9 Issue #9: X, The Savior.

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Issue #9: X, The Saviour.

(Kane's P.O.V)

Harpies.

They had body of a vulture and the face of a woman. Complete with patchy wings that I noticed were more feathery than leatherly.

They were the sole exception to 'comic book pretty.'

These things were ugly. And the noise they made grated my ears.

Steve noticed the death from above and stopped in a place, a gobsmacked expression on his face.

I decided not to intervene, wanting to see how he was going to handle this.

With quick thinking, he was already crouched, pistol aimed at the lead harpy.

A few feet from its sharp claws tearing his face into strips of flesh, he pulled the trigger.

The shot rang out loud, making me slightly wince. There was a reason I preferred my guns with silencers.

The noise was definitely going to draw the Amazons this way.

On the bright side, the Harpy squawked as the bullet found the center of its forehead.

It's body fell to the ground, the neck snapping audibly. The other two Harpies pulled up into the sky with terrified screeches.

Steve stayed vigilant, watching the sky for movement. But those things were intelligent enough to know when they were beat. That or cowardly enough to escape when things got too much.

With a heavy sigh, Steve sat on a fallen log, holding his head between his hands as he inspected the dead Harpy in front of him.

He reached into his inner pocket and removed a small canteen, prompty chugging the contents without a care in the world.

He grimaced as the alcohol hit his palate (the aroma too conspicuous), then stowed the canteen back into his inner pocket.

So far, I had only been watching him.

But see, Steve had fucked up. Due to his shock at seeing a half vulture half woman creature, he let his guard down.

The bark of the tree I was on, shattered into wood chips as I jumped, sailing through the air on a path to intercept the enemy.

The Green Serpent hissed, it's eyes cruelly narrowed Steve's way. It must have doubled back and managed to track down Steve.

And before the pilot could react, the open jaws of the Serpent, topped with long and sharp fangs, were inches away from swallowing him whole.

Right after the serpent snapped his body in two.

Not if I could help it. I swung my hand back, tightening my fingers into the shape of a fist.

Just as Steve was noticing the shadow above him, I was there, a punch slamming right onto the Serpent's forehead.

There was a pressure blast from the contact of my fist and it's head.

The snake's forehead was hard and covered with durable scales and normally such an attack would have had no effect.

Normally.

I was no longer normal though.

Entirely without my control, golden streaks of energy, like electricity surged down my fist, carrying with it a torrent of power.

The Serpent stood no chance and was flung away, crashing through the trees in the forest from the devastating blow.

The ground shook from its fall.

I landed behind Steve.

My hand slightly stung from that hit.

The energy within me, the charged golden lightning jumping from one corner of my body to another...that was Venom Blast. Or rather the first instant of Bio-energy manipulation.

It was...much more powerful and erratic that I was expecting.

My fist was even slightly smoking. I would need to train and get a better handle of this. More power was good but only if I learned to control it.

But at least it got the job done. The Serpent's corpse had it's skull caved in with a clear indentation of my fist.

I quickly walked back towards Steve, who was staring between me and the serpent in abject shock.

It was almost too perfect. Not exaggerated. Meant to come off as substantially surprised.

But he wasn't fooling me.

He lowered the empty gun. Good instincts though, his other hand had been going for a knife strapped on his hip.

"I-I A giant- snake! just tried to swallow me."

He stuttered in a shaky voice.

"What is up with place!?"

I tapped him as I walked by,

"Let's go."

And continued on without looking back to see if he was following.

"Hey-hey Wait."

I heard him call out, rushing towards me.

Even his movements were too practiced. This man was dangerous. But I could kill him.

"Excuse me! Hey!?"

I closed off my other senses, trying to use Spider sense to try and feel his next move.

Spidey lore commonly says it can only sense danger coming to him. This is in line with what happened the first day I washed up on the Island.

Back then, I had detected arrows aimed at me, yet a stray wooden chip from an arrow brushing against a tree caught me off guard.

Was Spider Sense activation limited to deliberate attacks, or could it extend to unconsciously sensing anything and everything?

Dammit. Still too new to this. But at least it showed promise.

I held in a sigh as my hair follicles shivered, alerting me of Steve's hand about to land on my shoulder.

I turned around, almost smacking into him.

He staggered backwards, falling to the ground, his body tensing up in readiness.

I crouched down, establishing eye contact.

"Who are you?"

I asked.

He relaxed. Marginally.

Clearing his throat, he found his voice and replied,

"Steve Trevor, soldier, United States Air Force. My craft crash landed here."

He narrowed his eyes.

"I wasn't expecting to encounter a....a massive snake or...you, for that matter. Who are you?"

I shook my head.

"Answer me first. Who are you? Really?"

"What do you mean?"

He asked, slowly started getting up while watching me vigilantly.

I mirrored him.

"I just told you my name. Steve Trevor. United States Air Force!"

He replied with a little more heat.

