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Issue Number Three

Written by Barry Reese

"Something Wicked This Way Comes, Part Two"

ATLANTA, GEORGIA 7:35 PM

Jake Morrison fought to slow down the hammering of his heart. He was on a hospital rooftop, staring down at the long drop below. He checked his rapelling equipment once more before murmuring the word, "Hawk."

Instantly, he was transformed from his sweats and cap to the red-and-white costume of Hawk, one half of Atlanta's newest vigilante duo. The feeling of power and confidence that flooded through him eased his fear, but enough of that emotion was left behind to fuel his power. When the sense of true danger passed, so would his powers.

Dropping over the edge, Hawk repelled down the side of the building until he reached the room he was looking for. He'd been inside earlier, hoping to speak with the room's resident, only to find it under police guard. As a result, he'd been forced to improvise and use the rapelling gear he'd had at home.

He halted outside the window, pushing forward with a foot. To his surprise, it shifted slightly. It was open.

"I can't believe you're doing this. Do you have any idea how stupid you look hanging on the side of a hospital?"

Dove's voice nearly made him lose his grip. He shifted around on the rope to see his wife, decked out in blue and white, hovering nearby. Her arms were folded over chest and her lips were drawn into a tight frown.

Hawk grunted. "So how did you find me?"

"Well, let's see... I come home from work and notice you've been rummaging through the garage, taking your rapelling equipment with you. I find a newspaper sitting on the kitchen table, with the front page article on the Kestrel incident staring up at me -- and the name of the hospital circled in red in the story. I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but I put it together."

"Well, we need to find out about this girl* -- if she knows more about Kestrel, she can help us catch the little demon before it strikes again."

(*Last issue, our heroes battled the then-current host of the chaotic Kestrel. Said host was injured in the battle and was taken to the hospital after the Kestrel entity fled.)

"I agree."

"You do?" Jake couldn't hide his surprise. He'd been positive that Sara wouldn't go for this. Shaking down a girl in the hospital wasn't pretty, even when it was a necessity.

"Yep. But only if I do it. I'm a social worker. I deal with vulnerable people everyday. Let me talk to her while you try and get yourself off the side of the building without becoming a smear. Besides, you need to get home and pick out something to wear. We're supposed to be at dad's party at 8:30."

Jake nodded. He hated parties and she knew it. Still, it was a small price to pay for being married to the love of his life.

Dove wiggled past him, playfully kissing his cheek. She emerged into the darkened room, listening to the steady breathing of the young woman before her. According to the newspaper, she'd suffered a severe concussion, but was expected to make a fully recovery. Thank God, I'm not sure if I could live with myself if she'd been badly hurt because of me.

The young brunette who lay in the hospital bed was thin and fragile-looking, but the lines around her lips spoke of an easy smile and congenial manner. Her steady breathing indicated that she was currently asleep. "Excuse me, miss... But I need to talk to you."

The woman stirred, opening her eyes. She saw Dove standing there, her white hair fluttering in the night air. "Dawn....?"

For some reason, that name sent a chill down Sara's spine. A flutter of memories snaked across her mind's eye, hazy and confused. She recognized the woman before her, but it felt like an old recollection, one that hadn't come to her fully. "Ren. You're Renata. Renata Takamori."

Jake was straightening his tie when Sara came in. He saw her concerned expression and for a moment he kicked himself mentally. Should he have stayed behind with her? Had there been trouble after all? "What's wrong?"

Sara smiled wanly. "You look nice in your suit. Reminds me of the first time I ever saw you." She crossed the room and sat down wearily on the bed. The dress she'd chosen earlier was laying across the sheet. "Did we ever go to Georgetown University, Jake?"

Jake put his hands on his hips. "Sara? You're scaring the hell out of me... What happened?"

Sara's vision seemed to clear. "Hmm? Oh. God, I'm sorry. I feel like I've been walking in a fog."

"Did you see the girl?"

Sara nodded. The strange, almost empty expression that had been on her face when she'd arrived was now gone. She seemed animated and alive once more. "Yeah. Her name's Renata. She was a student at Georgetown University when Hank Hall and Dawn Granger attended -- she knew their secret identities, too."

"Who are they?"

"They were Hawk & Dove."

Jake considered that. "Makes sense that she knew them. When she was Kestrel, she mentioned somebody named Hank."

"It's more than that, though. When she first saw me... She thought I was the old Dove. And, you know what, I think I was. At least for a few minutes."

"What do you mean?"

"I remembered her. I remembered things about the old Dove. She and Hank got their powers from a Lord of Chaos and a Lord of Order. Their names were T'Charr and Terataya, but I forget which was which."

Jake rubbed his chin. "But how could you remember that? You think it's like a racial memory sort of thing? Whoever gets the powers, gets the memories of those who came before?"

Sara looked impressed at Jake's reasoning. "Don't know. But it's worth considering. Of course, you haven't remembered anything odd yet. Damn. We're gonna be late. We'll have to solve this one later."

