Never happy on the farm, he escaped his rural Texas beginnings by graduating high school at the age of 14 and moving to Patriot city to attend university. Patrick received his doctorate in chemistry five years later. He applied for and received; much to the older graduates chagrin, a large and prestigious grant for research in new pharmaceuticals.
Now at twenty-one he is an experienced and respected researcher, but not a happy one at the moment. �I can�t believe I forgot to file my budget reports!� he grumbled to himself. �Gosh, I really wanted to meet Shanova�s sister too. Which reminds me, I need to call her.� He reached for the phone and dialed the home of his new fianc�e. �Hello?� �Hi, honey, I�m really sorry about this, but you�re going to have to take Charleen to dinner without me. I�ve got a ton of paperwork to catch up on here.� said Patrick. The quick tempered redhead was not pleased. �Pat! You promised that today was going to be different, Charleen is�� �I know I promised but things have been really busy at the lab
and I just fell behind. Why don�t you and Charleen go out and I�ll take you both out for lunch tomorrow.?� After what he was sure was an anger filled silence she said �Well, all right, but you�d better show up or you�re in big trouble Buster!� As he hung up the phone Patrick wondered if Charleen was as high strung as her twin. He sincerely hoped not.
It was about an hour later that he heard the voices through the ventilator. It amused him that his new neighbor never realized that he could hear every word said in the other�s office. Dr. Wanzor could be such a wet-noodle. Patrick thought about their initial meeting. It was soon after that strange group of Superheroes, Freedom Force appeared that he bumped into Dr. Wanzor in the hall. �Oh, please excuse me, sir.� Patrick had said. �Watch where you are going you young dolt!� Barked the bespectacled old man. �And what are you doing lurking around here anyway? This floor is off limits to students!� Patrick grinned and said �Allow me to introduce myself, I�m Dr. Wilson.� Patrick put out his hand. �Dr�Oh do forgive me my boy! I�ve heard of you of course; I just expected someone�� �Older, maybe? Don�t worry , I get that a lot.�
�My name is Wanzor, Dr. Emil Wanzor. I�ll be using the lab next door to you.� Patrick had wondered about that. There had been a lot of bustle in the hallway lately. �What are you researching?� Patrick asked. �I�m afraid I can�t tell you that, Classified you know.� said Wanzor. He had immediately gone to his new lab and shut the door. Patrick and Dr. Wanzor had spoken many times since and Wanzor always asked how Patrick�s research was going but steadfastly refused to speak of his own.
Patrick�s musing were interrupted when he realized that the voices coming through the vent were speaking about him. �No, General. Wilson doesn�t suspect a thing. The man is brilliant when it comes to science but he is completely na�ve.� Although Wanzor never seemed to realize that sound carried through the old ducts, Patrick found himself holding his breath.
�How is his research coming along? Has he found anything useful to us?� said a man, undoubtedly this �General� Wanzor was talking with. �As a matter of fact, yes. His work in hallucinogenics is simply amazing. He's been trying to reduce the hallucinatory effects of LSD while increasing it's euphoric properties. His latest formula seems to have amplified both. And while we don't need the euphoric it should serve our purposes." The General said "Good, I'll have the canister sent over right away." The voices faded and a door could be heard closing.
"Whooo" Patrick's breath exploded out of him. "What is going on here?" He wondered. "I've got to get to the bottom of this!" Patrick, angry now, went into his laboratory and headed to the door that opened into the adjacent lab. The two labs had once been used as a single large complex and though it was kept locked the door had never been bricked up.
There was a large cabinet in front of the door and Patrick nearly knocked its contents all over the lab when he shoved against it. Surprised, he checked the underside of the cabinet and discovered that it was on wheels! "This must be how he's getting into my lab." Placing his ear against the door he heard no sounds from the other side. he pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door.
Patrick's heart was pounding as he slowly opened the door. He wasn't surprised that the hinges didn't squeak. After closing the door behind him, he quickly stole across the room and went to Wanzor's office. Patrick was reaching for the door, praying it wasn't locked when he realized there was something was very strange about this lab. He turned and looked around. None of the equipment in the room had been used! All the scientific implements lay shrouded in plastic, untouched. There was only one table that looked in use, a clamp was bolted to it, and there were several wires running to a flask of clear liquid. Several syringes lay in a tray nearby.
Patrick was peering at the label on the flask when a noise caused him to spin towards the door to the hallway. He heard a jingling sound and a muffled curse, as if someone had dropped their keys. He sprinted back to his own lab and could see the other door opening as he closed his. Patrick was shaking with fear and fury as he leaned his head against the door.
LSD3, That what the labeled flask read. Tri-lysergic acid diethylamide. Ten times stronger than LSD. �That formula is dangerous, that�s why I abandoned it!� thought Patrick. �They are going to inject someone with it, but why?�
There were voices coming from beyond the door. �....put the canister in that clamp....Careful you idiot! ........All right General, it�s connected. The formula should be ready in about an hour, let me show you the test subjects. They�ve been set up in the bomb shelter in the basement.....� Patrick heard the door shut .
Dr. Wanzor�s office was unlocked, but his desk wasn�t. It wasn�t hard to break into but anyone could tell it had been. In the bottom drawer was a large file labeled Project ultra-soldier Top Secret. Patrick opened the file and began reading. �.......after infusing the formula with the alien Energy-X, it will be administered to the subjects. The LSD3 will heighten the subjects brain activity. Energy-X is believed to grant super powers based on the recipients state of mind as well as their natural inclinations. Other unknown factors may apply. It is hoped that the combination of these two substances will produce superior soldiers with a variety of mental based powers, possibly including thought control and the ability to kill by thought. Due to the unpredictable nature of the results, precautions have been taken to destroy the subjects should they prove uncontrollable after the transformation.�
Patrick was in shock, his government was going to inject its own people with this formula and then kill them if they weren�t the obedient little super soldier they want. �No, not the government, Generals don�t show up at laboratories. The scientist goes to them. This MUST be some secret plot!!� he thought.
Just then he heard the outer door opening. Patrick rushed into the lab.
