Opposites ➤ Johnny Storm

Chapter Twelve

I forced myself out of Sue's lap against her protests for me to rest a minute. Leaning against a wall, I watched her help Reed as well. Together the three of us looked like we'd just crawled out of a ditch. My head was still heavy and I had to move slowly, but we started out to the elevator, Reed only needing a little support. And without them noticing I was struggling against the spinning room.

"You two aren't good enough to go fight Doom again." Sue looked so concerned about us as we were still recovering.

Reed affectionately grabbed her hands and looked in her eyes. "I just need a minute to warm up, then I'll be okay."

"As long as I don't get hit with more electricity, I'll be good. I might still be a bit twitchy, but it's fine. You good?"

"As good as I'm gonna get."

"Then let's go get him...Reed how do we get him?"

~~~~~~~~~

As we got ready to enact other half baked plan, I stood in the shadows wincing as Ben went flying onto the ground. Von Doom walked towards him with a utility pole in hand. "Goodbye, Ben."

He stalked forward about to deliver a final blow to my brother. It was now or never. I couldn't lose them both.

"I can't let you do that." Reed walked forward with his head held high despite the bruises covering him. Von Doom turned and I saw a slight ripple in the air that I'd learned to use to find Sue.

An cynical laugh filled the air before he responded, not noticing the woman kneeling next to his target. "Reed? I'll be with you in a minute." He quickly turned and swung the pole down to end my brother, but it wouldn't move.

"Hello, Susan." The voice I always found creepy finally was matched to his face that was peeling to reveal metal below. Sue became visible and pushed the force field holding the pole to send it flying away from Von Doom.

I created a geyser of water aimed straight at his chest, moving him across the street just as easily as the pole. Sue stands as Reed helps our brother up. A moment later, I join them as the four of us face the man who deserves everything we'll do and so much more.

He shakily gets to his feet and basically snarls at us. "You four are so pathetic."

We get ready to attack him, but a fireball hits him in the chest, knocking him back. "You missed me." Johnny lands on the ground next to me with a huge smile and his signature wink. I'm so relieved he's okay that I'm barely mad at him for scaring me like that.

He glances over at Ben with his normal playful expression. "Had a little relapse, huh?" Before Ben can respond, his smile turns genuine. "Welcome back."

The reunion is cut short as Von Doom stands once again. Not giving up his psychotic vendetta against us. "This is going to be fun."

Now the five of us stood together, ready to face him as a team. Sue and Reed on one side, having finally accepted they are better together. Ben stood in the middle, the thing that holds us together. Johnny and I on the other side, close together, each happy the other was alright and planning on keeping it that way.

Doom starts another electrical current in his body. He carefully moves to the crater that had to have been created by Ben. I prep a stream of water, stronger than a firehouse and wait for his move. Punching into the ground, Doom pulls up a power cable from inside the street.

He rips it in half and the lights in the surrounding buildings flicker as their power is absorbed. The lights dim as he starts to glow amongst shattering windows. Now fully charged, he throws the cables in the air, making the innocent bystanders run for their lives.

As Reed stretches out for the cables, I shoot at Doom to keep the attention off Reed. A supercharged energy bolt heads straight at me until it collides with a force field that explodes it. I move back to avoid what would be a deadly interaction with his energy.

Sue and Doom keep it up as Johnny and I start scanning for people in the line of fire. After a few explosions, one of the bolts ricochets off a force field and hits a pillar on a nearby building. The people standing underneath scream as the roof starts to slide towards them.

A second later it stops as Ben holds it high for the people to escape. As they all leave he drops it and comes closer to the group.

Sue's power is starting to be too much as her nose begins to bleed, but none of ours will be as effective. She lets out a yell as the force fields start to waver. "I can't hold it!"

Just as it is about to disappear, Reed stretches in front of her, expanded across the street. He can take the bolts better than us, but not forever. We need a new plan.

I wrack my brain that has been completely useless since I helped cause all these problems. As much as I loved space and the research we had done, we could have avoided all this if I had stuck with chemistry...Chemistry!

"Johnny! Supernova!" I see Reed smile at my words, understanding my train of thought, but all I was getting from Johnny is concern.

"I thought we agreed that was bad?"

Reed and I let out a yell together, as he was beginning to struggle. "Now!"

With a quick shake of his head, flames cover Johnny's body as he starts at Doom, engulfing him in the hot flames. Reed is able to shrink back to normal size as the bolts stop flying.

"Sue think you can contain it?" Determined, she shuts her eyes and creates a large force field that encases the supernova in a bright sphere.

As we stand mesmerized by the Storms's energy field, we start to shield our eyes. I hear a quiet whisper came from Ben before he moves into position. "Flame on, kid."

The supernova fades, spitting Johnny out onto the ground. I resist the urge to run to him as I wait for my part. As her force field dissolves, Sue falls to her knees, completely spent.

Doom lets out a laugh of disbelief. "Is that the best you can do? A little heat?"

With a nod to Reed, I let him explain the science to his long term nemesis. "Time for your lesson, Vic. Chem. 101: what happens when you supercool hot metal?" Turning his head only slightly, he nods towards my brother. "Ben."

"Got it, teach." With a strong kick, he opens a geyser from a nearby fire hydrant. I quickly direct the water at Doom, filling the block with steam. A loud cry can be heard rising in the air as Doom is finally defeated.

Ben folds up the hydrant and we let the steam clear. Hands out and horror on his face, Doom stands still. "He wanted a statue."

I walk over to where Johnny was standing, giving him a tight hug. Ben comes over and picks the both of us up, causing us to yell and hold onto each other even more. "You done good, kids."

Reed was holding, Sue, both upright and in a hug. The three of us walked over to them, Johnny lightly grabbing his sister's arm. "Sue, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Everyone else?" A chorus of agreements ring out as we start to walk back amid the applause and cheers of the crowd.

A familiar arm is slung around my shoulder, pulling me in for a side hug. "Man, I love this job."

"Job, huh?" As if on cue, the three of us turn to Reed and Sue walking hand in hand.

"Well, we do have the suits."

With a cheer of joy, I find myself spinning through the air, but now the adrenaline has worn off some. "Ow! No. Ow. Put me down."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Water and electricity? Not a good match."

"Ouch. What about fire and water? Cause I think we did good. Want to make more steam?"

"Shut up, Johnny."