Aqua & Ion by Mark O. Burson

An hour north of River City, miles from the nearest civilization, lay the expansive Greenbridge Nuclear facility. The monstrous power plant supplied electricity to the entire region, including River City and the surrounding communities. Eric Daniels six foot, four inch frame was easily spotable from below as he walked along the narrow catwalk. The easy going attitude and broad smile as he spoke to the laborers always brought a smile to their faces or an extended hand in friendship. His job as the head of Quality Control was usually appointed to one of the company suck ups, but Eric had proven himself for fourteen years to be a man of integrity and loyalty to the company. Since his promotion to his current position, Quality Control had risen seven percent and the workers were striving harder to make sure that one of their own got the praise he deserved. In the Research department, surrounded by files and secret developmental tapes and information, Jeanne Barbas typed intel into her main server. Her light blonde hair and Aesarian features were offset by the dark, thick glasses she wore high on the bridge of her nose. Edward Jacobs, Jeanne’s immediate supervisor and mentor in the field of Ionic Regeneration opened the door quickly and stepped inside, hurriedly shutting the door behind him. “Jeanne,” he started. “We’ve got a situation. This whole project is supposed to be hush, hush. But the big brass is starting to ask questions. I know the D.N.R.D. ( Developmental Nuclear Research Division,) is monitoring everything we do and touch, but if they find the intel on IX7 we’re shut down! We’ll lose everything we’ve worked for the last six years on.:“First of all, you need to calm down and pretend you have a backbone.” Jeanne said without ever raising her face from the monitor she was watching as she typed. Pushing her chair back from the desk and looking up into her colleague’s eyes, she continued. “Second of all, we have done nothing wrong. At this point, the D.N.R.D.’s involvement was inevitable. I just completed the sequence of calculations I’ve been working on since the rest of our colleagues were chugging beer at the frat house.” Taken aback by his co workers comments, the slightly balding middle aged man straightened his white lab coat and started to speak, when the facilities alarm klaxon sounded. Within seconds the entire plant was a mass of rushing bodies. People were running to get out of the building, since that particular alarm only sounded when there is an imminent disaster. Edward Jacobs flashed his young, headstrong co worker a look of “I told you so”.“Now look what we’ve done! Jeanne, we have to help get the workers out of the complex, and we have to get out of here ourselves! This place is going to be a smoking crater in a matter of minutes.” With a wide eyed look on her face, Jeanne immediately reached for the flash drives lying beside her computer terminal and jammed one into the port on the front of the computer tower. “Go on Edward, I’m right behind you! I have to download this intel. We can’t lose years of work to an explosion.” The older man stared at her for a moment, “What can I do to help? We have to get out of here now Jeanne!” “I’ve got this under control, go on ,get out of here, I’m right behind you old friend.” She said while removing the first flash drive and stuffing another into the port to continue the download process. As the old man turned to run from the room the first explosion sounded. It wasn’t a large explosion, just big enough to shake the building and cause dust to fall from the rafters. Apparently, one of the cooling units had just gone up. “GO!” Jeanne shouted. Edward Jacobs ran from the room and down the stairs toward the crowd rushing for the exit, as the lovely young woman continued to work frantically.On the catwalk overhead of the main facility, Eric Daniels was knocked to his knees by the force of the nearby explosion. Below and to the left, close to the IX7 storage tanks, he could see someone was trapped below a mass of fallen debris. Climbing quickly to his feet, he ran to the nearest catwalk brace. Climbed over the side of the railing and slid agilely down the support pole to land amid the debris on the factory floor. The smoke lay thick, and seared his lungs as he ran in the direction he had seen the trapped worker. Pushing his way through the wreckage and avoiding the burning masses of twisted metal, he called out to the worker. The alarm klaxon, still ringing loudly, drowned out his voice as he finally made his way to the fallen mans side. “I can’t get this damned thing off me Eric! It’s got both legs pinned!” the man sputtered at him and was immediately gripped by a paroxysm of coughing and gagging. As the gentle, young giant reached down to grasp the hot metal pinning the man, he said, “Don’t worry Abe, I’m not going to leave you here. We’re leaving this place together!” Eric gripped the metal and lifted with all of his strength. The metal came up a few inches and Abe Jenson managed to pull himself out from under the wreckage. Both of his legs were gashed just above the knees but he was trying to get to his feet as Eric dropped the heavy metal to clang on the floor. He helped Abe to his feet and they started for the exit when he saw the pressure valve on the experimental IX7 tanks. “Abe can you make it to the exit? I’ve got to try to reduce this pressure or no one else is going to get out of here!” He screamed over the ringing alarm. “No Boy! We’ve got to get out of here now. You come with me and let this place burn in hell.” The older man replied loudly.“I can’t Abe! Now keep moving toward the doors, I’ve got to get this pressure down!” He nudged the old man forward as he turned toward the tank. Abe Jenson stared at him as a second explosion from the other side of the plant rocked the foundations of the facility once more. Grabbing a nearby brace for support the old man screamed, “You’re a fool boy! Come on, we’ve got to go now!”“Damn it Abe, get out of here I said!” Eric screamed, pointing toward the exit. Abe Jenson looked into the younger mans eyes pleadingly, and saw that his resolve was firm. “You saved my life Son! I won’t ever forget that!” He turned to hobble as quickly as he could for the smoke filled exit doors.Up the stairs in the Research Department, Jeanne Barbas grabbed the last Flash Drive from her computer tower just as the second echoing explosion knocked her off of her feet. Rising groggily and wiping her forehead with the back of her lab coat sleeve, she realized she had a gash along her hairline and blood was flowing down the side of her head. She remembered hitting the desk on her way down, but hadn’t realized she had sustained an injury. She checked the pockets of her now dirty coat to make sure she still had the vital experimental information held on the flash drives safely tucked away and moved toward the doorway.As she started down the stairway toward the first floor and freedom from his smoky hell she had practically called home for the past several years, she glanced almost unconsciously toward the IX7 tanks. She saw Eric fiddling with the controls on the side of the tanks and ran down the stairs toward her project. The alarm klaxon suddenly stopped sounding and a feminine computerized voice resounded through the entire facility. “Containment has been stabilized and fire suppressants have been engaged to facilitate the restoration of minimal safety levels! Please move slowly and cautiously to the pre approved, designated areas outside the main facility, where members of management will take a head count, and members of the medical staff await any injured workers! There has been No Nuclear leakage! I repeat, there has been No Nuclear Leakage!” The message began to play again as Jeanne Barbas ran toward her life’s work. Eric was pushing buttons and turning dials in an effort to lower the pressure in the IX7 tanks as Jeanne ran up beside him. “Eric, what’s happened?” she asked frantically.Looking into his bleeding lovers eyes he shouted back, “We’re going to lose it if I can’t get this pressure down! You’re hurt! Get out of here and I’ll take care of this!” He hastily grabbed a valve and began turning it counter clockwise. The gauge directly in front of them, showed red line. It was going to breach. No matter what they did, it was going to breach now. Jeanne grabbed his forearm and shouted, “Let’s go! I’d rather start from scratch than lose you! Just then, the tank started to expand and they both knew that there was no time to get to safety. The giant young man grabbed his lovely fiancé in his arms and started running for the exit as the IX7 tank ruptured. Both he and Jeanne were bathed in the misty vapors rushing to escape from the large tank. He was knocked once more off of his feet and they lay on the floor of the facility. Every pore of their bodies soaking in the experimental mist. A week later, Eric Daniels woke in a hospital room. Dazed and confused, he tried to put together the last events he could recall. “Jeanne! He screamed. “Easy Handsome, I’m here.” Jeanne Barbas said from the bed to his right. Sitting up, he threw both legs over the side of the bed and quickly crossed to where she lay. Kissing her forehead, he asked, “Are you all right? How long have we been here? Is everyone safe?” “Yes, I’m fine. I just woke up this morning. It seems we’ve been out for almost a week. I don’t know about the plant except that it didn’t blow.” She replied calmly. “How do you feel?