Part Eight - Helter Skelter
By
Shane Luttrell
Mary was desperate. The water was rising much too fast for her friends to ever arrive in time to save her. The churning water had reached her waist already. Her communicator was underwater and useless. Mary's mind raced. She was going to have to find a way out of this herself, and fast!
The water kept rising, quickly reaching her chin. Mary strained at her shackles, but couldn't budge them. She told herself to remain calm as the water rose to her mouth. She took three deep breaths and held the last one, just before a sudden wave came at her and submerged her completely.
"No!" she thought.
"It can't end like this!"
If only she could talk once more to her friends, maybe her father could suggest some way to save herself. But the communicator was totally useless in the present situation. Or was it? A sudden thought came to her. She still held the device in her right hand. Carefully she felt for the toothpick-thin antenna, and snapped it off at the base. Clutching the antenna, she let the communicator slip from her hand. It floated slowly to the floor.
"Gotta hurry!" she thought.
She was beginning to become dizzy from lack of air. But she twisted her hand around so she could insert the antenna into the lock of her shackle. Meanwhile, Victor Von Doom sat leisurely in his spacious office, reveling in his victory. He had at last proven his superiority over that self-righteous amateur, Reed Richards! He wished he could be there when Richards opened up the box that would arrive at his doorstep tomorrow. In it, he would find the body of his beloved adopted daughter. Doom would give anything to see the look of anguish as Richards saw her, and knew she was dead because he was stupid enough to willingly hand her over to Victor Von Doom! He rose from his chair.
"Time to recover the remains of that worthless urchin." he thought.
He opened the door... and was flattened by a vicious blow to the head! He looked up, dazed, and saw Miss Fantastic standing over him, drenched to the skin, holding a long chain with a shackle on the end of it.
"How?!?" he asked, amazed.
"The Fantastic Five NEVER give up Doom!" said the brave teenager.
"and in case you forgot, I am now OFFICIALLY back on that team!!!"
"No!" he said,
"I will NOT be defeated by a mere girl! Not again!"
Mary looked at him, a hurt look on her face.
"Apparently, that is something you will have to get used to!" she told him.
"Because so far, the score is 'Mere Girl' two, 'Stupid Wacky Dictator' zero!"
But Doom was not going to be so easily defeated. He pointed his deadly laser-armed gauntlet at her and fired. The blast hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her fiercely against a bookshelf. Pain shot through her right arm, followed by an appalling numbness. She grabbed a heavy dictionary and stretched her good arm, clonking her adversary on the head. He reacted by grabbing her arm, and swinging her savagely into the oak desk. He continued his attack, and Mary defended herself under his merciless onslaught. The brave girl felt her strength leaving rapidly under the attack of Doctor Doom. She needed time to recover, to devise a counter-attack. So she turned and ran as fast as she could out of the office, and down the hall.
"HAHAHAHA!" laughed the Evil Monarch.
"Run, you cowardly brat! I shall find you and tear you apart!"
Mary found herself in a great hall by an enormous winding staircase. In the center of the room was a huge statue of Doom. It towered at least twenty feet above Mary.
"What a stuck-up creep!" she said to herself, panting.
Her whole body ached from her ordeal. She felt as if she couldn't stand up to Doom when he found her. Where was her father, and the others?! Hadn't Reed said that he would NEVER let any harm come to her? Mary sighed. She just wanted to rest. She limped behind the statue, knowing that Doom would soon find her. Doom strode down the hallways of his embassy, his gauntlet crackling with pent-up energy. The girl was easy to track. The water which soaked her clothes and shoes left a trail that a blind man could trace. He followed it to the embassy's grand entryway, and smiled. The trail led behind the statue in the center of the room. Silently, he slipped over to it.
"Come out, come out!...", he mocked, as he stuck his head around the statue.
"Come out, come out, wherever you arrgghhhhhh!!!!!"
Suddenly, savagely, a giant rock-covered fist punched him squarely in the face, denting his faceplate. He fell heavily to the floor. He looked up, and saw a smiling Thing standing over him. And behind the Thing was the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, Mister Fantastic, and the irrepressible Miss Fantastic!
"Now it's a party!" exulted Marilyn.
The newly arrived heroes pressed the attack, driving Doctor Doom back swiftly. Doom tried to turn the tide, to attack instead of merely defend himself. But he had not expected this battle, and was therefore unprepared for it. And looking at the grim, determined, even angry faces of Reed, Sue, Mary, Ben, and Johnny, he realized he was in a losing situation. He dodged a haymaker thrown by the Thing, jumped over the reaching arms of Mister Fantastic, and ducked behind the statue. Then he reached down to his gauntlet, and pressed a button which activated his escape jet. Suddenly, a giant painting high on the wall moved aside to reveal a secret niche. From it came a flying jetcar which flew speedily to the villain's side. Before the heroes could stop him, Doom jumped on it, raced above their heads, and crashed out of a nearby window.
