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John 'Lock Jaw' Larings

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"Wear your scarf hunny, it's freezing outside!"

Johnny narrowed his eyes at his mother, who just shook her head. "Just wear it? For me?"

"Fine," he sighed, "but if I get beat up for looking like a dork, I'll-!"

"I love you too, dear," his mother interupted, wraping the white cloth around her son's neck. "Now go on, you don't want to be late for class!" she called from the van as Johnny walked to the school's door.

Flash.

"I don't know where she is," Johnny answered, "She's usually here by now..."

The old teacher scratched at the grey stubble hanging to his chin. "Well, would you like me to call your house for you?"

"No, it's alright," Johnny said with a grin. His teacher cocked an eyebrow, "I've walked home before, I'll be fine!"

"Well, it's against normal conduct, but I guess it's alright. Just don't get frostbit, I hear it's supposed to snow."

"Thank you, Mr. Lafier!"

Flash.

It was cold. Johnny was sure his feet were numb. The harsh winds threatened to blow him over, but through will power alone he kept on. He kept his hand tucked in the pockets of his sweatshirt, his shoulders shrugged up to keep his scarf around his jaw.

No, his mother's scarf. No matter how hard she tried to force it on him, it was hers, not Johnny's. Unconsciously, Johnny slipped a hand up to his bundled neck. It was warm, he decided. He smiled a little at that. I'll be sure to thank Mom when I get home, he thought to himself.

Deep in thought, Johnny didn't notice the flares until he was stepping over them. He stopped, and looked around. An accident?, he thought. He noticed an ambulance, and the accompanying firetruck, but he couldn't see the car that had the accident. He glanced around, and saw some firefighters looking at something off to the right. Then he saw the crushed van.

His mother's van.

Flash.

Tears rolled down Johnny's face as he sat next to his mother's bed. Both of her legs and her left fore-arm had been amputated, and her face was scratched up as well. The irregular beeping sound coming from Johnny's left made him uncomfortable, which his dad said meant she wasn't doing well.

His father wasn't in the room. He was having a grown up talk with the doctor. Normally, Johnny would have eavesdropped on them, but not this time. He wouldn't leave his mother's side. Not now.

Flash.

"Thank you, Doctor."

Johnny heard his father come back into the room, but he didn't look up to see. Footsteps vibrated off the walls as his dad walked next to him to lay his hand on Johnny's shoulder.

"Johnny...," his father started to say, but sounded too choked up to speak, "Johnny, I know it's hard, but they said that there's nothing they can do. They've done everything they can for Mom, and now all we can do is wait and see if it will work. I'm sorry."

Johnny still didn't raise his head from the covers of his mother's bed. He didn't feel anything. Even after his mother woke from her medicine, it was unbearable to see her. Even with the meds, Johnny could see the pain in her eyes, hear the trembling in her voice. She wouldn't make it.

After a moment, his father stood. "It's getting late Johnny. Let's head home," Johnny nodded. "Do you remember the room number for when we come back tomorrow?"

"Yep, 237!" Johnny chirped, a bit too loudly. His father offered a small smile in return. After taking his father's hand, they walked out of the room.

Flash.

Their footsteps were like a metronome on the tile, steady, constant. Johnny just kept looking forward. The hall seemed to go on forever.

They were about half way when the elevator opened up down the way they were going. A man stepped out, with black hair covering his eyes and a dark cloak draped around his shoulders. johnny caught his breath and walked closer to his dad, keeping his eyes on the stranger. His father didn't seem to notice him, and the man didn't look at them either. He just walked right past them.

Johnny peered over his shoulder and watched as he kept walking down the hall. Not watching where he was going, he tripped over his dad's foot, who looked down at him oddly. "Are you okay, Johnny?"

He didn't reply. His eyes were transfixed on the stranger, who was opening a door to one of the rooms down the hall. Whoever has a friend like that, Johnny thought, must be one wierd person.

Johnny's eyes widened as he looked at the number on the door the man had entered. 237.

Flash.

Johnny didn't even know he had been running until he was halfway down the hall. His father was shouting for him, still at the open elevator. Johnny didn't hear. He just ran.

His mom was in trouble.

