Age of Madness Dawn (Part One)

"I see the men who's blood fuels the fire of war
I see the lands of green and life burn
I see the lands of steal and man crumble before me
I see the great tribes bleed dry
It is only then the fires die and only ash remains
It is when the the new and last king of man will rise"
- the book of ash
John Hethri second of eight

Haber Street was cold that day, but it was the eyes and the people who spent their lives there that made it such that and the bloody scene of passed brutality. The bodies where of a fatherless family, two girls both about twelve or thirteen, a boy about seven. It looked like mother had tried to protect her children but was killed in her efforts. Blood spilled and covered the broken and cracked cement, throats slashed like so many pigs, quick and clean one wound for each victim. It was apparent that the murderer had done this before.

"Who do you think did this?" Nathan Staymin asked his eyes scanning the grizzly scene.

"One of King's men," Daywin said flicking a spent joint aside. "You ask this that kind of shit every time this happens, but I never seen you clean up or anything." Indeed, it is not uncommon for bodies to lay untouched for even as long as a week before someone grows sick enough of the smell and burns them, no enforces ever stray to far from the walls.

"I help," Nathan said his gray eyes glancing at Daywin, "in my own way." Nathan was a thin man, standing about five nine, his hair black and curled at the top, gaunt with hunger pains at his young age but that was average for the middle class, he could never bring himself to see how the slums lived...

"One of Kings guys? I don't see his tags around." Referring to the golden paint, 'Beware the King.'

"One of his mercenaries I should say, not someone even King would like to seen with more then he has to." Daywin said crouching down running a thin hand on the concrete. It was something Nathan got used to, Daywin was odd but had incredible memory for one who sucked down a joint every other day of his life. He also had incredible luck, always knew how to make money and it showed as he was much healthier then the folk around here. Fuller faced and broader of shoulder under a back hooded sweat shirt. He could have been one of the wealthy, if he did not piss his money away on his fix. "Small guy, white, with brown hair, probably staying at Marco's."

"So you saw it?"

"Close enough, Nathan as a friend, I am going to tell you don't got after this one he is not like the others, I know what your are Nathan, he is like you." Daywin knew allot one of his good merits but some times he knew to much Nathan reflected. "I saw some chick here, looked like some type of enforcer, I don't know. Armored like them but... different, the coloring. Maybe its some shit that Delire is up to?"

President Delire had seized control of the Grand Seat as long back as anyone could bother to remember, not that it mattered, many leaders have claimed control the great city of Kalinia, but it was the oppressing walls that stood around the city witch truly ruled. An extra day to live was all the people wanted and even that was something that can be hard to come by.

"I don't know, and I don't think the enforcers would really do anything about it, but I will, good bye Daywin," with that Nathan turned and left down the alleyway. He took a few turns in the maze of alleys that rested between Haber Street and Bluebird. Looking left and right to make sure he was safe from view he quickly dropped his back pack to the ground and started to dress. Dawin's words bothered him deeply, he never told him, nor anyone about who and what he was secrets like that could be vary dangerous in Kalinia, but for now he had to push it to the back of his mind.

Inspired by tales of old, heroes who saved the day every day in the old picture books he read at the old Collector's Den, the orphanage he grew up in. They had powers not unlike the gangs and officials that controlled the city but they used theirs for good, to help those who cant help themselves, there when the world needed heroes. That was an entire age ago, but this age and his world needed a hero.

His suit was that of ragged green pants with a black shirt under a dark green vest that hanged down to his knees with leather patch's that might stop a knife, Nathan never had to try it. An all black beanie covered his head and a matching bandanna hid his face. A hero needed to keep his identity a secret, even more so for known vigilantes.

Nathan knew the area well and came out on Blue Bird, right next to Marco's. Marco was an old drunkard who ran a cheap hotel and brothel under the protection of the Cluba's gang. The hotel was run down and mostly unkempt, the walls covered in posters to hide the holes that would otherwise dot the walls.

Marcos was a fleshy brown skinned man with a white beater and dull gray sweat pants, he had his fat wrists in the air when Nathan came in. Marcos could not recognize Nathan under the mask and only said, "room two-o-eight" when pressed for questions.

