i don't like being called a child !

Garfield was focused on the dinosaur, but he was also aware of his surroundings. Like noticing the man on fire flying down from the sky. That wasn’t something he saw everyday — and it was kind of cool, even reminded him of Starfire. “Dude,” the green titan greeted, “You’re on fire. That’s a wicked power!” 

“Yeah, I can talk to animals. Never talked to a dinosaur before but I think I can pull it off. She looks kind of startled, maybe anxious? I don’t know … let’s find out,” he suggested, observing the dinosaur before he took a few steps back. After taking a deep breath, he let his powers do rest of the work. His body grew larger and larger, his soft skin turning into something scaly, something reptile. Soon enough, he had sharp teeth and nails to match the dinosaur ; Garfield was a dinosaur. 

“Thank you. I’m proud of what I can do. It’s a lot of fun.” It had been overwhelming at first when it originally happened to him, being just a kid at the time. He was the youngest astronaut, but nobody really notices that sometimes. Which is another accomplishment he was proud of.  He takes a step back, watching as the man he was taking to started to change shape.

“This is the best day ever!” Garfield shouted, feeling the power of that t-rex roar that seemed to shake midtown. Sure, there might’ve been some damage to the buildings, frantic civilians, and major confusion as to why there was a dinosaur in the middle of the city … but it was still pretty freaking awesome! The green titan didn’t think he’d ever get to see one of these creatures up close, not unless they were cloning dinosaurs in a lab somewhere. Which wouldn’t be the smartest idea if you watched any of the Jurassic Park movies. Still, he could now try morphing into one, finding the chance to be too good to miss. 

“Guess I get to practice my dino-talk.” 

Johnny doesn’t know what to think about this creature being in the middle of the city. It wouldn’t be the first time his family helped clear the street of a large creature that was almost big as the buildings. He hovered in the air, his entire body covered in fire while assessing the situation. He sees someone shouting in excitement below, maybe the only one that seems to be enjoying this from what he has seen so far.

Cindy smiled, confirming, “you are, you could be a motivational speaker.” She was about to nudge him back when he continued to speak … and she felt her heartbeat jump at his words. Wait — what? Johnny actually liked her? So her silk senses had been picking up on the proper clues? Or did he like her ‘a lot’ as a friend? His hair started to flame, causing her to blink and realize that maybe he meant beyond friendship. “Johnny, I … I like you too,” she admitted, no matter how awkward it felt to say these things aloud. Frankly, Johnny was a supportive person and she couldn’t thank him enough for being patient with her. Being stuck in a bunker for four years really did something to her social skills … and it didn’t help that she felt completely out of practice with this stuff. Dating, that is. 

“But I — don’t know what I’m doing. I haven’t been out of the bunker for long. And I’m … not really experienced with all this stuff.” Whatever this was, their friendship possibly turning over into a new moon. Well, if they survived the woods.  

Johnny knows that his agent might love that, being able to book him to speak at colleges or something. This is all assuming they get to go back to the world they came from anyway. He isn’t so sure that was possible anymore. “I really should, I mean sometimes my family does charity events. We do them often, but Reed usually does the talking.” The speeches at least, not like the boy would want that responsibility anyway. He doesn’t really date, although tried with other socialists before — but found them to be terribly boring. “You do?” He was the happiest he has ever been in this moment, a special spark in his eye. “I’ve liked you for a while, but I’ve been waiting for the right time. I know this isn’t really the most romantic setting, but we are alone now.” The banshee has gone, maybe searching for them elsewhere.

“oh, whoever’s saying that the buildings have all shifted is absolutely right. just wait til you’re out there, flying around, and you smack into the police department.” peter replies, laughing softly, before he pulled his mask off so johnny could look at him. “i think i’m good. i got a bit of  a headache at first. thank god for healing factors, am i right?” he chuckles. “so what’s been going on here in my absence? did you go to the ice castle thing, or into that creepy forest?”

“Well don’t you look where you’re going? It’s like driving, webhead.  You need to keep your eyes on where you’re going.” Johnny teases, but hopes they it doesn’t happen to him. If anything he might expect finding himself lost.  He was glad that his best friend was okay, not wanting anything to happen to him truth be told. “I went to the forest. Cindy and I were chased by a banshee? We had to hide in a tree together, and had a great conversation.“ His hair bursting into flames at the thought of Cindy saying she has feelings for him too. “What happened to you? Anything interesting?”

