Nothing Special
Disclaimer: I don't own any Fantastic Four characters
Summary: Reed's little sister is visiting them for the "Grand Wedding", but when things go crazy what happens to those who don't have superpowers? Do they get a happy ending too?
Chapter 1: Of Airplanes And Embarrassment
Robyn Richards' breath shook as she dug her fingers into her crossed arms trying to keep calm. The plane jerked again and her stomach did a flip, no matter how tight she adjusted the little seatbelt around her middle it felt to her as if she was about to pop out, break the window and fall out of the plane, and no matter how many times she told herself it would be impossible she could still feel the terrified shriek wanting to erupt from her.
She had swallowed two sleeping pills and had only managed to sleep what felt like five minutes, and needless to say those few minutes were enough to leave her a complete mess. She had dragged her permanently tired body out of her grungy apartment in Dublin for her big brother's big wedding celebration in about three week's time, what fun, considering I loathe parties and people the same amount, she thought sarcastically as the plane began its descend. She pulled the belt tighter and gave a small gulp as the plane dropped a bit lower; the man beside her gave her a strange look.
"The puking bags are right there, you know," he said, Robyn couldn't reply as her stomach turned but nodded thanks to him.
It was weird how each time she even came near an airport how her hair became oily, her skin dry and her breath smelly, her eyes drifted to outside the small window. One thing about the fear she had of flying was that she didn't notice the cramped space that belonged to the dreaded Economy Class. She was a bit annoyed that the man beside her was still drinking Cola and calmly reading his newspaper while she was about to suffer a panic attack. Reed was never like that, he was always so calm and in control or at least he used to be back when they were little.
Reed Richards was getting married! She could hardly believe it; it felt like only the day before that he was the annoying big brother who told her that no matter how hard she tried the big red square wouldn't fit into the small blue circle and she was the stubborn know-it-all that told him that not eating up all his veggies would result in him staying a little ant forever, or when he became the nerdy science-fair winner and she the gawky runner-up. It didn't change that much when he and Sue started going out, she nearly always sided with Robyn and became like a sister to her, even after the split up.
Then Robyn saw them in the news, suddenly the Fantastic Four and their freaky powers or symptoms, as Sue had named them, appeared on nearly every television in the world. Her brother was a celebrity, Mr Fantastic; she had gawped at the screen with blank eyes, the concept too big to understand. Suddenly Sue, Ben and even the arrogant idiot, Johnny, became very, very famous. Of course the Dr Doom thing just had them getting even more celebrated and every small thing taking place in the Four's lives appeared on the news and in the tabloids.
In the past four years Robyn hardly spoke to Reed, she always thought he seemed so busy, new inventions, saving the day, they just didn't have enough time to really talk, so she had left a message saying when and at which airport she would be landing, he didn't have to go get her, she was a big girl and could get a taxi without causing a catastrophe.
The plane descended more and with a final churn and flip of her stomach, Robyn reached for the small paper bag and emptied her stomach's contents into it. Great, now what do I do? she thought as her dry, pale cheeks glowed red.
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Never again! NEVER AGAIN! Robyn vowed as she staggered out of the plane, she kept her head and eyes on the ground, her ears were blocked, her head felt thick and her body tired. She kicked herself for not ordering Reed to pick her up, the mere thought of walking around looking like she did made her want to put her head in her hands and cry like a baby. If that wasn't enough a huge pimple was forming on her forehead, in the very middle and it seemed as though the man who sat beside her in the plane had taken her little dry make-up bag by mistake which meant that she would have to beg for a taxi outside in peeling skin and messy hair. I'm going to look like a hobo, she thought with a sigh or hopelessness.
"Oof!" a shocked sound came from her and she found herself lying on the dirty floor, her heavy handbag beside her. She wanted to start shouting at the man who she bumped into, but decided against it. She eyed him, he seemed so familiar, he seemed so automatically annoying, like she knew him, and knew him well.
"Johnny?" she asked, hoping against all hopes that it wouldn't be her high school's old golden boy.
