As Franklin mindlessly mashed away on the fighting game, leaned back in the couch and feet kicked up on the coffee table. Just wearing a t shirt and jeans that he hadn't had long. After all, in the week he was gone he had gone from pre-teen to late teen. Needed a new warerobe fairly quickly which was a weird shock into what reality was like now. Valeria sat nestled into a large chair on the far side of the room, a book laid open in her lap. Her eyes scanned the pages swiftly as her face maintained a look of intense concentration, appearing to be completely absorbed by what she was reading. No one could have known it was an act. A very well rehearsed one at that. Well, perhaps Franklin. But he was in on this too. The journey they had started months ago (or a week ago, depending on which dimension you were in) had lead them to this. The strangest thing about it was after all they had been through, they were still being treated like little kids, which was what made this whole ruse necessary. It was the ruse that their mom and dad were suppose to see as they came into the room, dressed in a nice suit and dress and heading out for a charity event dinner. "Alright you two, we're leaving and be back in a bit." Their mom Susan Storm told the two of them as they both finally glanced over. "You two be safe now, and remember if you see any alternate reality portals..."
"Don't go in..."
"Don't go in..."
"Exactly." Their father chimed in with a jokey, cheerful tone. The two finally left and the Baxter Building penthouse was all empty besides Franklin and Valeria. The both of them continuing the act until finally a moment later Franklin suddenly turned off the system with a stretched out arm and finger. "Alright sounds like we're good to go. You got the first floor security cameras ready to pick them up when they come back right?" Franklin asked hopping over the back of the couch to go change.
Valeria closed the book and looked up at her brother. "Really, Franklin? Asking me if I'm prepared?" She scoffed derisively, her comment mainly intended to poke fun at Franklin. Rising from her seat, she removed a device similar to a remote control from her pants pocket at pointed it at the television set where Franklin had been playing his game. A feed showing their parents leaving the front doors of the Baxter Building's first floor came on the screen. "We'll know as soon as they step foot back in the building."
"Awesome." Franklin called back from down the hall in his room. Throwing on and getting a feel for the unstable molecule suit he had gotten a few days before. His dad made it, different in design from his parents' Fantastic Four suits but similar. It was comfortable for the most part, though Franklin did admit both the suit and the special underwear he had to wear with it didn't leave him much room in 'certain areas'. Still he enjoyed it and after a quick wipe of the front of it he came back to check up on Valeria and even though he knew he didn't have to really ask her about these things... he is the older brother. "Alright so this Quentin guy should be here in a bit, and Spider-Man should be about the same time." Franklin's voice got giddy a little at the sheer mention of Spider-Man. Someone who he idolized as a young kid, even if his body wasn't quite young anymore.
Valeria rolled her eyes at hearing her older brother gush over Spider-Man. It was no secret he looked up to the slightly older (now even less so) hero, but the fact he could not contain his enthusiasm irked her somewhat. "Yes. And Franklin, promise me you won't ask for his autograph first thing, alright?" She made to leave the penthouse they called home, turning back at the door to look at Franklin over her shoulder before she stepped out. "I'll go wait for Quire downstairs and then we'll meet up on the roof once everyone's here." Franklin shrugged looking unamused by Valeria's coy comment. He already got Spider-Man's autograph... duh. Still though it was going to be cool to not only meet Spider-Man again, but now he might actually get to actually do superhero stuff with Spider-Man for a change. What more could a kind of kid, kind of teenager ask for?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile...
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"Here's your chicken shawarma..."
"Thank you."
The middle aged Indian man gave the teenager a sideways look, but by this point repetition has made the image of a young man wearing the caped superhero like costume not quite so silly anymore. Still though Billy Kaplan paid the man no mind as he quietly glanced through the comic book in front of him. It was a DC release, Flash at the moment but he had a messenger bag which him that had some more new stuff in it. Had to hit up the comic book store that morning for the new releases. Sipping from his large plastic cup of iced Mountain Dew Billy Kaplan glanced up at a nearby clock. He knew the others realized tonight the meet up was at the Indian restaurant. Each night they would meet up like this was at a different place. Not real reasoning behind it. Keep the people who knew them from picking up on their late night activities? Either way Billy took a bite of his food before getting back to the comic book. Slowly getting excited for another night of action alongside the Young Avengers!
"Don't go in..."
"Don't go in..."
"Exactly." Their father chimed in with a jokey, cheerful tone. The two finally left and the Baxter Building penthouse was all empty besides Franklin and Valeria. The both of them continuing the act until finally a moment later Franklin suddenly turned off the system with a stretched out arm and finger. "Alright sounds like we're good to go. You got the first floor security cameras ready to pick them up when they come back right?" Franklin asked hopping over the back of the couch to go change.
Valeria closed the book and looked up at her brother. "Really, Franklin? Asking me if I'm prepared?" She scoffed derisively, her comment mainly intended to poke fun at Franklin. Rising from her seat, she removed a device similar to a remote control from her pants pocket at pointed it at the television set where Franklin had been playing his game. A feed showing their parents leaving the front doors of the Baxter Building's first floor came on the screen. "We'll know as soon as they step foot back in the building."
"Awesome." Franklin called back from down the hall in his room. Throwing on and getting a feel for the unstable molecule suit he had gotten a few days before. His dad made it, different in design from his parents' Fantastic Four suits but similar. It was comfortable for the most part, though Franklin did admit both the suit and the special underwear he had to wear with it didn't leave him much room in 'certain areas'. Still he enjoyed it and after a quick wipe of the front of it he came back to check up on Valeria and even though he knew he didn't have to really ask her about these things... he is the older brother. "Alright so this Quentin guy should be here in a bit, and Spider-Man should be about the same time." Franklin's voice got giddy a little at the sheer mention of Spider-Man. Someone who he idolized as a young kid, even if his body wasn't quite young anymore.
Valeria rolled her eyes at hearing her older brother gush over Spider-Man. It was no secret he looked up to the slightly older (now even less so) hero, but the fact he could not contain his enthusiasm irked her somewhat. "Yes. And Franklin, promise me you won't ask for his autograph first thing, alright?" She made to leave the penthouse they called home, turning back at the door to look at Franklin over her shoulder before she stepped out. "I'll go wait for Quire downstairs and then we'll meet up on the roof once everyone's here." Franklin shrugged looking unamused by Valeria's coy comment. He already got Spider-Man's autograph... duh. Still though it was going to be cool to not only meet Spider-Man again, but now he might actually get to actually do superhero stuff with Spider-Man for a change. What more could a kind of kid, kind of teenager ask for?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Here's your chicken shawarma..."
"Thank you."
The middle aged Indian man gave the teenager a sideways look, but by this point repetition has made the image of a young man wearing the caped superhero like costume not quite so silly anymore. Still though Billy Kaplan paid the man no mind as he quietly glanced through the comic book in front of him. It was a DC release, Flash at the moment but he had a messenger bag which him that had some more new stuff in it. Had to hit up the comic book store that morning for the new releases. Sipping from his large plastic cup of iced Mountain Dew Billy Kaplan glanced up at a nearby clock. He knew the others realized tonight the meet up was at the Indian restaurant. Each night they would meet up like this was at a different place. Not real reasoning behind it. Keep the people who knew them from picking up on their late night activities? Either way Billy took a bite of his food before getting back to the comic book. Slowly getting excited for another night of action alongside the Young Avengers!