Chapter 67: Times Up

"Interesting. A golden opportunity has just landed on my lap. 

A man with a deathly pale white complexion and black spiky hair said from far away atop the Wilshire Grand Center. The man's clothes were all completely black, with a long trench coat over an expensive-looking suit.

"Sligguth. Begin the preparations; the time has come to enact my plan." The pale man said with a devilish smile. A snakelike creature with lime green scaly skin nodded from his kneeling position ten feet away.

"At once, Master Blackheart."

•••

BAM

Looking up at the blue sky, Ghost Rider laid still on the car he crashed on. It was not due to being tired; the spirit of vengeance could never actually become physically exhausted. His moment of stillness was due to the turmoil in his mind.

...Inside The Soul Space...

Harvey and Zarathos floated within their soul space. Red walls of fire surrounded them both. Harvey closed his eyes as he rested a hand on Zarathos's red bony forehead. They were both covered in blue flames.

"What are you doing, Harvey? Why do you continue to hold back?" Zarathos asked. "The more you hesitate, the less time you have."

"I know... but Simon is just a kid, like Luke and Manny." Harvey gritted his teeth. "How am I supposed to kill him knowing that? The kid isn't in control."

Zarathos remained silent as he watched his partner fight his internal battle. While the demon couldn't wholly understand what Harvey was feeling, after being with him for so long, a part of him was starting to understand the complicated issues of the human condition.

"You are correct... Simon is not at fault. Therefore, our penance stare, even your weak version, would have no effect on subduing him." Zarathos said as Harvey opened his eyes; they were glowing orange. "But if you continue to hesitate to do what is needed, then millions will die. Even your friends and those you would call your family will perish. The energy within the human, Simon, is more potent and volatile than the nuclear bombs used in Japan; I've come to understand that during our battle. It will destroy anything within its range; not even the bunkers created by the humans will protect those inside."

"So you see, partner. There is no time for hesitation."

Harvey slowly nodded at his partner's words. For the past five minutes, He had tried his best to reach out to Simon's humanity within, but he and Eric had had no luck. Harvey couldn't risk any more time to reach out to the young man; he had to do what was needed.

"...the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Harvey muttered and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Simon, Eric."

...The Physical World...

Rolling off the car, Ghost Rider turned his fiery head towards where Simon just landed. A loud crash rumbled through the black pavement. Several cracks were now covering Simon's red-muscled body; each crack was glowing white with power.

"I'm here; how can I help?" Pietro asked after he stopped next to the spirit of vengeance. "Wow, he's big."

"Quick Silver." Ghost Rider said. "Good work evacuating everyone; no soul is left in the building."

"Don't mention it; how do we stop him?" Pietro stretched his legs as Simon looked at the newcomer in confusion, then turned to anger. 

"There should only be around five minutes left before Simon's body fails to hold in all that energy." Ghost Rider then created a large hammer in his right hand. "I'm going to stop him once and for all."

"Sounds good. I'll distract him, and you hit him hard." Before Pietro could run off to begin the plan, Ghost Rider stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Ghost?" Pietro turned to him in confusion.

"If I fail at putting him down, I'll drag him as far into the ocean as I can. I need you to try and evacuate as many people in this city as far as you can, as fast as you can." Ghost Rider then began walking towards Simon. "I'm counting on you."

"HA-GHOST! You can't be serious!? You can't possibly survive an explosion at that scale!" Pietro yelled from behind him. "I won't let you fight alone!"

"Pietro." Ghost Rider turned his head slightly to look back at the silver speedster. "Trust me."

Pietro stood in place as his face shifted between emotions. Ultimately, he nodded and turned away from him. "Alright... But if you don't make it back, you'll make Wanda cry. If you do that, I'll bring you back alive so that I can punch you. Got that!?"

Nodding at Pietro's words, Ghost Rider saw his friend blur away. Turning to see Simon dash towards him, the spirit of vengeance readied himself for the last round of their fight. Covering the hammer in Hellfire, Ghost Rider sprinted forward in a blur of speed.

WHAM

Landing a powerful hit on Simon's stomach, a loud crack erupted through the streets. Causing all the windows in the vicinity to shatter. Simon bent forward and spat out a large glob of blood, pulling the hammer back. Ghost Rider spun around and swung the hammer into Simon's head, launching him back through a building.

