#436
Origin of a Species: Part One
SEPTEMBER YEAR 2

By Tim Hartin

Night has fallen over the restless New York City.

In her Manhattan studio-apartment, Alicia Masters echoes the city's restlessness in her sleep. She tosses and turns as she wrestles with the nightmares of her unconscious. Within her dreams are flashes of images and colours long lost to her in the awaken world. Normally, Alicia welcomes these images since they are a brief remembrance of a time when she had sight. A time long ago, before her unfortunate accident.*

[*Alicia Masters lost her eyesight as a child, when she was exposed to toxic chemicals in a lab explosion]

Tonight on the other hand, instead of being calmed by these dreams, she is tormented by twisted images of those she loves the most. Tonight, she is being tormented in her dreams by the Fantastic Four! A twisted mockery of the Thing lumbers up towards her and jerks her into the air with his great orange boulder-like fist. The dream Thing's face shifts in and out of focus. His deep black oval eyes stare at her. "I don't love you!" shouts the dream Thing. "I never have! I could never love someone as pathetic as you!"

Alicia wants to cry. She can't believe that her Ben would say something like that to her. Then she sees a flash of blue movement from the corner of her eye and then the nightmare version of Mr. Fantastic slithers around her like a giant snake. As Reed Richards speaks, a forked tongue darts in and out of his mouth. "You do not belong with usssss," hisses Mr. Fantastic. "You are weak and helplessssss." As with the dream Thing, this Mr. Fantastic shares the same black oval eyes. Eyes that are as dark and deep as any void. Eyes that remind Alicia of something that her mind won't allow her to remember.

Alicia struggles and breaks free from the crushing coils of Mr. Fantastic. She turns and runs and runs. She doesn't care where to as long as she escapes. It does her no good. Running in a nightmare never does anyone any good. Especially when the ground opens in front of her and she falls into a bottomless pit. She screams until she realizes that she has been caught in the arms of the Human Torch. His body's flames radiate in brilliant hues of red, orange, and yellow. All except his arms and face. They are as normal as possible within the nightmare. "Thank you Johnny," whispers a frighten Alicia. She looks into his face to see the same familiar large black eyes staring back at her.

"I don't want you," comments this evil Human Torch as he drops Alicia into a void. "I never did." He leaves a flame trail as he flies away as Alicia plummets deeper and deeper into the void around her. All Alicia can do is scream on the way down.

"That's no way for a woman to behave," comes a feminine voice from nowhere. Alicia can hear the voice in her ear and she recognizes it as belonging to Susan Richards, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman. Again Sue's voice speaks to her but this time it is in the other ear. "No wonder Ben doesn't want you." Alicia looks around her but she doesn't see anything. "I don't blame him... especially since you aren't pure anymore..."

Then Alicia sees a disembodied pair of midnight black oval eyes staring back at her. The eyes start to bleed. They bleed the same darkness as they are composed off. This darkness flows like spilt ink. Alicia fights as she is ensnared by strands of this growing darkness. Soon enough she struggles to escape the void but it is too late... she screams as it swallows her up.

Alicia Masters awakes screaming. She is surrounded by the familiar blackness of her waking world. She trembles from the after shock of her nightmare. "It was only a dream," she tells herself. "It wasn't real." She reaches over to her night table and touches the small statuette of the Thing that she carved some time ago. She runs her fingers along the face and smiles. Alicia sighs and relaxes. "I love you Ben. That's what's real. And not my dream." She drifts off in a much more peaceful sleep with her nightmare behind her.

Four figures step out from the shadows of Alicia's skylight studio-apartment. Their features are obscured by the natural darkness of the night, but their general form appears humanoid and just over five feet tall. A soft shifting pattern of multicoloured hues pulsate on their torsos. They speak in an unknown language. A language that verbally seems to match the same soft hues on their bellies. One of the four 'visitor' raises a webbed hand with some sort of wand like device in it. The device is soft and organic in nature. The visitor lowers the 'wand' towards Alicia. A mass of thin black tentacles shoot out of the device and embed themselves into Alicia's sleeping body. She murmurs something in her sleep but does not wake up. The 'visitor' speaks as he reads his device, ["The specimen has accepted the genetic grafts. It appears that we have found another potential component."] *

[* translated from the alien language]

Another 'visitor' turns to the one with the organic scanner and speaks, [It is time to return to the Polyp. We will harvest this specimen in a fortnight."] The visitor with the organic scanner releases Alicia from its mass of tentacles. The four strange 'visitors' walk to the skylight. If Alicia could see them fade from the apartment, she would have noted their midnight black oval eyes. Eyes that show no sign of emotion... or humanity.

