Disclaimer: I own no DC comics characters, locations, or anything retaining to that nature.

Claimer: The OC characters in this story belong to me.

-Dedicated to the many people responsible for the creation of comic book heroes and villains known and unknown to the world-

Chapter Three

The Once and New Master Plan

Memory file of the Past

“Dr. Kanenon,” an old familiar voice said. “be reasonable. What you are proposing is far too drastic.”

“It will work, Henry.” Kanenon said.

“Mixing robotics in the human body is far too radical an idea the world isn't ready for. We don't know if it will even work or what the side effects are.”

“Henry listen to me. This is the next stage for us humans at bettering ourselves. To become more than what we are.”

“I'm not ready to trade in my humanity for progress, Kanenon.”

Kanenon remembered the argument well as he strapped his body in.

“Dr. Kanenon,” the doctor said. “You have a rare disease that I'm afraid is fatal.”

“How...how much longer do I have?”

“Months...”

So many awards and recognitions of a brilliant mind surrounded the walls of his lab. So many incredible things made for the betterment of mankind, improved health caring products, advancements in technologies years ahead of anyone else, and even military applications as well in weaponry. A well made use of his time in life making his mark. Kanenon looked at the many things in his lab. So many things achieved and so many still left to go. What he could achieve further for mankind if he had more time?

More time...

The codes were inputted into the computer. The transaction would be painful he imagined, but it was the only way to preserve himself. He couldn't...wouldn't die with so much still left to accomplish. There were so many wrongs in the world that his ideas could right. Alone, Kanenon could double the lifespan of everyone, force the end of warring between countries with his weapons, and make life just plain easier for everyone to live.

He took a deep breath. With a sweating brow and hesitant press of the button the download process began. He thought himself a kind man, everything he did was for the sake of others and their benefit. Why should he die now when on the verge of making the latest breakthroughs in technologies the world has ever seen?

The wires strapped to his head burned and a pain unlike anything ever felt came upon Dr. Kanenon as his mind was being pulled out of his own body. He cried out in pain, trying by reaction to free himself. He screamed until his lungs hand no power left in them.

“...We don't know if it will even work or what the side effects are.”

“...I'm not ready to trade in my humanity for progress, Kanenon.”

The red eye powered up and Kanenon awakened.

Present Time

“He he he he ha ha ha!” came the faint echoing in the room.

His heart rate skyrocketed as did his breathing. The soldier didn't know what to make of it, had one of the freaks got loose?

He was being hunted.

His rifle at the upward position came to bear looking for anything to shoot at. His training was easy to fall back on, but it didn't help much in calming his rattled nerves. It was like being in a cheap horror picture or something. The lights no longer worked and his communication device was shattered somewhere on the floor. In darkness with only the flashlight attachment of his rifle could he see anything around him.

Why did he have to play hero? Should have just called in for backup when he saw the door curiously opened.

“De de de da de de!” came the playful tune.

“Rugh!” he snapped the weapon in the believed direction. “Show yourself!”

The sound of something heavy dropped on the floor ahead. His flashlight focused on it, a round object lying perfectly still on the floor. His cautious eyes noted being of metal and a head by the looks of it. He shifted the light around to locate anyone in range of it before approaching. Lowering himself to examine the object, the soldier picked up what he knew was the head of that robotic man known as Kanenon. The jaw component dropped uselessly with an eye worst than death. A man still alive and trapped in the metal shell. He studied Kanenon's head intently and saw not an ounce of power was in it to make any of the noises he was hearing.

“He ahe he he he!” the playful laughs continued.

The soldier beamed the light forward catching the pair of black shoes and purple pants. He came at the ready.

“Halt!” he demanded bringing the light up to a pale and smiling face.

The frightening sight made the man gasp at the bloodred eyes of a crazed clown. His smile wide and menacing with no movement in its stare back at him.

“Hello sunshine,” the clown calmly said.

“J...Joker!” he shouted.

“Righto!” the madman replied before growling with a laugh as he charged the man. With the string of a yo-yo he strangled him and could help but laugh the entire time while doing it. The man cried out trying to fight back but it was all for not as he soon lost the battle for his life.

