The DCFuture Underground Fan Fiction Group acknowledges that DC 
Comics owns the name Damage and ALL DC-created characters and 
retains complete rights to said characters.  These concepts are 
used WITHOUT permission for NO PROFIT, but rather a strong 
desire to peer into the future of the DCU. We also acknowledge 
that the concepts and original characters introduced here are 
the intellectual property of the author.

	Another day another dollar. We all need work, even 
those of us on a dire mission. What's a Meta-Human physicist on 
the run supposed to do to make ends meet, and how can he be 
sure this will help him on his quest. Jack will have to find a 
way to trust more unlikely allies in his attempts to regain his 
life.

Damage DCF LS Issue 3
Nice Work If You Can Get It.
Written by Oliver Kiemschies
Edited by Wayne Ligon


May 31,2112 -- 7:00 a.m.
The Automobile of Don Dawson
Warehouse District, Cleveland, Ohio

	"Corporate spies!"
	"They're more than that, Jack. Call them corporate.... 
trouble makers.... professional corporate trouble makers."
	"Criminals."
	"Think of them like Robin Hood."
	"Steal from the rich and give to themselves?"
	"O.K., Robin Hood was probably a bad example, they 
don't steal, well not money anyway."
	"So how do they make profit?"
	"They are hired to steal information, sabotage 
projects, and cause general mayhem in bad, nasty, EVIL, huge 
corporations."
	"Hired by?"
	"Hired by... other.... bad nasty..."
	"EVIL?"
	"Evil, huge corporations."
	"Oh, well, that makes it O.K."
	"Look, they're good people hired by bad people to go 
after other bad people."
	"I suppose next you're going to say that since big 
companies are constantly warring with each other anyway, why 
not make some profit at it."
	"Well, I was going to say that, until you just did. 
Seriously, though hooking up with these guys is your best hope. 
These guys are good at what they do. They're damn near 
geniuses. That's their problem you know."
	"What do you mean by that?"
	"What I mean is what else can they do? Work for the 
Justice League making this weeks new killing machine? Maybe 
work for the UN coming up with new and more clever ways to make 
the rich richer, and keep the poor underfoot?"
	That struck a note with Jack. Being a scientist with 
principles had always been a sticking point with him. He'd seen 
too many of his projects on the evening news, being brandished 
by a testosterone charged Justice Leaguer. Jack looked quietly 
out the window , as they continued on their trip, twisting 
through the Cleveland streets.
	Don brought his vehicle to a stop in front of a set of 
roll up doors. The building appeared to be a deserted 
warehouse. The faded paint on the building indicated it had 
once been used by a short lived dog food company.
	"Hey, Captain... Whatever... how about using some of 
that strength of yours and get that door open?"
	"They're in there?" he asked.
	"Yep."
	Jack reached over, and honked the horn on Don's 
steering wheel.
	"Humph, powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal 
men."

