Burning Fury (Fantastic Four)

Chapter 7: Adoring Fans and an Almost Kiss

The police insisted that they escort back to the Baxter Building. No one was keen on the idea of gaining more attention than we had already gotten from the press and now the public were involved too. Well everything except Johnny, he was on cloud nine with the attention he was receiving from random members of the public. The traffic was stopped to let us through, people on the streets were cheering and clapping and some had even created signs and banners. Wow, news carried fast in this city.

We finally rocked up to the Baxter Building only to have the entire entrance way blocked up by adoring fans, most holding up love signs and screaming at the top of their lungs about how awesome we were. I swear I had bile in my mouth, this was so hateful. I almost refused to get out of the car but then it would have created more of a scene than actually getting out, besides Johnny would probably volunteer to carry me inside. Oh the horror.

Chucking sunglasses on, I stepped out from the car and made a beeline for the revolving doors of the Baxter Building. Reed and Sue had already made it clear and were inside. Johnny however was in no rush to go inside as many of the screaming girls and posters were for him. However I did see one poster that read “faster than lightning”, the girl holding it was looking in my direction with the same wide eyes and delighted face as a fangirl. Oh my god. This was just too much. She had friends too, they were all leaning over the barrier that kept them at bay and tried to get my attention. I didn’t even acknowledge their existence as I stomped by in my black heels wanting nothing more than the ground to swallow me up. Johnny saw as I tried to make my escape and snatched my wrist and turned me around. He pressed me right up against him, an arm snaked around my waist keeping me from getting away our noses were almost touching.
‘Come on Max, you can’t disappoint the fans’ he grinned at me. I was about to shove him away but I knew that would make the people talk so I leant forward and placed my lips on his cheek and whispered,
‘Let me go or I’ll kick you where the sun don’t shine’ I hissed savagely. It didn’t take more than that for him to stop clutching me. Johnny still made out that something hot happened between us and signed a few cards and gave the fangirls winks and pleased the masses.

The crowd cooed and ahh-ed and I’m sure they thought I kissed him, afterall my new long hair hid what I actually did. I finally got inside and was thankful for thehigh ceilings and gorgeous golden interior of the building. I gave the bellhop Jimmy a smile and proceeded to join Reed and Sue who were waiting for the elevator.The old mailman Willy (STAN LEE CAMEO!!) came up to Reed with a stack of letters bound together with a rubber band.
‘Welcome back to the Baxter Building Dr Richards I’ve got the usual for you’ he handed over the letters with gnarled aging hands, ‘Good to have you back sir’ he hobbled towards the door and then turned to me, a large envelope in his hand,
‘Miss Grimm, I have a package for you’ he gave me the envelope and it read SHIELD. Must be those field reports that Naveen finished off, she must have finally sent them. My heart lowered a little as I was hoping it had been from Harvard, I was expecting some news regarding the PhD I was working towards.

I watched as Reed shuffled through the letters and read the mortgage stamps on each and every one. Sue gave him a sympathetic look,
‘We’ve had a few tough years’ he explained.
‘Yeah like nine straight’ Ben grumbled from behind us. The five of us filed into the elevator and closed the door. I leant against the left side beside Johnny and waited for any signs of movement. The whole thing gave a loud groan creak and wouldn’t budge.
‘Either we’re moving really fast or not at all’ Johnny piped up.
‘And I would know if we were going really fast’ I deadpanned. “Exceed maximum weight” flashed up above the elevator door. I grimaced as the doors opened and my uncle grumbled,
‘I’ll take the stairs’ really sadly. The doors closed and finally the elevator jumped to life and started up towards the top floor.