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| The Mighty Thor 2099UG Issue #8 "Yesterday's Horizon Dawns: Retroactive, Conclusion" Written by Jason C. Smith |
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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 smell of burning hair floated from the Security and Protection Lab and into the corridor just outside its burnt and destroyed passageway. Kabal could smell it. . .mixed with the scent of burning flesh as the elevator's swift doors opened up. He could also hear the voice of the evil Venom calling to Scout. . .and boasting his new trophy. . .the Lady Sif! It hardly mattered why the protective barrier wasn't up. . .as long as it wasn't. Venom somehow knew this, for his symbiote had learned of this indirectly from Lord Tyme himself. Kron Stone merely lost himself in the chaos of the moment, and his actions followed no real agenda. He only knew that he had found himself in this room. . .and wrecking the machinery that sparkled and hummed seemed like a good thing to do at the time. Too bad for Mr. Stone that the Scout didn't agree. The Scout stood with his fists clenched. He was more than ready to make Venom eat his tendrils. His eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation at hand. He had to save the Lady Sif, but he had to be quick about it. Just as his mind began to calculate the odds, he remembered Kabal, who appeared behind him just as he looked out the door. He looked quickly to Sif, who had a look of horror as the thin trail of blood began to trickle down her neck and onto her chest. Venom had a sharp tendril pressing into her skin. Being immortal didn't mean a thing if you didn't have a head, she thought. Scout then eyed Kabal behind Venom. Whether or not Venom saw Scout's attention divert or the symbiote warned him, he quickly turned to Kabal with a squadron of black, elongated stakes flying at him. Kabal dodged, ready to fire his wrist-mounted plasma cannon at him, and remembered Sif. Of course, she should have been able to withstand the blast but this never crossed his mind. And before Scout could leap into action, Sif had saved herself. Sometimes a woman has got to stand up for herself, she thought, as she grabbed Venom's symbiote and slung him into the wall. Before he could stand up, she was on him. Her Asgardian fists pounded into him unmercifully. For once, Venom's mad grin was gone. . .this was no laughing matter. The Scout looked at her with a charming expression. She was good, he thought. Scout's precognition abilities, thanks to the power he had drained. . .er, stolen from Lord Tyme allowed him to see what was about to happen. He quickly shouted in order to alert Sif. "Watch out for--" he cried, but his voice was drowned out by Venom's attack on the Lady. A black tendril shot out in desperation, slicing Sif's stomach. As she looked down, he caught her with a powerful backhand which sent her flying. As soon as she was out of the way, Kabal blasted Venom with his modified plasma cannon. The blast knocked him back as he shrieked. Kabal waited to fire another shot, but the momentary lapse in attack let Venom quickly recover. One thing's for sure, Scout thought, he's got some endurance. Scout quickly ran at Venom, for he was aware that the fight could not last forever. He had to get the shield up, and they had to regroup. . .find Thor and the Net Prophet. As he ran toward Venom his abilities kicked in again, and he quickly ducked out of the way as Venom lashed out at him with his barbed extensions. As he did so, he grabbed a large metallic object which had broken off of the casing for the shield projector. He brought it up into Venom's stomach, causing him to double over. He followed it by bringing it down hard on the back of Venom's head. As Kron Stone tried to get back to his feet the Scout clubbed him again. . .and again. . .and again. Venom was dazed. The Lady Sif caught their groggy opponent with a devastating right hook that caused to crash into the wall behind him. Scout leaned over him and reached down, grabbing a handful of the symbiote. The burning smell wasn't as strong this time. . .Venom was weakened, and so were his abilities. He peeled the symbiote away from his face, revealing Kron Stone. He grasped both sides of his head and pumped a wave of chronic energy into his mind. The symbiote quickly seeped back into Kron's pores. Scout stood up and motioned for Kabal to join him at the computer's console. "What did you do?" Sif asked as she looked over at Kron's naked body. "Gave him a case of amnesia," the Scout laughed. "What!?" "If," he emphasized that word, "he does wake up. . .he can hardly cause any trouble if he can't remember that he has the symbiote. I simply made him forget." "Good job," Sif exclaimed. "You weren't so bad yourself," Scout grinned. And with that Kabal and Scout quickly got to work so that the shield that would contain the explosion to Alchemax would come on-line. And just as Scout had thought, the inner circuitry was intact. The program began to load, and soon enough the entire building was surrounded by a powerful shield. Nothing could get in. . .or out. As they left the room, Sif picked up Kron and slung him over her shoulder. "Guess we should dump this rat back in his cage," she said wryly. "Yes, he still has things ahead of him," Scout proclaimed. He had done his research. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The VU Gate, Alchemax The musty air in the abandoned lab was thick with newfound tension. The shadows dwelled in every corner of the room, with the exception of an eerie light dancing from the Virtual Unreality Portal. The figure standing before it danced around in a circle, waving his arms in a wide arc and laughing maniacally. This scene was quite bizarre and even more so for the huge warrior figure standing before him. He stood with a graceful look of dismay, holding his mighty weapon, the sacred Mjolnir before him. The Mighty Thor was. . .simply put. . .not amused. "What manner of demon art thou?" Thor asked sternly. The Net Prophet walked up behind Thor, a bright glow emanating from him. He was prepared to decimate this crazed man in order to ensure that the VU Portal stayed on. He looked at it longingly. It was his only ticket home. . .or at least any semblance of home. It was the world in which the arrogant scientist, Jordan Boone, had plucked him from. It seemed like such a short time, for he had been kidnaped once again. Only this time it was by a time-controlling menace known as Lord Tyme. And in order to see that this man didn't grow any stronger. . .he was forced to help the Lord of Lighting destroy his only means of returning home. The tall, slim figure stopped dancing and looked around with an evil stare. A long black ponytail whipped around and slid down the back of his green frame. His wicked grin extended from ear to ear. The laughing stopped as his voice became harsh and cold. He said, "The name isn't Art, bub, you can call me Jack. Halloween Jack." Thor looked at him. . .just as puzzled as ever. "You dare speak to me in such a manner? What am I to you that you call me brother, foul beast?" And right before his every eyes Halloween Jack began to change. His body twisted and contorted as his frame grew slightly taller and more muscular. His green skin faded into a marvelous costume of green and yellow. His face twisted back into that of Jordan Boone. At once Thor recognized him. . .the God of Mischief. . .Loki!!!! "Does this ring a bell, hammerhead?" "What sort of charade is this, brother? You dare hide yourself from me? Using your birthright to live as some twisted demon? I would strike you down where you stand for turning your back on your Asgardian brethren." The Net Prophet stared at Loki as if looking deep within him. He knew that he recognized that face from the past. Was it a part of his lost past? He didn't think so. . .it was the face that had brought him here. It was the face of a power-hungry, egotistical scientist. "Jordan Boone," he bellowed out as he pointed toward him. Halloween Jack leaped from the Portal at the Net Prophet, grabbing him by the lapel of his jacket and staring him down. The two met eye to eye as Thor watched in tense anticipation. The Net Prophet didn't move as Jack leaned in closer. "Boone is dead," he whispered. He began to push the Prophet backwards as he began to press into him. He continued to exclaim, "Don't you ever mention Jordan Boone again!" However, in the middle of his bold confrontation, something caught him by the neck and he was cut off. He clutched at his neck and felt the awesome grip of the Mighty Thor. The Thunder God held him up high above his head. His face was red, and he was having problems thinking straight. He knew that he must conquer this little imp, and have him turn the machine back on, but his basic instinct was to simply kill him. That's what he wanted to do, and he began to squeeze tighter. Halloween Jack began to choke and kick. He attempted to scream as Thor collapsed his windpipe, but he couldn't. Finally, Jack concentrated with all of his might and transformed into a primordial ooze. He simply slipped out of Thor's grasp, and as he fell to the ground, he transformed back into his usual handsome, green self. His hand went back to his throat, and he couldn't talk. Thor looked down at him, angrier than ever. He was starting to slip into the rage that had been consuming him as of late. Only Sif could calm him. . .and she was nowhere to be found. Halloween Jack began to crawl backwards. He was actually in fear for his life. This was the first time that he had seen Thor since the Aesir scandal with Alchemax, and now this fake god was going to end his life. Jack transformed into Loki, and got to his knees. He was begging, and finally the Net Prophet stepped in and put his hand on Thor's shoulder. The Thunder God began to calm a bit, as he listened to the Prophet's reasoning. "If you kill this little troll, then we have little hope of stopping Tyme. Don't you see, Thor? This is another of his obstacles. Just like Venom and that Bloodsword character earlier. You can't let him phase you." "Yes, I see. . .for now," Thor said slowly. He reached down and grabbed his trickster "brother" by the back of the cape, lifting him off of the ground. "You must turn that machine back on, brother, or my friend here won't be able to stop me from doing what should have been done AGES AGO!" Then, he slung Loki over to the machine. He stalked over there prepared to watch over him, and ensure that