***
Cleveland Warehouse District
Inside the former Munchy Dog Warehouse

	"Troy, I think someone's at the door."
	Troy Kayner looked up from his console at the man 
sitting at the monitor station.
	"Anyone we know?"
	"It's Don's car. He's with a stranger."
	"Don Dawson? I didn't order any no good con-men. 
Anybody order any no good con-men?"
	His men looked up and shook there heads.
	"Well let him in. Let's at least see what he wants."
	The door in front of Don's vehicle opened and Don 
pulled in.
	"Todd, do you care to greet our guests?"
	Todd stood and began to walk to the stairwell. He 
paused, returned to his computer station, removed his wallet, 
and locked it in his desk, before he proceeded downstairs to 
meet their guests.
	Don and Jack were milling around Don's '02 General 
Motor's Iago Cavalier when Todd approached them.
	"Don, long time no see, it's been at least week. Do you 
have the money you owe us?"
	"I don't owe you any money." he protested.
	"You don't? I'm sorry, force of habit. I guess you'll 
be wanting us to give you some for no good reason then."
	"No schemes this time, just a new recruit." he said 
indicating Jack.
	Jack nodded to Todd.
	"We're not recruiting. Especially not an ex-boxer, who 
from the looks of him, didn't do very in his last match."
	Jack looked at himself in the vehicle's mirror. He 
still looked rather battered, but not nearly as badly as the 
day before. It looked as if his injuries had occurred a week 
ago as opposed to yesterday. At this rate, tomorrow, it would 
be hard to see any injuries.
	"Todd, my friend, this man isn't merely muscle. He 
brings brains AND brawn, CONSIDERABLE brains and brawn."
	Todd looked Jack over. Jack managed a meek smile.
	"Let's introduce him to Troy."
	Troy was working diligently attempting to re-encode 
some old Intelligent Agent software that had been corrupted by 
cutting edge defensive software. He was making no headway, and 
the most reasonable course of action seemed to be to trash the 
entire project. Troy stood up grabbed the edge of his desk, and 
over-turned it. "Problems?" inquired one of his men.
	"Not at all." he replied
	"Troy, Don's brought us someone he'd like us to meet."
	Troy looked up from the wreckage.
	"An ex-boxer?"
	"No," Don interrupted, "this is my friend, Jack. A 
former Ross-Tech Material Physics Projects Researcher, and 
current Meta-Human, in search of a job."
	"Meta!" they all replied in unison.
	"I don't know, Don, we don't want any Justice League 
problems."
	"Troy, you can't pass up on this. This guy is easily as 
smart as you, I should know, he used to be my TA in college."
	"You went to college?" asked Todd.
	Don glared at Todd.
	"As I was saying. He's been a researcher at Ross-Tech, 
meaning he's got the brains, and the experience of how the 
corporate world works. He's also a Meta, and can bring some 
much-needed muscle to your over-brained, under-powered 
organization."
	"Metas also tend to bring lots of unwanted attention," 
chimed in the man in the back.
	Jack walked over to the debris that had been Troy's 
desk. He surveyed the error messages flickering over the still 
functioning monitor.
	"May I?" he inquired motioning to the equipment.
	"If you'd like."
	Jack turned the desk back over and reconnected the 
equipment. He spent a few moments going over the programs that 
had been frustrating Troy.
	"IA software? And some pretty old stuff by the looks 
of it."
	"New stuff isn't that easy to come by."
	"New or old, it's as illegal as unregistered Metas," 
Jack replied.
	Jack began to interface with the software again.
	"It looks like some kind of White-Knight Virus has 
broken down the virtual micro-robot networking."
	"That's the line I was thinking along, but what can we 
do about it. The kernel code for the networking is trash."
	"That's easy there are several other types of LEGAL 
programs that have similar networking kernels. Lexcorp make a 
great V-DNA Bacterial Emulator that you can use to graft one of 
those networking kernels onto your programs."
	Troy stared blankly at Jack for a moment.
	"Well sure, I could do that if I wanted to do it the 
easy way."
	"Heee's smarter than yooou are.", chimed Todd, in a 
sing-song voice.
	Troy ignored his underling.
	"You know, we may be able to make use of you Jack. I've 
been meaning to add some muscle to the group. Say aren't you 
guys supposed to have code names?"
	"God, please, doesn't that seem a bit childish?"
	The men around Jack began to look around the room 
sheepishly.
	"Uh Jack," Don whispered, "They all have code names."
	"Whoops."
	"Well, I mean, it's only for when we're out in the 
field. Around here we just go by our real names. Allow me to 
introduce ourselves. They guy who showed you in is Todd 
Forester, code named Homer."
	Todd nodded to Jack
	"The gentleman who's hardly even acknowledged your 
presence is David Gillepsi, code named Odysseus."
	David continued to ignore Jack and work on the problem 
that had been consuming him since Jack walked in the room.
	"I am Troy Kayner, code named Achilles. And this little 
girl scout troop of ours goes by the name Horse."
	"Ah a theme."
	"And you are Jack Ordway, formerly of Ross-Tech, and 
already being sought after on charges of corporate espionage, 
and sabotage."
	"Corporate espionage and sabotage, there goes the 
neighborhood," commented Todd.
	"So you already know who I am."
	"It's in our best interest to keep up with current 
events."
	"What else do you know about me."
	"Well nothing about the Meta-human stuff, but I do know 
there's something wrong with your life."
	"Tell me about it."
	"When news of someone local being brought up on these 
types of charges comes to my attention, I usually do a little 
snooping, you know, checking up on the competition."
	"Makes sense."
	"One thing I check is financial records. Your records 
don't make sense. Your bio says you're single, but your 
financial records have family man written all over them."
	"Sit down, Troy, Jack here has quite a story for you," 
interrupted Don.

