Okay, a few things. One, this takes place in modern-day (2006). Just pretend Roger and Mark and everybody is the age they are in RENT, only it's 2006, not 1989. Also, this story will be told through Roger and Johnny's point of view (it'll switch off every chapter). Enjoy!

Roger

Hands in my pockets, I strolled down the crowded streets of New York City. For once, I wasn't in the East Village, but in tourist NYC. And as if to prove any doubters wrong, pudgy people in khaki shorts and 'I Heart NY' t-shirts with expensive cameras dangling from their necks took up most of the space on the forever-busy sidewalk.

I hummed a new tune under my breath, the lyrics forming in my head.

"Crap," I muttered, "All shit."

I quickly erased both the music and words from my brain. I was really lacking inspiration since Your Eyes. Not to say it wasn't great, but it hadn't gotten me anywhere. Mimi kept saying I should send it in to radios and record companies, but I always dismissed her ideas. Your Eyes special- I didn't want every lovesick teenager singing it to his girlfriend at midnight, waiting under her window as she gazed down at him lovingly. Especially not some snot-nosed, upper class snobs.

I sighed and looked wearily at some of the high-class newspapers being sold in those little plastic boxes.

'WAR IN IRAQ CONTINUES'

That was old news.

'ANGELINA JOLIE AND BRAD PITT WELCOME BABY SHILOH'

I really didn't give a damn.

'FANTASTIC FOUR SAVE LIVES ON BRIDGE'

Fantastic Four? I'd never heard of them before. I stooped down to get a better look at the front page of the paper to see if I could learn more.

I was only met with a picture of four people- probably the Fantastic Four. There was an orange rock thing, which the caption said was Ben Grimm. Then there was some guy with graying sides, Reed Richards apparently. However, the next two names caught my attention. Sue Storm and Johnny Storm. And the faces were familiar too.

"No way," I mumbled, my eyes widening, "It can't be them!"

I fumbled through my pockets and found a quarter. I quickly inserted it into the machine and pulled out my paper.

I unfurled my new possession and quickly scanned the first article.

'The Fantastic Four were revealed today. After encountering a storm in space while visiting the Von Doom space station, these four scientists and astronauts' DNA was genetically mutated. Leader Reed Richards can stretch any part of his anatomy. Longtime friend of Richards, Benjamin Grimm, was super strength. Susan Storm has the ability to put up 'force fields' and turn invisible while little brother Jonathon can engulf his body with flames. Continued on C3.'

I didn't have to read the rest of the article- I'd found what I was looking for.

"I can't believe it's really them," I said, rolling up the paper and dashing back to the loft. I had to share this with someone, and the first person that came to mind was Mark. That or Mimi, but she was working.

I wove my way through the throngs of people and eventually made it back to the loft. I ran up the stairs and burst in the door, panting for breath.

Note to self: Running in ninety-degree weather- bad.

Mark watched me through worried eyes as I staggered over to the sink and took a long sip of metallic-tasting, lukewarm water from the faucet, the liquid making me cool down some.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand before taking the newspaper out of my pocket and tossing it to Mark.

"Read the first article," I instructed before he could get a word in, "You don't have to read the whole thing, just what's on the first page."

Mark sighed in an I-don't-really-have-any-other-choice kind of way and his blue orbs quickly scanned the few lines on the page.

"So?" he asked, looking up at me when he was finished, "That's cool, but what's the big deal?"

A huge grin taking over my face, I pointed to the Strom siblings in the picture. "Those two are what the big deal is all about. Sue and Johnny are my cousins. We used to be inseparable, but shit happened and I haven't seen or heard from them since before I moved here."

Mark nodded, a solemn look on his face. He studied the faces on the page with great intensity. "That Johnny guy does look a little like you." He finally mused aloud.

I bobbed my head up-and-down excitedly before snatching the front section of the paper away while discarding the rest and giving it a long, hard stare. "Johnny and Sue," I said to myself, "What I'd give to talk to them again."

"Then why don't you?" Mark asked, flipping through the remainder of the paper, "It says here that the four currently live in the penthouse at the Baxter Building. That's in the city. Quite a distance from here, true, but we're used to junk like that."

"Good idea Mark," I said with sarcasm sewn thickly in my voice, "I can just camp out in front of their building like the other hundred people pictured here!" –I pointed to the picture adjacent the remainder of the article– "I'm sure tons of people are claiming to be related just to see one of them. They're like celebrities now Mark!"

Mark rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Don't you have something to prove it?" he asked, "A picture maybe? A nickname?"

A nickname? I slapped my forehead. Of course! Johnny and I had shared our deal of nicknames 'back in the day'.

"Mark, you're a genius!" I declared before running out the door.