Twin Fire Signs ✓

Chapter 9

It's been a couple of weeks since Johnny and I slept together for the first time. We had had several repeat performances since, in many different locations around the apartment. With five people living in such a crowded space, it was a miracle we hadn't been caught yet.

I'd never admit it out loud and certainly not to Johnny, but I had fallen in love with him, again. In the privacy of our bedroom he showed me the side of him that I had hoped was still in there. The side that was kind and considerate. The side that no one else got to see, or tried to see.

I was working in the lab one morning, alongside Reed who was putting the final touches on the chamber that would reverse the effects of the cloud. I was attempting to create a solution that Johnny and I could treat our clothes with that would make them completely flame resistant, cutting down the amount of clothes that we ruined.

I jumped when I heard Ben yelling in the living room about something on the tv. Reed waved a hand at me to follow him and Sue came in from the balcony as well. There was Johnny, down at the X Games, wearing his uniform.

"He didn't." I say.

"Oh yes he did! Flame boy never listens!" Ben said, angrier than I had seen him in weeks.

"What did he do to his uniform?" Sue asks, motioning to the five insignia on the side of his chest. I looked over at Reed who was discreetly covering his uniform with his lab coat.

We turn back to the tv and he's being interviewed. I tried my best to hide the hurt I feel as I see all the girls hanging off of him. "So Johnny, I've gotta ask you about this outfit."

"It's sort of Armani meets astronaut."

"So what are your superhero names?"

"They call me the Human Torch. Ladies call me Torch." He said, winking at the group of them, causing them to squeal. I growl.

"What about the rest of the team?" She asks before showing a picture of Sue.

"That's the Invisible Girl."

"Girl?" Sue asks. Slowly but surely, Johnny is pissing off everyone in the house.

"What about your leader, Reed Richards? I hear you call him Mr. Fantastic."

Ben shrugs, "Could be worse." He says to Reed.

"Just wait..." I warn them.

"Is it true what they say, that he can expand any part of his body?"

"Ok that's gross." I say, scrunching up my nose in disgust.

"Well I've always found him to be a little limp."

"And there it is." I announce.

"And what about his sister, Jacqueline?"

"Well I like to call her Lady Torch but she's known as the Phoenix." I heard his groupies grumble and make faces and I felt the others' eyes on me.

"I have no idea what he's talking about."

"What is that? What do you call that thing?" The interviewer asks, gesturing to a picture of Ben.

"That's it. The Thing. You think this is bad? You should've seen him before."

"Ok, now I'm gonna go kill him." Ben says.

"Don't worry. You'll have help." I say as I run to my room to throw some clothes over my uniform.

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We go down to the X Games arena and see Johnny walk out with two girls on his arms. I scoff and try my hardest to control my temper.

"Johnny!" Sue starts, she has no problem letting her anger show.

"Can we talk about this later guys?" He asks, sunglasses on, looking like a douchebag.

"No we can't talk about this later. What are you thinking?" Sue continues, not letting him go.

"Where's my ride?" He asks before his balled up sports car flies through the air and lands in front of us, locks sounding. His license plate flies through the air next, clocking him in the side of the head.

"You think that's funny Pebbles?" He yells at Ben.

"Johnny!" Sue yells, trying to get his attention.

"What?"

"You gave us names? You don't think. So now you're the face of the Fantastic Five?"

"A face that's about to be broken!" Ben yells, approaching us.

"Look, this isn't permanent Johnny. We need to be careful until we're normal again." Reed tries to calm the situation down.

"What if I don't want to be normal? I know your sister doesn't either. We didn't turn into a monster!" He yells, gesturing at Ben.

"Johnny!" I yell as I see Ben's face fall.

"Johnny say you're sorry." Sue tells him, like he's a child. Instead he shoots fire, hitting Ben in the back of the head.

"Did you just?" Ben asks as he turns around, only to get hit in the face with more flames. "That's it Tinker Bell! You wanna fly? Then fly!" Reed tried to get in between them and I'm sure he's glad he's practically made of rubber now as Ben punches Johnny through him.

Johnny does indeed fly through the air, slamming against a Burger King ad board at the end of the walk. "Wait a minute guys!" Sue yells.

"Ben, don't do this." I plead with him, trying to stop him.

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

"Let's see. Bring it Burn-out."

"You two need a time-out!" Sue says as her and I step in between them. I'm facing Johnny, trying not to cry.

"Talk to Blockhead. He started it!"

"I don't care! Damn it Johnny!" Sue yells before running after Ben.

Johnny sees the looks Reed and I are giving him. "What?"

"You need to control yourself, and think before you act," Reed says.

"Yeah, but that's your problem Reed. You always think, you never act." He says before continuing. "What if we got these powers for a reason? What if it's like some higher calling?"

"Higher calling? Like breaking my sister's heart with your groupies over there and making money?" Damn you Reed...

Johnny gives me a sad look before responding, "Is there any higher?" I tried and failed to stop any tears from falling. "You know what Reed? This is who we are. Accept it. Or better yet, enjoy it." He says before trying to walk away.

I put up a wall of fire, blocking his path. He turns, giving me an annoyed look. I walk up to him, scarily calm. He opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off with a slap across the face. The gathered crowd made a noise in shock.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to hurt me more than you did three years ago but you proved me wrong. I'll be moving into your sister's room with her. Wouldn't want to get in the way of your higher calling." I tell him before shooting off into the sky and flying home, leaving him speechless as I proved before his eyes, that I could fly first.