The next day at Pier Four. The headquarters and home to the world's greatest super-heroes, the Fantastic Four.

In the hanger, Reed Richards works diligently on a modified shuttle that he plans to take his family to Titan with. Reed stretches his neck and arms into the heart of the shuttle, to get a closer look at the power coils of the engine. Reed's stretching ability is second nature to him and he uses it like he would with any other tool. Reed's mind is his greatest asset. And right now his mind ponders the hyperspace equations and technical specs of this modified shuttle. These calculations are not made easier with Reed's modifications from alien technology.

'Must take the Blinovitch Limitation into effect for these calculations,' thinks Reed as he adjusts the power coils. 'Wouldn't want to miscalculate and have the ship burn all of its fuel in the initial take off.' Reed Richards is lost to the world around him as he immerses himself further and further into the complicated design of the space shuttle. He is so lost in his work that he doesn't hear the foot steps of his family entering the hangar.

"Daddy! Daddy!" shouts the excited voice of Franklin Richards. "Can I fly in that?" asks Franklin as he looks at the impressive shuttle.

Reed pops his head up from the mechanical depths of the engine. His eyes light up when he sees his wife and son standing in the hangar. "Be with you in a minute." Reed instinctively retracts his head and arms from the mechanical maze that he has wrapped himself into and he stands in front of his family.

"Morning dear," smiles Sue as she walks up to Reed with a coffee in one hand. She rubs her other hand against the stubble on Reed's face. "Been at it all night again I see," she adds.

"Just making the final corrections and alterations to the design." states Reed as one arm wraps itself around Sue and the other forms a swing for Franklin. "I've included some Skrull and Kree technology into the shuttle and completely redesigned the power coils for optimum efficiency within the interstiary warp matrix."

"That's good, dear." smiles Sue. "Enough of the hangar. I think it's time you showered and shave and made yourself presentable." Sue pauses as she caresses Reed's face. "Oh I don't know... I kind of like the stubble though."

"Sue!" laughs Reed as he hikes Franklin on to his shoulders. "Maybe I should grow a beard then?" jokes Reed.

Sue doesn't say a word. She doesn't have to. She just smiles at her husband and then turns invisible. Her voice comes from behind Reed's ear, "I don't think the beard look suited you the last time, hon."

Reed's mind flashes back and he smiles, "I think you are right. I think I better shave."*

[* see Fantastic Four #407 - 412]

Franklin laughs as he watches his parents. "When will I be able to shave daddy?"

"Right now," laughs Reed. "Come on, we'll both shave."

"Yippee!" yells Franklin with youthful joy as Reed carries him out of the hangar on his shoulders. Sue watches both of them leave and she wonders who has the biggest smile on their faces. This is the time she likes best. Time she can enjoy her family and not worry about some world threatening menace ruining it for them. 'But if I enjoy this peaceful time so much, then why do I have doubts about our trip to Titan?' wonders Susan Richards to herself. It's a question that she ponders as she leaves the hangar.

Mid-day over the Manhattan sky-line.

The Human Torch flies aimlessly through the overhead clouds. The erratic jig-zag of his flame trail coincides with Johnny's lack of any real destination. He is flying just for the sheer joy of flying. It has always been something that Johnny has loved. To the Human Torch, there is nothing more relaxing than a good jaunt through the clouds far above the confusion of the city below. The fresh air, high above the smog riddled city, helps to clear his brain so Johnny can ponder the various questions that have been bothering him of late.

Johnny wonders what he is going to do once Reed and Sue leave. 'Should I stay or should I go?' chuckles Johnny Storm. 'Should I take some time off for myself? I could use a rest. Or should I remain with the FF?' These are all important questions that Johnny isn't quite sure he knows the answers yet. He knows he will find the answers but he is just not sure when.

His mind drifts from his own personal queries to another problem that has been on his mind. He cannot believe that Alicia is pregnant! 'Will Ben make the right choice?' thinks Johnny. 'One thing is sure, if Ben doesn't treat Alicia right, he'll have to answer to me.' Johnny knows that Ben and Alicia belong together and sometimes he would like to be able to hit Ben on the side of the head and tell him to stop being a jerk! 'The only problem with that is how do you slap someone on the side of the head if they can throw buses back at you?' jokes Johnny. 'I guess I'd have to give him a hot foot instead.' Johnny laughs because deep down he knows Ben will do the right thing.

Johnny Storm realizes he is hungry and so he decides to go for a bite to eat. He drifts from the clouds and flies to midtown. He is looking for his favourite café, the Au Café on 53rd Street. He always enjoys their cappuccino and the chicken and wild mushroom soup. His mouth was already watering. If such a thing is possible while he is 'flamed on'.

