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| The Mighty Thor 2099UG Issue #5 "Blasting the Past: Retroactive, Part 1" Written by Jason C. Smith Plot thanks to Gary Miller and Thomas Imboden |
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| 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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| The den was dark and musty. Shallow candlelight bounced from wall to wall, as the Dark Figure sat back in his throne with his hands clasped beneath his chin. He looked down and gazed into his Orb. The mists inside the glass globe were impenetrable by any other's eyes. But with this "crystal ball" the ancient figure could easily glance down at the time stream, studying it and pondering it's many directions and off-shoots. But after months of searching, one which was satisfactory had finally been found. One which would suit his plans, had finally been conceived. It might not have been exactly what he was looking for, but with a gentle push, he knew that it would. Lord Tyme looked up with a somber grin and nodded to one of his disciples. "Summon the Apostle," he whispered. The disciple got to his feet, bowed, and backed out of the room, without saying a word. Such discipline, thought Tyme. These are the ones who will be rewarded. Lord Tyme sat and stared at the Orb, while waiting for his trusty servant. All was falling gently into place, and soon enough, he would be able to start his greatest experiment. The One who understands the time stream like no other, is the one who is unaffected by it. But what of other dimensions? What of the time in these untapped places. Yes, time was at his disposal, but these energies is what he truly lusted after. These were the energies that he would understand if it took all of the power that he possessed. And Heaven help the world if that was the case, for it was a great deal of power, indeed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Central Park Kabal wiped his brow as he let go of his last bit of equipment. He had finally moved out of Thor's apartment, so that the God could be with his Lady, and after much hard work, he managed to clear out his old lab, and set up a new one, in his own penthouse. Well, being the Fenris' priest had some advantages, he thought to himself. He sat down and closed his eyes. Much had happened in the past few days. The Fenris were actually working as a unit. He couldn't believe it. Not since Bloodsword's return had the Fenris come together like this. But then it was basically out of fear. Downtown had gone through many changes. All sorts of maniacs had been running around the place, and now not even Spider-Man could help the denizens. Bloodsword had offered a new way. He taught the Fenris how to survive, that much Kabal would give credit for. But after awhile, Bloodsword had stopped taking his advice, and he was growing power hungry. Kabal shook his head. Bloodsword disgusted him. He had taken advantage of the Fenris' faith. He had somehow used his return to proclaim a new era for the Fenris. He told them that he had returned from the Halls of Asgard, and that Thor had told him that it was his duty to rule the Fenris. Well, that was all behind them, now that Bloodsword was dead. Kabal stood and walked into his new workshop. He began looking at the plasma cannon that he had used during the battle with the Freakers, the very weapon that was almost used against him, and the Mighty Thor. No, he thought, that would not do. It was far to easy for the Vulture to take it from him, and if one thing was true about Kabal, it was that he learned from his mistakes. He sat down and began drawing a new blueprint for the weapon. He gazed out the window as he thought of the possibilities surrounding the sophisticated plasma cannon. Kabal was not the only one admiring the view from the old apartment complex. The Lady Sif sat out on the patio gazing over Downtown. The Fenris had started cleaning up their lands. They were starting to actually settle down, instead of roaming through the streets. She closed her eyes and let the sunshine seep into her skin. Thor stepped out onto the concrete balcony with his arms folded. All was well in the land of the Fenris. They had fended off the Freaker's attack, he had reclaimed his Lady Sif, and the Angel that had been feeding off the Fenris population had been stopped. Now, there was nothing left to do but sit back and enjoy the day. He was the protector and Lord of the Fenris, and he had his Lady by his side. Sif looked up at Thor smiling and he returned the gesture with a respectful nod. She would have to remember to thank Kabal, and Thor for that matter. He had been telling her of his adventures in an attempt to restore him fading memory. He had told her of the