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This message A Semi-Amazing Goldeneyed TPB - "Brackets" was posted by Bry re-presents a "G-Eyed classic"! on Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 08:47.
Since it's been so long since a new Goldeneyed story has come out (and #23 is coming damn soon - it was supposed to be out today, but an increased workload in the last week or so of school has pushed it back about a week), I figured I'd get people interested again by posting what Messy says is the best "Goldeneyed" storyline yet. Personally, I kind of cringe when I go over this now... It was written about three (or more) years ago, and I like to think I've improved quite a bit since then. ;)
But regardless, enjoy the story. Try to ignore the Pokemon... And get all hyped up and excited for the G-Eyed 'relaunch'! :)
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“For longer than I wish to recall, I have served the Observing Eye. My job is to watch over one of the universe’s most potentially powerful being. You knew him as Goldeneyed. Today, it appears my job is over.
“Watching over Goldeneyed has proven trying at times, especially after he became aware of my presensce. I could foresee a time when he would be in dire need of an ally. So I had my understudy create one for him. He would choose a cousin of Goldeneyed’s to become Exile.
“But there was something I could not foresee. As you know, Goldeneyed is missing, and apparently deceased. And tied to his disappearance is a deadly threat… someone called…
"Brackets"
Part One
By Bry Kotyk
Hell’s Bathroom, 1:02 am…
Muggings. Murder. Rape. All of said things occur with a chilling regularity in this area. But tonight a different crime takes place. Something more sick and sophisticated. Tonight two men conspire to kill another.
Rex slips into the alley, pulling his hat down just a little further to conceal his face. He pulls the collar on his trench coat up as Bruno walks into the alley.
Bruno’s a large man, either from hard work or steroid use. He’s wearing a gray turtleneck under a black vest. His hair’s messy, and he’s wearing only sunglasses to hide his face.
Rex pulls a file folder from his coat and hands it to Bruno. “That’s the target.”
Bruno flips through the papers and photos. “This is the mayor’s son. You sure aim high.”
“Then the mayor shouldn’t have crossed me. Do the job. I don’t like being disappointed.”
“Then I consider running.”
Rex looks up to the top of the roof of the building to see a pair of piercing red eyes glaring back at him.
“Good God…”
The man with the red eyes drops down from the rooftop. As he falls into the light, Rex can see his bizarre costume. He wears an all-black, mask-less bodysuit, with armor plates overtop and a helmet fashioned out of bone. A black, tattered cape flaps behind him.
Bruno looks confused, but he quickly decides an action. He runs forward, hoping to crush the freak from the sheer weight of a tackle. But Bruno suddenly is stopped. He desperately tries to gasp for breath as the red-eyed freak pulls his claws from Bruno’s throat.
Bruno stops struggling, his eyes roll back, and he falls to the ground. The freak wipes the blood off the claws attached ho his gloves and walks toward Rex.
Rex spins around and runs toward the street. “Dammit!” He screams as he runs into a scarlet energy wall that just shouldn’t be there.
The wall begins to push Rex backward, like it was in some video game. Rex turns around in time to fall face-first into Bracket’s hands. Brackets grabs both sides of Rex’s head gently, then suddenly, and violently, snaps his neck.
Brackets drops Rex’s body to the ground and conjures up a pair of red wings. He then flees the scene, and begins a new hunt.
__________________________________________________________
Lair Legion Island, 10:24 am…
Lair legion member and potential leader Lisa Waltz walks by Bry’s room for the fourth time. Lisa noticed he was missing when he didn’t show up for work on Tuesday. At the time, it didn’t seem so strange, considering he could have been in battle as Goldeneyed. But he didn’t show up Wednesday either. Or Thursday. Or Friday.
Lisa pushes open the door to Bry’s room and looks around, hoping to see him somewhere. But he’s nowhere to be found. Lisa does, however, spot a small red and white call on his nightstand. She recognizes it as a Pokemon ball, used as a home for Pokemon.
Lisa picks the ball up and taps on the top. The ball shakes a bit, and Lisa accidentally drops it to the ground. The ball swings open, and in a flash of light, a blue turtle is standing on the floor, looking up at her.
“Er… hello…”
“Squir!!” The turtle replies, holding his stomach.
“Oh boy… you’ve been in there for nearly four days! You’ve gotta be starving!”
