The day of the launch had arrived at the Kennedy Space Centre, along with all the media from every major television station in the world. Reed was talking through the line-up once more with the controllers while Ben stood waiting outside the door. The corridor in which he stood was lined with glass on the outer wall, which gave reporters a clear view of their comings and goings, but it was completely soundproofed, so the hustle of the media was nothing but a movement of their lips. The media diverted their attention for a moment, and then the noise infiltrated the building. Two people entered the building, and once the door closed it was silent again.

"Hey, Ben." The tall, blonde woman called out to him as she walked towards him.

"Hey, Suzy. How you been?" He responded, and as soon as she was close enough to him, he gave her an enormous hug.

"I've been good, a bit nervous for the trip but I suppose it's to be expected…Where's Reed?" Susan asked suddenly, looking around.

"Ah, you know Reed. He's in there talking to the controllers…" Ben gazed at the door which Susan just came in from; to see a tall, lean blonde man standing at the door, waving at the reporters through the porthole.

"I can't believe he actually made it into the program…why did Victor even allow him in?" Ben sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, whatever Victor's reasons; Johnny really wants to rub in the fact that he's your superior on this mission. I'm sure you're going to hear it from him every other minute…now only to get him away from the cameras…" Susan sighed as well.

"Hey Suzy, you didn't happen to see a girl about your height, kinda blonde hair…" Ben started, but then the door down the far end of the corridor opened again.

"No comment, no comment…" A very worried voice came through the open door. Ben and Susan looked up to see a woman flailing through the media crowd only to trip over the edge of the doorway. Johnny stepped back and caught the woman before she hit the ground.

"Hey, you should watch where you're going!" Johnny practically jumped down her throat after she fell into him.

"I'm sorry, jeez! It's not like I planned to fall through the door, genius." She snapped right back as soon as she straightened herself out.

"Yeah right, you'd do anything for free publicity, blondie."

"It can't be publicity if they can't hear you, blondie…" The woman pointed at the now closed door, and Johnny remembered that the building was completely soundproof. The woman shook her head at him and carried on walking. Johnny followed her in the same direction towards his sister, when the woman broke out into a run halfway.

"Benji!" She shouted as she jumped into his arms for a bone crushing hug.

"Amera! Ah, still the best little cuz ever, I see!" Ben laughed. Susan smiled broadly and Johnny stood back before Ben introduced her to the two of them. Ben put her back down on the ground and pointed out the two of them.

"Amera, this is Susan Storm. She's the chief genetics researcher at Von Doom Industries." Ben nodded at Susan. Amera held out her hand for Susan with a smile, which Susan shook and returned the friendly gesture.

"And this is Johnny Storm, Susan's brother and privately employed astronaut." Ben sighed because of their already rough meeting a few minutes ago. Amera held out her hand regardless with a slightly smaller smile than what she gave Susan, but Johnny refused to shake her hand. She snapped it back quickly and looked back at Susan.

"You got in the mission fairly quickly, lucky I must say." Susan asked her sceptically.

"More like extraordinarily lucky. I did all the training in two days; it's amazing that I even qualified in time."

Johnny grumbled something angrily behind his sister, but Amera didn't pay him any notice. Reed finally exited the control room, greeted by four of his fellow team members, only one of them he had never seen in person. He turned to Amera and spoke to her.

"Doctor Von Doom will be out shortly, but first of all, let me introduce myself, I'm Reed Richards…" He said, holding his hand out to Amera.

"…One of the greatest minds of the century." Amera smiled, taking his hand and shaking it.

"You must be Amera Sigure, pleased to meet you."

"No, no, Doctor Richards, the honour is mine. Your theorems have been of great fascination to me for some time. My final examination essay was about your studies in unstable unpaired molecules."

Reed smiled, somewhat surprised but mostly embarrassed from the great admiration he was receiving from Ben's young cousin.

"Shall we get suited up? I assume your medical pass has been approved Amera?" Reed asked. Amera nodded as they walked down the corridor to get suited up.