Ta-daa! I am an awesome writer, I know.
"Are you sure?" Raven looked doubtfully at the fabric Susan was holding up.
"This was yours, Raven." Susan looked from the fabric, to Raven. "I found it in the underground labs the day.." Susan trailed off, but Raven raised an eyebrow, prompting her to finish, "..the day I went looking for Adrian."
Susan sighed and put the suit on the table. Apart from the missing '4' sign, the suit was the exact same as the others, only much worse for wear. Raven remembered wearing it, memories filled with mixed feelings. She recalled the excitement from going to space, the confusing of being ordered to hide from the others, the heart-shattering fear when the cloud hit. She remembered the strange feeling of being completely in gulfed in icy-cold water, and still finding it incredibly comfortable, feeling like it wasn't just around her, but in her, a part of her, like something was tying her and the water together, like she was water. And, even worse, she remembered the fear of waking up in complete darkness, still in the suit, the first thing she heard being Dr Doom's cold voice.
All of these feelings came from faint memories, memories she could barely remember, though the feelings and emotions she'd had during those episodes were as clear as crystal.
And they had all been brought on by the suit. She shuddered slightly and redirected her eyes. It was a strange feeling, being able to feel what she'd felt back then, but not able to remember how and why. It was like reliving someone else's past.
"I've been working on it since I found it." Susan explained, "I didn't want to tell you back then, due to.. certain events."
Meaning Adrian's death, Raven thought, though she didn't say it aloud.
"It's almost done." She picked it up and handed it to Raven. "I'd like you to try it on." Raven looked something between scared and in refusal. Susan rolled her eyes, "Just so I can see what needs to be done, before I finish it."
Reluctantly, Raven took the suit and headed for the bathroom, without saying a word. Johnny hadn't said anything either during the whole conversation, opting to stand silently in the back. He shot Susan a certain look Raven noticed, before she closed the door. It looked like the siblings were having a conversation with their eyes.
She slipped the suit on, loathing the feel of it against her skin. It was annoyingly comfortable. She kept all the scary feelings and emotions at bay, willing herself to get over it. Still, she couldn't stop herself from shaking like a leaf, when she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.
She didn't look anything like the woman who had worn the suit last.
She had been a carefree, wild, healthy, young woman, barely out of her teenage years, filled with hope for the future. Looking back at her reflection now, she saw an older, more worn, tired and guarded woman, who had lost all hope for the future.
"It fits like a glove!" Susan exclaimed happily when Raven stepped out of the bathroom. Johnny couldn't help but frown at his sister's obliviousness.
Raven could see on his face that he knew exactly how she felt. She could see the disapproval of what Susan was doing in his eyes and when his blue orbs locked on hers, she got shivers down her back from the level of understanding in them. It was scary how easily they communicated and understood each other. In that single look, she saw the pity, the apology on behalf of his sister and the promise to talk about this later. He willed her to stay strong for a little while longer, for his sake. He would listen to her, help her, if only she could endure this for a while longer.
Hold on for a little while longer, it'll pay off. I promise.
Raven looked at Susan, who was examining the suit's condition even further. She looked back to Johnny and nodded slightly at him, signaling that they had a deal. He returned the nod and then left. He burst into flame and soared into the air and out the open balcony door. Susan jumped in fright, having stood with her back to him.
"That boy.." she huffed, "So inconsiderate."
Raven shook her head, "Not a boy. A man."
And he's not inconsiderate.
She didn't add the last part.
"Okay, you can take it off now. I'm done." Susan prodded her towards the bathroom. "It doesn't even need any adjustments. You can have it now." She smiled brightly and Raven forced herself to return it. She had promised Johnny she would.
Raven walked hurriedly to the bathroom, wanting to get out of the suit as soon as possible.
Once she had gotten it off, she didn't know what to do. Susan had work, Reed was not at home, neither was Ben and she had no idea when Johnny would come back. She knew that they'd had a deal and that he was waiting for her. But where?
"He left through the balcony door.." she mumbled to herself. Was that supposed to have been a clue? Raven walked onto the balcony, instantly feeling the slight drizzle that covered New York.
She sat down on a chair, which Johnny told her had been there since before Reed moved in, and waited for the human torch to come back.
She could see him flying around town minutes before he came back. His power wasn't exactly subtle, much like the man himself. She couldn't help but marvel at the awe-inspiring flame that followed him around, when he flew. It was a display of true, raw power, really making him look like a live meteor.
To Raven, it was incredibly attractive.
A few minutes later, the meteor steered towards the Baxter building and landed, turning into Johnny smoothly.
He sat down with his back against the armrest of the chair she was in, sharing the comfortable silence with her.
"Where'd you go?" Raven questioned. He closed his eyes and leaned his head on the armrest, "just out for a quick flight, to clear my head."
"Are you mad at Susan?" Johnny was annoyed at how composed Raven sounded. He sat straight and moved his head up, turning so he could see her properly. "Aren't you?"
