The age of heroes began in the late 1930's, as the superbeings
of what would become known as the 'Goldern Age' began to publically
appear. They fought the wars and against crime as they grew older, the
heroes of that era eventually fading away.
Two heroes defined the next age of heroes, their first
appearances heralding the coming of the others. One was an alien, gifted
with fantastic powers he chose to devote to the protection of humanity.
The other was human, an athlete and genius who developed his skills to
the very limits of human capability.
Superman and Batman led the heroes of their generation, along
with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern. Flash, Martian Manhunter and others
forming the Justice League. Around them an unequaled number of other
superbeings appeared, some flaring out quickly, others building long
careers for themselves.
However by the 2040's most of the heroes of that era were
operating out of the public eye, the costumes put aside for casual
dress. Oh, a few young heroes operated publically, but they lacked
focus, a leader to pull them together and grant a direction.
It was the first public appearance of the daughter of Superman
and Wonder Woman in costume as Supergirl that began to change things.
Soon her comrade Steel appeared, then Kestrel and the other members of
this next generation of heroes. Old alliances and new teams quickly
began to form even as an old enemy slowly awakened from it's slumber.
Author's Notes:
These started out as side stories in my future Project A-ko
series 'The new adventures of Supergirl.' I've decided to separate these
out both for ease of reading and to expand on these episodes. There will
be continuity ties between the two series as well as with Chris Davies
Outsiders 2045, a spin off he asked my permission to do.
----------
Lois Lane, the Editor in Chief of the Daily Planet, strode out
into the bullpen, and everybody tried to look busy as the graying former
reporter looked them over. “As you know,” she announced, “the recent
reappearance of superheroes has caught the public eye.”
Catherine Grant, a bit of an old war-horse herself and her
senior editor, smiled slightly as she said, “And you think we should do
a series on it?”
“You read my mind Cat,” Lois smiled slightly. “Start putting
pieces together on some of the new heroes as well as those that have
reappeared, and on the villains who have been turning up,” she ordered
the room.
“Ma’am?’ a younger reporter asked timidly. “It’s coming up to
the anniversary of the first appearance of Superman. Would you like to
do a piece on that?” he asked.
Lois’ face went deadly still. Quietly she said, “I’ll consider
it.” With that, she returned to her office.
Once she was out of the room, Cat slapped the boy on the back of
the head, “Dummy! You know that she met Clark right after Superman
appeared! She doesn’t need that kind of reminder.”
Inside her office, Lois punched in the code for a call. A few
moments later, and the chief of Metropolis’ police appeared on the
screen. “Hi, Maggie. Official business first, do you have a statement
you’d like to make about the assistance the new Justice League gave the
Metropolis PD recently?” she smiled.
“We appreciate the assistance of these public minded citizens
and look forward to working with them in the future,” Maggie answered
her crisply. She smiled tenderly at her lover, “What’s the unofficial
business?”
Lois chuckled, “Who’s turn is it to cook tonight?”
“Mine, I’m sorry to say,” Maggie shrugged.
“You wanna do Chinese take-out?” Lois asked.
“Sounds like a plan,” Maggie smiled. She paused a moment, “I
love you.”
“Love you, too,” Lois kissed her two fingers, then she pressed
them up to the screen. They disconnected, and Lois noticed the first few
reports had already begun to come in.
‘Keystone City,’ Lois noted, skimming the article quickly...
Lightning danced around her body as Iris West ran along the
crowded streets of Keystone City. The red body-suit hugged her closely,
the gold lightning bolt in the white circle on her chest marking her for
all to see. She was the latest inheritor of a proud legacy, she was...
the Flash.
Speed was Iris’ greatest gift, and in some ways it was also her
family’s curse. Her father, Wally West, had been the Flash before her,
and after his wife Linda’s death he had finally given into the siren
call of the Speed Force. Her elder brother Jay, bitter and resentful,
had sworn to destroy the good name of the Flash, adopting the identity
of Prof. Zoom.
Which left her to clean up his messes, of course. Iris pulled
deeper on the Speed Force and slowly began catching up to her brother at
last. She began to overtake him and he looked deeply surprised to see
her matching his speed.
