And The Innocent Shall Triumph
Disclaimer: Fantastic Four, I own it not.
Summary: When an orphanage is destroyed by a blizzard, (The snow was so heavy, and the wood was so old, the roof caved, and the house collapsed), the Fantastic Four have agreed to temporarily let the orphans stay in the Baxter Building. When Doom realizes that this puts the Fantastic Four in a somewhat...vulnerable...position, he starts to attack at full force. Can he be stopped?
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Prologue
"...Meteorologists report that the snow will not stop for at least another two days. People out in the field report that more and more citizens are stocking up on groceries, blankets, and flashlights...some have even made a point of leaving town. Yet the weather seems to have not prohibited the mad dash to sales downtown. Meanwhile, the esteemed Mr. James Kensington of Kensington Estates has made a generous donation to..."
Nathan Warrel put down the remote, and stared at the now-black screen of the television. Reaching toward a beer can on the table next to the chair, he glanced out of the window. The news was right for once. The snow had not ceased, and the outside world was a blur of white through the glass. Drinking the remains of the can, Nathan suddenly felt a cold draft, which was out of place in the warm haze of the living room. Looking at the window again, he realized that it was about an inch open—enough to disrupt the coziness of his domain. Perhaps Sarah had left it open...but then again, Sarah wasn't that dumb. Nathan hauled himself up from the chair, and shuffled over to the window, sighing.
He was about to slam it shut, when Nathan suddenly heard a creaking sound, indistinct, yet loud, and he peered through the window, desperately trying to make out the shapes of the tall buildings of Manhattan, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. Recognizing the shape of the orphanage, he squinted, straining both his ears, and his eyes to confirm his suspicions. The sound started to get louder, and Nathan paled, reaching for the phone nearby...
****
"What do you mean, you can't help them?" Officer Plywood sighed, and repeated his previous statement.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Warrel. We can't help them in this weather. Not even the Fantastic Four could do anything."
"Oh yeah? Well, I bet they could do a better job then you!"
"I'm sure they could, but I don't see them out there now, do you?"
Officer Plywood snapped, glaring at the coffee mug that sat nearby. The words painted on it said, Police of New York: Always Doing Their Duty. They only made Plywood feel worse. He hadn't meant to say that, but the feeling of inability was making him feel angry and helpless. Hearing the dial tone, he realized Mr. Warrel had hung up. Plywood rested his head in his hands. Those poor kids...
Four Days Later
"Dale, you, Kenny, Ed, and Alec take that area, at the top. Chris, you take Ian, Jack, and Milo over there, near that side, and Luc? You get Tom, Pat, and Mike, and go to other side. Rest of you take any place. Let's go."
The rescue teams immediately headed toward the collapsed orphanage. Sirens wailed as ambulances raced into the streets—which had been dutifully cleared of snow. But that had caused the delay of waiting another day before saving the children, and the likelihood that they would survive was unlikely. Volunteers rushed to start clearing away the snow that covered the debris of the orphanage. Meanwhile...
Johnny Storm flew over the buildings of Manhattan, speeding toward the wreckage site. Behind him, Reed, Sue, and Ben followed in the Fantasticar. Johnny had been the first one to suggest, no, demand, that they go rescue the kids four days ago, and he had been the first one to object, when Reed said no.
Flashback
One of the many, many perks of having Reed in the family, was that the technology never failed. So, while most of Manhattan was suffering a blackout, Franklin and Valeria Richards were watching cartoons...that is...they were...Johnny rushed into the living room, grabbing the remote from a startled Franklin's hands. "Hey!" Franklin snatched at the remote, while Valeria gurgled in indignation. "Sorry, buddy. The News is on." Was Johnny's reply. Of course, this was probably the first time anyone had heard him say this, and so a surprised Franklin handed it over.
"...Meteorologists report that the snow will not stop for at least another two days. People out in the field report that more and more citizens are stocking up on groceries, blankets, and flashlights...some have even made a point of leaving town. Yet the weather seems to have not prohibited the mad dash to sales downtown."
