Fantastic Four: Legacy of Tomorrow

The ship raft shuddered violently as it surged through the chaos of the incursion, the creaking of metal and the ominous hum of energy swirling around them. Inside the ship, the tension was palpable. Valeria Richards Ritchson, aka Brainstorm, was standing protectively over her daughter, three-year-old Mary Ritchson, trying to calm the girl as the ship rocked around them. The small child clutched her mother's leg, her wide eyes full of fear, her tiny voice breaking through the tension.

Mary: Mommy, are we going to be okay?

Valeria knelt down, brushing her daughter's hair from her face as she gently cupped her cheek, her voice soft but firm despite the storm around them.

Valeria: We're going to be fine, sweetheart. Just hold on.

Meanwhile, Richard Ritchson, aka Mr. Fantastic, his arms stretched to help strap in N'Kalla and Franklin, was already shouting commands to the others inside the ship. His voice was calm, but the urgency was clear.

Richard: Okay, everyone, strap in!

Inside the craft, the crew scrambled to get to their seats. N'Kalla, strong and steady despite the chaos, helped Franklin settle into a seat while glancing over her shoulder at the ever-distracted Valeria. Wiccan, standing next to the control panel, checked the ship's status with a grim expression. The ship shook again, and the unsettling sound of metal groaning under pressure made Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, wince.

Kamala: That doesn't sound good.

Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man, clung to the nearest support bar, his brow furrowed with concern.

Miles: I dunno what's going on. But should that be happening? Should we be shaking like this?

Richard, a deep frown creasing his forehead, turned toward Wiccan.

Richard: Where are we?

Wiccan's voice came through strained but clear as he worked the control panel, his hands moving with practiced speed.

Wiccan: Ninety-two percent... still in the raft's safety threshold.

Richard nodded, trying to keep calm despite the mounting danger.

Richard: The shield's holding the center point of the incursion. It gives us our best chance to—

But before he could finish, the ship lurched violently. Lightning from the incursion struck the raft with a force that rattled everyone in their seats. The ship screamed under the strain, and Wiccan shouted in panic.

Wiccan: WE'VE BEEN HIT! HULL BREACH!

Richard's eyes widened in horror as he remembered his family, his children, were still in the seat carrier. His heart raced, and he surged toward the cockpit to get a better look, but Wiccan's voice called out again, cutting through the chaos.

Wiccan: The raft's shields are still intact, but we've lost the carrier section! Wait, is that Valeria?

Richard's eyes locked onto the raft's crumbling form. He could see his wife still standing, her mind working at full capacity, but the situation was dire. His voice, filled with both determination and concern, cut through the noise.

Richard: No! Look! See? My wife is the strongest and smartest person I know, like her mother. She has to hold it together for now, even if I have to die!

Wiccan looked at Richard, his face filled with doubt and concern, but Richard turned toward him, his voice firm as he held back the surge of panic.

Richard: Wiccan, I need you to drop the shield this section of the shield. Then I can pull them back in.

Wiccan's brow furrowed with hesitation, his hands hovering over the controls. He looked at Richard, his face pale with worry.

Wiccan: Richard, the forces at play out there... You only have a few seconds before the entire raft is compromised... or else it gets destroyed. Can you really?

Richard's gaze was desperate, but it was also resolute. His eyes welled with tears, but he held Wiccan's gaze with unwavering conviction.

Richard: YES!

Wiccan sighed, the weight of the decision settling in, and he turned back to the control panel. His hands flew over the switches as he spoke, his voice laced with both urgency and caution.

Wiccan: Okay, it's going to take five seconds to power down the shield. I can instantly slam it back into place, but Richard... If hull integrity goes below ninety percent, I have to turn it back on, no matter what. Understand? Or else you lose everything you have.

Richard nodded, his voice steady despite the tears threatening to spill.

Richard: I understand. Do it.

Wiccan's fingers hovered over the final button, his breath steady despite the gravity of the moment.

Wiccan: Okay. In five... four... three... two... one... Go!

Richard Ritchson stretched his arm desperately, his fingers reaching for the falling section of the ship where his family was his wife, Valeria, his three-year-old daughter Mary, his friend N'Kalla, and his brother-in-law Franklin. The incursion was tearing everything apart, and there was no time to waste. His heart pounded in his chest as he cried out, his voice strained with desperation.

Richard: Pulling them back now... wait... NO!

His voice cracked with desperation as he strained against the forces pulling the ship apart. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to reach them, to save them from the end that loomed over them. But despite his immense elasticity, the distance between them felt endless. The swirling chaos of the incursion and the broken ship only made it harder for him to close the gap. His heart shattered as he reached out, his voice booming through the shattered air.

Richard: VALERIA! MARY!!

But his outstretched limbs were stopped gripped by two steady hands. Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man, and Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, were holding him back, their faces filled with sorrow and regret as they stopped Richard from breaking free.

Miles: Richard, you can't! You'll be pulled in too!

Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, joined him, her giant hands bracing Richard's elastic form, trying to hold him back from the wreckage.

Kamala: Richard, it's too late! They're falling!

Richard fought against their grip, his body straining as he pushed against their strength, but the weight of reality set in. His cries for his family choked in his throat as he fell to his knees, sobbing. His tears mingled with the wetness of the rain, the reality of the situation crushing down on him like an inescapable force.

Richard: No! Please! They can't-

Meanwhile, Valeria, still holding onto the ship's controls, struggled to maintain the forcefield bubble as the structure around her cracked and groaned. Her fingers trembled, her concentration faltering. Her thoughts, racing with the weight of her family's lives, flickered as she saw Mary's frightened face, her small hands clutching tightly to her mother.

Valeria: Shhh everything will be fine, sweetie. Mommy's got you.

But even as she reassured her daughter, the world around them was falling apart. The bubble she had maintained for so long flickered and started to fade. The ship's crumbling fragments grew heavier, and the chaotic energy of the incursion gnawed at everything in its path.

Richard's outstretched arms trembled as he cried out again, his voice breaking, his heart breaking with the knowledge of what was happening.

Richard: No! No, no, no!

Squirrel Girl, gripping the control panel tightly, steered the ship as best she could, but it was already too late. The ship was falling away, and with it, his family. Richard could only watch in horror as the protective shield around them continued to disintegrate, unable to save them. He saw Valeria hugging Mary tightly, trying to shield her from the impending chaos, but the impending doom was inevitable.

Valeria: I'm sorry, Mary… I'm so sorry.

Valeria's eyes locked with Richard's as the ship split apart around them. She whispered softly, her voice barely audible over the destruction.

Valeria: I love you...

And then, as the bubble finally lost its integrity, the last remnants of the ship and the shield vanished into the void, consumed by the nothingness of the incursion. Richard's heart stopped as the final pieces of the ship disappeared into the abyss.

Richard: NOOOOOO!

The explosion of energy engulfed everything. The ship, the world, and his family were swallowed by the very forces they had been fighting against. Richard's limbs dropped to the ground, his body collapsing in despair as the nothingness tore away everything he loved. The space around him began to crumble into oblivion, leaving behind only emptiness.

The last thing Richard saw before the world dissolved into nothing was the face of his wife Valeria, his brother-in-law, his friend N'Kalla and the innocent eyes of his daughter, Mary before they were gone forever.

NEXT ISSUE: 20 YEARS OF THE PAST*