New Age of Heroes 1: The League of Protectors - Dawn of a New Age

by Christian Green

  The League of Protectors

  New Age of Heroes Series

  by:

  Christian Green

  Acknowledgments

  I dedicate this novel to my parents for always supporting whatever decisions I have made in my life. I also want to dedicate this to my friends and family that have stuck by me throughout all the good and bad times.

  In Memory Of

  Kelly Crowell Sr.

  Mary B. Green

  Samuel Crowell

  Alvin Crowell Sr.

  Charles Green

  Glaudis Lawrence Sr.

  Words cannot express what each and every one of you have meant to me. There isn't a day that passes that I don't look up to the heavens and smile, knowing you're there watching over me. Gone but never forgotten. I love you. ~Christian Green

  The League of Protectors

  By Christian Green

  © 2014. All Rights Reserved

  Contents

  Prologue Dawn of a New Age

  1 The Incident in Vallejo

  2 Unofficial Interrogation

  3 Boston Thrill Fest

  4 Down By the Docks

  5 Medium Level Threat

  6 New Kid on the Block

  7 Mandatory Inspection

  8 Distress Signal

  9 The Great Escape

  10 Holding Cell

  11 The Phasing of Men

  12 The Enemy of My Enemy

  13 Intrusion at the White House

  14 We Come in Peace

  15 Our Files Are Better Than Yours

  16 Level of Cooperation

  17 The Black Vigilante

  18 Yin and Yang

  19 Operation Downfall

  20 Giant Menace

  21 A Test of Strength

  22 Cohesiveness

  23 The One Behind the Hooded Robe

  24 Letting Go of the Past

  25 Separate Ways

  26 The Woman in White

  27 The Heavyweights

  28 All that Remains

  29 Rescue Attempt

  30 Blueranium

  31 That Defining Moment

  32 Enemy at the Front Gate

  33 The Final Confrontation

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Dawn of a New Age

  The word “hero” is defined as someone who is admired for his or her distinguished courage, brave deeds and noble qualities. There comes a moment in everyone’s life that defines the person he or she is going to be. While the environment and the people in it usually have an impact and influence, ultimately each person must choose his or her own path.

  The day of September 11, 2001 was a day that no one will forget. It was a day of fear and panic. It was a day of sadness and mourning. It was day of anger and fury, but it was also a day of heroes. To this day everyone remembers the firemen, emergency workers and anyone else that put in an effort at ground zero and the days that followed.

  Their contributions will never be forgotten, but it was the act of another that would forever change the world. At the time, Jason Shaw was 17 years old. He's the son of a billionaire and a genius in many categories, a quality in which Jason shares with his father. Everyone was certain that Jason would follow in his father’s steps and join the company, but Jason had different plans.

  It came as a major shock the day that Jason announced his plans to join the military. He wanted to be a Marine. Initially his parents were against the idea. It wasn’t the life they carved out for him. It wasn’t the plan they had. Jason was like his father, highly superior in the field of technology. Everyone was certain that Jason would take his father's company to new heights.

  Their plans and their ideas didn’t matter to Jason. He cared about their opinions, but he needed to do something for himself. He wanted to make a contribution. Jason wanted to be somewhere where he could make a change and save lives. Jason wanted to be a hero. After months of pleading his case Jason convinced his parents to give him permission to enlist in the military. The day of 9-11, Jason was in New York to visit his then girlfriend. She was a freshman in college and Jason wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before he left for basic training. The two of them were sitting down eating breakfast when news broke of the first plane hitting the tower.

  They watched as the rest of the world did initially unaware of how serious the situation was. As soon as he saw the first plane hit the tower, Jason's initial reaction was to do something to help, but he remained on the couch. Then, out of the corner of Jason’s eye he saw the second plane hit. His girlfriend screamed in absolute horror as the tower began to crumble. Tears flowed from her face as she watched the devastating situation unfold.

  Everything seemed to be in slow motion. It was hard to process exactly what was going on. The two of them sat there watching the disturbing incident play out. Jason watched as people began jumping out of the windows. He initially thought it was debris from the buildings, but later realized the startling truth.

  He listened as the reporters and bystanders gave their account of what they witnessed. It was then at that moment Jason had his moment of clarity. It was at that moment that Jason would begin defining the man he was going to become. It was at that moment that the new age of hero would be born. What Jason would do next and the chain of events that would follow because of his actions, no one could have possibly realized.

  Jason grabbed his girlfriend and stared her in the eye. He gave her a passionate kiss before running out of the dorm room. His girlfriend called out for him to come back, but Jason’s mind was already made up. New York needed help. The fine officers and firemen weren't going to be enough. New York needed a hero, a different sort of hero than the ones they already had. New York needed Jason Shaw.

