Johnny's only been aware of the absence of a girl, twice in his life. Once was when his mother died and the second was when his sister left for MIT.
He had to add a third, Elise Adams.
He didn't want to give it too much thought. He didn't want to corner himself into some dark part of his mind. But the lack of her presence was seriously distracting him from doing anything else. Johnny had mindlessly wandered to the door of her bedroom a few times. He wanted to knock and gain her attention, but it felt out of place.
He didn't know what he would say if she answered. Sighing Johnny decided a better distraction was to go out and be mobbed by his fans. He didn't mind, the attention was greatly appreciated by him. Also he had been getting a lot of phone calls from various companies, dying to be the first sponsors and spokes people for the Fantastic Five.
Ever since the big blow out between Elise and Ben. Reed had lifted the rule on staying indoors. Everyone needed space Ben was hardly home, Johnny didn't really know if Elise was in the room. Reed was frantically working on a cure and Susan had been supporting him.
Johnny knew that this rate, there wasn't going to be a fantastic anything. He might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
Elise shrugged on her leather jacket over a loose, grey tank top and a pair of blue jeans. She left her hair untied and contemplated whether or not to wear a cap.
She needed to get out, the guilt was threatening to tear her in to and her pride refused to let her succumb and apologize to her uncle. She knew she had to; she was the one in the wrong. It was hard to admit, but she had disobeyed the one person who cared, to chase a meaningless vendetta.
Mark Peters was probably injuring his wounds, but Jeremy was still at the hospital in a coma.
Her jade eyes glazed over in thought. She had to visit Jeremy too; she had been putting off seeing him because the sight of him had cut too deep.
She exited her bedroom and shut the door behind her. The noise from the machine construction had died down. Reed and Susan were AWOL along with Johnny. She was relieved; she wasn't ready to meet their eyes, not after what happened.
"Hey Smiles! Wait up!" Elise groaned at the familiar voice that chased after her, without stopping she made her away across the zebra crossing before pausing on a pavement and pivoting to face Johnny.
He was wearing what she bet was a new red jacket. It was paired with grey t-shirt and blue jeans.
"Are you following me?" She hissed she really wasn't in the mood for another one of his pick up lines. Considering she was still sensitive from the events that occurred.
"Can't be sure where you would run off to." He stated with a cheeky grin, her emerald eyes narrowed further.
"You should be asking yourself that Hot-head, I don't need you of all people to baby sit me." She snapped and turned to walk away. Johnny quickly wrapped a hand around her elbow, stopping her forward momentum.
"Why do you do that, why are you threatened by anyone that shows a hint of concern?" He whispered staring down at her with furrowed brows. Elise stared, surprised by the genuine distress in his blue eyes, but she wouldn't fall for it, not for a second.
"Concern, all you see me as is someone you can bang and be done with, you don't care about me. You don't know anything about me." She hissed, pulling her arm from his grip and glaring up at him. Johnny stilled and absorbed her words, he knew some part of it was true. The sleeping with her part but he found himself greatly insulted by the thought that she didn't think he cared.
"Look not everyone is against you, Ben and Reed maybe we a little disappointed in you but I am not." He tried to reason. Elise watched him with mistrust in her eyes. But then a defeated sigh escaped her lips. She lowered her gaze to the bricks beneath them the scowl still evident on her lips.
"Well you should be, I mess things up… it's just how I am." Johnny watched her expression, one full of regret and built in frustration, his heart clenched in understanding and pity.
"I doubt that," He murmured grabbing her attention. Elise hesitantly looked to him, trying to read any form of a lie glittering in his eyes. Unable to find any, she frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Don't you have some ass kissers to meet with?" She asked tauntingly, he blinked.
"Ass kissers? They love me."
"No, they love the freak side of you, have you ever actually had any real friends?"
"Real friends?" He echoed, Elise couldn't tell if he was joking around or genuine.
"Yeah you know, the type the deal with your bullshit." She explained, Johnny continued to stare perplexed, she sighed aggravated.
"Forget it; you obviously don't know what I am talking about." She snapped turning to walk away again.
"Smiles, wait" Johnny called out trying to stop her but then a suddenly glow from on top of them caught both their attentions. It was coming from the Baxter Tower, the lights around the city began to flicker in sync to the glow emitting from their floor. They exchanged surprised glances before they began to make their way back to the Baxter building in haste.
"What the—" Elise was at a loss for words when they arrived at the Baxter building. Jimmy the doorman was sitting in front of the entrance wall, bruised and battered with strangers doting over him.
Shards of glass were scattered all over the side walk and one of the side doors was off its hinges. Elise first conclusion was Ben, but even he would never purposefully hurt someone.
"We need to find Sue." The urgency in Johnny's voice snapped Elise out of her ogling. She nodded in agreement and followed after him, into the building.
They hurriedly got into the elevator and waited impatiently till it reached the top floor. Elise glanced at Johnny, his jaw was clenched and his dark brows were furrowed anxiously.
The moment the elevators doors open he yelled for his sister.
"Johnny the machine worked!" They were surprised by the ecstatic tone of Susan's voice. Elise and Johnny rushed towards the lab. She would have noticed the lab apparatus in disarray if she hadn't seen her uncle's defeated state at first.
"Ben!" Elise exclaimed in fright. Susan was trying to get him up and Johnny and Elise quickly assisted. First thing Elise realized was how light Ben was, the next was his fair bald head.
