"The Needs of the Greater..."

By Tony Thornley

---

     His name is Ronnie Raymond.  If you saw him on the street, you'd just think he was another college student, in desperate need of money just like any other college student in the United States.  If you saw him in the skies, you'd think of him entirely differently.  You see, Ronnie is more than just your average college student.  Once upon a time, Ronnie gained strange powers and abilities beyond those of normal men.  He became one of the most powerful metahumans on Earth.

      One day, through a simple twist of fate, Ronnie became Firestorm.

      Now, after a sort of sabbatical from superheroing, Ronnie finds himself back into the swing of things.  He's an active member of the JLA.  He's bailed out Superman himself on a couple different occaisions.  And he help repel an alien invasion of incredibly epic proportions.*

* (In the Cold Armageddon crossover- Tony)

      Today is different though.  Today, Ronnie is going to discover something new about himself.  He's going to discover whether or not the needs of the greater are more important than those of the few.  He's going to discover that sometimes in the life of a hero incredible sacrifices need to be made.  And he's going to hate it.

      Firestorm stood in the Watchtower, looking at the screen that Batman had wanted him to see.  He folded his arms over his chets and cocked his head to the side.  He at last nodded.

      "No problem Bats," Ronnie said.  "It's just an asteroid, right?  Not a brand spankin' new Warworld?"

      "I hope not," Batman replied.  "But it is on a collision course with Earth.  The government didn't want to panic anyone, so they contacted us.  You have a week."

      "A week to dismantle that?!" Firestorm excalimed.  "Do you doubt me or something?"

      "No.  I don't."  Batman clicked the screen off.  "I can ask Superman to assist you."

      "It's okay.  If I can't handle it, then I'll contact you.  Don't expect to hear from me for a week."

      "Don't get overconfident Firestorm," Batman ordered.  "You don't know what the composition of that thing is?  What if it's something that you can later and absorbs nuclear energy?"

      "Then I'll contact you, and you can get someone to send a couple Green Lanterns to help me out."

      "What if it's made of a yellow mineral?"

      "Don't be so pessimistic," Ronnie laughed.  "If you were so worried, why did you contact me first?"

      "Point taken.  Have you seen that movie about the oil drillers who have to destroy the asteroid, and have seventeen days?"

      "Yeah..."

      "Same principle, only you have ten days less," Batman said.  "Once you hit a certain point without it blown at least in half, we have no chance.  You got it?"

      "Yeah, I got it," Ronnie nodded.

      "Here's a timer for seven days," Batman said, handing Ronnie a device.

      Ronnie put it on and grinned at Batman.  "See you later Bats."  Firestorm left the monitor room to depart for the edge of the solar system.

      "Godspeed, Firestorm," Batman said.  "You'll need it."

      Ronnie was alone with his thoughts.  He was lucky the next semester of school didn't start for another week and a half.  Some people might start to wonder about him.  There was that girl in the class that the professor attacked him in...

      The professor.  He had gone nuts.  Why had he attacked Ronnie?*  Was it because of Mongul's invasion, and he just got there too late, or was it something more?  Something else.  An outside influence.  Ronnie shook his head at the possibility.  That wasn't realistic.  Was it?

* (Firestorm #4-6)

      He could see the asteroid ahead, and Firestorm began to alter his velocity to match the asteroid.  It was large, that was for sure.  Probably mostly iron ore.  He could pick it apart and sell the ore for millions.

      "Not right now," Firestorm said.  "Worry about money for school later.  Right now, I've got a job to do."  Ronnie started moving around the asteroid, trying to find the best angle of attack.  As he neared the side opposite him upon his arrival, Firestorm could see lights.

      "What is that?" he muttered.  He increased his speed and neared the source of the light.  Firestorm furrowed his brow as he saw the source of the light.

      "Is that a... biodome?"

      As he spoke those words, Ronnie caught a flash in the corner of his eye.  He spun to face the flash of light, but was too late.  Firestorm was caught up in the blast and in the blinding light, darkness enveloped Ronnie's mind.

