Disclaimer: I do not own the DC characters

Claimer: I own my OC characters


Chapter Three

Legacy Left Behind


As far as the woodlands surrounding New City he fled without incident. There was no place to go as he made his way among the trees, the ends of the earth were not far enough to escape. The roots that tripped he cased out their very foundation, the branches that slowed him were several miles apart, and the silence of the of the land terrified the nameless one. They would not understand his failing for he himself could not grasp its reason. What powers were granted to him should have been enough to defeat the protector of humanity the people called Thunderbolt. By their word it was enough and it alone would be the only deciding reason to scorn him. They demanded results and rewarded failures with their own unique forms of punishment. For that reason he kept moving, perhaps they had not seen the battle, perhaps there was still time to the protector and please them.

The silence was broken with a clapping of metal. Each direction was visually search for the source, but the sound came from everywhere. The bafflement aided for the fall over yet another root appearing to have been uprooted just down for his benefit. The clapping came with a small chuckle; an unquestionable known voice the nameless one wanted to escape quickly from. The stalking laughter continued with him returning to his feet and resumed moving forward.

"Brilliant," the clapping slowed. "But did you really think to outrun me?"

The nameless one froze to the figure leading against a tree clapping away in his armored body. He smiled with those cold eyes of his.

"Lord Ares," he bowed.

A snap of his fingers and restraints emerged from the ground and took hold of the nameless one. No power existed in him to break the added comfort. They pulled him down hard to the ground continuing to pull until the very body was being strained.

Ares ceased clapping and pushed off the tree. Approaching the nameless one like a captured animal. "You things are such great things of entertainment. Did you really think to outrun a god? The god of war no less?"

"Lord Ares, please," the nameless one pleaded. "Let me explain."

"My task was simple was it not? Kill the guardian, the protector of humanity with the time given in any way you choose. Was it not simple enough?"

"He," the nameless spat out painfully with the restraints crushing him. "had more power then realized, lord. I was not equipped to handle him."

Ares stopped to the very words that made him glad with madness. With his fist, he ripped the nameless one out of the restraints and held him in the air. "You dare to say to me that the powers granted unto you were not enough? Fool!"

The nameless one was thrown with such ease yet with such force to break through several trees before landing on the ground. Before any chance of recovery, he was lifted up and floated back before the god of war. Ares snapped and took hold of his throat, enjoying the sounds of his struggles for what the nameless one could only compare to as life.

"You were given powers beyond measure of any mortal. You are saying that wasn't enough to kill one simple little man?"

The nameless one gasped. "He was defeated. But something aided him to overcome my magic. I can't explain it, lord Ares."

"So you send him to the pharmakeia to study him? Bold move."

"I thought that if I couldn't kill him, I would send him somewhere he couldn't be a threat to you."

"To cover your failing?" Ares released him allow his free floating form to remain in front of him.

"If my lord, the witch can find what aided him it can be made for serving your great might."

"Mmm...interesting," Ares pushed the nameless one's floating form back a little. "Such a notable thing under my careful guiding hands would be...useful."

"I only did what I must for your sole benefit Lord Ares." The nameless shared with hope he could be spared. Ares seemed to relax in his contemplation.

"Still," Ares raised his hand at the nameless one. "As interesting as that sounds you still failed me."

"Lord Ares I-" the nameless one was cut off by being flown through the air to the far right, crashing into everything possible. Once done, he was flown to the left and the process repeated.

"You creatures are resourceful when it comes to saving your own skins, aren't you?" Ares guided the nameless one's flight into everything carefully with his hand. "I must say it brings out your race's better qualities when forced to fight for life. Perfect for the battlefield."

"Ahhh!" the nameless shouted going up and down from side to side. "Lord Ares, please! Mercy!"

"Mercy?" the god laughed. "What do you think I am?"

The cries of the nameless one brought forth a fire behind the god of war. It exploded, catching Ares' attention.

