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#Post#: 289--------------------------------------------------
Machines of Time
By: Cherie Date: August 21, 2024, 6:43 pm
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[center]-The weather was crisp in New York for a summer day. It
was slowly starting to turn to fall. While this should be one of
the hottest months, it was a reminder that those long sunlit
days were starting to come to a close; just as it was with all
life. The city seemed to come alive at night. The sounds of
people chattering, the loud car systems with the boom boom
vibrating in the night. The sound of sirens going off in the
distance. Everything was as it should be in the city that never
sleeps.
While everyone was moving about their lives there was a sudden
shift in temperature in one of the more vacant parts of Central
Park. The temp had spiked from a comfortable 78 degrees to 100,
then to 105, then to 112 degrees. In this localized area the
temperature kept rising, but not enough for anyone on the
streets to notice. It seemed to be contained to certain area.
But while the heat kept rising, with an astonishing quickness
there was a loud explosion. Nothing had come from the
atmosphere, there was no bomb, it was as if nothing was there
and with that explosion there sat a single device. It was almost
small and innocuous. It sat in the small crater that was formed
around it smoking. What no one would have known was that this
was not right.
The device was as small as an old portable radio. It looked as
though it could be slipped onto a wrist, and the band was rather
large. Who or whatever was wearing the device was no longer
attached to it. The person had an exceptional wrist.
What the denizens of New York would not realize, is that
something had come through with the device. Something or someone
had been separated from it. Yet there was no sign of temps
spiking in New York at any other place. This device was
specially designed and looked to be homemade based off
technology that would not be available in this timeline and
perhaps not even of this dimension. Yet there it sat, smoking
and alone with out an owner.
Perhaps, it would not sit there to long if someone were paying
attention to anything that could be out of the ordinary, or if
they happened to pay attention or stumble upon it. Though it was
certain that perhaps this unknown device should not fall into
the wrong hands.
On another side of the world. A machine had woken up, upon
looking down at his wrist he had realized something had gone
wrong. Perhaps a wrong calculation? His hand touched upon his
wrist where he wore the device. It was no longer there. He had
scanned his location and figured out where he was. The problem
was he needed to find the rest of him that he had apparently got
separated from. Then he would be able to complete his mission.-
[/center]
#Post#: 290--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Slick Date: August 21, 2024, 8:43 pm
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[center]Avengers Tower had toppled the crown of Tallest Building
in Manhattan. The large “A” emblem, glowing a vibrant, light
blue was a beacon on the skyline, hard to miss even in broad
daylight. The building was a marvel, truly, sleek and chic and
futuristic as all hell. A little gaudy for just how tall it was,
and had real “Ozymandias” vibes, but on a clear summer day, it
was the best place to sunbathe. At this height, the sounds of
the city were usually drowned out by the wind. Jarvis was such a
good host that he would send one of Stark’s little helper bots
out to deliver him refreshments, though that was usually the
sign it was time to go. Johnny only ever stopped by for a quick
coat, anyways.
His communicator went off instead this time, and he sighed
wistfully as he stretched and sat up. Tapping a button on the
screen of the wrist watch, a hologram of The Thing projected
outward.
“Hey Flamehead, you out n’— aw c’mon, kid! Put some clothes on!
You sunnin’ yer starfish like that Carlson jerk?”
“Ladies hate tan lines, Ben,” Johnny zipped up that iconic blue
suit, feeling its bio-engineered weave adapt and mold to his
body like a glove. “To what do I owe the pleasure, big guy?
Microwave on the fritz? Need me to reheat your meatloaf?”
“One of Reed’s sensors got some strange reading down in Central
Park. Temperah… temporal -temperature- spikes. Over a 100
degrees n rising. Whatever’s going on, it’s out a the ordinary.
And right up yer ally, matchstick boy. Go check it out for us.
Lemme know what ya find.”
Johnny would mockingly salute the hologram, to which Grimm
extended a thick, fused middle digit of rock. Johnny cut the
feed and slapped on the watch as he walked towards the edge of
the roof, whistling “Burning Love” as he jumped off.
“FLAME ON!”
