Okay, so I'm not going to wait for the five reviews, since it's been nearly a week already. Thank you so much for the response!
First reviewer cookie this time goes to Jmoran12. Here's the update!
xrubydragonx - Yes, we all love a bit of action! I'm glad you enjoyed the bickering...I love writing bickering, it's so fun! And yes, hands cookie you can have a cookie to!
Marvelous Mariaah: Of course I meant it...you wait until chapter 6...you're going to absolutely hate me :P And as for the pregnancy...well...there might be a pregnancy popping up somewhere along the line, but whether it's at the beginning, middle or end, I'll leave that a surprise. But prepare yourself, my dear, it might get to the point in this story where you don't want there to be a pregnancy! There's real twist and turns in this one!
As always, I'm going to update once I get some reviews, but please don't just add this to your favourites list. If you like it enough to add it, please take a few seconds to drop in a review!
Love and cookies!
Chapter 2: World Made Of Steel
First when there's nothing but a slow, glowing dream,
That your fear seems to hide, deep inside your mind,
All alone I have cried, silent tears full of pride,
In a world made of steel, made of stone.
Irene Cara - Flash dance (What a Feeling)
The short walk back to the Baxter Building had been a strange one, to say the least. It had different completely from the leisurely stroll they had taken to get down to the park. Now, their walk was rushed, with Reed walking quickly along the street, desperate to get home, yet at the same time not wanting to cause a panic. Usually, when the Fantastic Four were seen running in a certain direction, people panicked and assumed something life-threatening was happening in that direction. So, instead, he had lowered to a speedy walk, still trying to appear casual despite the fact that it was taking the others a while to keep up with him.
All the time, Sue asked him questions. Questions that he wouldn't answer. What's going on? Who was the phone call from? Why does he look so worried? Is something happening? Why won't he talk to her? Why won't he just answer her, or even look at her?
But it didn't matter what she asked, or how much urgency she put into her voice. Reed would say nothing, and continue to avoid everyone's stares. So, he walked quickly to get home, and left it to the others to apologize to the people he unexpectedly barged into.
When they reached their home, and the elevator door shut behind them, Sue felt that she might finally get some answers out of her husband. "Reed…"
But again, he ignored her. He went straight ahead, not stopping his fast walk until he reached the living room, where he grabbed the remote and turned the television on. Sue frowned, following him, noticing that he hadn't even taken the time to stop and hang his jacket up like the rest of them had.
"Reed, what's going on?" she asked him for at least the fifteen time.
He didn't answer her, but he did turn to a news channel, where the noon time news was getting ready to start.
"Reed, who was that on the phone?"
When he didn't answer again, Sue looked over her shoulder, meeting the gaze of Ben, Alicia and Johnny, who also entered the room. As usual, Blaze padded no more then three feet behind Johnny, and he looked rather pleased with himself for finding his toy ball in the record time of ten seconds since arriving home. However, Sue's confusion was matched by the others, who just shrugged at her.
She looked back at Reed again. "Reed, are you even listening to me?"
"Yes," he said, his voice void of emotion as he still refused to look at her, keeping his eyes trained on the television.
"Then would an answer be too much to ask for?"
"If I tell you, you're not going to believe me," he told her, glancing quickly over his shoulder to make sure that they were all in the room, "so you might as well just see for yourself." He cast his eyes back to the television once more, where the opening title sequence for the news programme was just beginning. "Here." He said, gesturing to the television, which they all drew closer to, curiously.
"Good afternoon. Our top story today. Hundreds of people on the island of Coll in the Scottish Isles of Britain have needed emergency medical treatment after an object from space reportedly plummeted to Earth in a remote area two days ago. Officials are speculating that the object may be a meteorite--"
"A meteorite?" Ben repeated, looking at Reed as if he were insane. "I know you like space and all, stretch, but that's what all this fuss is about?"
"No, this wasn't it…" Reed said softly, still listening intently.
"--it is estimate that the object has left a deep crater, although no such proof has been found, and residents of Coll have complained on headaches, vomiting and nausea. However, some experts argue that no such meteorite crashed, and that this is simply a response to fetid gases found to be coming from a nearby crater--"
"Wow, this is…really boring, Reed," Johnny complained, throwing himself down onto the couch, with Blaze quickly jumping up and settling on the couch beside him.
"--and in other news today…Von Doom Industries is officially reinstated tomorrow morning at it's previous headquarters in Manhattan--"
Now, that had their attention.
"Is that who I think it is?" Ben asked, indicating to the regal figure shown shaking hands with the Mayor of New York City.
Sue's eyes widened. "It couldn't be…"
"--Former company CEO Victor Von Doom will take his place at the top of Von Doom Industries once again, thanks to his diplomatic immunity from home country Latveria. No such questioning has taken place on basis of the former collapse of Von Doom Industries, or the circumstances of his temporary powers, which were similar to those found in the Fantastic Four and stemmed from the same incident on the Von Doom Space Station four years ago--"
"'Temporary'?" Reed questioned.
Sue turned to him in disbelief. "That's what was going on?" She asked him. "That's what the secret phone call was about?"
