Each is at their own place that evening -- either relaxing or working as any typical night, full with the typical stresses and typical routine, until...

Suddenly, a bright light flashes before your eyes, and you see a young man, obviously nervous, and dressed in some sort of uniform-- one that looks like he stepped off a second-rate science fiction movie set.

The man looks around him, as if searching for some unseen foe, and starts to speak before you can react. "Herbie-- also known as the Super-Ape! My name is Rick Jones, and I need your help! Don't bother replying; this is just a projected electronic image! Please believe me when I say, my life and those of innocent people are in danger!

"I have just learned of your recent origin-- how as a government test animal you were sent into space, only to return with cosmically-charged powers and intelligence! I know how you've recently joined with three others to form The Fantastics! But we both have been hunted and hounded, to be an outcast, to be hunted and caged and tested and tested...

"I have been on the run from a covert government task force, ever since my first encounter with an alien intelligence! For reasons I've yet to discover, this task force has been hounding my every step, and now threatens to destroy me utterly, along with anyone and everything I've come into contact with since then!

"I've managed to double-back on them, and I've dealt a crippling blow to their temporary HQ. But before I was done, I've uncovered their newest plot-- to use a team of super-powered 'Marvels' to abduct me!

"I have found your names and information on your activities at this HQ. Apparently, you have not been contacted to join this task force because of your ideals of justice and your unwillingness to use 'extreme measures.' It is to those ideals I appeal to, since the other 'Marvels' that are sent to kill me do not share those same sensibilities.

"Please help me! I can't do this alone! I will meet you at Central Park's Zoo at midnight tonight. That is, if the team of Marvels assembled by the Task Force doesn't meet me first!"

With a steadily growing intensity of light, Rick Jones ends his message, and another blinding flash of light gives way to familiar surroundings once again.

You digest the information slowly and with a measure of skepticism. Your first instinct is to dismiss the message entirely. And yet... this man wasn't trying to contact YOU, was he? But why, then did this message reach you? SOMEone SOMEwhere obviously has some sort of information on your identity and activities. Moreover, what if the young man's story is true, and his life IS forfeit as well as the lives of countless innocents, who merely had the unfortunate of crossing paths with the boy? And why would the boy be hunted in the first place?

Yes, there is some investigation that must be done, and that starts with the location the man mentioned...... the Central Park Zoo, tonight!

BARON ZEMO

After watching the strange display, Zemo stands up dramatically. "Jarvis!! Get me my armor! I have something to investigate."

After putting on my armor I fly off to zoo. Of course Zemo doesn't thank his butler or even acknowledge his existence after the armor is brought in.

"If this miscreant is being hunted by the government there is probably a good reason. I'll have to see why he's hunted and then determine what to do with him. No ape or child without fashion sense shall stop me if something needs to be done."

BLACK KNIGHT

The interruption of the meditation session bodes ill for the Black Knight's mental health, already he feels a bit uncertain...

One voice: "Innocent lives in danger! Verily, this doth sound like a quest for the Black Knight! "the Fatasticks? Gor, but that was musical was a steaming pile of shite! … Sounds like more than a few buggers I knew back in me covert days.

And another: "Kidnapping most foul as was perpetrated on good King Richard! The Black Knight will not tolerate such vile perfidy again!"

The Black Knight rushes out of his domicile and stands, rather befuddled on the street corner. "The Black Knight must make haste to battle these treacherous knaves! Now, which way to this park?" "Blimey but that was a strange 'un, weren't it? Guess I'd better get over to the Zoo and see if I can't protect that kid from those blighters in special services!' And the Black Knight rushes for the nearest subway, really wishing he had a horse of some kind, maybe even a flying one...

FIRE-ANT

Hank spends the rest of the day trying to track down any information that he can on Rick Jones, the Super-Ape, and the Fantastics. Later, he puts on his Fire-Ant duds and heads out to Central Park. He decides to case out the joint to make sure there are no traps, before meeting the mysterious Rick Jones.

VENOM

Pausing only to pull her "uniform" from between her mattresses and over herself, Marta -- no, VENOM! -- adjusts her shades and lifts the rattling windowpane.

Using the cable hanging just outside her bedroom window -- one of the many she had attached to the outside of the building -- Marta scales her way up to the roof, listening to the approach of the train. As there are always trains thundering through her neighborhood, this is hardly irregular.

She feels the weight of the pole in her hands -- the pole she kept on the rooftop for just this sort of feat. Across the way, the roofs of the low, one- story buildings were nearly a straight shot to the depressed canal through which the train tracks traveled. All she has to do was pole vault across the street and it is a clear path to the train -- and into the city!

LATER, AT THE CENTRAL PARK ZOO...