he did what he was instructed. Loki turned to him in order to protest, but as soon as he faced the Mighty Thor, he was knocked back by a powerful backhand. He looked up and then rubbed his face. For the first time, he regretted his nanoid persona of Loki. Sure, I have all the abilities to change, but not even half the strength, he thought. "No talk. . .just work," Thor said sternly. As Loki began to work on the machine, making sure that the circuits and all the other hardware weren't fried to a crisp, he looked over his shoulder at the Net Prophet. He recognized him from that mess with Thanatos. This angered him. He, as Jordan Boone, had been the one that brought him here. Shouldn't he be thanking him? This weighed heavily on Loki's fractured mind as he continued to work on the machine. It hadn't been damaged much at all. He was nearing the stage where he would simply turn it on, but something in his mind nagged him. It kept going back to the Net Prophet calling him "Boone." Was he mocking him? He looked over his shoulder with a sinister look. The two were talking as he worked. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Loki leaped at the Net Prophet. "How dare you call me Boone," he screamed to the top of his lungs. "You dare mock me!? I brought you here!!!! You OWE ME!!!" Loki began to transform before the Prophet's very eyes. His flesh danced off of his bones, contorting and twisting. He had become some sort of beast. He was upon the Prophet, with one great clawed hand raised in the air as if to strike him. Just as he was about to strike the blow, he felt a mighty grip on his wrist. "Not again," he growled. The God of Thunder picked up the beastly figure of Halloween Jack, and before he could morph to counter the assault, Thor smashed him in the face with a fist. This caused Jack to change back into Jordan Boone. . .the pain wouldn't allow him to transform and hold his shape. Boone tried to change again, and caught another blow from the angry Lord of Lightning. He couldn't think straight, and was caught off guard once again as Thor smashed him face-first into the Virtual Unreality Portal. The Net Prophet stood back and watched. "Turn it on now, or become part of the machine," Thor growled. To reinforce his threat he pressed Boone into the machine again, cutting off his breathing and cracking his ribs. Boone slowly reached out and wrapped his shaking fingers around the lever which controlled the energy feed into the machine. It took all of his strength to force the lever down. . .thus, turning the machine back on. "Good job," the Net Prophet murmured from behind. Jordan Boone fought to stand as he began to transform into Halloween Jack. His skin turned the familiar shade of green that had been a staple of the persona, and his face changed from the scared expression of Jordan Boone to the wicked grin of a monster. He winked at Thor with his sinister look. Thor turned and looked at him in disgust. He raised the sacred hammer, Mjolnir, up in front of him and began to spin it. He continued to spin the hammer until it was almost impossible to see. "I grow increasingly sick of the sight of you," Thor said. "Why, bub, what are you talking about?" Halloween Jack sneered. "You blasted, devil! Be gone! So says the Mighty Thor, God of Thunder!" As he finished he released the hammer, smashing Jack in the stomach, driving him backward. The hammer continued to fly, taking Jack with him. The two watched as Mjolnir knocked Jack through the wall and out of the room. Thor held his hand up as the hammer found its way back to his hand. Halloween Jack was not to be seen again by Thor or his company. Thor turned to the Net Prophet with a sad look on his face. "I apologize for my brother's behavior." The Net Prophet looked at him with an amused expression. "It's quite alright, I assure you." The walked back toward the machine, prepared to guard it against whatever forces may come in the name of Alchemax to try and protect the Gate leading the mysterious VU Portal. They provided quite a menacing scene as Thor stood with Mjolnir in hand, and the Net Prophet stood alert with his arms folded. It would also provide a warm welcome for their companions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Somewhere, Sometime The Lord Tyme clenched his fists at the sight of Thor and the Net Prophet guarding the Virtual Unreality Portal. He sat down in his large throne, and began to think aloud. Something was going to have to give. He would win this day. . .of that he was sure. "Kron Stone and that accursed symbiote were no match for Sif, Kabal, and that treacherous Scout," he said. "So, that option has been closed. However, the portal is still stable, unless it continues to be powered. I MUST have that portal deactivated," he cried. Finally, he stood to his feet with his long red cloak sliding across the floor. He motioned for the door, and as if expecting the summons, one of his disciples shuffled in with his head bowed. Finally, he looked up and said nothing. He looked into the dark face of his Lord and awaited his instructions. "Call forth the Apostle," Lord Tyme said sternly. He stood with up straight and graceful, turning to look within his cauldron. He watched as the Scout, Kabal, and the Lady Sif neared their destination. Finally, after pondering what to do, he let them go. He was prepared to let them rejoin with their companions. He was prepared to let them die together. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The VU Gate, Alchemax The Mighty Thor was startled at the sounds of the footsteps above. He raised Mjolnir in an offensive gesture and the Net Prophet's eyes began to blaze like miniature suns. They both looked upon the shadows of the newcomers with weary prediction. In fact, they were both pleasantly surprised when the heard the beautiful voice ringing from above. Thor smiled as he saw his love lean over the bar of the walkway. Her hair fell in front of her face and her smile called to him. Her face made him forget about the anger he had felt in the past and the shame he had held in his heart due to his maniacal half-brother. It wasn't long before the Lady Sif had leapt down to the cold laboratory floor and found herself in the Thunder God's arms. "It's very good to see you made your way back to me," Thor whispered. "Yeah, it's good to see you again too," Kabal cracked. Thor paid him no mind as he softly kissed the Lady Sif's hair. She looked around uneasily. The very looks of the room imposed a bizarre image in her head, and she shuddered. "Have we passed through this room before?" she asked. "I don't believe so," Kabal answered. "I trust all went well down below?" Thor asked the Scout. He nodded as he made his way over to the machinery. He checked everything and saw the gauges were reaching a dangerous level. He smiled at the sight. So far, everything was going well countering Lord Tyme's plot. He just hoped that they could keep it up. Now, was the most crucial moment. He knew that Lord Tyme would bring out the big guns. . .and he only hoped that their combined might would be enough to hold them off. "We ran into some foul creature down there," Sif said as she looked up to Thor. "Is that a fact?" he asked. "Tell me of this creature. Did you battle?" "Yes, but he was some sort of demon. Kabal protected me, as did the Scout." Thor looked over at is friend, Kabal, with a hearty grin. He slung his arm around him and nearly crushed him. He held his hand out before them as if envisioning the scene he was about to describe. "The Fenris shall have a great feast in honor of you two," he chuckled. Then, he looked over at the Net Prophet. "You won't be left out either, friend! Tis not often I trust someone with guarding my back, as if I even need it, but you came through for me, and I shall never forget it." "I have a feeling that we're going to need to rely on each other quite a bit more, Thor. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have watching out for me." The two shook hands and smiled at one another. Sif looked quite content with the small group of travelers, but looked around the room and grew silent once again. Finally, she whispered, "Can we go now? We've made sure that all is in place. I really don't like it here." The Scout didn't look up as he continued to fix the machinery. He merely uttered, "No, not yet. It's not over just now. We must guard this machine for as long as possible." "Yes, that is our duty," announced Thor. "And we have done well on our campaign." However, just as Scout had pointed out, the quest was not over. The group stopped their conversations and their minds went blank as they all looked upon one single point in the room. A noise like thunder filled the room, but it was no storm upon which the Thunder God had called. The very essence of the air began to phase shift and contort, and even the most inexperienced of travelers in the room could feel the sheer force of the chronological energy. The Scout was the only one to move during the spectacular event. It was a massive time disruption, and that could only mean that Lord Tyme was dumping a large amount of opposition. He was growing desperate, and only the Scout had the experience necessary to ensure that his tactics didn't gain him a victory. He pushed his way past Kabal, and even found himself in front of Thor. He was the leader of the group. . .like it or not. Once the transportation ceased the group found themselves quite outnumbered. The Scout stood right in front of the Apostle and they both looked quite stern. They knew that this was an important struggle, but they had totally opposite views. Once upon a time they may have cared greatly for each other, but now their philosophical stands made a breach that was going to be near impossible to mend. And neither of them was interested in such an event at this point. "You didn't think it would end so easily, did you, Scout?" the Apostle sneered. "You don't think we'll let it end so easily, do you?" Scout countered. The Scout raised his hand and the remaining chronological energy in the room began to cipher into his body. He was making sure that he had all of the power he could possibly take. And if he did run out of chronological energy, Odin save them all, then he'd call upon the building's electrical supplies, or whatever source of energy he could possibly absorb. I might have to get creative, he thought silently. Kabal looked at the legion of Tyme's disciples behind the Apostle. He gulped, and began to charge up his plasma cannon. He looked over to the