Growing Fire {Fantastic Five}

1) Sister of Doom

Valerie POV

I did up the last buttons of my coat, sighing as I looked in the mirror. My long brown hair was in a high curled ponytail, and my coat was worn over my blouse and jeans. My boots tied the outfit together, and I had to admit that I was as ready as I'd ever be.

I stared at my brown eyes in the mirror and nodded to myself, spinning around to grab my keys and phone. Then I walked out the door to pick up Susan so we could head into work together.

Today one of Victor's many appointments was Reed Richards. Our old friend from high school had recently gone bankrupt and his newest project got rejected by NASA. He was showing us the same mission that they denied funding. If NASA didn't think the project was safe, I don't know why he would believe that Victor would think differently.

I felt bad for the guy, I mean, he could use a break, and if he's coming to Victor, then he has really hit the bottom of the barrel. Reed and Victor have hated each other's guts for a while now, despite all our history together.

It must have frustrated Reed that my idiot brother was rich and successful while he was a bankrupt genius. Not to mention that Victor was with Reed's old sweetheart Susan. What he didn't know was that Victor wouldn't be anywhere without his kid sister the scientist. All of the risky decisions that he's made have been advised by me, and they have always paid off.

I felt strange driving down the road to Susan and Victor's house. I had to take my best friend to work today because Victor went in early.

Something felt off today, and I had the strangest feeling that Victor would make a terrible decision. I didn't know where the unfamiliar feeling came from, but it was there nagging at me nonetheless, making me twitch uncomfortably.

Soon enough I reached Susan's place, and I pulled into her driveway and honked to let her know that I was there. Her front door opened and she walked out to my car, closing and locking her door behind her. I smiled as she climbed into my car.

"Good morning, Susan," I said as I pulled out of the driveway. She smiled back and said, "Morning Valerie."

"What appointments do you have today?" Susan asked me.

"You mean what appointments does my brother have today?" I clarified.

"No, I mean you. We both know that you're the brains behind this operation. You make all the decisions in the end, and Victor takes all the credit. Why do you let him? You could do so much better on your own, Val."

"He's my brother, Sue. What kind of person would I be to abandon my brother to the sharks for my own gain? Besides, he pays me very well, and I don't have to deal with the pressure of actually being in charge and ordering people around. It's perfect." I explained.

Even though I was persuading Susan, I felt like I was convincing myself at the same time. The idea of leaving Victor on his own had run through my mind one too many times recently. I loved my brother and all, but sometimes his arrogance and ingratitude grated on my nerves.

Susan just sighed and shook her head.
"You didn't answer my question," she said.

"That's because I know you won't like it," I replied.

"What? Why wouldn't I like it?" Sue demanded.

"Mainly there are a few trivial projects, but the main fish we're frying is Reed Richards," I said quickly. She turned to me in disbelief.

"My Reed Richards? The one that went bankrupt? He's asking Victor for help?"

I didn't bother to point out that he wasn't her anything anymore. She left him two years ago, but I knew that she still had feelings for him, even if she was unaware of the fact herself.

Neither of us had seen Reed in a while. Susan, Ben, Reed, and Victor used to have their own little group back in the day. I'd tag along and just watch the geniuses converse, that is until someone else started tagging along too. Those were the good times, before my brother created a company that destroyed his humanity.

"That'd be the one. He's showing us the same mission that NASA rejected," I confirmed. She put her hand on her forehead and sighed again.

"Wonderful."

The rest of our car ride was awkward and silent, and soon enough we reached Victor's building. There were workers out front constructing a thirty foot metal statue of Victor.

Of course my arrogant brother would build a gigantic likeness of himself outside of our office building. Like all insecure men, he was compensating. Victor was the definition of a figurehead, and on an unrelated note, he was a high school girl bent on creating drama, destroying people's reputations, and ruling the school.

Susan and I walked straight through the doors and went upstairs to Victor's office. He was sitting alone, reading through notes on other potential projects. He glanced up and smiled when he saw us approach. Or more accurately, when he saw Susan.

"Susan," he greeted warmly. He got up and gave her a hug and a peck on the lips. I cleared my throat loudly. He finally noticed that his little sister was in the room.

"Val," he said, noticeably less cordial. However, he still proceeded to walk over and give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I resisted the urge to wipe it off afterwards. Hugs were fine, but getting kissed by my brother was not on my list of favorite things.

"Victor," Susan interrupted, noticing my distress. "I have some work to do today so I won't be here for some of your earlier appointments."

He fake pouted and then smiled cockily. "As long as you're back here for my one o'clock."

I frowned. He knew full and well that that was when Reed would be here. Victor probably wanted to show Susan off to Reed, like she was some prize that he had won. Quite the turnoff in my opinion. No one should be gawked at like a trophy.

"Alright, honey. I'll see you later. Bye Val!" Susan exited cheerfully. She wouldn't be so perky after she saw who Victor's one o'clock was, though she could probably guess who it was on her own.

"These first few projects and appointments should be child's play. Just sit back and relax unless I need you. The soup of the day today is good old Reed Richards," Victor ordered. I hated it when he bossed me around, though as his little sister I had come to get used to it. And what's with the food metaphors?

Realizing that I hadn't answered, I nodded. He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. I stared back at him, confused. What have I done to make him suspicious? And what is he suspicious of, exactly?

"You alright there, Vic?" I asked worriedly. It wasn't like him to act this way. He shook his head and smiled at me, the psychotic glint I thought I had seen gone.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't know what came over me. Anyway, ready to get started?" Victor tried to play it off. Seriously, though. What the hell is up with him today? Who peed in his cornflakes?

But this was the side of my brother that I loved. His eagerness to work and succeed made me smile and drew us closer together. I loved the spark that came in his eyes when he had an idea. Or his determination to succeed, no matter how long it takes. Such admirable traits never showed up for long periods of time with my brother, so I had to cherish them while I could.

The man he was behind closed doors was a far stretch from the man he presented to the public eye. He put on a cold, calculated front for the benefit of our investors. Sue and I were the only ones that had ever really seen him like this—kind, happy, human.

We discussed existing projects and how to go about them before his first appointment filed in. He was right. All of his appointments that day were simple decisions, a quick yes or no and they were out the door. Then came the dreaded hour of one.