Opposites ➤ Johnny Storm

Chapter Nine

It didn't take us long to get to the X-Games and when we did, the sight that greeted us made me wish we had waited for Johnny at home.

He had a girl on each arm as he walked out to people cheering for him and declaring their love. Their reaction doing nothing good for his already inflated ego. If he let this go to his head, he'd be completely insufferable.

"There he is." Sue hurried towards him, but I stayed back. Going to him would only cause me to do something I'd regret. We really don't need any more senseless actions and words. "Johnny-"

"Look, can we talk about this later, guys?" The girls with Johnny seemed taken back by the angry Sue, staring down her brother with intensity.

"No, we can't."

Reed approached to add to the lecture, but I didn't see Ben. I did see the people around Johnny move back as he now had two angry 'superheroes' facing him. "What are you thinking?"

"Where's my ride?" As the words left his mouth, a ball of red metal went flying past him. The license plate that hit him in the head a second later proved that my brother just destroyed his car. My anger threatening to get the best of me, I sat on the curb with my head in my hands, preparing to let them insult each other until it was time to go home and I could yell at Johnny.

"You think that's funny, Pebbles?"

"Johnny! You gave us names?"

"So now you're the face of the Fantastic Five?"

"A face that's about to be broken!"

"This isn't permanent. We need to be careful until we're normal again."

"What if I don't want to be normal? Rory feels the same." At my name all eyes looked to me as my head shot up.

"Keep me out of this!" Knowing that wouldn't work I stood up in case things got any worse. I've never seen any of us this angry. And it hurt that it was because of each other.

"It's not my fault I didn't turn into a monster!" My blood ran cold as Johnny crossed the line, I thought he was incapable of ignoring.

Instantly, Sue reprimanded him. "Johnny, say you're sorry!"

"That's it, Tinker Bell! You wanna fly? Then fly!" Ben headed to Johnny and we all knew what was happening, but not how to stop it.

"No, Ben." "Wait a minute, guys." "Ben, don't do this!"

Ben hit Johnny and sent him flying into a billboard that caught on fire. I was able to quickly put it out before exchanging a look with Sue as our brothers prepared for a real fight.

"Let's see if we can get blood from a stone."

"Let's see. Bring it, Burnout!"

We got in between them, knowing neither would risk hurting us. Sue used a force field to stop Ben and I made a wall of water in front of Johnny. He stopped knowing his flames wouldn't get any farther, but I'm sure that wasn't the cause of the look in his eyes.

In the water, I could see my reflection. Everything about me screamed that I was ready for, looking for, a fight. Anger radiated off of me and if looks could kill, Sue would be an only child.

"You two need a time-out!" Even with his sister's words and my silent message, Johnny still didn't stop.

"Talk to Blockhead. He started it!" Letting my water fall, I took a deliberate step away from him. Nothing has ever been as clear as what I was saying now. I'm done.

"I don't care!"

Ben was the first to walk away from the confrontation as he turned and hurried in the other direction. "Damn it, Johnny! Ben, wait!" Before she took a step, I put a hand on her arm and ran after my brother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wait, Ben! Slow down!" He made it a ways down the road before I caught up to him and we fell into step together.

As much as I didn't want to defend Johnny's actions, I had to remind him of the truth. "He didn't mean it. You know Johnny. He's always been a hothead."

"It ain't him." He stopped walking and turned his head to the people around us. "It's them!" Everyone was staring at him with fear and apprehension. He quickly started walking again and I hurried after him.

"I can't live like this." This was the first time I've ever heard him talk like this and I don't like it in the slightest. Ben's the strong one. He's my rock. That's why it fits, what he's become.

"Just give Reed a little more time. You know how he works. Analyzing every little step before he takes one." He lead me to an alley and we stopped to talk away from prying eyes.

"It's easy for you to be patient."

"No, it's not!" I honestly don't remember yelling at him ever before. From the shock on his face, I don't think he does either. "We're all in this together, Ben."

"Together? Rory, look at me." He gestured to his rocky body. There were tears forming in my eyes at how broken his voice sounded. "You got no idea what I'd-what I'd give to have any of your powers instead."

"I'm sorry. But I'm trying to understand." Instantly I felt like the worst sister to exist. Here I was enjoying my new powers while my brother was falling apart from his. I know Debbie leaving hurt him, but I didn't expect him to be so upset about the rest. I should've know.

"Was he telling the truth? Do you really want to stay this way?"

There was a long pause as the question stilled the air around us. I struggled to find the right words to release into the weighted silence. A long time ago we promised to never lie to each other, but I couldn't just flat out say I love the effects of the storm.

"Not if it hurts you."

He gave me a sad smile before he walked away. This time I let him go.