Hey everyone! Here's the second to last chapter! It's actually coming to an end =( But not to worry! I will definitely be writing a sequel so when that comes out feel free to read it if you'd like! I hope you enjoy this one guys! If you have anything to say message me or give the story a review! I'm more than willing to listen!

Ignite

Chapter Thirteen: Together We Stand Part One

BEEP BEEP BEEP

'Ok, Reed. It's now or never.' As the stretchable man stood before his cure or his death, he couldn't help but feel the fear inside of him build up.

Everything was sitting on this one shot, and if he didn't make things work now, what was going to happen? The whole situation had been caused because of his mistakes, and it was time for Reed to take responsibility for his actions, whether anyone agreed with him or not.

Taking a deep breath, Reed mustered up all of the courage inside of himself and walked into the chamber that would decide his fate. As the doors to the chamber closed, Reed closed his eyes, praying to God that just once, his work would pay off.

"Here goes everything."

"Wow, I have to say, I haven't felt this relaxed in ages!" Lily laughed as she stretched, letting all of her troubles disappear. She stood on the rooftop of a building as she smiled at the city lights. Travis stood beside her as he glanced at her and smiled.

"I'm glad you feel better," he stated. Lily smiled nodding her head, but it faded as she remember the look on Johnny's face just a few hours ago. The life in her face disappeared as she grew quiet. Travis frowned as he stared at Lily for a moment.

"…It was on TV, you know."

"What was?"

"What happened earlier," Travis said as Lily avoided the man's gaze.

"Was it?"

"You're upset because of the Human Torch, right?"

"You mean Johnny?" Lily asked, not really used to hearing Johnny being called by his hero name. Lily chuckled as she shook her head, sighing. "I suppose that's the reason. When I look at it, there's no other way to describe why I feel like this," she said as she frowned more. She rubbed the back of her head and laughed.

"I was never really like this, before all of this happened."

'Before I met him,' she thought weakly as she shook his head.

"…But you do now, that's all the matters," Travis retorted. Lily blinked at the remark as Travis smiled at her.

"If you're bothered so much, you should go back and fix everything as best as you can," he gently advised, as if he were a wise, old man. Lily thought for a moment, letting his words sink in, and smiled as she turned and began to walk away.

"Thank you, Travis," she said as she looked over her shoulder. "It was nice meeting you."

Travis watched as Lily disappeared from the rooftop. He smiled and sighed, shaking his head. "It was nice meeting you too."

"Ok, first thing, I need to find Ben and definitely apologize to him for what I said…" Lily shook her head as she sighed, walking down the street. Making her way towards her home, she made a list of things to do when she arrived back at Reed's apartment.

"After I talk to Sue, I'll find John-" she stopped mid-sentence as well as mid-step. She frowned as she shook her head.

What was the point in talking to Johnny? After what happened between the two, it was obvious that he wasn't going to say anything to her, and what did she even have to say to him in the first place? She had already said everything she needed to say to him at the motorbike stadium. '..That's a lie,' the woman thought to herself as she blushed, biting her lip.

She hadn't told him why she was so upset at him, the real reason. She hadn't expressed her feelings and she had definitely not asked what he felt. She had so much to tell him, yet nothing at all. She had to tell him how much he irritated her, yet she loved every moment of being with him. She had to express how much she appreciated his friendship, but sincerely wanted to kill him sometimes. All of her pent of feelings and words, she wanted to tell him everything and be honest with him, but as she stood in the middle of the sidewalk, staring down at a puddle, she stared at her reflection and shook her head.

'I can't do it,' she thought to herself as she frowned. The fear inside of her soul was too strong to overcome at the moment. Her usual confidence and pride had disappeared somewhere and that frightened her a bit. Lily was never the type of woman to back down and she was never the type of person to let her emotions blind her, yet there she stood, a conflicted look etched on her face.

"Why does my life have to be so annoyingly complicated?"

"If it wasn't, then it wouldn't be as fun." Lily's eyes widened as she span around. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the person she was most afraid to confront.

