Web hosting Custom Email SiteBuilder

Issue Number Seven

July Year Two

Written by Barry Reese

"The Scream Killer"

ATLANTA, 1889

Reginald Keos stepped over the bloodied corpse, dabbing a handkerchief over his sensitive nose. He was no stranger to death, having accepted the Laughing Dancers as his masters some twenty years before, but this... this lacked all sense of style and decorum. "You brought me here to show me this?" he asked, a disdainful note in his voice.

The man who stood in the shadows flinched as if struck. He wore a broad-brimmed hat, pulled low. The cheeks of his face were pink and rosy, quite unlike his normal appearance. The ritual had worked its magic, however, and he appeared quite human. "You... you don't like it?"

Keos could hear the disappointment in the man's voice. So strange, how a creature such as he can be so deadly and so pathetic at the same time. "You came here to Atlanta just to win my approval, didn't you? You wanted me to somehow give validity to your actions?"

The killer blinked, staring at the elaborately drawn pentagram on the floor. The woman's blood and entrails had made a mess of it. "I thought that you would... appreciate... my work. We're both immortals. We both serve chaos."

Reginald chuckled, a harsh sound that echoed in the basement. "Oh my. No, my friend. You serve 'chaos,' with a small 'c'. I serve Chaos, capitalized. Quite a difference." He nudged the corpse with the toe of his boot. "Dispose of this and don't bother coming back to my city until you've made something of yourself. Until then, you're nothing more than a rank amateur. Do you understand?"

Lincoln Mayhew nodded slowly, a rage building in his heart. "Very well. I'll come back when I think I'm ready. And then you'll have no choice but to greet me as an equal."

"I only hope I live so long, Mayhew. I can only hope."

ATLANTA, THE MODERN DAY

Renata Takamori sipped her coke and watched as Jake Morrison wrapped up his self-defense class. The group was almost entirely composed of women, many of whom seemed almost eerily intent on mastering the various defense techniques. I wonder how many of them are here because they've been attacked before? Too bad Jake's moves wouldn't help me against Kestrel coming back and taking over my body again.

"...So we'll meet again on Wednesday. Have a nice night, everyone." Jake plucked up a towel and wiped his neck and face with it. He saw Ren walking towards him and felt a strange tightening in his throat. Since returning from that limbo world, he'd had a hard time accepting the fact that he wasn't just Jake anymore. He had bits and pieces of not only the old Jake, but also Hank Hall and a Lord of Chaos named T'Charr. And Hank Hall had very much been infatuated with Renata... "Hiya, Ren. What's up?"

Ren held up her camera. "I was supposed to stop by tonight and take a few snapshots, remember? Gonna save you guys a few bucks so you don't have to go to Glamour Shots."

"Oh yeah. Sara mentioned that. How come you didn't meet us at our place?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you alone."

Jake felt his face redden. He tried to keep his voice neutral as he walked towards the door. "Okay. I can give you a lift, I guess. Sorry about not showering off first -- the faucet's broken here so I've just been waiting 'til I got home."

Ren cocked a grin. "No problem. I like my guys big and sweaty. Muy macho"

Despite his nervousness, Jake laughed. "Okay. So what did you want to talk about?"

"Sara gave me a call down at the Renaissance office and told me about your fight with Hank... or Extant, whatever he calls himself now."

Jake shifted. "She tell you everything?"

"Yeah. About how you guys were killed in a wreck and your souls were all jumbled up with Hank and Dawn's..." Ren seemed to be spending a great deal of time staring at her own camera. "Anyway, I thought about how excited you were when you first saw me a few days ago -- how you acted like you were Hank and all."

"Ren, I--"

"Hush. I want to get this out and over with before tonight. I know that part of you is Hank and I want you to know that I'll always love that guy. Always. But you're not just Hank anymore. You're a guy named Jake, who has a great wife and a good marriage. So... We can't be together." The last words tumbled out in a rush, as if she'd been afraid that pausing had meant she wouldn't be able to voice them.

Jake stopped. He looked at Ren, who was deliberately looking away. Tears stood out in her eyes. "You're breaking up with me?"

Renata glanced up in surprise. The voice had been Hank's, the tones just like the ones he used when they were alone. She could see him in Jake's eyes, as if he'd risen up out of whatever corner of Jake's soul he was normally housed in. "Yeah. I guess so."

Jake suddenly pulled her to him, holding her so tightly she was afraid she'd break. She didn't mind, though. She let the tears come hard. "I'm sorry, Ren. I'm so sorry."

