Chapter 12-
A/N: Since the program I use still double heads everything, even when I don't put in chapter whatever or the name of this chapter I'm going to go with the first option. Also there's a surprise at the end of this chapter that may change Lisa and Reed's lives if they go with it. Tell me what y'all think. If they should or shouldn't. Also during Johnny's TV interview he said a few things that I'm cutting out. So don't be too alarmed if there are certain things that were said that I didn't have Johnny say.
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What ever was going to happen Lisa looked at the screen nervously. No one had any idea what Johnny was going to say or do. "I still don't know how he got out. Uncle Reed's security system is tighter than the Pentagon or a maximum security prison," Lisa said, her voice slightly teasing her uncle.
"Tell me he didn't get out. That this is my imagination," Sue moaned, her hands on her hips.
"Oh, yes he did. Flame Boy never listens. Lisa's more obedient than him and she's only ten," Uncle Ben grumbled.
"What did he do to his uniform?" Sue asked. Johnny had a huge 5 on the shoulder. Uncle Reed opened his lab coat slightly. He had taken to wearing his uniform every day and it had the 5 on it as well.
"Uncle Reed?" Lisa asked.
"Shh. Don't say anything," Uncle Reed said, covering her mouth gently with his hand.
"Johnny, I've got to ask you about the outfit," a newswoman asked.
"Yeah. It's kind of our special uniform. We all wear one. Even Shorty has one," Johnny bragged.
"So what are your superhero names?" The woman asked.
Lisa's picture filled the screen. "Well, Shorty's Siren since she screams," Johnny said, causing Lisa's face to fall.
"Siren's the best he came up with?" Lisa whispered. Lisa didn't have a problem with Johnny giving her a name, but remembering mythology Siren sang to sailors and her voice was deadly as it killed the sailors.
"The little girl who goes through solid objects?" The newswoman asked with interest.
"That's her. Shorty's kind of shy and quiet since she was abused by her father before she came to stay with her uncle," Johnny said. Lisa felt her eyes sting with tears and she bit her lips to keep from sobbing.
"Lisa, I'm sorry," Sue apologized, her blue eyes full of sympathy.
"It's okay. I guess I thought that he'd keep quiet like all of you did," Lisa said, her voice splintered as Uncle Reed rubbed her back gently.
"They call me the Human Torch," Johnny said smugly.
"What about the rest of the team?" The woman asked. A picture of Sue filled the screen.
"She's the Invisible Girl," Johnny said to Sue's consternation.
"Girl?" Sue asked.
"What about Dr. Reed Richards? I hear you call him Mr. Fantastic," the woman said.
"It could have been worse," Uncle Ben said to Uncle Reed.
"It was," Uncle Reed muttered.
The next few questions were just embarrassing. Uncle Reed's face was comical since they were about him. Lisa winced slightly, trying not to look at Uncle Reed.
A picture of Uncle Ben filled the screen. "Now what is that? What do you call that thing?" The woman asked.
"That's it. The Thing. If you think this is bad you should have seen him before," Johnny quipped.
"Okay. Now I'm gonna go kill him," Uncle Ben stormed out.
"Wait for me!" Lisa exclaimed, following Uncle Ben as he walked to the door. Uncle Reed and Sue had no choice but to follow.
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The place were the motocross events were held were cheering loudly as Lisa, Uncle Reed, Sue, and Uncle Ben passed the crowds at the entrance. They all saw Johnny at the same time; looking like a celebrity surrounded by girls.
"There he is," Sue said. Sue, Uncle Reed, and Lisa ran to him. Uncle Ben lagged behind slightly as he saw Johnny's red car. Lisa wasn't sure what Uncle Ben was planning, but for right now she wouldn't argue with it.
"Johnny," Sue said sharply.
"Can we talk about this later, Guys?" Johnny asked casually as they walked together.
"We can't talk about this later," Sue hissed.
"What is it?" Johnny asked.
"Johnny, do you have any clue what you've done? You took my life with my dad and splashed it all over New York! Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want people to know? That I was never going to tell anyone?" Lisa asked as the tears finally spilled over.
"All kids want to be famous, Shorty," Johnny argued.
"Johnny, Lisa doesn't. I have spent the last two years trying to help her get over what my brother did to her and in one afternoon you have guaranteed that she's never going to have a private life and you hurt her feelings at the same time!" Uncle Reed snapped, hugging Lisa tightly to his chest.
Johnny would have said something, but all argument was stopped as a large, metallic red ball rolled heavily in front of them. It took a moment for Lisa to realize that it was Johnny's car. So that was what Uncle Ben had planned to do with Johnny's car. In spite of herself Lisa giggled as the license plate hit Johnny in the head and Uncle Ben hit his hand with a rocky fist.
"You think that's funny, Pebbles?" Johnny snapped at Uncle Ben, getting angry.
"If Uncle Ben doesn't I know I do," Lisa whispered to Sue and Uncle Reed, choking on a laugh.
