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#6
DEC 11 |
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“Life's a Peach”
New York
The doors to the penitentiary opened as the villain dressed in an orange suit walked out. He was a large man who had served his time for robbing banks before ultimately being caught by Daredevil several years earlier. A car pulled up as the villain's henchman stepped out.
“Lookin' good, boss,” said the driver. “You hardly look like you just did five years.”
“We have a lot of time to make up for, boys,” the villain said as he got into the car. “They never found the money from all those heists we pulled so, now that I'm free, I can collect and start my plans anew.”
“So, where to?” asked the driver.
“24th and Elm,” the villain told them. “It's where the loots buried. We'll dig it up and be out of the city by nightfall. Then we'll start to rebuild our operation, and soon the world will learn to fear the name Peachy Keen!”
“Bobby, what the hell is this?” asked Opal Tanaka as she looked at the condemned store that Bobby had bought. “Is this what you dragged us all the way to New York for?”
“This, Opal, is an ex-Phar-Mor Department store,” replied Bobby as he opened the door, leading to a dark, dirty and unused space, “and the future home of the Center for Runaway Mutants. You see, when I was a kid and was just discovering my powers I got lucky that Professor X was there to take me in. There are a lot of mutants out there who get kicked out of their homes for who they are, and some of them just run away, afraid to tell their families the truth. So I'm making a place where they can turn to. Not every kid gets lucky and becomes an X-Man. Hopefully it'll be the start of a trend.”
“Why New York?” asked Jacob Johnson, Bobby's new best friend.
“Seemed like the home state would be a good place to start,” replied Bobby. “I'm looking into places in Chicago if this place does well.”
“This...is actually a decent idea,” Opal told him. “How'd you come up with it?”
“Oh, ha ha,” replied Bobby as he looked at the place. “I admit, the place needs a little–”
“A LOT–”
“–a lot of renovation,” finished Bobby. “But I think it'll work.”
The car pulled up outside as Peachy Keen and his men got out. “The money was buried under the floor of this department store when it was being built. Now that's it out of business we can dig the cash up and no one will suspect a thing.”
“Boss, look!” one of the men shouted. “There are people coming out of the place!”
“They must be after the loot,” said Peachy as he pulled a tommy gun out of the car. “We'll just have to take them out before they find my money. Nobody steals from Peachy Keen!”
“So, you two hungry?” asked Bobby as the trio walked out of the building.
“I'm never hungry,” replied Jacob. “I don't need food to live, just oil and grease.”
“McDonald's it is, then,” said Bobby. “Oh, and why are you a robot!?”
Jacob was about to answer when a bullet hit him in the chest, sending him flying backward. More bullets came their way as Bobby pushed Opal back through the door, taking on his ice form.
“You all right, Jacob?” asked Iceman.
“Even robots hate being shot at,” replied Jacob as he lay on the ground. “Kick their ass.”
“Oh, shit, it's the Iceman!” shouted one of the henchmen. “He's an X-Man!”
“He'll be an ex-man when we're through with him,” said Peachy Keen as one of his henchmen snuck off. “Fire everything we got!”
A hail of bullets flew at Iceman, chipping away at him as he yawned and held out his hand, freezing over the tommy guns. “Don't know who you guys are, but I'm taking you in for shooting up my new business! Oh, and shooting my friend…but mainly for shooting up my new business!”
“Hold it right there, Iceman!” shouted of the henchman as Iceman turned around, seeing he was holding Opal at gunpoint. “Make one wrong move and I kill the bitch!”
“Excuse me?” asked Opal. “What did you just call me?”
“Uh oh,” said Iceman as he shook his head. “Shouldn't have done that. I'd apologize if I were you.”
“Or what?” asked the gunman.
Iceman winced as the sounds of punching and kicking came from Opal's direction. Iceman looked away in terror. Opal walked toward him, clapping his hands to get the dirt off, leaving the man in a crumpled mess on the ground with the gun shoved up his...pants.
Turning his attention back toward Peachy Keen and his remaining men, Bobby froze their feet in place to hold them until the police arrived.
L.A.
“I don't know about this,” said Ronny as he stood in the bathroom while Jason waited.
“You said you wanted to break out of the mold you're stuck in, so I'm helping you,” replied Jason as he sat on Ronny's bed. He picked up Ronny's pillow and sniffed it, getting high off the scent.
“Okay,” said Ronny as he opened the door as Jason threw the pillow behind him. Ronny stepped out, his hair dyed blue. “What do you think?”
“I thought you were going for the striped look?” asked Jason.
“I was, but I accidentally spilled the whole bottle on my hair,” replied Ronny as he looked at himself in the mirror. “Now this should get some attention.”
“All right, I've made an appointment at the tattoo parlor, so we should get there before five,” replied Jason as he stood up.
“Wait...tattoo?” asked Ronny with fear in his voice. “Aren't those...permanent?”
“Permanent...and for guys who want to prove they're not just kids entertainment,” replied Jason as he took Ronny's hand and pulled him toward the door. “We've still got a lot of work to do with you.”
“So some random guys just shoot at us and you're not upset?” asked Opal as she sat with Bobby and Jacob at the restaurant.
“I needed the rush,” replied Bobby as he ate his burger. “Just wish I could have been there when they told Peachy Keen that the money he was after isn't there.”
“What money?” asked Opal.
“All the money that Peachy Keen stole over the years was buried in that store,” replied Bobby as he looked at his friends. “Or, was, at least…I found it when I first checked the place out a few months ago. Gave it back to the banks and got a big ass reward. How do you think I was able to buy the store in the first place?”
“You really do amaze me,” replied Opal as she looked at him.
“Hey, it's what I do,” said Bobby with a slight laugh as he looked at Jacob. “So, about that robot thing...”
“Well, interesting story,” said Jacob as he looked at his watch. “Oops, gotta go make a phone call.”
Jacob got up and walked away as he pulled out his cell phone as Bobby looked at Opal. “So, anything new on the media front?”
“As a matter of fact...,” said Opal as he leaned in closer. “What do you think about Iceman: The Movie?”
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The End...
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