Lady Sif and she shrugged. The Mighty Thor began to breath heavily, as if blocking out every other person in the room, with the exception of the ones in red robes. He was like a crazed bull staring down a couple of dozen matadors. The Net Prophet's eyes began to blaze once again, illuminating his face in a religious glow. "I take it those are ours," Kabal asked cynically. "As if you had to ask," the Net Prophet said. And without so much as moving two solid beams of energy shot from the Net Prophet's eyes and cut one of the disciples in half. The others around him looked in amazement, but did not flee as he had hoped. If they were to die, then they would be resurrected in the future by their Master. And that was how the great battle began. It was the Scout's little band of heroes against the Apostle and an estimated army of about fifty disciples, supplied by the Lord Tyme. They were thrown in for good measure, for he was sure that the Apostle could handle the group by himself, but he just wanted to make sure that the job was done. The group charged past the Scout as if that were their orders, and the Apostle and his former partner continued to stare each other down. "It doesn't have to be this way, you know. I have learned that in my brief departure from the Lord Tyme. The forces of time do not dictate us. Time is what you make of it, not the other way around," Scout shouted above the sounds of the battle. "That's blasphemy." As the Scout began to reply, he was knocked off of his feet by a blast of chronological energy. He would not choose to ignore his precognition abilities again. That was something he would miss when he ran out of the chronological energy stored within his cells. He had hoped that he would be able to talk to the Apostle, but he supposed that was something that the Lord Tyme had seen in every possible outcome. The Apostle was foolish and blind in his faith, and that was what made him a good warrior. The Scout rolled as the Apostle jumped at him. As he did so, he brought his own leg out in a sweep, which caught the Apostle, knocking him to the floor. He might have seen that one coming, but it was too late to do anything, the Scout thought. The two got to their feet, circling each other. Their chronological abilities were canceling each other out. The only possible way to gain a victory was to look for some other source of energy to wield as a weapon. Unfortunately for the Scout, he couldn't afford to rid himself of the chronological energy that he had stored, for he needed it to return himself and the others to the present. Unlike the battle between the two time wielding warriors, there was a decisive winner of the disciples fight. The Mighty Thor and his companions were seriously cutting into the forces of Tyme's cannon fodder. They had been sent as a distraction, which was now obviously one of Lord Tyme's favorite ploys. The Lord of Lighting swung Mjolnir in a great arc, removing various limbs from anyone within its fantastic reach. It even managed to decapitate a few of the unfortunate people who wandered too close. A wall of bodies was beginning to circle him, but he paid little attention. Finally, a group of observers began to charge the God of Thunder. They hoped to make it to him by constantly bombarding him and possibly overtaking him by sheer numbers. The Mighty Thor launched Mjolnir, and flew behind still holding the handle. He was playing a game of chicken with the disciples. . .one in which they could not possibly survive. They scattered as he flew into them. Few in that squad lived past the god cutting into them with the velocity and power of the sacred Mjolnir. The Lady Sif was less brutal with her fighting, but was, nonetheless, just as effective. Her various punches and kicks left every foe she met out of commission. Finally, one lucky disciple leaped on top of her back, hoping to choke her. She quickly reached over, grabbing him by the robe. She flung the man onto the ground, and then continued to use him as a weapon for the other opponents that attempted to attack her. Apparently, she was now taking pointers from her Asgardian lover. Kabal and the Net Prophet were taking less physical approaches in their fighting. Kabal made his stand in front of the Virtual Unreality Gate with his plasma cannon. He didn't need any fantastic abilities to defend this technological marvel. All he needed was quick wit and a good aim. Unfortunately for those who found themselves in front of his cannon, he had both. The smell of burnt flesh could be easily found throughout the room, but Kabal hardly paid attention as he gunned down some more of the red-garbed fanatics. The Net Prophet was taking a similar approach as his vicious eye blasts were disarming his foes. . .literally. Many of the bodies that littered the floor were missing legs, arms, and sometimes heads. Those that actually managed to get close enough to the Prophet to touch him found themselves in extreme pain as he sliced them up in some quite uncomfortable places. After witnessing this a few times, very few actually attempted to get near him. Instead they let him shoot them down, content with the knowledge that they were slaughtered while following their Lord's orders. This caused a great unease in the heart of the Net Prophet. . .as