 |
|
|
| Spider-man 2099UG Issue #7, Volume 1 "New Roads" Part One "Here we go again..." Words and plot by Chris Burns |
| 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. |
 |
| It is the last few moments before dusk surrenders to darkness. The western sky is afire with pink and gold punctuated by the brilliance of a quickly fading sun. The grandeur of Nueva York fades into a silhouette against the horizon. All over the archipelago small pinpoints of light begin appearing on the mammoth towers as the "city that never sleeps" prepares for the evening. It is October in the year 2099, so it is no surprise that a chill breeze crawls upon the city as the last seen portion of the sun falls beyond the skyline. Night has again claimed the sky. If you could stand away, and observe the city from afar, you could not escape appreciating its beauty. Lights from a million windows sparkle like diamonds as the moon's reflection stretches across the deadly river. You would hear the faint sounds of small waves lapping against the shore, and the occasional call of a winter bird. Yes. It all seems very peaceful. One would never know from here the depravity and violence found within. It seems quite surreal . . . but that is about to change! *** To the sounds of the river is added another, faint at first. A thrumming rhythm, a harbinger of things to come. At first it can be barely heard, but over time its beat rises to a crescendo, the pounding seems to grip the heart. If you were there, you would look for its source, then find it streaking through the night. Against the backdrop of the city, the gravcopter seems small and of little consequence. In truth, the vehicle is swift and sleek, built to maneuver the tight quarters between high rises. Its design secretly gives it maneuverability on a par with the sky cycles of the public eye. This particular vehicle is the color of pitch black onyx, with only its running lights making it visible against the night sky. On its side in scarlet lettering, five letters are all there are to distinguish it from any other. *** NYFAX *** Inside, we find Mirielle Radley, a woman of rare intuitive gifts. When growing up, she always won games of hide and seek. When she grew older, she always seemed to be in the right place and the right time. She decided early on to take this talent to the only field that could properly appreciate it . . . the news media. After the news conference with Alchemax CEO Miguel O'Hara (see last issue), Miri began to get that familiar itch, and that itch always meant news. She pulled rank and told Sinner Lee, the NYFAX pilot, to fire up the gravcopter, and grabbed the so called super cameraman assigned to her by her new employer. Then with barely a word,took off bound for O'Hara's home . . . Babylon Towers, uptown. "So why are we doing this again?" This last question was directed to Mirielle by the pilot, Sinner Lee. For some reason, Sinner's question irritated her. She turned from the breathtaking view of the window toward the cockpit. What she saw did not help her mood. He was, at first glance, everything she strove to avoid in herself. Sinner was unkempt with blonde hair that hung in his face from under a cap, where Miri's appearance was crisp and professional. Sinner was retroactive with his Twen Cen "Just say No" T-shirt and bright shorts, Miri dressed appropriate to her job, but in modern design. Then to top it all off, he chews on some rubber based product he calls "gum" that he found on the bottom of some pew at a church in downtown. In spite of all this, the young unshaven deviant was the best pilot she had ever seen, and his skill has won her grudging respect. That respect is the only reason she does not strangle him now. "We are following a lead, Sinner. We news types do it all the time." Sinner smiles that cock-eyed smile and replies, "Ah! One of your blind hunches again." Mirielle feigns confusion. "Aren't they the same thing?" Sinner then points out his cockpit window. "We are coming upon the Towers, Mrs. Radley." She nods then turns around to address the third member of their trio. She knew nothing about him, really, except that her new employer at NYFAX, T. Osborne Stark, assigned him to her nearly two weeks ago. She can't deny he is an excellent cameraman but she can't help but be unnerved in his presence. That in itself has been a mystery to Miri. It is true that he is an imposing figure at 6'3" and 280 lbs. of muscle beneath a tailor cut black suit, but Miri had squared off against world leaders and CEO's of mega corp's without batting an eye. This cameraman was definitely different. For one, neither he nor Stark introduced