Chapter 38: The Return of an Old Enemy
"Hello there… I hear you know my son? You know… The Goblin? The… Imitator?" The man known once as Norman Osborn grinds out. " I wish to know his location if you please."
"I swear! I don't know where he is! I barely know the guy!" Johnny Storm says in pain, his hands struggling to pry the skeletal hand from his throat.
When Johnny Storm, The Human Torch, woke up this morning, it was to birds singing outside his window and the sun shining brightly. He was expecting his day to go as planned, cold, leftover pizza or breakfast, maybe prank Ben, and an afternoon of Dirt Bike racing, maybe at the end of the day he would go clubbing and pick up a girl. Hey, if Rock Head can get a girl, Albeit a blind one, he could too.
He was not expecting a fight with a demon, especially one who could absorb his fire like a sponge.
The demon thing was… terrifying. Flying on what looked like one of Gobby's old Gliders,( only… powered by hellfire and brimstone apparently and made of some black metal,) the Demon Goblin thing looked like your stereotypical goblin from some D&D games. Pointed ears, razor sharpe teeth, a grin that made Johnny scared for his life, and yellow eyes. But it was also different… Its skin was an olive green color and it looked almost skeletal. It had skin and muscle, but barely. It looked more like a skeleton someone had put a skin suit on.
Johnny was just drying his hair after getting out of the shower when the demon attacked. An explosion blasted the elemental hero into the mirror, shattering it and cutting up his back. Hopping off his glider, he casually strolls over and pats the hero on his cheek before lifting him up.
"I feel as if you are lying to me. You aren't lying are you? I'd hate to hurt you… Who am I kidding, I really want to hurt you. You know… Send a message."
Johnny had tried to flame on, he really had, but this thing absorbed his flames. You could see the flames travel up the demons arms, through the translucent veins on his body before going to his sunken eyes, lighting them up like miniature lava pits.
"Ooh… Do that again, it tickles!" Norman says before throwing Johnny onto the ground, hopping on top of him so he was now straddling Johnny. Normans hand slowly caressing his cheek before grabbing his head and slamming it into the ground. "Now… If you want to keep your pretty face, you're going to tell me everything I want to know… and if you don't, I guess after I kill you I'll just go after your sister and her main squeeze."
"NO! DON'T TOUCH HER!" Johnny yells, struggling to get out from the monsters grasp. He needed to get free, warn Goblin, protect his sister… But this Thing was to strong!
"Oooh, a little feisty aren't you? I like that." He grins, his disgustingly long tongue slithering out and licking his lips. "Now. I'm going to count to three… One…"
Please no, oh god no…
"Two…"
"Fine! I'll tell you!" Johnny screams in desperation. "Genosha, he conquered Genosha. If he's anywhere, he'd be there."
"Genosha huh? Of all the places he picked that Mutie heap… I shouldn't be surprised." Norman sighed. "Now, I can't let your little bit of defiance go unpunished. I've spent the last few years trapped in hell. I want to let loose some."
Lighting his hand on fire, the Demonic form of the Green Goblin grabbed the side of Johnny's head, burning his hand print onto the Human Torch's face.
"AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!" He screams, the pain almost unbearable.
The last thing Johnny sees before passing out was the monster sarcastically saluting him before hopping on his glider and flying off. His demonic laughter fueling his nightmares for some time.
"I'm so sorry…" Johnny weeps. "I'm so sorry…"
/
(Genosha, Alex POV)
"Hey, don't worry about it. If anything goes wrong, I'm just a phone call away. You've seen me do this king thing for over a year now. You'll be fine." I say with a grin. Greer and I were all dressed in our official Goblin and Tigra attire. As soon as we get on our plan and turn on the stealth mode, we will change back into civilian clothes. This will be a simple vacation, no adventures, no Goblin, no Superheroing. Just relaxation…
Sighing in frustration, my friend and bodyguard Yuriko looks at me as if I was insane, Flint and Logan standing behind her as her bodyguards now.
"Why me? Out of everyone on this island, why me?" she asks.
"You know management, you are patient, and you've seen me do this for the past year. Logan would probably get pissed off and hurt someone and Flint, no offense, you aren't exactly cut out for the job."
