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| Punisher 2099UG Issue #12 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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| Death follows him in many forms recently. There was of course the death of his family. That death will forever be etched in his mind. For it is the moment his life would be changed forever. Then the death of his family's killer. That death was sweet and helped calm the fire in his mind for a while. But it was non-lasting. Much like his own death, that monster would too rise from the ashes to once again reek havoc. And now the death of his "wife." For this man's life has been nothing but death is the past few months and even now it continues . . . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The area is a wasteland now. What used to be one of the last truly beautiful places in the world, where nature flourished and technology was hard to find, is now a raging inferno. Fire flies from every direction. Trees burn, the wildlife runs in fear, Wave Spiders shriek as they are forever destroyed, and standing in the center of it all is Jake Gallows (See Last issue for more on Jake vs. the Wave Spiders!---Joey). He walks through it all, laughing at the Wave Spiders as he goes. He emerges from the blaze and simply falls to his knees. As he does he just stares for a moment before putting his head into his hands. From his pose one would think the sound coming from him would be one of sadness, but instead Jake Gallows starts laughing. The experience has overwhelmed him and somehow he just doesn't seem to care about what just happened. It all just seems so unbelievable to him. "hahahahahah . . . shot fire from my eyes . . . hahahahaha . . . walked through flames! hahahah Herod really messed me up!" And Jake keeps laughing as he gets up to walk away. He doesn't look back. And in the middle of the laughter he realizes its time to go home. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OHIO Dan's Bar is witness to a sight at least two of its participants never thought possible. John daSilva still stands in fear, not able to comprehend what he is seeing . . . for what he is seeing can't possibly be real! The murderer still holds his knife poised over his victim ready to strike. "Well, well, lookey here! It's shocking John back after all this time, surprised to see me?" John almost begins to shake from fear. John is a man who doesn't scare easily but now at this moment he is more frightened than he has ever been is his life! "Yo . . . you . . you're dead." "Oh the 'news' of my demise was greatly exaggerated, my friend! I simply let all the bitheads of the world believe it!" "Bu . . . but . . . " "Oh I do wish you'd stop stuttering! For Thor's sake you haven't done that since we were children! Have you? Your life must have been pure Hel if you've done that all along!" Hahahahaha!" Before John has time to fully realize what is going on, the man strikes. Leaving his victim behind for a more suitable opponent! And as he reaches John he produces a rod like weapon which he uses to pound John on the head . . . knocking him unconscious. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jake is making good time for a man in his condition. He has already reached his way into the Midwest, courtesy of a stolen vehicle and the know-how to operate it. It's taken a few hours and, unfortunately, he hasn't enough power left to make it much further. He decides he needs to stop somewhere and look for a new transport. After all he's not that far from New York. Then he passes the sign "Now Entering Transverse City." Jake knows about this place. It's a vile place. But he has no choice . . . he needs to rest. He enters the city looking for a place he can sleep at for a bit. He finds a fairly nice room at a run down hotel, but it's the best he can do. Even here they charge enough creds that Jake has barely any funds left and he only gets the room for six hours! He enters and makes himself comfortable . . . drifting away into a deep sleep. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John daSilva awakes to find himself tied down to a chair. As his vision improves he realizes where he is. It's the house he grew up in, or at least most of his growing up, after the accident things were never the same . . . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JANUARY 2085 John is only ten years old. But even at that age he realizes things aren't right between his parents, and they haven't been for a while. He can hear them fighting again. 'Why do they have to fight everyday?' he thinks to himself, but even he doesn't have the answer. His younger brother Peter is seven at this time and he huddles in bed with John listening to the screams . . . "What the Hel am I supposed to shocking do? Huh Sarah? You tell me I need to spend more time with you but when I try you get mad at me for taking time off work! For Thor's sake all I ever hear is 'We Need more money Craig!' 'The kids need a future Craig', 'Why aren't you around more Craig?' , you tell me how to do both? I have to hear your wonderful ideas!" "Jammit Craig I'm sick of your attitude . . . why are you treating me like this?" "WHY? You dare to shocking ask me WHY? You glitch!" And then John and Peter are witnesses to the sound of their mother being beat. Neither of them like it, but what are they supposed to do? Their father is well respected in this town no one would ever believe he does anything wrong. He does more than most to take care of his family, but the price they pay is far more than worth it. "When's it gonna stop John?" "I don't know Peter." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARCH 2085 It's worse than before. Craig has lost his job and has recently discovered Sarah is seeing another man. She has been cheating on him. This would be the last night the family would be together. After yelling at each other for hours it is decided Craig will drive his wife and kids to her mother's home, where they will stay from now on. In the car the fight doesn't end. "How could you do this to me Sarah? PLEASE rethink this." "I . . . I can't Craig . . . I . . . I need some time." "Jammit what is that supposed to . . . " "LOOK OUT!" To bad for them this town decided to keep its old roads. No maglev to help prevent car accidents. In his rage Craig never saw the other vehicle. The cars collide. John is witness to his mother and brother being thrown through the windshield in a bloody mess, as his father's chest is smashed in by the steering wheel. "Peter!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAY 2085 John wakes in a hospital after nearly two months of being in a coma. He is told his mother, father, and brother all died. His grandmother became his guardian and that was that. But the memory always haunted him . . . "Peter!" . . . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRESENT TIME - "I'm right here, brother o'mine . . . hahahahaha!" John is once again forced into the reality of it all. His brother is somehow alive! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The table is again before him. It's enormous and his body is stretched out upon it. Men are checking him over as Herod walks into the room. "How is it going with our subject?" he asks one of the men. "Subject Gallows is now ready for the implants you want. The wounds from his recent battle have been healed and his appearance has been slightly altered via your request sir, may I ask why you wanted us to do that?" "You may, but I don't have to shocking answer! Although I will in a way. One: we need him to forget who is he is . . . he's too unstable that way. That is why you will make him believe he is Jim Craig, I have seen to it the real Mr. Craig is no longer with us. And Two, and most importantly: I have made a deal with someone who wants him very scared and afraid for reasons of his own (See TOTCR # 3 for more info---Joey). Now proceed. "Yes sir, the nanite implantation will begin immediately!" Herod stands over Jake. "Your going to be my ultimate weapon Jake, I won't have to worry about Doom or anyone else for that matter, with a killing machine of your calabre on my side!" To bad for Herod, most of this plan never came to be. Suddenly Jake wakes up! He is sweating and nearly out of breath. Finally he's starting to realize just what happened to him. Nanites? He thinks. I wonder . . . Jake steps over to a mirror and begins to concentrate . . . soon his face is back to the way it should be, that of Jake Gallows! "Hmmm, maybe this stuff will come in handy after all! Herod screwed up big time on this one!" But Jake starts to feel funny, something isn't right with him but he can't quite figure out what it is. He dismisses it and sees about getting a new car. Not much selection here in Transverse . . . but he finds something suitable within a few minutes and breaks into it. At that moment he hears a scream, and as much as he wants to leave this place he is tired of seeing innocents harmed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John looks around the room. Beside his brother is a table containing the hearts he has taken from his victims. He has a million questions, but he can't seem to get an answer out of Peter. "Why? Why are you shocking murdering people!? And how the Hel are you even alive?!" Peter turns around and smiles. "Oh I bet you'd like it to be that easy wouldn't you? Me just giving you all the answers. You always were that way John. With your 'Why's?' and 'How's,' well for once maybe you'll just have to figure it out for your shocking self brother dear!" Peter turns back around putting his hearts in containers to keep them fresh. John studies the room. His weapons have all been taken from him but they are on a table not more than a foot away. "Peter please! Help me to understand!" Peter's smile turns to a stern look. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU SOUND LIKE?!" John is startled by this. "DO YOU? You sound just like that glitch of a mother we had! The shocking pussbag ruined our lives! 'Why can't you be here more, Craig?' Boo hoo poor mom right?! SHOCK HER!" John begins to get nervous. "Why did you even bring me here Peter?" "Oh that's the fun part . . . I wanted you to meet my special guest. Trust me this is a real shocker!" Peter goes into another room and wheels out a woman tied to a chair. The woman is none other than Sarah daSilva, John and Peter's mother. "Mom?" Peter laughs. "That's right, Johnnie boy! Can you guess just how mommy survived the crash? Hmmm? CAN YOU?" The woman is sedated and doesn't move. She seems to just be sleeping. But the yelling is causing her to stir. "What the shock are you talking about?" "MOM, our great MOM CAUSED THE ACCIDENT! That's what Johnnie boy!