him when they met, and he has not revealed his name since that time. Secondly, he never utters a word unless spoken to. And finally, she has never seen him without his dark sunglasses, even now . . . long after the sun had gone down. In the absence of any real name, Miri had taken to see the strait face cameraman as "chuckles", and used the term often when addressing him. "Mount up that camera, Chuckles. I want to be ready for . . . " Ba Booom! Miri turned toward the sound but had to squint as an inferno lit up the night sky. The nearly blinding flash filled the cockpit, and as Miri blinks the spots from her eyes, a realization hits her. Babylon Towers, home of Alchemax CEO, Miguel O'Hara, has just exploded. All she can think is, "I hope Chuckles is getting this." It is about then that the shockwave arrived. Miri barely heard Sinner's blurted "shocking A!" before the blast crashed over their small, frail vehicle. Although those inside are somewhat shielded, the white hot blast peeled the scarlet NYFAX from the gravcopter's exterior, as the small craft is rolled, unable to regain control. The small crafts position between buildings had been precarious to begin with, but as the force of the shockwave accelerates the craft right toward a neighboring tower, all seems lost. Then desperation and adrenaline with a spot of luck claims Sinner as he slams his joystick hard to one side changing the pitch of the craft. Now completely vertical and riding the wave of force, the NYFAX gravcopter instead glances off of its impending doom. In the rear of the craft, the sudden pitch and impact sends Miri flying against the bulkhead like a rag doll. Her breath rushes from her lungs and the edges of her vision go dark. She fights the coming unconsciousness and growls beneath her breath, "I'll be fragged if I'm going to sleep through the hottest story of the year!" She breathes in against excruciating pain and focuses on the scene around her. Sinner is still piloting and, hanging on a seat belt, is Chuckles, filming the blast! Miri finds herself miffed at his composure but quickly suppresses personal feelings for the sake of news. Finally, as Sinner begins to stabilize the flight, Miri reorients herself and prepares to broadcast. "Audio-Visual link activate. This is Mirielle Radley with NYFAX News. We have exclusive coverage of a tragedy as it occurs. Babylon Towers, where resides Alchemax CEO, Miguel O'Hara, has become an inferno in the center of uptown Nueva York. We are being buffeted by heat and shrapnel as we speak! I can only imagine the devastation below! We will attempt to reenter the danger zone for more coverage. One thing is certain . . . no one could have survived that blast." *** Outside Babylon Towers *** He falls slowly at first, one story, two, then three, until gravity claims him. The sensation is a familiar one. For nearly a year feats like these have become second nature. Daily, he would plunge to certain death only to snatch himself away. He is Miguel O'Hara, other times the Spider-Man of 2099. He usually embraces the rush of free fall. Today is different. As the speed of his descent increases, he feels his passenger grip him tighter, and Miguel looks to the woman in his arms who calls him son. The barriers that had divided these two have just began to crumble, but as she looks to him he is unnerved to see the absolute trust in her eyes. In his mind's eye, he can see his mother saying "Why worry? My son is Spider-Man." But that brings him to his next dilemma. Right now he is just Miguel O'Hara. No mask hides him from the world. To the casual observer, he is just a man who decided to end it all and jumped from his apartment window. His mind reviews how he had come to this point. While in his penthouse at Babylon Towers entertaining his mother, Lyla, his holo-agent had informed him he had been targeted by a brotherhood of assassins called the Deadpool ( See last issue). Without barely a word, and with a great sense of urgency, Miguel had leapt from his home with his mother in his arms. But now, several seconds after the warning, Miguel begins to think perhaps he had overreacted. No danger worth leaping from a window has at yet occurred. He now felt a tad foolish. "Lyla", he mumbles below his breath, "If I live through this, I am going to wipe your program." Letting his mind return to matters at hand, Miguel squints against the gusts of wind and stretches out his arm and flexes, like 1000 times before, to let loose his filament thin tether from spinnerettes in his forearms. He immediately regrets it. His fall seems so familiar that he forgot that his spinerettes have had insufficient