***

Ross-Tech Labs Penthouse

	Duane sat looking at the map display of the city of 
Cleveland. Of interest to him was the blinking red dot in the 
warehouse district. It had been stationary long enough. It was 
time to test Jack against a real challenge.
	"Mr. Baginski," he said activating his com link.
	"Yes sir."
	"I think it's about time we stirred up our quarry 
again."
	"Yes sir, I'll get a team together."
	"I'd like you to take some outside assistance this 
time. I've contracted out with the Justice League for a bit of 
freelance help, you'll be taking two of them with you."
	"Sir, if this is due to my failure earlier I assure 
you..."
	"That's all right Mr. Baginski, I don't hold Jack's 
earlier escape against you. I just want to strengthen the ranks 
a bit."
	"Yes, sir."
	That was a relief to the security officer. His career 
would not be affected. Damn, that Duane Smithson was a hell of 
a guy. He'd have to remember to put in some unpaid overtime 
this week. 

***

Cleveland Warehouse District
Former Munchy Dog Warehouse

	Jack had finished retelling his story to the his new 
allies. Even the usually sarcastic Todd was affected by Jack's 
story.
	"I don't understand," commented Troy, "how could they 
erase your wife? Doesn't she have family, or friends?"
	"Her parents died last year, that was her only family. 
As for friends, we had a few, but I haven't exactly had the 
time to hook up with them. Besides Ross-Tech is quite powerful; 
if the company hasn't gotten to them already, I wouldn't want 
to put them in danger by getting them involved."
	"So, I take it your terms of employment would be, 
helping you find your wife and daughter?"
	Jack nodded.
	"I think we have a deal Jack. Let's just try to keep 
the super-hero battles to a minimum."
	As if on queue, a loud crash shook the room, and alarms 
began to sound.
	"We have a security breach!" shouted David. "Four of 
'em, one of them is cybernetic."
	"Let's go mobile, abandon ship meet at location 42," 
ordered Troy.
	Each of the three men withdrew a mobile PAD from their 
workstations, and entered a command on the PAD. The screens on 
the remaining portions of the work stations went blank, and 
began to emit a light smoke.
	"I'm attempting to download a virus into the cyborg 
now," commented David, as he worked his PAD.
	"Don, your with me. Jack, time to earn your keep. Stall 
them while we clear out. We'll contact you at the Akron Public 
Library in three hours."
	"Your just going to run?" asked Don.
	"This facility has been breached. Even if Jack could 
repel these guys this hideout is of no use anymore. We have 
others. There's no time to answer any more questions. Move!"
	Jack dove down the stairs he had come up, rushing to 
the source of the loud crash. He was uncomfortable doing this. 
Rushing head first into battle was not one of his preferred 
maneuvers. As he rounded a corner in the stairwell, he ran 
almost head first into 6'5" cyborg. Jack backed away quickly, 
narrowly dodging the cyborg's swinging fist. Jack was now, 
however, backed against a wall in the staircase. The cyborg 
drew his weapon and targeted Jack. Across the chest of the 
cyborg was his Justice League insignia and designation: Unit 
6/23A. Jack stared in the machine-man's dead eyes.... the very, 
very dead eyes. Jack slowly stood up. The cyborg didn't move an 
inch.
	"Thank you, David," he said, remembering the virus his 
new ally was attempting to download.
	"Attempt...to es.. es...CRIMINAL....do not attempt 
to....." the cyborg began to mutter.
	Jack realized it was attempting to recover, and would 
soon succeed. He wasn't going to give it the chance, and struck 
the cyborg in the chest with an optic blast, sending the statue 
like machine tumbling down the stairs, past the main floor and 
into the basement. Jack continued down the stairs aided by 
telekinetic flight. He paused at the door to the main floor, 
and took a deep breath. Tentatively he stuck his head out the 
door. He withdrew his head when he saw the fireball heading 
straight towards him.
	"No exit this way."
	Jack considered going into the basement and trying to 
get to the main floor some other way. His only problem was the 
cyborg. He didn't know how long it would be out of commission. 
He began to descend to the basement only to hear heavy 
footsteps rushing up from the basement.
	"Awake already?"
	Now trapped, Jack retreated to the flight of stairs 
just below the door to the main floor, and waited.
	Soon, Unit 6/23A came into view. Jack kept his ground 
as the warrior advanced. When he was almost on top of him, Jack 
dropped to the ground, and used his telekinesis to push the 
machine up, over, and through the door. As he crashed through 
the door, the cyborg's allies mistakenly opened fire on him. 
Taking advantage of the confusion Jack flew through the 
doorway, pelting the attackers with telekinetic blows. The 
cyborg was down again, at least temporarily. Jack took refuge 
behind a large pillar. Jack noted the remaining attack team had 
been made up of two Ross-Tech security guards, and a young 
woman in a red, yellow, and orange uniform with Justice League 
insignia.
	"You are under arrest. Come out with your hands up," 
shouted one of the Ross-Tech guards.
	"Since when does Ross-Tech do the Cleveland Police 
Department's job?" Jack shouted back.
	He was answered by a barrage of weapons fire pelting 
his protective pillar. Jack looked around for something he 
could telekinetically lob at his adversaries, but found nothing.
	"FEVER, burn him out!" shouted one of the guards.
	The ground on both sides of Jack began to smoke. Small 
pieces of debris on the floor began to melt or catch fire. The 
ground which, from the vantage point of the attackers, was 
directly behind the pillar, remained cool.
	"Looks like your Pyro-kinetic is limited to line of 
sight," Jack taunted.
	The attackers said nothing, as the ground around Jack 
continued to heat. Jack knew that it was only a matter of time 
until the heat near him conducted to the ground underneath him.
	"You guys ever study thermodynamics?" Jack shouted.
