Chapter Text
July 1st, 1964
Earth-828, California
"Are you sure you want to do this?" A strong, yet concerned voice asked. "You haven't gone up since-" "Since the crash, don't worry, I didn't forget." Johnny groaned. He continued dressing himself in his spacesuit as his sister stood by, dripping with concern.
It's not like he didn't care; of course, he did. It's not like he didn't understand; he'd be doing the same thing if the roles were reversed. And it's not like he wasn't scared; he was damn near terrified, but that had never stopped him before.
"Sue…" He spoke, soft and sullen in tone. He approached her reluctantly, standing a full foot away. "I've been training every day for this for a year. I know the right way to do things, and I know what to do if things go wrong. You don't need to be scared."
"Johnny, I know you can do it, but I'm your big sister; it's my job to be scared for you." Despite her crippling fear, Sue stood tall, arms crossed over her chest.
Even though he was wildly immature and practically still a child in her eyes, she knew he was ready for this; he had been for a long time. She knew he likely wouldn't make any mistakes, but the thought that she wouldn't be there if he did kept her up at night.
"But think about it. You're always telling me to get a girlfriend, but that will be so much easier when I'm the youngest person in space." Johnny bargained, like he thought Sue was going to drag him home if he didn't.
"You're already the youngest person in space. You're also a hero. How is that not helping?" Sue questioned, confusion slipping through her mockery.
"Just let me have this one." Johnny sighed as he finished zipping and buttoning his suit. He looked at himself through the reflection on the glass, suddenly feeling warm under all this fabric. You couldn't see it through the thick gloves he wore, but his hands trembled ever so slightly. Despite all of that, Johnny was adamant that he would go on this mission.
He didn't know how to put it into words, or if he even wanted to. He had to get away, but nowhere on earth seemed far enough. Everywhere he went, everyone knew his name and remembered his face. It was jarring, and though it had been over a year, he still wasn't used to the feeling.
If he couldn't find peace on earth, he'd have to find it somewhere else.
Johnny felt numb as he walked down the halls. He found himself falling in and out of thought, only interrupted by the clinking metal grates under his feet. He felt like his senses were in overdrive. His skin was hot and sticky, the air smelled metallic and greasy, and he was thinking a hundred thoughts a second.
The more he thought about it, the more he hated the thought of going through with this. It's 11 am on a Wednesday, he should be learning about history, not suiting up for space travel. He should be doing what every 17-year-old was doing, hanging out with his friends, getting a girlfriend, just doing dumb shit for the fun of it, but he wasn't doing any of that, and he probably never will.
Being a hero came with sacrifices; this was one of them. Someone had to go on these missions, so it might as well be the kid who won't burn up on re-entry.
Johnny's feet grazed the tarmac, his boots too heavy to lift naturally. Now that he could see the ship in all its glory, he felt his stomach start to churn. It was eerily similar to the one he rode on his first trip. Everything down to the size, shape, and colour was nearly identical. It felt like a bad omen or a warning at the very least.
Someone smarter than him would have turned back, or at least second-guessed, but Johnny didn't have the time. By the time he'd fully considered the thought, he was already strapping himself in, making sure every tiny detail was in place.
Everything looked perfect, not a single loose screw or a panel out of place. Everything was managed and procedural; nothing should go wrong, but even if it did, someone would be there to fix it and tell him what to do. Nothing should go wrong, nothing could go wrong.
"Freedom 8, do you copy? Over!" A loud, slightly choppy voice spoke over the intercom.
"Loud and clear! Conditions looking alright? Over!" Johnny spoke back, his voice full of nothing but confidence. He couldn't afford to sound as doubtful as he felt. He fought hard to be let on this mission, and he wasn't going to let a couple of nerves ruin that for him.
"Perfect blue skies ahead! We're sitting at about 80° down here, should be smooth sailing all the way up! Over!"
Johnny felt a small smile of relief curl on his lips. "Kyle, Coordinates?"
"13° 19′ N, 169° 9′ W, same as yesterday!" Johnny tried to keep quiet, but a shaky breath slipped through the mic, broadcast to the whole control centre. A brief quiet fell upon them all, only the soft hum of the engine keeping Johnny from total silence.
"Don't sweat yourself, storm, you're making history today, kid! We've never had a mutant go to space!" Kyle comforted, reminding Johnny of exactly what he was doing and why he had to be here.
"It's only history if I succeed." Johnny commented as he prepared his vessel. All the buttons pressed, switches flicked, and levers pulled in the exact pattern he'd practised a hundred times. He moved in such a smooth rhythm that it seemed like he was doing it unconsciously.
