And now before him was his prize. Several different artifacts from the N-ROM era; a rod said to contain great power, a colorful suit almost clownish in it's design. Several others, mostly weapons sat on pedestals around his "throne".
Looking to his servants, he motioned. "Use the notes I gave you. Take these items apart and build this." Marcus handed the manservant a scroll that the technician glanced over.
"Marcus," he began, "This could take a lifetime."
Marcus smiled a devilish smile. "You only have yours."
Trembling and shaking the technician bowed and led his subordinates out of the chamber.
Marcus Aralieus laughed.
------------
END PROLOUGE I
------------
-----------------
PROLOUGE II
RHODE ISLAND 2113
-----------------
The city of Happy Harbor stood no more. In his zeal to acquire his new target the android known as Amazo had leveled the town to "Test it's design functions". The programming was the same, only different. And the design of the body had been redone yet again. This version of the android appeared like a large man whose burgundy skin had been drawn tight over his bones. The face more resembled a large dark red skull with a gold gem in the center of the forehead. The arms and chest were bare except for the emerald gem buried in the center of the chest. The legs where the traditional green tunic pants.
Across his field of vision crimson words scrolled.
[System Check: Power Aquired-Designate MM-001: Flight, Strength, Invisibility, Designate GL-001: Energy Manipulation; Weakness Yellow, Designate BC-002 Unable to access, Designate AM-001: Unable to access, Designate F-002: Partial Access Granted; File damaged or corrupted.]
[Systems Check complete]
As the Justice League cruisers cleared the horizon Amazo vanished from sight pausing only to look at the JL symbol as if trying to remember a faded program. Then he flew off unseen into the night sky.
----------------
END PROLOUGE II
----------------
WASHINGTON DC 2113 LATE FEBUARY
-------------------------------
Alex looked over the refinements he had made to his armor. Here deep in the "Tank" as he called it he had redesigned the armor from the form he had first found, into the arsenal he now looked upon.
["Are you sure this is the form of justice you want to take?"]
"Unfortunately," Came Alex's humble reply. To his left a light on one of the many computer panels had begun to flash began to flash. Reaching softly Alex flipped a switch.
"What do you have for me?"
["Well brother dear, I have a find and a half."] Came the feminine voice of Alex's sister Amanda. ["South Central Noram. Level Alpha readings."]
Alex grimaced. "How many times must I say it Amanda?"
["Sorry. South central UNITED STATES."]
"Very well," Alex smiled as he sealed the helmet over his head. "I'm on it."
------
TEXAS
------
Allison Barron ran as fast as she could. She would have flown, but that would require sacrificing the protection of the transparent violet field surrounding her body. Three years ago on her sweet sixteen she learned that she could project fields of energy from her body. But she also discovered that even though these fields were translucent, except for slight shading of color, she could only use one at a time. And Violet meant safety.
Safety because the bullets and energy blast of the pursuing Justice League team were bouncing off of her.
"If you stop running child," came the taunt of the team leader. "I shall let you live."
Behind her the JL team blocked off the alley she had dived into. The energy being floated above the ground, pulsating with Meta human energy. Below him a female whose eyes matched the being of pure energy above her. Their leader, a man dressed in a lightning trimmed purple skin suit with cape smiled.
"Shall I drain her Voltaic?" Asked the energy being.
"Not as yet Template," came the leader's reply.
Allison's eyes flashed yellow and the alley wash bathed in a blinding light, taking all but the energy being off guard. As the shade of her field shifted to red, she flew into the air. Template was hot on her tail.
Above them Alex arced into view. Scanners locking onto the scene below. Scrolling text across his eyes.
{TARGET DESIGNATE: Unknown-Level Alpha. TARGET: DESIGNATE: Template-Level Beta MetaEnergy Vampire}
Voltaic looked at the scene before him. They had chased a scared young girl into this alley, and now it appeared she had changed into a seven-foot tall armored man. "Well this is an interesting turn of events." He commented as electricity arced across his suit.
Before he could move, the armored form held out an open hand and then closed it slowly into a fist. As he squeezed the air, Voltaic felt as if the air around him was crushing him from all sides.
"What are you doing?" he cried out in horror.
