The two Skrulls bowed upon making eye contact.

"Lyja."

"Commander."

"I understand that the Empress favours you over most other Skrulls for your skill in shapeshifting."

The female Skrull standing sleek & proud then said, "Yes. I have many times served Her to carry out direct orders." Her hair was longer than any other of her Skrull neighbours, so long that she tied it up a ponytail & didn't wear head guards like the rest. She currently held a high position as Skrull army leader-to-be.

Kl'rt's chortle filled the silent spaceship cockpit, the view of the outside overlooking planet Earth's surface. He continued, "Then you are ready for an important mission. If - you are willing to trust me as your superior."

"Of course, Commander. We both understand that you mean well in your alliance...with Ronan the Accuser."

"Very good, Lyja. Our people fail to see the potential in Kree science for our world, but you have the understanding I have longed for," Super Skrull smiled & narrowed his eyes.

"What is it I have to do?" Lyja asked.

"Bring me the Human Torch. You will work alone. The Skrulls' previous encounter with the Fantastic Four involved many of us, but still proved unsuccessful. This time, we try again with the element of stealth."

"Why not recapture all four of them?"

"That comes later. Ronan demands that we hand him the Human Torch - he must first have revenge on him. Only then will I obtain the Kree's new genetic keys for our army of Super Skrulls. Use your cunning abilities to reel the Human Torch into our trap."

"At once, Commander. You have my trust."

***

"No, you slide like this," Azula corrected Johnny's footing, "Each leg as bendy as bamboo, yet deadly as steel."

"& your body's light like air & heavy as lead. I get it," Johnny replied, though more cheerfully & enthusiastically than rudely.

"C'mon, do it again."

Ben & Sue had decided to watch the session this morning. Johnny's mood seemed to spell good news, yet he hadn't acted this way during kung fu lessons until just recently. The two spectators retreated to a quieter corner of the training room to chat at low volume.

"Ya think he likes her?" giggled Ben under his breath.

"Oh, yes....," Sue grinned in response.

Minutes passed before Johnny felt the strain of the workout. "Owww....can we call it a day? My head, it's heavy. & I'm starving," he muttered. He lay down on the ground & let out his breath in long exhalations. His tongue hung out a little, much to the amusement of the others.

"Wow. Someone's sweating profusely," Sue commented.

"Aww, is Matchstick having a hard time? I wouldn't even break a sweat," Ben mocked.

Johnny pointed at him, still on the ground but looking at his mocker, "You just wait till I breathe normally, Brick Head..." He eventually got up & dusted his yellow tracksuit while flexing each muscle that ached.

"Fine. Breakfast," his 'sensei' replied, putting both hands on her hips. She was satisfied - he'd done two hours straight, which he wouldn't even consider when he'd started. His stamina had certainly increased, along with his reaction time & even strength. If Azula was caught off guard by one of his punches or kicks now, she'd feel the power his muscles were utilizing more efficiently with each day. When the training would be complete was food for thought, in her opinion. But she hadn't brought up that question in her head until yesterday. With that they did some cooling down & left the training room, letting their legs carry them to the kitchen area. Johnny was undoubtedly hungry; he walked beside Azula in front while Ben along with Sue followed behind.

"What's cooking today, Blue Blaze?" Ben questioned Azula, catching up with her in a couple of hurried steps.

"It's a secret," Azula grinned sneakily. Mouthwatering Chinese pancakes were gonna be up for grabs at the breakfast table. Thank the heavens she found all the ingredients during last night's shopping trip with Sue.

"We love everything you've cooked so far. I'm pretty excited for today in particular," said Sue most pleasantly, "You're amazing at both Eastern & Western dishes."

Out of the blue Azula asked Johnny, "Come to think of it, Hotstuff...why did you ask for training anyway? All those weeks ago? & from me, of all people? Now that's weird." She asked casually although the actual fact was the question would invite interesting answers....Moreover, she found it nice thinking of how long it may take for him to answer that one.

Johnny was thinking about that nightmare he had. Nobody else had any knowledge of it; he could keep it a lowdown all these days, compared to many other instances where he was called a blabbermouth. The dream had left him dazed if his thoughts wandered far enough to reach it. Something about it had produced a spark or two in him i.e. a new, irritating but persistent sensation. "I, uhmm..good question," he scratched his head. His body tired, but his words carried boundless energy. That changed in a split second. The energy suddenly seemed..dissipated.

"Oh, come on," said Azula, more friendly now.

A brain freeze, thought Johnny. He asked himself the same questions, trying to churn out the memory of why he had decided to go against his cocky nature. To take martial arts classes from an acquaintance younger than himself. Boy, was he forgetful on many levels! It then dawned on him. He was sensitive & whiny about nearly everything that bothered him, no matter how small the problem it posed. Except one very dark corner of his past. When it came to this subject, he was more than whiny - he was down in the dumps for short periods of time. 'Quiet', 'non-smiling'...words like these would describe him despite running counter to the Johnny Storm the outside world knew. He called smart people 'nerds' & was sometimes tempted to call the grouchy ones 'emo'. At this moment, he was afraid he was sinking into his occasionally 'emo' self. Nobody could ever, ever see that side of him.

He fought an urge to say to himself, "I hate myself." He recalled all in one go that overcast morning he spent downtown, in his V10. The little kid with his mom, about to cross the road. That was an ordinary, pretty sweet sight to everyone who wasn't a victim of childhood trauma. To poor Johnny (not forgetting Sue), stuff like that would trigger memories of their mom that stuck in his mind. It was true that when they were outdoors on a mission or being interviewed, there were lots of kids hanging out with their parents. But really, you wouldn't set your mind on staring at people when you were 100% absorbed in yourself, & the 'awesome' things you could do. On that gloomy day, Johnny happened to be so bored that he accidentally saw the two people in a very different light. This is what it was like personally for the Human Torch. It sounded somewhat 'emo' but only a heart at peace could really give life to his body. He & his sister still had that void inside, though it obviously shrunk with the passing years. That void was meant for Mary Storm to fill. Not a status as superheroes, not flashy cars, not anything else.

Azula's questions weren't answered.

"Oh, I forgot! I gotta do some stuff downtown...Be back later!" he blurted out, partly lapsing out of the emoness. He walked briskly in the direction of his room, probably to grab some things before leaving.

"I don't think you wanna miss this, Little Brother..," Sue responded, puzzled. Ben, Azula & she had eyes fixed on Johnny.

"Didn't ya just say you're hungry?" asked Ben.

"I'll just grab my own breakfast!" Johnny yelled at them all in a sharp way. Not that he was angry, but the three thought it strange seeing him in a rush. & to add a little to the mystery, he wasn't walking now. He ran out of sight in a flash.

-------

Read the story "To Fight Fire with Fire or Not" if you haven't already. You'll understand what's goin' on with Johnny at the moment.