Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. Stan Lee (The great man he is) does.
A/n: You know the drill. NO FLAMES! Unless they come from Johnny. R&R VGxx
2nd A/n: Rayne is in Senior high here. I've jumped quite a few years. But the next few chapters include flashbacks to the years between 11 and 16; this one and the next few chapters are going to stay at this age for Rayne. So stay tuned for more chapters!
Thanks to all my reviewers so far! Hope this can hold you off until I finish my exams! VGxx-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Five – Please Wake Up"So explain to me again – why we're rushing into this?" Ben asked, as he joined Reed, Sue and Johnny in the lobby.
"She told me where she is and I intend to save her." Johnny said.
"What do you mean told you?" Ben asked,
"She has some sort of telepathy ability. Look, Benny I don't know how she does it she just does!" Johnny elaborated when he saw Ben's expression.
"Well – let's do it." Reed said. As they started down the stairs to the basement Johnny was reminded of a song Rayne had sung when she was 13 at New York International's Junior High Talent contest…
Flashback"Now Ladies and Gentlemen please put your hands together for Rayne Storm as she performs a hit from her favourite band – Nickleback!" Rayne walked onto the stage she was scared – she searched the crowd for her father. He wasn't there. He hadn't come. He'd broken his promise. She took a deep breath and let it out a little shakily.
"From underneath the trees, we watch the sky, confusing stars for satellites, I never dreamed that you'd be mine, but here we are, we're here tonight. Singing Amen I – I'm alive, A-Amen I – I am alive." Rayne saw the door at the back of the gym open and her father; both Uncles and Aunties walk in and slid into seats at the back. Uncle Ben stayed standing, afraid of breaking the chair and causing Rayne to break stride. She pretended not to see them. "If everyone cared, and nobody cried, if everyone loved and no body lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride, then we'd see the day when nobody died, I'm singing A-Amen I…Amen I – I am alive, Amen I…Amen I…Amen I – I am alive. And in the air the fireflies, our only light in paradise, we'll show the world they were wrong, and teach them all to sing along – singing Amen I-I am alive, singing A-amen I – I am alive." Johnny smiled – this song she never stopped singing! So how could she not choose this song to sing for the talent contest?
"Do you think she's seen us?" Reed asked, Johnny nodded.
"Yeah…but she doesn't want us to be her main focus." Johnny whispered.
"If everyone shared and swallowed their pride, then we'd see the day when nobody died, if everyone cared, and nobody cried, if everyone loved and no body lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride, then we'd see the day when nobody died, when no body died. And as we lie beneath the stars, we realize how small we are; if they could love like you and me; imagine what the world could be. If everyone cared, and nobody cried, if everyone loved and no body lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride, then we'd see the day when nobody died, if everyone cared, and nobody cried, if everyone loved and no body lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride, then we'd see the day when nobody died, - we'd see the day when no body died, we'd see the day when nobody died – nobody died." Rayne welcomed the applause and walked off stage.
End flashback"Johnny!" Sue yelled; Johnny realized that Jason's minions had already been taken out. Reed was holding the door open. Ben had both minions in a headlock. Johnny ran past them to Sue who was holding Rayne's head in her lap. Sue had already untied Rayne. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing shallowly. He ran a hand over his daughter's forehead.
"She's cold. We have to get her to a hospital. Ben!" He knocked the heads of the two younger boys together and picked Rayne up onto his shoulders. He carried her out careful not to cause her much more harm. Reed shut the door behind Johnny and when they turned to walk back to the lobby, they froze. Ben had been stripped of Rayne – who was now awake and stared wide eyed at her family as Jason had her with a pistol pointed at her temple.
"If anyone of you makes a move, she's dead. You hear me?" All four nodded. Johnny had an idea and Rayne could hear what he was doing. Do it Dad. Don't worry about me. I'll be ok. She told him. He shot flames at them making Jason let her go. Johnny ran forward, taking Jason to ground, one problem - the gun fired. It hit Rayne in the shoulder. She fell backwards and passed out. The pain was too great for her to stay conscious.
"Rayne!" Sue ran forwards, she went invisible to get to her without being seen by Jason who was still wrestling with Johnny. Reed was able to pull Johnny off Jason so Ben could get him into the basement.
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"Rayne Storm? Anyone here for Rayne Storm?" Johnny stood up.
"I'm her father." He said. The doctor looked at him and smiled.
"Of course. Please come with me Mister Storm." The doctor guided him down a hall towards the ICU. The doctor didn't bother with the details until they were outside Rayne's room.
"Mister Storm – your daughter has been beaten severely. He ribs are broken and her jaw has a hairline fracture. She'll have to be fed her food as liquids, no steak or any red meat for a few weeks until her jaw is healed – we expect it should be at least four weeks until she can eat red meat." The doctor said, Johnny looked horrified.
"Four weeks? Doctor – with all die respect – my daughter controls the weather, she's immune to extreme heat and extreme cold, without red meat her powers will wither and it will take her months to get back to her usual self." Johnny said.
