Dedicated to LOVERisTRASHnow (I got another dedication planned for you LunaMaize )

Cast:

Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic

Jessica Alba as Susan Storm/ Invisible Woman

Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/ The Human Torch

Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing

Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom

Kerry Washington as Alicia Masters

Fernanda Romero as Kathleen Reyes Martinez/Wildcat

Armando Araiza as José Reyes Martinez (Kathleen's father)

Evangeline Lilly as Brooklyn Jacobs (Kathleen's mother)

Tom Cruise as Kyle Harper (Kathleen's stepfather)

Sebastian Rulli as Derek Reyes Martinez (Kathleen's older brother)

Camilla and Rebecca Rosso as Hazel and Skylar Harper (Kathleen's younger stepsisters)

Cameron Boyce as Kirby Harper (Kathleen's younger stepbrother)

I'll put some information about my character and her family before writing the story. Let's go!

Name: Kathleen "Kat" Reyes Martinez

Looks: (before powers) long brown hair, brown eyes, dark skin, on the heavy side, short (5'2), "ugly". (after powers-regular form) short orange hair with black stripes, gold eyes, orange skin (slightly furry), black stripes, tiger ears and tail, lithe yet strong build, "pretty". (after powers-winter form) short white hair with black stripes, gold eyes, white skin with black stripes, Siberian tiger ears and tail, same build as normal form, still "pretty".

Nationality: Mexican-American

Age: 22

Family: José Reyes Martinez (father), Brooklyn Jacobs-Harper (mother), Kyle Harper (stepfather), Derek Reyes Martinez (older brother), Hazel Harper (stepsister-a year younger), Skylar Harper (stepsister and twin to Hazel), Kirby Harper (younger brother-fifteen).

Personality: (before powers)- dorky, shy, soft-spoken, kind, sweet, geeky (but not school smart-dyslexic), loves superheroes, is scared of animals, very emotional (can cry and get angry easily), and loves helping people (can be gullible and a tad bit naive).
(After powers)- still a dork and kind but more braver, feisty, and speaks her mind... and can be a little hot tempered-animalistic if you will.

Likes: Heroes, anime, cartoons, stuffed animals, friends, music (mostly spanish and Taylor Swift), blue, and playing her acoustic guitar.

Dislikes: bullies, racists, animals, and horror films.

Clothing style: comfortable, wears glasses (until she gets her powers), likes big jackets to hide her "fat body". Wears a lot of anime shirts.

Backstory: When she was five, her parents divorced because they just weren't working out anymore-that and her mother fell in love with Kathleen's dentist; Dr Harper. Kat was too young to understand what was happening but her older brother Derek never forgave their mother. The two siblings gained two more siblings a year later, twins Hazel and Skylar. Then again when she was fifteen and her brother, Derek, was in college (26). Kirby was born, and Kathleen was so happy to have a baby brother. Her stepfather was happy to finally have a son since Derek wanted nothing to do with him. Kathleen struggled in high school, having to face racism, and bullies that made fun of her for both her race and dyslexia. She barely graduated. But she did, because her rich stepfather hired a smart kid from MIT by the name of Reed Richards to tutor her. He was only twenty and a genius. Kathleen hated to admit it, but she gained a small crush on Reed. Of course, she got over it but the two became good friends in the end and would joke about her crush on him. He later introduced her to his best friend, Ben Grimm and she was there for him after his girlfriend at the time, Susan Storm, broke up with him. Her brother urged her to take up Reed's invitation to go to space with him and some friends, to study-well, she zoned out when Reed started to talk about science. That's where she met him, Johnny Storm. He didn't even glance her way, and who could blame him? Still, his good looks intimidated her, so she decided to avoid him. And that's when her life changed-when she learned to wear her stripes with pride.

Actress: Fernanda Romero

Languages: Spanish and English

Powers: Super strength, claws that can cut through steel (but not Dr Doom's metal), flexibility, enhanced senses (eyesight, smell, hearing), and an excellent swimmer. She also finds herself speaking to herself-well, tiger spirits that became a subconscious only she can see and makes her look crazy when she speaks to them. Heh.

José Reyes Martinez: dark brown hair-almost black, dark brown-almost black eyes. Tall and strong. Actor: Armando Araiza. stereotypical strict father. Expects the best of his kids, but also for his kids. Owns a restaurant and is the main chef. His kids, Derek and Kathleen, have worked at said place during their teen years. Kathleen took up cooking in the kitchen as well while Derek manned the register. He's very stubborn and hot tempered.

Brooklyn Jacobs: brown hair, hazel eyes. Tall, lithe but muscular, and beautiful. Actor: Evangeline Lilly. A very sassy woman that won't take no crap from anyone. She's a stay at home mom. Her relationship with Derek has been strained, awkward, and pretty much rocky. They don't talk at all and haven't seen each other since the divorce.

