Fantastic Four: Formation

Intro:

In the great black void we call space, amongst the stars and giant sphere-like planets a small silver orb that streaks through the atmosphere like a thin shooting star across the cosmos.

A passerby would comment just a flash of light, a small meteor passing by burning in the darkness and doomed to end in a diminished spark of rubble. However this being is no rock or interstellar flicker from the sun but a man.

Tall in stature, strong muscular build his body appears as if it was chiselled from white marble as his entire being is only silver. His eyes are orb white, his bare body naught but silver that reflects the stars surrounding him he glides on a silver vessel shaped to form a long thin board.

He is known, or better said, feared by many planet inhabitants in all of the cosmos as being the herald of a grand, unstoppable being said to eclipse the power of the great gods. Named in short, sharp and harried whispers as the Silver Surfer.

Yet now in his own mind he thinks freely away from the doom he'd call and answer to when his Master called. On his board he swerved aside from the small space rubble and energy cataclysms that were circulating the planet Venus. He found their electric surges interesting and took to examining them from a passing interest, he grazed close to the side of one, a rolling purple storm that crackled thin red electric shocks and rumbled in a deep but low roar.

Energy, as a principle emits a soft but formidable electromagnetic waves that the Silver Surfer using his hand to graze the cloud could feel and interpret as natural or manipulated by focusing on the source of that energy. A gift given to him by his creator to decipher where natural power could be found, power which the Master lusted after for so many millennia that in time of their being was slowly depleting from the universe.

Now though, surfing near this energy cloud burst by Venus The Silver Surfer felt for the first time in such a long, lonely time cycle that finally a small pulse of natural radiation was slowly propulsing from a tiny nucleus in the center of this cloud that with every full journey around the planet was slowly propelling more power which could be identified as the red electrical shock patterns becoming more erratic.

Interesting, the man thought as he allowed his fingers to stroke the cloudburst close enough to touch, gentle as the chromed tips of his hands caressed the cloud the storm ignited to his touch and the red electric shock out with more power and grace than before.

Knowingly he placed his palm closer towards the Nucleus and through the power that he transferred from his own being he focused on the electric circuit inside and began to transmit his personal energy directly.

As he released his hold slowly he watched with small joy as the cloud dispersed from its circuit and became detached in space without any need of coordination. It had developed its own propulsion system stronger than the gravitational pull from Venus could offer and with personal bemusement The Silver Surfer watched his creation become free.

Suddenly in his moment of peace he felt it.

A surge, uncanny amongst the stars it spread and he felt the first great wave and then another followed by an endless harry. Startled he lost balance but his board rooted to his feet followed him and propelled him back into place so he could face where this surprising presence could be found.

His eyes settled far away close to this galaxies centre sun lay, he thought it to be at first the giant planet near to him but the waves did not transmit there so he looked passed and using his board he pushed farther into space. He found a red planet, coiled in magma heat that spun ferociously to match the being from the sun but no the energy didn't seem to be sourced there either but instead past it, to a a small blue rock that clung closer to the…

He paused instinctively, feeling a slight rise in his heart flutter. Not only did the source of this unknown energy come from this planet but instead he focused his attention directly on the rock and found it to be a small planet with life. Natural flowing, feeding and flourishing life.

He took a slow moment, he hovered in the stars as he watched on through his vision of this small planet and the energy it sourced. But also the source of the unknown energy sparkle that he felt emitting ever more strongly in the dark sea of space.

Curious and fearfully, he speared across the stars once again in pursuit towards the planet.

Chapter 1:

"I'm just telling you Sue." Jenny muttered as they walked out of the courthall and down the white marble steps. "This is beginning to feel more of a week meet up than our ritual thursday morning coffee hang out."

Sue Storm shook her blonde hair loose by releasing her hair bow and let it fall down beside her cheeks. "Still won though."

Her lawyer Jenny chuckled. "Yes, four to me none to you Wilder, but in serious talk it's been something we need to talk about."

"No." Sue pursed as she checked her wrist watch. "It's getting close…"

"I mean first you slapped your boss, punched that weirdo…"

"That weirdo tried touching me."