Aesir and how he had tried to rescue her. He spoke of people that she should know of, but yet she didn't. She did not remember much of anything. She did however remember Thor. She had seen once before, but she could not even begin to comprehend why she had been so frightened by him when he approached her at Alchemax's ruins. When she saw him a great fear had came over her. She was afraid that he was going to hurt her, and she had no idea why. No one should fear this great warrior, she thought, he was very kind and just. He was attempting to nurse her back to health, and he acted as if they belonged together. And she felt that it was right also. "The people are working very hard to clean this place up aren't they," she asked. "Yes, they are," he replied. "They look up to you." "Yes." "What's wrong?" Thor looked upon her and thought. He felt a great leap within his heart. He didn't know what was coming over him. He felt as if their love was meant to be. Wasn't it this way in Asgard? Yes, he knew it was. But something had happened to her, within Avataar's temple. And she had forgotten all the old tales and lore. But yet she too realized what was meant to be. Although, she talked as one from Midgard, he knew deep within his heart that she would get better. Finally he sat down beside her and began to talk. "Something dost weigh upon my shoulders." "And what's that," she said smiling. Her smile made the warrior melt. Was it proper for a god to feel this way? He didn't know, but one thing was clear, it was not going to matter. "Tis too quiet. We have been fighting to free ourselves and now it is all too quiet." "Is that a bad thing," she asked teasingly. "Yes. Tis unnatural. Quiet means planning." "Oh, you're just paranoid. Settle down and enjoy yourself." Thor didn't speak, he just turned and looked at her. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. She was no warrior. How could he respect and love this one? But yet it was meant to be, and he was sure of that. In fact, thinking of anyone other than her was impossible. He didn't know why, but his mind simply couldn't grasp the name of another. He decided to leave his feelings unsaid as he turned his head. It was far too quiet indeed. Sif looked at him and shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know what his problem was. She sat with him in silence for a few moments before finally getting up and going inside to get something to drink. She had been quite thirsty since her revival. She wasn't gone long, before a startled scream snapped Thor into action. He ran into the living area with Mjolnir drawn. There in the middle of the floor was a man on his hands and knees. He looked very weak as he collapsed in exhaustion. Thor looked down upon him and frowned. Yes, the silence had been plotting against him. "Sif, go yonder, and fetch Kabal." "Why? What's wrong?" Thor slowly looked up at her and said the best he could without yelling, "Go. Now." The Lady Sif knew that he was serious, so she quickly made her way to the door and out into the hall. She came to Kabal's door, and began knocking heavily. She had once again forgotten her Asgardian strength and the result was a large dent in the oak door. Kabal opened the door with a bewildered look. "Yes, my Lady." "Hurry, Thor wants you. And I think that you should bring you things," she said quickly. Thor circled the figure lying on the ground assessing the situation. He didn't think that the man was dangerous, but he wasn't sure whether or not his intentions were. Finally, he scooped the man up in his arms and carried him over to the plush couch. As he gently laid him down, Kabal rushed in carrying his bag, with Sif right behind him. "What's wrong, Milord," he asked as he looked down. "Sire, what did you do?" "Tis not my fault," replied Thor. "Honest, it wasn't," Sif cut in. "I know, I know. Can you tell me what happened here? Where did you find him?" "I did not find the man, but the good Lady Sif was the one who came upon him." Kabal looked up at Sif, as he felt the man's pulse. "Well, Milady, could you tell me what happened here? How did you find him?" "Well, I came in to fetch something to drink, when there was a flash of light. It was bright, and when I could finally see there he was! He was crouched down on the ground, and he was smouldering! He looked up at me and whispered, but I'm not sure what he said. I would guess, that he said "help" although I'm entirely sure." "Sounds about right," Kabal said. "This man looks as if he is suffering some sort of trauma, or at least that's what I can guess from his condition." "What sort of trauma," asked Sif. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" "He is awake," asked Thor. "Well, he's certainly awake, I just don't know whether or not he is able to speak. Just ask him a few questions and see if he answers you." Thor shrugged his shoulders as Sif kneeled down beside the man. She felt his head, and winced at the warmth emanating from his flesh. She looked up at Kabal with a worried expression. Thor shook his head at her performance. She was acting like one of them. He was beginning to wonder if she would ever regain her health. The Lady Sif started to wipe his brow with a handkerchief as she whispered. "Can you hear me?" The man mumbled something, and tried to clear his throat. Finally with great effort, he replied in a hoarse voice, "Yes." "What is your name?" The man struggled to answer and then as if shaking his illness off, he sat up and rubbed his temples. Thor and Kabal looked at each other, and the priest could only shrug his shoulders and observe. Sif sat down beside him, and put her arm around him. He held his head in between his hands. Finally he looked up at her and smiled. "Forgive me. My name is. . .well, you may call me Scout. I can't recall my real name, if I ever had one. I have been known as the Scout for as long as I can remember." "Oh. Well, Scout, may I ask what you are doing here, or perhaps I should ask how you got here!?" "Well, that is a bit complicated actually. On all accounts, but you must understand that I did not wish to alarm you people. I apologize. I shall be on my way." "You don't have to go. Thor and Kabal can help you, can't you," she asked as she looked toward the two of whom she spoke. "Thor," Scout asked. "Then, I have made it. All is finally falling into place." "Made it where," inquired Kabal. "Here, to seek the help of Thor. I had heard of his return and Tyme had foreseen it in dozens of time-lines, but he never saw what was coming next." "Slow down, you're talking nonsense," snapped Kabal. "No, let him speak," Thor finally said. "Well, perhaps I should have a private meeting with Thor. If that's alright, Milady." "Oh, it's fine with me. Thor?" "Yes. Perhaps that would be wisest. You seem to be quite anxious, Scout," and then turning to Kabal, and motioning toward Sif he said, "You two, leave. I shall summon you shortly." Kabal nodded and Sif shrugged her shoulders as they left the room, leaving Thor standing over the one called Scout. This was unforeseen indeed. And not even Tyme could guess what would come next. Was that for the best? You had better believe it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tyme's Temple Lord Tyme sat back with his eyes tightly closed, shutting out all light. He had been plotting and it was now finally coming together. The Apostle walked in and sat before him, laying his tattered robe out over the floor, and smoothing out the wrinkles. He then leaned over and began to pray to Tyme, and the time-stream itself, as if it was a separate entity. Was it? Only Tyme knew for sure. The Lord looked down upon the Apostle and nodded. With this the Apostle looked up into his Master's face. "It's time isn't it, Lord?" "Yes. The time has come to pass, and although much has changed from my original plans, there is enough in our favor to still make use of this alternate time-line. You, as always, will be my Agent, so ask what questions you must." "What are you planning, Sir? Are we traveling to this alternate time-line, or do you have something else in mind?" "You will be traveling to a moment in time to prepare to alter this plane of existence. You are going to help push the right buttons and motivate my agents to make sure that Alchemax does indeed explode, but without those shield generators. My plan revolves around one named Halloween Jack. He was attempting to tap into another dimension. A dimension where the chronos is different, an energy force that I wish to control in hopes of utilizing it for the greater good." "Aw yes, the great good. What is so special about this moment in time?" "Well, at one point this Halloween Jack comes very close to unleashing the forces of this Virtual Unreality. I will be moving my agents into a position where you shall see that this happens. Jack may be quite mad, but of course, our interests coincide. He wishes to unleash the dimension from the VU gate, but I wish to unleash it so that I may exploit it. Time is different there, and I wish to explore these possibilities." "Yes, Lord Tyme. Who shall be acting as your agents?" "Well, from the beginning I knew that Scout and you would be more than enough, but something quite unforeseen has happened since then. We have had problems." "What sort of problems," the Apostle inquired. "Well, Scout has given up the Faith. He has went rogue." "What!?" "Yes. Please calm yourself, Apostle. You will not have to worry about Scout. He may have been a powerful agent, but alas you are the more powerful of the two, and