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Issue Number One
Written by Barry Reese
"Wedded Bliss"
The hawk wages war.
The dove makes peace.
We agree, then, that the time has come to renew the experiment?
Yes. Jared Stevens failed to suit our needs.
Who then? The musicians?
No... They are laughable in their ineptness. It is a shame that Hall and Grainger are lost to us....
Agreed. But it would require too much to restore them, if it were possible at all.
Agreed. New servants are required... one for each of us, to carry forth T'Charr and Terataya's grand plan.
Yes. A child.
A child of chaos and order...
To bridge the gap between the Now and the Soon-to-Be.
Evolution.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
"People forget that this country wouldn't even be free if it weren't for the military... The Revolution wasn't won at the Constitutional Convention, it was won on the battlefield."
"Oh, please," Sara Morrison walked through the halls of the Smithsonian, her husband at her side. The argument was nothing new for them, having been waged many times before. An ex-Marine, her husband tended to fall on the conservative side of the spectrum, while Sara wore her liberal agenda proudly upon her sleeve. "It was the ideas that drove the conflict. Do you really think George Washington and his men could have survived Valley Forge if they didn't have something to believe in? Violence has its place, sure, but it's a last resort and should always be entered into with a good idea of what it's about."
Jake laughed out loud. "I doubt old George was thinking about anything during that winter except how to keep from freezing his ass off! Look, I'm just glad we've finally got a president in the White House who recognizes the importance of the military, that's all I'm saying. Maybe we'll finally get rid of some of those Third World lunatics out there."
"Sometimes I wonder why I married you...."
Jake took her hand and squeezed. "Because I have a cute butt."
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Sara kissed her husband on the cheek. They'd only been married for a week, following a three-year courtship that had generated so many sparks they could have started a wildfire. The two of them were definitely in love, though none of their friends understood what the attraction was.
Sara was born to a wealthy Atlanta family, her father running a left-wing political magazine called Renaissance. Sara had found her values at an early age, believing in the theory that, as man evolved, he should move past his more animalistic instincts. Attractive and intelligent, she'd met Jake at a University of Georgia social. They'd immediately gotten off on the wrong foot, having ventured into a political discussion within five minutes of meeting one another.
Jake, on the other hand, was blue-collar from birth. His father had worked in a textiles mill until dying at age 40 from cancer. Seeking a means to pay his way through school, Jake had found a place in the U.S. military. With the Marines, he'd become more confident and open. For that, and for the sense of pride that he'd felt while being a part of it, he'd always be grateful. He had, in fact, considered making the military his career. But after falling in love with Sara, he'd sacrificed that part of his life for her -- now he was teaching self-defense while Sara furthered her Social Work career.
"So -- are you looking forward to getting back home?"
Jake shrugged. "I suppose. It's a mixed bag, you know -- by the time a vacation's almost over, you're ready to get back to familiar surroundings, but you hate to get back into work."
"Yeah. No telling how high the pile of paperwork on my desk's gonna be. Still... It's been fun. I love you."
"Same here."
"Really? You think you can stand being married to a woman who disagrees with you on so much?"
Jake raised an eyebrow. "Conflict builds character," he said with a smirk.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Robert Kincaid sat in the office of Renaissance magazine, a shot of whiskey in one hand and the latest sales figures laid out on the desk before him. "The whole damned country's turning conservative again."
"The country's always been conservative, Bob. There's just a vocal minority like yourself who control the media, that's all."
Robert down the whiskey and pulled a face. He glanced over at his "guest." "I can't do this. I can't."
"If you don't, then your magazine's sales will continue to decline. They've all ready dropped 45% from last year's. You don't want to go the way of George magazine, do you?"
"But... this magazine has always stood for... integrity."
"Integrity won't pay that second mortgage of yours, Bob. What do you want to leave your daughter Sara with when you die? Memories of her proud father who left her with a lifetime of bills? Or memories of all those expensive vacations and presents you've always showered her with? And we won't even go into that affair with your secretary back in '82...."
Robert Kincaid sighed. "Fine. You provide the info and photographs... We'll run the article. Cover-story. Damnit. If you hadn't set the man up....!"
