Back to GatefoldIssue #11 by Tobias Christopher
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Previously, Valeria Richards had taken control of the New Warriors from her big brother, Franklin. Having been outvoted, Franklin and the newest member, Josh Guthrie (aka Icarus) walked away from the team to start their own superheroic adventures.
Meanwhile, Annihilus, wanting his cosmic control rod back from Johnny Storm, sent his minions to retrieve it. The trio of evildoers have made their way to the Baxter Building, and the only thing keeping them from their goal is the New Warriors! And maybe Willie Lumpkin, but you know, Stan Lee's people haven't gotten back to us if he's going to make a cameo or not...
"You Scratch My Back"
The New Warriors stood on the sidewalk in front of the Baxter Building, ready to defend it against the trio of tricksters standing not too far away. Annihilus had sent his minions to Earth to retrieve his cosmic control rod, which was currently in the possession of Johnny Storm. With the Fantastic Four having just left the city, the New Warriors were all that stood in the trio's way.
"Tear them apart!" Slash, the leader shouted as pulled out two electric ships. Mousy grabbed a tuning fork out of her backpack and tapped it against the wall of the building next to her, causing a nearby puddle to rise up into a sharp trident that she grabbed. Brick had a sword that lit up with a large flame.
"I don't like where this is headed," Kittania said. "They can control the elements."
"Yeah, well, there's three of them and five of us," I think we can take them," Valeria said. "Whatever they want in the Baxter Building, we can't let them have it!"
The trio charged at them as Slash flung his whips at Alpha, who flew up into the air to try to avoid them. Slash kept slinging the whips at him, until Alpha flew around a power wire. One of the whips wrapped around it, electrocuting Slash, who screamed in pain and fell to the ground.
"Hope it's not too shocking that I won," Alpha said with a laugh, then stopped. "Seriously, I think he might dead."
Kittania and Mousy were fighting, sword against spear.
"I am a trained warrior," Kittania said as she struggled against her opponent.
"As am I," Mousy said as Kittania twirled and sliced the spear, causing to explode in a mass of water. Kittania put her sword to Mousy's throat.
"Not good enough, apparently," Kittania said.
Machine Teen and Sentinel were trying to avoid Brick's flame sword before both lothelined him by joining hands.
"Well, that was easy," Machine Teen said as he looked at Valeria. "Any idea who these guys are?"
Valeria had put together a small device to scan them, looking up at her team. "There's Negative Zone energy surrounding them. Annihilus must have sent them to take out the Fantastic Four."
"Should have sent someone more competent," Alpha said as the group looked at their downed opponents, not realizing that Slash was opening his eyes. "What do we do with them now?"
"We tie them up and take them to the proper authorities," Valeria said. "Whatever they wanted in the Baxter Building, we're not letting them near."
"If we can get them secure enough, we can just drop them back through the portal to the Negative Zone," Machine Teen said. "I've been in Reed Richard's lab enough to know how to get the portal open."
Slash noticed that Kittania and Alpha were standing in a puddle and stuck his electric whip into it, shocking them until they were unconscious. Before the other three could react, Mousy tapped her tuning fork, trapping Sentinel and Machine Teen in a watery bubble. They tried breaking their way out, but the bubble kept reforming around them.
"Just one little brat left," Brick said as he picked up his flame sword.
Valeria pushed a button as H.E.R.B.I.E. burst out of a window up above and flew down toward Valeria. She grabbed hold of the robot as he took off and flew back into the building at high speed.
"She thinks she can run," Slash said with a smirk. "She'll lead us right to the cosmic control rod. Bring the captives, they'll make fitting tributes for Annihilus."
# # # # # # # # # #
"How do you expect to take out Annihilus's people?" H.E.R.B.I.E. asked as he floated behind Valeria as they headed toward the lab. "They took out your whole team! Well, except for Franklin and Icarus, where are they, anyway?"
"Who knows?" Valeria asked. "And who cares? They're not on this team anymore. Annihilus's goons are messing with the wrong heroes."
"I'll activate the security systems, they'll never make it to us," H.E.R.B.I.E. said.
"No, I want them to make it up here," Valeria smiled.
"You WHAT?"
"Trust me," Valeria told him. "I have a plan."
# # # # # # # # # #
The Trio had the rest of the team trapped in the bubble as they headed toward the top levels of the Baxter Building.
"We'll get the cosmic control rod, then we'll take them all back to our master and be greatly rewarded," Slash said as they burst the door down. "One little girl isn't going to stop us," the group got to Reed Richard's lab and blasted open the door, finding a large plasma cannon facing them. "Then on the other hand."
The trio were blasted clear across the hallway as H.E.R.B.I.E. grabbed the tuning fork as it hit the floor. He tapped it against the bubble, popping it as Sentinel and Machine Teen held onto their unconscious friends.