"Ares!" the dark voice shouted.

"Ah, dear uncle. To what do I owe-"

"Enough games with my creation!"

Aries grinned. "As you wish."

The nameless one dropped to the ground battered by his master's power over him. Barely was it in his power to push himself off the ground.

"Slave! I wait for no one. Here now," Hades declared.

"You heard him slave!" Ares pulled him before the flames. "Bow before your creator."

"Lord Hades," he bowed.

"Do you have what I want?" the dark lord questioned.

"Yes, my lord, yes." The nameless one came to his knees and brought his hands out.

Dark energies formed and connected between the two and from his chest a bright light emerged that is the soul of Amy Howardson. His hands shook to maintain its sustained capture in the world. The fire spat out and seized the orb, drawing it closer and absorbing into the flames and in his keeping.

"A prime find this one is," Hades noted.

"Only the finest fines for you, Lord Hades," the nameless bowed.

"To only be marked with failure dear uncle," Ares crossed his arms.

"What?"

"That's right. Your creation wishes to smooth talk you to mask his faults for not finishing what we truly created him for."

"One of the named protectors of the mortals? He still lives?!"

"My lord please-"

"Silence from you!" the flame burst.

The nameless one quivered. Any chance of regain his soul was slipping further away from him.

"That's right. The one they call Thunderbolt. Instead of killing him, this one sent him off to the ancient witch for study."

"Lords, if you would let me explain."

"Explain what?! Failure to me? And you wanted your reward for it afterward I suppose, yes?" The flame of Hades grew and turned the bluest color. "What fool do you take me for?"

The flames reached out and overtook the nameless one. Nothing burned at first, but when his mouth dared to open, the torturing began. He screamed as the flames consumed and yet did not destroy the man's body.

Ares turned away disinterested. "You know there was something about this protector. I watched the whole thing and I must say he was a lot more powerful then either one of us prepared for."

"Really?"

Ares turned his sights to the heavens. "I think the protector had a little help."

The flames were silent.

"Are we sure we want to provoke this thing into action?" Ares questioned.

"It matters little now. We have set in motion things that cannot be stopped. Now one is in our hold and I'll be watching the ancient witch's progress closely on him. The others are confined by other means."

"If you say so," Ares shrugged. "My father wouldn't approve of any of this."

"You still need daddy's permission to do things of your own, nephew?"

Ares eyed the fire than the screaming thing behind him. "And what of him? He knows of the power his capturing of others wields now. Still need him around?"

The nameless one screamed and begged for mercy of any kind. His eyes shut hard as he spun in the air to somehow escape the flames.

"Entertainment maybe," Hades said increasing the flames surrounding the nameless one. "He will be stripped of most his powers and made to wonder the earth in search until called upon again."

The nameless one called out for them and the fires receded. His body gave off smoke and burned like it shouldn't burn without injury. He brought up his shaky hand feeling the weakness in his bones. His gasped for the powers he once wielded were gone.

"I am finished here, Ares. And since this was a joint endeavor, the rest of his conviction I leave in your hands." The flames disappeared.

Ares brought his fingers together and popped them all before retrieving his sword. "With pleasure."

The nameless one shuttered. "Lord Ares, please!"

Ares cut away at the man's flesh, stripping what made him look as if a living being. The screams were heard for miles of the nameless one who simply was refused death. When it was over, but a handful of flesh remained on the nameless one's skeleton. Ares stepped back to admire the work.

"Not bad, but still has too much of something."

"What more," came the hazy voice. "can you possibly strip from me further?"

"Hmm..." Ares thought. He smiled and aimed the tip of his sword at him. "These."

The blade came and one after another, the nameless one's eyes were removed.

"Ahhh! My eyes!"

"Not much of eyes really and what good are they to someone like you?" Ares toyed with the removed organs in his fingertips. "They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but oh, that's right. You don't have one now do you?"

A shotgun fired off.

