Richard ignored the Human Torch's darkening expression and paid no mind to the frenzied photographers. With Nina Quinn at his side, he strode into the hotel and soon disappeared from public view.
Though Richard and Nina had departed, the reporters continued their relentless photography. Had hotel security not intervened, they would have swarmed Johnny, eager to capture his immediate reaction to the humiliation.
Observing the reporters' fixation on his embarrassment only darkened Johnny's already foul mood. Under the gaze of dozens of lenses, he let out an angry snort and summoned his powers.
In an instant, his body transformed into a humanoid inferno wrapped in brilliant flames. Like a missile, he shot skyward, blazing toward the Baxter Building—headquarters of the Fantastic Four.
Though Johnny offered no verbal explanation, his actions spoke volumes to the assembled press corps.
Perfect! The story just got even better!
"FANTASTIC MELTDOWN: JOHNNY STORM IGNITES—LITERALLY—AFTER SUPERMODEL DITCH!"
"FLYING OFF THE HANDLE: STORM TAKES TO THE SKY AS HEARTBREAK GOES PUBLIC!"
"TORCH IN FLAMES, EGO IN ASHES? STORM'S BAXTER BUILDING BLASTOFF CAUGHT ON CAM!"
The reporters' excitement intensified as they watched the Human Torch storm off in such dramatic fashion, his superhuman departure a clear testament to his wounded pride.
Inside the banquet hall, Richard and Nina Quinn were immediately greeted by numerous attendees who approached with enthusiastic salutations.
Though unfamiliar with most of these individuals, Richard responded with practiced courtesy. As he exchanged pleasantries, his eyes methodically surveyed the room.
Soon, he located Kingpin—Wilson Fisk—the evening's host.
Standing at nearly seven feet tall with a frame exceeding four hundred pounds, Fisk's physique—more than ninety percent solid muscle—made him impossible to overlook in any gathering. His immaculately tailored suit did little to disguise his imposing build as he conversed with another guest.
Though Fisk's expression remained pleasant, the sheer disparity in size between him and his conversation partner created an unintentional impression of intimidation.
Shortly after Richard's gaze fell upon him, Kingpin's keen situational awareness alerted him to the scrutiny. He turned to meet Richard's eyes directly.
Recognition sparked immediate surprise on Fisk's face, his brow furrowing slightly. He had indeed sent Richard an invitation out of formality, but never expected him to attend.
After all, they operated in entirely different spheres of influence.
Though Kingpin reigned as America's premier crime lord, he harbored no illusions about their relative positions. To someone of Richard's capabilities, the self-proclaimed "Kingpin of Crime" was little more significant than an ant. If Richard ever wished to eliminate him, the act would require scarcely more effort than taking a sip of water.
After concluding his conversation, Fisk approached Richard, flanked by two suit-clad associates.
Richard had never personally interacted with Kingpin before this evening, but he had thoroughly researched this world's version of the crime lord.
In temperament, this universe's Kingpin bore stronger resemblance to the character portrayed in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" than his comic counterpart. The film depicted him as a devoted family man who loved his wife and son profoundly—so much that he commissioned a particle accelerator to access parallel universes in hopes of "resurrecting" his family after their deaths in a car accident.
The comics presented a considerably darker portrayal—a man who deeply loved his son but treated his wife with extreme cruelty. When his son Richard Fisk was killed, the grief-stricken Kingpin, who had planned to retire, transformed into an instrument of vengeance. His rage nearly triggered World War III as he systematically destroyed his enemies.
Yet this supposedly devoted father, after his vengeful fury subsided, came to view his wife as an obstacle to his criminal empire and murdered her with his own hands.
Through his investigation, Richard discovered that this world's Kingpin not only possessed a personality closer to the film interpretation but enjoyed significantly better circumstances. His wife Vanessa and son Richard Fisk were both alive and well.
Moreover, since this universe's Peter Parker remained a middle school student, Fisk's family seemed unlikely to meet their cinematic fate anytime soon. In the film, the tragic accident occurred only after Kingpin's confrontation with Spider-Man.
Kingpin now stood before Richard, his bodyguards positioned discreetly behind him.
Though both men wore expensive bespoke suits, they projected entirely different auras.
If one disregarded Richard's distinctive silver hair, he could easily pass for a privileged scion from an elite family.
Kingpin, however, emanated something altogether different.