“Squirr!” Squirtle agrees, nodding his head.
Lisa picks Squirtle up and carries him down to the kitchen. Lisa sets him down on the counter and checks the fridge for some vegetables. She pulls out a carrot and turns toward Squirtle to see him next to an open box of Ritz, crackers poured out all around him.
“You’re getting crumbs all over the place!”
“Squirtle, Squirt!” The turtle replies, giggling.
Lisa sighs and smiles. “Do you want some nachos?”
Squirtle drops the crackers in his hand and jumps up and down. “Wheee!”
Lisa pulls out a bag of tortilla chips and turns toward the fridge, where Squirtle is already pulling out a brick of cheese.
“Squii!!” Squirtle says to Lisa, smiling.
__________________________________________________________
Frog-Man stands on the hardwood floor of his apartment. He began to get worried after Goldeneyed went missing days ago, but any hops of his friend and partner returning have faded since his visitor showed up.
Guumar stands still by the stairs to Frog-Man’s room. “As Goldeneyed’s closest friend and ally, you must put together a band of heroes to battle Brackets.”
Frog-Man nods, listening intently.
“There are three people you must enlist to help you. First there is Lisa Waltz, Bry’s Lair Legion partner and boss. She will join without hesitation on his behalf. Next is Magnetic Techbird. He will be more hesitant to join, but his powers will come in handy. He also is a friend of Bry’s and will help on his behalf. And finally, there is Exile. As Bry’s cousin, Exile will join immediately, and since I based his powers on the energy Goldeneyed uses during inter-dimensional teleportation, he can help track Brackets, who uses that power source also.”
Frog-Man nods again, remaining silent.
“Good luck.” Are Guumar’s last words as he disappears into a flash of green light.
Frog-Man considers what he’s heard for a second, then runs for the phone.
__________________________________________________________
Two hours later, at Frog-Man’s apartment…
Lisa, Frog-Man, and Magnetic Techbird stand in a triangle, making sure to keep each other in view.
“Brackets is a killing machine, we’ve all seen that from the news. He has to be stopped. And we’re the ones that have to stop him.”
Magnetic Techbird rolls his eyes. “Why us? Why not the Legion, or some other group of heroes?”
“We were chosen. That’s all I can say. You just have to trust me.”
Lisa shakes Frog-Man’s hand. “I’m in.”
Magnetic Techbird crosses his arms and looks away.
“Please, Techbird… for Goldeneyed’s sake.”
Magnetic Techbird breathes in deep and shakes Frog-Man’s hand. “I’ll help.”
“I was supposed to get Exile’s help too, but I couldn’t contact him.” [Read recent Exile and Avatar ishes for the why!]
Lisa shrugs. “We can find him later. Turn on the news, maybe there’ll be an update.”
Frog-Man clicks on the TV and puts it on a local channel.
After two commercials about tartar-fighting toothpaste, the newswoman’s face comes into view.
“Now a month after the First Annual Pariodiopolis Cheese Fair came to a close, it’s a time of reflection and… Oh! This just in: the mysterious serial killer known as Brackets is reported to he prowling around Hell’s Bathroom, his usual hunting grounds. All citizens are warned to take emergency precautions…”
Frog-Man clicks off the television and hops aboard his Frog-Bike. “Let’s go.” Lisa hops on the back of the bike and hangs on to Frog-Man’s shoulders. A wall on his apartment slides as the Frog-Bike drives out, falling down toward the street.
Frog-Man flips a switch, and the Frog-Bike gently floats to the road. “Air cushions.” Frog-Man explains to Lisa.
Frog-Man turns left and speeds off toward Hell’s Bathroom, Magnetic Techbird following, flying with energy wings.
__________________________________________________________
Shortly after, Hell’s Bathroom…
The Frog-Bike screeches to a stop somewhere in the middle of Hell’s Bathroom. The street is deserted, nearly everyone having gone to hide in his or her homes.
Frog-Man revs the engine a few times, and Brackets hits the ground in front if him.
“The foolish frog. So you choose to challenge me?”
Frog-Man nods.
“Then it will be your death!” Brackets warns, flying into the air with red energy wings.
Magnetic Techbird soars toward Brackets in a magnetic bubble.
