Origins

1 week later

“Deal with me again and you’ll be looking down the barrel of a gun.”

The Scarlet Scorpion let go of the young punk. He landed feet first and fell onto his back. The wet spot at his groin made her grin dominantly. The boy immediately backed away on all fours until he thought she would not pursue. Then he scrambled to his feet and ran down the alley like a track star on fire.

Kathryn pulled the collar of her jacket closer to her neck. With the other hand she touched the small leather pouch at her waist. Ever since her last meeting with Nyxen she started to carry a little backup weapon. Kathryn knew her powers were enough to deal with most anyone, but a super-villain? More was needed. She chided herself to think a gun would give her the edge. But it was all she could think of. Besides, her “twin” carried a sword. Two swords actually.

She walked deeper into the alley and toward the nexus of the three buildings. She focused her Will into the thought of flying. Slowly she lifted off the ground and floated toward the top. This was a new ability of hers and it gave her headaches. Kathryn tried to push the idea of pain away and stayed on the image of flight. Kathryn reached the top of the apartment building and drifted over to the roof and gently landed. Her whole body was hot and she was mentally exhausted. Her heavy breathing was calmed by the meditative exercises Daikar taught her.

When she opened her eye the full view of Las Vegas at night greeted her. She smiled and felt the damp edges of her visor caress her cheeks. Kathryn pulled the hair-tie and let her strawberry locks fall around her neck. Whipping the damp hair side to side, she ran one hand through to give it a chance to “breath” … and let out a long sigh.

Has it come to this? Pushing around kids, letting a gun speak for me … for them.

She looked to one side and was greeted with a slight breeze that gave her goose bumps.

What am I supposed to do? 

Kathryn was calm and it seemed like it had been forever since she felt that way.

She looked the other direction and was startled by a little boy looking up at her in amazement. They just stood looking at each other for several seconds. Kathryn’s calm was broken by the realization of the moment.

“What?!” She said it a bit more impatiently than she meant.

The youth quickly gulped. “You … you can fly?”

Kathryn smirked but kept a gentle face. “It’s not easy and it hurts my head.”

“Can I fly?” The boy took a step forward and smiled excitedly.

“I don’t know.” She knelt down to him and held her hand up to stop him from getting closer. “But if you can, then I recommend you start trying to go up first. Like I just did.”

He nodded as if receiving wisdom from a prophet.

Kathryn nodded toward the rooftop door. “Go along home. It’s dark and you shouldn’t be on the roof anyway.”

“Yes ma’am.” He turned around and repeated Kathryn’s advice as if trying to memorize it. Once he walked through the doorway leading into the building Kathryn looked back to the city-scape.

Daikar, damn you. I could use a little help here.

Origins

2 hours later

When Nikki Johanson arrived on the scene at the warehouse all the other officers stopped their duties to see her reaction. Kathryn watched as Johanson stared at the pile of child-corpses. She knelt down and touched some cloth with a pen. Everyone saw the sneer on her face. She stood and surveyed the area until her eyes found the Scarlet Scorpion. She walked up to Kathryn and whispered the order:

”Kill her. That’s all you have to do.”

---
2 days later

The assassin stood in the darkness of a cleanly kept house. The porch light revealed the dismal scene before her. Filling the backyard were rows upon rows of roadside crosses stabbing into the soft earth of the abandoned backyard. Some were simple constructs; others looked as if they were made professionally. All of them were made to memorialize a loved one. The Scarlet Scorpion’s fury rose to a new level. The scene was an abomination to her.

“Do the gods have no mercy?” Kathryn caught herself acknowledging the deities she has been associated with for the first time.

“No.”

The Scarlet Scorpion instantly spun to face the source of the voice and released a burst of sound waves. In the darkness a form shifted just as quick. As the sound bubble hit, the target became visible for a brief second. Nyxen anticipated the attack and had a katana blade ready. The sonic effect was cut and deflected away, blowing two chunks of wall inward. Sheetrock and wood splintered in every direction showering the near invisible form with debris.

It was all the Scarlet Scorpion needed. She cartwheeled into the dust shower and came up within reach of Nyxen. Knocking the sword out of the way her other hand came up to plant a fist into Nyxen’s face. The anti-hero dodged the blow by releasing the sword and spinning away from the fist. Sharp metal clattered to the ground and Nyxen ducked Scarlet’s high kick.

Leaping away from Nyxen’s return sweep kick, Scarlet landed on the coffee table. She concentrated her will to prepare for another sonic attack but her enemy raised a hand and Scarlet was compelled to pause.

“What do you plan to do here?”

Scarlet sneered at the form silhouetted by the white crosses in the yard outside. “Kill.”

“Do you really think you can do such a thing? Is it in your nature?”

“You killed those children. If you can do it, then so can I.”

“Kathy, c’mon. I am your polar opposite.  As you are the zenith, I am the nadir. I can kill because it is my nature to do so. It is why the gods chose me.”

“Did the gods choose for those kids to die?!” Her anger was rising; her will to hold the sonic bomb around her was fading.

“You need to reach your full potential. The only way to do that is through conflict. There is no one else who can help you but me, which is why I am here.”

“SHUT UP!” Kathryn released the sound energy around her. The power swelling invisibly moved forward and landed at Nyxen’s feet. The blast shredded the carpet and exploded the ceiling through the floor above. Windows shattered, furniture collapsed, and the walls of the room buckled outward. Scarlet raised her hands to shield her head from the violence of the vibrations emanating from the center of the room.

Floating in the middle of the sonic vortex was Nyxen with arms outstretched as if she were bathing in the destruction. Smiling. “Kathryn Selena Beringer, you will have to do better than that,” she taunted.  The fallen katana was back in Nyxen’s hand with its companion blade, the wakizashi, in the other.

Scarlet literally flew into a rage as she collided into the floating form. They ruined the remains of the porch glass door and landed among the memorial crosses sharing fists and kicks against each other. Scarlet used a cross to parry sword slashes. Nyxen cut into sonic attacks. They paused, gulping air as sirens could be heard in the background.

“You are … a very … skilled fighter … Kathryn.” Each pause filled with gasps for air. “Athena chose well.” 

Scarlet stood. “Will you shut up with that nonsense?!” She was still breathing heavy and the sirens got closer. 

“Will you shut up with your denials,” Nyxen retorted.  She pointed the short blade to Scarlet. “You need to accept who you are: a servant of the gods, a harbinger of a new era! One of a legion ever since the beginning! You’ve gotten this far on your own; you need a mentor to carry you to the next level of your powers.”

“I already had a mentor! I have been given a gift. I choose to protect the innocent and punish the wicked. Much. Like. NOW!” The Scarlet Scorpion attacked. She rushed forward, knocked the sword aside and raised both hands into a cupped fist. Striking from under the chin, Kathryn’s doubled fists slammed hard into Nyxen’s jaw and she followed through with a high kick into the torso that threw Nyxen into the wrecked house. Debris exploded from the impact and Kathryn leaped into the cloud feet first.

Crashing a knee where she expected Nyxen’s head to be, the floor surrendered and splintered further. Kathryn was caught by surprise as an armored boot found the back of her head and threw her to the floor.

“You fight with a passion that crosses over into anger.  I wonder if you are indeed the zenith.”

Kathryn could taste the iron-rich blood forming around her teeth. “You don’t know me. I chose this path. You just follow.”

A boot pressed into Kathryn’s back and kept her flat against the floor. “My sister, with your abilities no one could stop you. Think about the power you can acquire with just a whisper! You are a goddess among men; transformed into an incarna of the gods. Their will, your voice … your fist.” The words seethed through clenched teeth.

The Scarlet Scorpion surrendered struggling against the leverage on her back. She heard the screech of tires and car doors opening outside the building. “Kill me now – sister – or you will have to deal with me and the police. I’m already a match for you by myself.”