“I feel great. In fact, I’ve never felt this great in my life.” His left hand was resting on the bed rail as he bent over to stare into her eyes. He began to stand up straight and the bed rail he held firm in his left hand, screeched loose from the frame and he stood holding it in his hand. He stared at the twisted metal in disbelief and turned to look at her. “What the hell?” “ Me too.” she said, “Watch this.” She stared at the large glass of ice water sitting on her bedside tray. Immediately it turned to solid ice. She looked at him and said “Look there.” she pointed toward the toilet in the adjacent room. The water immediately turned to vapor and faded out in the evenly ventilated room. “It seems since our experience with the Ionic Expellant Gas, I can manipulate any form of moisture. I reached for my glass of water this morning and it had no ice. I just thought about how I wished it was cold, and it just happened. I’ve been practicing for hours while you were still out. Eric, we have to keep this a secret. If anyone finds out, they are never going to let us leave this hospital. They will be poking and prodding us for the rest of our lives.” “Well we’re awake and we’re fine, let’s get out of here now.” He said, as he walked over to the closet to find his clothing. Grasping the door handle in his right hand, it crushed beneath his touch. “I can’t even open a door, maybe we should stay here after all and make sure what the extent of the damage is that the gas did to us.” “No, you were right the first time, we need to get out of here. You can get a grip on it with some concentration. Just pretend your handling a basket full of eggs.” Jeanne smiled at him as she pulled her blouse over head and straightened it. The door opened and a well groomed, neatly dressed doctor entered the room. Pushing his glasses back on his nose he said, “What’s this? Mr. Daniels! I see your awake at last, but you shouldn’t be out of bed.” Seeing that they were in the process of getting dressed, the doctor quickly said, “Both of you, please return to your beds. I need to go over these results with you.” “So what do your results say Doc? Are we ok?” Eric asked as he walked over to stand beside Jeanne. “They say that your bodies have been changed at the molecular level. Clearly, whatever happened to you at the nuclear facility is changing you into something more than human. Your blood work has yielded some fantastic results. ”“Now hold it right there, Doctor…? Jeanne said reaching for the chart the doctor held in his hand.“Barton,” The doctor replied. “Dr. Walter Ellis Barton. But my colleagues call me “Web”. Now please sit down.” he said as he pulled the chart back a little bit so Jeanne couldn’t take it from his grasp. He pointed to the bed behind Jeanne and waited for them to sit as he stood staring at them.Slowly both Jeanne and Eric sat down and stared up at the doctor who was looking at their charts once again. “Tell me,” he said. “How you feel. Are either one of you experiencing any light headedness, nausea, or anything out of the ordinary?”“Look Doc.” Eric said rising once again from the bed. “We both feel fine and we want to go home. Now, you can sign the release papers yourself or, we can just walk out of here, but either way we’re leaving.” Dr. Barton looked up into the large young mans eyes and stated matter of factly. “You can’t leave. There are guards posted outside the door. The D.N.R.D. wants to talk to you both. They’re the ones who posted the guards. “I have nothing to hide from the D.N.R.D. but right now I just want to go home, soak in a hot tub and try to get my head around what’s happened.” Jeanne said, rising to stand beside her fiancé’. Now I assure you, we will cooperate with the department in a couple of days, but right now I am asking you to sign the release papers so we can leave.“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen today Ms. Barbas.” The voice of the man who entered the room made them all turn toward the open doorway. The man that entered was wearing a dark blue suit with a white and brown paisley tie. His shoes were polished to a fine shine that you could almost see yourself in. “I need you both to sit down and relax while I ask you a few questions.”His anger rising now, Eric Daniels normal good natured smile was gone. “Mr., I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a damn. You’re going to get out of the way so we can walk out that door, or you’re going through the door head first. It’s your choice.” “Son, you’re not going anywhere until I tell you, you can.” The well dressed man said snidely. Moving much faster than one would expect from a man of his size, Eric grabbed the man by the jacket lapels and lifted his easily off of the floor. “I warned you.” he said, glaring into the mans eyes. “Officers, get in here now!” the man said loudly.As the door quickly opened again, Eric, with no effort whatsoever threw the man at the two officers who were rushing through the open doorway. As they landed in a heap in the hallway, Jeanne raised her hands and holding them forth in front of her, began to concentrate on the men. A split second later they all began to twitch and jerk on the floor where they lay. She dropped her hands and looked at the doctor who was staring with wide eyes and an open mouth.“What did you do to them?” he asked quietly. “I thought they needed to cool off a bit, so I lowered the temperature of their blood a little. Now Doctor, we are leaving and we will be glad to cooperate in a day or two just as I said we would. Right now however, we need to be alone so we can think this thing through.” The sounds of many feet running up the hallway toward their room coupled with the sounds of guns being cocked was all it took to convince Eric that enough was enough. He grabbed Jeanne in his arms and walked over to the window. “Cover your eyes,” he said. With that he raised his leg and kicked the window sending shards of glass flying in all directions. He stepped forward and looked down the three stories to the ground and said, “We’re going to find out how strong I am I guess.” Just as more police officers burst in to the room he leaped out of the window and landed easily on the pavement, cracking it. He put Jeanne down and they ran around the corner of the building out of sight. Regaining his feet, the man in the suit walked into the destroyed hospital room, his body still shivering from Jeanne’s attack. “ I want every man on this, Now!” He shouted, “ Find them and bring them in. Use whatever means necessary to detain them, but I don’t want them permanently injured. We still have a lot of talking to do.” EPILOGUE:The fishing cabin Eric had spent many summers in with his father held many memories. It had always been a place of refuge to him. A place to “Get away from it all.” Today it was a place of refuge form the police, the D.N.R.D., and the rest of the world. Jeanne sat at the small wooden table staring at the bucket of water in front of her. As her lover and best friend watched, she concentrated and the water began to move. Two small hands reached up to grab the rim of the bucket followed by the rest of a tiny water body. It slipped over the edge of the bucket and walked over to stand in front of her and bowed low. It then straightened itself up and began to dance across the table. Eric simply watched in amazement.He walked over to sit down beside her. He laid a 3 foot long piece of solid steel on the table. Reaching down with one hand, he squeezed his hand shut on the metal. He had literally crushed a piece of steel. “Come with me.” he said grinning at her. They rose together and walked outside to where his fathers old pickup sat, long unused, beside the cabin. He reached down with one hand and as though he were lifting a pillow, simply picked the old rusty truck up over his head then sat it back down. Eric appeared to be a little bigger than he had been previously. “You know I’ve been thinking.” He said. “The IX7 gas changed us, made us more than we were, better! I think we should talk to the authorities and offer to help them in some way. For some reason we have been given these powers. We’re like the comic book heroes I grew up with. This is every Childs dream come true.” He paused and looked into his beautiful fiancés eyes. “I guess we can’t stay here forever. And I need to get to a lab to run some tests. Plus I have to talk to Edward and let him know what happens when the IX& gas comes into contact with human flesh.” She smiled. “ but listen Mr. Superhero, don’t expect me to wear spandex and a cape, Okay?” “Fair enough.” He laughed. “You ready now?”“Yes, let’s get this over with. We’re going to have to deal with the mess at the hospital first and I have a feeling they are not going to be happy with our little vacation from detention.” She said meaningfully.“ Whatever that Suit wanted with us, I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.” he replied. “Come here.” With that he swept her up into his arms and with a huge grin said, “I saved this for last. It seems the energy that infused my body has granted me something besides strength.” He crouched down and leapt into the air. Holding her firmly in one arm and the other stretched out before them, they were flying toward River City and the questions and testing they knew lie ahead.