And in a whirl of fiery plasma, he soared through the Manhattan
skyline towards Central Park. Coordinates sent to him would
navigate him toward a pocket of the temporal shifts in
temperature, and he could feel the bubbles of heat climbing as
his feet touched down, the flames around him dissipating.
“Huh. Guess it isn’t just me.” Green eyes scanned the area
slowly, not yet spotting the device.[/center]
#Post#: 291--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Cherie Date: August 21, 2024, 9:11 pm
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[center]
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X-Mansion
Westchester, NY
-A large blue furry hand had touched upon the keyboard, he
looked over the rim of his glasses and brought a clawed fingers
up to his chin rubbing it slightly.- “Well what do we have
here?” -he asked no one in particular in the lab with him. His
attention had been brought to the computer due to a serious of
beeping sounds alerting him. With a few press of a buttons, the
screen he was looking at now appeared. A few more keys clacked
and he used his fingertips to enlarge the screen. The computer
had alerted him to what seemed to be a weather anomaly, except
it was in a fixed location.- “Certainly not our weather lady.”
-he said with a posh voice and a small chuckle as he thought of
Storm. He knew she was here somewhere. His attention went back
to the screen in front of him.
Hank reached for his communicator and pressed it to contact an
X-Men he knew was out and about the city.- “Sorry to bother you,
Jean. We have a bit of an anomaly showing up here. It’s right in
Central Park. I can send you the coordinates.”
“Hank, it’s my one day off. Is there no one else?” -came a soft
voice over the communicator. There was only very slight
irritation in her voice but also the expectation that this might
happen. Jean rarely took time to herself, she always kept
herself focused on the needs of those around her. There was
still that tone she had that she wasn’t happy.-
“You are the closest. I would not dare interrupt your night off.
But the readings are concerning. The air around the crater seems
to be crackling. The readings are quit..well…head scratching to
use such a primitive saying.” -he could hear the sigh on the
other end of the com which seemed to come straight from the
woman’s soul, but also a soft laugh.-
New York City, NY
“No need to be dramatic, Hank.” -but even Beast could hear the
soft smile in her voice as he took off his glasses and wiped
them down while she spoke.- “I’ll go take a look. Best case
scenario it’s a science project wrong. Jean out.” -she said as
she tucked the com away, stepping down an ally for some privacy,
she levitated upwards to high in the sky.
She fly towards the coordinates that were uploaded to her by
Hank, it was easy to see. Actually she could feel the heat
before she saw it. Jean knew the area would be hot. The closer
she got the hotter it became. Though it was not as hot as it
should be. It was hot but it wouldn’t burn her skin off not with
the way it was cooling down. Her eyes moved over towards Johnny.
As her feet did not touch the ground. She levitated just a few
feet off the ground. She was dressed in a white sundress, a jean
jacket and sandals. Her red hair was slightly windblown. Her
eyes moved up and down him for a moment. Not to check him out to
be see if maybe he was responsible.-
“This you?” -she asked him, as her hands motioned across the
small crater in the ground. Jean did not think Johnny was that
powerful to do that. Then again they really new nothing of the
Fantastic Four’s powers. They could evolve over time.-
[/center]
#Post#: 292--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Slick Date: August 21, 2024, 9:55 pm
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[center][img]
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[center]It didn’t appear any civilians were around the
explosion, or the pockets of heat that fluctuated. Tapping the
“4” upon his chest, nanites in the suit began scanning the area,
taking in readings that would be sent back to the Baxter
building for further analysis while showing the initial readings
on the communicator. Johnny was a genius in his own right,
though he liked to joke that he got the looks, while Sue got the
brains. He’d learned a lot over the years of being in the
Fantastic Four, but as the Human Torch, he’d taken it upon
himself to learn as much as he could about fire and
thermodynamics. As he moved past the spaces of heated air, he
would reach a gloved hand to one such pocket and try to
manipulate the heat, trying to absorb it if possible.
Jean Grey’s silent and graceful entrance went unnoticed until
she spoke, and Johnny stopped his own approach towards the
mysterious crater at her voice, those emerald hues shifting
towards her, followed by the male model jawline. Shamefully,
Johnny did check her out. Damn his affinity for red heads. And
it was sundress season in New York, you can’t blame the man.
