"IT'S NOT FAAAAAAAAAAIR!" I screamed to the high heavens.

"The topic isn't up for discussion Victoria" Reed says harshly.

I grind my teeth and growl.

"Topic closed" Susan says as she joined Reed next to the elevator.

"No, no, no" I shook my head in frustration. I felt the hot tears of anger sting my eyes. This so wasn't fair.

Sara and David (those sly dogs have practically moved in) sat quietly in the living room while I had my hissy fit. I stomped my foot and jumping on the spot, I pulled my head and yelled till I was blue. They didn't so much as budge or attempted change their view.

Reed, Susan, Ben and Johnny were going on a mission to Latveria to stop Doom and his latest crazy 'take over the world' plot.

And I wasn't going.

"Vick you couldn't go even if we wanted you to" Ben walks up from behind and lays a hand on my shoulder. "You have your concert later today to focus on"

It was seven in the morning. I was up early because I couldn't sleep due to the unprecedented amount of energy coursing through my veins. Sara had slept over and David came knocking at 6 a.m. We were all so excited. But David believed the word 'excited' was only used by/in terms of girls. He said he was 'cool', 'chill'. Trust me we gave him a good whacking after that comment.

Next thing we knew a red beeping alarm went off and Reed goes around stretching all over the place! That was the most movement I've ever seen Reed do combined!

I asked what was going on and the next thing Reed drags a sleeping Ben and tells me their going on a mission. I was ecstatic.

I flew around the room, not knowing what to do or get first when Reed also told me my butt wasn't going anywhere. That he said they are going on a mission not we are.

That was an eye opener.

Why does stuff like this happen to me? I told them that I was a member of their team. They couldn't leave a teammate behind!

Susan made it clear that they could.

Worse of all my tantrum made me seem like the whiny little baby that started this story. I don't care! This wasn't justice! They said, "I was the fifth member" and now they wanna ditch me. Using excuses like "I'm inexperienced" "I'm naïve" "It's too far" "You don't have you're uniform!".

That last one grated my skin the most.

"I thought Reed'd been working on my uniform since my birthday" I say angrily.

"I have been, but due to the circumstances of your outfit it's taking a lot longer than expected" Reed counters, then his eyes lit up at the opportunity to give a long ass lecture on sciencey stuff no one wanted to know.

"You see..." he began, everyone in the room groaned. "Most of our clothes are made from unstable molecules, which I invented a few years ago, there unique nature allows materials made with them to adapt to any number of different energy and physical stresses"

"Yawn" I say.

"Plus our main suits or 'uniform', as Susan loves to identify them, was caused due to our exposure to the cosmic rays in space. But you got infected while here on earth, two very different climatic conditions plus your clothes nearly got ripped right out of your body due to the explosion"

"Yawn squared." I say again.

"So to sow back together the shards of your clothes into a uniform, or to make a new suit out of scratch will take more time" Reed tried to reason.

I sigh under my breath, this was getting me nowhere. The odds were stacked mightily against me. I had no suit, no experience, a concert to prep for, an outfit to pick out, kiss Johnny, practice our song-

Whoa whoa, back up, kiss who?

I gasp ever so slightly as my mind caught up. I look over at Johnny. He was standing near the kitchen which was to my right. Reed, Ben and Susan couldn't see him but I could plainly see the quiet look on his face. Like he had something to say but he decided it would be unwise to voice it.

Reed and Susan's mouth were moving but I had tuned them out.

"Fine" I said to whatever they had been saying.

Susan had her hand in the air in a nagging gesture but her finger limped down at my acceptance. She and Reed sputtered in shock then nodded at me.

"Okay" Susan said dumbfoundedly.

The three adults in the elevator shifted around uncomfortably, some looking down at their feet. They must feel really ashamed of themselves for doing this to me. They knew they were being unfair but it was for the best. What if the mission took a wrong turn and I missed the concert?

I cringe at the thought.

What if they missed the concert?

"You guys are gonna be back in time for the concert right?" I tried to sound nonchalant but I couldn't stop the underlining sound of worry in my voice. "You're not gonna miss it...are you?"

Susan rushed out of the elevator and hugged me.

"We won't." She says forcefully willing me to believe.

And my body instantly relaxed. They wouldn't miss it for the world, they'll make it to the concert or die trying.

Susan walked back into the elevator, she looked around at the men around her. "One...two...where three?" she counted then stop when she realized one was missing.

I look to the kitchen but Johnny wasn't there anymore. Where's Johnny?

"Johnny!" Susan screamed.

"I'm coming! Go down without me!" his irritated voice yelled back.

When did he pass us without me seeing him?

"Urgh!" Susan punched a button and the elevator dinged closed. "If you're not down in five minutes we're leaving without you!"

Immediately as they left Johnny silently steps out of his room, looking out to make sure they'd gone. He waves me over to come quietly. I look and see David and Sara were watching TV as a distraction from hearing me fight with Reed so they didn't know that they'd left already.

I tiptoe behind them and padded my way to him as he stood between both our bedroom doors.

"Hey" I say breathlessly.