"You will. Godspeed, Johnny!"
"Yeah, Godspeed…"
The time before launch seemed never-ending. Everytime he thought he was through with the endless stream of instructions coming in from the control centre, they had something else to check. He knew what to do and how to do it, and having to wait for their call only slowed things down. Johnny didn't need their voices in his ear; he could do this in his sleep.
By now, it was simply second nature, and nature was hard to defy.
"Engaging count down, t-minus 10!"
Johnny took a deep breath, grazing a hand over the keyboard of buttons. He felt around till he found the right one to press, his eyes never leaving the window in front of him.
"9!"
"It's just an orbit."
"8!"
His hands gripped the yoke, fighting the urge to push and pull, back and forth.
"7!"
"6!"
Against his will, Johnny's legs began to quiver, tapping at such a rapid speed that it came back through the mic, though he couldn't hear it through the loud rumble of the engine. He had to rock himself into something close to calm.
"5!"
"Everything will go to plan, it has to."
"4!"
Johnny paused, living in a moment of sudden stillness for a little. He’d already run through this part a hundred times. It always went the same way.
Two hands hovered over two switches. Control centre flicked their's with ease, without a second of doubt. Johnny hesitated, the latch clasped motionless between his fingers for a few seconds. In the end, it was switched.
"3!"
"2!"
"1! Liftoff!"
Johnny's eyes snapped shut as what felt like tons of force pelted down on him. That, combined with the roar of the engine, ensured that even his thoughts were too soft to be heard. It was violent, shaking through every part of his being like it was trying to rip him bone from bone. Every breath he tried to breathe was punched clean out of his lungs, leaving him gasping for the air that surrounded him.
He was fighting the air, the ship and his body, just to keep things going. The trembling around him was relentless and unforgiving. The unwaivering vibrations blurred the borders of his vision, leaving him with only a thin tunnel of sight.
And yet, his hands kept moving.
Removed from the yoke, Johnny's hands moved over the sea of buttons, intent on locating what he needed, even while blinded. The transition wasn't as smooth as he had imagined, but he got there regardless. Somehow managing to follow his procedure before he could remember the steps.
It's not like he needed to think; he knew this ship better than he knew himself.
And just like he expected, the loud roar of the engine softened to a dull purr, though the vibrations didn't want to settle. Despite all that, Johnny felt a stream of cool air run down his throat and into his lungs, filling them to the brim, just to be emptied again.
Just for a minute, he relaxed. His muscles were suddenly not so tense, and his head tilted back to rest on the cushion of his helmet. In that moment, Johnny felt himself lift from his seat, no longer bound to Earth's gravity.
He had to force his eyes open; his body was telling him to rest, or at the very least, adjust to his new zero gravity, but there simply wasn't time. Reaching into the pocket on the arm of his suit, Johnny pulled a small notebook into his gloved hand. In it were pages upon pages of coordinates, override codes, and anything else that would be needed in case of an emergency.
"Freedom 8! Assess your Inclination! Over!"
"Copy that!"
Before they could remind him again, Johnny had already started inputting information, growing faster and faster with each second. He didn't know what he was racing against: time? As long as he had fuel in this ship, he could waste all of that he wanted. Or maybe he just wanted the relief of finishing his work with time to spare.
No matter the reason, he was done, and Johnny could enjoy a minute to himself. he looked over the controls to see the arch of the Earth in all its glory. Johnny wasn't sure if he'd realised how far away he really was and how peaceful silence could be.
"Storm, our information is reading a bit off. Could you read back your Inclination for us! Over!"
"32.54 degrees right now! Over!" Johnny answered almost instantaneously. He didn't bother looking at the actual numbers; he was well aware of what they read. He was also sure of what they were about to say next.
"Freedom 8! Orbit Inclination is off course! Please adjust 5.84 degrees inwards! Over!"
…
"Freedom 8! Do you copy? Over!"
"Storm! Do you copy?!"
The voice in his ear kept speaking, but it felt distant now.
Reaching for his seat belt, he unbuckled himself, free from the confined space of the control panel. With the aid of the ceiling bars, he climbed over to the far end of the ship, right near the oxygen tanks. He didn't touch them right away; for a minute, he just stared. Not thinking about anything profound, but not exactly thoughtless either.
"Storm your drifting off course! This needs to be corrected immediately! Do you copy!"