Kyle Harper: black hair, green eyes, pale skin. Skinny but not scrawny. Dentist. Actor: Tom Cruise. A very smart man, sort of narcissistic at times, but Brooklyn puts him in his place. He's impatient, but has a soft side to him.

Derek Reyes Martinez: sandy brown hair, hazel eyes. Very built and has become a personal trainer. Actor: Sebastian Rulli. Smart, charming, can be moody, sarcastic, and is a bit of a jerk but cares about his sister. Very protective of her.

Hazel Harper: blonde hair, blue eyes, and tan. Actor: Camilla Rosso. Very bubbly and energetic. Is pretty good at sports and academics. Gets straight A's.

Skylar Harper: blonde hair, blue eyes, and tan. Actor: Rebecca Rosso. Sarcastic, tomboyish, and bad at everything dealing with school. She's incredibly talented at singing and dancing, her and Kathleen playing "shows" for family get togethers.

Kirby Harper: black hair and dark brown eyes, light skin with lots of freckles. Actor: Cameron Boyce. Is very gloomy and moody, always biting back with rude remarks to his other siblings. Is only kind to Kat. Very goth and only listens to My Chemical Romance-is in denial that they broke up. (For you Melody!)

And it's not set in 2005 or any other specific time, okay? Alright, onwards!

WARNING: MY CHARACTER HAS EXTREME SELF HATE AND WILL SHAME HER BODY BY CALLING HERSELF UGLY. Please don't get offended! 🙏

AND THERE WILL BE A LOT OF ERRORS MAYBE!!!

Kathleen reads over the text message several times, her brown eyes not believing it. They keep scanning it and scanning it but the words never change.

From: Reed

Hey, I know it's really late notice... well, not by too much but anyways, remember how I told you about my theory on how evolution occurred because of a-

Kathleen skips over that part, never understanding what Reed means by it. He may have tutored her but that didn't mean she had the patience to break down his "smart" speak. Her dyslexia was already messing up the text for her as it was, she didn't need to add insult to injury.

Well anyways, I'm trying to convince an old classmate of mine to let me use his private space station to study said theory. I wanted to invite you to come to space with me and to talk to him... I could use your support, after all, you are my best friend. Aside from Ben of course.

Kathleen rolls her eyes at this. 'That's so Reed,' she thinks to herself. She goes back to reading it.

Please let me know before next week because that's when I'm heading over to ask him. Your friend, Reed.

'Why did he make it sound like a letter?' Kathleen shrugs and sets her phone down, grabbing her guitar and walking up onto the small stage set up in the corner of the coffee shop. Kathleen takes a seat on a small bar stool and adjusts her instrument to lay comfortably in her lap, strumming some chords as she twists the knobs, tuning her guitar. A big black jacket covers her upper half and the hood is pulled over her long brown hair, hiding her face from the customers-usual and new.

"It was so nice throwing big parties
Jumping to the pool from the balcony
Everyone swimming in a champagne sea
And there are no rules when you show up here
Bass beat rattling the chandelier
Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year."
Kathleen starts to sing, letting her voice carry through the coffee and sweets scented air of the small, busy, coffee shop. The door would chime with a high pitched 'ting-a-ling' every time a new patron entered. They would either pause to listen to the talented woman or be too busy speaking on their phone to care, grabbing their coffee and going the way they entered. As Kathleen finishes the last note, she utters a shy and stammered "thank you" into the mic before rushing off the stage, letting the next booked musician play.

"Amazing job as always, Kathleen." The owner congratulates as he pays her. Kathleen hardly looks at him, always keeping her eyes to the floor and under her too large navy blue hoodie as she accepts the money, another quiet "thank you" and she's out the door.

Kathleen plugs in her headphones to her iPhone SE, the small thing easily slipping back into her hoodie pocket after she clicks on Pandora. She had it on Selena Radio and immediately, Si La Quieres by Selena starts to play. Kathleen smiles softly to herself as the electric guitar hits her eardrums before the lyrics begin. It was such a shame when this talented singer was killed. Selena had such a beautiful voice.

Kathleen sighs, remembering when she played this specific song over and over again back when she was a teen. She had the hugest crush on her tutor and current best friend; Reed Richards. Of course, it was just a silly crush in the end and somehow brought the two friends closer together. The song currently playing kind of described how she felt back then. Having to be the friend that watched as the guy she "loved" was dating another woman who he deserved. But, she got over the crush and now felt stupid for having it. Of course, Kathleen, Reed, and Ben joke about it now. She was fifteen, give her a break!

