New Warriors Vol. 4: Cry Uncle

M2K Mirror Mirror: The Favored 4

Years ago, Reed Richards, his best friend Ben Grimm, his fiance Susan Storm, and brother-in-law Johnny Storm headed up into space in that fated rocket, but when bombarded with cosmic radiation, something happened to the group. Physically they were fine, but emotionally they had been altered forever, twisting their personalities into something much, much darker. 

Reed Richards went into politics, stretching the truth and gaining political power. Unbeknownst to even the President himself, Reed Richards is now the single most powerful man on Earth.

Ben Grimm went back to the Yancy Street Gang, and now runs half of New York. Every thug, street criminal, and punk now answers to him. And those that oppose him disappear quietly into the night...

Susan Richards became a stay at home mom for her son Franklin, as well as her brother Johnny, keeping the family together, while slipping into alcoholism and dealing with her family's problems.

Johnny Storm became an arsonist, who gleefully lights the world on fire just to watch it burn. And thanks to Reed's connections, he sees no legal ramifications from his actions.

And young Franklin Richards, thanks to that cosmic radiation, was born a powerful mutant despite his family gaining no power for themselves. Franklin became so powerful that actions had to be taken to keep him from ever setting foot outside...

These are the adventures of Marvel's first family


"It's nothing personal, I didn't single you out just for this," Johnny Storm said as he paced around the lobby of the old tenement building. Johnny's blonde hair was long and shaggy, with orange streaks running through it. In front of him were the few occupants of the building, including a single father and his young son. "You were just... at the wrong place at the wrong time."

As he spoke, Johnny unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it away. He loved the feel of the fire brushing up against his skin, it was an orgasmic experience that he could never get enough of. No touch from a woman, or a man, could ever give him the feeling of standing in front of a blazing inferno.

"Please," the father begged as he held his son close. "Please, let my son go."

"Oh, you want me to let him go?" Johnny asked as he kneeled down and ran a hand through the boy's sandy blonde hair. "But then he'd miss all the fun. And I'm all about bringing joy into the lives of children. I'm just that nice a guy."

Johnny stood up and looked at his watch. "Oh, would you look at the time? I am due to meet with my parole officer in a half hour, so we'd better rush things along."
 
Johnny lit a match and smiled as he watched it flicker. He let it drop into a puddle of gasoline, quickly watching a trail ignite, setting the lobby on fire within seconds.

"Burn, baby, burn," Johnny whispered with a hideous grin.

*

Josh Guthrie hit the cold cement floor of the old warehouse sitting directly in the middle of Yancy Street turf. His nose and mouth were bleeding, and the young man was sure he had a broken wrist from the beating he'd just received. A swift kick to the stomach made sure he didn't get up as the teenager cried in pain.

"Enough," a voice said in the darkness as Josh tried to pick himself up. Seconds later, the leader of the Yancy Street Gang stepped forward. Ben Grimm was six and a half feet tall, with a muscular build and dressed in black, with the Yancy Street logo on the back of his leather jacket. "I'll handle it from here. Mr. Guthrie, I took you into my little organization with the hopes that you would flourish under my guidance. You have... sorely disappointed me."

"I couldn't kill him," Josh said as he spit blood onto the floor. "I'm sorry."

"A man with morals," Ben laughed. "Even though that slime had murdered two of my crew. You couldn't kill a murderer. You couldn't do one simple damn thing. You've shown weakness, Mr. Guthrie, which means this gang shows weakness. Which means I show weakness. And I never show weakness."

"Are you going to kill me?" Josh asked weakly. Ben picked the young man up and backhanded him.
 
"Fortunately for you, you may have proven that you can do something useful, and I never waste potential," Ben told him. "You have heart, kid, and I'm going to give you a job to use that heart. And if you screw this one up, I'll rip your lungs out with my bare hands."

# # # #
 
Sue's hand trembled as she drunk her third glass of red wine that afternoon. It was barely 1 o'clock as she watched the news report of the old tenement building that had gone up in flames. The only survivor was a small child, who was in critical condition.

"Dammit, Johnny," Sue said as she finished her wine. He'd barely been out on the streets and was already back to his old tricks. Fortunately, the Richard's lawyer was already on top of it, prepping Johnny with an alibi. That's what he was paid to do, after all.