"He thought you were carrying a weapon!"

"It was an avionic propulsion cell!"

"Oh my god." Jenny muttered as she checked through her phone. "Anyway you got off. Well done you. Better well done me."

"Are you still trying to get DA?" Sue asked as she began dialing from her own phone.

"Yeah but it looks like Nelson may be in the running." She scowled. "You know his blind partner does better work than that guy, now there's a man who i should be up against."

"You'll win and you know it." Sue grinned. "Thanks again though."

"It's cool." Jenny looked up with a smile as she pressed her phone to her ear. "I know it's been hard since Papa Storm passed, it's been six months Sue and you should get back to your work."

"Wow this got deep." Sue remarked.

"Well you have me for a whole hour which is up in four, three...two…" Jenny giggled as she turned away waving back to Sue. "Tra-la you aero-nut!"

Sue watched her friend leave and pressed call on her phone contact for her brother, Johnny. Last time she had seen him was last week and he mentioned a possible job that didn't involve driving celebrities around New York in a banged up Mercedes.

He answered. "Good afternoon Sister! I can't speak at the moment but I'm at south west central, the university…"

"I'm not driving to the south west Uni…" She muttered but as soon as he could her brother dismayed her.

"Excellent! Looking forward to our rendezvous!" Johnny ended the call.

Approximately four miles away in the top floor of the Baxter building where the renowned scientist Reed Richards occupied his office working hours sat Johnny Storm at his first big interview since graduating.

"Says here you're First Class propulsion physics from Long Island, Mr Storm." Reed slowly declaimed as Johnny put his phone away. "Very interesting."

"Thank you Sir," Johnny replied cordially, he quickly pushed a lock of hair out from his face.

"Recent Graduate?" Reed enquired puzzlingly.

""Yeah, last month." Johnny explained with a nervous twitch of his lip.

"I teach a short seminar there once a week, on the molecular structure towards the physiology of the subject you graduated from." Reed turned slowly to the young man, he sighed and took off his glasses to gentle rest on the desk. "I didn't see you once."

"Is that so?" Johnny giggled frantically. "It was a big class!"

"A class of five people." Reed declaimed slowly. "What is going on Mr Storm?"

Johnny sighed and placed his hands into his face and clawed down his cheeks. "I'm sorry Mr Richards." He explained with a deep sorrow. "I didn't graduate from Long Island, I'm not even a graduate I was kicked out from my Cadet training class three months ago…"

"Cadet training?" Reed exclaimed. "Police? Military?"

"Aviation division of the US Cadet training facility." Johnny said. "It was where I got my foundation degrees in applied sciences…"

He took a slow deep breath and sat up straight as he blew the hot air from his mouth to look up to Reed with raw determination. "I want to be a Pilot Mr Richards."

"Why lie then to me?"

"You're Reed Richards sir, you're one of my heroes. Aerospace architect, Master in Mechanical and fluid mechanics, astrodynamics, propulsion and avionics. War veteran from the Afghan war after a four year service as an Air medic and I know that you need a pilot for an upcoming expedition into your space program."

Slightly flattered Reed nodded. "The Phantasticus project. But you're not a trained pilot Mr Storm."

Johnny grinned. "I'm a better pilot than the next ten men you have coming in here, I may not have the right degree for the program but I'm the right man for the job you need. Propulsion, deployment into low-oxygen zones and I've administered seventeen earth atmosphere training seminars."

"The ones I created?"

"I thought it was Von Doom, your colleague, that designed the blueprints for all three training protocols?"

"He did actually." Further impressed by this kids knowledge Reed found himself laughing at his own mistake. "He designed the blueprints and I ran the set-up and layout."

"Look sir…" Johnny burst quickly leaning in his seat. "I only got thrown from my Cadet training because I...I have a problem with my eyes...I crashed a plane on his first flight test the month before I graduated. I'm kinda hot headed and I knew I shouldn't have been angry with my superiors but I just lost my temper sir. I'm better than that Sir, I can be more than that Sir, please, please give me a chance to prove that."