Kathleen chuckles quietly, stopping at a crosswalk as she waits for the evening Manhattan traffic to pass or for the hand symbol to change into a walking stick person and allow her to cross. The sidewalk is filled with people trying to get to their destination but Kathleen walks with a slow gait as the light finally changes, allowing the crowd to cross the busy street. The thick bodied twenty two year old woman easily weaves through the mass of people walking around her, having grown up in this busy city. She was used to both feet and vehicle traffic.

Kathleen's mind wanders back to the text message and she continues to mull over Reed's offer, wondering what her answer should be. It was these big decisions that she needed her older brother's help with. Derek, said older brother, was the one to help her decide against going to college and finishing her education-opting to try and become a musician/singer-and one she will never regret. It's always been her dream to be those famous singers... even if her extreme shyness and shame of her hideous body would be an issue later down the road. An idea strikes her and she changes direction, crossing a different street that is in the opposite direction of her usual route home to her apartment.

'And Derek is just the person to help me!'

🐯 🐯 🐯

"Are you serious? Isn't the answer obvious???" Derek exclaims, an excited smile playing at his lips. He was currently doing pull ups on the bar he set up in the doorway. Fun fact about that pull up bar: Kathleen had bought it for him about two Christmases ago.

"No, "the answer isn't obvious"." Kathleen mocks, making her own slight Spanish accent as thick as her brother's.

When she was ten and he was nineteen, Derek had taken her to Mexico to visit their grandparents. They lived with their father who insisted they speak Spanish in the house, but Kathleen spent some weeks and weekends with her mother; Brooklyn, and Brooklyn's new husband; Kyle. Derek refused to visit her and Kyle. Whenever he did, the mom and son would only argue so they decided maybe it's best to not see each other at all.

Kathleen blinks away the past, and focuses back in on the now.

"Are you listening to me, chiquita (little girl)?" Derek calls with slight annoyance and Kathleen looks up from her slip on shoes, looking into his hazel eyes. He hated them because they reminded him of their mom's eyes.

"Huh?" Kathleen hums, having not been paying attention at all. Derek rolls his eyes and shakes his head at her, but a find smile is on his face with a soft gaze.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asks, mostly to himself before he exhales a quick breath. "I said: "You should go, it's a once in a lifetime offer." But seriously, how many Mexicans have been to space?" Kathleen thinks over Derek's question, not sure if there has been but she shakes it away.

"This isn't a race thing, Der, it's... well... I don't know but I'm pretty sure I'm not the first to go." Kathleen stammers, trying to explain her thoughts but ending up not being able to. She only spoke this much with friends and family, usually being what people know as the "silent type". Truth be told, she just had major anxiety when it came to speaking to strangers. Walking beside them she can do, talking to them? No way! Derek laughs, pulling her in for a quick hug before stepping back, heading to the kitchen of his large house, his sister in tow.

The "home"-if you could call it that- was in upper manhattan, and although smushed between other apartment complexes and houses on the block, his apartment was pretty roomy once you got inside. The front door had a short hallway area where you could hang your coats and it led into his living room/kitchen. He didn't have a dining room since only Kathleen would visit him and the various one night stands he had on occasion. Derek only had a small table with two chairs, an island counter, a fridge, stove, an oven, cabinets, drawers, and dishwasher. All appliances being stainless steel. The cabinets and drawers being a dark grey color. The kitchen area was to the right of the entree way with stairs leading up to the single bedroom and bathroom of the home.

The living room was to the left. It consisted of a white three seating couch, a windowed area overlooking the city, a glass coffee table, and a large television.

Derek's home was pretty bare but it was only one person living there so that was to be expected. It was on the highest level of the building and Kathleen loved the view he had.

Her own apartment was only on the third floor but all she saw was a brick wall, living across from another apartment building. At least no one could peep at her. She would describe her own place but there wasn't much to describe. The kitchen, living room, and bedroom were all in the same room. Yup. She owned a studio apartment. The only other room she had was the bathroom and even that was incredibly small. Kathleen had to wash her clothes in the laundromat down the street but she hated showing how big her body was by washing her large clothing in front of strangers, so she started hand washing her clothes in her bathtub then let them air dry out on her small balcony like she's often seen happen in animes.

"Still, you should go. If Reed invited you, it must be safe so I don't mind. Want some coffee?" Derek comments, bringing Kathleen from her thoughts once again. She looks up to see her brother offering her a cup of black coffee and she scrunches her nose in disgust. Derek laughs, shrugging and drinking from the cup he just offered her. "Right, you don't like coffee." He adds, as if he really forgot. Kathleen moistens her lips slowly, too busy thinking over what her brother said. Should she go? Kathleen bites onto her lower lip, moving her jaw around and tugging it this way and that under her front teeth, thinking and thinking and thinking.

