Tony Stark watched on as Warren Worthington took his exit, both with a smile as the deal was secure and leaving the young CEOs feeling confident about the results. “Man, Hell of a nice guy. I have to say...” Tony noted to Pepper who had given Tony his seat at his desk back for the deal. Which Tony leaned back on comfortably. “Not to mention, now that he's gone. I mean I'm not gay or anything... but that guy... I would do.” Tony told Pepper as she chuckled at his frank nature.
“I mean... can't say I would say no either...” Pepper noted.
Tony frowned quickly. “I mean maybe that hair is kind of glam rock-y.” He noted thinking about it. “Still I have to say I don't get why you thought he'd be bad to meet Pepper, seemed like a nice guy.” Tony didn't realize with his back to the entrance to his still in repair office that the real problem was coming in.
“Well... I didn't realize Mr. Worthington was coming in, I actually meant...”
“IF IT ISN'T THE BESTEST CEO EVER!”
Tony paused slowly turning to the entrance, sighing and quietly shaking his head. “Okay I think I get it now.” Tony noted.
“Oh don't be like that Tony!” Will “Willy” Lumpkins, Tony Starks' PR agent. The young British man with blond hair was good at his job admittedly. Tony though always felt like the guy... bless his heart... tries WAY TOO HARD. It can get on his nerves sometimes. Still though Willy clearly had an idea and Tony was going to give him a listen.
Willy finally glanced around the office and reception room, and realized something was going on. “Wait Tony, you remodeling?”
Tony paused. “Yes, a nice Goddess lady wanted to rework my office using my face as a paintbrush, now whats going on?”
Willy paused confused at what Tony said but moved on. “Well. I have something that might be of interest...” He told Tony putting a copy of the morning newspaper at his desk.
Reed could only let out a sheepish grin when the SHIELD agents found him and Sue sleeping together when they were suppose to be in separate rooms. Though in actuality it seemed like Coulson was more impressed of the how Reed did it, than angry about Reed breaking the order in the first place. Still the orders were still that the four needed to get physicals from SHIELD's doctors to make sure they're okay to go back into normal society.
As the four were escorted to the medical bay Reed couldn't help but notice the quiet and frankly shoulders drooped Ben as he tagged along. Reed didn't ask but he knew Ben had come down from the high of all the action in Vegas. Now realizing whatever this thing was he had turned into might just be who he is now. Reed felt bad for him, but at the moment he wasn't sure if he should say anything at the moment. Not to mention he didn't know what to say in the first place.
The physical for Reed at least went well. A lot of notes were taken, and nothing that really felt violating occurred. So far Reed didn't really get much of a sense of SHIELD caging them up or making them some kind of prisoners. Heck they were offered breakfast even though Reed wasn't hungry personally.
Finally after his tests were done Reed was led over to a waiting room where he took a seat. Watching Ben trudge in slowly a little while after. Reed watched his friend clearly struggling as Reed squirmed in his seat a little. "So... you alright?" Reed started, not sure what else to say.
"Yeah, feeling like a million fucking bucks Reed." Ben quietly replied, the sarcasm oozing out of Ben's now nonexistent lips as he went to take his own seat. Only for the chair to immediately buckle under the weight and collapse leaving Ben hitting the ground and sighing frustrated.
Johnny woke up in his quarters. He figured Reed and Sue would get caught, as he walked out to see what was going on. "Nice one, Reed!" He said, laughing. It was very, very funny. If only dad saw these two right now. It would've been hilarious.
Johnny's physical went fine. Besides the fact, that he sorta ignited into flames as he felt a little violated. They had to shoot him with the fire extinguisher, twice. He wondered how he'd control the power. Seriously, he needs to figure it out and out very fast before he catches a SHIELD agent on fire, then he'd be really toasted. Hah, toasted. Johnny noticed how Ben was doing, Ben did not look happy at all. Reed look concerned, and Sue, well he can never read Sue.
After the tests were done, (Very hectic tests for Johnny.) the four were offered breakfast, He practically inhaled his food, he was super hungry. Probably since he hadn't really ate much in Vegas. There wasn't much to do around here, but the SHIELD agents were very friendly. Funny, one of them was a pretty hot woman. He hitted on her, to get nearly tased by her. Good job, Hot Head. Aaah, he liked it here.