Perhaps it was his exceptional physique, or possibly his distinctively bald head, but even without malicious intent, Fisk radiated an unspoken aura of intimidation.
Of course, only ordinary humans would perceive this pressure from Kingpin's presence—people like Nina Quinn who stood nervously at Richard's side.
Those possessing superhuman abilities remained entirely unaffected by such intimidation. From a normal human perspective, Kingpin was indeed formidable. To a superpowered individual, however, Fisk's strength—only marginally superior to an ordinary person's—registered as utterly insignificant.
The ability to punch through walls with bare hands or master the world's deadliest combat techniques meant nothing to someone with genuinely superhuman capabilities.
Standing before Richard, Kingpin greeted him with practiced politeness. After exchanging obligatory pleasantries as the evening's host, Fisk departed with his associates.
When Kingpin moved away, Nina Quinn finally released the breath she'd been holding. Despite Fisk's courteous behavior, his presence had affected her like that of an enormous predator—a humanoid bear that could tear her apart without effort.
Approximately fifteen minutes later, the charity auction commenced.
As the event's host, Kingpin delivered a brief, eloquent address before signaling the auctioneer to begin the proceedings.
Wilson Fisk was undoubtedly not a good man, but he wouldn't pocket tonight's proceeds for himself. He hardly needed additional funds.
For Kingpin, this charity dinner primarily served to cultivate a positive public image among uninformed citizens.
Though every attendee at tonight's gala recognized Fisk's true nature, ordinary people remained unaware that he ruled America's criminal underworld.
For the general public ignorant of the underlying reality, news outlets would simply report that entrepreneur Wilson Grant Fisk had hosted another successful charity dinner, donating all proceeds to worthy causes.
They would remain oblivious that one-third of tonight's guests maintained gang affiliations.
They would never learn that the congressmen and government officials in attendance had all accepted Kingpin's bribes.
They would never discover that thorough investigation into the auction items' provenance would transform this charity event into an exhibition of stolen goods.
In a nation like the United States, what ordinary citizens perceived was precisely what the powerful wanted them to see. Even supposedly impartial online platforms functioned primarily as information cocoons.
Although Richard's primary objective tonight remained hunting Ghost Rider, since he was already present, he participated in the auction and purchased several exquisite pieces of jewelry as gifts for Emma Frost and Clarice.
Nina, standing attentively beside Richard, couldn't suppress her smile as she watched him spend millions of dollars on several exquisite pieces of jewelry.
In her mind, the precious items Richard had just bid on were undoubtedly gifts for her. After all, she had shown him appropriate respect tonight and was serving as his companion for the evening.
Though Nina maintained her silence, Richard easily discerned her thoughts merely by observing her expression. As she contemplated whether to call her sister so that both siblings could entertain Richard as they had previously, his voice interrupted her thoughts.
"These jewels aren't for you," he stated plainly. "Don't misunderstand."
Hearing Richard's direct words, Nina's expression immediately shifted to embarrassment.
Quickly composing herself, she returned to her well-practiced demeanor of obedience and said softly, "Nina is already quite satisfied just being your companion tonight."
She paused deliberately, bringing her seductive red lips close to Richard's ear, and continued in a tone both charming and suggestive: "My sister is also at my place tonight~"
"We'll discuss that later," Richard replied evenly.
If Ghost Rider failed to make an appearance tonight, he wouldn't object to visiting Nina's apartment and "playing cards" with the two sisters. Though the Quinn sisters had never appeared in any comics or films, he had to admit they were exactly the type of beauties that appealed to his tastes.
"Mmhmm!" Nina nodded immediately, anticipation evident in her expression.
At the Baxter Building, headquarters of the Fantastic Four, the Human Torch sat alone in the living room, nursing a drink while still wearing his team uniform.
When he had transformed into his fiery form earlier, his custom-tailored suit had been instantly incinerated. Though he had returned to the building, he hadn't bothered changing into civilian clothes, instead proceeding directly to the living room to drink.
I hate Richard Wesley!
The more Johnny dwelled on the night's events, the more his anger intensified, leading him into a spiral of mental complaints about Richard.
Had he been an anti-hero or supervillain, he might already be plotting Richard's demise. However, despite his capricious and sometimes unreliable nature, Johnny Storm was fundamentally not a bad person. Even in his current state of profound irritation, thoughts of seriously harming Richard never crossed his mind.
After draining the whiskey from his glass, he stepped outside onto the balcony. Gazing down at New York's nighttime panorama from this considerable height, he decided some fresh air might improve his mood.