time to heal. Two weeks ago, when overwhelmed by superior numbers of clones that had overrun Alchemax, Spider-Man had deliberately over tensed his forearms, tearing at his spinnerets to subdue several foes with a greater volume of webbing. It was successful but he lost the use of those organs in the trade off (see Sman 2099 UG #2-3 ). Whether permanent or temporary, the loss may cost him dearly. The pain comes first, then the blurred vision. Afar off he thinks he hears himself scream but cannot know for sure. Subconsciously, he notes that he is loosing his grip on his mother. She calls Miguel's name. "Are you alright?" "No," he replies. "I'm Miguel." She purses her lips but says nothing more. Finally, the fog clears from his brain and Miguel realizes he may run out of time in this rescue. "Hold on, Mom...I'm going to..." BaBoooom!!! Whatever he said was lost even to him. The night becomes as day for a moment in time. Miguel holds his mother tighter and twists to look back up. What he sees is terrible...awesome. The entire top ten floors of the tower have vanished into an explosive inferno. A mushroom of energy rises into the night sky. The sound is deafening. Miguel's mouth goes dry as reality hits him and as he plummets he says only this . . . "Lyla, I owe you one." *** Midtown Manhattan *** He sits poised, ever watchful. A predator of the darkness, reluctantly becomes a hero. With the fading of the sun, his eyes throb painfully as his pupils fade to a luminous scarlet hue. His lips pull back into an ominous grin which exposes long white fangs. He is the Son, heir to the legacy of Morbius, a living vampire in the year 2099, and tonight he hunts. He sniffs the air with a feral snort, taking in the aromas around him. Since he had awakened the Son had found that each "place" smells different. Uptown smelled stale with the interests of the mega corps feeding the desperation of the inhabitants. Downtown brings the smells of urine and decay mingled with the press of humanity. But here, in midtown Manhattan, there is a balance. Towering above downtown, it is the footstool of uptown. The scents mingle, denying extremes. The son finds himself at peace for a moment this chill December Night. Then he crouches, his muscles tense, he prepares to leap. BaBoom! He nearly falls from his perch. With quickened reflexes he manages to stabilize himself and look up. Through the zig zag of suspension roads he sees a mushroom cloud of destruction away off. The top of a tower destroyed with awesome power. He crouches there transfixed for several seconds, but then something odd happens . . . The explosion illuminates the building and the son sees it for what it is, the Babylon Towers. He has been there, not long ago in fact, to confront the CEO of Alchemax. He had, but in the process had formed a friendship. That friend was Spider-Man, also known as... "O'Hara!" Then, in an instant he is gone, with only the wind to tell of his passing. *** Uptown, near Babylon Towers *** Atop a building not too far from Babylon Towers, stands a woman. She is tall, incredibly so, wearing the garb of the age. Her long legs , and her curvaceous torso are merely accented by her full black body suit. Her hair is long, the color of platinum. Her eyes a deep emerald green. She lets out a hoot of victory, then brings up the image intensifiers to more properly observe the carnage she has caused. She adjusts the focus and a long, thin, cockeyed smile spreads beneath the binoculars. The cloud of the blast billows up 100 feet into the air, taking 10 floors with it. She even observes the explosion almost take out a gravcopter. "Now that is impressive," she says to herself. After a moment of self congratulation, she lets the image intensifiers fall and turns to straddle a vehicle of her own design. She fires it up and guns it into the air. "Now, I go verify the kill, and the Deadpool is all mine." It is only a matter of time *** Nearby *** Venture hovers a hundred feet above and sees the would be assassin mount her custom made airbike and set course for Babylon Towers. To say the least, when Venture had seen the Babylon Towers go up, he was perturbed. That was the home of Miguel O'Hara, CEO of Alchemax, whom Venture had been hired to protect. But he had expected something like this tonight, because that is when he himself would have attempted an assassination. On the tails of his press conference, Miguel O'Hara had returned home unprotected. So Venture took the initiative and uploaded a warning to his holo-agent. Hopefully the boy was smart enough to make something of it. So, that done, Venture retired here to smoke out the assassin. He