"You alright, Ben?" Johnny inquired, being supportive and concerned at the same time. While Susan and Johnny helped Ben up, Elise quickly kicked away a plastic box that obstructed the stair path. Susan and her brother carefully guided Ben down on to the bare step.
He was back to normal. Elise couldn't help but stare in amazement. The only one, who was indifferent to the change of appearance in Ben, was Johnny Storm.
"What the hell happened?" She demanded, squatting down behind her uncle and placing a comforting hand on his back.
"Yeah, we leave you for like two minutes." Johnny added. He was crouched down in front of Ben, beside Elise, Susan was on the opposite side.
"The machine." Grimm panted his voice a normal base tone "Vic used it on himself; he was affected by the cloud like us."
Elise had forgotten all about Victor Von Doom, the handsome billionaire Ben loved to verbally bash.
"Where is Reed?" Susan asked nervously.
"Vic must have taken him." Ben said, pained by the idea of his friend in danger. He looked up and they followed his gaze. Elise gaped at the sight of the destroyed arch window above them.
Susan got to her feet, Johnny and Elise followed. They traced the wreckage to the balcony outside, plates of glass and wood littered the ground.
"Vic did this? The man who refused to let one strand of hair on his head fall out of place?" Elise questioned, Johnny shrugged dubiously and Susan didn't seem surprised by the events.
A sudden buzzing noise grabbed their attention. Their heads spun around to find a strange, twinkling light heading right at them. Susan's eyes widened when she recognized the object to be a missile.
But the head of the missile was heading right at Johnny.
"You've got to get out of here." the blonde female abruptly exclaimed. Johnny and Elise shot Susan confused looks. But then it slowly dawned on to him.
The youngest Storm walked to the edge of the balcony and peered over the side, and then he looked back up. Elise wondered why he felt like he had all the time in the world when a missile was heading right at him.
"Get out of here you idiot!" Elise exclaimed, gesturing widely at the exit behind them.
"Wait, I've got an idea" Johnny said, calmly.
"Don't even think about it" Susan uttered already predicting her brother's movements.
"Never do" He retorted smartly.
Elise wasn't expecting him to jump head first off the side.
A scream left Susan's lips and Elise could only stare wide eyed and in disbelief. The missile head right at them. Instincts kicked n and Elise grabbed Susan quickly before ducking behind the concrete wall.
The projectile turned course last minute and followed Johnny's route, down along the building.
Susan pulled away and jumped up to her feet; Elise followed and gaped at the sight of Johnny. In his blazed glory, whizzing above the street in front of them, with the missile hot at his heels.
"I am going it—URGH!" Susan's angry cry startled Elise. "He is going to get himself, killed!" she yelled gesturing at the air above her.
Elise nodded in agreement, staring after the missile and Johnny until they disappeared behind a skyscraper. Elise understood the source of Susan's rage, but Johnny had done a smart thing—shockingly—now they had to do something.
"Sue go and help Reed, I'll go after Johnny and make sure he is ok." Elise said.
"How are you going to do that?" She demanded.
"Don't worry about that, just go." Elise could only imagine if Von Doom was willing to kill them, who knows what he was doing to Reed.
"We have to help Reed!" Ben abruptly cried from behind them.
"It's too dangerous for you now you have to stay here."
Elise turned and walked past them, heading straight for her bedroom. She worked fast. She dragged the parafoil outfit from within her closet space. Shrugged off her jacket and climbed into the suit before zipping up the front. Then she rushed back to the balcony as fast as her legs could carry. Susan had already left the building to go in search of Victor and Ben was left standing helplessly in the lab.
"Elise! Wait what are you doing?" Ben was quick to notice the way Elise was eyeing the edge of the balcony.
"I have to do this uncle." She responded. Then to his shock, Elise climbed onto the concrete half-wall and stood on the edge. Ben quickly stomped over and grabbed her by the elbow. Elise gasped from the contact and swayed back and forth dangerously.
"No, don't you dare." He warned, ready to pull her back in. But Elise twisted around and gripped at his fingers around her slim arm. Ben was caught under the fiery determined glow in her emerald eyes.
"Uncle Ben, please! For once, trust me." Elise knew it was like asking a block of rock to turn in to gold. After everything that had happened the past few days, Elise didn't think Ben could ever trust her again.
"I…trust you"
She was too stunned to speak at first, even more so when she saw no deceit in her uncle's eyes.
"Love ya uncle, Ben" it was pretty hard to say at first, but the moment his mouth curved up into a blissful grin, she knew it was worth it.
"I love you too kid." He responded. Elise leaned over and placed on chaste kiss on his bald head. Ben sighed before reluctantly liberating her. Elise spread her arms to the side and allowed gravity to pull her in.
Fear struck Ben the instant he had let go of her. He watched her fall, his face stricken in dread. But then a sudden blast of wind expanded the wings of her parafoil suit before lifting her up into the air. Ben could only stare up in wonder as Elise glided above the busy streets, like a bird in its element.
It worked!
Elise couldn't believe it, she was flying. The happiness inside her bubbled up and left her lips in a hearty laugh. Elise tried to focus on the wind, beckoning it to guide her safely between the tall buildings of Manhattan.
She had to remind herself not to be lost in the bliss of the wind blowing through her hair, and focus on the important task at hand. Finding Johnny and making sure he was safe.
Her keen gaze fell on the trail of smoke that missile had left behind, like ribbons fluttering in the air. She slanted her arms and the wind picked up around her.