In response to Ben's question, I simply raised an eyebrow and replied, "It's more like you've grown a bit in size."
Franklin Storm was the first to break and laughed. Ben followed shortly after.
"It's so nice to finally get out of those four walls," Ben said.
"I can understand that," I replied.
Then I looked at Franklin and added, "Can we get Johnny and Sue out now?"
I saw their cells nearby, but only Ben's was opened for me, which is why I asked.
"Yes," Franklin nodded. "Now we can finish all of this."
Ben and I were pleased. Franklin and Ben headed towards Johnny's cell, while I moved towards Susan's.
While Ben's cell was reinforced, and Johnny's was fireproof, Susan's and mine were quite ordinary. I glanced inside through the porthole but saw no one.
"R-Reed?" I heard the voice of the one who held a special place in my heart.
Once again, I confirmed that the canon was being followed. Susan Storm had become invisible.
"Susan, how are you feeling?" I asked.
This question genuinely occupied a large part of my consciousness.
"I-I'm fine," she said, with a tone that seemed both questioning and surprised. "Why am I in a cell?"
There was the question.
"The operation didn't go as successfully as we hoped. The Cosmic Energy tore through the defenses and... made us unusual."
"Unusual? What do you mean?"
In response, I elongated my fingers, creating various strange shapes with them. I could see the surprise in her eyes as she instinctively made herself visible.
"W-What was that?" she said in astonishment when I stopped.
But I couldn't see her face anymore; she had become invisible again.
"It seems I've become a rubber man," I said. "And you've become an invisible girl."
"Invisible?... Oh my God!"
With this exclamation, she became visible again, looking into the mirror.
"I'm going to open the door," I said, looking at the soldier standing to my right.
I understood that at this moment, it was better to act within the norms. The soldier silently handed me the card, which I used immediately. Once outside, she rushed into my arms.
"Everything will be alright," I said, holding her. "I'll fix everything."
—= Some Time Later =—
Not much time had passed since all four of us were out of our cells. We were in a room that had been converted into Franklin Storm's office.
It was clear it was his office for several reasons, the most obvious being the photo of Franklin with Johnny and Sue.
"Make yourselves comfortable," said Franklin, sitting in his chair.
It wasn't just me who saw that Franklin hadn't been able to relax since we awoke. Seeing that this man, who clearly cared about us, could finally take a deep breath somehow helped us relax as well.
CRACK
We all looked at the source of the sound. It was Ben Grimm, who had broken the legs of the couch he sat on.
"I think you need to strengthen the furniture around here," Ben said.
Johnny Storm couldn't resist, "I thought you needed to lose a couple hundred kilos."
Susan and I exchanged glances, perfectly understanding each other... This was going to be a long day.
At that moment, something unexpected happened... Johnny momentarily burst into flames. His emotional roller coaster seemed to trigger his fiery state. Susan's younger brother quickly regained control, but the damage was already done.
The fire alarm went off, and the sprinklers activated, drenching Johnny, Susan, Ben, and me.
"At least I don't have to work with my ass on fire," Ben said with a chuckle.
Soaked, Johnny looked at Ben and said, "One to one, rock head."
Franklin Storm, who had been silent all this time, spoke up, "Are you finished?"
Ben and Johnny nodded.
"Then let's begin..."
BOOM
An explosion from somewhere below, followed by shaking, made Franklin stop.
"I assume this isn't your fault?" Johnny asked, looking at Ben.
My friend didn't hesitate to respond, "I thought it was your diarrhea."
Dr. Storm typed a few commands into his computer, but seemingly not getting the desired results, he stopped.
"Boys, calm down," said Susan.
Meanwhile, Franklin quickly pulled out his smartphone. As I understood, this world's technology was more advanced than my own at this time. Smartphones and the internet were more widespread.
"Dr. Storm, something strange is happening!" someone said on the other end of Franklin's phone.
"What's going on?!"
"Some monsters have breached the facility! They're coming up from underground like mutant moles!"
BANG-BANG
"Damn it, this isn't working!"
"Use a bigger caliber!"
"What do you think I'm using?!"
The call was cut off. Franklin Storm stared at his smartphone in shock for a few more moments before I said, "We need to help them."
Susan, sitting next to me, nodded.
"I agree with Reed."
She seemed to understand my plan. Yes, she definitely understood my plan. I could see it in her eyes, which sparkled with mischief. Seeing this brought a smile to my face.
"Kick some monster butt?" Johnny said with a toothy grin. "I'm in!"
Ben nodded and added, "I'd like to blow off some steam too."