looks after the woman and shakes his head. "Bombshell . . . I should have known." Slowly he moves out after her. *** Uptown, near Babylon Towers *** Sinner brings the gravcopter back around as Chuckles films the carnage. Mirielle resumes her broadcast. "This is Mirielle Radley, with NYFAX news. We have returned to the scene of the Babylon Towers where the home of Alchemax CEO has just been destroyed. The entire top 10 floors are ablaze. As of yet, we have no idea what may have caused the explosion. The fire suppression ships are on the job as seen on your screens. However these brave fireman will be able to do nothing for those below. Following the blast a deadly rain of debris and shrapnel began to tumble down toward the masses below. I fear nothing on earth will be able to save the lives of those below." *** Outside Babylon Towers *** Miguel has had better days. The suspension ramps below seem to be rushing up to meet him and his mother at an alarming rate. She taps him urgently. "Miguel!" She yells over the wind in their ears. "Now would be a good time to save your mother." Mig yells back, "My spinnerets haven't healed from my battle with the Specialists!" "I'm thinking that jumping out the window was not such a wise idea then!" Mig smiles in spite of the danger. "You mean I should have left you behind?" Conchata looks back up to the retreating carnage and shakes her head. "I see your point." Then with a sigh she continues. "But if something doesn't happen soon, we are fragged." Sha Crack!!! The sky for an instant lit up as bright as day with a painful white light, followed by a sonic boom of amazing volume. Temporarily dazed Miguel yells "What the shock was that?" "Thunder? Lightning?" replies Conchata. "Couldn't be." As Mig blinks his eyes to clear his vision, "There is nothing in the sky but the moon and . . . " Miguel pauses as he looks above. A lone figure hovers far above bathed in lightning. A mighty figure he has only seen a few times before. There is but one thing he can say. "Thor." Then the howling started and grew in pitch. The winds usually strong but sporadic at this height began to dance to their master's command. Thor has called and the winds will obey! With the fury of a tempest Miguel soon can hear nothing but the howling around him. Lightning bolts began to rain down the debris from above onto the ground below, and Miguel could almost make out the people of Uptown scattering out of harm's way. At that moment came The downpour. Buckets of rain began to fall, putting out the flames atop the Babylon Towers. Then, just before Mig and Conchata would have struck the building below them, they are thrust upward with the force of the storm. Bent by the will of the god of thunder the gale force winds snatched the two up, tearing at them. They struggle to hold on to each other. Conchata tries to say something but her words are lost in the maelstrom. A quick gust then tears the pair apart. Miguel twists to try to regain his hold on his mother but she is lifted up and away too quickly. "Ma!" He yelled, unsure if any one could hear him above the howling tempest, and not caring if they did as his arms clutched at the empty air between them. *** Nearby *** "This is Mirielle Radley, continuing coverage of the Babylon Tower explosion. We have exclusive coverage of divine intervention in the matter." "Upon the heels of my last transmission we had given up hope for those below. I was sure that my next broadcast would be a death toll. I am glad to report, however, it is instead the sighting of a god. . . . Thor!" "The leader of the Aesir of Valhalla has apparently returned, and just in time to save the lives of hundreds below. With the might of the storm he has thrown bolts of energy against the debris, then suspended it with a mighty wind, giving those below time to seek shelter." "Wait," Miri starts, "The winds have stopped. Thor is leaving! He didn't even wait for a chance to thank him!" With that she motions to cut and "Chuckles" lowers the camera. She smiles and asks him "too sensational?" The cameraman just shrugs, but Miri's mood remains unchanged. "This is a night full of news, boys, and we are the only ones getting it! Ha!" Midtown, Manhattan, Loreen sits in shock. The newscast hit her like a ton of bricks. She had nearly forgotten Kenny, but now seeing Thor on her vid screen all the memories came crashing back upon her. She had loved him from the first time they met, but she never let on. He was wiry, with long blonde hair, longer than hers in fact, but it was that goofy smile that had won her heart. He was a dreamer, and could almost make her see a brighter future. They