Prime: A New Twist #5

Prime: A New Twist #5
August, 1998

"Protoype Turf"

Written and edited by James Pedrick,
Mike Engber and Mike Aragona
Based on plot for Prime Vol. 1 #4
Created by Gerald Jones and Len Strazewski
Property of Malibu Comics

"I'm tellin' you for the last time, HARDCASE AIN'T HERE! This is PROTOTYPE TURF! And you're making me look BAD!" With that Prototype blasted Prime, who was already beginning to fall apart due to his battle with Doctor Gross and his monster.

"That's it! I thought people were in TROUBLE and I came to HELP, while you were just making some STUPID COMMERCIAL!" Prime swung around and hit Prototype, sending him across the studio's set and crashing into a light tower. "I make you look bad because I'm a REAL HERO, not some HOLLYWOOD PHONEY!"

The tower crashed to the ground. Prototype emerged from the rubble and flew toward Prime. He couldn't help but think Prime sounded like some type of whining kid. It didn't matter, Prototype was going to teach this guy a lesson! "Fake? You want to see fake?" Prototype struck Prime with an energy bolt from his armored fists.

The impact from the blast sent Prime into one of the set's mobile homes, destroying it. Prime flew out of the damaged home and charged toward Prototype. He couldn't help but be reminded of Todd, that punk quarterback from his school. Just like Todd, this guy always thought he knew what he was talking about. Kevin always wanted to beat the crap out of a guy like that. Kevin couldn't do it, but PRIME COULD! "Take this, punk!" Prime socked Prototype in the chest, denting his multi-million dollar armor.

Prototype, taken off guard, lost control of his armor and crashed into another building. "Man, never thought anything could hit so hard. This guy really *is* makin' me look bad. Can't keep fighting, or he'll trash my armor and my boss'll kill me! But I can't run.... I'll show him." Prototype wasn't concerned with all the destruction his battle was causing, though, the only thought in his head was to win.

"Holy cow! We’ve gotta stop them! They’re gonna destroy the whole studio!" shouted a very concerned director.

Meanwhile, Prime was also feeling the damage. He was still recovering from his battle with Doctor Gross and wasn't sure how much more fighting he could take. His ultra-body was unstable, but he had to prove Prime was the better hero. He charged Prototype.

But this time Prototype was ready. "Time to give you everything I’ve got... I hope you can handle my microwaves!" Prototype blasted Prime with the strongest stuff UltraTech had supplied him.

The heat was unbearable for Prime. He felt like he was boiling... cooking inside.

Prime fell to the ground and Prototype followed him with a blow to the face. "Who's the fake now, you oversized freak?!?"

"Prototype, stop it!" The director had enough, "You're going to destroy the entire studio!"

Prototype looked around him. The studio was on fire. People who were helping to shoot the commercial were in danger of losing their lives.

Prime arose from the ground. Prototype challenged him to a new battle, "You say you're a real hero... PROVE IT!" Prototype flew away to rescue the people. He couldn't help but feel relieved. Now he could get out of the fight without making himself look bad.

Prime watched Prototype flew away. He wasn't going to let this guy take all the glory. "YOU THINK I'M NOT A HERO?!? WATCH THIS!!!" Prime grabbed a truck and scooped up burning rubble. Then, he lifted the truck and flew it to an area where the fire could burn out. The weight of the truck made his ultra-body even more unstable. "NO! My arms are melting!" The heat was too much for his ultra-body to handle.

Meanwhile, Prototype rescued the workers. ‘Good. Let him do all the heavy work! Everyone will remember ME, the one who saved their lives!'

As Prototype continued his rescue attempts, Prime was getting weaker. "...Those waves he hit me with really did a number on me... I don't think I can do this!" Prime tried to get the burning vehicle out of the area, but his arms were getting too weak. He was losing his grip and debris fell from the truck.

Prototype looked up from the ground. "Wonder how Prime's doin– OH CRAP!" A large pile of burning debris fell right on top of him. Prototype managed to toss it off himself without getting hurt. He looked up in the sky and watched as Prime flew away. "He set me up! That freak set me up and cut out on me! I'm not gonna ditch this fire or these people, but sooner or later he's mine! I'll find his weak spots and I'll take him down!"