"Mother, I'm hungry," Franklin said as he stood in the doorway, holding a teddy bear. He was wearing a pair of blue and white pajamas as he stood there. There was no need to wear regular clothes since the boy had never stepped outside a day in his 16-year life.

"You're a big boy, you can make your own food," Sue said before realizing that the words had been said out loud. She was in constant fear of her own son, and what he could do. Any other mother would tell the boy to put on some day clothes, or at least wear slippers instead of walking barefoot around the cold tile floor. Any other mother would tell their son that she loved him. Any other mother wouldn't contemplate murdering her child as he slept.
 
Franklin just slightly tilted his head and walked past her to the pantry to make a sandwich. Sue was constantly scared of a boy who had never once shown an ounce of hatred or rage. The worst Franklin had ever done was throw a tantrum over going to bed early, and that was when he was a small child.

The tantrum destroyed half of New York.

"Is Uncle Johnny coming home soon? He promised he'd play with me," Franklin told her.
 
"Uncle Johnny is busy today," Sue said in a barely a whisper, afraid of what Franklin would do if he ever found out the truth about the outside world. When he was young, Franklin had been told that the outside world was toxic to him. He'd been told that he suffered from a weak immune system and setting one foot outside would instantly kill him. Reed had even convinced him that not even his powers could heal his weakened immune system.

"I wish I had a real friend," Franklin told her sadly as he walked away with his sandwich.

It wasn't from a lack of trying to get friends for Franklin. But every parent in New York flat out refused to have their children go anywhere near the Baxter Building. They knew the stories of Johnny's psychotic bouts of arson, they knew of the Yancy Street Gang and who its leader was, and they had heard the tales of the freak boy who could explode your head with a thought. So Franklin lived a life of loneliness, his only friend being his Uncle Johnny.

# # # #

Reed Richards stood at the podium in front of City Hall, smiling at the people. "And thanks to your support, I have convinced congress to pass Turner's Law, which will ensure that justice will be served to those who commit vicious sexual acts, no matter how rich their families are."

The reporters started asking questions as Reed just started walking back into City Hall, as his aid walked beside him.

"That was a really great thing you did," Alicia told him.

"Yes, great for me," Reed told her. "Thanks to that punk rapist, I was able to pass a law that guarantees me all the soldiers I'll ever need when the time arises. Is our first friend ready?"

"He's waiting for you in your lab," Alicia told him.

"Good, then I will see you tonight," Reed said as he arrived at his office. "Give Ben my regards."

Reed walked into the office and smirked as he sat down, looking at the window. "Stupid sheep, so easily manipulated. It's because of all of you that I've able to get this far, and all I have to do is say a few big, complicated words too complex for your pitiful minds to understand. Soon, though, I will bring my brand of order to this horrible world."

Reed's phone started to ring as he picked up. "Sue, my love. Are you okay?"

"It's Johnny; he's at it again," Sue told him.

"Nothing a little money won't fix, I assure you," Reed said. "I'll be home soon, darling."

# # # #

Elsewhere in the city, a man had watched the press conference.

"No one realizes what Reed Richards is," the Puppet Master said to himself. "But I do. I know exactly what you are, Senator Richards. And I will stop you, at any cost."

Puppet Master had several police files sitting in front of him and was using the mug shots to mold clay figures.

"You'll have your army, as will I," Puppet Master said. "I will save this city."

# # # #

It was dinnertime at the Richard's residence, as Reed sat at the head of the table. Sue, Franklin, and Johnny were sitting around, waiting for the rest of the family to s how up. Soon, Ben walked in with Alicia on his arm, followed by Josh.

"Who is your young friend?" Reed asked as Ben pulled out Alicia's chair for her.

"He's a present for Franklin," Ben told him. "I know the kid gets lonely when Johnny goes out to have his fun, so I figured I'd get him a pet."

Franklin looked at Josh and smiled. "He's really for me to play with?"

"Yeah, and if he knows what's good for him, he'll cater to your every whim," Ben said. "If he values his life, that is."

"I'm gonna name him Icarus," Franklin said.

"But my name is-" Josh said as Ben looked at him.
 