"Hey there boy!" came the older man's voice. "Just what the 'hell you think you're to that man there?"

"Mortal, if you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of this."

Another warning shot was fired. Not enough of interest to turn to pay the man mind.

"Maybe you deaf or something," the man cocked the rifle. "I said get away from him."

"Noble fool," Ares calmly said as he released his sword at the man.

The older and rather large man didn't see it coming until it was too late. He was impaled by the god of war's sword straight through the chest. He fell on his back dying within moments.

The nameless one looked without eyes at his hand, a bony thing that had no business being about to move about at all.

"Well," Ares removed the sword. "About the most fun I had for a while, but I think destroying a country I've had my eyes on for some time will make up for the disappointment made here. Feel free to drop a line from time to time soulless one."

Ares vanished.

The soulless one crawled with his bone tipped fingers to the fatter man's motionless body. He examined and snapped his jaw with the possibility. At his command the dark claws extended. Even without a nose he could smell the life force had not fled yet. Perhaps it was in shock to have its body died so suddenly. No matter the cause, the soulless one dipped his claws into the deadman's chest.

The light bloomed from the action.

"No, no, no, nooo!" the soul of the man shrieked. "Please, God! No!"

"Souls."

Amy Howardson, her capture and energy he drew kept him alive during Thunderbolt's final attack on him. He heard the man's final scream for mercy, for his release, but fell on deaf ears as the collector absorbed him into his body. An amount of flesh returned to him as did a degree of power. He rose to his feet looking at the creature he was. A soulless man made a plaything of the gods to torture as they saw fit. To leave him in this form without aid of his original powers. Not something unexpected but the fact that they did this to him drove the collector mad. He shouted in rage followed by wicked laughter.

He was on his own now.

Alone and without a soul to call his own. And the gods have made an ageless enemy out of him.

Amy Howardson's Hometown

"...though we now grasp at our dear friend's absence, we cannot grasp at the paradise she now belongs to," the preacher continued.

So few gathered to Amy's funeral as Jake made sure there would no media circus to lay the woman's body to rest. Allegations as to Alexander's possible connection to her death stormed the office's phones with questions. For that, only the dear friends were allowed to know about where the event was taking place; the world probably thought it was being held in New City. It didn't seem right to bury her next to no one she knew in life and with Alexander's body still not recovered yet, there was hope he was still alive. So out respect and dignity for her and loved ones, Amy would be laid to rest in the small quiet town she grew up in.

"And God was with Jesus, every step of the way. As He is with us all every step of the way. From birth till death and beyond..." the preachers words continued.

Jake remained motionless as he stared down at Amy's casket. It wasn't right he figured; on the verge of making her life with Alexander to have that all stripped away in an instant. No one knows who or why they did it like this. Why they chose to get her involved and take her life just to get at Thunderbolt. It was the reason for Jake's anger to fester under his skin. Her killer still had yet to have a face on him.

Why? What she do to anyone?

Amy was a good person and so is Alexander. They deserved happiness and someone took that away. Alexander missing and might as well be dead for what he would return to. He loved her dearly and did everything in his power to keep Amy safe. At long last that safety net for her expended to propose marriage and couldn't have come at a worsened time. If Alexander returned...when he returned, he'd never forgive himself for opening her up to this.

How fortunate Jake thought to himself. To not have such a concern of his own to rip at his heart like that.

Slowly a hand reached and took hold of his. It was warm to the touch, the rain hadn't stopped all day and Jake was soaked in it.

"Jake?" Vanessa covered him under with her.

Jake said nothing.

"...and it is written that those who believe in me shall not perish, but have everlasting life," the preacher began his conclusion. "May the woman Amy Howardson be at rest in the arms of the Lord and everyone who knew her to be at peace."

"Amen," the congregation said.

"We'll get whoever did this," Vanessa whisper but hid none of her angered feelings regarding it.

Jake wearily blinked his eyes as the casket faded into the ground.