“Franklin.” Sue called to the young boy, it was definitely the mom voice. “Remember no running in the house, because your sister follows everything you do.” She pointed to the young girl follow right behind him. She looked up when she heard her brother walk into the room. “Oh thank goodness you are here.” She looked at him with a soft smile. “Do you mind watching your nephew and niece while i get started on dinner. Reed is still in the lab or else I’d have him doing it… but I just need them to be supervised for a second, since they think the house is a track field. But Franklin can walk through walls - Valerie can’t and just ends up running into them.” She shook her head as the two of them ran to Johnny.

@flamecn​

There was nothing better than being surrounded by family — truthfully being Johnny’s entire world. He would do anything for his niece and nephew especially, and it was obvious how much they love hint too. He walks in the room and immediately the two shout his name and race over to hug him. “Woah! You got me!” He falls playfully, letting the little ones climb all over him. “I don’t mind watching ‘em, don’t worry, sis!” He says while sitting up slowly. “Franklin you shouldn’t tease Valerie like that.” He says softly, tossing a couple small fireballs around like he would be juggling them, making the kids giggle at the show. “Sis? What’s for dinner anyway?”

“Thanks,” Cindy replied, knowing Johnny had a good point. It wasn’t like any of them asked for superpowers, all of it just — happened? It was hard to grapple with, especially when her powers always felt like they would land her in trouble. Wasn’t that the reason she spent four years inside a bunker? And how having to master and utilize those exact skills, along with trying to mimic some ideal heroic figure was … difficult. She could barely process the amount of time she had lost during her hiding. Of course, all those worrisome thoughts seemed to sizzle when he kissed her head. Her eyes widened, hoping her skin wouldn’t begin to turn red as her mask. 

It’d been a while since someone took interest in her … if Johnny was even taking an interest, that is? Dammit. She’d been in the bunker for too long to handle flirting and kind gestures. Her silk senses were telling her that the human torch might’ve actually liked her … except she couldn’t tell for sure. Maybe she should ask the other spiders? No, nope. Anything was better than that option. She playfully nudged him with her shoulder instead, responding, “ — so, you give good peptalks.” 

Johnny doesn’t always have great speeches, But spoke his heart into that one. Not everyone was born with their powers, not even his family. He lived a normal life, following his sister around — until they went up into space one day. It was overwhelming at first trying to figure root what his life would be like now that they had those powers. Johnny held the ability to destroy so much of the world — and learning to control such an element was a lot of work. They’ve all been there, learning, and Johnny would support Cindy through it. “You’re welcome.”

Yeah, Johnny can feel his heart beating faster. “I’m capable of one sometimes.” He says nudging her back gently, needing to control his emotions before his hair is set on fire just by thinking about her. “You mean a lot to me, and I want to see you succeed. You’re pretty great AND I like you a lot.” Did he just say that? It just came out! Now his blonde hair ignited while his cheeks turn a shade of red.

“Yeah, but … I don’t know, Johnny. Sometimes I think the other spiders are better at this stuff,” Cindy confessed, knowing she still had a huge learning curve ahead of her. Sure, mastering and controlling powers was one thing … but she couldn’t quite get the handle of anything else? Like the stealth and quips and every other superhero thing on the list. She leaned into him, hoping the branch wouldn’t snap under them. That wouldn’t make her bad luck any better. 

“Yeah, let’s save our eardrums.” 

“Listen, Peter is my best friend in the whole world, but even he doesn’t have all of this figured out. I don’t think anyone really does, we make the best out of a situation with what we’ve learned so far. You just need to be the best YOU that you can be.” Johnny smiles, being somewhat better at this motivational speech thing when he actually tries. He pulls her close, keeping an arm around her. “Some have more experience at being a hero then others, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.” He kisses the side of her head for a moment, realizing what he just did.

What?

Navigating New Gotham had been hard enough–fragments of a New York that wasn’t quite hers patchworked with a city she’d never heard of into a horrible urban funhouse mirror–and shifting it all over slightly is just a cruel cosmic joke. Not for the first time, Gwen wants to go home, to lay in her own bed in her dad’s house, to endure his awful jokes and mediocre cooking and stop narrowly avoiding foreign buildings. “You know that whole hell is other people thing? It’s wrong. This is hell. Hell is getting slammed in the face by an office building’s fire escape when you’re just trying to scope out a half-decent bagel.”

This whole place sucks, only wishing that it would be possible to go back to the world that he knew — a city that was practically memorized in his brain. “I agree with you, this is Hell. I thought we were just thrown into some strange alternate universe, but now I’m worried it’s something more if the buildings are moving.” He signs for a moment, rubbing at his temples. “I can’t begin to science it, that’s my brother-in-law’s thing. How about this? I’ll help you find a bagel, and even toast it for for you!”

