As the Human Torch approached his home base with War Machine, the sky suddenly grew dark. The two heroes glanced over their shoulders to see a bright white glow in the sky. They knew it was bad, as it always was.
"Let's move it, kid!" War Machine shouted back to Torch as he kicked his rocket powered boots into overdrive. Johnny flashed behind him and matched his speed. Johnny looked back to see the white glow turn into a wave of light that began to overtake the city. The edge of the wave raced through the city, splashing around the buildings and was quickly gaining ground on them.
"Uh, um, I don't think we're going fast enough," Johnny stuttered.
"The tower is right there," yelled War Machine. He pulled his head down to make himself more streamlined and to gain precious time. The bay doors on the roof of the tower began to open as they neared it. They were no more than 50 feet away when the wave washed over the heroes and then the tower. War Machine grunted as his suit abruptly shut down. He looked at the half open doors ahead of him and cursed. His momentum easily carried him to the roof, but he had little control over his landing. As he came down his shoulder crashed into one of the stuck doors and sent him tumbling into the hangar, dropping like an empty suit of armor.
"War Machine! Hey! Are you okay?" Johnny dropped down beside the awkwardly positioned suit and flamed off.
"Ohhhh, ugh... yeah I'm all right kid. Ow. How am I gonna get out of this thing?" Johnny could hear him struggling inside the suit, but a pounding at the doors soon muffled the sound. Orange rock suddenly came crashing through the doorway and sent metal flying everywhere.
"Looks like dese doors need some oil," remarked Thing lightly. He glanced over at the heap of black and white metal on the floor, "Looks like he could use some too."
"I know Ben Grimm when I hear him," commented the voice inside the suit, "Can you get me outta here big guy?"
"Sure thing, let me know if I'm hurtin' ya." Ben rolled War Machine onto his back and grasped the helmet. His huge fingers felt for the releases and pushed them, lifting the helmet over War Machine's head slowly. He squinted for a second and then focused on Thing.
"Hey Ben, good to see you again. Too bad it's on such ugly circumstances. Just rip the rest off if you can, the power is off so it should be easy for you." Ben peeled the armor off his chest and arms like a sardine can. War Machine sat up and removed the rest of it himself.
"Nice ta see you too, Jim. Now can you tell me exactly what the heck that thing was?"
******************
"So let me get this straight. Dem jerks used da new metal Tony's been workin' on to punch the cities lights out with that magnet thing?" Jim was about to answer when an explosion rumbled outside and the room began to shake. They ran to the window and saw a hovering, heavily armored aircraft with what looked like a giant laser cannon mounted on top. Flames erupted below it as part of the city exploded. It had already fired once.
"Damn, I thought this would happen. Now they're going to use that metal alloy to super conduct a laser beam and fry the city. The aircraft stayed outside the city limits and now there is no way to stop it." Ben's brow furrowed as he tried to think of something they could do. "That electromagnet trashed the circuits on my suit; it's just a paperweight now."
Ben's mind raced frantically. They had nothing to shoot at them, and it seemed like their only chance was Johnny. He didn't think the kid was up for it. He never called Reed, but just disappeared on his own instead. The kid was still upset, he could see it on his face. He was their last chance though. No one would get here fast enough.
"I can do it, Ben." Johnny stood up, clenching both of his fists. "Trust me, I can."
"No way kid," interrupted War Machine, "Did you look at this thing? It's got armor that you won't be able to burn through."
"Are you afraid? Or maybe you just don't think I'm strong enough."
"Hey little buddy, he's right. Dat thing is massive. I don't think ya can bust yer way through it," agreed Ben. "Maybe we should just git outta here and wait fer reinforcements."
In Johnny's head, War Machine's advice from earlier kept repeating itself to him, saying, "...correct that mistake. You are a hero... you will be able to redeem yourself." He glanced out at the machine floating towards them. He could remember War Machine saying "The time will come."
"You're wrong Ben. I'm stronger than you thought. I'll show everyone right now. I'm a hero Ben, and my time has come." Johnny flamed on and lifted off the ground. He lifted a few feet when Ben shouted after him.
"You'll never make it back alive kid!" Johnny stopped and briefly and stared at Ben. Johnny looked down to War Machine and the back to Ben. Finally he muttered something that only Ben heard.
"Tell Susan and Reed I love them." With that he exploded in a volcanic burst and shot out the half open bay doors. Jim raced over to Ben and looked up into the sky.
"Aww kid," said Ben.
Johnny flew upwards at the huge aircraft. Powering up along the way he could feel his strength growing. He knew that while his strength was growing, his body was also being drained. The heat around him grew and grew. Flares erupted from his body in every direction. His body became a destructive solar wind as he sped towards the laser. The laser was powering up again, and a little white ball of light formed on the tip of the cannon. He turned at a 90-degree angle straight up and nearly reached supersonic speed. Letting out a vicious scream, the Human Torch exploded into scalding blue flame. The flash temporarily blinded the onlookers who had heard his battle cry. The super-heated blue Torch dropped toward the laser, breaking the sound barrier in the process. He cried out one more time as he was about to collide with the laser, letting off temperature that was nearly equal to those found on the surface of the sun.
Blinded by the flash, and deafened by the sonic boom Johnny made as he dropped downward, Ben looked at where the craft used to be, straining to see. There was nothing there but some smoke and dust. Johnny had completely disintegrated the aircraft.
"Is he okay?" War Machine asked. Ben looked to him and frowned.
"Nah... there was no way he could have survived that. He knew it, too." Ben closed his eyes and the tears squeezed out of them. "You are a hero, kid, and you always were." Outside, the entire city cheered for a hero they would never see again.
