loss / marvel au

chapter 16 / encounter 2 / johnny's disquiet repose

Taking it, Sue took a good look at the souvenir. It was a wet piece of paper, hard to make out... but the one thing she could make out on the end was Ben. Next to him, a very long hand that stretched around a blonde girl and red inferno body.

Forcefield coming down, tears glossed her eyes, as they poured out only to dissolve into the water.

Floating back up to shore, she came out of the waves still crying, as she was embraced by Steve, her wet hair sopping onto his suit as she weeped on his shoulder, photo still tight in her hand.

"This is all my fault." she said through sobs.

*
The rest of the day was awkward.

Sue hadn't said a word to any of them.

Just trailed towards the back and occasionally cried, mourning her late brother.

He was the only piece of family she had left.

*
The crew sat around the extinguished fire, all worried about the blonde who'd walked off in the cold rain.

While some worried about her, others stared at Kitty, concrete now beginning to spread to other parts of her body.

Betsy closed her eyes, focusing as she searched the island for any significant source of energy.

Steve felt awful. Of course the two had squabbled back and forth from time to time through the small timespan, but he was a kid. No older then 22.

Peter had came to the realization it could've been any of them. Any of them who were feasted on by viscous mermaids and died. But out of all people, it was Johnny. The one who lost is powers and was nearly immobile.

Wanda just sat in silence. Knowing how it felt to lose someone, more specifically a brother. A half of you is gone. Twins or not it's just not the same, especially considering how close the two seemed to be.

The group became stiff, as branches broke in the distance and the soaked miserable blonde came back into sight, taking a seat next to Wanda.

"I-." she stopped, breathing tensely, "He-." she couldn't even come to finish her sentence, her head collapsing back into her hands as she continued crying, surrounded by a great deal of mizpah.

"You'll be alright. Trust me." said the telepath, getting up from where she sat and moving towards the blonde and redhead.

"How do you know." she shot back, almost cold, but more so sad and in-denial.

"Because pain goes away. Just like this hurt will. So just remember -- all pain is only temporary, okay? No hurt lasts forever."

"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works." replied Kitty, arms crossed.

"Th- that could've been any of us." Peter randomly said, after a long silence.

"It could've." replied Sue, "But why Johnny!" she bloodily screamed, pounding her fist onto the wet earth, bowing her head as water flowed mercilessly through it and dripped off.

Shielding the rain from her lap, as she fiddled with the photograph of her beloved family. The Fantastic 4.

And then, Sue finally spoke.

"All of you... please forgive me." she deeply gazed into each and every one of their eyes, "Forgive me, because I know... I never will." she croaked, as Wanda embraced her into a hug, the rest lowering their heads in immense sorrow.

Sue quietly whispered a couple more things to herself, lowly humming while she cried.

*

Johnny Storm... The Human Torch... ...not a thief... not a spoiled kid... not a quitter... ...a hero.

()

"Flame Off"

I had a hard time writing this chapter. I was loss for words on how to describe a death so close, only able to bring back my own indescribable pain, which is why this chapter is so ridiculously short.