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Disclaimer: I don't own Fantastic Four or anything like that!

Ignite

Chapter Three: Mission Gone Wrong

The trip into space had been a safe one, and surprisingly enough, it was thanks to Johnny. Lily glanced at the boy as she watched him press buttons, his eyes glued to the screen. Her eyes stayed glued to him as he began the countdown until the ship was locked to the space center. 'It's almost as if he's actually grown a few brain cells in the last couple of years.' She quickly tore her eyes away from Johnny, too afraid that if she stared too long he would catch her and get the wrong idea.

She stared out the small window of the space shuttle and took a moment to collect her thoughts. Through the reflection of the window she could see Johnny, his face a bit more serious than when she had first run into him on Earth. She continued to gaze at him and took the time to really look at him.

He had grown up a lot since they were kids, that was one thing Lily was certain about. His muscles were toned, perfectly, and his face had matured, sculpted by the hands of fate to make him more than easy on the eyes. His eyes shined brightly than they did when they were children, though during their adolescence, his eyes did give off a similar gleam.

Suddenly, a jerk from the space shuttle snapped Lily from her trance as she looked around and found the ship now locked to Victor's space center. Johnny smirked as he stood up and leaned against his chair.

"Thank you for flying with us, hope you enjoyed the ride," he said playfully, imitating a flight attendant on a plane, as Lily rolled her eyes and smiled slightly.

'He's still the same Johnny from when we were kids.' Lily unbuckled her seatbelt and stood to her feet, getting used to the idea of actually being in space. As everyone walked on to Victors "space headquarters" their eyes roamed around, the environment around them completely new. Victor led the way, his employees following after him. Johnny and Ben walked side by side and as they made their way towards the control room of the floating ship, Johnny glanced at Ben.

"If you're good, next time Daddy'll let you drive," Johnny playfully said as Ben tried his best not to knock the kid back a few years.

"Keep talkin' and there won't be a next time," Ben retorted back as Johnny chuckled slightly. Lily watched from behind as she shook her head. As she walked down the hall, she glanced out the window, the bright stars almost taking her breath away. She smiled slightly, not noticing a pair of blue eyes gazing back at her for a short second.

Reed kept his pace up with the others but slowly came to a stop as his eyes landed on the Earth, floating a distance away. He can't help but feel slightly a peace with himself, and yet nervous at the same time. Seeing as it was his first trip into space, it was only expected of him to feel this way.

"Long way from the projection booth at the Hayden Planetarium, isn't it?"

Reed quickly turned his head to his left to see Susan giving him a soft and reassuring smile. She started after the others, not looking back, as Reed stared for one last moment before smiling to himself. "Yes…Yes it is."

"We can monitor the cloud's approach and observe the tests from here." As the six crew members walked into the monitoring room, Susan gave a quick explanation of the room and began to jump right into work. Victor smirked as he watched his woman make her way towards the screens. He glanced to his right and watched as Lily began to write down data, making sure that everything was set to go.

"Is it safe?" Victor looked over as he heard Ben speak up.

"The shield is on, we should be fine." Seeing an open shot, Victor smirked and decided to go for it.

"Should?"

"What's the matter, Ben?" Reed and Ben both looked over as they watched Victor approach the two with long strides. He smirked at the bald man that sent a small wave of anger through Ben's blood. "Don't tell me you're getting paranoid in your old age," Victor stated. Ben looked at Victor, his eyes asking if he really wanted to get into it.

Before anything could happen, Reed saw it fit that he should intervene before a real fight broke out. He quickly walked up in between Victor and Ben and decided to get straight to the point.

"We should probably start unloading the samples now," the raven haired man stated, more to Ben. His best friend stared up at Reed and the two silently spoke through their eyes. Ben nodded his head and started to walk towards the suitcase sitting on the ground, against the wall. Of course, Victor couldn't have that? End a conversation with Ben, or Reed for that matter, peacefully? No, that wasn't any fun at all.

"I see you're still doing all the heavy lifting." Both Reed and Ben quietly sighed to themselves. They had been hoping that Victor would just let them go. Of course, they both knew that was just wishful thinking.

"You should have just stayed in the lab. Field work never really…suited you."

"He does the talkin' and I do the walkin'. Got it?" Ben asked, or more demanded. Victor shrugged carelessly. He straightened his back, and smiled fakely towards the two men.

"Actually, if you'll all excuse me, I need to have a word with Susie." That caught everyone's attention, Susan's the most. Her heart skipped a beat, in a negative way, as she looked up at Victor. Johnny and Lily both shared a glance before heading out the door. Reed and Ben tried their best to hide their dissatisfaction and nodded their heads.

"Sure," said Reed as he glanced at Susan for a quick second. He headed out the door, after the three others, and didn't bother looking back, afraid that if he did, he would lose all of his self-control and just burst.

Lily slowed her pace as she waited for Reed to catch up to her. She smiled softly at him as he gave her a rather defeated looking smile and nod. She frowned and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"So, what do you want us to do, boss?" Reed's expression lifted slightly as she winked at the man. He nodded his head and regained his composure quickly.