Many heads look up and stare at the Human Torch as he flies over traffic. People point and stare at Johnny as he comes to a stop in front of the café. Once he has 'flamed off', Johnny Storm stands in the street in his alternate red uniform that he found in an old storage crate at Pier 4. Johnny smiles at people's reactions when they don't recognize his uniform. Johnny wore this uniform out of nostalgia for he always liked it and thought he would try something different today by wearing it. This uniform is an old tribute to his hero, the original Human Torch from the comics he used to read as a kid.

Johnny sits at his usual table near the window. A tall, young black woman walks up to his table and takes his order. She has regal features and is rather attractive. Her dress is simple and yet elegant. Her hair is long and braided. It is pulled back at the back of her head. Her voice is soft and charming. Her foreign accent aids to her charm. "Hello. I'm A'kimba. What will you have?"

"I'll start with your phone number?" flirts Johnny. "And then you can bring two cappuccinos."

"Two?"

"Yes. One for me and one for you." Johnny smiles and puts on the charm. "That's is if you will be so kind as to sit with me. I would be honoured to enjoy such beautiful…" Johnny pauses for a second. "…conversation."

A'kimba smiles and walks away with Johnny's order. She returns with a single cappuccino and the bill. She sets the coffee on the table and slides the bill next to it. She smiles at Johnny and comments, "I hope you like your coffee."

Johnny looks at the single coffee and sighs. He had hoped she would have taken him serious and joined him. He would have loved the company. As Johnny sips on the coffee he takes a quick peek at his bill. To his pleasant surprise a small note is written on the back. It reads:

"757-2323
I'm done work at 6:00.
Give me a call."

Johnny's face beams with joy as he sips the rest of his coffee. "You can count on it."

Early evening at Pier Four.

Susan Richards literally has to side step the Thing as he comes barreling down the hall. "What's the excitement, Ben?" she asks. "First I have Johnny almost run me over earlier on his way out and now you."

"Sorry Susie," apologizes Ben, "I've had a lot on my mind and I just wasn't watchin' were I was goin'."

"That 'lot on your mind' is Alicia I hope." says Sue. "You know that Alicia needs you right now. She needs your love and your support like never before."

"I know Susie." adds the Thing. The Thing smiles and pulls out a small box from his pocket. "This is why I was in a rush. Just picked it up. I'm goin' to ask Alicia to marry me. I'm goin' over to her studio apartment as soon as I freshen up."

"That's wonderful, Ben!" exclaims Sue as she jumps up and hugs Ben. "I know you two will be very happy."

"I want to surprise her. I can't wait to see the expression on her face when I pop the question." Ben's voice changes slightly as a bit of his more familiar melancholy settles in. "that's if she will still have me after the idiot I've been."

"Of course she will Ben! She couldn't have found a better guy."

"Aww thanks Susie. I better get goin'. I can't wait to see Alicia."

Alicia Masters Manhattan studio apartment.

The Thing walks to the front door. He fumbles his hat and plays with his constricting tie. The Thing can't believe it. He has fought against some of the most dangerous foes and he has never flinched. But the thought of proposing to Alicia has made him nervous. 'What if she dumps me for being the monster that I am.' wonders Ben. He dismisses his fleeting moment of self-pity. 'Don't do this to yourself. You love Alicia and she loves you!'

BOOM!

The Thing is blown back from the concussion of the explosion. It takes a few seconds for the Thing to snap out of his daze. When he does, what Benjamin Grimm sees almost makes him wish that he didn't. Alicia's apartment has exploded into an inferno of flames.

"ALICIA!" screams The Thing at the top of his voice. He instantly charges into the heart of the inferno in a desperate attempt to find Alicia and save her. The massive orange frame of the Thing disappears into the tower of fire and smoke.

Pier Four.

Sue and Reed spend a quiet evening together. Sue has finally got Reed away from the hangar and she is bent on spending an evening with her beloved husband. Or at least that was the plan until Reed turns on the television.

"This is a Channel 23 Special News Report! It appears a mysterious explosion has rocked the neighbourhood of Soho." The frantic female voice continue to give the grim details over the video footage of an enraging wall of flames. "The reports are sketchy but it is believed that there may be fatalities. To the extent of the explosion, nothing is known for certain, but potential terrorism hasn't been ruled out." The images flicker and change to reveal a crazed Thing tearing the apartment into pieces for his search for Alicia. "It appears that some creature seems to be spreading the fire to the neighbouring houses!"

