The siren wailed from the speakers along the tops of the walls. "Man it sure stinks to be handlin' dese robberies like in da old days," Ben grumbled from below.
"Well if you stopped whining," Johnny scolded, "you would realize that its because we've done such a good job defeating villains that we aren't needed for anything more than the occasional crime now." A smile came to Johnny's face as he realized what he just said. They had in fact done a great job fighting their enemies. These small time crimes were much easier to stop. Just about every robber, mugger, and murderer in the city pretty much fainted when Ben Grimm steps out from the shadows. A flying man on fire was just as intimidating. There was not much to the common superhero business.
As of late, the Fantastic Four had triumphed over every super-villain who dared to set foot in their city. They even wiped out their most powerful nemeses. The city was peaceful now, and aside from the occasional attempt at breaking the law, all was quiet. Reed turned to another form of live saving and took up work searching for cures for diseases. He was an accomplished scientist and he was now very close to developing a pill that would completely wipe out skin cancer. Susan was always devoted to him and followed him wherever he went. Their frequent trips to the rainforest in search of cures actually gave her a new hobby. Her power of invisibility made it remarkably easy for her to observe animals in the wild. The city had no more need for them, so Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman left the safety of the city up to Johnny and Ben. Instead of the Fantastic Four it was now just the Terrific Two, though Ben never really agreed to the name.
The Human Torch blazed down the hallway with Thing pounding after him. Rushing past a number of unconscious guards, they turned the corner to see some terrified employees in lab coats running out of a doorway and past them. They shouted things to the heroes as they passed, but neither of the two could understand a word of it. One man ran out much more calmly and stopped to inform the duo of the situation.
"They're after the electromagnetic pulse emitter. Its powerful, enough to shut down the whole country, maybe the world, and god knows where they are taking it." The scientist began to run and shouted, "They're down the hall in Lab 74e and they have big guns. Hurry up!" The big orange rock looked to the flying flamethrower and laughed.
"Guns! Well I guess we know what dat means...." Johnny cut him off before he could continue.
"Yeah, it's clobberin' time, I know, it's been done Grimm." Ben's smile went to a frown and his head dropped in mock sadness. Thing began to tiptoe down the hall as best he could with Johnny gliding afterward. They came up to the lab and stopped, one on each side of the door.
"Should we knock," Johnny asked with a smile, "or just go right in?" He winked at Ben and Ben answered by cracking the enormous knuckles on his right hand.
"Shut up," the robber shouted at the blubbering scientist. He turned to the crying man and firmly kicked him in the back, sending him onto the floor face down. The three scientists were kneeling with their hands behind their heads.
"Now one of you is going to have to tell us the combination to that vault or all of you are going to die," said a second robber. He raised his weapon to her temple and continued his verbal assault. "I think little Suzy Homemaker over here doesn't want to die too. I bet she has a husband and three kids, probably a nice house, and maybe even a cute little dog too." Before he could finish the sobbing woman burst forth into new tears. Between sobs she said seven numbers, and simultaneously another robber punched them into the keyboard on the thick lead door. No sooner had the red light flashed on the keypad then the door behind them came crashing down.
"Aw look, we weren't invited to the party," Torch said mockingly. He noticed the three men with their guns on the scientists, the two who ran into the vault, and the remaining two who were aiming at them. "That makes seven in all," he thought to himself.
"I hate not bein' invited ta parties, so we decided we'd crash it," growled Thing with a grin. He looked to Johnny and nodded at the hostages.
"Oh look, it's the flying matchstick and the Hulk wannabe," mocked one of the robbers, probably the leader. "These guys here seem to be attached to their lives, so if you try anything, the nerds will go bye-bye." The two robbers in the safe brought out a big metal device with wires and tubes and dropped it by he window. They pulled in two wires and secured it to the electromagnet. They lifted it out the window and jumped on as it was hoisted up.
"No! I should have seen those wires over there!" Johnny yelled inside his mind. Instantly he formed a plan and hoped Thing would know what to do. He shot a small blast of heat at the three gunmen with the hostages. The three fell back instantly, and went down hard. Thing went for the other two while moving towards the window. He grabbed one in each massive hand and brought them over to the window, slamming them into the wall. He looked out and yelled to Johnny.
"Dere gone slim! You can still nail 'em though!" shouted Thing. Johnny flew over to the window and cursed. Suddenly behind them a gunshot rang out. As they wheeled around they saw a scientist lying face down in a pool of blood. The robber then shot the two remaining hostages. The Human Torch screamed in fury. He erupted in blinding flames. In a flash he was over at the murderer and had his fiery hands wrapped around the man's throat and was shouting at him. Benjamin Grimm could only watch in horror as Johnny Storm took out his anger....
