Disclaimer: I don't own the Fantastic Four etc.
Author's note: Sorry for the long wait but schoolwork is driving me nuts. I'm halfway through ½ term and I'm afraid this is the best I could come up with. Thanks for reviews and enjoy.
The sun shone brightly on the Baxter Building, giving it an angelic glow that made it stand out from the other grey skyscrapers that conquered Manhattan. A small pocket of calm seemed to surround the Baxter Building; for some it was refreshing, for others it was slightly disturbing. Since the Fantastic Four had been formed there was never a quiet moment, if they weren't fighting super-villains they were fighting each other. It was something that had become quite normal and for those who had witnessed such events before, it was obvious it was just the calm before the storm.
The penthouse was quiet; Reed and Sue had spent the morning looking for Franklin while Ben and Johnny had looked for Alicia and the mysterious ambulance crew. Their searches had been unsuccessful and they had all agreed to meet back at their home and rest before continuing the search again.
Ben was sitting in his armchair snoring heavily. Johnny was sprawled out across the sofa, flicking through television channels aimlessly as Reed and Sue were cuddled up on the other sofa watching Johnny.
"Stop flicking," Sue scolded.
"Make me," Johnny retorted lazily. Sue's eyes narrowed and she pulled the remote out of Johnny's hand with a force field.
"Okay, point taken," Johnny grumbled and Sue gave him back the remote. Johnny was about to change the channel when Reed stopped him.
"Wait!" he shouted and snatched the remote from Johnny.
"You know you could just ask," Johnny pointed out but Reed ignored him. His attention was fixed on the television. Sue and Johnny looked at each other and then looked at the television and listened to the television reporter.
"Activity has been spotted in Von Doom Towers. The building has been deserted since the Fantastic Four killed Victor Von Doom. People have been seen entering and leaving the building at all hours, most of the time dressed for a day at the office. It has been confirmed by Phillip Cecil, the current owner of the building, that the activity is unauthorised. Gina Ryan was there earlier talk-"
Reed turned off the television and stood up.
"Come on," he said determinedly.
"Where're you going?" Sue asked, standing up next to him.
"To Doom." Johnny sat up in interest and Ben conveniently woke up. Sue stared at her husband in disbelief.
"What do you mean 'to Doom'? Are you crazy?" Sue asked. Reed didn't answer.
"Does this mean we're fighting?" Johnny asked excitedly.
"No," Sue said forcefully. "Reed what are you talking about? What's wrong?"
"Now we know where Doom is, we need to stop him before things get too serious. He's probably planning something big and we need to nip his plan in the bud," Reed explained. Sue looked at Ben and Johnny, Ben looked confused and Johnny looked ecstatic.
"Sounds good to me. Let's go!" Johnny said excitedly.
"Whoa, you're not going anywhere," Sue said to her brother. Johnny's face fell.
"Suzie's right. It's too dangerous for ya kid. Ya ain't got no powers, ya can only use one arm…Doom'll eat ya alive," Ben said firmly. Johnny looked to Reed for support.
"They do have a point," Reed said reluctantly.
"B…b…but-"
"No buts!" Sue said firmly. "I don't want to see you get hurt," She added softly. Johnny looked from Ben, to Reed and to Sue with a look of disbelief on his face.
"Fine," he grumbled sulkily and stormed off to his room.
TWENTY MINUTES LATER - VON DOOM TOWERS
Anyone who had been watching the news earlier would think the reports were a lie. The building had lost it's sparkle, when Victor had been in charge it had a been very high-tech, luxurious and important. Now the dirty glass that covered the building blended in with the rest of the dull skyscrapers and the weather had started to carefully wear away the statue of Victor himself.
Ben let out a long, low whistle. "And I thought Yancy Street was bad," he said to Sue. Sue smiled weakly and looked at her husband. Reed stood in front of them staring stonily at Victor's statue. He stood, unmoving, for a minute before he started walking towards the doors.
"Let's go," Reed said over his shoulder and strode through the double doors. Sue and Ben quickly followed him. The two stopped short when they entered the lobby.
The inside of the building was a serious contrast to the outside; it was full of people! Men and Women were walking around dressed in suits as if it were an ordinary day at the office.
"How come we couldn't see these people from the outside?" Ben asked.
"One way glass I guess," Sue replied.
"They aren't real," Reed said calmly. "Come on."
Ben and Sue followed Reed to the lift; he pressed the call button and the doors smoothly slid open. He was about to take a step inside when a large hand pulled him back. Reed glared at Ben.
"What are you doing?" Reed asked angrily.
"Stopping ya from doing something stupid," Ben retorted. "Do ya really think ya can just waltz in here without any trouble? It's bad enough we just walked in here with our suits and everything. What are ya trying to pull stretch?"
"Is there any point sneaking in? It will end the same either way; I'm just trying to save us some trouble," Reed said, still glaring at Ben. Ben glared back. Reed's face suddenly softened and he ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. "It's just…this is a lot to deal with." Ben's glare faded and he grinned; the apology was enough for him.
"It's okay, just don't try and get us killed," he said light-heartedly and let go of Reed. He slapped him lightly on the back and exchanged looks with Sue.
"So what now?" Sue asked. "How exactly are we going to get to the top floor without being seen?"
"You," Reed said simply. Sue got the message instantly and quickly turned herself and her team-mates invisible.
"Stairs," Reed whispered loudly and the friends made their way to the stairwell.
BAXTER BUILDING
Johnny made sure his team had left the building before he stepped foot out of his room. He slipped from the living quarters into Reed's office and sat down at Reed's desk. He turned on the computer and waited patiently for it to load. A login box flashed up onto the screen and Johnny froze; he had forgotten that Reed had tightened up security. Passwords were changed every other day and Johnny had absolutely no idea what the new password was. He wasn't trusted with such information. Think Johnny think! What kind of science thing would Reed have a password. Johnny looked around the room, his eyes rested on a thick book on Reed's desk. Advanced molecular theory…would his password be molecules? No. Reed would have something way more complicated than that…wouldn't he? A grin appeared on Johnny's face as a new idea formed in his head. Unless Reed is using the whole reverse psychology thing…maybe his password is really simple cos people would assume he has a really long word for a password.
Johnny started to type in random words; he tried various things from physics to Franklin. He slumped back in the chair, already exhausted from all the thinking he had done. He stared at the ceiling, what would he choose? What is a simple password? Your name? Johnny sat up and looked at the keyboard, would Reed have his name as a password? It's worth a shot. Johnny typed in 'reed' and hit the enter key. He grinned again as the login box disappeared and the computer said, in a monotone voice: 'welcome Dr Richards. You have seven unread emails.'
Johnny was tempted to check Reed's emails but decided against it and went straight to what he was looking for.
"Von Doom Towers," he muttered to himself over and over again until he found a certain folder. Johnny clicked on it and then double clicked on a folder labelled 'map', His smile broadened as a 3D diagram of Von Doom Towers flashed up on the screen. Now, how can I get in unseen?
VON DOOM TOWERS
Sue reached the top of the stairs first, she watched as the grey outlines of her husband and friend hurried towards her; of course she could see anything that was invisible. When Ben and Reed reached the top she made the three of them reappear.
'What now? Ben asked, slightly breathless. Reed held up a finger, warning them to be quiet. Ben and Sue strained their ears to hear what Reed could hear but they were unsuccessful. They both looked at Reed, waiting for the signal that they could talk again.
They were both so absorbed in trying to hear any noise that they failed to notice two men sneaking up behind them until it was too late.