Franklin Storm looked at us with wide eyes.
"Don't worry," I said. "We've got this."
Susan and Johnny nodded, and Ben just grunted and headed outside.
We needed to act quickly before Franklin could snap out of it and stop us.
As soon as we left Franklin's office, Johnny didn't hold back and ignited. The room lit up a few shades brighter due to his fire.
"Where do we need to go?" Johnny asked as his flames died down.
BOOM
"Got it," Johnny said, turning fiery again.
In the next moment, Susan's younger brother started to hover. He acted on instinct...
"Johnny!" Susan called out.
BOOM
Ignoring his sister, Johnny rocketed towards where the monsters were presumably located.
Credit where it's due, Johnny flew fast. In about five seconds, he was out of sight.
"We need to hurry," I said, looking at Ben and Susan. "He might do something reckless."
Benjamin sighed and said, "Susan, I hope you don't mind if I smack him over the head a couple of times?"
"I'd be glad."
—= Johnny Storm =—
Franklin Storm's son felt like he could do anything. Flying came as naturally as breathing.
"Oh my God?!"
"What was that?!"
"Is that Franklin's son?"
Johnny's grin widened. The emotional high made his flames burn even hotter, increasing his flight speed. Johnny Storm was glad his father had chosen such a convenient facility. The corridors were wide and tall enough for flying without issues.
"Hahahahaha!" Johnny laughed, accelerating even more.
Soon, the Human Torch arrived at the scene where the monsters were clashing with the guards.
Seeing the monsters, Johnny Storm didn't hold back. He spread his arms and reached for the source of his fire, instinctively feeling the flame generator within him.
"LET THERE BE FLAMES!" he shouted, unleashing a torrent of fire at the yellowish monsters attacking the people.
The fiery mass, obedient to Johnny's will like a trained dog, began to scorch the monsters. The horrific creatures were burning in incredible numbers... However, everything stopped the moment a massive horde of monsters surged from underground, overwhelming the blonde hero.
"What the?!"
BAM
Johnny felt excruciating pain throughout his body. His vision began to darken...
—= Reed Richards =—
Tracking Johnny wasn't difficult. Thanks to the scorch marks on the walls, it didn't take superhuman intelligence to follow his trail.
I saw Johnny being engulfed by a swarm of small yellow-skinned monsters long before reaching the battlefield. My vision had become significantly sharper...
"Ben, head to 9 o'clock!"
My best friend trusted me, which is why he followed my instructions without hesitation.
Despite his stone body, Ben Grimm moved surprisingly swiftly, and after my words, he even picked up speed.
"Sue, can you put up a barrier around the hole?"
She nodded, and a smile appeared on my face.
"In that case, put up the strongest barrier you can. We need to trap these monsters with us."
The blonde smiled back, igniting a spark of happiness deep within my consciousness. My love for her was truly blinding. Now I understood why Reed did so much for her and the family he built.
"It will be tough, but we'll manage," I added before we entered the room where Ben Grimm had already charged at a huge monster holding Johnny's semi-conscious body.
Sue's brother fell onto an invisible platform created by the blonde. Both of Sue's hands were raised, and judging by her hand position, she was forming something like a quadrangular platform. I couldn't see the invisible wall but inferred its presence from indirect signs.
"Thanks, Susan!" shouted Ben, pushing off the invisible platform.
Ben's body crashed into the horde.
"TIME TO CRUSH!" Ben yelled as he collided.
"RARGH!!!"
For a moment, I thought Ben had managed to handle the horde, but the surge of monsters from the underground quickly corrected me.
"Come on!" Ben yelled, pushing further towards Johnny.
I glanced at Sue and nodded. It was my turn to act. My rubbery, flimsy body limited my actions, but I could still do quite a bit. I understood that Ben and Johnny were currently our team's main strike force. This meant my role was different.
A rubber body. What could one do with a rubber body? Quite a lot, actually, but many of my ideas required a strong physique. Unfortunately, I hadn't trained my body before this.
My two hands stretched to incredible lengths. Creating the necessary impulse and setting the direction... I was contributing too. My rapidly spinning hands found their targets in the horde with ease.
The disruptions I caused provided Ben Grimm with enough space and time to act.
"Thanks, Stretch!" Ben shouted, knocking out another group of monsters.
"Always welcome," I replied with a slight smile.
I could see that this battle allowed Ben to release some of his pent-up frustration.
BAM
The stone man wasn't holding back his punches. The ground beneath us cracked in places.
Meanwhile, Susan brought Johnny back to his senses. As soon as he regained consciousness, the blonde ignited.
