Reed Richards sighed and stepped away from the chalkboard. He'd been working all night on this latest project, and now here it was- finished.
Well, not completely. It still needed to be tested and refined. But that would come later. For now all that mattered was that the main outline had been done: the essence of the whole operation.
The scientist surveyed his work, checking some of the trickier calculations for the hundredth time. Satisfied, Reed grinned and turned around, coming face to face with Sue as he did.
Susan Richards was used to Reed's all-nighters. After all, you had to adapt when it came to science and the scientists who practiced it. Having a scientist for a husband, on top of being a superhero, could be trying sometimes. However, Sue had faced worse; intergalactic siege, gigantic invincible tyrants, childbirth.
"Ah-Hem," Sue cleared her throat and folded her arms.
"Is there something I've…forgotten?" Reed asked innocently.
"You said you'd take the kids to school today. You know how I have that breakfast date with Ben and Alicia?"
Reed groaned. "I'm sorry, but the spacious quadrants took a lot longer than I thought to factor in all the variables, and there's still room for error, I couldn't cover all the-"
Sue shook her head. "It's okay. I was just wondering if you were ever going to spend time with our children. We have two you know. One's named Franklin and the other's named…"
Reed's blackberry had beeped it was instantly in his hands. His eyes scanned the screen and the dim light reflected off his glasses.
"-Victor von Doom." Sue sighed. Reed hadn't even flinched. "Well, when you want to continue this discussion, feel free." She stomped semi-angrily out of the lab.
Reed didn't even acknowledge her fiery exit. His eyes were going wider and wider as he read the email.
He looked up slowly, eyes not focusing, and he sat down heavily in a folding chair next to a desk.
"No…" he whispered.
Benjamin Grimm sat in the kitchen in the Fantastic Four's headquarters, the Baxter Building. The Brooklyn native didn't spend much time in the Baxter lately, busying himself with regular excursions to races or boxing matches. The Baxter just felt so empty to him, even though it had hundreds of people in it at most times.
Ben bit into the gigantic sandwich he'd made for lunch, happy that, for once, Johnny wasn't there to disrupt him.
Johnny Storm, younger brother of Sue, was currently in Japan, studying the ancient art of something or other. He'd decided, after a humiliating battle with a ninja assassin just a week ago, that he needed to get out and learn some real fighting techniques.
Ben shook his head. Yeah right. That'd last like two weeks.
He tilted his head. With his nonexistent ears, he could hear the faint hum of the refrigerator, and farther away, the cars on the street many stories below. Other than that, however, the living quarters of the Four were oddly silent. No Johnny at the TV, no Sue in the gym, no Franklin and Valeria fighting, no Reed making things explode in his lab…
But Reed was home, wasn't he?
Ben finished off his sandwich and belched loudly. He hadn't noticed Reed leave. Maybe he'd fallen asleep in the lab again. That would explain Sue's look as she had gone out the door earlier.
Ben got to his feet and walked towards the hallway, the ground trembling with every step.
Reed had his head slumped to the side when Ben arrived in the lab. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep.
Ben didn't really care. He lumbered forward and shook Reed.
"Whoa!" Reed blinked slowly. "Oh. I must've fallen asleep on the-"
"Reed, don't'cha gotta be somewhere or something?"
The scientist blinked. "I'm…Not quite sure Ben. Did Sue assign me to something and forget to inform me of the fact again?"
Ben shrugged. "I jus' thought she said you'd get the little kiddos from school today, since you dropped 'em off this morning too."
Reed stood up. "What time is it?"
"Uh," Ben checked the clock on the wall. "One. How come?"
Reed rubbed his forehead. "I've been sleeping for hours. Argh. So much wasted time."
"Well ya did stay up all night last night."
"It doesn't matter," Reed growled. "I'll go get the children." His eyes widened. "The children."
Ben raised a rocky eyebrow. "Yeh?"
"Ben, can you do me a miniscule favor and retrieve the children? I have…Something to do."
He shrugged. "Sure. Not like I had anything planned or nuthin'." He began to walk out.
"Hey, mind telling me what you're working on, egghead?"
Reed didn't answer. He was writing on a whiteboard, and furiously.
"Alrigh'. See yer busy." Ben shook his head and headed out, leaving Reed to his mysterious project.
Franklin walked slowly down the Xavier's Academy steps, looking sort of downcast. He crossed over the grassy lawns through crowds of other students to the car.
"You okay champ?" Ben asked as Franklin got in and slammed the car door shut.
"Fine." He crossed his arms and looked out his window.
Valeria leaned forward in her seat. "You had a bad day, huh? Me too."
Franklin's eyebrows drew together in a scowl. "No you didn't."
"Yeah I did!"
"Well mine was worse!"
Ben rolled his eyes. This was why he didn't have kids.
Franklin resumed his moody silence and Valeria also went quiet. She knew when not to push her brother. His temper tantrums could be destructive.
"So…Anything cool goin' on today?" Ben asked tentatively.
Franklin shook his head. "Only the stupid football tryouts."
"Ah." Ben had been on the football team once. Those were his college days, protecting Reed, hanging with all the hot babes…But that was all over for him now. He had a new life. Saving the world, looking after kids, protecting Reed…
"I didn't make the team," said Franklin suddenly, interrupting Ben's flashbacks.
"How come? You're good at football." It was the truth. Besides his super mental abilities,
Franklin was also an athlete. He ran a mile or two every day, along with playing on the soccer and football teams when he was younger.
"I…fell down."
Ben knew it was more than that. His common sense practically screamed it. However, it wasn't good to pry into teenager's lives. They were awfully protective about it sometimes.
"Mhm. That stinks." Ben pulled into the underground parking at the Baxter. They didn't often use the normal car, but Franklin insisted on being picked up in it, since he didn't want to stand out as a rich kid. No one does.
"Well, actually, someone pushed me." Franklin admitted quietly.
"Was it Saniel?" Valeria asked suddenly.
Ah. The bully/jock, thought Ben. It wasn't entirely fair, really, since Franklin played sports too. But with great mental prowess comes great suffering.
"Yeah," Franklin grunted. "He's such a jerk."
Valeria grinned evilly. "You should make him act like a chicken."
"I'll make you act like a chicken if you don't shut up!" Franklin yelled.
Valeria looked down, frowning.
"Hey, that wasn't nice-"
They heard a giant explosion. Ben immediately grabbed the kids, one under each arm, and ran toward the Baxter elevator. It went from the underground parking to any floor, and, consequently, had the most security. It scanned Ben in about two seconds and allowed him inside. As the doors closed Ben was grateful for Reed's modification of all the elevators, so they'd accommodate Ben's colossal weight. Being rocky and strong didn't exactly put you on the light side.
As the elevator reached ground level, they were given a view of the surrounding Manhattan, courtesy of the glass walls in the elevator.
Ben scanned the city quickly, looking for trouble. Then he noticed a few rings in the sky, and the receding shape of the Fantasti-car.
"Oh." He put the kids down, an action for which they were grateful.
"Where's Dad heading?" Valeria asked.
Franklin closed his eyes. "Africa."