Incoming Trouble
Cool I got reviews for this. Lol.
Merc's head kept falling as she tried staying awake. Johnny found it amusing as he watched her head fall onto her chest then shoot back up quickly. Merc finally hit him, making Ben laugh.
"Stay awake, Mercy." Johnny said.
"Shut up." Merc said.
A few hours later she was wide awake as they walked into the command center at the space station.
"If you behave, maybe next time daddy will let you drive." Johnny said as he walked by Merc, who was busy staring at Earth, with Ben.
"Keep talking, there won't be a next time." Ben threatened. Merc tore her eyes away from the planet and looked at Reed as Sue approached him.
"Long way from the projection booth at the Hayden Planetarium, isn't it?" Sue asked. Reed looked at her, somewhat stunned. He then smiled.
"Yes. Yes it is." Reed said.
"We can monitor the clouds approach and observe the tests from here." Sue said, indicated where Reed would be working.
"Is it safe?" Ben asked.
"The shields on the station should protect us." Reed said.
"Should?" Ben and Merc both asked.
"What's wrong, Ben?" Victor asked. "Eight-million dollars worth of equipment not enough for you?"
"Let's start loading those samples." Reed said. Merc looked at Johnny who indicated to where they would be going. "Get your suit ready, Ben."
"So you still do all the heavy lifting?" Victor asked, smiling. He patted Reed's shoulder. "Maybe you should have stayed back in the lab. Field work never suited you."
"He does the talking. I do the walking. Got it?" Ben said.
"Ok, I think that's enough for now." Merc said, stepping between Ben and Victor. "Come on Uncle Ben. Johnny and I will help you." She took Ben's arm and started over to Johnny.
"Take a walk, Ben." Victor called after them. Merc tightened her grip on her uncle's arm.
"Please tell me your guy's not trying to rekindle things with my sister." Johnny said, helping Ben with the suit while Merc, doing as she was told, unloaded the samples from a cart.
"Course not." Ben said. "Strictly business."
"Yeah well…" Johnny said, played with something on Ben's wrist. "His eyes say different, thanks Mercy." He took the samples from Merc. Ben grabbed his hand.
"Hey, two hears got busted last time." Ben said.
"Oh Uncle Ben…" Merc muttered.
"Maybe she's not over it either." Ben said, ignoring her.
"That's deep Dr. Phil." Johnny said. Merc stayed outside the air-lock as Ben and Johnny both stepped into it. "Let's see…you got Victor, stud of the year, more coin than God." He attached the sample to Ben's belt and put the handle into Ben's hand. "And then there's Reed…the world's dumbest smart guy with less than a postage stamp. Hmmm, it's a toss-up."
"Johnny stop." Merc said.
"Don't wander off now, boy." Johnny said. He stepped out of the air-lock and shut it. He mock saluted Ben then gave him thumps up. Merc smacked him lightly as the air-lock door opened for Ben to get out of it. "Now we just sit back and wait."
"For what?" Merc asked.
"I dunno." Johnny said. Merc rolled her eyes. "So…thought about what you're gonna do now?"
"I thought the dancing thing was my decision of what I wanted to do." Merc said.
"Well yeah, I guess." Johnny said. "So…no college…no university?"
"I don't think so." Merc said.
"Oh? Why not?" Johnny asked.
"Man, I could barely stand High School." Merc said. "EVERYONE was surprised that I graduated remember?" Johnny nodded. "There's no way I'm gonna last more then four months in college so why waste my uncle's money?"
"Good point." Johnny said. "You make a lot of sense, little girl."
"Well little boy, I learn from the best." Merc said, glancing out the air-lock door.
"I'm not little." Johnny said, somewhat flirting. Merc looked at him as he approached her. "You should know that by now."
"Maybe I do…maybe I don't." Merc said, surprised to find herself flirting right back. They now stood right in front of each other. Merc tilted her head back slightly to look at Johnny's face better.
"You know that you…" Johnny started. He jumped away from her as Reed came running over to them. He hit a button.
"Ben you have to get back in here." Reed said.
"What's going on?" Johnny asked. Merc looked out the door and her eyes widened.
"I'm done arranging your flowers yet, egghead." Ben said.
