Issue #4 of 4
"New Beginnings"
"The Dawn of a New Era"
Written by Joey Guerra
Plots by Joey Guerra and Chris Partin
Edited by Hugo Ferreira
"YOU WHAT?" These are the words from The Thing's mouth as he and the rest of The Fantastic Four stare at their leader Reed Richards and a gizmo he holds in his hand.
"I figured out how to get us home!"
Astonished the other team members move closer to Reed to look at his new toy and hear an explanation of how it will work. Johnny is the first to speak- "But Reed, how's THAT going to get us home??"
Reed smiles at Johnny and begins to explain. "We last remember being in the Negative Zone right?"
"Yeah I guess so stretcho, but what does that mean?"
"Well it's obvious Stark-Fujikawa used something to pull us out of The Zone and into this future time, which means I can make a device that should allow us to go back to the exact time they took us, we can stop that from happening and then we'll be back in our own time!"
"But how do we stop it, Reed?"
"We'll make sure our doubles leave The Negative Zone before it happens, unfortunately, that changing of events will cause us to have no memory of this time, or what has happened to us here...
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"But Reed, I want to remember, at least Chimera." "I'm sorry Johnny we must go back..."
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Robert Langton and Angela Benstat make four new captives by Stark-Fujikawa today, and they couldn't be happier. This pair like Anthony Brix had recently stolen information from this Corp, information they wanted back. As for Timothy Wallace, he's a man who's been on the run for six long years, only to be returned to the place his parents sold him too, nearly sixteen years gone. Now none of these people have anything in common, but soon, very soon they will have a common goal, and the help of one other but that has to wait for now.
"I said don't call me Kid!"
"Oh. come on Kid I'm older than you by at least two or three years so just knock it off will you."
"That's it you shocking Pusbag!" Anthony jumps for Timothy, unfortunately for him, Tim has some of his abilities back again. He uses them to knock Anthony back against the wall with a burst of wind.
"I told you I had some interesting tricks up my sleeve, didn't I?" Shocked Anthony slopes down on the ground and just stares at Tim, but does not answer him. Within seconds they are visited by the guard yet again, this time with two new friends for them.
"Other shockin' cells are full, you two are going to have to get along with these two for now."
Anthony and Tim notice one a woman being pushed into the dark cell, and another, a man, being thrown into the cell unconscious. The woman immediately runs over to the man and begins to shake him.
"Robert, Robert wake up!" The man doesn't move and the woman becomes very upset.
"Are you two just gonna sit here or are you going to help me!?" "Personally, I think I'll sit," says Timothy as he laughs.
"Shockin' bastard, I'll help you." Anthony moves towards the woman who tells him her name is Angela, and her companion is Robert. Anthony acknowledges that and also begins to shake Robert until he wakes... "ANGELA NOOO!, Huh, the last thing I remember that guy was about to hit you then..."
"Its okay Robert was in a holding cell, with one very nice young kid, and a big pusbag over there."
"DON'T CALL ME KID!"
"Whoa, sorry, his name's Anthony."
They all stare over at that "pusbag" Timothy Wallace who's still laughing!
"What's so funny?" asked Robert.
"You three you are morons aren't you? You don't even know how to escape yet do you?"
"What do you mean?" asked Angela.
"Don't worry about him his talk that's all he's done all day," comments Anthony.
Tim stands up and laughs even more. "You idiots! Man, I love the simple shockin' minded so much, you know some of my powers are coming back don't you?"
Anthony stares into Tim's eyes and says "Yeah I know."
"That's there mistake, no collar for me they couldn't come up with one, they really are quite stupid here, anyway, when that power returns I'm gone, I could take you with me."
"How we all got these damn power inhibiting collars on."
"Oh, those simple design I could remove them no prob. By the way are you all mutants? I'm just curious why you here I thought maybe testing."
"I am, but that's not why I'm here, I uh...stole something I shouldn't have."
"So the kid's a mutant who else?"
"Robert is, but I'm not...my powers come from...an alternate source."
"Well, then before I release you I want to know, just what are your powers?? I want to make sure I can beat you should I need to."
"Robert can do read computers' minds, like their alive or sentient being's to him, and various other telekinetic things like flying and picking up objects, and use it as an offensive and defensive weapon. I can become pure energy and fire energy blast, but my power is solar powered it won't work if I'm out of the sun too long."
Tim walks towards Anthony who's just sitting there, staring at him. "What about you, what's that nasty mutant trick of yours?"
"I can turn my body into an armor stronger than adamantium, and form knives, spikes, stabbing weapons, and various other things from my arms."
"Well, well you can be quite dangerous if you want then, can't you? Oh, well I want out and I'll be nice to you just this once, now line-up and hold still or these collars could explode...
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"I can't believe we're sneaking BACK in here, stretcho, I mean last time wasn't exactly a holiday at the Ritz."
"Don't worry Ben, after Johnny's outburst their personnel is stretched thin, this should be no problem."
The Fantastic Four make the journey into Stark-Fujikawa for the last time, hoping it will be their way home. As they enter the building they notice the first wave of security is gone, and they make their way to the antigrav lift.