you shall have help. Have you ever heard of the Net Prophet?" "The Prophet? Why yes I have. I study the time-stream along side you, Master, and we both know that this man's whereabouts are unknown. Besides how are you planning on having him help us, even if you can find him." "Don't be ignorant, Apostle. You know that as always I shall be acting, making my presence known, through you. I have no intentions of telling you how I plan on tricking him into helping me. He has great mind power, even if he may not know of it, and he could easily see through the facade. You shall simply follow my directions and I will guide you. And don't worry about Scout, we shall be reclaiming our servant just yet. One doesn't leave the Faith so easily, even one with the talents of an Agent. He is nothing without me, as you should all remember. And without me this world will soon be gone." The Apostle gently leaned over and bowed to his Lord. He was right, as always. He had not need of fearing Scout, or worrying about why the Net Prophet would help them. These were things that Lord Tyme would take care of. These were things that were best left to the Master. The Apostle got to his feet and slowly backed out of the Den. The Lord's work was in progress, and it was the Apostle's job to carry it out, and make it known to others. And he excelled at his work. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In The Sewers The sewer tunnels seemed to go on forever in a continuous maze of never-ending pipes and darkness. It was a scavenger's dream. Bloodsword was having a pipe dream of his own. After running from the footsteps of the unknown he managed to stumble upon this old subway station below the streets of Downtown. It was an old Rat Pack hideout and it still housed much of their equipment and belongings. It looked as if they had left, or been forced to leave, in a rather quick hurry. None of this mattered to Bloodsword as he found himself sound asleep on an old mattress. He had entered a deep sleep, and the only thing on his mind was revenge. After a few hours had passed, Bloodsword was up and about, looking for something to eat. After digging through the belongings of the Pack, he managed to find himself some canned goods. After greedily ripping the top off with a knife, he built a small fire, upon which to heat his food. He sat there grinning as the "Beef-a-Roni" cooked and boiled in the old pot. It was a feast indeed! After his dinner he cleaned up with some old rags. He was very happy with his surroundings, and he had almost forgotten about the footsteps and voices bounding through the sewers. He had been occupying himself by looking through the treasures of the Pack. They had many things stored in which they had found in the sewer tunnels. Much of it was simple junk, which held no practical use, but every now and then he would stumble upon something worth keeping. That was when he would insert it into the sack of his own. He was starting his own collection. He looked over a large pile of old newspaper, and almost missed the tip of an old trunk. He quickly began to rip the paper out of his way to see what he had found. When he was finished he looked down upon an old rotten oak chest. It had a rusty lock that Bloodsword easily removed with his strong hands. He smiled as he caressed the curves of the old chest. He was certain that something valuable was inside. Slowly he undid the latch and began to open the chest. His anticipation grew with the creaking of the old hinges. As he opened it an eerie glow crept from the depths of the trunk. A blinding flash of red light erupted from the old oak chest knocking Bloodsword backwards. He could only stare in amazement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Central Park Scout sat at the table sipping on a warm mug of coffee. He had removed his ceremonial Robe of Red, used in the ritual where the agents seek out time-lines for their Master, the Lord Tyme. Thor knew none of this, and if he did Scout doubted he would understand. The time-stream and it's various off shoots were very complicated and he himself had been groomed from birth to learn and understand the ways of chronology. That is why he and the other under the Faith had promised their complete devotion to that of Tyme. He truly understood, and in the past Scout had always felt that he knew best, but recently he learned the truth. "So tell me of this man, Tyme." "Well, there's not really much to tell, Sir. You see very little is known of him, except that he is very knowledgeable in the ways of time. No one has ever seen his face, and we can only estimate his age, although he has always taught us of the Faith, that age is minute and means nothing. We have all given up such common practices as birthdays and funerals. They