“I’m not here to kill you, just show you what your abilities can do for you. Humanity is slaves to the gods and you must show them their place upon Creation. Find out for yourself the truth of my words, if you dare.”

Kathryn could feel the pressure on her back lighten and she spun around. Nyxen was already vanishing like in the warehouse. With a “pop” and a small vacuum, Nyxen was gone.

Origins

1 week later

The field was holding but the Scarlet Scorpion was getting tired. Daikar had not prepared her for this. She was used to street punks and petty thugs. She could handle twenty of them with a little difficulty. But this one person was more than twenty of the Warriors of Las Vegas. And she was laughing from the darkness, taunting Kathryn.

“Stand still and we’ll see whose laughing bitch,” Kathryn yelled from behind the crates. She checked the blood flow from her arm: not serious. The wound was healing before her eyes as she focused on it.

“Catch me if you can!” The retort was childish but factual.

Kathryn mumbled to herself, “Go hwong tong”. She stood in the darkness, peered into the Warehouse and held her breath. The crates were unevenly stacked and created a maze of treachery. Several were destroyed with their contents spilling out. To the side some of the wood shavings of one eviscerated container floated in the increasing pool of blood. They reminded Kathryn of paper boats that floated down a river. The current fleet was slowly drifting away from the stacked corpses of children Kathryn tried to save ... but failed. They no longer had faces thanks to Nyxen.

A flash of reflection from metal!

Kathryn instinctively released her breath and a bolt of sound pierced the space between. In the darkness came the sound of something snapping and metal clattering.

“That was my favorite dagger,” Nyxen howled and Kathryn smiled. Quickly she darted to another crate and scanned the darkness. “Too bad,” was Kathryn’s reply and it felt good to say. Again she moved to another crate to prevent her response from giving away her position. She controlled her breathing and listened for the footsteps. None came. What was heard was the flutter of clothing. Nyxen was on the move.

Kathryn bolted for the crate ahead of her. When she stopped and focused into the darkness she caught the shadow off the wall and tried to find the source. From above, Nyxen crashed into the crate Kathryn just evacuated.  Nyxen’s sword slashed and cut into the space Kathryn once filled.

“Gotcha!” Kathryn screamed into the disintegrating pile of wood. As she spoke the sound was transformed into a spiraling screw-shaped bullet. It bored into Nyxen’s armor in waves and threw the assassin to the ground with a scream. Wood shavings were still floating as Kathryn waited for the counter-attack, but none came.

Kathryn slowly stood and stepped over the shallow river of blood that came from the victims as she cautiously walked to the still form of her enemy. Along the way Kathryn picked up a plank of wood with several nails at one end and closed the distance with it, hefting over her head as if she were to chop wood.

It would be easy now. No witnesses. It would be self defense. You have permission to do it. Everyone would be better off. Now. Do it now! Now or never!!

Kathryn breathed heavily. The adrenalin powered her muscles to bring the plank down upon the head. It almost hurt to keep the wood frozen in place. Her muscles tightened to release. Kathryn forced her hands to release the board and it landed behind her with a thud. She jumped on Nyxen and turned her over.

Grabbing her by the collar of her body suit Kathryn futilely screamed into the masked face, “Why?! Why did you kill all those kids?!” She threw the limp form to the ground and punched the burgundy mask with all the force her arms contained from holding the wood plank. The fleshy smack was not satisfying enough. Kathryn hit Nyxen’s face with her other fist. Not enough. She punched again. Still not enough! The next punch produced blood from Nyxen’s mouth.

She stopped, but a need to punish was throbbing within her. This was almost unfair. Kathryn wanted to kill Nyxen, but some innate barrier prevented Kathryn from going over the edge. She picked up the body and hurled it over her shoulder into another crate. The force of the throw was enough to explode the crate upon impact. 

“WHY!”

The sound of her scream cracked the concrete beneath her and pushed crates and debris in a perfect radius away from her. The glass of the warehouse building shattered outward and the dust from the ceiling beams slowly floated down. Kathryn lost control and decided that justice demanded Nyxen to die.  She ran to the still lying villain and unburied the body. Hoisting Nyxen above her with one hand she used her other to tear the mask off to see the face of the butcher before Kathryn killed her. 

As the dust began to settle Kathryn only stared into the bruised face in shock and disbelief. The mask dropped from her fingers and the adrenalin evacuated her body. Dropping Nyxen, Kathryn collapsed to the floor onto her knees.

“How … what … “ Kathryn could only stare at the Nyxen’s face, the same as her own. She trembled as she crawled closer to Nyxen, shaking fingers touched the cheek as if testing to see if it was real. Kathryn slowly aligned herself so she could look directly at her own self.  Nyxen did not wear an eye patch, but everything else was the same.

Nyxen groaned and her unswollen eye slowly opened. She smiled with bloodied teeth and said, “Because it is what the gods demanded.”

More shock filled Kathryn’s face and she immediately jumped back and crawled away from Nyxen. Slowly and painfully Nyxen lifted herself to be supported by an elbow and looked amused at Kathryn. “What? Don’t you know about the gods?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tsk tsk.” Nyxen spit a glob of blood to the floor. “Athena would be pissed to find one of her champions doesn’t even believe in her.”

“Who are you?” Kathryn was slowly regaining herself with each word Nyxen spoke, yet the meaning was still surreal.

“I am you. It’s that simple.”

“That’s not possible …”

“Oh, just shut up.  Anything is possible … I’m a Praetorian.” She slowly started to stand though it took great effort. Kathryn was locked in shock.

Nyxen feebly stood and pointed to Kathryn. “I’ll give this to you sister, you are more powerful than you realize. You need to tap that strength or you will die. I am a servant of the Titans and they are still chomping at the bit about their exile from Creation.” She lowered her arm and took a step to keep from falling. “Life is a game the gods are playing and we are just pawns. But some are sacrificed to draw out the other pieces.” Nyxen nodded to the pile of death behind the Scarlet Scorpion.

Kathryn was brought back to the present by the oblique reference to the dead children and the fire was rekindled. “All of that means NOTHING to me!” From the ground Kathryn launched herself at her mirror image that was caught off-guard by the surprise attack. Kathryn grabbed Nyxen’s collar and lifted her into the air. Kathryn amazed herself by discovering she was flying!

Nyxen recovered from the assault and punched Kathryn in the gut and both women started to fall. There was a bright flash and a small vacuum in the space Nyxen used to occupy. Kathryn was stunned at Nyxen’s sudden disappearance.

Then she crashed into a crate head-first and the world went black.

Origins

One Month Later

Kathryn was about to bite into the slab of Chess Cake she just finished baking. The loft smelled like the food in front of her and she thoroughly planned to enjoy every bite. The bruise on her cheek protested her stretching jaw but Kathryn suppressed the pain. It was all about the cake!

Then her cell-phone rang as her teeth touched the soft delicacy. The beep was specially chosen to represent Nikki Johanson. She didn’t call unless it was important. Kathryn stopped short of quickly stuffing the desert and answering with a muffled snort. That wasn’t very professional.

She sighed on the second ring and set the plate and fork down. Reaching for the device, the third ring almost seemed impatient. She flicked it open with one hand and jerked her hair away from her face. “Scarlet.”

“We have a problem. Get to the station. And I mean five minutes ago.”

Kathryn looked at the confection somberly before replying. “On my way.” The line was abruptly disconnected. She stuffed the piece in her mouth anyway and savored the sweet taste as she changed into her costume.

