Legend of a Hero - Issue One -

Millennium City 2009

Millennium City, a metropolis to those who can afford it. A city of luxury surrounded by the loop, an elitist’s highway born from Millennium City’s rise to power. Its lust for technology allowed it to forget about its past, about how it was once a different city, with a different name, and a fate that this new shroud could do well to remember…

Detroit, Michigan 1992

A man stands on a rooftop, his frame almost hidden by the night. He throws a cigarette into the empty space between one building and the next.

The figure pauses then slowly examines the city as a father would his crying child. Taking care to pause and listen for the faintest sound…

… like a heartbeat…

Three murders in as many nights, the chief wants this wrapped up, can’t say I blame him. All three victims were woman, mid twenties, blonde hair, and one day away from their wedding day.

The media eats that up, nothing like a good sob story to tell the masses, make the police force look like a bunch on inept morons who care little for human emotion. When you’ve seen as much blood as I have, you learn to leave your emotions at the door.

Something echoes in the air, it sounds like the dull buzz of an electric razor going dead, then I hear it, a scream.

I run across the rooftops, trying my best to avoid the man made pit falls that shadow every alleyway. I run, and jump and then… I’m there.

The scream is gone, its been replaced by a lifeless women looking up at me, cold accusing eyes curse me for not being faster, then I hear it again, the buzzing sound.

It’s not that far, whoever it is doesn’t know I’m here, maybe, just maybe I can stop him before…

"HEEEELLLPPPP!!!!"

I don’t run, this time I go faster, allowing the adrenaline to overwhelm me, and with it comes a sudden surge of energy. I arrive on the scene just in time, but what I see shocks even me.

A man dressed in a wedding dress is crouched over a woman, he holds a taser in his hand and a knife in the other. The taser had its shot, now it’s the knifes turn.

I move fast, jumping from a four story building and landing on a mans spine isn’t something I’m proud of, but if it saves another life then so be it.

I leap from my perch above the enfolding drama and allow gravity to do the rest, I’m smiling, I’m about to cripple a man and I’m smiling. I tell myself it’s the rush, that free failing from four stories has made me euphoric, I’ve told myself a lot of things over the years… not all of them were lies.

He’s fast, catches me in the corner of his eye just before I land, strikes out with the knife… suddenly gravity is no longer my ally.
I twist as best I can, taking the brunt of the damage away from my vital organs. I hit the ground and roll, noticing the pools of blood as I do. For a moment I think I’m too late, but my concern subsides when I realise its my own.

He spins around, apparently forgetting about the woman, his entire focus is on me. I stand up, coughing up blood as I do, don’t want to give too much away, that knife cut deeper than I would’ve liked.

He runs for me, knife in hand ready to strike, I jump back avoiding the first swipe, then counter it with a move of my own.

The last thing he hears before he blacks out is a faint buzzing sound, like an electric razor… or a tazer that he carelessly dropped whilst taking chunks outta me.

The woman gets to her feet, she’s in panic mode, something that most people go into instead of shock. This, as well as her fear, causes her to run, straight into the path of a speeding truck… it doesn’t even slow down as it paints the sidewalk red.

“So much for saving a life, some hero I turned out to be.”

The bride speaks…

“He’s coming” he spits out “You’re already dead”

I decide to play along, knowledge is power, however pointless it may seem at the time.

“Who is”

A wry smile forms on his face as he gives me the finger… so I take it, he doesn’t smile anymore.

“Albert…” he cries “Albert Zerstoiten”

He notices my skin change complection, his smile returns.

“So you see” he gloats “You’re already dead, every last one of…”

I cut him off before he has a chance to finish, maybe its just so I can feel a sense of control, it doesn’t work.

How did this creep know about Albert Zerstoiten, and how does he know where he is?

I pick up his unconscious body and head downtown, I get two, maybe three steps before… something comes from above, something big, grabs his body and makes off into the night sky. I don’t get a good look, but I can guess whoever it was, they have something to do with Zerstoiten, aka Doctor Destroyer.

to be continued...