"Your name is Icarus," Ben told him. "That's final, kid. I told you, any free will you thought you had you gave up when you screwed up. Now, sit down in the corner and I might just toss you some table scraps."

The young man sat down as Reed looked at his family. "I figure now's just a good a time as any to tell all of you. I'm going to announce my candidacy for President in a month, once I've gotten everything ready. Soon we'll all living in the White House."

"Washington? Plenty of stuff to light up there," Johnny smirked.

"Johnny, my boy, when I'm President, you'll have your whole continent to set fire to as you please," Reed told him. "Thanks to the dumbing down of the nation through the years, I've been able to exploit every loophole imaginable, and all for our family. We've become royalty, and soon the United States itself will vote me as its King."

"Don't you mean President?" Franklin asked as motioned Icarus to come sit on the floor next to him, where he patted his head playfully.

"No, I mean King," Reed told him. "Loopholes, my boy, in the constitution and the legal system itself. Within six months of my presidency, I will have legally disbanded congress for a solitary monarchy. I alone will be making the decisions for our country, and thanks to Turner's law, I will soon have an entire army at my beck and call, willing to die for me to make sure that this world will bow to us."

"That's great dear," Susan said as she poured herself another drink.

# # # #

"You can sleep here, Icarus," Franklin said as he led his new friend to his bedroom, putting some blankets on the floor. Before Icarus could say anything, Franklin used his powers to turn the blankets into a comfortable water bed. "Is it too much?"

"No, it's- it's good," Icarus said. "You're a mutant?"

"Yeah, but I have a weak immune system, so I'm stuck inside," Franklin told him. "I've never been outside."

"Franklin, can I tell you something?" Icarus asked.

"Sure," Franklin said as Icarus took off his shirt and turned around, showing him a small pair of red wings on his back that were barely visible. "What are those?"

"Wings, I guess. They sprouted when I was 12, but they never really got any bigger," Icarus told him. "Why did you name me Icarus?"

"Because I like to read," Franklin told him. "Especially Greek Mythology. After Uncle Ben's story about what you did, I kind of figured the name fit. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just... my family, I kind of miss them," Icarus said as he sat on the bed. "My brother and sister were mutants, too. But when their powers showed up, the people in my little town in Kentucky, they... they didn't take too kindly to it. They killed all of my siblings. Hung them all late one night before they could fight back. They got my Mom, too, but not before she got me to safety. My family's dead, Franklin, and all because people hate mutants."

Franklin sat down next to him. "I'm sorry, Icarus. I can be your family if you want. You're mine now, and I'll never let anyone hurt you."

# # # #

Weeks later, Ben was walking down the street with Alicia, holding her hand in his.

"You know, it's time we finally did it," Ben said as he looked straight ahead. "It's time we got hitched."

"Are you asking me to marry you?" Alicia asked.

"I ain't asking," Ben told her. "You and me, we need to get married and have a whole bunch of kids. I ain't gonna be able to do this gig forever, and Johnny's not going to be taking over for me, and Franklin... I love that kid, but this ain't his thing. So, you and me, what do you say?"

"You're so romantic," Alicia said with a laugh. "Okay, let's-"

Just before they got to Ben's car, an explosion went off, sending the two flying back.

"What the hell?" Ben asked as he looked at Alicia. "Are you okay?" Alicia had been rendered unconscious out next to him. "No, baby, come on, wake up!"

# # # #

Johnny was riding his black motorcycle with flames painted on it down the street when he passed by a preschool, which looked pretty flammable.

"No, Johnny, you've got a hot date with three supermodels," Johnny said to himself. "Mustn't be late. Besides, no one's home right now. I'll come back in the morning"

# # # #

Reed walked into his lab, where a young man had been stripped naked and strapped to a table. This was the sixteenth volunteer in the last several weeks that he had been given.

"Well, hello, Mr. Brandis," Reed smirked. "I hear you've been a naughty young man, raping college girls."

"Look, man, that wasn't me," the young man as he struggled. "You got the wrong guy, I didn't do anything to those girls."

"You wouldn't be here if the best lawyer in the world hadn't gotten you off," Reed said. "Your name came up personally as someone who needs a little... modification."