      Ronnie awoke in a small square room with rough rock walls.  He looked up from his lap and, as he moved, discovered that his hands were tied behind the chair he sat in.  Ronnie start to change the cords into water when a door whooshed open.  A tall, serpentine creature strode in, came up to Ronnie and backhanded him visciously.

      "Rouk, stand down!"  Firestorm tried to see the source of the voice, and found himself looking at an impish creature, with definite reptialian features, but definite mammalian features as well.  It was like a chimpanzee had been able to mate with a garden snake.

      "Oooooh," Ronnie muttered, "bad image."

      "Hello stranger," said the imp, "do you have a name?"

      "Ro- Firestorm."  Ronnie hesitated.  Why did he feel he needed to be so cautious in front of an alien he'd never see again?

      "Hello F'ire of Clan Stor'm," the imp replied.  "I am Sh'rourk, of Clan H'kishr.  Shir will suit me in your... primitive tongue."

      "Why did you knock me out and bring me here?" Firestorm asked.

      "We were... unsure of the threat you posed to our society," Shir said.  "Will you pardon us our mistake F'ire Stor'm?"

      "How would you know you made a mistake?" Ronnie questioned.  "How do you know what my intentions are?"

      "I believe you just revealed them to us," Shir replied.  "Rouk is of the servant clan of our people.  They are the only of our society allowed to fight or kill.  He is well trained.  I believe that he will not make your death long and torturous."

      "Now wait a minute!"  With hardly a thought, the cords were transformed into liquid, and Ronnie was on his feet.  "They were two simple honest questions!  If you're going to <i>attempt</i> to kill me for that, have at it.  Then you'll just have to find out what nuclear radiation does to your body when you're exposed to leathal doses sloooowly!"  Shir and Rouk stared at him in disbelief.

      "You destroyed the cords!" Shir finally spat out.  "None of our people have been able to do such a feat.  You are surely not meant to be slain.  Forgive us, master."

      "Master?  Blast it, stop confusing me like that.  I am not anyone's master."

      "Oh.  Forgive us please.  What is your true intent here F'ire Stor'm?"

      "Ummmm," Ronnie paused.  "It's kind of complicated..."

      Shir accompanied Firestorm in the city buried beneath the dome.  Ronnie looked around in awe, and Shir just looked at him skepticly.

      "Our home is in the same course as your homeworld?" Shir asked again.

      "For the final time, yes," Firestorm grumbled.  "Don't you have engines or something that can move this thing?  So my world isn't destroyed?"

      "I'm afraid that all of our fuel was used when we left our solar system with Mongul in pursuit.  The engines are useless."

      "I can synthisize your fuel," Firestorm suggested.  "It'd be no problem."

      "You can create anti-matter?"

      "Oh, 'fraid not," Firestorm said dejectedly.

      "I knew it," Shir replied triumphantly.  "One of my aides shall help you find a solution," he continued.  "Ah, here she comes now!"  Firestorm turned to see the aide.  He was shocked to see a young woman whose features were almost entirely human, excepting small patches of scales on her arms.

      "F'ire Stor'm, this is Dar'a Clan Joh'nso'n," Shir introduced.  "She is perhaps one of our most brilliant physicists."

      "Thank you," Dar'a said.  "If you'd pardon us, Sh'rourk?"

      "Of course," Shir said, bowing.  He walked away quietly.

      "My father is a flatterer," Dar'a said, turning and walking in the opposite direction.  Firestorm followed.

      "Your father?" Ronnie asked.  "Why is your clan name Joh'nso'n?"

      "Because my mother is from Earth," Dar'a said.  "Clara Johnson.  I'm a hybrid.  Hence the human features."

      "How did your mother...?"

      "Abduction."

      "Oh."

      "My father knows we're in the Sol System," Dar'a said.  "He'd like to see Mother's homeworld.  Our society is mostly pacifist.  I imagine father threatened you though.  He is one of the more... agressive among the survivors."

      "I see," Ronnie said.  This was making little sense to him.

