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Restless nights came easy, sleeping on stone. It was mostly smooth, tilting slightly at strange locations down his back. And where it was not smooth, a small change in elevation, a tiny cliff impossible to find with his hand, dug its way into his skin. One at his thighs, another at his left shoulder.
Even the flames of this place were easier to live through. They were warmer than those engulfing his head, and the lava coursing through his rough skin, but felt like more of a nice atmosphere than any sort of threat.
But the sleepless nights were not the worst part, as much as they felt it while he tried to rest. The worst part was his job.
“Ah, young Mr. Storm is awake.”
Ikonn slapped him on the back. He’d been asked not to many times, but consistently did so regardless. Johnny’s complaints seemed only to stoke his desire.
“Hello Ikonn. How’s the war?”
“Oh, I’m sure Tartarus will fall soon. Hades’ll need to consult his dad to win, and we all know that’s not happening.”
“Didn’t you have a bet on that?”
“Oh yes.” Ikonn reached into the pouch of flesh hanging onto his stomach and pulled out a stone tablet, polishing it a bit with a saliva-like substance from his trunk. “I believe you’re the only enforcer who hasn’t made the bet. Even S’ym did it, and you know how stuck up he is.”
“I don’t wish to lose what little money I receive.” Johnny paused for a moment. “Though I suppose there isn’t much to purchase here.”
“No, not really.” Ikonn replied, “So, will Hades consult Cronus or not?”
“I guess I’ll say yes.” Johnny said, “Hope he’s smarter than the demons and devils.”
“Well, I’ve got you down now.” Ikonn looked rather pleased with himself, a smile spreading across his face. “You’ve been instructed to light the imps today. Ensure they’re sufficiently convinced to charge into battle.”
“And how many need convincing.” Johnny was hoping the number would be few, though he was sure it wouldn’t be.
Ikonn rummaged around and pulled out a second tablet, one with soggy moss sliding down the back. “24,857.” He gave Johnny a sarcastic sort of sorry look. “And that was yesterday. The Battle of Endless Hill just ended, and hundreds more have been added.”
Johnny hung his head. “If only Limbo’s forces were loyal to their leader.”
“Indeed, my dear friend.” Johnny was pretty sure Ikonn called anybody more powerful than himself his friend. He walked off down a side tunnel, as Johnny continued into Belasco’s furnace.
Even on the best days, time in Limbo fluctuated. Johnny barely slowed down, lighting imps as fast as he could. Sometimes he lit 5 in a minute, other times it took an hour. Each of them acted exactly the same, running around the darkened stone room until the hairs on their heads became inflamed, suddenly emboldened to follow the orders of their demonic commanders.
Only one imp changed its approach. Once pushed through the flap into the room, this one didn’t run around, didn’t make the piercing screech that hurt Johnny’s ears. It walked closer to Johnny, and using what little strength its tiny legs afforded it, jumped into his lap. He’d been sitting cross-legged all day, his elbow on his knee to support his head. But when this creature hopping between his legs, into the gap, he sat up.
The imps had been taught to avoid kindness. It was instinct to them, allowed them to survive the wars they were thrust into. But this one didn’t listen. It reminded Johnny of something, but he couldn’t think of what. Or maybe of who.
That imp was not spared a head of flames. It marched out of the furnace, ready to fight in whatever battle it was bound for. When Johnny finished, he walked back out of the furnace, trudging back to his lonely room, its torturous bed. The imp was still on his mind as his body reluctantly allowed him to sleep. And for the first time since waking up here, Johnny dreamt.
Johnny found himself flying through the skies of a metropolis, dodging around skyscrapers. His skin was no longer rocky, and lava no longer coursed through his veins. Rather, flames danced across his skin, and burst through a suit that hugged his body. He felt he did not have control over his movements, but was okay with that. The wind rushing past was exhilarating, a feeling that was so familiar, and yet completely alien.
In his ear, he heard static, followed by a slightly muffled voice. “Johnny, the ship should be dropping on Times Square.”
His mouth moved on its own. “Why is it always Times Square? Every time there’s a robot, or a super villain, or an alien, it’s always Times Square.”
“He’s right, you know.” This voice was deeper, and accented with scraping sounds. “Just last week, Mad Thinker let out that robot thing there. What did he call it?”
“That was the Awesome Android, Ben.” said a third voice, more feminine and the most familiar of them all, “Although he’d prefer to be called Andy.”
“Is this really the best conversation to be having?” the first voice again, “Johnny, can you see it?”
“Yessir.” he flew between a series of partially built skyscrapers, and looked up, a pillar lowering itself slowly to the ground, crushing a screen advertising a product of some kind, Coca-Cola, as it landed. “Aw, they broke the screen again.”
“Did everybody make it out?” The first voice asked.
“I didn’t see anyone.” he said, “let me guess, you’ve learned telepathy. Sent a brain-message out.”