"You're right, I should go. I'll let Reed know right away." Kathleen informs after a few minutes of thinking, Derek drinking his black coffee in silence. He grins as she steps away from the counter, typing away on her phone.

To: Reed
Yeah, I would like to go. Just tell me what I need to pack. And thanks a lot for giving me this chance, Reed. It means a lot.

"¿Y cómo está tu novio de todos modos (And how is your boyfriend anyways)?" Derek calls just as she hits send. Kathleen frowns, keeping her phone in her right hand but dropping it to her sides as she turns around to face her brother with an annoyed glare.

"Mi amigo está bien. ¿Qué hay de ti, todavía prostituirte (My friend is doing good. What about you, still whoring around)?" Kathleen returns, emphasizing the word friend. Derek laughs at his sister's annoyance and walks over to her after setting his empty mug in his dishwasher.

"It's not like I do it every night, nor do I do it without precautions. I make sure she has no diseases and I protect myself." Derek tries to defend himself, but smiling since he knows they're only teasing each other. Kathleen smirks, awkwardly since she doesn't always do it-not really having the confidence to-and picks up her guitar case again, hefting it onto her right shoulder.

"Hate to tell you this, hermano (brother)," Kathleen starts as she walks to his front door after giving him a quick hug, "but," She opens the door, "condoms break." And she shuts the door behind her, not letting him say another word as she makes her way to the elevator and stepping in when it comes to his floor. Kathleen is relieved to see no one in it.

"¡Niña malvada (you evil little girl)!" Kathleen hears her brother shout just as the metal doors slide shut. She laughs to herself before exiting, her phone 'pinging' just as she steps out of Derek's building, waving goodbye to the lobby clerk and doorman.

From: Reed
Great! And you're welcome! We first need to convince him but hopefully that won't be a problem.

Kathleen laughs, texting her reply.

To: Reed
I know that won't be an issue. You have a brilliant mind and can do anything you put it to.

When she reaches her apartment, the two friends give each other a goodbye text as they go about to do their own business. Kathleen is excited about this space "trip". Even if she has no idea why they're going, or even if they are.

🐯 🐯 🐯

'Today's the day.' Kathleen thinks to herself as she looks herself over in the mirror. She touches her face, turning her head this way and that before frowning. 'I'm too fat... I hate my body.' Kathleen shakes her head. 'No, I've been losing weight... I think.' Kathleen sighs sadly, stepping away from the mirror above her bathroom sink and leaving her bathroom with her head hung in shame. Reed and Ben would be there any minute to pick her up.

A sudden knocking brings her attention to her front door. Kathleen runs her tongue over both her lips nervously while moving a strand behind her left ear, her long bangs covering her right eye. She makes her way over to the door, grabbing her royal blue trench coat from her couch and putting it on.

"Ay voy (coming)!" Kathleen calls, opening the door and finding Reed and Ben. She smiles at them softly, a little sheepish. "Sorry, meant to say coming, haha." Kathleen laughs and her friends join her before they gesture for her to follow them. Kathleen locks up behind her before following the two men out the building. "So... we're going to space if this guy lets us?" Kathleen asks quietly, not really knowing what to talk about. Reed nods and starts to hail a taxi.

"Yeah, I'm actually surprised your dad let you go." Ben answers her and Kathleen winces subtly but unfortunately, Ben and Reed caught it. "Tell me you told him."

"I..." Kathleen starts but stops, unable to lie to them. She never could. "Didn't. Sorry." Reed sighs, stepping into the cab that pulled up beside them. Ben takes shotgun while Reed and Kathleen get in the back seat. Reed scoots forward, giving the driver the address while Kathleen worries she may have angered them. "I'm sorry I didn't tell him, but I'm an adult now and should be able to make my own decisions." Reed nods, turning to face her after putting his seatbelt on.

"I know, Kathleen, but what if something goes wrong?" Reed returns and Kathleen looks down at the gum covered carpet with suspicious stains. She really hated New York sometimes.

"Oh, alright." Kathleen concedes and pulls out her cellphone, scrolling through her little contacts to 'P'. She then taps 'Papa' and proceeds to tap the phone button and putting the dialing cell to her ear.

"¿Gatita (kitty cat)?" Kathleen hears her father's strict voice calls over the phone. She sucks in a breath nervously and looks to Reed who gives her a reassuring nod.

"Uh, hey, papa." Kathleen replies nervously. She hears clanging dishes in the background and her father's booming voice shouting at his employees before he's speaking to her again.