Prototype didn't realize Prime didn’t leave because he wanted to, but rather because ne HAD to. He managed to drop the burning truck in a nearby lake, but his ultra-body was decaying fast! "I didn't want to leave that fire behind, but I can't let anyone find out who I am."

Prime continued to fly, but he knew he couldn’t last much longer. "I’ve got to get home fast, I can't be crawling through the streets naked again. I gotta make it home this time."

He was almost there and was determined to make it. He just needed to hold together for a few more feet but couldn't. His ultra-body, melted to beyond recognition, would no longer respond.

He fell. His body hit the ground. Kevin Green struggled to break through but he was stuck inside his ultra body and couldn’t breathe. Suddenly, a hand reached in and pulled him out.

In the dark night and his weakened condition, he could not quite make out who the man was.

"Quiet, son. It's okay. We need to talk. But don't tell mom, mom must never know."

"Then... you KNOW!" Kevin jumped up. What was his dad going to think? He must have thought of him as a monster.

"I don't know anything! And I don't want to know! Remember, no one can know... or it would be the end of our family, and you don't want that, do you?"

"It's nothing, Kevin. Just trust me and it'll pass... just never let anyone know." Mr. Green helped Kevin up and guided him into the car. "You wait here, I'll go get you some clothes."

"NO! But I may know where he is. I just have to get something." Russell walked up the stairs. He began thinking to himself what he would do next. "Oh God, what do I do? They said this wouldn't happen. I have to call him." Russell reached for the phone and called just the man who could help.

"Hello, this is Russell Green. I used to work for you. I need to talk to Colonel Samuels... NOW!"

Moments later, Russell Green went back to the car. "Here, Kevin, put these on. Tell your mother you were at the movies and arcade and lost track of time... And no matter what, don't let your mother take you in for drug tests... You hear me? No matter what... NO TESTS!"

Kevin was upstairs watching Maxi-Man. When Kevin was younger he always watched Maxi-Man. Kevin thought Maxi-Man always had it so easy. HE didn't have to deal with his mother. Kevin loved his mom, but his father had told him not to speak one word about his transformations to anyone. What could he possibly tell his mother?

With one last sigh and a deep breath Kevin began to walk downstairs. "What is it Mom?"

"What isn't it? I'm sick and tired of you and your father keeping something from me. I'm worried sick about you! Now, honey you have to tell me the truth. What's happening to you? What is going on?"

Kevin stood motionless and didn't know what to say. He wanted to speak out so badly. He always told his mother about his troubles. But this isn't about girls and friends...

Kevin waited before answering. "No. Its not. Just leave me be." Kevin slammed the front door behind him...

Mrs. Green watched her son leave, with tears falling down her face. What was happening to her son? What was happening to her family?

Kevin couldn't concentrate. ‘When I was younger, I always wanted to be like Maxi-Man... Then like Hardcase and the Squad... I got my wish and turned into Prime. But I never thought it would be like this! I wonder if Hardcase's life is as messed up as mine... or Prototype's.'

"You okay, man? You didn't come by this morning and then yesterday you were... freaky."

Kevin turned his back and walked away from Scott. "I'm FINE! Just got the flu and had to leave!"

"Okay! Okay!" Scott got the point. "Hey, did you hear those sirens last night? They said Prime and some ultra were kickin' each others' butts and started a fire at Pinnacle Studios!"

"Nothing? Hey, I thought we were friends. We tell each other everything! I guess they're right about you! You ARE a psycho!" Scott walked away.

‘Man, now Scott's no longer my friend. I want to tell him, I do. But I can't.'

Kevin walked to school... with one less friend. Actually, with no friends at all. Not even Kelly would speak to him now. If only he could tell her the truth... that he was Prime.

"FREE! FREE AT LAST!" He was gigantic. He did not look real. Everything about him looked animated. He looked like a cartoon...

"Oh no, Teddy, what have I done this time?" Young Billy Stephens was home alone. He held his teddy bear to his side and stood in front of a giant monster... which he created. Years ago he learned of a special ability he possessed... a special gift. Billy had the ability to make his dreams come alive. He was only seven years old which meant that was a dangerous ability. He was watching the Maxi-Man cartoon show and began to wish he were real. Suddenly, it became real... But things don't always turn out the way one expects them to...

"No! You can't!" Billy ran over and pulled at Maxi-Man's leg, trying to stop him from leaving.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU BRAT!" Maxi-Man slapped the young boy across the room and then smashed through the roof.