“No.” the voice was no longer in Johnny’s ears, but from speakers dotted around the square, “I had these installed after the android incident.”
“And you are where?” Johnny asked, “I’m sure I could take this guy alone, but it’s always more fun with sidekicks.”
“We’re here, Johnny.” said the third voice. From the sky just above him, a small car, much like that of a roller coaster, lowered itself, and out jumped three people. One was a tall, bearded man, his legs extending to reach the ground before the car. Next, a burly man with skin of stone, glued together by some unseen force. And finally, a woman with hair the same colour as his, floating down on a floating disc of air.
“Sue, Reed, nice to see you made it.” Johnny placed his hands on the shoulders of the woman and the stretchy man. “Did you have to bring Ben, though?”
Before Ben could step forward, the door of the pillar was kicked out, and a creature, vaguely resembling a lizard, leapt into the street, a glistening rifle in one hand. “I am Devos the Devastator, on a quest to rid the universe of those who wage war. Your people have used your lives to attack each other, and now I will end all the suffering you cause.”
“Dude, the war’s not here.”
Devos stopped his speech and looked towards Johnny. “Is this not the place you humans call Vietnam?”
“It seems you miscalculated your landing.” Reed said, “I’m afraid we need to send you on your way, our wars are ours to end.”
“You are okay with the suffering you have caused to each other?” Devos’ anger seemed to be rising, “Not just in this war, but in the hundreds before it.”
“More like thousands.” said Sue, “But we're working on ending this one, and to end all wars you have to end all humans. We aren't a huge fan of that.”
“Yeah, let us finish what we started!” Ben ran into Devos’ side, propelling him into the wall of his ship. He slid down to the ground, unconscious.
“Oh, come on, Ben!” Johnny said, exaggerating his disappointment, “You could have saved some for the rest of us. Or at least said something cooler.”
“We should hold him somewhere.” Sue said, “We can’t have him returning, or going after whoever else.”
“I haven’t gotten into the Negative Zone yet,” said Reed, “So that’s a no-go.”
“Maybe the High Evolutionary?” Sue suggested.
“Oh no,” said Ben, “We don’t want an army of lizard men who hate humanity.”
“I think our best bet is the Nova Corps,” said Reed, “they’ll give Devos here some time to reflect.”
Johnny felt his mouth begin to move again, just as he faded from his dream, the landscape, his companions, and his words floating away as sand on an invisible wind.
But rather than awaken, Johnny was pulled into another dream. Here he was again with Reed, Ben and Sue, standing around a metal arch. Reed stood, presenting it to the rest of them.
“This is a door to other dimensions.” He said proudly, “To the prison in the Negative Zone, to the Microverse, to the Dark Dimension and Weirdworld. Anywhere we want.” He turned to marvel at his creation. “We can explore beyond the confines of our world.”
Before any of them could even consider objecting, Reed's arms reached around the doorway to a series of buttons and levers strewn across the floor of the lab.
“We've been exploring since before we were The Fantastic Four. Now we can go beyond.”
“Do you know what's out there, Reed?” Sue asked.
“No, and that's what's so exciting!” Reed was very set on this course of action.
“And so dangerous.” said Ben.
“You got any smaller, not too dangerous places to go first?” Johnny asked.
Reed thought for a second. “Well, the Microverse does show a constant hum of energy, so should be predictable.”
“Sounds perfect.” Sue gave Reed a kiss on the cheek. “So, do you think we'll be back before dinner?”
“We'd better.” Johnny said, “I'm already hungry.”
“We will. Just a peek. Shall we begin.” Reed didn't wait for their approval to begin flicking switches and slapping buttons. After a minute of this, and the gradually growing hum of electricity, blue light appeared in the doorway, a swirling portal much like a whirlpool.
Then, as soon as Reed let go of the levers, it became purple.
“Reed, is it s'posed to do that?” Ben took a step back.
“No, it isn’t.” Reed stepped back too, pulling Sue with him. Johnny was already further back than the rest of them.
“If it isn't Mr. Reed Richards.” Out of the portal stepped a man dressed in purple robes, with green gloves and shoes. His face could be seen through a blue sheet of transparent material. He had his arm outstretched, a glowing red stone floating above his gloved hand. He took a moment to look around. “You have changed.”
“Who are you?” Sue asked, “And how do you know us?”
“It would appear I don't know you.” The man contemplated for a moment. “Something changed this timeline.”
“You're a time traveller?” Reed said, more intrigue than fear in his voice.
“Yes, but I've been gone from this world too long. I need worthy opponents, and you…” he trailed off, profound disappointment emanating from his face, “You haven't had the trials of your predecessors.”
“We've had our fair share of trials.” Ben said, “Look at me.”
“That is no trial, Ben Grimm.” The man was angrier at Ben for some reason. “It is no matter. I can mould you into worthy adversaries.”
