Nine
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Johnny landed before the double doors to the Baxter Building and saw O’Hoolihan react instantly. The heavyset doorman opened the door and bowed. “Top o’ the eve, Mr. S. I sure do hope ye be feelin’ good.”
Johnny grinned. “Not as well as I’d like to, O’Hoolihan, but I’ll make it through the night, I guess.”
Inside the massive lobby, people hurriedly rushed in all directions. Johnny Storm moved away from the flow heading toward the elevators and stood in front of a single door set aside from all the others. His hand touched his belt, and an invisible light flashed from the buckle, striking a metal plate to the side of the door.
Instantly, the door slid open to reveal a private elevator. Johnny entered and pressed the bottommost button. The first floor that housed the headquarters of the Fantastic Four contained their bedrooms, dining room, visitors’ reception area, kitchen facilities, and day-to-day living space. These were all kept separate from the other four floors, which housed the F.F.’s intricate science labs, vehicle hangars, and observatory.
All five floors, the tower of the Baxter Building, were owned by the Fantastic Four and paid for by the money Reed Richards earned from the patents on his incredible inventions.
He entered his private bedroom, removed his clothes, and took a shower. Perhaps, he thought, it was time to move out. Get his own apartment. After all, Reed and Sue had their own place, though they spent most of their time in the Baxter Building and still had bedroom facilities there, along with a second room for Franklin.
And Ben had another apartment across town, a three-room bachelor pad he could call his own. Only Johnny Storm lived full-time in their skyscraper headquarters. Yeah, perhaps its time to move on.
He stepped out of the shower and ignited himself. His flames could dry him off faster than any towel. Within moments he was dry and dressed for action. Reed had said he wanted to speak to Johnny about something that had come up. He told him to be ready for travel if he agreed to come with them.
He sauntered down the hall and knocked on their bedroom door. Inside, he could hear the shower running as Reed opened the door, his hair still wet. “Come on in, Johnny. Sue will be right out. We’ve got a problem.”
Johnny was interested. “Lay it on me, leader-man. What’s up?”
It took less than a minute to explain the situation, and Johnny listened quietly, attentively. At long last he let loose with a long whistle. “Whew! Dr. Doom. Doesn’t sound good, Reed. Any idea what he’s up to?”
Reed shook his head. “None. That’s what bothers me. I know Doom too well. Yet he’s given his promise to the others. He guaranteed their safety, that nothing would happen to them, and that he’d have them all back by Sunday night. I know this sounds strange, Johnny. But Doom doesn’t lie. He’s too proud, too sure of himself. If he says the people will not be harmed, despite all his evil, despite everything he has ever done to us in the past, I know he’s telling the truth.
“But the problem is, I also know he would never do anything unless he means to gain something by it. I just can’t analyze this situation. I can’t figure out what he wants.”
Johnny arched his brow. “Maybe he’s telling the truth when he says he’s changed his ways. Maybe he’s reforming? It’s happened before.”
“What’s happened before?” They turned to see Sue dressed in her bright blue action garb, her long blonde hair flowing free to her shoulders. “You said it happened before. What?”
“Johnny thinks Doom may have changed his spots. But like the proverbial leopard, I doubt it. No, he’s up to something, and frankly, I think it’s best that we go along to figure out just what it may be.”
Sue combed out her hair as she spoke. “I agree with Reed, Johnny. You had to be there to understand, but Doom hasn’t changed—not one whit. I sensed he relished it when Ben attacked him. I think he may have provoked the fight.”
Johnny laughed. “I can see it now. My blue-eyed buddy winding up and letting go with a one-two punch, and there goes Doom’s head. It must’ve freaked out that poor orange slob.
“I just wish I could’ve been there. I wouldn’t’ve stopped laughing till tomorrow.”
“Oh, I think you woulda stopped, junior . . . When I laid one o’ my knuckle sandwiches on ya.” Ben Grimm stood behind Johnny. “ ’Sides, you woulda done the same, unless you let that robot punch you out.”
Johnny spun, ready for a verbal battle. “Yeah? Listen, big shot, at least I can tell the difference between a man and a robot. Then, again, looking the way you do, I’m surprised you didn’t start a fight with the cappuccino machine. You know how nasty those little buggers can look.”
Ben thrust his head closer to Johnny’s face. “Says you, matchstick. All yer good fer is settin’ off fire extinguishers. Or don’t ya remember what happened at that movie ya went ta last week? Ya almost caused a panic.”
Johnny pushed even closer to Ben, their noses virtually touching. “I wouldn’t talk if I were you, Quasimodo. One look and half the folks ran out of the picture before it began. And they were playing The Monster That Ate Trenton!”
Reed’s voice broke the string of verbal abuse. “That’s enough out of the both of you. I asked you here, Johnny, to find out if you’ll come with us. I won’t force you. I know you may have other things on your mind, but—”
Johnny interrupted. “Reed, we’re a team, aren’t we? When we were first formed, we agreed to stay together through thick and thin, and, face it, if I could put up with Ben’s ugly face peering over the morning paper before he’s had his first mug of coffee, I guess I can stand trekking over to Latveria to make sure Doc Doom is on the up and up. I’m going with you, Reed. There’s nothing else to say, right?”
Sue spoke first. “That’s better. We’ve got a job to do and we do it. Doom said his jets will be taking off in the morning, that we’re supposed to meet him at Kennedy Airport. I think it may be safer to get a good night’s sleep now. That way we’ll be ready if anything out of the ordinary does happen. Any disagreements? Ben?”
“Don’t look at me, Susie. I’m the sweet one o’ the group.”
“I agree, Sis. I’ll see you in the morning. G’night, Reed. You, too, gruesome”
“Aw, shuddup. I’m too tired ta think of a comeback.”
“That must explain you all the time. You’re always so tired you never think.”
Johnny leaped from the room and ran down the corridor screaming. Ben Grimm was close on his tail, hurling a pillow at the fleeing figure.
Sue turned to Reed and rested her head on his shoulder. “What do you think, Reed? You’ve been unusually quiet.”
Reed grimaced before talking, and when he did, his words were slow, deliberate. “I think we may be in for trouble. I think whatever it is Doom has prepared is so diabolical, he isn’t even worried that we, his greatest foes, will be right beside him all the time.
“I think we’ve got to watch him very carefully, and what’s more, I think we’re going to have to be prepared . . . for anything!
“Sue, I won’t be coming to bed tonight. I’ve got to go up to the lab and do some work. I’ll sleep on the plane tomorrow.”
Sue’s face mirrored her worry. “It’s that bad, Reed? Are you certain?”
Reed answered quietly. “With Doom you can’t be certain about anything. But I know one thing, Sue. If I don’t take the time to plan something tonight, we may not live beyond tomorrow.”
Sue shuddered as Reed left their bedroom, heading to his electronics lab two floors above. It wasn’t like him to be so pensive. He must have some idea as to what was going to happen to them. He has to know. And he has to be very, very worried.
She removed her costume and slipped into her night clothing. She threw off the bedspread and used only a thin sheet. The lights were turned off and Sue closed her eyes.
But it was many hours before sleep would come.
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