He doesn't reply. He was being so quiet I thought he might have actually spoken but I just hadn't heard him.

We stand there for a moment, feeling kind of awkward...or was it just me?

I look up at him, waiting for him to make a move or at least tell me why he called me here. He didn't call you, okay? Calling you would involve him actually speaking, he waved you over and you were the dog that ran over with your tongue lose and tail wagging.

That wasn't entirely true, I calmly walked over and my tongue was only slightly lose. And Johnny hadn't even made eye contact with me in awhile, so him waving over to talk to me was a miracle, I'm dying to hear what'll come out of those lips.

Then I made the biggest mistake of my life.

I looked at his lips.

The jerk should just kiss me! End my misery! Or maybe I should make the first move? Take the initiative.

No girl, do not do that. You will regret it, wait till his ready.

I sigh under my breath and look down at the floor while I wiggle around playfully with my finger.

I huge square box enters my lines of vision.

I look up to see Johnny handing me a white box, simple, no design.

I take it and lift the lid.

And gasp.

My dolphin was resting on a mixture of blue material that looked like the sea.

I had totally forgotten to ask Johnny about it, it completely slipped my mine and with all the goings on it...it...

I feel his finger slip under my chin and lift my head up to his, I look into his crystal blue eyes that made my very soul tingle. This was the sweetest thing his ever done for me, heck, tome.

I smile at him, my most genuine, heartfelt smile.

His eyes momentarily go rounder as he looked at me in momentary shock, then he leans down and...kisses my head.

What the heck? Johnnnnnny!

He smirks at me, as if knowing that wasn't what I was expecting. And he walks off towards the elevator.

I don't know whether to be happy about the gift or be infuriated by the lack of the one that I wanted. I look back at the box as I stood on the corridor. The material my dolphin was lying on was familiar, a mixture of the color blue and dark blue with abit of black.

I shrug my shoulders with a happy smile and take it back to the living room.

"Hey guys! Look who came swimming back!"

Sara found it the gesture adorable as well as the image of the dolphin and snapped pictures left, right and center!

David was, just like me, eyeing the material that lined the box. It looked latex but not something you'd use as a wrapper.

"Vick? Mind checking what your sea rat is lying on?"

I pushed him on the shoulder.

"Ow!" the force knocked him off the couch.

I laugh as I pull the blue material off the box, and I froze dead cold on the spot.

It was a suit.

A fantastic Four suit.

My suit.

*******************************************************************

I stood in my room infront of the mirror and just stared at the suit, my uniform, reflect back at me from the full length mirror on my bathroom door.

I was staring, dumbfounded. Shell shocked. Perplexed. Speechless. Thunderstruck.

I have to read the dictionary to find more word to use for my astonishment.

A note was attached to the suit. But I didn't trust myself to read it in front of my friends. I hid the note out of their eye sight as they practically begged me to try the suit on. Now I wasn't so sure if it was a good idea to try it on. But Sara would skin me alive if I didn't.

I lifted my hair high up in a lose bun, and I pull the suit over my body. It fit perfectly.

My suit had alittle pop of a collar and had the perfect blends of different shades of blue. The "4" logo in black and white was branded on my chest strategically between my breasts. The faint lines of my muscles showed through the suit down to my abs. Bottom line, my body looked incredible.

But I didn't have the long hand gloves Sue and the others (except for Ben) did. Instead I find biker gloves, with holes for where your fingers poke through and looked wicked awesome cool. They reached almost up to my elbow and I knew with all certainty that Johnny had a hand in the gloves (most ironic statement), he knew I'd like these better, and he was right.

Tangles of my hair fell out of the bun, my eyes looked sexy and alluring and my lips looked slightly swollen. In the light my hair looked alittle too yellow and blonde and I caught a glimpse of Susan in the mirror. Did I really look that much like her?

I push the thought out of my head as I unfold the note that was attached to the suit. I wasn't sure if the hand writing was Johnny's but who else would it be?

It read:

~To Freeze

               The gang may not want you following us

               But I felt you deserved to atleast wear your suit.

               Don't think them doing this means you're not part

               of the team. It means you're the most valuable member.

               Congrats on landing the concert gig, now that you're over

               me I can't congrat you the way I want. See you later.

                                      ~The Human Tourch

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Get outta there and let us see!" Sara yelled. I quickly pull myself together.

I step out of the bathroom and saw David.

"How-?"

"She yells really good." David just says as an explanation, then he looks me up and down with an evil grin. "And might I add-" he whistle long and proud at my appearance.

Sara was still sitting in the couch and her eyes almost pop out of her head. Her mouth went into full overload as she appraises and picks apart every detail of my suit. All I heard was a dull buzz as Johnny's note rang through my head.

I can't congrat you the way I want? What does that mean? There's a way he wants to congratulate me but he can't? Now that I'm over him he can't do it?

Maybe he wanted to kiss me. But because of my stupid mouth he backed out?

Isn't that what you wanted?

No!...Yes!...how should I know???

"Girl, I will bitxh slap you if you keep zoning out like that" Sara warns threatening.

"Vicks, what's wrong?" David asked, walking up behind me.

