𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 ▷Johnny Storm ! (POSTPONED FOR NOW)

01.

|CHAPTER 1|
AWKWARD REUNIONS

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THERE THEY WERE. One of the biggest opportunities they might possibly get was standing right in front of them. Lucy looked up the building. Von Doom Industries. Her attention was immediately caught by the large statue at the center exactly in front of the entrance of the building. She, her uncle and Ben Grimm, his best friend (who she considers a friend as well ) were staring up at the statue completely unphased.

"Typical of Victor Von Doom to build a thirty-foot statue of himself." Ben squinted at the bright sunlight, as he stared up at the large, tall statue.

"Well, obviously aimed at first-time visitors to create feelings of smallness, inadequacy . . . " Reed said, open-mindedly.

"Good thing it ain't working." Ben turned to Reed.

"Reed, what are we doing here? This guy's fast food, strip-mall science." Ben protested as they started walking into the building.

"Yeah, I agree. How are we supposed to keep our cool with a nerve wrecking, shallow billionaire taking our asses down?" Lucy turned to her uncle.

"This wasn't our first stop, in case you two forgot." Reed answered, trying to defend Victor. "Besides, Victor's not that bad. He's a just little larger than life . . ."

"My research suggests that exposure to high-energy cosmic storm borne on solar winds might have triggered the evolution of early planetary life." Reed said, as the hologram showcased a scarlet cloud covering Earth.

"In six weeks, another cloud with the same elemental profile, will pass Earth's orbit. A study conducted in space could fundamentally advance our knowledge about the human genes," Reed pressed the remote again, projecting into the same scarlet storm, but far away from the Earth.
" . . . About the structure of the human genome, cure countless diseases-- extend human life, give kids a chance to live longer, stronger, healthier--"

"Turn it off, please." Victor said, cutting Reed off as the smirk on Ben's face fade as Lucy turned to him.

"I don't think I have explained my proposal fully--"

"No, I think you have." Victor said, as the slight frown on Lucy's face fall into one of confusion.

"Same old Reed, always stretching, reaching for the stars with the weight of the world on his back." Lucy could tell Victor was taunting him. At that point, she wanted to storm out. She didn't wanna work with an 'all filler no thriller' guy that was supposed to give them a big opportunity.

"But dreams don't pay the bills, do they?" Victor had to spice it up and test everybody's patience by throwing a Wired magazine, the front cover, 'Reed Richards Bankrupt, Announces Grant Cutback'. That was written on the front page. The brunette was furious.

"You remember, when we were in school we talked about working together. Well, that's what I was about to explain." Reed pressed the remote once again, projecting another image of Victor's control rooms.

"The storm is deadly. But he shields on your station's control room, are designed to protect any occupants inside." Reed paused.

Victor pressed a button on his chair, turning on the lights to see full view of his posh clothing. It really added to his cocky personality.

"So it's not just money you want. It's my toys." Victor tilted his head, as Reed nodded.

"Tell me, if NASA doesn't trust you, then why should I?" Victor raised an eyebrow tauntingly.

Lucy and Ben stepped up to stand by Reed, facing him for an answer as Reed turned to both of them with wide eyes.

Victor chuckled amusingly. "That's my job, to stay a step ahead." He stood up, his serious demeanor vanishing out of thin air. "To know what other men don't."

"I can't take this." Ben muttered.

"He does seem serious." Lucy shrugged.

"Ben, this is business, just work. He really does seem serious." Reed smiled at his niece.

"He's right, Ben. It is just business." A voice was heard from behind them as they all turned, to be welcomed by an old friend, Sue Storm.

"I think you all know my Director of Genetic Research, Susan Storm." Victor smirked.

"One more thing he's got." Ben smirked, turning to a mortified Reed. Lucy chuckled silently at Reed's reaction.

"Hey Susie." Ben smiled.

"Hey." Sue smiled widely, walking up to the three.

"Hey, Sue! I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?" Lucy smiled.

"Great. Good to see you again!" Sue hugged her best friend, followed by Ben.

"It's so nice to see you. How's Debbie?" Sue smiled, pulling away from Ben's hug.

"Great" Ben beamed widely.

"Great." Sue whispered back.

Sue's smile faded when she faced Reed. "How have you been?" Reed asked awkwardly.

"Never better." Lucy noticed Sue's change in replies and smirked.

"This isn't gonna be a problem-- is it?" Victor asked noticing the tension between the two.

"No! No! Not at all." Both of them turned to Victor and instantly replied.

"Good. Then you're just in time to the hear the great Reed Richards ask me for help." Victor walked up to Sue and stood by her.

"You know, you made a lot of folks at MIT feel like a junior high science fair. So you'll excuse me if I savor the moment." Victor smiled.

"You back this mission and I'll sign over a fair percentage of any application--" Reed was cut off.

"The number's seventy-five. And it's application and patents." Victor stated.

"What about his first born?" Ben asked.

"Ben . . . " Reed turned to Ben, clearly nervous.

"Come on. Twenty-five percent of a billion is enough to keep the lights on for a while, isn't it?" Victor taunted once again. Lucy still couldn't believe that Sue would've possibly put up with him.

"Maybe pay off your fourth mortgage on the Baxter Building. Deal?" Victor let out his hand to Reed, raising an eyebrow. Sue did the same watching their hands pull into a handshake.

"Well then, to our future. Together." Victor smiled, putting an arm around Sue. "It's funny how things turn out, isn't it?"

"Hilarious." Reed muttered.

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THANKS FOR READING THE FIRST CHAPTER OF PHOENIX! HOPE YOU ENJOY!

(OUTRO GRAPHIC BY : ME)