Thank you for reading and reviewing. Here's Chapter Three! :)
Reed, Sue, Ben, Johnny, Elle, and Victor rode the shuttle to Victor's space station. The moment it docked, Victor led them all to the command center.
"ETA until cosmic event...nine hours," Victor told them.
"If you're good maybe next time daddy will let you drive," Johnny said to Ben with a smirk on his face as they followed Victor.
"Keep talking and there won't be a next time," Ben told Johnny with anger in his voice.
Elle followed behind the two with a smile on her face as she listened to Ben and Johnny argue.
"Long way from the projection booth at the Hayden Planetarium isn't it," Sue asked when she saw Reed stop and look out of one of the windows with a smile on his face.
"Yes," Reed said as he watched her walk away from him. "Yes it is."
"We can monitor the clouds approach and observe the tests from here," Sue told everyone as they entered the command center.
"Wow," Elle said with wide eyes as she looked around her surroundings. "This is some space station."
Reed smiled after Elle said this.
"Is it safe," Ben asked.
"The shields on the station should protect us," Reed told Ben.
"Whoa whoa whoa," Elle said with a hint of panic in her voice as she turned to Reed. "What do you mean should? You do know how dangerous cosmic storms are right?"
"Yes I am well aware of how dangerous they are Elle," Reed said as he turned to her. "And I'm one hundred percent certain that the shields will protect us."
"You're sure," Ben asked his friend with a raised eyebrow.
"More or less," Reed added.
"Oh great. That makes me feel so much better," Ben said with sarcasm in his voice.
"Is it too late to get back on the shuttle and go back to earth," Elle joked.
"What's the matter Michelle," Victor asked with a smirk on his face as he walked up to the three. "You're not afraid are you?"
"I'm a trained pilot for NASA," Elle said as she glared at him. "Of course I'm not afraid."
"Right," Victor said with a small chuckle.
"Leave my sister alone okay," Ben said as he glared at Victor.
"I'm going to go help Johnny," Elle said as she walked away from them.
"Yeah I'm right behind you," Ben said as he followed his sister.
Once Ben made sure that Victor was out of hearing range he turned to his sister and spoke. "Ugh, I can't stand that guy."
"Same here Ben," Elle said. "There's been plenty of times when I wanted to make Doom sing soprano but I didn't because of Reed. I knew how much this little trip meant for him."
"Yeah I've wanted to strangle him myself but I held it in," Ben said.
Elle chuckled as she and Ben entered the Air Lock where Johnny was unloading plants for Ben to place outside the station.
"What's so funny," Johnny asked as he turned to Elle and Ben.
"Nothing," Ben and Elle said.
"Okay, I got the plants ready for you big guy," Johnny told Ben. "All you need to do is put on the space suit and you're ready to go."
"Got it," Ben said as he went into a changing room to change into the space suit.
"Alone at last," Johnny said with a smile on his face as he turned to Elle.
"No you're not," Ben shouted from the changing stalls.
"Damn it," Johnny said with a sigh causing Elle to chuckle.
A few moments later, Ben came out wearing a space suit. As Johnny checked Ben's air supply he spoke.
"Please tell me your guy's not trying to rekindle things with my sister again," Johnny asked Ben.
"Of course not," Ben assured him. "Strictly business."
"Yes well, his eyes say differently don't they," Johnny said.
"Hey," Ben said causing Johnny to turn to him. "Two hearts got busted last time. Maybe she's not over it either."
"Wow Dr. Phil that's deep," Johnny said pretending to sound amazed.
Elle rolled her eyes and continued observing the monitors making sure everything was working properly.
"Let's think about that," Johnny continued as he grabbed two clear cases with plants in them. "You got Victor, more money than god, stud of the year. Then you got Reed, world's dumbest smart guy, worth less than a postage stamp. That's a real tossup," Johnny finished as he handed Ben the cases.
"Don't trouble you're tiny little mind," Ben told Johnny with a hint of anger in his voice as he watched Johnny exit the air lock chamber.
"Don't wander off now boy," Johnny said as he hit a couple of buttons closing the air lock chamber.
Johnny gave Ben a salute and a two thumbs up. Ben also gave Johnny a salute before stepping out into space.
Elle got up from watching the monitors and she stared out the window. "It's so beautiful out there," Elle said as she stared at the millions of stars.
"Not nearly as beautiful as you," Johnny said as he walked up to her.
Elle's eyes grew wide when she heard Johnny say this. She turned around to face him and spoke. "Did Johnny Storm just give a nice compliment or do my ears deceive me?"
Johnny chuckled as he moved closer to her. "And you thought I wasn't capable of doing such a thing."
"Of course," Elle said as she turned back to the window. "You didn't mean it."
"I did to," Johnny said as he walked up behind her. "I meant every word."
When Elle turned around to face him she was so shocked to see how close they were that she stumbled slightly. But before she hit the ground, Johnny put both of his hands on her waist to steady her.
"I know, I have that effect on women," Johnny said with a smile on his face.
"I'm sorry to break it to you buddy but you have no effect on me whatsoever," Elle lied. "I just tripped that's all."
"Right," Johnny said with a chuckle. "You just tripped."
"That's right," Elle said.
Johnny smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. He was only inches away from her lips when Reed came charging into the room.
"Ben, you need to get inside now," Reed shouted.
Johnny quickly removed his hands from Elle's waist and the two turned to Reed with a look of confusion on their faces.
"What's going on," Johnny asked.
"I ain't done arranging your flowers yet egghead," Ben told his friend.
"Ben, turn around," Reed told him.
Ben turned around and his eyes grew wide when he saw the cosmic storm approaching. Elle grabbed a hold of Johnny's arm and stared out the window with a look of horror on her face when she saw how close the cosmic storm was to Ben.
"Guys I'm not gonna make it," Ben told them.
"Then you gotta jump," Johnny said. "It's the only way."
"Hurry Ben," Elle told her brother.
Ben took a running start and then he jumped off of the platform he was on. Elle let go of Johnny's arm and she covered her eyes. She couldn't watch. She was so scared that he wouldn't make it.
"Come on Ben you've got this," Johnny shouted as Ben approached the air lock chamber.
"Okay Johnny, get ready to close the portal," Reed told him when he saw that Ben was almost at the station.
Johnny nodded and he rushed over to the control panel to close the portal. Elle opened her eyes in time to see the cosmic storm hit Ben making him fly into the air lock chamber.
"NO," Elle shouted.
Johnny hit a few buttons closing the shields but the moment he did, sparks flew out of the control panel causing Johnny to back away from it. Reed watched as Ben fell to the ground. He then looked up at the shields and a look of shock appeared on his face when the cosmic storm broke through the shields. The storm hit Reed, then Elle, then Johnny, then Sue, and finally Victor.
And that's the end of Chapter Three. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I'll try and have the next chapter up soon. :)