I growl as I hold my head.

"I'm so confused!" I yelled.

My two friends gap at me, and why shouldn't they? There super powered friend was going loco.

"Hey" Sara says soothingly, rubbing a hand on my shoulder. "What's up?"

"First I'm mad cause the gang left me, then resolve that there's nothing that could be done, then Johnny comes along and gives me a heart aneurism by acting like he was going to kiss me but doesn't-yes, Sara he didn't kiss my lips but my forehead" I nod at her horrified expression.

"That –custard!" Sara manages to save from cursing.

"Then he gives me back my dolphin which I can't believe I forgot and underneath is the suit that supposedly didn't exist, stopping me from going on the badass awesome mission!" I pull more strands of my hair out of my bun.

"I go from frustrated, to sulky, to happy, to googly eyes, to shock, to happiness again, and boomeranged back to angry" I shake my head as if to get rid of all the confusion.

"And worst of all Johnny accepts the fact that I'm over him and I'm not sure that I want him to"

"Why?" David said a little irritated.

"Because I'm/she's a girl!" Sara and I both scream.

David held up his hand and dived behind the couch for safety.

Sara wraps me tight in a bestfriend-its-gonna-be-alright hug. "Don't worry girl, we'll get through this"

"Whose 'we'?" David said peeking from behind the couch.

We both glare at him, willing both of us to be graced with the divine power to shot laser out of our eyes.

"Yes! 'we' will get through his" David hurriedly said. "Just like how 'we' will go get some snacks from the kitchen"

And David bolts off.

"We should've killed him a long time ago" Sara sighs at David's retreating figure.

"Hell, your police report might read 'Saratu Schmitt kills Dave Cunningham' but mine would bluntly state 'Victoria Howard murders her good long time friend in cold blood at midnight with an ice cream scooper'" I laugh sourly.

"I HEARD THAT!"

"Miss Howard, you have a guest" Herbie informs me.

"So long as it's not an axe murder, sure, let him in." I wave uninterestingly.

"Oh I have a feeling you'll like this visitor" Herbie says, and the elevator door dings open.

"CAPATIN AMERICA!!" Sara jumps up and throws herself at the entrance. She lands at Caps feet and holds on for dear life with a death grip.

"Okay, whoa! You're friendly" Cap smiles down at Sara and causes her to squeal in delight.

"He has dimples!"

I chuckle and walk up to Cap with my arms folded. "Wassup Steve?"

"Who's there?" David walks out with a mixing bowl in hand "No way" and drops it. He bolts forward but I halt him with my palm on his chest.

"Cool it dude" I mumble, "I can only handle one friend embarrassing me at a time"

I turn and smile at Cap.

"So what brings you to our little corner of the world?" I asked. The I stop and do alittle twirl for Steve in my new suit. "How you like my uniform?"

"Hmm, nice can't wait to break it in" he appraises, looking at me, or my suit, critically.

"Excuse me what?"

"Training" Cap simply replies.

"Say what?"

"You didn't think we'd fight once and you'd skip into the sunset will ya?" Cap said.

"Yes!" I answer desperately. I remember the grueling fight Cap put me through and how bad my muscles felt afterwards.

"Vick, our training's gonna be weekly" Cap says, frowning his brows.

"Say what!???" I do the math in my head. "It's been more than a week since we last trained" I whine.

"That's cause the Avengers had a mission in Qatar and Tony took you out afterwards" he stop talking and scrunched up his face, "Okay, that last line made my tongue bitter" he stuck it out and looked at it.

Sara almost cried.

"But I train here" I try to distract him, I love Cap, honest. But I can't take week after week of fighting him.

"When was the last time you trained, aside from ours" he adds.

Zip!

Shit, I'm screwed. When was the last time I trained? I don't know...Chapter 2 maybe?

"Uhm......" I mumble feebly.

"I thought so" Cap nodded smugly. "Look the Fantastic Four won't always have the time to train you-"

Don't I know it

"-and sometime neither will I. But I'm willing to help you as best I can" Cap said with as much heartfelt honesty that I almost cried.

"Ah, uhm..." I still had doubts.

"SAY YES!" Sara shrieked.

"Alright fine" I sigh out exasperatedly.

"Alright, let's get started" Cap beams, knowing that no one had the heart or the brains to go against the wishes of the honest, kind and all round good guy that was Captain America.

"Oh no, no, no, no" I wag my finger at him. "Not today, we got a concert to prep for" I indicated between the three people still bearing teen after their ages in the room.

"And?" Cap shrug his shoulders like what I said was irrelevant.

I couldn't help my giggle. I walk closer to Cap whom was dressed in his leather biker jacket, blue jeans and a white top in between. I lay a hand on his shoulder, lean in close to his face and whisper.

"We've got an epic End-Of-Summer concert that starts in Times Square with us as the opening band, leads to an epic carnival in Central Park and ends with us doing an awe-tacilar closing performance at Madison Square Garden"

I make a smug face at him like only an idiot wouldn't understand what I'm trying to say.

"Is that suppose to impress me?" Cap asked.

