· DiScLaImEr: I do not own any of the characters I just like to write about them. If I did well them I would have the money to prove it…guess what I do not.

Amalgam comics was a unique synthesis of DC and Marvel and although many characters lacked any real flushed out ideas some did, such as Dark Claw, Amazon, Strange Fate, Super Patriot to name a few.

I began thinking of a story that involved Amazon (Ororo Monroe) and Dark Claw(Logan), since the two components of these heroes have an on again of again relationship to a point. I figured I’d give it a try. I hope that I’m not breaking any rules.

Reviews are welcomed and if I have the time and you enjoy the beginning, I will continue to write them…so on with the show.

In the dark recesses of the subconscious lay our greatest fears, our most tragic moments, our darkest truths, and our lost hopes. It seems that the darkest cold threatens to engulf any hope but even the smallest candle can dispel that. His name is Logan Wayne, a meta-mutant born into the power and prestige of New Gotham. As a child, he witnessed his parents’ murder as a child as they walked out of a clinic where his father James Wayne was a doctor helping both meta-mutant and humans alike. The robber’s name was Victor “the Dog” Chill, a bigot of a man who never amounted to anything in the world. As he grew up he left New Gotham to travel the world to become more than he was. It was during this time that he had joined the military and was recruited into Project: DARKCLAW where Adamantium was laced to his skeleton. He escaped and came back to New Gotham, becoming something more than a man, more than a myth, he became fear, he became the darkness, and he is DARKCLAW.

In his “Borrow” a vast cavern underneath his ancestral home, stands a woman dressed in red, white, blue, and black. She is the representative of the Amazon nation of Theymescaria; she is also a meta-mutant whose power can allow her to control the weather. Her name is Ororo Monroe but in Man’s World she is AMAZON. She was a member of the Justice League Avengers but had taken a leave of absence to join the Justice League Xeno a group of meta-mutants who left the JLA. She with the help of Super-Patriot has once again merged the JLA and JLX together, calling the child group Justice League X-Treme. With this restructuring she along with Super-Patriot, Darkclaw, Nightcreeper, Iron Lantern, Flashbang, Iceberg and Namorin are the Justice League Avengers while Manhunter-X, Elasti-girl, The White Witch, Angelhawk, Beastling, and Mercury were placed into X-Treme. Until recently she had thought of Darkclaw as a friend but due to what had happened during the “Tower of vengeance” affair where Magnus Al’Ghul stole files from Dark Claw that were fail safes against each member of both the JLA and JLX, she is unsure.

She was here to “talk” to him that is what she said to Patriot, more like throw him through a cavern wall, but she needed to know why he would do something like that. He had already been banished from the Avengers by a narrow marginal vote of four to three. He had left though before they all entered from the conference room, he had known the result before it was over. She came here after a few days of fuming to find out why her “old friend” had done what he did. They were all betrayed; she was betrayed.
It hurt her more than she thought it would. Super-Patriot had said he was going to speak with Dark Claw but wanted to wait for a little while, yet she could not. She came here into his world of darkness to find the “devil” to confront him. When she got to the “Borrow” though he was not there, only Sparrow was.

“Hello Jubilation where is Logan?” Amazon’s voice calm yet withdrawn and cold.

“He’s out right now Amazon. Can I help you with anything?” Replied the young woman in red and yellow. Sparrow was eighteen now and had been adopted by Dark Claw when she was only eleven. Ororo could remember when Jubilation,after the death of her parents,came into Logan's life. She remembered hearing when Logan Wayne adopted her, the joy she felt.

“No thank you. I will wait.” Amazon replied sitting down in Dark Claw’s chair, the one near his computer.

“He’ll be awhile.” Sparrow stated as she came closer and typed something on the keyboard. With that, the computer screen went into safe mode.

“Is he avoiding me Sparrow?” Amazon asked as she placed her hand up, resting her chin on it. A grin was seen on her face. Her caramel skin and white hair blended well with her uniform.