Blood Brothers pt2 by Mark O. Burson

The warm spring day gave way to a chilly evening. The moon in it’s half phase shown brightly in the heavens as the brothers made their way through the shadowed alleyways between the dock warehouses. “You got anything yet Bro” Quickshot quietly asked. “I can feel his presence, but I can’t seem to get a proper fix on his location. I am getting the sense he is ahead and to the left by the Bolax warehouse.” Bulge said, in his raspy voice that always sounded to his brother as if someone were shaking broken glass in a fifty five gallon drum. “You know if anything should go wrong, you’ve got to take care of Mom” Quickshot said matter of factly. The deep guttural growl that rolled forth from his gigantic brother was sharp. “Nothing is going to happen to either of us Runt. Just stick to the plan and don’t deviate. This evil Bastard isn’t going to hurt anyone ever again.” As the brothers made their way closer to the old Bolax Warehouse, they could hear the sounds of activity ahead. Three dock workers were busily moving freight from the open warehouse to the barge that was moored to the dockside. It rose and sunk with the slight waves of the river, as the men operating the forklift and the heavy loading crane went about their duties oblivious to the evil that stalked among them tonight. A slight shifting of the wind and a whisper of air being displaced was the only sound the burly, dark haired dock worker heard before a talloned hand clutched his throat. “What th…” were the only words the startled man managed to squeak out, as the loathsome creature before him drew him off of his feet to stare into its dark soulless eyes. Just as the dark eyes of the ageless, evil creature began to glow and the strong dock worker could feel his life essence ebbing forth from his body, a solid energy arrow of the darkest ebony pierced the gray, mottled forearm causing him to drop his would be victim. The rage and pain filled scream that tore from a throat old when the world was young, echoed along the docks and out into the darkness of the water. Turning, Jonahs grabbed the arrow with his left hand, ripped it from his forearm and threw it with uncanny accuracy at the costumed adventurer running towards him. Kyle Stevens barely had time to raise his hand before the arrow he had just shot his victim with, was almost upon him. As he held forth his hand he called the energy back into his own body and in the space a two heartbeats reformed the arrow and nocked it in his bow. He drew down on the evil being before him and released the deadly projectile once more directly at the black heart of Jonahs. “Run!” Bulge growled at the stunned dockworkers. “Get out of here if you value your lives!” The dark clad giant hefted a barrel from the fork lift with one hand and drew it back. He threw the barrel with all of his might at the being who had killed his grandmother ( see last issue) and so many others down through the eons. The large projectile hurled with the force of a cannon shell struck Jonahs in the back of the legs causing him to fall backwards just as the dark arrow his brother had carefully aimed struck it’s target. The impetus of the blow caused the arrow to miss its mark by only a few centimeters so that it lodged in the right shoulder instead of the heart of its target. “Now Bulge, while he’s down, do it now!” Quickshot screamed at his brother. Running the thirty yards to his quarry at full steam, Danny Stevens reached inside the neck of his costume and pulled forth the dark amulet his aging aunt had given him that afternoon. From the other direction, Quickshot sprinted down the dock toward his brother and Jonahs. Before either of them could reach the evil being, he once again with a howl of rage, ripped the arrow from his pierced body and was on his feet. He shimmered and was gone as the brothers reached the spot where he had just stood. Looking at each other and then their surroundings, both brothers turned as Jonahs appeared out of thin air right behind Quickshot and with a lightning like move of his left hand, grabbed the bow from his hand. “ You won’t be using this again Mortal.” Jonahs hissed, crushing the bow. Dark ichor oozed from the wound in his right shoulder as he grabbed the young, energy wielding archer by the throat. “Move a muscle and I’ll snap his neck like the worthless twig that it is.” He snapped at Bulge. “I see you have the Wynmark Amulet Brute! Take it off and lay it on the dock.” He clenched his talloned fingers tighter around Quickshot’s throat causing his younger sibling to claw at the ancient hand and his eyes to grow a little larger. Bulge weighed his options quickly as the maniacal creature before him shook his brother violently and bellowed in his hissing snake like voice, “NOW!” Reaching up with both hands he slowly removed the ancient artifact from around his neck and held it forward. “If I give you this amulet, you’ll kill him anyway. I may as well use it to make sure your evil is gone from this world forever.” Bulged growled. “Not so Giant. Give me the amulet and you will never see me again.” Jonahs snarled. The young giant slowly held forth the amulet toward the reaching aged hand. Quickshots brow wrinkled in concentration as his hand began to glow. Before Jonahs could take the Bauble he so craved from Bulges outstretched massive digits, the dock began to shake violently. Bulge knowing what was about to happen managed to keep his balance, but Jonahs was not so fortunate. He began to teeter on his feet trying to maintain his equilibrium. As the ancient, evil one tried to regain his balance, his knee high, black leather boots burst into flames. Jonahs loosed his grasp on the gasping Quickshot as the flames began to swirl around him like unto a living thing. The wind creating a vortex to maintain the flames inside, licking at the core of his dark being. “Mom!” Quickshot croaked through his sore and almost crushed voice box. “Mom! Get back!” Raynia Stevens stood feet spread wide and hands raised before her. Her brow knotted in concentration as she stared at Jonahs. Years of hatred and pent up anger and hostility rolled from her mouth. “No more Evil One! You will take no more lives, your darkness ends tonight at the hands of a true elemental. I command the fire that burns your flesh, and the winds that tear at your soul. You killed my mother and after the call I received earlier, I’m sure you killed my Aunt as well.” ( Last issue again. ) Lightning flashed in her eyes as she gestured at the river with her left hand, while holding her right hand forth to maintain the fiery vortex around Jonahs. “Boys! Finish him!” she yelled. Kyle Stevens called forth the dark energy his aunt had infused him with earlier that day. As it boiled forth from his hand, it coalesced in the form of a solid black sword. Danny Stevens held forth the Wynmark Amulet in his huge ape like paws. Both young men stood ready as a crashing wave from the rivers swelling tide crashed over the evil being dousing the flames. Jonahs had time to roll over and start to rise as Quickshot reached him. Jonahs shimmered once more, leaving naught but a smoking residue where he had been. Appearing in front of their mother he grasped her firmly by the shoulders and his eyes began to glow. “I think not Cow! You may have hurt me, but I am ageless. What could possibly make you think you could stop me? Once I add your strength to mine, I will kill your pathetic children and take the amulet once and for all.” She gave a startled scream of fear as the dark energy sword transfixed the creature from behind. Quickshot had hurled the sword at the exposed back of his mothers attacker. The glow in his eyes faded as he turned to face the brothers. Bulge held forth the timeless artifact toward Jonahs, as his mother regained her feet. She walked around in front of the being that had robbed her of a childhood filled with motherly tenderness, as Jonahs sank to his knees. “Go to Hell!” she said as the Amulets pull finally took hold. From the wound in his chest where the energy sword had pierced him through, boiled forth a foul, dark vapor. The amulet glowed as the vapors were sucked inside. When the last of Jonahs evil had been ensconced inside the Amulet, his body simply vanished. It didn’t disintegrate, or crumple to dust, it simply vanished as though the ancient amulet had swallowed him body and dark, gruesome soul. Quickshot and Bulge both ran to their mothers side. “What do you think you were doing? You retired from this life a long time ago. We had it under control Mom. You could have gotten yourself killed!” Quickshot spat coldly at his mother. I was just about to stick him when you showed up.” Bulge reached down and placed a calming hand on his little brothers shoulder. “I sensed her presence but couldn’t tell you without Jonahs knowing. Sorry Kyle… Quickshot., but she probably just saved your runty little hide. You may have managed to stick him with the energy blade, but from the position you were in, he would have broken your neck.” “Kyle,” She said shaking. The realization of what had just happened starting to settle in on her. “He killed your grandmother, he killed your Aunt just tonight. He’s killed countless others down through the ages. He very nearly killed you! I couldn’t stand by and not act. I’m sorry but I just couldn’t.” She wrapped her arms around both boys and gave them a motherly hug. “This is the last time you’ll ever see me in action. I’m getting too old for this life. I’ll leave it to you boys to handle from now on.” Two nights later on the roof of River City Bank, two costumed brothers watched as a cloud of darkness slithered along the slick bricks of the alleyway behind the bank. The dark cloud rose up and formed into a man in a deep purple cape. Beside him, another man came forth out of the dark cloud. He was wearing a leather vest and chaps. On his head rested an old worn cowboy hat and his right eye glowed crimson. “You were right again Danny,” Quickshot said. “It’s Red Eye and the Scarab. As soon as they make a move toward the back door of the bank, we go. Scarabs dark purple cloak wrapped around him tightly, he started toward the bank doors. Red Eye reached out to touch the metal door hinges. They disintegrated in his grasp and he pushed aside the heavy metal door as it fell to the alley floor. Danny Stevens looked at his brother and growled playfully. “The name’s Bulge, Runt!” With that, he leaped over the side of the bank wall to land in a cloud of dust amidst the cracked and broken bricks of the alleyway. “It's about time.” Quickshot muttered as he shot two blinding white energy arrows from his new bow to stick in the ground in front of the criminals, its light erasing all shadows from the alley.
The End ( For Now)

