With a smooth, almost organic motion, a section of the floor rose, transporting Ranger, Ben, and Susan, bringing them closer to where Reed Richards was lost in his scientific fervor. Reed, surrounded by a maelstrom of holographic equations and muttering about "n-dimensional manifold topographies" and "chroniton field resonance," didn't even register their arrival, his entire being consumed by the data Steel had provided.
Susan looked like she wanted to speak, to perhaps gently extract Reed from his obsessive state, but she held her tongue, a familiar resignation in her eyes. Ben, too, was lost in his own heavy thoughts, the earlier adrenaline of his brawl with Johnny replaced by a somber contemplation.
"I believe a discussion of this gravity." Ranger began, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight that cut through Reed's academic rambling, "is best conducted with all relevant family members present." He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "It is, after all, a decision that will irrevocably affect all your lives."
Ranger snapped his fingers. The sound, though not loud, was sharp enough to momentarily break Reed's concentration, his head swiveling with a bewildered, "Hmm? What? Oh, company." before his gaze was drawn back to a particularly enticing equation. Ben and Susan, however, were fully attentive.
"Of course." Ranger continued, a faint, almost predatory smile touching his lips, "the individual who will experience the most… direct consequences of this decision also needs to be present for the deliberation. He should be arriving momentarily." Ranger's gaze shifted upwards, towards a section of the reinforced laboratory ceiling. Susan followed his look, a knot of apprehension tightening in her chest.
The ceiling seemed to melt away, not crumbling, but retracting with silent, controlled precision. Through the opening, a creature of breathtaking, incandescent beauty descended. It was a phoenix, or something very much like it – a magnificent avian form sculpted from pure, contained fire. Its plumage shimmered with all the hues of a dying star, from deepest crimson to molten gold, its eyes twin points of intense, intelligent blue light that mirrored Ranger's own when Steel was in control. Its wings, vast and majestic, beat with a silent, powerful rhythm, creating no wind, only a gentle warmth that contrasted sharply with the earlier, uncontrolled inferno of the Human Torch. In its talons, sharp and forged from what looked like solidified flame, it carried Johnny Storm, who was still struggling, though his own fire seemed pitifully dim in comparison to his captor's glory.
The phoenix construct glided to the center of the room, pinning Johnny to the floor once more with an almost disdainful gentleness. Then, its fiery form began to shift, to condense. The majestic wings folded, the avian features smoothed, and the incandescent energy coalesced, shrinking, solidifying, reforming into the familiar, hulking, forty-meter titan, REMORSE. This time, however, it continued to shrink, adapting to the confines of the laboratory, until it stood at a still-imposing, but more manageable, ten meters, its presence radiating a controlled, immense power.
Susan gasped, not in fear this time, but in sheer awe at the beauty and precision of the transformation. Even Ben let out a low whistle, his earlier focus on Johnny momentarily forgotten. Reed, for the first time since receiving the data, actually looked up, his eyes widening, a flicker of pure scientific wonder replacing his usual abstract concentration. "Fascinating… controlled energy-to-matter-to-energy transmutation on a macroscopic scale… the energy conservation principles alone are… revolutionary…"
"You fucker!" Johnny shrieked from beneath REMORSE's foot, his voice muffled but his rage undiminished. "I'll kill you! I'll make sure I hunt you down and flay you alive, you hear me?!"
Ranger merely glanced at him, a look of utter indifference. Instantly, REMORSE's foot pressed down slightly, and a field of energy enveloped Johnny's head, silencing his tirade with an almost comical mfft.
"Ahem." Ranger cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "Now that the primary source of disruptive, and frankly, rather repetitive, vocalizations is temporarily quieted, and now that all members of the esteemed Fantastic Four have gathered – and HERBIE too, of course." As if on cue, HERBIE zipped over from a corner where it had been discreetly observing, hovering near Susan. Ranger gave the small robot a nod of acknowledgment. Susan, with a soft smile, gently wiped a speck of dust from HERBIE's domed head.
"I will now elucidate the terms of the arrangement I have reached with Benjamin Grimm." Ranger announced, his gaze sweeping over them, before settling on the still-pinned Human Torch. "As per our prior discussion, compensation was to be allocated to the Fantastic… well, three of you, primarily… for the utilization of your residence and medical facilities for my recovery. However." his voice took on a sharper edge, "a certain impetuous, and frankly, rather dim-witted, individual saw fit to attack me, repeatedly, with lethal intent, while I was incapacitated. My initial, and I believe quite justified, intention was to permanently neutralize said hostile entity. But." he looked pointedly at Susan, then Ben, "in exchange for a significant reduction in the overall compensation package, that belligerent child is now merely being… detained… by a Titan-class construct specifically designed with the capacity to ensure his permanent cessation, should the need arise."