"These bastards!" Johnny yelled, soaring into the air.
We now had aerial fire support. Johnny flew around, attacking the monsters on the edges. I could feel his flame even from a distance. The only thing containing his fire was Sue's barrier.
With her brother no longer needing her immediate attention, Susan began demonstrating her power. The combination of invisible constructs and fiery attacks greatly simplified things for Ben and me. Before long, we had the monsters retreating.
"Run, you bastards!" Johnny yelled at the fleeing creatures.
"What's the plan?" Ben asked.
My gaze fell on a device embedded in some of the monsters. Understanding this device was simple.
"We're going after them," I said, looking at my friends. "Someone was controlling them."
Now, each of our eyes filled with determination. I understood the reason.
"We need to find out what their master is planning."
"Do you hear that?" Johnny suddenly asked.
His question snapped me out of my thoughts...
"Yeah, it's like a rumble?"
Oh, damn...
"Susan!" I shouted, looking at her. "A barrier!"
The blonde quickly followed my gaze, immediately understanding where to place the barrier.
BAM
A massive monster emerged before us, seemingly unfazed by Sue's invisible barrier. This creature was significantly larger than its kin, and judging by its performance, much stronger.
"RARGH!!!"
Susan clutched her head, blood trickling from her nose.
"Sue, are you okay?" I asked.
Meanwhile, Johnny and Ben charged at the monster. My best friend from Yancy Street and Sue's fiery brother surprisingly didn't get in each other's way. Johnny's aerial attacks complemented Ben's ground assaults.
"I... I'm fine..." the girl said, leaning on my shoulder.
But fate had other plans for us. The rumble we heard before the monster's appearance repeated itself.
BAM
The ground beneath us shattered... A huge yellow hand burst from the earth.
I acted instantly. Susan couldn't react in time; she couldn't form a shield fast enough, so I had to take action.
"Sorry for being so forward," I said, enveloping Susan with my limbs.
In the next moment, the monster's hand closed around us. Susan would have handled it, but the monster was faster.
CRACK
In an instant, we were underground.
—= Ben Grimm =—
Today was definitely not the best day of my life. Waking up as a stone monster wasn't the ideal way to start the day. At least the brawl helped me blow off some steam.
But God seemed to want to complicate my life...
"STRETCH!" I yelled, seeing the monster drag Reed underground.
"SUSAN!" her younger brother cried.
Reed Richards wasn't just the man who could rid me of my stone burden; he was also my best friend.
"DAMN IT!!!"
My rage erupted in a flurry of punches against the monster hindering Johnny and me. The matchstick wasn't idle and helped in every way possible. Soon, nothing remained of the monster.
I met Johnny's gaze and saw the same determination in his eyes that was in mine.
Stones for the God of Stones! Souls for the Throne of Souls!
"Sue, are you alright?" I asked as I felt the movement stop.
The girl wrapped in my limbs raised her eyes and said, "Much better now. I think I can..." she said, lifting her hand.
BAM
The monster's hand unclenched, and its body slammed into the wall. I immediately wrapped its limbs. Sensing it was still conscious was easy from my position.
"It's still conscious!" I said, looking at Sue.
She nodded resolutely and struck with all her strength. She had realized that blunt impacts didn't hurt me much, meaning she could hit with full force.
BAM
The strategy proved successful, judging by the monster's cessation of movement. Returning to my normal form, I said, "That was a good hit."
Sue smiled. "I tried, but where are we?"
That was a very good question.
"Underground, but..."
My gaze fell on the numerous carvings that depicted motifs very familiar to me. Recognizing the robot-like beings that resembled gods was easy.
Celestials are cosmic beings of incredible power. Mostly, they are creators and experimenters who made humans and numerous human sub-species.
I realized this place was the refuge of a human sub-species known as Deviants. This was evident from the specific collection of bones nearby.
"Who would've thought there's a thriving civilization beneath us," I said.
There were numerous details indicating the presence of a civilization here.
"We need to hide and wait for Ben and Johnny," I said, looking into Sue's astonished eyes.
She understood that this discovery would change the world.
"Why?"
"It's unlikely these beings are peaceful," I replied, pointing to the skulls on spears.
Then Sue and I hid nearby. Thanks to Sue's force fields, we managed to dig a recess in the rock.
—= Johnny Storm =—
"Faster, Rocky!" I shouted mid-flight.
Flying was wonderful. However, two factors hindered my full enjoyment. The first was that we were flying underground, and the second was that my sister had been kidnapped.
"Shut up, Matchstick!" responded the thoroughly annoyed Ben Grimm.
