Before reading, please read Prime #2.

Prime: A New Twist #3
July, 1998

"HUNTED"

Written and edited by James Pedrick,
Mike Engber and Mike Aragona
Based on plot for Prime Vol. 1 #2
Created by Gerald Jones and Len Strazewski
Property of Malibu Comics

Cold. Naked. Confused. Alone. Those words easily describe young Kevin Green at this point. A few hours ago, Kevin was a hero. The whole world watched him take down five gunmen and rescue eighteen hostages. Now, Kevin's just a young thirteen year old boy once more. He doesn't know why, but his Prime-body had dissolved. He had tried to fly home as quickly as he could but crashed in a building, his Prime-body melting into green goop. Kevin couldn't breathe. He struggled, trying to break free, until he finally tore a way out. He felt weak and distorted trying to put himself together. He had to get home before someone saw him. He stood shivering in the dark with some leftover Prime-body clinging to him. He had to get home, before someone found him.

He stumbled along the cold, dark, streets of Canoga Park, searching for his home. His frail body growing weaker, he finally reached his street and struggled to his front door.  

"Mom.. Dad... Help..." he whispered hoarsely.

He had made it. But he felt so weak and cold, that he fell to the ground.

The door opened and a scared and shocked Martha Green, Kevin's mother, reacted to her son laying at the doorstep. "KEVIN!!! Oh, NO!!! What happened?!?" She fell to the ground and held him. "Oh my God, you're cold and your clothes_ Where are your clothes?!"

Russel Green came running outside. "Kevin? Where were you? Where are your clothes?"

Kevin tried to speak. "I... I... don't remember." But he did remember. He was fully aware of where he was and what had happened over the last twelve hours. He also knew he couldn't tell anyone.  Not even his parents. Not until he knew how, and why.

"Oh God... Russel, call the hospital, get the car!"

The Greens rushed their son to the hospital. The doctors, after looking over at Kevin's test results, decided it would be best for him to stay over one night until they could find out what the problem was.

The next morning, while Mr. and Mrs. Green were waiting outside Kevin's hospital room, the doctor came over to report on what he knew, or rather, didn't know. "You're son is fine. Fatigue, dehydration, a few signs of minor bruises, but no sign of any trauma."

Inside the room, Kevin was watching television. There was a special on Prime and how he saved those hostages. "So, it was true. I really was Prime. It wasn't a dream. But, I wonder if I can become Prime again."

Outside the room, Mrs. Green is worried about her son. "Doctor, why can't he remember?"

"It could be his way of coping with psychological trauma. We won't know that until we know what caused his disappearance. I've sent for a crisis worker who should be able to help with that."

"Psychologists?" Mrs. Green couldn't believe it. Where did she go wrong, she asked herself. Kevin was such a good son. But if the doctor said he needed to see a psychologist, then he would.

"No. No psychologists. I think Kevin will be just fine." Mr. Green countermanded.

"Russel, we have to find out what happened to our son. He needs our help."

"That's right! He needs OUR help! WE will find out what's wrong with OUR son. No son of mine is going to see a shrink! Thank you for your assistance, doctor, but I think we'll be fine."

The Greens left the hospital and headed home. None of them would ever be the same toward each other again.


Meanwhile, in the lab of Doctor Gross...

"Still no trace of him, Dr. Gross."

"Did you check with our friends at Aladdin."

"We no longer have friends at Aladdin. Every friend we had there has turned their back on us."

"They will soon be begging for my `friendship' once more. They'll have no choice."

"Sir, we're at a dead end..."

An evil grin popped up on Doctor Gross's face. "There are no dead-ends, we'll just have to try a new strategy. Release Organism 8."

"But..."

"NOW...and don't bother feeding him." Doctor Gross would have Prime.  He'd make sure of it.



The next day at JFK Jr. High...

"I don't see why they don't just close the school down. Some of us could be suffering some post-traumatic thing," said Todd, the school's star quarterback.

"Oh, come on, Todd, you didn't even see the thing."

"Kelly did! Hey, Kelly, do you have any trauma?"

"Not really, Courtney, although the counselors had to check me out of course."

Then HE entered the hall. If they weren't talking about Prime, and the fiasco with Coach Meyers, they were talking about HIM.

Soon, everyone in the halls began to whisper. "It's him." "Did you hear about his disappearing." "Yeah, I heard he was found NAKED." "I hope he doesn't talk to me." "Don't talk back to him, NO ONE talk back to him." "He probably has aids." "I bet he's gay!"

Kevin could hear their whispers, their talking behind his back. But he knew he could still depend on his friends.

"Hi, Kelly."

"Um...hi. Uh...I gotta go. Home room starts in a few minutes."  Kelly turned around and walked toward class.

"Yeah...right...see ya." It seemed like Kevin's life had been ruined by Prime. But maybe not. "Hey, Kelly."