  Jason didn’t need a car or any other form of transportation to get to the World Trade Center. He was faster than any vehicle in existence. Using unimaginable speed, Jason sped over to the sight with extraordinary quickness. Catastrophic damage had already been done. There was no way Jason could save the building, it was too late for that. There were however, still people alive and trapped inside. Jason would do whatever he could to save as many lives as possible.

  The sight was even worse than he imagined. No video, regardless of how graphic it was could ever capture just how truly devastating the scene was. Jason stood still, slightly in shock from the horrid images that plagued his vision. From the scattered body parts on the ground, to the people jumping out of the building, ground zero was horrendous.

  Taking a deep breath, Jason got over his shock and sprung into action. Cameras and recorders were all around as anyone with access to one was recording the unfolding events. Jason sped pass the barricades meant to keep the public out of harm’s way. One of the firemen, a man of stocky size tried to stop him, but Jason sped right pass the man.

  He was way too fast to be caught. The fireman got nothing but an air full of dust as Jason zoomed passed him. Jason propelled himself off the ground, defying all the laws of gravity known to man and navigated through the sky. He flew above towards the tower with the same incredible velocity as he did when he ran on the ground. A woman desperately trying to escape the burning building, jumped out of the window. In mid air, Jason changed directions and navigated towards the falling woman. She screamed in horror thinking her death was certain.

  Jason would not let that be though. Seconds before impact, the seventeen year old caught the woman, saving her life.

  A nearby civilian captured the entire incident on camera. The video went viral minutes later.

&nb
sp; “That was amazing!” the young man called out as Jason returned to the skies. He kept his camera focused on Jason. The world was witnessing history. A man was flying. A man was flying without the use of a parachute or any other invention.

  It wasn’t long before the news feeds started picking up on Jason’s heroics. Videos of Jason Shaw flying were captured by every news outlet in America and around the world. Images of him catching large debris easily with his hands and sustaining the heat of the fire were printed in every newspaper.

  In a day that would bring forth many changes to America one could not overlook the impact that Jason Shaw's heroics had on the world. His presence represented something extraordinary. How could a man fly? How could a man sustain blazing hot fire without any burn marks on him? These were questions that everyone wanted answers to.

  The United States government began investigating Jason and his extraordinary abilities. At first many believed his talents to be some new form of technology that Shaw Enterprises was working on. It didn’t seem too far fetched considering the type of high tech inventions Shaw Enterprises were creating. Many assumed Jason was showing off one of the latest inventions of his dad's company.

  Most of their best technologies weren’t even known to the public yet. When it was confirmed that Shaw Enterprises had nothing to do with Jason’s current condition, speculation began to grow. There were several theories as to how Jason was able to do the things he could, but it was the written work of Mr. Connors that caught the government’s eye.

  Mr. Connors, a Professor at Harvard University wrote a very detailed letter explaining Jason’s abilities to the president. One of the President’s staffers read it and thought the President should take a look. In his letter, Mr. Connors explained that Jason’s abilities were derived from mental superiority. He explained that the human brain is very large and only a small portion of that brain is ever used by the majority of people.

  For someone to have the sort of abilities that Jason displayed, would take a greater use of the human brain. He theorized that certain humans are naturally prone to utilizing larger portions of their brains. He suspected that some humans for whatever reason were further along the evolutionary line of development. His theories would’ve been rebutted harshly had Jason’s extraordinary acts not been captured live for the entire world to see.

  With no other conceivable theory around, the President was inclined to support Mr. Connors’ theories. It became a daily thing to see Jason out and about using his abilities. It seemed there wasn’t a day that passed that Jason’s name wasn’t mentioned in the news or his image plastered inside the newspaper. His popularity grew even more when the public found out of his intent to join the military. When the day came for him to leave for basic training, every media outlet had a story about it.

  In addition to getting an understanding of what being a soldier was all about, basic training did wonders for Jason’s physique. By the time he reached the age of 21, Jason was over six feet tall and had the frame of a professional wrestler. Well groomed dark black hair, smooth handsome facial features and a solid physique made Jason's presence quite alluring. Without question, Jason was quite the impressive sight for eyes. In addition to his muscular physique, Jason was also a very humble and kind man. He was what many women referred to as the “total package.”

  While Jason was off in the military climbing the ranks, the world back home was changing rapidly. A wise man once said,“With great power comes great responsibility.” Jason tried to live his life by this quote, but unfortunately, not everyone thought as Jason did. In the years that followed more and more people began “coming out of the closet” so to speak and showing off their extraordinary abilities as well.

  Some people believe that evil is necessary for good to exist. That it is a natural reaction to good. Perhaps the two forces are necessary to complete and counterbalance one another. This belief certainly gained momentum when extraordinary people began abusing their abilities on the public.

  In 2005 a man capable of literally turning himself into a bomb exploded outside a plaza in Baltimore, killing hundreds.