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The alleyway is dark. So dark Jake can barely see, but what he does see is more than enough. Two men are assaulting a woman. Screaming for her creds and cards. Jake sticks to the shadows for a moment. He wonders what to do? Surely he can't take on two armed men when he has nothing to use as a weapon. Or does he? He spots a long pipe next to him and reaches for it. "I said hand it over you shockin' glitch!" "We don't have time for this ya vid?" "Please I already told you I don't have . . . " Jake makes his presence known. "An explanation isn't necessary, lady." The men turn around, a smile comes over the face of the older of the two. "And just what the Hel are ya supposed to be? Huh? I'm so shockin' scared right now man!" Jake starts to laugh at them. They're already dead, they just don't know it yet. "What's so funny old man? I'm gonna blow your damn head off ya vid? You're gonna be nothing more than a shocking smear!" "Oh really? Well then go ahead shoot me!" The men look at each other, confused. "I don't know what your on man but I hope your enjoying it cause it's the last high your gonna have!" BLAM BLAM! The men start shooting at Jake. But somehow the plasma fire just bounces off him! Jake begins to smile, he's just discovered another new ability courtesy of Herod. "Keep shooting at him, Kevin!" "Try harder." comments Jake as he starts to move closer. "What's the matter, can't you hit me?! TRY HARDER!" He begins pounding on the first man. He hits him across the face. Blood shoots onto the alley wall and teeth begin to fall out of his mouth. Jake continues to shout at him all the while hitting him. He smashes his ribs, his skull is cracked at within moments the man is dead. His partner, Kevin, tries to run. "WHERE THE SHOCK ARE YOU GOING? THE FUN'S JUST STARTED!" Jake uses his fire-like energy power again and catches Kevin on fire. He runs screaming toward the end of the alley until he falls, dead. Jake throws down the pipe and the crying woman starts to thank him. At that moment Jake feels something near his nose. He reaches for it and sees that his nose is bleeding. "What the shock is going on?" "Than . . . thank you mister. Could you pl . . . please help me up?" "WHAT THE SHOCK IS GOING ON?" Jake is suddenly in a rage. The woman doesn't understand why. "What's the matter mister?" "SHUT THE SHOCK UP!" He picks the pipe back up. "What are you doing?" "I SAID SHUT UP!" "What are you talking about?" "VICTIMS, YEAH RIGHT! YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MAKE THOSE PUNKS COME AFTER YOU? FLASH YOUR CREDS TO MAKE THEM JEALOUS?" "But I didn't . . . " "SHUT UP!" Jake losses it and starts hitting the woman with the pipe! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "SHE WHAT?" John daSilva is at a loss to explain his current situation. His long dead brother and mother now both seem very alive, and on top of all this his brother is now saying his mother is the cause of the tragic accident that ruined all their lives?? Peter walks closer to his brother, the look of anger not leaving his face. "Don't you understand? She is to blame!!! All our dear father ever wanted was for her to love him! But now what did she do? She complained and bitched about EVERYTHING! All daddy wanted from her was love, and she ripped his shocking heart from his chest and squeezed the last beats out of it that night! She pushed him over the edge! We would have never even been on the road if not for her!" "Is that why your doing that?" John nods at the hearts neatly laid out on the table across the room. "Of course it is! I'm getting revenge for dad! They are really all the same when it comes down to it! 'Please don't hurt me!', 'Please don't kill me!', they just whine, whine, and whine some more!" "Peter, your not well . . . I . . . I don't know what happened to you! How you and mom even survived the accident . . . " "SURVIVED? Do you call this a life? I'll tell you how I "survived." The car exploded, or did they ever tell you that? The other car dad hit was a truck carrying some nasty chemicals, they all just assumed I died but I didn't, I lived on the streets for years! And do you know where I found our mother? She was living in shocking Transverse City with her lover! That's where! She didn't even care about me or you!" "Peter please, we can work this out." Peter steps back over to his mother and produces a gun, its one of John's own guns, a classic he got from Jake's stash. "It's to late for that. Tonight I get dad's ultimate revenge, her miserable life is coming to an end now!" John starts looking around for something quickly, most of his weapons are still near him and he's nearly got one of his hands free! "Too bad mother, tell Thor to go to Hel when you see him!" "NOOOOOO!" John strains as much as he can and gets his hands free he quickly grabs for his other gun and points it at his brother. "Ahhh the hero at last! Well "hero" what are you going to do? The choice is simple you have to kill me . . . go ahead DO IT! Because if you don't, the glitch is dead!" "Peter please!" "Time's up brother dear, say bye to mom!" BLAM! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jake Gallows has fled the alleyway. SHIELD Officers were starting to gather and he knows from experience their bad news. He startles towards his new transportation and hops in. Starting the vehicle and taking off towards New York. Blood still drips from his nose and that strange feeling has come over him again. "Victims, HA, there are no 'victims', this shocking planet has gone to Hel. Well NO MORE! I'm going to change it all, make it right. Soon everyone will know just what TRUE PUNISHMENT is!" Within an hour he sees the familiar sign . . . NOW ENTERING NEW YORK - Jake Gallows begins to laugh, his time has come....... TO BE CONTINUED IN THE PUNISHER 2099 UG ANNUAL #1!!!! COMING VERY SOON! N E X T I S S U E - After the huge story in "The Punisher 2099 UG Annual" be back here for issue 13! What the heck is wrong with Jake and just how will John take the news that he's no longer wanted? Find out in 30! |