He walked over to Reed, "So when do we get to leave?" Johnny asked, but then he noticed how Ben was looking and Reed was trying to comfort him, so he backed off. He didn't want to get on the orange rock's bad side. Honestly, he thought the Hulk was cool, so being something like the Hulk was actually kind of cooler.
Reed glanced up, seeing Johnny before him. His hand holding his head up at his chin. "Uh shouldn't be much longer, that Coulson guy said they're just processing the results right now." Reed noted before adjusting his glasses a bit. "It sounded like we should be good." As Reed mentioned it though it made him remember Harvey. Outside of maybe Ben Reed knew that life could go on for them. Harvey though, he couldn't even come up with a theory if Harvey even has control anymore of himself. Most importantly could Harvey even be saved? It rang in his mind if he could fix what happened to any of them. Especially not even still being sure what happened to them in the first place.
Johnny looked at Reed, "Don't tell me you're thinking all this is your fault again." Johnny sat down next to Ben and Reed. "Reed, have you thought, that maybe...I don't know, fate did this to us, not you?" Johnny gave him a reassuring smile. He seriously didn't think it was Reed's fault. Reed was only trying to make a break through in Science. Johnny patted the nerd on the back. "And honestly, I think these powers are pretty cool." Johnny thought they could be real heroes, like the Justice League. But, knowing Reed. He'll probably won't agree to this, and try to cure them. Well, Johnny will see what happens. “Seriously though like if we got this going for us we'll need codenames right? Like uh... Elastic Guy... uh Invisible Girl, oh Human Torch for me! Ben can be uh... a thing?”
Sue awoke calmly in Reed's arms that morning and thought she was going to be in big trouble with Coulson who found them in the same cell. Alas, she was wrong and a sigh of relief escaped her lips as she was merely escorted to her physicals. That in itself was quite the challenge for the SHIELD doctors. As they tried to put a needle in her arm to take some blood, she wen nervous and turned invisible. They didn't know
where to inject! She came back into view after a few moments and they proceeded once again and before they could inject the needle she turned invisible again.
"Come on Miss Storm try to control your emotions." The doctor stated as she took a deep breath. She returned to her physical form once more. And then she looked up at the doorway, she saw a woman standing there.
"Don't be afraid." Came her comforting and angelic voice. Sue blinked her eyes at the long haired brunette and stared at her because she had wings sprouted from her back. Her presence was calming and even Sue noticed her beauty. Sue was looking at the Valkyrie, whom smiled gently at the younger blonde girl and then slowly turned away as the doctors were able to continue their work with a calmer Sue Storm as their patient. "Who...was that?" She inquired as her mind was too pre-occupied with curiosity to be nervous anymore.
"That was Agent Parrington. The Valkyrie." The doctor replied and Sue nodded with awe. "She's...really something." She stated with a much calmer demeanor. If she could be half as strong as the infamous Valkyrie, then she would do her best to try. For Harvey's sake, for Reed's, Ben's and Johnny's. She smiled then, looking up to the SHIELD operative with hope. Valkyrie knew more than anyone what it was like to feel like a freak upon the discovery of one's power. She sensed Sue's inner turmoil and merely passed by on her way from parting ways with Tony Stark. Regrettably passing Loki on the way - she could have been angrier but Sue managed to distract her by needing her comfort.
Sue emerged from the physician's room last, seeing the other three had gathered. The real fun began when they tried X-raying her and the rays were bouncing off her body when invisible. So they figured it out that light particles were bending around her when in that state, rendering her unseen to the human naked eye. But could she be seen by other entities, aliens or the magically imbued. Such as the likes of Loki and Valkyrie? That remains unanswered for now, she was just glad to be out of there. She walked up to her brother who seemed in high spirits. She placed a hand on her hip. "You've given us names already?" She seemed put out not really sure if she liked her new nickname.