David almost coked on his own spit.

"Waw..." I look at Cap like the alien he probably was. "You just made my heart cry...and break...and want to bunch you in the face"

"Then let's go out on the ring and you use that emotion while you fight me" Cap urged.

"You got it" I grinned at my friends, "No one disses Times Square and gets away with it"

"I'm quaking in my red soldier boots" Cap says sarcastically.

"Oh my gosh, Cap used sarcasm...correctly!" I exclaim in mock wide eyed glee.

Everyone in the room laughed and it warmed my heart. I rarely hear laughter anymore, well I do, but it never really reaches my heart. Ever since I found out about the whole black-hole-inside-you thing I've been terrified to use my powers. It scary thinking that any slight mistake- any change in emotion, could result in me and everyone I love's death. Or just me. We're still on the loop on that one.

Reed didn't want to pressure me but I could tell he was just dying to put me back in the tube and run a billion more experiments on me. Ben and Susan politely don't mention the subject at all. And Johnny, well, he's ignored me most of the time so what else is new?

"But Vick, what about practice" Herbie asked from the building. "For the concert?"

"Whoa," Cap looked around in shock, "Don't tell me you people as well have a talking building" Cap looked up at the ceiling and around the walls in childish wonder.

"I'm sorry Mr. America," Herbie said, "But I am not a talking building where as I am highly automated-"

"Can it, Herbie" I sneer. And walk to the lab.

The last place I trained was in Reed's lab, but what wasn't always common knowledge was that a section of Reed's lab can transform into a training area where Reed could work and also monitor my performance. I don't really use it as much anymore, I'd say it's a shame but we all know that's a lie.

"Alright here we go" Cap took off his jacket and threw it to the ground. "Let's go with the basics, no powers"

Thank God, I silently thought. "Herbie, can you get the training section up and running?" I ask out loud.

"Sure thing" he replied with a bright and bubbly voice. The sides of the right corner of Reed's lab began to transform, the walls sliding in to give way for the sleek aluminums ones that came out.

Something on the ground caught my eyes as the room transformed.

"What's that?" I ask, pointing at Cap's jacket on the floor.

He looks down, "Oh, a newspaper I was reading earlier"

"Dude, seriously the paper?" David scoffed.

"Got a problem with that?"

"Yes, I do. That is so old school-"

And the rest of their conversation drowned out as my eyes zoom in on the front cover image. I bend down and slide the paper out of his pocket and flip the front page open.

There, in black and white – with alittle color – was Johnny, holding hands walking down a street with Bridgette.

My hands and blood run cold.

Oh no

Their heads were bent down, trying to avoid the flashes of paparazzi lights, their shoulders not more than an inch apart. They looked to be...smiling? Or atleast laughing about something.

Probably laughing at you, My inner bitch says snarkily.

I look at the headlines: NEW YORK'S LATEST 'IT' COUPLE?

I fight the urge to crumple the paper and read the first line of paragraph.

              New York's very own heartthrob Jonathan Strom, a.k.a The Human Torch, as been spotted around town with a rather lovely looking Blonde. The two seem to be very much in love and only a jealous crazy fangirl would be blind to the chemistry budding between the two love birds. Although last night at a Biker Derby Rally The Human Torch himself only had the words "It's none of your business" to say when questioned. Sources close to couple couldn't be reached for comment.

This time I couldn't help it, I crushed the paper between my hands, threw it on the ground and stomped and jumped on it several times.

"Ya, I was ticked as well when I saw that article" Cap says, shaking his head in agreement. "$8.98 for a pound of Danish bacon? I don't care if your pork is considered the 'trendiest', I ain't buying!"

I growl at him.

Cap backs up with his hands raised. "Okay the pork is good, but make it $6.59 at most!"

I turn my eyes towards David and Sara. "You knew?"

They looked at each other with confused expressions. I yanked the paper off the floor and dangle it in their faces. "Tell me you didn't know!?" I yelled at them.

The look on their faces said it all. Sara's eyes momentarily become wide and David just coughs awkwardly. And the all the pent up anger, all the emotions, all the scared feelings burst out of me so swift and hard I didn't not realize when I swung a punch.

It sailed spot on in Caps direction but he blocks it for with his forearm. He moves back and maneuvers us into the training corner. I barely notice as I swing punches left and right, trying to get the rage out of me.

Don't fight with anger, rage clouds judgment. I hear my dad's words once again.

Sorry dad, but you've never been a teen girl in love with her heart severely broken.

I side stepped Cap, threw a punch, he dodged. I got down on my hands, pushed my legs up and wrapped my legs around Cap's neck and bring his head ramming down to the floor.

"Oh!" David flinches.

"HIS FACE!" Sara screeches.

"Shut up!" I spit at them. The clamp their mouths shut.

As Cap tried to get up I bring my knee up to ram in his chin, he only just blocked it when I bring up my other leg and kick his face. He slides across the floor.

"Oh no!" Sara mourns.

"If you say another word it's you imma be fighting" I hiss at her.

"What's your problem?" Sara frowned at me.

