Chapter Fourteen
As Victor's cruel power surged through Marilyn, she felt the end was near. Tears leaked out of her eyes as uncontrollably as Doom's laughter and comments.
"And your dear Father thought this would aid you in becoming stronger! Hah! Look who is becoming stronger, none other than I, Victor!"
"Strength is like power Victor, it is nothing without a control!"
A voice suddenly sounded from the intercom's speakers. The room took on a blue hue, erasing out all of the darkness that had surrounded and was sapping the energy out of Marilyn a minute ago. The light also severed the chains and shackles made out of dark matter that had Marilyn bound to a wall in the Projection Room.
"Father! It's about time you arrived!" Marilyn shouted, as she tried to regain her stamina.
"Now is not the time to even greet each other my child, escape while you can! I'll try to hold Victor off!"
"Yes Father!"
Marilyn obeyed her father's order as she made a run for it out of the Projection Room. Once she was in the corridor, she teleported herself out of the building, and onto the street below, where her three friends waited. Following the arrival of the youngest of their kind, the three elder Fantastics greeted her with hugs and welcomes.
"You have me to thank for saving you Marilyn. These two were hardly any help in keeping watch." Susan said as she turned to look at Benjamin and Johnny with a glare in her eyes.
"Susan, it is not the time to argue. It is the time to be thankful that I am still here with all of you, and not in obscurity!" Marilyn responded.
"Man, that Victor gave ya one helluva time didn't he?" Benjamin asked.
"Benjamin! Watch your mouth! You know how the creator is about such language!" retorted Marilyn.
"Oh... Sorry kid. Being back in tha Big Apple kinda brings back memories of my being in the Yancy Street Gang and all."
"I understand Benjamin. Being back in the Baxter Building has brought back quite a few memories."
The four Fantastics stared at the Baxter Building, where occasional flashes of blue and green light shown from the windows, along with explosions making themselves audible.
"So we finally meet again Reed, after over fifty years." Victor snarled.
"Do you think I have been looking forward to this too, dear brother? Well, I have not."
Reed replied as a blue wave of energy made its path through the wires within the Baxter Building's interior to where Victor was. Victor combated that wave with one of his own dark power. This fight, one of many between Reed and Victor in their immortal lives was by far the oddest they had ever fought. Both men were not in their humanoid forms, but instead were beings of pure energy within a part of the Baxter Building. Every time each man attacked one another, a mechanical device or electrical appliance would explode due to overwhelming flows of power.
"You know Victor, all of us were given a chance at a physical life to take a break from this needless fighting. But being the unnecessary revenge hungry fool you are, you had that chance away from me, my daughter, and my friends!" Reed calmly requited.
"I do not think of this as revenge brother, but instead, I think of it as payback!"
"Why? We never did anything to you in Fantastica, or on this plane! You are fooling yourself Victor!"
"I am not the fool here Reed, YOU are the FOOL!" Victor hollered as a tremendous surge of dark energy cruised through his part of the skyscraper and into Reed's.
Astoundingly, this fight only awoke a few of the tenants living in the residential area below where the Fantastic Five had once resided. The tenants that were awakened of course called upon Mr. Collins to see what was going on. As the crank of a man made his way up the stairs to the door that opened to what had been the heroes' living room, he grumbled to himself.
"Dang those kids who somehow get up there and have their frat parties, slumber parties, or whatever mess they are holding! Kids these days... SHEESH!"
As he got closer, Mr. Collins could hear the loud crackles of energy, and machines self-destructing. He edged his way to the door, so he could be able to enter in such a way, Mr. Collins would sneak in, and scare whoever it was out of what they were doing. Quickly, yet stealthily, Mr. Collins made his entrance!
"Alright all of you! Cut it out with the Laser-Tag, or whatever that crap is called right NOW!"
Victor and Reed stopped battling each other for a minute.
"You dare call my power a TOY?" Victor angrily yelled at Mr. Collins through an intercom as dark energy flowed through the room towards Mr. Collins. That energy was cancelled out by a blue light as Reed exclaimed.
"Get out of here Mr. Collins, NOW!"
"Oh my my my... GHOSTS!" Mr. Collins screeched as he quickly turned around, and ran down the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. On the third flight of stairs, Mr. Collins slipped, and rolled straight into a wall, causing a bruise on his head. As painful and annoying as it was, Mr. Collins ignored the bruise, and kept making his way to the apartment he resided in.
"What am I to tell the residents that complained? This place is haunted? There is no way on Earth they would believe me. Should I tell the police? No, there is no way they will believe me either!"