Damn his affinity for red heads. Luckily, he was able to keep
his up and down of her brief and he moved right along with a
quip.
“I haven’t had a landing that rough in years. Nope, just out
here doin’ a science. This a mutant thing? Storm usually gives
us a call if there’s any overlap on that sort of thing…”
He reached the edge of the crater, peering over the edge to
examine what was inside. [/center]
#Post#: 293--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Cherie Date: August 22, 2024, 7:59 am
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[center]
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[center]
The heat wasn’t magical, Johnny was able to manipulate it. The
heat residue from leftovers of the device was from traveling
through space and perhaps even time. At his manipulation the
heat would do what was commanded of him. The small pocket of
heat was at his command as it followed his lead. It was also
cooling down on its own. Not as fast without his help though.-
-Jean caught the quick up and down but she gave him enough
respect to not say anything about it. She did not know too much
about the young man in front of her, but looking at him she
often wondered what his life would be like had he not gained the
powers that he did. Sometimes life dealt one a tragic hand.
Though he seemed to be getting along just fine. Still, she
wondered. He wasn’t a mutant like her. Born with a gift and a
curse to be loved and despised all at the same time. He got his
gifts when his life was just starting.
There was a small smile that touched upon her soft full red
lips. It was very easy to see why Jean was a beloved member on
the team. Why at one point in time at least one of her team
members got a crush on her. It was not just her beauty but her
soul. She was filled with kindness and a tenderness that
enveloped those around her. The smallest of smiles could make or
a break a man.-
“I’m glad you’ve practiced your landings.” -her voice was a
melody even with the still air around them. But her face then
fell and a more serious look crossed her features- “Mutant
problems are everyone’s problem. Help is always appreciated no
matter the biology.” -she corrected him gently. There was that
idea of separation, except Jean prescribed to no such course.
They were all in this together.-
“I got the call from Hank. I keep telling him he needs to get
out of the lab, but now he’ll use this against me.” -knowing
beast he would use it as an excuse because if he wasn’t there to
catch it they might have missed it.
As Johnny moves closer to the crater Jean quickly placed her
hand on his shoulder to pull him back from the edge a bit-
“Johnny.” -her voice was loving but commanding, her very
presence could still a room but her tone of voice would always
get attention.-
“Don’t get too close. We don’t known what’s down there.” -Her
looking out for a member from another team was on par. She knew
Johnny could hold her own but she was self sacrificing. She
would never put anyone in harms way if she was there and could
do it herself. Jean had also placed her hand on his shoulder
from behind to ensure she had his attention. Her hand felt like
a soft hug upon his shoulder. It was not just the warmth of her
skin but the warmth of her soul touching him.
“You stay here. I’ll go down.” -it was not a request, what came
from her lips was her not going to argue with him about who was
going to check it out. It made sense that she would insist she
check it out. While she might look grail and demure, Jean Grey
was a power house of a mutant. There was a refined grace to her
but even behind her sparkling eyes laid something else about
her. Her hand was finally removed from his shoulder.
“Besides which one of us here has a higher resurrection rate in
the event of death?” -again came that shadow of a smile. It was
a dark joke that perhaps certain x-men would not find funny but
she figured Johnny might appreciate the dark humor. She wasn’t
always so stiff.-
“If something happens down there or there’s another heat event.
I can’t help you there but you can help me if I get into
trouble.” -She could make everyone feel needed. Instead of
comparing powers she made it so that she might need to be
rescued. It was logical on her part. Jean in no way doubted
Johnnys powers but she also knew that would be best served as a
second line of defense.-
“I can put a field around the crater when I’m in it, in the
event of an explosion, I’ll be able to contain it.”[/center]
#Post#: 294--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Slick Date: August 22, 2024, 10:30 am
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[img]
HTML https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Marvel-Heroes-One-Liners-Torch.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5[/img]
Johnny knew exactly what he would have been if he hadn’t been
doused in cosmic radiation: Formula One racer. Scratch
that—Champion. He would have earned it, spent countless hours in
the garage, covered in grease, or tearing through the tracks,
careening dangerously close to the edge, but perfectly in
control. Sure, the first couple of years would have been hard,
full of financial debt and burning through what little prize
money he had on new tires and engine parts. But he would have
made it. Trophies, European models, debauchery in Morocco.