A voice that sounded like it came from the divine above itself answered. "Even you know electricity can be contained with a proper magnetic field."
Voltaic hit the ground unconscious. The backlash of the contained energies knocked the woman against the wall. She joined her teammate on the ground.
The armored form lifted into the air.
--------------
Template was closing on her. Allison knew it. And she had no more speed in her. Just as he touched her, his energy signature changed color, matching the transparent red of the field surrounding her.
"YYYYYEEESSSS!" he bellowed as if he were a man consuming a meal after weeks of no food.
Then something cut his contact with his meal off. Allison could still fly but felt weak as she looked behind her past Template.
Palms up, fingers spread an armored angel stood hovering. Invisible pulses of magnetic energy embraced Template. Inside the systems were trying to adjust to the fight they had to maintain. The magnetic projectors were never designed to contain so much energy. Alex had to play one of his trump cards.
"Temple, Eric L. you have only one chance to escape my hold. You and I both know that a magnetic field can not contain your flesh and blood form.
Template looked down at the mile of air between him and mother Earth. "How do you?" He started to ask then decided against it. A slight flash and he was mortal once more. And before he could begin to fall Alex blasted him with a bolt of pure force, knocking Eric Temple into dreamland. One moment later Alex had Eric in one arm and was landing next to Allison on a rooftop.
"How did you know his powers and name." Allison asked.
"That information is classified," smiled her armored savior. "I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you."
"Heh. Yeah right," Alison grimaced. "So how do I make it unclassified?"
"You run along and live a happy life, marry a nice man and raise fat babies." With that her armored savior lifted into the air on compressed ion energy.
-----------------------------
NORWAY
A SECLUDED MOUNTAIN FORTRESS
----------------------------
"It is ready Marcus." Came the scared voice of a man dressed only in a toga.
Marcus looked at the man that cowered before him.
"Lead the way underling." He absent-mindedly ran his hand along his face. It mattered not, today Marcus Aralieus would die.
The two entered a chamber lined from wall to wall and floor to ceiling with computer and other data gathering/monitoring equipment. The centerpiece was a suit of steel-blue armor with a purple cloak. In front of the armor was a raised dais, which Marcus stepped up on. Working at the several data banks was man-sized robots. Culled from technological databases around the world these "servants" had been here since he finished the fortress three years ago. The toga wearing man was his only living servant.
He stood akimbo, arms outstretched. "Adorn me," he commanded.
The robots did as requested, stripping him of his normal cloth dress, and placing the pieces of the armor on his bare flesh. The helmet was a Marcus accomplishment. It would allow him to eat and drink without ever having to remove it. As it clicked onto the mounts above the shoulders, wires descended from the ceiling. The wires were attached to a clear globe, which contained the prize of his collection. Inside was The Spear of Destiny, the only Earth artifact that would be used in the ritual. As the servants attached the wires to the outer shell of the armor, inside he smiled.
The robots returned to their tasks. At the flip of a few dials, the dais began to rise. Lifting him and the spear out above the fortress into the gale wind of the approaching storm. He held his arms out as if to embrace the wind and rain.
The lightning struck the spear.
Power flowed through his body and the armor. He could feel the metal burning permanent attachments into his flesh. He reached up and caught the falling spear in his left hand as the dais slowly descended within the safety of the fortress.
"Did it work Marcus?" The technician who built the armor asked
To answer him the armored form pointed his gauntlet in his direction, and a stream of plasma left only ashes of his one human servant.
"Yes I believe it was very successful." Once more he smiled. Then he looked down at the ashes on the floor before him. "I told you it would be finished in your lifetime mortal slime."
-------------
WASHINGTON DC
THE "TANK"
-------------
Alex removed his armor and smiled as Amanda looked up at him from her chair.
"Is there a problem?" He asked. His voice sounding like it came from the very center of his being.
Amanda blinked. "Well let's see," she paused. "Top UN Official secretly fighting UN forces under the pretence that 'we need the Gods to return,'" Amanda smiled. "No, no problems except my brothers a loony. Why?"
Alex again smiled and gently placed his hand upon her shoulder. "Let me show you...."
He turned her around and gently gave her a brotherly push forward.
