MARVEL 2000 PRESENTS...

"Rescue in Pittsburgh!"
by Jason C. Bruss

#45
Vol. 1

--Pittsburgh, P.A.--
--Early Afternoon--

With sirens blaring through-out the downtown district, the Human Torch rockets from a burning apartment building with a small child in his arms. As he lowers to the ground to hand the small child to an Emergency Medical Technician, he looks to his partner Benjamin Grimm.

"It's getting harder to see in there," Johnny informs the Thing.

The rocky exterior covered Thing nods to his younger friend and teammate before running back into the fire-blazing building. The Human Torch also returns to the building.

"Ma'am, we are having trouble getting water to the upper levels. Is there anything you can do?" a fire-fighter asks the Invisible Woman.

Sue does some quick thinking and runs towards the fire hydrant. She looks to the Fire Chief and turns to the hydrant. An invisible force-blast shatters the hydrant causing high-pressured water to shoot towards the evening sky.

Forming an invisible force-shield, Sue re-directs the high-pressured water spout towards the building reaching the higher levels.

"Good Thinking!" the Fire Chief yells to Sue.

The Thing and Human Torch leave the apartment building again with innocent civilians in hand.

"I believe that's everyone!" Johnny yells to the Fire Chief.

Suddenly, the evening sky turns dark and clouded. As lightning begins to fill the darken sky, a hard rain begins to fall upon Pittsburgh.

"It wasn't calling for rain today," Ben comments.

As the hydrant's water supply exhausts, the Invisible Woman lowers her force-shield. She jogs to Ben and Johnny's side as a hard pounding rain falls upon the city.

"Are the X-Men in town?" Johnny asks thinking of Storm's weather controlling abilities.

"Not that I'm aware," Benjamin clarifies.

The Fire Chief and his teams continue to put the fire out as the rain from the sky above assists in giving them the upper hand.

As Sue, Johnny, and Ben look at the firefighter's fight the blazing inferno, a gentle hand touches Sue's shoulder and wraps around to hold her.
"What do you think of my new weather control device?"

The three shocked members of the Fantastic Four turn to Reed Richards; Mr. Fantastic.

"Reed," Sue begins to question.

"I'm alright, sweetheart. I need the use of this cane yet due to the lack of full control over my left leg, but I'm more or less better than ever." Reed responds.

A few months ago, Susan Storm-Richards, Benjamin Grimm, and Johnny Storm thought they had lost Mr. Fantastic due to a stroke caused by the diabolical Dr. Victor Von Doom.

Ben smirks upon seeing Reed back on his feet and working along side the team once again.

"The Fantastic Four, Now and Always." Sue remarks.

As the Pittsburgh Fire Department put the fire to rest, the Fantastic Four look on. The Fire Chief walks up to the Fantastic Four.

"Very Nice Work, Fantastic Four. Pittsburgh's lucky to have you," the Fire Chief states.

Johnny smiles as the flames surrounding his body fade.

"We are glad to be here." Reed tells the Fire Chief shaking his hand.

Alison Cory, reporter for the Pittsburgh Post and Fantastic Four ally, runs up to the Fantastic Four. Wearing a two button black jacket with matching skirt over a white top, she places a hand on Johnny Storm's right shoulder.

"Great Job, you guys. Just like Milwaukee, it's going to make for a wonderful story," Alison states.

Reed and Sue don't say anything, just nod.

"Great. Just what we need… more publicity." Thing blurts.

"There's nothing wrong with publicity, Mr. Grimm. Good publicity is better than Bad publicity any day of the week."

Ben begins to walk away.

"Whatever. Reporters just think they know it all."

Johnny smiles and gives Alison a small grin, as Sue and Reed turn to them.

"Well, I think our job here is done…" Reed declares.

"Let's get you home, lovely." Sue kisses her husband Reed as they walk away.

Alison looks to the handsome young member of Fantastic Four, running her hand through a strand of her champagne blonde hair.

"So what are my chances I'll see you out tonight?" she asks.

Johnny smirks and begins to walk away without answering her. She watches on as he just walks off.

--Pittsburgh, P.A.--
--Fours Tower, Liberty Ave/6th St.--

As the moon shines over the city of Pittsburgh, Reed and Sue sit on the couch in the Living Room Quarters of Fours Tower. Franklin, their son, sits on the floor playing solitaire. Victoria, their daughter, rests between them.

"Where'd Ben go again?" Reed asks.

"Alicia and him went out to eat and then they were going to stop by the club for a few cocktails."

Reed smiles visualizing Ben with whiskey and Alicia with a dirty martini. He never thought that the Fantastic Four would ever be financed by a night club. Let alone did he ever imagine that he'd be part-owner of a night club in downtown Pittsburgh?

"I told them we'd be there later. I have a lot of work I need to do tonight anyways to get ready for inventory on Monday." Sue informs Reed.

"Who is going to watch the kids?" Reed asks.