Reed tilted in his seat and slowly cleared his throat. "Mr Storm...Johnny, I have to admit I'm impressed with your research. The fact that you did seventeen training test modules where a normal man, hell even my best friend could only managed thirteen is all very strong qualities we look for in recruiting a team. But you lied to me on your CV and I think if you failed the cadet training camp is an even worse sign. We have no room on my ship for failure, as talented as you may say you are this is no maverick show. We aren't doing this for fame but instead were taking a step Johnny, a grand step into a new field of science. We hold the torch of knowledge in our hands, as humans we're passing it on towards the next generation of academics."

He saw a slow wet tear form in the young man's eyes.

"Finish your training, from what you say is very impressive it shouldn't be too hard in a few years for you to return to take that torch in your hands. I'm sorry Johnny, thank you for coming in today it's been a pleasure to meet you."

Reed stood up and held his hand out to the young man. "I can put a good word in at the aviation department, Lieutenant Rhodes is still the Marshall there?"

Johnny looked up in a flood of tears. "Yes Sir." He stood and took Reed's hands. "I'm afraid it'll be no good sir, thank you though it's...they say never meet your heroes but…"

Suddenly the doors to Reed Richards office swung open and the tall dark, handsome figure that belonged to Victor Von Doom appeared striding into the room. His usual slanted smile as always curled his lips as he glanced at the two men and he opened his arms. "Still making the young blood cry I see Reed!" He cried enthusiastically.

Quickly Johnny cleaned his cries away and straightened his hair.

Reed greeted Victor with a undeterred smile. "Victor, you know I'm interviewing for pilots today. This is Johnny Storm, he's the man that completed your training seminar seventeen times."

Victor turned to the young man with a shocked but sly expressions. "Seventeen? Well I can safely say Reed is a fool if he doesn't hire you, Ben Grimm only managed ten and he's the best pilot in the country."

"Thirteen Victor." Reed muttered and shook his head. "Turns out this cadet may have falsified a few documents besides crashing a expensive military plane."

"Really?" Victor exclaimed with curiosity.

"It was a Northtrop Talon." Johnny explained slowly.

"Hold them tears son." Victor declaimed sporadically. "A Talon? Did you not see any warning signs?"

"Warning signs?"

"Yeah, that little red danger warning signs that lights up the whole cockpit."

"Um...no…"

"Well, well, well…" Victor murmured softly and slowly tapped his wristwatch, as he did so a little red light flicked to the sign of a button. "Anything?"

Curiously and slightly irrationally Johnny burrowed his eyebrows and squinted with mild anger towards Von Doom. "What are you…"

Suddenly Johnny decided it was time for him to leave, he excused himself but sternly twisted in his feet and departed from the Office.

"What was that?" Reed inquired.

"Just a little test Reed." Victor explained with calm puzzlement. "I think that kid may be the best choice for your copilot but there's something there I can't put my finger on."

"He lied on his CV, crashed a plane."

"The training seminars don't have the same warning flags that the American airline services have, usually the best of pilots find the move to US fighter planes a challenge but this kid passed seventeen times."

"It's just what he says though but anyway there's plenty other pilots."

"Yeah there is." Von Doom muttered before twisting around playfully towards his friend and pointed up toward the sky above them. "But you are going up there too, I don't want just any fool driving you up and that kid is no fool if he can do it once or seventeen times."

"Vic he lied."

"As we all do Mr Richards." Doom explained slowly. "We can't change the ore but we can mould it and shape it for our own designs. That is how a blacksmith can be successful, not the tools but the mind of the man."

"Another Latvian saying?" Reed chuckled. "Here we say a bad worker blames his tools."

"Maybe." Von Doom grinned. "Ah I miss Latvia though, I'm visiting this weekend if you would like to come with?"

"You're going with Daria again? Or is it Melanie?"

Von Doom shook his head and swung his hand like a tennis player richotes away the shots at him. "I take who I please and who will be pleased to see my home country. The estate needs a female touch as much as you need to be back on the dating scene."

"My work is my mistress."

"Mans Dievs, Richards!" Von Doom sighed loudly. "All this time you work and work and work. You know at a click of my fingers I can give you, actually give you a room full of attractive women all of whom can understand you when you talk about your work."

