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Superior Ghost Rider. Chapter 25. Good stuff
🕑 Added 2025-04-06 17:49:34 +0000 UTC"Who said being a supervillain is a bad thing?" Cain poured a hundred-year-old cognac into their glasses. "I'm feeling damn great right now."
"Amen, brother," John raised his glass filled with amber liquid.
They sat in leather armchairs by the fireplace, logs crackling from the fire. Animal trophies hung on the walls, adding to the hunting lodge vibe. Outside, the autumn wind stirred the branches of ancient trees. Civilization was nowhere to be seen for miles.
"Good stuff," John purred, stretching out his legs.
"Told you," Cain lit a cigar. "Taking out drug lords and living in their mansions is the way to go."
"No smoking in the house!" Jane hissed from the couch. One of her arms was completely bandaged. "This place is made of wood. Cigarette smoke soaks into the walls!"
"Why worry about property damage?" John finished his cognac and tossed the glass into the fire. "The owner won’t complain anymore."
John and Cain bumped fists.
[I prefer the crude bruiser over the goody-goody girl.]
"There’s a child among us!" Jane exclaimed. A sharp gust of wind rustled the trees outside. "Think about Mary’s health!"
She pointed with her good hand at the closed door. That’s where Mary had been sleeping since last night’s little show. Physically, she looked fine—emotionally, not so much. The blast of white lightning had knocked even Juggernaut off his feet.
"Anything for the kids," Cain snapped the cigar in half. "I’ll go rustle up some grub."
The giant headed off to raid the fridge. Given his appetite, their supplies would last maybe a couple of days.
"Any dried sausages left?" John poured cognac into a fresh glass. "They go great with this stuff."
"Nope, man," Cain rummaged through all the kitchen drawers. "But we got some cheese snacks. Catch!"
John chased hundred-year-old cognac with smoked herb cheese.
"Good stuff..."
"Boys, you’re way too relaxed!" Jane paced back and forth across the bear rug. "It’s only been fourteen hours since the incident! They’re probably all looking for us!"
"They already found us," John said flatly.
"What?" Jane blinked. "What makes you think that?"
"Experience and analysis." strategist steepled his fingers. "Did you notice how fast Iron Man showed up after the fighters were destroyed? Ninety seconds. No tech is that fast. Which means he was already en route. And it’s not easy gathering a plane full of superheroes. We were flying way faster than a passenger jet. I’ve been thinking about this, and I’m pretty sure they were onto us the moment we left Peru. Stark’s satellites watch the whole planet."
"Oh, that explains a lot," Jane thoughtfully touched her lips. "No matter how hard I tried to catch a supervillain, the Avengers always beat me to it."
"Why aren’t Avengers or Fantastic Four here yet?" Juggernaut returned to the fireplace with a bucket full of food. "Experts say bustin' heads before a meal improves appetite."
"Really?" Dr. Foster crossed her arms. "And which experts are those?"
"Me," Cain shrugged and dumped a can of beans into his mouth. "So, genius, why aren’t the heroes stormin’ the house yet? We were seen on that rooftop by a bunch of masked morons. We threatened all of New York. We kidnapped a schoolgirl. You said one more loud move and they’d come beatin’ us up in droves. Where’s my crowd? I’m ready to brawl!"
"They haven’t decided what to do with us yet," John said, nibbling on cheese. "Sure, something freaky happened in the sky, but no one got hurt. Scientists are studying the residue of some unknown energy. Someone smart probably figured out it’s magic and figured they should ask the Sorcerer Supreme—only Strange doesn’t open the door unless you know the secret knock."
He winked at Jane, but she just rolled her eyes.
"And you know that secret?" Cain jabbed a finger through another can of beans.
"Of course. Who do you think gave us your address? You gotta know the right knock for Doc."
"You gonna teach me?"
"I don’t know..." John looked over Cain’s massive fists. "It’s a complicated science, but... I think you’ll pick it up fast."
The next hour passed in silence. Cain was out in the yard, breaking firewood with his bare hands—gotta feed Cyttorak somehow. Jane inspected her injured arm—she was out of the fight for the next few days. John watched the news on TV, mapping out their next move.
The quiet was broken by a girl’s scream.
John leapt over the couch and rushed to Mary’s room, the others right behind him.
Mary was screaming and kicking, trying to escape a blanket that was now on fire. It looked both funny and pitiful at the same time.
Ghost Rider yanked the blanket off her and snuffed out the flames in an instant.
Mary, in a pink pajama set—courtesy of Jane—blinked at them, confused and stunned.
"Are you trying to set us on fire?" he asked, frowning.
"I... I don’t know!" Mary stammered. "I woke up and it was just burning!"
[She sets stuff on fire in her sleep? Holy Jesus, this kid has the worst control I’ve ever seen.]
Mary backed up until she hit the wall, staring at the strangers with wide, fearful eyes.
[Yeah. Not exactly the best first impression.]
"We’re your friends," John tried. "We’re not gonna hurt you."
Mary was breathing fast, coiled like a spring ready to bolt out the door the second she got a chance.
"Hey, redhead," Juggernaut stepped forward. "What’s the deal?"
"Don’t come near me!" she shrieked.
"Back off," Jane stepped between the guys and Mary. "Can’t you see you’re scaring her?"
Jane approached Mary slowly.
"I won’t let them hurt you. No one’s going to touch you. Okay?"
The presence of another girl in the room—even one wearing a helmet and holding a hammer—calmed the schoolgirl down just a bit.
"Alright, you don’t have to say anything," John tried again. "Just listen to me, Mary."
"How do you know my name?" Mary’s panic was rising again. Her eyes locked on Cain. "I know you! You’re the supervillain Juggernaut! I read about you online! You came to my house… and kidnapped me! That’s what all supervillains do! They kidnap the superhero’s girlfriend for leverage!"
"I’m deeply offended by your opinion of me," Cain said with a theatrical sigh. "I never stooped to that kind of crap. If I wanna punch a clown in the face, I just walk up and punch him. By the way, which superhero are you dating? Don’t tell me it’s that bouncy bug in red tights?"
"You... What did you do to him?!"
"Cain, enough!" Jane snapped. "Now’s not the time for your jokes!"
"Agreed," said Ghost Rider. He looked at Mary and continued calmly. "I get it—you’re confused and scared. Let me explain what’s going on. Right now, you don’t have any other sources of information. After that, it’s your call whether to believe me or not."
Mary stared at John like she was trying to see through him—figure out if he was lying. Then her eyes dropped.
"Just… make it quick," she mumbled. "I’m leaving anyway."
[Hooked. Now reel her in slowly…]
"Wait… I remember now," she clutched her head. "I set the blanket on fire… I burned down the whole city last night… I didn’t mean to... I..."
Mary started crying quietly.
[Great. Just what I needed—teenage meltdown.]
"Boys, out," Jane said firmly, sitting beside Mary and handing her some wet wipes. "We need to talk. Alone."
Mary didn’t flinch. She accepted Jane’s help.
[I don’t love handing off recruit bonding to someone else, but comforting a teenager is even lower on my wishlist.]
The guys stepped out of the room.
