Author Note: Yes, I know late update once again. But I do have some good news actually. The middle of the story is harder for me to write, because being my first Fantastic Four story I have no idea what I am doing with the characters and I so want this to be a fun read for everybody and not screw it up some how. Here is the but, I’m getting closer to the end I think so its coming out quicker for me. For some reason I some how found a life and it got in the way when I wanted nothing more to update this, lol. So I wanted to say THANK YOU, for being so incredible patient with me. I have to say, I am shocked how many people have this on author alert. I never had that many waiting for an update, (hugs).

Big shout out to those who been reviewing and just being so kind with your words. When I need motivation all I have to do is look at those who have reviewed, and it truly does keep me going. Here is the shout out,

Jellybean16, moogsthewriter, supernatural16, Lyless and lockesilver, Kits, Ingu, XdaisychainX, ElektricStorm, PrInCeSsFBi, sdfreek, closetfan, sUnKiSsT, SilverDogDemon, NiteAngel

Big hugs to you all!!!

P.S. If you see spelling or grammar mistakes, pretend I didn’t make them. Will just say the evil ff.n gremlins attacked my story ;) lol.

Chapter 6

The night was as clear as ever for the city of New York. Anyone who was up this late could look up and see the Human Torch airborne high in the sky. Like a flying comet, he moved in and out of the tall buildings almost playing with the fact he could easily slam into either one of them at any second.

Soaring up to one of the much older buildings of the city, Johnny flamed off and landed on an old gargoyle. He looked at the glowing city and for a second his mind snapped back to his reality. Twisted metal lay on the streets, paper littered the ground, as glass became the new pavement. The burning buildings kept the city lit as the smoke rose into the air filling it and making it hard to breath. The once beautiful city was a war zone and it was no longer the public’s, but theirs.

Johnny Storm blinked his eyes a few seconds coming back out of his thoughts. He was no longer in that reality, and really had no desire to go back. His mind kept tormenting him, thinking about his beloved sister. But Susan Storm of this reality was not his sister, she was the other guy’s. ‘But’ he thought with a smile ‘he’s no longer here, just one Johnny Storm now.’

Then a new plan began to set into motion as it all became clear for him at that moment. He felt rather pathetic for not thinking it before hand; then again he didn’t know all the players of this reality. If he had known about his sister being here, he would have never made the deal with the devil himself. Then again he made a deal with the Doom from this reality, not his. He had no loyalty to him, Johnny could give two shits whether Dr. Doom lived or died. From now on he was going to be part of the Fantastic Four of this world and the reality he came from was an old Johnny, he was the new improved one.

With that last thought bringing a smile to his face once more, he then leapt off the building. He felt the air rushing past as his clothes and hair flapped in the wind, as he got closer to the ground. When it looked as though he was a suicide jumper and he could actually hear screams coming from those walking on the street he flamed on and began making his way home.

(Unknown Location)

Blackness was all around Johnny. It consumed him, and no matter where he turned he could not escape it. He had no recollection of how he got there or how long it had been. He couldn’t see his hand in front of his face, so he sat up and that’s where he stayed. It would just be his luck of getting up, take off running in any direction and then fall into a hole he obviously could not see.

He called out for anybody and when no answer came back he screamed at the top of his lungs. Waiting for his vocals to start straining and aching but that never came. Nor was there an echo that bounced off the walls when he made even the slightest sound or even the loudest. It was like he was stuck in limbo, no way out and no way in.

Johnny Storm was trapped in his own personal hell. Though he would never admit this to anybody he was actually frightened. It was nerve-racking not knowing how he got there, who may have him or what for that matter.

Little did he know that Johnny couldn’t escape even if he tried to find a way out, for his body was trapped in a frozen status in a cryo coffin. He didn’t even know he was trapped in his own subconscious mind. All he truly could do was wait until somebody got him the hell out of there.

(Baxter Building – Few Days Later)

Johnny walked into the living room to find Sue sitting on the couch. She was flipping through the channels, and it was appearing she wasn’t finding anything remotely interesting. Coming and sitting down next to her, he let out a sigh.

“Bored little brother?”

“Yeah.” Lying to her, for really he was nothing more then content just sitting there and doing absolutely zilch.

Glancing over he couldn’t get over how surreal it seemed to him. They looked exactly the same: length of hair, the way she spoke, even to how she dressed, her sense of style. Suddenly, as though sensing her brother’s gaze, her eyes diverted their attention from the television to Johnny.

“What?”

