Meghan stood next to Reed and Ben staring quietly at the dominating glass tower of VDI headquarters. She glanced at Reed and giggled as he stared in awe. "High open space, exposed structural elements; obviously aimed at first time visitors to create feelings of... smallness', inadequacy." Reed commented.
Ben glanced at Reed and Meghan.
Meghan smirked slightly. "Nervous Reed?" she asked innocently. Reed rolled his eyes and groaned.
Ben smiled and turned to him "Well good thing it ain't workin...Reed, what are we doing here? This guy's fast-food, strip-mall science…"
"This wasn't our first stop, in case you forgot NASA. And Victor's not that bad. He's just a little... larger than life."
Meghan snorted "I think that means he's just compensating for something." Ben barked with laughter and Reed cracked a smile and held the door open for her as she walked around looking at the statue.
"He sure has an inflated ego." She commented. Ben nodded and looked at her "You can say that again." Meghan smirked. "He sure has an inflated ego." Ben grimaced and whacked her upside her head as she laughed and ducked away.
"He's financed some of the biggest breakthroughs of this century." Reed defended. "You'd never know it." Ben commented sarcastically. Reed and Meghan looked at him questioningly.
Ben motioned to a high-tech ORB, showing footage of VDI's accomplishments: a safe and clean nuclear facility, the first private Space Station. All images had VICTOR front and center, glad-handling George Bush, Tony Blair, shady International Leaders. The last image is Victor holding the America's Cup.
"Jesus! That too?" Ben moaned as he looked towards the picture. Meghan giggled, Ben glared at her. "What?" He asked.
"Remember what I said outside, well if that's true he must have a really sma… umph" Ben held a hand over her mouth. "Don't finish that sentence, the place is probably bugged."
Meghan snorted and then nodded. She giggled again as Ben and Reed chuckled amusement.
Once they reached the receptionist Reed took a deep breath and walked to the desk. "Reed Richards, Meghan Ross, and Ben Grimm to see…" A receptionist cut him off, and handed them each a pass.
"Gees, I wonder what crawled up her butt and died" Meghan mumbled and then groaned as Ben elbowed her side. The woman motioned to her right, "Executive elevator, top floor."
"What's the price for a smile round here?" Ben wondered out loud. Reed and Meghan shrugged as they enter the elevator. "Death probably" Meghan replied. Reed gave a nervous smile and shifted the black box in his hands.
Twenty minutes later Ben and Meghan watch Reed continued to present his idea to Victor Von Doom, using a holographic display of our solar system. Meghan looked around suspiciously watching Doom who was sitting in the shadows behind a desk.
She shook her head as she notices Reed speeding up his speech and getting emotional. "Give kids the chance to be stronger, healthier, less prone to…"
"Turn it off. Please." Doom's voice echoed through the room.
"But I haven't fully explained my…"
"Yes you have... imagination, creativity, passion. Those were always your trademarks." Doom finished.
"What a jack ass" Meghan mumbled. Ben nodded his jaw clenched ready to defend Reed.
The lights brightened, revealing the face behind the voice; 35, handsome, commanding. He looked almost... airbrushed. 'He is definitely compensating for something' Meghan thought.
"But dreams don't pay the bills, do they?" he asked giving Reed a condescending smile. He continued."Same old Reed, the hopeless optimist; still reaching for the stars with the world on your back."
Reed stiffened, "You remember in school we talked about working together. That's what I was about to explain…" Reed presses the remote.
Another hologram appeared showing the free advertisement for Victor's company. Meghan snorted again as she watched Victor become a little more intrigued.
"So it's not my money you want. It's my toys... Tell me: if NASA doesn't trust you, why should I?" Reed paused unsure of his answer.
"That's my job." Victor continued "To stay a step ahead. To know what other men don't."
Meghan began to feel uncomfortable and looked to her Uncle. Ben nodded to her and turned to the door. "I can't take this." He growled "Ben. This is business. Just work." Reed mumbled. Meghan looked to Ben despising the tension Victor had created in the room.
When suddenly; she heard a woman say "He's right, Ben." They turned to see Susan Storm standing in a corner.'Probably for the whole presentation' Meghan mused.