Running forward, the spirit of vengeance crashed through the building and erupted out the other side just in time to see Simon stand up. With a swing of his arm, Ghost Rider wrapped a chain around Simon's body and yanked the larger enhanced body towards him. But before Ghost Rider could strike Simon with his hammer again, Simon opened his mouth as wide as possible.

Quickly, a small ball of white energy formed in front of Simon's mouth. The ball expanded and contracted, which then fired off toward Ghost Rider. The energy surrounding the beam cracked the floor beneath it as it cut across the air at breakneck speeds.

Seeing the beam fly toward him, Ghost Rider let go of the chain and hammer. Without wasting a second, he brought his arms in front of him; Ghost Rider summoned a colossal wave of Hellfire. Quickly forming a defensive wall of fire. When the beam made contact with the wall of flames, a bright white light illuminated the city when suddenly an ear-splitting explosion sounded out for miles, shaking the very earth beneath him.

BOOM

Looking down at his arms, Ghost Rider saw that the clothing from his biceps down was incinerated. As he was about to bend down to grab his hammer, Simon burst through the dissipating firewall and punched him across his face. Sending him across the street and crashing through several abandoned vehicles, causing many of them to blow up.

Up in the air, Simon could be seen falling with the large Hellfire hammer, but it wasn't without consequence. Simon's hands and arms were burning away, but the out-of-control boy didn't seem to register the pain. Before Simon could swing the hammer down, a myriad of chains erupted from the surrounding buildings and streets. They wrapped themselves around Simon tightly, causing him to drop the hammer.

Simon roared down at the street where Ghost Rider stood within the destroyed SUV. The spirit of vengeance held his bony hands clasped together.

"Hell's Inferno: Web of Chains."

All the chains that were wrapped around Simon erupted on Hellfire, quickly trailing up to the center where Simon was located. Igniting the boy in primordial fire.

"AAAAGGHGHH!" Simon roared in anguish as the fire burned him physically and spiritually.

"W-What are you doing!?" Ghost Rider turned his head to see Eric run tiredly towards him.

"Y-You're killing him!" Eric yelled with a panicked look.

"...yes." Ghost Rider responded without looking back at the horrified man's face.

"We don't know what could happen if you do! You could just accelerate the process within Simon!" Eric spoke as he turned to look at Simon, who was held up high in the air by the chains. Simon's body could be seen struggling to escape their hold but couldn't. He was too distracted by the pain of his body being on fire. "W-We still have some time! Let me talk to-"

"There is no time! We only have two minutes left." Ghost Rider growled as he continued to watch Simon burn; turning to Eric, he missed Simon beginning to glow slightly. "This attack is mainly to render him immobile; from there, I'll take him far into the sea."

Eric's eyes widened at his words, and slowly, his face twisted into anguish as he finally came to understand that there was no reasoning with Simon. Not anymore.

"I see... very well. At least let me-"

Before either Ghost Rider or Eric noticed, Simon roared and released a massive ball of energy from within his body. Shattering the chains that held him. Ghost Rider saw the wave quickly reach Eric, So with a fast dash, the spirit of vengeance grabbed Eric and ran away from the blast range.

Turning back to see the level of damage Simon's newest energy wave attack caused, Ghost Rider saw an entire city block be reduced to rubble and ash. A very still Simon lay in the center; his once red skin was now ash black with white glowing cracks covering his entire body.

"Simon..." Eric whispered from beside him as he saw his little brother remain on the ground. "It's almost time."

Ghost Rider nodded and turned to his left, where he saw a blue 2014 Toyota truck; walking towards the abandoned vehicle, the Ghost Rider laid a hand on the hood of the truck and infused it with Hellfire—quickly transforming the vehicle into his new Hellfire infused vehicle.

"Wait... Let me come too." Eric spoke as he opened the driver's side door. "I don't want to leave Simon alone... please."

"...Are you sure?" Ghost Rider asked as he looked at Eric.

"Yes."

Nodding, they both entered the truck and drove towards Simon. When they got close enough, they exited the vehicle and noticed Simon's body had returned to that of a young teenage boy. Eric's eyes widened, and he ran to his brother. "SIMON! Is that you!?"