The rest of that night, Mr. Collins remained in a state of almost having a nervous breakdown.
On the street below, the Fantastics' eyes remained upon the building and the fight taking place within it. One of the beings was not satisfied with remaining with her friends though.
"Father... He needs my help. Victor and him are too evenly matched, and Father is beginning to get weaker. I can sense it..."
Marilyn got ready to teleport herself back into the building, when Benjamin firmly but gingerly grasped her.
"Kid, you still sound too weak to help your old man take on Victor. Besides, I'm sure he's handling him fine on his own."
"No he is not Benjamin! Let go of me! Father needs my help!"
Marilyn struggled to break free of Benjamin's tight grip. Johnny and Susan tried their best to coax her out of what she desired to do.
"Marilyn, listen to Benjamin, he is right, you are still too weak!" Johnny reasoned.
"Please do not be stubborn Marilyn!" Susan added.
"I will show all of you just how "weak" I am. Sorry to do this to you Benjamin, but I MUST AID FATHER!"
An extreme cold radiated from Marilyn's body, causing Benjamin to drop her.
"Yeowtch! Kid I think you just gave me frostbite!"
Marilyn did not even hear Benjamin's remark, for she had disappeared, and transported herself back into the Baxter Building.
"After what she went through with Victor, I cannot believe she did that." Johnny uttered.
"It is like I said before Johnny, Reed and Marilyn are two peas in a pod because they are practically two halves of one soul. If one is in trouble, the other is going to want to help it."
The three Fantastics sighed as they wished for the outcome of the fight went their friends' way.
To her father's dismay, Marilyn reappeared in the Baxter Building's living room.
"Marilyn, my child, I told you to wait outside! I am having an arduous time holding back Victor!"
"I know Father, that is why I came back in."
"Marilyn, I do not know what you have in mind, but how can the two of us defeat Victor?"
"Have you forgotten our other ability Father? Here is a hint, I derived from your soul."
"How do you know about that?"
"I will explain later Father, but the idea came to me outside. In a way, Victor helped me with it."
"Well, what is this idea?"
"If we merge Father, we might be able to create an immense blizzard, or wave!"
Reed gave Marilyn's idea thought for a second, as Victor stopped his awesome display of power, and reverted to humanoid form.
"Have you given up Reed?" He slimily asked.
Reed and Marilyn looked at each other, and winked, as they began to hold each other's hands, and knew that right then was their crowning moment.
"Hardly Victor." Reed chortled, and he and Marilyn proceeded to cry out in unison.
"NEPTUNIAN SUBMERSE!"
Victor could not believe the sight he beheld, for Reed and Marilyn's spiritual selves had collided to form the most humongeous tidal wave he had ever witnessed, and there was no escape. The wave bathed Victor in iciest water he had ever felt in both his Earthly and eternal lives. When Reed and Marilyn transformed back into their humanoid forms, a shivering, cursing Victor sat in front of them.
"You want to have the honors Marilyn?"
"Indeed I do Father." She replied.
Marilyn looked at Victor in the eyes, and let out.
"THAT, Victor, was ONLY the TIP OF THE ICEBURG!"
And Marilyn gently placed her right hand on the floor when the puddle surrounding Victor began, and yelled.
"URANIAN SHOCK!"
The most deadly combination of Marilyn's powers did their thing, as Victor went from freezing, to feeling he was being burnt to a crisp. Besides that feeling, Victor received another justly deserved reward for his action, he was banished once again to the Underworld for unknown reasons other than the fact that he was in so much pain, he needed to retreat.
Reed and Marilyn looked at each other then at where Victor had once stood. The speechlessness they shared was a delighted and relieved one. Finally, Marilyn spoke up.
"Tell me something Father, can I return to Fantastica now that Victor has been banished once again?"
Reed did not respond. He brooded quietly for a minute, then said.
"Marilyn, my child, now that Victor is gone, the Earth plane is now safer for you to remain on for the five Earth years you must stay on it. Do not worry Marilyn, we will be watching and visiting you as always."
Reed paused as he noticed the sun rising.
"If it comes to the point where you really miss me, I am sure that if you and I concentrate enough, we can meet and see each other in the Dreamworld during the hours you and I slumber."
He kissed Marilyn on the forehead, and she returned that kiss to his cheek. Then, Reed patted her head, and said.
"If it is any consolation, I miss you quite a bit too my child. I will see you sometime, hopefully in the near future. Until then Marilyn, farewell."
Trying to hold back her disappointment over not being able to go back to her home yet, Marilyn said.
"I love you Father, and farewell!"
With those words said, Reed disappeared in a blue flash.