"Me too, Hank. Me too."

Dove soared through the air with the nimble grace of her namesake. She loved that she was now able to transform into her true form anytime she wished -- it made getting home at rush hour so much easier.

A sudden smile flashed over face.

My true form. I guess that's true. Sara Morrison died three years ago, same day as Dawn Granger. Whatever I am now, it's an amalgam of them and Terataya. So maybe this form is my true one. Of course, I'm not quite sure what it means to be a Lord of Order -- you'd think I'd be able to just teleport home or something. Maybe I will be able to someday, when my powers are finished developing.

Sara's thoughts came to an abrupt end as a colorful figure suddenly cut her off. He came to a stop right in front of her, dressed in a gaudy red, white and yellow costume. Flame flickered madly atop his scalp. "Sorry for startling you, but I was hoping you could help a fella out."

Dove hovered in the air, crossing her arms. She was running late already and didn't have time for this. "Firestorm, right? I recognize you and I know you and the rest of the Titans are really worried about us, but we're fine. I should have called as soon as we got back, but--"

Firestorm blinked and held up his hands. For some reason, the gesture made Sara wonder how old he really was. Could he be my age or younger? Couldn't be! He's been around for years.... "Whoa! Slow down, Dove. I'm not a member of the Junior JLA or whatever you're thinking. I was in the real deal -- the Justice League of America. So knock off the Titans stuff, okay?"

"Okay... Sorry. I thought you were here because-- Never mind. What can I do for you?"

"Well... I'm here looking for a friend of mine. I think she was kidnapped by this guy called the Scream Killer and brought here. When I saw you flying by, I figured you might know about it."

Dove resisted smiling. It was rather cute that he thought she'd know about any crimes going on in 'her' city. "Scream Killer? I've heard of him -- he's struck throughout the Northeast, right?"

"Unfortunately. And he hit New York most recently. A girl named Jennie Graf might be his next victim."

Sara felt a brief chill go through her. The so-called Scream Killer had gotten his name because he struck in crowded settings, kidnapping young women in seemingly impossible conditions. The madman would grab the girl, usually allowing her just enough time to let loose a gasp or cry, and then disappear with her. Weeks or months later, the girl would usually turn up again -- ritually tortured and murdered. "I'm sorry, Firestorm -- but I don't have a clue about where to start."

The Nuclear Man's face fell. "Me neither. I guess I could try and call in some of my old JLA contacts. Maybe Batman could spare a few minutes to help me. All I have to go on is this thing." He held up a small ritual dagger. Dark stains covered the blade, evidence that it had been used on more than one occasion.

Dove flinched as if struck. A wave of nausea washed over her and she would have fallen to the Earth below if Firestorm hadn't reached out to steady her. "That knife... it's got Chaos all over it."

"Chaos?"

"Yeah. Hawk and I are attuned to stuff like that. If the Scream Killer has a scent like this, I think we might be able to track him -- I'm not sure if I could do it, but Hawk can sense chaos a mile away."

"Great! I really appreciate this. Do you guys have a headquarters somewhere?"

Dove smiled softly. "We have an apartment. Will that do?" She took Firestorm's hand in hers. "C'mon. I'll take you there. So what's Batman like?"

"Pretty spooky."

"That's what I figured."

Lincoln Mayhew, known to some by the more flamboyant name 'Scream Killer', stared at the newspaper clipping. He could hear Jennie beginning to wake up in the basement, straining at her bonds. He didn't care -- it wasn't time to begin the ritual, the one that would restore his flesh-and-blood appearance. Until then, she could cry and moan to her heart's content.

The headline continued to jump out at him : KEOS IN COMA, QUESTIONS ABOUND*. "Such a shame that you won't be able to appreciate this, Reginald. I've finally come back to show you how much I've grown, only to find that you cannot appreciate it any longer."

(*Keos was severely injured in Hawk & Dove # 4.)

A pang of hunger made him grimace. The muscles of his gaunt body shone wetly, with no outer skin to conceal them. He would be completely skeletal by the time the ritual was ready, the hunger in his spirit growing and greater until it had to be dealt with in an orgy of violence.

"But this will be the last. Now that Keos is gone, I'll take his place. This will be my city." Lincoln Mayhew laughed, a series of short barks that sounded as much like crying as laughing.

In less than an hour, he'd begin the ritual anew. Only this time there'd be a twist. He'd add something new, something he'd picked up only recently. He was going to summon Chaos first. Unlike Reginald, the Lords were bound to be impressed by his artistry.

