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| Punisher 2099UG Issue #8 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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| SPECIAL NOTE: This issue takes place between Parts 1 AND 2 of "The Fall of Alchemax" His footsteps fall heavily on the ground below him. He's been running for what seems like hours, yet it's only been minutes. "Minutes" he thinks to himself. Mere minutes since his world came crashing down all around him. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He never thought it would be. He never thought he'd be left alone to carry on the dream. That Vendetta, who had so recently assumed the role of The Punisher, would be gone so soon. Now he runs for his life, searching for the killer of a hero, maybe a questionable hero, but a hero nonetheless. With each step he gets closer to his goal, to where the monster ran, to DOWNTOWN!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kron Stone stares in shock, as the man before him gives him a look the likes of which he's only seen on one other man before. But this person cannot be that man, that man is dead of that Kron is sure. But could he have risen from the ashes much like Kron himself has? Kron doesn't believe it, but the inevitable question comes- "Gallows, is that you?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...There is no response to that question but rather an animal like growl, and a leap forward knocking Kron over a table. Kron begins to laugh as Jim Craig pounds his fist into him repeatily. "Gallows, that IS you isn't it? Can't say I like the new look Jakie. I mean blonde hair c'mon Jake!" Jim still doesn't answer but just as he is about to continue the assault on Kron, Kron knocks him off of his chest throwing him into a wall. As Jim hits the ground his arm begins to bleed from a cut. and the sight of the blood makes him madder, as Kron laughs more. "You know Jake you've never been much fun, I think I'll have to do something about that." Jim stares at Kron even deeper than before. And finally says something. "You killed them you shocking pusbag, and I still owe you for that." Just then a small explosion rocks the Alchemax building. Men dressed like The Specialist start storming the building as SHEILD agents try to hold them off, in most cases unsuccessfully. Jim, now revealed as Jake stands off guard watching the action, and before he can turn around Kron gives him a solid right hook to his head. Jake slams into the ground with immense force. "Somehow.." he thinks to himself.."Kron is stronger!?", but he pushes that thought down inside of himself, only wanting revenge for his slain family. Again Jake tries to bring the assault to Kron but again the attack fails, as Kron knocks Jake back to the ground. Seeming almost as surprised as Jake is about his boosted strength. Again he looks down at Jake and gives him a smirk and starts to laugh out loud again. "C'mon Jakie, you can do better than this! Hell your pathetic family lasted longer than this!" That statement is one that Kron Stone will regret saying for the rest of his life however long that may be.. Jake Gallows rises again, and with an almost devilish cry he charges Kron, once again knocking him to the ground. Jake begins pounding Kron's face with all he's got. Blood begins to pour from Kron's nose, mouth, and above his eye's. But again Kron himself seems relatively unhurt by Jake's attack! Jake rises to his feet kicking Kron repeadily in his head, more blood pours onto the ground until Kron stops laughing, and moving. "Goto hell you shocking bastard." But Kron isn't done yet. He jumps up quickly surprising Jake! "How the hell can he still be alive, or even unharmed?" Jake wonders. Kron smiles again, as blood drips from his face onto the ground. "Now now Jake. You should know better than that I don't go out so easy!!" Kron now makes a wild attack at Jake knocking him into a wall across from where they were standing. Kron slams Jake's face with immense power slitting open the skin above Jake's right eye. Blood begins to pour from the wound covering Jake's path of vision. And as everything begins to go black Jake has one final thought. "He beat me, after all this Kron managed to beat me. I'm sorry mom I failed you, and dad, and Baldur. I just can't beat the devil himself." But Jake isn't done for yet. At that moment an alarm above their heads begins to sound. Its an evacuation alarm and the sound stops Kron dead in his tracks! He falls to his knees crying out in pain. Jake rises to see a sight that even he can't believe. Kron's skin begins to ripple, uncovering something horrible. Kron stands even more surprised and begins to yell. "NO THIS CAN'T BE!!!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last time he was here, he was nearly killed, more than once (See The Punisher 2099 UG Prologue- #1---Joey). He almost can't stand the sight of this area...Downtown. Where all of the poverty stricken, "victims of society" gather. Some by choice, for they don't fit into the Corporate plan of Uptown. Some out of sheer bad luck, doomed to a life no one deserves. But for whatever reason they are here, and they don't like outsiders, especially those packing enough weapons to kill most of them. John daSilva stands in awe of this sight. Of the people fighting for their own survival. But he quickly rises above his fears, and observations, getting back to his more immediate goal. Finding Combustion, just then a explosion is heard and John daSilva jumps into action... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "NOOOO AHHHHH" Kron continues to cry out in pain as his body becomes completely covered by a black substance. Jake Gallows can hardly believe his eyes, and he starts to believe Kron is the devil himself, here to haunt him forever. "No, you were gone, I don't need you anymore!" "What the shock are you talking about?" is the only response Jake can muster, as Kron crawls away from the alarms sound. Jake gives chase but as soon as they are within a safe distance he wishes he wouldn't have. Kron rises only now he's not Kron anymore, he stands tall covered in the black substance, the stench of death is on him, as he speaks. "You tried to harm us, for that you shall die at the hands of VENOM!" Jake turns to spot a weapon and as he sees one he makes a run for it. Its a gun, but as he fires he realizes too late that it will have no effect on him. A tendril reaches out, wrapping his legs up and causing him to fall over. "I know this..Venom" he searches for the answer in a jumbled mind. And he remembers, Spider-Man beat Venom so how is it that the symbiote is still attached to Kron? "Kron, how is the symbiote with you still? The Alchemax team separated you two!" Venom slashes out in a mad fury destroying most of the office they are in. "There is no Kron, ONLY VENOM! The pathetic humans couldn't find me, if they had removed me, the host would be dead,..." Jake tries to understand as Kron starts to fight his way back, now seemingly enjoying his current position..."You see Jakie I..we will always be one. After you killed m..us, my other saved my damaged heart by becoming part of it, we've been together all along only we didn't know until now!" Venom moves in closer to Jake clearly wanting to finish him off as quickly as possible. But something distracts his attention momentarily. In the doorway is one of The Specialists. Venom swings towards him, The Specialist lunges at Venom not fearing him. To bad for him. Within an instant the man is nearly ripped in half, as Venom forms an ax like weapon with his arm. Blood sprays everywhere as does the mans internal organs. Suddenly more appear in the doorway. "Insolent one, you shall die at our hands to avenge our comrades death!" But they to will fail as they are ripped to pieces one by one. Jake uses the distraction to his advantage as he slips back towards the area where Kron was being held. "There has to be something here I can use, THERE!" He sees it. A sonic blaster obviously meant to keep Kron under control, just in case something like this happened. But as Jake reaches for it he gets the surprise of his life. It happens in an instant so fast that he hardly realizes it occurs at all. Before his fingers can even touch the blaster his hand is removed from his arm, with a single slice by Venom's ax arm. "AHHHHH!" Jake screams out in pain as the severed hand hits the floor. "Surprised to see us Jakie?" And again the laughter starts but this time Jake's absolutely not amused. He jumps Kron knocking him to the ground, and in the same motion picks up the fallen blaster. "Your toys cannot hurt us little man." Jake smiles at Venom. "Guess again." He fires the blaster and immediately Venom screams out in pain, as Kron and the symbiote begin to separate from each other. Jake stops firing once Venom is to weak to fight him again. "Now what, y-you pu--pusbag?" "Now this Kron, I will deliver you to the pits of hell like the demon that you are. You will not rise from the ashes again dammit, DIE!!!" Jake picks up a sword left by one of the dead Specialist and slices it through Kron's neck. His lifeless body falls over as its head hits the ground before it. The symbiote starts to slither towards the severed head. Jake goes insane stabbing at Kron's body. "DIE, DIE, DIE DAMN YOU!" And then the unthinkable happens, after approaching Kron's head to take what it could the symbiote reaches out for Jake. Jake begins to yell wildly, as it tries to bond with him. He hears it speaking to him "We needed him, needed his brain, its chemicals, to survive." "NO!" Jake screams out as the symbiote tries again and again to bond, and just as Jake feels he is lost the symbiote leaves him. In the doorway a SHEILD agent stands with a flame-thrower type device, the symbiote seems to squeal in pain as it apparently burns up into nothing. "I was told to watch out for this one." Says the SHEILD agent. "You got a name buddy?" Jake hesitates and decides. "You can call me Jim, I work here." "Well Jim lets get that wound taken care of." The two of them walk away, leaving Jake Gallows's worst nightmare behind, once and for all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LATER- Jake emerges into the streets within minutes. There Mary, Jim Craig's fiancee waits. "Jim you made it!" "Uhh--yeah." Jake doesn't know what to do. Mary notices his injury which is now sealed. "What happened ?" "Long story." Mary becomes worried, and finally ask Jim to go with her, away for New York, and Alchemax. Jake considers for a moment and then answers.- "Let's go." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He has him! John daSilva has found Combustion at long last. But he is distracted by something. A figure falling towards the streets, he knows he's seen him before...but where? Then the name comes to him- "Is that Spider-Man?" TO BE CONTINUED IN SPIDER MAN 2099 UG #4! COMING SOON! NEXT ISSUE- Continued from "Spider-Man 2099 UG" #4! Is that Spidey? And if so what has he gotten himself into this time? Be here for one of the biggest and best issues yet, that leads into the BIG "Fall Of Alchemax" Finale! Plus its starts an all new era for The Punisher! |