It was a simple suit and something she put together herself. She didn’t want it to be flashy like Statesman or menacing like Barricade. She undressed from her jeans and bra and replaced them with a sport supporter and torso suit. The suit was a single dark orange piece that looked more like a one-piece bathing suit than a hero costume. The tactical visor was something she picked up from the black market and was a marvel of technology from her perspective; its white visor was a stark contrast to her hair and was opaque to anyone looking at her.  The scars kept from behind it but it also hid the fact she was blind in one eye.  She pulled her thick bright red hair from under a black jacket and teased it to be presentable. Two dark khaki, metal-studded gloves were pulled tight, followed by over-the-knee black leather stiletto-heeled boots. Finally, a red belt ringed her waist.

She gave herself a last look in the mirror and made final adjustments, tugging and pulling here and there. She nodded and gave the mirror a thumbs up then briskly moved to the elevator.
----

Johanson looked up from the paperwork and photos with only her eyes as the Scarlet Scorpion entered her office and glided into a well-worn leather chair. Nikki Johanson made a circle in red ink on a photo and passed it to Kathryn.

“Sorry to be abrupt, even rude, but this just came to my office and so it had to come to you. Our Ramparts Division stumbled upon a scene reminiscent of Soviet-era POW camps in a warehouse downtown. The figure I circled was caught by security cameras in the district.” Kathryn finally looked at the blurry photo. Most of the person was behind some scenery and the quality of the photo was very poor. It was a close-up of a larger photo. Kathryn shook her head.

“I didn’t think you would recognize her.”

“Her? Now Kathryn was interested. Her targets had always been male and Kathryn regarded that as status quo.

“Yes. This one is a serious sicko. Homeland Security has classified the type of carnage at the scene as a “super-powered crime”.

“Homeland Security … wow, that is surprising.” Kathryn was also impressed and it showed on her face. “What’s the ceiling on this one?”

“Down to basics, eh Scar? Alright, seven figures. It is absolutely essential this one be brought in.”

Kathryn smirked. “Am I covered by the Damage Plan?”

Johanson sat back in her chair and rested her arms as if exhausted but never removed her stare from the Scarlet Scorpion. “More than that.” She pulled a small envelope from her vest and tossed it casually to Kathryn who grabbed it by stopping its flight in mid-air and resting it into her palm. If it weren’t for the buzz of the office outside, Johanson would have heard Kathryn humming a note.

The contents were spilled into her hand. The only item was a hard laminated card and Kathryn’s eye almost popped out its socket.

Johanson smiled. “I know. Who would have thought the government actually issues License to Kill documents. That is just in case the situation absolutely warrants its use. You will need some protection if you have to go as far as killing this bitch to keep her from doing what she did to those people in the warehouse again. Keep in mind: bring her in breathing if you can. If you can’t, then it had better be for a damn good reason.”

Kathryn was still stunned. Her career as a super-powered bounty hunter just turned surreal. “Who is this villain?!”

“She goes by the moniker, ‘Nyxen’.

Origins

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Origins

Later that day

Kathryn closed the loft elevator with one hand. She pulled the tactical visor from her face with the other while teasing her long hair to let her neck receive some cool air. Kathryn crossed into a darkened area of the loft and ducked under a pipe she could not see; its location memorized after several bumps to her forehead.

She turned a corner and in the dim candlelight was her teacher, Grand Battler Daikar, meditating. He had spent more and more time doing that and less training. But she knew her power levels were increasing without his guidance. GB, as she called him, was more like a roommate than a tutor lately. 

She stopped short of the light’s aura. “GB, do you have a minute?”

He simply motioned for Kathryn to have a seat on the mat opposite him. Quietly she took her seat in the practiced manner she was accustomed to and waited. Once the Grand Battler opened his eyes to look into hers the silence was broken.

“You want to know the next step?”

Kathryn nodded. She had gotten used to his style of oriental-like Master-Pupil discussions and relationship. Daikar always had answers to everything. 

He breathed in deeply. “Have you met your enemy?”

Kathryn blinked. “My enemy? Anyone who commits a crime is my enemy. Anyone who is unjust is my enemy. Anyone who abuses the law is my enemy.” She was proud of that answer. It sounded a little cheesy and scripted, but there was no better way to say it.

Daikar smirked and Kathryn knew she gave the wrong answer. She responded with a frown, her pride replaced with embarrassment.

“I meant your nemesis, your opposite. The one person you will need that pushes you to keep going.”

“What? Is not crime-fighting justifiable enough?”

“No. Crime is never-ending. You asked yourself, ‘when will it end?’ It doesn’t. At some point you will surrender to that fact. You will begin to let certain transgressions go. Some events will have more ‘value’ than others. Standards will change. Eventually you will be faced with a choice. That choice will have consequences that could not be foreseen. You will be desperate to fix it in your mind but fail. In your despair you will find a way to justify your decision. Ultimately, you will blame the one person who forced you into the doomed cage and you will hate them with a passion. They will be your new motivation. Your new standards of justice will define you just as their evil defines them.”

There was a silence of understanding between the two.

“Then I have not met my enemy,” Kathryn said reluctantly.

Daikar frowned. “But you are ready. There is nothing more I can teach you after this.”

He stood and walked to the kitchen and turned on the lights. Kathryn squinted from the sudden light. When her eye adjusted she heard the jingle of keys.  Instinctively, she raised her hand and caught the keys that were thrown to her. Kathryn looked at them then to Daikar.

“It’s time for me to move on, to find another like you. I will tell you where I am going but you must promise me not to follow until you have defeated your enemy.”

She suddenly felt very warn as she realized Daikar was planning to leave. She had to be defiant against the realization yet privately remained hopeful. “Why would I follow you?” She immediately wished she said something else.

Daikar moved to the lockers that served as his closet and grabbed a duffle bag stuffed full. “Oh, you’ll find your way because the Fates will it. Everything is as it should be. I have seen the time when you will rise triumphant and in your glory the Gods will smile down on you.”

Kathryn’s sadness turned to anger and she stood to face Daikar whose back was to her. “Don’t give me that crap. What is really going on here?”

Daikar sighed and turned to Kathryn. “I am going to Paragon City. My enemy is there and I seek to defeat him. The Gods have instructed me to be a guide so that others of their Chosen will not suffer as I have. So you are going to do things differently from what I have done.” His face was stern and unrelenting. 

Kathryn recognized that look as the final word. She counted to herself and started to relax. She bowed to him and let a tear fall to the ground. Slowly she rose to look at Grand Battler Daikar from across the loft. “Once I arrive in Paragon … can I look for you?”

“Of course. I love you.”

Daikar turned on his heels, opened and closed the elevator doors … and was gone. The hard whine of the motor above the roof filled the room. Kathryn Beringer, The Scarlet Scorpion, stood in the dark, stunned.

Origins

1 month later

The man's fist landed flat on her forehead as she leaned into the punch. It hurt but not as bad as it could have been. The well-dressed attacker pulled back for a second attempt but didn’t get the chance. Even struggling with her arms held by two other brawly men, Kathryn was able to defend herself. She coiled a long leg between her attacker’s legs and pulled back, the effect having pulled a leg from under him. He thudded to the floor which gave The Scarlet Scorpion the second she needed to deal with the other two on her arms.

With a verbal heave she lifted her captors and launched them forward and away, the look of surprise on their faces as they sailed from the alleyway into the street. One crashed into a parking meter, exploding it’s riches to the pavement. The other wrapped himself around a streetlight. There were screams of surprise and horror mixed with falling coins from the street.

Kathryn looked down at the recovering businessman and kicked him hard in the chest. She heard a distinctive snap before he was sent up and away from her. He landed with a “plop” and Kathryn ran forward. He was cowering from her as she grabbed his collar and dragged him to the street where a crowd was forming around the other two. As she appeared in the light Kathryn underhand threw the man like a heavy garbage bag toward his friends. The crowd parted slightly at the sight and he landed hard against his friends.

She pounced on him. Grabbing his collar again, she lifted him against the streetlight with her elbows grinding broken rib bones. He winced in pain and Kathryn calculated the fight was out of him.