"Harvey is out there somewhere suffering, Ben doesn't even know what he turns into and you're here giving us stupid names? Honestly Johnny...there is a time and a place little brother." She sighed, still worried about her friend. It wasn't that she was mad at Johnny. She was just incredibly stressed out by all of this, she made a conscious effort to not argue or bicker with Johnny now they were older. She was struggling to understand how the mutation even happened. It just didn't make any sense in her scientific brain. Perhaps Reed would be the best of them to figure out what went wrong, maybe he could figure out a way to reverse it. She turned to 'Elastic Guy' finally with worry. "Any news about him?" She tilted her head slightly, her blonde long locks shifting slightly over her right shoulder and the ends curling up slightly. "I know you still feel guilty, but you have to put that behind you now and look forward, not back." She was good at giving advice and comfort to others sometimes, too. She placed a caring hand on Reed's shoulder. "I've just met the Valkyrie. She was amazing. She was able to calm me down just by smiling at me." But something about her seemed so...lonely to Sue. How she used to look when pining for Reed before they confessed their feelings, she'd seen that look too many times in the mirror. "If SHIELD create people like her...then there is definitively hope for us five." Harvey especially so.
As Reed glanced up at Johnny and his... active imagination for superhero aliases. It probably didn't help his situation with Susan that the very first thought out of Reed's head on the idea, which he asked aloud, was "Wouldn't it be less condescending for Susan to be Invisible Woman instead of Girl?"
"Reed!" Susan piped in.
"WH-I mean no Johnny we can't be thinking that yet, there's a lot more important matters to figure out first." Reed pointed out, his original thought before Susan's alias was something he wondered about. Looking like he was about to sweat bullets from inuring Susan's wraith. With her newfound powers who knows what she could do to him and his stretchy self.
"Yeah, so cram it matchstick." Ben grunted to Johnny as he glanced up for a moment.
"Not to interrupt this conversation, but I have good news." Turning to look over Reed saw Agent Coulson holding a small pile of manila envelopes. "The physicals came in clean, so the four of you are free to go."
As soon as Johnny heard that they could go. "YEEEAAAH!" He fist pumped the air, yet his fist ignited into flames. Yeah, crap, he forgot about how his emotions work with his powers. "Flame off, Flame off!" The flame stopped, and he sighed in relief, then noticed how he just embarrassed himself in front of everyone. Yikes.
He was pretty happy about this, he was getting more bored the minute being in a base. But now they could go!
Reed raised an eyebrow about it. "So you're not going to hold us any further?"
"Even if we wanted too, we have guidelines. The only way we could if the four of you volunteered to do so. However based on your files I can't say the four of you strike me as SHIELD material."
Reed ignored the not so subtle dig. Folding his arms quietly.
"Regardless we have a transporter craft ready to bring the four of you and your father back to the Baxter Building." Coulson told them. He told the four with a steady tone as Reed stood up from his head.
"Sir, before we get too far ahead of ourselves. What about Harvey? What's his condition?" Reed asked, a slight worry in his voice.
"We have him in a secure base, subdued but conscious. We've been trying to figure out a way to possibly revert his condition, if its even possible."
Reed paused, "Well I'm willing to do whatever SHIELD wants me too to help with that."
Coulson smiled, pulling out of his coat a small vile containing something red. "We were hoping you'd say so. This is a sample of his blood. If you need something else or to see him in person don't be afraid to ask."
After getting the blood sample, Reed rejoined the four, with Dr. Storm in his wheelchair having also been cleared medically, all got into the transporter to fly back to New York City. There wasn't much talked about since the trip was fairly short. Reed was still marveled by the craft, and his mind started to spark something of an idea. When they got to the helipad though Reed quickly had his thoughts interrupted in a way he wasn't expecting.
Awaiting them were two people, one of whom was very immediately recognizable. Anthony Stark, CEO of Stark Tech. The other guy, a blond haired man in shades, button up shirt, and jeans. Didn't look nearly as familiar to Reed but regardless the young man was all smiles. "There's the heroes of the day! How are the great heroes doing?" The young man quickly reached out and shook Reed's hand, though before he could let go, the young man pulled on Reed's arm watching it pull out like taffy. "Wow its even cooler in person! You guys sure are some..."
"Will shut up will ya?" Tony told the eager young man as he finally let go of Reed's hand.
"Sorry, just a bit eager to be meeting the four of you is all." Will noted backing away a little.
Tony shook his head, "Reed, good meeting you again." Tony reached out and this time Reed was a bit more eager to shake his hand.
Ben glanced between the two as they shook hands, and his own issues were temporarily gone. "Wait Reed you know Tony Stark?" He asked, genuinely shocked by the idea.
