Fantastic Five || Johnny Storm

Chapter 4

Veronica woke to the sound of beeping.

The familiar beep of a heart rate monitor.

She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright room and she found herself in one of the hospital research facilities that her brother owned. Said brother sitting next to her bedside.

"Veronica? How are you feeling?" he asked softly as he stood from his chair, leaning over his sister's bed as she regained her bearings and her memories came back to her.

"Space. The storm. The shields! You closed the shields," she rambled and her brother straightened, overwhelmed with guilt.

"Veronica, you have to understand -"

"I don't have to understand anything, Vic! You closed the shields. You left everyone, including me, your own sister, out there to die at the hands of that storm!" she yelled at him as she sat up.

"Veronica please-"

"No! You don't get it. You left me, Vic. You left me to die while you stayed safe behind the shields that I designed!"

"Shields that didn't work! I was hit by the storm, same as you!" Victor fired back, angered.

"Well, you still had a better chance at surviving!" Veronica yelled as she stood, only for her knees to go out from under her and her brother to catch her.

"Get off me!" she shouted as she shoved him away, leaning on the bed for support as she got the feeling back in her legs.

"I have to go. I have a board meeting," Victor said as he consulted his watch and Veronica huffed as she shook her head.

" You left me to die so you could save your own life and now you're leaving me again for a stupid board meeting! You are nothing but selfish Victor Von Doom!"

Victor looked hurt as he took a breath, but that didn't dissuade his sister's anger.

"Look, be angry with me. Just don't leave. Everyone is quarantined until test results come back."

"But you get to come and go as you please. Why am I not surprised?" she scoffed.

"I've already been cleared, and I have a -"

"Company to run. I know! I know because that company apparently means more to you than your own sister, so have fun at your meeting," she shot before walking for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To get something to eat if that's fine with you!"

And she was gone.

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"Where are you going?" Johnny asked with a smirk as he walked into Veronica's room to watch her pull on snowboarding gear, a snowboard leaning against her bed.

"I'm not in the mood to argue with you Johnny,' Veronica said tiredly as she strapped on snowboarding boots over her pants, her top half covered only in a tank top.

Johnny raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, it's chill. I didn't come here to argue. I heard your fight with your brother and I wanted to check if you were ok."

She froze as she began shrugging on a blue jacket, pulling her raven hair out.

"My brother saved himself and left me to die, how do you think I'm doing and since when do you care if I'm ok?"

"I can see how that would be rough," Johnny said as he walked closer, completely ignoring the second half of her question. "You didn't answer my question, where are you going?"

Veronica sighed, clearly not going to get an answer out of him.

"Well, I'm angry at my brother and not in the mood to follow his rules to stay here. And the sickest runs this side of the Alps are right outside that window," she said as she shrugged on a blue snowboarding jacket over the one she already wore.

"Can I come with you?"

She froze again as she slipped a black beanie onto her black hair, black eyes sparkling with mischief and curiosity as she stared at the younger Storm sibling.

"What?" she asked, confused why Johnny would willingly want to spend time with her, even if it was snowboarding.

He only walked closer, eyes never leaving hers as he grabbed the bottom of the first jacket she wore and zipped it up as he asked, "Can I come with you?"

She contemplated it as she gave him a look, truly wondering if she should let him come.

"You've got 10 minutes to get changed and meet me on the roof. I have a chopper coming," she ceded before laughing at the look of victory on Johnny's face as he exclaimed, "Yes!" and ran from the room.

Veronica had to admit it, Johnny Storm, as annoying as he could be, intrigued her.