Time for the Big Finale

This is not the last chapter. This story is gonna go past the end of the movie.

Johnny crawled out of the water and flopped down on his back. He looked over at the flaming trash barge and smiled slightly.

"Damn I wish Merc was here to see that." Johnny muttered. "Probably would have made her laugh."

"I'd say so." Merc said suddenly. Johnny jumped and sat up, turning around.

"How…what…how?" He asked.

"It's easy to get down here fast when you steal Reed's car." Merc said. Johnny stood up and walked over to her. "Of course I'm very glad I didn't pass any cops. But Reed has got to learn to put gas…" Johnny grabbed her, pulled her against him and kissed her. Merc froze then relaxed.

"Don't wanna miss the big fight now do we?" Johnny asked, pulling away.

"I'm pretty sure there's enough gas left in the car to get back there." Merc said. "Race ya." She ran to the car and got in. Johnny stared until the car was out of sight before flaming on and flying after her.

Merc was passed by cop cars so she followed them. She pulled over and stopped, knowing where to go from there. She stuffed the keys down the front of her uniform and ran, following the sirens.

"You three are pathetic." Doom said. Merc glared once she saw him…with a pole in his hand. She flicked her wrist, causing the pole to fly out of his grasp and slam into a car. "Well, well, well…little miss telepath." Merc winced as she was hit by the thoughts of the crowd. "What's wrong. Crowd got your tongue?" He started towards her but two fireballs hit Doom and Johnny flew in, landing next to Merc.

"Don't touch her." He said. They joined Ben, Reed and Sue. "Had a little relapse, huh?" He glanced at Ben and smiled. "Welcome back."

"This…is going to be fun." Doom said. He lifted his arms and electricity coursed through his body. A car went flying towards the crowd and Sue used a force field to knock it away from them.

"We need a plan." Merc shouted, watching Sue block the energy bolts. "A smart one."

"I can't hold it." Sue yelled. Reed stretched his arm, wrapped it around a mail box and threw it at Doom. The mailbox hit him, causing Doom to stop shooting bolts. Merc threw out her hands as he started to move and managed to immobilize all but his head. He turned it to look at her.

"You think this can hold me?" Doom said.

"Someone do something soon." Merc shouted.

"Johnny. SUPERNOVA!!" Reed said.

"I thought we agreed that was bad!" Johnny said.

"Now!" Reed said. Johnny ran forward and flew into the sky. Merc struggled to keep standing and keep her hold on Doom. Her eyes were locked on his and couldn't look away. Johnny swooped down and started circling around Doom, creating a huge wall of fire. "Sue, think you can contain it?" Sue nodded and created a giant force field to surround Johnny's Supernova.

A little heat won't do anything. Doom thought.

"Merc! Let go!" Ben shouted.

"I'm trying!" Merc shouted. Johnny flew out and knocked into her, breaking Merc's concentration and knocking her over. They rolled around on the ground before winding up lying next to each other. Sue's force field faded and she collapsed, blood trickling from her nose.

"Is that the best you can do?" Doom asked. His body was dripping metal like sweat. Merc propped herself up on her elbows, surprised to be able to still see things because of the fact that she was staring at Doom the entire time he was surrounded by the fire. "A little heat?"

"Time for your lesson." Reed said. "Chem 101: what happens when you supercool hot metal?" Ben kicked open a fire hydrant and put his foot down on the geyser of water, deflecting it towards Reed who twisted his torso.

"He's a hose now." Merc muttered. Johnny laughed slightly next to her. There were clouds and clouds of steam. Ben closed the hydrant and the steam slowly cleared. Merc and Johnny stood up to see Doom frozen. They joined Reed, Sue and Ben.

"Damn, I love this job." Johnny said.

"Job, huh?" Ben asked.

"Well ya know…" Merc said, looking down at her body then over at Reed who smiled.

"We do have the suits." Reed said. Merc laughed and went over to Ben before throwing her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as possible without hurting herself.

"How you doing, kid?" Ben asked.

"I'm good." Merc said. "Tired but I think feeling this way weakens the effect of all the people thinking." Ben smiled. He made a coughing noise and nodded over her shoulder. Merc let go of him and turned around to see Johnny.

"Go ahead." Ben said. Merc smiled and walked over to Johnny.

"So…" Johnny said.

"So?" Merc asked.

I so want to kiss you again. Johnny thought. Merc giggled before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him first.

She went to the studio the next day after calling a few of the girls and finding out that there was going to be a thank you party. She took the whole day to get a few things set down and returned to the Baxter Building after the other four had left. She had left Johnny a note telling him that she needed to do some thinking about her powers.

"Well…" Merc said, knowing she only had a few minutes. She stood in front of the machine and looked at it.

Later, as the sun was going down and everyone was on a ship, Merc and the girls she was with the whole day finished up the dance they had been practicing and just showed off to everyone. The crowd cheered and Merc smiled before joining her girls in bowing. She avoided Johnny and went over to where Ben and Reed were talking.

"I've been crunching the numbers on the machine." Reed said. "I think if we can rework the power settings…"

"Forget it, egghead." Ben said. "I'm good as is." Merc smiled at him and hugged him.

"Better then good, Benny." Alicia said, coming over with Sue and standing on the other side of Ben. Ben clinked his mug against her glass, causing the glass to shatter. "We've just going to have to work on your touch."