"My problem is my 'best-friends' didn't tell me what was going on right under my nose" I snarl.

"You said you were over him!" Sara cries in defense. "We thought you wouldn't care!"

"How could I not!?" my temper was growing, "You talked about it and decided that the best thing to do was not tell me? What if I changed my mind and went after him?"

"Because you would've told us if and before you did" David countered.

The fact that they were fighting against my points made me even angrier. They just don't get it!

"You just wanted me to make a fool of myself!" I shout, "You wanted me to throw myself at him and go 'Oh looked at the pathetic little nobody!' with everyone else."

"Just because you have them fancy powers does not mean I won't slap you when you start talking crazy" Sara snarled. She was getting angry too. But she had no right to be.

"Whoa whoa, time out" Cap flashed the time out sign as he walked over. He looked down at me, "Vick, what's wrong? I thought we were training, not trying to kill me"

That's when I snapped.

"SO EVERYTHING IS MY FAULT!" I yelled. "I can't go on a mission, I can't like a boy, I can't trust my friends and I'm just terrible and suck at life!" I hiccup, oh God, were those tears coming?

"Vicky, what is up with you?" Sara asked suspiciously.

"Is she on her period" David whispered asked in a scared tone.

I growl like a wild caged animal. They just don't get it! No one does.

The temperature of the room drops, even before they knew it I turn to stomp out of the room, half in anger and the other half in fear. I can't freeze, not now. Johnny wasn't here to chase the cold away. He wouldn't be able to drag me out of the darkness.

Johnny has a new girl...

No, no, no, STAY AWAY. I was coming, I could feel it.

The cold was back, and it was angry. It wanted me badly. But I wasn't going to give it the satisfaction of taking me without a fight.

As I turn to leave Cap's eyes glow with understanding.

"I need to be alone" I mumble, fighting back the tears.

"Victoria" he grabs my shoulder and locks onto my eyes, "Fight it."

"What? Fight what" David asked worriedly.

I breathe calmingly, I used every bit of might and will I had and shove that thing back down. 1, 2, 3...1, 2, 3...4, 5, 6

The cold had gone down, but the anger was still there. I block everything and everyone out and made sure the darkness, the cold, was latched down deep where it couldn't escape and resurface anytime soon.

I open my eyes and look at my friends, yes all of them, including Cap.

Then everything comes flooding back, the mission, the lies, my suit (speaking of which-hey! I still had it on!), the pressure of the concert, Johnny and Bridgette, my friends hiding things from me, the cold, all those things boiled through me and made me spit out my next words.

"I'm not doing the concert" I said to a stunned David and Sara. "Find someone else to do it"

And I walk out and slammed the door to my room.

*******************************************************************

Breathe Vick, breathe

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Victoria Howard you are not throwing a tantrum on us and bailing out on the concert!!" Sara shrieked and attacked my door.

I push two pillows between my ears and block them out.

I wasn't stable, I can't do the concert. What if my mic failed and I went all Ice Princess on the crowd?

No, this was better. They should get a new lead guitarist and lead female singer to perform the concert that would've been the greatest thing in my life.

I sigh out loud, and let the tears fall.

Never in my life have I ever felt so alone. Infact it seems like I've always been alone, I've had friends, company, but in my heart I was in a kingdom all on my own, with no one to share it with. But isn't that how most people with ice powers are? Alone. They never find companion or warmth, always the outsider or the odd one out.

The freak

Beep, beep, beeeeeeeeeeep

My phone, wiping my eyes I sit up and I look at it and find a message:

      Turn on your Ipad

"I have an Ipad?" I ask out loud.

"Yes you do" Herbie replied. Urg, I forget that he's everywhere.

A panels slides open in the sides of the wall next to my window with I used to escape so many situations, maybe I should use it now? Before Sara breaks down the door I'll be long gone.

But to do that means you'd have to use your powers.

My shoulders sag. I so didn't want to do that.

I walk over to the window, but instead of jumping out like a sane teenage girl would, I picked up the magical Ipad that appeared from the wall given to me by the talking apartment.

The Skype logo appeared on the screen of the Ipad and next thing an incoming call appears and it begins to ring.

Who could be calling me on my new Ipad that I just realized I had?

I swipe the screen and answered the call.

Johnny's gorgeous face appears. My first emotion was shock. He was standing in what looked to be...a tropical jungle? A mountain? It was too dark to tell. It must be night time over in Latveria.

Then came the anger, the rage. Just when I was beginning to start thinking about maybe not being over him, or to start liking him again, for short, he goes and starts dating Bridgette. The same person he claims he has nothing going on with! Oh, I am giving him a piece of my mind.

"Are you stupid?" Johnny yells at me, cutting me off from speaking first.

I look at him in dumbfounded shock. I did not expect that from him. He hasn't talked to me in days and that's the first thing he says? Waw.

"Cap just calls Reed being frantic that you almost let yourself freeze over because you got upset at a picture of me and Bridgette?" he finishes with an expression on his face that said I must be the stupidest girl on the planet.

My face instantly reddens at the thought that Cap would actually say that TO REED!