"I'm worried Reed this seems a little too easy"
"Don't worry Sue I'm sure there's no real cause for concern." But for one of the first times in his life Reed Richards is wrong, for as these four hero's turn the corner on their way to the gateway home, at least twenty- five armed, and armored guards are waiting guns flashing.
"Susan and Reed Richards, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm, you are hereby placed into the custody of Stark-Fujikawa, move and you are dead.
"Oh, Sue I'm sure there's no REAL cause for concern, thanks a lot Reed!"
"Not now Susan."
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"WERE FREE!"
The four fugitives from Stark-Fujikawa have freed thanks to the temporary kindness of Tim Wallace.
"What's the plan?"
"There is no plan kid, we just get the Hell out of here!"
With that Angela, Anthony, and Robert follow Tim into the dark halls of Star- Fuji until they come to a particular spot.
"Shut-up idiots I hear something."
"Tim can barely make out the words but he does here some of it."
"...Reed Richards,... Storm..., Ben... move and you are dead."
"Did you guys hear that!" Says Tim in an excited voice.
"What?" the others collectively ask.
"They've got Reed Richards in there."
"So?"
"So Reed Richards was like, the shockin' coolest guy of the Twen-Cen, we got to help him."
Angela steps forward- "I heard that the Reed Richards that's been running around out there was crazy."
"Oh, you believe that? That's just a plot by these Stark-Fuji idiots."
"I'm helping him you guys in?"
"Yeah we're in, but how do we open this door."
"We could blow it open"
Tim laughs and nearly falls over. "Kid how stupid are you we want to SNEAK in, okay."
Suddenly a voice from the shadows attracts their attention. A woman of at least her late twenties steps out. "I think I can help with that."
"Who the shock are you?"
The woman steps closer and Tim becomes frightened when he sees the Stark-Fuji symbol on her jacket.
"You shockin' work here, get her!"
"NO, and be quiet, yes I work here but I can't let them kill the real Fantastic Four, and I can't let them torture people like you anymore. Now stand back."
They move away from the door and the woman seems to almost disappear, the door opens slowly and she's back again. Astonished Tim ask- "How'd you do that?"
"No time I'll tell you later now let's go!"
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"I'm sorry but we now have execution orders for you four, see you in shockin' Hell!"
The guard has the trigger half-way pulled before a long metallic-colored blade slices both his hands off!
"AHHHH"
Beside him stands the armor covered Anthony Brix, a guard opens fire on him, but as our mystery woman Tori Michaels appears, his gun is jammed, or useless. All the guards begin to fire, and the FF gets in on the action now! Johnny flames on and melts five guards guns, he then proceeds to knock them out. Sue turns invisible getting two guards herself.
"It's clobberin' time!" The Thing jumps into the fray snagging five guards and hitting them enough to knock them out, which for him isn't much! As for the others they fair pretty well themselves, Tim makes the floor rattle under two guards, and catches another on fire, this is where Reed gets concerned.
"Please don't kill them, whoever you are."
"Shock you, we saved you, these pusbags don't give a scrap about anything, they'd kill you in a sec, so you gotta kill them first!" Reed becomes enraged and tries to cage Tim in his stretched out hands, but Tim burns them and is free.
"Just let us do this our way and we'll all get out, we can't fight amongst ourselves."
"You may be right about that but no more killing okay?" Tim looks up at his hero -
"Okay, Reed." The fight continues as Robert takes out one of the last guards with his own gun, slamming him in the head with it! And Angela uses the last bit of her power to get a guard who's gun was at Roberts back, only to have the last guard take her hostage!
"Nobody move or the girls dead!"
"ANGELA DUCK!"
As Angeal ducks down the guards' head are removed by Anthony's blade killing him instantly.
"I...I...killed someone a..again!" Suddenly his power shuts down again and Anthony Brix falls ashamed of how he acted, and the way his life has been.
"Are you all right there, son?"
"Yeah, thanks Mr.Ricahrds"
Is Anthony's response as Reed helps him to his feet? Reed stared at his new allies and feels proud of what this team has accomplished today, he has a favor to ask of these five but that will have to wait until he's about to leave.
"Would you five come with us please in case we run into more guards?"
"SURE!"
The nine of them make their way to The Negative Zone portal and Reed asks his favor.
"I have something to ask of you five. This time needs more hero's, and you five have done a heroic thing today in helping us. I'm not sure which if any of you will be interested but I ask that you carry on the name of The Fantastic Four in this time, and make that name respected and recognized throughout this shattered world. As a symbol of hope and heroism."
"Please think it over now I'm afraid we have to go, Johnny takes us in." They reenter the Zone, as they are inside Reed activates his device, praying his calculations are correct, they are. Within moments they see their doubles, fighting in The Zone. They help them win and give them the warning. Quickly they are gone and moments later the FF that journeyed to the year 2099 is gone too. Back at the Stark-Fuji building our five hero's are left with a decision to make, who will be the new Fantastic Four????
THE END... (for now...)
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