web hosting short URLs photo sharing

Issue Number Four

Written by Barry Reese

"Something Wicked This Way Comes, Part Three"

Late 1863, Atlanta

"The war's goin' bad, Reginald. Mark my words, the South's gonna lose."

Reginald Keos sat in the study of his plantation home, the vile taste of defeat heavy in his mouth. He knew that his friend was right, as usual. "Damn it all, Henry. If that fool from Illinois hadn't made it to the presidency...."

"This has been brewin' for longer than that and you know it. God only knows what'll become of Atlanta."

Reginald leaned forward and cupped his chin. "We'll become as degenerate as the yankees, no doubt. So-called 'equality' for lesser men, women who have forgotten their place and a total loss for the proud traditions of the past... that's what we have to look forward to."

"Hmm. There may be a way to save it all... or, at least, to make sure it rises again someday. The old South, I mean."

Reginald looked up. His friend was bathed in the afternoon light which streamed through the window. It gave him an ethereal appearance. "How so?"

"You know that some of my slaves practice mysticism... Well, I've learned a bit from them. I... believe... they've actually stumbled onto a way to contact beings of a supernatural nature."

"You must be joking...."

"Not at all. I've seen it myself. And I'd be willing to bet that those beings would help us -- there'd be a price, o'course. Most likely a soul or two."

Keos stood and moved to the window. He looked out at his wife and children, playing outside. He loved this life, with its luxeries that he'd worked so hard to acquire. He'd fancied himself a future governor someday... "I'd do whatever I could to save all this. My passion for the southern way of life can't be properly put into words."

Henry nodded. "I know. If you'd like, you can come on by... and see what we can do."

Keos turned to face him. "These...beings...are they devils?"

"The slaves call 'em The Laughing Dancers. Supposed to be lords of chaos, or somesuch."

"I'll be there tonight, Henry. And if I can do anything to protect our ideals, I will. Even if I have to serve these dancers for seven generations."

Modern Atlanta, the home of Robert Kincaid

"Hawk -- I'm going inside and getting everyone out of the house? Can you handle Kestrel alone for a minute?"

Jake grinned and cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure, babe. I'll have this wrapped up by the time you get back."

Sara didn't respond. She didn't have time. Every second that she wasted was one more second that her parents, and everyone else inside, could be put at risk. They'd come to this party hoping to put the weird events of the past week behind them, but they'd found that the weirdness had followed them. Reginald Keos, an associate of Sara's father, had revealed himself to be the mastermind behind Kestrel's recent killing spree... just before he'd taken on the Kestrel spirit himself. Now, Keos and Kestrel were One.

Dove burst into the party, bringing all conversation to a dead halt. "Listen, people, this is an emergency! There's a crazy metahuman outside and you're all in danger unless you evacuate NOW."

Robert Kincaid pulled his wife close. "Who are you?"

Dove tried to put as much sincerity into her voice as possible. "Dad-- Mr. Kincaid, please. Just trust me. I'm a friend." She moved towards the front door, opening it wide. "Walk fast, don't run."

Robert escorted his wife out, but kept his eyes on Dove. Though her voice was changed in her heroic form, there was enough in her manner to make him think of his daughter. Not to mention that it had almost sounded like she'd called him 'dad.' He stopped suddenly. "Sara! My daughter's still in there."

"It's okay -- I'll get her and her husband out."

Robert let himself be pushed out the door, but he couldn't help wondering How does she know my daughter has a husband?

"So it's just the two of us, Hawk. How perfect. No doubt, this is the part of the story where I offer you my hand and say 'Join with me, Hawk. Together we rule side-by-side.' Shall skip that and go straight to the next act?" Kestrel crouched, his claws extended. It was obvious that Keos was relishing his newfound physical power.

"Give it a rest, Keos. You're just as bad as the scum you had killed. You talk about how degenerate Atlanta has become? Look in a mirror, pal."

Keos laughed, leaping forward. Gone was most of Keos' civilized veneer. In its place was the violent savagery of Kestrel. He claws raked across Hawk's chest, drawing blood. "I'm the future, Hawk. You can't hope to defeat me -- I've been inside you before, trapped like a beast in a zoo. There are nasty things inside you, nasty things that drove poor Hank Hall mad. No mortal mind as simple as yours can resist that much chaos!"

Hawk felt a tremor of fear go through him. He remembered savagely beating a terrorist, stopped from murder only by an old friend*. Then he saw himself driven beyond sanity, donning an armored suit while standing over the corpse of his partner**.

(*See New Titans # 20. **In the horrifyingly bad Armageddon 2001 # 2.)

"No... That wasn't me!"

"Of course it was. Those powers of yours carry with them an awful lot of baggage, Jake. I can help you understand them...."