Brackets sneers at MT. “You think your precious bubble will protect you…”
Then, suddenly, Brackets fires four scarlet energy spikes toward the bubble. MT watches them with confidence, but is shocked when they somehow materialize inside his bubble, ricocheting from all sides. MT calls his bubble down, and he falls, barely escaping the spikes.
Frog-Man clenches his fists as his boot’s jets propel him into the air. He catches MT mid-fall and floats to the ground, thanks to the cushion of air his boots provide.
But Brackets pops up next to Frog-Man and cracks him over the head with a scarlet energy club. Frog-Man falls to the ground, dropping MT in the process.
Brackets kicks MT in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.
Then he turns toward Lisa, who is armed with an aluminum baseball bat. He shatters the bat with a blast of energy, then proceeds to knock her unconscious with a red sphere over her head.
Brackets flies upward with his red energy wings, calling back to the fallen heroes. “You live today, on one condition. Stay out of my way. Next time you won’t be so fortunate.”
Magnetic Techbird pulls himself up and looks over his fallen teammates. They were not in a good condition, and it didn’t look like it was going to get any better.
"Brackets"
Part Two
By Bry Kotyk
Michael Andrews feels a hand pulling his arm, and a voice calling a name. “Frog-Man. Frog-Man!”
Frog-Man’s eyes flicker open. Magnetic Techbird stands in front of him, happy to see that Frog-Man’s alright. Lisa groans and holds her head. “My head…”
Lisa quickly changes her train of thought. “Oh God… did he get away?”
Frog-Man lowers his head. “I’m afraid so. He beat us so easily, too. We need more help. We have to find Exile.”
“Avatar’s been hanging around with Exile lately, I think… Maybe he can help us.” Lisa informs Frog-Man.
“Okay. Let’s go to the Lair.” Frog-Man nods.
“You won’t have to.”
Frog-Man looks over his shoulder. Exile is standing there, arms crossed, eyes glowing a more bright red than Brackets’.
“Exile! How long have you been here?” Lisa asks, hopping off the Frog-Bike.
“A few minutes. What’s going on, anyways?”
Magnetic Techbird steps forward from behind Frog-Man. “Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that this guy named Brackets has been terrorizing the city, killing people left and right. Just before he showed up, Goldeneyed disappeared. It’s connected. We plan to find Brackets, and take him down. But we were beaten pretty easily last time. We need help.”
Exile nods. “Yeah… yeah, I’ll help.”
Magnetic Techbird smiles and walks over to Lisa and the Frog-Bike. Exile walks after him alongside Frog-Man.
“Froggy… about Goldeneyed. Is he…?”
Frog-Man lowers his head a little. “It doesn’t look good, Exile…”
__________________________________________________________
Meanwhile at the Lair…
The red and white Pokeball atop Goldeneyed’s nightstand shakes more and more violently by the second. Squirtle is rather desperate to get out, and Lisa’s accidentally dropping him earlier gave him an idea.
The pokeball rolls off the nightstand and hits the ground. On impact, the ball clicks open, and Squirtle finds himself standing on the floor.
“Squee!”
Squirtle runs toward the closed door. When he realizes he can’t reach it, he jumps up. And misses. Squirtle jumps again and hangs off the doorknob. As he twists the doorknob the door swings open backwards, and Squirtle hits the wall behind the door.
“Oof!”
Squirtle runs out of the room, the usual smile on his face. He tiptoes toward a door that’s a crack open. Curious, he pushes it open, and takes a peek inside. There’s a young woman inside, sitting on her bed crying. Pictures of a dapper-looking blonde man are up all around her. The young woman looks up, higher than Squirtle’s head, and frowns.
“Whoever it is, close the damn door and get the @#$% away from my room!”
Squirtle suddenly feels very afraid, and runs away screaming “Squirrr!!”
In a different area of the mansion, Visionary and Cheryl sit together on the couch, chatting with NTU-150.
“…So let’s just leave it with the fact that I never want to see cornfields again.”
Enty chuckles, and stands up. “Come on, guys, let’s get some lunch.”
As Enty, Vizh, and Cheryl walk into the kitchen, something stops them in their tracks. “What the blazes…!?”
Squirtle is sitting on the counter, giggling, surrounded in a mess of cracker crumbs and Ritz boxes.
“A Pokemon!? Not again!” Cheryl says, fighting off a headache.
“Squirtle! Squir!!”