Blood Brothers pt1 by Mark O. Burson

The wind howls across the dark rooftops of River city. Below, the few people that are on the street this late at night, scurry past the shadows and into the brightness cast from the overhead street lights. On this side of the city, it’s not smart to linger to long in one area, especially this last week. River city has been holding its’ breath each morning, hoping that the suns warmth will cast aside the fears of what may be found. Each morning for the last four days has produced a fresh corpse, eyes wide with fear and agony. None of the victims have had a single wound or bruise evident anywhere on their body, but they’re dead all the same. Crouching on a rooftop overlooking the River City street, two figures watch closely for any sign of a disturbance. “Maybe you’re wrong.” The baritone voice of the costumed adventurer seemed anxious. “Maybe we oughtta keep lookin.” “I’m never wrong, and you know it!” The other said with a deep growl. “My senses tell me this is where I need to be tonight. If you wish to doubt me, then go off on your own, but do it quietly. If you scare off our quarry, I’m going to beat the hell out of you.” “Mom was right.” said the first man. “You have no sense of humor!” On the street below, unaware that she is being observed from more than one vantage point, a young lady climbs out of her cab and reaches through the front window to pay the driver. “Keep the change.” she says as she wraps her long coat about her in an effort to cut off the chill wind. The sound of her high heeled shoes echo through the quiet street with an eerie click clack sound. As she rushes toward the doorway to her loft apartment, she fails to notice the tall figure moving along the street behind her. The dark figure quickens it’s pace as the realization that the time has come to feed once again becomes all consuming. Above in the shadows, the two watching brothers realize this is what they have been waiting for. “Get ready” said the low voice. “This is the one we are seeking.” “No problem, Bro. You know I was born ready.” Saying that, the younger of the two siblings raises his bow and calls forth an energy from within. The woman was fumbling with her keys as she approached the doorway to her apartment building. But ere she could reach the familiar cobblestone edifice, she heard a voice behind her. “You are for me!” the voice hissed. “You have been chosen.” The tall figure was now plainly visible even through the shadowy glow of the overhead streetlights. The facial features were one of age and decay. The hands reaching out to her were wrinkled and taloned. The eyes began to glow as it took another step toward her. “Not tonight Ugly!” The young man with the bow aimed and fired an arrow of pure energy. The arrow true to it’s mark, pierced the hand of it’s intended target lodging between the small bones of the hand. A second arrow flew to a nearby street light trailing a ribbon of energy behind it. The creature screamed in rage and pain as it realized it was no longer the hunter but had in fact become the hunted. Now things began to happen with lightning rapidity. The woman stood screaming in terror at the vision of ghastliness before her. The beast wrenched the dark arrow from its’ hand and cast it aside as it reached once more for the woman. The man that leaped from his rooftop hiding place to the pavement in front of the woman was absolutely huge. It was difficult to tell exactly how tall he was because he moved so quickly and he appeared to be crouching, but he must have been at least six foot six. His entire upper body was rippling with muscle on top of muscle. The dark blue, almost black costume he wore on his torso and legs obviously made it easy for him to hide in the shadows. Taking a step forward from the cracked pavement where he had landed he said, “I knew you would be here tonight.” He grabbed the gaunt figure in a massive hand and tossed him to the ground. “I always know where evil is lurking.” Faster than could be imagined by the look of him and the might of the blow he had just suffered, the aged looking man creature was back on his feet. His eyes began to glow again as he reached for the giant in front of him. “Ah, ah, ah, Gruesome!” came the voice of the young man who had just slid down the ribbon of energy to land behind the two battling foes. “He may not be pretty but he is my brother.” The bowman aimed his bow, and this time an arrow of purest white energy shot forth at his opponent. Once again moving with blazing speed, the evil being sidestepped the arrow, which continuing on its’ trajectory splattered in a blinding light upon the chest of the dark clad giant. “Damn it Kyle, watch what you’re doing!” the large man bellowed. “Sorry Bro, and I keep tellin you, when we’re workin, call me Quickshot!” While the brothers were engaged in their war of words the creature managed to grab the young woman and staring deep into her eyes began to feed. The woman’s eyes grew wide and a look of agony spread across her face as the creatures eyes continued to glow brighter and brighter. “Enough!” The loud, deeply guttural bellow that eschewed from the mouth of the large man was followed by a smashing blow to the side of the creatures head, knocking him again away from his intended victim. An arrow struck the staggering creature in the middle of the back, followed by a second and a third. Three arrows now protruded from between the shoulders of the black trench coat the evil being wore. Amazingly the being reached back and jerked them from his back and flung them to the ground. “We shall meet again, we three!” With that, the creature shimmered and was gone. “Bulge, help me here! She’s in a bad way.” The young man in the dark Crimson costume bent over the form of the woman that lay on the ground. Her clothes splayed in an un lady like fashion where she had fallen. As Bulge, the larger and older of the two brothers bent to examine the young woman he was surprised at the sight he beheld. Where once had been a young vibrant woman, now there was a woman of obvious advanced age. Her raven hair was now streaked with white and the once unblemished face was laced with crows feet and wrinkles. Her encounter with the evil being had aged her in an instant. Scooping her up in his arms, the large man said quickly, “We have to get her to the hospital immediately. I can sense she has suffered some mental damage as well as physical. That creature was some sort of a psychic vampire, It feeds on life energy.” He looked down at the unconscious, still staring form of the former young lady they had tried in vain to save. “We’re twelve blocks from River City Mercy, Once I get up to speed I need you to clear the path for me.” The deep voice growing even more brusk now, being tinged with anger and worry. “And Kyle I’ve told you too many times now, Call me Danny. I hate the name Bulge.” With dawn came the smell of fresh bacon frying. Kyle Stevens groggily made his way down the stairs to the kitchen where he found his mother busy setting the table for breakfast. The light blue apron that was her favorite, tied carefully around her waist. “Kyle go tell your brother it’s time to get up. You both have class in less than an hour.” “I’m not my brothers keeper. If he misses breakfast that leaves more for me.” The young man said smiling. His blues eyes and handsome features did little to appease Mrs. Stevens as he gently kissed her cheek. “This morning you are your brothers keeper. Now Scoot!” The middle aged lady cast her son a look that was definitely meant to say, don’t mess with your mother this morning. Her hair had once been a very pretty sandy blonde, but now had a few traces of silver laced throughout. Her deep blue eyes, like both her sons, were a family trait that had been handed down for generations. She turned back to the stove to start the eggs frying and push the handle down on the toaster as her smirking son left the kitchen. Kyle Stevens knocked on his brothers door and entered all that the same time. He heard the water running in his brothers bathroom as he entered. An ornery, youthful grin plastered across his face, he slipped stealthily into his brothers bathroom and reached a hand inside the shower curtain to where the faucets were. He quickly turned off the hot water and shouted, “Mom says hurry up or your gonna miss breakfast! And Don’t use all the hot water!” He turned to flee from the room as the yelling began. “You little runt! When I get my hands on you, I’m going to have fun beating you to death!” The flailing sounds of Danny Stevens trying to avoid the splashing, ice cold water and turn the faucet off at the same time while looking through soap filled, stinging eyes was priceless. It was worth the ensuing commotion this was sure to cause. Running back down the stairs and sliding to a halt just before he got to the kitchen, Kyle casually walked through the doorway and sat down at the table. “Mmm smells good Ma. Danny will be down in a minute. He’s just gettin out of the shower. “I heard. And what was all the commotion about upstairs just now? She said with a reproving look. “Gee, I don’t know Ma.” He said innocently. “You know how he is. He hates to get movin in the morning.” Kyle reached for the plate of bacon that was sitting in the middle of the table and got his hand slapped. “You know better! We eat together in this house as a family should.” She smirked as her son grabbed the back of his hand and winced like she had hurt him so badly. Danny Stevens entered the kitchen, his hair still wet but combed, and walked toward his chair. His five foot, ten inch frame was clad in a nice pair of jeans and a blue button down shirt. His eyes were still red from the burning soap he had managed to wash away before he came down to breakfast. “Good morning Mom.” He said as he walked past her towards the table. His brother was watching his every move, ready to bolt at the first sign that he was about to be pummeled. “I’m hungry this morning.” He said as he started to sit down. Quickly reaching out his left hand he clipped his brother on the back of the head so fast that he didn’t even have time to react. “Ma he hit me!” Kyle started. “Well, I’m sure you deserved it. I don’t know what you did upstairs, but I know you well enough to know you shouldn’t have done it.” She said with a motherly grin as she turned to fetch the toast. While her back was turned, Kyle called forth an energy sphere and was about to toss it under his brothers chair, when she calmly and without saying a word, glanced sidelong at the glass of water in front of her youngest son. The ice cold water splashed out of the glass in Kyle’s face. “No powers at the table, young man. I swear when are you two going to grow up?” Danny was smiling as Kyle absorbed the energy ball he was about to use on his brother and got up to fetch a towel. “And you Mr. lead by example big brother, Don’t slap your brother.” She said as she gently cuffed Danny behind the ear. As she sat down at the table and they began to fill their plates she said, “Now, tell me what happened last night and why you were so late getting back home.” Her voice sounding serious for the first time this morning. “We messed up Ma,” Kyle began. “ We found the killer but we let him get away.” “We did manage to stop him from killing his latest