two days later
"why hello Nathan Welcome to New York" I see a man I pursue to be Johnny Storm, my dad was telling me about before he left on his job leaving me with my aunt so that he pack up for work.
As I look at him, He looked like a regular guy at first—cool jacket, ripped jeans, and sneakers that probably cost more than my whole birthday—but something was off. Not in a bad way, just... weird-cool. His shirt didn't fit right, like it was hiding something bulky underneath, and when he moved, I swear I saw a bit of blue and some shiny lines peeking out near his neck. Grown-ups always say not to stare, but I couldn't help it—he looked like some superhero trying really hard not to look like one.
"Hi, are you johnny that my dad and aunt were telling me about?" I asked waiting for this week to be over.
"I sure am kid but where's your aunt at? he asked me as he gives a confused look as he look around the train station trying to spot her.
"she left me at train station in Storm-harbor because she did not want to run into some guys named Franklin and Mark" I said as I remember her gaze of annoyance towards New York as she talk about them.
"shame I would have loved to meet her for the first time" he said as i look at him wondering if he's trying to take my aunt from me." anyway Welcome to New York, you want to do a tour or do you want to go straight towards where I live" he asked me as we begin to walk towards where his car is.
Johnny tilted his head, like he didn't expect that. "That's a shame. Would've liked to meet her… for the first time."
He said it like a joke, but it made me squint at him. I wasn't sure if he was trying to be funny or if he had a crush on Aunt Lady or something weird like that.
"Anyway," he said, brushing it off, "Welcome to New York. You want the full tour or just head to my place?"
I thought about it for a second, then shrugged. "You can give me a tour, I guess."
I hopped into the back of his car—it was this blue 1967 Chevrolet Impala that looked way too clean to be that old. I buckled in while he started the engine, humming some song I didn't know.
"All right then," he said, pulling out onto the street. "This is gonna be fantastic."
I didn't know what that meant, but the way he said it made me sit up straighter. I pressed my face against the window, watching the city zoom past, wondering what kind of crazy stuff happens in a place like this.
"So," he said as we pulled off, merging into traffic like it didn't even bother him, "first stop—food. You hungry?"
"I can go for a pizza or a Sunday" I said remembering the most ideal Foods in the world while my mouth Waters at it.
"you're definitely Dante's kid" he said as he take a glance at me through the rear view mirror "Anyway I know this Diner so let's go there" he said excitedly as the light turned red stopping us dead in tracks
"after the light turns green then we can go" he said with the face of defeat as I try my hardest not to laugh
"so any Pacific superheroes you're trying to see as you are visiting?" he asked while he's clearly trying to change the conversation.
"I don't know many superheroes the only ones I can think of the top of my head is Spider-Man and Captain America" I said
"are you serious you don't know no superheroes, don't you watch my TV and all that?" he ask as the light turns green but he's not paying attention as he looks at me through the review.
"not really dad and I just played a lot, running around jumping off roofs and into buildings." I said confused because I don't understand is watching TV really supposed to be a normal thing.
honk hog honk honk hog honk as a car driving around us, the car driver said to Johnny as he drives past "you can fly, stop blocking the road or is that fire of your just your ego combusting ?"
I look at Johnny as I'm confused about why the man said fire and combustion "did somebody set you on fire?"
"What no, no one set me on fire, I set my self on fire" confusion in his tone as he starts driving.
"oh are you one of those guys my aunt told me about one of those weirdos Mass something?" as creepiness creeps into myself as I reach for my phone ready to call my aunt.
"WHAT NO NO NO I'M NOT A MASOCHIST!!!!!" He yelled, I have powers, I'm the Human Torch, you know part of the Fantastic Four?
Johnny looked like he was having a mini crisis at the wheel. "Okay, first of all—not a masochist. Second—who even teaches kids that word?!"
I shrugged. "My aunt. She also said never trust someone who says 'trust me' with both hands in their pockets."
He blinked a few times. "That's... actually decent advice."
"And if someone tries to offer you candy but won't tell you what kind it is—run."
He gave me this sideways glance. "Okay, now I can't tell if she's brilliant or terrifying."
I pulled out the little notebook my aunt gave me before I left. "She also made this. It's my Official Adult Interview Book."
Johnny raised an eyebrow like he wasn't sure if I was serious. Spoiler: I was. "Interview?"
