Crossover Earth '98

"Look, Miss Faust, I'm telling you the fusion division is going in the wrong dire--"

Jennifer grit her teeth, "that's Doctor Faust. How many times do I have to tell you, you..."

Mark just smirked at her. For the two months Jennifer had to work for the so-called illustrious Mark Swift, he managed to push her buttons every day. If the work itself wasn't so interesting and involving, she would never have taken the job in the first place. This buffoon had interrupted her interview right before Jacobs handed her the job. Now she had to endure reporting to him.

Jennifer threw up her hands in defeat, "Oh, why do I bother! Fine! They're going in the wrong direction. What, oh great Scientist, is the proper direction?"

Mark sighed and smiled. He didn't know why he teased his number one associate. Maybe it was because it was so easy. Jennifer really needed to learn to loosen up.

"You know I can't answer that, Doctor Faust, not until the company figures the legal angle to release my previous work from the power company in California. The non-disclosure agreement I had to sign means I can't reconstruct my work here. I can only say what won't work."

Faust just stood there fuming. Mark could tell she was about to blow. In a slightly patronizing tone, he said, "Dr. Faust, Jennifer, you are a great scientist. I know you can survive this. I've dealt with it for the past three years. Surely, you can survive the frustration for another few months?

"Look, I've been doing a little investigation and think we should pursue the Tesla angle. It could revolutionize the research. And besides," he grinned, "it has nothing to do with my previous work, so we're free to explore it to our fullest extent."

The shift in topics caught Jennifer off guard, "Tesla? Angle? What is that?"

Mark explained, "Nickola Tesla? Eccentric scientist from the first part of the century? Holds the patents for alternating current? Much of his work in electricity is still state of the art today. Well, there are rumors about him inventing a process that would allow people to pull electricity directly from the ground."

Jennifer thought he was pulling her leg again, "From the ground? But that's imp--"

"Ap, ap, ap. Hear me out." Mark put a conspiratorial arm around Dr. Faust's shoulders and slowly guided her out of his office. "The story goes that after an earthquake, Tesla was found amidst a bunch of broken equipment. When questioned about it, his response was simply, 'The experiment got out of hand.' And the rumor is that he destroyed his notes on the geoelectric project. He thought the results were too dangerous."

Faust interrupted, "what do rumors and stories of a crazy old scientist that have to do with Scott Industries cheap and clean energy division?"

"Well, my dear Dr. Faust, I believe that Tesla didn't actually destroy his notes. I believe he may have hidden them, or used parts of the geoelectric project in his other projects. If we can get enough of his notes and immerse ourselves in his experiments, we may actually be able to recreate his greatest project."

She was skeptical, "well, it doesn't sound any weirder than any other theory you've presented these past couple of months." Dreading his response, Jennifer asked, "but what does this have to do with me?"

Mark was all smiles, "why, Doctor, haven't you figured it out? I need you to track down as many works of Tesla and get a team building from his theories. Take Johnson and Collins off the fusion project to head up the Tesla team. The last reports showed that their theories on fusion are the most rigid. They'll only slow down its progress."

Jennifer Faust, Ph.D. in Chemistry and Physics, could not believe her ears. She was being told to do the work of a research assistant! Rather than argue with her immediate superior in the hallway, she grit her teeth, again, and stormed off to the lab.

"You know, Mark, if you keep being so flippant with her, she's going to quit or worse." Jacobs had been waiting for Mark in the hallway, when he and Jennifer left his office.

"Nah, she just needs to think more creatively. Right now she's thinking of various creative ways to torture me. It's a start." Mark walked with Jacobs toward the outdoor park in the Scott Industries complex. "When she starts thinking outside the box with her work, she'll be one of the best scientists this world has seen. I'm just trying to help her to that point."

Jacobs breathed in the fresh air, "Well be careful, I don't want to lose her, because of your games. Don't push her too hard. That's an order."

Mark contemplated Jacobs' words. "Maybe I have been pushing her too hard." He breathed in the fresh air and warm sun in the park, "I'll work on it."

Jacobs walked back inside, "Soon Mark, soon."

