#Spideytorch week | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

flamingwordsinthesky · 1 year ago

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Power Swap Au

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The plan was simple: go in, take off his mask and reveal his identity. Once his sister saw it was Johnny, they’d have to let Spider-Man join the Fantastic Four. He couldn’t hide who he was from them anymore. It was hard enough keeping a job and trying to juggle his identity. Sometimes he just wanted to rip the mask off and let people know who he is. But he had no one but Sue to protect anyway. But it was also nice to get away and just be regular Johnny Storm getting ready for his Apprenticeship at a local auto shop.

But it did feel weird not telling his sister. And his sister could keep a secret. She’s a celebrity too! In a different way maybe but Spider-Man could use the popularity boost, thanks to the Daily Bugle and their efforts to defame him were starting to work.

As he stuck to the edge of the Baxter Building, he peeked inside and noticed Reed’s mousy intern, talking with the giant Rock monster once known as Ben Grimm. They hadn't noticed him but he kept a focus on the teen who took his spot the day he got bit by that Spider.

Reed’s little intern. The Human Torch, Peter Parker.

They’d met before he was hired as Reed’s intern. He caught his attention by scoffing at him when he was hitting on one of the girls in Peter’s class. Despite his nerdy size, he didn’t seem intimidated by him. Like he actually believed he could take Johnny in a fight.

He’d been more amused by the nerd but was impressed when he was hired as Reed’s intern. If Reed was impressed than the guy had to be doing something right. Peter Parker. Took his spot on the ship that night, Reed’s little trip to space that gave the Fantastic Four their powers. Gifting him the powers of the sun. It turned a young scrappy nerd into a shining star.

He was scrawny like a metal rod, not a lot to look at but still dangerous in a fight. He should know, he’s seen the guy fight in action. He managed to hold his own against Doombots, moloids, and Johnny knows he saw the guy punch out Puppet Master once.

He used his fire sparingly, some kind of wrist device on him that extended long whips. Long flaming whips. Whips he used to send himself swinging like Johnny himself. Like he was always supposed to be in the air.

But he’s even more dangerous on fire.

Johnny scoffed as Parker and Ben laughed at a muffled joke as Ben patted his back, like a proud father. Focusing on crawling up to Reed’s lab. Hoping to see Sue and jump in. But the lab looked empty. Opening the unlocked window and jumping in. The very second his feet landed on the ground the alarms went blaring and he tried to escape but there was a whoosh and he almost walked into plexiglass.

The door opens and the alarms stop as the Fantastic Four come rushing in. Despite the chaos Johnny’s attention turned to Sue, who looked at him in confusion.

He could reveal himself now. Or he could show the Fantastic Four what he’s made of, really show up that Human Torch.

“Ah come on. This is one big misunderstanding. I mean you guys shouldn’t leave your windows unlocked!”

“We don’t need to be lectured by a vigilante,” Sue said with conviction, but Johnny leaned against the glass. He wondered if Reed installed some sort of super resistant glass or some other scientific glass. He pulled back a punch and smashed the glass, shards bouncing off his gloved hands as the glass broke and crumbled around him.

“DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH THAT COST ME?” Reed yelled as Johnny jumped out of the cage and onto the ceiling.

“Probably too much,” He says as his head radiates danger, incoming heat heads his way, jumping to the side and looking at the black spot that could have been Johnny.

“Peter,” Sue said with disappointment in her voice. Something Johnny was accustomed to. “What?”

He might actually get killed if he doesn't reveal his identity, but he’d rather not do it upside down. So he jumps down onto the floor but before his feet hit the floor his spider sense warns him of an incoming fist. His hands hit the side of The Thing’s arm and swung his whole body off the arm and over The Thing. There was ringing and Johnny ducked to avoid a ball of flame flying into him. Ben shouted as Johnny stood to glare at the Human Torch.

Okay, so it was time to show them what he was made of.

He clicked a button on his web shooter, sending out a net to wrap around Ben. The chains of the web clunk and thudded around the rocky body that stumbled and focused on getting out of the chains. Johnny had spent weeks trying to figure out the right chains to use to make flexible and durable web nets that could work wrapping up criminals. Luckily they were durable enough to keep Ben stumbling but Johnny was quick to sweep the large unbalanced feet and down Ben went.