"Did Sue...?" I couldn't even finish the sentence from sheer embarrassment.

"No, she and Ben were staking out Doom's Fortress when he called" he shakes his head. "That's not important, why are you not doing the concert? Was it because of the pictures?"

"No!" I yell meekly, I am going to die. "It's just...argh! So complicated, you wouldn't understand!" I shout.

"Try me" he says deadly.

I gulp. I did not want to try him in anyway.

"I just...uhm, well-I" I fumbled with the words.

"Oh for the love of God," Johnny scoffs, angling his head in annoyance. "spit it out you Goddamn child!"

That snapped the words into order.

"I've been left behind by my Goddamn team, how's that for a start?" I yell at him.

"Oh get over yourself" Johnny says angrily, "It's not the end of the word, has it ever occurred to you I've been left out of some missions? Even Ben has for crying out loud"

I go mute.

"Just because we went without you doesn't mean we all of a sudden are crazy monsters who abandoned you in a dumpster. You're too young, you're inexperience, you're too naïve when it comes to the mind of a villain-like I told you when we first fought, and you have your concert to think about" I gulp.

"You're a real pain in the neck you know that? It times like these when Reed and Sue judge your maturity and you let them down when you whine and mourn like a toddler" he ruffles his hair to get a bug out, "What else is bothering you that I 'won't understand'?" he mocked with quotation.

"Aaahmm..." Johnny had that annoyed look again, "They lied about the suit!"

"Oh boohoo" Johnny mocks, "An adult lied to you, so sad. That has never happened before" he continues sarcastically, "Adults never lie, have never lied in the history of the world, tell me, how did you feel about the tooth fairy or the Easter Bunny? Let me guess, you still believe in Santa?"

"Are you trying to make me feel worse?" I ask.

"Yes" Johnny answers, "Next"

Next? What was next? Now that I think about it I was acting kinda silly. Blowing off like that and screaming at my friends.

"I don't think there is a next" I mutter sheepishly, looking at the floor.

"Oh, there is a next" Johnny states. "My picture with Bridgette"

Bingo!

"Look Vick, there is nothing" he stresses. "Believe me or not, that's your business, but it would be nice if for once you won't see me as a slimy, cheating player who's sole purpose on this earth is to be out to break your heart"

That got to me. I was at a loss for words. Then the memory came back of what just transpired and I look up at Johnny's image on the screen with fear.

"The cold" I simply say.

Johnny's shoulders sag and his expression changes for that of annoying-rude-jerk to something close to compassionate.

"I know, Cap told us" he sighs, "I wish I was there to help keep you warm" he says with utmost sincerity.

"Me too" I mutter.

"But it's gone now?"

"Yeah, I beat it back"

"Good girl" I peek up at him. "Is that all that's bothering you?"

I sigh, "I might've been upset that my friends knew about the whole...you know, you and Bridgette thing and keeping it from me. But I guess it's their way of protecting me from the pain. They honestly wouldn't have known that my feeling for you were changing"

"I'm sorry, what?" Johnny asked, confused.

I sigh again, "I don't think I'm over you, I'm not sure!" I say quickly to Johnny's suddenly happy expression. "It's just...you drive me crazy Johnny Storm. And not in a good way" I grin.

Johnny was just grinning like a mad man. "You're crazy over me?"

"No! You drive me crazy! There's a difference" I point at him, "Don't go getting any crazy idea's Johnny"

Johnny ignores me and looks around his surroundings in wonder, like a miracle just occurred. From the image I see him mouth the word 'waw' silently. He looks back at me through the Ipad and I see an emotion in his eyes I just couldn't quite recognize.

"I'll see you at the concert" he just says. And he logs off.

Ah oh, what did I do?

Beep, beep, beeeeeeep. My phone goes off again. I look, two messages:

The suit looks great on you

And,

This time I'll congratulate you properly on landing the gig

I couldn't help my smile. I bite my lips and walk out my room to a frantic Sara, a pissed off David and a worried Steve. Not a good combo.

I look at them, still biting at my lips in unsure joy and anticipation. "What are you guys standing around for? Let get ready for a concert!" I scream gleefully.

Sara eyes go huge for a moment and she joins me in excited gleeful screams, jumping up and down in the process. Cap sighs with relief while holding his chest as he looks at me through the corner of his eye and just grins.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up" David interrupts. He walks between us, "You expect to throw a tantrum, leaving us hanging, scare us to death, and come out pretending everything is peachy and that we'll except you back?"

A second goes by.

"Duh" I say with arms open.

David tries to keep on a pissed face but it melts away and he pulls me up and hugs me tightly, "Don't you ever scare us like that again" he whispers in my ear.

"Promise" I giggle. He sets me down and I look at everyone. "Sorry for what happened, I've just..." I sighed, "got a lotta shit going down in ma head"

"And who better to share it with then with friends?" Sara beamed wrapping her arms around me. "Let's go get ready for that concert, we still have a huge chunk of hours left" she smiles.

The three of us turn to walk away when we find Cap blocking our path. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Uhm..." all three of us say.

"You're not done training" Cap says with a grave face.

Oh no.