"Have fun you guys." Merc said, noticing Johnny looking at her. She patted Ben's shoulder and walked through the crowd over to him. "Hey." She pushed some hair behind her ear.

"Hey." Johnny said, noticing the slight distance she put between them. "So…umm…what did you decide to do?"

"About what?" Merc asked.

"Well you said you had some thinking to do about your powers." Johnny said. Merc nodded. "So what did you decide?"

What do you think? Merc thought. Johnny was caught by surprise as Merc raised her hand, curled her fingers in and caused him to slide forward, getting rid of the space between them.

"I thought…" Johnny said.

"Think again." Merc said, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him to her before kissing him. "Come on." She let go of his shirt and took his hand before pulling him over to Ben and Alicia. They watched as Reed proposed and then Sue kissed him.

"Awww…she's kissing him." Ben said, more for Alicia's sake then anything else. The crowd all clapped and Merc flinched as loud thoughts swept through her head. "Hey…" she looked at Ben who was leaning towards Johnny. "No more cracks about the way I look."

"Call me Mr. Sensitivity." Johnny said, patting Ben's shoulder. Oh this is gonna be good.

"Oh, no…Johnny." Merc started but he was already clearing a path through the crowd.

"Alright, clear the way!" Johnny said. "Wide load coming through. He's huge!"

"Why you little…" Ben said, stomping after him. Merc put her arm around Alicia's shoulders and followed after them. Johnny burst into flames and took off into the air just before Ben reached him. "Show off!"

"Oh lighten up." Merc said. Ben put an arm around Alicia and one around Merc. They watched as Johnny made a number '5' surrounded by a circle of flame.

"Listen Mercy….just because you two are dating now…doesn't mean I'm gonna be nice." Ben said.

"We're not…" Merc started but then she looked at all the people around her giving her a 'yeah right' look. She looked back up at the sky and watched Johnny flying around. "He's not gonna come back down until he thinks it's….relatively safe."

"Ok, shows over, back inside." Alicia said. Ben released Merc and turned around, going back into the main part of the ship. Everyone else followed until Merc was alone.

"I think I should give that Alicia some flowers." Johnny said, flying down and landing next to Merc. "She can keep Ben off my back."

"And what about me?" Merc asked.

"You get these." Johnny said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. Merc smiled against his mouth. After a while they pulled apart. "So…first order of business."

"Business?" Merc asked. Johnny put his arm over her shoulders and Merc reached up to hold his hand as they walked inside and over to their teammates-slash-family members.

"What's up?" Sue asked.

"Apparently there's business to talk about." Merc said, looking at Johnny.

"Well…we already got our team name, plus superhero names…" Johnny said.

"Johnny…don't push it." Merc said, tightening her grip on his hand.

"And uniforms." Johnny continued.

"We need more?" Ben asked.

"Yeah." Johnny said.

"Oh? I suggest you think we need a car? Maybe something that flies?" Merc asked.

"Did you read my mind?" Johnny asked.

"No I…wait…you were actually thinking that?" Merc asked. Johnny nodded, smiling. "Oh dear lord." She turned so that she could bury her face in Johnny's shoulder so that no one could see her smiling.

"What? It would be cool." Johnny said. "Of course, you know, I wouldn't need to be in it but the rest of you guys…OW!!" Merc had dug her nails into Johnny's hand. "Hey missy. Keep that up and no more kissing."

"Oh however will I survive?" Merc said, sarcastically. Ben cleared his throat. "Sorry Uncle Ben."

"Well…I have been working on something." Reed said. Everyone looked at him. "It was just some idea I had that I knew probably wouldn't happen but since it looks like we're all staying this way."

"Alright!" Johnny said. He looked down. "I feel kinda weird being the only one in their uniform right now."

"Sucks to be you." Merc said. Johnny looked at her and was about to kiss her but Merc turned her head. "I thought you said no more kissing."

"Only if you kept up hurting me." Johnny said. Merc pinched him. "Hey!"

"I'm telling you…it doesn't bother me not kissing you." Merc said. "I've gone longer without kissing someone then you have."

"Why must you do that around me?" Ben muttered. Merc giggled and got out from under Johnny's arm before hugging Ben. "Well aren't we affectionate."

"I told you that I loved you no matter what." Merc said. She looked at Johnny. "You on the other hand…not so sure of."

"Yeah well…wait a minute…are you saying you love me?" Johnny asked. Merc clamped her mouth shut. "Come on, Mercy. Say it…say you love me." She moved her head slightly and Johnny's head snapped forward. "DAMN IT!! Quit doing that!"

"It's amusing." Ben said, smiling.

"Exactly." Merc said. Besides…I can make it up to you later.

Is that a promise? Johnny thought.

Maybe. Merc thought.

How about you just think it. Johnny thought.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Merc said. "Give it a rest!"

"But I wanna hear it." Johnny said.

"At the rate you're going, you're never gonna hear it." Merc said. Johnny pouted. "That doesn't work on me, baby. Sorry." Sue and Reed laughed.

"Am I gonna have to have a talk with him?" Ben asked, looking from Johnny to Merc. Merc joined Sue and Reed in laughing while Johnny just looked confused.