Aydin was seated comfortably in the pale ivory leather of her desk chair, reading over the financial reports of her publishing company's latest release, from a novice author. She had removed her boots when she had sat down, and they were now lying carelessly on the floor behind her desk, and she had one leg neatly crossed over the other. Pulling softly on her bottom lip, she rose from her seat and began to slowly pace the length of her office, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Like her father's office, Aydin's was richly furnished, however, where her father had used rich and bold colours, she had used light and airy ones. Her walls, were an opulent, lush blue. Her furniture, like her desk chair, was a creamy and luxurious ivory. Aydin continued across her office slowly, her eyes carefully reading the words and numbers on the page.

The information in the financial report wasn't bad, but nor was it good. As far as Aydin was concerned, it was exactly where she expected the author's book sales to be. There was just enough interest in the book to keep it from being a flop, and not enough to be a whirlwind phenomenon.

Pleased with the way things were going, she looked up from the page, and realized that for the first time, her feet had taken her to the massive aquarium that filled one of the smaller walls in her office. She watched the bright and colourful swirls of tropical fish, losing herself in them, and forgetting about everything else.

Just then there was a gentle knocking on one of the opened solid oak double doors. Aydin turned to see her assistant and confidant, Saline Leech, standing in the doorway.

Aydin waved Saline in, and continued to watch the numerous fish in the tank for a moment longer. "I've got the damage reports of the building like you asked for," Saline said as she strode across the office to sit in front of Aydin's desk. "It's all here, total damages, lost property of the individuals who worked at the editor's on the top floor, as well as those who lived on the lower levels. Also, I have a few rough estimates on the amount of work that will need to be done, and how much it will cost."

"Cost is not an issue in this Saline," Aydin said walking back to her desk. "The editors in that building belonged Glastonbury Tor Publishing, and therefore, to me. Also, the people living in that building are tenants of mine, and my responsibility. Could you please fax those sheets to my father?" she asked, sitting back at her desk, across from her assistant. "He's being, how should I put it . . . clingy, and refusing to let me handle things on my own. I did promise him that I would let him see the numbers and digits though."

"I'll see to it right away," Saline replied, already rising from her seat.

"There is one more thing," Aydin said, before Saline could do more than stand.

The assistant raised an eyebrow slightly, her quietly pretty face mildly interested. "Really, and what is that? I'll be sure to take care of it immediately."

"Well, no, it's not something that I need done, but I just think that, well, I have this funny feeling, about the fire, I mean. I think it may have been deliberate"

"Aydin, that's nonsense and you know it. If it were suspected to be anything other than an accident, then the arson investigators would have notified you by now. You know that."

Johnny Storm strode casually out of the elevator, with a playboy type smile on his face. He didn't really know the reason why he had shown up at Aydin's office building, but he wanted another chance to see if he could figure out why he thought he knew her from somewhere. Stopping briefly to inquire the location of Aydin's office, he continued on.

Just at the end of the hall, he could see a set of oak double doors, one of which was opened to reveal Aydin and another woman in quiet conversation. Continuing to strut down the hallway, planning to make a smooth-as-hell entrance, a young blonde secretary passing him caught his eye.

Johnny's feet kept walking forward, but his head rotated nearly one hundred and eighty degrees to watch the woman as she walked away. He was still watching her, when he missed the open door of Aydin's office, and collided smartly with the closed one, rattling it on its hinges.

At the sound of a body impacting her door, Aydin and Saline's conversation died off quickly and they both turned to see what had happened. Johnny shook off the run-in, and then casually walked through the open door.

Sighing, Aydin flicked her eyes to her watch and then back to Saline, saying, "that's all I'll be needing for now, and I think for the rest of the day as well. Finish those few things for me, and whatever else you feel that you need to do today, and then go home. I'm sure I'll be able to handle things for myself tonight."

"Of course," Saline said, rising from her chair. "Thank you, and I'll see you tomorrow morning." Walking to the door, she paused and looked at Johnny, mild amusement on her face, then turned back to Aydin. "Would you like to me to close the door, or would you prefer it open?" she asked.

"Open is fine Saline," Aydin said. "Mr. Storm and I will only be having a brief meeting, and it's nothing I'm concerned about people hearing, but thank you for asking."

Nodding, Saline continued out the door. Aydin waited until she had gone before looking at Johnny. "Mr. Storm," she said blandly. "To what do I owe the honour of such a . . . graceful entrance?" she asked.