Flash.

"Are you an angel?"

Time seemed to be still all around Johnny as he peered through the doorway at the surreal scene. The man stood over his mother's bed, but not threateningly. At that moment, the stranger didn't seem scary. In fact, the man was smiling warmly, the way his mom used to when she picked him up from school.

"Not quite, my good lady," the man answered calmly. "However, I believe that my purpose is the same of an angel. The Lord has requested your immediate presence in the Kingdom of Heaven, and I have the honor of sheparding you to him."

"So, Heaven is real?" his mother asked, an expression of wonder crossing her face. The stranger nodded, and her face lit up. She seemed so... Happy. Johnny felt tears run down his face. His mother really was leaving.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

With that, the man rested his palm on her head, and her breathing stopped. The heart monitor froze. There was silence, save for the tone emited from the monitor, but even that seemed quite.

The man rose, and offered a silent prayer, before turning for the door. As he walked past Johnny, he looked down, and Johnny could see his bright blue eyes.

"Do not fear, child. Your mother is going to most wonderful place, where she will be able to watch you grow up into the fine man you will become."

Johnny looked up in wonder, and he didn't feel sadness any more. He managed a smile, and the man reached down to ruffle his hair, which immediately replaced Johnny's smile with a grimace. The man just chuckled. He started to walk out of the room, but stopped and turned to look at Johnny, and glanced at the scarf wrapped around his neck. "You had better look after that scarf, young man. Your mother gave it to you for a reason, don't you lose it!"

With that, he walked away, and Johnny heard his dad finally reach the room. "Johnny, what are you doing?"

"Just saying good bye," Johnny said, looking back at his mother, who lay very still. His father's breath caught.

"I'm... I'm sorry, son..."

"It's alright, Dad," Johnny said, fingering his scarf.

"She's in a better place."

---

The darkness faded, and he opened his eyes. The blistering sun reflected off of the hot desert sand, but it did not sting his eyes. His entire body was numb. He should be dead. He felt no pain from where his replacement jaw had been ripped off. But, despite the numb, he felt... warmth. A soothing presence surrounded him. Perhaps that's why there was no pain.

He looked down at the blade in his hand, which rested comfortably in his hand. His eyes widened. The thing was as large as a claymore, he shouldn't be able to hold it so easily in one hand!

"LOOOOOCCCCCCCK JAAAAAAAAAAAAW!"

He turned his head to the side to see a form burst through the desert surface, rising into the air. Whirling metal flashed around him, an odd halo of metalic shards floatingly dangerously in a cryptic dance. A look of pure rage was splayed across his torn face, and the earth shards protruding from his form shivered in anticipation. There were numerous gashes, as if he'd been fighting against an army.

"YOU ARE DEAD! I WILL KILL YOU EVENTUALLY!" A shockwave burst beneath Krain's feet, and on que the beast was flying forward. Maybe he could block the brunt of it with his blade. He just needed to raise his hand...

Lock Jaw panicked. His arm wasn't moving. He couldn't feel his arm. Fear began to overwhelm him. Move, arm! He concentrated as hard as he could, but it wouldn't move. He looked up at Krain, and watched as a thick, metalic blade formed from the arm of his adversary. Lock Jaw shut his eyes, readying himself for death.

He heard a clash. Surprised, he looked up again. He held the curved blade over his head, holding Krain's blade in place. Metal shards shot past him like angry bees, threatening to slice him open. Eyes wide, he stared in amazement as, on its own accord, his blade disengaged from Krain's with a slash. They flew from each other, lightning shooting from Lock Jaw's feet.

What the heck..., he thought to himself. He stared at his arm, and it was then he noticed the white bandage wrapped around his arm. That wasn't there before, he thought. Actually, there were white bandages securing his entire body. But, where had they come from?

He heard lightning crack at his feet, and he felt the air rush past him as he was carried over to meet his opponent. I didn't do that, Lock Jaw mused. He felt his arm tugged again, and his sword feinted an uppercut, then came across in a horizontal slash that tore through Kraig's defenses, shattering the stone that surrounded him like armor. dark blood poured through the crack, and Krain blasted away, frantically reparing his armor.