"Ben, turn around." Reed said.
"Holy…" Johnny muttered.
"You guys, I'm not gonna make it." Ben said.
"You gotta jump!" Merc said.
"What?" Johnny and Reed both said.
"It's the only way!" Merc said. "Uncle Ben you HAVE to jump!" He did as she said. It felt as if things were going in slow motion as the three of them watched Ben leap through the air towards the air-lock.
"Ok…Johnny get ready to close the door." Reed said. Johnny nodded and went to the controls. Merc had her hands pressed against the glass, coming close to having her whole front pressed against it as well.
"Come on…come on…" She muttered. She screamed as the cloud hit Ben, propelling him into the air-lock. She groaned at the look on his face but her eyes were drawn to the closed door behind him where an eerie red glow from the cloud was pushing it's way through.
The last thing she could remember was the red glow surrounding them, enormous amounts of pain…and hearing someone shouting in her head.
"I don't want to go to school…" Merc muttered, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to block out the beeping noise.
Crazy kid.
Her eyes opened and she saw Johnny standing by her bed. Merc groaned and sat up, pushing her hair out of her face.
"Hey sleeping beauty. How you doing?" Johnny asked.
"I feel like I was just run over…" Merc said, rubbing her forehead. "Repeatedly."
"Oh." Johnny said, his face falling slightly. "So I guess you're not up to snowboarding then."
"Nope, sorry." Merc said.
"Everyone else is awake already." Johnny said. "So you should probably go see Ben to let him know you're fine." He suddenly smiled.
"What did you do?" Merc asked.
"Nothing." Johnny said.
"Johnny…" Merc said.
"I just pulled a little prank on him…it's nothing you have to worry about." Johnny said. Merc rolled her eyes and looked around the room.
The look on his face…
Her eyes shot back to Johnny. She groaned again and rubbed her head.
"You ok?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah…just a headache." Merc said. "You go snowboard. I'll see you later alright?"
"Sure…so long as you're ok." Johnny said.
"I'm fine." Merc said. "Don't have too much fun now." Johnny smiled and left. Merc got out of the bed, made sure she was in appropriate clothing, then left. It took her a while to find Ben and when she did, she found him with Reed.
"I wasn't talking about me and Debbie." Ben said.
"Who are you talking about?" Merc asked. Ben and Reed smiled at her before Ben nodded down to the lower level where Sue sat.
"What? Come on." Reed said. "She's got a good thing with Victor…"
"Did that storm mess up your brain?" Merc asked.
"Look…he's smart, powerful, successful…" Reed said.
"Well then maybe you should date him." Ben said.
"He can give her the life she deserves." Reed said. Merc rolled her eyes and put her arm through Ben's, resting her head on his shoulder. "Things worked out for the best."
"Yeah right." Merc muttered. Reed gave her a look then left.
"Do I gotta do everything myself?" Ben asked.
"I'll help." Merc said, lifting her head.
"Good…because I'll need your help." Ben said. Merc smiled, waking up more. Ben told her what to do and Merc nodded before walking away. She went down a flight of stairs and went out to where Sue was lounging, reading something.
"Hey Susie!" Merc said. Sue looked up and smiled.
"Hey…how you been?" She asked. "You were out longer then the rest of us."
"So I've been told." Merc said, sitting in the other lounge chair. "Uncle Ben wants to know if you want to join him for a drink."
"Why doesn't he just ask?" Sue asked.
"Because I was passing by." Merc said. "I gotta keep working on those dances after all."
"You know I never asked but, do you guys have a show?" Sue asked. "Like…coming up?"
"Yeah…it's pretty soon." Merc said. "Luckily we don't have to do a whole of dances for it. The group is great but they just don't learn quickly." She played with her medical bracelet a bit. "I hope we get to leave soon."
"One more day of testing from what I've heard." Sue said.
"Good." Merc said. They heard a coughing and turned to see Ben. "Ok well you two go get your drinks and I'll go work on dances."
"You won't join us for even one?" Sue asked.
"I'm not old enough to drink, Sue." Merc said. "Remember that little fact."
"Oh right." Sue said, laughing. Merc smiled. They both stood up and went in opposite directions.
The third chapter will be up as soon as i get reviews for it.