The hall had once been a cream color long ago but now was almost green with dirt and grim the shaggy brown carpet on the floor had been matted flat by over use. Wooden doors lined either side of the hall. He passed two-o-two and three, two-o-four and five, two-o-six and seven as he passed each the sounds of struggle grew louder.

A crash fallowed by a boom sent two bodies flying out of the shattered door. One a woman dressed in a black body suite with gray padded armor covering her shins thighs, chest and arms. She had on an enforcer's eye peace that fitted to a slick gray helmet. She looked like an enforcer except for the armor witch is normally all black and the arm peaces where no near the same. Black hair hung out from beneath the helmet, her face was narrow, but not so gaunt to make her hard to look at in anyway. She lay on the ground her eyes closed as she seemed on the edge of conciseness.

A man stood above her, his hair cut to a short stock of brown with a sharp widow's peak, an ugly brown work jacket over a yellow shirt that seemed to have been burning previously exposing a black tight shirt under it, fire proofed armor typical among the middle rank gang members.

Cold eyes stared over the woman, his fists bloody, her face swollen. He did not seem to notice Nathan at first but when he did it was to late. A powerful and invisible force of air, pushed by Nathan sent him flying into the far wall pinning him. Nathan pressed him tight as he can the hall seemed bulge inward as the vacuum of escaping air was filled back up returning the hallway back to normal.

People poked their heads in from the rooms around them to get curious to the havoc caused in such little time.
"Get back in!" Nathan shouted and they where all to quick to oblige. He turned his eyes to the woman on the ground who was now shaking her head. "You alright?"

"Look!" she yelled pointing back at the brown haired man. Who now almost made it half way back to them against Nathans power.
"Shit," he muttered trying to force him back but his legs and arms moved in almost a blur even starting a small amount of smoke. "Shit," this time it was not muttered 'the oxygen,' he thought 'its going to-' there was almost a sickening sucking noise of air being pulled inward as flame now riped down the hall. Quick thinking had saved most the hall as the flames where quickly snuffed by another escape of air as Nathan pulled it back.

The smoke lingered, his view distorted he strained his eyes to see a shape, a dark outline of his foe. It moved fast, to fast it became a flash of pain ripping through his skull and down his spine. It felt as though his spine was riped open and coldness poured into him as the ground rushed up to meet him.



Lisa's head was still spinning when she saw Kenneth take the newcomer down. She had been on his trail even before being quiting from the Enforcement Corps. He had a number of murders and grand scale thefts to his name, he worked with even worse kind of people then himself as well, King, Simon Gil one and Marty Valene the Mob Bosses, the Slummers and even the Sons of Madness.

Shaking her head she barley made out Kenny's shape as she raised her arm peace at him and pressed down on the hand bitten on her left arm. Two high charged bolts flew from her arm peace striking him in the belly. The blots where hallow and filled with a poison that slowly wore the mind and relaxed the body, if left in for two long the victim could stop breathing and die, she did not plan letting this one live, not after what he did to that family.

Swearing Kennith tugged the bolts out of his belly as fast as he can throwing it back into the smoke.

Already the drug took effect, she could see him stagger his moments not as fast, tho it was hard to tell only seeing his shape in the dispersing smoke that stung her eyes.

"Your not an enforcer anymore are you?" his voice seething with anger "so where are you? Hiding did not save your last partner, it wont save this one either." His shape rose a boot up just above the would be hero's skull.

Her right hand moved almost on its own for her night stick. Switching the thin blade from underneath it she gave a savage and desperate lunge forward. The blade met only air as Kenneth moved around to her right moving before she did. She was expecting that. A swing to the out side brought the blade slicing across his chest, and the all to familiar feeling of blade on bone shook though her night stick.

He staggered back blood dripping freely from his chest trying to catch his breath.

"Not so fast now Kenny," her voice calm as she was ready to end this. The drugs at slowed him enough that she could see that he moved with a limp, but he was still dangerously fast. The smoke thinned his hair clothing badly burned his covered with burn marks.

"I-" he started but then rushed at her again bringing his knee into her gut before she could have reacted. The wind left her lungs as she fell to the ground rolling away from her foe to put distance between her and him.

Nathan's sight was a blur, two dully colored shapes danced around each other until one missed a step and fell. His head pulsing at the temples he threw himself at the standing shape His hand fitting over Kennith's mouth, he could feel the air in his lungs. He hold and with a rough pull air flew from Kennith's mouth fallowed by spittle and blood.