His eyes drifted to her, and it was like he actually saw her, but whether it was good or bad Robyn didn't have time to reach a conclusion, as he pulled her up and looked her up and down with a smirk.
"Well, look at what the cat dragged in!" he laughed, and Robyn rolled her glazed eyes but thanked who ever made him drive to the airport.
"Yeah, good to see you too, Johnny," she rasped, puking wasn't good for the stomach, that's for sure. He laughed again, it had been almost six years since she had seen him last, the last time the two had she was the frumpy fat girl with braces, freckles, glasses and no prom date, and he was student body president, hot body, straight teeth and about five girls who hung around him…like flies would a pile of shit, Robyn thought, reminded of the worst days of her life.
She didn't exactly have any friends back then and he wasn't the type to hang out with the ugly girl of school. She could always hear them cracking a joke about her when she walked past. In fact the only friends she did have were Reed, his bodyguard, Ben Grimm, and his girlfriend, Sue Storm. She couldn't believe that Johnny's sister was such a nice, down to earth person, and when Reed had told Robyn about his "girlfriend", the Sue Storm, Robyn had almost expected to be a supermodel or something.
"So…did the plane crash?" Johnny asked innocently, and Robyn gritted her teeth and groaned.
"No, Johnny. It didn't!" she said, walking in the direction of the baggage belts with him on her tail.
"Then what happened?" he asked and added loud enough for her to hear, "Because you look like a heroin junkie,"
"Yeah, tell me something I don't know," she snarled stopping in front of the conveyer belts and crossing her arms.
"Uh…you have a…volcano on your forehead," he said, but Robyn ignored him and tried to mentally make her bags appear in front of her. She eyed her watch as Johnny winked and greeted two blonde floozies who paraded past them. Both gave a twin giggle that must've sounded like music to them but resembled the sound of glass breaking to Robyn.
"Why did you have to come and get me?" she groaned, staring up at the ceiling in a miserable state.
"Well, Reed and Sue went to look at more cakes and Ben, well, he can't exactly drive, can he?" he said still eyeing the floozies, "So who else is there? Just Torch, and of course, your lovable big brother thinks I don't have my own things to do, so they sent me to come and pick the egghead's equally dorky sister up," he said, finally tearing his eyes away from the two.
Robyn glared at him, "I am not a dork,"
"Uh…yeah you are," he said, his gaze switching back to the floozies, "Right, not that you're not excellent at the whole talking thing and all, but I'm going to get me two new phone numbers, be back in a sec," he said and went after them wolf whistling, Robyn rolled her eyes again. It wouldn't be long before she would be washed and snuggled up on the couch with Pringles in the Baxter Building. She tapped her foot, eyed her watch, and yawned in the same order over and over again.
Nearly everybody else had gotten their bags and were heading home, but Robyn was still standing there, by that time Johnny had gotten back and was whining in her ears, but she didn't even bother to answer the idiot and just stared out in front of her with a grave expression that would have people think she was dead.
A huge bag came up to them, and Robyn gazed at it, what a gorgeous bag, it's the same nice posh almost velvet material with the same little name tag…she thought andnearly missed it when she read the name Robyn Rose Richards on the tag and struggled towards the belt. She heaved the bag off, half expecting Johnny to offer help, but of course it was a waste of time, he stood eyeing her and when the bag was finally on Robyn's back he set off with her following him a few paces behind. Soon she was panting for air, and her legs felt like lead, he took hardly any notice, only calling to hear if she was still coming, and pretending to not know her at all when they walked past pretty girls in high heels and make-up. He grinned and winked at every single one of them, which of course brought that disarming…no, utterly deafening shrill giggle and flip of completely fake blonde hair, forth.