“I am The Scarlet Scorpion. Tell your friends. I’ll be watching all of you.”

The man looked at her with trembling lips but seemed to regain his composure through the pain. “The Family will know and never forget. Consider yourself dead.” He gathered a wad of saliva in his mouth and Kathryn threw him to the ground before he could spit.

“Typical”, she muttered and put a leather boot over his mouth.

Origins

4 months later

“Some things don’t change,” Kathryn sighed as she looked at the familiar 1980’s-era architecture of the North Las Vegas Police Department. She puffed her breath in resignation which pushed a flock of hair to the side and strode toward the front doors. People on both sides of the street paused to watch her walk across the five lane road. Kathryn ignored all of them and nervously pulled on her dark khaki gloves as she reached the other side of the street.

She entered the main entrance and relished the air conditioned environment then took note that the noise level dropped considerably. Kathryn looked around the lobby and every eye was on her, from punk to parent to officer. She invisibly cleared her throat and strode confidently to the main reception window. The young officer gulped as she walked up to him, then weakly said, “How may I help you?”

She placed both arms on the shelf and shifted her weight to one leg.  “Thank you, I’d like to see someone in the Crime Stoppers Bureau.” She tapped her booted foot lightly. Kathryn attempted to keep her eye focused on the officer as she spoke. Her sense of authority was growing and it helped that she was looking down at him even though he was standing behind the desk.  Trying not to be conspicuous, Kathryn left her tactical visor in her jacket, but she still wore her simple costume.  Kathryn may as well have been wearing the visor from the looks of everyone in the room.

“Um … what’s your name ma’am?”

“A concerned citizen. If you would humor me and direct me to the Bureau offices, I’m sure I can handle myself.” She started to tap her fingernails on the window shelf. The officer looked down and shuffled some papers at his desk nervously.

“I’m sorry ma’am. If you will have a seat, someone will be with you in a moment.”

“I’ll stand if you don’t mind.”

He nodded and picked up the phone. Kathryn turned and faced the lobby. The younger part of the crowd simply stared while the older crowd looked away.

A few moments later, a female officer with her blonde hair pulled back in a pony-tail appeared. She was middle-aged and athletic but the wrinkles around her eyes and lips projected experience and a ‘no-nonsense’ attitude. The bars on her collar meant she was high-ranking. Only a few inches shorter than Kathryn, yet she seethed with authority. She walked up to Kathryn as if she had seen someone like her before and extended her hand. “Lieutenant Nikki Johanson. I hear a superhero wants to see me?”

A little surprised Kathryn paused before accepting the gesture and returned a firm handshake. “More like a concerned citizen.”

The officer looked at Kathryn from the feet up before responding.  “Of course. Follow me.” Nikki turned on her heels, opened the door to the back offices.  Briefly stunned, Kathryn quickly matched Nikki’s pace behind her.

As they entered Nikki’s office, Kathryn was impressed with the awards and diplomas that littered the wall to the side. She noted how Nikki was humble enough to not have them crowd the wall behind the desk.  By being hidden until someone entered the room, the guest was trapped into a false sense that Nikki Johanson, rank notwithstanding, was not as accomplished as she looked.  She motioned for Kathryn to sit and took her own seat. “So, what is a concerned citizen like you doing here? It’s rare for someone with 'super-powers' to seek out the police. It’s rarer for one to look for a specific office if nothing has happened.”

Kathryn shuffled in her seat from the social attack but kept staring at Nikki. “The police can’t be everywhere. I am offering my abilities as an extra pair of eyes, so to speak.” She pointed to her eye patch.

“You can’t be everywhere either.”

“True, but I can also handle more than … most people.” Kathryn had to choose her words carefully.

Nikki leaned back and steepled her fingers in thought. After a few seconds, “Why do you want to help the police if you can do super-things on your own?”

“It’s better than vigilantism.” Kathryn knew she was on the defensive but she felt restless just waiting to be at the right place at the right time. Depending on luck was never her style. She needed to be proactive. If she was gifted with her sonic powers, increased strength and resilience then it is being wasted while waiting for chance or fate.

A few more seconds, “Alright, what compensation are you considering?”

“The law is already on my side, I just don’t want a badge for it. Honestly, I don’t want to sound greedy, but I was hoping I could look at your bounty files and go from there. I think the reward and the satisfaction of arresting a criminal is compensation enough.”

One of Nikki’s eyebrows perked. “Bounty Hunter?”

Kathryn’s good eyebrow rose at the retort. “There are things I can do that makes the job a little easier.”

A smile crawled along Nikki's rich lips revealing the wrinkles clearly. “Mind if I get a demonstration?”

Kathryn sat forward and clapped her hands. The slap of the gloves was louder than Nikki expected and she twitched in surprise. Kathryn slowly separated her hands and a swirling ball of air, like a gyroscope, grew between her hands. She slowly carried the swirling air close to the desk and items started to vibrate the closer she got. Lt. Johanson’s name plate danced away from Kathryn and the pencil holder rattled until it tipped over. She brought her hands together and the desk items became still. “I can manipulate sound waves. Imagine a man’s bones vibrate to the point where he cannot move. Or imagine them shattering from the inside out.”

“The Citizen Crime Fighting Act prevents you from doing harm.”

“Unless necessary as a means of self defense,” Kathryn shot back.

Lieutenant Nikki Johanson looked at her desk and nodded. “Alright. You have a chance. Captain Indomitable walked through those same doors 15 years ago and now he’s famous. Have not heard from him since he moved to Paragon, come to think of it.” She opened a drawer, pulled out a file, then walked around her desk and handed it to Kathryn. “Regardless, I don’t recall seeing you around. What is your 'name'?

Kathryn removed her eye patch, pulled out her tactical visor and clipped it in place, then looked up to Nikki and smirked.  “The Scarlet Scorpion. But you can call me Scarlet.”

Origins

2 weeks later

Kathryn was nervous. She had not been in school for several years but she remembered the twisting feeling in her gut about walking into a classroom and seeing so many unfamiliar faces. But this is the University of Las Vegas and she knew the campus well from when she attended.

That was forever ago. Still, she was confident she would not be the oldest student in the room.

Walking down the halls of the Boyd School of Law she could feel the stares of the students she walked past. Inwardly she smirked but she kept a stoic visage and concentrated on the classroom door at the end of the hall. She knew why: it was the eye patch and scars that crept from underneath.

There was something else that caught the student’s attention … she was still very beautiful. Her naturally scarlet red hair bounced with each step and each strand seemed destined to its place on her head. Her make-up was flawless with the most prominent feature, her lips, a delicate match to her hair. Kathryn was also tall in comparison to the average woman: she was easy to find in a crowd. Her black buttoned-up collar shirt was slightly taught around her chest and was tucked under her form fitting jeans. The black boots Kathryn wore clicked on the tiled floor and signaled her presence, each step was purposeful and dominating.

For a few students, Kathryn would glance their way and give a sideways smirk. If she looked at a young man he quickly turned his head as if looking at her would steal his soul. Or maybe he was afraid of having Kathryn know he was staring?

Kathryn entered the classroom and paused briefly to look at her classmates … she was the oldest person in the room. Her stride resumed and she found a seat in the front row. Kathryn ignored that every eye, male and female, watched her as she glided into the seat.

The professor entered in a hurry and threw his leather briefcase on the long table in front of the white board. It landed with a heavy thud and skidded to a halt short of the opposite edge. He was a middle-aged man with evenly short hair, thin-rimmed glasses and a Musketeer mustache.

“I am Professor Tannus. You will call me Sir or Doctor, nothing else. Expect to be ignored otherwise.” He walked to the board and grabbed a black pen.  Tannus wrote the word “Hero” on the board and spun back on his heels to face the hushed classroom.