�Wilson, what are you doing here?� In his fury over what had been done with his work Patrick was oblivious to the danger he was in. �Monster! How could you do this to your fellow man?� He waved the file at Wanzor. �Science is supposed to help people, not turn them into freaks and mutants!� Dr. Wanzor was contemptuous. �Fool boy. Don�t you know the commies are already creating their monsters to take over the world? Nuclear winter almost destroyed this city! We have to stop them, we have to crush them first!�
As the two scientists argued about the ethics of science; on a nearby table a mysterious canister lay clamped. Wires running from the object were feeding the alien energy into the flask of hideously potent LSD3. The formerly colorless liquid was now glowing purple and growing brighter by the moment.
Patrick suddenly lost control, screaming �You won�t get away with this!� He grabbed the scarecrow like figure of Dr. Wanzor and threw him to the floor. Quickly turning to the table he grabbed the flask and yanked it free. As the wires connecting it to the canister of Energy-X came loose there was a blinding flash of purple light and the flask exploded in his hand. Like liquid lightning the hallucinogenic brew soaked into his torn hand sending agonizing arcs of pain through his body. Patrick leaned against the table, cradling his injured hand to his body and looked up.
And the world began to melt.
End Part One
Dr. Patrick Wilson PhD. understood what was happening to him, he was a brilliant chemist and very quick minded, but that didn't help him one little bit. The world was melting.
All around him the walls began to sag and run, tables full of equipment were collapsing to the floor and turning into puddles of steel and glass. He heard a strange booming echo as if someone were beating a steel barrel in a long tunnel, it took a moment to realize it was his own heart beating. Stunned, Patrick turned to stare about himself when he saw a nightmare rising out of the floor. A tall skeletal figure with bright shining eyes and wearing a white lab coat was standing before him.
Dr. Wanzor was laying on the floor where Wilson had thrown him when he heard the explosion and saw a bright flash of purple light. He rolled over to see Dr. Wilson standing there staring about like a child at the county fair searching for his lost mother; firghtened, alone and searching for a familiar face.
Wilson had his right hand wrapped about the left wrist, his left hand was gashed and bleeding. But as Wanzor watched, the wound began to close and the purple glow surrounding it began to fade.He struggled to his feet, and as he straightened up he looked directly into Dr. Wilson's eyes. The pupils were enlarged and still growing. Within moments they had swallowed the irises and even the whites of the eyes. As Wanzor gazed into the now pitch black orbs, Wilson began to laugh.
Patrick didn't even notice that his hand no longer hurt. He was staring at the figure before him when it occurred to him that it wasn't a skeleton but a scarecrow. Seeing the lab coat he realized that Dr. Wanzor had turned into what he always looked like, I big goofy scarecrow. This struck Patrick as funny and he began to laugh..... and laugh..... and laugh. He couldn't stop.
Dr. Wanzor was quickly becoming frightened. He began to see ghost images of swirling colors, the room seem to ripple around him. He felt as if he were trapped in a soap bubble at the bottom of the ocean. Wanzor closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head to clear it; when he opened them again everything seemed normal.
Wilson was just standing there cackling like a maniac. When it became apparent that he wasn't going to stop anytime soon, Wanzor rushed into his office to call General Steiner.
General Gerhard Steiner, Chief of R&D for the Department of Defense was a fanatic. His loyalties had been questioned during World War 2 because he was a first generation German-American, his Family had emigrated to the United States just before he was born.
Steiner had been sent to fight in the Pacific instead of Europe, 'just in case'. The suspicions of his superiors had wounded him greatly and he determined to prove himself at any cost. He was an American Dammit ! He would show them, show them all! Now, after all these years, he could finally prove them wrong with the success of his new project.
Project Super-Soldier. Take several highly trained soldiers, inject them with drugs to heighten the mind, expose them to Energy X and create living weapons to fight America's enemies. If a few men were lost; mutated, driven insane or killed by the process; well that was a price he was willing to pay.
The General needed results and he needed them now. He couldn't hide his illicit money transfers and personnel movements much longer. If he was discovered before he had produced his Super-soldiers then he would be disgraced forever; but if he could produce, if he could create a new weapon for his country, then he would be a hero. Nobody questions the methods of a hero.
Steiner was in the underground shelter/lab when the call came in. An orderly gave him the phone. "Wanzor? Why aren't you down here? This experiment... WHAT? I'm on my way!" Steiner threw down the phone and gathering the guards from the door, he pelted up the stairs.
Meanwhile, Patrick had begun to regain control of himself. His laughter had subsided to a few giggles and; gasping for breath, he climbed slowly up from the floor where he had collapsed in hysteria. Once again he looked around the room.
As he surveyed his surroundings; a small part of him remembered that he had been drugged, that he was hallucinating and none of this was real.. But it didn't matter. In the corner, a white shrouded pile of equipment was muttering to itself under it's sheet. A spider-web in the corner detached itself from the wall and began crawling across the ceiling. That's when the giant frog ran into the room.
General Steiner was red-faced and puffing when he careened into the lab. His green army uniform was damp with sweat as he stopped and looked at the young man before him. His eyes had become two windows into midnight. He yelled for Wanzor.
"Gribblaflert!!" The big green frog with the red face and black bushy mustache must have been gargling peanut butter. Chunky peanut butter.Wanzor ran back into the room. The frog and the scarecrow spouted gibberish at each other for a few moments. Wilson was about to start giggling again when two more frogs arrived.
Dr. Wanzor heard the General's roaring voice and ran to the lab. "General! Wilson has been exposed to the formula, there's no telling what he's capable of now!" Two armed soldiers came rushing in, rifles at the ready. General Steiner pointed at Wilson and said "Shoot that man!" Wanzor had a bad feeling that that was not a good idea.
The two new frogs were armed with gigs like the ones he used to hunt frogs with when he was a kid. only these were much, much bigger. The first frog, the one with the shiny bits across his chest, yelled again. This time it sounded like Pinocchio when he was under water. "Sh-goooglt thaggrt maggln"
The two new frogs raised their prong bladed spears and were ready to throw them. Instinctively, Patrick threw his hands out as if to ward off the blow. A bizarre thing happened then; (Patrick was rapidly becoming tired of bizarre things happening around him.) a green bubbling mist shot from his outstretched hands and flew straight at the frogs.
Startled, yet trained to obey, the soldiers raised their rifles to their shoulders. The weird guy with the black eyes thrust his hands out before him and they were enveloped in a green cloud. A cloud that burned.
Wanzor watched in horror as the acidic cloud engulfed the three soldiers. They began screaming in pain and a gun went off, its bullet gouging a hole in the cinderblock wall.