"Sorry, Mark, I can’t make lunch today. I have my own plans."

Mark tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, "Oh, what plans are those, love?"

Cecilia smiled into the phone, "I'm having lunch with my parents, so we can avoid having dinner with them tonight. I thought I'd be nice today and spare you that boredom."

"You are a godsend. I don't deserve you, you know that?" Mark said.

"You betcha, Sparky. Just remember this the next time you want to drag me to a dinner with Jacobs and that Faust woman," Cecilia teased.

"Consider it remembered! Have fun with your parents." Mark made some small talk, "for a minute there I thought you were going to spend lunch downloading more pictures of Mark Battle from the Internet."

"Naw, I already have a burned CD of his pics. That should be enough for now. Whenever you decide to stop exercising again, I'll just print out a few."

"Sure, fine. But next time, could you not print out the nude of him? Waking up seeing his body is not in my top one hundred list of 'good ways to wake up.'" Mark shuddered.

Cecilia playfully pouted, "But I thought he looked so cute after his fight with Skein a few months ago. All wet and battered, sun shining off his enorm--"

Mark quickly interrupted, "Yes, well, have fun with your parents, send my love. I'll see you tonight. Bye-bye."

He hung up the phone while his betrothed laughed on the other end of the phone. Honestly, he thought, why do women find properly placed bulk so sexy? Shrugging it away as another mystery of life, Mark tried to find something to do for lunch. Except for the short respite in the company park, he'd been cooped up in his office all morning.

He stretched, listening to his tendons creak. He needed some exercise. So, he thought, another lunchtime spent running. Really running. The day was nice, the air clean. It felt like a fine day to stretch his legs... as Dynamo!

Seattle was a good place to live. Crime was generally low, and with the recent pubic battle against the Mockery Brigade, supers seemed to be staying away. That was fine with Dynamo. Sure, using his powers was fun. He loved it. But fighting supers was always a danger. Regular crooks were fine with him.

The lunch crowd by the pier was thick. A good place to find pickpockets, Dynamo thought. Enjoying himself, Dynamo zipped through the fish market. He was about to zap a kid trying to snag a wallet when Dynamo heard the screams. Green bolts of energy flashed nearby. Crackling with energy, Dynamo smacked the pickpocket on the back of the head as he passed on his way to the disturbance.

"So much for a peaceful day." he said. The panic seemed to be caused by a single woman. It took a moment for Dynamo to recognize the crazy villain. Long blond hair, white choir robe belted around a slim waist, very beautiful; Angel had come to Seattle. And a trail of bodies lay in her wake.

Before tackling the faux heavenly disturbance, Dynamo ran to the nearest payphone and dialed 911. In a voice barely slow enough to understand, he said, "Hi this is Dynamo, Angel's in the fish market causing havoc, people need medical attention, bring help." Satisfied that the good people of Seattle would bring help, he left the phone off the hook and moved toward Angel.

Okay, she thinks God sent her to punish unbelievers, how can I use this against her? Dynamo thought. He noticed a white canvas sheet blowing in the wind and an idea started to formulate in his mind.

"How dare you mock God's creatures. You must pay for your blasphemy! Feel God's anger channeled through me!" Angel cried to the tourists and shop owners in the fish market. She fired her holy green fire into the unbelievers, granting them the joyous touch of God and Heaven.

From behind her a deep voice boomed, "Angel! This is not God's plan. These people are not the ones you were sent to punish. Come, the Lord has sent me to help guide you, his most glorious tool. Together, Angel and Michael will cleanse the world of its evils and allow God's children, such as these people, to flourish."

Before her stood a man dressed in a flowing white robe, and a white cowl covered his head. Energy crackled around him. But it wasn't the green energy of God. How dare he try to fool God's chosen! How dare he try to guide her away from her path! This mortal super villain must pay for his sins. Angel refocused her wrath at the fabricator of lies.

Green energy scintillated from the woman's fingers to strike him. Dynamo dodged the blast by a fraction of an inch. It exploded harmlessly into the pier behind him.