As Victor's cruel power surged through Marilyn, she felt the end was near. Tears leaked out of her eyes as uncontrollably as Doom's laughter and comments.
"And your dear Father thought this would aid you in becoming stronger! Hah! Look who is becoming stronger, none other than I, Victor!"
"Strength is like power Victor, it is nothing without a control!"
A voice suddenly sounded from the intercom's speakers. The room took on a blue hue, erasing out all of the darkness that had surrounded and was sapping the energy out of Marilyn a minute ago. The light also severed the chains and shackles made out of dark matter that had Marilyn bound to a wall in the Projection Room.
"Father! It's about time you arrived!" Marilyn shouted, as she tried to regain her stamina.
"Now is not the time to even greet each other my child, escape while you can! I'll try to hold Victor off!"
"Yes Father!"
Marilyn obeyed her father's order as she made a run for it out of the Projection Room. Once she was in the corridor, she teleported herself out of the building, and onto the street below, where her three friends waited. Following the arrival of the youngest of their kind, the three elder Fantastics greeted her with hugs and welcomes.
"You have me to thank for saving you Marilyn. These two were hardly any help in keeping watch." Susan said as she turned to look at Benjamin and Johnny with a glare in her eyes.
"Susan, it is not the time to argue. It is the time to be thankful that I am still here with all of you, and not in obscurity!" Marilyn responded.
"Man, that Victor gave ya one helluva time didn't he?" Benjamin asked.
"Benjamin! Watch your mouth! You know how the creator is about such language!" retorted Marilyn.
"Oh... Sorry kid. Being back in tha Big Apple kinda brings back memories of my being in the Yancy Street Gang and all."
"I understand Benjamin. Being back in the Baxter Building has brought back quite a few memories."
The four Fantastics stared at the Baxter Building, where occasional flashes of blue and green light shown from the windows, along with explosions making themselves audible.
"So we finally meet again Reed, after over fifty years." Victor snarled.
"Do you think I have been looking forward to this too, dear brother? Well, I have not."
Reed replied as a blue wave of energy made its path through the wires within the Baxter Building's interior to where Victor was. Victor combated that wave with one of his own dark power. This fight, one of many between Reed and Victor in their immortal lives was by far the oddest they had ever fought. Both men were not in their humanoid forms, but instead were beings of pure energy within a part of the Baxter Building. Every time each man attacked one another, a mechanical device or electrical appliance would explode due to overwhelming flows of power.
"You know Victor, all of us were given a chance at a physical life to take a break from this needless fighting. But being the unnecessary revenge hungry fool you are, you had that chance away from me, my daughter, and my friends!" Reed calmly requited.
"I do not think of this as revenge brother, but instead, I think of it as payback!"
"Why? We never did anything to you in Fantastica, or on this plane! You are fooling yourself Victor!"
"I am not the fool here Reed, YOU are the FOOL!" Victor hollered as a tremendous surge of dark energy cruised through his part of the skyscraper and into Reed's.
Astoundingly, this fight only awoke a few of the tenants living in the residential area below where the Fantastic Five had once resided. The tenants that were awakened of course called upon Mr. Collins to see what was going on. As the crank of a man made his way up the stairs to the door that opened to what had been the heroes' living room, he grumbled to himself.
"Dang those kids who somehow get up there and have their frat parties, slumber parties, or whatever mess they are holding! Kids these days... SHEESH!"
As he got closer, Mr. Collins could hear the loud crackles of energy, and machines self-destructing. He edged his way to the door, so he could be able to enter in such a way, Mr. Collins would sneak in, and scare whoever it was out of what they were doing. Quickly, yet stealthily, Mr. Collins made his entrance!
"Alright all of you! Cut it out with the Laser-Tag, or whatever that crap is called right NOW!"
Victor and Reed stopped battling each other for a minute.
"You dare call my power a TOY?" Victor angrily yelled at Mr. Collins through an intercom as dark energy flowed through the room towards Mr. Collins. That energy was cancelled out by a blue light as Reed exclaimed.
"Get out of here Mr. Collins, NOW!"
"Oh my my my... GHOSTS!" Mr. Collins screeched as he quickly turned around, and ran down the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. On the third flight of stairs, Mr. Collins slipped, and rolled straight into a wall, causing a bruise on his head. As painful and annoying as it was, Mr. Collins ignored the bruise, and kept making his way to the apartment he resided in.
"What am I to tell the residents that complained? This place is haunted? There is no way on Earth they would believe me. Should I tell the police? No, there is no way they will believe me either!"