The General collapsed to the floor hands covering his face as the guards ran screaming from the room. Wilson turned to look at him.
Patrick was dazed. He had felt something leaving his body when the green mist had appeared, streaming from his hands. Now he felt the ....energy, building again. He turned to Wanzor who now looked almost completely normal. Patrick's focused his mind; he remembered now who had done this. He remembered what had happened. He began to get angry.
"Wanzor! You did this! You betrayed me, corrupted my work!" Patrick's anger grew, he wanted Wanzor to know what he had done, wanted him to experience the freakish hell that reality had become for him.
Patrick felt a warmth in his hand, he looked down and there was a blue sphere, like a bubble in his hand. Somehow, he knew that this was the way to make the man pay for his crime. He screamed "Welcome to my world, Doctor!!" and threw the sphere at Wanzor.
Dr. Wanzor only had time to cringe before the blue bubble struck him. It felt like he had been hit by a huge wave of water. As the bright liquid splashed away he felt everything change. Bright lights were blasting in his ears. He could see his screams bouncing off the walls as his tongue tried to crawl backwards down his throat
The sensations were too much for him. Wanzor squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears. His brain squirmed out of his skull and flew away into the darkness.
Patrick watched as Wanzor stopped screaming and turned into a slack-jawed idiot. The Doctor collapsed into a heap on the floor; saliva began to drip, then gush from his mouth. Patrick backed away from the expanding pool of slime and bumped into the table behind him. Purple fire burned into his spine and he whirled around.
On the low table before him a small purple metallic monster sat; tentacles waving and spitting purple sparks. He grabbed the thing and threw it through the glass of the window. Patrick rushed over to see the little monster fall to its death.
He looked out through the shattered glass and saw.... a metal canister trailing wires arcing through the air directly onto a car. In the instant before the explosion he could see a woman behind the wheel. A red-headed woman. Another woman who looked just like her was just getting out of the passenger side.
The car exploded in a blinding flash of purple and orange. The girl getting out of the car was thrown by the shockwave through the plate glass window of the store that they had parked in front of. Her body flailing she crashed into a display of new color television sets.
Sparks flew and electricity arced. The girl lay still.
Patrick looked at the burning vehicle. He recognized it; it was his fiancee's car. "Noooo!!" Believing that he had just killed his fianc�e, in shock and terrible grief he leapt from the window.
As Patrick was falling the three stories to a certain death, the ground rushing and swirling up at him, he panicked. Fear rose up in him and he rose with it. Wailing his grief to the world, Patrick flew into the sky.
What Patrick did not see as he disappeared in the distance, leaving behind the scene of his betrayal, and his tragedy; what he did not see was a shape emerging from the wreckage of a burning car. The shape of a woman aflame, burning but not consumed. Nor did he see the gleaming gun-metal blue-black hand rising out of a pile of smashed electronics.
End Part 2 By Science Betrayed.
By Phishhed.
If Hell is a real place, it is probably a lot like the world as Patrick Wilson now saw it. Rage, grief and horror were fighting a pitched battle for possession of his soul and he didn't much care at the moment which would win.
Rage filled him and caused him to rain acidic clouds on imaginary foes. Foes that were one moment giant frogs from hell and soldiers the next. Slack jawed scarecrows slobbered and drooled all the while chanting "Kill the Commies!"
Grief shredded his sanity as he saw over and over again the explosion of his beloved's car. Horror gibbered in the shadows of his mind as the world warped and fluxed about him. The sun had set on Patriot city and no one would sleep easy this night.
The Police arrived at the scene just outside the university campus within five minutes. Ambulances and fire trucks were hard on their heels. A mindless Professor Wanzor was being loaded into the ambulance when Minute Man showed up.
"What happened here officer?" Asked the masked hero." Well, we're finding that out now, Minute Man. There was an explosion, obviously, but we've also got three victims with acid burns and one who appears catatonic." said the detective. "Witnesses report two women were in the car but there's no sign of them."
"Minute Man; my sensors are confirming a large release of Energy X at your location. I am tracking three emanations moving away at high speeds." The telepathic voice of Mentor was strong ;and unnerving , as usual. "The strongest emanation is flying approximately two thousand feet above the Harbor. ManOWar is investigating."
"What about the other two?" Thought Minute Man back to base. "They have apparently landed on the roof of a large dwelling complex on Franklin Ave near the library. I cannot track them further for they have ceased using their powers."
"It sounds like the Wilshire place apartments." Thought Minute Man. "If I move quickly, I may be able to locate them with the scanners in the Patriot car."
"Officer, I must go. Please send a copy of your report to the Freedom Fortress." he said to the police detective. "Good day citizen." He walked back to the red, white and blue aircar parked a few feet away.
Minute Man paused in the door a moment as his keen hearing picked up a babbled description from a rattled bystander.".....and then she just climbed out of the car all covered in fire. She ran over to the store and helped some ....thing.. out of the rubble. Then her fire went out and she was naked!"
The super patriotic hero couldn't help but smile a little as he thought to himself, "It's a good thing our young Diablo isn't here, or we could have REAL trouble"
Patrick was floating in the darkness of the young night. The spectacular beauty of the just finished sunset was lost on him. He was weeping silently to himself, having lost his voice from screaming. The belching smokestacks of the factories played counterpoint to the wrecked docks on the waterfront. Bug like things crawled amid the half repaired wharves. "I'm flying over hell, and I deserve to be here" he thought.
ManOWar approached cautiously, stopping about thirty feet away from the distraught young man. "Laddie, are ye all right?" There was no response. He tried again and again but the poor lad was lost in another world. He closed the distance between them and was reaching out when the man opened his strange black eyes and went mad.
Patrick had closed his eyes to the bizarre world around him, unable to deal with all the strange sensations bombarding him. He had the uncanny feeling that the bones in his skull were rearranging themselves It was too much.
Suddenly he realized that a strangely familiar voice was speaking to him, and had been for some time. "James Bond?" he thought, surprised, and opened his eyes.
A one-eyed, scaly skinned blue monster was reaching to tear out his throat! Patrick lashed out with all his might and struck the blue demon in the jaw. It flew back and down a few yards then stopped and shook its hideous head.