Taking the oppurtunity, he delved into the recesses of his mind, seeking his Power. He felt a chill run down his spine, and immediately willed a spark. With a flash of lightning, he was shot away from Krain. His scarf billowed past him, the white cloth whirling in front of him. His scarf...

Something clicked in his mind. Feeling returned like a flood to his entire body. He touched down about half a mile away from the swirling mass of stone and metal. Pain shot through his arms and legs. He felt nauseous as he thought about the area where Krain had torn off his metal-jaw. tenderly, he reached a hand up to feel it. Expecting blood, he was almost surprised to find cloth wrapped around the wound. It felt warm, like his scarf. He felt the bandages, and they were the same material. It couldn't be...

Is my scarf... A template? Lock Jaw's mind whirled. Had he just bonded to it while he was unconscious? No, he thought, I must have bonded before that. He remembered the night he gained his lightning powers, and the attack on camp. Each time, he was sure he should have died, but here he was. Had it been the template?

It seemed clear to him now. The template was using him as a marionette. To save me, he thought. He could see red soaked into the bandages; the scarf around his missing jaw was damp with blood.

A roar came from the distance. He looked out , and saw the dust cloud moving closer. He gripped the blade in his hand tight. "Now that it's easier to use you...," he looked down at his master's sword, swiping it out infront of him.

"I can take this clown down!"

The swarm of earth and steel was approaching like a speeding train. He could hear the beast's roar tear through the dunes, the sands shaking like a frightened child.

"LOOOOOOOCCCCCK JAAAAAAW!"

Krain was moments away. He had to end this soon. Everyone was depending on him.

"Well, let's get this over with, shall we?" Lock Jaw murmered to himself. He felt a surge of energy come from the template which was wrapped around him. He felt something enter his mind, his soul. It wrapped around his very conscious. He excepted the bond from the scarf, the same way he had accept his blades bond the day his master died.

Krain would pay. The air began to crackle around him. His sins would not go unnoticed. A feeling came over him, and he ideas came into his mind. He could do this. Pure energy surrounded him.

"Let's ride!"

Lock Jaw shot forward in an instant, electricity carrying him through the sandstorm and metal shards, cutting through like a hot knife through butter. At the apex of his climb, he slashed out, and his blade was met by Krain's.

The sheer force blew em both back. "LOCK JAW!" The maddened beast shouted, "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!" He charged, air and stone blasting his blade to speeds faster than humanly possible, a blow that would have shreaded through most man's defenses. It was met evenly with a Dao Sword glowing with electricity.

"Just so you know," he looked straight into Krain's bloodshot eyes. His voice confident and even, despite the missing jaw.

"The name... is John."

Krain's eyes widened as John punched out with his left hand, which was wrapped in his newly recognized template. He slugged him right in the jaw, and with a sickening crack,half of Krain's face shattered. The beast flew back.

"That's for taking MY jaw," he shouted, lighting taking him right back in. He slashed down, which made a deep gash along Krain's abdomine.

"That's for killing Lun and Terrance!" His hand shot out again, grabbing Krains broken face.

"AND THIS IS FOR TURNING YOUR BACK ON THE LORD!" With a massive surge of lightning, he shot the beast straight into the ground. There was a deafening crack in the air. The padding sound of metal dropping into the sand filled the air. Krain lay crumpled in a seared crater, newly formed shards of glass smoking around him.

John didn't care to ensure the job was finished. There was only one thing on his mind. Lifting a hand to his scarf, he looked to the west, lightning crackling.

"I'm coming, Jessica."

With that, he was shooting west, to where the other's were. To where Jessica was.

________________


I hope you all enjoyed that! ^^ That's a little snippit of the story I'm writing. A little background info:

There are two different kinds of extraordinary, yet completely independant, weapons in this story: Power and templates.

Powers are god-given abilities or traits that allow humans to perform achievements that would normally be the work of miracles.

Templates are items crafted by man that, by a twist of faith, are imbued with a spirit of their own, and choose a human whom they deem worthy. While searching, they are considered unbound. When it finds a wielder, it bonds to them, and takes on the designs of the users spirit.