The moment this thought formed, golden flames spontaneously manifested, completely enveloping his body. Transformed once again into his fiery alter ego, he departed from the Baxter Building without hesitation, flying rapidly and aimlessly between Manhattan's towering skyscrapers.
Johnny had initially sought only relaxation and distraction. However, after soaring into a Brooklyn neighborhood, he abruptly halted his missile-like trajectory, hovering in mid-air as he stared down at the street below with evident confusion.
Who is that?
In the district beneath him, Johnny observed a figure with an extraordinary appearance, similarly wreathed in flames. The stranger wore a black leather jacket and jeans, with iron chains coiled around his body. Beside him stood an unusually designed motorcycle, its wheels and headlight engulfed in otherworldly fire.
Yet these details weren't what captured Johnny's attention. What truly arrested his gaze was the figure's head—a skull entirely engulfed in golden flames.
The individual Johnny observed was none other than Ghost Rider, executing his sacred duty of judging sinners.
Though unfamiliar with this entity, Johnny's first assumption was that he faced another mutant. Immediately, Richard's name surfaced unbidden in his thoughts.
I hate mutants!
After this internal grumbling, particularly upon witnessing Ghost Rider pursuing civilians, Johnny descended toward the flaming skeleton without hesitation.
Within moments, he positioned himself directly above Ghost Rider.
Fireball!
Raising his right hand, the Human Torch wordlessly projected a concentrated fireball toward Ghost Rider.
Though unaware of Ghost Rider's true nature, the flaming skull suggested considerable fire resistance. In such circumstances, Johnny felt little concern about potentially lethal effects from his pyrokinetic attack.
BOOM!
Almost instantly, the Human Torch's projectile struck Ghost Rider and detonated like an incendiary bomb. As Johnny had surmised, his fiery assault caused Ghost Rider no apparent discomfort but successfully captured the entity's attention.
As Ghost Rider lifted his gaze skyward, Johnny called down:
"Do you mutants always resort to violence like Richard does?"
Though Johnny knew nothing about the individuals Ghost Rider had been pursuing, their appearance—particularly the firearms they carried—clearly marked them as something other than law-abiding citizens.
Ghost Rider offered no response, merely regarding the Human Torch in silence. After several seconds, he dismissed Johnny's presence, turning his attention back toward the gang members who had gained considerable distance during this interruption.
Johnny remained completely unaware of Ghost Rider's true nature or significance.
Perceiving the dismissal and already in a foul mood, his expression darkened further. As Ghost Rider prepared to resume his pursuit and complete his judgment, the Human Torch launched another fireball, this one approximately the size of his fist.
BOOM!
The projectile struck Ghost Rider's skull with perfect accuracy, detonating upon impact.
"I'm talking to you, Skull-face!" Johnny shouted.
Ghost Rider had initially planned to ignore the Human Torch entirely. Within his judgment parameters, Johnny's "sins" hadn't yet warranted divine intervention.
However, the Human Torch's persistent provocations caused the Spirit of Vengeance residing within Ghost Rider to reconsider this assessment.
Under Johnny's watchful gaze, Ghost Rider turned to face him once more.
Then, deliberately, he began unwinding the chains wrapped around his body.
Planning to attack me with chains?
Observing Ghost Rider's preparations, the Human Torch's expression turned disdainful.
Though unfamiliar with his adversary's identity, Johnny felt certain that the chains in Ghost Rider's hands were merely common metal links.
Just as he prepared another taunt, Ghost Rider began infusing his chains with hellfire.
Before Johnny's eyes, the ordinary iron chain glowed red-hot as golden hellfire enveloped the metal completely.
Witnessing this transformation, Johnny's disdain vanished, replaced by genuine concern.
Without hesitation, Ghost Rider, having completed his mystical enhancement, initiated his attack.
With a casual flick of his right wrist, the chain—previously only five or six meters in length—suddenly extended like lightning toward Johnny, covering the twenty to thirty meter distance between them almost instantaneously.
The technique Ghost Rider now employed against the Human Torch was his signature hellfire chain attack.
Though the supernatural extension of the chain defied physical explanation, Johnny Storm had years of superhero experience. Before the hellfire-infused chain could make contact, he propelled himself dozens of meters away, narrowly evading Ghost Rider's attack.
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New fanfic :
Marvel : The God Of Punishment System
I Am Raditz
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