Legends of Firestorm #1

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Legends of Firestorm #1
Light a Fire

Written by Joel Sawyer
Edited by Daniel Dyer

I remember being very angry before the accident. I mean, my father had moved us for the twelfth time in fourteen years. New school, new situation, and a whole new set of problems. Two weeks at Malloy High, and I still had no idea what to do with myself.

Ronnie Raymond walks past a fenced-in basketball court near Malloy High. Ron is an almost painfully average seventeen year old boy, wavy brown hair framing his blue-eyed face. He is completely lost in his own thoughts.

“Heads up!”

Ron looks up just in time and catches the basketball before it crashes into his head. With practiced reflexes, he tosses the ball into the nearest hoop. Several of the players marvel.

“Nice shot,” states the tall, dark-skinned teen who had warned him before. “Name’s Jefferson. You play?”

“Used to,” Ron replies. “At my old school.”

“Steve needs to go to work,” Jefferson offered, “Want to join in?”

Ronnie starts to decline, but something inside demands the workout. “Sure,” he says. “I’m in.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

As the teams do battle, a pretty blond student and the class honor student watch the game.

“I don’t understand why you find basketball so fascinating, Doreen,” Cliff Carmicheal moans, adjusting his glasses. Even with his thick red hair and thick sideburns, Cliff was a bit of a nerd, but a very loud and obnoxious one who rarely showed any fear.

Doreen Day responds, “It can’t be all about studies, Cliff. Besides, I wanted to check out the new guy.”

“Who, Raymond? Just what we need, another dumb jock.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“Professor Stein has shown ample documentation of his research, whereas Dr. Black is unable to show the court any evidence at all. The courts find in the favor of the defendant, Martin Stein.” The judges gavel ends the suit.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Outside the courtroom, Stein, a middle-aged physicist with prematurely greying hair, confronts his accuser. “Danton, now that this is over with, what did you hope to accomplish? You assisted with some technical aspects of the project, but you had to know I had 20 years of records of my research.”

Danton Black, a daringly handsome man jet black hair and moustache, smirks at Stein. “Because the cold fusion reactor is worth a Bill Gates level fortune. I wanted it!”

“Well, Danton, you have court costs to pay, no job to pay them with, and no one will hire a scientist who sues his employers. Was it worth it?”

As Stein walks away, Black mutters under his breath, “I’m not the only one who will pay.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Ron is walking with Doreen Day. They are approaching a parking lot rally protesting the President’s policies.

Doreen asks, “So you really haven’t made any friends, yet?”

Ronnie replies, “No, but I haven’t been very sociable, either.”

Doreen smiles. “I’ll be glad to show you around.”

They stop to listen to the speaker at the rally.

Eddie Earhart is shouting to a crowd that is very warm to his words. “This administration has run roughshod over individual rights and has handed prize after prize to big business. This new Hudson Nuclear Facility proves it. Research funded by Federal grants, tax breaks for the use of the land, all for a company who would have shown a profit in two years from the plant! When does it stop?”

Ron says, “I’ve spoken to Earhart a couple times. He’s very passionate, but a little off. What do you think?”

“Dad’s a police detective and doesn’t like Earhart one bit. Half of what he says is false. The Governor of New York granted the tax breaks. Dad says Earhart is dangerous.”

“I’m going to hang around a little longer. You?”

Doreen says, “Sorry. Homework. See you tomorrow.”

Earhart continues to the crowd, “It’s time for a political revolution in this country!”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Hudson Nuclear Facility. Martin Stein enters the front of the facility and is greeted by several scientists and technicians. One man in particular rushes toward him, brushing rudely past a female scientist.

“Professor Stein, glad you could make it. It seems wrong if you weren’t here when we start the reactor.”

“Thank you, Mr. Claire. So, everything is ready to go?”

“Just last minute adjustments. I’ll show you what Drs. Benton, Greene, and Carter are working on.”

Mr. Claire leads Stein away, the woman, Crystal Frost, glowers at their backs. Crystal is an attractive woman in her mid-thirties, though she hides her looks behind Spartan hairstyles and spinster glasses. She thinks, It is always this way, since college. Men believe that science is their game, that women are out of place. In school and in my first job, they called me the Ice Maiden, since I concentrated on my studies instead of massaging their egos. My Thermafrost unit and Martin’s cold fusion designs will show them all who the top players are, and Martin and I can celebrate our success together!

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Earhart, grinning ear to ear, “Hey, Ron, speaking of making a statement, you want to join me on a spray-painting trip tonight?”

Ronnie replies, “Isn’t that strictly against the law? I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“We have an inside man to open the doors, so legally we won’t be breaking and entering. Look, I’ll give you a hundred bucks to paint some walls.”