By
Shane Luttrell
Mary was desperate. The water was rising much too fast for her friends to ever arrive in time to save her. The churning water had reached her waist already. Her communicator was underwater and useless. Mary's mind raced. She was going to have to find a way out of this herself, and fast!
The water kept rising, quickly reaching her chin. Mary strained at her shackles, but couldn't budge them. She told herself to remain calm as the water rose to her mouth. She took three deep breaths and held the last one, just before a sudden wave came at her and submerged her completely.
"No!" she thought.
"It can't end like this!"
If only she could talk once more to her friends, maybe her father could suggest some way to save herself. But the communicator was totally useless in the present situation. Or was it? A sudden thought came to her. She still held the device in her right hand. Carefully she felt for the toothpick-thin antenna, and snapped it off at the base. Clutching the antenna, she let the communicator slip from her hand. It floated slowly to the floor.
"Gotta hurry!" she thought.
She was beginning to become dizzy from lack of air. But she twisted her hand around so she could insert the antenna into the lock of her shackle. Meanwhile, Victor Von Doom sat leisurely in his spacious office, reveling in his victory. He had at last proven his superiority over that self-righteous amateur, Reed Richards! He wished he could be there when Richards opened up the box that would arrive at his doorstep tomorrow. In it, he would find the body of his beloved adopted daughter. Doom would give anything to see the look of anguish as Richards saw her, and knew she was dead because he was stupid enough to willingly hand her over to Victor Von Doom! He rose from his chair.
"Time to recover the remains of that worthless urchin." he thought.
He opened the door... and was flattened by a vicious blow to the head! He looked up, dazed, and saw Miss Fantastic standing over him, drenched to the skin, holding a long chain with a shackle on the end of it.
"How?!?" he asked, amazed.
"The Fantastic Five NEVER give up Doom!" said the brave teenager.
"and in case you forgot, I am now OFFICIALLY back on that team!!!"
"No!" he said,
"I will NOT be defeated by a mere girl! Not again!"
Mary looked at him, a hurt look on her face.
"Apparently, that is something you will have to get used to!" she told him.
"Because so far, the score is 'Mere Girl' two, 'Stupid Wacky Dictator' zero!"
But Doom was not going to be so easily defeated. He pointed his deadly laser-armed gauntlet at her and fired. The blast hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her fiercely against a bookshelf. Pain shot through her right arm, followed by an appalling numbness. She grabbed a heavy dictionary and stretched her good arm, clonking her adversary on the head. He reacted by grabbing her arm, and swinging her savagely into the oak desk. He continued his attack, and Mary defended herself under his merciless onslaught. The brave girl felt her strength leaving rapidly under the attack of Doctor Doom. She needed time to recover, to devise a counter-attack. So she turned and ran as fast as she could out of the office, and down the hall.
"HAHAHAHA!" laughed the Evil Monarch.
"Run, you cowardly brat! I shall find you and tear you apart!"
Mary found herself in a great hall by an enormous winding staircase. In the center of the room was a huge statue of Doom. It towered at least twenty feet above Mary.
"What a stuck-up creep!" she said to herself, panting.
Her whole body ached from her ordeal. She felt as if she couldn't stand up to Doom when he found her. Where was her father, and the others?! Hadn't Reed said that he would NEVER let any harm come to her? Mary sighed. She just wanted to rest. She limped behind the statue, knowing that Doom would soon find her. Doom strode down the hallways of his embassy, his gauntlet crackling with pent-up energy. The girl was easy to track. The water which soaked her clothes and shoes left a trail that a blind man could trace. He followed it to the embassy's grand entryway, and smiled. The trail led behind the statue in the center of the room. Silently, he slipped over to it.
"Come out, come out!...", he mocked, as he stuck his head around the statue.
"Come out, come out, wherever you arrgghhhhhh!!!!!"
Suddenly, savagely, a giant rock-covered fist punched him squarely in the face, denting his faceplate. He fell heavily to the floor. He looked up, and saw a smiling Thing standing over him. And behind the Thing was the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, Mister Fantastic, and the irrepressible Miss Fantastic!
"Now it's a party!" exulted Marilyn.
The newly arrived heroes pressed the attack, driving Doctor Doom back swiftly. Doom tried to turn the tide, to attack instead of merely defend himself. But he had not expected this battle, and was therefore unprepared for it. And looking at the grim, determined, even angry faces of Reed, Sue, Mary, Ben, and Johnny, he realized he was in a losing situation. He dodged a haymaker thrown by the Thing, jumped over the reaching arms of Mister Fantastic, and ducked behind the statue. Then he reached down to his gauntlet, and pressed a button which activated his escape jet. Suddenly, a giant painting high on the wall moved aside to reveal a secret niche. From it came a flying jetcar which flew speedily to the villain's side. Before the heroes could stop him, Doom jumped on it, raced above their heads, and crashed out of a nearby window.