The man stepped forward. He was handsome, if somewhat prissy in his manner. A small salt-and-pepper beard outlined a smirking mouth. His eyes glittered when he said, "The mayor needs to be taken down a few pegs, Bob. You're just the means to an end. If there's anybody here who's committing a sin, it's me. Not you. You're just thinking of your family... As soon as you see that fat sum of money hit your bank account, you'll forget all about these little moral problems of yours."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
The man called Keos laughed, patting Robert like an old friend. "A sin like this, Bob, is just another drop in the bucket, believe me."
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Morrisons stood outside the Smithsonian, waiting for their cab. Sara was flipping through one of the brochures she'd picked up, while Jake watched with distaste as a long-haired youth walked by, his hand around his boyfriend's waist. I don't care if they're gay or not, but why can't they keep it to themselves?
"Thinking negative thoughts again, hon?"
"Not really."
Sara rolled her eyes as she put away the brochure. "Gay, straight or bi -- everyone has the right to express themselves. If they're in love, who cares?"
"Look, I like 'don't ask, don't tell.' What someone does in their own home is one thing, but in public there's a certain standard of public decency..."
"They weren't having sex, for God's sakes -- they were just walking arm-in-arm. Get over it. It's the 21st century."
Jake started to make a reply when he felt the ground suddenly give way beneath his feet. He stumbled forward, holding on to Sara to keep his balance. "What the hell--?"
Sara felt her heart rise in her throat. "Metahumans. I don't believe it... We're in the middle of a metahuman incident."
Jake looked up and saw that she was right. The man known as Major Disaster was striding towards the Smithsonian, the ground erupting into mini-volcanoes all around him. "That's right, people -- run! This time, Major Disaster is going to make a name for himself... No more Injustice League. No more Neron. Just Major Disaster, the world's most feared villain!"
"Great. Some loser decides to pick on Washington during our honeymoon." Jake balled a fist and started to move forward.
"What are you doing? Don't be an idiot! He's a supervillain!"
Jake stopped short. Sara was right, as usual. This wasn't some playground bully to be stomped into the dirt. This was a guy who could create earthquakes as easily as Jake could guess what play the Cowboys were about to call. He put an arm protectively around her and pulled her towards a mass of people. "Good point. Let's get out of here -- maybe he'll target the building and not us."
Sara was about to murmur her agreement when the ground shot upwards in front of them. Molten rock flew into the air as the sidewalk buckled and ripped. Sara found herself torn from Jake's grip, tumbling downwards into a crevice.
"Sara!" Jake hit the ground hard as heat singed the hair on the side of his head. He heard people screaming, but he felt like someone wrenched free of reality.
He wasn't lying there, his skin cracking from the heat, his wife possibly dead or injured.
He wasn't there.
Jake Morrison was on a rocky plain, staring up at the azure sky. Clouds moved so quickly that it made his stomach jerk and he quickly rolled to a sitting position. He spat something out of his mouth and saw blood stain the rock below. "Sara...?"
He tried to stand as memories washed over him. Sara needed him, he had to reach--
Nausea made him stagger.
Do you want to wage war on your enemy?
"What?" Jake looked around himself, wondering if he was hallucinating. That voice seemed to come from nowhere, and everywhere, at the same time.
The power can be yours, to do with as you see fit. You may rescue your mate... and bring swift justice to a world sorely lacking.
Jake stared at his feet. "Are you God?"
Such labels are unimportant. Accept my offer -- and the power is yours. You shall be a hawk, preying on the criminals of your world.
"And if I don't accept it?"
You will be returned to your world as you are... And what happens from there, no one can say.
Emotions raged within him, along with a nagging sense of disbelief. But something in this... being's... voice -- it made him want to believe.
"For Sara... I accept."
Then say the word -- Hawk.
Sara Morrison fell for what seemed an eternity. She braced for impact, feeling a sudden and shocking thought repeat in her mind. I never gave Jake a baby. I never gave Jake a --
She landed softly in a pile of feathers. For a moment, the jarring transition from 'about to die' to 'I'm okay' left her breathless. Taking in her surroundings, she saw she was in a dimly lit corridor of some kind. A sense of peace overwhelmed her, stifling any fear she felt. "I'm in heaven...."