	There was still no reply.
	"Time to think small." he said to himself.
	Jack stared at the hot ground and began to concentrate. 
He knew that if he could slow down the molecules in the floor 
with his telekinesis, it would cool down the floor. What he 
didn't know was if he could use his power with that type of 
resolution. He looked at the floor and thought of molasses, he 
thought of glue, he thought of tar. He didn't expect he could 
slow down individual molecules, but he hoped he could slow down 
any motion that was occurring in his field of concentration.
	"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," 
protested a strained female voice.
	Jack's efforts may have been working, but he had no way 
of knowing if it was his efforts, or the limitations of the 
young Justice Leaguer. It was a stalemate. Jack knew the 
invaders would soon be able to chisel away at the pillar. He 
had to get out of there, but he didn't now how.
	"You're trapped Mr. Ordway, you may as well surrender 
yelled one of the security guards."
	Jack heard a mechanical whirring from the area near 
the doors he came through.
	"Great, Mr. Personality's back online." he thought.
	Jack was out of options. Unit 6/23A was blocking the 
only exit he even had the remotest chance of escaping through. 
He looked up and began to wonder if he could propel himself 
through the ceiling. There was a skylight 10 yards horizontally 
from where he was. He would only be in the line of fire for a 
second. If he made a break for it, MIGHT get lucky. Jack was 
about to propel himself towards the skylight, when it exploded 
inward and a large silver-ish orb came through it, landing 20 
feet away from Jack. The "orb" began to take the shape of a 
biped. In seconds, Jack was staring into the eyes of the robot 
who had nearly killed him the day before.
	Metallo stood silently. He made no threatening moves 
towards Jack.
	"He's not supposed to be here!" yelled one of the 
guards.
	"Who cares! Metallo, apprehend him," yelled the other 
guard.
	Metallo did nothing.
	"What's wrong with you! Metallo!"
	Still nothing
	"Unit 6/23A move in."
	Jack heard the cyborg move towards him. He could have 
fired off some optic blasts to hold Unit 6/23A off, if it were 
not for the robot staring him in the face. The cyborg came 
around the pillar and stood next to Metallo. It leveled its 
weapon at Jack's head.
	"Jack Ordway, you are ..."
	Suddenly Metallo sprung to life. He lifted his arm, and 
liquid metal tendrils shot from him to the cyborg. The cyborg 
crackled with electricity, for a moment, then slumped to the 
floor once more.
	"Damn! Smoke him!" yelled one of the guards.
	Weapons fire began to pelt Metallo causing damage 
similar to the one that Jack had leveled on him the day before 
with his optic blasts.
	Jack telekinetically grabbed the cyborg's weapon, and 
held it in mid-air, aiming it in the general direction of his 
attackers. He mentally activated the trigger, and the floating 
weapon began to fire at his attackers.
	"Fever, more heat!" yelled the guard .
	"I'll try..... but ... I'm maxed...uhn!"
	"Damn, Fever's down."
	That's when Jack saw something he didn't believe 
possible, the skeletal visage of Metallo appeared...... 
concerned. Metallo began to bound directly at the attackers, 
taking on more weapons fire. Jack came around the pillar and 
followed Metallo into the fray, firing off optic blasts as he 
came. The guards returned fire, placing the unconscious Fever 
in the line of fire.
	"NO!" yelled Metallo, breaking his silence.
	Jack was astounded at the emotion in the robot's voice. 
Metallo quit his advance on the warriors, and used his body to 
shield the injured girl.
	"Metallo, the door! Get her out of here, I'll cover 
you!" Jack yelled.
	Metallo scoped up the girl and ran for the door as Jack 
laid down grazing fire to cover their exit. From his new 
vantage point, Jack could see the how much of the main pillar 
that had been his protection had been destroyed. The weapons 
fire had almost broken through. Didn't the men realize if they 
would have shot through it they would have brought the ceiling 
down on all of them? Jack smiled. Metallo had enough time to be 
clear. Time to bring down the house. Jack launched himself at 
the pillar. He crashed through the pillar, and it began to fall 
toward the attackers. Jack continued toward the hole in the 
ceiling where the skylight had been. The building began to 
rumble, and the Ross-Tech security men dropped their weapons 
and scrambled for the door. Jack looked behind him to see the 
warehouse ceiling collapse. Jack circled around and dove at the 
unarmed guards who had just barely escaped the building.
	The men were running to their vehicle for back up 
weapons when their helmets suddenly flew from their heads. Jack 
grabbed both men by the side of their heads and smashed their 
skulls together rendering them unconscious. Jack was 
considering if he should try to follow Metallo, when he heard a 
mechanical whirring come from the rubble. A sheet of corrugated 
steel fell away, and Unit 6/23A once again stood-up.
	"Will you just stay down!" pleaded an exhausted Jack.
	To answer, his question smoke began to poor from the 
cyborg's electronics.  Soon the machine-man erupted in flames, 
and fell over for the last time. Standing behind the cyborg was 
Metallo, holding Fever in his arms. She had her arm 
outstretched toward where Unit 6/23A had been standing.
	"You're welcome," she managed to say before she fell 
unconscious again.
	Metallo walked toward Jack.
	"I guess I owe you....."
	Jack was interrupted by tendrils shooting from 
Metallo's hand into Jack's mouth.
	"Uhng...." was all Jack could say as white hot pain 
shot through his head.
	Just as he was about to pass out, Metallo withdrew his 
tendrils, holding a small white orb in them.
	"I thought you might want this tracking device 
removed," Metallo said.
	Jack doubled over and bid farewell to his breakfast.
	"Thanks." he said meekly.
	Metallo tossed the tracking device into the rubble.
	"Where to now Jack?" he asked.
	"Well, what do you think of corporate espionage?"