are insignificant in the eyes of Tyme." "I see. This man sounds as if he calls upon a strict following." "Well, yes he does. But his disciples follow him with true faith, as I once did." Thor frowned and asked, "So you were once one of his?" "Yes." "I find it hard to believe that one so powerful would just let a follower go. A shepherd doesn't watch his flock so carelessly." "Well, he didn't let me go, and that's where I need your help. Well, you and any of your friends that could help." "Please explain," Thor said as he stood impatiently. "Well, I was a devout follower of Tyme as my "brothers" but I discovered something that I simply didn't agree with. One of Tyme's plans for altering the time-line. And since I doubted him this time, who knows how many times in the future I would have done so? There's no use helping him do something which I don't believe in. My faith was severed and I escaped using the power that I had stored from him." "Stored from him?" "Well, as an agent I have natural abilities. All agents do. The Apostle and I have very similar abilities. We both act as batteries, I guess you can say. We absorb energy and then release it in various ways. The Apostle can act as a psychic battery also, and that's an ability that I don't possess. Lord Tyme often acts through the Apostle, projecting his consciousness. I absorbed as much of Tyme's temporal energy that I could as we do in all our rituals, and I escaped using them. I've used much of it trying to find you, but I still have plenty, and I need to conserve it. That's why I started to look for you. I need reinforcements, for I don't know if I have enough energy to stop the Apostle and Tyme by myself. You see, he's going to unleash another dimension! The Virtual Unreality projector! He's going to re-open it!" At this moment in the conversation Kabal burst into the room, with the Lady Sif hot on his heels. Thor turned ready for action and Scout stood from his seat, ready to help. Thor looked at Kabal with a frown and then at Sif, and felt angry at himself. How could he get angry at her? Why should he deny his feelings? If a god didn't deserve to love, then who did? Thor wasn't sure, but with this Tyme mess, it was the least important thing on his mind. He crossed his arms, and waited for the oncoming explanation, as Scout slowly sat down. "I apologize, my Lord. We waited for as long as we could, but the people are calling for you! They need you. The Lady Sif wanted to go alone, but I wouldn't permit it." "Thanks, Kabal," Sif said. "What is wrong," Thor asked. "It's some sort of assault. The Fenris backed off, but there are still people surrounding the Patrick's church." "The Patrick's church? What were the Fenris doing there anyway? That's forbidden territory. I have proclaimed that the Fenris' days of raiding churches are over!" "Believe it or not, my Lord, they were attempting to defend the church. No one can even get to it. It's surrounded by this legion of people in red robes." Thor looked down upon the red robe that Scout had laid out upon the table. Then Scout looked up at Thor and Kabal. He stood and grabbed the robe, wrapping it around him. Kabal looked at Thor with a confused expression. "That's them," Scout said. "I don't know what they're doing at that church, but that's them. Tyme has began, and he's altered his plan. Will you help me?" "Yes---" And with a dazzling flash of spectacular brilliance the group consisting of Thor, Kabal, the Lady Sif, and the newcomer, Scout, vanished from the lofty Downtown based penthouse, and reappeared in the street in front of Saint Patrick's, just as they had been standing in the apartment itself. Scout was prepared for the teleportation, unlike the rest of the group. Thor was still in midsentence just as he had been when they disappeared. He continued to speak before clutching his stomach and looking around. The entire group looked ill, except for Scout, for he was used to it, unless exposed to extensive dimensional travel. "I apologize, but time is of the essence, and we don't have any to lose." Thor began to grow angry, but Sif calmed him down with a reassuring pat of the arm. He looked at her, and then turned to see the group of people surrounding the church, and one in particular, who sat on the ancient asphalt and meditated. A slight glow was pulsating from his body. They were all wearing red robes, and stood as if nothing would phase them. There were hardly as many as had been reported, but a large number to be sure. "Tis okay. Now, do you mind explaining what in Odin's name is going on?" "Well, it looks as if the Apostle is gaining entry into the time-stream, but for what, I can only guess." With that Thor started to approach the one that Scout had referred to as the Apostle. He was wearing