SW10/HCC: Me 2003, Wave 2 #2a: Four Heroes, Part 2

Thu Nov 7 18:28:37 PST 2013

What Has Gone Before:  The year is 2003.  Wyatt Ferguson, Ellipsis, a 
Superman-type hero named Captain Mighty, and an All-Girl Racing Team are 
sponsored by Nevada Power and Light.  They have gathered at a marina 
near Chicago for a publicity appearance.

---

Meanwhile, beyond...

"Chancellor Stanjem, the threat analysis is ready."

"Bottom line?"

"Of all the alternate Earths, there is only one which has *more* than 
one hero who could usurp your leadership in Ordered Realities.  It's SW10."

"Hrm.  That's the one with Ellipsis, right?  *And* the Powernaut?"

"Right.  Though the Powernaut is inactive now; people aren't even sure 
he ever existed.  That world has at best a pale substitute now.  But 
Ellipsis is indeed one of the possibilities.  The other is a seeming 
non-entity named Wyatt Ferguson.  Despite Mister Ferguson's relative 
lack of power, Ellipsis considers him a rival.  And episodic analysis 
indicates this Mister Ferguson could be an important factor."

"Well then.  Let us send them a threat and gauge their response."

---

*From the diary of Wyatt Ferguson.*

I'm sure Ellipsis "heard" me.  I saw him wince.

Then my friend Roxie the race car driver got everyone's attention, at a 
microphone.  "Sorry, everyone, but we've gotten a tornado alert.  Please 
follow hotel staff to shelter."

Everyone grumbled but went.  Here near Chicago, tornadoes were always 
possible.  But I knew better.  The Weather Channel had said there were 
were *no* storms happening two hours before.

So I ducked up one of those Employee Only doors.  It led to a banquet 
room where I could look out a window.  A storm front *was* approaching - 
with red lightning bolts coming out.  Even *one* lightning bolt of the 
*usual* color would have been impressive - but it was more like one 
*red* bolt every five seconds.

Then Captain Mighty (the Big Hero from the conference) came out from the 
hotel!  Somehow I heard him say, "Speed of, a Mighty Thunderstorm!"  He 
flew back and forth across the storm front!  It responded with *more* 
lightning, striking at him!

But then I heard that Ellipsis voice in my head.  "This Is A Reality 
Storm.  He Will Only Make It Cause More Destruction.  I Must Stop Him." 
  Yes, Ellipsis always speaks like this.  Even in person.

Okaay.  Good time for an impromptu trip, somewhere well *west* of 
Chicago.  I headed toward my hotel room for my luggage.  I keep it 
mostly packed so I can leave promptly.  I know all the short cuts across 
reality.

But then...  "I Require Witnesses.  You, Roxanne Scott.  And You, Wyatt 
Ferguson."

Oh, $#!+.

---

The next thing I knew, I was in a four-person forum.  Roxie was across 
from me.  Ellipsis was at the head, confronting this Captain Mighty. 
"You Are In Mind Space.  You WILL Answer To Me.  You Worsen The Storm. 
YOU WILL STOP."  Oooh, I recognized Ellipsis mind control.

Captain Mighty shuddered at first.  But then he said, "... No!  Power of 
- a Mighty Hero!"

He transformed.  He'd been about 6'6" and big-jawed, with a cape.  But 
he became more Buck Rogers-like, 6'3", with a sort of poncho.  He said 
in a different voice, "Oh.  I'm back."

Roxie gaped and said, "Powernaut?"

"... Racer Girl?"

"Uh, no!  Not me!  But I'm a big fan of her cartoons!  Uh, I was as a 
kid anyway.  Not that I'm not now..."

"Ssh.  The door just opened.  Right now you can *be* the Racer Girl if 
you want."

Ellipsis was silent.  Oh, fat lot of help he was.  So I spoke up.  "Uh. 
  'Powernaut'.  Are you another of those Superman wannabe clones like 
this Captain Mighty was?"

"Super man?  *Want to be?*  *CLONE?*  NO!  Just, there is danger!  Let 
me and Racer Girl fix it!"

"Racer Girl?"

 From Roxie's spot, a woman spoke.  "Yes."  She'd turned taller and 
blonde, with some kind of small glowing pyramid in her hand.

Ellipsis *whispered* to me, by his mind standards.  "Somehow they now 
draw upon archetypes from beyond.  Their power is *highly* increased.  I 
can no longer easily stop them."

So it was apparently my call.  "Provided you hurt no one, do what you will."

Powernaut said, "Thank you!"

Our mind conference dissolved.

---

Out the window, I saw things whipping around the storm front, somehow 
drawing it up into the sky!

Ellipsis whispered in my mind once more.  "No good will come of this. 
However freakish weather becomes, it will do as it will, until it is 
controlled at its source."

"Fine.  Just don't ask *me* to hack a weather control radar to do it. 
That never worked out well for me."

---

After, beyond...

"Chancellor Stanjem, we have SW10 results.  The Powernaut made a brief 
appearance to confront trouble, but has since disappeared.  We also 
think we can rule out Wyatt Ferguson as a factor; his first impulse was 
to evade trouble, not confront it.  That leaves only Ellipsis who wishes 
to *control* trouble."

"Excellent.  Just add Ellipsis to the list with the others, then.  We'll 
get to him in due time."

---

This story is in response to High Concept Challenge, "Missing Story". 
It takes place in 2003, immediately after the RACC-reprinted story "Four 
Heroes". I originally published that story as 
http://www.eilertech.com/stories/me2003.htm#4heroes .  That web page 
shows abundantly what comes after, from the perspective of the 2003 
storyline.  The mystery villain Chancellor Stanjem has a major role, as 
does the Council of Ordered Realities (which appeared as recently as 
2011, with one Wyatt Ferguson as Chancellor).

2003 has a home team:  Ellipsis and Wyatt Ferguson.  Ellipsis's power 
dwarfs Wyatt's.  It pretty well dwarfs anyone Ellipsis knows, even 
including one "Captain Mighty" who is the most powerful being the U.S. 
Government has access to.  But Wyatt is great at impromptu stuff. 
Ellipsis is great at *not* doing impromptu stuff, so he is not the best 
at prompt decision making under weird conditions.

2003 has a visiting team, whom Captain Mighty's mysterious power has 
opened a door to.  The Powernaut and his ally Racer Girl were last seen 
in 1966, in cartoons which some people within SW10 may remember. 
(Powernaut 1966!)  Now that the door is open, they or people like them 
may be seen again.  (Powernaut 2005!)

I've put everything I could into this story.  It makes more sense now 
that I've waited ten years to finish it.  It has become a true "Trinity" 
episode for my universe, with one remaining mysterious thing from 
beyond.  So it's still Four Heroes.

I have no immediate plans to publish this story on my web site.  It 
obviously belongs in 2003, but it relies on Powernaut plot elements 
which are not found there before 2005, as well as some nomenclature 
which I only introduced in 2010.  I can't really put it with Powernaut 
comics, unless I some day decide to draw it.  I might have to stow it 
alongside my Superhuman World 2012 Annual, but I have better things to 
write for the 2013 Annual.  So right now, this is a RACC-only special!

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.