"¿Qué hiciste esta vez, Kathleen (What did you do this time, Kathleen)?" José Asks his daughter sternly, stepping away from the stove and gesturing for the second head chef to take over his dish. "Voltéelo en exactamente cinco minutos, luego agregue las especias y póngalo en el pan cuidadosamente (Flip it in exactly five minutes, then add the spices and put it on the bread neatly)." José instructs before addressing his daughter once more. "Dimelo ahora (Tell me, now)." Kathleen sighs.

"Okay. Ummm... I might be going into outer space with Reed and Ben, so-"

"¿¡Qué!? ¿Y no me dijiste esto antes? ¿Cuando vas (What!? And you didn't tell me this before? When are you going)?" Kathleen winces, sucking in her bottom lip. She knew he'd be angry.

"Ummm... in six weeks. Bye love you!" Kathleen rushes out before hanging up and powering off her phone. She sighs with relief. Suddenly, Reed's phone rings and Kathleen panics. "Don't answer it!" She exclaims and he gives her a confused look with wide eyes, having been frightened by her outburst.

"Relax, it's just Victor." Reed assures and Kathleen tilts her head.

"Victor?" Kathleen asks curiously and she hears a groan from Ben. She turns to see him turning in his seat to face her.

"He's an old classmate of Reed's from MIT. He's also a egotistical tool that thinks he's better than everyone just because he has his own company. And he's trying to get with Susan-"

"Hello, Victor! Yeah, we're almost there." Reed says, finally answering his phone and cutting off Ben. Kathleen already doesn't like him and she has no idea who he is.

🐯 🐯 🐯

"High open space, exposed structural elements. Obviously aimed at first time visitors to create feelings of... smallness, inadequacy." Reed comments as he leads Ben and Kathleen toward the soaring glass box atrium of Von Doom Industries. Kathleen nods, agreeing as she takes in the structure, awe on her features... and she also feels slightly intimidated. Okay, maybe she wanted to run away as fast as her thick thighs could carry her.

"Good thing it ain't workin'..." Ben starts, trying to cheer up Reed. He looks over to the dark skinned brunette. And to ease Kathleen. "Reed, what are we doing here?  This guy's fast-food, strip-mall science-" Ben finishes.

"This wasn't our first stop, in case you forgot NASA. And Victor's not that bad.  He's just a little..." Reed trails off as he looks forward, his eyes catching something. Kathleen follows his line of sight and gasps when she sees a large statue of a man. "Larger than life." Reed finishes lamely. Kathleen's jaw stays dropped as she continues to stare at it. They move past the statue, into the sprawling atrium.

"Or he's compensating for something." Kathleen whispers to Ben, walking on her tip toes to try and reach him. In the end, he had to lower his head to her level. They snort, chuckling quietly to themselves while Reed sends them a stern stare but even he found her comment amusing.

"He's financed some of the biggest breakthroughs of this century." Reed informs them as they continue to make their way into the large and luxurious building.

"You'd never know it." Ben comments sarcastically, gesturing to a high-tech orb showcasing Von Doom Industries' greatest accomplishments. A safe and clean nuclear facility, the first private Space Station, etc. Kathleen gives a quiet, low whistle. All photos have the same man from the huge statue outside. The last photo shows him holding the America's cup. "Jesus, that too?" Ben asks when he sees it. Kathleen guffaws, covering her mouth when workers give her strange looks. The three reach mean looking receptionists.

"Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Kathleen Reyes-" A receptionist cuts Reed off, handing them each a pass. Kathleen takes it and nods her thanks.

"Executive elevator, top floor." The female receptionist informs.

"What's the price for a smile here?" Ben jokes and Kathleen laughs, giving a small smile and Ben grins at her. "I found a cute one right there!" He jokes again, pointing at her face. Kathleen rolls her dark brown eyes, smacking his hand out of her face. They enter the elevator and make their way to their destination.

"Maybe wait here, Kathleen? I know how much you hate to listen to my science explanations." Reed comments and Kathleen nods, taking a seat on the bench by the elevator door as the two men continue on to an office up ahead.

About thirty minutes later, the elevator dings as it opens. Kathleen looks up and her eyes widen in shock. Standing before her is Susan Storm. The Mexican-American met the woman once, while Reed was still dating Susan, but Kathleen started to avoid her because 1. Her beauty intimidated her sixteen year old self (she had met Susan a year after meeting Reed) and 2. Kathleen had a huge crush on Reed at the time.

"Susan..." Kathleen finds herself whispering, completely shocked. The blonde woman had gotten even prettier. Kathleen didn't think that was possible. Susan was gorgeous. Susan Storm looks at Kathleen with confusion, tilting her head and letting her blue eyes look over the sitting woman. Kathleen suddenly feels intimidated again.