Then he burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding!"

We all laugh as well.

"Times Square here we come!" Sara squeals gleefully.

*******************************************************************

"I am so so sorry Vick, but we won't be able to make it" Susan tells me over my new Ipad.

"No don't worry about it" I reassure her, there were fires and bombs going up behind her. I was more worried for her life then for her making the concert, turns out Ben had trigger an accidental alert and the FF were fighting to stay alive. "Watch out!" I shout.

Susan covers herself in a forcefield as an energy bomb goes off on her shield.

"But I feel horrible" Susan continues, like she was having a normal conversation with a friend over tea instead of in a hostile environment that was out to kill her.

"Don't" I say calmly, "It's okay"

It really was. There were hundreds and hundreds of people gathered around to watch us open, David calculated afew thousand maybe. There was even a TV crew and everything!

 "You guys can always watch my performance later on TV" I reassure, "All that matters is that you stay safe and get back in one piece" I smile at her.

Susan smiles back, "You can be very mature at times, Vick" she says proudly.

"I try my best" with a little tough-love help from Johnny.

Susan nods to me, ending out conversation. But before she goes off she turns her head over and yelled to someone, "Where's Johnny?"

The video call ends. I switch the Ipad off and breathe, I'm sure there alright. They are the Fantastic Four for heaven's sake, they are just running alittle late. And it wasn't their fault, even if they can't be here it's not the end of the world. No need to go freeze over or anything.

I left Sara on stage behind the curtain checking the drums to make sure they didn't screw her up. And David had been walking around backstage with his guitar in hand trying to pick up any girl that'll even stand and talk to him. It was all coming together, Cap couldn't stay because he was causing a mob (fangirl mob, but still a mob), so he went back to Avengers Tower to watch the live show with Tony and the rest. Our show was going live, everywhere, to the whole city of New York-and then some. Roughly 9 million people will be watching, and I'm not freaking out. I think to myself proudly and happily.

"Here you go" a short and stubby someone backstage with a rough voice handed me a mic and walked away.

"Okay, I'm going to freak out now" I say in a panicked voice.

"Oh, don't you dare"

I gasp, that was Johnny's voice.

I whip around to find him standing there in normal everyday clothes and a wicked grin on.

"But-" he doesn't let me finish. He bolts forward, carries me up and kisses me hard on the lips. He rains down tiny kisses on my lips, holding my head in both his hands like I was an egg that'd surely break if he wasn't careful.

"We're going on in 5 minutes!" someone yelled.

I laugh as I looked up at Johnny, "You...came? You made it!" I look behind him, expecting to see Susan and Ben and Reed. Susan must've been playing a joke on me this whole time.

"They're not here" Johnny says, I look up at him confused. "I told Ben to explain to Susan that I was leaving so I could get back in time to catch you show. I flew all the way from Latveria, it was hard, but it was worth it"

He kisses me again and I feel like I was about to take off.

"2 MINUTES!"

"You left your team, probably for dead, and came to see my show?" I asked in a high squeaky voice, "That is the sweeeeeetest" I grip his face and kiss him deeply, pushing my tongue into his and feeling him suck on it greedily. It wasn't until we hear "1 MORE MINUTE" that we pulled away, looking at each other and breathing deeply.

Johnny rests his forehead on mine, "No that's how you congratulate someone" he breathes out.

I laugh.

"30 SECONDS!!!"

"Shut up!" we yell at the rough voiced fat guy. He looks at us in fear and confusion and he bolts off.

"Vick!? Where are you were on?" David runs around looking for me, with Sara behind him holding onto a pair of drumstick. They stumbled upon us and run back into each other to hid around the corner, peeking at us.

"Now go rock that stage, and don't be afraid to use your powers to make.it.memorable" Johnny says. And he pecks me on the lips.

I could hear Sara's "Awn" from here.

I smile at Johnny, and I run over to my friends, Sara was silently screaming in joy and David lifted a fist for me to bump. I ignore both of them and drag them by the collar after me as we ran on stage.

"10...9...8...7"we reach the stage and Sara sits behind the drums "6...5...4" David and I were fitted with our guitars, mine an electric blue with lighten blazing across and David's a fiery inferno red. "3...2...1!"

Silence ensues and darkness envelops us as the curtains pull aside and a plump of smoke engulfs us. I get a moment of panic, what am I doing here? I can't do this! We've only practice three times! Twice of which we didn't even have a song and the third time in my parent house in my room where we threw together a song we knew and just changed the beats! I'm gonna screw up, I'm gonna screw up!

Then I look to my left, standing just out of sight behind the curtains was Johnny. He was looking at me with that face and emotion I couldn't recognize, he looked me right in the eye and mouths "You can do it"

And suddenly, I feel like I could defy gravity if I so wanted.

(a/n if you haven't already play song by the side now)

The lights flood on, the stage is blaring with light. And David and I bolt out in song with our guitars. Sara goes crazy on the drums.

Then David takes the lead with singing. It was the Hawaiian song from Lilo and Stitch and we rocked out. The lyrics perfectly related to summer and the song itself harmonized with everyone's individual needs.