“Do you want the truth or a fabrication of it?” responded a voice from the shadows. With that, he entered into the light standing only a few yards from where Ororo sat.

She had not known he was there, as was his intent she supposed. Was he there all along or had he only arrived? Amazon then noticed his cloak had been drawn around him. Was he hiding something underneath his cape, was he ready to strike at me? She thought.

As if to answer her question she had thought only seconds ago he moved his arms slowly, placing his cloak around his shoulders, nothing in his hands.

“Why are you here goddess?” He stated, no emotion showing, just cold logic. He was good at that, never allowing a person in, keeping them at arm’s length.

“I want to know why Lo..Dark Claw?” She corrected herself. He winched inside at the way his name was said by her. He had never meant his protocols to be used, but now that they had been discovered, it pained him that they had hurt someone he thought of as a friend. On the other hand, was it more?

“You wouldn’t understand the answer.” He replied as he turned around walking toward a set of stairs.
“No you don’t!” exclaimed Amazon, her voice full of passion. She flew to where he was heading and placed herself between he and the stairs. “Why!” She yelled it. Her voice booming through the cavern. If he made any emotional response with his eyes, she could not tell. Sparrow waiting in the back ground, had decided to remain quite to see where this was heading.

He inhaled, taking a deep breath. He could smell her scent, how it smelled of vanilla, rain, and something else…something he could not place. He exhaled finally and looked at her.
“Would it make a difference?” he finally said.

“I don’t know Dark Claw but by the goddesses I want to know.” She answers staring him down as if she was challenging him. He grimaced slightly and replied.

“Do you remember a few years ago when Mindmold and the secret society was able to switch our minds with theirs?”

“Yes. I also heard this argument from Flashbang. People had been afraid of us, I remember the feeling of hate and mistrust from the world.” Amazon says

“ What if it happens again? Or what if one of us goes insane?” Dark Claw asks

“You could have told us?” Amazon says, her voice cold but almost about to tremble.

“Steve knew I had something for him.” Dark Claw replied as he tries to walk around her.

“You didn’t tell us?” She says again. Her tone not as cold but hard.

“I’m sorry I hurt you Ororo.” Dark Claw actuated as she allowed him to pass.

“This isn’t over Dark Claw.” Amazon states calmly

“I know.” Was all she heard.

DiScLaImEr: I do not own these characters blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda…..


The darkness slinks from the shadows, the echoes of the cave’s inhabitants adds to the gloomy setting that is the Borrow. In the monitor womb of this shadowy place sitting in a large chair is a man whose very tenure has been to protect the innocent of his city. For years, he has done so and with others, he has protected the world. That was until he found out that he was betrayed. He moves his head slightly as he hears the transporter activate, he listens and a small grin appears on his face but is quickly suppressed.

She has only just heard what has happened, she confronted her best friend as she put the clues together…

*Earlier---

“Scott?” She replies as she enters the arboretum of Greymelkin. She knows he is here. He always comes here when something is bothering him. It is this or his fortress but the sensors said he was here. As Amazon walks down the empty recesses of this great fortress that the JLX has created, she truly feels the shadows trying to over cast her very spirit.

“Yes Ororo.” A voice replies. His name is Scott Stevens, a meta-mutant enhanced with genes of a dead alien, and we know him as Super-Patriot. Over the last few days, he has witnessed several things that have been dredged up from the past. A past he had hoped never became known. He stands with his hands resting on a guardrail overlooking the forest of endangered species of plants from Earth trying to find peace of mind and failing miserably.

“I want to ask you something Scott. I need to know this.” She replies staying near by but not so close to her friend.

He looks down into the trees from his place and deep in his mind, he knows what she will ask. He knows her to well, as she knows him, or does she? If he was as good as he claimed to be he would have never done what he had. He also knows of her feelings for the man she is about to ask about. He was also a friend but now Scott knows he has lost his friendship forever.