Patrick didn't wait for it to recover but attacked again. Raining blows and curses he drove the devil down to the surface of the harbor and then thrust out a hand and sprayed the green cloud over it. It bellowed in pain and fell to the water where it slowly sank from sight. Patrick flew away into the darkness.
When ManOwar came to Sea Urchin was hauling him up onto a nearby wharf. "Ach, what happened lass?" "I don't know," said the Urchin "I was helping some merchant marines get their anchor untangled when I heard you hit the water. By the time I got there all I could see was some guy flying off toward the park."
"Well, tis a good thing I kinna drown eh lass?" ManOwar laughed, flinching as his burnt skin brushed against the girl holding him. "It's too bad El Diablo is still recovering from that little dust up with our pirate friend. I have a bad feeling we'll have need of him tonight."
Patrick flew to the park, thinking a little bit of quiet would be good about now. He felt tired after killing that demon. As he neared the park he saw bright lights and heard music and laughter everywhere. He had forgotten that the circus was in town.
He landed lightly in the grass behind a red and white tent. As he strolled into the fairgrounds he became entranced by the glaring colors and chaotic sounds surrounding him. The people around him were acting very strangely. Some would suddenly stop in their tracks and stare into space, frozen. Others burst into laughter or ran screaming in fear.
Patrick, dazed, wandered into the parking lot. There some young people in brightly colored clothes were playing drums and singing wildly. A VW microbus was parked nearby, shirts and pants made with strange swirling patterns were hung about it, apparently for sale.
"Wow, man! I must be having a flashback, That guys got no eyes!" Patrick turned to see a long haired young man staring at him. The pretty young thing next to him giggled and said, "No, he's just had too much cool-aid.
"Cool-aid?" asked Patrick. Long hair replied, "ELECTRIC cool-aid and from the way you look man, you didn't just pass the acid test, you Wrote It!" Patrick liked these people, they weren't trying to kill him or turning into frogs or anything. He laughed at the thought and turned to the dyed cloth ."How much will this buy?" he asked pulling out his money, his entire paycheck was there. Ready for a big dinner out with ...with...
He felt a great pain at this thought; his mind recoiled from it. He couldn't think about....that. A slender hand touched his arm. The pretty young girl was handing him a pile of cloth. "Man that'll buy everything we have." She smiled, the bells braided into her hair jingling lightly.
Patrick gave her the money, all the while staring at the garland of flowers writhing and twining in her braids. Feeling mischievous he looked into her eyes and said "Would you like to join me?" He held out his free hand and showed her the blue crystal ball in his palm. The girl frowned a bit, not understanding. "Welcome to my world " he whispered and crushed the sphere in his fist.
There was a huge splash of blue liquid. Patrick was already too far gone to be affected but the young people around him were not. Some simply froze in place, others began giggling and laughing. One unfortunate soul began to scream. "Bugs! Bugs! Ahhhhhhhh!" He ran screaming into the midway.
The young girl dropped the money to the ground and ran chasing a piece of paper drifting in the breeze. "Look, dancing butterflies!" She called back to her friends. Patrick floated away, giggling to himself.
It took only a few minutes to return home. Patrick stripped off his bloody clothes and ;grabbing the brightly hued material, began to sew. It would look sloppy but he liked the bright colors, especially the rainbow swirl he had chosen for the mask. "Hehehe, Pretty."
Minute Man had tracked down the Energy X emissions to an apartment on the third floor. He was about to knock on the door when Mentor spoke in his mind again. "Minute Man, ManOwar has been injured. I am sending the Patriot car on auto-pilot to retrieve him and Urchin from the waterfront."
"The Energy X emissions were apparently coming from a young man in a white lab coat. Possibly a scientist reported missing from the University The sensors tracked him as far as Ben Franklin Park." said Mentor. "Great Scott! Now both of our fliers are down. We could have trouble catching this villain without them." Minute Man thought.
A new mental voice entered the silent conversation. "ManOwar here." As if he needed any identification other than his accent. "I'm not so sure the lad's a villain. Dangerous, aye and strong to boot, but I took him by surprise. He was cursing me for a demon when he attacked."
"Villain or no, he is dangerous" said Mentor. "I am receiving reports of panic at the Park, the police radio states that mass hallucinations have broken out." Minute Man thought quickly. "Get every able bodied member of the team over to the park. I'll meet you there as soon as I check out the two I tracked down here."
Minute Man raised his hand to knock on the door before him. He heard familiar FWOOSH! sound just like El Diablo firing up, but louder. Then he heard a crashing sound and a muffled curse. Minute man began pounding on the door. A woman's voice: "Ow!" Minute Man Broke down the door.
Minute Man burst into the apartment. A woman with strangely reflective skin stood sucking a thumb and staring at him. There was a flare of light and an angry voice outside the window said "Come on!" and the woman by the broken window jumped out and flew into the night sky.
Minute Man ran to the window and saw a trail of flame shooting off to the north. He heaved a heavy sigh. After replacing the fractured door in its frame Minute Man leaped out the window himself. The familiar cry on his lips. "For Freedom!" He sped towards the park.
"Hahahahhhaahahahah", Patrick cackled madly as he looked in the mirror. He was covered head to toe in tie-dye. Colors shifted and oozed as he watched. "When it's play time in hell you HAVE to wear a costume." he giggled, and Flashback was ready to play.
End part 3
Ben Franklin park was a scene of utter chaos. Parents frantically searched for children. Children cried for the lost mother or father. Vendors scrambled to gather their scattered wares. The circus grounds looked like the aftermath of an earthquake.
When Minute Man arrived puffing lightly after the long run, most of the Freedom Force were already there. "Stars and Bars!, what's going on here?" Alchemiss replied, "Apparently, our friend just wandered through the fairgrounds. He seems to affect peoples minds just by being near them."
"What's wrong with Mentor?" asked MM nodding towards the alien who was slumped over on a park bench. "The poor fella's exhausted from helping these people get their heads back on straight." Minute Man could see Liberty Lad carrying a small child through the crowd. Microwave was scanning the area with his sensors. Every few seconds Bullet would zip by.
"Where's The Urchin?" asked the masked patriot. "Present location of unit designated Sea Urchin: Freedom Fortress." Microwave had finished his scans and returned to the group gathered around the Freedom Flyer. Bullet arrived in a puff of wind. "The little un wouldn't leave ManOwar's side. She's a plucky one , that girl."