"Johnny?" Lily said as said man nodded his head. He had changed outfits from the last time she had seen him and was now wearing a black shirt with a red blazer over it. The outfit seemed to fit him well, complimenting every feature he had, at least in the water controller's eyes.

Remembering the past day's events, Lily's forgotten anger had risen once again as she glared at him, taking a step away.

"Lily-"

"What are you doing here? Don't you have some higher calling to answer?" she snapped as Johnny frowned. It wasn't going to be easy to gain her forgiveness this time around. The young man sighed as he rubbed the back of his head, remembering the awful feeling of being out of place and alone at the bar he had just left. He looked up at Lily and his eyes softened as he realized just how grateful he was to see a friendly face, especially hers.

"…Yeah, well, it turns out that the higher calling? Wasn't so great."

Lily stared at him for a moment as he gave her a pleading gaze. Johnny stared intently at his friend, waiting for some kind of sign of forgiveness, that was all he really wanted out of the entire night. "…That's too bad," Lily mumbled as she turned to walk away. She frowned to herself as she shook her head, she hadn't said anything she wanted to, but she just couldn't, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Johnny's eyes widened for a moment before he reached out instinctively and grabbed her hand. Lily stared with shock as his hand held tightly to hers, almost as if he were afraid to let go of it. He sighed, knowing that unless he said something, Lily would walk away and not look back.

"Look…I get it," Johnny started. He took a deep breath, continuing on with his speech, "I screwed up."

Lily glared at him as he sighed. "Ok, I screwed up big time," he said, emphasizing on 'big'. "I was a jerk…a huge one."

"…And?"

"Seriously?"

"And?"

"…Alright, I was a complete asshole, is that better?"

Lily laughed slightly as Johnny smiled releasing her hand. The two stood, a strange tingling sensation running through their arms, starting from the tips of their fingers. Johnny stood silently as he waited for his best friend to say something. The silence was slowly tearing him apart and the longer Lily stood quietly, the more Johnny suffocated.

"..I guess that's fine," Lily said gently as Johnny's eyes softened. His smile disappeared as he sighed, shaking his head. He looked up at the raven haired woman with an ashamed look on his face as he took a step closer to her.

"…I really am-"

"I know you are," Lily said, saving him the pain of losing a bit of his pride. Johnny blinked, feeling surprised, and smiled, as Lily returned it with her own. "You know I can't really hold a grudge anyways," she said playfully. She sighed, feeling a bit better about their current status.

The two stood closer to each other and things seemed to feel right again. They could relax completely around each other and although neither would say it out loud, that feeling of being close to each other was sincerely missed. Johnny stared at the distance between the two and his eyes softened. He felt relieved as he found very little space between them. It was almost like the more distant there was between them, the more alone and out of place Johnny felt.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence, catching the flamer thrower's full attention.

"Come on, we should probably…" Lily raised a brow as she noticed the sudden surprised and shaken look in Johnny's face. She hesitantly looked over her shoulder and her jaw dropped as she stared up at a building, Reed's apartment building to be exact. "What…" she trailed off, not having the right words to say as Johnny stared with an awestruck look on his face.

The two looked at each other before nodding. Simultaneously, they began to run at the same pace, sprinting as fast as they could towards Reed's floor.

"What the hell was that?" Johnny asked as he looked back up to see the explosion fade away. The two quickly sprinted around a corner as Lily shook her head and glanced back up at the building.

"I have no idea! The only thing it could be…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "There's no time for thinking, we have to go!"

"Right."

"Hah, Victor! It worked!" a voice exclaimed happily. A shaky figure walked out of the transformation chamber, feeling and looking like the man he once had been.

"Vic?" Ben called out once more. He looked around Reed's empty lab and raised a brow as he pulled his pants up a bit and tightened the strings around the waist. Pulling his coat on to cover his bare upper body, Ben looked around, a very bad feeling rising in his gut.

"Everyone thought I was safe behind those shields."

Ben quickly turned around and his jaw fell as he stared with a completely stunned look on his face. He took a step back as Victor revealed himself from the shadows, the scar on his face showing metal underneath his skin, along with the many other scars and burns on his body he had just received. Ben tried not to stare as steam rose from Victor's body.