REMORSE shifted, lifting Johnny just enough for Ranger to lean down, his mouth close to Johnny's ear, his voice a silken, almost inaudible whisper. "You can thank your… remarkably hot… and undeniably beautiful sister for your continued, if somewhat restricted, existence, Torch." Ranger grinned as Johnny's eyes, visible through the energy muzzle, blazed with impotent fury and a fresh wave of fire. REMORSE, as before, simply absorbed the errant plasma. Ranger had ensured his more… appreciative… adjectives regarding Susan were for Johnny's ears alone.
He straightened, his expression returning to one of cool neutrality. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Reed Richards has received his portion of the compensation, and as you can all plainly see." he gestured towards Reed, who was now attempting to surreptitiously scan REMORSE with a handheld device, "he is as happy as a theoretical physicist in a candy store full of exotic particles, currently mumbling formulae that the Human Torch couldn't comprehend even if he were granted a millennium of dedicated, uninterrupted education. Though, I suspect he would have flunked out, or rather, bunked the class entirely, within the first minute." Ranger shrugged dismissively and paced a few steps.
"And for Benjamin Grimm's share of the compensation." Ranger continued, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Ben, then at Johnny, "he initially requested ownership of the Titan REMORSE, the very construct currently ensuring our peace. A request which, while understandable given the circumstances, was, of course, far too substantial a prize to be included within the adjusted compensation. However, I presented him with an alternative. A rather… life-altering alternative."
He paused, a dramatic spin on his heel, his eyes locking with Johnny's once more. Even Reed Richards, sensing the shift in tone, looked up from his scans, his interest piqued. "In return for his share, and a portion of Susan Storm's, I will grant Benjamin Grimm the ability to control his transformation. An on-and-off switch, if you will, for his powers."
"In return for Human Torch powers."
Ranger's grin grew wider, almost predatory, as he watched the fire in Johnny's eyes visibly cool, replaced by a dawning, horrified realization.
Reed Richards, at the side, muttered, almost to himself, "Of course… the initial cosmic ray exposure that granted their abilities… if one could isolate the specific divergent energy frequencies that stabilized their altered genetic structures… it might be feasible to create a nullifying counter-frequency, or a resonant dampener. To use the energy signature of one of the original cosmic ray recipients, like Johnny, as a template to temporarily offset the power expression of another, like Benjamin… theoretically, yes…"
"Is that really possible, Stretcho?" Ben asked, his voice a low rumble of disbelief and desperate hope. "Can this kid really do what he says? Can I… can I be me again?"
"It is… theoretically feasible, Ben." Reed mumbled, already lost in calculations, sketching furiously on a holographic interface that had appeared before him. "The energy dynamics are complex, but not entirely outside the realm of established hyper-physics. I would need to conduct extensive tests, of course, gather more data on this 'Turbo Energy' and its interaction with the Reality Stone…"
"Of course, it is feasible, Benjamin Grimm." Ranger stated, his voice cutting through Reed's scientific reverie. "For I, as you have now witnessed, hold the very reality of this universe within my grasp." The Reality Stone materialized, dancing and pulsing with malevolent crimson light around Ranger's outstretched hand. "Reed Richards, for all his genius, could indeed replicate this feat, given enough time, enough resources, enough… inspiration. But it would take him a very, very long time to devise a method as elegant, as efficient, as simply willing it to be so with an Infinity Stone, wouldn't it, Reed Richards?"
"The direct application of a fundamental cosmic constant like an Infinity Stone would indeed bypass many of the intermediary steps and complex energy conversions required for a purely technological solution." Reed mumbled, nodding distractedly. "The time differential would be… significant. Decades, perhaps centuries, versus… instantaneous."
"Ranger, please, don't scare my brother like this." Susan interjected, her voice soft but firm. She looked at Johnny, whose face was now a mask of pale terror. "Johnny, you'll still have your powers. It's just that… until Ben chooses to you can't use it."
A tiny spark of light, of desperate hope, returned to Johnny's eyes, but he still stared with a mixture of hatred and fear at Ranger, and with a new, dawning betrayal at Ben for even considering such a thing.