"...E-Eric?" Simon spoke with a horse voice as his body pulsed white with energy. "Eric, everything hurts..."

"Simon... this is all my fault. I'm so sorry." Eric cried as he held his brothers, shaking hands.

"Eric." Ghost Rider spoke from behind the man. "We must hurry."

Eric looked devastated and nodded. The older man picked up his brother with a wince, and carried him to the truck's back seat. Eric then carefully sat his brother on the seat and sat next to him. Ghost Rider noticed that where Eric's skin made contact with Simon, the skin burned away until you could see the muscle beneath.

Seeing the brothers in the backseat, Ghost Rider entered the driver's seat and hit the gas. The truck quickly moved at incredible speeds through Santa Monica Blvd, Leaving behind fire trails. Reaching Santa Monica State Beach, Ghost Rider ramped up his speed and started driving along the ocean surface.

'Thirty seconds.' Ghost Rider thought as he increased his speed even more.

[ "Miller, Where are you!?" ] Starks voice sounded out of his SHIELD communicator from the collar of his jacket. After the mission in Sokovia, Harvey decided to leave the device there due to its convenience. 

"Stark." Ghost Rider answered as he pushed the button on the device.

[ "That's right, kid, I'm in the city. I'm aware of the situation, I brought a containment chamber for that walking nuke of yours. Where are you?" ] Ghost Rider heard Stark say with a strained voice.

"There's no time, Stark." Ghost Rider said as he was now a hundred miles away from the Channel Islands. "Hold down the fort for me." 

[ "KID!-" ] Cutting off the communication device, Ghost Rider continued driving as fast as possible.

"Eric... I'm very sleepy." Simon spoke slowly as his charred body continued to pulse. Eric cried and smiled as he nodded.

"Go ahead and get some sleep, Simon. When you wake up, we'll go out and get some pizza." Eric held Simon's head as he looked down at his brother. "How's that sound?"

Simon smiled and nodded; his eyes closed slowly as his body began to glow brightly. "Goodbye, Simon. I love you."

"Eric." Ghost Rider spoke as he turned his head back. "I'm sorry."

Eric smiled sadly and nodded. "No, thank you... for letting me say goodbye to my little brother."

Before anything else could be said, a blinding flash of light erupted from within the truck.

•••

"KID!"

Tony Stark continued flying in the air in his Iron Man Mk. 6 armor as he watched a far-off white light shine above the ocean. Suddenly, a tiny ball of plasma expanded over the sea and grew in size until it was the size of the tallest building in Los Angeles, the Wilshire Grand Center. 

Without warning, a bright flash of light shone brightly, and from there, a massive shockwave exploded from the ball of plasma and rushed out several miles, pushing out enormous waves of water. Three white rings slowly floated above the explosion and expanded far and wide. That was when the sound of the explosion finally reached the mainland.

BOOOOM

Tony was thrown off his flight path when a shockwave crashed into him, quickly righting himself in the air. Tony watched in awe as the white mushroom-like cloud rose in the air. 

"J-Jarvis... is there-is there any radiation fallout?" Tony asked his A.I. as he flew in place.

"Negative, sir. The Stark satellites aren't picking up any radiation from the explosion. Whatever energy caused that explosion seemed to be non-nuclear." Jarvis spoke as several screens appeared before him, showing him all the readings the explosion emitted.

"...Jarvis. Patch me through to Harvey again." Tony closed his eyes, but inside, he knew what Jarvis would say.

"I'm afraid I'm unable to reach Mr. Miller. The communication device seems to no longer be in service. I'm afraid it was destroyed, sir." Jarvis spoke slowly; the program also felt the weight of what had just happened.

Tony closed his eyes and nodded, The cloud from the explosion having already been dissipated from the sky. Opening his eyes, Tony scanned the sea and only saw mighty waves crash into the beaches. It seemed they were lucky that no tsunamis would come close to shore.

"Jarvis... scan for anyone that needs help. We got work to do."

•••

Deep within the ocean, a still skeletal body slowly drifted down into the depths of the North Pacific Sea. It continued to drift deeper and deeper into the darkness until it was no longer visible due to the pitch black depths.

That was until two small orange glowing orbs shined through the darkness.