He exhales slowly as his eyes focus on a tree. He breathes in deeply once more than he answers her.

“Yes Ororo.”

“Did you really know what Magnus and the others did to Lo.., Darkclaw?”
Her voice has a slight apprehensive tone in it. He hears it in her voice as she corrected herself as she said his name. He remembers watching her steal glances at him every so often. Scott remembers when he found out about the “tension” between Logan and Ororo. It was in a conversation he had with J’onn before the emergence of Armageddon. She seemed to hold Logan to a higher ideal than before. He remembered how her voice sounded when they had followed Darkclaw’s idea to allow the Brood to attack the Acolytes’ Earth. He heard the pain in her voice, as she seemed to berate Darkclaw’s choice. It was not berating, it was something else like a painful sorrow.

“What do you want to hear Ororo?” He grimaced. He already knew the answer.

“The Truth Scott.” Ororo answered her voice slightly colder than before, the ice goddess becoming evident.

He looked down and felt a tear in his eye but fought not to allow it to come forth.
With a choked voice, he only said one word.

“Yes.”

Ororo felt anger rage within her, and the air became crisp with lightning as an outward reflection. She wanted to hit him, beat him until he could no longer stand. How could this be her best friend? He was there when she always need someone to speak to. They had always come to each other for advice not keeping hardly anything between them. In a venomous fit of words, he had never heard her say he felt the pain of betrayal.

“HOW COULD YOU? I NEVER KNEW YOU AT ALL YOU BASTARD OF A MAN!”

“You don’t understand.” He feebly replied.

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND! I DON’T UNDERSTAND! WHY SHOULD I TRY?! YOU KNEW WHAT THEY DID TO HIM SCOTT AND YOU JUST WATCHED! LOGAN WOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT NO MATTER WHAT!”

He always hated to be compared to him. All of his career he was the light to his dark. He was the Boy Scout, Darkclaw the dark knight. The anger bubbled over as he turns around, tears flowing, and voice thundering…

“BUT ITS ALRIGHT IF HE CRIPPLED US ORORO! IS IT? HE BETRAYED US ONCE!” His voice calming to some extent. “He hurt you and me and everyone else.”

Ororo brought her voice low, almost a growl. He could feel her anger seething out of her.

“I never said that Sc…Super-Patriot. He has made mistakes but he is honorable enough never to have allowed himself the opportunity to do what you did.” She points a finger at him.
He felt his heart sink as she called him by his moniker not the name she calls him.

“Justice needed to be served. You are one of the few that will kill Ororo. It’s the same thing.” Super-Patriot replies

“No it isn’t Super-Patriot. I never pretended to be…to be” She pauses for a moment as she chokes back tears. “Counterfeit! What you see with me is what you get!.”

“Ororo please.” Super-Patriot states, all of the fight left him as he hears that word.

“No Super-Patriot.” Ororo responds as she turns from him. “Consider our friendship void as your conscious.”


There he was sitting at his computer. Ororo wanted to run to him, hold him to allow him to shed tears, but she couldn’t, he won’t.

“Ororo that’s far enough.” Darkclaw replied coldly almost aloft.

“Logan please.”

“I can’t Ororo.”

“Why?”

“How can I trust anyone?”

She was hurt. She was livid at his statement.

“You’re a hypocrite Logan.” Ororo replied. “How can you trust anyone? I know you feel betrayed, believe me when I say I know. You betrayed us Logan when you had created those protocols. You didn’t trust any of us enough to help you when your back was broken, or during that whole Horseman fiasco. You didn’t trust” She paused for a moment trying to maintain her rhythm, not allowing the catch in her throat to cause her to stumble. “me.” The truth hit her more so as she admitted this fact. “You betrayed me. You didn’t trust me Logan.”

“Ro.”

She stopped him from speaking, holding up her hand, a simple word coming off her lips. “Don’t.”

