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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:18:38 GMT -5
Plastique is inside a stairwell, thinking, This place is like a maze. I must get out, now!***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:19:00 GMT -5
Chris Lansing is crawling up stairs toward the control room, leaving a trail of blood. The tied patsies watch in terror. ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:19:22 GMT -5
Crystal Frost turns to exit the Thermafrost, saying, “There, and not a moment too soon.” ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:19:54 GMT -5
Mr. Claire watches some gauges. ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:20:17 GMT -5
Danton Black is leaving an office with a CD in hand, smirking. ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:20:37 GMT -5
Ronnie Raymond slips from his bindings and starts to drag the unconscious Stein out of the control room. ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:21:11 GMT -5
Flambeau hits the trigger, and the explosives begin to go off. The two men next to the reactor die instantly. Chris Lansing is further injured as fire and force hit him. To her horror, Crystal Frost sees the door to the Thermafrost unit slam shut, trapping her inside as the temperature suddenly drops. Danton Black is knocked out a wall crumbles before him. Plastique is blown back down the stairs. Claire and his assistants run for their lives. ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:22:09 GMT -5
Flames and strange radiation engulf Ronnie and Professor Stein. In an instant, both men are gone, and in their place stands a new being with glowing, pupil-less eyes and fire burning where his hair should be. “What’s going on,” Ronnie screams, realizing that the flames are not burning him. “Everything I look at, its like I can see what its made of, down to the molecular level. But this radiation will kill me!” Ron instinctively levitates into the air and draws the radiation into himself. “I don’t know how I’m doing this, but I don’t think I can keep it up.” “Release the energy we’ve built up,” Stein whispers. Ron questions, “Who’s that?” “My name is Martin Stein. It seems we have been fused together. In order to absorb more radiation, we need to release the energy.” Ron pointed his hand. In an instant, a flash of energy shot through the control room, changing an entire wall into dirt. “OK, Stein, what’s next.” “It seems that, Ronald, since I was unconscious when the explosion hit, I have no direct control over our joined form. However, the reactor has been breached. Perhaps we can change the radioactive element in the core to an inert material.” “Fine.” The merged being flies from the control room, absorbing radiation and changing the debris into foam and sand to smother the fires. Without thinking, he flies through the wall of the reactor containment. “We just lowered our subatomic density to zero to pass through the wall. How do I know that, and how do we know what to do?” questions Ronnie more. “I’m a nuclear physicist, and helped design this reactor. We currently are sharing consciousness.” Stein answers the young man. “So I’m borrowing your smarts? Cool.” ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:23:00 GMT -5
Ron transforms the active agent to simple aluminum, and spends a few minutes containing the fires and dissipating radiation. As fire crews and emergency personnel arrive, Firestorm carries out Chris Lansing, who is terribly injured. “Take care of him. There are more inside, but I put out the fires.” A policeman looks at the fire-headed man incredulously. “What, are you one of them superheroes, like Superman? If so, you should at least put on some pants.” Ron looks down at himself and realizes he is stark naked. He survived the fire, but his clothes didn’t. In a flash, he creates a basic grey sweatsuit and tennis shoes out of thin air. “Thanks,” he says sheepishly to the cop. “No problem. Just be glad that the news crews haven’t arrived yet.” “Ronald, there is unfinished business.” Stein tells Ron. “Oh, yeah. Officer, I know who is responsible for this. Have your helicopter follow me, and I’ll lead you right to them.” ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:23:49 GMT -5
Ron flies across town, and arrives at Earhart’s staging room. Earhart is there, preparing to destroy evidence of his involvement. “EARHART,” Ron thunders. Eddie looks up at the floating, flame-haired apparition and screams. “Didn’t you realize that setting off the reactor could have closed New York? Millions would have died!” Earhart, in terror screams, “No! The reactor wasn’t finished.” Ron tells him, “Wrong. They were minutes from start-up, you moron. The core was active. You almost did a lot more that discredit the President.” “I didn’t know. How could I know?” “Did you hear him?” asks Ron. Several police officers stroll into the room. “Yeah, I did,” the lead officer states. “And you didn’t lay a hand on him. What’s your name, anyway?” Twenty names ripped through his dual-mind before he said: “Firestorm, the Nuclear Man.” ***
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Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 21, 2006 20:25:15 GMT -5
Thirty minutes later, Firestorm flies behind Martin Stein’s apartment. Ron says, “OK, now how do we split?” “I don’t know, Ronald. This is beyond either of our experience.” “You’re the PHD holder,” Ron informs. “What can we do?” “I’m out of ideas. Give me some time to think,” states Stein. “No. I have school tomorrow. I want to go home!” A burst of light and sound explodes, and what is one becomes two. Dressed as they were before and slightly injured, Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein stand next to each other in the dark lot. “Professor, are you all right?” “How did I get here? Those men were...” Ron, thinking, He doesn’t remember. Then Ronnie says to Stein, “I think I should explain some things, Professor Stein.” “You sound as if you know me.” Ron says, “It’s...complicated. Let’s get something to eat, I’ll buy. End.
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