"Well yeah... we'll talk about it later but... Tony what are you doing here? And who's this guy?" Reed asked gesturing to Will. Who quickly reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out business cards for him and the others. "Will Lumpkins, PR agent for Mr. Stark and well... I happen to have a business proposition for the four of you."
"The Hell you do pal!" Mr. Storm called out from the craft as Reed held a hand up to him.
"Hold on, lets at least hear him out first." Reed politely said to Mr. Storm.
Then two guys walked up to the four, one was Tony Stark, the other was a guy another blonde. The blonde pulled on Reed's arm like it was plastic. This would be pretty interesting. Apparently, the blonde guy was named Will Lumpkins? Hah!
"A job?" Johnny asked. Knowing his father, of course he would try to step in. Reed got his dad to chill out, fortunately. The job probably had to do with the use of their super powers. Johnny thought about, they did need the money. "What's the job about?" He asked.
The four along with Susan and Johnny's father all went into Dr. Storm's meeting room where they all sat at various chairs, Will stayed up at the end of the table where a white erase board was. Ben sat on the floor to not likely break one of the office chairs. Tony sat near the front while Reed was sitting across from him. "Alright so, basically the four of you are already known, and shown that you each have a heroic side. It's cool, people need guys and gals like the four of you to look up too. With all these superheroes coming out of the woodwork, like Mr. Stark here..."
"Will?" Tony piped in with.
"Yeah?"
"Shut up, I don't pay extra for brown nosing." Tony's basic stating while his arms were folded said everything.
Will looked a bit embarrassed and awkward for a moment before coughing. "Right, well what I was going to suggest is this could be a great time to get in on things. Alright picture this... the four of you... a publicly known superhero team!" Will paused for what he was expecting was uproarious celebrating for his idea, only it got a brief awkward quiet.
Reed coughed a bit to kill the silence. "Uh... its a thought." He noted giving it admittedly more thought than he knew he should.
"Here's the thing though." Tony piped in with. "The group can be a non-profit organization given current tax laws, meaning that while your tax reports would become public knowledge you guys could also stand to make a nice profit. Play off of being celebrities, do genuine good for the people. Will can be a bit... 'special'... with his thought process but I do think this is the ground work for something special. Heck its why I'm here." Tony stood up himself. "Stark Tech, if you guys take this idea seriously, would be happy to sponsor you. I wouldn't ask you guys to wear the company logo on you or anything stupid like that. But work with you guys and help out however we can. Even if it means bringing in the Iron Man project if need be." Tony brought it up, though deep down he was still debating things, but given business doesn't work on maybes he just kept the idea going it was still a thing.
"It would help implement a steady income for the four of you, plus if you need equipment if Starktech doesn't make it, I know someone who does. Plus your success will help rub off on us more so." Tony sold his point to the idea so much more effortlessly than Will did, which even impressed the PR person.
"Besides Reed..." Stark glanced over at Reed and folded his arms a bit. "Given what's happened, you do kind of owe me one."
Reed paused thinking about the point Stark raised. The notable reaction made Reed realize he stuck out like a sore thumb.
Susan Storm sat back in her chair with arms folded. "With all due respect Mister...Pumpkins."
"Lumpkins."
"Lumpkins.." (How was that any better, she thought?) "I don't want to parade around acting like heroes, and meet celebrities. That's not what we're about and why we were given these gifts."
"It may be a gift to you Susie Q..." Ben sighed across the table and Sue shot him a sympathetic glance. And even though her brother Johnny would absolutely love the chance to shower in the limelight, she had morals. "I want to help people but I just don't want the fame that comes with it. And nor would poor Ben by the sounds of it either." She was stubborn and adamant on this, taking a disliking to the publicity. "I have no problem working with Stark Tech and becoming a superhero team. You may enjoy parading around in the Iron Man suit and lapping up attention. But I'm not like that."
Sue then glanced between Reed and Tony. "Reed...?" She leaned over the table toward Reed with a suspicious tone and narrowing of her eyes. "What did he mean...'OWE him one'?" Acting like the girlfriend status already, not liking secrets or not being told anything Reed was doing or had been involved with.