victim but she is in a bad way down at Mercy Hospital.” Danny said. “ He was some sort of psychic vampire. He just sucked the life energy out of her. We stopped him before he drained her completely, but now a twenty something year old lady is eligible for social security.” “Not only that,” Kyle said between mouthfuls, “But I hit him four times with a couple different energy forms and he just shrugged em off like they were nothing. I pierced his hand with an ultra violet arrow, but it didn’t slow him down much.” “I hit him in the side of the head with a blow that should have torn his head completely off, and he just jumped up like it didn‘t even phase him.” Danny said. Raynia Stevens face became ashen as she asked, “What did this creature look like?” “Bout six feet tall, wrinkled, long ass finger nails, bad breath. Sportin a Leather trench coat I’d love at have.” Kyle said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Kyle! Don’t swear at the table and for God’s sake use your napkin. People must think you were raised by wolves.” She said as she got up from the table. She was standing with her back to the table. Holding on to the edge of the sink tightly with both hands. “I think I know who the killer is, but I pray to God I’m wrong.” Both young men stopped eating and stared at their mothers back waiting on her to finish her thought. The silence seemed eternal when finally she whispered, “Jonahs!” “Jonah? Like the guy who got eaten by a whale?” Kyle asked dumfounded. “No Kyle.” She said visibly shaken. “Jonahs. Like the being that killed your grandmother.” As she turned around, both eyes were wet with tears. “I told you that you grandmother died fighting to save the world. Its was Jonahs she was fighting.” “Sit down Mom. Tell us what you’re talking about.” Danny said concerned for his obviously shaken mother. “You told us that Grandma and Aunt Alyse were fighting some great evil, but they managed to defeat it even though it cost Grandma her life. Now you’re telling us the evil being they fought fifty years ago is back and stalking River City?” “C’mon Ma.” Kyle started, “ If Grandma killed him, how can this be the same guy? This is just some freak that gets his jollies off of killin people! Me and the Big Guy here’ll make mincemeat out of him tonight.” "No Kyle!” Raynia said forcefully. “If this is the same creature that Mom and Aunt Alyse battled so long ago, we need to go see Aunt Alyse today and find out any information she can give us.” “Ma, she probably don’t even remember the guy. She’s been in the home for over five years now. We’re wastin time. Danny’ll knock him down and I’ll blow his ass apart with some solid energy.” “Kyle! That’s enough! Your grandmother and Aunt Alyse were bonded. Blood Sisters, just like you and Danny are bonded Blood Brothers. When Mom died, it killed part of your aunt as well. I won’t lose one or both of you boys because you think you can handle things on your own. You never go into battle without a plan. I’ve told you this since your powers emerged and you started living this second life.” She put her head down in her hands. “We need to go see your aunt.” “Very well Mom. I need to call my Proffessor and let him know I won’t be in to class today.” Danny said, as he rises from the table gently patting her on the back. “Kyle you need to call in too, and you’d better let Kendra know you won’t be there for your study group this afternoon or she’ll be calling to find out what is going on.” Mid morning found the Stevens family heading south of River City. The sun was shining brightly and the warm feel against their skin left the impression that spring was finally here. Twenty minutes south of the city they pulled into the parking lot of the retirement home where their aunt now resided. As they walked inside and toward her room, they passed by several elderly people sitting in their wheelchairs or in the soft overstuffed chairs provided by the facility. Nodding their heads or softly speaking hello as they passed by the smiling faces, they finally made it to Aunt Alyse’s room. The television was playing loudly as they entered the room. “Hello Alyse. I thought I would stop by and see you today and I brought the boys along with me.” Raynia said. The old woman’s eyes shined with the anticipation of company. “What a nice surprise Dear, and look at these two. All grown up and looking mighty handsome too.” she smiled, “So to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit in the middle of the week Dear?” she said knowingly. “I may be old but I can still sense when something is wrong.” Both of the young men remained silent glancing from their gray haired aunt to their mother. “Alyse, I don’t want to upset you, but we have some questions to ask you about Mom,” Raynia started. With this, the elderly ladies eyes became sharp and knowing. “What is it Dear? What has happened? Came the voice of one who knows the answer before it is given. “The three of you didn’t come down here in the middle of the week together to ask me about Adell without a good reason.” “We need to know how you defeated Jonahs Aunt Alyse. We think he may be back and we want to make sure we have all of the facts before we attempt to subdue him.” Danny said forthrightly. The old woman was now sitting up on the edge of her recliner. She picked up the remote control and pressed to power button to turn the television off. Pointing, she motioned for them to sit down. “Which one of you wields the energy?” she asked quietly. Kyle’s eyes perked up at this matter of fact question. “I do, Aunt Alyse,” he said. “Then you are the key,” She said smiling at him. She turned to Danny sitting on her other side. “Then you must have the strength and the “knowing.” Danny looked into the eyes of his frail aunt who now seemed invigorated by this conversation. “Yes.” He said. Your grandmother had the same powers that you do.” She chuckled slightly. “She was a sight when she used her powers. Her arms were bigger than my waist.” The gentle voice turned somber. “ But it wasn’t enough to save her. And it won’t save you either. If Jonahs has truly come back, then you need to work together, or you’ll both be as dead as she is, and then no one will be able to stop him.” The old woman reached inside her dresser drawer and after lifting several nightgowns out of the way, removed a small case of highly polished wood. As she opened it, her trembling hands reached inside to remove a heavy jewel. It was as dark as midnight and set in an intricate silver casing. She handed the jewel to her nephew and as Danny reached out to take it, she grasped his hand. At once Danny was filled with the images of the past. He saw the battle that had claimed his grandmothers life and how her sacrifice had allowed his aunt Alyse to defeat the being of personified evil. He saw that after the battle was over and his grandmother lay dead, Alyse picked up the jewel that was all that was left of Jonahs and tucked it safely away inside her belt. Starting, Danny was drawn back to the present. Only a second had passed but he now knew what history had wrought and how to defeat Jonahs. Hopefully without having to sacrifice his own life in the process. The old woman reached out her hand to her other nephew. “Take my hand Kyle. All that I have left, I now give to you. You must be prepared for the battle to come, and you must end this once and for all. The cycle will repeat itself if you don’t end it. Do you understand?” “I understand Aunt Alyse.” The young man said, reaching out to take her hand. As their hands touched, an energy from within the frail old woman boiled forth, coursing though her hand and into her nephew. It was an energy he had never felt before. One he never even knew existed. Dark and powerful it was, as it filled his very cells to the point of bursting. Then as the glow faded and his aunt removed her hand to let it fall weakly on the arm of her recliner she said, “It is done. Go and defeat Jonahs. Your grandmother and I merely caused him to sleep for a time, but you must kill him.” The two young men shaken at the revelations they had just undergone, rose from beside her chair. “We will defeat him Aunt Alyse.” Danny said. For you and for Grandma, we will defeat him.” The brothers each bent to give their aunt a kiss on the forehead and turned to leave the room. Raynia bent over the aged form of her beloved aunt and kissed her gently on the forehead. “Thank you.” she said. “I will be back this weekend to see you. I love you Alyse” The old woman watched as all that remained of her family walked through the doorway. “No My Dear, you won’t see me again.” she whispered quietly as she pressed the power button of her remote control. By the time the trio had returned to their home and discussed the events they had just been through at the retirement home, dusk was beginning to fall. Kyle and Danny each went to their rooms to prepare for the action that was to come. Kyle donned his dark crimson costume but left the mask that hid his facial features hanging on the back of his neck. He picked up the bow that was like an extension of his being and placed it over one shoulder to rest on his back. In the stillness of his room, Danny donned his dark attire and stood in the center of his room, his brows knotted in concentration as he called forth his power. From deep inside his being he could feel the change coming over him. Each cell in his body began to expand and grow as the familiar burning sensation of muscle and tissue exploding to many times their normal size, made the five foot ten, handsome, young man into a brute that could rend steel with his bare hands. The entire change took a mere few seconds but during that brief time, it always seemed to Danny that an eternity had passed. Both young men came down the stairs, with Kyle leading the way. Their mother was standing at the base of the stairway waiting on them. “You know where he is going to be Danny?” she asked. The deep, raspy voice of her giant son said, “The waterfront docks. He’ll be there, and we’ll be waiting for him.” The giant young man reached inside the neck of his costume and produced the jewel his fragile aunt had given him that afternoon. He had placed it on a heavy necklace and draped it around his hugely muscled, bull neck. “ I love you Mom. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the runt home safe you’ll see.” He bent down to kiss his mother on the cheek and started for the back door that lead to the secluded alleyway behind their home. “Yea, don’t worry Ma, nobody gets away from Quickshot and the Bulge. Right Big Boy?” Kyle said slapping his enormous brother on the back. Kyle also gave his mother a peck on the cheek and started for the door. In the retirement home, after the evenings meal was long since past and the frail from of their aunt lay resting. A shimmer beside her bed made the once powerful old lady raise her eyelids. Standing beside her bed was the being she thought forever gone from this plane of existence. She raised her hand toward the call button on her bed, but the talloned hand of Jonahs reached out to grasp it firmly. “I have waited a long time for this old one. You will be a mere morsel now, but ever so sweet none the less.” As the old woman’s worst nightmare grasped her firmly by the hand, his eyes began to glow. To Be Continued.

