Fantastic Four: The Engineer of Eternity

Chapter VII: Into The Negative Zone

        The Fantastic Four are once again thrust into a world of the unknown. Hurdling through the vast reaches of color, vibrations, and all kinds of matter. Worlds within worlds reside in The Negative Zone. An endless stream of endless things. What seems like no way out.

The Four land on a dark platform that almost seems like a moon. It's made of what looks like rock and surrounded by floating objects made out of a weird goo substance.

"This is a nightmare." Johnny says.

"I think I've had better nightmares, kid." The Thing responds.

"It's ok, everyone." Reed tries to focus the group. "Listen up, we need to-"

"No!" Thing interrupts, "I'm tired of you leading us into one crazy world after the next! It's your fault we're even in this mess!"

Reed doesn't even argue. He just puts his head down in shame as if accepting defeat.

Sue looks at her surroundings as she once did on Planet Zero. She discovers a place of shelter, "Over there! It looks like a cave. We can take cover in there. Who knows what's lurking in this place."

"Kang sent us here to die. I'm sure we have an idea of what's lurking in this place." Johnny says with an uneasy feeling.

Some time passes as The Fantastic Four hide inside the cave. After a long silence, deep within their own thoughts, Reed begins to speak.

"I'm sorry." Reed says with sincerity. "I messed up. You're right, Ben. This is my fault. I was ambitious. I got lost in my work and may have ignored some of my better instincts. I lied to you all by withholding information about my variant I met on Planet Zero. I just didn't want any of you to panic before I had a chance to figure it out for myself."

"That's the thing, Reed." Sue chimes in, "You don't have to do any of this yourself. We're a team... and a family. You don't have to be a solo act all the time. If you really are going to ask me to be your wife some day, you're going to have to get used to working with a partner." Sue ends her point with a flirtatious smirk.

"She's got you there, pal." Thing replies, "And I may have been a little too harsh on you. I was just angry."

"Ben, I promise you I will fix all of this. You'll be back to your old self again if it's the last thing I do. Johnny... well I guess you are enjoying your powers."

"Absolutely. Don't worry about me, Stretch."

"And Sue... the suit scanned what was on your mind. I kinda put together how Ben and Johnny gained their abilities, but why did it turn you invisible?"

Sue begrudgingly replies, "You remember in college when we were lab partners? My favorite thing about coming to class... was you. The way you'd look at me. Like I was the most fascinating thing in the room as we were dealing with molecules and elements and theories of the unknown. I'd never felt more loved in my life than the way you always made me feel, Reed. When we became partners after we joined The Baxter Foundation together, I started to feel like we may have drifted. Like you didn't see me anymore."

Reed puts his hand on Sue's shoulder, "Honey... I never lost sight of my true love. It was never my work. Science is my passion. You are my life."

Tears begin to swell in Sue's eyes.

"I'm sorry I made you feel unseen. I should've been better at giving you the attention you deserve as my partner. During and outside of work. We're a team. All four of us are a team. And we're gonna get out of this together."