"Johnny, you gave us names?" Sue asked, distracting him from Uncle Ben wanting to hit him and not saying anything to what Lisa had just said. "You don't think! You broke Lisa's heart! She doesn't need any more than she's been through!"
"And you think you're the face of the Fantastic Five?" Lisa asked skeptically, jumping into this sibling quarrel and grabbing thick handfuls of Uncle Reed's sports jacket.
"A face that's about to get broken," Uncle Ben threatened.
"Look, this isn't permanent, Johnny. We need to be careful until we're normal again," Uncle Reed said.
"What if I don't want to be normal? I didn't turn into a monster!" Johnny said pointedly at Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben lunged forward, his fist raised. He stopped himself and looked at Lisa standing next to Sue.
"I won't do it with Lisa watching," Uncle Ben said, lowering his fist and walking away.
"Johnny, say you're sorry," Sue ordered.
Johnny raised his hand, hitting Uncle Ben in the back with fire. "Uncle Ben!!" Lisa screamed belatedly, her sonic scream shattering windows and TV screens around the sports arena.
Uncle Ben turned, a surprised look on his face. "Did you just-"Uncle Ben started to say before another fireball hit him in the face. "That's it, Tinkerbell!" Uncle Ben yelled walking menacingly to Johnny.
"No, Ben," Uncle Reed said, pushing Lisa behind him and Sue as he got between the two.
"You want to fly; then fly!" Uncle Ben said, taking a punch at Johnny. Before it hit Johnny it hit Uncle Reed straight through the stomach. Johnny flew into the Burger King truck behind him, small flames bursting out from him.
They all looked at each other and Johnny. Lisa ran to her uncle and touched his stomach lightly. "Are you okay, Uncle Reed?" Lisa asked anxiously.
"I'm fine," Uncle Reed cupped her face gently and gave her a brief smile.
"Cool it, Guys!" Sue's voice sounded frantic. Uncle Reed and Lisa saw Johnny and Uncle Ben advance towards each other.
"Let's see if we can get blood from a stone," Johnny said threateningly.
"Let's see. Bring it on," Uncle Ben said.
"He sounds like the Enforcer on Boy Meets World," Lisa said to no one in particular and rolling her eyes.
"You guys need a time out!" Sue snapped, holding her hands level to their chests and a force field holding them back. Uncle Ben turned and stormed away.
"What a blockhead. He started it!" Johnny said, sounding like a five-year-old.
"I don't care!" Sue snapped, storming off after Uncle Ben and leaving Lisa, Uncle Reed, and Johnny alone with the crowds watching.
Johnny looked at Uncle Reed and Lisa who looked upset. "What?" Johnny asked, walking around the remains of his car.
"You need to control yourself. Think before you act," Uncle Reed said with barely controlled patience.
"That's you're problem. You always think, you never act!" Johnny snapped angrily. "What if we got these powers for a reason? What if it's some kind of higher calling?" Johnny asked, causing Lisa to roll her eyes.
"Oh, a higher calling? Like getting girls and making money? Does that also involve hurting a ten-year-old girl because you want to be popular?" Uncle Reed asked.
"Is there any higher?" Johnny asked. "You know what, Reed, Shorty, this is who we are. Accept it. Or better yet, enjoy it," Johnny said, turning back to the cameras.
"Uncle Reed, he can't seriously want this, can he?" Lisa asked as they walked to the Baxter Building.
"I don't know, Lisa. I'm just sorry that you were the one who got hurt," Uncle Reed said wearily.
"Uncle Reed, it's okay. I can live with it," Lisa said casually.
"I did have something I wanted to talk with you about. You've been living with me for two years now. How would you feel if I was to legally adopt you? You know, make you my daughter instead of my niece?" Uncle Reed asked.
Lisa looked at him, shocked. "You wait until now to ask me?" Lisa asked skeptically.
"Well, with all your bad memories of your father I thought it best to wait until you were no longer afraid that I was going to beat you," Uncle Reed said.
"I never said anything about that!" Lisa exclaimed.
"No, but I saw the look in your eyes when you first came to live with me. I just thought I wanted some of the fear to go before I asked if you'd like to be my daughter instead of my niece," Uncle Reed said.
"I don't think all the bad memories will go away though, Uncle Reed," Lisa said, stopping in the middle off the street and looking up at him.
"No. It probably won't, but I love you very much and I promise to never hurt you like your father did," Uncle Reed said, stooping in front of her and touching her shoulders gently.
"Can I…Can I think about it, Uncle Reed? I mean, I'm not certain that I want another dad," Lisa said in a small voice. Uncle Reed's face flinched slightly and his eyes looked like a mirror then. But then his expression cleared.
"Sure. Take all the time you want. I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do," Uncle Reed said, hugging Lisa tightly. Lisa rested her forehead against Uncle Reed's shoulder.
"Thanks, Uncle Reed. Thanks for understanding," Lisa said as Uncle Reed picked her up and she fell asleep in his arms, feeling safe.