His gaze landed on Kathryn and said, “What does being a hero mean to the law?”

Immediately Kathryn responded, “To be above the law.” She was smooth speaking and confident when she said it.

The teacher smiled wide and capped the pen deliberately. “Interesting point of view. Since it is the first day I will suggest that by the end of the semester you will need to prove that.” He turned to the class. “Welcome to Using the Law to Live. Otherwise known as CJ4402. If you are in the wrong room then too bad, you chose to be here and your mistake will now cost you one hour of your time.”

Kathryn’s good eyebrow shot up.

He continued, “In this class you will learn some of the intricacies of American law and how it will pertain to your future existence. Specifically, traffic violations, property rights, civic responsibility and other … more creative … ways to look at the current legal system. And, for those who care, where today’s so-called ‘Heroes and Villains’ fit within the law.”

Kathryn sighed quietly. She didn't want to go back to school, but she could hear Daikar words:

An education is the strongest power a person can have. You must not only be strong in body, but in mind. Knowledge is True power. You must own such power for yourself. I can teach you to fight, but an education will give you everything else.

Origins

Kathryn rubbed her temple as the headache started to bite at her skull. The lit candles in the room were bright enough to cast fuzzy shadows upon the walls. Their glow was deceptively warm. Daikar’s simple yet cryptic discussions always mentally wore her out quick. But just now, he was not being coy. She knew Daikar was making sense but she was having a hard time making sense of what he was saying.

Did that make sense?

“Ok, hold on … what?” It wasn’t that Daikar said something ridiculous. He never says anything like that. But what he said surprised her more than anything else he has said in the past.

Daikar sat motionless and closed his eyes as he spoke, “I know it is a difficult idea to believe, even accept. Clearly you need to see proof of what I say. Then you will see for yourself the responsibility you must accept.”

“How can I choose if I must accept it?” Things are getting complicated.

Daikar sighed and sternly said, “Kathy, when I say you must choose it, it is because, once you have seen what I have seen, you would be a grand fool not to accept. There is no paradox. The power of the Truth is so convincing that to reject it is to reject the very existence of yourself. But I have seen such things; it is also my Faith because I believe what I saw with my own eyes. The choice then, ultimately, is do you want to see the Truth and live a life filled with meaning and with powers you were specially chosen to wield, guarded with the knowledge that there is a purpose to everything in the world? Or live your life in the bliss of ignorance, with powers you did not ask for, that can kill with a simple whisper?”

That was like a javelin piercing an apple.  They had danced around this discussion before but Daikar was more serious than ever. His words were heavy and the very air between them seemed charged with some ethereal power. Daikar had an aura of command as he sat there with his eyes closed. It was magnetic and repelling at the same time. Kathryn was frozen as she struggled with the weight of the situation.

She became ashamed at the silence between them and looked away as if she were being banished from the world. Quietly, she said, “What have you seen?”

She could feel Daikar lean in. “Exaclty what is described of the gods. It is all real Kathy. There is a Truth, and it is my duty to show it to you but only when you are ready and sincerely willing.” The mat creaked as his weight shifted.

Kathryn looked up, watching Daikar. Seconds seemed like minutes as she weighed the situation in her mind.  She knew she could live a reasonably normal life. There would be nothing to stop her once she was finished with her training except for her own convictions of honor and justice, fairness and equality. But then … there was purpose. Daikar was instilling a sense of propriety with her new abilities. Kathryn could become one of the many heroes of the world. She could also become one of the villains spoken of in whispers and tales to frighten little children to be “good”.

Kathryn used to believe in the simplicity of life. Her acquisition of wealth meant she could have what she wanted, when she wanted. She knew how to love and live for herself with a sense of satisfaction from her actions. People obeyed her commands and buckled at the knees to her demands. She was like a god with followers worshiping her intimate abilities. But all that was taken away and she had to start over.

This time she started over with more power … true power; the kind of power that makes a difference through direct action. Action. She couldn’t take Daikar’s words at face value. No matter how much she trusted him. She would need to see for herself.

“How can I see what you have seen?”

Daikar smirked. “There is a portal to Olympus. That gateway is in Paragon City.”

Kathryn’s jaw dropped. Paragon City. The City of Heroes. Paragon City was home to the largest gathering of heroes on the planet and not for just a few of the more famous ones like Statesman and Ms. Liberty. Her childhood favorite, Captain Indomitable, resided there. Paragon City was also a hotbed of true villainy. The news was always talking about such groups like Hellions, Council, and the infamous Arachnos to name a few. A chill ran down her spine.  All were terrorists to varying degrees but some have intentions to rule the world.  The Rikti Invasion brought out scores more heroes and villains.

Then something dawned on her and the realization was a thunderclap in her mind. “How could the portal to Olympus not be in the news? If the ancient Greek gods really do exist then that would change the face of Earth!” Kathryn was almost spitting as she spoke.

Daikar’s smirk didn’t drop. “You are realizing the gravity of the Truth, Kathy.  It is ironic that belief is more powerful than fact.  The portal is guarded by a secret society shrouded in the guise of a super group.  There are many, like me, that has seen the Olympians and some are champions to the Gods.  But, to the world, they are simply fanatical to a cause; using the Gods to justify good and evil actions.”

“So, you are asking me to go to Paragon City and open a door to Olympus just so that I can believe it exists?!”

“In a nutshell … yes.”

Kathryn’s muscles were tense as she carried the new weight the discussion. She visually shook it off and enthusiastically said, “Let’s go now!”

“No, your training is not finished.”

“What?! How much longer do I have?”

Daikar shrugged nonchalantly.  “You’ve just started.”

Kathryn Beringer was stunned silent. Grand Battler Daikar stood and walked away toward his room. He deftly shut the door, leaving Kathryn in the mute gloam of the candles.

Origins

3 months later
Suburbs south of Las Vegas

Kathryn watched the church burn. The heat was intense and her own anger only added to the intensity of what she was watching. Her grip tightened on the collar of the punk she caught. He was limp with a few bruises to the face. Her hands were slightly bruised but the pain was washing away with the waves of heat.

She looked down at the punk in disgust then around the field and noticed the three other accomplices lying around where they fell from her blows of revenge. A grim smirk appeared and she was satisfied with what she did even though she couldn’t save the church. Once she found these four vandals she knew she could do something. It was within her ability. Kathryn started to feel as if she had the “right” to take action when no one else could do it.

As she mused over such thoughts, there was a slight tug and moan from the punk at her feet. “Bitch, do you realize who you are fu-“, Kathryn reached around with her other hand and punched him in the face from above. He went crashing to the ground unconscious. She flexed her gloved hand and saw the blood shine from the light of fire.

Sirens could be heard approaching, both fire and police. Kathryn quickly gathered the four together and piled them in a sitting position then waited. As the first police car raced down the street, she turned and ran for the bushes. She would make sure the punks were taken care of before she made her quiet escape.

A couple of officers looked at the situation cautiously. One took to the task of handcuffing the arsonists while the other tried to track the area for anyone else. “Time to go”, she whispered and broke into a sprint away from the scene. 
---

Kathryn entered the loft from the elevator and saw Daikar meditating in front of the large dusty windows, as usual. She unhooked the tactical visor she purchased off the black market from her ears and striped off her metal-padded gloves.  The gloves would have to be washed since blood left an awful stench that was hard to get rid of.

“How was it tonight?” Daikar asked smoothly as he began to stand with only his legs lifting him.

Kathryn sighed, “One robbery, two car-jackings, and one arson. Nine people.”

“Not bad for three hours. You are finding them with more ease.”

Kathryn went to the sink and started to gather the chemicals needed to clean the gloves. “Yes, the arson was a half-win though. I got the four that started it but the church was already lit. There was nothing I could do beyond teaching the lesson.”