did this age's apparent hero worship. Finally, the Apostle looked about and noticed that the majority of those wearing red actually littered the floor. He knew that he was going to have to destroy these heroes in order to ensure that the Gate was shut off. He charged the Gate, running from the Scout. He dodged Kabal's blast, and delivered a powerful uppercut to the scientist. He then easily shoved the Fenris priest to the floor, and stood in front of the Virtual Unreality Gate. What he did next totally surprised even the Scout's precognition powers. He turned to his ex-partner, who was rapidly approaching him, and unleashed EVERY bit of his chronological energies. The blast actually hurt him as he shot it out in an uncontrolled blast. He fell to one knee and tried his best to focus on what was happening, but his vision was far too fuzzy. However, his momentary discomfort was nothing compared to that of the Scout's. The energies washed over him, bathing him in a current of raw power. His flesh burned as if was decaying. His bones began to ache as if they were growing from the point of his birth. His cells attempted to reject the flow of time and screamed out in pain. Finally, the wall ceased his projection, and he slid to the ground. He could barely look up, let alone talk or stand. It was as if his body and mind were either too old to do such things, or too young to know how. He was slowly regaining his former resources, for his body was recovering from the blast. And what he saw when he managed to focus was terrifying. One of the two had needed to rid themselves of the chronological energy in order to find a new source, and the Apostle had done just that. Thor and the others stood back, for they were unsure of what to do. The only one who could help them had just aged many times before their very eyes, and had returned to normal, at least physically. They could only watch in awe. The Apostle stood with his back to them. His arms were raised in the air as if proclaiming some hard sought, and eagerly awaited victory. The energy he was funneling was that of Virtual Unreality itself! It was the very essence of that dimension, and it was warping him before their very eyes. His body was in shock, and he continued to absorb the energy, not being able to stop. Even the Lord Tyme, who could manifest himself through the Apostle, stood back in his chamber in amazement. His operative had tapped into the energy that he had sought and it was overwhelming him. Finally, the Scout began to crawl forward. "Somebody stop. . .him. . .now," he whispered. "Can. . .can't you see. . .see what he's do. . .doing?" And someone did. Kabal stepped forward and pointed it out to his companions. "His body has gone into shock," he announced. "What does that mean?" the Lady Sif asked, not looking away from the Apostle. His body was glowing from the energy, and the air around him cracked and sparked. He was moaning like some kind of animal, but he did not pay them any attention. He was not in control. "It means that we're in trouble. . .BIG TIME," Kabal finished. "It means that Tyme may get what he wants, albeit with the death of his last powerful agent. The Apostle is draining the power from the VU and from the system. The system is trying to keep the VU on, because it's powered up, but it's having problems channeling enough energy to keep running. It's trying to compensate for what the Apostle is draining." "That doesn't mean a thing to me, Kabal," the Net Prophet stated. "What's going to happen when his body won't take anymore energy?" "Well, that's the problem. Most likely, his body will reject what's it's taken and pump it right back into the system. . .causing it to overload and explode." "Then, let's get out of here," Sif exclaimed. "Can't. . .," the Scout whispered. "That's our problem, Prophet. Scout is too weak to get us back to our time, so we're stuck here in the explosion too." Then, without saying a word, the Mighty Thor ran toward the great machine, and the human battery known as the Apostle. He held Mjolnir out before him, and suddenly another arc in the energy shot out and found a home in the sacred weapon. It took all of his strength to continue holding his weapon. The energy was swelling around him, and was more powerful than he had initially thought. He fought against it, slowly stepping closer to the machine. "What's he doing?" Sif bellowed. "Buying us time," Kabal said. "Let's just hope it's enough." The Net Prophet helped the Scout to his feet. He was recovering slightly. He was using a small bit of his chronological energy to speed the process up. In a few moments he would be able to control the forces enough to transport them back to the church in their present time. However, something happened that shocked them all. Suddenly, the Apostle stopped absorbing the energy. He turned to them with a sinister grin. He had transformed. . .he had been in control the whole time, Scout thought in horror. His hair had turned an ash color, and his red robe was tattered. His body looked metallic in some places, and in others there was no substance at all. . .portions of his body was nothing more than energy. His body had deteriorated in the process. Not all of it, but it was apparent. The group stood back, not aware of