Cheryl picks Squirtle up off the counter and carries him back toward Enty. “I had to make Avatar move his Charizard out of here just the other day. Fact is, the citizens are afraid of these guys, and having one living here could mean bad press.”
Visionary pats Squirtle on the head a little harder than Squirtle would have liked. “But he’s just a little guy, and he didn’t do anything wrong.”
“And though it may evolve, it’s supposed to be easy to control, unlike Charizard’s former stage of Charmeleon.”
Cheryl shakes her head. “The public won’t let that change their minds. I don’t know how we can hope to fight this…”
__________________________________________________________
The Frog-Bike soars up through the air, Frog-Man at the helm and Lisa hanging on behind him. Magnetic Techbird flies behind them with a jetpack, and Exile flies in front. The Frog-Bike floats to the ground, but seconds later it flies back up, propelled by jets on the bottom.
“There!” Screams Exile, pointing down at a figure sulking in the shadows of an alleyway.
Exile and Magnetic Techbird dive down, and the Frog-Bike hovers to the ground meters behind them.
As Frog-Man and Lisa run towards the alley, they are struck by a flying Exile.
Brackets steps out of the alley, holding Magnetic Techbird up by his neck.
“You just couldn’t stay away, could you? I warned you in advance.”
Exile dives at Brackets’ legs. Brackets drops MT to the ground and kicks Exile square in the face.
Brackets soars into the air with scarlet energy wings, sending hundreds of energy blades towards the heroes below.
Frog-Man pulls Lisa into his arms and propels them high into the air, avoiding the blades. Exile clumsily, but nonetheless effectively, pushes MT out of the way and somehow avoids them himself. He holds his head, still feeling the pain from his kick to the head.
Frog-Man floats to the ground and sets Lisa down on the Frog-Bike. He hops on himself, and drives the bike ahead.
Exile flies toward Brackets, fists clenched, but Brackets is prepared. Dozens of jagged energy blades fly toward Exile. Exile conjures up a brick wall on a parachute to block them, but they materialize on his side.
Exile spins to avoid them, but one gets him in the leg. Exile screams in pain, and the blade fades away.
The Frog-Bike soars higher into the air, to the left of Exile. Lisa hits a button on the Bike, launching two rockets toward Brackets. But Brackets makes a shield, and the explosions set several rooftops ablaze.
“You’re fools, all of you!” Brackets bellows. “You can’t hope to win!”
Frog-Man launches himself off the Frog-Bike as Lisa hovers to the ground on it. Frog-Man dives at Brackets, but a scarlet wall blocks him.
“Crossing me was a fatal mistake, Frog.” Brackets taunts as Frog-Man falls to the ground.
But a figure leaps onto the scene, catching Frog-Man and making a gently landing. “The hell it was!”
When Lisa sees his face, she lets out a shocked gasp.
“When I came back, it’s like everything was working against me… My own portal opened up behind me, and I was sucked up before I knew what was going wrong. The next thing I saw was hell. It was an alien environment at war.
“The rebels controlled my powers with some high-tech device… So I couldn’t escape. Why they chose me I’ll never know, but I had to help them in their battle. But their enemies had technology, too… Frighteningly advanced stuff. A wave shot up from the ground meant to kill a pack of rebels, including me. But it went wrong. When I looked up, I was looking into my own eyes.
“I was duplicated somehow, and so were the others. We were headed north towards the enemy territory, but our doubles went that way instead. We stuck behind, fighting off invaders of our territory. I heard later that our doubled were taken captive, tortured. But that night I saw a flash of gold in the enemy’s territory, and I knew he escaped. And I knew he’d come back here. But I never expected him to do this. Now I have to stop him, even if that means…
...
"Brackets"
Part Three
By Bry Kotyk
“Or is there an other way to go by this, Brackets?” Goldeneyed asks as he turns away from Lisa.
“You really don’t understand at all, do you? If you catch a mugger, turn him into the authorities, he’ll be right back on the streets after a quick stint in jail – if he even gets there in the first place.”
Brackets takes a few steps forward.
“There’s only one way to take care of scum like that. Justice is blind, Katz. It’s my duty to clean up the messes the police and juries make.”
“In other words, you’re trying to wash away blood with more blood.” Lisa replies. “It doesn’t work that way. You’ve become one of the criminals you claim to hate.”