Firestorm tried to keep cool, but it was hard. He hadn't known Jennie for very long, but he felt like there was something there between them. Since breaking up with Firehawk years before, he hadn't had a serious relationship and it was well past time to give love another try. He cast a glance at Hawk & Dove and wondered if he'd done the right thing in approaching them. He hadn't been a hero at the time, but he thought he'd heard stories about Hawk becoming a villain or something... Of course, it wasn't like he hadn't done a few things that looked bad, himself. Still, their silence was making him edgy.

Dove flew silently, her husband leaping from rooftop to rooftop down below. She could sense Firestorm's doubts, but knew they were brought on by his own fears as much as by his distrust of her and Hawk. Can you hear me, Jake?

Sure can. The new telepathic link seems to work fine, even if it is only when we're in costume.

Right. We'll have to watch out for Firestorm. He's worried and that might make him sloppy.

Listen at you! You sound like an old pro at this hero game. Hawk favored her with a smile.

I am. And so are you. Remember?

Jake nodded. She was right. Considering that T'Charr and Terataya were part of them now, they actually had centuries' worth of experience. I'll keep an eye on him. Listen, you're not really pissed that I joined the NRA, are you?

Can we talk about this some other time, Jake? If you want to join that bunch of gun-toting lunatics, feel free. But I don't want guns in our house and I don't want to see Charleton Heston t-shirts in the closet.

Fair enough. Besides, with our powers, we don't need guns.

Hawk came to a stop. The three of them had followed the trail here, to a rather rundown area composed of aging apartment buildings and low-rent housing. He and Sara had disagreed about conducting all of their patrols here -- he felt that since most of the violent crime occurred in the slums, they should spend most of their time there. Dove had been worried it might appear that they were targeting the poorer class and ignoring other types of crime. Whatever, Jake thought.

I heard that. Sara turned to Firestorm. "We're here."

As the two flying heroes landed, Hawk took charge. "I can still sense chaos -- it's coming from that one over there, the small house on the corner. Whoever this Scream Killer is, he's not like Kestrel. This is small-time stuff, not real Chaos."

"It doesn't seem small-time to me," Firestorm whispered.

Dove tilted her head. "Hey... Something's happening."

Even Firestorm felt it. Static electricity in the air was building rapidly. "Uh-oh."

Hawk shouted, "Firestorm! Shield us!"

The Nuclear Man acted instantly, transforming the molecules in the air about him into a metallic shield that covered the heroes. At almost the same time, the small house ahead of them exploded, sending bits of brick and stone flying everywhere.

Hawk stared upwards as a rift seemed to form in the sky, amid steadily increasing numbers of clouds. He saw something begin to emerge from the rift, a gigantic clawed hand that seemed like something out of an old monster movie.

Down below, still standing in the center of his pentagram, was the Scream Killer. He held his knife up to the sky, his skeletal mouth hanging open in glee. Between his legs lay the nude form of Jennie Graf , Bound by thick ropes. She stared up in horror. "Yes! Come forth! Come!" Lincoln Mayhew beckoned horrifically.

The creature stepped through the rift, towering almost two hundred feet in the air. His massive legs crushed several buildings. He was bone-white and eyeless, a thin membrance covering his face. His mouth opened and closed rhythmically and he emitted a howl that sounded both lonely and terrible.

Firestorm lifted off into the air. "What the heck is that?"

Dove's face was drawn tight with worry. "That idiot tried to summon the Lords of Chaos... But he brought that down instead."

Hawk whistled as the thing began to approach, destroying everything in his path. "This is gonna hurt...."

Coming Up In Hawk & Dove # 8 : The return of Azure! An old foe of Hawk & Dove is back, with a vengeance!

WORDS OF A FEATHER

Thanks to Ralph Angelo, for creating the basic concept of the Scream Killer and for helping make this mini-crossover so much fun.

This issue marks the first stage in my plan to increase the visibility of H&D in the Faux-DC Universe. Next up : getting one or both of them onto one of FDC's superhero teams! Send in your votes now and I'll forward them on to the appropriate writer(s)! Want to see Hawk and/or Dove in the JLA? the Titans? the JSA? the Doom Patrol? Bad Blood? The possibilities are endless! Vote early and vote often!

Next issue features the debut of our "Guest Lettercolumns," in which various celebrities from throughout the FDC Universe answer our mail. Trust me -- the strangest lettercolumn in the world is only going to get stranger....

Barry