LNHX: Nick Furry #1: LNHX Origins #5

[Martin Phipps]

                                   NICK FURRY #1

                                  LNHX ORIGINS #5

  Four of us (Master Blaster, Irony Man, Occultism Kid and myself) had
just been rescued by Professor Stomper, Catalyst Lass, Kid
Enthusiastic, Special Bonding Boy and Cynical Lass, apparently with
the help of Manga Man.  Master Blaster then pointed his big gun at
Manga Man and said "Now you are going to pay!"
  "Wait!" I said.  "Where's Kid Kirby?  We need to ask him what
happened to Kid Kirby!"
  "I don't know where Kid Kirby is," Manga Man said.
  "Tell us everything you know!" Master Blaster insisted.
  "You know, you're going to have to be a bit more specific," Manga
Man said.  "I know quite a lot about a lot of different things."
  "Who hired you to kidnap us?" I asked.
  "Darksnide," Manga Man said.
  "And what does he want with Kid Kirby?" I asked.
  "I don't know," Manga Man said.  "It was just a job.  I didn't ask
why he wanted you."
  "Take us to Darksnide!" Master Blaster said.  "Now!"
  "Look," Manga Man said, "if you want me to help you then the first
thing you have to do is get that gun out of my face!"
  "Are you offering to help us?" I asked.
  "What I am offering are my services," Manga Man said, "and my
services always come with a fee.  This isn't an interrogation.  This
is a negotiation."
  "We don't negotiate with terrorists," I said.
  "He isn't a terrorist," Irony Man said.  "He's a mercenary.  I'm
willing to pay $50 000."
  "Make it $100 000," Manga Man said.
  "You can have $100 000 only if we successfully rescue Kid Kirby,"
Irony Man insisted.
  "Fair enough," Manga Man said, "but the first $50 000 is a down
payment that I get no matter what happens."
  "Agreed," Irony Man said.
  "Alright," I said.  "Take us to Darksnide!"

  Manga Man teleported the ten of us (including himself) to another
part of the same building.  There we found Kid Kirby strapped to some
machine that appeared to be draining his power.
  "You are too late, Net.Heroes!" Darksnide said.  "In minutes a
portal will open between this dimension and my own, a portal that will
enable an army of thousands from my world to invade and occupy this
one!  The reign of Lord Darksnide is about to begin!"
  Sure enough, a portal was opening, although it wasn't quite big
enough yet to allow anybody to get through.
  "Occultism Kid," I said, "can you close that portal?"
  "I can try," Occultism Kid said.  Occultism Kid raised his right
hand and his eyes began to glow.  He appeared to be preventing the
portal from opening.
  I nodded. "Master Blaster," I said, "you know what to do!"
  "I sure do!" Master Blaster said.  Master Blaster pointed his big
gun at Darksnide and began to open fire.
  Darksnide just laughed.  "Is that supposed to hurt me?"
  Irony Man then grabbed Darksnide from behind.  "Actually, it was
supposed to distract you!"
  "And what do you think you can do?" Darksnide asked.  "You people
are like ants to me!"
  "There is one thing I can do," Irony Man said and then added:
"Occultism Kid!  Now!  Open the portal just a little bit!"
  Occultism Kid relaxed and the portal opened just a little bit,
enough for Darksnide himself to fit through.
  "No!" Darksnide said, realizing what the heroes had in mind.
  "Yes!" Irony Man said as he threw Darksnide through the portal.
  "We need to close that portal now!" Professor Stomper said, "or
he'll just come back through!"
  "I think I know how to shut it down!" Master Blaster said, pointing
his gun at the machine that Kid Kirby was strapped to.
  "Master Blaster!" I said.  "Wait!"
  But Master Blaster had already made his decision: he opened fire on
the machine, taking care of not hitting Kid Kirby in the process.
  "That's enough!" I said.
  "It's working," Occultism Kid said.  "The portal is closing!"
  "What about Kid Kirby?" Catalyst Lass asked.  "Is he alright?"
  Professor Stomper approached the machine.  "Excuse me, Kid Kirby,
can you hear me?"
  "I can," Kid Kirby said.  "The machine was draining my power but now
I feel the Power Kirby once more!"
  "We need to get him free," I said.
  "Stand back!" Kid Kirby said.  "I am almost already back to full
power!  I should be able to pull myself free!"
  Despite his bravado, it seemed to take a tremendous effort on Kid
Kirby's part to break himself free of his shackles.
  The machines started to crackle and spark and then shake and rattle.
  "We need to get out of here," Professor Stomper said.
  "Manga Man!" I said.
  "Yeah yeah yeah," Manga Man said.  "I know what to do."

  Manga Man teleported the ten of us (including himself) to some place
outside the compound and far enough away that we weren't hurt when the
machines exploded.
  "That was a close one!" Kid Enthusiastic said.
  "I hope that no radiation is coming from there," Catalyst Lass said.
  "The Power Kirby is a clean energy source," Kid Kirby said.  "It
doesn't leave behind any dangerous waste."
  "That's good to know," Special Bonding Boy said.
  "Ahem," Manga Man said.  "I assume everything is satisfactory."
  "You give me the name of your bank and your bank account number,"
Irony Man said, "and I'll have $100 000 deposited in there by tomorrow
morning."
  Manga Man handed Irony Man his business card.  "Pleasure doing
business with you."
  "If next time you take on another job that puts us on opposite
sides," I warned him, "we will take you down.  Hard."
  Manga Man laughed.  "I'm sure you will try," he said.  He teleported
away.
  With Manga Man gone, we quickly made introductions.  Professor
Stomper and his group explained that they had been fighting crime on
their own but were interested in joining our group if I thought they
were qualified.
   I sighed.  "Normally I would say no," I said.  "I don't like
working with amateurs."
  "Amateurs?" Cynical Lass said.  "Really?"
  "But you all proved yourselves today!" I said.  "I see no reason why
the Legion of Net.Heroes can't increase in size effective immediately
from five members to ten!"  They all seemed quite happy to hear that.
  Kid Kirby, however, seemed a bit distracted.
  "What's wrong?" I asked.
  "We need to go back," Kid Kirby said.  "I sense something is wrong.
I think there was somebody who might have been walking past the
building precisely at the moment it exploded.  I need to go check and
see."

                            TO BE CONTINUED

Irony Man based on Irony Man created by Doug Moran
Nick Furry based on Nick Furry created by Jeff Barnes
Master Blaster based on Master Blaster created by Robert Ramirez
Occultism Kid based on Occultism Kid created separately by August Paul
Yang and Josh Geurink
Professor Stomper based on Doctor Stomper created by T. M. Neeck
Catalyst Lass based on Catalyst Lass created by Elisabeth Riba
Cynical Lass based on Cynical Lass created by Rob Rogers
Kid Enthusiastic based on Kid Enthusiastic created by
Andrew Perron
Special Bonding Boy based on Special Bonding Boy created by Raymond
Bingham
Manga Man based on Manga Man created by Craig Thomas Judd

Martin