“It’s worked this far, Ms. Waltz. I’d advise you to not get in my way. That is, unless, you want to end up like Sam Wallace.”
Goldeneyed turns to Lisa. “Who’s Sam Wallace?”
“The news reported it… he was killed days ago.”
“That’s right. I saved the unappreciative twit from a mugger, just for him to call for a police officer to arrest me.” Brackets explains, his face not showing he was in any way remorseful. “Things will go my way.”
“Sick monster!” Goldeneyed cries out, tackling Brackets.
“So this is what it comes to…”
Brackets tosses Goldeneyed aside and stands to his feet. “I’ll be leaving now.”
But Frog-Man, Lisa, Magnetic Techbird, and Exile block his path. “I don’t think so, bub. You may have the same face and memories of my partner, but you aren’t Goldeneyed.”
“Nor did I ever claim to be.” Brackets replies as he flies upward with scarlet energy wings. Exile and Magnetic Techbird soar up after him, bit a giant red energy hand swats them aside.
Gold light flashes just above him, and Goldeneyed drops onto his back. Brackets grabs GE by the neck and flings him into a Gap billboard.
Frog-Man’s jump-boots hum as he charges them up. A ‘fwoosh’ is heard from them as they project him into the air towards Brackets.
Brackets traps Frog-Man in a red sphere and kicks it into a building. The ball ricochets off buildings and streetlights, and smashes as it hits the street. Frog-Man tumbles out, unconscious.
Goldeneyed shakes the debris off his head and drops down to Frog-Man’s side.
“Mike! Mike, are you okay?”
But there is no answer.
“MT, watch him.” Goldeneyed requests Magnetic Techbird as he leaps up toward Brackets.
Goldeneyed’s fist connects with Bracket’s jaw, and Brackets’ bone helmet falls toward the ground.
His face is heavily scarred, with hardly a resemblance to the face of Bry Katz.
“What did they do to you?” Goldeneyed asks, hanging from the flying Brackets.
Brackets replies with a kick to Goldeneyed’s head.
But Goldeneyed hangs on as Brackets swoops down and turns onto another street.
“Maggy! Get Frog-Man and get him to the Frog-Bike! We’re going after him!” Lisa calls back.
__________________________________________________________
Goldeneyed’s body slams down against the cement. Brackets lets go of his leg and sits down in front of him.
“You hate me, yes? Of course you do. But you must realize that everything I’ve done, you’re capable of doing.”
Goldeneyed struggles to shake his head.
That moment, the Frog-Bike screeches to a halt in front of them. Lisa, Magnetic Techbird, and Exile jump off.
Brackets raises his hand in their direction, and the three heroes and the unconscious Frog-Man are pulled backwards into a red dome.
“That’ll keep you out of this.”
Lisa touches the dome, and receives a nasty shock of electricity.
Frog-Man suddenly jumps to his feet. “Wait! Do that again!”
Lisa shakes her head. “Are you nuts!?”
Frog-Man shakes his head. “Hardly. Just do it, please.”
Lisa touches the dome again, and Frog-Man smiles with his discovery. “When you touch it, more power is focused on that area to shock you… which means, if one of us were to throw ourselves at it, enough power should be focused on that area for the other three to escape!”
__________________________________________________________
Brackets lifts Goldeneyed up off the ground. He hurls him into a two-story building. The force pushes GE through the wall and sends the rest of the building crashing around him.
“You could have stopped me earlier, Katz… But you just don’t have it in you.”
“Considering you used to be me, Brackets…”
The bricks and chunks of the destroyed building all suddenly glow gold, and then soar toward Brackets from a portal. Brackets disappears between them and an evacuated building across the street.
“…You don’t know me at all.”
__________________________________________________________
Seconds ago…
Frog-Man hesitates for a moment, not completely trusting his power to return from the dead. But when he looks at his friends and teammates, he knows what he has to do.
Frog-Man flings himself into the dome. Electricity courses through his body, and shoots out from his mouth. The dome disappears from behind him, and the three heroes run out.
That moment the red dome vanishes, and Frog-Man’s charred remains fall to the ground.
__________________________________________________________
Lisa walks over to Goldeneyed. The blood on the bricks is visible now, and Brackets’ limp hand hangs out from behind them.
Brackets is dead. But in Goldeneyed, he’s very much alive.
This poster posed from 216.26.201.11 when they posted
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