Ronnie says, “Sure, I’ll go.”

As Ron walks away, a man and a woman step out of the shadows.

“He doesn’t fit the profile, Earhart. If we are to blame the event on middle-eastern terrorists, we require patsies of Arabian descent.”

Earheart states, “Flambeau, I’ve found two guys, but no one is going to believe that two could pull this off. Raymond will help round it out.”

Flambeau says, “Fine. Just remember that, whatever else happens, Plastique and I will not be caught. Anything goes wrong, and you will be blamed.”

“What can go wrong?”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Evening at the Hudson Nuclear facility.

Claire says to Stein, “We’re within a half hour to start-up, and everything looks good.”

“Excellent. I’ll check in with Dr. Frost.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Danton Black slinks around a shadowy hallway, thinking, They haven’t changed my security codes, yet. Fools! I’ll copy the schematics and sell them.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Stein walks into a smaller control room that holds the Thermafrost unit, a small chamber that can drop the temperature far below freezing in moments, the brainchild of Dr. Crystal Frost. Frost smiles as Stein approaches.

Stein tells her, “We’re almost ready. How is the Thermafrost unit?”

“Ready to go, Martin,” Frost answers

“With your Thermafrost cooling the reactor components, the amount of energy we can produce will double. You should be proud,” he tells Frost.

Frost comes up behind Stein, taking her glasses off and running her arms around his waist. Prof. Stein is startled by the move.

Frost says, “We should be proud. Martin, I know you see me as more than just a woman, and I certainly feel the same way. After the start-up, we should celebrate our success and our love.”

Martin turns toward her. “Of course I see you as more than a woman,” he stammers. “You’re a scientist, top of your field. What does that have to do with love?”

Crystal stares at him, her heart turning cold. “You don’t love me?”

Stein starts, “Dr. Frost, I...”

“Go,” she spits at him. “I’m sure you and the other men will have a good laugh at the ‘Ice Maiden’s’ expense.”

“Crystal...”

“Get out of here!” demands Frost.

Befuddled, Martin leaves the room.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Near a rear gate entrance of the plant, Earhart leads Flambeau, Plastique, Ron, and two young men of middle-eastern descent. A security guard opens the gate, Earhart tells Ron and the other young men to wait while he, Flambeau, and Plastique enter the site. As they reach the guard, he presses a button in the guard station.

“Security cam’s back on,” guard Christopher Lansing whispers. “Wave them in.”

Earhart beckons, Ron and his companions walk through in full view of the camera. Once they are all together, Earhart says, “Allright, Lansing, lead the way.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Stein is by himself in the reactor control room. Why didn’t I realize? She is a very attractive woman, and this is the third project we’ve worked on in 10 years. Am I truly so wrapped up in my work? Perhaps, after startup, we could meet and discuss things.

Stein speaks into an intercom. “Ten minutes. Stations, everyone.”

Frost, to herself, “I’ll need to make final adjustments inside the chamber.”

The door to the control room opens, and Martin is very upset.

Stein exclaims, “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Earhart answers him, “Need to know basis, old man.” Earhart cracks Martin over the head with a billy club, and Martin crumples.

Ronnie, shouting, “What did you do that for? We’re here to vandalize the place!”

Flambeau, now wearing a ski mask and goggles, opens his backpack, which is filled with explosives. Flambeau states, “We are here for much more than that, mon ami.”

Ronnie stares at the bag and Flambeau. “I can’t let...” Ron begins and lunges at Flambeau, but Plastique fires a tazer from behind, leaving Ron convulsing on the floor. She quickly tazers the other two young men.

Earhart says, “Lansing, tie them up.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Moments later, the conspirators prepare.

Flambeau says, “Earhart, stay here with the old guy and the kid. Plastique, set your explosives around the perimeter. Lansing, help me carry the Arabs near the reactor.”

In the reactor room, Flambeau places an explosive device next to the tied up patsies. Flambeau then turns and shoots Lansing in both legs.

“Aaahh,” Lansing screams, “You, mother... I helped you. You can’t just let me die!”

Flambeau responds, “I’m a professional. Only myself, Plastique, and Earhart will walk out of here.” Flambeau tosses the pistol next to the bound men.

Flambeau reaches Earhart, lifts a small walkie-talkie. “Plastique, your status?”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Plastique is standing in a hall, an explosive attached to a large pipe. “Mission complete,” she says to her communicator.

Flambeau, from her radio says, “Do not come here. Meet us at the gate. Do not be slow.”

Plastique replies, “Yes, Flambeau.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Earhart and Flambeau reach the back gate. Flambeau lifts a transmitter.

Earhart says, “Your partner isn’t here, yet.”

“She knows what is at stake.”

***