The Human Torch shrugged. "Nothing in particular, I was just wondering if you might know anything about that fire that happened in your building," he said, walking over to her wall of book shelves. Interestingly enough, he noticed that among her books, she mixed Dornford Yates, Jack London, and Edgar Allen Poe, along with current best selling thrillers, horrors, and fantasies.

"I know less than you do, Mr. Storm. However, if you would like to find out more about it, I suggest that you try the arson investigators. After all it is their job to know particulars in circumstances such as this."

Johnny continued to wander around her office as she spoke, picking up a small statuary or paperweight, tossing it absently from one hand to the other, then putting it back down and continuing on.

The massive aquarium along the sidewall caught his eye, and he walked up to it, watching the tropical fish swim around. Suddenly his eyes got wide, and he exclaimed, "holy crap, look at that thing!"

Aydin frowned and walked over, wondering if something might be wrong with her fish. Gazing into the tank, she asked, "look at what thing?"

"That thing right there," he said, pointing. "The one with all the leafy things coming off it."

Aydin rolled her eyes. "It's called a sea dragon, and they're supposed to look like that. However, that one is a little larger than usual. I call him Excalibur."

Turning to look at her, the realization hit that while she was still attractive, she wasn't exactly beautiful like he had first thought. Her nose appeared to be slightly crooked and had a bump in it, and her mouth seemed to be too full.

Feeling his eyes on her, she frowned and looked up at him. "Is there something wrong Mr. Storm?" she asked, her voice cold and icy.

"Not really," he said. "You're just shorter than I remember you being."

"What, did I shrink a few inches since this morning?" she shot at him.

"No, from the other time we met, at the . . . thing. I just didn't remember before with everything else going on. Sorry about that," he said and flashed her a dashing smile, designed to make any female swoon.

"Mr. Storm, I can assure you that thankfully, we have never met before. You must have seen me in an interview, or read an article about me, or something. The fire this morning was the first time I have seen you, and you have seen me," she told him matter-of-factly.

Johnny shook his head. "No, that's not it, I know it wasn't a newscast or anything like that, and I know I saw you before this morning."

Checking her annoyance to keep from verbally lashing out at him, she clenched her teeth shut and walked away, and out of her office. Johnny continued to go on about ways they might have met, when he noticed that she was barefooted. "Hey, did you know that you have no shoes on?" he asked her, with a cocky tone in his voice.

Turning on the Torch, she glared and snapped at him, "bloody hell! You're a genius you know that? Do you want a cookie or a small parade in celebration of your intelligence? I am aware of the fact I have nothing on my feet, because I removed my boots myself."

Johnny stopped dead in his tracks, and for a moment, he got an extremely thoughtful look on his face. "Hmmm. . ." he said slowly, as he narrowed his eyes, searching for the perfect way to goad her. "How about, giving me a cookie that's on parade?"

Rage blazed brightly in Aydin's eyes. Obviously Johnny had succeeded in taunting her, she opened her mouth to tear him a new one, but before any sound could escape her lips, the sprinkler above their heads erupted and frigid water began to shower down upon them.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved or spoke, and the rest of the sprinklers down the hall began to go off in succession. The surprised shouts of shock and outrage that rang out from the nearby associates jolted Aydin out of her bewilderment. "Thanks a lot Sparky. It obviously isn't enough that you have to come in here and harass me, but you have your mutation set off my sprinkler system, possibly destroying thousands of dollars worth of electronics."

For the first time in history, Johnny Storm was left speechless and unable to charm his way back into the good graces of a woman.

Glancing down at her watch, the cross expression on her face only intensified. "On top of everything, I'm now late for a date, and due to your lack of control over your . . . alteration, I now have to change, which is going to make me even later for my rendezvous."

A look passed over Aydin's face, and Johnny felt that if looks could kill, he would have been dead ten minutes ago. The look alone made Johnny feel more guilt than he had ever experienced in his life. Aydin said in a dangerously quiet tone, "I think you had better leave."

With that, she shoved past him, and began to march back to her office. As she did, she snapped at Saline, "see that Mr. Storm is escorted out of my building." Aydin continued into her office, and the last thing Johnny saw of her, was the heavy oak door slamming loudly shut.

Saline picked up the receiver of the phone that sat on her desk, intending to call security, when Johnny raised his hand slightly. "You don't need to call Rent-A-Cop, I know the way out."

A few moments later, Johnny found himself standing on the sidewalk, looking up in the general direction of Aydin's office, with an utterly befuddled look on his face.

His head dropped with a heavy sigh as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He muttered to himself, "shot down," and began to make his way down the sidewalk.