"Have we met? You look familiar but I can't quite place your face." Susan asks Kathleen who ducks her head self-consciously and starts messing with her hands, twirling them around each other or just clasping them together.

"Ummm... m-my name is Ka-Kathleen Reyes Martinez... I-" Kathleen clenches her eyes shut, her anxiety rising in her chest.

"Wait, you're that kid Reed used to tutor..." Susan trails off, her voice changing to sorrow.

"Yes..." Kathleen answers, really not wanting to be in the conversation anymore.

"I should go. It was nice meeting you again." Susan then proceeds to briskly walk away while Kathleen places her hands on her hammering chest, inhaling and exhaling to try and calm her heart.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Now the trio are stepping into the elevator, Kathleen being quieter than usual.

"He knew about NASA. What if he made the call to shut us down-"

"Ben, think about all the people we can help if this works-" Reed cuts been off only to be cut off by Ben.

"Maybe you should think about yourself for once. You always let this guy push you 'round-" Ben is once again cut off by Reed.

"We got what we wanted. That's enough." Reed comments, growing agitated. Kathleen looks between the two, sucking her upper lip between her teeth. Her eyes widen when she sees a certain someone approaching.

"I know, I know.  I'm just worried about what he wants..." Kathleen tugs on Ben's arm as he speaks and when he looks her way, she nods in the approaching person's direction and his own eyes widen. "Speaking of which..." The bald man trails off. Reed looks at his best friends curiously before following their gaze to see Susan Storm entering the elevator, the door closing behind her.

"You sure about this, Reed?" Susan asks after a beat and Kathleen scurries to hide behind Ben, really wishing this was a faster elevator. And is it her or did it just get smaller?

"You okay, Kat?" Ben whispers to her but the girl's not listening, too busy trying to be invisible. Reed nods in answer to Susan's question, keeping his eyes low and head down. He doesn't want to make eye contact.

"Those solar winds are flaring, but I factored them into my coordinates and-" Reed starts to explain, nervous, tense.

"I was talking about us.  Working together." Susan adds, cutting him off. She holds her eyes on Reed. He is clearly uncomfortable in her gaze.

'Seriously? Is this elevator shrinking???' Kathleen thinks nervously as she watches the two. She wanted so bad to have courage. To speak up for her friend, to ask Susan to back off but... 'I'm pathetic.'

Reed gains a pensive expression, then begins to talk fast. "Well, uh, based on our history... you can handle the biogenetics, and I'll focus on the molecular physics.  Or, uhm, maybe I should take the biotech,
you work the microscopes, since you
have some background in electropho-"

Susan gains an annoyed look as she once again cuts Reed off, "Right. That's exactly what I meant." She mutters, lips pressed in an irritated scowl as she shakes her head. Kathleen bites her bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood as her right hand flies up to hold Ben's nervously. She really can't stand confrontations. Ben gives her hand a reassuring squeeze, letting his free hand pat Reed's shoulder with a forced smile.

"Way to not overthink it." Ben comments, ever the sarcastic one. Kathleen's younger stepbrother; Kirby, was far worse in the sarcasm department. It was his first language. Ben addresses Sue next, "So when do we leave?"

"I'll schedule the launch. Call me in the morning to talk about resources and crew." Susan instructs, offering a business card but Reed doesn't take it.

"I, uh, think I remember the number." Reed replies, explaining why he didn't take it.

"It's been changed." Susan comments quickly. Another beat of silence and both Ben and Kathleen grimace. Ben nudges Kathleen and she reaches forward, shyly taking the business card.

"As far as crew, I was hoping Ben could pilot the mission-" And again, Susan cuts Reed off.

"Well, he's welcome to ride shotgun, but we already have a pilot on our payroll. You remember my brother Johnny..." Susan comments and Ben's easy smile turns into a malevolent one. Kathleen becomes confused again.

'Victor, Johnny, who else do they know that she doesn't? Wait... Ben said that Susan had a brother and that he despised him because he was a "show off punk that thought he was the shit".' Kathleen looks over the business card, reading over the digits several times before her mind stops switching numbers with letters.

"And what will Kathleen be providing?" Kathleen snaps up when she hears Susan's question. Ben stepped in front of the girl defensively.

"She's trained in first aid and knows what Reed needs when he asks for a complicated sounding tool." Ben answers. That was true. Reed made her memorize his tools when she offered to help him with his science projects. Susan raises a brow before shaking her head.