what he could do or what type of power he possessed. Lord Tyme stood in shock in his chamber also. . .something that had never happened before. He had seen a little evidence of the Scout's treachery in the time lines, but he had NEVER seen this happen to the Apostle. . .was he even more powerful than his Master now? No one knew, for they had no clue as to what the power of the VU would amount to. However, one thing weighed heavily on all the heroes' minds. Not only were they facing some unpredictably powerful being now, but the VU was also still functional. It was not overpowering. . .it was simply on. And the Mighty Thor could not continue to absorb the energy much longer, it was going to have to go somewhere. He began to walk backward as he absorbed the energy. "NO," the Apostle cried. And in the chamber of the Lord Tyme, the form of the Master fell to the floor. He laid there, rolling on the ground, clutching his head. He had attempted to enter the mind of his agent, and the Apostle had forced him out. He was more powerful than he had feared. And now only the renegade Scout and his band of foolish heroes were left to stop him. Was this the End that he had envisioned? The air around the Apostle began to crackle and grow hot. They could see the forces around him begin to contort as if the physics of the universe did not exist. Thor saw it too, and was nearing his capacity. Mjolnir could absorb more, but not under his control. Then, the Scout saw what was happening. He rushed to Thor's side, and grabbed Mjolnir. The two stood there holding the sacred weapon as the energy and the room about them changed. Then, the Scout forced the hammer to aim at the Apostle. Thor helped hold it steady as he clenched back the pain of the energy that was now lashing out at him. "LET IT GO!!!!" Upon hearing this, Thor released all of the energy he had been absorbing into Mjolnir in one giant blast. The blast knocked the Apostle back into the VU Gate's open portal. He screamed in pain and hatred as he was blown from our reality to the next. . .forced into another dimension -- the VU dimension. As the energy began to pour from Mjolnir into the Gate, the machine began to tremble. The Apostle had entered into the only opening to the VU dimension, which was now about to be destroyed. The Scout could sense the coming explosion, and was prepared to face it. He closed his eyes and exerted the majority of his chronological energy over is companions. And in the distance, Nueva York watched as the great corporation and cancer of the city was destroyed. Various people looked upon it in a sad amusement, a kind of happy shock. Then, there were the few that looked upon the explosion and wondered about loved ones. These were the ones who cried when it happened. . .not for the actual building or what it represented, but for what they may have lost in the process. Was the death of their loved ones outweighed by the fact that they were now rid of Alchemax? Conchata O'Hara was among the few that felt her loss was greater than what the world had gained. And all because. . .that was the way it was meant to be. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epilogue Pt. I Somewhere in the place where time does not exist, a man sits on his throne with a sullen look. For once he was not interested in seeing what the future held, or what his role in that tomorrow may be. His followers were lost without him, for he was unsure of his direction. In one fatal plan he lost his two best agents. One had turned on him, and the other had surpassed him in power and had been exiled to a land which could not be reached again. He stood and walked over toward his cauldron. It showed him the various time lines, and their tangents, and offshoots. He could peer into, and touch the very chronos. He looked at it with a disgusted look and spat in it. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stalked out of the room, slamming the double doors of his chamber behind him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epilogue Pt. II A large, muscular figure stood upon a building that had been overlooking Alchemax, and he now smiled down upon its ruins. He had seen Spider-Man escape with some winged villain in tow, but he couldn't be so sure about the madman named Boone. However, something new had caught his eye. He had noticed a figure that looked quite similar to that of the Mighty Thor. Could it be true? Could the God of Thunder have returned as all of his followers proclaim, he thought. Well, he certainly had, that was for sure. Thanatos turned his back on the ashes of Alchemax, and the vision of the Thunder God. He had more important matters to intend to. .. .at least for now. He had a vision to rebuild, and foes upon which to gain revenge, and Thor was only one in a long list. However, he would return to the Thunder God and bury him again, he thought. The time would come. Well, that's it!!! Let me know what you thought of Retroactive! Do you want to see more of these story-lines, or do you want more self contained Thor stories? Or would you like a mixture of both? And what do you think about the Scout? Do you want to see more of Lord Tyme or maybe the Apostle? Next issue is # 6, introducing a brand new, old villain. . .2099 style!!!! Thorspeed! |