Marilyn: of the Fantastics
by
Carolyne Smythe
I. A Light In the Dark
Chapter One
It was 11:30, December 31st, 2081 in Manhattan. Most of the New York natives were not only getting ready to hail the New Year in the streets below, but were preparing to pay homage to the great team named the Fantastic Five that once lived on the New York soil. As part of their celebrations, the New Yorkers would stare at the skyscraper that the cosmic ray powered quintet once called home, the Baxter Building for five minutes in silence. Each minute would represent each member. The much-admired heroes had saved all of Manhattan and perhaps most of universe when they fought their final battle against Dr. Doom. Not only did they save the world, but also the Fantastic Five had given their lives in doing so. When the five minutes were up, the New Yorkers got ready to witness the great ball being lowered in Times Square that would signal the start of the New Year. As all eyes watched the world-famous event, not one would be aware of an even greater event happening in the very place that all of New York City had their eyes upon a few moments ago.
At approximately midnight, January 1, 2082, a great flash of light erupted from the Baxter Building. Not a soul in New York, or the world was aware of the event due to New Year's celebrations, and possibly a mysterious force that kept all on Earth from being aware of it. Inside the Baxter Building, a presence began to stir, a presence almost unlike any it had seen almost half a century ago, but somewhat similar.
"Friends, you better have kept your promise about being nearby and protecting me during this tour of duty I have to undertake."
This presence was once the girl known to all as Miss Fantastic a.k.a. Marilyn Richards. Now in what was once her beloved home, poor Marilyn felt at most confused and helpless as she mumbled to herself.
"This place seems so familiar, but why?"
She looked around at the cobweb-covered furnishings and adornments in what was once her and her friends' living room. Marilyn began to dust off a photo on a table nearby with her hand. A sensation suddenly overtook the young girl, who began to see images flash before her eyes. All of the images were from her past. Marilyn's reaction to this was speechlessness. She witnessed before her an argument between two men; her father and the man who was his best friend, Benjamin, or Ben, as he preferred for his closest friends to call him. Marilyn realized this was what led to the rocket flight that gave her and her friends their powers. She also remembered what the voice that greeted her and her friends in the heavens said about that flight...
"There was a reason for the lives you led being so abnormal my friends. The assistant to the evil one, or Lucifer, or as you more commonly know him, Mephisto was becoming very powerful at the very moment you planned for your flight into the stars. Who was this assistant? None other than the supremely evil Lord Doom, or the dark Fantastic, Victor."
The voice, which came from a bright light that was before the Fantastic Five in the darkness spoke to them about who they really were. It told how they were representatives of the elements of Earth, time and space, and other various things, or Fantastics. The entity also spoke of how it was their sole purpose to protect the Earth, along with the universe against the power of Doom.
"I apologize for having all of you, especially you Benjamin take on the physical soldier forms so unexpectedly. But, with Lord Doom gaining more knowledge, and more power by the minute, I had no other choice."
Those words echoed in Marilyn's head as she took her finger off of the photograph, and looked at it. It was a picture of her and her friends in their previous lives before their receiving the entity's "gift". Deciding to experiment with this ability to touch objects, and flash back to the past, Marilyn touched another photo. The sensation that followed was extremely horrifying. Marilyn heard screams, saw skies filled with dark clouds, and flashes of light green lightning. She also saw the one whom her and her friends had tried and barely succeeded in killing, Dr. Doom. Doom was laughing, and yelled out the following phrase...
"THE TIME IS ALMOST HERE! THE TIME THAT I SHALL BE YOUR LORD! NOT EVEN THAT INSOLENT REED RICHARDS AND HIS LITTLE SHIP OF FOOLS CANNOT STOP ME! WITH THESE WORDS, EARTH, THE VERY KEY TO THE UNIVERSE SHALL BE MINE! DARKNESS RISETH!!!!"
Marilyn was thankful she did not have to see the rest, for she knew how it all ended. But, she found it hard to pull her hand away from the portrait. It was almost as if some force wanted her hand stuck there.
"Darn it! Let go of me! I don't want to see THIS!" She screamed as her hand finally pulled away.
She breathed very hard as she heard footsteps come up the door. Marilyn hid as a middle-aged man peered in through a door in the living room.
"I could have sworn I heard a little girl's voice. Is there anyone in here?" The man asked quietly. When there was no response, he said.
"Oh well..."
And then, he closed the door. Marilyn let out a sigh, for she immediately recognized him from the memory quickly building in her head about her previous life.
"That man, he must be Mr. Collins' son or grandson. Whichever one he is, if he is anything like his father or grandfather, he'll be one heck of a landlord to deal with."
