My senior year of high school was the best year by far up until the last week. That year I was able to lavish in the fact that I had worked my hardest for three years and in my fourth I was able to relax and only worry about college applications. Even better was that I was dating the best looking guy in school and by far the greatest boyfriend on the planet. Or so I believed. Johnny Storm was handsome, adventurous, and all mine. It wasn't hard for me to ignore his immaturity but I should have been more aware of male weakness. Glenville never seemed like a better place than when I was dating Johnny. We were voted cutest couple and prom king and queen. That night after prom, the two of us did what most teenagers do on that night. And believe me, I was his first and that will always be something that I'll be proud of. I don't regret him being my first either. Yet a week before high school would be behind us, I had the shock of seeing him in the arms of another woman. Sure it was a kiss and maybe Johnny wasn't lying when he told me she came onto him. Another woman might have forgiven him for pushing the girl away and chasing after me promising it wasn't his fault, but I knew better. The next few years would give me evidence that it was only the beginning of a long line of women he would go through. I thought after dumping him those years ago, I'd never have to see him again. I was very, very wrong.

"Candace Richards, here!"

I pulled off my backpack full of essentials and dumped it on the table in front of me. Von Doom station was much more lavish than I had expected, but it was Victor von Doom running the show. Reed and Ben looked up at me with huge smiles on their faces. Ben reached me before my cousin did, giving me a huge bear hug.

"Hey, there, Candy Cane, you look well. All grown up."

I laughed as he let me go. Reed pulled me into a hug.

"Good to see you, Candy. Thanks for coming."

"Hey, you were really excited about your science and I didn't want to be left out of the fun. Maybe I can write a book about going into space after this?"

Reed nodded. I pulled my hair into a sleek ebony ponytail just as my least favorite person in the universe walked in.

"Captain on the bridge!"

Ben, who had been rummaging around in his bag, stood up quickly and saluted. I rolled my eyes and Reed grinned to himself as a camera went off, snapping a picture of Ben. Johnny Storm strode into the room, confident as ever.

"Digital camera $254, memory stick $59, the look on your hard-ass former C.O.'s face when he finds out he's your junior officer, "Johnny said, sitting down in a chair in the room," Priceless."

Ben marched over to Johnny, looking as if he were going to strangle him, which I secretly hoped he would. Instead, he unzipped the neck of the blue body suit Johnny had on. A body suit I had already put on after meeting Susan outside. She had always liked me, even though she and Reed were over and I could barely look at her brother without wanting to kill him or jump out the nearest window.

"I can handle this ship," Ben informed Johnny," I can even handle Mr. Blonde Ambition. But I don't know if I should be flying or doing Swan Lake in these suits. I mean, who the hell came up with these?"

It was then that Susan entered. Reed's eyes automatically went to her. She was wearing her suit as well. I raised an eyebrow at Reed, wondering if he was paying attention to her body or the suit itself.

"Victor did. The synthetic acts as a second skin, adapting to your body's individual needs."

"See, now that means it keeps the hot stuff hot and the cool stuff cool," Johnny threw in.

It was then he appeared to notice me. He stared for a moment before smirking.

"Well, helllllo, Candy. Haven't seen you in awhile. I see your body suit is doing you justice."

"Quit drooling and can it. And it's been seven years to be exact."

"Glad you're keeping track."

Looking back at Susan, I saw Reed walk over to her.

"Wow. Fantastic! Material made from self-regulating unstable molecules. I've been working on a formula for this."

Ben and I sighed, both of us knowing that Reed had obviously missed how good Susan looked. She looked pretty annoyed about his lack of perception.

"Great minds think alike."

Susan handed Ben a body suit and threw Reed's at him. After slipping into a pair of pants and a jacket with the Von Doom logo on it, I explored the station a little. It was impressive and I would have loved to write about it, but I figured if I wrote about von Doom's station, he would find a way to get paid for its use. I came upon Ben and Johnny eventually. Ben was stepping out into space when Johnny noticed me.

"What is Ben doing?" I asked, squinting at Ben as he stepped into space.

"Doing something with a plant for Reed's research."

"Oh, so he is using a plant as his test subject on genetic changes."

Johnny looked at me curiously. I rolled my eyes at him.

"What?"

"You haven't changed much, you know…"

I sighed and leaned against the transparent door.

"In intelligence or looks? Tell me you are not going to try and justify yourself still…"

"Candace."

I knew he was serious if he was calling me by my real name. I sighed and looked at the metal floor.

"Seriously, I never cheated on you. You just came around the corner after I'd been attacked by a girl. I don't even remember her name."

"I hear from Sue that you're quite the playboy. Don't remember many of the names of the girls that you make out with, hm?"

"See! You always do that," he sighed in frustration," You always have to…I didn't cheat on you. Candace, I loved you, okay? Seriously, I loved you. We wouldn't have-I wouldn't have even sle-"

Reed came dashing into the room at that moment in a panic.

"We have to get Ben back in here. Right now. Ben, get inside now!"

"What's going on?" Johnny and I demanded.

"I ain't done arranging your flowers yet, egghead," Ben's voice said through an intercom.

I only then realized that Ben had been listening to everything me and Johnny had been saying. My cheeks burned as I turned to look at Ben and my eyes widened. There was wall of what looked close to fire coming toward the station.

"Ben, turn around," Reed breathed, trying to calm himself.

Ben finally noticed, but what happened next was a bit of a blur in my mind. I remember the guys talking, but I wasn't really listening. Ben jumped toward the station, trying to get back in. The storm caught him though, and sent him flying into the door as the shields began to close. It seemed to go right through the doors. I felt winded and then I fell unconscious.