Joker grabbed the man's keycard and locked the lab doors. It was a wonder if he'd just simply asked for the thing needed to not have kill the man. Oh well, he shrugged his shoulders. It was fun doing so anyway. With a flip of a switch the blue haze lab lights turned on and the room became visible to a degree of interpretation to the human eye.

Picking up Kanenon's metal head it became a juggling game of holding it while making his way to a computer terminal in the lab. If everything went according to plan, the greatest joke the Joker could unleash on Gotham and its dear Dark Knight himself was about to get the material it needed for the punchline.

Kanenon was placed on the desk side of the computer as Joker went to work getting the wires needed for the transaction.

“This one right here and that one right there,” Joker went on and on. “No...no...no...not that one.” He tossed a red wire away uselessly.

He continued the work before he mistakenly eyeballed the lifeless head of Kanenon just sitting there on the table. Doing absolutely nothing. Just sitting there with that dead look on his face. Absolutely nothing.

“He he,” escaped Joker's lips. “He he ha ha ha aha ha ha ha!” Joker broke in a fit of laughter. He wondered where the guy's mind was being in the that metal skull.

The Past

“Insolent woman!” Kanenon slapped her.

Night Fighter fell to the floor powerless against the robotic man keeping every grunt or hint of pain as low and unnoticeable as humanly possible. She flung her long blond hair away from her face gently stoking the impact area of her jaw.

Kanenon composed himself from all the frustration Night Fighter was causing. Two robot warriors pulled the woman back to her feet and forced her heavily feeling head to look directly at their master. The cockiness of his unmatched power against her escaped on his expression with twisted grin on the metal face.

“You've got a lot of bravery I haven't seen in many men when they deal with me Night Fighter,” Kanenon inched closer and drew up his left arm. With it, a sharp curved blade retracted from the metal surface and began to spin. “But as impressive as your stones are, I'm growing very tired of it.”

He took her by the face. “Was your message received?”

She said nothing other than an angered stare back.

“Answer me!” he demanded.

She spat in his face.

“Fuc-” a punch was received before she could finish. An attack to her abdomen area too great to suppress the sounds of pain from her lips.

With a violent grab at her neck, Kanenon lifted the woman up in the air then slammed her on the metal floor. He was feed up with her foolish resistance. Moreover, his anger came truly from the moments of belief that Night Fighter had defected to his side. She grunted with chocking noises of breath before turning over on her stomach.

No pleasure was taken in this. The only person he enjoyed seeing suffer was his famed nemesis. All sufferings brought on others was a means to an end at getting to him. This moment however he simple couldn't control his anger. His mouth curled downward and his right eye tightened with his saw armed limp rising up to deliver the killing strike. If she wouldn't talk then there was no use left of her. Not that it really mattered, he'd kill her anyway.

An inch was all Kanenon moved against the woman before: “Kanenon! Attention, attention!”

The saw ceased and the robotic man turned his attention to the source of the unemotional stale voice of Ravor, his primary combative drone. Seven foot five with an extremely bulky figure enough to make anyone dread facing such a robotic beast. A red circular lenses on his head that had wing like endings of a raven's wing.

Kanenon's attention went straight for the monitors observed by Ravor which indicated the presence of several approaching intruders.

Approaching very quickly.

“The Storm Rider, Robo Warrior and eight American attack helicopters.”

Kanenon looked back at the downed woman and then back at the montiors.

“The little pretending defector's message got out. It brought the whole crew too.”

“Several mobile ground units have been detected.” The monitors were switched to the coming vehicles, seven black, gray, and four wheelers and an M tactical assault vehicle.

“Ravor go greet our guests,” he spoke with a cockiness.

The giant nodded its head and was off. It was with a certain level of excitement Kanenon mentally welcomed Thunderbolt and his team. It was with unshakable confidence and pride that he would wait for them to come near the dome. He wanted his nemesis to see what he had failed to prevent from happening. The man with powers whom Kanenon had been fighting since Thunderbolt's teen years was finally going to die and with it a failure to mark in the histories to come. He monitored Ravor and a collection of mechanical attack fliers parting from the hanger bay doors of the dome.

Night Fighter looked up at the two mechanical eyes of Kanenon overlooking her. He grabbed and lifted her in the air. “You're coming with me.”

She received a knockout slap and was carried off. The combating long in awaiting the two sides was about to begin and it wouldn't be fitting if everyone wasn't present to see it.

