Burning Fury (Fantastic Four)

Chapter 13: Supervillains and Superheroes

AN
This chapter's dedication goes to BlazingintheRain for their unbelievable support on Burning Fury :)

The light and power on the top floor of the Baxter Building got brighter and more intense as Johnny and I ran through the city. I can't believe that Reed finally got it to work. However no matter how much we combed through the masses and attempted to get through to the building, it seemed like we were making no progress. Suddenly I had an idea. I snatched Johnny's hand,
'Hold on tight' I told him, shifted my body into overdrive and raced through the city and the clouds of endless people, to the elevator door of the Baxter Building.

I didn't even have to stop to catch my breath, it was just second nature to me know. Johnny it seemed however was no so accustom. I looked back at him and saw at his hand came up to rub the back of his neck,
'Ow' he mumbled, 'whiplash'
'Sorry' I muttered and I knew that it would forever till the elevator came back down, I turned to the stairwell and grabbed Johnny's hand again.

***

Upstairs in our apartment the only lights on were the hall lights and even then they flickered and threatened to burst. The whole place was quiet except for the whirring noise that the generator gave off. I looked over to the machine and saw Sue leaning over Uncle Ben, her face furrowed into a look of worry.
'Sue!' Johnny got his sister's attention,
'Johnny, Max!' she exclaimed, 'the machine worked'
I looked to my uncle and saw that his skin was no longer clad with rock, he was back to normal. A smile broke out on my face but was brought back to attention when Sue attempted to get him up and awake,
'Give me a hand' she huffed. Johnny and I went to her aid and started to get Ben up and on a step.

'What happened big guy?' Johnny mumbled mostly to himself, 'I leave you for five minutes-'
Ben urged his weary eyes open, he looked exhausted.
'The machine' he breathed heavily, almost like he was struggling to form the words, 'Vic used it on himself. He was affected by the cloud like us' my eyes widened involuntarily,
'Victor?' I spoke back, 'I knew he was up to something. We should never have trusted him'
I received sympathetic and knowing looks from all three of them as we sat there thinking about what we could possibly do now.

'Where's Reed?' Sue asked the concerned look returning to her blue eyes. Ben seemed momentarily lost for words,
'Vic must've taken him' he finally managed, his eyes cast down as though ashamed to look at us in the eye. I stood up from my crouched position and steadied my gaze out the window to the high skyscrapers of the city. There was a loud and bright jet of fire that came from the top of the adjacent building. Sue and Johnny joined my side out on the balcony as we observed the missile headed straight towards us!

'Oh no' Johnny strode up to the side of the balcony and looked down into the street a hundred and fifty feet below us.
I looked to Johnny, silently imploring him to not jump and distract the heat signature wired missile. The weapon sped towards us at the corner of my eye.
'We gotta get outta here' Sue tried to steer her maniac brother away from the edge. Johnny ignored her plea and backed up,
'I got an idea' he said enthusiastically.
'Don't even think about it' Sue snapped at him harshly.
'Never do' Johnny admitted,
'What are you doing-?' she questioned dubiously and leapt down from the Baxter Building,
'Johnny no!!' Sue and I screamed in unison as we both leant over the side. He fell from the Baxter Building at an alarming rate. What if he couldn't fly? But then he was consumed in fire and the missile dived from in front of Sue and I and straight down after Johnny. I looked longingly after The Human Torch as he diverted the missile away from the city and in the direction of the river.

The most idiotic and stupid idea passed through my mind but it was too late when I acted upon the stupid thought and jumped down from the building after Johnny. I briefly heard Sue shout out to me to stop and come back, but I left it behind me. I was going to help Ben and Sue get to Von Doom and help Reed. There was no way Victor was going to win, not today.