“Were you seen?”

“No, Grand Battler.” She dipped her hands under the water and washed her face.

“So formal,” Daikar stood near Kathryn. “I can sense you are troubled.”

Kathryn put her wet hands on the counter edge and leaned into her shoulders. “It never ends does it?”

Daikar stood motionless. “No. Things are as they should be.”

Kathryn looked up. “I’ve heard you say that often. What does that mean?” She pointed a finger to his chest. “And don’t give me philosophical. Just say it.”

Daikar turned and returned to his mediation mat. “As I have said before Kathy, you were chosen. It was not chance nor a random conglomeration of events. There is only fate and destiny. This is a part of my faith, a faith in something that exists. But to enforce that idea upon you takes away your freedom of choice.”

Kathryn rolled her eye and silently grumbled to herself, “Another lesson in words.”

She sat on her mat. Kathryn prepared herself for the mental joust that would happen and said, “Choice to believe in fate and destiny? So you’re saying there is no personal freedom of choice? That’s contradictory.” 

“No, you can still choose your path. But every decision you make has consequences which will affect a series of events that will force another decision you will have to make. All these decisions must be made of your own freewill separate from influences upon you. The trick is that you must decide what to believe: whether existence is a series of random events or part of a grand vision. Then follow that belief to the end. The point is that you believe.”

“Believe in what?

Daikar smirked, something he picked up from Kathryn. “If a priest tells you God exists, would that be enough for you to believe in God?”

“Of course not, I need more than someone else’s conviction.” Then she realized what was happening. “Alright then, tell me what you know. I’ll see if I can accept that or not.”

Daikar took a deep breath and exhaled just as long. He looked at her one eye and his face became dour. “The gods of old still exist. The ones commonly referred to as the Olympians. They still reside in the Heavens and use people as instruments of their will.”

Silence.

Kathryn blinked twice.

“That’s it?”

“What more should I say?”

“You just told me that Zeus and Apollo walk among the clouds and decide to have things happen as if they were playing a game of chess! There is a lot more to say!” Kathryn was physically tired and now she started to get a headache.

Origins

That night, Giancci's Ristorante, Las Vegas

(Part 4 of The Way of the Warrior)

Kathryn leaned forward and deeply inhaled the fumes from the pasta bowl. A very satisfied smile lingered on her face as her eye imagined the fragrance having substance and filling her stomach. It had been several months since she had a meal like the one before her.

“It does look good. Enjoy.” Daikar smiled broadly and was about to intake a fork-full of food when sirens activated nearby and a police car roared past the restaurant with increasing speed.

Kathryn looked from the window to Daikar, who started chewing on a delicious mouthful of Chicken Alfredo. She dropped her fork and started to stand.  Daikar reached out and grabbed her arm from across the table.  Stunned, Kathyrn turned to look at her mentor. Daikar simply shook his head and tugged to have Kathryn sit.

“But crime is happening. Shouldn’t we be doing something about it?” Kathryn whispered harshly.

Daiker wiped his moustache clean. “Crime is happening almost everywhere in one form or another. We can’t be everywhere at once, nor can we jump at the sound of every siren like a Pavlovian dog.” Daikar took another mouthful of food.

“But we know something is happening!”

Daikar put his fork down gently and looked at Kathryn seriously. “Do we? What if that’s just an accident the police are running to? No crime was committed and we stopped our lives to do what?”

Kathryn twitched her mouth in skepticism, but picked up her fork in resignation. “Do we take that chance?”

“Yes, we must. Even with our abilities, we can only do so much. There is enough order in the universe to balance against the chaos. What is happening to that person is localized but not necessarily ‘evil’ or wrong. Unfortunate … maybe.” Daikar gestured to Kathryn and swung his arm to encompass the room. “But look at you. Me. The people here – no chaos. A room filled with order.”

Still skeptical, “That’s a cold way of looking at good versus evil.”

Daikar shook his head. “It’s, ultimately, not a matter of morality, but of balance.”

“How?” Thinking the answer would take time, Kathryn filled mouth.

“Do you have to be evil to have chaos?”

Surprised by the short response, Kathryn quickly gulped, silently hating to feel rushed. “Seems the same to me.”

“Fair enough. Is an insane person … evil?”

More prepared, Kathryn only took a small portion before she answered; now hating to even talk. “No, not necessarily.”

Daikar scooped another fork-full. “There’s the answer to evil and chaos. The point is: you can only do so much. Don’t become chaotic trying to live the life of a good person. Do what you can with the knowledge and comfort, that justice, fairness, and order comes to everyone, eventually.”

Origins

1 week later, At their training loft
(part 3 of The Way of the Warrior)


“OW!”

“Why did you do that?!” Scarlet looked at Daikar with a fury in her voice and surprise on her face.

“So you will perform better.” Daikar, in turn, was stoic and calm.

Kathryn rubbed on both thighs which were reddening from the impact of Daikar’s hands. She was extremely irate and it showed on her face. “How would inflicting pain do that?!” Her voice revealed no sign of calming down.

“Are you angry?”

“YES! Of course I am, what did you expect?”

Turning his back to her, ”Then prove you can do better and the consequences will improve. Anger will turn to joy, focus will sharpen, and most important, there will be no pain.”

“Pft. Sounds like abuse to me.” As she spoke, Kathryn entered her combat stance.  

“It’s only abuse if the cause does not warrant the effect or judgment is not justified. A parent should not hit a child because the child is hungry.”

Kathryn rolled her eye at the obviousness of the comment. “Can’t I be angry at you for hurting me?”

“What do you mean?”

Sighing heavy, Kathryn relaxed. “You don’t have to cause pain for me to learn, but you can cause me to be angry. Isn’t anger enough motivation?”

“Hmm.” Daikar turned back to Kathryn. “Why be upset over what I have done?”

“Oh, I don’t know, because you hit me when I don’t think I deserved it!”

“What do you think your anger is supposed to do?”

“Force me to show you I can do better … aw, damn it.”

Daikar could only grin broadly, her answer justified his efforts.

Kathryn tilted her head and pointed a finger reviewing the lesson she just received. “So you inflict pain, which cause anger, in an attempt to get me to improve. Strange thinking Daikar.”

“Possibly, but what’s the danger?”

Extending her arms to make a point, “The danger is that anger can turn into a hatred that becomes a cycle which feeds upon itself.”

Daikar waved a hand to deflect the argument. “You and I both know that hate is counter-productive because glory from positive action will be tarnished.”

“Does glory really matter here, especially during this exercise?” Kathryn crossed both arms to defend her position in the discussion.

“Consider this: do we remember ancient Greece for its accomplishments or its failure? Or the results of the French Revolution versus the failures of the King, which eventually lead to the Revolution? Is Las Vegas known for its casinos or the debauchery rampant within?”

Grinning devilishly, Kathryn replied, “depends on who you ask.’

“Exactly!” Daikar suddenly became animated. “You have the chance to be known by everybody for what you do. It’s more rewarding now and forever, for the good deeds versus the bad actions!”

“But-“

“No ‘buts’. During your new life, you will experience pain and anger. More than you would ever have dreamed or imagined in your other life. You must embrace them as a sign to change yourself to a better way of living. Whether it’s tactically during a fight or the eventuality of a broken heart, the causes are always different. But the effect of pain and anger are always real. Never let them fester and ruin your soul.” He clenched his fist. “Use them to your advantage and you will see that pain is a motivator to improve and survive. Not just for now, at this moment, but for today, tomorrow and forever!”