"Jake?" Vanessa shook him.

"They were going to get married, Vanessa." Jake finally spoke up. "After all their waiting Alexander proposed to her the same night she vanished. They were going to get hitched and this all had to happen. Why?"

"I wish I could...tell you." Vanessa looked away from him, her emotions running on as thin of ice as Jake's were.

"Alli should have known about the coming danger. She always does." His words practically shouted in the silence of the place. "She should have told him something."

"Maybe she didn't know." Vanessa rubbed his shoulder.

"Tch." Jake shook the woman off. "If she were as much of an actually guardian angel as she acts to be for Alexander then maybe she could at least have done her job for him just this once."

His face tightened and his eyes hardened. "If she cared as much, why not come at least to Amy's funeral?"

Vanessa said nothing. As much as she wanted to defend the kind lady, she couldn't help but feel herself in agreement with Jake. He was angry and so was she, but that didn't make halt for the lack of actual reasoning. Alli was suppose to be watching and warning Alex when things like this could happen. Tears were on the verge of escaping her again.

Jake walked out into the rain. "Are we ready for the staging of Thunderbolt's death?"

Vanessa sniffed a little then shook her head. "Yes, we're ready."

"Good." Jake began to walk. "We should get back. Everyone here will swear that Alexander was seen here for Amy's funeral. Nothing more to do in this hick town."

Vanessa followed him.

"G ready with the tape?"

"Tonight he said it would."

"Good. Let's get back to New City."

From under the cover of an afar away tree she stood weeping. Her tears like the many tears shed on this sad day fell to the ground with no end in sight. She clung to the tree for her only support as all strength left her knees. Nothing in words of wisdom could comfort her torn heart. She cared far greater then Jake gave credit to her for. It was never easy when something like this happened to such men and women who deserved more in life than what it gave.

She met him at his hidden base in the mountains just days ago to warn him.

"This visit has been strange. You're a lot more cryptic than usual, Alli." Alexander plopped down on the sofa in thought. "You going to tell me what's up?"

Alli stepped into the light. Her dark form seemed sickly paler and her white gown tainted somehow in gray. Her cheerful eyes tired and sore as if tears were shed from them nonstop. Seeing her as such, Alexander raced to her.

"Alli," he took hold of her.

"I come with news I can't seem to bare to you."

"What's wrong?" Alexander's eyes moving about in question.

"Your enemies are gathering against you now and their attention on you now will come with a high price."

"Who Alli? Most of my enemies are dead, locked up or...." Alexander thought about it. Locked up didn't seem right as being chained into the very depths of the earth.

"Enemies you never saw coming, Alex."

Alexander looked away trying to think. "Who?"

Alli closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't know."

Alexander sighed and began pacing about, combing the edges of his face with his fingers as he thought.

"I know how bad a time this is for you to hear right now. I don't enjoy delivering such warnings."

Alli knew as well as he did now that her information however insightful it may be was usually scarce in detail. He didn't bother questioning for more answers anymore knowing what little she was often told to her to tell. No one was to know his or her own future to such extents.

"Can you at least tell me when?" Alexander asked looking back at her.

"Soon."

Her tears would not cease in falling this day. That much was certain of nor the pain endured knowing of something like would happen. The details were not hers, but such things were not to be known for the timing.

She looked up past the tree branches and leaves. "It is done then, Father."

New City

"We need this area cleared immediately!" Donald shouted through the speaker box.

The streets gathered with curious bystanders wanting to see what the deal was. Cops all over sealed them as far as they could before the crowds were just too much to push back. Just another target in Donald Smith's book, an excuse for the gunmen to use if things went badly. An unconfirmed amount of gunmen seized control of a Buchanan Inc. building as their stronghold. Thankfully no one was in the building when it was secured. For the past hour few hours they made their demand clear and simple; they wanted to fight Thunderbolt.

