loss / marvel au

chapter 13 / encounter 1 / bolt

"Guys! I believe we better get going about now, while we have the chance!" Psylocke shouted, cutting through what was supposed to be the last of them.

"Affirmative!" The Invisible Woman replied, "Rogers! Go get those two so we can get out of here-!" her face dropped, "I take that back! We've got incoming!"

Approaching them, was a huge, tanky-zombie with some sort of dark aura surrounding it.

"What is that thing around it!" Sue yelled into her comm.

"Those auras have special effects on you! Get too close and you'll find out."

"Well! I really don't want to, so let's just get out of here maybe?"

"I agree! I don't wanna find out what a Hulk-sized zombie could do!" Peter agreed

"Okay Rogers, get the kids!"

Captain America nodded, running back to where the two teens sat and notifying them it was time to bounce, as he returned with them and they got in line to hop through the rift.

"Just in case we get ripped in half, I just want you guys to know, it was nice fighting with you-" Peter starting on a speech, before Johnny shoved him through and hopped in after him, Betsy distracting the tank zombie while the rest went in.

"Psy! Come one!"

"Coming!" she replied, stabbing the zombie through the gut one last time before doing a crazy flip through the portal, Sue gliding through behind.

*

"My back..." Sue groaned, flipping onto her stomach, as a rock pierced her abdomen.

"Oh my gosh, that feels a lot better!" Kitty let out in relief, as everyone now started to realize she no longer had cracks in her head and her eyes were back to being big and brown.

"Strange..." Sue said, still on the ground, back aching.

"Yeah?"

"Where's this Nightmare douche."

"You have ways to go until you're anywhere near him. And I can already tell you he knows you're here. Expect more obstacles to be thrown in your way, it's gonna be a rocky road."

"Great. Just what I needed."

"Just what we all needed. I'm not here to be sent on a date with death, I signed up to find the Dr's friend and save civilians, then get the hell out of here." said Betsy.

"I think we all did." Peter added.

"And we'd promise we'd pull through. So we finish the job and get out of here... till' death do us part." Steve added.

"Yeah, I guess that's cool but how about we bank on surviving?" said Kitty.

"I mean, yeah... maybe."

"Surviving or not, we better get moving."  Sue said, finally getting up, still clenching her back in pain.

"Are we not going to discuss the elephant in the room?" Kitty asked.

"What?"

"Why your brothers so quiet! He's just been sitting there-"

Johnny lifted his eyebrows, a mixed expression surfaced the front of his face as he examined his hands, snapping them over and over, until he finally looked at the group

"I can't feel them anymore, guys-- It's like I've lost a limb or something-- It's-- I-- My powers are gone.." he said, exhaustingly.

"What do you mean your powers are gone!" Sue exclaimed, more worried then angry, as she knelt down next to him despite her own problem.

"T- they're gone..." his voice trailed of, as he looked down and closed his eyes.

"Oh Johnny-" Sue cried, embracing him into a hug, "I'm sorry Johnny..."

"It's not your fault, Suzie."

And for the first time, it made people realized, Johnny Storm wasn't all that punk-ish. He acted like some big-gun, hotshot type guy. But really, he was just a young, immature boy, clouded by his reality and replacing his worry with humor.

Johnny Storm really wasn't all that bad.
🫂