Reed listened to Susan's quite reasonable counter arguments about them becoming celebrities and superheroes and such. Periodically Reed glanced over at Ben, though quickly looking away out of sheer guilt, and sometimes Johnny, watching him practically boiling over with the idea of becoming famous silently.
Suddenly though Susan's attention was right on him. In a way Reed had almost never seen before.
As Susan leaned in on him Reed's grin only got more and more awkward and he could only lean back harder and harder against his seat until he was almost paper flat against it. Finally he popped out letting out a weird chuckle which he quickly stopped, coughing. “Uh... okay so...” Reed began. “You remember how a few months ago you and me were up in our attic and found all of my dad's stuff? Earlier that day... I was at Stark Tech and had signed a contract to join on as a creative consultant. But well... I wanted to work on this, and um...” Reed stretched a hand over, which gently grasped the back of Susan's own. “I wanted to be around you more. So I backed out of the contract.”
“To give you an idea how well that went over with the legal department.” Tony Stark piped in with. “They were advising legal action against Reed. However considering his family's legacy I felt like I would've just been a terrible person. So I went against that, and I figured Reed could make it up to me sometime in the near future, IE today.” Tony noted, as Reed glanced over and realized that now, Susan's dad was glaring a hole through him quietly. Reed glanced away, wondering if his new elastic powers would save him from getting killed horribly.
“Now as much though, not to interrupt Mr. Stark...” Willy piped in with. “But in regards to the idea of not being celebrities. While I can respect, albeit it confusingly, the idea. It might not be possible.” With that Willy pulled out a newspaper and tossed it onto the table, which showed a large color image on the front of the battle in Las Vegas the night before. “The news has already identified all four of you, and even that the monster was your friend Harvey. That was how me and Mr. Stark even knew to come see you guys today. So while we certainly COULD try to hide your identities for a superhero project. It wouldn't work very well.”
“Not to mention I think you're looking at it the wrong way Ms. Storm.” Stark hopped in with seem less skill. “You're seeing the idea of a celebrity from the Kim Kardashian crazy attention whore status kind of way. While sure, I'm certainly guilty of that, its more because of how it brings attention to my company and its products. People just want to see me do that sort of thing, when I do charity events, or donate plenty of money to causes. People tend to ignore it. Not to toot my own horn or anything. Point is being a celebrity gives you guys a chance to do even more good beyond saving people and beat bad people up. You guys might not be able to even escape this celebrity status, but you can use it for something special. I mean have you guys seen the entrance of the Baxter Building since last night?”
As Stark brought it up, Reed stretched his head over, glancing down the window which faced the entrance of the Baxter Building. Sure enough the crowd was quite notable and took up a fairly large chunk of the street in front of the building. “Whoa...” Was all Reed could say.
“Thank God this building has two helipads, I don't even want to think what getting in here through the main entrance would've been like.” Stark noted aloud.
Johnny whistled at the sight that Reed was gawking at. He totally thought the four could become awesome heroes, and being famous!? That would be hella cool!
"So, Reed how do you feel about this, man? I have the superhero nicknames ready.." He said, with a wide grin. "We're gonna be heroes, or we're gonna be losers with superpowers?"
This might be fun, if they do it.
Man, he hopes that Reed says yes.
Well, Johnny could be a superhero by himself if they say no. He'd be awesome!
He could be....what was that nickname he made up earlier? Oh yeah, HUMAN TORCH!
Reed frowned a bit at Johnny's question, since he felt like Susan's younger brother could maybe could use better wording for the idea. "I mean... I don't think we'd be 'losers' if we don't decide this." Reed noted as Johnny was right next to him. Still Reed scratched his chin at the thought. On top of having Tony Stark's support, there was a lot to gain from it too, both money wise and status wise. Still Reed never considered himself the kind of guy who could be a celebrity. Then again, if Bill Nye and Neil Degrasse Tyson could do it....
"Well Mr. Stark, I think we need to agree to this if we're going to do it. So I think we'll need a bit to decide and I'll contact you personally." Reed noted to him, as Tony nodded.
"Sure I figure as much..." As Tony Stark shrugged his smart phone went off. He checked it and raised an eyebrow to it with a slight look of worry to it. "Here I need to head back to work anyways. Let me know what you guys decide." As Tony put his phone back into his pocket he started to leave until he noticed Willy was still there. "Willy come on..."
