Chapter 3 "The Hunt"
Everything that mattered to me was slowly starting to drift off. Even in the span of a few seconds that we were on the roof I could tell that Jenny was getting stronger. Not only was she getting stronger she seemed confident. She believed in me, and she still believed that I could protect myself, but she didn't ask for my protection. Jenny said that she wouldn't hurt me, she wouldn't hurt anyone, and while I believed her I felt a sort of hurt stir inside of me. For as long as I had realized my powers it had been me protecting her. Either I had kept the secret away from her, or I had transported us from a rising gang fight to the other side of the world in a matter of seconds. I looked at her again and I could see a hunger rising inside of her. I wasn't exactly a walking how to and what's what book of information when it came to werewolves, but the real, the seriously real legends I knew from Dr. Strange was that werewolves had advanced body chemistry. Their metabolism was far above a normal humans, and their sexual appetite was far above that of a human.
"The true threat of werewolves isn't the fact that they can sire a human, but in the fact that a little under a year a female can have up to eight full blood birth werewolves and those are much stronger than their parents. With them only pure silver, dragon's fire, or the strongest barrier spell I have can stop them. Even in human form they are stronger than their parents and once they have chosen a mate, smelled blood, or see something that catches their eye they will not stop until they have gotten what they want." Dr. Strange had told me when I asked about werewolves thanks to watching 'Cursed' by Wes Craven.
I look back at Ash who has a smirk on his face. The 'chosen one' was who he claimed to be and from his actions I could tell that he had messed with the undead before. Kind of funny really. I went from dealing with werewolves to dealing with some messed up versions of zombies in under an hour. Ash started to walk toward Jenny, but he stopped when she growled at him. Yeah, Jenny growled. To be honest the sound was kind of sexy, but then again I always believed that my wife was nothing but perfection.
"Damn girl I was just going to say that this is a lot to drop on the kid." Ash says as he points a finger at me.
"Don't go and start implying that I can't handle things asshole." I reply as I stand up and move toward Jenny.
I can see that she is still standing next to Wonder Woman and I believe that comes from the fact that Diana has some kind of control over animals, and Jenny must slowly be turning more and more as the night progressed. By tomorrow night she would change, and only someone she cared for would be safe. At least I hoped that little part of the legend I picked up from some of Strange's books was right.
"Axel..." She says as she softly reaches for me. I stretch out my hand and she pulls me to her with strength that I didn't realize she had.
"Please don't hate me for this. I didn't ask for it, and I don't want you to think that I don't need you." She says softly as she holds me against her.
"I know you do, and I need you too Jenny. I always do." I say as I look into her eyes and see the rising power there.
"We need to help those down in the streets. There is too much going on, and we don't have much time." Diana states as she looks at us.
"Got it." I say as I stand ready to transport everyone street level.
"I would say that I would hitch a ride with sweet cheeks, but I think that she would drop me about half way down." Ash says jokingly as he arches his thumb toward Diana.
I don't want to tell him, but he might not be too far off. Diana walks over toward me and I focus myself on the carnage below. Slowly the air around us begins to morph and charge with electricity and then we disappear from the rooftop. Everyone looks as the landscape changes and we are no longer on the roof of the building, but we are ground level. Standing before us is a group of undead heroes. I know some of them even though their uniforms are a little strange.
I watch as Donna walks toward us again. Her eyes on Ash as if she is calculating the best way to get to him and rip his heart out. A little further out I see more of the heroes making their way toward us. I see Beast boy or Changeling as he use to go by. To be honest he looks a little odd as one of the walking dead, but hearing our resident zombie slayer laugh his ass off at a green zombie takes the edge off.
"I'm going to rip your heart out and slowly eat it mortal." Donna says toward Ash who revs his chainsaw.
"Let's go!" He shouts as he swipes it toward her and pulls his double barrel.
I take a moment to notice something. Their rings. Their rings seem to be what holds them here, or what gives them their power and anger. I focus my power and reach out toward Beast Boy. He stops and screams as the ring starts to disappear. I watch him as the ring starts to disappear and then suddenly his face changes. He looks at me for a moment and his features get peaceful.