"...Amanda. Look here." Alex led her to a wall where he pressed a button revealing a secret panel. Inside the wall compartment was a class case for holding important documents. In the case was a poster depicting the Twencen hero Superman. Behind him was the flag of the old United States Empire. He smiled as he saluted all those who would look upon his face in years to come. Below his picture was a simple slogan.
"Truth, Justice, and the American Way."
------------------------------
JUSTICE LEAGUE PLANNING CENTER
ALPHA FIVE
------------------------------
Soundwave looked over his updated equipment, and around the room at his newly formed team.
Paulina Rostonov, Code named Aviatrix. She had been a beautiful Russian model who had allowed herself to be submitted to the "Meta Application Treatment" of the League. This treatment granted her superhuman strength and the power of flight, but it robbed her of the beauty of her face. She was the airborne power of the team.
Cerebus, real name unknown, paced the room. Cerebus had been a vagrant captured by the League, and submitted to various cybernetic enhancements, now he appeared as a large werewolf shaped humanoid with Glowing red eyes and four arms and the ability to breath flames from his mouth.
In one corner stood Razor. The beautiful cyborg with retractable blades in fingers and wrist, who decided to supplement this with added blades on her silver body armor.
Javelin was talking to her, ranting about the German Superiority. He had a cybernetic implant in his lower back which allowed him to fly. On the hips of his Yellow and Blue costume he carried several collapsible trick javelins. Razor appeared to seem bored with him.
Off to herself in another section of the room was Bolt, this attractive female was wearing the costume of the TwenCen Assassin of the same name, Black with a skull impaled by a lightning bolt between her breast.
Ambush Bug, who most of the team just called "Bug", was the teams infiltration specialist. No one knows where he got the lime green suit of armor he wore. All they knew is that it allowed him to teleport anywhere he wanted. It also allowed him to cling to walls and ceilings
And of course there was Shockwave, Soundwave's twin brother, and reoccurring pain in the ass.
Soundwave got their attention. As a holographic image of the armored man who had "killed" Blitz appeared above the table he began his speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem"
----------
THE "TANK"
----------
Alex smiled. He left his work. He had redesigned the symbol. Now it was the same "Superman" triangle, but it had a black background, and the "S" was more technical more like a red slash across the chest of the armor. "Something is missing"(See Kingdom Come Design: Azrael)
Amanda stared at the armor and laughingly answered. "A twenty thousand round rail gun mounted on the shoulder?"
Alex frowned. "What do you think this is a comic book?"
Alex took a small piece of equipment from his armor and added it to his watch. Placing his watch back on his wrist he stepped onto the elevator leading to his office. "I'll be back soon, I have a date."
---------------------
SEATTLE THAT NIGHT
---------------------
Carey Davis had started off with reservations about her date with Alex Tempest. She had only known him a couple of weeks. She had relocated to Washington from Gotham after the death of her husband. She had been befriended by Alex's sister Amanda, who demanded that she get out, "...And take my brother with you," she had said.
Now here she was at the top of the Space Needle. Placed in New Seattle, it was the tallest building next to Tempest Tower. A rotating Restaurant mounted on its roof. Alex had been excellent company. She was disappointed he couldn't dance. She so wanted to dance.
The conversation had been the usual: What do you like, What are your hobbies. She had been surprised to learn that he invented most of the technological advanced from TI himself.
"So I take it you went to school to learn all this techno babble?" she asked, sipping her champagne.
"Well I suppose I am a natural," Alex smiled. "I completed ten years of school at MIT in four."
Her bright blue eyes widened at that astronomical number. "Four?" she asked running her fingers through her shoulder length blond hair.
"Well four years and a semester." He grinned. Finishing his club soda he stood, grasping his cane. He held his hand out to hers. "Shall we?"
"Yes lets," she smiled back. Standing and adjusting her dress which showed off her slim long legs before taking his hand.
They were just about to enter the elevator when an explosion behind them claimed their attention.
Behind them a hole had been opened in the restaurant right were they had been seated. Hovering above the plasma fire he had started, and the burning bodies the fire had claimed, was a burgundy skeleton wearing green pants.
