Seize the Child!

Fleeing from Technet, who have come to take away Franklin Richards, Alyssa Moy runs into what she believes are police officers who can help. Although she doesn't notice they are driving a Metropolitan Police Force vehicle, Moy doesn't realize something is amiss until she realizes these three "officers" are speaking in accents and are wearing British police uniforms. Ignoring Alyssa's question these "officers" approach her and Franklin until they are interrupted by the arrival of an NYPD squad car who orders these phony police officers to stand down. With their cover blown the Warwolves shed their skin and attack the police officers, draining their life forces. While they are occupied, Alyssa tries to take the police car but discovers that the Warwolves have taken the keys before she could escape. However Alyssa is not quite defeated, pulling a device of her own invention out of her pocket, Moy uses it to hotwire the car and get herself and Franklin out of there. Although their prey is getting away one of the Warwolves got their scents and can now track them wherever they go. As Alyssa tries to get away, Ferro² of Technet jumps onto the hood of her getaway car. Quick thinking she slams on the breaks sending her attacker slamming into a parked car.

Meanwhile at the prestigious Rainbow Room Reed and Sue are enjoying their night out together blissfully unaware of the danger their family is in. Elsewhere in the city, the Thing is a prisoner of Technet who has come seeking Franklin under orders of their employer Opal-Luna Saturnyne. Gatecrasher tells her minions that they need to find Franklin and quickly before the "x-creatures" interfere. However her fears that Franklin might sent out a mental cry for help come true as Franklin cries out for his parents. Franklin's cry is heard across creation reaching Spider-Man, Phoenix, Doctor Strange and Roma the Omniversal guardian. This is also detected by the Warwolves, the Watcher, and detected by Technet. Alyssa meanwhile has stopped to try and cheer Franklin up, assuring him that his family will come to their aid soon. As Technet works to track the pair down, Alyssa uses her knowhow to patch into the electrical grid and allow them to set up a surprise for Gatecrasher and her crew. As Moy works on this plan, Franklin warns her that the monsters are catching up with them.

Alyssa grabs Franklin and flees into a nearby nightclub for cover. As they are trying to push through the crowd they unknowingly pass by Johnny who is hitting on a girl at the bar. Rushing out the back door, Alyssa and Franklin bump into an execution being carried out by the gang known as the Bacchae. Their distraction allows Lao Wei Chung to fire his guns at the cyber-ninjas in the Bacchae forcing them to flee. Thanking Alyssa for providing the distraction that saved his life, Lao Wei kisses her before departing the scene with his men. Back at Rockafeller Plaza, Reed and Sue have gone outside for some fresh air. However looking over at the World Trade Center the notice that someone has hacked into the electrical grid to make the lights on the building form the Fantastic Four's symbol. Realizing that their family is in trouble, Sue orders her husband to check things back home while she dives out into the city to go searching for her family. Scaling across the city on an invisible slide, she finds Franklin and Alyssa in an alleyway and rushes to her son's side.

When the members of Technet teleport onto the scene, Sue is able to fend them off by combining the fighting abilities taught to her by Iron Fist and her invisiblity powers. Soon Reed joins the fight and frees Ben from inside Bodybag. When the Technet begins gainig the upper hand, Johnny arrives on the scene to even the odds. With Technet losing ground, Gatecrasher orders Joyboy to use his powers on Sue. Fullfilling her wildest fantasies, Sue is transformed into an Atlantean warrior and consort to the Sub-Mariner. This comes as a shock to the rest of the Fantastic Four, but Sue manages to order the fight over. Suddenly she begins to suffocate due to her Atlantean physiology but she quickly reverts back to human form when the effects of Joyboy's powers wear off. Gatecrasher hasn't given up trying to take Franklin away calling attention to the fact that the Captain Britain Corps has arrived to help her in her goal.

Recurring Characters

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Alyssa Moy, Franklin Richards, Technet (Gatecrasher, Scatterbrain, Thug, Waxworks, Yap, Numbers, China Doll, Ringtoss, Bodybag, Joyboy, Ferro2, Hard-Boiled Henwy), Warwolves, The Bacchae, Bloody Mary, Spider-Man, Phoenix, Kitty Pryde, Doctor Strange, Roma, The Watcher, Captain Britain Corps (Britaintron, Samurai Saxon, Officer Saxon, Kaptain Briton, Britanius Rex, Anglo-Simian)

Continuity Notes

• The Warwolves stole this London police car and the skins of the British officers back in Excalibur #1.

• There are multiple appearances of the original Twin Towers at the site of the World Trade Center. The original towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Their appearance in this story should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

• Franklin's cry for help is a homage to X-Men #135 when the power of the Dark Phoenix was felt across the multiverse.

• Gatecrasher mentions "wretched x-creatures" she is referring specifically to Excalibur an offshoot of the X-Men that were stationed in the United Kingdom. Technet faced Excalibur multiple times, starting in Excalibur #13. At the time of this story Excalibur had disbanded recently, as seen in Excalibur #125.

• Roma mentions how Franklin can reshape reality, as he did in Onslaught Marvel Universe #1 when he used his powers to transport the Fantastic Four and Avengers to his Counter-Earth pocket dimension to save their lives after destroying Onslaught.

• The Warwolves mention how Franklin challenged the might of the Celestials, this is a reference to Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4 when Franklin used his powers to stop the Celestials from destroying Earth as well as his Counter-Earth pocket dimension.