The Saga of American Legends

The Hammer

    A man about seven feet tall with dark skin walks through downtown Atlanta. He trudges through the snow covered streets and wears two long hammers covered by a tan overcoat.

    A lean man pale in skin with rosy cheeks from the cold walks up to the man in the overcoat.

    "Hey John, what's up." The lean man says with a shiver.

    "Not now Dan, let's get inside. It's way too cold out here." John replies and puts his hand on Dan's back as if urging Dan to hurry.

     Dan shakes the hand off his back and looks about the alleys, buildings, and roads. "Listen, you said something about abilities, and well...." Dan pauses when seeing a shadowed figure in a nearby alley. Dan leans his head over to John and whispers softly while walking. "Look I don't think my place is safe to talk, but I know someone who can help. No names, no phones, and no questions out here."

      "Roger, so how was the Braves game last night?" John says. The two notice a figure following them fifty feet back.

      "Good cover." Dan whispers, and then continues speaking at a louder volume. "Yeah it was great. Freeman had two homeruns in a row, and Kemp had a beautiful catch that led to three outs."

      "Don't spoil everything; I have it on DVR." They wind a corner and enter an alley.

      "Get those ready." Dan whispers and indicates the hammers strapped on John's hips. They watch for anyone to enter their alley, but no one follows.

      "Let's go." John says finally. The two leave the alley through a winding mess of pathways in between buildings. As they leave an old lady peeks her head into the window covered by bars.

     "Weirdos, probably out to make trouble. Better call the cops." She says, but as she picks up her phone her vision grows dark.

     Dan and John enter a small brick building about thirty minutes later. Dan unlocks the iron grate and then the wooden door. Inside sitting on a rocking chair is an old lady.

    She turns her head slowly at the noise of the men. She croaks as she speaks, "Welcome to my humble abode. Call me Mrs. Astor." She gets up and points to a couple chairs. "Sit sit."

      "I hate to interrupt mam, but let's get to business." John says, and he remains standing.

      "Back in the day I could throw the greatest parties, but now I can't even get men to sit down. Fine then onto business. We are American legends which just means we adopted the spirit of some legend or folk tale hero at birth." She sits back in her chair and takes a sip of her drink.

      Dan speaks up after her, "I received Daniel Boone's spirit and the memories of everyone else before me to adopt his spirit. I am basically a human gps with a bunch of extra information about the areas I visit."

       John takes a seat after Dan finishes. He stares expectantly at Mrs. Astor.

       "Oh honey, my power has faded. I used to be able to influence people's minds and I could make illusions. Now,  I've got nothing to offer, and if my powers arn't taken then some poor child gets those powers soon."

      "Well then, that would explain my superhuman endurance and strength. Who's spirit did I get?"

       Dan looks at Mrs. Astor and then back at John. "We believe you have the spirit of John Henry."

       As Dan speaks the front door crashes inwards. Three men in black suits and white masks storm inside with weapons drawn. The first one through the door takes a potshot and hits Mrs. Astor square in the chest.

       John rushes up with his two hammers and swings both at the nearest two men. The two men fly backwards and impact the wall from the force of the hammers' blows. Dan shoots the third with a pistol he had kept hidden.

     "John, time to go. Don't look back just follow me." Dan says after taking a look through the front door. They sprint out the back and run through the alleyways. Dan leads them to a beat up car parked at a local supermarket.

       Once inside the car John looks at Dan. "Who were they, and why are they after us?"

      Dan turns the ignition and begins to drive down the road. "That was the hacking group redacted and they literally hack people's minds through technology. Just one of the many new legends which want us dead and gone."

        John stares out the window at passing cars. "Why though?"

        "Why I don't know, but it's working. Paul Bunyan has been reduced to a tourist trap, Appleseed and the Lone Ranger are just media icons. Most haven't even heard of Pecos Bill, Molly Pitcher, or you for that matter, and the rest of us are just information in textbooks which are being ignored more and more."

       They sit in silence for a while as Dan drives down I75. "I contacted you a while back in hopes avoid that conflict, but seems I was slow. We could use someone with your strength helping defend the island." Dan says quietly.

      "Which island?"

      "Roanoke, and yes I get the irony. An island where a bunch of people disappeared is now an island for people who can't disappear."

      "I wasn't going to say that. I think I'll go along for now. Ain't like I got anywhere else."

      "Good, because I'm not stopping. We need to meet with a captain friend of mine."