No. Not heaven. I am not the God whom you worshipped as a child. But I come granting salvation, nonetheless. Do wish to bring peace to your loved ones?
"Of... of course I do. Jake -- he needs me!"
Yes. You balance his nature. The eternal balance of yin and yang are symbolized in your coupling.
"Is... he going to be okay?"
That is your choice. If you accept, I can grant your great power. You will be a dove, showing the chaotic world how to order itself peacefully.
The decision wasn't a hard one for Sara. She had to help Jake, in any way she could. "I accept."
Then say the word -- Dove.
Major Disaster strode through the rubble, a smile on his face. He wasn't quite sure how he'd come upon this plan, such as it was. He'd been in Hawaii all week, enjoying the spoils of a recent robbery, when the notion of coming to Washington had planted itself in his mind. Now, here he was, in the halls of history.
"I didn't see my wife out there... and that's bad for you. Because I have to assume the worst until I know she's okay."
Disaster froze in mid-step. The gruff voice wasn't familiar, but the tone and confidence sure was. "Well, well. A superhero. Wondered when one of you JLAers would--" The words died out as he turned to face a figure in red and white. "Who are you?"
Clenching his fist and grinning, Jake answered in what seemed the appropriate way. "I'm Hawk. And I'm about to kick the crap out of you."
"Not necessarily, 'Hawk.' We might be able to talk this out."
Both men blinked as Dove entered the museum. She was breathtakingly beautiful, fragile yet strong.
"Sara..." Hawk whispered.
Major Disaster felt a frown deepen on his face. "No. I am not going to fight Hawk and Dove. I led the Injustice League! I'm a JLA-caliber villain!"
"If you're trying to prove yourself, this is the wrong way to do it. Violence and aggression are the easy way out."
"Shut up, little bird. You're not my shrink!" Disaster summoned another earthquake, sending Dove flying into the air to escape its wrath.
Hawk let out a roar of unbridled anger. It felt good to release to his rage -- very good. It was like freeing oneself from a cage. He sped across the ground, backhanding Disaster hard. The impact sent the villain flying.
Dove watched as her husband hammered away on the criminal like a man possessed. Disaster was lashing out with powers madly, making the walls buckle. A cry made her turn, where she saw a young woman huddled on the floor. She was clutching a broken ankle, staring upwards as a slab of ceiling came loose. Dove flew (I'm flying! she couldn't help but think) towards her, snatching her out of harm's way just in time. The tile slammed into the floor with a bone-jarring crunch.
Hawk, meanwhile, was panting from exertion. Disaster was lying bruised and bloodied beneath him. "That should teach you..."
"Jake...."
Hawk turned to face her, the two of them staring at each other for a long moment. Then, in a simultaneous rush, they came together and embraced. "I was so worried about you...."
"Me, too."
Hawk pulled back and smiled at her. His rage was quieted, at least for the moment. "What the hell's happened to us?"
"I have no idea, honey... But I think our marriage just got a whole lot more interesting."
In Hawk & Dove # 2 : "Something Wicked This Way Comes" Part One. People are dying in Atlanta, while our heroes struggle with their newfound abilities. Can they unite on a crimefighting path or will they go solo as heroes?
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Welcome to our first issue. This series will be a quirky one, but hopefully everyone will enjoy it. I'm a big fan of the Kesel Hawk & Dove and felt that the shameful way the characters were treated in Armageddon 2001 was deserving of a major retcon.
Unfortunately, Clay wouldn't let me.
Hank Hall is too entrenched as Extant to ever allow anyone to revert him to Hawk and, to be honest, it would be tough to see him as a hero with the murders of all those JSAers hanging over him. Dawn, the second Dove, was recently revived for about 5 seconds in the "real" DC's JSA series. Then she was killed again.
Anyway, here you're going to get a series that will aim to replicate the best things from the Hank/Dawn pairing, while being original in its own right. Look for some old Hawk & Dove villains like Azure, Kestrel and the Madmen in the near future, sprinkled in amongst a few new baddies. Neither of these characters are perfect beings. They're flawed and, sometimes, you might not like them. But that's the way real people are.
Let me know how I'm doing,