That was all Johnny needed to know. Throwing the remote back to Franklin, he turned to Reed, Sue, and Ben, who had hurried after him. "Did you here that? We've got to go help them, now!" Of course, it wasn't the television that had told them that the orphanage had collapsed. They had received a phone call earlier, from the police. But the television confirmed his fear. Johnny turned, obviously heading for the door. Reed, however, stretched out an arm, and grabbed Johnny by the collar. "No." Johnny turned and stared disbelievingly at Reed, who returned his gaze impassively. "What do you mean, no?" Reed patiently replied, "I'm sorry, Johnny, but we wouldn't be able to do much in this weather. You know that."
End Flashback.
It wasn't hard to spot the remains of the orphanage, even from this height. Johnny dove down to site, flaming off. The others landed seconds after he did, and when they caught up, he was already talking to Mr. Jeremiah Sanders, the man who had just sent the rescue teams to the floors.
"Thank goodness you're here," Sanders spoke enthusiastically, mopping his brow in relief. Unlike some other men the team had met, Sanders seemed to actually care about who he was saving, while the other men cared about whether or not they made a profit. Sanders was glancing back toward the wreckage. "Er...to be honest, I'm not an expert in your abilities, and I trust that Mr. Fantastic there is much more able to find suitable jobs for you...yes, Alan, I'll be there in a minute!" He called the last bit to a young man who was impatiently beckoning for him to oversee the operation. "...If you find a child or faculty member trapped, I'm sure you'll know what to do. Er, and thank you!" Sanders called over his shoulder as he hurried away.
Reed spoke rapidly. "Johnny, you can help on the surface. Melt the snow and destroy the debris on top of the building. That will help the rescue teams more quickly. Remember, keep your flame to a minimum. Just because the wood is wet does not mean that flame cannot harm it. The molecules react in a way that could cause a chain reaction with-" Johnny held up a hand. "Right. Be careful. Got it." Reed turned to Ben. "The same is pretty much for you. Get the heaviest stuff. In fact, you too, Sue. Then, once you all have clear openings to the inside, you can save the children and lift debris. Let's go."
***
As Johnny started to melt the snow, his left hand a fiery blaze as a concentrated beam of flame—directed at the snow, of course, he felt a sudden chill down his back—strange, since he never got cold. It felt like someone was watching him...Johnny glanced around in confusion. "Hey! Hey! Torch! Pay attention...please?" Johnny turned, and saw a trembling young man around his age, glancing nervously at the stream of fire. "Sorry."
***
Ben heaved another large wooden beam onto a growing pile nearby. Peering at the rubble in front of him, he suddenly pulled at a huge rock. The rubble on top collapsed, and Ben called to a few volunteer helpers, who were futilely scrabbling at a nearby spot. "I think I found an entrance!"
***
It was dark as Ben slowly cleared a passageway for the people to use. Flashlights paled in comparison to Johnny's flame, something that Ben was trying in vain to taunt. "Jeez, Matchstick. Turn it down, will ya?" Johnny smirked, the fireball in his hand growing slightly larger. He was about to reply, when suddenly he felt that cold chill down his back. And it hurt now. To onlookers, his appearance was tense, his head turning around, as if he was looking for something, the fireball flickering out. Ben glanced back...or tried to....at Johnny. "Matchstick? I hate to say it, but we need that flame of yours to see." When Johnny didn't reply, Ben started to get concerned. "Johnny? Are you okay?"
It took a while for Johnny to answer. When he finally snapped out of it, he realized that the rescue team behind him, and Ben in front of him, were -trying to- stare at him. Before he resumed his fireball, he murmured, "Yeah Ben...I...I'm good." Ben was startled as a ball of fire flared and it took several blinks o adjust. Looking at Johnny's face now, he could see that it was pale, and that he was slightly trembling. Ben was skeptical. "Johnny...if you're toying wit' me..." Johnny shook his head in defiance. "Ben. I'm fine. The children in the building are probably not. That means that the children are the first priority. So, move."
And so Ben did.
***
The first child to be rescued was a small boy trapped under a fallen bookcase. And it was Reed who had found him. The child's cries were pitifully weak, but loud enough. Just. Reed had slithered under the bookcase, and expanded, raising the bookcase slowly. And of course, he did a complete physical examination of the boy.
