Growing Fire {Fantastic Five}

8) Secret's Out

Valerie POV

We were all speeding down the hall towards Ben's room. After Johnny and I explained what had occurred on the mountain—but not why we were there together—Reed and Sue told us about their own anomalies. Apparently Reed's body is stretchy and flexible and Sue can become invisible.

While this was cool and all, I couldn't help but worry about the possible consequences to our health. As we neared Ben's room and everyone was debating about what was happening, I tuned everyone out and zoned into my own mind—I was sure they could figure out on their own what I already had.

Clearly Ben and the rest of us were experiencing trauma and change on a genetic level due to our exposure to Reed's stupid cloud. I needed to get in contact with my brother and help him with the company as well as check on his own health. Our shields were strong, I know, but given what the cloud had done to us, it was probable that Victor was facing genetic change just like the rest of us.

I was shocked out of my thoughts by a loud crash. I looked up, startled, to find that my feet had brought me to the door to Ben's room.

"Ben!" Reed shouted, "Do you know the code?"

Sue stepped up and started punching in different codes and combinations, but it was clear that nothing she was trying was working.

"Does someone have the key?" Johnny yelled down the hall.

I inched over to the door and, remembering how I saved Johnny earlier, willed my arm to be as strong as a tree trunk. I brought my wooden arm back and deliberately slammed it into the glass part of the door.

It shattered into tiny fragments and tinkled onto the floorboards, effectively silencing the rest of the group. I returned my arm to normal and ducked through the doorway and into the room.

I turned around with a smirk, unlocked the door, and opened it, causing more glass shards to fall to the floor. After a second Johnny laughed and strutted in after me. Reed and Sue immediately rushed in and ran to the enormous hole in the wall that I had failed to notice earlier.

"Ben!" Susan shouted.

It looked like a boulder had crashed through the wall of Ben's room, leaving an unintentional window to the outside. I noted, however, that the wall was broken outwards, meaning that someone broke out—not in. Ben must have caused this.

Right as I reached that revelation, Johnny shuffled towards the hole, pointing out at the forest.

"Guys, look!" He yelled. I squinted and looked closer, and sure enough I saw an enormous orange figure stomping through the trees.

"That's him," I confirmed.

"Where do you think the big guy's going?" Johnny wondered.

"Home," Reed replied, staring at a cracked picture of Ben and his wife Debbie.

"Well we gotta find him," Sue declared.

"We know where he's going. I'll call Victor and ask to be let out of quarantine, then we can head over to Deb's place," I suggested. "You guys get ready, and for Pete's sake, get some clothes for Johnny."

"You sure about that, Val? Cuz once this is gone, there's no getting it back," Johnny smirked while gesturing to his half-naked body.

"Yeah, like we need all of New York seeing all that anyway," I said with an eye roll.

Johnny pouted while Reed and Susan just looked confused. They still had no idea about Johnny and I's past or present.