NEO FROST: DESTROYER OF WORLDS

By Howard Donovan & Charles F. Millhouse
Based on ideas created by Lawrence Everett

PART ONE

Pain. Twisted metal and death, silence.
The cold, blackness of nothing, but from death, his life was born anew.
Fresh air filled the lungs of Neo Frost. His eyes flung open but his body was strapped down. He could not move and his thoughts were clouded with events that seemed something out of fiction.
Memories of his wife, Rachel filled his vision. Her smile, her hair, and the way she smelled. But good memories became over shadowed by the last moment he saw her. The car wreck came without warning and her face of smiles turned into a horrid bloody mess. Neo wanted to scream, he wanted to roll up into a ball and leave the world to itself. But somehow, for reasons he did not understand, he survived. Or did he? He had felt his life bleed from him and though he should be dead, he was very much alive. It was only when the face of a blue skinned man came into his vision did Neo believed himself to be in Hell.
His vision became filled with more creatures, he refrained from using the term alien, but in his very soul, he knew them to be just that. The room where he lay was bright and shiny; clearly an operating room of some kind, the outlying walls were illuminated with somber white lights that gave the room an atmosphere of tranquility, but the feeling that Neo received was little more than an uproar of horror and he fought to control his fear.
“Are you not impressed Teloka? The procedure went well?”
Neo could tell he was in an operating room of some kind, the beings that stood over him were all dressed in the same kind of uniforms and he could smell a sickly odor in the air.
“Yes Doctor Evalia, his DNA has been successfully intergraded with our own. He is now a complete hybrid,” Teloka told him.
“General Raven will be pleased,” Doctor Evalia said.
“Where am I?” Neo asked in a slurred voice.
“It speaks,” Doctor Evalia, said. Neo could feel his cold hands of the alien doctor on his flesh as he examined him. “Raven won’t like this. Have his memory erased.
Neo struggled, his heart pounded, his head hurt and he did not hear the door of the room open. But it took only moments for him to see the new face in the room.
“General Raven, I’m glad you’re here,” Doctor Evalia said with a nervous tone. “The operation went without complications.
General Raven looked down at Neo. The commanding officer had a ridged face. His eyes were dark and his skin a deep blue. His teeth glistened off the light in the room and he hissed. “We are still in orbit of the human’s planet, have you found me my champion?”
“He is what the Leader has sent us to find. Is he not?” the doctor asked.
“That remains to be seen,” Raven confessed. “Is he the powerhouse the Leader seeks?”
“Please,” Neo said. “What is happening to me? I want to go home…back to Earth.”
Raven looked up at Evalia, “He still has his memories…why?”
“A minor oversight General. We will erase the subjects memories now.”
Raven stood erect. “When the Leader ordered me to search the ten galaxies to find him a new champion worthy of the last, little did I know it would be impossible. Your guarantee of your ability to create me a warrior drove me to create one worthy of the Leader. This creature Doctor Evalia is my last chance to empress our ruler.”
“Do not worry General. The human DNA and our own are quiet similar. The patterns have meshed together perfectly,” Doctor Evalia told Raven. “He will have all the abilities our Leader’s last champion had and much more.”
“But his memories…he needs to remember nothing about his formal life,” Raven insisted. “It is dead and he will never be the same again.”
Evalia agreed: “With an inbreeding of the human and Draconian races the test subject will have powers beyond those of anyone alive.”
“For the love of God!” Neo cried. “Please let me out of this nightmare!”
“Shut it up!” Raven ordered. “Shut it up or I will kill it where it lay.
“My name is Neo Frost!”
“Teloka,” Doctor Evalia instructed his assistant: “Inject him with seven gills of hovaten. That will put him under long enough to instigate a mind wipe.”
Neo’s body tightened, he could feel a whelping of power overtake him. His mind seemed to understand the change that had begun to take place in his body, even if he did not.
“Doctor,” Teloka said with a gasp.
“No,” Doctor Evalia exclaimed. “The final metamorphous has begun too soon. He’s beginning to evolve.”
“Stop it!” Raven told Evalia. “If he is not loyal to me before the transferal he will be uncontrollable.”
“I cannot. Its too late,” Evalia told the General.
Raven, fearful for his safety ran for a communication panel on a nearby wall. “Centurion guards to the lab area…ten fold!”
Neo could feel a change happening within him. His body exploded with power and from it a green hallo formed around him. It was then that he began to understand. He was no longer Neo Frost, but more than he could ever describe.
When he broke the bonds that held him to the operating table, Neo could feel the green protecting him.
“This is incredible,” Neo announced as the hallo lifted him up into the air. “The green protects me, provides me with air, and makes me without a doubt, the most powerful being ever to live.”
When the Centurion guards rushed in, they were stunned by what they saw.
“Don’t just stand there!” Raven commanded. “Kill it!”
“Your weapons cannot harm me,” Neo informed them as weapons fire ricocheted off the green barrier around him. “The green protects me from the projectiles your weapons produce. They are crude…you are crude.”
“What’s happening to him?” Raven asked Evalia.
Evalia paused and did not answer.
“The power that erupts in me is more than you could ever understand General,” Neo told Raven. “But understand this…you will never be able to control me or it.”
“I do not believed that I solicited your opinion,” Raven responded. “I will control you or you will die…its that simple. The Leader wants a champion and I am impressed enough with your ability to give him you.”
Neo landed on the deck of the starship. The green seemed to hum as it encircled him as if it were alive and aware of the danger around its master. “I do not fully understand what has happened to me, or why I did not die with my wife. These are answers that will come in time. But know this, I understand what power I have, for the green has told me. I will never bow to your wishes.”
Raven, with a bold look on his rugged features, stepped close to Neo; the green reacted in a violent manner, shimmering uncontrollably. But Raven did not back down and said clearly: “If I cannot have you, I will destroy you.”
Neo took to the air, the green around him turned dark. He swooped down, attacking the closest of the centurion guards, when he returned aloft; he wore a warrior helmet and carried a guard’s energy pistol. “I look impressive,” Neo, said, “do I not?” He pointed the pistol at the guards and fired. The energy from the blast seemed to be powered by the green and it vaporized the guards into nothing but mist.
“See me?” Neo said as he laughed. “I am Neo Frost: Destroyer.”
Explosions ripped throughout the deck, the fires encircled Teloka and she screamed. Neo without thought for his own safety flew down into the hot flames and scooped her up into his arms; protecting her with the green.
Puzzled Teloka asked, “Why.”
“Because I am not what you think,” he said as he sat her down safely from the fire. “It’s not safe here. You better go.”
“Why?” Teloka asked.
“Because,” Neo told her. “I’m not through.”
Teloka said nothing, as she raced out of the combat area as more guards raced toward Neo, firing their weapons.
Neo, unharmed by the weapons fire, retaliated with a salvo of his own, explosions filled the ship until nowhere was safe.
“You cannot get away with this,” Raven insisted. “I know your secrets, I know how to stop you.”
“Then do so,” Neo told Raven. “For I am not truly alive and I welcome death.”
Raven did not respond, instead he ran from the room with fire on his heels. Neo did not follow. He could hear the green telling him that he would be safe and no harm would come to him. But Neo pleaded to be left alone so he might die along with the ship. But the green refused and when the ship exploded Neo stood in the center of the inferno, only to be left unscathed from the blast.
As the ship disincarnated around him, he watched as the remains of the warship burnt up in Earth’s atmosphere, until only Neo hung over the planet. But before the green could warn neo, an attack from several fighter craft rained down on him and Neo, for the first time felt pain, though not intense, but enough to cause him discomfort.
He fought back, using his weapon to focus the power from the green, Neo was able to destroy two of the attacking ships, but before he could destroy the third, it managed to fire a lucky shot that pushed Neo into the inner atmosphere of the planet and within only moments, Neo had become a shooting star and unable to control his descent.

