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HEART OF THE STORM
The Hammer Forged Part 1
Written by: Keith Leighton
THE DCFuture Underground Fan Fiction group acknowledges that DC Comics owns the The Justice League and ALL related characters and retain complete rights to said characters. These concepts are used WITHOUT permission for NO PROFIT, but rather a strong desire to peer into the future of the DC Universe.
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10 YEARS AGO
SEATTLE WA
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Jonathan Alexander Tempest overlooked the construction site on the bank of the Puget Sound. Soon his corporate headquarters would be here. He had designed the building himself. From the ground up, this was to be the pinnacle of Tempest Industries. In his hands he held the gold plated shovel, prepared to "Break Ground" on the sight.
He had selected the site as well. The devastation of Alaska had torn old Seattle apart, along with some of the surrounding cities: Kent, Bremerton, Renton, Bellevue, and Kirkland. New Seattle had been built upon the ruins of those cities. Now almost a thriving "megatropolis", Seattle was the perfect sight for Alex to build his corporate headquarters. Here on the ruins of the Bangor Naval Submarine Base, he would build "his" capital.
He looked around and realized that he was happy. His mother and father were present along with his sister Amanda. Also gathered were the Joint Chiefs of the Noram Counsel. Of them all Brittany had the best chance at the Presidency. As she finished her speech at the podium, Alex stepped forward to make his.
"And now ladies and gentlemen" Brittany Stephens addressed the crowd. "The new Secretary of Defense in the Noram Sector. Alexander Tempest!"
Alex adjusted the microphone. He had to seeing as his six foot six frame dwarfed Brittany by a whole foot. After he had completed this he spoke, his voice a deep baritone rumble. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Assembled Joint Chiefs, Members of the Press." He paused, looking over his shoulder at the sight.
"Today we are not breaking ground on a new weapons facility. We are breaking ground to our future." Holding up a standard Issue JL Pulse Blaster he continued. "The weapons and cybernetic systems developed by Tempest Industries will ensure that the Justice League will have the strength, and the power to protect us from all threats both foreign, and domestic."
There was a slight rumble of applause as Alex walked to the box where the ground was to be broken. He raised the shovel above his head waving it at the crowd. Gripping it's handle with both hands he drove its head into the soft earth, only to have it met by something solid, and the sound of metal striking metal. He retrieved the shovel from the ground, overturning dirt as he did. Looking to see what had been hit, he noticed the tip was bent. Kneeling down Alex brushed away a small layer of dirt and saw what had caused it. A dark gray metal in the shape of an "S"
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5 YEARS AGO
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Alex's hovercar was a state of the art model. Considering that he had built it from the ground up with his own hands, it had to be. Looking to his left at his sister, and in the mirror at his parents seated in back he smiled. As they cruised over Seattle, they discussed the topic of the night.
Brittany Stephens swearing in.
"So Alex." Amanda teased, "When are you running for the office?"
"Yes son?" His mother asked from the back of the car.
"No time soon mom." He replied. " I like my current standing. All I do is make the weapons, distribute them, and make the profit."
Alex's father a former US Marine chimed in. "Son we've always told you there is more to this country than profit why you could...."
He was interrupted as a fighter craft sliced in front of them, causing Alex to cut sharply to the right. As he attempted to right the vehicle, the side of the Hov scrapped a building snapping one of the gyros. Alex's fingers sped across the console, attempting to regain control of the severely wounded vehicle. Just as he thought he had it under control, another fighter speed into their line of travel. If the gyro had been in one piece, he could have turned, but instead they hit, the roof of the fighter tearing out vital components of the underside of Alex's pride. With no choice other than the fact he was going to crash, Alex shouted to his family.
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"
That was all he had time to say before they crashed through metal and the ground leapt up to meet them.
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Seattle WA
The Kingdome
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Justice League Attack Cruiser 12 Banked. The Patriot owned cruiser that had hunted them for the past hour from Portland had vanished from the screens. And as the coasted back over The Kingdome they knew why. The dome was shattered a civilian cruiser and the Patriot cruiser lay several meters apart on the field, the result of a collision.
Ambush Bug turned from his slot at the sensors. "I've got life boss, shall we go for the kill?"
Soundwave, assistant team leader of JL 505, smiled from his position at the back hatch. "Yes," He said, lowering his visor. "He stepped onto a hi tech looking surfboard as he cycled the back hatch open. "We do this up close. Shockwave, you and Aviatrix are with me. Bug, Razor keep this thing in the air!"
"Yes sir!" Came the single response from four voices.
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Alex pulled his head out of the dashboard. He looked around the Hov, which had come to rest on its passenger's side. Amanda was stirring slightly, and he could not see where his parents had wound up. Gripping the edge of the broken window of his door, he released the restraints. As his full weight pulled upon his arm, he began to haul himself out of the craft. Shifting his weight so he lay across the driver's side, he reached back in to grab Amanda. He dropped her to the ground gently, and had turned to retrieve his parents, when he heard a gasp of terror from his sister. Quickly he glanced back over his shoulder.
He recognized Cremator. It was hard not to, only his glowing eyes were visible beneath his dark gray hooded cloak. The harness made of real human bones crossed his gray/black costume. His high pitched voice almost twinged on laughter.
"Your plates say you work for the government." Hatred dripped off of his voice. "Considering you just rammed our craft and killed two of my companions I see that as true."
Alex's voice came roughly between his teeth "I ...didn't...ram.. you." He gritted out trying to control his rage. "I lost...control of my craft.... and you ....you were...you were there."