"The machine worked for me, it can work for you!" Ben said hopefully as the man before him smirked, shaking his head.

"Oh, I know it worked. It worked out perfectly," he said as the feeling in Ben's gut exploded. His expression fell as he stared at Victor, piecing all of the little bits together.

"You planned this."

"I've always wanted power," Victor said, as if it were an obvious statement, "Now I have the unlimited supply."

"And no 'thing' to stand in your way."

Victor's smirk widened as he nodded his head, feeling on as if he were on top of the world. If he continued on with his plans, he could have the world in the palm of his hands, something he would really enjoy.

"Take a look, Ben," Victor said. "This is what a man looks like when he embraces his destiny."

Not having a chance to really react, Ben's eyes widened as he felt Victor back hand him with as much strength as he had once possessed before turning back to what he had thought was normal. His body collided into a bunch of shelves as he grunted in pain, hitting the ground. Victor laughed slightly, as he shook his head.

"Four more to go."

"Vic?" Said man looked up and smiled evilly.

"Right on cue."

"Ben?" Waiting for a reply, but receiving nothing, the new presence turned his attention towards Victor, examining his now mutated body. A worried look fell upon his face as he held tightly to the railings for the second floor.

"What did you do?"

"Exactly what I said I would do. I built a stronger, better being, and outsmarted the great Reed Richards."

'Please tell me everything's ok!' the Invisible Woman thought to herself. She quickly sprinted into Reed's apartment as she continued her way down the hall and into Reed's slightly shuffled lab. Her eyes widened as she found Ben laying on the ground, unconscious. She raised a brow as she grabbed Ben and noticed that his body had not been rock hard to the touch. She grinned as she held him in her arms and took a look at her friend. Ben's body had been changed back to it's normal state. His skin was soft and he was the same pale color he had been before the space trip. The happiness in Sue's heart began to grow as she glanced around, looking for the man she had thought was responsible for the miracle. Little did she know, her happiness would soon be crushed.

"Sue!" Said woman looked up with a wide smile on her face as she found Johnny and Lily running into the room together.

"Guys! The machine worked!" she exclaimed as both Johnny and Lily glanced at each other, curiosity filling their eyes. They quickly ran into the lab and their eyes widened as they watched Suzie try and pick up the unconscious Ben. They gave her aid, sitting Ben up as best as they possibly could. The man groaned as he winced, his body responding to the pain more easily than it would have if he had been 'The Thing'.

"You alright, Ben?" Johnny asked as the three moved the now half-conscious man to the step of the machine. "What happened, big guy?"

"Yeah, are you ok?" Lily asked as the three knelt down in front of Ben, waiting for him to respond to the best of his abilities.

"Th-The machine," he mumbled as he tried to get his breathing right. "Vic used it on himself, he was effected by the cloud like us," Ben explained as the color from their faces drained away.

"Where's Reed?" Sue asked as Ben shook his head.

"Vic must've taken him," Ben mumbled as he glanced around. His expression fell even more as he stared at the window. The three raised a brow as they followed his gaze, the question answered.

"…This is bad," Lily mumbled as Sue's heart skipped a beat. She quickly stood up and walked towards the balcony doors. Lily quickly glanced at Johnny as he nodded and followed after his older sister. The two looked up at the broken window an Sue bit her lip as she glanced down at the shards of glass.

"Ben, do you remember anything else?" Lily asked as she let the two siblings try and figure things out. Ben shook his head as he sighed, looking into Lily's eyes. Her eyes softened as she frowned and shook her head.

"I'm sorry-"

"It's alright, kid," Ben said with a smile on his face. Lily looked up at him with a surprised gaze as Ben smiled at her. "It's water under the bridge," he said as Lily laughed slightly, shaking her head.

"I said some terrible stuff, so I really, sincerely apologize for it. You know I didn't mean it and I love you."

"I know, don't sweat it too much," Ben said as playfully as he could. He winced, causing Lily to worry once again.

