DRAGONOWL:SCARS OF WAR(SUPERHERO NOVEL)

~PROLOGUE~

[ EARTH-237 ]

The rain fell in heavy sheets as Alexis Rooney Goodman stood before the small grave, his costume soaked through. Around him, the other mourners had long since departed, leaving him alone with his grief.

All his life, Alexis had fought to protect this city as Supervalon - prevailing against threats both mundane and cosmic. Yet for all his power, he'd been helpless when it mattered most. Helpless to save his infant son Alpha from villains  who had killed him only days ago.

Now only emptiness remained where Alpha's laughter and smiles had once filled his world with joy. An emptiness that gnawed at Alexis' heart and soul, threatening to consume him utterly.

He ran his fingers over the engraved letters of Alpha's name on the headstone, as if somehow he could touch his son one last time. But there was only cold, unyielding stone beneath his fingertips - a finality he found impossible to accept.

"Why?" Alexis whispered to the stormy heavens. "Why him and not me?"

No answer came, as he knew none would. The gods had never shown themselves to be just or merciful. If they existed at all, they were indifferent to the plights of mortals.

His grief darkened further as thoughts turned to Josephine, Alpha's mother. She who had abandoned their family,had she even shed a tear for Alpha? Or was she too busy with her new life and lover to spare a thought for the child she'd brought into this world?

Rage and vengeance began to stir in the depths of Alexis' shattered soul, clouding his mind. He'd given his life to this city, only to lose what mattered most. And now there was nothing left for him here - only an emptiness that demanded to be filled.

As the storm raged overhead in mirror of his turmoil, Alexis felt something inside him break. A dam bursting as years of repressed pain and sorrow came flooding forth in a torrent of anguish and wrath.

The once-bright colors darkening as an aura of shadow engulfed him. Lightning cracked the sky, illuminating a new visage of fury and loss etched on Alexis' face disguised using his spectacles.

Supervalon was no more. In his place stood a being consumed fully by the scars of war - the war waged within his soul since the day Alpha had drawn his last breath. A being that would see vengeance wrought upon all those responsible, as he saw it, for his suffering.

A being known henceforth only as Darkvalon.

With a wordless cry of anguish that rent the heavens, Darkvalon took to the skies, leaving the city below oblivious to the threat that now loomed over them from above flying fast. A threat far darker and more formidable than any they had faced under his protection as Supervalon.

For Darkvalon had been reborn in grief and madness. And he would not rest until all who had wronged him tasted the same depths of suffering that now defined his existence.

The storm clouds gathered heavy over Huzzenville, mirroring Dragonowl's darkening mood. From his perch high atop the tallest skyscraper, he scanned the city streets below for any signs of trouble. Though only a few hours had passed since the unthinkable occurred, the atmosphere had already shifted. Fear now permeated every corner as word spread of their greatest hero's fall from grace.

Dragonowl replayed the scene over and over in his mind, searching for something - anything - he could have done differently to save his friend. But no matter how many times he analyzed every moment, the outcome remained the same. Supervalon, the shining beacon of hope for Huzzenville, had been consumed by shadows. Now calling himself Darkvalon, he emerged with a new sinister power and thirst for domination.

Their battle replayed on loop in Dragonowl's memory. Even with all his skills and experience fighting alongside Supervalon for years, Darkvalon easily overpowered him. It was as if he knew Dragonowl's every move before he made it. Worse still was the gleeful malice in Darkvalon's eyes as he issued his threat to bring the city to its knees. That cold smile was nothing like the kind friend Dragonowl once knew.

Lightning cracked across the sky, jolting Dragonowl from his spiraling thoughts. In the flash of light, movement caught his keen eyes far below. Zooming in with his enhanced vision, he spied Darkvalon wreaking havoc in the city's main power plant. Without hesitation, Dragonowl launched into the air and swooped down at top speed. He had to try to reach the man Supervalon once was, for the sake of both friend and city.

"Darkvalon, stop this madness!" Dragonowl shouted over the roar of sparking wires and crashing machinery. Darkvalon paused, slowly turning to face his opponent with a mocking grin.

"Ah, come to stop me again so soon? You never learn, do you?" Darkvalon taunted. Before Dragonowl could react, a blast of dark energy slammed into his chest, sending him crashing through concrete walls.

Coughing dust from his lungs, Dragonowl struggled to his feet among the rubble. Darkvalon sauntered over, looming above with a sneer. "You always were weak. Clinging to your pathetic hope and justice." He grabbed Dragonowl by the throat, lifting him off the ground. "Now bow before your new master!"

Darkvalon's grip tightened as Dragonowl choked, grasping at the hand suffocating the life from him. Through watering eyes, he saw not a monster, but his dearest friend trapped within. Somewhere under the surface, Supervalon still existed. He had to reach him.

"P-Please...Valon...fight it..." Dragonowl gasped out. For a moment, Darkvalon's eyes flickered with something other than malice. His grip loosened, just enough for Dragonowl to suck in a breath. But then the darkness slammed back down, and Darkvalon roared in rage.

"Supervalon is dead! I am Darkvalon now, and this city will be mine!" Darkvalon threw Dragonowl aside like a rag doll and blasted the power core, causing an explosion that rocked the foundations. Dragonowl hit the ground hard, vision blurring as flames and debris rained down. Through the smoke, Darkvalon's mocking laughter echoed before he took to the skies, leaving Huzzenville in darkness and chaos.

Dragonowl coughed weakly, struggling to stand on unsteady legs amid the wreckage. All around, emergency sirens wailed as first responders rushed to douse the fires and rescue survivors. The people of Huzzenville  looked to the sky with fear, no longer seeing a beacon of hope but the shadow of a new terror looming over their city. And Dragonowl could only watch, blaming himself for failing to stop this madness before it began. Dark days were ahead, but he vowed not to stop until he saved his friend, or Huzzenville  fell under the new reign of Darkvalon.