Origins

1 week later, Sierra International Machinery, Las Vegas
(Part 2 of The Way of the Warrior)

The Grand Battler looked at the ruined landscape. Debris littered every inch of ground as far as he could see, while rusted and rotting cars, some stacked ten high, clawed toward the sky. The scattered vehicle skyscrapers created a maze inside the junkyard and Daikar wanted that privacy. For now, he was being stalked but he showed no sign of concern. He feigned being the prey and enjoyed a sense of comfort from the idea that his predator was really soon to be on the receiving end of his attack.

Metal started scraping and whining under pressure above him and he spun on his heels. The tower of wrecks slowly collapsed toward him and he was able to jump and roll away from their fall, crushing the ground where he once stood in a cacophony of twisted metal and shattered glass. Before the crash settled, and appearing with the sun behind her, was Kathryn Beringer, flying toward him feet first, in an attempt to begin the combat with her newly practiced signature move.

Surprised, the Grand Battler rolled to the side and with little room for error, but not before his arm was scratched by one of her boots. She landed heavily but stood her ground as Daikar completed his roll by standing in a combat-ready stance. She took a small step forward and Daikar raised a hand.

“I yield.”

Kathryn immediately relaxed and beamed at the surrender. “Finally!”

Daikar smiled and looked at his injury. It healed cleanly but the dip of blood was still on his skin. He wiped it with a finger and nodded with appreciation. “You used the sun to your advantage, very good thinking. But I am not sure the use of the stack would have helped you.”

Kathryn waved a hand as if to swat a fly. “That was a set-up for the attack. But I wish I was stronger to push the cars. It seemed forever to get them to move.”

Nodding, Daikar brushed the dirt from his trousers. “Let’s examine that.” He scanned their surrounding and walked up to a lone vehicle. Its red paint job was almost indistinguishable from the rust, its windows were missing, and it rested on its wheel drums. Daikar knew Kathryn followed him and stopped at a distance. He was pleased that Kathryn, even in her stubbornness, knew when a lesson was about to happen.

Daikar leaned into the car and pushed it several feet before stopping. Its wheels drug into the ground and were buried, new dents along the passenger doors where Daikars hands affected the vehicle. Without sweat or losing breath he stood and turned to Kathryn. “Your turn”.

“What?!” Her eye was wide open with jaw dropped. “You half-buried the thing. Not to mention it’s a Ford from the seventies! Those things are made like tanks and weigh just as much!”

“Too bad.”

Like a teenager who was just grounded, Kathryn huffed and stomped toward the vehicle. She stopped and smirked then walked to the opposite side, leaned forward, dug in her heels and pushed.

The car didn’t budge.

Kathryn, breathing heavily stood and said, “See? I did it.”

Rolling his eyes, “It didn’t move. Stand back.” Kathryn took several steps back as Daikar took several forward. Without his usual mantra and ceremony, Daikar walked up to the car and punched the passenger door facing him. The door collapsed from the impact and was torn from the hinges. Dust, dirt and rust puffed from every surface and created a small cloud. He took a step back and brushed the dirt from his arms. “Now it’s your turn. Do you think you can do the same?”

Kathryn looked as if she were slapped in the face. “If you can do it, I can do better!” She charged the car and punched the door with all her effort. Like Daikar’s attempt, the door was crushed and she was enveloped in a cloud of dust and rust. She pulled her hand back, wincing from the pain, but when she looked back she was surprised by what just happened.

Daikar clapped. “Now tell me, why do you think that happened? I’m stronger than you, pushing the car was proof of that. Yet you can destroy the car door like me.”

Kathryn walked around the car while keeping an eye on it. She held her wrist and flexed her fingers. “I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words.”

“It’s not too simple on the surface.” Daikar met Kathryn and looked over her wrist. Once satisfied it was not broken, he slapped it, causing Kathryn to yelp. “Punching this car was like fighting someone. The physical strength a person has means nothing without the force to back it up. You are not as strong as I, but the force you exerted was the same.”

Shaking the pain out of her hand, Kathryn looked from the car to Daikar and back. “Can you be a little more vague?”

Daikar sat lotus style. “Think of strength like a river. A river is simple flowing water. You can manipulate the course of a river; you can change the flow of the river. But put some force into the river and IT will change the environment around it. It’s the same with people.

“How do you mean?” At this point Kathryn placed her hands on her hips and rested her weight on one leg. She was skeptical of the lesson but listened nonetheless.

Daikar stood and closed his eyes, then extended an arm straight. “Imagine your soul as the source of a river. From it flows the rushing water through your arm and out your fingers. Concentrate on a wild, fast flowing rush of water, not a calm bubbling brook. Your challenge is to bend or lower my arm.”

Kathryn smirked and clapped her hands together in satisfaction. “Easy enough.” She walked up to Daikar and lightly tugged down on his wrist, but his arm did not move. Using both hands she exerted more pressure, but with the same result. She leaned into her efforts until she was hanging from his arm like a child at a jungle-gym. Standing, she decided to push rather than pull, so she jumped and sat on his arm, preparing to catch herself from falling. She was surprised to find she was sitting on Daikar outstretched arm.

She jumped off. “Ok, I’m impressed. But look at you! You’re a giant bag of muscle.”

Daikar opened his eyes, “As I suggested, strength is an illusion; force is the true power you need to use. You try it, extend your arm.”

Kathryn, less skeptical, obliged and closed her eye. Daikar whispered, “Follow the thought: the river flows from deep inside, up to your arm and down its length. Leaving your fingers and continuing on beyond you.” Inside Kathryn’s imagination, the river was everything she always thought a rushing river could be. Scenes of the Niagara River just before the plunge filled her internal vision. She could sense Daikar putting pressure on her arm to test her attempt, so she strengthened her vision to be the water flowing down a sharp angle. She wrapped the river with her arm as if the water was her muscle and bone.

She could hear Daikar say something and she cracked her eye opened. Hanging from her arm with feet off the ground, like a playing child or monkey, was The Grand Battler. Surprised by the fact she succeeded, Kathryn was brought back to reality. Her effort disappeared and Daikar landed on the ground with a grunt.

Origins

1 week later, somewhere in Las Vegas
(Part 1 of the Way of the Warrior)

Kathryn leaped from one rooftop to another. The distance was easily covered due to her running start. She landed a little clumsily due to the gravel she didn’t expect. She grunted as she corrected herself and kept moving forward. Each step taken stretched her thighs and she fought to maintain even breathing, as Daikar taught her. On the Grand Battler, he was several strides ahead of her and seemed to glide across the uneven terrain at the top of the city. Still, Kathryn’s black boots hugged her thighs and ankles well enough to help her keep up the pace to her mentor.

Las Vegas itself seemed darker than usual, but the bright lights at the center of the city were behind them which may have contributed to that impression. The pair of runners was deliberately entering the “darker” parts of the city with the intent to find crime and do something about it. 

They did not have to look far: a scream pierced the dimming night, followed by the woman’s vocal attempt to struggle against being silenced. Daikar skid to a halt and spun toward the sound. Kathryn’s enhanced hearing lead her in the direction he was looking and she kicked off a pipe to launch her into the air. She curved her body as if diving into water and disappeared between the buildings. Daikar leapt after her, feet first.

Kathryn folded herself to reposition her legs and bounded off the side the opposite building and captured the scene before her. A thug, dressed in dark colored clothing, had dragged a woman into the valley. He had her pinned to the ground and successfully removed her blouse, obviously by force. One hand covered her mouth, while the other was working to clear a path between her legs. He didn’t know about the red-haired woman, or the blond-haired man above him until his victim stopped struggling with open wide eyes.

For Kathryn, her speed gave her just enough time to absorb the scene in her mind, remember her experience, register the flash of anger and disgust, and formulate a plan of attack. Another second and she would crash to the pavement, but she absorbed the whistle in her ear from her motion and projected the sound waves forward like an invisible cushion. She slowed enough to roll forward and put her feet in front. Her boots pointed forward, with arms outstretched to either side, she connected with the thug at his shoulder. He was thrown into the wall of the building with a crack and his body went limp. Kathryn landed straddling the woman, as if to replace the thug. One hand quickly covered the woman’s mouth, the other coming to Kathryn’s lips telling the woman to remain quiet.