This was so much cooler.
When the hot spots responded to his command, he breathed in,
focusing the energy to his center until the temperature in the
area evened out completely. Johnny had been the Human Torch for
10 years, and had grown into his own with a LOT of practice. He
was the youngest of the Fantastic Four and a literal hot head.
His cavalier attitude, however, masked the fear that Johnny had.
His gift lacked the prejudice of hers, but it carried a curse
all the same. If he wasn’t in complete control at all times, he
could hurt someone. He could cause more harm than good if he
wasn’t careful. He never complained about it, though. After all,
Ben had it worse.
It was why he gave a sympathetic look as she gently corrected
him. He glanced over his shoulder at her touch, but didn’t say
anything, just nodding that rugged chin. She was hard to argue
with. “Sure thing, Ms. Grey.” And he idly wondered what she
taught at that school in Westchester. He shook his head and kept
his thoughts rolling, remembering she was a powerful telepath.
He busied himself with looking at those readings, surveying the
area. There were still no civilians that he could see. He opened
up the comm back to Ben.
“Ben, the X-Men got a ping on this, too. Something cratered here
in Central Park. Contact EMS to keep people at a safe distance
while we try to find out more.”
“X-Men? Is Storm there? Tell her I said—“
“It’s Jean Grey. She says hi.”
“….Keep yer mind out the gutter, kid,” said the Thing, almost
fearful for Johnny.
Johnny flamed up and gently levitated into the air just beside
the pit, going up over the tree line
“Jeez, tell me not to think about tiny pink elephants next,
Blockhead. And while you’re at it, can you get any satellite
footage of the surrounding area? Maybe whoever crashed here is
still in the park.”
“On it, hotshot.”
#Post#: 295--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Cherie Date: August 22, 2024, 11:47 am
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[center]
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[center][center]-A quiet laugh moved from her as she heard Ben
on the other line. She did wave to the comm so Johnny could tell
him hi for her. Sometimes it did bother her that everyone
treated her differently because of her gift. She did hope they
know she maintained their privacy by not peeking in unless she
absolutely had to. Though the implications of what she can do
always hung in the air around her like a dark cloud. It never
helped when people weren’t sure if she was Jean or Phoenix.
She stayed silent and let them speak. She should communicate
with Hank, but she’d wait till she knew more and could answer
his questions. For now though she had Johnny as a point person
and she trusted both him and Ben. It was always easy but they
were bright minds.
She also could have corrected him on calling her Ms. Grey but
she didn’t. She glanced back over at the crater before turning
her eyes back to him. The moment he flamed on, she watched with
interest. Her lips parted slightly because she was in awe of
him. The fire that flickered around him like a living entity
almost gave her chills. She has never seen what she looked like
as the Phoenix engulfed in flames but seeing Johnny gave her a
new appreciation of it. Quite simply, it was beautiful to
behold. Even Jean wasn’t immune to how enigmatic it looked.
Johnny Storm put Jean in awe of his powers. That’s not an easy
feat.
Back to the task at hand. Tearing her eyes away from the man on
fire she shifted them back to the crater. She wasn’t dressed for
this and there was a small grumble as she stepped/slide into it
with her sandals on. The crater came to about her thighs at the
center of it.
Johnny couldn’t see it but she has placed a field around the
hole in the ground. Meaning if someone did happen in there she
would take the full impact if she couldn’t protect herself quick
enough. Kneeling down she felt the now cooled ground. Her
slender fingers running across the dirt. There was a slight
magnetism. She only knew because she could feel the slight pull
of her rings toward the ground.
She pushed up into a squat. But being mindful she was in a dress
and inched toward something that caught her eye.-
“Johnny, there’s something here.” -she said standing up and
walking over to the device carefully. Once again she crouched
down and this time she got on her comm.- “Turn your comm on.”