"You and Johnny help Ben gear up and get ready to go out and get the samples ready," he decided. Lily nodded her head as she turned to Ben and patted his back.

"You ready, Big Guy?" He smirked at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she wrapped her own around his torso.

"Who do you think you're talkin' to?" Lily chuckled as the two made their way down the hall, a third now added to the party.

"She just wants to make sure whittle Benji isn't too scared for his first steps into the big world." The comfortable moment was easily ruined by a playful voice, a sigh escaping both Ben and Lily's lips. "Or should I say, big universe."

Lily shook her head as she refused to chuckle at his joke. That would only make his ego grow, and she really didn't want to fan the flame.

"You're lucky there's a lady here, kid, or else I'd show you who would be scared of what," Ben threatened as Johnny smirked. Lily already knew what was coming to her.

"A lady? Hm, interesting, because I don't see a lady," Johnny stated mockingly. Lily stopped walking and immediately her blood began to boil.

'So it's starting, is it?' Lily closed her eyes for a moment, composing herself as both Johnny and Ben waited for her reaction.

Though it had been years since the two had last seen or even spoken to each other, Johnny still remembered all the best ways to get under Lily's skin. Back in the day, that was his favorite source of entertainment, watching Lily boil up and try to lash out against him. Her reactions never failed to amuse him, even now.

"Come on, Ben," Lily calmly called out, throwing both, Ben and Johnny, off. The hazel-eyed woman smiled sweetly at them as she began to walk towards Ben. She gently grabbed his arm and smiled a bit more at him. Suddenly, Ben's question was answered as he heard a pain-filled groan from Johnny. He looked over at the pilot and smirked as he saw him holding his foot in pain, using the wall to keep his balance.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I do that?" Lily smiled innocently at Johnny as he winced, looking up at Lily with an already tired expression. "How unlady-like of me, oh wait. I'm not a lady," she pointed out as she smirked. "So, I guess I really don't have to feel that bad."

Ben laughed to his heart's content as the two turned and began to head towards the gear room. Lily released Ben's arm as he looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. She smiled sweetly back at Johnny as he holds his foot, his toe throbbing with pain.

"Lets go!"

Lily opened the silver suitcase and smiled as she saw a few tubes filled with flowers. She pulled the flower case out of the silver box and held it as she turned and watched Johnny help Ben into the space suit.

"Please don't tell me your guy is trying to rekindle things with my sister." Ben and Lily shared a quick glance before the oldest in the room shook his head.

"Of course not, it's strictly business," he clarified. Lily sighed as she shook her head and leaned back against the wall.

She did pity Reed and Susan, both. The two were perfect for each other, yet they just couldn't click. It was almost tragic, the relationship between the two. Of course, there was nothing Lily or anyone could do for them. The problems between Reed and Susan were strictly between Reed and Susan, and no matter what anyone else could say, the only people that could really help the two, was themselves.

"Two hearts got busted last time, maybe she's not over it either." Lily snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the sound of Ben's voice radiate through her ears. She glanced at Johnny, already awaiting for his rude and annoying remark.

"Wow, Dr. Phil. That's deep," Johnny said sarcastically. Lily rolled her eyes as she shook her head, listening as her peer compared the two men.

"You've got Victor: more money than god, stud of the year. And then you got Reed: the world's dumbest smart guy, worth less than a postage stamp. That's a real toss up."

"Don't trouble your tiny little mind," Ben retorted back as he gave up on changing the boy's mind.

Lily rolled her eyes as she walked over to Ben and lightly shoved Johnny to the side. He rolled his eyes at her and took a few steps back, giving the woman a bit of space. She clipped the cased flowers to the utility belt on Ben's space suit and handed it to him. He took it willingly as she smiled at him.

"Don't wander off now, boy." Lily sighed as she heard Johnny's playful remark. She smiled as Ben shook his head but smiled back. Johnny gave Ben's shoulder a slight squeeze signifying the fact that deep down inside, he did care about the man's well-being, even if sometimes it did seem like he didn't care at all. The two watched as the clear, glass door slid shut, and Ben turned to face the two. Johnny saluted and Ben returned the gesture with a thumb's up. Johnny gave him two thumb's up and Lily smiled, giving Ben a small wave.

As the two watched Ben stare out into space, they couldn't help but get sucked into it's beauty as well. It was nothing like they had ever seen before. Seeing the galaxy from earth was one thing, but being actually in space was another. Everything was surreal and so serene. It brought this sense of tranquility to the two youngsters of the group, something they could never truly experience on Earth, and nothing they'd ever really experience again.

The two finally tore their eyes away from the sight and began to monitor Ben, making sure that he didn't get into any trouble. They sat in silence, not an awkward silence, but silence nonetheless. Johnny glanced over at his now grown friend, and without even noticing, he began to stare as she wrote in her notebook.

She was now much taller than she was when they were kids, although her height didn't compare with his. She was probably about seven inches shorter than him, but shockingly enough, her height contrasted against her actual strength. Her hair was still as dark as a moonless night, and her eyes had actually becoming lighter since the last time he had seen her, then again, he could have been wrong.