The boy just got out of the tree, glad whatever creature he made angry earlier seems to have left. Johnny could do without hearing those screams  ever again, still being able to picture it. His eyebrows knit together at the story, confusion written all over his current expressing. “I’m not sure I understand how a house can move around with legs. You’re telling the truth — not messing with me?” He hates this forest, they need to find a way out of here. “Better than what I ended up running into — it wouldn’t stop screaming, UGH.”

“I’ve been better,” she admitted, not sure anything could’ve prepared her to be chased through the woods by a banshee. Cindy pulled down the red mask covering her face, trying to relax now that they were above the ground and relatively safe. Or she hoped … 

“I … probably shouldn’t have attacked it,” Cindy replied, sighing. This whole superhero thing wasn’t exactly an easy learning curve. “I’m not sure what that was - some creature with a powerful scream? A villain, maybe?” 

“I sure don’t know what that creature was, surely someone else might. We were just trying to protect ourselves, and it might have came after us anyway.” His arm wraps around her shoulders, keeping her close despite the unfortunate situation they’re in currently.

Cindy pointed to one of the trees ahead, replying, “ — that one! That one looks taller than the rest!” Once they ran towards it, her hands grabbed the tree bark and began pulling herself up and up and up … until she perched herself on one of the branches, her heart still beating frantically from the chase. She glanced down, not being able to spot the banshee … but also unsure where it went. What if it was lurking nearby?  “Johnny, up here.” The wood seemed sturdy enough to hold both of them on the same branch. 

Johnny flies up into the air, carefully sitting down on the branch next to Cindy. He was mindful of the greenery around them, keeping the flames from catching fire on any of the branches on his way up. He felt safer up here, looking down for a moment before is focus was entirely on Cindy. “Are you okay?” He knows that she was a badass, but this was out of their element. Johnny has never been chased by whatever that was. He should probably be making sure it can’t climb. “What was that? What did we do to make it so angry with us?”

Johnny laughs only for a minute, unable to stop himself from doing so while his best friend describes what happened to him. “I heard theories from other people through the city that they think the buildings shifted.” He isn’t sure how much he believes it, but how would that be possible? It makes him feel uneasy, but for now he steps forward to Peter. “Let me see your face. I want to make sure you’re not hurt from swinging into a window.” It was soft sure, but Johnny genuinely cares about him — the closest friend he has ever had.

Johnny is hovering in the air, flames coming off of his feet as he looks over at Gwen. “I guess I just never took notice, but maybe you’re right!” He hasn’t been able to memorize the layout of this place. Some of it reminded him of New York, but it really wasn’t so the boy wasn’t about to pretend that it was the place he called home. He misses the Baxter Building,  his family, and the race track. He places his arms in the air, smiling as the fire uncovers his body from the face to his hips. “I’m not judging. If you’re right, why would the city shift like that? Some powerful magic at play maybe?”

Not killing sounded good. Great, actually. Except the banshee seemed hellbent on getting to them first. Which was not so good. Cindy glanced back, aiming a web at the creature’s feet, hoping it would stick. If anything, it would provide them with enough time to runaway … if the banshee didn’t have super strength, that is. “Johnny, maybe we should - get up into the trees!” Being above the ground never failed her, especially when she was trying to hide from the rest of society ( or scary forest monsters ). 

What are you meant to do against an enemy like this? Johnny was at a loss for words,  trying to stop himself from looking back at the banshee chasing the two of them. It would probably help them if they knew anything about the creature — weaknesses? What if their efforts are just making it stronger somehow? He sure hopes not at least. “Good idea! We should find the tallest tree and go up there.” He hopes that the monster can’t climb trees — then they’d be screwed.  

Cindy peered over Johnny’s shoulder, spotting the screaming creature. She didn’t know what it wanted, or what it was, but everything about it triggered her silk senses. In other words: it was trouble. Like, really bad trouble. On instinct, she hurled a web at its mouth, hoping that would stop the shrieking. Except it seemed to anger the banshee even further as Cindy ducked behind Johnny. Shit. Maybe that wasn’t the brightest idea. Now they really needed to get out of here or get away from that thing, fast. She grabbed his non-flaming hand and tugged the human torch along, sprinting. 

“Do we - kill it? Or something?” Cindy squeaked, trying her best not to trip over any spare branches. 

Johnny doesn’t know what to do after that, watching the banshee get more angry. He throws a ball of fire at it, knowing deep down that won’t keep it away, but maybe distracted enough that it won’t follow behind right away. He turns all the fire off of his body, not wanting the glow to give the creature an easier way to follow them. He turns away to look ahead of them now instead, his only concern right now.  Johnny wanted to get Cindy out of here, why did they come in here? Why couldn’t Reed be here? He’d know what to do!