"Are you sure you're ok?" she asked as Ben nodded his head, trying to ignore the pain. "Ok, I'll be right back," the black haired woman said as she quickly rose to her feet, walking on to the balcony.

"Hey, guys-" she stopped and her eyes widened as she stared out. Johnny raised a brow as he looked over at Sue, who had the same confused look on her face. Suddenly, a strange noise filled the air and the siblings both turned around. Their pupils dilated as they stared at the missile heading straight towards Reed's apartment. The two women looked over at Johnny as he glanced down at himself.

"You've got to get out of here," Sue warned as Johnny quickly walked up to the railing of the balcony. He looked down, trying to ignore the intense beat of his heart. He watched as the cars drove by on the street, the distance rather alarming for him. Deciding to go with his instincts, Johnny took a few steps back, rubbing his hands together.

"I have an idea," he said as Lily raised a brow. She watched Johnny for a moment before her eyes widened.

"Johnny!" his older sister snapped as a very stern, motherly gleam appeared in Sue's eyes. "Don't even think about it."

"Never do." Without a second thought, Johnny leaped over the balcony, arms wide open. Sue and Lily both gaped as they quickly ran up to the railing, watching him fall.

"Johnny!" Sue called out as Lily bit her lip. She looked up at the missile and watched as it flew after him.

"That idiot!"

"Come on!" Johnny mumbled to himself as he glanced back at the missile. He ignored the pressure from the fall and the fact that his eyes were beginning to tear up a bit, and stared down at the inclosing street. Waiting for the right moment, he concentrated, blocking everything around him out.

"FLAME ON!"

The feeling was amazing, although he was on fire, it felt so natural for him. His clothes burned away in an instant, leaving him with his space suit, which he had turned into the Fantastic Five uniform. He could feel the breeze, though it was barely noticeable, and as he flew past the cars and the buildings he couldn't help but feel so free.

"Now." Turning his attention to the missile behind him, Johnny put his game face on. "Lets do this."

"He was right, he can fly," Lily mumbled with amazement as she smiled slightly. Sue sighed as she turned to Lily, who looked back at her and nodded her head.

"Lets go," the blond said as her companion nodded her head. The two quickly walked back into the building, Ben waiting in the doorway. He winced, trying to gather as much strength as he could.

"We need to help Reed."

"It's too dangerous for you now," Sue warned as she gave Ben's shoulders a slightly squeeze. Running past him, Sue made her way towards her room. Ben frowned as he looked over at Lily who gave him a pleading gaze.

"Please, Ben. You can't come, Sue's right," she said as she smiled softly. "Don't worry, we'll get Reed back," she said reassuringly. She quickly made her way past her friend, not looking back to see the defeated look on his face.

"What did I do?" he mumbled to himself softly. His thoughts suddenly began to work themselves as a crazy, but good, idea popped into his head. Glancing over at the transformation chamber, he smirked.

'Alright, Johnny. Lets think of something,' The man engulfed in flames glanced over his shoulder and shook his head as he watched the missile follow after him. 'You gotta think of something now!'

Quickly avoiding a large skyscraper, Johnny flew higher, into the clouds, and within seconds, he shot a fire ball into the sky and turned his flames off, returning to the natural state of his body. He began to fall back down towards the city and watched as the missile followed his fireball. He inwardly sighed, a wave of relief running through him, but as he relaxed, he raised a brow, something pushing past the clouds, towards him. He watched as the missile continued to chase after him and quickly drowned himself in his flames again.

'Well, looks like that didn't work out,' he thought to himself as he tried to improvise another plan. Making his way towards the coast of New York City, Johnny grit his teeth as he shook his head.

"C'mon! Think!" he shouted to himself as he glanced around the water. He smirked as he found a boat carrying a load of garbage sitting peacefully in the water. Glancing one last time at the heat seeking missile, Johnny aimed a line of fire at the boat, the garbage catching on fire with ease. Going through the flames, the missile fired, colliding into the boat, causing a large explosion. Johnny's eyes widened as the force of the explosion threw him into the water.

"Whoa!" His flames were doused and he was spinning through the water uncontrollably.

'Crap.'