"That was embarrassing, we couldn't even fight our way out of a bubble," Machine Teen said.
"It's alien tech, kid, don't beat yourself up over it," H.E.R.B.I.E. said as Valeria joined them with a handheld plasma cannon.
"Who wants another taste?" Valeria asked.
"We will have the cosmic control rod!" Slash said as he reached for his electric whips, but Sentinel fired a photon blast from his gauntlets, knocking them out of his hand. Kittania kicked Mousy's weapon out of her hand, while Alpha used his speed to grab Brick's sword. "You will not defeat us!"
"Yeah, pretty sure that's already happened," Machine Teen told them as he took the tuning fork and quickly figured out how to use it, trapping the trio in the watery bubble. "What do you say we send these guys back to Annihilus?"
# # # # # # # # # #
The Negative Zone
Annihilus was sitting on his throne, wondering what was taking his minions so long when the portal opened and the watery bubble fell through, sending water everywhere once it popped on impact. The soaked Annihilus was fuming as he looked at the trio.
# # # # # # # # # #
"Think he'll be upset?" Sentinel asked as the portal was about to close. A large explosion was heard as the portal closed in front of them.
"Nah," Machine Teen said. "They'll be fine."
# # # # # # # # # #
Later that night, as the Fantastic Four returned home, Valeria had explained everything that had happened to Johnny as he sat on his bed.
"The cosmic control rod?" Johnny asked with a confused look on his face. "Oh, you man my backscratcher?"
Johnny reached under his bed and pulled out the cosmic control rod.
"You're using it as a backscratcher?" Valeria asked.
"Hey, it reaches everywhere," Johnny said as he started scratching his back with it. "Yeah, that's the good stuff."
# # # # # # # # # #
New Warriors Headquarters
Adam was sitting in his new room at the team's new headquarters, which was set up in a closed down mall. Adam had moved all of his stuff in, but still had to unpack most of it. For right now he just had his computer and a few other things ready, just enough to complete some important upgrades to his systems. As he was about to begin, he remembered the small black box that H.E.R.B.I.E. had given him earlier.
"Well, might as well use it," Adam said as he opened the plate on his chest and plugged himself in. He started convulsing as the processor began downloading into him. He fell back into his chair as his eyes flashed a dark green before shutting down while the upgrades continued on his system.
# # # # # # # # # #
Latveria
Vincent Von Doom was sitting in front of his computer when the icon flashed. He just smirked to himself as he leaned back.
"Two down,"
TO BE CONTINUED....
Meanwhile, Annihilus, wanting his cosmic control rod back from Johnny Storm, sent his minions to retrieve it. The trio of evildoers have made their way to the Baxter Building, and the only thing keeping them from their goal is the New Warriors! And maybe Willie Lumpkin, but you know, Stan Lee's people haven't gotten back to us if he's going to make a cameo or not...
"You Scratch My Back"
The New Warriors stood on the sidewalk in front of the Baxter Building, ready to defend it against the trio of tricksters standing not too far away. Annihilus had sent his minions to Earth to retrieve his cosmic control rod, which was currently in the possession of Johnny Storm. With the Fantastic Four having just left the city, the New Warriors were all that stood in the trio's way.
"Tear them apart!" Slash, the leader shouted as pulled out two electric ships. Mousy grabbed a tuning fork out of her backpack and tapped it against the wall of the building next to her, causing a nearby puddle to rise up into a sharp trident that she grabbed. Brick had a sword that lit up with a large flame.
"I don't like where this is headed," Kittania said. "They can control the elements."
"Yeah, well, there's three of them and five of us," I think we can take them," Valeria said. "Whatever they want in the Baxter Building, we can't let them have it!"
The trio charged at them as Slash flung his whips at Alpha, who flew up into the air to try to avoid them. Slash kept slinging the whips at him, until Alpha flew around a power wire. One of the whips wrapped around it, electrocuting Slash, who screamed in pain and fell to the ground.
"Hope it's not too shocking that I won," Alpha said with a laugh, then stopped. "Seriously, I think he might dead."
Kittania and Mousy were fighting, sword against spear.
"I am a trained warrior," Kittania said as she struggled against her opponent.
"As am I," Mousy said as Kittania twirled and sliced the spear, causing to explode in a mass of water. Kittania put her sword to Mousy's throat.
"Not good enough, apparently," Kittania said.
Machine Teen and Sentinel were trying to avoid Brick's flame sword before both lothelined him by joining hands.
"Well, that was easy," Machine Teen said as he looked at Valeria. "Any idea who these guys are?"
Valeria had put together a small device to scan them, looking up at her team. "There's Negative Zone energy surrounding them. Annihilus must have sent them to take out the Fantastic Four."