John, or "Johnny", is Lock Jaw, he got shot in the jaw and had a mechanical implant made of metal. He has powers over lightning, and wields a blade and scarf template.

The blade formerly belonged to his master, Lun Chiying, who trained him to use one of his 6 blade templates: four Dao swords, a katana, and a double edged sword, which were all crafted by himself.

However, because all 6 were bonded to Lun, John would use an unbound form of one of his master's Dao swords. There are complications with this. The four Dao swords Lun uses are huge, roughly the size of the average British claymore. Lun uses his incredibly practiced Power over air to manipulate these swords without actually holding them. John, however, had to learn to wield it using his own hands, which was no small task.

Krain was a former ally of a small band of benevolent, Christian Users; Users are ones who wield Powers or templates. This band included John "Lock Jaw", Deryk Vyre, Drevin Maryl, Jessica Lough, and others. He had no Power or template, and was merely a supplier, which lead to his jealously and public denouncement of his faith, which caused an uproar from John and Deryk, causing Krain to be outcast.

Using the Power of a new recruit, who will be talked about later, against his will, Krain stole the powers of Lun (air), Terrance (earth), and Arsemis (metal). It was after Krain killed Lun that Terrance and Arsemis set out to find and take vengeance on Krain. However, this led to Arsemis nearly dying and Terrance going Berserk.

Berserking Users go into a primal rage, where they have no control over their powers, going on pure instinct. Terrance almost got the upper hand on Krain, however he was soon killed. Lock Jaw came to rescue Arsemis, and upon a bit of pushing went back to take care of Krain.

That is where the story takes off.

Jessica Lough and John are unofficially engaged. She was captured by a man named Raine who is setting himself up to be the future Anti-Christ, through use of an evil spear template and his Power over fears. John was interupted in his search for her to find Terrance and Arsemis.

_______


So, about the PICTURE. I drew this the other night, used a 4h pencil, art eraser, and black, red, yellow and orange colored pencils. I'm starting to figure out how to use darker pencils to define details more and get more contrasting.

Well, I hope you enjoy the picture and story!

EDIT:

Additional Character Info:

After his mother's death, the 10 year old John became a bit of a loner at school. He always wore his scarf in memory of her, however this was, as expected, at the core of much bullying at school. He was forced to defend himself, and after a particularly brutal fight with a boy named Cael, his father enrolled him in a Mixed Martial Arts program.

Although he earned a 3rd degree black belt in the Art, his Sensei had been lacking in his teachings, and it was up to John to find ways to apply the techniques on his own. This usually lead to arguements with the Sensei, and lead to his abrubt rejection from the teaching grounds. He was 16 when this happened.

On the first day of school during his Junior year of highschool, he was approached by Cael, who gave him baseless insults. This was noticed by a senior named Arsemis, who ended the confrontation with a solid punch. John and Arsemis became very good friends.

To celebrate Arsemis' 23rd birthday, John took him to the local bar. There, John met a girl named Jessica, who wasn't very shy with telling John she wanted to get to know him. Arsemis left them alone to get some food next door, and the new couple's conversation was interrupted as a goth man silently threatened them with a concealed knife.

The man takes Jessica out behind the bar and attempts to kill her with a wicked looking dagger, but John soon comes out and saves her. However, as John goes to check on Jessica, the goth pulls a gun on John. He turns just in time to catch the bullet in the lower jaw, the force practically tearing it off. Arsemis rushes over after hearing the gunshot, and a passerby named Drevin comes to help them. Arsemis accepts Drevin's invitation to drive John to the hospital, and Jessica offers to join them, much to Arsemis' amusement. It is shown that the goth man fled the scene.

In the car, it is shown that Drevin is a very perceptive man, and notices that John, who Jessica was cradling in her arms, was not suffering from blood loss. Drevin remarks that they should wrap his jaw with something in case, and Arsemis muses that it was a shame John had forgotten his scarf, which Jessica looked quite confused about.

Drevin becomes very curious about how quickly John is recovering, and pulls over to examine. He somehow determines that the nerves corresponding to the muscles that perform the jaw's movements were still in tact, and surmises that he should be able to repair it.