Daikar lands with a heavy thud, scaring the woman further. He recovers and calmly walks to Kathryn, putting a hand to her shoulder. She continues to look at the woman and says, “Be more careful in the night. We are here to help, you are safe now. If I let go, will you scream?”

The woman looks into Kathryn’s eye and frantically shakes her head. Kathryn slowly releases and the woman, through tear-soaked eyes and trembling lips whispers, “Thank you” and starts to slide away from Kathryn who has stood, watching the unmoving but still breathing, criminal.

Daikar removed his jacket and offered it to the woman, who accepted it with a weak smile. She forgets her ruined blouse in the alley and disappears around the corner, her shuffling footsteps turned to running. When he turns back to his pupil he sees Kathryn standing over the unconscious thug. Then she raises a fist and punches into the thug’s face, almost burying it in the concrete. Blood splatters on her boots.

“What are you doing?!” He voice boomed in the alley.

“Justice.”

“You can’t kill him.” He starts to walk toward Kathryn, she doesn’t look back.

“Why not?  He deserves a lesson, even if it kills him.”

“Killing is against the law. We don’t break the law in our service of it.”

Kathryn spun, fury boiling from her face. “That’s bullshit! This man will be set free and do it again. Who knows how many victims he has notched on his bed post. It is our duty to do what can’t be done in public.”

Daikar pointed at Kathryn’s chest, “Then you are nothing more than a vigilante and a murderer. What would killing this man do for you?”

Kathryn rolled her eye and looked to the dark sky, knowing her next word would spark a discussion. But realizing that started to calm her and take her away from the moment. “Satisfaction.”

“Then what? What can you do with that satisfaction?” Daikar lowers his arm and takes a step forward.

She looked to Daikar. “For personal glory. The glory of knowing I helped the world be rid the city, and the world of one more criminal, one more rapist.” 

“Then what? And for what?”

Kathryn thought for a moment. “To instill fear in those who would commit crime.”

“Then what? You can’t do more than kill. That’ll be your limit. Thus, fear of you can only go so far.”

Kathryn turns her back on the thug and takes a step. “Then what can we do? Torture and killing is against the law.” She mocks the discussion by making the rabbit ears with both hands.

Daikar lifts the thug into a sitting position. Blood flowed slowly from his mouth and nose, his eyes already showed bruising from Kathryn attack. “Mercy and life can do more for you throughout your existence and beyond.” He turns the Kathryn, a serious expression etched in his face and voice. “Your NAME will live longer than you because of what you DO. Glory in life is its own reward.”

He stands and looks back at the thug with pity on his lips, “There is no glory in killing.”

Origins

2 months later
Northside, Las Vegas

Kathryn walked out of the salon feeling brand new. She stopped before a shop window and pretended to look at the items being advertised when really she was examining her new hair style. 

The fiery color in her already bright red hair gave Kathryn a boost in her confidence. It was a stark contrast to her black leather jacket and boot-cut jeans. For months she had secluded herself away from almost everyone in Las Vegas save one: The Grand Battler. She didn’t need to look like the beautiful woman she was before her time in the hospital. But when Daikar accepted that she was almost finished with her preliminary training, Kathryn decided that she needed to get beautiful again.

Along with her surprisingly quick healing abilities, Dr. Wade was able to remove all traces of her experience with Mark Vargis … except for the scars around the empty space her left eye once occupied. The eye patch was uncomfortable at first, but she got used to it. Kathryn even started to think that it added a sense of mystery which is what she wanted now anyway. Mark Vargis took her old life that night. She needed to start over. 

In a way, she really was a new person. Having “super powers” meant having to know when to use them at the right time in the right place. That’s a different kind of responsibility from knowing when to say the right words or paying bills on time.

Kathryn already closed all her accounts, paid off any creditors, telephoned all the girls from her business to wish them well, and withdrew the remaining money from the banks. She was living off cash but that was going to run out eventually.

It was moments like this when she remembered conversations she had with the Grand Battler.

”Daikar, you say I have to choose between doing good and being evil. But what do you mean?”

”To do ‘good’ must come from within. Otherwise you are taking advantage of the results of your deeds. Your powers have changed your responsibility to your fellow man. Soon the choice will have to be made to either help society or help yourself.”

Kathryn considered the words but could not formulate a response. Daikar learned to read her body language and continued, “Here is an oversimplified example: who is going to stop you if you don’t want to pay the tab at a restaurant?”

”The restaurant owner, of course. Or some form of security.” Kathryn was confident with her answer.

Daikar looked surprised, as if the answer was not logical. ”Really? What could they do? You are stronger than anyone for your size. You are tougher and more resilient because of your powers. Kathryn, people follow the rules and are ‘good’ because it benefits them in some way. It could be enjoying a positive feeling or getting the satisfaction from helping someone that needs it.”

He continued, “So, if you try to take something by force, like food, then it will become harder to get more later. Granted, you are sure to get a good meal the first time at any restaurant you go. Ultimately, even with your powers, it is better, not to mention easier, if you follow the rules and laws knowing there are few people who could stop you otherwise.”

Kathryn considered the example. ”So, why choose to be evil?”

”Because of ego. Power equates itself to being above average. Power corrupts the morality of people. The question stops being, ‘Why should I pay for things?’ and becomes, ‘Who is going to stop me?’ That kind of bravado is unjust if not simplistic.”

Kathryn was still teasing her hair when the reflection in the glass caught her attention. Behind her she noticed a man pulling a woman into the dark alley between buildings. Kathryn spun on her heels and looked to either side of the sidewalk across the street. Nobody noticed it!

She turned to look down her sidewalk. A few people shopping, laughing and talking. No one saw it but her.

Kathryn concentrated on the fading shapes in the alley. “Let’s do this.”

She pulled the strap of her purse across her chest and started to run. A car came screeching to a stop as she crossed the road but Kathryn didn’t flinch. The world disappeared as the alley became focused as if in a tunnel. She bolted into the narrow path and felt cold, dirty water splash on her legs as she stepped in a puddle. The man heard the splash and spun around. Kathryn could see the woman was gagged with a cloth and was weakly struggling against his grip.

He stopped and kicked open a door next to him. The woman was literally thrown into the room and he looked toward Kathryn once more.

Mistake.

Kathryn jumped fist first into the thug. He grunted as they both crashed into the room leaving the dim light of the alleyway. Kathryn grabbed both of his arms and struggled to stand. He had done the same to her attempting to overpower Kathryn.

She grunted through clenched teeth. Kathryn let go of his left arm and swung her right arm between their torsos. The impact of her fist under his chin was a crack in the darkness and the thug’s grip loosened as he was thrown across the room. He landed among some debris that caused a commotion that surprised Kathryn. Then it was silent.

Her breathing was controlled but deep. She looked toward the door to gain some orientation and moved toward the wall to look for a light switch.  Finding the switch, the sudden light was stark and the shadows moved eerily as the bulb swung from side to side. 

Kathryn looked around the room and quickly noticed the thug sprawled across a few buckets and bags of trash. A few brooms rested over his chest and he looked unconscious.

She found the woman who was looking at her with scared eyes and shuffling toward the door.

“Don’t worry, he won’t be bothering you anymore.” Kathryn reached toward the woman who, in turn, screamed through the gag and fainted.

She smirked as she reached into the woman’s purse. Kathryn gladly found a cell phone and dialed the LVPD.

As she put the phone to her ear Kathryn looked back at the thug whose skull emblazoned jacket looked rather comical with banana peels and used paper towels covering it.

She whispered, “I choose a better path than yours.”