Throughout this battle, we had started to bond slowly. However, our different views on certain things prevented us from completely getting along.
"Hahaha!" I laughed, releasing fire in his direction.
We had already confirmed that this type of flame didn't harm him but irritated him immensely.
"Ben, Johnny!" I suddenly heard my sister's voice from somewhere to the side.
We stopped instantly and began to look around.
"Susan?"
"We're here!" I heard more clearly and found the source of the voice.
Seeing that Susan was alright... the invisible weight on my soul lifted.
—= Reed Richards =—
"So that's the situation," I finished, looking at the gathered original members of the Fantastic Four, and the geek in me squealed with joy.
As soon as I finished explaining, Ben stood up and said, "If I understand correctly, the master of these monsters is hostile towards the people above?"
I nodded.
"So what are we waiting for?" Ben said. "We need to beat that bastard so he doesn't even think about attacking."
Johnny smiled and said, "Didn't expect to agree with this rockhead, but he's right. We can't leave this unresolved."
"You both just want to hit something, don't you?" Sue asked with a resigned look.
Johnny and Ben just grinned.
"In that case, we need to head..."
My gaze fell on the device I had assembled from available materials. The principle behind this receiver was quite simple... at least for the current me. However, due to the poor quality of the materials, the final product was quite flimsy. Fortunately, it managed to indicate the direction of the wave controlling the horde.
"...There."
—= Some Time Later =—
We reached our destination fairly quickly. The absence of traffic and buildings greatly helped. Unfortunately, even this didn't lessen my irritation from the long walk through the underground realm. At that moment, I decided that once we returned, I would build the Fantasticar first thing.
"Why are you all so glum?" Johnny, who was floating in the air, asked.
"Johnny, be quiet," Susan said, looking at him with slight irritation. "Or I'll help Ben hit you."
Stone-faced Ben Grimm grinned. My friend clearly wanted to help carry out this plan.
The blonde fell silent. Meanwhile, I was still busy trying to turn the receiver into a sonar. Just a bit more...
"Done!" I exclaimed with a slight smile.
My team members focused on me.
"The sonar works on a very primitive technology. It would normally disappoint me, but we don't have much choice now."
Johnny looked for something on my device and, not finding it, asked, "Where's the display?"
"There isn't one," I replied, now understanding what had interested him. "I created a mathematical model in my head that works the same way as numerous sonars. Building a three-dimensional map in my mind is slightly straining, but not serious."
Johnny and Ben almost simultaneously said, "Sounds simple enough."
Only an extremely dense person would miss the sarcasm in their voices. Fortunately, I wasn't one of them.
"That's quite impressive," said Susan Storm, who was an intelligent woman.
I smirked and monitored the device. Soon, it began vibrating in a specific sequence. At that moment, using the model, I started constructing a three-dimensional map of the area. A few minutes later, the terrain was clear in my mind.
"I know what awaits us ahead," I said with a slight smile. "We can proceed."
"Finally," Johnny said. "I'm tired of seeing these hordes of monsters moving back and forth."
"I hate to agree with the matchstick, but he's right. I'm also fed up with this sight."
"Ahead, there's nothing worse than these yellow monsters," I said. "However, there's a man with a staff."
"A man?" Susan asked, frowning.
"He's likely responsible for transforming the natives into those monsters," I said. "And he's probably the one we need to capture."
Ben punched his fist into his palm and said, "Then what are we waiting for?"
"TIME TO CRUSH!" Ben shouted as he charged into the place where the master of these creatures resided.
Thanks to the three-dimensional map of the entire area, plotting the necessary route wasn't difficult. That's how we managed to approach the man who, canonically, was the first adversary of the Fantastic Four.
I recognized him by his staff and glasses, which made my job much easier. The Mole Man — a villain of the week created in the '60s or '70s, though my memory of the exact time was fuzzy.
BAM
Ben descended on him like a missile. The Mole Man barely managed to react to the attack, evading the stone projectile at the last second.
Unfortunately for him, we didn't just have Ben, and in that moment, we encircled him. Susan Storm trapped him in a force field, and Johnny, saying, "So you're the Mole Man, huh!"
Engulfed in flames, Johnny launched two fireballs at him.
BAM
"Do you think that will work against me?!" yelled the Mole Man, who had escaped Sue's field.
Clearly, he had created a tunnel underground. His monsters were nearby. The Mole Man struck the ground with his staff...
BAAAM
"RAAAARGH!!!" roared a giant monster, raising the battlefield higher.