A wet coughing sound left murderous foe, more spittle, more blood. "What did you do to me?" he asked his voice torn between coughing fits. Nathan stood his ground, but the fighting put the exit on Kennith's side, with another blur he was gone.

The woman on the ground was slowly rising to her feet holding her ribs. "What where you doing? Do you know who that was?" Closer now Nathan could tell she was slightly older then he was, her face now looked less pretty and more of a type of handsome now.

Lisa stared at the masked man, his eyes only part of his face showing behind his mask. "I know who you are," she said before he could speak. "Your that idiot hero wannabe." He had been reported as a vigilante, a vigilante with super human powers. "And a super, do even know the Enforcers are looking for you?"

Valor shook his head, "sorry for helping you, but what about you? Your not an enforcer, looks like you stole allot of that armor." His voice was strained the fighting made talking hurt.

"I will explain that tomorrow meet me here."

"Why?"

"Because if you really want to help people you would. King will see this as a threat to himself. Just go home and I will see you again, no masks this time, I need to know I can trust you."

"Do I have to remind you that you are not an enforcer? I will keep the mask until I know I can trust you."

"Fine." Lisa was getting sick of this vary quickly, "at noon, better meet me at the alleyway I don't think Marco's would like to see us again."


Every step sent pain rattling up his legs to his chest, his guts felt like jello and he had to stop to vomit more times then he liked. He came to 'The Throne of Fun' the club owned by King. He pushed the double doors open staggering in. "Oy, its Kenny," some idiot it the back said as two hands reached under his arm to pull him up.

"Heh, someone sure bitched you up." Kennith's eye's met those of James Harin. Blond hair grew past his shoulders his eyes full of his typical arrogance likely thinking to get his licks in wile Kenny could not do anything about it, his thin bastard lips curled into a bastard of a smile. He was being held up some piss ant underling of Kings with his gold and green cloths on marking him as one of the 'Kingsmen.'

"I need help," keeping his voice cold like James's words did not bother him.

"Take him to Vanessa, ask him what happened."

The back room had plane lime green walls with lines of beds on either side, normally used when someone in the gang needed to lie low. The beds where more like cots with a cheep mattresses laid over them.

He sat on one of the beds the room was empty for a moment then the door open again. A woman stepped in, smallish dressed in jeans and a simple blue shirt, her face was meek with a mess of brown hair on her head, Vanessa Ruth. Behind her was Roland Gale, her body guard, a big man standing at six seven his light brown hair cut short his face vacant and empty.

Vanessa sat on the bed beside him her soft cold hand laid on his neck. It was strange to feel his insides, his hurts and cuts mend themselves, for some reason it made talking even thinking hard not matter how many times he went through it. Talking did not do him any good Roland was far to aloof to speak to Kennith and his ilk.

The door opened again just as Vanessa was getting done. A thin man with stringy hair and gray eyes walked in. Dressed in his denim jacket and dark jeans he gave Kennith a look before speaking, "what happened?"

"I want to talk to King."

"King's not here."

Alan always had a lofty view of his own worth. Behind him was a rather shapely tanned woman in a black vest over a yellow shirt her black pants only reached her knees tight around her legs. The sight of her unsettled the mercenary, already he could feel her prob into his thoughts, even if he wanted to he could not lie to Alan, not with Pamela confirming his every word the most he could do was leave out was the small details.

"I see..." Kennith could almost watch as Alan played the story over in his head deciding if he should tell King or roll the dice and take charge himself. "Maybe the Clubbas have some new muscle? Doesn't matter, they have held Blue Bird longer then King can tolerate."

"Oh, you speak for King now?" Pamela smiled almost mockingly. Kennith had seen this game before, of the two lovers Pam would always remind Alan of his place under King, but she will always do as he says.

"I am his lieutenant, he trusts me to make these choices, and the Clubbas only have one super, wont even be worth calling this a war..."


Nathan had all ready put on his street clothes by the time he arrived at his boarding home on Aler Street. It was dank and cheap like Marcos's place, but it was home. He lay down on his bed looking up at the ceiling, a sharp rap came at the door, his landlady, "collecting!"

He rolled over to face the door, "tomorrow," he shouted back. He did not what to hear or see her the next day would be hard, he was tiring himself out thinking about it.