She shook her head, looking into the grey sky. "No-I.. She couldn't possibly know that.. that it'd affect me." Johnny observed her intently and she didn't have a choice but to look back at him. "She doesn't know me as well as you." She admitted.
Johnny frowned, "But it was so obvious!" He stood up and paced around on the small space. "I could see it all over your face!"
"As I said, you know me better. Besides, she was too busy admiring the suit."
Her words didn't really help to calm him down much. They only made him more annoyed. Not with Susan, but with Raven herself. It grated on his nerves that she seemed so calm, when he himself would've handled the same situation much worse than she had. He couldn't understand why she'd react like she did.
Shaking his head in frustration, he sighed and decided to let it go.
"Fine," he waved a hand in the air and turned towards the railing of the balcony, "I won't question your logic." He leaned his elbows on the railing and mumbled in frustration, "Women are so confusing.."
"Well, so are men!" Raven teased and stood next to him. Johnny caught onto the light tone and smirked gently.
"No, actually men are very easy to understand. We are uncomplicated."
"Some would just prefer to call you simple-minded."
Johnny pushed her should slightly, in jest.
"Hey, I want check something!" He suddenly remembered. Raven looked strangely at him because of his sudden change of topic, but went along with it.
"Oh? And what would you like to check?"
Without a forewarning, Johnny lit on fire, surprising Raven out of her own skin.
"Johnny, don't do stuff like that!" Without thinking, she smacked him over the arm, completely forgetting that said arm was, in fact, on fire.
She looked surprised at her own hand, which hadn't suffered any damage. Johnny smirked and this time, he grabbed hold of her hand, with his own flaming one.
She gasped. It didn't hurt at all! She could feel the warmth, but it just felt like touching warm water. The connected skin did sizzle and steam slightly, but even that stopped after a moment.
"That's amazing!" she breathed.
He grabbed hold of her other hand. The same thing happened: For a moment their hands steamed and hissed and then she felt like hers was in a bowl of hot water.
Her clothes blackened and burned away at the seams, but it didn't hurt her in the slightest.
Johnny looked from their joined hands to her, smirk still firmly in place. "How 'bout you make use of that fire-proof suit of yours?"
Raven smiled, but it turned sad quickly. "I-I don't know.. It's-"
"I promise you won't regret it." He persuaded. He let a sly smile cross his lips. "I always give the girls a good time." He whispered darkly.
His tone made her weak in the knees for some stupid reason and she huffed at him to distract herself.
"Fine!" She chuckled, "I'll go put it on."
A moment later, Raven was back on the balcony where a no-longer on fire Johnny stood.
"Ready?" he questioned. When she nodded, he exploded in flames again and this time, he didn't settle for holding her hand.
Raven shrieked in surprise when Johnny suddenly wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. No damage was done to either the girl or her suit. He shot her a look and she nodded in confirmation. With her permission, he shot into the air like a rocket.
Johnny quickly repositioned her, so he was holding her around the waist, their bodies in perfect alignment. Raven was glad he couldn't see the blush that covered her cheeks at the closeness of their bodies.
She liked his hands around her waist a little too much for her own liking.
All such worries flew from her mind when Johnny continued to soar over New York. The feeling was thrilling and liberating unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
"Can we go lower?" She asked in excitement.
Johnny laughed and flew down, slaloming between the tall buildings. Raven cheered heartily, her long hair whipping around her head wildly.
Johnny flew over the water, circling around a bit, before turning back and heading for a street corner, where he put her down and de-flamed himself. People stopped and looked at them, all wondering who the girl in the 'Fantastic Four' suit, who didn't need protection from Johnny's heat, was. Neither Johnny nor Raven took any heed of them.
"That was great!" She smiled grandly and looked completely unguarded and relaxed for the first time in a long time, Johnny noted.
"I need to do a quick round of the city, to see if anyone needs my help." Johnny said, "D'you want me to take you home first?"
Raven shook her head vigorously, "No!" she said, eyes wide, "I wanna come with! I bet I could help."
Johnny seriously doubted that she could, but didn't say so, simply opting to smile sweetly at her and return to the sky with her in his arms.
Half an hour, and a quick round in the city, later, Johnny and Raven found nothing out of the ordinary and returned to the Baxter Building.
Raven was red faced and her hair was a bird's nest, but there was a light in her eyes, which Johnny had never seen before.
"Well, I hope you enjoyed it!" Johnny bowed mockingly.
"Yes, I rather like you as my personal means of transport."
Johnny snorted, "Don't get used to it, sweet cheeks."
Raven laughed, "Oh, but it's so- what's that?" She suddenly frowned and pointed out in the city.
Johnny turned and squinted slightly in the general direction she had pointed.
An old red brick building was emitting a red glow and smoke rose from it. He could hear the sirens of both the police and the firemen.
"Fire." He breathed.
I feel like I'm gambling, somewhat, with this chapter. I don't know why, so please let me know if you find anything dis-pleasing.
Anyway, there's gonna be lot's of action (shit's gonna go doown) in the next chapter, so REVIEW and get it faster! :)