Issue #1 of 4
"New Beginnings"
"Assault on the Thing"
Written by Joey Guerra
Plots by Joey Guerra and Chris Partin
SPECIAL NOTE - This Series Picks Up AFTER Fantastic Four 2099 #4, So #5-8 Are Being Ignored For Our Purposes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOWNTOWN 2099
He walks the Downtown streets, in a forced self-exile, he's decided it's the best thing for him and his companions. He thinks to himself "Maybe it won't be so bad to stay here.". Of course deep-down in his heart he knows it to be an utter lie, but he puts up a strong front and continues his walk hoping no one will notice him, in his long coat, with wraps covering his face and hands. He's a man with a bounty on his head, and the New York Dolls intend to collect! They watch from the shadows and then strike-
"HIT EM' DOLLS!!"
"What the?" are the only words Ben Grimm aka The Thing can muster before the Doll known as Barb bounces her fist, with strength enhancing gloves, off his head. The Thing stumbles back dazed before nearly toppling over he grabs at Barb and throws her a good ten feet.
"Whatcha crazed amazons want with me anyhow?"
"You know you can't beat me down to git' that reward so why dontcha just give it up, huh?"
"Not a chance you big ugly monster, you don't have us beat yet." And one of the Dolls runs by him with a blade, slashing for his leg. The Thing at first laughs at this weak attack until he falls to his knees realizing he's been cut!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This area's restricted to essential personal only." comments a guard to the four oncoming "visitors".
"Mister O'Hara called us in from Digi-tech to investigate a discrepancy in the neg-en siphon..."
"Flash your pass and move on techie!" snaps the other guard. The four of them head towards the anti-gravity lift, and head on their way up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You cut me, YOU ACTUALLY CUT ME, THAT'S IT!!" Cries The Thing from his knees, he can't believe he was actually cut, let alone, that his now wounded leg, made it hard for him to even stand. Quickly another of the Dolls pulls a weapon, a chain which she wraps around Ben's neck. It charges with energy that Ben feels throughout his entire body, somehow he gathers the strength to throw her away.
"Who's next?" But the Dolls aren't scared of him, they see him as a wounded creature struggling for all and any survival. Two of them quickly run for Ben, of course, one is merely meant as a diversion. Ben recognizes this one as the one who cut his now ailing leg before.
"Not again, you git nowhere near this blue-eyed Thing this time!" Ben whips his arm out throwing this woman aside, but the other woman has a blade and she cuts his last remaining leg!
"AGH, NO, YOU CAN'T BEAT THE THING I'M...." His speech is cut short by Barb who delivers a two-fisted blow to the base of his head knocking Ben Grimm unconscious.
"Hit em' PJ" The one known as PJ shoots a white glue-like substance over Ben's body.
"Now we bagged him, let's take him where the money is...." Comments the Dolls leader as she points in the direction of the old Twen-Cen headquarters of the Fantastic Four, only now it belongs to none other than Stark-Fujikawa!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I don't believe we made it this far, are you sure we shouldn't just go back, Reed?"
"Relax Chimera, they haven't found us out yet, and I don't think they will."
"Okay Reed, if you say so." Chimera desperately is worried, not only for her own safety but for Reed's. Of course, she is also trying so hard to find a way for Reed's wife to NOT make the trip out of here.
"If only there was a way to get Sue killed, or even captured then he'd be mine." Chimera thinks to herself, and that opportunity may yet come, but for now, the team approaches their goal. The portal to The Negative Zone!
"There it is now if only we could get rid of the guards..." Suddenly an alarm explodes into their ears! At once they figure they've been caught, but somehow they haven't. Everyone is heading out of the room right past them. Johnny stops one of the scientists to see what's up-
"Why's everyone leaving?"
"That alarm means they caught one of those Fantastic Four fugitives, we all want to see it up close." Johnny turns and races to Reed, he's so excited Reed realizes something is wrong.
"What is it, Johnny?"
"It's Ben that alarm means they must have him!" Sue steps forward, to speak her mind-
"We know what we have to do Reed, for Ben's sake."
"I know Sue and we were so close, come on team, let's go save Ben!"
"Alright, finally some action FLAME ON!" Sue turns invisible and offers to scout ahead to look for Ben, Chimera, and Reed to stay behind waiting for her. The wait goes on from seconds to minutes and finally, Reed can wait no longer.
"We must go look for Sue she could have been captured."
"You stay Reed I'll look for her, don't worry I'm sure she's fine." Reed steps in front of Chimera-
"It should be me who goes no need for you to risk your own life..."
"But if she comes back here YOU should be waiting for her."
"Okay, but I still don't like the idea."
"I'll be fine." As she finishes those words Chimera runs off into the Stark-Fuji halls, she knows exactly where she's going through, yes she does. She runs until she reaches the spot she knew she would find. The scene is a grisly one, Ben is strapped into restraints and being tortured with various weapons as men ask him where his companions are. Onlookers cheer as if this were a sporting event, and Chimera knows her plan will now work-
"HELP, HELP, I SAW ONE OF THEM..." She points to Ben.