Robyn managed to tuck a strand of dark and presently oily hair behind her ear in her struggle to stay as close as possible to Johnny. Her chest was heaving and her legs were burning, that's what you get for even thinking of Pringles! Robyn thought as she panted across the small street after him. Isn't he a genius, parking so far away, I wouldn't be surprised if he had parked in a Disabled Zone, she thought sarcastically. She puffed away behind him as he continued winking and grinning at all the "supernova hot" bimbos that tiptoed past them in their stilettos. Once or twice one of them eyed Robyn up and down before giggling and pointing to her flat shoes, baggy sweatpants, oversized T-shirt and her unfortunate looking face.
Robyn scowled but kept her glazed grey eyes on the ground in front of her, trying not to focus on both the dead weight she dragged around and the wannabe It-Bitches that toddled by staring first at Johnny and then at the messy girl with the coffin on her back. Robyn scraped her energy together and jogged up to right beside Johnny and when he stopped abruptly she stumbled over her own feet and landed face first on the hard airport parking ground, her huge bag on top and way too heavy for an exhausted girl to lift up while lying on the floor like a dead dog.
"You need to go see a doctor, I have a feeling deep inside me that you're not really right in the head, if you get my drift," he said, pulling the bag off her and stuffing it into his latest car, a Porsche. Robyn pushed herself up, and stood by the side of the car, leaning against it. Her eyes caught Johnny's number plate, T0RTCH 2, and in small-engraved letters she read, "In Loving Memory Of T0RCH 1 Who Ended Up Scrapped By The Thing,"
"Scrapped by the thing?" she repeated curiously, glancing at Johnny puzzled. Johnny stared over her shoulder as though revisiting some old memory.
"H-he was the l-l-latest model, and-and Ben r-rolled him in-into a l-little b-b-ball…" his voice drifted off, Robyn awkwardly stared at her shoes, and maybe guys can actually fall in love with their cars, she thought. Johnny continued to stare over her shoulder with a faraway look, Robyn frowned at him, perhaps there was a softer side to the Human Torch after all.
Suddenly Johnny laughed, lightly clapping Robyn on the shoulder, the deep look from a few seconds ago was gone replaced by a grin.
"Yeah, but that's the past, this baby is now's latest, and hell, not even Shelby from last night comes near her!" he laughed, slamming the boot shut and sliding into the driver's seat. Robyn gawped, oh yeah that's such a typical Johnny thing to say, why do I want to know about Shelby? She followed his example and slid into the comfortable leather seat beside him.
The drive to the Baxter Building felt like the second longest in her life, the first being the airplane trip to America. Johnny turned up the music and the sound of Akon rang in her ears. She gazed out of the window, it had so long since she was there last, for instance in the time she stayed near there no photographers hogged the street. Robyn swallowed hard as one pointed and shouted at the sight of Johnny and his car, this cannot be happening!
"So what do you do again?" asked Johnny waving at a photographer, luckily there was still some time before they would reach the Building and Robyn wished that her zit would just disappear along with her dry skin and oily locks.
"I'm a surgeon to the Meath Hospital in Dublin," she replied distractedly, noticing that the throng of reporters and photographers were becoming thicker and more crowded the nearer they came to the Baxter Building.
"Oh, you and your brother really are the same, he used to not have a life either!" Johnny exclaimed, but Robyn took no notice, her dread growing. She would have to walk through all of them! She would maybe have to smile and pose! She would have to talk to them! Her breathing came quicker as Johnny stopped the car, and like a major actor he got out, holding up his hands and grinning at the mass of people. Robyn gave a whimper, before swinging open her door and getting out too, she tried to smile but was sure it looked more like a grimace. She opened the boot and pulled out her huge bag, she could hardly hear all the questions they flung at her above the alarms that went off in her mind. She was like a fish out of water!
Johnny on the other hand loved the limelight and was happily chatting to six of them all at once.
"Mr Storm! Where's Shelby?" asked one, thrusting a microphone in front of his mouth.
"Torch! Is this your latest squeeze?" asked another, crazily trying to remain at the front row of reporters.
"Johnny, aren't you going to go carry that…fine lady's bag for her, I thought your motto was; when in Rome, do as many Romans as you can?" came another one from his left.
