It's BrainStormin' Out!
Disclaimer: The Southside Misfits were created by Aaron Whitaker. Raven is a Hasbro character. And here's your quote: "Good things happened, everyone was happy!" - Lazy Game Reviews
Chapter 1: The Announcement!
Chicago, Illinois
In Chicago, Illinois, a firehouse was standing. It was once an abandoned building, but it ended up being the home of a group of young heroes, who took the firehouse and fixed it up. One of the heroes was sitting on a couch in the living room area, watching something on the TV.
The boy was a skinny teenager, his black hair in the beginnings of a mullet, and a pair of sunglasses was stylishly perched just below his eyes. His white lab coat was hanging over the couch's back next to him. He himself was clad in a purple short-sleeved shirt with a yellow-and-black striped tie, and a pair of blue jeans with yellow hi-tops.
Johnny B. Goode. Real Name: Jonathan Bradley Goodwin. Affiliation: Southside Misfits, Southside Rockers (Keyboardist) Physiology: Mutant Human. Powers: Superhuman speed, electrokinesis. Is also an expert on technology.
He was leaning forward, watching the screen with interest. Nearby, another teenage boy was playing on a special arcade cabinet. The cabinet was a just a shell. Inside was a computer that had arcade emulation software in it. The software in it allowed the teenager to play Street Fighter II Turbo on the cabinet.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Woo! Eat my Shoryuken, Bison!" The teenage boy whooped and pumped his fist briefly before going back to pushing buttons. Like Johnny B., this teenage boy was thin, but more athletic. He wore a Chicago Blackhawks Stan Nikita jersey with a pair of green cargo pants and black combat boots. A green-and-orange headband kept his shoulder-length black hair out of his face.
WrongWay. Real Name: Michael "Mike" Baxter. Affiliation: Southside Misfits, Southside Rockers (Bass, Saxophone, Vocals). Physiology: Mutant Human. Powers: Enhanced phtographic memory, ability to track through psychometry.
"K.O. You win!" The game called out.
"Yeah!" Mike whooped. "Wooo! Got you, Bison! Yeah yeah yeah!" He started doing a happy dance. "You and Shadoloo just went downtown to Chinatown, brother! Woo!"
Johnny B. chuckled at his friend and bandmate's antics. "Finally beat that game, huh?"
"Yup!" Mike grinned at the genius. "And as Ryu, too! I have beaten it as Dee Jay and as Zangief, but I was cursed as Ryu. Until today!"
"Well, that's good." Johnny B. nodded. "Congrats, bud." He and Mike fistbumped.
"Yeah." Mike glanced at the TV. "What're you watching? Some nerd show?"
"A 'nerd show'. Really." Johnny B. retorted with a roll of his eyes. "It's a science show."
"What're they talking about? New ways to make markers?" Mike cracked.
"No, that was last week." Johnny B. joked back. "This is a local inventor."
"I thought you were the local inventor around here." Mike remarked. Johnny B. shrugged with a smile.
"It's a big city. There's more than enough room for many local inventors." Johnny B. smiled. "In fact, I love it. I think that if more people devoted their imaginations to inventing things to make life better, maybe the world wouldn't be such a miserable place sometimes."
"Ah, well, what can you do?" Mike shrugged. He then eyed the man on the TV.
"And finally, we're here with Dr. Raymond Strom." The host gestured to a skinny beanpole of a man, dressed in a slightly disheveled brown suit and tie. His black hair was combed neatly, but it still managed to look slightly disheveled.
Mike started laughing. "Look at that guy!" He chortled. "You heard of this dude?"
"I've heard of him." Johnny B. nodded. "Ray Strom. Bit of an odd duck, that man."
"Really? Aren't all inventors kind of 'odd ducks'?"
Johnny B. rolled his eyes. "That's a bit of an unfair stereotype, Mike. Strom has been working on something rather big over the past few months."