“I trusted you enough to come to you when I needed help with Callisto. I trusted you enough afterwards to give me that test for the others benefit. I didn’t have anything to do with what happened to you, believe me. Yet here you are saying how you can’t trust anyone Logan. I never lied to you.”

“You did once Ororo.” States Darkclaw as he turns from her.

“What?” She was shocked. When had she lied. Then realization set in. The only time she lied to him was after she had emerged from Cerebro.
“You did too.” She replied remembering the scene in her head as if she was just there.

“Why do you think we did?” Logan asks as he begins to walk away until he feels her hand on his shoulder. His muscles tense and relax; he inhales and holds his breath.

“We are afraid.” She answers. Her voice soft and sincere. “I can’t promise what the future will hold Logan and it scares me when I think of you and me together. I could loose so much with you. Your passionate, border lined obsessed, your brilliant, a warrior born, your ruthless, rude, stubborn, arrogant, I feel with you I have to fight so much harder so as to be an equal with you. You bring out the worse in me when we disagree and you bring out the best in me as well. You never allow anyone in Logan and that is a reason why you lied to me that day by Cerebro. You know if you allowed whatever it is we have between us to flourish you wouldn’t be able to stop until I was in your heart so completely that it would hurt to argue. I felt your hand on mine as I first emerged from the tank. I felt your warm touch. You came to me without your mask or cape. You came to me as you. I wanted to kiss you then Logan, by the goddesses I did, but I held back and above what my heart said to do, my mind said other things. You took slight steps and swallowed your pride on more than one occasion. I know that now. I remember when I was wounded from the Xorn. You called my sisters to come help me; you stopped me from helping any farther. I even found out that you contacted Ororo to ask how I was doing afterwards. She respects you greatly you know.” She stops for a few brief seconds as she turns him around. The man who hides in the shadows, this protector of New Gotham, this man who although is a mortal man, can cause any of the meta-mutants to fear. He has all of their respect, and her heart. “I also know why you really wanted me to talk to Moonwing Logan. You saw two people whom you love hurting still, from a common reason…Marie.”

Logan looks into her eyes, her blue eyes and he feels, not for the first time, lost and warmth.

“I feel lost Ororo.”

“I know. So do I.”

“I don’t know if I can trust anything I feel Ororo.”

“trust in me.”

The woman named Electra Kyle enjoys her fight on the rooftop even though it is with a minor criminal like Firefox. She enjoys these battles of life and death, the adrenaline pumping through her veins like a drug giving her a euphoric high like no other. It use to be the thrill of the theft until he came along. Somehow over the years he had made her want to become more than what she was, a thief with a motif. She leaps into the air, her foot connecting with the Firefox’s chin. She lands on his chest bantering the entire time. Something she has come to do a lot since becoming part of the so-called Darkclaw-clan.

She hears a voice from behind her as her fist is raised ready to finish her opponent…
“Is that really necessary?”

She knows who it is without turning around. His voice sends shivers up her spine although she would never say anything about it. Sometimes she has dreams of him, but they always end the same. He decides his city is more important than she and she rips his heart out.

“No.” She coyly replies as she brings her fist down to Firefox’s face. He won’t be moving anytime soon. “But its fun. Know what else is fun?” She asks

“Catching criminals?” Darkclaw asks.

“That’s what I was doing. You should think of ways to thank me. I can always make some very selective suggestions.”

“Hand over the diamonds you stole from Firefox and maybe I’ll thank you.”

“Does that mean we’re enga…”Electra retorts as she comes closer to Darkclaw but runs into a wall that isn’t there. “Ow.”

“Sorry.” She hears as she sees Manhunter-X becoming visible. He is right on top of Darkclaw. She thinks “Sheesh I heard about protection but how close is Logan with these guys?”

