Disclaimer: You know the drill…I own Sofia, Phillip and SG
"No!" Johnny shouted. He turned shouted around to face Vanessa, pure horror on his face. He tried to reach out and grab Vanessa but he suddenly felt arms pull him back; he looked around to find himself surrounded by henchmen. Slowly they began to drag him away from the edge. He winced as he was thrown against a wall, right next to a door. Johnny quickly realised it was simply an entrance to the stairwell. The henchmen stood around him. Guarding him.
"Johnny!" Vanessa managed to scream. She pulled at Phillip's fingers, which had a tight grip on her throat. She knew if she didn't fall to her death she'd be strangled.
"Ah, now I have your attention." Phillip said calmly, he was clearly enjoying the look on Johnny's face.
"Put her down," Johnny said in what he hoped sounded like his sister's calm, patronising negotiating voice.
"Let her go?" Phillip asked in mocking disbelief.
"Do it!" Sofia squealed, she was clearly excited by the drama. "Kill her," she added. "Kill her for me." Phillip looked at Vanessa and used his other hand to stroke her cheek.
"Shall i?" Phillip asked. Johnny was about to give some sort of sarcastic reply when he heard a thud. He paused and put his ear to a wall in a way that he hoped was very inconspicuous. There was another thud, and another and another. Someone was climbing the stairs and there was only one person who could make as much noise as that. Johnny resisted a grin and instead turned back to Phillip. He needed to distract him, at least till Ben reached the roof.
"Do you love her?" Johnny said suddenly, it had been the first thing that had popped into his head and now he felt stupid. Phillip looked blank and Johnny didn't miss the annoyed look Sofia gave him. He smiled slightly, man I am so good at this.
"What?" Phillip asked.
"You don't answer a question with a question," Johnny said with a smirk.
"Huh?" Phillip said, obviously thoroughly confused.
"Do you love her?" Johnny repeated. Phillip still looked blank.
"Her!" Johnny said and he pointed to Sofia.
"Sofia? Oh…of course," Phillip said and waved his hand dismissively.
"Is that a yes or no?" Johnny asked cautiously. Phillip gave him a withered look.
"Yes," he said slowly.
"So you don't?" Johnny concluded.
"What? I just said yes! I don't have time for this," Phillip grumbled.
"But you hesitated."
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did."
"I didn't."
"Dude, you so did."
"Dude, I so didn't," Phillip said mockingly.
"See. You're not taking this seriously," Johnny said in a know-it-all voice.
"Of course not. I don't need some arrogant, weak, annoying kid dictating me on my feelings," Phillip's voice took on a low dangerous tone and he closed the large gap between him and Johnny in a second.
Johnny was sure his eyes were popping out of his head. He glanced from Phillip's body, which was now towering over him, to Phillip's hand, which was still hanging Vanessa over the edge.
"Holy shit," Johnny breathed. "You're…you're….you're frickin' Reed!" Phillip smirked.
"What, you think you're the only people who can have powers?" Phillip said patronisingly.
"Well, yes actually. We're the people that went into space, we got hit by friggin' rays…what the hell happened to you?"
"Magic," Phillip said simply. Johnny's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.
"What?" he asked in disbelief.
"M-A-G-I-C," Phillip said slowly. Johnny looked confused for a moment.
"Napic?" he said after a pause. Phillip let out an exasperated sigh. Johnny laughed.
"Chill, I'm kidding."
"You're kidding?" Phillip said in disbelief. "Now is not the time for jokes!"
"Now why does everybody always say that? You know what I wanna know, when is the time for jokes? What about the people who enjoy making jokes, don't they get a time? Don't they get a chance to be apprecia-"
"Enough!" Phillip shouted, cutting Johnny off. Ben's thunderous footsteps grew louder.
"Yeah, you're right. Enough is enough; I've been told that I talk too much. You know what I mean? But I get it, now is the time to stop talking. You need your quiet time. I get that and you know something else? I respect it too. 'Cos that's what this is all about at the end of the day. Respect." Phillip was about to tell Johnny where to stick his respect when the door beside Johnny, and some of the surrounded wall, shattered and The Thing emerged looking very pissed off. Alicia slung over his shoulder like a rag doll.
Ben looked surprised at the scene before him. Everyone, apart from Johnny and Vanessa, were frozen with fear.
"You took your time," Johnny hissed, standing up and brushing rubble off his shoulders.
"Yeah, sorry saving you from another mess wasn't above saving my girlfriend on my 'to do list'." Ben grumbled. Phillip made a silent signal and slowly, one by one, the soldiers took aim at Ben.
"Looks like they wanna fight," Johnny said, Ben noted the arrogance in his voice.