-she instructed Johnny so that she didn’t have to repeat
herself-
“Hank, we got something. I’m with Johnny-“
“The Human Torch?” -came that over friendly voice on the comm-
“Fantastic.” -he said with a chuckle that followed.-
“The crater is about 4ft deep and looks to be roughly 10 feet in
circumference. In the middle looks to be a modified time
slider.”
-Jean reached for it to ensure it was cool enough touch, one
finger touched it there was a bright spark, a yelp from Jean as
she was thrown back wards into the dirt. The comm was gripped
tight in her hand from the charge that went through her body
She laid on her side in the dirt, but pushed herself up-
“Shit..” -she said shaking her hand. Her finger tips were
blackened and she now had dirt in her hair along with ruining
her dress. She stretched her legs in front of her and glared at
the device. Over the comm came Hanks panicked voice-
“Jean? Jean!”
“I’m ok.” -she replied back. She did drop the shield to allow
Johnny in if he wanted to check it out. She was already pushing
herself up. She would glance over to him, putting the comm down
at her side.-
“We’re going to need your help.” -she said to Johnny because who
better to assist.- “Hank. I’m bringing it back to the mansion.
Johnny is going to come with me.”
“Splendid! I’ll get the marshmallows.” -came that once again
chipper voice even if there was a chaotic event on the horizon,
he was still a voice of reason and comfort.
Jean then started to climb out of the crater. She could have of
course used her powers, but she wasn’t one that always relied on
them.- “Give me a hand?” -she said reaching up towards him-
[/center][/center]
#Post#: 296--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Slick Date: August 22, 2024, 8:51 pm
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[center]
HTML https://roleplayevolution.com/galleries/Slick/albums/userpics/10001/2/normal_johnnytagged.jpg
Knowing that the possessor of the Phoenix Force was impressed by
him in any manner would have been flattering. Everyone in the
hero community knew the legend of Jean Grey, her sacrifice, and
the fact she was an absolute power house. Yet what truly
captured people was the woman within persisted, outshining the
Phoenix itself. He felt privileged for the opportunity to work
with her. That, and it was never a dull moment around the X-Men.
It was never dull around Ben, Sue, or even Reed, but he saw the
same three team mates nearly every single day. The X-Men had a
new line up depending on the day of the week!
The Thing had reported a negative on any satellite readings,
Emergency services were on their way to cordon off the area, so
Johnny was able to look down at Jean as she spotted the device,
watching curiously as she touched it and… his fiery eyes widened
visibly and he landed back outside the crater, seeing his flames
dance across the edge of the TK shield. He kept the fire burning
as a defensive maneuver for himself, though his posture relaxed
once she rolled over. She looked more annoyed than hurt.
“I am?” He asked, arching a brow, before grinning. Damn right he
was. “Looks like I’m going to Westchester, Ben. Don’t wait up,
big guy.”
“Eh, they can ‘ave ya! Keep us posted.”
Johnny’s flames retreated into thin air and he was offering her
that hand, easing her out of the indention.
“No offense, but how many lives does a Phoenix have, exactly?”
He offered a wry smile before stepping back. “Shall I call the
fantasti-car, or are we flying separately?”[/center]
#Post#: 297--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Cherie Date: August 23, 2024, 10:33 am
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[center]
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-Jean took Johnny’s hand and pulled herself out of the hole of
dirt. Her feet were dirty, so were knees, arms and dress. There
was even some dirt left over in her vibrant red hair. She only
brushed some of the granules all of her arm and knee caps. It
left darker stains on her skin, but she didn’t even seem phased
by it. It was all part of being in the X-men. The dirt would
wash out of her dress, and if not it was just another article of
clothing she would have to trash.
She did notice that he seemed surprised she said he was going
with her, but she would let it go. While she could read facial
expressions, often times if she mentioned it people got paranoid
she was reading their thoughts. And if you had to ask Jean, she
really did not want to read Johnny’s thoughts. She did let out a
laugh at Ben’s words about having him.-
“Careful. We just might keep you.” -she gave him a smile. As
serious as she could seem, under that sometimes stoic facial
expression she could make jokes and tease. This situation would
turn more serious before it got better so she might as well
enjoy this time while she could.