"None taken." He says with a smile.
Patting Yuriko's shoulder, I grin. "You'll do fine. Just call me if anything happens."
Sighing again, in exasperation this time, she grins. "Fine. But I expect a raise from this! And a souvenir from all the places you go."
Greer just laughs and smiles. "Deal."
Getting on the advanced plane, I smile. For a few weeks, no magic, no armor, no kingly duties… Just peace.
As we take off, look out the window to see everyone waving us off. It was perfect.
I just hope it will last…
/
Paris, Home of the Eifel Tower, The City of Romance, our first destination.
Dressed in casual clothes and a slight illusion to make me look a bit different, we see the sights. We go to see Quasimodo's perch in the Notre Dame Cathedral, we go to see the Louvre. The Arc De Triomphe was our next stop, taking pictures the whole time. Place de la Concorde and then the Tuileries Gardens were nice walks in the afternoon, and finally the Eiffel Tower at night.
Leaning over the railing a little and smiling as the chilly air hits my face, I drape my arm over Greer's shoulders and just stand there, watching the people passing by and the beautiful night sky.
"Things are changing… aren't they?" She asks as she leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder.
Leaning a little on her, I rest my head on hers and sigh.
"Yeah… they are. And things will just keep changing."
this… I'm glad I met you, Alex… to be honest, I've never regretted any of it." She says with content.
This… This was nice.
Placing a short kiss on her head, we simply lean against each other and watch the night. We can stress and worry later… now was our time.
And by god I will make it last.
/
England was our next stop.
Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Stone Hinge, the countryside, Scotland Yard, and more. We even visited 221 B Bakers street. Greer was a mystery fan and to be honest, it was fun seeing her so excited.
We saw the guards change, we went on the Sherlock Holmes Tour, we went on the Jack the Ripper tour, we did everything we could.
Walking into our hotel room, we collapse on the beds in exhaustion, laughing at the fun we've had.
"I'm going to take a shower." Greer laughs. "I stink."
Sauntering from the bed to the bathroom door, she looks over her shoulder and grins.
"Aren't you going to join me?"
Grinning like a fool, I do the logical thing.
I strip and follow her.
/
(Genosha, Throne room, 3rd person POV)
"Hello, My dear…"
Holding Yuriko up in the air by her neck, Norman grins. So close to his goal of killing the impersonator, so close to killing the one who took everything from him, He could almost taste it!
The superpowered bodyguards the imposter employed were irritating at best, the clawed one was stubborn, but in the end, useless. The Sand monster was quickly dispatched of. A bit of fire and the man of sand became a man of glass.
There had been a few children who tried to stop him, but they were nothing more than an annoyance. That speedster wouldn't be running around any time soon. Maybe those little Witches would still be there once he got back… he could afford a small… pit stop.
"Go to hell." She grunts as she tries slashing at his arm only for him to easily slap her hands aside.
"Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt." He snarks. "Now… Tell me where he is!"
Throwing the bitch across the room, she slams into the throne. Tipping it over.
"Never." She growls as she unsheathes her claws. Launching herself across the room, she barely manages to scratch his cheek before he catches her wrists and crushes the tendons.
"Ooh… You know what? When I'm finally done killing him, I'm going to come back here, and we're going to have some more… personable fun. You, Me, and those Witches down the hall, but right now? You are going to tell me where. My. Son. Is." As he says this he punctuates his statement with a slap.
Yuriko was at that point very grateful that Harry was in New York at the moment doing rounds as the Hobgoblin. She wasn't sure how he would take it if his father came back… Like this no less.
"Over my dead body." She says simply. Trying to stick to as few words as possible, even talking at this point hurt. Even a healing factor could only take so much.
"You forget dear, I've spent the last few years in Hell. I'd fuck your dead body."
"You sick son of a bitch."
"You flatter me." Getting back down to business, he slams her head into the ground, creating a small crater before throwing her into the air. His glider piercing through her. Hopping on, he floats into the air before shooting off into the distance.
"This should get his attention." He says, grinning at the sound of the bitches screams of agony as her insides get rearranged by the blades of his glider.
Sooner or Later his heir would come out, and when he does… Norman Osborn will destroy him and crush his head under his boot.
This will be so fun!
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