“That’s it you animated arachnid,!” A voice shouted as Johnny was surrounded by fire in a circle. Johnny tried to jump over it but the heat increased as did the walls of the flames. There was a small opening that hadn't caged him in so he jumped up onto the ceiling.

Another flying fireball misses him on the ceiling as he jumps and dodges along the white tiles.

“Come on up here! Maybe you’ll actually hit me!” Johnny taunted him as another fire ball missed. Peter took off his wrist braces holding the chains for his whips. In the blink of an eye he was engulfed in flame. Like a comet he flew up to Johnny, right arm suddenly showing the blue and black of his uniform, and curled into a fist. Without thinking and only moving his body to avoid Peter’s punches. Despite his smaller size, Peter puts everything into each punch as Johnny ignores the heat calming him in its presence.

“How are you doing that?” Peter asks with every avoiding punch. Like Johnny is a hanging punching bag, come to life to mock Peter.

“Doing what? Avoiding your punches? You just suck at fighting, what can I say flamehead?” Johnny made a catty grin when Peter’s face flushed a little and his brows furrowed in anger. He met Peter’s eyes and noticed that his brown eyes seemed to have some hints of green in them.

That’s when a painful impact of fist to Johnny’s cheek is made, quick and painful, possibly worse if he didn’t have resistant skin and super strength. The punch would have broken someone’s jaw. Not him, all it did was make his cheek hurt but unstick to the ceiling. And like that Johnny was falling.

“Did that knock the webs outta your head there, web-brain?” Peter said before Johnny adjusted and landed onto the floor.

There was a ringing in his head and ducked with a swoosh of air going around him. So he lunged forward into the body of his sister and sent her flying back. Before he was grabbed by a stretchy hand.

“Enough!” Reed shouted as the others stood up.Johnny struggled against Reed’s grip, but Reed’s grip was tight and Johnny had no choice. “Why are you here? Do we need to involve the police?”

In all the time Johnny had known Reed, he’d never seen him so serious, brows furrowed in such a way that it told him that Sue’s boyfriend meant it. So he opened his mouth and explained himself.

“Reed! it’s me Johnny!”

The room fell silent, Reed’s hand releasing Johnny as he pulled back his mask and fixed his hair to his usual style of a side sweep and little curl at the end. Johnny was a bit unsure what to say or do now. If only because Sue looked like she was about to yell at him. That’s something he’d had prepared for but now he’s revealing his identity to everyone.

“I knew it! I knew Spider-Man sounded familiar!” Ben shouted as he finally broke free of the chains.

“Johnny, wh-wait, that explains a lot actually.” Reed said. He made eye contact with Peter, who just stared at him like he couldn’t register what he was looking at.

“Uh, surprise?” Johnny said with a weak smile and rubbed the back of his head.

***

It took a lot of explaining but Johnny sat with Sue and told her everything. About the spider that bit him. About his powers. About how he stopped a burglar by accident and decided to lean into the superhero business. Yet despite everything said, Sue looked angry at him.

“Are you insane? You’ve been flying around and beating up criminals this whole time?” she said, worry decorating her already stressed voice. Johnny sat firm in his seat. “And you didn’t think to tell me until now!?”

“Hey! Don’t get mad at me about the vigilante stuff! You guys are superheroes too!” Johnny called out. Knowing that it was technically true. The Fantastic Four dealt with bigger threats than street level crime and the occasional supervillain. But that didn’t mean Johnny didn’t understand the risks, maybe his line of superheroing was a little more dangerous and frequent, they were still heroes.

“You know what we do is different, you’re dealing with criminals with guns.”

“Oh come on. What else am I supposed to do when I can lift The Thing over my head like he’s nothing and I can keep up with you guys. I’m doing good Sue! I know it’s dangerous but I made it this far!”

“Johnny, you’re 18! You shouldn’t be doing this! You should be focusing on that apprenticeship with Benson. Not saving the city.”