"Ah, but I believe you've given me quite the burning, Susan, in all this excitement." Ranger said, his grin returning, sharp and knowing. "So much so that I almost forgot a rather crucial detail of the arrangement." He looked directly at Johnny. "If this procedure is completed, our dear, impetuous Johnny can only transform back into his fiery superhero persona if, and only if, Benjamin Grimm willingly chooses to be trapped once more within his 'The Thing' persona. The very same persona, I believe, that the Human Torch so often, and so cruelly, makes sport of."
"Ranger!" Susan's voice rose, a note of genuine anger and desperation in it now. She took a step forward, her hands clenching.
"Susan." Ranger said, his voice calm, almost gentle, yet utterly unyielding. "Calm your righteous anger for a moment, my dear, for you should be aware of a few pertinent facts before you leap to your brother's defense. One." he raised a single, elegant finger, "with your brother's notoriously volatile temperament, even if your team has, for now, been granted an exemption from this rather inconvenient world war, he will, inevitably, through some act of monumental stupidity or unrestrained ego, drag your entire team into the conflict, likely on the side which has the hottest girl. So, it is far, far better for all concerned if his destructive power is held in the considerably more mature and responsible hands of someone like Benjamin, who understands its implications and consequences."
He raised a second finger. "Two, he attacked me first. Without just cause, without provocation, simply because he perceived a slight, or because he has some juvenile association between myself and Doctor Doom. I should, by any reasonable standard of self-defense or retribution, kill him. For he attacked me not once, but twice. Twice, Susan, with clear, undeniable, lethal intent." Susan Storm remained silent, her lips pressed into a thin, white line.
"Three." Ranger continued, raising a third finger, "he attacked an honorary delegate of the sovereign nation of Latveria. Not only did he thereby ensure that your country's already precarious standing in this coming war will worsen considerably, but he has also made a profound and personal enemy of Victor Von Doom by so grievously insulting his pride through an attack on his chosen envoy – me. And while you, the Fantastic Four, may have clashed with Doom many times before, it was often because Doom himself was the instigator, or because his ambitions directly threatened Reed. Now, his ire, his formidable intellect, and his vast resources will be singularly focused on your brother, as a direct consequence of Johnny's arrogant folly." Three fingers were now raised. Ben Grimm's rocky features grew even grimmer.
"Four." Ranger's fourth finger joined the others, "the government. As you are undoubtedly aware, I have been… persuaded… to play a rather significant, if reluctant, role in the upcoming global conflict. Is not, therefore, this unprovoked assault on my person to be considered an act of treason by Johnny Storm? And by extension of his familial and team association, a shadow of that treason falls upon you all. All of you are now, technically, traitors to your country. Not only for attempting to avoid participation in the war, but also for harboring and defending an individual who has attacked a key strategic asset – myself – an asset vital to the nation's war effort." Johnny Storm, even under REMORSE's impassive watch, began to look genuinely worried.
"Five." the last finger rose, "my own plans. Plans of considerable import, plans that directly relate to the successful prosecution of this war, and indeed, to matters far beyond it, have now been significantly delayed by this… interruption." All of them, except for Reed Richards who was still lost in his own world of theoretical physics, began to look truly concerned.
"And, of course." Ranger added, his voice a silken afterthought, "there are other, more… esoteric reasons for this arrangement. But I believe these five are more than sufficient for the beautiful and intelligent Susan Storm, and the steadfast Benjamin Grimm, to fully comprehend the severe consequences of your brother's… lapse in judgment. Any one of these reasons, frankly, would be enough for me to ensure Johnny Storm dies a miserable, protracted, dog's death. And even in death, I would make it my personal business to ensure his suffering continues. For as long as he possesses his powers, unrestrained and unguided by a mature will, he shall remain a dangerous, unpredictable thorn in everyone's side."
He spread his hands, the benevolent negotiator offering a final, inescapable solution. "So, Fantastic Four, I am presenting you with a way out. A path through the calamitous mess your youngest, and arguably most reckless, team member has so thoroughly created. The choice is yours." Ranger's smile was dazzling now, beatific, the look of a trickster god offering an impossible gift, the price so deceptively simple, so devastatingly personal, so tantalizingly achievable.
"Do you wish for Johnny Storm to retain his formidable, uncontrolled power, knowing that in doing so, you shall make powerful enemies of nations, of cosmic entities, and perhaps even of me? Or would you rather he loses that power, with the metaphorical key, the switch, held securely in Benjamin Grimm's far more responsible, far more deserving, hand, thus ensuring a measure of peace, of stability, and perhaps even a chance for your brother to finally, belatedly, grow up?"
"I await your answer Fantastic Four."