Chapter 5
“Oh thank you,” Alicia said as a young woman handed her two bouquets of flowers.
“You’re welcome,” the woman replied.
Alicia chuckled after the woman left.
“Johnny,” Alicia said to him. “You shouldn’t tease him so much.”
Johnny poured himself a glass of champagne and smiled.
“It was a joke,” he replied.
“I don’t know,” Alicia said. “I think it bothers you to see him really happy and in love.”
Johnny set the bottle down and walked up to Alicia.
“Why should it? I’ve got Hunter,” Johnny replied.
“Maybe so, but I think you’re still jealous,” Alicia countered.
He took a sip of his drink and laughed.
“You think I’m jealous? Have you seen the woman I’m dating now?”
“No,” Alicia said.
Johnny looked at her as she laughed.
“I think you’re wrong,” Johnny said. “I’m not jealous.”
“Whose not jealous?” Hunter said as she came up to them.
“No one,” Johnny replied as he looked at her.
Alicia handed Hunter the other batch of flowers and Hunter thanked her.
“Ta da!”
Hunter, Alicia, and Johnny turned at the voice to see Ben bringing Sue out.
“Hey!” Johnny said. “It’s the bride of stretchy man.”
Hunter rolled her eyes as Sue sighed with a shy smile.
“Don’t start,” Sue said.
“Eh, don’t listen to him,” Ben said, turning to Sue. “You look gorgeous.”
“Big brother is right, Susie,” Hunter said as she squeezed through Johnny and Alicia. “You look absolutely and positively beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Sue said as she hugged Hunter.
“I’ll see you out there, sweetie,” Ben said as he took Hunter’s hand and pulled her. They went up to Alicia and took her out.
Johnny drank up the rest of his drink and set it down on the table nearby before he stood in front of Sue.
“You know, you don’t look completely ridiculous in that dress,” Johnny said.
Sue looked at him, “Is that obnoxious brother talk for ‘you look kind of nice’?”
“You look beautiful,” Johnny said.
Sue looked at him and gave him a smile, “Thank you.”
Johnny took her hands and held them as he spoke, “Dad would be proud.”
Sue nodded in agreement and they hugged. They pulled apart and stood in the doorway to wait for their cue. Music rose and Ben, Alicia, and Hunter walked out together up to the front where Reed and the minister stood waiting. As they walked along the pathway, they heard the people beside them whisper. Finally they reached Reed and they took their respective spots.
Suddenly, Reed’s pocket began beeping and he quickly pulled it out.
“Reed,” Ben whispered, “will you shut your cell phone off?”
“You actually brought that here?” Hunter hissed at him. “Are you insane!?”
Reed looked at her as he pushed buttons on his PDA. Then the wedding march music came on and he looked over to see Sue and Johnny walking out into the sunshine. He put the object away as the people around them stood up. Johnny walked Sue up to Reed and let her go. He looked at Hunter and winked at her. Hunter smiled.
“You look beautiful,” Johnny mouthed to Hunter.
“Thanks,” She mouthed back. “You look handsome.”
Johnny rolled his eyes and blushed. Hunter turned her eyes on the main couple.
“Dearly beloved,” the preacher started, “we are gathered here today to -”
A helicopter rose up, interrupting the preacher. The blades let out blasts of wind at them. A man inside spoke through the speakerphone.
“Sue and Reed, congratulations on your wedding!”
Sue laughed as she and Reed looked at each other.
“Where was I?” The preacher said. “Oh, yeah. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this couple, Reed Richards and Susan Storm-”
Ben’s blowing of his nose interrupted the preacher and Hunter laughed before she covered her mouth.
The preacher continued, “In the bond of holy matri…moni.”
Reed’s PDA had gone off once again during the speech and he pulled it out. Sue looked at him horrified.
“I can’t believe you actually brought that thing to our wedding!” Sue said.
“I know, but there’s a good reason. We have to get through this quickly,” Reed said as he looked at Sue and the preacher.
“Oh that’s romantic,” Sue quipped.
The preacher looked at them, “Should I continue?”
“Yes, please,” Reed answered.
“There are many kinds of love-”
“Could you skip to the end, please?” Reed asked.
“Reed!” Sue said.
“Excuse me?” The preacher asked confusingly.
The PDA beeped again and he pulled it out. Wind started blowing as the people chattered around them, confused. Everyone looked up to the sky.
“It’s too late,” Reed said as the helicopter above lost power.
People started screaming and running towards safety as the helicopter slammed into the roof and headed for them. The blades of the helicopter swiped the chairs, making them fly. People continued to run from the copter and some pushed Alicia and Hunter aside. They were pulled apart as more people pushed them. Reed saw a couple fall to the ground and he pulled them out of the way thanks to his power. Sue stepped down from the podium and brought her hands up. The force field came up and barricaded the helicopter, preventing it from hitting them. But the back end of the helicopter headed straight for Alicia who shouted. Hunter looked over to see Ben step in front of her and grab the end, holding it until it broke off. He threw it to the ground. Everyone looked up to see an object fly through the air.
Reed looked at Johnny, “Johnny.”
“This is Dolce,” Johnny whimpered.
Reed gave him a look and Johnny groaned. He took off a running start and flamed on. Hunter watched as he flew after the object. She heard a scream and looked around to spot the little flower girl being pushed over the edge by someone who wasn’t paying attention.
“Claire!” The little girl’s mother screamed.
Hunter took after her. Her clothes broke apart as her body iced over and she jumped over the ledge. She grabbed the little girl before she passed the first window below them.
“I gotcha, sweetie,” Hunter said to her.
Hunter floated up until she was on top of the railing. The mother came up to her and took Claire from her.
“Thank you,” the mother said.
Hunter nodded, “You’re welcome.”
Hunter saw Sue sitting on the steps of the podium and sat next to her, her body still in ice since her clothes were gone. Sue started crying and Hunter put her arm around Sue.
Up in the air, Johnny still went after the object.
“Man, he’s fast,” Johnny said as he watched the object go.
Johnny watched as it passed through a building effortlessly, and he soared around to the other end to wait for it. His jaw dropped as he watched the object, as it turned out to be a Silver man, come through the building towards him.
“Ah, that is cool,” Johnny said.
The man whipped by him and Johnny quickly got out of the way with a yell. He went after him. They went down a building, through a street, and into a tunnel.
“Show-off,” Johnny muttered as he watched the man go through his board to end up upside down and then back up.
Johnny had to avoid the buses and cars as the other man just simply passed through them. They sailed out of the tunnel and into the air. Johnny continued to chase after him, and he put on a burst of speed to catch up. Suddenly the man turned around and Johnny couldn’t stop his momentum. He grunted as the man grabbed his throat.
“Can we talk?” Johnny asked, his voice high.
The man ignored him as Johnny choked. He flew into the sky, towards space as Johnny’s flames died off. There was no oxygen left to fuel his fire.
“Okay,” Johnny muttered as his eyes closed. “You win.”
His body went limp and the man threw him back to earth. Johnny fell through the air as the oxygen he needed came back to him. As soon as he regained consciousness, he looked around and panicked.
“Flame on!” He shouted. “Come on! Flame on!”
Flames finally covered his body but it flickered out, as he got closer to the ground. He slammed into it and rolled into a nearby tent, which burst into flames. He crawled out coughing as the two men who lived in the tent ranted. Johnny turned around and collapsed on his back with his eyes closed. He opened them back up and was greeted to the sight of a camel.
“Hey,” he said.