Liberty Lad had apparently been relieved of his small burden and joined the rest of the team as Mentor got up from the bench. Freedom Force began to discuss their options. "This is what we know of his powers so far....."
Sirens could be heard around the city, lots of sirens. The phone lines at the police station were jammed with reports of monsters, disturbances of all types .Street thugs were turning themselves in to the police trembling in fear. Common citizens were found wandering aimlessly in the streets. Traffic accidents sky rocketed. Patriot city was in trouble.
Patrick, who now thought of himself as Flashback, was hovering quietly over a dark alley. listening to two thugs discuss Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle when a woman stumbled by the alley entrance. The thugs immediately followed. "Well, well, well, look what we got here", said the first goon. The woman paid no heed. The second goon ,stepped in front of the dazed girl. "Hand over the purse lady"
As the woman slowly turned her glazed eyes to the man before her, a voice boomed out of the darkness above them. "Unhand that woman evildoer!...heeheehee I always wanted to say that." The thugs, startled looked up and saw a man sitting in the air over their heads.
Flashback had his legs crossed beneath him, hands on his knees like a Buddhist at meditation. He dropped slowly to about three feet above the ground. His hands closed into fists and he brought them close to his face.
As Louie started to raise Mr. Bat for a good swing at this loony's head, he felt it. His head began to spin and the colors of the floating man's costume began to shift and change, Louie's brain shorted out .Tom was pulling his thirty-eight from his waistband when the strangers hand's shot out and flew open. "BOO!!"
Flashback was ready to put a scare into these guys and wanted to try out his new trick again. He concentrated on the one with the gun. Picturing the most frightening thing he could imagine he threw out his hands palm out and 'pushed'. A bright orange beam lanced out striking the goon in the face. .
Tom was drawing down on the multicolored maniac in front of him when it hit, There was a flash and suddenly he was surrounded by nightmares, winged, scaly, slimy creatures from his darkest dreams. He screamed "Monsters, monsters from the id!" and he ran down the alley; monsters at his heels.
The goon holding the bat just stood there not moving. the pink poodle with the purse stumbled away. Flash back laughed to himself "My work here is done." He rose into the night once again.
Liberty Lad had heard the screams, jumping rooftop to rooftop he arrived at the scene just as the flying madman zoomed off..
"Golly who is this guy?" LL. He reported in to Mentor. "I spotted our guy. He's moving towards the library, and get this, he's glowing." "Very well Nick, Bullet is on his way. I will inform the rest of the team." replied Mentor.
With the Ant out of town and two on the injured list they had no one to watch the scanners at the fortress. Freedom force had scattered across the city, assisting where needed but always on the lookout for this new menace. Now that he had been located they converged on the library, hoping to get there in time.
As Flashback flew through the night, he headed for one of his favorite places. It was always so peaceful there, about time someone shook things up! He grinned to himself and flew faster.
He was disappointed when he reached the library, it was closed. Flashback glanced at the clock built into the front of the building, just after midnight. "Well," he thought "Somebody will be along to entertain me soon." He flew up and sat on the peak of the roof directly above the doors.
Minute Man, Alchemiss, and Mentor were in the Freedom Flyer. Microwave had been on patrol and was teleporting himself across town as fast as he could. Mentor guided the car in for a landing on the street in front of the landing.
"Be careful team! This madman is dangerous." said MM as they piled out of the car. Liberty Lad slipped out of the shadows. "He's on the roof, just sitting there." "Bullet here, I've got the back covered if he tries to get away."
Mentor had that faraway look in his eyes that he got when using his mental powers. "I sense a mind of incredible power! AAUUGH! It is chaos! He ...ohhh" Mentor collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Alchemiss rushed to his side.
Minute Man was completely astonished. He had never seen Mentor falter from a mental attack before. He turned and looked up at the raving rainbow above. He heard a faint voice singing. "Minute Man he went to town a flying in his air-car, then he got zapped and ran away a screaming for his moommmyyy!" Light lanced down from the roof and struck the hero in the chest.
Minute Man stumbled, then looked wildly around. "Nooo, we can't win!" He began to run. Microwave appeared behind Flashback in a splash of light. "Positive threat identified" Flashback was turning around when Microwave's fist struck him, he flew backward off the roof and landed a few feet from the gathered heroes.
Patrick was taken by surprise, he thought he heard a sound and turned to look when something hit him. A moments weightlessness and a sudden stop. He looked up and saw that he was surrounded by comic book freaks, he began to laugh again. "Wow, how did I come up with you guys?" he said.
Alchemiss was dumbfounded. A two story fall onto concrete and this guy was laughing. "Golly" was all Liberty lad could say. Bullet zipped around the corner as Microwave jumped down from the roof.
Alchemiss began to chant a spell, Liberty Lad rushed forward and gave Flashback the old 'one-two'. "Socko!" Flashback looked at him and said, "You're gettin on my nerves kid." He swatted the boy away like a fly. Bullet ran in and started pounding, dancing here and there then darting back. Flashback hardly noticed.
Alchemiss concentrated, waiting for a moment when Bullet was clear. As she let fly the Curse of the Goddess, she could have sworn the man was staring her in the eyes, even though she couldn't see his face. It was completely covered in a swirl of colored cotton.
Flashback looked at the beautiful woman before him, she had red hair just like,....like... Something brushed over him, like an icy wind, distracting him. He looked around and saw a silver pinball bouncing off him over and over, Robbie the robot was aiming a flashlight at him and the girl was waving like a crazed teen at a Beatles concert.
The tumult around Flashback was getting too intense, the whirling silver blur, the stuttering echo of multiple voices. He wanted it to stop.
Flashback raised his arms straight out from his sides, palm out like a cop directing traffic. He began to spin in place, lights strobing and flashing about him.
Nothing was working! Bullet had hit the man about fifty times, Microwave had blasted so much radiation at him that the robot had to pause and recharge his weapons. "My spells do nothing!" thought Alchemiss.
The air began to glow and flicker around them. The man spun around in a circle shouting "Leave me ALONE!!" and there was a huge explosion of light and sound.
When it was gone, The Ant was standing before Alchemiss. Dominion warriors had him surrounded and one of them was about to shoot him in the back. Acting quickly she repulsed it back into the wall of the library. She followed with an arcane bolt then ran in for an up close and personal.