Neo streaked across the sky, and by this time he had lost consciousness unaware that he had crashed landed into the Earth like a bullet and was smoldering in a crater that he created. He was still protected by the green, but in his weakened state Neo was unable to maintain it around his body. As Neo forced open his eyes he could see two humans looking down into the crater at him. One was only a boy and the other appeared much older.
“What is it Paw?” the child asked.
“Don’t know son…something different…something completely different.”
Neo dropped into unconsciousness.

PART TWO
Neo Frost woke, his flesh trembled and his heart raced. A dream, he thought. He reached over for his wife, but she was not next to him. Neo’s eyes sprung open and in a nightmarish reality he knew he had not dreamt, but he had lived…died with his wife at his side.
When he sat up, his reflection shot back at him from a mirror on a dresser, his skin was dark and hollow and his eyes he could see were not his own. He remembered everything. Dying in the wreckage of glass and steel, being woke aboard an alien craft and his very humanity ripped from him. He had become a hybrid, a fusion of his human DNA and the DNA of a Draconian.
Oh, Rachael. Why didn’t I die with you?
“I see you’re awake.”
Startled, Neo turned toward the voice of a man who sat in a tall back rocking chair. On his lap he held a shotgun. Instantly, the green around Neo came alive, as if to protect Neo at all cost. On a table next to the stranger sat Neo’s barrowed pistol.
“Who are you?” Neo asked; his voice was a bit shaky.
“I’m Holland, you’re in my home.”
Neo scanned the area with his alien enhanced eyes. The room was finely decorated, pictures of family covered the wall; there was a smell of apples in the air.
“How long have I been here?” Neo asked.
“Nearly sixteen hours,” Holland told Neo.
“Why?”
Holland shifted in his seat. “I don’t know. Guess cause you needed help, though I’m not really sure what you are.”
“Me either,” Neo confessed. “You live here alone?”
Holland seemed hesitant to answer. “I sent my wife and son into town when I found you.”
“You have noting to fear from me Mr. Holland.”
“Just Holland, and I’m not sure I can believe you.”
The green shimmered around Neo in protection.
“Then I’ll go,” Neo said and the green floated him off of the couch where he laid.
Holland stood and raised his shotgun. “Don’t make me hurt you,” he said.
The green shot out from Neo and grabbed the shotgun as easily as a hand picking a flower and tossed it aside.
Holland stumbled back in surprise.
“As I said…I mean you no harm but the green will see no harm comes to me.”
“My apologies,” Holland said. “You have to understand, I only...”
Neo shook his head. “I understand,” he said. “I’ll be going I don’t wish to cause you anymore trouble.”
Holland nodded and stepped aside.
Neo’s steps stuttered. “Might I ask,” he said. “Where am I?”
Holland seemed surprised at first. “You are on my farm.”
“What part of the planet?” Neo redefined his question.
“You’re in the United States, Virginia to be precise, near the city of New Miller Town.”
“Virginia,” Neo mumbled. “Thank you…I’ll be…”
“Wait,” Holland said when the sound of vehicles pulled up outside. With a quick look out the window, he told Neo: “Stay here. I’ll get rid of them.”
Neo waited inside the home as Holland stepped outside. While he could not see faces he could hear the voices of several men one voice in particular stood out clearly from the rest.
“Hello, Holland,” the deep dark voice of the man said.
“What do you want here, Reynolds?” Holland asked.
Neo saw the shotgun lying on the floor where the green had tossed it. He wasn’t just frightened of me, Neo thought and the green almost agreed with a light shimmer.
“Now you know why I’m here,” Neo could hear Reynolds. “I’m wondering if you’ve decided on my offer yet?”
“Oh, I’ve decided on your offer Mr. Reynolds. I’ve decided against it,” Holland did not appear frightened.
“Well that’s too bad,” Reynolds said. “I’ve been patient for far to long. Everyone else around you has sold to me. What makes you so stubborn?”
“My family has been farming this land since before the revolution, Reynolds. I will not spit on their legacy by selling out for a shopping mall.”
Neo could hear footsteps on the front porch.
“I saw your wife and son in town Holland,” Reynolds said. “I’ve been waiting for a time to see you alone. Though I didn’t believe today would be that day.”
Neo heard a struggle and Holland saying: “What are you doing? Get your hands off me.”
The green around Neo roared. Neo went toward the back of the home but paused for a second as the green lashed out for the energy pistol, placing it in Neo’s hand. He could hear the struggle out front become more violent.
As if he had done so many times before, Neo took to the sky and flew up high above the home. In the distance he could see the small town that Holland mentioned.
Out front of the home however, Neo saw Holland laying in the gravel driveway, surrounded by several men.
Swooping down through the group the men, the green expanded around Neo like a balloon knocking them all to the ground. Turning Neo fired several salvos of red energy bolts from his pistol igniting the ground between the men and Holland.
One of the attacking men, who still had his shotgun fired toward Neo, but the green dissolved the buckshot like warm water on ice.
Holland took to his feet and slugged Reynolds in the face before he could run.
“Don’t be a fool, Holland,” Reynolds said; blood gushed from his mouth. “Think of your wife and boy.”
Holland stood back.
Reynolds regained his footing and pointed his finger at Holland. “Call off whatever that thing is or so help me to God I’ll take this fight to the next level!”
Holland looked at Neo, who easily held the men at bay. “I don’t have control of that thing. “I’m not its master.”
“I think you’ll find,” a cold empty voice that came from outside the conflict drew everyone’s attention to it. “That I am its master.”
Neo froze; he glided into the air above everyone. “Raven, I thought you were dead.”
The dark skin Draconian smiled; his white teeth glistened with saliva. Standing with him were Teloka and Doctor Evalia. “Come Destroyer,” Raven said. “It’s time to go home.”