Although Arsemis is sceptical about the idea, they go to his apartment, where it is shown he has a large supply of scrap metal and electronics. He states that he likes to invent things, and that he might be able to make a replacement jaw for John. Arsemis gets a kick out of it, but agrees to it. Jessica asks what this might involve, which Drevin answers with a simple "We'll figure it out."

The next morning, John wakes up to find hinges and supports connected to area that Drevin had amputated. Shocked, he is about to call the police, but Arsemis comes into the room and calms him down. He tells him about what happened, and that Drevin was making him a new jaw.

Later, the jaw is attached, which makes Drevin incredibly proud. The news is on in the living room, and it is shown that police were after a man who met John's description fairly accurately. A witness, the goth, talks to the reporter about how he was viciously attacked by a man with a knife, and that he has "proof" of it, showing the police fresh wounds on his arms and chest. He gives them the knife, which John points out is the one the goth used to attack him. The news report is concluded with a search for the goth's unknown assailant.

Due to this, the new friends decide that John needs to take on an alias while out in public. Arsemis jokingly says Lock Jaw, but John likes the name, and from then on they called him by the name of Lock Jaw.

Much later, after a series of events, Lock Jaw, who has taken to wearing his scarf around his metal jaw, meets an old Chinese-Japanese man named Lun. The old man claims that he has traveled the world, searching for others like him. Following him, he says, are a couple people who have been given extraordinary powers. These are two people, named William and Tern.

It is shown that William has a knack for guns, as shown when he can take impossible shots with an old hunting rifle, which he claims is a "template." Tern is shown to be an inhumanly strong man, and Arsemis asks if he has huge muscles. Interestingly, this is false, as Tern has a rather lean muscle mass. After examination, Drevin surmises that his muscle mass is hyper dense, and watches in amazement as it gets increasingly denser during a workout session. Lun explains that it is one of the first Powers that he has seen relating to the human body itself, which draws curiousglances from the four friends.

Lun procededs to show them his six templates, which consists of four large Dao swords, a katana, and a wicked looking broadsword. Lock Jaw is intrigued by one of the Dao swords, one which is rather large. Lun states that he enjoys riding it. Lun further explains that he has the Power of air, and that he can carry himself on the wind current by sitting on his blades. Not believing him for one second, Lock Jaw asks him to prove it, which he does, astonishingly.

Lun takes an interest in teaching John martial arts, for unknown reasons. John notices how good of a teacher Lun is, and tells him as such, stating that he should teach students at a Dojo. Lun scoffs at the notion. In his teachings, Lun shows John to have his swords scabbard upside down, signifying that when drawn, you have the blunt edge facing forward to promote a defensive mindset in confrontations.

At a hotel in Las Vegas, the 7 friends begin looking for more people like Tern and William. They meet the acquaintance of a man named Krain, who is grievishly injured. Jessica performs a miraculous feat, healing him amost completely. As soon as this happens, they are greeted by an astonished man with black hair and a white leather jacket. This man immediately recognizes John and his scarf, however they give no explanation to their friends.

The man, who names himself Thaed, reveals that Jessica's Power of life is in contrast to his own, which is the Power over death. This shocks everyone listening, who believe he is evil. However, John takes control and tries to ease the tension by saying that he helps souls go to Heaven. Thaed says that there is always someone with Power over life, and when someone with that Power dies, another immediately gains it.

It is shown that one of Thaed's sons, who had this Power, died of old age a few years ago. The others specualte the real reason of death, but Drevin notices that this was around the time that he met John and the others. He goes on to say that this must be why John was able to survive.

It is then that they face their first true fight: a demon. In the reigns of a man named Raine, the demon begins attacking the people with abandon. They almost lose William, but Thaed intervenes with a deep black sword and vanquishes the demon easily. Raine flees, but not before he tells them that their fears are coming closer.

The group decides to stick with Thaed, who shows them the locations of two indivuals with promise to have Powers:Terrance and Deryk. When they are both with the group, Thaed reveals that Arsemis, Deryk, and Terrance are all triplets, and his sons to be more exact. John is shocked, but has no time to think about it as they are caught by surprise by Raine, who kidnaps Arsemis.

But that is all another story. ;)

GOOD NIGHT DEVIANT ART!
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