"Victor, you barely understand me when I talk about work."

"Yes! Because I am drunk most of the time and when you talk about fluid mechanical physics it makes me wonder how much vodka goes into my delecor martini!"

"Grave misuse of your talents, Von Doom!" Reed chuckled and shook his head. "If i can find a pilot I may just come with you then if that helps."

Von Doom slammed his hand down onto the table with a deep cry of joy. "Fantastic! We have a deal! Call that boy to come in tomorrow for one final test!"

And with that Von Doom strode out from the office as brashly as he had walked in, flamboyant and cocky like a modern day knight in court. Richards sighed as he watched his friend leave the door open as he always did, lazily he moved forward to close the door all the time wishing he could just stretch his hands a bit further rather than wasting his own time by walking.

Sue had decided to abandon her car in the Westside lake car park and walked the last stretch to the university. She had picked up a coffee to go from a nearby corner coffee stand and gave herself some time to think over the events of the day. She had won her court case but it still left a very bitter taste in her mouth, her brother as brash as he was wild was still very much a child in her care since their father passed away and if all went well with this job hunt she'd be at rest knowing he was okay.

But it was what her friend Jenny had said that left a cold stamp in her mind, it had been months since she left her career in Advanced Idea Mechanics as a aerodynamic architect for their vehicular experiments and as much as she had enjoyed taking the last six months off to grieve she finally found that she had no idea where to go next.

It was easy for her to become a recluse, an angry one she admitted quietly to herself and although she had no removed herself completely from the radar a lot of job offers were not coming her way as they use to. By choosing to be invisible for so long she found that finally she had become a stranger to herself. Johnny on the other hand had seemingly become louder, like a roaring fire he seemed urged to prove himself to as many people as he possible could and perhaps their father's passing had made them both tilt away from their lives beforehand.

"Sue!" A strange but recognisable deep voice called to her. "Sue Storm!"

She turned as she faced a wide and frenzied crowd of regular new yorkers. "Sue Storm!" She heard again as her eyes finally found the owner to that deep and rolling voice.

"Ben Grimm." She murmured with excitement as the six foot five giant of a man, broad shouldered and low buzz cut hair strode up to her.

He still had that wide smile he had had when they were younger and without her knowing he picked her up into his trademarked bear hug that swept her off her feet every time.

"Put me down you mad man!" She giggled as he complied.

"What's it been now?" He roared. "Five years?"

"Try eight, last time I saw you was in the enrollment squadron." She remarked as she studied his face noticing the two scars over his right eye. "Oh Ben…"

Noticing that she noticed his scar he suddenly became very estranged. "Oh that's just...a scar from the war…"

She placed a loving hand on his sleeve. "It isn't anything, you still look like you."

Immediately he felt more comfortable and gave a sigh of relief. "Hell it is good to see you again." He said madly. "Are you in that logistics unit?"

"No actually...I'm out of a job." She laughed faint heartedly. "It's been a rough year."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ben acclaimed sorrowfully. "I heard about your Dad."

"Yeah that was...it still is very tough."

"I'm sorry I couldn't go to the funeral."

"No please Ben, your parents said you were in...was it Dela cruz?"

"San Montero, a extraction mission that took the best part of a month."

"Wow, I mean seriously that's amazing. Were you marines?"

"Chief Pilot operative. I'm still flying to this day with my friend Reed Richards on his new proj...hey are you looking for a job?"

"Um…" Suddenly Sue really had wished she was invisible. "Yeah...maybe…"

"Deep space Sue." Ben smile broadly. "Were going up there to sip tea with Neil Armstrong."

"No way." She murmured. "Richards, isn't he the guy who did the fluid mechanisms and propulsion avionics for the US?"

"Yeah, well technically speaking he's his own master and commander right now." Ben explained briefly. "He's on the Phantasticus project."

"Wow!" Sue cried again. "Can i interview?"

"Come in tomorrow." Ben laughed. "I'll handle it, say speaking of where is your brother these days?"

"Oh he's actually in that west side University hall, I'm going there now to grab him."

"Really?" Ben cried with excitement. "That's where I'm heading! I'll walk with you."