“Just thinking.” A slight pause, “When was the last time we hung out? Seriously just the two of us?”

Sue couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of her brother’s mouth. Johnny stopped hanging out with her the minute the training wheels came off his bicycle, maybe even earlier then that. Or that’s just how it felt to her. He just grew up in a different world. She was about being a good girl, Miss know-it-all as he always called her, the brains. Johnny was the popular borderline bad boy who everybody either wanted to be him, or wanted him. It wasn’t that they loved each other as family and wouldn’t die for one another on a second’s notice, but hanging out was a whole other ballpark, in fact another game all together.

“Last time we hung out was probably never.”

“Well then come on let’s do something, I’m bored.”

Sue turned the T.V. off with the click of the remote and stood up. “Sounds like a plan, just give me a second, gotta change.”

She wasted no time then moving to her bedroom. As she was changing she couldn’t help but think of her brother’s recent attitude adjustment. He seemed older which she had never seen in him before. It was like his eyes had got this haunting effect to them as though he had seen the worst of the world and it was all riding on his shoulders. Few times she also had caught him looking at her as though at any minute she would disappear never to be seen or heard from again.

She suddenly realized how ridiculous that sounded. Shaking off that thought, Sue walked out of her room. She grabbed the listings of when the movies were playing. When she didn’t spot Johnny from where she left him, she turned to walk towards his sanctuary, his room. Knocking lightly on his door, he told her to come on in.

“Johnny Cellular is playing at 7:15, I thought….”

She stopped in mid sentence. He was putting on a shirt over his head, but of course that wasn’t what made her halt so suddenly.

Just as he was slipping the clothing on, she caught the reflecting image of his back in the mirror behind him. A nasty scar that ran from the top part of his right shoulder and went across his back where it ended at on his left side of his waist. Just catching a quick glimpse of it she could tell it was healed. But the size and how deep to leave such a mark must have been a lot of blood and excruciating pain.

Thing was, Sue wanted to know when the hell Johnny Storm received such a vicious wound on her little brother’s back. Why hadn’t she known about it because she was mostly certain she would have been informed of when it happened. She was so lost in thoughts about what she had seen, Johnny, seeing her hesitation, walked up to her.

“What?”

Not wanting to beat around the bush and think about it till she went crazy she came out and said what was on her mind, “When did you get that scar on your back?”

Johnny didn’t know what to say, at lost for words. He knew because of the circumstances in how he got the disfigurement on his back there be no way his doppelganger would have one. He thought he was safe when he allowed Sue to come in, not thinking about the mirror behind him giving her a full view of it. He obviously couldn’t tell her why he had it and how he gotten it. ‘Think of something Johnny, anything you can’t stand here for long or you’ll look suspicious then you already are.’

“When we were fighting Dr. Doom. Nailed my back on something. Didn’t want you to worry or freak out about it so I hid it.”

Her eyebrows shot up. ‘Oh crap, she doesn’t believe me.’ Johnny so wanted this to work, so hoping he didn’t screw it up some how.

“That’s so like you Johnny. Trying to play tough, next time tell me.”

Letting a mental sigh. Johnny gave her a grin. “Play tough? Come on we’ll miss the movie.”

Sue followed her brother to the elevators, grabbing her leather jacket on the way out. She made him believe that she had bought his story. But alarms were suddenly going off in her head. She knew for a fact there would have been no way to hide a wound of that magnitude. She was definitely going to keep her eyes on him, something wasn’t right.

(Few hours later)

“I loved the part where Ryan was stuck in the little rent-a-cop car.” Johnny spoke as Sue and him were walking back home instead of paying a taxicab fee.

“The premise of the movie was different and unique. So many Hollywood movies are returning with the same idea, just changing the characters and putting a new title on it. Kind of refreshing.” Sue nudged her brother, “You know Johnny, Ryan kind of looks like you.”

“Come on are you kidding me! I’m so much hotter than that chump.”

Sue just shook her head as they continued their walk. They were only a few blocks away, which she was thanking God for that. She was regretting her choice in shoes, and every step she took she wanted nothing more then to be in a hot tub soaking them. But everything seemed to bring her right back to the scar on her brother’s back, she couldn’t even concentrate on the movie that well. She did make a decision though, she was going to bring it up to Reed. He was the only one she believed that could share light on this matter.

A lone siren brought her out of her thoughts as a guy came scrambling around the corner. As he got closer to them, he stopped. He immediately recognized the two members of the ever so popular superheroes of the Fantastic Four.