He quickly looked away as Lily stood to her feet and walked over to the controls, making sure Ben was holding up well. She glanced at Johnny, noticing his unusual silence, and raised an eyebrow as she turned her full attention to him.

"You're awfully quiet, or is that a new trait you happen to gain when we stopped talking?" Johnny almost found the statement insulting, but shrugged the comment off, walking towards her. She watched him as he approached her and stopped dangerously close to her. He smirked down at her as she looked back at him, not phased by the distances what's so ever. This was a trait Johnny also liked about her. Lily was always up for a challenge and loved to do anything that had to do with being outside. She never backed down from a fight and she was definitely not afraid to go against all odds.

The dirty blond smirked and stepped away from Lily, leaning back against the wall. She raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior but didn't think much of it, turning her attention back to her work. He watched her and then suddenly, without thinking, he spoke out.

"If I didn't tell you before, you grew up nicely." This surprised Lily. She turned her attention back to Johnny as he smirked at her. She rolled her eyes as she turned her back to the distraction.

"And I see you grew up into an even bigger pig, why am I not surprised?"

Johnny frowned, feigning sadness as he walks up beside her. "Now that hurts."

Lily chuckled slightly as he smiled at her and for a moment, the two just stared at each other, content with the situation around them.

"But really, on a serious note, you look good." Lily heard it in his voice, the sincerity. Though it was such a normal and honestly, meaningless statement, the way Johnny had said it made all the difference. She smiled at him and nodded her head.

"You aren't bad, yourself." They shared a long gaze and somehow, the two end up a bit closer than before without even noticing. Johnny smirked at her as she quietly chuckled.

The moment was ruined as the sound of Reed's voice broke through the air. She quickly backed away and bumped into a table, her hand knocking over a water bottle Ben had been drinking out of before he suited up for space. Johnny glanced at her before turning his full attention to a very frantic Reed.

"What's the problem?" Johnny asked as Lily quickly wiped the water as best as she could with her hands, wiping some on to her suit.

"Get Ben back in here, now!"

"What's happening, Reed?" Lily asked, noticing the fear in Reed's voice.

"Ben, you need to get back into the shuttle, NOW!" Reed repeated.

"I'm not done arrangin' your flowers, Egghead," the three heard Ben state. Reed shook his head, looking out the window.

"Ben, turn around." Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of the cosmic radiation storm that had decided to arrive earlier than they had thought. Lily stared with shock and fear as she placed her hand on the window. 'Oh my god.'

Ben stared, fear enveloping his body. He looks back at the shuttle window to see his three friends staring at him.

"Ben! Get back in here, now!" Lily snapped as Ben turned to them as fast as he could, the distance a discouraging sight to him.

"I won't be able to make it," he stated, the three glancing at each other. Johnny looked out at Ben and then back at the storm and shook his head.

"You have to jump, Ben! That's the only way!" The three watched helplessly as Ben gave a final prayer and leaped through space. The cosmic storm followed closely behind him, but he didn't dare look back.

"Come on, Ben." Lily bit her lip as she locked her hands together and watched, not able to tear her eyes from the man.

"You got it, Ben!" Johnny shouted. He couldn't tell whether he was saying it because he truly believed Ben could make it, or because he was trying to convince himself that it was true. Either way, it didn't matter at that moment.

"Get ready to close the portal," Reed demanded as he reached for Johnny's shoulder. The teen nodded and quickly ran over to the controls, watching and praying for his friend's safety. Lily closed her eyes and shielded them from everything going on around them. She took a few steps back and Reed glanced back at her, wanting to reassure her that everything would be ok. Before he could possibly do anything, everyone watched with horror as Ben was slammed into the storm, the force of the collision sending him right through the portal before it closed. Reed stared with shock as Ben slammed into the glass, his eyes wide. Lily's hand covered her mouth as she quietly gasped. The storm hit the shuttle head on and as everything trembled around them, fear grew more and more.

Without a second's notice, the storm broke through the portal, hitting everyone. Reed stumbled back as he shouted in pain, using the wall to try and stay on his feet. Lily stared, as if she was a deer staring at headlights, and shouted in utter pain. It was nothing like she had felt before. She fell to her knees as she began to shiver.

Johnny's eyes widened as he tried to run over to Reed and Lily, but as he did, the force of the cosmic storm hit him as well. He began to fly back, his body feeling excruciating pain, as if it was on fire.

'I have to get to the others!' Susan ran as fast as she could, straight to danger, and tried her best not to stumble back from the pressure. She came to a sudden halt as she saw this gas like red substance. Her eyes widened at the sight, but before she could react, she was hit, full on, and this strange sensation first ran through her body, then the pain came to life. She tried to fight against the feelings but couldn't seem to make herself do so.

Everyone tried to keep consciousness, but slowly and surely, one-by-one, they began to fall. As Reed's eyes began to slowly shut, he began to regret the words he had told Ben back on Earth.

"What's the worst that can happen?"