"Should have sent someone more competent," Alpha said as the group looked at their downed opponents, not realizing that Slash was opening his eyes. "What do we do with them now?"
"We tie them up and take them to the proper authorities," Valeria said. "Whatever they wanted in the Baxter Building, we're not letting them near."
"If we can get them secure enough, we can just drop them back through the portal to the Negative Zone," Machine Teen said. "I've been in Reed Richard's lab enough to know how to get the portal open."
Slash noticed that Kittania and Alpha were standing in a puddle and stuck his electric whip into it, shocking them until they were unconscious. Before the other three could react, Mousy tapped her tuning fork, trapping Sentinel and Machine Teen in a watery bubble. They tried breaking their way out, but the bubble kept reforming around them.
"Just one little brat left," Brick said as he picked up his flame sword.
Valeria pushed a button as H.E.R.B.I.E. burst out of a window up above and flew down toward Valeria. She grabbed hold of the robot as he took off and flew back into the building at high speed.
"She thinks she can run," Slash said with a smirk. "She'll lead us right to the cosmic control rod. Bring the captives, they'll make fitting tributes for Annihilus."
# # # # # # # # # #
"How do you expect to take out Annihilus's people?" H.E.R.B.I.E. asked as he floated behind Valeria as they headed toward the lab. "They took out your whole team! Well, except for Franklin and Icarus, where are they, anyway?"
"Who knows?" Valeria asked. "And who cares? They're not on this team anymore. Annihilus's goons are messing with the wrong heroes."
"I'll activate the security systems, they'll never make it to us," H.E.R.B.I.E. said.
"No, I want them to make it up here," Valeria smiled.
"You WHAT?"
"Trust me," Valeria told him. "I have a plan."
# # # # # # # # # #
The Trio had the rest of the team trapped in the bubble as they headed toward the top levels of the Baxter Building.
"We'll get the cosmic control rod, then we'll take them all back to our master and be greatly rewarded," Slash said as they burst the door down. "One little girl isn't going to stop us," the group got to Reed Richard's lab and blasted open the door, finding a large plasma cannon facing them. "Then on the other hand."
The trio were blasted clear across the hallway as H.E.R.B.I.E. grabbed the tuning fork as it hit the floor. He tapped it against the bubble, popping it as Sentinel and Machine Teen held onto their unconscious friends.
"That was embarrassing, we couldn't even fight our way out of a bubble," Machine Teen said.
"It's alien tech, kid, don't beat yourself up over it," H.E.R.B.I.E. said as Valeria joined them with a handheld plasma cannon.
"Who wants another taste?" Valeria asked.
"We will have the cosmic control rod!" Slash said as he reached for his electric whips, but Sentinel fired a photon blast from his gauntlets, knocking them out of his hand. Kittania kicked Mousy's weapon out of her hand, while Alpha used his speed to grab Brick's sword. "You will not defeat us!"
"Yeah, pretty sure that's already happened," Machine Teen told them as he took the tuning fork and quickly figured out how to use it, trapping the trio in the watery bubble. "What do you say we send these guys back to Annihilus?"
# # # # # # # # # #
The Negative Zone
Annihilus was sitting on his throne, wondering what was taking his minions so long when the portal opened and the watery bubble fell through, sending water everywhere once it popped on impact. The soaked Annihilus was fuming as he looked at the trio.
# # # # # # # # # #
"Think he'll be upset?" Sentinel asked as the portal was about to close. A large explosion was heard as the portal closed in front of them.
"Nah," Machine Teen said. "They'll be fine."
# # # # # # # # # #
Later that night, as the Fantastic Four returned home, Valeria had explained everything that had happened to Johnny as he sat on his bed.
"The cosmic control rod?" Johnny asked with a confused look on his face. "Oh, you man my backscratcher?"
Johnny reached under his bed and pulled out the cosmic control rod.
"You're using it as a backscratcher?" Valeria asked.
"Hey, it reaches everywhere," Johnny said as he started scratching his back with it. "Yeah, that's the good stuff."
# # # # # # # # # #
New Warriors Headquarters
Adam was sitting in his new room at the team's new headquarters, which was set up in a closed down mall. Adam had moved all of his stuff in, but still had to unpack most of it. For right now he just had his computer and a few other things ready, just enough to complete some important upgrades to his systems. As he was about to begin, he remembered the small black box that H.E.R.B.I.E. had given him earlier.
"Well, might as well use it," Adam said as he opened the plate on his chest and plugged himself in. He started convulsing as the processor began downloading into him. He fell back into his chair as his eyes flashed a dark green before shutting down while the upgrades continued on his system.
# # # # # # # # # #
Latveria
Vincent Von Doom was sitting in front of his computer when the icon flashed. He just smirked to himself as he leaned back.
"Two down,"
TO BE CONTINUED....