"What's your name?" Reed asked, gently lifting the tattered shirt up so he could examine the boy's chest. Of course, this was also a test of the boy's cognitive abilities, to see whether he had a concussion. "C...Chris..." Reed gently prodded at a horrible-looking bruise. on Chris's shoulder, causing the boy to moan softly. "Okay, Chris...follow my finger..." Reed stretched a finger up towards Chris's face. The boy followed it perfectly. "Very good. Now--" The reason Reed stopped was because a rescue team member had joined them, and was kneeling to pick Chris up. "Thanks, Mr. Fantastic. I'll take him. Uh...since you can stretch into places and stuff, I thought that maybe you could squeeze through the cracks through the...um, the mess, and look for other kids." Reed nodded, and as the rescue worker picked Chris up, he asked Chris, "Chris, did you see anyone else in the room before the snow came?" A nod. "Over there was Sean," Chris pointed to a pile of rubble, where the end of an upturned bed was seen sticking out of the pile. Two volunteers, overhearing, rushed to the area, shouting for another to come help. "A-and over there was...was..." Chris screwed up his face-painfully-in concentration. By now, everyone was silent and listening, except for the three working to retrieve Sean. "Was...was...Chang." He was pointing to the remains of a piano, and debris. Two helpers immediately went to work. "And...Robert was on the couch..." The couch in question was half-buried under the rubble.
"We wuz sharing this room." Chris's lower lip trembled, and a single tear ran a clean streak on his dusty face. "Now we don't have a room no more." The seven year old let another tear fall, and the rescue worker holding him left, and the room was silent.
***
It took several hours to complete the search. The faculty members and orphans who were not unconscious either stood or sat in a huddle, blankets tightly wrapped around them, with paramedics treating the injuries. The unconscious lay on stretchers, but the ambulances had not been permitted to leave. Reed had not permitted it.
"I'm sorry sir, but just because you are Mr. Fantastic does not mean you have any control over the duties of the hospital." The owner of the voice was an elderly looking man in a white doctor's coat. He stood defiantly in front of Reed, his arms crossed.
"Dr. Imred," Reed carefully began. "I assure you, I have a very good reason. Now if you'd just let me explain-"
"Mr. Richards," Dr. Imred began, his voice clenched in anger, "When it comes to my patients, I do not care for such reasons. My duty, my responsibility, is for their lives, their families. Surely, you cannot deny me my job as a doctor."
Sue had listened up until this point, and she was frowning in exasperation. Walking up, she had put her arm around Reed's shoulders and said, "Dr. Imred, when it comes to my husband, I'd suggest you listen. His reasons are the best I've ever heard. Although," She added, a smile playing at her lips, "When it comes to Johnny's reasons, I wouldn't bother..."
"Hey!" Johnny called, from where he stood, emitting a wave of heat from his body, but not flame, for the shivering survivors.
Dr. Imred sighed. Behind his glasses, one could almost see his eyes softening, and a muttered, "Youngsters," before speaking out loud. "Very well. But make it quick."
Reed clasped his hands behind his back, and looked at the children near the ambulance. "Where will the children go?" Dr. Imred was taken aback. He wasn't expecting a question to be the first thing Reed would say, and he replied after a moment of hesitation.
"We've been thinking of letting them stay at the hospital, until another orphanage can be found..." Reed let out a short laugh, causing the doctor to stare in surprise. "The hospital? Yes, for their injuries, but as a home? Everything one color, white. The walls, the uniforms, the beds, even some patient's skin. People coughing, people having seizures, people throwing up, people bloody, people dying! Is that a place to let children stay in?"
Dr. Imred shifted uncomfortably. "We'd make sure that they stayed in the children's area of the hospital..." Sue turned to him. "Doctor, we have two children of our own. One isn't even four years old. And they are stubborn when it comes to freedom. The oldest is always leaving his room to go into one of Reed's labs, even when we tell him not to. It's natural. Just because you tell them to stay and play nicely with one another isn't going to actually make them stay and play nicely with one another. Sooner or later, they'll become restless. Freedom is humanity. That's why women protested for their rights. That's why the Revolutionary War started. That's why there was the Civil War. You may lock them up, Dr. Imred," Sue said, holding up a hand as Dr. Imred opened his mouth to argue, "But I wouldn't advise it."