"Yup," I said, flipping it open. "Question one: Have you ever stolen from a child?"
"...Define 'stolen'," he said real slow, eyes darting like he was checking for cameras.
I squinted at him.
"Okay, fine, no! Never."
I jotted something down. "Question two: Do you pay your taxes?"
"I legally don't have to answer that."
"Suspicious," I muttered. I even gave him a little squint, just to make it dramatic.
Johnny sighed like I'd just aged him ten years. "This kid's gonna audit me before bedtime."
"Are you rich?" I asked next.
He smirked. "Moderately. Not Tony Stark rich. More like... I-own-two-floors-of-a-building rich."
"Respectable." I gave a small nod. "Question three: Do you eat hot dogs with ketchup and mustard, or just ketchup like a monster?"
His face twisted like I insulted his ancestors. "How dare you."
He clutched his chest like I'd physically hurt him. "Mustard and ketchup. And relish. Like a functioning adult."
"Okay, okay. You pass—for now." I tucked the notebook away.
"Thank you," he muttered as we turned into a new street. "Geez, your aunt really did a number on you."
"She said I had to or I'd end up trusting someone like Elon Musk."
He nearly drove into another lane.
"She's not wrong," he muttered.
We pulled into a diner called The Silver Stack. It was glowing like a spaceship made of pancakes. The kind of place where syrup came in little glass jars and old ladies called you "hun."
Johnny pointed at me as we got out. "No more masochist talk inside. The waitresses already think I'm crazy. Let's not give them reasons to be right."
I grinned up at him. "No promises, Fire Guy."
He groaned. "I regret everything."
As we walked into the diner, it hit me like a warm, buttery pancake hug—this place smelled like heaven. Syrup, bacon, coffee, and that faint whiff of burned toast that just made everything better.
A waitress with hair big enough to have its own zip code waved at us. "Booth or counter, sugar?"
"Booth, please," Johnny said, and I nodded like I had a say.
We slid into one of those red vinyl booths that squeaked way too much. She handed us the menus with a smile that said, I've seen some things, and you two aren't even in the top ten.
Johnny didn't even open his menu. He leaned back like a guy about to deliver life-changing wisdom. "So you really don't know any other heroes besides Cap and Spider-Man, huh?"
It wasn't even a question. More like he was trying to process it out loud.
"Does that mean," he added, eyes narrowing just slightly, "you don't know who I am?"
I stared at him dead in the face. "I really don't. Are you supposed to be famous or something?"
You'd think I slapped him with a soggy waffle. His jaw dropped, then closed, then opened again like a confused goldfish.
"I'm... Johnny Storm. The Human Torch? Fantastic Four?" he said it like listing off achievements was supposed to light some memory in my brain.
Nothing.
"You're telling me you've never seen me fly through the sky on fire?"
"I've seen seagulls on fire by accident once. That was a weird day." I sipped my water like I didn't just ruin his whole superhero self-esteem.
Johnny just sat there blinking at me.
The waitress came back, totally unbothered. "You two ready to order?"
"I'll have the Torch Slammer," Johnny said, like he always ordered it just to feel cool. "Extra bacon."
I looked at the menu. "Can I get the 'Stackzilla' and a strawberry sundae? Oh! And can you make the whipped cream look like a mushroom cloud?"
She blinked. "Sure, sugar."
After she walked off, Johnny leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Listen, kid. I've saved New York like... a lot. Like a lot a lot. I've fought aliens, time travelers, Doctor Doom—"
I raised a brow. "Doctor Doom? That's not real. That's a name you give your goldfish when you're feeling edgy."
He clutched his heart again like I'd actually wounded him. "I'm too young for this kind of disrespect."
"You're like, what, thirty-five?"
"I'm twenty-nine!" he snapped. Then paused. "...Okay, thirty-two, but I look twenty-nine."
I tilted my head. "You look like a guy who gives motivational speeches at high schools and wears sunglasses indoors."
He stared at me in pure betrayal. "You're lucky I like you."
"I know. My aunt says I'm an acquired taste. Like anchovies or existential dread."
Johnny just buried his face in his hands as our food arrived.
"You're gonna be a menace, aren't you?"
I smiled at him sweetly as I picked up my fork. "Only if I don't get dessert."