PART THREE

Neo Frost was unsure if he still had a heart, he was unsure what they had done to him on that alien ship, but he could feel something thumping against his chest. The arrival of General Raven was unanticipated and Neo, who hovered several feet from the ground, felt the rage of murder in his soul. He gripped his gun, but refused to pull the trigger; he remembered the last time he used it, it disincarnated two soldiers.
“What the hell is going on?” Reynolds asked with a confused tone.
“Shut up Reynolds,” Holland said. “I’m not sure what’s happening.”
“I’m surprised I picked someone like you from such a primitive race Destroyer,” Raven said ignoring the humans.
“My name is Neo…”
“No longer. And if I had had time, you would have had your memory erased. You wouldn’t care about any of this.”
Neo wanted to pull the trigger on his gun, especially when he saw Raven holding one, but still he refrained from it.
“I’ve had enough of this. Kill them all!” Reynolds ordered his men.
Holland dove for cover, the green around Neo turned a brilliant emerald and Teloka shouted. “Your green won’t protect you from Raven’s XO gun!”
Doctor Evalia slapped Teloka down. “Traitor!” he said.
Raven fired his weapon; two of Reynolds’ men turned a shade of silver and then folded inside out.
“Raven!” Neo commanded. “This has to stop. No one else must die because of me.”
“You blind fool. You were created to command the army of the Leader! The most powerful army in the known universe, it’s sad that you must die before your destiny can be realized!”

“Reynolds!” Holland shouted chasing Reynolds and his last thug toward his car. As the car raced away, leaving Holland in the dust, it dawned on him…”My family!” Running toward his pickup truck he looked back at Neo, but did not pause as he jumped into his pickup and raced after Reynolds.

Neo did not see Holland leave, he flew around the blasts from the XO weapon, but still he did not use his gun.
Rocketing skyward, Neo peered back to see Teloka lying in the grass. Swooping back toward the earth, he picked the Draconian female up into his arms and again he flew up out of range of Raven’s weapon.
When Teloka opened her eyes, Neo looked down at her. “Thanks for the help back there.” He told her.
Teloka held her blue forehead. “The XO weapon is not a gun to kill,” she told Neo. “It will convert your molecules into energy…and keep you locked up like a prisoner until he releases you. Not even your green can protect you from it.”
“It sounds like a weapon I ought to have,” Neo said.
“Raven can’t take a chance of killing you. The leader wants a warrior.”
Neo landed in a crop of trees and set Teloka down. “You stay here. I’ll come back for you.”
Teloka reached for Neo, but withdrew when she knew the green would not let her touch him. “You won’t forget me…will you?”
“I told you I’d come back for you. I promise,” he said and flew back up into the sky.
When Neo returned to the farm, Raven had not moved from his spot. “I thought you’d be back,” he told Neo.
“We have unfinished business,” Neo replied.
“Yes,” Raven responded but added, “I doubt this will be our final battle.”
“We shall see,” Neo said. The green extended itself outward encompassing a large tree. It pulled the old hierarchy from the soil and tossed it across the yard crashing only feet from Raven and Doctor Evalia. Neo flew fast and hard before Raven could recover.
Landing on top of the General, the green encircled them both. Raven raised his XO gun and pulled the trigger but it did not discharge.
Raven gave his gun a look. “I don’t understand,” he said.
“Teloka told me that the green could not protect me from your XO gun Raven,” Neo said. “But the Green has been teaching me…it has been ever since I woke with it. With the XO gun here inside the green, it becomes nullified, like all weapons.”
Raven punched Neo in the face, but he did not affect him.
“Do I still bleed?” Neo asked. “Am I still a man, or am I your creature your Frankenstein?”
Raven smiled, “You are my creature of circumstance.”
Neo responded to Raven’s punch and slugged him across the face. While stunned, Neo tore the XO weapon from Raven’s hand.
Neo’s skin glistened, fluttered and radiated like the stars in space. “While I no longer look like a man, I am still human. And though I want to kill you, the human in me questions my thoughts.” He tossed Raven out of the green to the ground and pointed the XO gun at him. “Find mercy in your heart Raven because sadly the next time we meet you will die.”
From above Neo and Raven a small ship shimmered out of nothingness. Neo looked aloft, “Evalia,” he said, and within seconds Raven faded in an electrical haze.
But when Neo took to the air to give chase, the green gave an alarm, warning Neo of danger in New Millers Town. Clenching his face in discuss, Neo let the ship go. He had forgotten about the doctor during the battle it would be a mistake, he promised himself, he would not let happen again.

When Holland stopped his truck in front of his sisters home he saw Reynolds’ car parked partly on the front lawn. A knot whelped up in his stomach as he approached the home; the front door stood open.
Lying just inside the home, Holland saw his brother-in-law. Quickly checking his pulse Holland breathed a sigh of relief to find him alive. It was then he heard the struggle upstairs. Wasting no time he sprinted up the stairs to find his son cowering in the corner of the hall.
“Are you alright?” Holland whispered. The boy nodded yes. “Stay put,” he said and entered the room to find his wife pinned against the wall by Reynolds’ thug.
“It’s about time,” Reynolds greeted Holland with a smile. “Another minute and I was going to let George here have his way with your wife.”
“Let her go,” Holland ordered.
“Or what?” Reynolds asked. “Sign your land over to me and I’ll let her go. If not your son is still in the hall.”
“Ok, ok I’ll sign just don’t hurt them,” Holland begged.
“There, you see. Every man has their price,’ Reynolds said as he handed over the contract.
Holland scribbled his name at the bottom of the paper not taking time to read it. “There,” Holland tossed the paper at Reynolds; his teeth were clenched.
“Fine, fine. George,” Reynolds paused and then pulled his gun up pointing it at Holland. “You can have your way with the Misses.”
Holland took a step forward.
“You’re going to watch Holland. Then I’m going to kill you as your wife watches. As for your son…well lets just say that he’ll get his turn.”

Neo busted through the wall of the home. The green protected him from Reynolds’ gunfire.
Holland leapt toward Reynolds and fought to pull the gun from his hand, but he failed.
Holland’s wife escaped from the hired help and raced over to Holland who lay on the floor, his mouth was bleeding.
More gunshots were fired at Neo, who simply shrugged off the bullets. “You had your chance Reynolds,” Neo said pulling the XO gun from its holster. “You’ll find this more humane than what you were trying to do here.”
“Hey, listen,” Reynolds, said. “I could use you, I wouldn’t need anyone else. Not with your abilities.”
Neo sighed. “You’re no better than Raven,” he said. “It appears stupidity isn’t just a human trait,” and without thought Neo fired the XO gun and in an instant, both Reynolds and his hired hand glistened into digital oblivion.
“Are you alright?” Neo asked Holland.
Holland nodded as his son rushed into the room to be with his parents. From outside sirens could be heard.
“I can’t stay,” Neo said. “But I will see you again Holland.”
Neo exited the house the way he came, just seconds before police burst into the room.
“What happened here?” one of the officers asked.
Holland shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure you’d believe it Jack. I’m not sure I do. ”

EPILOGUE:
“I took me some convincing but the police are convinced that Reynolds and his thug high tailed it out of town when they heard the police sirens.” Holland told Neo as the two walked through the hills of Virginia.
“I want to thank you and your family for keeping my secret Holland,” Neo said. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy to understand, what has happened to me. I’m know I don’t understand it.”
Holland pointed up the hill. “Your friend is up there waiting for us.”
“Teloka and I appreciate you allowing us to live on your land,”
“After what you told me about your creation Neo, and how you suspect it will only be a matter of time before these Draconians come looking for you, it seemed only the right way to pay you back for how you helped us. This cave will make a fine listening post. There’s no higher point in the whole state higher.”
Holland led Neo into the cave.
“And with what equipment Teloka and I salvaged from the Draconian warship we should know when they come within range long before the Earth authorities do.” Neo showed Holland the computer layout and power grid he and Teloka set up.
“Yes,” Teloka said as she joined Neo and Holland. “Because when the Leader sends someone to come and collect you Neo it will be an entire fleet of warships and he won’t leave a stone on this planet unturned until he locates you.”
“And I’ll be waiting Teloka. I’ll be waiting.”

End.