"She can have a red meat supplement." The doctor handed Johnny a prescription for it, "she'll also need to be looked after for at least three months while her ribs heal up. Her arm – which was broken in two places – needed to be cast, obviously. She will need the cast for six weeks at least. I'll expect you to bring her back in six weeks to have the cast off, then one and half months later for her ribs to be inspected." The Doctor pushed open the door to Rayne's room and Johnny steppe inside. She was sitting up, somewhat painfully but she smiled when she saw her father.
"Hey Daddy." She said weakly.
"Hey sport. You got beat up a bit didn't you?" He said; she nodded.
"Yeah guess I did. I'm sorry I worried you Dad. I didn't mean to get kidnapped." She said, saying it as if she had been careless and let this happen to her.
"Hey. None of this is your fault. Did they let you keep the bullet?" He asked. She nodded again, this time smiling a bit. She pointed over to the shelf opposite her bed.
"Yeah. It's over there in a jar." She said, Johnny got up and went to examine it.
"I don't know about you kiddo but I think I'd load it into my own gun and fire it right back at the bastard." He told her, holding up the jar in his hands.
"Daddy – I don't want to kill him. No matter what he did to me one day he's gonna need our help." Rayne stated. They turned as the door opened again, this time Auntie Sue, Uncle Ben and Auntie Alicia came in.
"Where's Reed?" Johnny asked.
"Gone to get something. I don't know what though, he didn't say." Sue shrugged lightly, "hey baby. You got a little beat up huh?"
"That's what Dad said and yeah I did. Broken ribs, a broken arm, and hairline fracture in my jaw. For how long do I go without steaks Dad?" Rayne asked, fear written on her face. Johnny shrugged.
"Four weeks I think he said or 'til you're out of your 'red meat supplement' I guess."
"'Red meat supplement'? What the hell it that?"
"Something called 'Meota'. I dunno. I've never had it. It probably tastes like shit anyway."
"Thanks Dad. That makes me feel a lot better." Rayne said. Just then the door opened revealing Reed holding a bunch of champagne roses. Rayne smiled softly.
"Thanks Uncle Reed." She said, as Sue grabbed a vase a filled it with water.
"Your welcome. I know you like roses but not red ones or pink ones." Reed said, Rayne smiled. Her family knew her so well.
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4 weeks later
"DADDY!" Rayne sat bolt upright in her bed, her door opened and blinded her momentarily. She squinted against the light.
"Ray? Baby what's wrong?" Johnny sat on her bed and wrapped her in his arms.
"Oh…I had a nightmare Dad. It's nothing really. I'm ok now."
"You've been having nightmares since you were kidnapped Rabbit." Johnny said as he hugged her close. She started to sob into his chest.
"Daddy…I don't want to have nightmares…I hate nightmares! I haven't had them since I was 4!" Rayne cried. Johnny tightened his hold on her.
"I know baby I know. Let's get you something – I'll get you glass of something that used to help me sleep after a nightmare ok? Come with me." Johnny took Rayne's hand and led her out to the kitchen. Rayne got her glass down as Johnny got the milk out of the fridge.
"Milk?" Rayne looked unconvinced. Johnny winked at her. Somehow Johnny would know what worked and what didn't work for her. When she was younger, she'd come to his room and sleep in his bed when she had a nightmare – not now. At 16 she was bit too old for that. Sure enough though after having her drink she went back to bed and slept through the night without a stir.
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"Dad!" Rayne looked around the apartment. Her father wasn't there. "Auntie Susan? Uncle Reed?" No response. "Dad?" Still no response. She spun around at the cold laughter that met her ears. She didn't like that way it mocked her, and she certainly didn't like the person it came from.
"Just a little gift from me. They're out on a job with Ben." Rayne froze. Doom was back in town. Rayne had heard about him from her father and Uncle Reed. He'd been her favourite Villain that the Fantastic Four had defeated.
"My family beat you three times. Haven't you learnt?" Rayne said, her voice dangerously low. Doom laughed again. Shaking his head he shot a bolt of lightning at her. She dodged it. She'd learnt her evasive moves from dodging her father when she was younger. Doom snarled at her agility and the smirk that she wore.
"Better luck time Doom. You can't beat a girl." She said, "Think about it – Dr. Doom – beat by a girl and a teenager at that." Suddenly she heard the elevator open, smirking even more she dodged another bolt of lightning. Doom didn't notice the three figures behind him, but Rayne knew it.
"Rayne! Duck!" Johnny yelled she'd not seen the lightning headed her way, she dodged it. But Johnny had done it. Doom knew they were there. Doom spun around and hit Johnny with a bolt. Johnny was knocked out. Rayne couldn't take this. She closed her eyes and focused on her father – suddenly she burst into flames like her father did. Sue and Reed felt their jaws drop. She was a female version of her father. She was able to lure Doom out of the HQ. When she returned she had a bloody nose but that was the worst. Rayne sprinted over to her father, but he was motionless and breathing shallowly.
"Dad! Daddy!" Come on Dad, please, please, please wake up! Don't leave me Dad please." Rayne grabbed him and held him to her as best she could, he was a lead weight and she wasn't very strong. Sue was the first to break free of her reverie – and ran to the phone. She dialed 911 to get Johnny an ambulance. While Reed tried to comfort Rayne while she sobbed, pleading with her unconscious father to wake up.
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R&R thanks, means the world! Hugs to all reviewers from the Fantastic Four! (Even Ben) VGxx