Johnny sat in silence, his head bowed, still reeling from the loss of his powers and the humiliation of defeat. The conference room aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier was thick with tension, the air charged by the presence of so many legendary heroes and leaders gathered in one place. Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Invisible Woman Susan Storm, Human Torch Johnny Storm, Director Nick Fury, Agent Maria Hill, Mister Fantastic Reed Richards, the Thing Ben Grimm, and Phil Coulson were all present-a rare assembly of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. This was the kind of meeting that only happened when the stakes were high, and the world seemed to teeter on the edge of something monumental.
Susan, now sober, sat quietly, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. She was the first to break the silence, her voice heavy with regret. "It's my fault. I misunderstood him. The Puppet Master had been stalking me, and I thought Su Zhan was with him. That's what started all of this." She looked down, clearly wishing she hadn't let the night spiral out of control.
Nick Fury's single eye swept the table. "Johnny?" he prompted.
Johnny remained silent, unable to meet anyone's gaze. The reality of losing his powers-and losing them so decisively-was still sinking in. He didn't speak, but the defeat was written all over his face.
Mister Fantastic, ever the rational leader, finally spoke. "This isn't really about who's right or wrong. But his ability is extremely dangerous."
Phil Coulson interjected, his tone calm but firm. "Every one of your abilities is dangerous. Any of you could easily cause global catastrophe. But Su Zhan's power, while unique, is only a threat if he chooses to use it maliciously. So far, he's been an asset to S.H.I.E.L.D.-he's one of our advisers."
Mister Fantastic nodded, conceding the point. "In that case, there's nothing more to say. We won't pursue this further, though it's certainly troubling. But we won't work with him, either. If there's any further conflict, we'll handle it privately." He stood, signaling the end of the meeting for the Fantastic Four. "It's late. We need to rest."
The Fantastic Four left, and Nick Fury didn't stop them.
"They won't let this go so easily," Captain America said quietly after the door closed.
"At least they won't make it a public issue," Fury replied. "If there's a private grudge, let them settle it themselves. If it escalates, we'll step in. Besides, Reed Richards is a scientist-he'll be working on a way to restore Johnny's powers soon enough. As for Su Zhan, we'll keep monitoring him. As long as he's on our side, he's an incredible asset. The world is facing threats we can barely imagine. That's why the Avengers exist."
Natasha Romanoff glanced at Fury. "Are you thinking of inviting him to join the Avengers?"
"Not yet," Fury replied, his tone measured.
Phil Coulson, seeing the meeting winding down, spoke up. "If that's all, I'll escort Su Zhan out."
"Coulson, he's your responsibility," Fury said gravely, his words carrying the weight of command.
Coulson nodded and made his way to Su Zhan's quarters. He knocked on the door, then entered to find Su Zhan sitting up, lost in thought.
"Haven't you slept yet?" Coulson asked, a note of surprise in his voice.
Su Zhan shook his head. "I started thinking about something and couldn't fall asleep."
Coulson assumed he was worried about the Human Torch situation. "Don't worry about Johnny and the Fantastic Four. If they come after you, it's a private matter. You don't need to be concerned."
"I'm not worried that," Su Zhan replied calmly. "I don't start trouble, but if anyone comes looking for it, they'd better be ready for the consequences. I want to take a few days off-three days, maybe. I need some time to get used to the Human Torch's ability and to clear my head. After all, this power is mine now, and it could help us with future missions."
"That's fine, but I hope you'll check in regularly. You know how sensitive things are right now," Coulson said, his tone softening. He was one of the few people Su Zhan genuinely respected-straightforward, honest, and pragmatic.
"Understood," Su Zhan replied with a faint smile. "At least you're not a hypocrite," he thought to himself.
"I'll walk you out. They should let you go now," Coulson said.
"Of course. Let's go."
Coulson spoke to Fury, and arrangements were made for Su Zhan to be flown down from the Helicarrier. Once on the ground, the two men went their separate ways.
As Su Zhan walked away into the night, he mused, "Just as I thought-they won't pursue this openly. If the Fantastic Four want revenge, let them come -I won't hesitate to devour more of their powers. Their abilities are strong, and absorbing the Human Torch's power gave my system enough energy to upgrade."
He was about to sleep when, suddenly, the familiar voice of the system echoed in his mind: the system was ready to be promoted.
While Su Zhan slept soundly, the world above him continued to turn, heroes and legends debating his fate. But for now, he was free-free to grow stronger, free to carve his own path, and free to face whatever came next, whether it was vengeance, alliance, or something far greater.