Present Time

“System up-link complete,” his internal system stated.

Kanenon was aware and yet unaware of the returning power to prime systems. His mind was in the memories of the past, a never ending dream state more than anything now. In the darkness of his ongoing mind the last moments replayed again and again. When power finally reactivated all the components it was a quick rush from the memory world to the real one. His optical systems came online and fast tracked all information concerning the up-link. Codes and program progression was fed to him as was the image of a pale green haired man who smiled deviously at him.

Kanenon was reactivated.

“Wakey, wakey, bolts for brains,” the Joker knocked on Kanenon's skull. “Hello? Anybody home?”

“What- what happened?” Kanenon asked powerlessly. His eye twirled around to adjust and instantly noticed it. “What have you done?! Where is the rest of me?”

“Oh,” Joker looked playfully guilty. “that old thing? You were too heavy to luge around so....I cut off your head and brought it with me.”

“You slimy pale faced freak! I'll-” Kanenon was cut off by a gun pointed at his noise.

“Wouldn't if I were you. Glad I'm not you, but still, I wouldn't,” Joker said calmingly.

Under normal circumstances a gun wouldn't bother Kanenon when it was pointed at him. The armor of his remaining body suffered a great deal of electrical damage made him think otherwise. Its integrity was too far compromised to be trust to preform against much of anything.

“Besides,” Joker pointed. “What's the worse you going to do to me? Bite my nose off? Ha ha!”

Stubbornness was more of the reason why Kanenon refused to yield to his predicament. He kept his face stern with the Joker masking the human nature of being afraid. The action could very well cost him with the clown staring back with those blood red eyes. There was too much at stake in losing and the card Kanenon was playing was a short leashed one. Like an angel from above, his deliverance of the situation announced itself.

“Connection complete,” came a female voice of a computer.

Both men looked at the screen next to them. It took all of ten seconds for Kanenon to realize his system already broke the first firewall lines and was connected to the Cadmus network.

“Ah, good. Video games!” Joker squealed.

A mountain load of information hit Kanenon's mind. Most of it useless information about the daily personnel in the facility he was in. Other files were more secured and required his willing mind to open. To the human sense the feeling of being in such a place could only be described with a static numbness of being without form yet charged with the energy around. It was cyberspace like none could experience with his very conscious able to move about in it.

“This is it!” He told himself. “My ticket out of here!”

Joker connected the tip of the weapon to Kanenon's skull. “So...how's about we get started?”

“What do you want from here?” the files of interest Kanenon poured into.

He kept the screen viewable to Joker ignorant of his workings. The madman couldn't suspect a thing. The Cadmus network was a vast informational storehouse. Servers all across the states connected to this interlinking data net. It was unbelievable to never know of this project's existence until now; all the tech that was stored in this place and all his for the taking.

Joker looked at the computer terminal screen displaying only small quantity of the overall information Kanenon had access to. It kept the clown occupied while he could do a little searching of his own before risking a jump out. The basis of the robotic designs Cadmus had under its wing were using various designs of his own creation as its template. It was frustrating realizing they had pawned off his work without even knowing about it. No wonder why they kept him around for informational study.

The multitude of toys and projects was astounding, what hellish things Joker could unleash on Gotham. However, the madman restrained himself from it, he only wanted the information of one particular research project. One to ensure his legacy of being the victory over the bat.

“Let's see....hmm..hmm...ah...hmm...no...nope...maybe...” Joker bobbed his head to and fro in thought.

So much was in the network, but to remain in the cyberspace in such a formless file carried the risk of being lost in the vast information. While the fears Kanenon had still holding strong towards making a jump out of his host body, at this point there was little choice if he wanted to escape. Not a thought was given in believing that the crazed clown was going to drag him out when he was done with the place.

It was going to hurt...a lot, but while the Joker shopped around the available data on screen, the man in the machine began his escape from his limbless prison. It would take a moment considering how large a program Kanenon was, but a download of his entire personality and memory should fit comfortably in the network of Cadmus long enough to gain access and allow for passage into his own network.

“Ah, here it is. This one.” Joker pointed and Kanenon pulled it up. “Microchip genetics and manipulation. Sounds like a winner!”

Time. That was all Kanenon needed.

“Tell me Joker,” Kanenon began. “what are you planning with all of this stuff anyway? Blow the Batman up from a DNA level? A self-combustion?”