Muttering to himself, "Goood, Dynamo. Pose as another angel, lead her away, and discreetly incapacitate her. Riiiight. Now all I've done is pissed her off." He dodged another blast, "Well, at least she's not harming the innocents anymore."

To Angel, "If you were truly God's chosen, why does he let you miss? Maybe your path isn’t what you think, Angel."

Dynamo fired his own bolt of energy, barely catching her in the side. It only seemed to annoy her.

"These people are innocent, Angel, why would God need to punish them through you?" Dynamo demanded, slowly enticing the self-proclaimed avatar away from the crowds.

Angry at being questioned, Angel repplied, "Fool! Can't you see that they are mocking God's creatures?" She accented her words with more bolts of energy.

Baffled by her comment, a bolt of "Heaven Fire" almost struck the electric hero. "What?" He looked around, "The fish?"

"Of course the fish! A fish represents God! And they mock God by selling fish for profit. They make a profit on God. And for this, they must be punished, as you will be punished for impersonating a celestial being!" She pushed her attack, trying to corner the blasphemer.

Dynamo couldn't help himself, he laughed. "Selling bits of God for profit. Jeez, lady, you should really talk to the big guy about getting your head on straight. Oof!!"

She finally connected. God must have been guiding her hand to strike the foolish man as he took the Lord's name in vain. The man in electric blue flew many cubits into the nearby building. He looked stunned, considering the righteous power of God. She smiled an angelically wicked smile. This fool would make a great example for the others to repent.

Okay, Dynamo thought, I think I have her complete attention. Whatever that green energy was, it hurt! He held himself up against the wall he'd been thrown into, to stop the ringing in his ears.

He pushed himself off of the building, narrowly missing Angel's next strike. He fired at her, bathing her in electricity. She looked shaken, but kept coming after him. I wanted this, right, he thought. She's not harming the innocent people anymore, right? So why does this feel like a bad idea? One on one with Angel! You idiot.

Dynamo ran up the docks, just slow enough that Angel kept following. He fired near her, missing intentionally, keeping her confidence on how un-pious he was. She kept firing on him, narrowly missing, infuriating her even more. They were far enough away from the bystanders that Dynamo felt he could open up on the woman.

He ran up the side of a warehouse, electrical energy keeping him from falling. He fired three rapid bolts of electricity into Angel, stunning her momentarily. Dynamo charged his hands, building up a powerful blast of electricity. In a moment of bravado Dynamo bellowed, "Lord, if Angel has betrayed your trust by using her powers to harm innocent people, grant me the power to strike her down."

The flash of lightning struck Angel square in the chest, knocking her into some empty barrels. While incapacitated, Dynamo closed with her. He charged his hands into a shocking grasp that would drop the woman into a peaceful sleep.

Thinking of Jacobs' words, Dynamo realized he was intentionally teasing the woman. So after a moment in thought, he looked at her and realized she was a victim of her own derangement. He shouldn't be mocking her, he should feel sorry for her.

In a soft, comforting voice Dynamo said, "Angel, you're going sleep for awhile, but when you wake up, you will be surrounded by people who can help you. With professional help, you can get better."

Dynamo reached for her, to shock her into unconsciousness. But Angel had recovered her senses and phased into intangibility. "I don't need your help, sinner! I am God's favored one, and your mockery will damn you to Hell. If he grants me favor, I will send you there myself!"

She quickly sunk into the ground, escaping capture.

"Well, that could have gone better," Dynamo said. He walked back to the site of the original disturbance. The paramedics treated victims injured by Angel's attacks. Police questioned witnesses and directed traffic. The media had just arrived and tried to make sense of the situation. Dynamo made his way to the paramedics making sure everything was all right.

He made his statement to the police, describing how Angel evaded capture. The media soon mobbed him, wanting to get the dirt from Seattle's new resident costumed crime fighter. One reporter muscled his way through the rest, "Dynamo! Dynamo! Do you have a minute? Jason Montgomery, SuperHero Network News."

Dynamo smiled his warmest smile, "Of course, Mr. Montgomery, what would you like to know?"

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