had married, and Kenny had gone to work for Alchemax. They had to take a place downtown, but he promised her that they would find their way uptown someday, and she believed it to be true. The early days were the best though. Oh, there had been some bumps, like their differing faiths, but all that seemed unimportant in the light of their love. That all began to fall apart when Kenny lost his job. He then turned to his church, the Thorites, and instead of finding work, he spent all his time looking for signs of Thor's return. That went on for months and money got real tight. Loreen had to take an extra job just to buy groceries. Her mind goes back to the night she began to lose him. Oh, he had never stopped loving her, but he had become alien to her. That night she had been tired and resented their shabby downtown home and Kenny's inability to free them from it. She mocked his belief that Thor would return. He left in a rage and she was instantly sorry. But that night he came home and denounced the Thorites. She was so happy to hear that. She thought finally one of their differences were about to be resolved . . . their faith. But something odd happened that night. Kenny saw one of his old Thorite brothers slain on the vid screen, and a masked man move in to fight the killer. It was the first time Loreen had ever seen the so called "Spider-Man" but it wouldn't be the last. A few days later she came home to find that instead of finding a job, Kenny had founded the Spiderites. In spite of her Catholic upbringing, she asked for a divorce that night. Instead of hearing her out, he and the other Spiderites ran to battle a fanatical downtown sect of the Thorites called the Fenris. He came home a bloody mess, claiming Immortality because Spider-Man would not let him die. Loreen left that night, but she could not escape her love or her misery. She had went directly to the old St. Patrick's cathedral to pray. To pray for guidance, or a sign. Then out of thin air a man appeared looking for Father Jennifer. Loreen spoke to him about Kenny and he asked to see a picture, and then vanished, promising to speak to Kenny. When he returned, he brought Kenny with him. Damn him! (see Marvel's Spider-Man 2099 Annual) Loreen had fallen deeper in love with Kenny, but he never gave up the suit and it killed him. After Doom became president he was murdered by Fenris. She supposes it an irony that he wasn't immortal after all, but she finds herself wishing he had been right. Loreen sat alone in the dark, pulled her knees up to her chin, and hid her face to cry. *** Babylon Towers *** As soon as it had started the powerful winds stop, and gravity reclaims its hold on Miguel. Several yards away he sees that his mother also resumes her descent. "I'm running out of time here, think O'Hara. You're the genius here." He streamlines his body and aims for his mother's expected trajectory. This of course speeds his fall but he has only seconds to save them before they bounce off the base of the towers. For five long seconds he listens to his mother's screams. He knows she is counting on him. He also knows his conscience could not handle another death of a loved one. He reaches out and calls to her. Her eyes come up and meet his and she smiles a little reaching back. Their fingers are about to touch when . . . Whoosh! Conchata O'Hara folds with the force of an impact. Miguel can hear the air rush from her lungs, see the look of surprise on her face. "No! Ma!" In an instant she is carried away by the projectile from below. All Mig had seen was a streak of gold and red. "Shock it! Shock it all!" His time has run out and he is faced with the need to save himself. With an acrobatic twist he reorients himself to fall perpendicular to and facing the Towers. Then bracing himself, he reaches out. Clawed talons tear into the building materials as he digs in to halt his descent. Memories flood his mind unbidden of his first night as Spider-Man when he used a similar ploy to save his life. With just a few seconds he has arrested his fall and just hangs there, clinging to a building hundreds of feet in the air. The grief finally settles in. He had failed, his mother, now lost to him too, like Dana, Angela, and Kenny. Everyone that matters to him dies. He hides his face in his own arm and begins to cry. The only a second or two later he thinks he hears Conchata's voice. "There he is! That's my son!" In disbelief Miguel looks up and turns. Hovering about 15 feet from the building is his mother in the arms of another. Her apparent savior is an imposing figure Miguel estimates is over 8 foot tall. Its surface like an armor of golds and