Joker turned his attention to him. “Of course not,” he replied quickly. Than he placed a finger on his chin. “Although that would be kinda funny,” he said while forming the pictured thought. “But no. I got something far better in mind.”

He didn't really care, but if the Joker was willing to rant on about what he was planning, it might just be enough time to carry out the escape Kanenon was making.

Just a few more minutes.

The Joker started typing to drag up a few things on the screen that were of interest. It didn't matter if he let someone in on the joke. Its not like he was going to be able to tell anyone. He returned the gun back in his suit with a wicked grin.

While it was a painful truth to admit, Batman had figured out how to predict him, taunt him in a way with the foiling of his greatest schemes. It was like bats knew the punchline to every joke the madman would throw out there. That was the least of the upsetting things that brought Joker here with this current scheme. Of all the poetic ironies that could befall upon him, Joker's life as the Crime Prince of Gotham had become a joke to the Batman.

Practice.

That was the most upsetting to the madman. His genuineness was overlooked by the changing of the game, but the Joker was no underling to be looked over as any less dangerous than those bigger freaks and aliens batsy and the Justice League put up with on certain days.

Well, it was time to change the rules a little then.

“What do you suppose the Batman hates more than anything?” the Joker asked.

Kanenon's servos to his eye whirled as they turned to him.

The Joker smiled. “What does any hero in long underwear hate...or even fear of becoming?”

Kanenon was no expert on the people of the Justice League. His expertise was on Thunderbolt and his little gang of do-gooders. He had only heard of the group of crime fighters banding together that soon followed his demise at the hands of Thunderbolt.

“I don't know. What?”

The Joker pointed at himself. “Me. He he.”

Kanenon didn't really care, but curiosity of the Joker's meaning was beginning to get at him.

“You?”

“Think about it, metal head. What would you think batsy would do when I turn him into someone like me? Using these genetic play toys, I'll catch him, put him in a box, shake the box a little and turn him into a manic and set him loose on Gotham. He'll be a recking ball of destruction. And when he's done, deep down inside he'll know at the end of this game that I beat him.” Joker spud around in victory with hooting giggles to his latest plan.

It was foolproof.

How drool, Kanenon thought to himself. The guy is class 'A' nut job. Of course it was more than a pleasure to burst his bubble.

“Except, it wont work.”

The Joker stopped. “What?”

Kanenon pulled up a greater picture of the research. “This technology, I've used before and I can tell you it wont work. This uses microchip memories to hold certain characteristics of whatever the programmer chooses.”

Joker approached like a curious dog. “Keep going.”

“Putting it simple, its making a second person and placing its personality into a single body, making the body itself being occupied by two different people. Using this, the Batman wouldn't even know what's going on from the actions of the other person.”

“He wouldn't know?” the Joker's eye twitched.

“No,” Kanenon explained, preparing himself for the last stage he knew was going to be the painful part to his escape. “He'd probably interpret any recollection of the happenings to being nothing more than a dream or something.”

The Joker's face sunk. “That's it?”

“That's it.”

Joker looked broken. All that was collected already in the past months for this and all for nothing. With a growl, he turned to punch at the terminal. “That's not fair!”

Kanenon rolled his eye in annoyance.

“How am I suppose to enjoy my victory if batsy doesn't even know I won?!” He stressed, veins poking out his forehead.

“You there, freeze!” came a declaring voice followed with gunfire.

The bullet came straight forward to Kanenon, hitting him in the forehead and knocking his program in an inactive state once more. The computer terminal shut down with the loss of its user and the Joker couldn't be more disappointed. He turned to the soldier near the entryway. Now was not the time at getting on the madman's bad side.

The Past

The computer and controls beeped and whirled with the Storm Rider craft under the mercy of Thunderbolt as it flew through the skies. They were in the woodland regions now, far away from any man made structures. Strange how nothing out of the ordinary was picked up on the scanners. He and SkyDive spoke not more than two words to each other the entire trip. If the message Night Fighter sent was correct in receiving than the place they were closing in on was the place Thunderbolt was seeking to find for years. Since the beginning rival wars between the General and Kanenon many years ago, it was always known the machine of man was building such a place as the one Night Fighter was describing being in.