"That's no creature." exclaims Reed Richards. "That's BEN!" Reed retracts his stretched neck back from the television and stretches his whole upper torso across the room towards his wife, Susan Richards. "Sue! We have to get down there!"

Sue listens to the television report. "Good God, Reed. Do you recognize that address." mentions Sue. "That's Alicia's address!" Sue cups her hands to her mouth. "Alicia... Ben... Oh no." She lowers her hands and regains her composure. "We better signal Johnny..."

"To the Fantasticar, darling." exclaims Reed as he stretches out of the main living room towards the hangar. "We can alert Johnny on route." Sue Richards runs along with her husband towards their mutual destination, the newly designed Fantasticar. It is sleek and angular and has open compartments like the previous models. Sue lifts herself in by creating a force screen that literally lifts her off the hangar floor and allows her to slip into her compartment. The engines roar into action as Reed activates the flight controls.

The Fantasticar shoots out of the hangar doors and flies into the Manhattan night sky. The lights of the Manhattan skyline appear like the many stars in the heavens above. Sue Richards pulls out a modified flare gun from her compartment and fires it into the sky. A fiery ball explodes high into the air revealing a flaming four signal. Its flickering flames are a call to action. A call for the Human Torch.

The Empire State Building.

A'kimba stares out over the city of Manhattan. Her brown eyes sparkle like the many city lights below her. She is amazed and enthralled with New York. "It is so beautiful."

"Yes you are," answers Johnny. Johnny isn't looking at the city but at A'kimba. He is admiring A'kimba's radiant beauty. Her hair is still tied back and sways in the breeze. She wears a sleeveless, form fitting green dress. It is a dress that compliments A'kimba's every move. It certainly has bewitched Johnny. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he says.

A'kimba turns her attention to Johnny. "I bet you say that to all of the women, Johnny Storm. Your reputation as a ladies man precedes you." A'kimba tilts her head back as she laughs. It is a laughter that sounds like music to Johnny's ears. Johnny tries to protest A'kimba's accusation but he sighs as he realizes that she may be right. "That's O.K. Johnny Storm." comforts A'kimba. "I believe you." A'kimba smiles and walks towards the other side of the Empire State Building observation deck. "Tell me Johnny, what is like to be a member of the Fantastic Four?"

"Oh... it's never dull. That's for sure." comments Johnny. "It's often dangerous but it has its moments. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that in my native land, the Fantastic Four are idolized as great heroes. You are second only to our great King."

"Doesn't sound like Latveria then." jokes Johnny. "Where would that be?"

"Wakanda." comments A'kimba with a distant look in her eye as she looks at the night sky. "My father is on a research grant at Empire University. I came with him because I'm the only family he has left."

"I'm sorry to hear that." says Johnny.

"That's O.K. It happen a long time ago." A'kimba's face brightens once more as she turns to Johnny. "So tell me Johnny... will you take me flying?"

As Johnny Storm was about to answer he sees the flaming four burst over the Manhattan skyline. He curses its timing but he knows he can't ignore the call. A'kimba also sees the Fantastic Four flare. "I'm sorry A'kimba... I'm really sorry but I have to go."

"I understand Johnny," comments A'kimba. "It is your duty. But before you go... say 'it' for me."

"O.K. just for you... FLAME ON!" shouts Johnny as he burst into flames. He hovers in the air for a brief moment, "Can I call you again A'kimba?"

"I would like that." she answers. She watches Johnny burn through the metal mesh and fly into the night sky. She is content. As she watches Johnny disappear into the distance she wonders when she will hear from Johnny again. She then looks at the hole in the mesh. A'kimba laughs to herself as she thinks, 'Hmmm… the authorities aren't going to like that.'

The burning ruins of what was once the studio apartment of Alicia Masters.

Fire crews try to get close to the house but the flying sparks of flame don't allow them the chance. Something moves within the wreckage spreading the fires outwards. That something is the Thing.

The Fantasticar's engines whine down as it lands next to a fire truck. Reed stretches out of his compartment and surveys the situation and analyzes it with his legendary intellect. "Sue! Contain some of the periphery fires with your force bubbles. Rob the fires of their oxygen! We can't allow this blaze to spread to the neighbouring homes."

Sue erects an invisible net of force bubbles around the surrounding fires. Rough flames burn brightly and then disappear in a puff of smoke. To the fire and rescue crews, the surrounding fires flash out like a series of candles being put out at once.

"Can I be of any help?" jokes Johnny as he floats overhead. "Maybe I can take some of this heat off your hands." Johnny flies over the house and begins to absorb the flames and heat from the fire into his very own body. He can feel the flames dance around him as they are drawn up in a pillar of fire. All the while is mind is on A'kimba.