****
Epilogue
Ross-Tech Labs, Penthouse

	Duane Smithson sat in his office, looking at the read-
out from Jack's tracking device. All data from the vital signs 
were flat-line. The displays from the security team had also 
gone dead.
	"Most upsetting."
	He switched off the useless displays.
	"Personal log entry 327. My ability to track Jack 1 has 
been curtailed. Even with these failures I still stand behind 
my decision to field test. Though possession of the LIVING 
original template is necessary to continue the work, the rigors 
of this field test were the only way to study his latent 
powers. The relatively low level of power, though 
disappointing, substantiates my decision. Without the test we 
would never have known his limitations."
	Duane Smithson reactivated a monitor, and tuned to a 
holding chamber deep in the Ross-Tech sub-basement. A lighting 
array in that large chamber slowly began to come to life.
	"Still, with the living template temporarily beyond 
retrieval, the work on all subsequent unfinished J.A.C.K. 
Generation II's will have to wait."
	The lighting finally illuminated the vast room. Duane 
peered at the hundreds of glass cylinders in the room. Through 
the milky liquid in the cylinders hundreds of copies of Jack, 
in various stages of development were visible.
	"Sleep well children," Smithson commented. "Sleep 
well." 

*** End of Issue 3

Coming in issue 4: Family

Suggested Music for this issue:
	
Whole Darn Thing: She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby