This is not my first story, but I think this is going to be where I flourish. My previous stories lay in hibernation awaiting the day I decide to pick them back up again. ("Learning Curve" in Boy Bands, and "Johnny Boy" in High School) I've never had as many Ideas running around my head as with Tales Of The New Phoenix. I don't know exactly how fast I will be able to get chapters out, so please don't kill me. And, as you can see by my title, I am going to have a character based on The Phoenix from Marvel Comics. I am going to go a bit of my own way with the Char. so any die hard fans, please refrain from hurting me, ok? My experience with the Phoenix is limited to the cartoon, and the Dark Phoenix comic book saga. I do hope to hold true to the heart of the character, but will be making some changes just as was made with The Bat Man. Now, on to the boring stuff.
I do not own any of the following:
Nsync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Pink, Christina Aguilera, The Wallflowers, and any other celebrities. I also know nothing of their sexual orientations.
Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and all related characters.
The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book series by Laurell K. Hamilton.
The Vampire Chronicles, Tales Of The New Vampires, The Mayfair Witches, all series written by Anne Rice.
Buffy & Angel television series.
Star Wars
Star Trek, Star Trek TNG, Star Trek DS9, Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek The New Frontier, Enterprise television series, movies, and novels.
I'm briefly mentioning Power Rangers here, I don't own them either. :P
I am restating; I do not own any of the above mentioned, although I wish I did. Those make tons of money. I do not know the sexual orientation of anyone mentioned for certain. Everything I write is purely fiction from my mind. Please don't sue me, I am a poor college student and have nothing. If you are under aged, go away. This site is for adults. Warning to the closed minded, gay fiction is about to start.
I've received a few E-Mails. I will respond, I promise. I'm in the middle of my finals right now and just... am way too frazzled. I'm actually considering setting this story down until after finals, but I keep seeing a flaming bird behind my eye lids. This section of the Phoenix Story will be ending with Chapter 10, I think, and then "The Story of the _____ of ____" will begin. (What? Those two words would give away WAY too much. 8^D )
PS, I know that the story focuses very little on JC so far, that will change I promise you. I plan to have him become a major, major, MAJOR part of the story in time. Also, the next Chapter will focus on him and Blake mainly. Only 2 more in this story, exciting huh?
Chapter 8:
Sunday, September 9, 2001
The scene I returned to broke my heart. After finding a deserted place to land and change I headed for Andreas place. After much arguing with a cop stationed at the entrance to the building, I got inside to see her. She was being held by Josh, sobbing, on the couch. I went over and sat next to them and hugged her. She looked at me and opened her eyes.
"He told me to use it. That he was willing the ring to me. And to go back to his apartment and get the large green lantern from his room. It's the charger. He died in my arms Blake. He died in my arms, and I couldn't do anything to stop it." She stood up and walked to the window, looking at the street bellow. I couldn't think of anything to say. "We saw you bring in the murderer. Thank you for finding him."
"I also found the person who had him do it. It was a vampire, working for the ones we're tracking. He's dust Andy. And the ones who did this to him will be as soon as I find them." I stood and walked over to her. "Maybe you should put it on. It was his last wish." She nodded, and tuned to us. She slipped it loosely over the middle finger on her right hand. When she noticed how loose it was she went to pull it off, but it glowed green and shrank to fit her perfectly.
We looked at the ring in amazement, and then an aura sprang up around her. Her hair bounced around her hair as if there was a wind whipping about her, but Josh and I felt nothing. Then the light around her body focused on her eyes. She got a far off look as if she were somewhere else, then she fell to the ground.
Josh and I both ran to her side to make sure she was alright. Her eyes flew open and she started giggling. "Oh my god, the energy! I feel like I could fly to the moon. This is incredible. I know how to use the ring! It's like; the knowledge was dumped in my head. Blake, what's happening?"
"I think you just replaced Ryan as the Green Lantern. The question is what are you going to do with your new found abilities?" I helped her stand up, and she walked straight back to the window. She looked down at the last of the officers, cleaning up the crime scene, and then turned back to me.
"Simple. I'm going to fight in his place. I always envied you your powers, now I'm on more equal footing." She looked down at her clothes, closed her eyes for a moment, and then pointed her new ring at the ground. The glowed and then there was a bright flash. Josh and I both turned away, then back at her. She was standing there, dressed in all black. Above here heart was the Green Lantern symbol. Strapped around her neck was a green cloak. She wore an emerald green mask over her eyes, and her stud ear rings were replaced with green gem stones. She looked at me and smiled. "Don't call me Green Lantern. Green Lantern died in the line of duty. I'm The Green Falcon."
"Careful." Josh walked over to us both. "You don't want to fall into the same trap Batman did. He named himself Batman, then met a Robin, Night Wing, and a Batgirl. You may be starting a trend here in the bay." We all laughed at that for a bit.
I turned back to Andy. "What do you say Green Falcon? Should we go get our fallen comrades charger, then go kick some ass?"
"Yeah." She turned and started walking for the door. I cleared my throat.
"Uh... sis, there are quite a few cops out there. You may want to change back into your street clothes." We laughed as she turned pink in the cheeks.
"Don't laugh at me! I'm new to this whole superhero thing." She closed here eyes, and with a flash was back to normal.
After leaving the building, saying good bye to Josh, and heading to the place I landed at earlier, we were off into the sky. After flying for a while, Andy looked over at me.
"I really like the way the Phoenix forms around you. Do you mind if I steal that? I think it would be cool to have a theme going on between us." I smiled at her question.
"Go right ahead." I watched at the slight green aura surrounding her flared, then burst into the form of a falcon the same size as the Phoenix. We both urged our forms to give out a cry and flew towards Ryan's apartment. When we were nearing it, I changed direction. Andy kept going for a bit, then noticed my changing directions and followed.
"Where are you going, Ryan's place is back that way." She pointed over her shoulder even as I started letting the Phoenix Form fade.
"I know that. But do you want everyone to know we're coming. We do this to create confusion about our courses. So no one will know where we land. Just like when we walked blocks away from your place to take off. In this darkness, no one should be able to really spot us." She nodded, and shrank her Falcon Form to a pale aura around her body. We changed directions again and landed on the rooftop across from Ryan's place. There were cops everywhere.
"How are we gonna get in there?" Andrea was looking at all the cops parked outside, and I was scanning the building for Ryan's windows. I spotted them, then I used my enhanced vision to look into the windows. I checked one after another until I spotted Ryan's Bedroom. I zoomed in more and saw the Green Lantern in the mirror across from his bed. I checked the room psychically and sensed one officer in there taking some notes about his search. He didn't take a second glance at the strange green lantern. I urged him to look in the other direction and levitated the device to the window I opened it and brought the object out and sped it quickly to us. I let my powers drop and the officer went back to his duties.
"That's how. Let's go." We both quickly took to the sky, heading back towards Josh's and my house.
When we got home Josh was waiting. "Blake. Jessica just called. She needs you to call her back. Official business." I nodded and grabbed the phone. Jessica picked up on the second ring.
"Blake. I have a proposition for you." Jessica sounded nervous.
"What's going on Jessica?" I sat down allowing my street clothes to reform around me.
"The Watchers Council is worried about the events going down in the Bay Area. They have no idea what the heart of this is, but they know for a fact that they don't have the man power to combat it. They need you and Green Lantern." My heart shrank at her mentioning Ryan.
"He's dead Jessica." I said looking at Andrea. She had also changed her clothes back. She turned and walked to the window looking towards the moon.
Jessica sighed at her end. "This is bad Blake. I think you became a super hero at a bad time."
"I don't think anyone actually plans to become a super hero." Jessica laughed at what I said. A dry, tired laugh.
"You'd be surprised. Listen. The Watchers Council is prepared to offer you pretty much all their resources. In other words, a position as a slayer. Our ranks have been cut by just under two thirds. You are, and Green Lantern was, the most powerful defenders in that part of the world. And if this evil is deciding to center on your town, you are our last best hope. You will receive your own Watcher as well as training, weapons, and a crime center. Anything and everything that the Watchers Council is able to give you to help fight this." I thought over what she had told me.
"Will they be able to help train a new GL?" I looked at Jessica. Josh had moved to her side, holding her as they looked out at the sky. They were both talking lightly.
"What do you mean? I thought that Green Lantern had died." I stood and headed for the kitchen. The joys of a cordless phone.
"Well, he transferred his ring to another person. The ring is the source of power behind the Green Lantern. I know who has the new ring. Can this Watcher help train her?" I poured my self a glass of juice.
"I suppose," Jessica sounded very tired. "The Watchers Council doesn't have much info on the Green Lantern Powers. But he will be able to help train you guys on how to fight Vampires and Demons. After studying your abilities, I'm sure he can help you develop them." I walked back out to Andrea and Josh.
"Green Falcon, how do you feel about getting a trainer slash leader? We are going into a big fight very soon against the people responsible for Green Lanterns death." I covered the mouth piece to keep Jessica from hearing Andreas voice.
"Well... I guess that's cool. We are both pretty new to this gig." I nodded and put the phone back up to my ear.
"Ok Jessica, we agree." I walked to the couch.
"Ok, you need to go meet this guy as soon as possible. Do you have a pen handy?" she gave us the address of the house out watcher would be at. After a bit of pleasantries we both hung up. I turned to Josh.
"Do you know anything about these Watchers?"
"Not really. Just that they are associated with the Slayers." Josh came over to my side. "What do you think about this?"
"Well, I trust Jessica. If she says this is a good move, I'll do it." I stood up, draining the last of my juice. "Andy, I think we should go meet this guy."
She turned to me crying. "Ok." I was about to say something but she stopped me. "Blake, I just want to keep my mind occupied right now. Tomorrow I'm going to call my old psychiatrist and I'm going in. Don't worry about me. I want to take Ryan's place. He was a good man, and I won't let his fight die with him. Let's go. We are going to a house so we should probably go by car."
The house was nothing more than a small place in the middle of a neighborhood. We parked easily and went to knock on the door. After a few moments a man who looked younger than Justin answered. "Hello, may I help you?" He distinctly sounded British.
"My name is Michael Phoenix, and this is Sarah Green. We are here to see about the Neighborhood Watchers meeting." I decided to overlay the entire greeting with clues, but keep it as normal sounding as possible incase this was the wrong place.
"Well, it's a bit late for a Neighborhood Watch Meeting. It is past 3 AM. But if you're here about meeting a Watcher from the Council, you do have the right place." He stepped back with a smile, allowing us in. Andrea and I looked at each other, and then stepped inside. "Welcome to the Wayfare Manor. This building used to be much larger. After a fire 90 years ago, the Council decided to sell the area around its heart and build a smaller building. This way please." The house from outside looked much like any other building you would see in San Francisco. Inside was tastefully decorated in Old Victorian style. He led us to the stairway to the basement. Inside there was a washer and a dryer, but nothing else. He led us to a small doorway at the back. "It's a shame about the old Watcher and Slayer. They worked so hard on this site." He punched a code into a pad next to the door, and then the door slid downwards. Inside was a white round room. Andrea looked at me, then we all stepped inside.
The doors to the room slid closed as the basement door on the other side slid back upwards. I felt my stomach lurch upwards as we the room, which I now surmised was an Elevator, slid downwards at great speeds. It slowed and then we shot forwards. "Our current destination is the Hole. We are traveling deep bellow old San Francisco at about a hundred miles an hour. One of my better inventions. People used to have to take a small trolley." Within no time we were slowing again. Then the doors opened back up. Welcome to the hole."
The British man stepped into the large room we had arrived at. The walls were all made of concrete and metal. The roof was at least sixty feet above head, and the room itself had to be 1,000 square feet. There were a dozen men working at packing and unpacking crates. "How did you get all this in here? There can't be enough room in that elevator." I followed close behind the British Man, Andrea at my side.
"We are currently bellow Stow Lake, in the Golden Gate Park. About 700 feet below that is. Within the lake is a Elevator that can be raised and lowered by command. It is its own airlock. There are various different spells in effect that keep people from noticing any of this. Not to mention port keys and flue powder." He pointed to a Fireplace near the elevator. "There are other spells that keep wizards and witches from getting in through that. Dumbledore Himself couldn't. This will be your command base. Your homes will be getting mystical doorways that will allow you to simply step in here."
"Wait a minute. Mystical, wizards, witches, what is all this? I thought we just fought Vampires and Criminals." Andrea was getting very confused, and expressing it. I wasn't far behind her.
"Let's sit down, and I'll explain as much as I can." He led us to a small table off to the side of the room. "First off, my name is Devin Charles. I'm a mutant; I'm guessing one of the first really. My power is photographic memory on the scale of computers. I can analyze anything and everything with the speed of the most powerful computers. I also don't age. I'm 40 years old. I'm also a Wizard. A graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft And Wizardry. Ravenclaw through and through. I am a very powerful wizard, and a very good Watcher. This room is about to be outfitted with one of the most powerful computers in the world, the Oracle 2. Oracle one is currently in the Batcave in Orlando. Oracles Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma are stationed at various Watcher Instillations.
"This room will also soon be mystically expanded. Right now you are sitting in a room that is 1,200 scare feet. It will soon be tripled in size without affecting any of the outside world. It will contain any number of mystical supplies and a potions lab. It will also contain crime fighting equipment and a library of ancient texts. It will also contain a training area. We are in for a good fight. I spoke to Jessica about 20 minutes ago, she mentioned a new Green Lantern. Is that you?" He indicated Andrea.
"Yes. He died earlier today and passed the ring on to me." Andrea nervously started spinning her ring.
"Right then. Welcome to the fold. Here's the deal. As the new Slayers of San Francisco you will be in charge of fighting all that goes bump in the night. You will be fighting demons, rogue wizards & witches, vampires, and also taking care of Criminal humans and mutants. Also the occasional alien invasion. I'll tell you, it's MURDER keeping those under wraps. We will have training sessions three times a week, and you will each patrol 5 nights a week, offsetting it so that ever day of the week is covered. You both, from what I hear, are ultra super powered so this should be cake for you. I also understand from Jessica's report that you are both new to your powers. Training will be essential to help build upon skill and strength with your powers."
He kept going, barely taking a breath. It was really quite fascinating. "You will also have to report everything you encounter to me. We must keep track of what's going on. I make reports to the Council, you make reports to me. Before you leave here I will be giving you the basic weapons. Two wooden stakes each, and two silver stakes. I don't want you to think that you can just run off with the silver stakes and get rich. In order to keep them from becoming damaged easily with the soft metal, they are mixed with Steel. The silver content is high enough to deal with that particular species of vampire. You will also each receive communicators. I stole an idea from an old guilty pleasure, Power Rangers, and designed a wrist watch communicator. It can transmit from here back to London easily with the aid of satellites." I went to ask a question, but he cut me off. "Please do excuse my rudeness tonight but I have much to brief you on in a short amount of time. The Watchers Council has declared a state of War. The problem is, we don't know who it is we are fighting. It may be the vampires that attacked San Jose, we just don't know."
"Dasro and Sanswah. Those are the two that led the attack." I surprised myself that I got that out without him cutting me off.
"Right, uh huh, names do not ring a bell. I'll contact the Watchers Council and let them know. Now, I have a lot to do to get this instillation set up, many spells to cast, and a computer system to set up. Can both of you meet back here tomorrow night?"
"I can." I stood following him to an open crate with two packs setting in it.
"I will be here. Anything to keep my mind off today." Andrea was starting to worry me. She was doing everything she could to keep her mind off what happened.
"Right. Here are your packs," He picked one up and opened it. "Two sets of stakes each, bottles of Holy Water, I also packed silver crosses but any symbol of belief generally works as long as it's pure belief, guide books to dark creatures, and your communicators. They are disguised as simple Rolex watches, but if you do this," He pressed his thumb into the glass of the watch, "and say contact you activate the communicator. You then say the name of the person you are trying to contact, and a link is set up. I will grab a ladies since I was expecting a male Green Lantern. And if I didn't say it before, I am truly sorry for both of your losses. Here are your packs, I'll be right back." As he walked away I looked at Andrea. "Sis, are you ok? You seem pretty out of it."
"I have definitely had better days. I'll be fine. I know you're thinking I'm throwing myself into anything to avoid dealing with it, and I guess I am. But I will be tomorrow. Which leads to my next question, can I stay with you tonight?" She looked like a lost girl.
"You really expected me to leave you alone? Come here!" I pulled her into a hug as Devin came back. "Ok, here is your watch madam. Oh, by the way, I didn't catch your names. Could you also give me your phone numbers and Addresses?" We gave him the info; he explained the watches a bit more. How to activate the beep and the vibrate functions. Gotta love `em. Mine can even play the tune to Star Trek. Then he handed us a boot.
"Why are you handing us a boot?" I eyed it suspiciously.
"Just hold on to it, both of you need to be touching it. It has about thirty seconds. A cab will be waiting to take you to your car. Then you will be off. Be back at the house at 4:00 tomorrow. Until then, get some sleep. You'll need it." Then all of a sudden I felt like I was being pulled by my stomach. I closed my eyes tight and when the feeling went away and I closed my eyes, we were standing next to a cab.
"I guess Magic is real." Andrea opened the cab door for me.
"I guess so." We told the cabbie where to go, and after picking up my car, headed back home.
Now, if you haven't read the other stories in the "Tales Universe" go do that now.
Tales Of A Real Dark Night (The series that started it all.) celebrity/boy-bands/tales-of-a-real-dark-knight/
Marvel Knights celebrity/marvel-knights/
Tales Of A Super Hero Band celebrity/boy-bands/tales-of-a-superhero-band/
Tales Of A Young Mutant celebrity/tales-of-a-young-mutant/
You can E-Mail me at WriteMeAStory@Juno.com