"Kelly! Wait up!" Kevin ran up to Kelly and Courtney, who were walking to school.

"Oh no!" Kelly whispered to Courtney. "I don't want to be mean, but what if he's sick or something?"

"Hey, Kelly! Uh... I'd like to talk to you... about a mutual friend of ours."

Courtney pulled at Kelly's arm. "Oh, RIGHT, come on, Kelly, he's just trying to get you to..."

Kelly, pushed away from her friend, "No! I'll meet you in home room, I want to talk to Kevin."

Courtney turned around and stomped away. She could never figure out why Kelly gave so much attention to a geek like Kevin.

"I know you flew with him yesterday. But no one else knows... you see, I have connections." Kevin was so glad. Now Kelly was listening to HIS every word.

"Because I need to talk to someone. I mean, I can tell Courtney anything, but she makes a joke about everything... the thing is, I don't think it's a joke... with Prime."

"I don't know. He's scary... but he's powerful. He's so... in control. And when he looked at me in the GYM, it was like he WANTED to protect me." Kelly was confused. She tried to tell her mom what happened... with Prime and how he took her for a ride, but her mom wouldn't believe her. She said she just fancied about Prime because her dad left when she was four... but she knew that wasn't it. This had nothing to do with her dad. This had to do with her feelings for Prime... and his feelings for her.

Kelly liked Prime because he had control. Kevin planned on telling Kelly his secret, right there, but he wasn't sure. What would Kelly think? Would she then feel about Prime like she already did about him? She'd no longer feel Prime had control.

"Tell me, Kevin, what do you know about Prime? What are these ‘connections?'"

"Um... I... I... uh... can't" Kevin wasn't sure what to do. He thought he could do this so calmly, so cool. But now, he lost all... control.

What should he say? How could he stop himself from blowing this. "Uh... maybe... maybe he saw a very nice, very special... very cute person and he want to... to... let her know..."

"NO!" Kelly shrugged, "He's a grown-up... I know there are perverts like Coach Meyers... but this is PRIME! He can't be like that!"

"What?! What do you know about him?!" This was weird. Kevin acted like he knew Prime or something, but Kelly didn't know how that could be. Then again, a lot of things were turning weird in her life.

"I don't know, Kelly!" They ran to the corner of the street to see what was happening.

People were running and screaming down the street. Running and screaming for their lives. One terrified woman looked at them and screamed, "Get out of here! RUN! There's an ultra going insane! Destroying everything!"

"NO!" Kelly pushed away from Kevin and began running toward the commotion, "What if it's him? Maybe he'll remember me and I can make him stop!"

"No, wait, Kelly! It can't be him! Kelly! Kelly!!" It was no use. She wasn't going to listen. Kevin couldn't turn into Prime. He wasn't charged up enough... and he wasn't sure he wanted to. He just wanted to get out of there, but he couldn't let Kelly get hurt.

"He's not Prime! I'm P-- um... I'm sure its not! You can't risk it. Besides he's..."

"MAXI-MAN! But that's impossible! He's just a cartoon!" Kevin thought he was going crazy. How could Maxi-Man be alive? And what was he doing?

He was destroying everything, crashing through buildings and flinging cars through the air. He looked just like a cartoon, but he was in the real world now! And he had strength and muscle beyond imagination. Strength only comparable to Prime's but with the spirit of a demon. Then, he noticed Kelly and Kevin at the corner of the street.

Kelly continued to struggle from Kevin's arms, thinking Prime would save the day. Her crush was turning into an obsession!

"HA! You think I'm just a cartoon! I'M NOT! NOT ANYMORE! AND NOW, YOU HUMANS WILL LEARN WHAT IT IS LIKE TO FEAR SOMEONE ELSE!! TO FEAR MAXI-MAN!!"

Maxi-Man jumped towards them with his iron club in one hand and his iron glove on his other. Kevin was stuck with Kelly and unless he exposed himself as Prime... what would become of both of them??

Next Issue: Click here for Prime #6. And check out Prototype: Morbid Angel by Mike Shirley on August 22d! And please send comments to jamespedrick@yahoo.com or fill out the form below.

Go to the Mantraverse Website for information and fan fiction on Mantra and the Ultraverse!

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