That’s when they are interrupted by some more guests. It happens quickly as the bodies fall, first the Iron Lantern in pieces, then Changeling, Elasti-girl, Flashbang, Angelhawk, and Nightcreeper.
Above them stand several criminals on an energy platform created by Dr. Alchemy and all Electra can hear is…

“I remember everything Logan.” Replies Alchemy.

The battle is fierce as Manhunter, Electra and Darkclaw battle Alchemy, the Black king, Star Fire, Argus, Kadabra, and Plant man. Argus manages to send a bolt of energy toward Electra while she is down but as she is expecting it to hit her a figure dressed in black and gold blocks the bolt with her bracelets.

“Hello Argus.” The new on comer replies with a smirk.

“Great now she’s involved.” Thinks Electra. “And she saved my life. I hate how life works.”

With the speed of Hermes Amazon flies toward her adversary, her fist connecting with the mages chin. He flies twenty feet connecting into a wall, slumping down as he collapses to the ground. She turns as she hears a small explosion from behind her. She sees Star Fire fall and Darkclaw grins slightly toward her. Electra sees this and feels her heart slightly sink. Manhunter takes out Kadabra almost as fast. Electra lets her whip fly as it wraps around Plant Man’s neck. She leaps over him keeping the whip tight, she lands on Argus’s unconscious body, she hears ribs pops and crack. She then hears it…

“ORORO BEHIND YOU!” Then she hears it before she sees it…. Darkclaw, Logan he leaps in front of Amazon as Star Fire fires an energy beam. The impact is almost in slow motion as Electra sees Logan fall, his body plummeting to the rooftop, limp. She hears a yell come from the Amazon as she continues to watch as lightning strikes around Fire and, then at the Clock King. Electra looks almost in awe as the one called Amazon uses the very Atmosphere as a weapon. With a final strike into Alchemy, who had been just now recovering from gas from Darkclaw causing all of the criminals to fall into sweet oblivion.

“LOGAN!” Both Electra and Ororo yell as they get to Darkclaw’s side. They both look at him, each other and their eyes meet. They both feel the same for this man, this Dark Avenger.

Without thought Ororo looks to Manhunter-X and declares
“We have to get Lo..Darkclaw to the med lab at Greymelkin.”

“I’m going with you sister.” Electra responds, her eyes glowering toward Ororo. Electra in no way feels sisterhood toward the woman called Amazon if anything she feels as though this woman is a treat to her position for Logan’s feelings.

Standing at the shrine of a fallen friend Robert Grayson just stares at the grave marker….It has felt as though it was an eternity since last he saw her smile. They had been friends for so long, best friends in fact He missed her more than he ever thought he would have, more than he did any other. He remembers the day of her funeral, when he and Remy had argued…
“ I loved her too.” Remy had said. Did he really know how Bobby had felt? She was his best friend and though he often denied the fact, he loved her much more than a “sister”.
The problem was he was afraid to ever act on it, he looked back on his love life and remembered she was always there to hear him talk about it all. He would listen to her as she would complain about Terry, Remy, and Peter. He smiled slightly though his eyes were covered in sorrow.

“You remember when those gods of yours took control of the Hyena, Scarecrow and Viper? When I came in and…” His eyes looked up to the sky of orange, purple and red as the autumn sun crested behind the trees “ defeated that gorgon? You put on those earrings and made the crack about “your accessorizing?” You replied about me spending an hour doing the same when I was the first Sparrow. Then you turned and asked if I was sure about going with you? Then you grabbed my hand and said “I love you” and I replied I love you too. I don’t know about the way you meant it Kitty but I meant it the way it sounded. I never told you because I didn’t want to hurt you or me getting hurt and loosing our friendship that meant so dear to me. I stand here now realizing that I now know why it never worked with anyone else from Kory to Marie to Carol.” A tear cascades down his cheek. “ I loved you and though I did love them all I couldn’t be fully with them. Even though Marie came close.” He mused.

