Spider-Man: Duty and Loss Chapter 8: Fantastic Four Part 1

*Bleeer* *Bleeeeeer!*

Johnny Storm woke with a start as an alarm noise rang through the speakers in the room. "Ohh for the love of….what's happening now?" After a small string of curses he groggily got to his feet. Now some may be wondering why he was only now getting up as it was closes to 10am, well the simple answer was, he had a hangover.

Luckily for him, his sister didn't usually wake him up and he didn't have to go to school. If she found out he was drinking when he was only 16, he would be murdered. So the blaring alarm that just woke him up was not a welcome sound, it was more painful than anything else.

Quickly stumbling to his door and out into the hallway he bumped into his sister, Susan Storm, or sometimes just Sue, who was also looking a bit tired. If Johnny were to guess, he would say she had spent too much time in one of the labs last night. Straightening his body at super human speed, he quickly gave her his best smile and didn't let onto the fact he was having a hangover.

"Johnny, you cause this?" Her voice was exasperated as she talked to her younger brother. Johnny showed her a hurt look as he replied. "Why do you always think I caused the problem?" She just gave him a knowing look. "Because you usually do. Especially since we gained our powers." Johnny gave an awkward chuckle as he showed an embarrassed look, she wasn't wrong.

It was only a few months ago that a botched science accident had led to him, his sister, Reed and Ben getting super powers. And what 16 years old wouldn't have fun when they found out they could shoot fire from theirs hands and fly! In his opinion it was his sister that could turn invisible and create barriers with her mind, that was too stiff. She was only 18 for crying out loud!

Johnny mumbled something under his breath for a second before they both made their way to the living area. If it wasn't Johnny that had caused the alarms to go off, it was probably Reed and one of his science experiments.

Just as the sibling moved into the living area a figure came crashing through the window of the high rise. *Crash* "Flame On!" They both instantly jumped into action as they looked at the person that had come flying through. Johnny turned his flames on and Sue held up her hand ready for anything.

"No, no, I must be getting rusty; I didn't mean to do that." The siblings gawked at the new entry and pulled back their fighting stances, the voice was gruffer than either of them had imagined. There, rolling on the floor and grumbling, was Spider-Man!

"OMG!"

"Oh my god!"

"Oh my…. Wait what are we surprised about?" The first 2 voice were those of Johnny and Sue respectively, while the last belonged to the web head that just went along with them. "B-but your Spider-Man!" Johnny shouted out loud as he jumped high in the air, his face one of excitement. Before Spider-Man could get a word in he continued. "I've been a fan of yours for years! Ever since you showed up 5 years ago I've been following your work! My sister here didn't believe you were real the first year, and then when they finally got a picture of you she had to eat her words… urgh."

Sue gave Johnny a quick jab to the ribs as he started to blather on. She looked embarrassed for all of 2 seconds before she calmly sent him a wave. She wouldn't gush like Johnny, but she was also a big fan of Spider-man. He had been working in the city for years cleaning up the streets and helping people. She may have had a crush on him in her early teen years as well, but she would keep that to herself, for now.

"Don't listen to my brother his a bit hyper sometimes." "Hey!" *Bam* "Urgh." She gave her best smile as the alarm continued to ring from the speakers around the room, not caring about her brother that was curled up on the floor. "Riiiight." Spider-man drew out the word before dusting the glass off his body, listening to the alarm going off, he didn't have a lot of time.

Just as he was deciding what he was going to do, Sue spoke up once again. "So what brings you here?" Before he could respond, *Bang!* one of the walls leading to the area was blown through and a huge body flopped to the ground. The body was bigger than most body builders and very sturdy, another thing that was different was that it was completely orange! It was Ben Grimm, the Thing!

"Didn't see that one coming." His voice was deep and commanding as he started to get back to his feet. Through the hole leading into a different research lab, it could be seen that Reed Richards, or Mr. Fantastic, was fighting against some type of bug monster with huge wings and body. Behind them was a portal leading somewhere unknown.

Johnny who had just gotten back up turned to his sister with a puzzled look. "I don't remember that being there before. How about you sis?" Sue rolled her eyes, before she could retort. *Thwip* A strand of web shot past her and into the room, quickly following it was Spider-Man. "That's why I'm here!" he shouted that as he went by and started to battle the hulking monster. It was about the same size as Ben, but shorter than the Hulk.

Chapter end