"Working on it! Over!" Johnny finally answered as he grasped a firm hand on the valve and twisted it loose. He didn't twist it all the way loose, stopping when he heard a soft, screeching fizzle.
Once it was done, Johnny returned to his seat, buckling himself in nice and tight just to be safe. With nothing more to do, he continued flicking through his notebook, looking for something to pass the time. Pressed between two sheets, a small folded piece of paper fell onto his lap. He had to be gentle with it, unfolding every corner like it was just seconds away from disintegrating. It was just a picture, him and Sue holding each other tight. Johnny planned everything so perfectly that he had to wonder when this little photo had time to sneak in.
"Johnny…" A familiar voice spoke, breaking through the wall of sound he'd built up.
"Sue." Johnny whispered to himself, feeling a sharp pang in his chest. Until now, he'd forgotten she was there, and every part of him wished that she wasn't.
"Johnny, what are you doing… You said you were ready for this!"
"I am… I'm working on it." He answered, still unmoving.
"Don't lie to me, please! Just tell me what you did, I'm sure we can still get you home." Sue's voice crackled over the mic, only making her concern more and more evident.
"I'm really sorry, I can't do that…" Johnny whispered, wishing he didn't have to say the words.
"Yes, you can. You've been training for this for over a year, you told me that." Sue didn't want to yell or let Johnny know how scared she was, but she was terrified. She could hear him getting out of breath and see the flashing oxygen warning in front of her.
Johnny wanted to answer, he really did, but what could he say? He didn't see any point in telling her a lie and saying he had time to make it home; he wasn't that cruel. But at the same time, he didn't have the heart to tell her the full truth.
At the end of it all, he was tired and running out of breath. He could spend those ticking minutes talking to Sue, making things seem at least a little bit normal, but one look at the paper in his lap made him resent such an idea.
"Johnny, please. I need you here…" Sue pleaded, becoming more desperate by the second.
"You'll be okay. Don't forget I love you." Before Sue had the chance, you argue back, or even say, I love you, Johnny shut off the intercom, something he wished he'd done earlier.
Taking his last breath of clean air, Johnny twisted the helmet off his head, immediately noticing the decline in the air he breathed. He placed his helmet on his lap, tucking his photo into the band to keep it safe.
Tears brimming in his water line, Johnny closed his eyes, accepting a dizzy defeat. He expected to feel more satisfied, but all he felt was great boredom. He just wanted sleep to come, even if he had to go through the pain of suffocation first. It was all worth it when he finally got to rest.
Until he was rudely awakened by the heat of the sun burning above him.
Upon opening his eyes, Johnny found himself encased in burning hot metal, digging into his skin and pressing on his face. There was an abundance of noise; it almost sounded like a crowd starting to gather. Johnny felt his heart rate pick up as he tried to push his way out. He could see an opening, but it was just out of his reach. The light danced along his fingers, teasing him with the thought of escape.
For a short while, Johnny did try, but the mental torment of trying to free himself while hordes of people surrounded him was too much to handle.
Maybe this was it, this was his life after death. Stuck with the ruins that he made for eternity. It seemed cruel, and while he didn't think he deserved that, who was he to judge?
As his arm started to waver, Johnny started to lower it back down to his stomach. And just as he closed his eyes, the crowds went silent, the only thing to be heard was a quick,
THWIP!
Johnny looked down at his chest, it covered with thin, web-like strings. He tugged at them, noting how they didn't snap or budge. In fact, while he was busy admiring their structure, they began to lift him.
It was a slow ascent, but the closer he got to the sky, the more life he felt flood back through him. He felt like he could think again, breathe real air and feel a horrid level of pain. It was all too real. Real as the feeling of a hand encasing his ever so gently.
"Hey, are you okay?" A high, almost squeaky voice asked. Johnny looked around, his eye meeting that of a masked, bug-eyed man.
Johnny tried to make sense of the area around him, but nothing looked quite right. Everything was off, so grey, so electronic, even down to the clothing people were wearing didn't seem right. Things couldn't have changed that much in the time he was gone.
"Where am I!? Where's Sue!?" Johnny asked in almost a shout. If he were back home, Sue would be here; she would be the first one without a doubt. So why couldn't he see her? Why was this bug man helping him and not her, or Reed or Ben?
"You're in Times Square. It's going to be okay, I'm going to help you out." The hero in red helped Johnny off the wreckage, parading him through the streets of people. His hearing phased in and out as the townspeople screamed over and over again.
SPIDERMAN!
SPIDERMAN!
"Spiderman…"