With that said, Marilyn peacefully got to settle down into what would be her home for quite some time.
by
Carolyne Smythe
I. A Light In the Dark
Chapter One
It was 11:30, December 31st, 2081 in Manhattan. Most of the New York natives were not only getting ready to hail the New Year in the streets below, but were preparing to pay homage to the great team named the Fantastic Five that once lived on the New York soil. As part of their celebrations, the New Yorkers would stare at the skyscraper that the cosmic ray powered quintet once called home, the Baxter Building for five minutes in silence. Each minute would represent each member. The much-admired heroes had saved all of Manhattan and perhaps most of universe when they fought their final battle against Dr. Doom. Not only did they save the world, but also the Fantastic Five had given their lives in doing so. When the five minutes were up, the New Yorkers got ready to witness the great ball being lowered in Times Square that would signal the start of the New Year. As all eyes watched the world-famous event, not one would be aware of an even greater event happening in the very place that all of New York City had their eyes upon a few moments ago.
At approximately midnight, January 1, 2082, a great flash of light erupted from the Baxter Building. Not a soul in New York, or the world was aware of the event due to New Year's celebrations, and possibly a mysterious force that kept all on Earth from being aware of it. Inside the Baxter Building, a presence began to stir, a presence almost unlike any it had seen almost half a century ago, but somewhat similar.
"Friends, you better have kept your promise about being nearby and protecting me during this tour of duty I have to undertake."
This presence was once the girl known to all as Miss Fantastic a.k.a. Marilyn Richards. Now in what was once her beloved home, poor Marilyn felt at most confused and helpless as she mumbled to herself.
"This place seems so familiar, but why?"
She looked around at the cobweb-covered furnishings and adornments in what was once her and her friends' living room. Marilyn began to dust off a photo on a table nearby with her hand. A sensation suddenly overtook the young girl, who began to see images flash before her eyes. All of the images were from her past. Marilyn's reaction to this was speechlessness. She witnessed before her an argument between two men; her father and the man who was his best friend, Benjamin, or Ben, as he preferred for his closest friends to call him. Marilyn realized this was what led to the rocket flight that gave her and her friends their powers. She also remembered what the voice that greeted her and her friends in the heavens said about that flight...
"There was a reason for the lives you led being so abnormal my friends. The assistant to the evil one, or Lucifer, or as you more commonly know him, Mephisto was becoming very powerful at the very moment you planned for your flight into the stars. Who was this assistant? None other than the supremely evil Lord Doom, or the dark Fantastic, Victor."
The voice, which came from a bright light that was before the Fantastic Five in the darkness spoke to them about who they really were. It told how they were representatives of the elements of Earth, time and space, and other various things, or Fantastics. The entity also spoke of how it was their sole purpose to protect the Earth, along with the universe against the power of Doom.
"I apologize for having all of you, especially you Benjamin take on the physical soldier forms so unexpectedly. But, with Lord Doom gaining more knowledge, and more power by the minute, I had no other choice."
Those words echoed in Marilyn's head as she took her finger off of the photograph, and looked at it. It was a picture of her and her friends in their previous lives before their receiving the entity's "gift". Deciding to experiment with this ability to touch objects, and flash back to the past, Marilyn touched another photo. The sensation that followed was extremely horrifying. Marilyn heard screams, saw skies filled with dark clouds, and flashes of light green lightning. She also saw the one whom her and her friends had tried and barely succeeded in killing, Dr. Doom. Doom was laughing, and yelled out the following phrase...
"THE TIME IS ALMOST HERE! THE TIME THAT I SHALL BE YOUR LORD! NOT EVEN THAT INSOLENT REED RICHARDS AND HIS LITTLE SHIP OF FOOLS CANNOT STOP ME! WITH THESE WORDS, EARTH, THE VERY KEY TO THE UNIVERSE SHALL BE MINE! DARKNESS RISETH!!!!"
Marilyn was thankful she did not have to see the rest, for she knew how it all ended. But, she found it hard to pull her hand away from the portrait. It was almost as if some force wanted her hand stuck there.
"Darn it! Let go of me! I don't want to see THIS!" She screamed as her hand finally pulled away.
She breathed very hard as she heard footsteps come up the door. Marilyn hid as a middle-aged man peered in through a door in the living room.
"I could have sworn I heard a little girl's voice. Is there anyone in here?" The man asked quietly. When there was no response, he said.
"Oh well..."
And then, he closed the door. Marilyn let out a sigh, for she immediately recognized him from the memory quickly building in her head about her previous life.
"That man, he must be Mr. Collins' son or grandson. Whichever one he is, if he is anything like his father or grandfather, he'll be one heck of a landlord to deal with."
With that said, Marilyn peacefully got to settle down into what would be her home for quite some time.