Exiles #4

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Exiles #4
Prime Time
Part 1:
Gameboy

Written and Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

Adventure. That’s what I use to crave. I was a dreamer and when I dreamed, I dreamed BIG. My name’s Kevin Keene and when I was younger, I was... well... Maybe addicted is too light a word. I was obsessed with video games. Maybe the games satisfied my need for adventure. I dunno. I only know that every game I played... I mastered.

But that was long ago, before my need for adventure was truly satisfied. I found a gateway to... a place where the video games were real. I joined a group of the game beings and had many adventures as Captain N. The “N” because of the “N” on my letterman jacket. I figured it was appropriate. “N” also stood for Nintendo, or at least it did in my mind.

I know, crazy, huh? Guess that’s how I ended up at the hospital. An insane hospital. My parents figured it was for the best. Once I was somehow (never figured out how or why) shut off from the game world, I became restless and ended up sharing my adventures one too many times. Can’t blame them, I know now how crazy it sounded, but I also know it was real. I can still remember vividly how the game world felt.

And what happened next showed me again that other worlds existed. A multitude of other worlds. Once again... adventure.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

While I was stewing in a cell in the “asylum”, in a place called the Haven, an odd group, the Exiles, were having a meeting, a secret meeting away from this group’s founder.

“You sure what you saw?” a femme fetal named Yrra asked a man dressed as Spider-Man (for my money, Peter Parker is the only real Spider-Man).

“Sure am,” the wannabe replied. “Only he called himself Oblivion and... something seemed different about him.”

“Like he was trying to destroy the very thing he said he wants to save?” interjected the cyborg that I would learn was named Victor Stone.Off to the side stood what appeared to be a Predator. You know, those alien hunters from the movies? Yeah, a Predator. Supposedly the thing abhorred violence. I’m not too sure, myself.

“So, vhat do you suggest?” Nightcrawler asked. “Do ve attack him?”

“No,” Mr. I-think-I’m-Spider-Man replied. “Oblivion knows I saw him, yet Access hasn’t mentioned it.”

“So I’m not the only crazy one,” a young woman named Willow stated. She’s a witch. “Good to know.”

Ignoring the witch the alien, Yrra, suggested, “Do you think possession?”

“Evil twin?” Nightcrawler put forth.

“Clone?” Cyborg said.

“Let’s hope not,” was Spider-Boy’s reply. “Until we figure it out, maybe it’s best to keep it between us. If Access is off his rocky, better to not tip him off.”

“Agreed,” Vic stated.

Then an electronic voice repeated from where the Predator stood, “Agreed.”

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Get it? It’s like from one of those old westerns. Nevermind. Well, it was lunch time and I was in the cafeteria. I was just getting my tray when some huge neanderthal knocked my tray out of my hands.

“Hey!”

The lummox just grinned and turned to walk away. I thought back. I fought evil monsters in the game world. Killer robots. Vampires. Evil dictators. I wasn’t going to back down to some bully.

“DIE!” I yelled as I jumped on the brute’s back.

Okay, I overreacted a bit. He did start it though. The psych guys didn’t have to put me in a straight jacket.

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

At Haven, Access (the topic of the Exiles’ earlier conversation) was said to be the protector of the multiverse. That was the reason he gave for bringing together the Exiles. He found a “disturbance in the Force”. Sorry, had a Star Wars moment there. Anyways, something was wrong. Whole universes were being wiped out, which isn’t a good thing for “the keeper of the multiverse”. Something like that could cost him his job.

But since this Access wasn’t really a fighter and didn’t have an offensive power, he sought out a team to help him save the multiverse. A half-man, half machine cyborg, the last survivor of his entire universe, a clone of the amazing Spider-Man, a peace loving alien predator, a witch on the verge of crossing over to the dark side, a fatal alien space cop, and demonic looking mutant. This motley crew were meant to save the multiverse?

Access, seeing Cyborg entering the command center, turned away from the monitors. “Vic,” Access began, “I found another Earth in jeopardy.”

Cyborg decided to act as if nothing was wrong and replied, “What’s the deal?”

Access turned back to the monitors and began, “Earth Prime.”

“Prime?”

“I call it Prime because I believe this is the original Earth.”

“Original?” questioned Vic.

“Yes. The multiverse started out as one singular universe,” Access explained. “The few that know this have no clue what caused the divergence, only that it did happen.”

“How can you be certain that this is the original?”

“I can’t,” Access replied, “but there is something unique about Prime.”

“Which is...?”

“It is the only universe I’ve visited so far that can tap into other universes via the dreamscape.”

Vic was a bit confused. “What does that mean?”

“Well... for one you’re a comic character there,” Access answered.Victor looked on in shock.

“In fact, that’s the only kind of super hero or super villain that exists on Earth Prime.”

“Then what...?”

“Could be set in motion that would destroy this Earth?” Access finished Vic’s question. “This Earth is one that knows nothing of super powers or aliens. It does not mean they don’t exist. And something changed Prime’s history, causing an alien baby to arrive on this Earth years ago. Kal-El.”

Cyborg’s jaw must have dropped to the floor. “You can’t tell me he’s the threat.”

“One of the threats, yes. This Kryptonian isn’t the Kryptonian you knew. He isn’t the Superboy you fought alongside.”

The cyborg was silent for a moment and then said, “What’s the other threat?”

—

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Back in my private cell, I was busy bouncing off the wholes. Naw, just kidding. In truth I was just sitting in a corner feeling damn uncomfortable due to the straight jacket. Why do bad things happen to good people? I was a hero on another world. But here... I was ordinary. I was plain, and classified as insane.

I wouldn’t survive in that place. I wasn’t crazy. I know I wasn’t. So why was I seeing things?

A bright light... in the shape of a doorway. A gateway? To another world? But as I advanced, out stepped the Predator, the light shining off his blade.

“Gulp.”

Maybe I am crazy. One could hope, right?

Continued...