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| Punisher 2099UG Issue #10 Written by Joey Guerra |
| The 2099 Underground is a project whereby a group of fans are putting together a series of stories continuing from Marvel's fantastic futuristic 2099! Ignoring the ignoble and inaccurate "2099: World of Tomorrow", we're exploring what we feel is the true spirit of 2099 as envisioned by then Editor-in-Chief Joey Cavalieri. Participation is open to all. Comments about this issue should be sent to the author. Or you can visit our message board and post your thoughts on the issue. Anyone wishing to join the mailing list should do so by signing up at Yahoo! Groups. It's free and easy! Simply type in the keyword "Ghostworks" and you're good to go. |
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| SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 2099 The once huge urban sprawl known as Seattle is no longer in existence. In its place is a huge forest with few homes scattered throughout the area. Once people flocked through this area, a culture-rich place back in twencen times that sprung-forth a new age of music and mayhem. But now nothing. Mountain peaks are noticeable in the background and the woods stretch out for what seems like forever. Near a mountain base lies one of the private hideaways. This one is unfortunately in the wrong place though. As a car pulls up and a man and woman step out a creature high in the mountains watches. A creature whom, contrary to popular belief, is still very much alive. And as the couple step inside the creature turns and walks back to where it had come from...to tell the others that at long last food has arrived!........ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim and Mary Craig, that's right they were married on the way here, enter their home. Jim stares deeply into his new brides eyes and almost cannot believe his joy. Sure he's not really Jim Craig--he's Jake Gallows. But Jake is tired of revenge and now just wants this. A wife, a home, and some day maybe a family, to him there is nothing more to life than this moment. Mary stares back at her husband and wants nothing more than for him to take her into his arms. They embrace and Jim carries his bride to their room. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Your going to be my greatest soldier Jake...you will be my assurance that nothing will stop me!" The scene plays out in his mind for the first time. A room, he's in a room, but all he can see is the ceiling? He must be lying on a table or something. Lights beam down white, and hot on his face, he sees nothing more than blurs of what the people around him look like. But one of them in particular, the apparent leader, seems very familiar to him. What are they doing to him? And why are they doing it? Suddenly a probe or object of some kind comes down towards his head and before he can realize what's happening a pain starts...his head feels like its going to burst and... "AHHHH!" Jim sits up in bed screaming and grabbing at his head. Mary is woken by the noise and is startled by Jim. "What's the matter?" "I...I had a bad dream...that's all. Go back to sleep." "Are you sure?" Jim holds her and assures her all is okay. She drifts back to sleep. Jim would not sleep the rest of the night...he starts to realize he may be remembering what's happened to him. But does he really want to know? As far as he is concerned it doesn't matter, but a rage still grows in him to discover what it was that was done to him, and by whom it was done. The man's voice was eerily familiar to him, but he just couldn't place it. Jim chops wood for a fire as Mary starts to prepare their meal. She hadn't asked him about the dream again and for that he was thankful. "Jim, come get some dinner...you can finish that later." Jim goes into his home to enjoy his wife's wonderful meal. unaware that above something watches and waits. Its time draws closer though and nothing will be the same when it finally strikes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The scene plays out again...only this time in more detail. "What are we gonna do with him exactly boss?" "Jammit I told you. wipe his mind and replace it with that bastich Craig! He had the nerve to go and die on me before we had a chance to finish our little bargain. We can't use Gallows like this; he'd only come after us!" "Okay boss." Again the probe comes down but this time his vision clears and the faces of the men around him are revealed. Four men in lab coats and Alchemax ID tags stand around him. and in the back he catches but a glimpse of their boss. He stands smiling in a long coat, smoke swirls around his head and Jake sees clearly who it is..... "HEROD!" He jumps awake again and hears, screaming? "JIM HELP ME PLEASE!" He turns to see his love Mary screaming as she is held in the clutches of a gigantic monster. He sees a hole in their wall and four more creatures stand near the first, again he recognizes these beings instantly. They are Wave Spiders! And as their leader begins to crush the life out of Mary, nothing, as promised will ever be the same again! "NOOOOOO!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John daSilva is a tired man. After his battle with Spider-Man and his villains (SEE THE ALREADY LEGENDARY "FALL OF ALCHEMAX" STILL UNFOLDING IN THE PAGES OF SPIDEY 2099 UG! --Joey) he wants some much deserved downtime. He feels like it's time to go home, to spend some time in the peaceful community he grew up in, a small area near what's left of Columbus, Ohio. Maybe a return home would be nice. He thinks to himself, and he starts to make the necessary arrangements. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OHIO A woman runs through a field...she's running for her life, and all she can hear behind her is a madman's laughter. She stumbles on a rock and her terror arrives before she can escape him. "Please...I'll give you anything. don't hurt me." The man smiles at her, a grin so wide his teeth are quite visible. "But my dear you are guilty and being so I must right your wrong." "But I haven't done anyth--" "Oh spare me the begging, really, it is boring!" The man takes out a knife and in one swift move slashes the woman's neck. She grabs at her throat trying to scream. The noise enrages the man. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" He begins to stab at her again and again, blood pours all over the woman's body and his own, and in moments the man rises. He carries with him the woman's heart, a memento of his deed this night, and as the man walks away his insane laughter once again fills the night........ Here's what's coming up NEXT ISSUE----- Jake/Jim in trouble again! Can this man ever have a happy life? Find out next issue. Plus: it doesn't look like John's homecoming is going to be too peaceful. Who is the madman stalking people in this town. The clues will be here! |