Jake watched as she started to get ready, but his mind was far away. What in the world's happened to us? Are we still who we used to be? Or someone different altogether ....?

"Bob Kincaid. Good to see you again." Reginald Keos sipped his brandy and watched with amusement as Robert Kincaid's face fell. Keos hadn't been invited to the party, of course, but no one would have the nerve to turn him away. He glanced around the steadily increasing number of people. "Quite a little shindig you've got going. Celebrating the new issue hitting the stands tomorrow?"

"Actually, the new issue of Renaissance came out today, as you well know. The evening news ran it as their lead story." Robert glanced away, keeping his tone neutral. His wife was a safe distance away, but he wanted to keep her from Keos as much as possible. The man was evil, through and through. He was respected enough, but he'd uncovered more than a few secrets of Robert's and used them to ill ends.

"The mayor must be so upset." Keos chuckled. "You did a nice job. I wanted to tell you in person."

"Keep your congratulations to yourself." Robert moved away. "Now, if you don't mind, I see my daughter has arrived."

Keos watched as Kincaid moved to embrace an attractive young woman. Her date, her husband Keos presumed, was a broad-shouldered gent who looked uncomfortable in his finery. Their auras seemed to shimmer with power, invisible to everyone in the room except Keos.

A long, slow smile spread across his lips. Chaos. The boy reeks of it. And as for her... she's as sanctified as any of Order's creations. I do believe I've found the new Hawk & Dove....

Detective Henry Watkins sat at his desk, staring at the photographs laid out before him. Hawk and Dove, heroes most recently active in Washington, D.C., were now in Atlanta -- and involved in a series of vigilante-releated murders. The damn capes are here to stay. It's chaos, pure and simple.

"Are you going to put out an APB for this Kestrel girl?"

Watkins nearly jumped out of his seat. He whirled angrily on his partner, the much younger Bigelow. "Damnit! Can't you walk up like a normal person? All that damned skulking around... I'm gonna have a heart attack."

"Sorry, detective. I was just wondering about Kestrel."

"Well, I do plan to release an APB, but I'm not sure what good it's going to do. If we believe Miss Takamori, and we don't have any reason not to, she's here in Atlanta working for Renaissance magazine. She was possessed by an agent of Chaos who has since vacated her body. Said agent of Chaos could take over the body of just about anybody and we can't do diddlysquat to stop them. Pretty depressing."

"Guess you're right. We have to be careful not to start a panic." Bigelow leaned forward and looked at the file. "So Hawk was a member of the Titans?"

Watkins blinked. "Yeah... He was, wasn't he? You know, Bigelow, as much as I hate the idea of capes in my city, there's kind of a poetic justice to letting them deal with their own."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning -- Get me the number for the Titans...."

"So, how's married life suiting the two of you?"

"Pretty good, Mr. Kincaid. Work's been a hassle, but that's usual. I guess things should be interesting for you the next few days -- that scandal with the mayor has everyone talking."

Robert shifted. He liked Jake, always had -- even given their differing political views. There was no mistaking the tone in Jake's voice, either. He was surprised that the Renaissance had run what was basically a tabloid-style investigation. Thankfully, Sara had been avoiding the subject, but she looked on with interest now. "It certainly has set tongues wagging... In hindsight, I might have run the story a bit differently but with the wedding and all I didn't oversee it as well as I should have."

Sara nodded understandably. The wedding had been a major event for the family, with well over 300 guests in attendance. "Well, if he's really involved in all those things, the truth needed to come out. Better that it did in the Renaissance than one of those scandal rags."

Robert let that pass without comment. He had a feeling that once he saw the sales figures from this issue, he might be forced to continue down this path of sensationalism. It made him ill.

Sara felt Jake's grip tighten on her arm. He nodded towards Keos, who was strolling out into the garden. Keos looked rakish in his expensive suit, his hair slicked back and his face showing the faintest trace of amusement. "Who's that?"

Robert spoke before Sara could answer. "Reginald Keos. He's a fairly wealthy philanthropist and a bit of a Renaissance fan. No one important."

"Oh. He just looked familiar, I guess. C'mon, Sara -- let's grab a drink. See you later, Mr. Kincaid." Jake fairly pulled Sara away.

She couldn't help but wonder what he was up to. "Why are you being so rude? Do you really need a drink that badly?"

"There's something about that Keos guy. The way he was looking at us... and that feeling is back. The one I had when we were near Kestrel."

"Hmm. I feel it, too. I guess you're more attuned to it since--"

"Since I'm an agent of Chaos? Maybe. Whatever that means."

The couple came to a stop in the garden. It was a clear night, with just the hint of rain on the horizon. Keos stood with a drink in his hand, as if waiting for them. "Small world, isn't it?"

Jake clenched a fist, moving somewhat in front of Sara. "Is it?"

"Oh, yes. Here I am, an immortal agent of Chaos... with plans for Atlanta that require the use of certain... pawns... and here I find myself confronted with a new Hawk & Dove -- who happen to be related to one of my more recent pawns. As I said, small world."