Johnny nodded and grinned his most charming grin, "Number one; Shelby and I just weren't working out, well, she wasn't working out, at least," he joked, and the crowd laughed heartily, "Number two; this is Mr Fantastic's lil' sister, and about the bag, of course I am, I just didn't want to keep my fans waiting," he said, grabbing the bag from Robyn, "Chat to ya'll later!" he said winking and made his way into the Baxter Building, Robyn stood staring in surprise.
"Miss Richards! Miss Richards! How do you feel about the fact that you'll be staying with four actual superheroes, not to mention the biggest womaniser of the United States?" shouted an almost jealous looking female reporter, nearly hitting Robyn over the head with her microphone.
Robyn grimaced, "Ecstatic," she said and hurried after Johnny, leaving them exchanging bemused glances and thinking the same thoughts about Mr Fantastic's strange, and well, bedraggled little sister.
Johnny hauled the bag into the elevator and got in himself. Robyn stumbled over her own feet as she ran in after him, and for the second time that day she ended up with her face on the floor. Johnny glanced to see if anyone was watching him before kneeling down to see if she was all right. He bent over her curiously, he wasn't used to the type of women who didn't always have their flirt on, and in fact he never really saw the less glamorous ones. He bent lower, when suddenly she pushed herself up and whacked him with the back of her head.
"Holy SHIT! That hurt like hell!" he shouted, clutching his nose while Robyn rubbed the back of her head.
"Sorry," she said, standing up and leaning against the elevator wall.
Johnny stood up too, and an awkward silence fell on them. Oh man, I am such a lumbering, inelegant freaking buffoon! Robyn grimaced, he probably thinks so too, she thought glancing at him before gazing intently at her shoes again. Floor after floor passed, Robyn could feel his eyes on her, yeah, I'm the fifth member of the Fantastic clique, Freakshow, I have the power to freak you out so much you'll have to surrender! Robyn thought, slowly she lifted her eyes to meet Johnny's, instantly his head snapped forward, and Robyn smirked gazing back at her shoes.
They were getting nearer and nearer, Robyn wanted to scream at the elevator to go faster, she was so desperate to shower, wash her hair, pop the pimple and most importantly eat lunch.
"Okay, we're here," he announced, as the little elevator bell chimed and the doors swung open, revealing the penthouse flat to her. Mouthing thanks to no one in particular, she staggered out, pulling her bag out with her. She pulled her bag into the living room where Ben Grimm, or the Thing sat. She gawped at him, she only remembered him as the human Ben Grimm, and though she had seen him on television before, she could hardly believe that the big boulder sitting on the couch was really he.
"Robyn?" he asked, slowly getting up from the couch, "What did Tinkerbell do to you?" he asked with concern.
Robyn grinned at his pet name for Johnny, she edged closer and gave him a hug, standing on her toes. It was like trying to hug a wall; she couldn't get her arms even halfway around him.
"Ben! Its so good to see you again!" she exclaimed, letting go to examine him, "You look great," she said, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Don't joke with me, Egg!" he growled playfully, and Robyn rolled her eyes at her own pet name, Egg, he had called her that since the time she had once managed to prove Reed wrong, but during the argument Ben had named her Egg and Reed was named Head. Although Reed's name wore off after a while, Robyn's stayed with her through high school and college until she had moved to Ireland.
"Aw Ben, my pillar of strength, my rock, I would never even attempt to joke with you!" she said sweetly. Ben rolled his eyes underneath the thick rocks that were his eyelids, he gave her another hug before plonking down on the couch, causing it to groan under his weight.
"You can go unpack and freshen up, there's someone I'd like you to meet," he said, an excited tone to his voice, Robyn nodded and hauled her bag down the hall and into the guestroom, as quick as lightning she threw her clothes onto the bed, resolving to pack it neatly into the wardrobes later, after she had taken the longest shower of her life.
So that was my first Fantastic 4 fanfic, let me know what you think, tell me if Johnny and Ben are OOC, happy reading and happy writing!
The Goose D