Bullet bobbed out of the way as Microwave readied for another shot, then there was a flash like lightning. When his eyes cleared, he saw Sea Urchin wounded on the ground in front of him and a raptor was charging her. Bullet jumped in and struck six quick blows, the creature went down.
Flashback giggled as the cartoons in his head started to beat each other up. The pinball bounced off the annoying little snot for a moment then rolled after Yankee Doodle. The tin-man and party girl were going at each other hard. He watched and laughed.
"Initiating defense protocols." Microwave had taken several hits before his programming overrides kicked in, he stood up and swung his fist . The energized punch staggered the Alchemiss unit. He followed up with a radiation beam just as another bolt struck his chest.
Circuits were damaged but Microwave's back-up systems analyzed the situation. "Current conditions do not compute. Self is member of Freedom Force. Alchemiss unit is member of Freedom Force. Alchemiss unit is attacking self. Conclusion: Alchemis unit is malfunctioning. Solution: Alchemiss unit must be disabled."
Microwave brought up his fist again, and charging his capacitor to maximum struck Alchemiss hard in the jaw. She went down and didn't get back up.
Bullet had smashed the red white and blue dinosaur about nine times when he heard Minute Man's voice issue from the slavering jaws, "Bullet, why? ooohhhh." Confused, he shook his head to clear it and saw The ultra patriot at his feet. He turned ,furious now, and sprinted back towards the costumed nutcase that had caused all this.
The fastest man on earth was only steps away when his target suddenly rose in the air. Too late to stop himself he smashed face first into Microwave. The mechanical man flew back into the wall again and slid to the ground spitting sparks. Bullet stood stunned. Suddenly a boiling green mist enveloped him, burning all over, he tried to get away but collapsed only a few hundred feet away.
Flashback, was getting bored with this. The sky was calling to him, the stars waved and beckoned. he rose into the air. There was a crashing sound at his feet and he looked down. Directly below him was that stupid pinball. Flashback thrust out a palm and sprayed the green mist at it. when the mist faded the orb was gone.
"Gotcha." Once again Flashback shot up into the ink black sky, and once again failed to see the movement behind him. A black figure stepped out of the shadows, human in shape but blacker than the night around it. The figure surveyed the prone figures scattered about and then looked into the starry heavens and whispered. "Perhaps, ....perhaps you have the power, power enough to fill..... The Void."
END Part 4
When the Bullet awoke, he was in pain. There was blood on his face where his nose had smashed into Microwave and his armor was pitted and scarred from acidic corrosion. He looked around and found that he was in better shape than his team-mates who were all still unconscious.
Bullet groaned as he got up and began to gather his fallen friends. One by one he placed them in the Freedom Flyer until only Microwave remained. When he approached the android he noticed for the first time the dark shadowy figure standing nearby.
"Wh-Who, What are you?" asked the Bullet shakily. He earnestly hoped that this was not a new foe. The ominous figure moved into the light of a nearby lamp-post and Bullet gasped. It wasn't merely black, it absorbed the light around it making it impossible to focus on.
"I am the VOID" replied the shadow in a strange muffled voice, as if it absorbed the sound of that as well. "I would have helped you with your friends, but..." The Void walked closer to the light and it dimmed as he approached, finally flickering out when he was two or three feet away.
Bullet thought a moment and said "No, I reckon that little talent wouldn't be too helpful right now." Bullet bent to pick up his broken metal friend. "No offense friend but I gotta get my friends here some help." he said as he placed Microwave in the back of the air-car.
The Void moved up beside the flyer, Bullet felt cold as he approached. It seemed that the Void sucked the heat out of the very air. "Please, I need to speak with Freedom Force, I need help, I need to know what I have become!" Bullet thought quickly, the stranger seemed sincere. "Hop on in friend, once I get my buddies here fixed up we can talk."
The dark head swung side to side. "I'm afraid your vehicle would not operate with me inside, tell me where you go and I will meet you there." "Even better " thought Bullet. He gave directions to the Freedom Fortress to the stranger and quickly sped away.
After leaving the scene of the battle, Flashback roamed the skies for hours. He couldn't rest, couldn't sit still for a moment. He was charged with energy he could not get rid of. A pale purple glow surrounded him, brightening by the hour.
Dawn found him wandering through a small forest miles from the city. The purple glow was shining even in the daylight. Bright sparks and arcs of power spat out into the trees. The screams of small animals could be heard as they were hit, birds fell out of the sky as Flashback passed beneath them.
The trees, which had been friendly and talkative just minutes before, were now silent and menacing. Flashback was mentally exhausted and wanted a quiet place to be alone with his madness. He headed home.
Early Morning at the Freedom Fortress:
When the Ant returned from his trip to the country, he was shocked by the condition of his friends. "What happened to you guys?!" he said when he walked into the conference room.
Liberty Lad and Minute Man both looked as if they had gone ten rounds with Cascius Clay. Bullet was polishing his chrome with manic speed and Alchemiss was nursing a swollen jaw as she sipped her morning tea. Alchemiss told the Insect Avenger of the events of the previous night.
As Alchemiss finished her story Minute Man spoke. "An old friend in the Dept. of Defense gave me a copy of a file found at the lab that was wrecked yesterday. It seems that rogue elements of the government were attempting to create super soldiers using Energy X and a psychoactive drug called LSD3."
"What!? Let me see that." cried Ant. After speed reading through the file Ant whistled. "Whoo, that is insane. Lsd causes the neurons in the brain to fire off at random. Seven or eight micrograms of it will induce a hallucinatory state for up to twenty-four hours. According to this file, several ounces of the drug were infused with Energy X."
Minute Man broke in "And if this Dr. Wilson were exposed to that much of the drug?"
"Every neuron in his brain would be constantly active." said Mentor from the doorway.
Mentor walked to the table and sat down. "This man is incredibly dangerous. When I tried to probe his mind last night, I discovered many things. His power is immense and; I believe, growing." "Growing, how?" asked Bullet.
"The drug." interrupted the Ant. "His brain is acting like a generator and revved up as it is, it is only a matter of time before it blows.
"What I want to know is why the devil we couldn't hurt him last night." said Alchemiss. "That I can explain as well." said Mentor.
"I saw in his mind the terrible events that caused him to become what he is. He was not part of that evil experiment, he tried to stop it. After his exposure to the chemical there was an accident and he believes he killed his beloved."
"His mind could not encompass the grief of what he believed himself to have done and in his madness he decided that it was not real. Nothing is real to him now."