“Oh, no, you don't,” Ben stepped forward and punched the man. But he stepped aside, watching as Ben stumbled past, then balled the stone into his first and brought it down on Ben's back.
The floor below Ben opened up, crystalline structures rising from the ground to pull him down.
“Ben!” Reed stretched his hand out to grab Ben's, but Ben was already gone, the floor already returning to the sleek metal it was before.
“Sue, I'll send you somewhere nicer.” The man leapt forward, but Reed was faster this time. His arm wrapped around the time traveller's fist, pulling him away from Sue. But he was not deterred. “Reed it is then. You like science. There always being an answer. Let's take that away.”
The red glow grew brighter, engulfing Reed's arm. Then, starting with his legs, he was whisked away, through the arch that he'd built. He turned around again to punch at Sue, but she was gone. Johnny felt himself get pulled by an invisible force, out of the room and down a hallway.
“Sue, what're we gonna do?”
Sue's voice came from the air ahead of him. “We run until we're away from him.”
As she said it, the man slipped through the ceiling like it was made of water, and slammed his fists into the ground. The shock waves threw both of them off their feet, and Sue became visible again.
The man stood over her and touched his glowing palm, the stone now a part of his glove, to her temple. “My offer of some place nice has expired.”
Johnny watched in horror as Sue's body began to disappear, as she became a being of pure snow, before crumbling into a pile on the ground.
“And now the annoying one.”
“Who are you?” Johnny wanted answers. Why had this man appeared, only to send Sue, Reed and Ben who-knows-where.
“I am the only being who remembers you at your best.” He said, kneeling down to look into Johnny's eyes. “And the one who will make you that again.”
Johnny felt hands, hundreds of wrinkled fingers, crawling down to grab him. He looked up and saw they were reaching out of a red portal in the ceiling.
“Goodbye Johnny Storm.” He said, “I hope Hell treats you well.”
Johnny was awoken by Ikonn. “Johnny, wake up. Belasco's called a meeting.”
It was a long path up to Belasco's throne room. The stairs were uneven, it involved crossing multiple overpasses between floating islands. And it lay in the middle of a maze of tunnels that shifted as they walked through. Eventually they made it, and Ikonn’s trunk only got slightly singed.
In the throne room, they took their spot on small stools moulded from the magma floor. S’ym sat closer to Belasco’s throne than them, kneeling in front of the throne rather than to the sides. When Belasco entered, Johnny’s eyes were drawn, not for the first time, to his robes. Belasco’s face was pink, the colour of a pig, but the rest of his body was a writhing mass of red knots. At first, it may just appear he was as odd as any other demon. But Belasco had taken to punishing himself for every loss, since before Johnny had joined his realm. His body was not red, those were his muscles. The pink robes, that hung around his arms and waist, told the story of his many failures. A cape of pain, a reminder to the king of Limbo.
Belasco came in carrying two weapons. The first was a small sword, that of a fencer, over his shoulder. The other he dragged, his axe. He brought them to his throne, and slumped into it, leaning the axe against the chair and sitting the sword on its armrests. “I am afraid the war is lost.”
Nobody in the room replied. A few of the enforcers that Johnny hadn’t bothered to learn the names of looked around, but no sounds were emitted. And so, Belasco continued.
“We have failed to take Tartarus, and we have lost our opportunity to try again.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Cronus has used his own magics, and those of the other realms of Hell, to seal us away, alone for eternity.”
This started to stir the crowd. Ikonn’s mouth opened just enough to be visible below his trunk, but he seemed to decide against speaking, and closed it again.
“But, we have a saving grace!” Belasco continued, ignoring the uproar, “An opportunity to escape this prison and take the territory we are owed.”
More chatter among the enforcers, but intrigued this time. Johnny noticed S’ym hadn’t spoken at all.
“S’ym found somebody new today. She arrived just before this cell was sealed, and needs a new home.”
As he finished his sentence, Belasco beckoned over to his left, to where he’d walked in from. Out of the shadows wandered a young girl, no older than 8, clutching to her chest 2 bracelets. She had pale white skin and dirty blonde hair, and was dressed in a black dress with pink flowers on it.
“This child has no place to go, and needs help controlling her abilities.” Belasco’s voice creeped Johnny out. It didn’t have the anger of the war with Tartarus, nor the joy of torturing prisoners of said war. This voice was predatory. “It’s our duty to help her, to raise her. And together, we can escape.”
The demons all around him applauded, cheering Belasco’s name as well as “child”, apparently content not knowing her name.
Belasco picked up the sword and stood from his throne, kneeling before the girl. “If you are to thrive here, you will need this gift.”
She lifted the sword from his hand, and it glowed, blue flames licking the blade as she held it up. Belasco stood again, applauding the girl with a long grin on his face. The enforcers cheered her on, but Johnny stood still. She wasn’t supposed to be here. And now, he was pretty sure he wasn’t either. And something within him stirred, something that was lost when he entered Limbo. An overwhelming urge. To help.