Reed nodded, his voice quiet when he spoke. "He's back."
She shook her head, a determination overcoming her. "He can't be back."
"Well, that's him on the TV," Ben pointed out.
"He's supposed to be dead!" Sue said rather loudly.
"Well, technically, no," Reed revealed.
She turned to him. "Excuse me?"
Reed got an awkward look on his face, one that only came from trying to explain something technical to them that he wasn't sure they'd understand or, in this case, accept. "We simply encased his body within the shell of his natural armour, which had been melted and then cooled into shape. If he found a way to break free from it, then there's no reason why his physical form wouldn't be harmed in any drastic way. Also," he added, looking rather guilty, "any damage that was sustained to his skin has had four years to heal."
"What do they mean by diplomatic immunity?" Johnny asked. "Isn't that something kings get?"
"Yes," Reed nodded.
"How can Vic have that?" Johnny asked, scratching Blaze behind the ear.
"Victor's the legal ruler of Latveria, a small country in Eastern Europe." Reed reminded him.
Johnny thought about this for a moment, and then shrugged. "Nope. Never heard of it."
Sue looked at him incredulously. "You worked for Victor for two years, Johnny. How can you have not heard of the country when it was all he talked about?"
He smiled at her. "Because I didn't make the mistake of actually listening to him."
Sue glared at Johnny, but before it could turn into a sibling row, Ben stepped in. "So, what do we do now?" He asked.
They all looked to their leader for a plan. Mr. Fantastic would know what to do. He'd know how they could get rid of him again. However, the plan he revealed wasn't one that they all wanted to go along with.
"Nothing,"
"What?" They all nearly exploded at the same time.
"How can we just sit and do nothing?" Sue asked. "He's out there. We know what he's capable of--"
"Exactly," Reed said, "but he's not doing anything dangerous."
"He doesn't have to." Sue insisted.
"Yes, he does."
"Reed's right, Susie," Ben said gently.
Johnny looked at him as if he were insane. "You can't be serious!"
"We're a team. A superhero team," Ben reminded them. "Superheroes don't go hunting down people who 'might' do something wrong."
"So, what, we just sit back and wait for him to have another crack at destroying the world?" Johnny asked, shaking his head.
"We can't do anything until he does," Ben told him. "Otherwise it looks like we're out for revenge."
"He sent a heat-seeking missile after me!" Johnny cried. "I'm all out for revenge."
Ben stepped forward, challenging him. "Yeah, you wanna teach those fans of yours about revenge?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Johnny asked.
"We're idols now, kid." Ben pointed out. "We're public image. Reporters follow our every move. We can't just jump the gun, not when what we do teaches the kids to copy us."
Johnny scoffed at the idea. "Sounds perfectly good to me. Get a child-army of our followers to kick Vic's ass."
"Grow up."
"Maybe you should grow up."
As Ben and Johnny transcended into their usual childish arguments, Sue took a few steps away from the group. Victor was back. The voice in her head echoed it over and over again until she couldn't think of anything else. He was back. What was that going to mean? Would they have to fight him again? It was a strain last time, even if they had only just got their powers. Would four more years experience make any difference to it? It had taken all of them to defeat him. What if they weren't so lucky this time?
Following her to the side of the room, Reed appeared beside her. She watched him as he stepped around, so that he was facing the others over her shoulder, but he paid no attention to them. He put his arms on hers, which were folded tightly across her chest.
"Sue," he said simply.
She took a deep breath, looking down at the ground to the side of them. "Well, I guess they couldn't keep him out in Latveria forever," she mused aloud, trying to sound nonchalant, but it wasn't really working.
"Don't worry," he assured her, his hands rubbing lightly against her arms. "He won't do anything."
She raised her eyes from the floor, challenging him. "We froze him into a statue, Reed," she reminded him, although it wasn't something he could forget so easily. "Do you really think he's come all the way to New York with the intention of leaving us alone?"
Her question posed a good point, but it didn't change the fact that he was her husband. "Sue, you know I wouldn't let anything happen to you," he reminded her.
"Reed--"
"He won't get anywhere near you, I promise." She sighed, and he hugged her against him tightly. She lowered her folded arms and held him in return. "You're safe from him, he won't do anything." To emphasise his care, he kissed the side of her neck, and she sighed against him, her breath against the bare skin of his neck sending shivers down his spine and enhancing his need to protect her. "I won't let him hurt you. Not again."
Sue let herself be vulnerable against him for a moment longer, and then she composed herself, braving herself up to the situation. "Well, I'm going to get started on lunch," she announced. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "do you want a hand?"
She smiled at him softly. "Sure."
She walked towards the kitchen, and he went to follow her. However, as he did, his cell phone rang again. He looked down at the call I.D, seeing the name 'Stark' lit up on the LCD screen. Reed sighed, looking forward to where Sue was entering the kitchen, and then at Johnny and Ben, who were still bickering, only now they had involved Blaze's chew toy, and the dog was sitting between them as they threw it forcefully at each other, watching as it flew from one to the other.
Reed shut his eyes for a moment, and then turned off his cell phone without even answering the call.