"I still don't understand, just how does this make him invulnerable.?" said Alchemiss impatiently.
"He does not believe you can hurt him because you are not real; so you cannot"
"But that's impossible!" said Minute Man. "Such is the power of Energy X" replied Mentor.
In the silence that followed this pronouncement a loud knocking was heard at the front door. Everyone looked at the monitor that showed the entrance to the fortress, the image was filled with static. "That is most strange." murmured Mentor to himself.
"I'll get it." said El Diablo sleepily.He had just walked into the room, his injuries apparently healed. Mentor's eyes lost focus as he used his powers to 'see' their visitor. "Diablo, no!" he called.
The hot blooded hero opened the door to see a pitch black shadow before him. Startled, Diablo let loose a jet of flame. Fwoosh! Flame splashed over the figure and disappeared.
"That was refreshing," said the shadow "but tell me; do you always answer the door this way?" "Dios mio! I must be still asleep"
Bullet suddenly appeared at Diablo's side "Hold on there buddy, I know this guy, sort of." "Come on in, uh Void." Thank you" said the stranger.
The trio proceeded down the hall to the conference room. Minute Man stood as they entered and introduced himself. "Jeepers" whispered Liberty Lad too loudly. The Void was six feet tall and blacker than midnight. The room seemed darker now that he was in it.
Actually the room was darker. The lights had dimmed and all the monitors shut down as he walked in the room. "Forgive me if I don't shake hands, you would not find it a pleasant experience."
Minute man took his hand back and sat down once again. Bullet had told the others of his encounter the night before, but still, it was an unsettling sight. This Void was an ink black hole shaped like a man.
"How can we help you friend?" asked M.M. He was worried about the current situation with this Flashback character, but things seemed quiet for the moment.
"I believe we may be able to help each other, at least I hope so." said the Void. "I saw some of what happened last night and I think you'll agree that I may be of aid once you know what I can do."
"The story of how I came to be what I am is too long to go into now, so I will simply tell you why I call myself the Void."
"I am the Void because I hunger incessantly for energy. No amount that I have absorbed is enough to sustain me for long. Heat, light, electricity, I absorb and consume it all. As you can see, I do not reflect light at all."
Mentor saw it immediately. "If you could get near to our new foe, it is possible you could absorb enough of his power to make him vulnerable."
"Better than that, if I can touch him, I may be able to render him unconscious. Sadly, it has happened before." said the Void.
"But how are we supposed to get him to where that flyin looney tune is?" asked Alchemiss. "If tall dark and uh, dark, here has to walk everywhere he'll never catch him."
Ant spoke up. "We could try treating some cloth with an insulating formula I've been working on. We've got plenty of red, white and blue laying around." Minute Man and Liberty Lad glanced at each other. The Ant motioned the Void towards the door. "Hmm, maybe a little yellow instead of white..."
As the Void left the room, all the monitors began to function again, the light came back to full. Mentor immediately began to scan for traces of Energy X.
It was only about an hour later that the two heroes returned. "That was mighty fast if I do say so myself." said the Bullet. "With spandex, one size fits all." Quipped the Ant "I just sewed some leftover pieces together, nothing fancy."
"So I see." said Alchemiss from the desk in the corner. She was studying for an exam in her French class. The Void was now covered in red and blue, with a wide yellow stripe running down the chest and back. Only his face remained uncovered. It was the proverbial black hole.
"My formula works" said the Ant. "He should be able to ride in the flyer now." "That is a very good thing my insectoid friend," said Mentor suddenly "For I have just detected a massive source of Energy X flying into the city. Our foe returns."
Freedom force ran to the hangar. ManOwar and El Diablo; who had apparently healed over-night, took off as soon as the doors were open enough to let them through. The rest of the team piled into the flyer and followed.
Mentor had turned the car towards the park when Liberty Lad spoke up. "Where's he headed Mentor?" "I am unsure, his path is erratic but tends to lead in a particular direction. I calculate that we should be able to intercept him near the park."
Merry, who was known as the Sea Urchin to the world, jerked in her seat as she heard this. "The park? Oh, no! Today is the Circus Parade!" All of the rest of the humans in the flying car jumped at that. "Step on it Spaceman!" said Minute Man.
"What do you wish me to step on? said the Alien. "He means go really, REALLY fast." broke in Liberty Lad.
Flashback was hopelessly lost. He flew zig-zags across the city but could not recognize a single landmark. The buildings in the city kept changing. One minute a tower would appear to be made of rock, the next it would go crawling into a corner to hide. Radio and tv antennaes reached out to grab him with steely claws. His imagination was running amok. He decided to see if he could recognize anything from ground level.
Flashback was arcing down to the ground when suddenly the giant face of a policeman stuck its tongue out at him from a billboard. He was so surprised by this that he flew smack into a water tank on the roof of a nearby building.
Flashback shot a beam of acid at the face then turned to walk away and stepped right off the building. He smashed into the pavement, rolled over and looked up at a demon from the pits of hell itself.
A giant gray beast with tree sized legs was about to stomp on him. It had huge bat wings and a long tentacle growing out the front. Flashback threw up his arms in a panic and a bright orange beam of energy shot out and struck the beast. It leapt into the air.
The Fourteenth Annual Mason Brothers Circus Parade was winding it's way through the streets of Patriot city. The day was beautiful and cloudless, the streets were lined with crowds of spectators laughing as they watched the antics of the clowns and acrobats passing by. The elephants; half way down the parade route, had just passed the reviewing stand when the madness started.
The elephant handler had no idea what to make of the rag-doll figure that landed in the street before him. He had no time to react either. There was a flash of orange and Jumbo trumpeted in fear. He reared.
Flashback jumped up so fast he flew backward into a streetlight. He looked up and saw that its fanged mouth was bending down to devour him. Flashback fired an acid bolt and ran into the street.
He didn't get five feet before he slammed into a rampaging bear. The beast was still wearing its clown hat as it began to rip into him. Flashback struck out with a blue sphere in his fist and every living thing within thirty feet felt it.
Jumbo had learned to ignore all the noise and commotion from the parade, but the purple glowy thing under his feet was a bit much. He paused in mid step; confused. Suddenly, Jumbo was terrified, of every thing.