It’s been a long and quiet night, but that does not lessen the tension you feel. Something momentous may be just around the corner… And yet, it’s a big zoo, and there wasn’t any indication *where* you were supposed to meet this mysterious man. You spend some time wondering what it’s all about and exploring your own motives in coming out here.

Then, nearing the chimpanzee exhibit, you see something moving just outside of it. That’s odd… don’t they retire the animals to interior cages for the night?

Any clear vantage point draws you closer to the exhibit-- maybe too close? There he is-- the man dressed in a space suit and appearing in that electronic image you received. "Rick Jones."

You stand a while, considering. Jones obviously has chosen this spot carefully. He’s standing atop an observation deck which leaves him a good vantage point if anyone approaches him, but also an escape route to his back, through the landscaped non-pedestrian area of the zoo. But wait! Rick Jones straightens! His vantage point is indeed good-- he’s spotted you staring at him! And now-- wait! He has spotted others! You glance in that direction, and you are close enough to know they have probably seen you, too!

In the trees above-- it’s dark, but a strange figure of a young woman…with insect-like sunglasses?
On the far side of the deck-- a figure in medieval knight armor, wielding a sword?
To the side-- it’s small-- but did that firefly just look vaguely human, leaving a trail of fire?
and suddenly, descending from above-- an man in gleaming purple and gold armor?
And of course, at the center of all this, Rick Jones…

VENOM: "Mr. Jones! Watch out! It's the Fantastics!"

With that, Venom leaps from her hiding place among the branches and attaches herself to the back of the descending form in purple, struggling to hold his arms back while wrapping her legs around his waist.

BARON ZEMO is pissed. He doesn't like being touched by such an inferior person. "What are you doing, you Freak!? Baron Zemo shall not be touched by one such as you!"

Venom tries to bind his arms as she holds onto his armor, even though Zemo can barely feel it through the armor's thick housing. He easily manages to break her hold, and Venom drops to the ground with Zemo as he finally lands, disengaging his boot jets. Taken by surprise at the amazing strength of the armor, Venom tumbles on the ground, unhurt and poised for action.

The BLACK KNIGHT is torn, he cannot decide whether he should assist the female in distress or aid his fellow nobleman, this Baron Zemo! His chivalrous vows are in conflict and he is paralyzed by indecision!

But then his posture subtly changes and he speaks: "That sounds like one of those bloody jerries to me! Not gonna let that bleedin' bugger do that to a woman when I'm around!" The Black Knight leaps forward, swinging his sword to strike at Zemo!

RICK JONES grumbles, "What a revolting development THIS is..." but waits to see what is what.. He calmly holds his ground, and looks for possible clear lines of retreat.

FIRE-ANT quickly makes his way to Rick Jones. "Mr. Jones! I received your message, and came to offer my help! Who are all these wackos? And is there a way out of here?"

CLANG! As metal sword hits metal armor...

VENOM shouts: "What in God's name are you DOING?!"

ZEMO, to the Knight: "You would dare to attack me? Your armor shall not protect you! This girl poses no real threat to me or the boy, but you and that sword shall not be allowed to run around!"

Zemo's Energy Snares swirl outward from his armor's gauntlets... but the Black Knight manages to side-step back at the last second, and the bands harmlessly dissipate...

RICK JONES waits until the firefly-wit-an-attitude closes to point-blank range, tracking him with his blaster; he suspects that this guy's one of those agents whose coming was foretold by the woman in the trenchcoat - but he's not sure that he trusts her, either. A Kree voice in his head is screaming at him to fire - the Kree are pretty damned paranoid, and it seems to scream at him to blast anything which moves...

"You aren't the chick I sent the message to, Bucko. How did you get my message. And what did it say?"

"Hey! Careful with that heater, bub." Fire-Ant hovers near Rick Jones. He does not make any threatening moves. His voice sounds remarkably like Humphrey Bogart's. "I was working in the lab when, suddenly, your message appeared. It was obviously meant for someone named Herbie the Super-Ape. You stated that your life, as well as the lives of the innocents, was in danger from some covert government task force. I did a little detective work on these Fantastics that you mentioned, hoping to pass your message along. But unfortunately I came up with little, so I decided to meet you, myself."

Fire-Ant looks around to note everyone's positions. He tries to get a grasp of what is going on. Who are the parties involved? What could their motives be? Could these be some of the "Marvels" that Jones said were trying to rub him out?

Fire-Ant glances back at Jones' bean-shooter. "Glad to see you're wearing iron, baby. You may need it before we're through. But before we make with the chin music, I suggest we make some new friends. You recognize any of these mugs?"

Since Rick can't bring himself to really believe that some Tinkerbell can be much of a threat, he holsters the weapon. "Not any of them. One side is probably the Marvel task force out to get me, and the others are probably OK - I just don't know which side is which!"

"So just who ARE you," he eyes Fire-Ant, "and why did YOU get Herbie's message?"