What If...Ness Never Returned?
Prologue

Nothing. That's all that Max could remember. It was just like any other Saturday morning. He had gotten up from bed and ate his cereal for breakfast. It was a hard, crunchy mush of wheat, but nevertheless, was part of a balanced breakfast.

It was about 11:30 now and he had been dressed and up and about for some time. His mother was outside hanging clothes on a clothesline while he played with his Runaway 5 action figures on the back porch. He could hear his mother's radio blaring away in the background. The sky was beautiful. It was an azure blue with many pillars of clouds all tumbling aimlessly in the sky. His yard was filled with green grass and 2 small trees. Here and there he could see his neighbor's houses poking in and out above of his fence. It was truly a beautiful day.

He looked down at his action figures. His mother started humming to the music emitting from her radio as she hung the brightly colored clothes. He smiled and started playing once again with his Runaway 5 action figures.

"BZZZZT". Max shot his head up, startled at the noise. His mom then turned toward the radio which was sitting on the back porch right next to Max. "Not again! I knew we should have bought a new one the last time we were at the Fourside Department store!" She gave it a couple of quick smacks on the receiver. Nothing. Still the constant rush of ever droning static. "Must be the radio station mama," Max replied in a sigh of relief. His mom gave him a quick sarcastic smirk.

Then without notice the radio came blaring to life, but it was no longer the pleasant sound music but the harsh sounds of a panicked man's voice. "....this is not... test, repeat this is not a test. Radio stations at neighboring cities of Summers and Threed have concluded that some sort of massive explosion has taken place in the city of Onett. I repeat this is not a test..."

"Oh my..." Max's mom shuddered at those very words. Suddenly she ran into the house with a jolt of speed. "Mama! Where are you going!" Max was scared. He had no idea what was going on. He was to scared to move.

Suddenly Max saw out of the corner of his eye, someone running toward their house. It was his friend Tomas. "Max!", "The boy stopped and panted for air as if he had run a very far distance. He looked up a Max, hunched over with his hands on his knees. Tomas shouted with a frightened look on his face.

"Did ya hear it Max? Did ya? Onett's been attacked! It's all over the news!" The boys voice quivered as he spoke. Max got up to his feet. He sort of wobbled as he got up.

"Look Max," Tomas exclaimed with relief. "Your mom is watching the news inside!".

Max shook out of his shock and leered into the window, straight into the living room. With a tired huff, Tomas joined him on the window sill. What could have startled his mother like that? He peered at the t.v., hoping to find out. His mother was inside watching with fear.

The t.v. was unbearably loud, and hurt his ears. He paid close attention to the screen.

"...once again. It is unconfirmed what has happened, but as it appears, the explosion was centered on top of a remote hill in Onett, where as you may recall last week was the spot of a meteor that had landed nearby. Scientist are not sure, but think that this may to be another meteor as well, but have not been able to get close enough to ground zero yet because of the intense flames..."

Max looked in horror. He had never seen such mass destruction in all his life. The t.v. showed a city completely leveled. The windows in all of the houses and buildings were totally shattered. The streets were cracked with fault lines and trees were blazing with fire. The sky had grown a dark red with smoke. Max had never seen some much fire in his life! The television spoke again.

" Police have confirmed the destruction of 3 houses that were nearby to ground zero. All though it is to early to tell, authorities have concluded that they belonged to two families and world famous explorer Lier X. According to scientist, the blast was so tremendous, that they doubt there were any survivors. We just hope they.....bzzt..bzzzzt....bzzzttt."

The t.v. turned to static. He looked at his mother. She was to frightened to move. Suddenly without notice, she fainted upon the floor. Max started breathing harder. He grasped onto the window sill. Tomas started to cry softly.

That's when it all happened. Max turned to the t.v. It looked like an image was starting to get throughout. It faded in and out constantly from static to faint picture. Max shivered. His eyes grew big. Did he just see a fly saucer on the screen? He waited with fear for the t.v. to transmit another clear image.

Suddenly the t.v. flickered to life. He did. It was the most horrifying thought of his life. He hoped he was wrong, but he wasn't. The t.v. flickered on for 3 seconds and then went dead. What he saw in those 3 seconds made him tremble with horror.

He saw a massive fleet of saucers, swarming the skies over Onett. Suddenly there was a beam of light and then the t.v. transmission had stopped.

Suddenly he heard a deep, twisted, maniacal laugh come from the t.v., although no image but static was upon the screen. The laughs got louder...louder...louder...louder. Max. then peered at the sky with watery eyes. The sky turned black. It was a shade of black that could only be described as the most evil incarnation of horror. The sun had disappeared, as if plucked from the very sky it rested upon. Max could not hear a sound of see anything, not even his own hands.

Eternal darkness was at hand...

The war against mankind had begun...