Supermaxx
Mao Mao
Simple Unicycle
Fetzen
Baxter Building, New York
Once the dust had settled in Central City and they were sure that the Silver Surfer had been taken in, Reed Richards and Harrison Wells had left for New York. It had been a long ride. Reed had spent much of it arguing with Maria Hill about locking his family away in their hour of need. She was unrepentant, as Richards had expected her to be, but he made clear to the deputy director that he would not tolerate her interfering with the Baxter Building like that again. He’d jerry-rigged his way into the building’s security and locked SHIELD out before their flight had taken to the air.
Wells had proved for slightly more intellectually engaging company on the way back from Central City than Guy Gardner had proved from the way there. There was something about him that reminded Reed of Victor von Doom – and not the kind, softly-spoken Victor of this world. He was daring, unafraid of cutting corners where need be, and most importantly of all, he was ambitious. It boded well for the task ahead of them.
They touched down in New York in the early hours of the morning. When they finally arrived at the Baxter Building, Harrison Wells took a few moments to marvel at it from the outside.
Wells let out a wistful sigh as the two super scientists approached the building’s entrance. “The world famous Baxter Building.”
“Oh, I presumed you’d have been before,” Reed said with a smile.
Harrison tittered as they entered. Reed held the door open for Guy as the SHIELD agent lugged some of the personal effects that Wells had brought with him. Gardner muttered profanities under his breath as he passed the two of them, red-faced with sweat, and set down the cases with a pointed thud.
Guy’s displeasure went unnoticed and he shook his head and snuck off towards his quarters. Wells stood in the foyer looking around. There was a slightly overawed look on his face that he was quick to lose upon realising Reed was watching him.
“Getting an invitation to study at the Baxter Building under Franklin Storm was every child’s dream. Well, every would-be scientist’s dream. The three PhDs I earned before the age of fourteen weren’t enough to warrant an invitation – but I met Franklin once or twice in later life.”
Through time and space, Reed felt the shadow of Franklin Storm over him. In his world, the Storms had passed away when Sue and Johnny were children. He’d known them only in their absence – through morsels of information that Sue had let slip over the years. To know that in this world Franklin Storm had not only been alive, but had mentored him, was weirdly comforting.
It was almost enough to make even a man as rational as Reed believe there was some higher power at work – some cosmic design that tied all Reeds together across time and space.
Richards ran a hand across the stubble that was forming on his face and encouraged Wells on. “What was he like?”
“Honestly? He was an incredible man,” Harrison said with an appreciative smile. “It is rare to meet people who are as kind as they are intelligent – but in Franklin’s case it was true.”
How could the man that brought Sue and Johnny Storm be anything but kind? His children had dedicated their lives to scientific exploration – making the world, the universe even, a better place. That kind of kindness was more than learned.
“You’re back,” came a voice from the set of stairs in the corner of the foyer.
Johnny Storm was stood on the stairs with one hand clasping the rail. His eyes were red and bleary from lack of sleep. It wasn’t because of worry – that much was obvious. He’d barely slept since the four of them had arrived in this world. Reed had hoped that moving to the Baxter Building might have helped Johnny settle a little but he seemed as restless, as desperate, and as angry as he had been since they had left.
“Johnny, I didn’t see you there,” Reed said with a sympathetic smile as the younger Storm made his way down the stairs.
“This is Professor Harrison Wells,” Reed said with a gesture towards Harrison. “He’s the founder of STAR Labs. We met him once or twice back on our world. You might remember him?”
Harrison extended a strong hand in Johnny’s direction. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Johnny eyed it for a few moments, let out a dismissive sigh, and then looked towards Reed.
“What happened with the Surfer?”
“Superman and the Flash were able to put him down,” Reed said reassuringly. “He’s in SHIELD custody for the time being.”
Johnny shook his head, his bloodshot eyes refusing any and all attempt from Reed to placate him. “If he’s here, it means that Galactus is coming.”
Reed offered his soon-to-be brother-in-law a solemn nod by way of response. “We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”
It was clear from the look Johnny gave Reed that ‘we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it’ wasn’t sufficient. It seemed like Johnny was spoiling for a fight – like he wanted Galactus to come to Earth so he could finally throw his rage at something that could withstand it. And who could blame him? They had all been through so much.
Their world had been conquered, their friends enslaved or murdered, and now the world they had sought refuge in was in the path of the devourer of worlds. It felt like they had spent the best part of years fighting for their lives – their survival – and here they were potentially on the cusp of another world-ending battle.
“This is not our world,” Johnny muttered under his breath.
The words had almost been too quiet to hear – perhaps by design. They were laced with shame, with doubt, as they left his throat. He prepared to speak again and this time his shame slid away and was replaced by rage, a righteous fury that burned hotter than anything than Human Torch could have summoned up.
For the first time he made eye contact with Harrison Wells.
“If you’re here, Harrison, it’s because Reed thinks you can get us home – and I hope to God that you can. But Galactus is not our problem. If the four of us have to choose between staying and fighting for this world or getting back to our own, I’m not going to hesitate for a second.”
The pronouncement hung in the air between the three men for a few moments. Johnny waited for either Harrison or Reed to say something but neither man saw fit to do so. Satisfied that he had made his feelings known, he turned away and returned upstairs without so much as a goodbye.
“I’m sorry about that,” Reed said with an apologetic look towards Wells. “He doesn’t mean it. Johnny’s had a rough couple of m-”
“You don’t have to apologise,” Harrison smiled understandingly. “In his position, I would probably be saying the same thing. Who wouldn’t?”
I wouldn’t, Reed wanted to say, as he thought once more about the message this world’s had left him imploring him to save his world.
But what did that mean in practice? Condemning his old world, all of the friends and family they had left behind, to an eternity of suffering under Darkseid? Would they even be able to undo the damage Darkseid had done to their world once they had made it back? Each question lead to another question. Before he knew it, Reed’s brain was spinning.
He was tired. No, he was more than tired, he was exhausted. There was no way that he would be able to untie the Gordian knot in his mind on so little sleep.
Reed gestured towards the stairway that Johnny had climbed a few minutes ago with a weary smile. “We should get some sleep.”
“Nonsense,” Harrison Wells said with a shake of his head. “We didn’t travel halfway across the country to sleep, Reed. Show me to this laboratory of yours. I want to get to work.”