reds, a helmet of sorts obscuring the face of the wearer. He has met this figure before. Saved his life in fact (See Sman 2099UG #5) "Iron Man." The armored monstrosity then speaks. " Well, if it isn't Spider-Man, the corporate sellout." Mig has to take a second to verify that he is not in uniform . . . he is not. "Spider-Man?" "Yes Spider-Man. I don't care what it is you are wearing. I know who you are. I don't 'see' like you anymore. I see DNA, pheromone combinations, heat signatures. I also heard your voice just now. Satisfied?" The Iron Man of 2099 turns to Conchata. "If your boy is Spider-Man, then why the shock couldn't he save you?" Conchata's face darkened. "He was about to when you interfered." "Well, I could drop you and test that theory." "No!" blurted Miguel. "Thank you for helping her." "She isn't safe yet. You two are about to be torn to shreds by the debris falling from above." stated Iron Man in that firm, uninterested tone. Miguel looked up to confirm the metallic man's observation and his heart sank as he did indeed. "Get her to safety!" Pleads the eldest O'Hara boy. Iron Man prepares to leave, but Conchata fights. "Not without my son!" Iron Man just laughs. "Your son is a big time corporate hero. Let Alchemax save him. Later, S-Man!" he pauses, the adds "I figure we are even now." As the metal behemoth makes off with his mother, Mig calls out that he will find her. That is when the world came crashing down. *** Nearby *** Inside the NYFAX gravcopter, the excitement is beginning to wane. The news will now fade into history and be added to an endless line of statistics. But suddenly Miri gets that familiar itch again. "Sinner, bring us around the building then lower us." "Why?" "Just do it! I think there is still a tad bit of News here to find." Sinner does as he is told and the copter's spot light scans the building under Miri's direction. Miri never lets the illumination stray from her fullest attention. "Stop! Go back! I think I saw a man out there." "On the side of a building Miri? Come on." "Do it!" "Alright . . . you run the reporting end of things." sighs Sinner. However, as they scan back all they see is a rather large, rather wet looking stain on the side of the wall. "What do you make of that?" She squints. "If I didn't know better, and I don't . . . then I would say that what we are looking at is blood." Sinner shakes his head. "Great! Can we leave now?" Miri looks around for a moment more, then reluctantly nods. "Might as well. Let's get out of here." *** Gabe O'Hara's Apartment *** He has been exactly like this for 2 weeks. Ever since he had been told that his brother had been killed protecting Alchemax. Connected to his head are two cerebral amplifiers and to his arm a nutrient feed. He hasn't moved or eaten for the entire time. His eyes begin to flutter open, and he squints against the light he has not seen for so long. He shakes his head to clear it. Then his eyes go wide. "Oh no! Not again." He disconnects himself and runs over to his personal computer, taking his archetype with him, and inserting it. With deft strokes to the keyboard he begins to build several programs to add to it. Once he is done, he returns to the 'cyberspace feed system' or CFS, and re-inserts it there. However, as he is about to hook back up, almost as an afterthought, he returns to his desk. Once there he pulls out another archetype, one belonging to his deceased brother Miguel. He plugs it in as well and downloads a file he was working on for Miguel, before Gabe's anger had begun to build the wall preventing a meaningful relationship with his brother. Somehow, it gave him closure. He scribbles out a note to his mother, and puts it and his brother's disk on the kitchen table. He takes a moment to glance at a picture of Miguel, Dana, his mother Conchata, and himself. A tear wells up in his eye. "Good-bye" is all he can choke out before he sits back down to hook up. (See Spider-Man 2099UG Quarterly for the further adventures of Miguel O'Hara and the Avalon 5) *** Uptown *** As the NYFAX grav copter passes low over a nearby rooftop, Miguel drops off from the area he has been clinging to. He lands hard on his side. His clothing and flesh are in tatters, and blood stains the area where he lands. He rolls over on his back and moans. The rain of debris from the explosion had nearly killed him. He did however, take some small comfort in the fact that at least his mother had escaped harm. He just lay there breathing and listening to his own weakening heart beat. He wonders not for the first time if it is worth all of this. Maybe it is time to seriously consider giving up the mask. It is