David and I interchanging in singing the lyrics as we finish each other's sentences, then comes Sara and I speaking utter gibberish in a language we had no hpe of understanding. But it was okay, we were laughing, we were having fun! Isn't that what mattered?

We belt out in killer guitar riffs, we dance and spin around the stage, and Sara bobs her head wildly in every direction I feared her head'd come off. Her hair was flying everywhere and I was amazed at the amount of energy she was using right now.

We were worried the crowd won't like the songs, c'mon, not everyone's bound to. But its summer, it's about fun! About risks! And a good chunk of the crowd were going mad, jumping frantically and dancing their asses off. Then I spot him.

"Kevin!"

He looks up at me stunned, like surprised I recognized him. I continued to sing but I worked my way over to the side of the stage where he was and held my hand to him. Everyone around him was starting till their eyes bulged out.

"So it's true" "He wasn't lying" "The lucky son-of-a-gun does know her"

Were afew of the mummers I heard, but I didn't care. I dragged Kevin on staged and swung him around and danced madly on the stage.

I was so happy, I sang at the top of my lungs and I rocked my guitar till my fingers hurt. The joy inside me was overflowing, so I took Johnny's word.

I threw my hands in the air and rained snow down on everyone. What was better than having a snow day in summer? Nothing!

I made a snow slide and raced over the crowd, they were going wild! I made a slide of ice going up and a rode it to the top and jump down on stage going into an epic guitar solo.

Then Sara's drum solo came up and she murdered it. David yanked his mic off the stand and ran over to a crowd of girls kicking and clawing at each other to get closer to him.

Oh I won't hear the end of this!

I laughed. Kevin was over with Sara and he was banging wildly on a set of tambourines. I jump on stage repeatedly, pumping my fists in the air and the crowd followed, I shook my hair wildly as I went into the final ending of the song. And David closes it and Sara shots up from her seat and smashes the drums one last time, breaking her sticks.

The crowd erupts, the deafening screams filling up the whole of New York. I'm sure people in Texas and California could hear them.

I laughed one last time as I drag David and Sara into a grateful hug and we stood before the crowd and took a bow.

I look into one of the several cameras that were pointed at us throughout the song and I yell, "THANK YOU NEW YORK!"

And I was answered by even more screaming.

A girl could really get used to this.

I grab Kevin into a quick hug and leave my friends on stage and run back stage. I run into Johnny's arms and he envelops me I a hug and he holds me close as I couldn't stop my erratic breathing and thumping heart.

"I told you you'd be amazing" he whispers.

"You never said that" I laughed.

"I always believed it" he replies.

"Urgk! Don't get corny on me Jonathan" I mock.

We both laugh. We look at each other for a silent moment, our gazes drop down to the others lips and our faces inch closer and closer-

"Vick, you need to take a look at this" David rushes in.

"You couldn't wait 5 minutes?" I look at him in amazement.

"Ben might be dead in 5 minutes" he says gravely, and runs away.

Johnny and I don't even think, we run out on stage. Apart from the few screaming girls who saw Johnny come out, "It's the Human Torch! I love you!" everyone had their attention on the jumbo screen that had projected our performance on a huge screen but was now showing a woman who was reporting about a mini comet that landed in Central Park.

But it wasn't a comet, it was Ben.

And Doom was there attacking him right now.

"Dafuq!?"

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Author's Note

Sorry you guys I know it's been a week or two since I updated but in my defense you guys know how hectic college can be sometimes. There were so many points in this story where I wanted to stop but I kept telling myself, "NO! Your fans got you to 10.1K, they deserve more!" And now I give it to you.

8604 words, you're welcome :p

And thanks to you we can finally upload the NEW COVER!!!

THAT I MADE!!

Isn't it cool for a wanna-be? XD XD XD

So, in celebration of my recent achievement (I am going to milk this as best I can.) I'd like to say some thanks. But instead of thanking all the supporters which you all know lets thank someone who didn't think I could make it and thought that this story sucked.

Hey, call me childish if you want for bring up a 'hater' (though I doubt he's one) I'd like to dedicate this chapter to him. On my very first chapter he actually told me "this sucks, sorry" I almost did not continue this story and delete it because I believed him.

But my friends told me to ignore him (cause I wanted to insult the living sh*t outta him) and keep writing. So everyday I write to make sure what I type doesn't suck and is very enjoyable to the public. That's mainly why I haven't deleted the comment, it's a sign of strength to me.

So thank you, whatever your name is, these 10,000 readers are just as much as yours as they are mine cause you motivated me. So thank you ya douche :p XD

And I love you so much ma beautiful fans and reader!

Also the rock-tastic song you heard sadly does not belong to either Vick or Marvel but was sung by the awesome band Jump5, all credit goes to them!

I love the song but like JUST now searched for the video and I can't believe I've never watched it before and I love em even more! <3 (ryhme!)

Love you all and do not forget to spam my comments, it could be love or hate, it will not negate to my awesome faith, in you guys.

Peace! Love!

And HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Rock out! Knock 'em out!

~Ya Gal Vicky<3!