  When the news broke that this man was someone with extraordinary abilities, the public demanded action be taken. A “witch hunt” of sorts was called upon. There were many that wanted anyone with extraordinary abilities to be locked up. Others called for them to be registered and monitored at all times. The growing tension was eerily reminiscent of horrible events of the pass.

  Shortly after the exploding man incident, a college student working to become a geneticists wrote a theory on extraordinary humans. He called them Post Humans as their abilities surpassed the standards that define humans. The word caught on and the President of the time officially labeled extraordinary humans as Post Humans.

  With the escalating distrust and general disdain of the Post Human population, the President authorized the formation of a response division to deal with any Post Human related threats. Government Units Against Radical Danger was the official name of this division.

  The acronym G.U.A.R.D was the name most commonly used. Their purpose was to monitor and police the Post Human community. With the help of Mr. Connors, who had become the foremost expert on Post Humans, G.U.A.R.D members were trained properly on how to handle potential Post Human problems.

  Around the same time as the formation of G.U.A.R.D, Mr. Connors devised a bold plan to spin a positive light on the Post Human community. He reached out to the Post Humans he felt would be a shinning image to the world; individuals with extraordinary abilities that were responsible and had high values. He thought back to the popularity that Jason received for his actions and came to a controversial conclusion.

  In order to showcase Post Humans in a positive light, a team of Post Humans needed to be created. A team whose job it was to be the standard of what being a Post Human is all about.

  The goal of this team was to protect the world from any danger, be it internally or internationally that required extraordinary help.

  In 2007, six years after leaving for the Marines, Jason returned from the military and reentered the civilian world. He fulfilled his father’s vision and joined Shaw Enterprises. Having served his country, Jason wanted to use his superior knowledge to make the defenses of America top notch. So he began working on defensive technology that would better assist the soldiers in the field.

  Shortly after becoming Vice President of Shaw Enterprises, Jason joined up with Mr. Connors and became the first member of the Professor's Post Human team. Upon careful evaluation, Mr. Connors concluded that Jason was one of the most powerful Post Humans in the world. Due to Jason's talents, steady personality and military experience, Mr. Connors named Jason the leader of his team.

  In 2008, shortly after the election of the new President, Mr. Connors established friendly relations with the new administration. The previous administration was very much against Post Humans. Mr. Connors feared that if that administration won re-election, the lives of Post Humans today would be vastly different, and not for the better. Although there was still a lot of tension towards Post Humans, the new administration worked side by side with the team when the situation called for it.

  In 2009 a controversial prison was built. The prison was designed by Joseph Stockton, the C.E.O of Stockton Incorporated. This jail was created on Stone Ridge Island and was to be used specifically for Post Humans. Surprisingly, there were many humans that voiced their objections over the Post Human jail. Many complained that it was too much of a reminder of the Holocaust and that it was just a matter of time before all Post Humans were treated similarly.

  The loudest protest of course came from the Post Human community. Many riots and acts of rebellion were created due to the prison's creation. Many within the Post Human community began questioning Jason and the rest of the team's motives when the team chose not to voice objection with the prison.

  1

  The Incident in Vallejo

  The formation of this team of Post Humans
was initially for publicity. It was a way to temper the mounting tension the public had towards Post Humans. Individually, the members of this team engaged in battle from time to time, but for the most part it was the G.U.A.R.D agents that dealt with the Post Humans that abused their abilities.

  Officially, Mr. Connors' team was the only group of Post Humans with any sort of government clearance. They were also the only Post Human entity with permission to combat enemy threats in the name of the United States. Much to the chagrin of several government officials and the general public, the President authorized Mr. Connors' team to be trained by the military.

  Many feared that with the abilities these Post Humans had and the training they received, they would eventually use their skills against the country. The President was confident the group Mr. Connors selected were the “right sort of people.” The increasing presence of Post Humans and the devastating destruction those that abused their abilities caused, was a constant reminder to the public to just how dangerous Post Humans are.

  For every positive accomplishment Mr. Connors' team achieved, there was always someone outside his team that undermined all they had accomplished and were trying to accomplish. There was always some Post Human bringing negative attention to their kind.

  The G.U.A.R.D issued stealth jet, developed by Shaw Enterprises, touched down in Vallejo, California. There was strong intel suggesting a Post Human by the name of Olden Mars was somewhere in the vicinity.

  Olden, a six foot five inch powerhouse was on the top of G.U.A.R.D's most wanted list. He was the type of Post Human that reinforced the fear the public had in Post Humans. In the past month alone, Olden's actions have led to the deaths of thirty civilians and three agents. Without question, everyone involved were looking to quickly capture the criminal and bring him to justice. According to reports G.U.A.R.D had on Olden, his abilities included extraordinary strength, flight, durability, telekinesis and the ability to absorb solar energy and use it as a projectile weapon. For Olden’s solar abilities to be most effective, it’s important that he remains in proximity to the sun.