certain that he was far from effective tonight. The October breeze blows in and Miguel's body, bloody and soaked from Thor's freezing rain, begins to shake uncontrollably. In his misery, he hears the sound of metal on metal but pays it little mind until a voice follows it up. "This will never do Mr. O'Hara. You are supposed to be dead." A tall woman walks into his field of vision. She is not very old, possibly 17, but her eyes are the windows to a much older, much colder soul. She fits her impressive and shapely form into a jet black body suit and little else to stave off the cold. Her hair is long, gleaming in the shades of platinum. Mig thinks that she could be beautiful if not for her cold stare. "I have to admit," she continues, "that I am impressed that you have survived this long, but alas, I do not get paid until you are dead." From her belt she pulls a device. A sphere with a series of flashing lights and indicators. With the touch of a button the top springs open then she fills it with what appears to be water from a canteen, then closes it. "Just a second and it will all be over. Nothing personal." BOOOOOM!!!! To Miguel's surprise his would be assailant is hit from behind with an energy discharge. She is thrown across the roof and out of Mig's sight. He is then picked up by one arm and set shivering on his feet. "Get out of here O'Hara. I'll handle Bombshell." Miguel turns to see his savior and is amazed to again to see one of his oldest foes! Venture, former member of the Alchemax Elite Corps. "Get going." he repeats, and then turns to meet their mutual foe. Without looking back, Miguel stumbles for the lift. With Miguel gone, Venture stands there facing the rubble where Bombshell had collided with the wall. The debris shifts and Bombshell stands. "You will pay for that, Venture." "Quit talking and show me." replies Venture. She stands and shrugs. "It's your funeral." As one, the two move in a dance of death. Bombshell targets Venture and lets fly a glass sphere filled with water. Venture fires his boat rockets hoping to avoid the projectile, for he knows that Bombshell is a mutant with the ability to transfigure the molecules of simple water into a volatile liquid more explosive than Nitro with a touch. Despite his attempts he is too slow, and the grenade catches his boat, and the blast threw off his trajectory, slamming him back into the roof. Venture, however, the veteran of hundreds of battles rolls into a crouch with his gun ready and fires a shot too fast. Bombshell easily dodges it. "You are getting old Venture." She taunts. "Keep talking, Bombshell." A faint glow engulfs Bombshell's boots and she makes a small hop that seems almost childish, but then a crack and a flash of light and she is leaping through the air toward her combustion glider. With her back to him, Venture fires again his arm mechanically enhanced. This time he catches her dead in the back and she falls spread eagle on her glider, wind knocked from her lungs. Venture allows himself a small smile as he begins to walk her direction. His movements are not hurried. He simply walks. Ahead, Bombshell shakes her head and forces air into her aching lungs. When she sees Venture, fear enters her eyes and she again activates her mutant power. This time to create the motive force for her vehicle, her glider glows. Realizing if Bombshell gets airborne then he is no longer able to follow her with a damaged jet boat, Venture stretches out his arm and from it his hand detaches and streaks towards the fellow assassin just as she guns the ignition. Her water filled rocket fires out hot plasma and she takes to the air just as Venture's hand reaches her. The disembodied hand slams her into her joystick and she curses as she begins to loose control of the craft. "Shock!" She curses and immediately throws all the weight against the joystick before she can clear the roof. Like a rocket she loops a full 180 degrees and guns the vehicle, right toward Venture. "Shock!" He brings his gun up just as they collide. Booommm! *** Uptown, nearby *** Miri sits brooding, this time in the cockpit of the NYFAX gravcopter. "What's wrong Miri? We have had a good night." She sighs. "I know we are missing something, some critical bit of news. There is a story we are missing. I know it!" "Maybe your sixth sense is just plain wrong tonight." She looks at him, unbelieving he could dare suggest such a conclusion. "I am never wrong about the news. Remember that." Sinner rolls his eyes then grins and shakes his head. "You are an amazing woman Miri." Miri is at once taken back by the unwarranted compliment. She immediately assumes she is being