"Go to hell!" Hawk backhanded the villain, sending him flying through the garden. Kestrel landed in a heap in the middle of a flower bed. "I'm not Hank Hall and I'm not going crazy! Maybe he went off the deep end, but I'm made of sterner stuff."

Kestrel flicked a tongue out to lick up a drop of blood that was dripping down. "So I see."

Hawk barrelled forward, like a bull charging. Kestrel rolled back, throwing a leg up. He caught Hawk in the midsection, the hero's momentum carrying him up and over. Jake landed with a thud against the side of the house.

Before Jake could clear away the cobwebs, Kestrel was straddling him with claws raised. "Our game's over, Hawk. It's a shame you'll never get to see the new Atlanta. I think you would have liked it."

A sudden blow from the side sent Kestrel askew. His claws raked harmlessly at the grass as he struggled back to his feet.

On his back, Hawk looked up at his wife who had just finished delivering a powerful kick. She stood there, panting, with a battle-ready stance. Jake felt a smile forming. "Baby, I love you."

Sara helped him to his feet. "Same here. Ready to kick some tail?"

Hawk's grin spread wider, realizing she was offering to do it his way for once. "Sure... but only after exhausting all other possibilities."

Renata Takamori sat up in her hospital bed and fought against a wave of nausea. She'd fled to Atlanta after graduating from Georgetown, seeking to put the disappointments of the past behind her -- her failed relationship with Hank Hall, the disappearance of her friend Dawn and, worst of all, her temporary possession by the chaotic entity known as Kestrel. Unfortunately, her past had proven impossible to escape.

Since arriving in Atlanta, she'd successfully gained a position with Renaissance magazine and crossed the path of Reginald Keos, who had stopped by the publisher's office to pay a visit to Mr. Kincaid. Since then, things were a bit hazy -- she'd felt herself succumbing to the Kestrel entity once more, taunted by the chaotic being's mental jibes. You're mine, Ren. Everyone I ever possess keeps a taint of me inside them forever. That's why I can't be truly destroyed or contained -- because I have an 'escape route' inside my former hosts.

"Not from me anymore, bucko. My soul's a one-way street from now on." Ren stood up and flipped on the television set. She wasn't quite sure how to prevent a return of Kestrel in the future, but her eternal optimism told her she'd find a way -- especially since Dawn was back*. And if Dawn was the Dove who'd been running around Atlanta, maybe Hank was back, too?

(*Dove met Ren last issue, succumbing briefly to the memories of Dawn Granger, the previous Dove. Why this happened hasn't been explained yet.)

"...and in one of Atlanta's more elite suburban communites, chaos seems to reign. Renaissance publisher Robert Kincaid has evacuated his house after a metahuman battle broke out between a trio identified as Hawk, Dove and Kestrel. Police have barricaded the area and are waiting for a break in the action to move in. The mayor has reportedly sent word to Washington that their Special Crimes Unit might need to be flown in...."

Ren turned off the television set and pursed her lips. "This can't be coincidence. I come to Atlanta, and that's just where Hawk & Dove return? Nope. This is kismet, pure and simple. Hank Hall and I were meant to be together!"

Hawk and Dove were quickly finding out that superhuman combat could be very painful, even with incredible regenerative abilities.

Kestrel was more than a match for Hawk's physical prowess and his speed was nearly equal to that of Dove. Currently, he held Dove by the throat, applying more and more pressure. "Little cow... Don't you realize that your masters will never be able to win? Chaos is the natural order of things...."

Dove pushed off into the air, using her power of flight to lift both her and Kestrel off the ground. The villain let out a small cry of alarm, but kept his powerful grip in place.

Hawk, meanwhile, was gripping a section of concrete, slowly pulling it right out of the sidewalk. He pushed aside a momentary flush of amazement over his own strength and hefted the rock into the air. The entire garden was a wreck, but Hawk knew that more damage was to come. He was a fine marksman from his days in the marines and he used that skill now, lining up Kestrel in his sights.

He threw the concrete slab, connecting with Kestrel. The agent of chaos lost his hold on Dove and landed hard on the rooftop, rolling down and off. He landed on his side on the ground, bleeding.

Hawk was on him immediately. The two were trading blows at a rapid pace, while Dove floated nearby. Her neck hurt terribly, but she could feel herself healing already. Below, she watched as her husband wailed away savagely. It was a frightening sight.

Swooping down low, she grabbed hard on Kestrel's arms. The act surprised him and left him wide open for a haymaker punch from Hawk. Kestrel's head whipped to the side from the impact, blood and spittle flying. He sagged somewhat in Dove's arms and she allowed him to slide down.

Jake raised both fists and was about to lower another blow when Dove stopped him. "No! He's down. Let's turn him over to the police...."