"Thank you." He says before he falls.
I can see the hole in his back now. Something had attacked him and killed him before. The ring is held by my power, but it takes everything that I have to keep it from attaching to me or anyone else. It fights against my hold, and it tries with all of its might to find my finger.
"Damn it this thing is strong!" I say as my hand and arm begins to get tired.
Diana aims her hand toward the black ring and I watch as it explodes into million pieces. She smiles at me and I know the next question she is going to ask. I turn toward Donna who looks at me with hate. I feel the power gathering, but as it gathers I watch her rush toward me. I try to focus on her ring, but as I focus on her ring I can already tell that she is going to reach me first. I watch as Jenny jumps forward and grabs Donna by the hair. She uses her new strength and slams the young Amazon to the ground.
My power finds the ring and once again I use it to pull the ring from another hero. Donna becomes herself again, but I feel my power being pressed to the limits. The ring pushes and presses against my power and I feel it nearing my finger. I watch as it almost reaches my hand before Diana is able to destroy it as well.
"Wha… What happened?" Donna asks as she stands. Her features slowly returning to normal.
"If I was to guess. I would say that hell has happened here as well." I answer as sweat pours down me.
I look to see several green lanterns looking at me.
"We saw what you could do. We need you to come with us." They say to me.
I feel as though I am about to pass out from the energy I already spent. The days of running, the horror of seeing everything and everyone I know falling victim to an unknown virus or curse, the living with the dread of not knowing, and then to suddenly be told that I am needed and to come with them was pushing the limits in a new way. Sometimes being a hero sucks.
I walk toward where they point and I can feel the very presence of the one they speak of. Thor was able to be overthrown by the werewolf curse, so why couldn't another god like being fall victim to this undead plague they faced. I could feel the very power surging from someone that felt like Superman and I walked toward it knowing what was going to happen.
Krypotians are weak against kryptonite, but I don't have any here. I guess that I could focus on some fairly far off, but damn it I'm so tired. All of this... This constant use of my powers has sucked so much from my reserves. God help me. Please let me get through this. My thoughts came through and I could feel as though nothing was answering me back.
"There is someone with power there. Someone who can summon worlds, cancel them, and even change them to their wants and desires. I know what you have done to the others." his voice stats simply from the dark.
"I can't let you hurt innocent people." I say trying my hardest to sound like Cap before he became a flea bag werewolf and turned on the innocent people.
"I don't see how you can stop me. Everyone in this world is weak." He says as two twin crimson beams flash out toward me.
I jump but one catches my leg burning into the flesh.
"Mmmmm Smells like Lois' cooking." He jokingly says.
I stretch out my hand and focus on his ring. I can feel it and the power that courses through it is stronger than Donna's. I begin pulling energy from deep inside of me and feel my vision start to blurr as he screams in rage. I see him coming from the shadows and suddenly I'm not afraid. If I die, then I die a hero, but by god the least I can do is send his ass straight to hell. Constantine had explained hell to me once, and I saw it thanks to him and the Ghost Rider. If this bad ass thinks I'm going to roll over he has another thing coming.
"Bring it you fucking Boyscout!" I scream as I run toward him and grab a hold of his arm.
"You must be crazy." He says as his arm reaches back.
"Just wait and see." I say as the air around us begins to morph and flex. Electricity sparks all around us and within seconds the both of us stand before an iron gate.
I see the confusion on his face. He doesn't know about the gate but I do. He starts to step back, but the gate opens and fire flows from it. I watch as he attempts to leave, but the very demons of hell reach out for him. With them is every criminal, every war lord, and ever alien that has ever took a life. Most of them don't like Sups.
"You are dead and your judgement starts now." The dark voice says from the pit.
"NO!" He screams as he is pulled in.
"Axel Asher your time will come boy. I will own you." The voice says as the gates close.
The air morphs and flexes again. I appear where I was and smile. Suddenly the world grows dark.