The Storm is Rising || Johnny Storm

Save Ben

Fantastic 5 | The Storm is Rising | Save Ben

June walked into the Baxter Building that night. She's been getting several calls from her brother, all of which left a five-minute voicemail to say how concerned for her he was. All she did was ignore them, texting Sue to say she would be out till sometime tonight – she just needed to have a long breather away from everything ... and Johnny.

The brunette had strolled slowly along the river for the last couple of hours, several blocks away. She wore her favourite jacket with an attached hood, letting her easily hide her face from the crowd – the last thing she wanted right now was to recognised, then mobbed when they discover who she is.

Sue had told her what happened the other day when she went down to the local store, some of the bystanders recognised her - even followed her for several blocks – that was, until of course when she turned invisible and removed all her clothing. June didn't have the ability to become hidden from the world and the best she could do is jump into the river to avoid detection.

June had been thinking a lot lately, mostly about Johnny. But, who couldn't with that guy?

There was just something about him that made her feel safe and no matter how many times he hurts her; she still felt that bond still sticking strong. The feeling had unconsciously grown more from the moment she saw him again - during the trip to the Von Doom Station.

Sue had mentioned once that Johnny was a little like Reed - but the opposite, in a way. For Reed; there was the situation where he would add all the variables together for a match and he didn't seem to be able to get past that.

But ... Johnny?

Johnny gets scared of commitment or being heartbroken in the end. He would add everything he's screwed up to make him seem like a bad person – trying to drive her away. He keeps trying but it never works. June wasn't convinced though, she just attempted not to think about it.

With a sigh, she pressed the 'Up' button on the elevator, the door closed as normal before the enclosed box rose towards the loft apartment. Her head leant against the back of the wall - so many things were going around in her head.

But the one that really stood out was, 'Why can't Jonny love me the way I love him?' Her heart constricted.

She craved happiness because she missed the past they had together ... everything seemed so simple back then.

She honestly didn't know what was going on in that head of his. After the incident at the Von Doom Station; waking up to Johnny sitting next to her bed with that concerned look she knew all too well – it brought back so many memories. Too many things she wanted to keep buried down inside were already starting to fully return and it's going to break her in two is she isn't careful. Like a piece of glass shattering when something was thrown through it.

But, of course, the Universe never lets her have a break it seemed.

A long time ago she decided that; if Johnny wanted another chance with her – he has to earn it. She couldn't keep going back and forth – it'll just confirm her fears and hurt her too much beyond repair. The scenario would be too painful for her fragile heart to handle.

A ding snapped June out of her mind set and the doors slid open. Her feet carried her into the apartment, the place that she and her brother now co-owned. "Reed!" June called, not looking up as she rummaged through her shoulder bag, "I'm back!" The moment she looked up – she stumbled back in shock when she saw Victor and Ben standing there, but that wasn't the part that got her though. It was the fact that Ben had been reverted to his original human form while Victor had giant silver scars shaved onto his face.

Victor wore a cocky smirk on his face, looking as though something had planned out just the way he wanted it to.

Each of them turned to her and Ben turned, scared when he saw her come in. His eyes showed the fear but he wasn't scared for himself ... it was for her. "Ahh.." Victor drawled, clicking his hands together as the unknown metal clashed loudly.

June slowly placed her shoulder bag back onto the entrance desk, never looking away as she took a few steps forward, "What have you done?" She demanded, seeing the machine she and Reed had been working on, begin to steam out – like someone has used it. That would have been the most logical assumption anyway, given by how Ben looks at this moment. She couldn't seem to figure out what happened to Victor, though.

"Oh, Junie." Victor now ignored Ben altogether, watching as June took another step forwards. June slowly started to make her way over to Ben, towards the front of him – keeping her wary gaze upon the metalized man. "I am so glad you arrived, but let me deal with Ben right now before I get to you."

June's eyes widened when she saw him about to hit Ben with electricity forming around his body. Without even thinking about it, she raised a water barrier between the two as the strike was initiated – her hand raised towards the direction, keeping the barrier strong. She quickly moved between them, behind her barrier that kept Ben out of harm. "Leave him alone." Her voice came out in a low hiss but the demand was clearly there - she wasn't going to let him hurt someone she called family.

The scarred man tilted his head at her, sending a shrug like there was no big deal. "How about we have a science lesson then. Welcome to lesson 101 ... what happens when electricity connects with water?" He eyed her arms, the water was wrapped around her limbs as it continued to hold a strong barrier – the liquid was connected to her skin, which suddenly made her heart start to race with a very strong sense of foreboding. "Or even when a human stands in water ... when a current flows through it?"

She didn't even get a chance to stop the water from flowing in time before Victor punched out his hand, connecting with the barrier with the electricity stolen from the machine. A scream rippled through June's throat, her body feeling like fire within her veins – the water that was connected to her body started flowing a current of deadly power.

The last thing June heard was someone shouting her name ... before her whole world went dark.

Ben watched in horror as June's body went flying back into the wall, hard. You could see the volts of electricity still running throughout her body, even from where he was standing. After a few seconds – June's body ceased in movement, going completely still.

Ben's body literally froze, his head still turned towards his best friend's sister.

Victor turned back to Ben, still smirking with accomplishment. "One down ... four to go."

A rocket of pain suddenly flashed through Ben's face before he felt his own body flying across the room and the last thing he heard was, "Two down ... three to go."

Fav, Follow, Review!