"But I wanna help!" Willy whined.
"They need some privacy..." Tony sternly reminded him. Willy frowned as he left with Tony.
Reed watched them leave before taking a deep breath. "Well personally I do think the idea could work. If we have superpowers this could be a good way to use them. Personally I say we should do it."
"You're just wanting to suck up to Stark aren't you?" Ben asked in a pretty mean spirited fashion. He was still fuming about how he was this... whatever the hell he is. Hearing the others talking about their powers as if it was some neat experience that would be fun and sunshine.
"Well... no. I mean I might go ahead and provide him my services regardless of what you guys want to do. But I mean it... I mean I don't know about any of you but I got into science for the same reason my parents did. I wanted to use it as a way to make the world a better place. So... maybe what I've done up until now hasn't quite gone to plan. I still think now with these powers..." He stretched his limbs and torso out a bit standing up before going back. "I could use them to make the world a better place. So if I have to do something maybe a bit avant-garde to accomplish it, then so be it. But what I would really want out of it is for all of you to be there with me. Everyone here has something special they can bring to the table, and I'm not just referring to your powers. Sue, I want to spend as much time with you as humanly possible." He reached out again, gently holding her hand in his. "Johnny, you could if nothing else be our voice for the public... as potentially dangerous as that idea is thinking about it." After gesturing to Johnny he looked back at Ben. "Ben, I don't know what I can do to promise you that will make you feel better about whats happened to you. But I still know what you've done for me and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help you."
Ben glanced up to Reed, "You'll help find a way to get me back to normal?"
Reed smirked, giving Ben a nod. "I promise."
As Sue listened to Reed's speech about how they could make the world a better place by using their powers, she could not agree more. I mean, what if they were given these powers for a REASON? Sure celebrity status was a given side effect of their heroic actions. They would lose pretty much all of their privacy, however, she could lead by example. Empower women all over the world, inspire children to do the right thing, show people what it meant to have a moral code and a sense of justice. She sighed heavily and finally nodded as Reed took her hand. She gave him her beautiful smile. "Alright then, Reed. I'm with you. But if we end up doing commercials for branded products, I am out of here." She jested with a playful smirk.
Dr Storm rose from his seat then, infuriated at seeing Reed and Sue in a romantic capacity. "The hell I will have MY daughter running around with a reckless, and too ambitious for his own good scientist, who almost got her killed!" He obviously did not approve. Sue sharply turned her head toward him, her long blonde locks furrowed out and her eyes became evidently angry as she took up her free hand to point at her father directly. "Dad! You don't have a say in who I do or do not associate with. You lost that right when you neglected me and Johnny for your work, leaving ME to look after him when I was only a child myself! I lost my childhood thanks to you, so I will damn well do whatever I like." She finally let it rip on her father, all of that pent up anger and frustration toward him. All the while holding Reed's hand to show a united front. "Besides YOU were the one who funded the operation that changed us. So you cannot blame anyone without taking some of the blame yourself...."
Dr Storm calmed himself then. "Wow Sue you...remind me so much of your mother now. I forget how wise you've become..." He glanced everyone in the room. "You're right. I funded it. It went wrong and here we are. I was not changed, and so - it's up to you all what you decide to do and whom you associate. Just remember...with great power comes great responsibility. And that means even more for you Reed, should you wish to be with my daughter. You had better do right by her, I'll be watching."
"Yeah, you and half the globe. Think abut it guys, you ain't gonna get no privacy." Ben reminded both Sue and Reed that their personal lives were also in the limelight. Nothing beats good gossip like a superhero couple. Sue gave Reed a worried look. "I know...but it's a chance I'm willing to take." She smiled and squeezed his hand a little.
Reed smiled warmly as Sue's hand grasped his. Even chuckling a little at her ad joke, “Hey I wouldn't mind it if you did one of those ads where you dress all seductively and eat a cheeseburger!” Reed said, clearly kidding.
That though defiantly got Mr. Storm's ire. He stood up and yelled at them which made Reed both frightened but mad. He loved Susan and he knew she didn't need his permission to date him. However before Reed could finish opening his mouth to retort Susan was already on the warpath. Reed's eyes popped open but he clinched her hand a bit harder as he was amazed at her passion, impressed with her boldness, and scared that it'll all be launched at him if he messes up with her. Still she got Mr. Storm to relax a bit. Which helped Reed breathe a bit. “Don't worry, I'd never dream of hurting her Mr. Storm...” Reed stated looking in Sue's eyes.