I instantly reached for Sue. At that moment, only she and I were in danger, as the attack didn't affect Ben and Johnny. The fiery blonde simply flew alongside, while Ben, perched on the monster, wasn't particularly afraid of the damage.
"Sue!" I shouted.
The blonde, finding herself in my arms, immediately created a protective sphere around us.
"We need to stop him!"
"I'm trying!" Ben and Johnny replied simultaneously.
Ben was indeed trying, and judging by the dents on the monster's body, he was succeeding... However, the monster seemed indifferent, and moments later, we broke through another layer of rock and found ourselves in the city center...
"Damn," I said.
The situation just got a bit worse.
"We need to protect the people from this threat."
Susan nodded and got to work. I helped her. We just needed to hold out until Ben and Johnny dealt with the monster.
—= Ben Grimm =—
Today just got worse.
"RARGH!!!"
The monster, turning and aiming at Ben, tried to strike him, but the fiery Johnny Storm, who started dousing the yellow creature with flames, interrupted it.
"Hey, ugly, I might get offended!" Johnny exclaimed with a cheeky grin.
Matchstick knew how to annoy. And the monster agreed with Ben's thoughts... It tried to catch the fiery man, who expected this move and dodged.
Benjamin Grimm wasn't a picky person, and besides, this was a monster destroying his hometown. So Ben attacked the monster from behind without hesitation.
"I'M STILL HERE!"
Thanks to his experience, Ben knew how to land a punch.
BAM
The yellow monster collapsed to the ground instantly. Ben's punch had hit its spine. The monster couldn't get up.
"Nice hit, rockhead!" Johnny said with a slight grin.
Ben wanted to teach him a lesson, but the blonde flew away from Grimm.
"NOOO!!!" Ben heard the Mole Man's scream.
—= Reed Richards =—
While Ben and Johnny dealt with the monster, Sue and I focused on its master. The Mole Man wasn't particularly dangerous himself, but his device, which created controlled explosions, posed some problems.
However, understanding his device was simple. Creating a countermeasure with available tools was even easier...
"Reed?" Sue's concerned voice sounded.
BAM
"A couple more minutes," I replied, not stopping my work.
The circuit board in the device was still operational. Just tweak the components to amplify the outgoing waves...
"Done!" I said, activating the device.
In the next second, a sound wave of the required frequency emitted from my improvised tool, reacting with the Mole Man's staff.
BAM
The Mole Man's staff exploded from within. Fortunately for him, the explosion was very localized, causing minimal harm.
"Richards!" the Mole Man shouted.
He quickly realized it was my doing. He tried to lunge at me but failed. At that moment, Sue trapped him in a sphere. She was getting better at controlling her powers.
The Mole Man tried to break out of the sphere initially, but realizing he couldn't, he stopped attempting to escape. Meanwhile, I approached and asked, "Why did you attack the base?"
The Mole Man looked into my eyes and said, "Is the genius Reed Richards not so genius after all?"
Provocation. An attempt to elicit an emotional reaction.
"Ah, I see," I replied.
I already had a rough idea why he attacked the base. I just needed to confirm a few things to get the most accurate answer.
"You attacked the base to get to my inventions, didn't you?"
The Mole Man's widened eyes were a more than clear answer.
"H-How d-did you..."
"You said I'm a genius," I replied with a confident smirk.
My words angered the Mole Man. I could see it in his grimace, twisted with rage.
"But that's not your concern right now," I said without the smirk. "Your actions have destroyed a part of New York. What do you think will happen to you next?"
At that moment, Ben and Johnny arrived, looking like Christmas had come early.
"Oh, Mole Man!" Johnny exclaimed with a malicious grin. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you here!"
However, our attention was soon drawn to the crowd gathering around us.
"Did they defeat the monster?"
"Oh God, what's wrong with them?"
"Are they mutants?"
I looked at my friends and said loudly enough, "We are the Fantastic Four!"
—= Some Time Later =—
After everything that happened, the Fantastic Four sat before Franklin Storm.
"Why did you do it?" Sue's father asked me.
At that moment, the TV was showing a segment about the Fantastic Four. It didn't take a genius to understand what Franklin was referring to.
"...A group calling themselves the Fantastic Four saved the city from a monster and a certain Mole Man..." the reporter said.
I looked into Franklin's eyes and said, "We had no other choice. My actions allowed us to gain a good reputation with the public. Their goodwill will become our shield."
"What do you mean?"
"They will protect us from the military. I understand perfectly well that the government wouldn't let us go without any problems. But now we're heroes, which means we have protection."
Stones for the God of Stones! Souls for the Throne of Souls!
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