"Yeah?" She turned her head.

"I hear you saw Prime."

Kelly turned around. Her face lit up as she told her story, "I didn't just see him! He talked to me. He FLEW through the roof and grabbed Coach Meyers, not that I wanted to see Coach Meyers hurt like that, bur Prime was so STRONG. And he... well... Maybe I can tell you some other time. I've gotta go... you know... home room."

Kevin watched as Kelly turned around and left. No one wanted anything to do with him. "Yeah sure. I understand." Kevin was disappointed, even Kelly wanted nothing to do with him. Now, he's gone from weird to weirder. Everyone was talking about his disappearance from school and that he didn't show up at his house until 2AM in the morning, naked.

Kevin turned around. "Why don't you just leave everybody alone!" It was Todd.

"Kelly is my friend, I was just making conversation."

"Well, DON'T!" Todd pushed Kevin on to the ground. A crowd quickly gathered around them. Many were hoping for a fight. Kelly wasn't one of them.

"Hey, Kelly, look, that dweeb is getting what he deserves."

Kelly ran over to see. "Oh, why don't they just leave him alone. He didn't do anything."

Kevin was on the ground. He wasn't sure what to do. If he tried to fight Todd, he'd get his butt whipped. If he ran off, he'd be the joke of the school. More than he already was.

`If only I could turn into Prime again.' Kevin thought. `That's it! I have to try and turn into Prime again!' He tried hard to imitate the feeling he had when he turned into Prime the first time. He pushed, trying to shove the Prime-body out of his chest. He was shaking with
the effort, but to no avail. He couldn't transform into Prime and he began to wonder if he ever would again.

"Heh-heh, Look at him shake. Don't wet your pants." The crowd laughed, as Todd kicked Kevin in the ribs.

Then, one kid surfaced. He moved from the back of the crowd into the circle.

"Listen here. You leave him alone!"

It was Scott. Kevin couldn't believe it. He thought everyone had betrayed him, including his best friend.

"Yeah, and what are you going to do about it. You gonna fight me, black boy?"

"If I have to."

Todd was in a tough spot. Scott was not very popular, but Todd knew Scott could hold his own in a fight with him any day. "You're lucky, `cause I have to get to class. But don't worry, we'll finish this later."

Everyone headed for their classes. They knew Todd was too chicken to go up against Scott, but were too afraid to accuse him of it. At JFK Jr. High, it was pretty simple. You were either in or out. Todd, of course, was in. Scott was out. He wasn't rich enough, cool enough, or white enough.

Scott helped Kevin off the ground. "Scott, I didn't know you were still my friend. When I came to your house today, you were already gone."

"Hey, I thought you weren't coming. Listen, man, I'll always be your pal."

Kevin was relieved. At least he still had one friend. Kevin went through the rest of the day with most people staying away from him.  The rumors were still spreading bringing Kevin down further and further. He wasn't very popular before, but now he was THE kid to
pick on. He was the bottom of the food chain. 

Kelly felt sorry for him. She liked him, but she was afraid of what others might think of her even talking with him.

Todd stayed away from Kevin and Scott most of the day, but Kevin could still hear others talking about him. Kevin thought if he could only turn into Prime, he could show them all.

It was finally the end of the school day. Kevin was in his last class, Economics, and there were only ten more minutes left. He kept thinking to himself, `If only I could concentrate hard enough to make myself feel the same way when I turned into Prime.' He struggled, trying to bring back the same chest pain he had before.

Suddenly, it began to work. `Oh no, I didn't mean now. Oh no, not now.' Kevin's chest felt like it was ripping in two. Prime was coming out. Kevin ran out the room.

The teacher in the front of the class, yelled, "Kevin, where do you think you're going? Kevin?!?"

The students began to giggle amongst themselves.

"That kid is freaky," commented Todd.

"What do you think's wrong with him?" Kelly asked Courtney.

"I don't know. He's one strange dude."

"I hope he's not... sick or something."

Kevin ran down the hall and out the building, where he jumped into a bush. The same green goop spurt out of his chest and devoured his body. His clothes deteriorated as the goop once more took the form of Prime, the world's strongest Ultra.

Ten minutes later, school let ut. Kelly was walking home, when a large form stepped out in front of her. It was Prime.

"Hello, Kelly. Would you like to go for a ride." Prime reached out his massive hand. With no words, Kelly accepted. She placed her small hand in his, as he reached around to grab her body. He picked her up, and leapt into the sky.

Kelly was frightened, but at the same time, she was excited. She was alone. With Prime!

Prime began to show Kelly the town. For Kevin, it was a dream come true. Prime was a dream come true. He always loved Kelly. Kelly and he were friends, but he wanted something more. He wanted to be around her. Now she was. Now that he was Prime. It all seemed perfect for Kevin that day if only he knew...