Ben's words though did help Reed remember what they were talking about as Sue's beautiful blue eyes left him absentminded for a moment. “Uh well right, if we're going to do this we need to figure out names and all that right?” Reed asked aloud shrugging, “Johnny had some codename ideas we could do. I like Human Torch, since it was the original code name for the android project in the 1940's. Sue I think Invisible Woman is perfect for you. Ben... I mean we can come up with something better than Thing if you want.”
Ben waved it off as he sat on the floor. “Don't sweat it, I'm sure I'll be called worse.” Reed didn't like that Ben wasn't super happy with the name by the looks of things. But he knew Ben would have time to change it before things became too complicated. “As for me...”
Reed started thinking about a code name, and the idea of being a superhero in general. Suddenly Reed started to chuckle a little to himself. “You know... okay its nothing but... I remember when I was little. I actually had a superhero alter ego. Like I would use science to solve problems and fight crime.”
Surprisingly Ben chuckled at Reed's memory. “Ya I actually remember you telling me about that. Wasn't the name you had Mr. Fantastic?”
“Hey yeah!” Reed suddenly felt his brain in motion. He strolled over to the white board, and happened to take a blue marker as he started drawing. First making a circle, and in the circle a middle, where the number 4 took up most of its space. “What about, the Fantastic Four?”
Ben grinned. “So we're just going to name the whole team around YOUR name?”
Reed playfully shrugged, “Why not? I'm sure as heck am not going to call myself Elastic Guy. Plus how does that not sound great... OH!”
Suddenly Reed was bolting out of the room, leaving everyone awkwardly looking at one another before coming back with a small folded square of cloth. “If we're going to do this we'll need suits right? Okay check this out. I made it one night after tinkering with some of Sue's cosplay fabrics. I don't really have a name for it so I just call it 'unstable molecules' since that's what I used for its basis. But importantly its super elastic...” Reed stretched his arms out long, tugging the black fabric out all the way with no issues. “Its flame proof, it should work with Sue's powers. This stuff would be perfect!” Placing the fabric on the table Mr. Storm carefully picked it up. “Wow, this stuff is amazing. If you put a patent on this we could make a lot of money from it alone.” Even Reed raised his eyebrows at the realization. “I didn't even think about that.” Reed noted surprised.
Ben smiled a bit glancing around. “Man even I'm getting into this idea!”
Johnny was surprised when Sue went off on their dad. He thought she was, well a good two shoes. Then again, she had the right to yell at their dad. He left them alone, just so he could tend to his research. To be honest, Johnny never had the guts to snap at their dad like that, even though he has wanted too, many, many, MANY, times.
"Whoa..." Johnny smirked. Then looked at Reed. "You made this stuff? And they can deal with our power?...Hah, sweet.."
Johnny snapped his fingers, a flame appeared over his thumb. "I told you the superhero names were cool." He then snapped his fingers, again and it went away.
Johnny loved this. The four were gonna become superheroes. It was going to be awesome! Even Ben liked the idea! Johnny's hand then sparked in flames.
"WHOA!!" He forgot that his emotions controlled his powers as well. "Flame off! Flame off!" In an instant, his hand was not on fire anymore. Johnny sighed in relief.
"I need to work on my powers...pronto..."
Sue grimaced a bit watching Johnny's powers not under control, picturing the entire Baxter Building burning as Johnny awkwardly broke the news to everyone with that sheepish grin and shrugged shoulders. “Yeah... could you please?” She asked Johnny.
Still though she was mesmerized by her boyfriend's newest work. Her own mind started churning seeing the logo and the potential with the name. Suddenly she had an idea. “Hey, I think I got an idea for the costumes. Reed can you get me some more of this stuff in black? I'll also need blue and white.”
Reed smiled as he nodded to Susan. Seeing everyone's faces lit up at this serious idea and what it would mean for them. Sure Reed still felt bad about what had happened, and was still going too until Harvey was cured. This though, this was something special. He knew it, and he sure as hell was going to make it work.
If for nothing else than for Sue, Ben, and Johnny, if only for them.