Another short chapter, sorry! Is Eve's hangover gone? No. Does she wish is was? Uh, yeah.

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Chapter Five - The Cloud

Six hours later, we were on the shuttle, taking off. I gripped the seat until my knuckles were white and clenched my teeth. The sound alone was worsening my headache and making me feel sick. Once we left the atmosphere, though, the ride became smoother, and it took no time docking at the station. Ben and Johnny hauled the big cases of equipment out of the shuttle while Victor helped Sue off. Reed leaned out and handed her a smaller case, before climbing out himself. I unbuckled with shaking hands and stumbled out on my own.

I've always had a problem with flying, and for some reason I thought going into space would be different. It wasn't. Johnny smiled at me and handed me a case as well. I handed it back to him and pulled my toolbox out of the shuttle. "Sorry, have my own," I said, shoving past him.

"E.T.A. until cosmic event, nine hours," said Victor, leading the way. I hovered behind him, Johnny and Ben behind me with the heavy stuff, and Reed and Sue bringing up the rear. After promising Victor I'd not only watch Reed after the mission, but also that I'd work on the computer system while we were in the station, he forgave me for being late.

"If you're good, maybe next time Daddy'll let you drive," said Johnny. I glanced back at him, only to realize he was talking to Ben.

"You keep talking, there won't be a next time," growled the shorter man. I frowned at him as they passed me into the main control room. I lingered by the doorway and saw Reed stop to look out the window. Sue came up behind him and spoke, and he looked at her in surprise.

As Susan walked off, Reed called after her, "Yes, yes it is." She smiled at me and I rolled my eyes, then pressed my fingers to my temple. As everyone else congregated in the control room, I pulled the aspirin bottle out of my pocket and took a few. I was so desperate, I didn't need water. Anything to stop the headache. I was about to leave for the main computer drive, which, according to the blueprints, was under a panel on the floor of one of the halls, when I heard Victor speak.

"What's the matter, Ben? Getting paranoid in your old age?" I glanced inside to see Ben glaring at my boss, while Victor leaned over on the rail overlooking the glass dome bottom, looking smug.

"Let's start loading those samples. Get your suit ready, Ben." Reed was trying to ease the tension, but Victor's grin grew.

As Ben started walking away, Victor spoke again. "So I see you're still doing all the heavy lifting." Ben froze, tensing up. Victor then turned to Reed. "Maybe you should have stayed in the lab. Field work never suited you."

Ben turned around and stalked up to Victor. "He does the talkin'. I do the walkin'. Got it?" He was basically snarling at Victor.

"So take a walk Ben." Grimm looked taken aback, but held his ground. "Actually, if you'll all excuse me, I need to borrow Susan for a moment." Sue looked up, briefly confused.

Ben looked at Reed, who shrugged. "Sure," he said, before following Ben down the hall. I grinned at Sue's naivete. Everyone at Von Doom Industries knew about Victor's plans to propose. Everyone, of course, but her. Johnny patted his sister's shoulder and followed Ben, winking at me. I glanced back into the control room, then headed for the hall.

I was just finishing the rewiring when I heard the alarms going off. Based on what I had been told, the alarms only went off under two circumstances – one, the station had been attacked, hit, or damaged by something, or two, the station's shields were closing. I stood up, clutching the unattached wires in my hands, and saw the most terrifying and spectacular scene.

Outside, someone in the space suit, who I assumed was Ben, was drifting mid-leap through the air, the cosmic storm chasing after him. It was a beautiful orange, and my first thought was 'I need a picture of that'. Then Ben entered the airlock and I lost sight of him. I was frozen, transfixed, staring out the window for a few seconds. Then all hell broke loose.

Everything was orange and yellow, and it smelled a bit like burning flesh. My skin felt like it was stretched thin over my bones, and my insides felt like I was being shocked by a TASER or struck by lighting. And it hurt. My stomach turned upside down, my head pounded even worse, so much so that soon that was all I felt. The constant drumbeat of my head, smashing my skull open. My last conscience thought was 'Oh, shit. There goes this suit."

I think I was dreaming. It felt real, but it was too strange to be a memory.

Reed, Sue, Johnny, Ben, and Victor were all playing poker with me at an empty casino. The dealer was Leonard, but he was dressed like a guy in Star Trek. I was losing badly, but I had a perfect hand, and was about to win when, for some reason, Johnny collected, claiming he won.

I tried to complain to Leonard, but my voice wasn't working. I watched as my rightful winnings were taken. Victor then stole the last of Reed's chips, and Sue willingly split hers between her brother and boss. Then Victor snatched mine, and I couldn't take them back. They all left me there, even Leonard, and I tried to scream, move, do anything. But I was trapped, silent and sitting. All alone.

Then Tessa was there, grinning at me. "Oh, bad luck." she said, playing with the cards. "You know, you should stand up for yourself. Take it all back. Take a leap! Give someone advice, and fight for who you are. Don't be a baby – grow up! There are some things you can't change, but there are some you can." She took my hand and opened it, dropping three poker chips into it. "There you go!" She smiled, closing my hand into a fist. "Just don't lose them," she said, fading away.

I had the strangest sensation of calmness as I drifted off into the darkness.

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