Sue walked away, leaving two silent men in her wake.
Dr. Imred was the first to speak. "Then what do you suggest we do, Mr. Richards?" Reed glanced at him briefly, and stood quietly for a moment, his gaze seemingly locked on nothing. "I suggest that the children stay at the Baxter Building. For the time being. There we have equipment that will heal them faster and more efficiently then the hospital's. We have toys and comfort. We have quite a suitable home there, doctor." Reed still was not looking at the doctor, and it was only when the doctor began to sway, was that Reed realized that Imred wasn't taking the suggestion well.
***
It had taken a great deal of time for Reed and Sue to persuade the hospital, and the government, to agree. Their initial reaction was similar to Johnny and Ben's, who both stood agape in front of Reed and Sue.
"No way am I going t'live in the same building wiv'a buncha kids!" Ben's indignant voice rang out through the Baxter Building. Sue narrowed her eyes, and Ben cringed. "That is...uh...I don't want any kids besides Franklin and Valeria." Sitting next to Ben was Johnny, slumped. It was Johnny who spoke next. "I don't think it'd be a good idea for the kids to wander around. Specifically talking about my room, and Reed's labs." "Since when do you think?" Grumbled Ben.
Reed had a talent for being patient, and directed his next comment to both to them. "So, you're going to deny those children the right to have a decent home, just for the sake of your privacy?" This was followed by furious objections. Johnny the loudest. "Hey, I like kids. And, to be honest, it's kinda funny that you're the guy jumping to conclusions this time, not-" He broke off. The chill was back. It felt like needles were pricking his body, cold needles. This was the third time it had happened, and the most painful so far. Johnny gasped instinctively, and with all his will, forced back the urge to moan. Sue instantly reacted.
"Johnny? What's wrong?" Johnny didn't reply, and Ben glanced at him from where he sat. "Is this like what happened at the orphanage?" Sue tightened her jaw. "Johnny? What happened at the orphanage?" No response. "Ben? What happened at the orphanage?" Ben hesitantly spoke. "Well...we wuz clearing a path, and Johnny turned pale, like now. I thought maybe this wuz related to that."
Johnny shook his head, not at Ben, but as an instinctual way to try and get rid of the feeling. "I'm good, guys. So, when do the kids get here?" Reed glanced at him, and replied,
"Now."
***
Dr. Doom watched Johnny from his headquarters. Of course, the reaction was unfortunate, but pleasing. The reaction being the chill. But then, if what he heard was true, then...then...Dr. Doom smiled coldly, and started making plans for improving an old laser weapon he had...
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0_0. That was long.
So, here's a list of the orphanage kids, from oldest to youngest.
Mortimer: 15 year old boy. Black hair, brown eyes. Quiet and mysterious.
Emily: 14 year old girl. Blond hair, blue eyes. Energetic and fun-loving.
Asher: 14 year old boy. African American. Black hair, brown eyes. Likes reading, and soccer.
Jenifer: 14 year old girl. Shoulder-length brown hair, green eyes. Loves the outdoors.
Tomas: 13 year old boy. Black hair, blue eyes. Likes to build.
Rowan: Tomas's Twin. Likes to build.
Penny: 11 year old girl. Brown hair, green eyes. Jenifer's younger sister.
Adam: 9 year old boy who loves history. Brown hair, brown eyes.
Wendy: 7 year old girl, black hair, blue eyes, Mortimer's younger sister.
Chris: 7 year old boy. Blond hair, brown eyes. Likes basketball.
Sean: 7 year old boy. Red hair, green eyes. Likes to sing. Nice Irish voice.
Chang: 7 year old boy. Asian. Black hair, brown eyes. Likes music.
Robert. 7. African American. Black hair, brown eyes. Asher's younger brother. Likes baseball.
Children deceased in the collapse of the orphanage.
Fern: Five year old girl, brown hair, hazel eyes.
Danny: 10 year old boy with blond hair, hazel eyes.
R&R!