"Well if you stopped whining," Johnny scolded, "you would realize that its because we've done such a good job defeating villains that we aren't needed for anything more than the occasional crime now." A smile came to Johnny's face as he realized what he just said. They had in fact done a great job fighting their enemies. These small time crimes were much easier to stop. Just about every robber, mugger, and murderer in the city pretty much fainted when Ben Grimm steps out from the shadows. A flying man on fire was just as intimidating. There was not much to the common superhero business.
As of late, the Fantastic Four had triumphed over every super-villain who dared to set foot in their city. They even wiped out their most powerful nemeses. The city was peaceful now, and aside from the occasional attempt at breaking the law, all was quiet. Reed turned to another form of live saving and took up work searching for cures for diseases. He was an accomplished scientist and he was now very close to developing a pill that would completely wipe out skin cancer. Susan was always devoted to him and followed him wherever he went. Their frequent trips to the rainforest in search of cures actually gave her a new hobby. Her power of invisibility made it remarkably easy for her to observe animals in the wild. The city had no more need for them, so Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman left the safety of the city up to Johnny and Ben. Instead of the Fantastic Four it was now just the Terrific Two, though Ben never really agreed to the name.
The Human Torch blazed down the hallway with Thing pounding after him. Rushing past a number of unconscious guards, they turned the corner to see some terrified employees in lab coats running out of a doorway and past them. They shouted things to the heroes as they passed, but neither of the two could understand a word of it. One man ran out much more calmly and stopped to inform the duo of the situation.
"They're after the electromagnetic pulse emitter. Its powerful, enough to shut down the whole country, maybe the world, and god knows where they are taking it." The scientist began to run and shouted, "They're down the hall in Lab 74e and they have big guns. Hurry up!" The big orange rock looked to the flying flamethrower and laughed.
"Guns! Well I guess we know what dat means...." Johnny cut him off before he could continue.
"Yeah, it's clobberin' time, I know, it's been done Grimm." Ben's smile went to a frown and his head dropped in mock sadness. Thing began to tiptoe down the hall as best he could with Johnny gliding afterward. They came up to the lab and stopped, one on each side of the door.
"Should we knock," Johnny asked with a smile, "or just go right in?" He winked at Ben and Ben answered by cracking the enormous knuckles on his right hand.
"Shut up," the robber shouted at the blubbering scientist. He turned to the crying man and firmly kicked him in the back, sending him onto the floor face down. The three scientists were kneeling with their hands behind their heads.
"Now one of you is going to have to tell us the combination to that vault or all of you are going to die," said a second robber. He raised his weapon to her temple and continued his verbal assault. "I think little Suzy Homemaker over here doesn't want to die too. I bet she has a husband and three kids, probably a nice house, and maybe even a cute little dog too." Before he could finish the sobbing woman burst forth into new tears. Between sobs she said seven numbers, and simultaneously another robber punched them into the keyboard on the thick lead door. No sooner had the red light flashed on the keypad then the door behind them came crashing down.
"Aw look, we weren't invited to the party," Torch said mockingly. He noticed the three men with their guns on the scientists, the two who ran into the vault, and the remaining two who were aiming at them. "That makes seven in all," he thought to himself.
"I hate not bein' invited ta parties, so we decided we'd crash it," growled Thing with a grin. He looked to Johnny and nodded at the hostages.
"Oh look, it's the flying matchstick and the Hulk wannabe," mocked one of the robbers, probably the leader. "These guys here seem to be attached to their lives, so if you try anything, the nerds will go bye-bye." The two robbers in the safe brought out a big metal device with wires and tubes and dropped it by he window. They pulled in two wires and secured it to the electromagnet. They lifted it out the window and jumped on as it was hoisted up.
"No! I should have seen those wires over there!" Johnny yelled inside his mind. Instantly he formed a plan and hoped Thing would know what to do. He shot a small blast of heat at the three gunmen with the hostages. The three fell back instantly, and went down hard. Thing went for the other two while moving towards the window. He grabbed one in each massive hand and brought them over to the window, slamming them into the wall. He looked out and yelled to Johnny.
"Dere gone slim! You can still nail 'em though!" shouted Thing. Johnny flew over to the window and cursed. Suddenly behind them a gunshot rang out. As they wheeled around they saw a scientist lying face down in a pool of blood. The robber then shot the two remaining hostages. The Human Torch screamed in fury. He erupted in blinding flames. In a flash he was over at the murderer and had his fiery hands wrapped around the man's throat and was shouting at him. Benjamin Grimm could only watch in horror as Johnny Storm took out his anger....