People recognized Donald out of any crowd with his trimmed short black curled hair and maintained mustache. Suit and tie to finish off the fitting of what people gathered to be Thunderbolt's lead man to talk to in the police force.

"Mr. Smith, Mr. Smith! Over here!" a reporter tried pushing towards him with a microphone.

"What did I say?!" Donald shouted. "I said get this area cleared now!"

"Yes sir; trying sir!" a patrolmen holding the temp-gate said.

"Do you have any idea what the gunmen want? Mr. Smith?"

"We want Thunderbolt here now!" came the booming voice on speakers.

From a window several laser shots were fired, scaring the people into a panic. No one was hit but the laser fire made most go into a frenzy.

"Get these people back!" Donald took cover and aimed his pistol at the building. Sweat beading on his brow.

"Sargent, you see any of them?" a patrolmen asked.

Donald gave another quick brush look at all the windows. "No. Haven't seen any of them not once. Where's the gunfire coming from?"

As quickly as the crowd emerged with screams they gasped in awe and onlooker's delight at the sky. Donald glimpsed up to the sounds of SkyDive's jetpack landing next to him. He pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose while holstering his firearm in amazement.

"You hero types sure do pick a hell of a time to show up." Donald approached him.

"Anyone hurt?" SkyDive asked.

"No, thankfully. They seem more bent on getting public attention and Thunderbolt's. Where is he anyway?"

SkyDive looked up at the top of the building and pointed to the skies. "He wanted to waste no time in answering their demands of him."

Both watched as the figure flying in the air touched down on the rooftop and disappeared inside the building.

"He's going in at it alone?"

"They wanted him only, Mr. Smith," SkyDive returned his sights to him. "No needless risks of getting anybody hurt he said."

"That's why we bring back-" Donald reacted to the sudden gunfire in the building. He drew his weapon again, ready for an all out fight.

Lasers fired from room to room with the red lighting it gave off. It was fierce firing and sounds much that of hurricane passing through the place. Occasionally Thunderbolt's powers lite the room and vanished along with another supposed gunman's shooting.

"Is there anybody else in the building? A Swat team maybe?"

"No," Donald said quickly. "And Mr. Buchanan gave the whole crew the day off today. Lucky break I guess."

"Yeah, lucky them."

"Whoever is in charge of this certainly knew every inch of this building's infrastructure. None of my men can get through."

"Good. No chance your guys getting harmed then." SkyDive tapped several controls on his forearm panel.

"What is it with you mask types and risk taking? You got a death wish or something?!"

"Not all of us," SkyDive stared at the building.

"Where's the rest of your team at?"

The top floors exploded into a massive fire bomb. Mass panic entered to even the police force as Donald desperately tried to maintain order among his men. SkyDive took to the sky just as the next floor exploded, followed by the next and the next one until the whole building was a pile of rubble.

"Fire trucks! Get them here now!" Donald barked. "Rescue teams!"

"Sarge, no one could have survived that."

"Contact the owner Alexander Buchanan and inform him about what happened." He turned to the floating man."SkyDive?"

SkyDive's face was in utter shock. He moved closer to the building not daring a blink at the sight of it. Donald pushed and shoved to keep up with him.

"Thunderbolt," SkyDive said in defeat.

"SkyDive," Donald rushed to his downward side. "He's alright. The guy's been through worse. Let's get these fires out and help dig him up."

SkyDive looked down at him at the statement. He gave a smirk. "Yeah, he's been through worse."

Both looked on as the fires consumed what was once a proud building of Buchanan Inc. Little could either of them see from the backside of the building, in the alleyways she waited with a saddened look on her motorcycle. The building was of little importance to her, but what its destruction meant was far more damaging to any of them who knew about the plot. Out of the rubble their robotic friend G climbed out and quickly flew away in the darkness. No one was suppose to see him or her at the scene. Night Fighter nodded and with a flip of her helmet visor, stole away into the late night for destinations unknown to her or anyone else on the team.