"Alright, as long as she doesn't get in the way-"

"I won't, I promise." Kathleen cuts Susan off before tensing and looking down. "Ma'am." She is quick to add. Susan smiles slightly before nodding, stepping out of the elevator on her floor. The doors close once more and goes down to where the lobby is, the three best friends exiting the lobby and going their separate ways after telling each other when and where to meet again.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen stares up at the spacecraft in awe. Ben is sneering as he stares at it.

"Can't do it. I cannot do it." Ben's gruff Brooklyn like accent comments angrily. Reed and Kathleen look at him with concern.

"External SRBs, orbital system engines. Its just like the shuttles you flew in-" Reed tries to comfort but Ben shakes his head, interrupting him.

"No.  I cannot take orders from that underwear model.  That wingnut washed out of NASA for sneaking two Victoria Secret wannabes into a flight simulator." Ben complains gruffly and Kathleen almost looks horrified.

'A model? A womanizing one at that??? I don't want to be near someone like that! What if he makes fun of me? What if he-?'

"Youthful high spirits." Reed comments, interrupting Kathleen's inner freak out. The three enter the scaffolding.

"They crashed it into a wall. A flight simulator." Ben states dryly. Kathleen adds reckless to her list of what this "Johnny" is.

"I'm sure he's matured since then." Reed replies and Kathleen certainly hopes so. "When have I asked you to do something you absolutely said you could not do?" Reed continues and both Kathleen and Ben answer at the same time.

"Five times." Reed looks from one to the other, confused.

"I had it at four." Reed retorts and Kathleen gives him a forced smile.

"This makes five." She answers before following Ben, Reed shaking his head and throwing his hands up in defeat before following the two.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen looks herself over in the bathroom of the vessel, twisting this way and that as she eyes the dark blue fabric in disdain. It was like a wetsuit and it clung to her like a second skin, emphasizing her large curves. Kathleen didn't like it at all. It just accented how "big boned" she was, as some people would call it. Her mother said that she was "sexy" but Kathleen never believed her. If she was so "sexy", she wouldn't have been bullied. Granted, her breasts and rear were bigger than an average girl's and she's caught some men staring at said areas but... that was the only thing "attractive" about her. Everything else was hideous.

"You look great." A familiar women's voice compliments and Kathleen whirls around to see Susan stepping out of a stall, having just changed into a matching wetsuit. Except she wore one way smaller than Kathleen.

'Please, I look like Shamu.' Kathleen thinks to herself but forcing a smile.

"You look absolutely gorgeous in that, the blue really brings out your eyes." Kathleen replies, being honest. She knew Susan was just trying to comfort her. Susan smiles brightly.

"Thank you!" She replies cheerfully. "I just wish I had your breasts." Susan then laughs slightly. "Mind if I borrow some?" Susan jokes and Kathleen actually finds herself smiling at it.

"Only if I can have your pretty blue eyes." Kathleen returns and Susan grins, holding out her right hand.

"Deal." Kathleen takes it and they shake hands before Susan pulls back. "I should go check on Reed and Ben." She comments before waving, then exiting the bathroom. Kathleen looks back into the mirror, eyeing her stomach and thunder thighs in disgust.

"Disgusting." She snaps, pushing the door open roughly and exiting, walking the way Susan went as she pulls her long brown hair up in a high ponytail, being sure to leave her bangs out. When she reaches the locker room/ hallway area, she finds Victor walking her way with another man, walking passed her without a second glance. Kathleen is used to that.

"Woah! Looking good, Kat!" Ben calls loudly, drawing attention to her. Kathleen flinches at the eyes on her and wraps her arms around her thick waist, trying to shrink in on herself. Susan seems to pick up on her discomfort and decides to introduce her brother.

"Kathleen, this is my brother Johnny." Susan comments, gesturing to the short haired and good looking blond man who must be one or two years older than Kathleen. "Johnny, this is Kathleen." Johnny nods, not even looking as he's too busy texting someone on his phone, having lost interest in Kathleen.

"Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you Katherine." He calls and Kathleen flinches, quickly making her way over to her locker down the hall.

"Her name is Kathleen." Ben growls angrily, glaring at Johnny who just scoffs.

"So what? Potato, tomato." He retorts before walking away. Johnny secretly looks back and watches as the thickly curved woman bends over to pick up her bag she accidentally dropped, straightening out to put it in her locker before shutting the locker door. Kathleen reaches into her bra, pulling out her cellphone and putting it into the locker. The action lowering the zipper of the wetsuit and allowing more of her cleavage to show. Johnny licks his lips hungrily before turning forward after burning the image to his head. He knew that she wasn't his usual type but...

Johnny gives a crude smirk as he turns the corner, he could make an exception.

🐯 🐯 🐯

The five wetsuit dressed adults walk past the press conference Victor is having, saying some very familiar words.

