The Storm Ignites || Johnny Storm

The Bar Talk

Fantastic 5: The Rise of the Silver Surfer | The Storm Ignites | The Bar Talk

"I can't believe Reed actually agreed for us to be on the same side as Victor!" Johnny exclaimed with aggravation, throwing another dart towards the dart board – getting a bullseye ... again.

Ben huffed, agreeing with the guy, "He's Reed – he probably thinks we can stay a step ahead of the guy this time around." He chucked back more of the beer in his large glass, one that didn't have a hope of being crushed – both by the thickness of it and his ability to control his strength now.

Ben and Johnny had headed to a bar a couple of streets away from the Baxter Building while June, Reed and Sue worked with Victor in getting started on figuring out how to separate the board from the Surfer. Johnny wanted to stay there with them, or more particularly, June – but Ben dragged him away so neither of them could distract the mindset of the geniuses.

Johnny wasn't liking the separation one bit – and he's beginning to take it out on the poor dart board by throwing the pointy objects a little too hard.

Ben didn't like the idea either of staying away while Victor was in the same apartment as three people he deeply cared for – but the world was at stake and he didn't have the kind of brain to keep up with them ... neither did Johnny. They'd just get in the way if they had stayed.

"Things were a lot simpler when I could just whale on the guy." Ben commented, smirking when the memory of smashing Victor into a stone wall fluttered back into his mind ... ah, good times.

Suddenly, without even realising it until too late, Johnny's next dart caught on fire as it headed towards the board. His eyes widened, the board starting to flame when the dart hit its target, "Crap." He swore, thinking fast (and dumbly) on his feet by grabbing a nearby beer and pouring it over the board – both putting out the fire, but also destroying the board itself by making it sticky and horrible when dried.

The bar manager was not pleased ... Johnny noticed this, sending the man an apologetic look with a sheepish smile. "I'll pay for that." He promised. The man still didn't look impressed, but turned away, but not until calling out, 'You better!' so everyone could hear.

Johnny sighed, shaking his head with a glare being sent towards the now 'put-out' parts – it's like the whole Universe was against him! It's like he couldn't get or do anything right anymore! He voiced out his thoughts, "You know, I'm really starting to feel like a complete and utter screw-up."

Ben couldn't help but silently nod in his head at that, but, for some reason, he wanted the guy to cheer up, "Hey, hey," He started, watching as the younger man wrenched the darts back out of the board before sitting down opposite him with a lazy bend in his back, "You're not a complete screw up."

Johnny didn't feel so reassured, "Thank you."

"Look, kid," Ben started out again, sighing, "I don't know what's been going on between you and squirt – and don't think I haven't noticed – but everything will come out fine, you'll see. As much as I hate to say it; she keeps you tame and you keep her sane." Chuckling to himself at how his words seemed to rhyme just a little.

Johnny couldn't help but huff out a small laugh too at the last comment (but for a different reason), because, it was true. Ever since he and June have been together – he's been a different person. Tamer, as Ben said – he used to go out and do all these crazy things (and sometimes illegal things) but after getting back together with her, he's become a better person. And honestly, he liked this new person he had become.

They complete each other, even though they were complete opposites – like fire and ice.

But if he could only just stop screwing things up!

"Do you think they're right?" Johnny asked, looking back up at Ben with curiosity, "About the whole ... end of the world thing?" He believed it – June had never been wrong about something this serious in the past. And besides, he'd believe her no matter what.

He will love that woman even after the death of him.

Ben didn't like it, but he did believe the geek siblings were right. "They've never been wrong about this kind of thing before." He grunted, looking down at his glass of nearly empty beer with dismay. He didn't like to think that this world could be ending in a matter of days – it didn't seem real, but for who they were ... it felt very real at the same time.

"Okay," Johnny nodded before leaning forwards, his elbows hitting the table while his hands clutched around an average bottle of beer. "So if these were your last few minutes – how would you want to spend them?" Already knowing his own answer ... anyone could easily guess it.

Ben couldn't believe it ... but the two of them were actually having a deep moment of conversation. He never thought this day would actually come.

"Part of me would like to go out fighting." Ben started, knowing the basic nature of his being was to fight until the death, but, there was another thing he'd do too. One that he'd always choose over fighting. "But the truth is ... I'd like to spend my last couple of minutes holding Alisha." A silence formed between them.

"What about you?"

Johnny smiled, thinking about it and already knowing the answer, "Always June. I'd screw this whole 'no touching her' thing and just ... hold her." He explained, longing to actually do so. But he didn't want to take the chance of hurting her, again, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did. It's bad enough that the London Eye mishap was on him – he couldn't bare to see her in anymore pain.

Ben nodded, approving of the answer. The guy really did love June as much as she did him.

Ben just hoped that for both their sakes that this power switch would cease to exist soon before all hell lets loose.

Note: This is vveeerrryy short. But don't threat, the next one will be a lot longer. It'll contain the movies scenes up to before they leave to get the surfer and originals will be included ... Johnny and June finally talk!