The desperate message she sent them revealing her defecting a farce to learn of the location of Kanenon's pride and joy facility called 'Alpha Prime' was garbled but enough to get the point through and that she needed help.

No time was wasted in mounting a rescue.

None of them knew of her intent. Kanenon had pushed all their buttons as of recently and pushed their bodies to the psychical limits all for the sake of distraction of his underground burrowing army. Her joining him just topped the whole mess all together.

Jake was hit harder than anyone from Night Fighter's 'supposed' betrayal. Thunderbolt observed his friend with close eye with her being in Kanenon's ranks day after day. Hence the silence continuing between them. In recent days the man had devastating himself in anger and frustration. He was transforming into someone else entirely. Not the untamed boy of his youth nor of the man forged through a life of caring and concern for others. Jake was becoming dangerously close to mimicking a man Thunderbolt dared not think of his name.

A glance was spared at his teammate before the computers signaled for his attention.

“Incoming targets.” Pressing the controls Thunderbolt saw each of them. “Ravor and combat fliers. Signal the others.”

“Already done,” SkyDive took to the controls of the craft. “G is taking the lead. Fliers aiming for the Rider.”

With a press of a button the hood slid open and Thunderbolt took off into the air narrowly dodging the first wave of laser fire. Arms were held out and his powers emerged with a crackling explosion to the first of his targets. An arsenal of lightening was unleashed, destroying enemy fliers right and left with their smoking remains plummeting to the ground. He flew through and around them with crushing strength no metal the fliers possessed could endure.

SkyDive fired away the Rider's laser cannons without restraint. It was of little interest at the moment to fly around dog fighting the lot. He continued forward leaving a path of destruction behind. It wasn't in his nature to leave in a middle of a fight but other concerns were more pressing at the moment. Thunderbolt was more than capable being on his own and having Robo Warrior with him was just overkill against the flying foes.

Thunderbolt pushed out his arms on both sides and expelled an array of lightening destroying the killing machines around him. A few seconds to breath as he observed the fields of war in the sky. Combat fliers were now simple things to destroy for him, Kanenon hardly made progress making them more resistant against his power in the skies.

“G,” Thunderbolt tapped the communication device on his gauntlet. “Enemy count. How many?”

“Thirty standard combat fighters not including Ravor remaining,” Robo Warrior replied.

“You doing alright?”

“Operating at 99.8 of peek efficiency.”

Thunderbolt gazed at his robotic friend in the distant who could comparatively be described to matching the persona that of a young child. A remarkable construct, Robo Warrior or 'G' powered through the skies with his four rocketing engines with a high energy rifle at hand. His more fine features were hard to see from the distance but his unmistakably boxy form was hard to miss. He was a machine of marvelous combating performance.

“Stay close and protect the choppers. SkyDive and I are moving ahead.”

“And Ravor?”

Thunderbolt turned his attention the the mechanized menace, doing away with helicopter then another. “Take charge and give him something more to shot at. Thin out the numbers and he's all yours. We're going after Night Fighter.”

“Understood.”

Thunderbolt switched channels. “Outlaw, status?”

Heavy static was heard from the other end along with a lot of gunfire. “Encountering heavy fire from ground units and Ravor dropped a few explosions on us. Still mission able.”

Thunderbolt's eyes paled as a surge of lightening strikes were released from him at the enemies below. Outlaw's convoy was surrounded by them and with but a few moments of the thundering aid, those numbers dropped exponentially.

“You got a clear shot straight to the dome. Ready the charges as soon as your in.”

“I know the plan!” Outlaw shouted through the gunfire. “I'll be in as soon as we can make an entrance. Out.”

Always a difficult man to deal with Thunderbolt noted. Sometimes impossible with their two very different approaches to the job clashing against the other all the time.

“SkyDive?” Thunderbolt switched channels again and searched for the Storm Rider.

No answer.

“Sky-” Thunderbolt stopped short with seeing the Rider landing on the top flat surface of metal dome below. Such a simple design and rather small in comparison for what Thunderbolt expected after years of searching for it. By what Night Fighter said in her message the place should have been enormous.

The details hardly mattered for Thunderbolt's only concern was for his friend already ahead of him and in considerable danger.

“SkyDive,” he beamed into his communicator. “Stick with the plan or we'll lose and she'll be killed.”

No answer.

