shattered that possibility.
"Oh..." SkyDive's body slumped. "Amy." Water and mud jumped in the air with each fastened footfall he took to reach what he prayed was not what he thought it was.
Night Fighter watched him charge forward and then saw her, lying on the ground. First thoughts flooded through her mind were banished as she followed suit behind SkyDive.
"Please no," she prayed.
SkyDive slid onto his knees and grabbed at the limp being. The nonexistence pulse he found crushed any hope he had to deny the impossible. He was tempted to begin CPR, but the color of Amy's face showed she was well passed gone.
"She's...?" Night Fighter didn't want the answer.
"Dead," came a harsh reply as he took in his hand Thunderbolt's control device. He lowered his head defeated.
Night Fighter's breath grew deeper, mind terrified with the thought of the impossible. Thunderbolt was here and would never leave her here like this. He couldn't be gone, who had the powers to take down someone who could be compared to as a god? He would raise all hell to keep her safe. Hell she noted again to have appeared to be raised all around them.
"No..." she weakly spoke.
If Amy laid there dead and such a battle took place, he should be nowhere else but here. Only one reason could Night Fighter fathom for Thunderbolt's absence.
"Thunderbolt," she tried again, the desperation heard without regard in her voice. He still hand his secondary communications device. "respond, you bas*a#d!"
SkyDive closed his eyes with what he knew was a vain attempt to reach their friend.
"Thunderbolt please," Night Figher's voice pleaded and muffled with her became teary eyed. "Alex please tell me you're alright."
Her cries and sniffles brought SkyDive back into reality.
"G," he spoke to the communication. "We have a casualty in need of pickup."
Night Fighter's cries could be heard through both communication devices.
"Who...is it?" the robotic voice asked.
"It's Amy," he said sternly. "She's dead."
Silence from the other end.
"Where is Thunderbolt?"
SkyDive gave another look around, lenses in his mask dropped to aid him.
Nothing.
"We can't find him. He's not answering us." He could imagine those little engines in G's body turning in a frenzy.
"I'm near to assist," came a reply.
"Track Night Fighter's position and get here as quickly as possible. I'm going ahead an expanding the search for Thunderbolt."
"Do you know where to start?"
SkyDive turned at Night Fighter. One arm across her midsection and the other over her face to shield her tearful face. She felt alone, cold. Much like he was feeling right now. He wanted nothing more then to take her in his arms and comfort both her and himself.
Comfort was something he couldn't afford right now.
"No." The jetpack hummed before its thrusters shot out its blue flamed propulsion and took SkyDive into the air.
The search would consume all of New City again if need be. His face solid and bore the turmoil of his soul. Because of his friend's foolish pride in going about things alone he was in far more trouble than realized. Just where was he?
If he was still alive Jake would find him.
For anyone who has ever created or dreamed of a hero of their own, this story is for you.