"What are you going to do to me, man?" the college asked.

"Don't worry," Reed said as he pulled out a long, nasty looking needle. "By the time I'm done, you're going to be cured of your... tendencies. You're going to be a whole new man."

The painful screams of Alex Brandis had been contained within the soundproof lab as Reed went to work.

# # # #

"How is she, doc?" Ben asked as he waited in the emergency room.

"The explosion rendered her blind," the doctor told him. "She'll never see again."

"I'm gonna personally rip the throat out of whoever did this," Ben said to himself as he turned away. "Every rival gang's going to be dead by dawn."

# # # #

The Puppet Master snuck into Alicia's room, gently touching her cheek.

"My sweet step-daughter," the man said. "I didn't mean for you to get caught up in this. But initiating a gang war was the only way. Ben and Johnny will be too focused on retaliation to come to Reed's side when I strike. Oh, my child, I never wanted you to be hurt. But you chose that thug over your family, and your heartbroken mother died as a result. But even though you are blind, you are much safer in this bed than you are at that gangbanger's side. By the tie time you leave this place, the world will be much safer for you, I promise."

# # # #

Sue looked through the cabinets, looking for that unopened bottle of wine when she saw Franklin standing in the doorway with his new friend.

"Franklin, where's mommy's wine?" Sue asked.

"There is no more wine," Franklin told her. "I erased every drop from the entire city. Icarus said that alcohol is bad."

"You had no right!" Sue shouted at Icarus. "I need it!"

"I'm sorry," Icarus whispered. "I didn't know he would-"

Sue backhanded Icarus knocking him to the floor. Franklin got angry and used his powers to push Sue against the wall, making it the first time he ever used his powers against anyone.

"Don't touch him!" Franklin shouted. "I got rid of all the booze because I'm tired of seeing you be this way, Mom. Maybe if you're sober, you'll... love me."

"Oh, Franklin," Sue said. "I can't love a monster. You may as well kill me because now I realize that I can never, ever, love something like you. You're an abomination that I should have aborted before you even made it into the world."

Franklin got tears in his eyes as he ran off.

# # # #

Ben arrived at Johnny's penthouse, where he found Johnny asleep in bed with two female models, and one male model. Johnny had a smile on his face as Ben tossed some cold water on him.

"Wake up, flamehead," Ben told him as Johnny bolted up. "I need your... expertise. Alicia's been hurt, and there's a lot of punks who need lit up."

"You need me to strike vengeance into the heart of evil?" Johnny asked.

"It's clobberin' time," Ben said as he pounded his fist into his palm.

# # # #

Icarus found Franklin sitting on his bed, crying. He sat down and put his arm around Franklin's shoulder. "She's wrong, you're not a monster. They're the ones who are monsters. You're the nicest guy I know, you know, for someone who keeps me here against my will."

Franklin looked up at him. "You want to leave?"

"I did, at first," Icarus told him. "But that's before I got to know you. Your family sucks, but... you're pretty cool. You're more powerful than you realize, and I don't just mean that freaky shit you can do. You're so strong for all that you've had to deal with. I really like you."

Franklin couldn't take the growing feelings inside of him anymore, and gently pressed his lips to Icarus's, not knowing what to expect. Icarus found himself caught off guard at first, and slowly returned it. As they got closer, the back of Icarus's shirt began to tear, and within moments, a huge pair of red wings burst out of his back.

"Franklin?" Icarus asked as he got tears in his eyes. "What did you do?"

"Do you like it?" Franklin asked as Icarus stood up and looked at his wings in the mirror. He cried as he turned around.

"I love them," Icarus told him. "Thank you."

Franklin stood up and looked down at his clothes, transforming his pajamas into a blue and white t-shirt, black pants, and blue sneakers.

"What are you doing?" Icarus asked.

"You're free," Franklin said as he smiled. "You can leave, Icarus. You're no longer my pet, but you'll always be my friend. I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago. I'm going outside."

"But you'll die!" Icarus shouted.

"Yeah, I guess so," Franklin said. "But at least now I know that I'm going to die knowing that someone cared about me. Thank you, Josh."

"My name is Icarus," the young man said as he took Franklin's hand. "Let's die together."

