Archangel

Chapter 3

Nyx woke up to someone pounding their fist on her door and yelling at her, she groggily opened her eyes and looked around at the room before remembering she'd spent the night at the Baxter Building.

            "I'm not going to tell you again! Get up so we aren't late!" Reed yelled at her.

            "I'm up, I'm up... don't get your boxers in a twist." Nyx muttered.

            Lucky for her, her brother didn't hear what she said. Nyx looked at her clock and let out a groan, it was five in the morning, and she was not a morning person until she had her coffee. She quickly changed into the close she'd picked out the night before and walked into the kitchen. After starting the coffee maker she made herself a bowl of cereal and sat at the table. Ben came out to join her and grabbed the file about the launch.

            "I wouldn't look in there if I were you." Nyx warned.

            "Why not?"

            "You won't like the name you see."

            Of course Ben ignored her and started reading through the papers, a few minutes later he grumbled a curse. "Johnny.... No... I'm not..."

            "You don't have a choice." Reed snatched the folder out of his hand as he walked by. "Now hurry up we leave in ten minutes."

            Nyx threw her bowl in the sink and finished getting ready before coming back out and pouring herself a cup of coffee. She went down the elevator to the first floor and waited with her brother until Ben came down three minutes later, Reed and Ben rode together while Nyx got onto her motorcycle.

            "I'll race you there." She challenged as she pulled up beside them.

            "We aren't racing. We have to get there in one piece and resp-"

            Nyx drove off before he could finish and started speeding towards the launch site. After two hours of driving she finally arrived, since Reed wasn't there to complain about breaking traffic laws she decided to look around the launch site. Of course looking at the space ship was no problem, it was about two hundred feet tall and ready for take off once the workers were done checking everything. Nyx watched as Reed pulled in and parked his car before getting out, knowing he'd be looking for her, she decided to climb up to the spot where they would be getting inside the ship. Unfortunately it looked like they were coming up here anyway.

            "I can't do it. I cannot do it!" Ben sneered as they came up to join Nyx.

            She smiled and remembered what he was saying earlier, obviously though Reed didn't know what he meant. "External SRBs, orbital system engines. It's just like the shuttle you flew in-"

            "No. I cannot take orders from that underwear model!" Ben sneered. "That Wingnut washed out of NASA for sneaking in two Victoria's Secret wannabes into a flight simulator."

            "Youthful high spirits." Reed sighed.

            "They crashed it into a wall. A flight simulator!"

            Nyx laughed and Ben glared at her.

            "I'm sure he's matured since then." Reed assured him.

            "I wouldn't be too sure of that. Isn't that him on the motorcycle?" Nyx asked.      

            Ben got a pair of binoculars and saw Johnny kissing some girl as he drove beside her car, scowling he looked away and gave Reed an accusing look.

            "When have I asked you to do something you absolutely said you could not do?" Reed asked.

            "Five times."

            "I had it at four."

            "Well this makes five."

            Nyx smirked and put a hand on his shoulder. "It could be worse."

            "Yeah? How?"

            "At least he has some training. We would all be dead if he couldn't fly this thing."

            Ben glared back at where Sue's brother was parking. "I don't think there would be a difference."

            "Come on lets put our gear in the ship." Reed suggested so he could distract his friend from Johnny.

            Nyx put her gear in a locker and started looking around the ship; she saw her suit and went to change while the other two finished. After changing and passing Sue, who gave her a glare, she saw Johnny taking a picture of Ben.

            "Digital camera: two hundred fifty-four. Memory stick: fifty-nine. The look on your former CO's grill when he finds out he's your junior officer: priceless." Johnny laughed.

            Ben glared at him and reached out a hand, Johnny flinched back but relaxed when he only adjusted the zipper on his suit. "I can handle the ship. I can even handle Mr. Blond Ambition. But I don't know if I should be flying or playing Vegas in these suits. Who would even come up with them?"

            Sue walked in and cast a glare at Nyx as she passed. "Victor did."

            Nyx watched as Reed tried to avoid looking at her. "The synthetics act as a second skin, adapting to your individual needs."

            "So it keeps the hot stuff hot, and the cool stuff cool." Johnny simplified.

            Nyx heard Reed say something about how fantastic it was and lie about trying to make something similar so she turned to talk with Johnny.

            "I see you got a motorcycle."

            Johnny smirked. "Still have yours?"

            "No, but I got a better one."

            "We should race them sometime. I win we go out, you win and I'll let you kiss me."

            "Shouldn't I get to chose what happens if I win?"

            "Come on... don't tell me you never thought about it."

            Nyx pretended to think for a moment. "No not really."

            Johnny was about to answer but Victor came into the room and started talking about something Reed had said. "Guess some minds are just faster than others. I hired Armani to design the pattern. These suits will look great on camera."

            "They're ready for you, sir." A man said and Victor smiled.

            "Showtime."