The giant male elephant reared up bellowing in fear, the pannier on his back swayed a bit then fell off. The trapeze artists inside were spilled onto the sidewalk. Screams erupted in the crowds. Circus workers ran to calm the panicking pachyderm but it was no use, Jumbo was in a frenzy.
The panic spread like wildfire through the line of animals and performers on the street. The dancing bear dropped to all fours and charged the crowd. A man dressed in many colors ran in front of it and the bear attacked.
Suddenly there was a wave of liquid light. People froze, or ran screaming in terror. Some attacked each other in a rage. The costumed man began to babble and run about throwing bolts of energy and acid into the crowd.
A policeman was trying to direct the crowd away from the mayhem. He was blowing his whistle madly and waving the mob to safety. Flashback was reeling drunkenly in the street and bumped into the officer. A bolt of pure purple spat out from the aura surrounding Flashback and the officer slumped to the ground.
El Diablo and ManOwar floated helplessly above the scene. Thousands of people were running madly in the streets below; a pair of elephants were stomping a car into the ground while a pair of monkeys watched, chattering in rage at everything around them.
The Freedom Flyer had no place to land when it arrived. Mentor lowered the car into a hover above a relatively clear spot. Freedom force began dropping from the car to the ground. Minute Man took charge immediately.
"Mentor, Alchemiss get started calming these animals! Bullet, Microwave clear out the civilians." M.M. sprinted towards an escaped lion that was stalking a woman in the street.
El Diablo flew low over the crowd. The wagons holding the big cat cages had overturned and the felines were running loose. He headed in their direction while ManOwar went after the horses and ponies.
ManOwar zoomed above the horse that seemed to be the leader of the little herd. First, he immobilized the leader, then he called upon the water. Water mains burst all around and the spray formed a wall around the animals. Leaderless, the beasts milled confusedly about their little watery barn.
El Diablo used all the control he could muster to fire small flames in front of the big cats. The great felines spat and snarled but stopped advancing. He bobbed and weaved in the air trying to keep the animals attention on himself until help could arrive.
Liberty Lad ran amongst the crowd of beasts tossing stun grenades left and right. Only his energy X enhanced agility saved him from harm. He was glad he had told Merry to stay in the car, this place was way to dangerous for her.
The Void walked carefully through the riot. He avoided the people but sought out the most violent animals and touched them. As soon as he made contact the animals froze in place and slowly collapsed to the ground. He moved on searching for Flashback.
The costumed crazy in question was in a frenzy. After knocking out the bear he looked for a way to escape the hordes of creatures that surrounded him. Everywhere there were screaming monsters. He moved in one direction only to be faced with a two headed dog with foaming jaws, he fired acid at it and turned away.
Not really knowing what to do he began to throw the blue spheres at the monsters, hoping to scare them. If one came too close he blasted it with acid or the orange ray he called a "bad trip".
The sun overhead had turned to violet, the buildings around him swayed and bulged, stretching and spiraling into that unnatural sun. The sound and fury overwhelmed his senses. Unable to bear it anymore, Flashback stopped and began to scream.
Minute Man quickly dispatched the lion and helped the petrified civilian to a doorway. He kicked in the door and shoved the woman inside the returned to the fray. Mentor had suppressed the minds of the elephants and Alchemiss was tracking down the primates. M.M. ran to aid a child who had fallen.
" Merry! Get down here and try to help these children. We'll bring them to you at the toy store on the corner, try and calm them down." "The Urchin is on the job!" she replied.
Bullet had spent those few minutes removing people from the danger zone. Zipping through the crowd like a tornado, he grabbed the women and children and brought them to a store front out of the way. Microwave teleported up and down the street helping the helpless.
Mentor had succeeded in stopping all the animals near him and surveyed the scene. He reached out with his mind to locate the foe and reeled from the power he felt. "Quickly Void! You must reach our foe. I sense that his energy is about to reach its peak!"
The Void finally saw his quarry. The madman had come to a stop and was screaming at the sky. The shadow faced hero ran forward. When he reached Flashback he reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders. There was a blast of power through his hands that sent him flying.
Flashback could feel the power rising, electric worms crawling inside his head. His bones were twisting and curling, striving to escape the confinement of his body. Just as the power hit its peak he felt a huge concussion that knocked him to his knees.
The blast seemed to have cleared his head a little. He began to wonder where he was, what was happening to him, the chaos still roared in his eyes and ears and he was lost.
Another shock blasted through his body, weakening him, he felt exhausted. Images, memories of the last two days began to race through his brain. One image in particular locked itself behind his eyes. A metal cylinder in the air, an explosion, red hair. As memory returned so did grief. Flashback leaned back on his knees, hands to his head and roared to the heavens. There came another shock and blessed darkness descended upon him.
The Void landed on top of a car. He lay stunned for a moment then dragged himself up again. He ran back to Flashback and was knocked away again. Groaning in pain, the night-faced man rushed in a third time and grabbed the kneeling man about the chest and held on hard.
Mentor alone of Freedom Force knew what had happened. The three explosions had sent people flying into the air and the heroes immediately went to help the wounded. Mentor walked over to the two figures on the ground.
Flashback lay on his side, head clutched in his hands. The Void had his arms locked around flashback, his legs were sprawled behind him, and they both skipped and skittered across the pavement like water on a hot griddle.
Even as Mentor watched, the glow surrounding the two men began to fade. He raced to the air-car and checked his instruments. The Void was indeed absorbing the energy from the unfortunate scientist.
Emergency services had help on the scene in minutes. Animal control tranquilized the few remaining animals and ambulances arrived to transport the wounded. Freedom Force soon turned to the problem of the two men on the ground. Mentor decided that the best way to separate the men was to have Bullet hit them at speed, knocking them apart.
Freedom Force gathered the men and brought them to the flyer, they then returned to the Fortress. Ant remained behind to explain to the authorities what had happened.
At the Fortress, the Void regained consciousness quickly. He no longer felt empty inside, he had no Hunger. His void was filled. Flashback remained unconscious.
The Void learned that his change was non-reversible, and came to terms with it. Now that the gnawing need for energy had subsided, he decided he needed a purpose in life and Freedom Force fit the bill perfectly. He stayed to make sure that Flashback would not awaken until the drug had worn off and it was safe. He wondered if these Heroes would accept a new member.
Inside the mind of Flashback there was no peace, however. Floating in the darkness was a little boy; curled into a ball and weeping.