"Alexander Tempest!" the mechanical digitized voice of Amazo yelled. "I know you are here!"
Two armored Seattle Police Persons burst from the elevator behind Alex and Carey and took defensive positions behind downed tables. Discharging several rounds of ammunition into the android as he landed in the debris he had created. Ricochets claimed seven more lives, including one of the officers.
Alex shoved Carey into the closing elevator. Two rounds snaked in between the shutting doors and six more left huge indentations in the doors themselves. Alex lifted himself off the elevator floor. He noticed the blood covering the floor and did a self-check before he noticed the large exit wound in Carey's chest.
"ARMOR ON!"
There was a flash of electricity as his clothing was replaced by his armor.
---------------
The two police officers fell before him easily. One downed by his own bullet, the other by a glowing emerald harpoon. As he surveyed the scene before him he smiled. Here his programming had led him. His target was here somewhere and if he destroyed his target the prize could be his. The fire would claim this building, and several more.
Above him thunder cracked and the downpour began.
"NNOOOOOOO!" Flying back out the entrance he had made he saw the cause. One hundred yards above the restaurant was another armored figure. A symbol on his chest that Amazo remembered, buried deep in his programming. Above his head the armored man held an empty water tower from a nearby rooftop.
"There you are!" Amazo commented as bio data from his optic sensors filtered across his consciousness. Amazo flew at his opponent, striking him in the chest with both fists.
----------
It was the skeletal freak that had killed Carey.
"Who do you think you are?" Alex demanded.
The skeleton held out an empty palm that filled with emerald energy. The energy leapt from his hand and as it approached Alex it took form and solidified. Slamming into Alex as a huge emerald battering ram shaped like his assailant's face. Alex lost concentration. Lost concentration was bad. His boot jets turned silent and he fell.
"I am your doom."
Alex only fell a few yards before he regained control. He hurtled himself back up before this 'doom', brought the right fist of the armor into contact with Amazo's chest.
The gauntlet was met by an emerald glow around the Android, knocking both combatants back in the air.
"I grow tired of this Human," laughed Amazo. "I am indestructible." Pointing with both hands, Amazo unleashed a torrent of Emerald energy from his palms matched only by the crimson energy of his eyes.
Alex took the brunt of the blast. The various energies ripping at his armor. Falling he was about to pass out. Smashing through the first hover car shook him out of his daze. The second one slowed him even more, but jostled him so much that he could not regain control.
"I hate the midnight rush hour." He thought as he impaled upon a third killing its engine. The driver jumped to safety as the car crashed into the ground. It's engine and fuel source exploding around Alex.
Amazo hovered above the motionless form of his enemy. As Alex lay on his back Amazo's computer brain locked on the emblem he had learned to hate so long ago. With a single stroke he plunged an emerald trident through his armored opponent's stomach into the ground below him.
"Just a reminder. Your vaunted ideas, that mighty symbol you bear. Does not make you the Supreme Being he was." The trident faded into nothingness. "We shall meet again." another beam of energy lanced off his hand into the wound. Amazo flew off, part of his original programming taking over.
An unmarked hover van landed near Alex's armored form as Marcus began a dot in the sky. A masked Amanda leapt out and with effort half-carried half-threw her armored brother into the back.
-----------------
THE TANK
THE MORNING AFTER
-----------------
"You should be dead Alex," Amanda spattered.
Alex felt as if she were correct. She sat beside him on his bed hovering.
"There is no evidence of the hole in your abdomen that you had when I picked you up last night.
"He wanted me alive," came Alex's response. He began to sit up.
"Where do you think you are going?" Amanda demanded.
Alex stood out of the bed. "I have to repair the armor. I'll show him what it means to meat a Supreme Being."
---------------------
Well here it is, Issue 3.
aexusiai@juno.com
AND NOW
TO THE HEART OF IT
Another great issue of Heart of the Storm! It was cool seeing Alex Tempest
taking on some Justice Leaguers. I was suprised to see Alex get blamed for
the death of Blitz. It was very sneaky that Justice did that and you captured
his essence well. I will be looking forward to the next issue, keep up the
good work!
Mike Rehor
---Well Mike what did you think of his bought with Amazo?
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