Cremator growled in disapproval, only to be interrupted by a high pitched sonic beam cutting into the ground before him. Doing more damage to his ears than to his pride. The two men and the hostage looked to the sky to see Soundwave shoot over on his sonic powered surfboard beginning to bank for a second shot. His silver Armor and neon Green skin suit glimmering in the moonlight.
Aviatrix was next on sight, flying into Cremator fist first. A smile spread across her featureless face.
And then Alex saw it. Cremator had taken to using Amanda as a shield, but the guy in the lightning bolt covered armor could care less, As Shockwave leveled what Alex knew to be one of his most lethal weapons at the "terrorist". Alex threw his whole weight into his legs, realizing his right one was broken when he did.
Cremator brought Amanda into Shockwave's line of fire.
Millions of AMPS of electricity jumped off of Shockwave's TI gauntlets.
And Alex was there to take the full blast, right in his chest.
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Alex woke up, fighting off the numbness he felt in the back of his mind. Only one thought was there. "Save Amanda." And then the smells hit his nose. He was in a hospital. He glanced at the monitors. Heart rate was a trifle off. BP was fine. EKG read normal as well, for someone who had taken a blast from a JL-E-432. He reached for the call button, only to be stopped by a hand on his. He looked and met his sister's eyes. His sister's tear filled eyes. Reaching for her he took her and hugged her deeply.
"Thank the Gods you are safe." He said through a dry throat. "Were are mother and father?"
All she could do was look into his eyes, and cry harder. And as she buried her face in his chest, he felt the fear creeping into his mind. And he remembered his father's last words.
"...There is more to this country than profit."
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TEMPEST INDUSTRIES HQ
PENTHOUSE LEVEL
15, November 2112 (1211.15)
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Tempest Tower was a marvel in design technology. It was a fully self-contained environment. At its base reaching into the Puget Sound was the 3-story dam and hydroelectric plant, which supplied the tower with its own power and water. Situated on top of that were sixty-seven stories of retail shops, offices, and luxury apartments. Topped off with a penthouse level and a roof garden it was no wonder Tempest Industries corporate headquarters was visited by several of the world's most influential people.
Alex Tempest looked out his office window over the Seattle skyline. Down below him the complex for the Industry spread out before him. The entire facility was roughly two square miles of production, research and design plants.
From his office on the top of the tower, he could see rebuilt University of Washington, also the refurbished Puget Sound Naval station which now headquartered Washington's JL team, and the newly designed Space Needle. Yes, Seattle had grown over the past century. Especially after the disappearance of the "Gods" as Alex liked to call them.
That is how he thought of them now. The "heroes" of Twencen. They had the power to destroy, and yet they had used it to help others.
As he watched a Justice League patrol zoom past after a suspect he felt a slight stab of pain in his chest. Looking at his watch reflexively, he noted the additional readings. Indicating his silicon heart was in no danger of failure anytime soon.
He turned away from the window and walked to his private office. He had not quite become used to the cane. But how does a man who never used one before become "comfortable" with a third leg even after five years. As he entered he looked at his collection.
He had collected several "artifacts" over his life. The cape of the Kryptonian, tattered and torn after his battle with a creature of destruction. A second cape in prime condition was displayed in a separate case. He also had the containment suit the alien had to wear when he had become pure energy.
In another case was what appeared to be a boomerang, but its angles were scalloped making it appear to be a creature of darkness.
Yet another held a golden tiara emblazoned with a red star.
Several others were in the room. Alex walked over to the wall, and opened an access panel. After keying in a code a hidden door slid open, revealing the pride of his collection. There in full glory was a suit of Armor. Made of a dark gray metal, it depicted a bald man, holding a massive hammer. Alex liked that considering the treatments had claimed his hair. The arms were strong as were the legs, fuel lines ran down the outside of the legs to jets mounted around the feet. And on the chest there was a symbol, a shield, a "S".
It had taken some time but Alex had discovered the reason this artifact had been in Seattle. The armor had belonged to one Dr. John Henry Irons. It seems that after the legendary death of Superman, Irons felt there needed to be a new "Man of Steel". So with that in mind Irons built a suit of powered armor.
Irons acted until Superman resurfaced and continued on as the costumed hero under the name "Steel". After many battles, (stories were sketchy but this was the best Alex could piece together) A small group of the Original Justice League was in Seattle when the battle between Captain Atom and Polaris took place. Recorded among the dead were Steel, Plastic Man, Zaurial, Orion, and Barda.
As he traced the line of the symbol his Comm unit rang. Speaking into the air he answered.
"Tempest." His voice was deep, baritone. The voice on the other end was quite feminine however.
"Alex. This is Stephens." Came the voice. The technology of the office channeled every word she spoke from transmitters on the wall directly into his ears and receivers stole them directly from his mouth. If someone had been standing right in front of him even they would not have heard the conversation.
"Yes Madame President." Alex responded. Brittany Stephens, acting President of Noram. It amazed Alex that the country ran more like a business that a nation anymore.
"I wanted to thank you in person for the newest addition to the Justice League Arsenal." she began, her voice dripping with honey. "Stop by tonight wear something casual, I'd like to have you for dinner." Alex picked up on the emphasized "FOR"
"Very well Madame President." He replied somewhat cold, closing the connection. As he looked into the eyes of the armor before him, he came to a conclusion.
Alex turned back to the armor looking into its hollow eyes for some insight. Rumors of a costumed vigilante operating just north of Seattle in Kingston ran through his mind.
"Perhaps it is time for gods to walk among men again." He spoke out loud to no one in particular. "Perhaps."
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Well that's it for issue one of "Heart of the Storm"
Let me know what you guys think.
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