The rest of that night, Mr. Collins remained in a state of almost having a nervous breakdown.
On the street below, the Fantastics' eyes remained upon the building and the fight taking place within it. One of the beings was not satisfied with remaining with her friends though.
"Father... He needs my help. Victor and him are too evenly matched, and Father is beginning to get weaker. I can sense it..."
Marilyn got ready to teleport herself back into the building, when Benjamin firmly but gingerly grasped her.
"Kid, you still sound too weak to help your old man take on Victor. Besides, I'm sure he's handling him fine on his own."
"No he is not Benjamin! Let go of me! Father needs my help!"
Marilyn struggled to break free of Benjamin's tight grip. Johnny and Susan tried their best to coax her out of what she desired to do.
"Marilyn, listen to Benjamin, he is right, you are still too weak!" Johnny reasoned.
"Please do not be stubborn Marilyn!" Susan added.
"I will show all of you just how "weak" I am. Sorry to do this to you Benjamin, but I MUST AID FATHER!"
An extreme cold radiated from Marilyn's body, causing Benjamin to drop her.
"Yeowtch! Kid I think you just gave me frostbite!"
Marilyn did not even hear Benjamin's remark, for she had disappeared, and transported herself back into the Baxter Building.
"After what she went through with Victor, I cannot believe she did that." Johnny uttered.
"It is like I said before Johnny, Reed and Marilyn are two peas in a pod because they are practically two halves of one soul. If one is in trouble, the other is going to want to help it."
The three Fantastics sighed as they wished for the outcome of the fight went their friends' way.
To her father's dismay, Marilyn reappeared in the Baxter Building's living room.
"Marilyn, my child, I told you to wait outside! I am having an arduous time holding back Victor!"
"I know Father, that is why I came back in."
"Marilyn, I do not know what you have in mind, but how can the two of us defeat Victor?"
"Have you forgotten our other ability Father? Here is a hint, I derived from your soul."
"How do you know about that?"
"I will explain later Father, but the idea came to me outside. In a way, Victor helped me with it."
"Well, what is this idea?"
"If we merge Father, we might be able to create an immense blizzard, or wave!"
Reed gave Marilyn's idea thought for a second, as Victor stopped his awesome display of power, and reverted to humanoid form.
"Have you given up Reed?" He slimily asked.
Reed and Marilyn looked at each other, and winked, as they began to hold each other's hands, and knew that right then was their crowning moment.
"Hardly Victor." Reed chortled, and he and Marilyn proceeded to cry out in unison.
"NEPTUNIAN SUBMERSE!"
Victor could not believe the sight he beheld, for Reed and Marilyn's spiritual selves had collided to form the most humongeous tidal wave he had ever witnessed, and there was no escape. The wave bathed Victor in iciest water he had ever felt in both his Earthly and eternal lives. When Reed and Marilyn transformed back into their humanoid forms, a shivering, cursing Victor sat in front of them.
"You want to have the honors Marilyn?"
"Indeed I do Father." She replied.
Marilyn looked at Victor in the eyes, and let out.
"THAT, Victor, was ONLY the TIP OF THE ICEBURG!"
And Marilyn gently placed her right hand on the floor when the puddle surrounding Victor began, and yelled.
"URANIAN SHOCK!"
The most deadly combination of Marilyn's powers did their thing, as Victor went from freezing, to feeling he was being burnt to a crisp. Besides that feeling, Victor received another justly deserved reward for his action, he was banished once again to the Underworld for unknown reasons other than the fact that he was in so much pain, he needed to retreat.
Reed and Marilyn looked at each other then at where Victor had once stood. The speechlessness they shared was a delighted and relieved one. Finally, Marilyn spoke up.
"Tell me something Father, can I return to Fantastica now that Victor has been banished once again?"
Reed did not respond. He brooded quietly for a minute, then said.
"Marilyn, my child, now that Victor is gone, the Earth plane is now safer for you to remain on for the five Earth years you must stay on it. Do not worry Marilyn, we will be watching and visiting you as always."
Reed paused as he noticed the sun rising.
"If it comes to the point where you really miss me, I am sure that if you and I concentrate enough, we can meet and see each other in the Dreamworld during the hours you and I slumber."
He kissed Marilyn on the forehead, and she returned that kiss to his cheek. Then, Reed patted her head, and said.
"If it is any consolation, I miss you quite a bit too my child. I will see you sometime, hopefully in the near future. Until then Marilyn, farewell."
Trying to hold back her disappointment over not being able to go back to her home yet, Marilyn said.
"I love you Father, and farewell!"
With those words said, Reed disappeared in a blue flash.