      "I can sense your confusion," Dar'a laughed.  "Let me explain a couple things.  The governing council, including my father, knew about the coming attack from Mongul prior to when he attacked Earth.  We were a warm-up.  They created this city, selected the best of our race, ordering them not to let anyone else know of the attack.  Then the public was slaughtered.  My mother raised me to be Christian, but the planet was of a faith that was incredibly similar to paganism, or so my mother said.  They believed that fate would decide for them.  So they will do nothing to avoid colliding with Earth.  Your life is in danger, Firestorm."

      "Yes," a voice said from behind them.  "It is."  Firestorm spun to see Rouk, his arms folded over his chest.

      "Hello ugly," Ronnie said.  "You better be ready for a fight.  This time I'm not tied to a chair."

      Rouk growled, and rushed Firestorm.  Ronnie took flight, and peppered Rouk with low-power plasma bolts.  Rouk's dense hide repelled the blasts, but they were enough to annoy the creature.  Rouk held up large claws on his fingers, and climbed up the nearest wall.

      "Ah, time for some friendly banter!" Ronnie sighed.  "Stuff like, that's cool, but can you do this?!"  With that, the wall where Rouk was clinging transformed into helium.  Rouk fell, but landed in nimbly on his feet.  He looked up at Firestorm and shook his fist.

      "I'll get you for that!" he cried in a high squeaky voice, thanks to the helium.  "What did you do to me?!  My voice!"

      "Oops?" Firestorm laughed.

      Rouk growled, a noise that made Ronnie laugh out loud.  He jumped into the air, and clawed at Firestorm, who floated just inches over his reach to taunt him.

      "So Dar'a," Firestorm said from above Rouk, "when does your governing council meet?"

      "Right now I believe," Dar'a replied, staring at Rouk trying to attack Firestorm.

      "So I just request the privilige of being allowed to move this asteroid so my homeworld can survive," Firestorm said.  The governing council sat before him, listening to his pleas.  "I was explained you beliefs, and you must believe me that fate sent me here.  Do I have that permission?"

      "No."  Firestorm looked at the council in shock.

      "NO?"

      "Correct."

      Firestorm clenched his fists.  "Don't you realise that millions will die because of you?"

      "Yes, we do."

      "I have my orders," Firestorm said.  "If this asteroid isn't out of the way within-"  Firestorm looked at his timer and cursed.  "-Twelve hours, I have been ordered to destory the asteroid."

      "Very well.  Fate will guide us."

      "Your funeral."  Firestorm left the council chambers, and saw Shir waiting.

      "It was not allowed you, was it?"

      "No, you stinking little-"

      "Seize him."  Several aliens just like Rouk came at him.

      "No."  The air around Firestorm flared bright red, and the giant aliens around him jumped back.

      He found that no matter what he would try, nothing short of destroying the asteroid would be good enough.  He flew over the underground city, watching luxurious homes pass underneath him.  This society was full of hypocrites.  They said fate would decide their course, but they let their own race perish.  They deserved to die.

      Firestorm stopped.  No matter what some of them had chosen, no society deserved to die like this.  He needed to somehow move this asteroid, but he knew that had defenses on the surface.

      "I can't do anything," Firestorm muttered.

      His JLA comlink suddenly beeped.  "Firestorm?!  This is Batman.  If you can hear me, we need to blow that asteroid!  You're approaching the barrier!"

      "My timer says just under twelve hours!" Firestorm replied.

      "Thank goodness you answered.  That's until impact!  You need to act now!"

      "Batman, there is a city inside the asteroid.  I can't do anything."

      "It's a single city!  You're almost within sight of the planet's surface.  If the public sees it, we will have a panic on our hands!"

      Firestorm was torn.  He blasted through the ceiling of the cavern that housed teh city, and flew around the asteroid.  He could see Earth now.  His world was not going to die because of him.

      "How much time to I have before this is impossible?" Firestorm asked Batman.

      "About a minute."

      "I'm going to blow this in half," Firestorm said, his stomach sinking.  "Contact the GLCorps and have them send up a cleanup crew.

      "Affirmative."

      Tearfully, Firestorm turned primed a blast that would tear the asteroid apart.