Both Sara and Jake felt their mouths drop open. "You know?!" Sara gasped. "How?"

Keos rolled his eyes. "Like I told you, I'm an associate of Chaos. I have been since I accepted their offer of power in 1863. Because of that association, I recognize our ilk. Keep in mind, children, that the Lords of Order and the Lords of Chaos have as much in-fighting as any other groups. The two of you are champions for a small faction who believe the time has come to unite Chaos and Order, to forge something new."

"And who are you the champion of?"

Keos had a glint in his eye. "Me? I'm old school all the way. From Chaos, there shall come Order. That's what the Lords of Order never understood. Their way is too pat, too predictable. There must be fire before the cleansing can take place. I'm here to sow the seeds of a new fire in Atlanta... and then, when the city seems to fall in upon itself -- I'll step forward. And restore the glory, the passion and the structure of the Old South. Before Lincoln ended our dreams and brought us back to a crumbling Republic. I've already begun my plans, by using Kestrel to eliminate the criminal leaders and their immediate underlings -- and now the mayor and his adminstration will fall apart as well. Chaos."

"My God, Jake... He's insane."

Jake heard the voices of partygoers behind him. Should he change to Hawk here and put them at risk? "You know we'll try and stop you."

"Try? Oh, I have no doubt of that." The feel of Chaos grew stronger, making the hair on Sara's neck stand on end. Keos seemed to shift subtly, his form altering. "But you'll fail... because I've gained control of a very powerful force. One that will make me more than your equal."

"Oh, no...." Sara took a step back as Keos threw his back and laughed. Gone was his suit and tie, in its place was a familiar black and purple costume. "He's got the Kestrel inside him."

"Then we've got no choice, Sara. Hawk."

Sara swallowed. This is going to be hard. We've got to protect those people inside, while protecting our identities and stopping this lunatic.... Guess it's not easy being a hero. "Dove."

In Hawk & Dove # 4 : "Something Wicked..." comes to a close! The full origin of Reginald Keos, the new Kestrel! And what is Dove's strange connection to Dawn Granger? Plus : a cameo appearance by the New Titans!

LETTERS OF WAR, LETTERS OF PEACE

Greetings, mortals. I am S'chak, the Lord of Chaos who has empowered the star of this series, Hawk.

And I am Kor, the Lord of Order who has empowered the co-star (remember that, S'chak) of this series, Dove.

Hmm. As you say, Kor.

We shall be sharing the duties of responding to letters, be they full of hate or love. Let us begin.

From Gary Dreslinski :

We that are Dreslinski very much enjoyed Hawk and Dove #2

(What Peachtree street that was, there's quite a few of them around Atlanta)

We were most impressed with the return of Kestrel (Is she the same one from the old Kesel series or someone new?) (Do you think that the Kesels brought in Kestrel as an in-joke on their name?)

We also enjoyed the hints at future internal conflicts with the new Hawk and Dove, as well as references to Hank and Dawn (We enjoyed the letters column as well, although we wonder how Barry Reese was able to convince Lords of Order and Chaos to answer his mail on the series? Did he start out doing it and then quit, needing someone else to take over for him?)

All in all good series! (The Dreslinski approve of this series. We give it seven thumbs up!)

Hmm. These mortals are quite strange, aren't they?

I like this one. His mind is chaotic and unusual. With more of his kind, Chaos could rule the Earth! Our war would at long last end with victory for--

Sigh. The question of who Kestrel's host was last issue has been answered, hopefully to your satisfaction. As for how Mr. Reese was able to cajole us into answering his mail, let us merely say that he has, at various times, served as both a force for Order and for Chaos.

From Bob Gansler :

Great job on the first issue. I was big fan of the original Hawk & Dove as well, and I'm glad to see that you're continuing the concept, albeit with new characters. I'm wondering if the mysterious entities who gave the new duo are really a Lord of Order and a Lord of Chaos, or if you have something more devilish in mind. I look forward to finding out.

Many thanks, Robert. We wish you peace for all your loved ones.

May your enemies fall dead in a pool of their own spittle.

From Chuck Burke, via the Faux-DC Mailing List :

What's that you say? Hawk and Dove?!?

Yeah, they're back but they're not back. Honoring what DC has done with the characters, Barry Reese has passed those groovy mantles on to a new pair of heroes. The first issue is the typical "who they are and how they came to be" sort of affair, but it comes off well.

There is some behind the scenes manipulation going on here and I would like to know who these beings are that are granting the powers. I guess I would know if I had read the previous Hawk and Dove series but I didn't, so I guess I'll just hang on and see how long it takes for some of these things to be explained.

It looks like interesting things are coming, too. Good foreshadowing. I'll be back for more.

There is no 'manipulation' going on here, Mr. Burke. We are merely 'encouraging' mortals to do our bidding.

They are slaves to our desires! Minions to live or die at our whims! Their child shall ignite a new era of Chaos--

-- and order. Remember that.

Until next time everyone!

Write to S'chak and Kor.