"Let's move it, kid!" War Machine shouted back to Torch as he kicked his rocket powered boots into overdrive. Johnny flashed behind him and matched his speed. Johnny looked back to see the white glow turn into a wave of light that began to overtake the city. The edge of the wave raced through the city, splashing around the buildings and was quickly gaining ground on them.
"Uh, um, I don't think we're going fast enough," Johnny stuttered.
"The tower is right there," yelled War Machine. He pulled his head down to make himself more streamlined and to gain precious time. The bay doors on the roof of the tower began to open as they neared it. They were no more than 50 feet away when the wave washed over the heroes and then the tower. War Machine grunted as his suit abruptly shut down. He looked at the half open doors ahead of him and cursed. His momentum easily carried him to the roof, but he had little control over his landing. As he came down his shoulder crashed into one of the stuck doors and sent him tumbling into the hangar, dropping like an empty suit of armor.
"War Machine! Hey! Are you okay?" Johnny dropped down beside the awkwardly positioned suit and flamed off.
"Ohhhh, ugh... yeah I'm all right kid. Ow. How am I gonna get out of this thing?" Johnny could hear him struggling inside the suit, but a pounding at the doors soon muffled the sound. Orange rock suddenly came crashing through the doorway and sent metal flying everywhere.
"Looks like dese doors need some oil," remarked Thing lightly. He glanced over at the heap of black and white metal on the floor, "Looks like he could use some too."
"I know Ben Grimm when I hear him," commented the voice inside the suit, "Can you get me outta here big guy?"
"Sure thing, let me know if I'm hurtin' ya." Ben rolled War Machine onto his back and grasped the helmet. His huge fingers felt for the releases and pushed them, lifting the helmet over War Machine's head slowly. He squinted for a second and then focused on Thing.
"Hey Ben, good to see you again. Too bad it's on such ugly circumstances. Just rip the rest off if you can, the power is off so it should be easy for you." Ben peeled the armor off his chest and arms like a sardine can. War Machine sat up and removed the rest of it himself.
"Nice ta see you too, Jim. Now can you tell me exactly what the heck that thing was?"
******************
"So let me get this straight. Dem jerks used da new metal Tony's been workin' on to punch the cities lights out with that magnet thing?" Jim was about to answer when an explosion rumbled outside and the room began to shake. They ran to the window and saw a hovering, heavily armored aircraft with what looked like a giant laser cannon mounted on top. Flames erupted below it as part of the city exploded. It had already fired once.
"Damn, I thought this would happen. Now they're going to use that metal alloy to super conduct a laser beam and fry the city. The aircraft stayed outside the city limits and now there is no way to stop it." Ben's brow furrowed as he tried to think of something they could do. "That electromagnet trashed the circuits on my suit; it's just a paperweight now."
Ben's mind raced frantically. They had nothing to shoot at them, and it seemed like their only chance was Johnny. He didn't think the kid was up for it. He never called Reed, but just disappeared on his own instead. The kid was still upset, he could see it on his face. He was their last chance though. No one would get here fast enough.
"I can do it, Ben." Johnny stood up, clenching both of his fists. "Trust me, I can."
"No way kid," interrupted War Machine, "Did you look at this thing? It's got armor that you won't be able to burn through."
"Are you afraid? Or maybe you just don't think I'm strong enough."
"Hey little buddy, he's right. Dat thing is massive. I don't think ya can bust yer way through it," agreed Ben. "Maybe we should just git outta here and wait fer reinforcements."
In Johnny's head, War Machine's advice from earlier kept repeating itself to him, saying, "...correct that mistake. You are a hero... you will be able to redeem yourself." He glanced out at the machine floating towards them. He could remember War Machine saying "The time will come."
"You're wrong Ben. I'm stronger than you thought. I'll show everyone right now. I'm a hero Ben, and my time has come." Johnny flamed on and lifted off the ground. He lifted a few feet when Ben shouted after him.
"You'll never make it back alive kid!" Johnny stopped and briefly and stared at Ben. Johnny looked down to War Machine and the back to Ben. Finally he muttered something that only Ben heard.
"Tell Susan and Reed I love them." With that he exploded in a volcanic burst and shot out the half open bay doors. Jim raced over to Ben and looked up into the sky.
"Aww kid," said Ben.
Johnny flew upwards at the huge aircraft. Powering up along the way he could feel his strength growing. He knew that while his strength was growing, his body was also being drained. The heat around him grew and grew. Flares erupted from his body in every direction. His body became a destructive solar wind as he sped towards the laser. The laser was powering up again, and a little white ball of light formed on the tip of the cannon. He turned at a 90-degree angle straight up and nearly reached supersonic speed. Letting out a vicious scream, the Human Torch exploded into scalding blue flame. The flash temporarily blinded the onlookers who had heard his battle cry. The super-heated blue Torch dropped toward the laser, breaking the sound barrier in the process. He cried out one more time as he was about to collide with the laser, letting off temperature that was nearly equal to those found on the surface of the sun.
Blinded by the flash, and deafened by the sonic boom Johnny made as he dropped downward, Ben looked at where the craft used to be, straining to see. There was nothing there but some smoke and dust. Johnny had completely disintegrated the aircraft.
"Is he okay?" War Machine asked. Ben looked to him and frowned.
"Nah... there was no way he could have survived that. He knew it, too." Ben closed his eyes and the tears squeezed out of them. "You are a hero, kid, and you always were." Outside, the entire city cheered for a hero they would never see again.