"SHE TURNED INVISIBLE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!" A guard turns and looks to Chimera.
"Which way was she headed." Chimera points to the area Sue were last in and tell the guard to hurry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equipped with special equipment these men can actually see Susan Richards in her invisible state! They walk through the halls until one of the men spots her.
"I see her fifteen meters north of me, Chimera was right they are here, FIRE AT SHOCKIN' WILL!" The command goes out and Sue here's the whole thing, It's bad enough she knows she has just been ordered to be killed, but the fact that Chimera is involved?
"I knew she was a traitor, and I'm sure she has a thing for Reed..let's just hope I can make it out alive to prove it!" Suddenly her movements are disrupted as an armed guard closes in ordering for her to halt-
"Sue Richards stop under orders of Stark-Fujikawa or face certain death..."
"Not quite certain Mr.Genius." The voice is that of Johnny Storm, that firey Human Torch! Within an instant, the guards gun is melted, and Sue hits him with a block-like force field that knocks him cold.
"Thanks, little brother I needed that."
"No prob sis, did you find Ben yet." Sue comes closer to Johnny she's about to drop some news on him she knows will be upsetting.
"No Johnny, but I did find something out."
"What is it sis, Ben's okay isn't he?
"Yes, I'm sure he is, its Chimera, Johnny she...." A sudden explosion of weapons fire lands within the feet of the pair and Sue doesn't get the chance to finish her talk with Johnny.
"It'll have to wait, sis," Johnny says as he rises off the floor, "FLAME ON!" The Torch takes to the air with amazing speed and grace, again the guard's weapon is melted, and he is knocked out by Sue, but this time he's not alone.
"Johnny we have to run..."
"What about Ben we have to stay turn us..."
"Invisible? They have ways of still detecting me, let's go find Reed and get out!" Johnny agrees by extending a hand from which his flame diminishes, and the two of them fly through the halls together.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"JOHNNY LOOK OUT!" Sue Richards only has the time to get those words out before Johnny Storm flies straight into a blockade.
"Sorry sis, I didn't see it, you alright?"
"Yeah, just be more careful next time." Johnny rises to his feet and has a look of anger on his face-
"What do you mean by that? Think I'm too "childish" to take care of.."
"Not now Johnny, do you think you and Sue can stop it for just one minute?" A figure steps out of the shadows, it's that of Reed Richards, the incredible Mr.Fantastic himself!
"Reed! I was so worried about you." Sue runs to his arms.
"And I of you darling, have either of you seen Ben or Chimera, she went to look for you dear." Sue's smile turns to a frown as Johnny answers.
"No luck on Ben but I think sis knows something about Chimera, sis?"
"Oh, I can tell you about Chimera alright, she..."
"This will have to wait Mrs.Richards" A man with a gun, leading a whole slew of guards appears, again he speaks.
"The name is Ryan Wingfoot aka RIOT and I believe we have some unfinished business to attend too...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPTOWN, NEW YORK 2099
He makes a mad dash for a spot to hide. "Why do they have to hunt me?". Above him, two Stark-Fuji retrieval team members follow him. They ride side to side on their skycycles, and the one on the right is closing in! Quickly he does the only thing left to do--he fights back! And boy can this guy fight back! As the skycycle closes in the rider makes an announcement-
"Anthony Brix, you are hereby placed into custody for crimes against Stark-Fujikawa, any resistance will cause your imminent death."
"Oh really..." In that instant, Anthony changes his body, morphs it if you will until he is completely covered in an almost armor-like metal!
"I wasn't aware this guy had any powers, no matter, stay where you are, or face death." The cycle closes into within twenty feet, and Anthony explodes into a madman's rage.
"I'm only eighteen years old, can't you leave me the shock alone!!" Before the skycycle can move any closer its driver is dead, Anthony's arm morphed into a long spike-like object which plunged through the driver of the cycle. Anthony is left in a state of disbelief-
"What the shock have I done?" As he stands there the other driver fires on him, the shots don't even phase him.
"I kill..killed that man, why?" As he speaks those words Anthony's armor dissolves and he takes the next stun blast in his ribs, knocking him down but not unconscious. The driver lands and pulls a stunner pistol from his belt. Anthony sprawls around on the ground trying to regain his mind so that he can control his powers.
"Please...what..what have I done?" Anthony's body starts to reform the metallic-like armor. Luckily for the driver's sake, he notices and fires another stunning blast at Anthony, this time he's out cold, and his armor again dissolves.
"You messed with the wrong Corp. that's what." The driver puts restraints on Anthony after he is secured he calls to his base-
"This is retrieval Team A, Member Five, calling in. I have the target, one man, down, the rest of the team will be returning intact."
"Very good, I can't wait to talk with our friend there." says the voice on the other end.
"You'll get your chance in about five minutes, Team A, Member Five out.".
NEXT ISSUE - Sue, Reed, and Johnny fight to free Ben! Chimera's fate is dealt with, and more on Anthony Brix! It's all here in "New Begining's" "Part Two: Fire Storm!" Be There!
){kind=link}
0 Comments