“You expect me to just be normal when I can do this?” Johnny said as he stood and jumped to the ceiling, sticking to it before jumping down.

“Sue come on, I’m doing good out there!”

“Want you to be safe! Your suit isn’t even bullet proof!” “Can I say something?” A voice said suddenly and Johnny looks to see Peter who is followed by Reed. They whispered to each other for a moment before Reed took a deep breath.

“Reed, it's fine.” Sue said before looking at Peter like she’s waiting for an explanation, “Alright Peter, what do you have to say?” “I’m the same age as Spider-Man,” Peter said his superhero name like it was something to be proud of. Johnny couldn’t help but just stare at Peter as he talked to Sue like her equal. Sue on the other hand slump her shoulders and look at Johnny quickly. “So you’re fine with me going out there and fighting giant monsters but not Johnny?”

“Peter that-”

“I know some news media like the Bugle call Spider-Man a menace but I also know he’s a hero. He’s saved a lot of people. I’ve seen the guy in action a few times,” He looked at Johnny then with a raised brow “Though he could learn to not just avoid punches.”

“Hey! You only got lucky. Next time I’ll really show you what I can do.”

Peter said nothing to that and looked back to Sue. “Anyway, maybe have a little faith in your brother, he’s already shown that he can hold his own.” Peter finished.

“Wh- I - Are you - How- I-” Then Sue was silent and Johnny was stunned.

Parker was sticking up for him? Talking to his sister like that and defending him. After everything, after all the glares and the ignoring each other. Yet here he was and he actually smiles at Johnny for a moment before looking back at Sue.

Finally Sue let out a groan.

“Okay, fine. It would be hypocritical of me to not be okay with you being a superhero.”

Reed went up to Sue and held her while Johnny turns his attention to Peter. Who looks at him for a moment before turning around and walking out of the room.

“Yo wait Parker!” Johnny yells at him as he chases him out of the room. Peter turns to him with a raised brow.“You didn’t have to do that, that wasn’t your business.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

Peter stayed silent, avoiding looking Johnny in the eye before letting out a long frustrated sigh.

“She gave me the same talk.”

“What?”

“When we first fought Mole Man. Sue was against me being on the team and said I should focus on college,” For a moment Peter smiles, like he remembers a funny joke. “And the only reason I’m still here is because she agreed to train me and help control my powers.”

The way Peter looked at his own hands, one hand flaming on from the tips of fingers to his wrist. Flames dancing around his hand and illuminate Peter’s face, highlighting his cheekbones with a square jaw, his eyes looking alight as Peter plays with his flame. And for one horrifying moment, he notices that Peter is actually very handsome.

“My powers can be pretty destructive if I’m not careful. So I’m grateful for her helping me train. But when she brought up your apprenticeship, I thought it sucks that you’re already putting yourself out there, voluntarily to help people. You already showed you can take her down. I had to say something.”

Johnny could only open and close his mouth, unable to form words. Peter shook his hand and the flames were gone but he still stood there looking at Johnny. They stood there as Johnny backed away for a moment. His hands itched a little to brush a piece of hair behind Peter’s ear. He couldn’t do that.

“Didn’t think you were so nice,” Johnny says with an air of confidence that hid his nerves. Peter’s eyes did a sweep of the ceiling before pointing a finger at him and looked sternly.

“This is a one time deal. I still you’re a glory-seeking idiot on a good day and your little pulley system is…rough. I’m honestly surprised it works.” Peter examined Johnny’s wrist and his web grapplers. He had spent weeks going to Wyatt to have him help design them with what he had. Only able to get his hands on what he could get from car parts and broken cellphones. Wyatt may have helped design them but he put it together.

“Well I may not be some super genius like you or Reed but I have my ways.”

Peter said nothing but gave him an eye roll before turning around “Maybe not. But you clearly got help. But I hope the next time we meet, we’ll get into a real fight.”

Johnny smiled as Peter walked away.

“Looking forward to it.”

#my fic writing #spideytorch #technically part of spideytorch week but this is so late that it might as well be it's own thing #it kinda hi #fantastic four #spider man #Spideytorch power swap au

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