I've finally done it! I've started the story that inspired my name. This is a venture into the world of the Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm to be exact. This is from the movie-verse, not the comic book just as a FYI. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs and my idea. Everything else belongs to its rightful owners.
Natalie Paige Ackerman| 23| Brunette| Green Eyes|5'9"| Works for Reed| Graduated MIT at 19|
Unlikely Attraction
Working with a scientist is no walk in the park. Now working with a scientist like Reed Richards, is enough to make anyone quit after day one. Not me, though. Some call me a masochist, others call me nuts. I don't see what the big deal is; Reed is a great guy to work for, in my opinion. That being said, I do have a second job. Working with Reed is great but due to his dry spell, it doesn't exactly pay the bills. Unfortunately, my second job has me working with Victor Von Doom and that is about much fun as sleeping on a bed of nails. However, working with Victor does have advantages like being able to investigate a cosmic cloud in space.
I woke up late on the one day in my entire life that I cannot wake up late for. I rushed to get dressed and freshened up, finishing in about ten minutes. I quickly drove to the site where Victor's team was launching from, grateful that I wasn't late at all. I walked into the building, greeting the scientists that were already there overseeing the launch in progress. "Morning, gentlemen." They all said hello without looking up from their screens and I laughed as I hooked a headpiece into my ear. The team was already in space when I had gotten there and I was one of the scientists overseeing their whole mission through a satellite I had launched a year earlier. I took my place at a computer and started to assess the readings I was getting from my satellite, along with the video feed of the cosmic cloud coming up to Victor's space station. "How is everything looking, guys?"
"Looks good, Ms. Ackerman. All the calculations that Dr. Richards made are correct."
"He's not usually wrong, Lucas."
"I know. He's just,"
"Broke. I know. I still work for him so quiet." Lucas smiled at me and I continued to scan through the readings being transmitted to me. A few more minutes went by without a hitch but an alarm went off, making the room jump. "What's going on, guys? Somebody give me something, now!"
"The readings are off the chart, Ms. Ackerman. It looks as if the cloud is going faster than we had initially calculated."
"You're telling me that the cloud is accelerating?"
"Yes. They have minutes, not hours."
"They've got to get out of there or they're going to get hit by it."
"We can't reach them. The cloud is interfering with our communications on the satellite." I typed a few things on the keyboard and it brought up the timer of the cloud's impact on Victor's space station.
"What can we do?"
"Nothing. We just have to make sure we can retrieve them after the impact."
"Get it done. Make sure everyone who can get them is mobile in a few hours. Lucas, contact Victor's medical facility and make sure that they get rooms together for the four of them. Everyone else, get to work on getting them back home. Now!" Everyone scattered and all I could do was stare at my screen that was streaming the impact of the cloud to Victor's space station.
Few Hours Later
Reed, Sue, Johnny, Ben and Victor were all safely on Earth and being moved to Victor's private medical facility, in quarantine. The best doctors Victor had were running tests on the five of them, making sure that the cloud didn't alter them in any way or give them any deadly radiation. I opted to spend a little more time at the lab, trying to figure out why this cloud would accelerate so fast with no warning. It was around eleven o'clock at night when someone tapped on my arm, making me jump in my seat. I turned around to see my friend and co-worker Lucas standing behind me with Chinese take-out containers in his hand. "Lucas, what are you doing here?"
"Making sure you don't work yourself to death. I don't want to have to clean up your mess." I smiled and took the take-out container he was offering me.
"I appreciate your concern for my well-being."
"You're very welcome. So, anything new on why the cloud accelerated?"
"Nothing I can see, and if it managed to get past Reed and Victor,"
"That is some serious ninja status. If three of the best minds in the world can't figure it out, it is definitely a mystery." I laughed.
"How is everyone doing?"
"Victor and company?" I nodded. "They're doing fine. No signs of any deadly radiation, no signs of anything negative. Pretty sure Johnny took a nurse out on the mountains but that's normal for that playboy."
"So everything is normal?"
"Yup."
"Good."
"So you can stop worrying and get some sleep at home. You keep this up, you'll be a much more attractive Reed."
"I'll take that as a compliment, Lucas. Reed is brilliant."
"You know what I mean." Lucas grabbed my arm and dragged me away from my computer. "I'm driving you home and you aren't coming back here until tomorrow. Understand?"
"Yes, mom."
"Good." I smiled and got in Lucas' car as he drove me home. Lucas pulled up to my apartment building and looked at me. "Go get some sleep. I'll call you in the morning if I hear anything from Victor or most likely his assistant."
"Alright. Good night, Lucas."
"Night, Natalie." I grabbed my bag and got out of Lucas' car, walking to my door after getting my keys out. I walked up to my apartment, more like loft, and opened the door. My cat, Major, greeted me at the door and I smiled at him.
"At least someone is happy to see me, Major." I picked him up and headed to my bedroom, where I put Major down on my bed and threw my bag on my chair. I changed into my pajamas and flopped on my bed, feeling sleep overcome me in a matter of minutes. I guess working for hours on end really does make one feel exhausted. There was always tomorrow, though.
-FIN-
That's it for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Next one will be out soon. Reviews are appreciated. : )