“Why, you,” Jay wheezed, and tried to run faster.
‘Jay has no clue,’ Iris thought sadly. Just being able to run
fast wasn’t enough. You had to practice, to train yourself, something
her big brother absolutely refused to do. Cutting ahead of him, Iris
stopped and simply stuck her foot out.
“Ack,” Jay tripped spectacularly, sprawling out on to the
pavement.
Iris walked over and punched her already dazed brother out cold.
“What a dork,” she sighed, picking him up and throwing him over her
shoulder. “You have got to loose some weight,” she muttered under her
breath.
Back in her office Lois frowned thoughtfully, “I’ll need to
check which Flash she is, the fourth or fifth.” She sorted through the
files, finding another that was marked for Gotham City. “Well, well,
well,” she murmured, and began to read.
Gotham was a dark and dangerous city, everyone agreed. But there
were places you could be safe, if you knew the city well. The park was
green and well tended, the paths clear and properly maintained. And
strangely, the muggings never succeeded.
Case in point. The man knelt in behind the bushes, silently
watching the jogger approach his hiding place. He clutched his gun in
sweaty palms, swallowing nervously. ‘I wonder if those stories are
true?’ he worried.
“You know,” the quiet, pleasant voice said from right behind
him, “you could hurt yourself with that thing.”
With a soft cry, he turned to see the black and purple garbed
Kestrel standing behind him. He brought his gun up, “Don’t you move!”
‘The poor man doesn’t know the city very well,’ Kestrel thought
with a bit of amusement. “Don’t worry,” she smiled broadly, “I won’t do
anything at all.”
“You’d better not,” he started to say, then looked down when he
felt something odd. Plants were climbing up his legs! “What in the,” he
gasped, but before he could finish he was wrapped like a mummy from just
below the nose down to his feet.
The green skinned woman strode from the forest, her long red
mane falling down her back. She was naked, but strangely doll like, as
it appeared that her entire body was made up of plants. “Don’t they ever
learn?” she grumbled.
Kestrel smiled, “Thanks, Pam.”
“I wish you wouldn’t call me that,” she sighed. She walked up to
the man and with a finger wiped a bit of sap onto his head, causing him
to slump unconscious. The plants released him even as she added, “The
only things that I have in common with Poison Ivy are a few of her
memories and a couple selected strands of her DNA.”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t tease you,” Kestrel smiled, “I know you
prefer Dryad.”
“You’re welcome,” Dryad smiled back.
Lois leaned back in her office chair, “I bet that friendship
makes the Batman happy.” She frowned slightly, “I wonder what Bruce has
been doing lately?” She picked up the last folder, noting that it was
marked as originating in Star City...
The bank tellers worked quickly, filling the sacks with money
while the young man in green watched them carefully, an arrow ready on
his bow string. “Sorry, Ladies,” Green Arrow smiled, “but robbing from
the rich and giving to the poor isn’t my style. I like to pocket it
myself.”
Sirens grew closer outside, the customers perking up visibly.
Green Arrow shook his head sadly, a bit of blonde hair falling
into his eyes, “Someone set off the alarm, didn’t they?” His bow came up
smoothly, and he sighted one of the tellers, “I warned you that there
would be consequences.”
Thwack! Green Arrow cried out in pain, an red painted arrow
having come from behind to pierce his shoulder. He whirled around to see
an older woman dressed in red walking through the front door, a long bow
held comfortably in her hands.
The hood hid part of her face, but a bit of red hair curled out
as she mocked him, “You are no Oliver Queen, mister.”
“Who are you?” Green Arrow hissed.
“My name is Lian Harper,” she said simply, “but I’d prefer if
you called me Huntress.”
He didn’t even see her move, Huntress was that fast. A kick to
the head dropped him like a stone, in the process loudly breaking his
jaw. Huntress lingered a moment, looking oddly at the rakish goatee the
man had. She reached down and pulled it off, revealing it was false.
“Fake, just like the rest of him,” Lian sighed.
Lois closed the file and stretched out, noticing the time. ‘I
can always go back to work on this tomorrow,’ she thought, remembering
the dinner that was soon awaiting her. She piled up the files, made sure
her desk was neat, then locked up the office and went home.
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