a long, tattered robe of red. The garments underneath, looked dark and intimidating. He sat with his eyes shut, in a relaxed posture. His breathing was very slow, as he held his palms out straight in front of him. A small ball of energy-like residue swirled above his hands. His long hair blew in the breeze wrapping around his face, blocking his expressions as the temporal hole opened and he found his target. "Well, whatever he is trying to muster, he won't get the chance," growled Thor. As he got near the man a group of the Faith ran up, leaping on top of him. He managed to throw one of them off, sending him crashing to the asphalt. A crack formed under the form of the man, and his body simply laid there. They kept piling up on the Thunder God, wrapping around him, and grabbing his legs. He easily threw them off, one by one, but they continued in a fearless attack. It wasn't stopping his approach, but it was slowing him down, letting the hole grow and develop. Soon the Faith began to attack the others too. A group of three rushed Kabal, as he raised his hand toward them. The end of his arm was now furnished with a variation of his plasma cannon and the Faith were staring down the barrel. As the metal incasing his hand began to grow warmer, a stream of plasma shot out of the top of his hand, surrounding them in a blazing flame of heat and energy. Nothing was left, as he turned to meet another with a stiff backhand. The metal met the robed man's face with a solid "thud." The Lady Sif was fighting the robed ones, with a warrior like pleasure. Her Asgardian "heritage" was burning in her blood. She lifted one above her head, and brought him crashing down upon his companion. Scout also fought with amazing speed, but despite this it still wasn't enough to form a clear path to the Apostle. And the hole grew bigger. Finally, Scout threw a furious punch into the throat of one of his ex-brethren. He turned to see the hole above the Apostle opening wide, allowing almost anything to come from within. Then, the form of a man appeared, and fell out of the portal onto the ground. The body was smoking, and he began to move, looking about with a blank expression. Scout looked upon the figure in shock. That was why the Apostle was here!!! He was here to summon this man, to "pluck" him from the time-stream, from an earlier date. The Scout began running toward the man with his fists clenched, as a swirl of energy surrounded them. "The Net Prophet," he bellowed as he made is way through the madness. "Who," Sif asked. Scout ignored this question, as he stopped a few feet in front of the Net Prophet. He then held his arms out in front of him unleashing a fury of energy onto the man. As the energy swept over him, the Prophet looked about, as if he had been relieved. Thor knocked the last of the Faith into the distance with the mighty Mjolnir and watched the act in confusion. "Why did you do that," he asked. "He was at his most vulnerable from the time lag. I was just speeding up the process of recuperation with some temporal energy." "Vulnerable for what," Kabal asked. "For what Tyme wanted him for. He was open to suggestion, for he was very disorientated, and not being from this moment in time, he doesn't understand," Scout replied, as he helped the man to his feet. "What is going on," the Net Prophet asked. "Rest yourself friend," Scout replied. The Apostle stood from his trance, with an angry expression. He looked upon Scout with hate and disgust. Then he looked upon Thor and the rest with a slight confused manner. Then as if leaving his body, he shook and a new voice took over. Scout immediately knew what had happened. The Lord Tyme was speaking through the body of the Apostle, his most trusted agent. "~~~Scout, you disappoint me. First, you bring the "Thunder God" to your aid, and then you ruin my plans, by taking the Net Prophet from me. . .you will pay, and soon. The energy that you stole in the name of Faith will not last forever, and then you will be mine once more. These are only an unknown set of variables that I shall simply work around. Everything is in motion, and there is nothing that you or your companions can do to stop time itself~~~" With this last word the entire area erupted in an explosion of light and energy. The remaining Faith of Tyme looked about in surprise and smiled. They were the only ones left standing there. The Apostle, Scout, Thor, Net Prophet, Sif, and Kabal had all vanished. They looked at each other and began gathering the bodies of their fallen brothers. Their Lord's plan had been set into motion, and now it was only a matter of time. . . . . . What happened to everyone!? To Be Continued in The Mighty Thor 2099 UG # 6, as Thor's first multi-part story continues with "Retroactive, Pt. 2"!!!!! |