"Yeah, well I'll handle these guys and you can watch Alicia," Ben said and he slowly slid Alicia off his shoulder and placed her on the ground behind him.
"Nah, I got more important things to do," Johnny said with a smirk.
"Well then hurry up and do 'em kid."
Ben cracked his knuckles and suddenly the fighting had begun. The men began to shoot at Ben who looked unimpressed. He pounded his fists together sending a shockwave. Ten men went flying across the roof. Johnny smirked and weaved through the crowd to where Phillip was. Despite the fact that people, including his girlfriend, were flying across the roof his attention was fixed on Vanessa.
"Whatever shall I do with you," he murmured.
"You could start by putting her down," Johnny said carefully.
"Hmm…let me think about that…how about no? Like you said, things aren't that easy," Phillip quoted mockingly with a smirk. Johnny rolled his eyes; he hated it when people did that.
"Yeah but what's gonna happen if you kill her?" Johnny asked. "It's not like anything good will happen."
"Oh, is that so?" Phillip said disdainfully. He loosened his grip on Vanessa and she let out a whimper.
"Hurt her and I swear I'll cut off your head," Johnny growled. Phillip smirked, now he was getting a reaction.
"I'd like to see you try," Phillip retorted. Sofia sidled up to Phillip's side and smirked Johnny.
"Yeah…you're right. I got a better idea." Johnny grabbed Sofia and pulled her towards him. He held her in front of him, his arm gripped around her neck. Sofia screamed.
"I'll break her neck…I swear I'll do it," Johnny suddenly found himself shouting. By then Ben had pretty much knocked everyone else that was on the roof, he strode over to the action.
"I'll give you 30 seconds," Johnny announced. Phillip stared at him and Johnny could tell he was having some sort of deep internal battle.
"Why don't you both let the ladies go…at the same time," Ben suggested. If he was honest he couldn't care less what happened to Sofia. But he wasn't about to let Johnny become the cold-blooded killer. The two men stared at eachother.
"How about that?" Ben asked.
"Twenty," Johnny said coldly.
"On the count of three…three…two…one," Ben deflated as both men ignored him and held on tight to their hostages.
"Fine," he grumbled and walked off to where Alicia was lying.
"Ten," Johnny said, not breaking eye contact with Phillip.
"Nine."
Phillip glanced at Sofia.
"Eight."
Johnny resisted a smirk; Phillip was cracking.
"Seven."
Johnny allowed him self a glance at Johnny but he could tell by the look in her eyes she was less than happy with him.
"Six." Johnny looked away from Vanessa and back to Phillip.
"Five."
"You won't do it. I know you won't," Phillip said confidently.
"Four." Johnny placed his hands around Sofia's head. Sofia whimpered. It was then that he realised he didn't have a clue what he was doing. Phillip's confident smirk faltered and Johnny relaxed slightly; I must be doing something right.
"Three." C'mon man…break already!
"Two." Ben stopped what he was doing and turned around. Was Johnny really going to do this?
Johnny paused before he continued; hoping Phillip would seize the chance to save his girlfriend. Phillip stared at him.
"One." Phillip made no move; he just continued to smirk at Johnny.
"Told you he didn't love you," Johnny whispered in Sofia's ear before he did the deed.
There was a sickening crack and Sofia's body went limp, Johnny let her go and couldn't help but enjoy the look of horror on Phillip's face as he watched her crumple into a heap. Phillip stared in shock at his girlfriend's body. Slowly he brought Vanessa to the roof; dropping her the second she was within reach of the concrete edge. Vanessa hit the concrete with a soft thud, her surprise at being released written clearly on her face.
"Sofia," Phillip said quietly, his voice barely a whisper. He dropped down to his knees and pulled Sofia's limp body towards him. Phillip buried his head in her neck and began to silently cry. The only sign of his grief was the occasional sniff and his shallow breathing.
Ashamed, Johnny looked away. He felt someone tug on his arm.
"Let's get out of here," Vanessa whispered. Johnny nodded numbly, slightly mystified by his sudden guilt. Johnny allowed Vanessa to lead him towards the door. Ben was waiting for them by it, Alicia still slung over his shoulder.
"Don't feel bad kid," Ben said soothingly.
"I don't," was Johnny's curt reply.
He grabbed the door handle and yanked the door open. He jumped when he came face to face with none other than Doctor Doom himself. The man stood there in all his metal glory, from his shiny mask to his green cloak that hung off him in an oddly majestic way.
"Going somewhere?" he asked. Johnny didn't even have time to open his mouth before Doom backhanded him across his cheek. Ben and Sofia watched in horror as he went flying across the roof, his head hit the concrete with a stomach-churning thud.