"Ben!" shouts Sue as she extends a force field into the burning building and finds Benjamin Grimm on his knees with a melted sculpture in his hands. The Thing doesn't move or say anything. He has vented his rage and desperation during his search for Alicia.

Unfortunately, poor Benjamin Grimm could find no trace of Alicia. 'She's lost to me,' he thought. He stares at the half-melted statuette of his likeliness. The same statuette that sat next to her bed. Its monstrous face made even more grotesque by the melted and charred clay. "This statue does look more like me now,' he thinks.

The fire crews control the fire with the further aid of the Fantastic Four. Johnny continues to feed off the flames and control the fire to prevent it from spreading. Reed carries a hose to the far tops of the building and pours water on strategic locations. Sue uses her invisibility powers to make the rubble invisible in an attempt to find Alicia. She has no luck.

Benjamin Grimm sits on the side lines and continues to stare at the damage sculpture. A tear runs down his cheek. Only a single tear makes it way down Ben's cheek before he lets out an insane howl into the night sky. All of the firefighters and the Fantastic Four stop their tasks and turn towards the Thing. The Thing screams in another burst of rage and runs into the smouldering ruins of Alicia's apartment.

Sue uses her force screens to brush the remaining fire crew of harm's way as the Thing charges into the smoking ruins. He goes berserk and thrashes about the ruins until only a black cloud of smoke and dirt flies into the air. When it finally settles there is nothing left of the building. The Thing stands in the centre and stares at the ground. 'What've I done! In my madness I went and destroyed everything that ever meant anythin' to Alicia... to me.' "I'm a MONSTER!" shouts Benjamin Grimm.

The Thing stands up and slowly walks towards the fantasticar.

Pier Four. The Hangar.

The paint scorched Fantasticar comes to a stop on a bed of compressed air from its jet engines. The Fantasticar touches down without a bump. The pilot, Benjamin Grimm, takes no comfort in his 'by the book' landing. He steps out of the lead compartment of the Fantasticar and walks to the Hangar door.

"Ben!" cries Sue. "Wait up!" Susan Richards tries to catch up to the Thing as he makes his way closer to the door. But before she knows it, she is ambushed by her eager little boy, Franklin. His face is a stark contrast from everyone else in the room. His face beams with enthusiasm and hope. While the rest of the faces expressed sadness and in one case, despair.

"What's wrong, mommy?" asks Franklin Richards.

Sue turns to young Franklin and her eyes brim with tears. She falls to knees and hugs her son. She hugs her son like only a mother can.

The Thing stops at the door and turns around. "Alicia's gone kid." He walks back towards Sue and Franklin. He lowers himself to one knee and looks at Franklin. The Thing talks to his young nephew in a gentle voice. "I'm sorry kiddo... but Alicia..." It takes Ben a few attempts to get the last word out. He mumbles and stumbles over his words but then he sighs and simply says, "she's dead kiddo." Ben leans over and whispers into Franklin's ear, "We'll both miss her... very much." The Thing stands and once more, he begins to walk towards the hangar door. His head hangs low and forward.

"Ben!" shouts Sue. "We don't know for sure if Alicia was even in the fire. I couldn't find any trace of her. Maybe she wasn't in the building when it happened."

"Ya sure." mumbles the Thing. "What ever, Susie. Alicia knew I was coming over. I told her that I had a surprise for her. Why would she leave when she knew I was coming over." The Thing instinctively punches at a vehicle next to him and he crushes it under his blow. "Alicia's DEAD! Now… if you don't mind, I'm going to Eddy's for a drink. I don't know when I'll be back... Don't wait up."

"Don't go Unca Ben. Don't be sad." pleads a puzzled child. "Aunty Lisha isn't dead! She isn't!" Franklin begins to shake like he is about to cry. The emotions are proving to be too much for this young boy. He is trying to understand everything he is experiencing. This little boy is trying to understand his emotions coupled with those of the voice in his head. A voice pleading for help.

"NO!" shouts Franklin. His eyes flare white with a soft glow. "Mommy! Aunty Lesha's baby is crying for help! Can't you hear her?"

TO BE CONTINUED IN... FANTASTIC FOUR 437

NEXT ISSUE: Just what did happen to Alicia masters? Who or what are the 'visitors' and what do they want with Alicia? Can the Fantastic Four save her from her fate? Find out in Fantastic Four 437. Be there for 'Origin of a Species: Part Two'.

E-mail your comments, thoughts and constructive criticism to  Tim Hartin