They reached up into the clouds, when Kelly found it in herself to speak. "Um... I really like this."

"Really? I'm glad." Kelly didn't know what it was, but there was something very familiar about Prime. The way he talked, his movements. even his face. It was if it was as if he was only a child, like her.  "Kelly, look down there! Universal Studios! I could fly down there, we wouldn't even have to pay!"

"Um... no." This was getting bizarre. Kelly had an awful feeling. Her heart pounded more and more every second. She was starting to think Prime liked her. "I mean... I gotta get home." It's not that she wouldn't mine. She really liked Prime. He did to Coach Meyers, what she always wanted to do to him, but he'd have to be at least an adult. The size of him was brain boggling.

"Then let me show you just how fast Prime can go!" Prime charged through the air, picking up speed, as he showed Kelly an adventure much faster than any roller coaster. She screamed all in god fun. But through all her negative thoughts on Prime this was one of the greatest moments in her life!

But Prime didn't notice the presence of Organism 8, a monster sent by Doctor Gross, searching for Prime. Its mission was over.

The monster shot up and hit Prime in the face. Kelly fell toward the ground, as the monster clenched on to Prime.

"Oh no... KELLY!" Prime reached his hand out to grab Kelly, but he was too late, she was out of his grasp, and he could not save her because he was trapped by the creature. It was deformed. It was huge, even larger than Prime. Its body was a dark grey and naked. Its features were deformed, with one large cyclops eye, huge ears, and massive teeth. I
freak of nature? Or man?

Its hold was strong, but Prime had to get away. "Let GO of me!" Prime punched the creature away and zoomed down towards Kelly. "Don't be afraid! I'll save you!"

He caught her and flew down to a local parking lot. "You better go Kelly, I'll take care of this... THING!" Kelly ran away, she was frantic. She didn't know what was happening. Everything was happening so fast!


Meanwhile, Organism 8 fell to the ground. It looked around until it spotted Prime and then flew towards him.

Prime was mad. This creature almost killed Kelly. "That's it, who are you?"

But the monster gave no response. It hit Prime on the head, sending him deep into the ground. Prime got back up and charged towards him.  "Doesn't matter who you are..." The creature swung a punch towards Prime, but Prime ducked. "Prime can stop you!" Prime hit the monster into the ground. He thought it was knocked out cold. "I did it! Oh no, where's Kelly? I better make sure she's okay."

Meanwhile, Kelly was blindly running down a street. "Oh no, where am I?!?" She was very confused. She had so many mixed emotions. When she was being touched by Coach Meyers, Prime came and saved the day.  She thought she could trust Prime, but then she started having funny feelings about him and what his intentions might be. And now, she was
running away from some monster! She had to find somewhere to hide. 

Stopping to take in her surroundings and catch her breath, she realized she was only a block away from Courtney's house. She had to get there fast. She had to get away. She ran. She came upon Courtney's house and knocked on the door. "COURTNEY! HELP! It's me Kelly!"

Courtney opened the door, "What is wrong with you?"

Kelly was short of breath. She tried to explain what happened.  "Prime... I was with Prime and this monster... I mean we were flying... and then I... well..."

"Woah! Woah! Kelly, take a deep breath."

"Okay, okay." Kelly tried to calm down. "I was flying around with Prime, when this monster came..."

"Hold on! Kelly, you were flying... with PRIME?"

"Yeah. He came over and saw me as I was walking home and asked me if I..."

"I... CAN... NOT... BELIEVE... THIS! You were flying around with PRIME! What did you do?"

"Well, nothing. We just looked at stuff. We hardly said a thing.  This is going to sound weird, but I think he LIKES me."

"You mean `likes' you."

"Yes!"

"But... um... isn't he like twenty-five years old?"

"I guess."

"Isn't that weird."

"Uh-huh. It's very weird." Kelly was frightened. She really liked Prime. But she didn't want him liking her. That was just... wrong.  He was too old.

Prime watched from outside Courtney's window as the two talked. "Good. She's safe." He flew higher up into the air. "I wonder if she'll ever want to be with me, after what happened. Maybe she'll be afraid of me. Or maybe she'll trust me more, now that I saved her." Kevin was also confused. He wasn't sure what to do. This was so different
than any other problem he ever had. He didn't know if he should tell anyone the truth, about who Prime was. Then he heard a voice behind him.

It was the monster! "NO! Not you again!" Prime swung a punch at the creature's enormous nose. "How many times do I have to... WHAT?!"

His fist went into the creature, as green goop, similar to what made up his own Prime-body spurted out.

Then Organism 8 punched Prime. At impact, the monster's fist broke open. The creature began to literally suck Prime into himself.  Organism 8, with Prime held captive inside its body, flew off to its master. It had successfully captured its prey.

To Be Continued in Prime: A New Twist #4...

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