Fantastic Five || Johnny Storm

Chapter 31

"To quote a friend of mine, it's clobbering time," Johnny said as he appeared out of nowhere and Victor gasped as Johnny stretched his rock fist back before ramming it into Victor.

"Hi big brother," Veronica smirked as she appeared, hidden by Johnny, and she sent Victor flying backwards towards Johnny with a massive blast of blue energy.

Johnny body slammed Victor as he sent him soaring.

But as Victor came flying back, he tore concrete and rubble from the surrounding skyscrapers and sent it all flying for Johnny.

As Johnny went flying backwards from the impact, he was surrounded by blue light as Veronica pulled him forwards, shooting like a bullet towards them, but she was taken off guard as Victor grabbed her by the neck, her blue light flickering out.

"You surprise me, Veronica. For you, I would share my power, and yet you refuse me still."

"I...will never....join you," she said before hitting home with a kick to Victor's face, and as she fell from his grip, Johnny wrapped his invisible body around him, restricting him as he snarled,

"Hands off my girl."

Veronica was floating in the air as she watched her boyfriend punch her brother with stone fists, as she sent bursts of blue energy towards him before Johnny squeezed Victor until his emitter broke and the board fell.

She was shocked when a crane holding metal beams, came out of nowhere and knocked Victor into the nearby ocean.

Ben gave her a mock salute from the operator's chair of the crane, smiling at her in all his human glory before she shot off back towards Reed and Sue, Johnny on her tail.

As Johnny returned their powers, the two found themselves arriving just in time to see Sue go limp in Reed's arms as the life drained from her.

Reed was in tears as he held her close, sobbing into her hair as Veronica was on her knees, Ben's hand on her shoulder as Johnny stood close.

Tears streamed down her face as the Surfer summoned his board, body turning silver again as he stepped on it.

"You've got to go," Reed said, voice strong but eyes still leaking tears.

The Surfer didn't move, instead reached a hand out for Sue as it glowed with a bright white light.

And when he stood straight again, patches of his skin were stone-like, sliver stripped from them as he said, "Treasure each moment with her. And tell her she was right - we do have a choice."

And Veronica rose to her feet as she dared to hope.

And as the Surfer soared into the sky, everyone let out laughs of relief as Sue turned over in Reed's arms, looking no more as if she was asleep.