"It's just business." Sue said with an edge. Meghan felt a growl emulating from her, as much as she like Sue she didn't like how she decided Reed was totally at fault for their break up and was dreading it up here.
"I think you both know my Director of Genetic Research, Susan Storm." Victor said with a pleased grin.
"Hey ya Susie." Ben said looking at Meghan he mumbled; "One more thing he's got."
Meghan nodded and smiled slightly as Sue gave Ben a hug. "Ben, it's been too long." She turned to Meghan and smiled hugging her tightly. "Megs, you look beautiful."
"You too Susie." Meghan replied.
"You know Johnny was asking about you the other day." Meghan snorted, "He can keep asking the answer is still no."
Sue laughed, and then turned to Reed giving him a polite hand shake. Meghan watched Victor asses the scene in front of him. Reed became nervous and stumbled on his words.
"You're, you've, I mean, how have you've bee..." "Never better" she responded quickly.
Meghan smirked as Victor placed his hand on Sue's shoulder. 'Apparently he feels a little threatened.' She thought with amusement.
"This isn't going to be a problem, is it?" Victor asked in his condescending voice.
"Not at all."
"Ancient history."
"Good. Then you're just in time to hear the great Reed Richards ask me for help." He told her, turning to Reed he continued; "You know, you made a lot of folks at MIT feel like a junior high science fair. So you'll excuse me if I savor the moment."
Meghan stiffened as she heard his smug tone and noticed the tension rise in the air. Reed to a moment and the said "You back this mission, and I'll sign over a fair percentage of any applications or…"
"The number's seventy-five. And it's applications and patents." Victor stated.
"What about his first born?" Meghan asked sarcastically, as Ben growled in agreement.
"Meg,Ben, the money's not important. Wecould save lives." Reed emphasized
Victor went on, "twenty-five percent of a billion is enough to keep the lights on, isn't it? Maybe even pay off your fourth mortgage on the Baxter Building."
Meghan looked at him shocked 'how the hell did he know all this' she wondered.
"Deal...?"
Reed looked at Ben, who shakes his head softly no. "Don't Reed" Meghan says softly. Yet Reed gives a hesitant nod. Done. Victor smiles, offered a handshake.
"Well then, to our future. Together." He congratulated.
Meghan followed Ben to the elevator with a bad feeling. As she heard Victor say to Reed "Funny how things turn out, isn't it?"
"Hilarious." Reed replied.
Meghan looked at Ben. "I don't like this Uncle Ben I feel like we just got screwed over by the devil."
"Yeah, kid I know." He sighed. "I don't like it either.
Reed stepped into the elevator and stood next to Meghan.
"Reed, Uncle Ben and I were talking and..."
"He knew about NASA. What if he made the call to shut us down?" Ben finished
"Guys, think about all the people help if this works…" Reed replied.
"Maybe you should think about yourself for once. You always let this guy
push you round…"
"We got what we wanted. That's enough."
"I know, I know. I'm just worried about what he wants... Speaking of which..." Both Reed and Meghan glance over to see Sue joining them
"You sure about this, Reed?" she asked him. Meghan cocked her head wondering where Sue was going with this.
Reed looked down and nodded. "Those solar winds are flaring, but I factored them into my coordinates and…"
Sue interrupted him "I was talking about us. Working together."
Meghan smirked as she watched Reed shift uncomfortably trying to figure out what would be the polite thing to say. "Did the elevator just get smaller?" Ben asked her quietly. Meghan nodded.
"Well, uh, based on our history...you can handle the biogenetics, and I'll focus on the molecular physics. Or, uhm, maybe I should take the biotech; you work the microscopes, since you have some background in electropho…"
Sue interrupted again "Right. That's exactly what I meant. She shook her in frustration.
"Way to not over think it." Ben mumbled.
Meghan smiled and looked at Sue. "So, when are we gonna leave?"
"I'll schedule the launch. Call me in the morning to talk about resources and crew." Meghan nodded.
Sue offered Reed a business card. "I, uh, think I remember the number." Reed said.
"It's been changed." She replied
Both Ben and Meghan grimaced.
Reed cast his eyes to the ground, and looked back up. "As far as crew, I was hoping Ben could pilot the mission…"
"Well, he's welcome to ride shotgun, but we already have a pilot on our payroll. You remember my brother Johnny..."