Hawk glared at her. The chaos-driven strength was propelling him forward and Dove suddenly realized that the angrier he got, the stronger he became -- and the more unstable. "He killed people. If we send him to the cops, he'll buy his way free. You know it!"

"But if we kill him, we're just as bad!"

"The hell we are -- if he goes free, more will die."

"Jake, you're forgetting about Kestrel. He's the really dangerous one. Keos can be contained, but it's Kestrel who's the one who killed those drug lords. And we can't contain him, not any way I know of. Killing this guy will only kill Kestrel's host, not the demon."

Hawk took a step back, his breathing slowing. Sara had always been able to tame his wild side and he suddenly saw, with great clarity, why they needed each other : She reigned him in, while he was responsible for taking her out on a limb from time to time. They kept each other from becoming too set in their ways. "Okay. So we turn Keos over to the police and wait for Kestrel to come back?"

Dove sighed. Any minute now, the police would come in and they'd be forced to flee. They needed to decide something quick.

Jake snapped his fingers. "I've got it! Kestrel and I are made from the same sort of energy -- Chaos. But you're his opposite -- Order. Maybe somehow we can flood him with your Order-created power. It might destroy him."

Sara looked dubious. "And how do I do that?"

"I've seen you glow before so you must be able to produce some kind of power."

"Well, why not? What can it hurt?" Dove knelt beside Kestrel, placing her hands on him. She closed her eyes, trusting her husband to protect her if Kestrel recovered enough to attack. She felt, dimly, a connection to something greater. Something warm, and safe, and peaceful. Light flared about her, nearly blinding Jake.

The light rose in intensity as the power of Order flowed through her hands, into her enemy. Though it was her power that was accomplishing the task, it had been Jake's idea. Teamwork, she mused.

Kestrel opened his mouth to scream, the touch of her hands beginning to burn him. The demon twisted and contorted, trying to pull free of its host. For just a second, a hazy image of Kestrel appeared, slightly superimposed over the form of Reginald Keos. The image howled in agony before splintering apart with a sound like breaking glass.

Dove staggered back, weakened. "Did it work?"

Jake caught her in his arms. "Sure did. You did great."

Her costume flickered as she returned to normal. Now that the danger was passed, their powers were no longer needed. Jake returned to normalcy as well.

"What'll we tell the police?" she whispered.

"That we were caught out here during the fight -- and that Hawk & Dove saved us. And we'll vouch that Keos was behind it all, for whatever good it'll do."

Sara glanced down at Keos' slack jaw and blank expression. "I think the Kestrel damaged his psyche."

"Good. Maybe he won't be able to hurt anyone else."

Sara held him tighter. "You think we're going to be able to handle all this? These weird memories, the powers? We still have work and our marriage to balance...."

"Babe, together we can do anything. Don't doubt it."

In Hawk & Dove # 5 : The New Titans are in town, eager to uncover just what connection the current Hawk & Dove have to the originals. The answers may surprise you!

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 Dave Skorupa, courtesty of the Faux-DC mailing list :

"I faced the JLA and led the injustice gang! I am NOT going to fight
Hawk and Dove!" Major Disaster says, and by golly, I'm glad HE said
it because I was thinking it as I read this story. Barry gives us a
married Hawk and Dove - MARRIED for crying out loud, which is a nice
change of pace from the traditional "hidden feelings" department we
normally see in this stuff.

As a married guy myself, I hope Barry explores more than just battles
and examines how difficult it would be to balance a job, a marriage,
and fighting supervillians. Talk about exhaustion!

This series has some good potential. I'd like to see H&D become more
than the one-dimensional characters I've seen them be over in DC, and
Barry's set some good groundwork for that.

Why would we focus on more than battle? I don't understand these mortals. War and chaos are all that matters!

There's more to life than war, S'chak. Have no fear, Mr. Skorupa, the private lives of our heroes will be focused upon beginning next issue.

From Gary Dreslinski :

Great issue as usual! You have done a fine job creating the new Hawk and Dove. The Dreslinski is most pleased. They shall burn delightfully when the Kali Yaga comes. You mention the child of your new minions - shall this be the Unity that is oft spoke of? Or shall the child be the instrument of something greater? The Dreslinski looks forward to the next issue - and thanks the Lords of Order and Chaos for "convincing" their tool Reese to bring back Ren in this new series.

The child shall usher in a new age, Dreslinski. Pray that you are deemed worthy of a role within it.

All shall be made clear, in time. As for Ren, she is an old, dear friend and will play a large role in the lives of Hawk & Dove. The next issue will delve into the mysteries behind the creation of the new Hawk & Dove and will feature S'chak and myself in a more active role.

Until next time everyone!

Write to S'chak and Kor.