"Dr. Strom, can you tell us exactly what you have been working on for the last few months?" The host held out the microphone to the smiling scientist.
"Well, I've been working on a little something to help with the drought problem in the West Coast." Strom explained. "They say it couldn't be done, but I have managed to do it. I have managed to create something straight out of science fiction. I have managed to create a weather machine. It's only able to affect the weather on a small scale, but it's a great stepping stone towards something on a greater scale."
Johnny B. leaned forward in his seat. "So that's what he's been working on..." The young genius rubbed his chin in thought. "Fascinating..."
"Really?" Mike blinked. "A weather machine?"
"Yup." Johnny B. nodded. "A weather machine." Mike burst out laughing.
"A weather machine?! Really?!" Mike laughed. "Oh, that's great! That's awesome!" He smacked the back of the couch as he chortled. "Let me guess. It's going to magically make rain and lightning appear out of nowhere?"
"Something like that." Johnny B. shrugged in response. "Although honestly, I don't think such a thing may be possible."
Mike blinked in disbelief at that. "Wait...what?!"
"...I don't think such a thing may be possible." Johnny B. explained.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait..." Mike waved his hands. "You. John Bradley Goodwin, the King of Inventions, think something is impossible."
"Well, if not impossible, extremely unlikely." Johnny B. clarified, taking off his sunglasses and cleaning them with a cloth he produced from his his shirt pocket. "Weather is a complex thing. To manipulate it, you'd have to make changes in air pressure, moisture level, and temperature. It's also a chaotic system."
"Chaotic system?" Mike blinked.
"Basically, if you make a small change to one part of the weather system can have massive effects on the whole thing."
"Oh. I see."
"Yeah." Johnny B. nodded. "To be fair, the idea of a weather-changing machine has been researched by governments."
"And I'm guessing they didn't come up with anything."
Johnny B. shook his head. "No."
"So, this guy has?"
"I guess he has." Johnny B. looked at Mike. "I have to admit, I am quite curious as to how he managed to pull it off."
"Where's he going to show off his new gadget?" Mike wondered.
"Keep it down, and we'll find out." Johnny B. waved.
"And where will you be showing your new weather-controller?" The host asked Dr. Strom.
"I will be showcasing it at the Annual Inventors' Convention at the Ratner Athletic Center." Dr. Strom answered with a smile. "It's not powerful enough to majorly affect weather patterns, but I have been able to make some storm clouds."
"Heyyyy, that place is right here in the South Side!" Mike grinned. Johnny B. smiled.
"It's great the Inventors' Convention is being held there this year. I always wanted to go to one of them."
"What's this convention thing about?"
"Basically, Mike, inventors from all over the world meet up, talk shop, and show off their creations."
"So, it's basically a bunch of geeks showing off their mad creations to each other?"
"It's more than that." Johnny B. explained. "It's about sharing a mutual love of science, and using that love of science to make things better. Lots of investors come by these things."
"Investors?"
"Yup." Johnny B. nodded. "Inventors will often bring prototypes to these things, and try to get investors to give them the money they need to work further on their inventions. That must be why Dr. Strom is there. He must need capital to further improve his weather machine."
"And he thinks he can find some rich person to give him money?" Mike blinked.
Johnny B. nodded. "Yes." Mike grinned.
"Maybe I should get into that inventing racket." His eyes shone wistfully. "I mean, I do know my way around a wrench..."
Johnny B. smiled. "Or I can just get us some tickets, and we can go see the convention."
"You can?"
"Yeah." Johnny B. nodded excitedly. "I was going to talk to Raven about getting tickets to the convention."
"You really think the others would want to see this thing?" Mike frowned. Johnny B. shrugged.
"I don't see why not." The genius answered. "They'll get to meet some interesting people."
Well, well, well! Looks like the Southside Misfits will get to see something very interesting! What insanity will happen next? Will Dr. Strom get the funding for his invention? Will our heroes have fun at the invention convention? Find out in the next chapter!