Jean turned her body towards the crater once again with her
hands on her hips. Her eyes tilting slightly at his questions
about the Phoenix. Her shoulders came up in a shrug.- “As far as
cosmic entities go, more then a cat I’d wager. And no offense
taken.” -she said putting her hands back down at her sides as
she turned her body to look at him.- “I might share a body with
it, but it’s not like I know it’s favorite color.” -there was a
pause.- “Red.” -she said because she thought of her Phoenix
uniform, it would turn green to red. It was one of the reasons
why she stopped wearing red. Even if she looked good in it.-
“Fantisc-car? Is that a real thing?” -she was trying not to
laugh at it, because honestly it was hard to tell if he was
joking or not.- “Or we could race. Maybe put those flying powers
of yours against mine.” -she then used her tk power to lift the
device from the ground because at this point she wasn’t going to
try to and touch it again so a tk bubble would suffice.- “What
do you say?”
-Jean knew how to lean into people, it wasn’t part of her mutant
gift but she was observant. She had glimpsed in his mind about
being a racer and what better race then against someone like
her? Jean paid attention to the needs of those around her.
Perhaps not always their wants but their needs. It was a way
that she connected with people. She then started to levitate off
the ground looking down at him. The bottom of her soft dress
flowed appropriately around her legs, her hair swirling almost
like the fire he could flare around her hair with the wind. In
small moments Jean could look like a Goddess but with the
finesse of a loving mother.
She was challenging him in a fun way, and appealing to that
nature that he liked to race. She was giving him a once in a
life time offer and it was create a little levity in this
moment. There was one nagging question in the back of Jean’s
mind. Where was the wearer of this machine? That was a question
she would have to have answered, but that could wait till she
was back with Hank. Till she had that answer she would see what
Johnny would say to the race.
What Johnny didn’t realize was, he would win against her. She
even knew that he would win against her, but yet she still
offered the race to him anyways. It wasn’t about her ego, it was
about creating a place for Johnny. Making him feel good, make
him feel like he was part of the X-men even if for a small
moment. It was always about centering around trust for her. You
had to trust the person you were working with, and a small race
was a show of trust and camaraderie. To most it might just be a
fun race, but to Jean it was something deeper.-
[/center]
#Post#: 298--------------------------------------------------
Re: Machines of Time
By: Slick Date: August 24, 2024, 8:31 pm
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[center]
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“Don’t tempt me with a good time. Can’t wait to see what your
costume designer has in mind,” he did a couple of poses like it
was natural. And it was. Johnny Storm had done modeling. Hottest
Calvin Klein campaign since Marky Mark.
He thought of replying to her comments about the Phoenix force.
Something about testing the bounds of resurrection too many
time. He thought better of it and instead just chuckled at the
red comment, motioning to her impossibly crimson hair, “Ironic.”
“And yes, it’s real. And very cool. The others needed something
to keep up with me,” he winked, that cocky smirk in place
wilting slightly as she offered up a race. Then it spread even
wider. He looked at her almost doubtfully but…
“You’re on.”
Snapping his fingers, he turned on like a pilot light, taping a
few steps back from her and planting his feet for the take off.
“Better not take it easy on me. I have an older sister. I know
what it looks like!” And because if you ain’t cheating, you
ain’t tryin’, Johnny took off like a rocket into the sky. The
thermal energy channeling through his body propelled him at
incredible speed, his body locked in, head up, shoulders back,
hands close to his sides. It was like piloting a plane, every
shift in his frame careful and calculating, slicing him through
the air like a hot razor. Only when he felt he had a sufficient
lead did he begin to look around for her. Had she caught up, was
she right on top of him? Or was he leading enough he could start
really showing off?
And if he could, it was funny to the point of obnoxious. He
could swim through the air like Michael Phelps, going easily
over a 100 mph, and he wasn’t even topped out. But at a certain
point he would let the lead close, wanting the challenge. Turtle
or the hare, he liked the challenge, even if he had to make it
harder on himself. And unless she did something crafty, it would
go on like this till Westchester. Every now and then as he
burned through the air, the air above New York would hear
"WHOOOOOOO!"[/center]
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