Fear Itself: Fantastic Four 02*

[ever_lovin]

[OOC: *This comic never existed and all the following is my canon.]

Ben stands at the edge of the broken office building and looks out at the city. From ten stories up he can see an awful lot and he doesn't like what he sees; fires in a few places, looting, screaming and general mayhem and if that weren't enough, giant robots with the swastika are advancing. Part of him looks at it all with shame and guilt, part of him looks at the whole thing like troop movements, and part of him looks to see where help is needed the most but all of him burns with an anger more potent than phosphorus. He also notes the grouping of Avengers nearby on the ground and decides to head there with Franklin and Val. He needs to find them protection before he can go hunting for the Serpent and any other "Worthy" he can find. He feels it then, the Serpents' power flares and his palace, his center of power appears; a castle floating above the Lower East Side.

"Huh, don't see that everyday," Ben says. "Let's get down there." He turns and heads towards the stairs, the elevator would be quicker but he doubts the safety of it given the damage the building has taken. Franklin and Val follow him and pause with him when he stops at the hammer.

"You should leave it," Franklin suggests.

"And risk some other schmuck picking' it up? Not likely," Ben replies reaching for it.

"But what if…" Val starts to ask.

"Ain't nothin' ta worry about kids. I ain't got no fear left in me but I got plenty o' pissed."

It takes them five minutes to make it down the stairs and join the Avengers at what remains of Avengers Tower. He can feel the Serpent is gone but his influence remains, fear so strong you can taste it. The people needed help, that much was clear and yet the Avengers were guarding a pile of ruble.

"What in the dad blamed Sam Hill are you guys doin'?" Ben shouted by way of greeting. Several of the Avengers immediately went on guard and Ms. Marvel turned as if to blast him so he dropped the hammer and held up his hands. "It's me…really me."

"Stand down everyone!" Luke Cage yells and hurries forward to Ben. "Thank God, you're free."

"Thank Franklin ya mean. What's goin' on?" Ben asks grimly.

"Stark's in Asgard making weapons we can use, Cap's in Oklahoma chasing after the Serpent and we're making sure either one can get to where they need to go."

"So no one's protectin' the city?!?" Ben asks incredulously.

"We only have so much resources," Ms. Marvel says. "If Cap and Iron Man don't succeed, we all fail."

"So ya give up what yer fightin' fer ta win? THAT"S DAD BLAMED BULL!"

"Woah Ben, calm down. Carol is right. We can only do so much."

"Fuck that. City ain't falling while I got breath. You yahoos stay here and play general's solders, I'm takin' the fight where it's needed." Ben turns and walks off with the kids leaving some very confused Avengers behind.

"Grimm, take care of those kids first!" Wolverine calls out just as Ben turns a corner. He waves a hand in reply.

"What was all that?" Jewel asks.

"Man's lost it all," Luke answers with a hint of grief. "He thinks he's got nothin' left."

"He's walking death's road. I just hope he let's the kids off." Wolverine adds.

"What the hell?!?!" Spider-woman says. "Why are we letting him go?"

"Man's got a right...especially after what happened." Wolverine replies.

"We don't have the time to hold Grimm's hand and guard this. Man wants to go out, I can't stop him right now. Best to give him free reign so he'll get the kids to safety first."

"Thank you for reminding me that all men are insane," Jewel says shaking her head but staying where she is.

Comments

[ever_lovin]

Five minutes later Ben and the kids come across a group of frightened city workers who are trapped in an alley by a couple of the Nazi mechs. Ben sighs at the delay in getting the kids to safety and throws the hammer through both mechs before yelling at the workers to get in the subway for protection.

Six minutes later, they find a group of bankers in a similar situation and the result is the same. Then block after block, they keep finding New Yorkers who are trapped or under attack and each time Ben's need for revenge gets put on hold until finally he has to acknowledge there's no way he can get the kids to the Baxter Building. But if the kids happen to have a flare...

"Hey, either of you guys got a signal flare wit' yeah?" He asks as they peer around a corner to New York General Hospital. Maybe I can leave the kids there instead? And just who would I leave them with?

"Yeah, here," Franklin says reaching into a pocket on his back and holding up the micro-flaregun.

"Fire one off. Maybe we can call yer folks and they can come get yeah," Ben says. Plus, maybe give the people of New York some hope.

The flare goes up and lights up the intersection in front of the hospital. Several groups of the Nazi mechs turn and advance on the hospital. Crude Ben thinks and walks out to head them off. "You kids stay here," he says just as something fills his mouth and works its way down his lungs.

He falls to his knees and knows it's Susan. She even got him before he could draw in a breath. He looks up as stars start in the corns of his eyes and see the kids arguing with their mother who is looking at him with cold fury in her eyes. Of course, she thinks I'm gonna hurt her kids, he thinks and tosses the hammer aside.

SORRY. NO TIME. He carves into the assault and then raises his hand to point at the three ground of advancing mechs in turn.

[ever_lovin]

"Flyers, you guys make sure we know where groups of mechs are, draw any you see to our positions and rescue anyone ya find trapped. You are not to engage right?

"Brawlers, take our their joints and any cables, tubes or wires ya can get yer hands on. The more we disable the better. Don't worry about kill shots unless ya can make it quick.

"Any o' you guys wit' ranged weapons or powers, same thing as the brawlers. We are fighting to contain the damage these guys are doing. Longer we can keep them attackin' us, the longer we keep the people who can't fight alive.

"Officers, I got lot'sa respect fer ya, but ya gotta stay outta this. Lead any civilians to the subway and help wit' first aid okay?

"The intersection is the line folks. Here we stand an' they don't get any farther. If they try an' go around, we drag 'em back. Got it?"

All Ben had wanted and all he believed he had left of his life was revenge. When the Fantastic Four flare had gone up, it had summoned more than just Reed and Susan but just about every hero in the city who wasn't an Avenger. Ben just sighed and let go of his need for revenge to take care of what was needed.