“ She knows Robert.” A voice came from behind him. He normally would have heard someone this close but since Kitty’s death his life slowly spiraled down. Marie’s and his break-up, his removal as leader of the Riders, the death of his enemy, his “relationship” with Torrent, and His eventual departure from Westchester back to New Gotham.

The woman’s voice so much like Kitty’s. He slightly turns his head and speaks low….He wasn’t in the mood for company and didn’t want to hear it from anyone.

“Evening Amazon.”

“Call me Ororo.” The tall, beautiful warrior woman with white hair walks closer to him.

“Why are you here Ororo?” Bobby said using “the voice”

Ororo smirked slightly at the sound of his voice. So like Darkclaw’s at that moment. It was strange the way he was always so strong, so confident, a warrior born.

“Actually he would say “Why are you here Princess?” as she mimicked Darkclaw’s voice.

Bobby turned his head back to the grave and grimaced. “ Logan sent you here didn’t he?”

“ He asked if I would talk to you yes. But I come here a lot Robert, he didn’t send me here or anywhere.” Her tone now slightly serious and distant.

“I know. I’ve seen you here.” He answered as he began to turn and walk away.

“Do you know everything like….Logan?” Ororo asks as she sees Bobby beginning to leave.

“He doesn’t know everything Ororo.” Bobby answers grimly. “It was my fault Ororo, you know. She was trying to save my life when she was killed. If anyone it should have been me.” She could hear tears just below the surface.

“It wasn’t yours Robert. She was trying to save someone she loved.” Ororo looked at the grave marker…”It would have torn out her heart if you had died. Like it is yours.”
Tears coming to the surface.

“Not as much as it hurts me.” Bobby replied under his breath. At that moment, Ororo felt a rage burst forth as she grabbed Bobby by his jacket, hoisting him off the ground. Anger in her eyes, fury in her words and tears…..

“HOW DARE YOU! SHE LOVED YOU MORE THAN ANY MAN IN HER LIFE! HOW DARE…” Lightning flashes, clouds transform into dark visions of Armageddon. She lowered him down “you.” Her tears flowing down her face. Her anger gone, replaced with enough sorrow to break a hundred hearts. “Maybe if you where there instead of Samual she would have had a better ability of herself.”

Looking down at the ground tears fell down his face as he realized what Ororo was saying. Kitty had loved him as he loved her and he knew her better than anyone did. It made the loss a little heavier now. He reached out to Ororo and hugged her. They both missed Kitty, more than they truly realized. After a moment, they both stopped and pulled away from each other.

“Do you want to get some drinks and talk about her.” Replied Bobby.

“Are you make a pass at me Robert? What would your father say?” Ororo said as she laughed a little making a joke.

“No and I think Logan would kill me.” Bobby said dryly.

……………………………………..

A few hours later the two were sipping wine in a restaurant laughing at stories of Kitty.
Bobby had told her about the time that they were in the desert and left Gill in the sun for a while and the look that followed. Ororo told him of a time after Kitty and Peter broke up and she threw him out.

“You know the only reason she even began dating him was because he resembled you.” Ororo said laughing a little louder.

“I kissed Marie because she had the same fire Kitty did.” Confessed Bobby.

Ororo stopped laughing and placed her hand on his knee, looked into his eyes and said
“She really did love you Bobby.”

“I know, as much as he loves you.” Bobby said with somber eyes.

“What? Who?” Ororo was taken back for a moment. “Logan? No, were just friends, we spoke about it.”

“Ororo I know the man better than anyone and he does love you. He just won’t admit it. He’s afraid like I was with Kitty. I also think like Kitty loved me you love him.”

“How could you know that Bobby?” Ororo replies feeling her heart drop in her throat.

“Kitty was your avatar. She felt things from you as you felt those things from her.”

With this Bobby got up and as he began to walk away he said….

“Thank you Ororo. Also thank Logan for me too. I didn’t bring him back to waste it.”

He left her there in silence.