made the brunt of some joke. But a quick glance at Sinner brings her to an uncomfortable conclusion. Before she is aware of it Miri is voicing that conclusion aloud. "You really mean that don't you?" Sinner is about to respond when . . . BOOOOOM!!!! She turns to look out the window back toward the way they just came. "Wooo! I knew it! Bring us around, Sinner." *** Uptown, A rooftop *** Bombshell lay face down on the hard surface of the Tower. All around her lay flaming debris from where her combustion glider broke up. She had jumped clear just before it had collided with Venture. She pushes herself up on all fours and breathes "Shock it, Venture! Now how am I going to get out of here before the Public Eye gets here?" Although she addresses the cyborg, she scans the wreckage and does not see him anywhere. That disturbs her more than she would like to admit. To make matters worse, in the distance she can hear the approach of sky bikes . . . probably the Public Eye. "Shock it all!" She looks around desperately for any avenue of escape. Then, just when she is about to give up hope, she spots it. Coming up fast some gravcopter bursts from between two towers. Bombshell's head flies back, she spreads her arms and begins to laugh. The vehicle approaches, but stops at what it believes is a safe distance with spotlights illuminating her area of the rooftop. Then she suddenly stops laughing and her stare becomes somewhat menacing. There is a faint flash of light that comes from her combustion boots. With a slight hop an explosion escapes from beneath her, propelling her at the gravcopter. The pilot brings the craft around at a vertical and she nearly misses, but her right hand finds the rudder and she holds on tight, hanging 40 feet above the rooftop below. Then she hears a crackle of energy and her body goes numb. She loses her grip and falls to the battle site below. She manages to turn and see below her Venture is awaiting one of his hands to return while in the other holding his great gun, barrel first like a club. All she sees is him swinging the gun up to meet her before the darkness claims her. Venture, a burnt and scorched mess holds Bombshell aloft with one of his enhanced cybernetic arms. She dangles there unconscious as he holds her over the edge. The winds are strong at this altitude and buffets them as the spot light streams down upon them from the gravcopter above. Venture snarls at his prey. "You never were a real smart girl." "Put her down!" Venture turns, even though he does not need to. He heard the arrival of the Public Eye sky bikes even before they set down. He sees about a dozen officers, all very young. Each has their weapons trained on Venture. He becomes annoyed but says nothing. "I said put her down!" Venture shrugs. "All right" Then he merely tosses her over the edge. He can see the shock in each of their faces, but more than that he sees their hesitation. With a singular spinning motion Venture acts. His great gun repeatedly spews death, his stun rod flies at a target or two as his disembodied hand streaks for a victim's throat. An instant is all it lasts, but when the smoke clears, all his would be captors stand either subdued or unarmed. He sees the fear in their eyes. The leader, a Sgt. Swallows gulps. "I'm walking out of here, boy." "You just killed that woman!" "So what, kid? I kill a lot of people." Venture then strode up to him confidently. "You're out of your league boy. Admit it and you'll live. Period." The officer's eyes drop, and he nods. He moves aside and Venture moves to pick up his things. As he begins to walk away the young Sgt. speaks. "Alchemax is not here anymore, for any of us." Without turning Venture responds. "What's that mean, boy?" "They can't protect you anymore. I know you were one of the Alchemax Elite Corp, but the rules are changing. I can't stop you, but someday someone will." "Let them try." *** Epilogue: *** Up from the fault line. More often than not, the shadowed figure would be protecting his people. Tonight he is investigating. The top of a high rise exploded. Normally the black card carrying scabs could burn without his shedding a tear, but in this case innocents could be harmed. Children, low paid employees, misled victims, all just trying to survive. A second, smaller explosion, resonates above him. He turns to see if there is anything he can do to minimize the collateral damage. The debris begins to tumble earthward. No one is below it. Good. Something registers in his brain and his vision zooms in on the falling wreckage, but realizes it is not just debris. A woman. His eyes flash crimson, and the Daredevil is on the move. |