SkyDive jumped out of the craft and armed his forearm weapons. He preceded forward ready and accepting whatever things that will take place between him and Kanenon.

The appearing of a circle opening effectively halted SkyDive in his tracks. A tightening of his gauntlet as smoke exited the hole in the ground which followed the rising appearance of Kanenon. He was a giant and menacing to any other being. A lot bigger from SkyDive's last recollection of him. Body advanced further with blue lining power links reaching around his metal body frame. Smooth metal etched to appear as a sculpted man of muscle with the accompanying of his red eye. Made to perfection and to intimidate foes of all kinds. None of it found its way to the masked man whose eyes locked onto the unconscious Night Fighter held in the machine of a man's hand. The very site of her in that state stirred his heart with rage and drove anything resembling fear out of it.

He didn't bother with demands. A waste of breath knowing Kanenon wouldn't pay them mind. Jake moved forward with eyes burning for retribution. It wasn't a surprise to see Kanenon do nothing but stand strong against someone he believed to pose no threat to him. How mistaken the toaster oven was by SkyDive's account. His weapons came to bear to mere seconds before firing when a figure landed gracefully in front of him.

Thunderbolt looked back at his friend telegraphing his disappointment with a stern look. SkyDive bit down on his lip and tightened his fists to hold his moment of rage redirecting itself towards his friend.

“Thunderbolt,” Kanenon spoke. “Its such a surprise, you here of all places today on Alpha Prime's debut.”

“Let her go Kanenon,” Thunderbolt said turning his attention to the machine of a man.

Kanenon stared for a moment both at his prey in hand and at the two men before him.

He lifted Night Fighter to sight level like a rag doll. SkyDive made to charge at him for such an action but was immediately halted by Thunderbolt's arm.

Night Fighter's betrayal to Kanenon made the girl useless now to his cause. He should have known better. His left arm came up ready to strike at Night Fighter's head and break her neck. At incredible speeds Thunderbolt shot forward, thunder cracking in his wake at the sight of the threat to his friend. The mere shocking force of the ram into Kanenon released Night Fighter from his hold. The machine of the man skidded against the ground with all intent given by Thunderbolt at damaging him as much as possible.

SkyDive dropped to his knees to take the injured woman in his arms.

“Vanessa,” he called to her. His mind went blank with what to do. The everyday dealings of other people in such a condition came naturally. Past Vanessa's false betrayal of her team for mission's sake, his regard for her as a dear friend compromised his ability to think clearly. He spotted each and every injury to her face and body with more likely hiding under her clothing.

Thunderbolt glared at him as they came to a stop. His forearm against Kanenon's chest effectively holding the metal man down.“Call off the attack on New City.”

Kanenon's face aimed at the ground turned to his attacker with his left eye pulsing with active energy. He grinned as the coil spud around and the laser blasted Thunderbolt off into the distant air. There was nothing Thunderbolt or his team could do Kanenon imaged as he returned to his feet. His robotic troops were coming upon New City ready to conquer and kill all who resist.

Her eyes opened weakly and place a hand on SkyDive's masked face. “Still think of me as a traitor?”

“Vanessa...” He could conjure nothing more.

“We have to stop him,” she spoke weakly. “This entire place...he's going for more than just New City with this base, Jake.”

With her warning, SkyDive looked up to see Thunderbolt land and recovering from the deadly laser attack. His friend stood strong against the pain and stood off against Kanenon.

“Thunderbolt!” SkyDive warning shouted.

Thunderbolt turned to them. “Get Night Fighter out of here.”

Kanenon charged and struck with a powerful punch to the jaw. Thunderbolt doubled back with strike after strike against him until managing to block and counter with a jab of his own. No time wasted to capitalize on the moment in grabbing the machine of a man and dropping him down to the ground. A few seconds more and Thunderbolt was in the air darting down to his target. He struck fast and hard with a foot stomp to Kanenon that sent them both through the dome's protective shell.

Jake watched tentatively as the two went under.

To Be Continued...

The OC characters in this chapter were created throughout my childhood years. If anyone ever wants to write about their created hero figures and foes, I recommend they do so. It's quite fun writing about my characters again. Laser Eye was the original name before it was changed to Kanenon, but he will often be referred to as such to keep the old name around. I hope you enjoyed reading a little more about him.