"I am Mr. Richards," says a young woman as she enters.

She was Asian with the cutest smile.

"I'm Yoshi. Mrs. Richards hired me yesterday." Yoshi informs Mr. Richards.

Reed shakes the young woman's hand as he gets up from the couch.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yoshi."

"Alright Franklin, help Yoshi with your sister. No ripping and tearing." Sue ordered.

Franklin hugged his father and then his mother.

"Yes Mom." The young boy replied.

Reed puts on his trench coat and then assists his beautiful wife with hers, he leans down to give his daughter Victoria a kiss and then opens the door for Sue.

"After you, my darling." Reed escorts Sue from the room.

--Pittsburgh, PA.--
--Club 4--

Friday night you and your boys went out to eat
Then they hung out, but you came home around three
If six of ya'll went out then four of you were really cheap
'Cause only two of you had dinner
I found your credit card receipt

It's not right but it's okay
I'm gonna make it anyway
Pack your bags up and leave
Don't you dare come running back to me
It's not right but it's okay
I'm gonna make it anyway
Close the door behind you
Leave your key
I'd rather be alone than unhappy

Johnny Storm and Alison Cory danced freely to the Whitney Houston club mix, as Benjamin Grimm and his wife Alicia Masters sat at a table across the dance floor.

"Look at them…" Alicia told Ben.

Ben smirked, "Yeah, I see them"

Ben took another swig from his bottled beer as he spotted Sue and Reed enter the Club from the rear employee entrance.

"There's Suzy-Q and Stretch."

Reed quickly spotted the married couple and escorted Sue over to the table.

"It's busy tonight," Susan states looking around as she takes off her jacket.

"Yeah. It's been getting pretty crazy." Alicia informs Sue as Reed sits down.

"Where's Johnny?" Reed asks.

"Right there," Ben says pointing to the middle of the dance floor where a shirtless Johnny Storm dances with their reporter friend Alison Cory.

"I don't like the time he's been spending with her." Ben states in regards to Johnny and Alison.

"Why dear? She's a really nice if you get to know her." Alicia says having spent time with Alison on an outing with Johnny, Alison, and Sue.

"There's something about her that I don't like. I don't know what it is." Ben explains.

--Pittsburgh, PA.--
--The Smoldering Apartment Building--

As the moon light shines upon the smoldering remains of the apartment building that the Fantastic Four assisted in saving earlier, a hand emerges from ashes. As the charred figure of a naked man emerges from the smoldering building, he glows bright silver.

As an elderly woman walks her dog, the silver-glimmering naked man approaches her. He picks up the elderly woman's barking dog and snaps it's neck. The elderly woman screams and runs down the street crying and screaming.

The man tosses the dog's limp body to the side and sees the night edition of the Pittsburgh Post blowing toward him down the street gutter. He leans over and picks it up.

'FANTASTIC FOUR SAVE BURNING APARTMENT BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN DISTRICT'

The man's dark bloody eyes look to the picture of the Fantastic Four below the headline, he relieves a dark sigh and his hand generates a flame burning the paper.

"Prometheus is coming for you, Fantastic Four…" he whispers in a deep voice.

As the paper burns, the charred man continues walking down the street…

NEXT ISSUE: The Fantastic Four are enjoying their new lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; but are they ready for what awaits them? As Reed and Sue take Franklin and Victoria for a educational vacation, Alicia and Alison find themselves in some major trouble!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-The Fantastic Four moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after their New York City home was destroyed during the ultimate battle with Dr. Doom.

-Reed Richards' has been recovering from a stroke for a few months after the battle with Doom. He has mostly recovered other than a lack of strength in his 'left' leg.

-Alison Cory was a reporter for the New York Times and witnessed the story of a lifetime when Victor Von Doom had taken the Mayor of New York City hostage and the Fantastic Four came to the rescue but at the cost of Reed's stroke. She threw away the story and assisted the Fantastic Four to taking Mr. Fantastic to the Avengers Mansion.

-The 4 are all joint owners of Club 4 in downtown Pittsburgh, Reed and Sue being the major share holders. They (along with Franklin and Victoria Richards and Alicia Masters-Grimm) reside in Fours Tower, a newly built 21st Century tower in downtown Pittsburgh.

-The city of Milwaukee was destroyed prior to the Fantastic Four's final battle with Dr. Doom. Only a few citizens survived the devastation.

-Franklin and Victoria's babysitter "Yoshi" was named after the Super Nintendo's Super Mario World character. She will be a recurring character so that I'll have an easy excuse for explaining Franklin and Victoria's lack of appearance.

-Johnny Storm believes he's bi-curious, for his attraction to women and 'men'. Hey, it's the 21st Century... get out of the closet!

Reed Richards

Susan

Richards

Johnny Storm

Benjamin

Grimm

Franklin Richards

Victoria Richards

Alicia Masters Grimm

Alison Cory

Prometheus