Still unnatural, it was too practiced. A mask.

"But that's not all is it?"

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Mr. Spy."

Immediately his posture slackened. His hair grew a bit shadier, and I was looking at a seasoned veteran, not a stranded Pilot with no idea where he was.

He stood, slightly favoring his right side. Good to know.

"What gave it away."

He asked, deadly serious.

Dangerous. And logical too. Mmmh. With some more training...

"You did. Just now."

I answered plainly.

He stared at me impassively.

"And also because you're too on the scene. You appear too natural. Good for blending in with the common folk, but against competition, against true pros, you're still green. Too green."

I blinked and he instantly adjusted everything.

Dangerous. Logical and talented.

If this was Steve Trevor, I wonder just what kind of monster Slade Wilson was. Or even Batman.

Especially Batman.

But I'll have to wait for...

"What's the year?"

I asked the now curious but wary Steve.

"You didn't..."

He sighed in frustration, no doubt intending to ask more questions. Fortunately, his patience won out.

"It's 1918. World War 1 is still on full swing- the brits are on the fritz, Austria-Hungary is Fucked. And the Germans are seeking help from the Ottoman Empire. I don't know how long we can keep this going."

He stared at me strangely,

"How do you not know this? As a matter of fact, who are you? I need to know the name of the man who saved me."

I stared at him blankly, adjusting the glasses on my face. I was going to need a new background here.

"Call me Kane. I'm a freelance Mercenary, working for interested but otherwise unembroiled parties. The ship I was on was wrecked during a particularly bad storm. I washed up on shore a few days ago."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Then why ask what year it is?"

He caught that. Good ear. He could almost make a good Assassin. Also just like I suspected, I was in the late 1910's.

I wonder if I can stop it. The ongoing first world war. Or even the second one. I would just need to eliminate Hitler and it's done.

No. That would be messing with the timeline. But...wasn't this a second chance? I swore on the burning ashes of my home that I wouldn't give up my desire for true peace.

A nonsensical dream. Sure.

I also swore I would only kill if it benefitted mine or the world. I would take out the trash. Was it cliche? I guess to some.

But I was dead serious. And I'd been making good headway too. That job in Tokyo was especially nasty. The target was a grade A scumbag. For them, I didn't mind getting gory.

"Can you blame me? this island...there's something strange about it. Unnatural even. I was just eliminating all possibilities."

I shrugged, the action offsetting his suspicions.

Thankfully, that satisfied him. But not for too long.

"Oh I guess you're right. And a snake did almost eat me."

His gaze sharpened.

"But I don't believe your made up story. You're a spy too, aren't you?"

Bah, he can be led to a lie too easily. He's too green. Still too green.

"A merc is the perfect identity for a spy. You can freely use your extra skills without risking your true cover."

Steve added, unaware that his speculations had lead him further from the truth.

But that was good for me. A Spy pretending to be a mercenary was better than an Assassin.

I opened my mouth to respond before stopping. My earing had a clear full range of 500 meters. And it had picked up on something.

I turned to Steve.

"Listen to me carefully, Steve Trevor."

He stiffened at the serious tone in my voice.

"In a few seconds, a group of women with sharp spears, possibly bows and arrows will surround you."

A myriad of expressions crossed his face. From perking up at hearing the word women, to concern at the words sharp weapons.

I stepped closer, this time injecting a dangerous tone into my voice.

"Do not mention me at all. No matter what. I was never here and you didn't see me. You killed that Serpent with your strange Man's World weapons. Which is what they will call your gun. Got that?"

He nodded but added a stipulation.

"But I need to know why."

I stared at him. He held my gaze firmly.

The warriors were closer, the sounds of their galloping horses and barking hounds tracking Steve's footprints.

"Because I'm their prisoner. And I can't let them know I've escaped my cell. Not yet."

I decided to tell him the truth. Or part of it at least.

"Will they attack me?"

He questioned.

"More than likely. But if you surrender, they will take you to their Queen. Lucky for you, death is outlawed for the time being."

I told him.

He nodded after a brief consideration, turning his attention to the warriors about to break through the tree line.

I took that chance to jump away, quietly landing on a branch, before dashing off in speeds that would have had monkeys screeching in awe.

Gotta get back to the cell. The day after tomorrow I was going to come out again and check for boats or something else to take me off the Island.

Why a day later you ask?

Because...I anticipated that tomorrow was going to be a busy day. A very busy day indeed.

(General P.O.V)

"Hey what..."

Steve turned around to ask one final question, only to find Kane missing.

And a second later, Diana landed right behind him, causing the ground to tremble and crack.

Steve found her sword aimed at his neck.

"Well, hello there angel."

He greeted, his gaze entranced by her beauty. He never thought that when Kane said women, he meant literal angels.

Diana however, narrowed her eyes at him after sweeping the scene with a look.

"You were not alone. I heard you talking to someone. Where is your friend?"