# # # #

"A full blown street war?" Reed asked Ben. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I already run half of the city's underworld," Ben told him. "It's time to take the other half, for Alicia."

Reed just sighed. "I was planning on handing you New York on a silver platter once I've made myself King. Just... try not to cause too much destruction. We still need to live here until the election is over."

# # # #

"The plan is working," Puppet Master said as he read the paper. "Ben and Johnny are too caught in their little street war. Reed doesn't have his usual protection. It's time to strike."

# # # #

Sue was desperately searching for some form of alcohol, finding nothing.

"Everything is gone," Franklin said as he held Icarus's hand as they headed for the door. He waved his hand at Sue, causing her to pass out.

"What did you do to her?" Icarus asked.

"Erased every memory of me from her mind," Franklin said. "It's like I never existed. I'll do the same to the entire city before I die once I'm outside. You'll be the only one who remembers me. Unless you-"

"Don't even," Icarus told him. "I want to remember who my boyfriend is."

# # # #

Reed headed outside, ready to head to City Hall to officially announce his run for President when the Puppet Master confronted him.

"Who the hell are you?" Reed asked.

"Someone who wants to protect his city," Puppet Master said, being joined by several gang members, who had been controlled mentally by the clay figures in his knapsack. "This ends here, Mr. Richards."

"You can't be serious," Reed laughed.

"Deadly serious," Puppet Master said as Franklin and Icarus stepped outside.

"When you're ready, we'll do this," Icarus told him. "I'll carry you toward the sun, and by the time you're gone, I'll be so high up that I can just... let myself fall."

"I love you," Franklin said as he saw his father and all the gang members. "What the hell is this?"

"Franklin?" Reed asked. "Go back inside!"

"The monster," Puppet Master said. "I didn't think he was real, take him down!"

The gang members took aim at Franklin, just as Icarus jumped in front, taking a hail of bullets. Icarus fell back into Franklin's arms, already dead with his eyes wide open.

"No," Franklin said as he started shaking. He looked up at the gang members. "NOOOOOO!"

As Franklin shouted, every gang member on the street exploded in a shower of blood and organs. The Puppet Master grabbed a gun, but Franklin just stared at him, instantly turning him into a clay doll like the one Franklin saw sticking out of his knapsack.

"Come on, Icarus, I can't fix you if you're dead," Franklin said as he held his friend close to him. "Please, don't be dead."

"Franklin, you need to get back inside," Reed told him. "You're not supposed to-"

Franklin stared up at him. "I'm not dead. I'm outside and I'm not dead. Why? You said I'd die instantly if I went outside. Did you lie to me?"

"Now, Franklin-"

"TELL ME THE TRUTH!" Franklin said, using his powers to urge Reed to tell him.

"You were too powerful, we couldn't let you loose into the world," Reed said. "We were scared of you."

"Did you ever... love me?" Franklin asked, continuing to use his powers on Reed.

"Yes," Reed admitted. "You're my son, of course I love you. But you're too powerful, and if anyone ever learned of you-"

Franklin stared down at Icarus, kissing his forehead. "No one's ever going to know about me. Not even you."

In an instant, Franklin and Icarus were both gone. Reed looked around at all the carnage, wondering what had just happened. A wave of power went out through the world, erasing every trace of Franklin Richard's existence from everyone's mind.

# # # #

"And despite the... odd events of earlier this afternoon, I am perfectly fine," Reed said as he spoke into the microphone at City Hall. "And it is with great pleasure that I would like to announce my bid for this year's presidential election. We will make America great again!"

Sue woke up, feeling a wave of happiness rush over her. She couldn't explain it, but it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Johnny stood shirtless in front of the burning preschool, just letting the warmth of the flames brush against him.

Ben was walking Alicia out of the hospital as he looked down at his phone.

"It's done," the text message said. "You own it all now, Mr. Grimm. Every territory is now under your control."

A small grave had been marked for Icarus as Franklin sat on the Moon, his arms wrapped around his legs as he cried. He stared up at the Earth, his anger building inside of him. The world didn't know he existed now, and his only friend was dead. Soon the world would know of Franklin Richards, when he returned to remake the world as his own...

NOT THE END..