As the wailing of the police vehicle closing on their location, the man went into panic mode. If he tried to run, the two would stop him, of this he was sure. He didn’t take long to come up with his solution in how to fix his predicament. Before Johnny or Sue could even rationalize in what they were going to do, he pulled his weapon.

The man aimed for the two siblings, Johnny went into action. As the gun cocked back and the man squeezed the trigger, Johnny shoved hard into his sister making them get out of line of fire as the bullet flewby. Sue quickly caught it and made it stop in mid air only a few feet away from them.

Police finally made their presence, as did Johnny. Pushing away from the building, Sue instantly felt heat building up. She watched as her brother then put his hands together. When he did this, Sue caught something in his eyes. Just like when she had arrived home and the group was about to receive their presents. He had looked so sad, so pained just by her being there. This time it was completely opposite of sorrow. This was flat out hatred and as nothing would sooth Johnny’s soul as to completely wipe this man off the face of the earth. For the first time that Sue Storm could remember, she was down right scared of her brother and anyone in the vicinity.

All Johnny could see was red. The man was going to kill his sister without any hesitation. Not thinking about anyone but himself. They didn’t do anything to this man, to deserve that kind of treatment. As far as he was concerned, this guy did not deserve to live. Without even thinking of repercussions, allowing the temper to take over any rational thought process he allowed the anger to unlock a stream of fire.

The man dropped his gun as he saw the blast of hot inferno coming directly for him. Screaming he closed his eyes and waited for the excruciating pain. Nothing happened. Peeking one eye open he saw the fire being split into two different directions. An invisible force-field was the only thing standing in front of his most certain death.

The fire dissipated and not more then two seconds he was on the ground as two NYPD cops tackled him from behind. He hadn’t even seen them sneak up on him; he was so preoccupied with what was going on in front of him.

Sue had dropped her force field and spun on her brother who was still standing next to her. “What were you thinking?! Obviously nothing because you could have killed him!”

“You think if he had shot and killed you, he would have lost any sleep over it?” He too turning around and glaring.

“Johnny, “ the mother tone she sometimes could get when speaking to him, “you would be no better then those we have put away.”

“I’m not apologizing for protecting my sister! I’ll be damned if I lost you again.”

He then winced inside. So angry at what the man had almost done he lost his emotions. He lost all self-control and allowed that slip up.

“Lost me? What are you talking about Johnny?”

“Wrong choice of words. Look I can’t deal with this right now.”

Sue couldn’t even get the words out before Johnny took a few steps back and then took to the sky. Sue had watched him for a few seconds and then shook her head. If she wasn’t confused before or worried, she was now. Sighing softly to herself she made her way back to the Baxter Building.

Johnny however went to the spot he liked to think the most. The same place he was able to capture the other Johnny, the one who belonged in this world. He wasn’t suppose to be here but he wanted it so bad. Nothing more for everything to be normal and he could just fit in. But it was only a matter of time before they found out the truth. ‘No,’ he thought, ‘I’m over reacting everything is fine, just have to calm myself down.’

“Dr. Doom said you’d come back here.”

Nearly jumping out of his skin, not hearing anybody come up on him he turned around. It was the goons that had taken his doppelganger away.

“You have been ignoring the calls, we were sent by Dr. Doom to retrieve you.”

Nodding his head, Johnny put a soft smirk on his face. “Unfortunately the phone Victor gave me broke, clumsy hands. As for me returning with you is not going to be an option. You see,” clapping his hands together, “I just don’t think it’s going to work out between me and Dr. Doom. You know he has that whole metal thing going on so if you just give him a message.”

The man stepped up closer pulling a weapon, the same one used to knock out his counterpart. As far as Johnny was concerned he didn’t want to know how that feels.

“I don’t think your understanding us Johnny Storm, you are to come with us and we are not to return without you.”

Putting his hands up in defense palms out, “I completely agree. Guess you’ll just not return at all.”

As he said that, he let out fireballs killing the men in front of him. “Hope you don’t take this personal.” Johnny said to the burning corpses on the ground. “It’s me, not you.” Letting out a chuckle he turned back around. At least he got to kill somebody tonight, it might have not been the right person, but it helped him feel better.

“Nothing like the smell of burnt flesh on a cool evening night in the city.”

Trust me when I do say that more of Johnny’s past will be reveled, (dramatic music) dun dun duuuuun. Hoped you like it, and only a few more chapters to go ;) till next time, later!!!! Oh yeah, I know Cellular came out before Fantastic Four, but come on, how could I resist? ;)