"Wait a minute," Kathleen muses, pausing to listen before calling out to Reed as she hurried to catch up. "Isn't that your speech, Reed?" She inquires and Ben nods.

"He's made a few changes." Reed concedes, continuing to walk. Kathleen furrows her brows.

"But, this is your idea, your dream..."

"You should be up there." Ben finishes what Kathleen is getting at. Reed sighs.

"Victor is better at these things." He replies but Kathleen still isn't happy about this. Once past the press area, the group finds a woman standing there. Kathleen grins.

"Debbie!!!" She exclaims, about to run to the woman but Ben pushes her out of the way, and into Johnny, as he runs to hug his fiancée, kissing her. Kathleen quickly removes herself from Johnny with a reddening face, moving to hide behind Reed as Johnny pretends it didn't happen. Reed glances at Susan as she walks ahead. Debbie slips a photo into Ben's flight-suit.

"I'll be watching over you." Ben comments, tenderly.

"Just get back soon, or I start looking for a new groom." Debbie teases and Kathleen smiles fondly at the seen.

"Soon as I'm back, I'm gonna trade that in for a bigger rock." Ben promises but Debbie shakes her head, smiling softly.

"I don't care about rocks, I care about you." Debbie replies before looking to Kathleen and Reed. "You two bring him back in one piece, or you can forget being Best Man and Wedding Singer." Kathleen salutes.

"I promise to bring him back, ma'am!" She jokes and Debbie giggles, bringing her in for a hug while Reed merely nods, smiling. Debbie gives Ben a final kiss goodbye before leaving. Ben turns to Johnny who gives a cocky smile.

"What the hell you smiling at? Just keep your mouth shut, and your mind on those SMBs-" Ben is cut off by Johnny.

"Actually, the engines are SMEs. Hydrogenbase, carbon propellant. Couple generations past your last ride." Johnny corrects, still smiling cockily. "I'm not as dumb as you look." Kathleen scowls, glaring slightly at Johnny who just brushes her off, walking away. They then follow after Susan.

"Anyways," Ben growls, looking at Kathleen as they walk, "what song do you plan on singing?" Kathleen smiles slightly at her best friend. Well, one of the two.

"Promise by Romeo Santos and Usher. It's one of my favorite songs." She answers immediately. Ben nods, never hearing it before but knowing that the younger woman had great taste.

"Sounds good." He replies and she raises a brow.

"You have no idea what song it is, huh?" Ben smiles sheepishly as he shakes his head. Kathleen chuckles, grabbing his hand and intertwining her fingers with his as she swings his arm. "You need to get out more, Benito."

🐯 🐯 🐯

Victor and Susan lead the others into the command center of the ship.

"If you behave, maybe next time daddy'll let you drive." Johnny mocks Ben but Kathleen flushes when she hears him talk like that.

"Keep talking, there won't be a next time." Ben threatens gruffly. Reed is too busy looking at the earth and Kathleen doesn't blame him, it's beautiful.

"Long way from the projection booth at the Hayden Planetarium, isn't it?" Susan asks Reed who looks at her in shock.

'That was the first time she was nice to him,' Kathleen notes.

Reed smiles gently, hesitantly, "Yes. Yes it is." Johnny and Ben exchange a look but Kathleen watches Reed as keeps looking at the stars, eyes wide-like a little kid-a fond smile playing at her lips. They enter the nerve center of the space station and Victor goes to a computer console on the observation deck below.

"We can monitor the cloud's approach and observe the tests from here." Susan explains. Kathleen nods, understanding.

"Is it safe?" Ben asks in concern.

"The shields on the station should protect us." Reed answers. Kathleen and Ben notice his wording.

"Should?" They ask in unison.

"What's wrong, Ben?  Eighty-million
dollars worth of equipment not enough
for you?" Victor calls, completely ignoring Kathleen. Ben turns to Victor and a little tension rises. Kathleen chews on her tongue, heart pounding with fear.

'Just 'cause it's expensive doesn't mean it's grade A quality stuff.' Kathleen thinks to herself, so wishing she could say it out loud but she could never be so brave.

"Let's start loading those samples. Get your suit ready, Ben." Reed cuts in, trying to stop the tension. "You help too, Kathleen." Reed adds, looking to the brunette. She nods, glancing at Victor nervously before taking a step toward Reed and Ben.

Victor keeps his eyes on Ben. "So you will be doing all the heavy lifting?" Victor asks Ben, a fake friendly smile to his features. Victor pats Reed. "Maybe you should have stayed back in the lab." His eyes flicker to Kathleen for a brief second before going back to Reed. "Or tutoring dumb kids. Field work never suited you." Kathleen flinches, stepping behind Ben who gladly stands in front of her protectively.

"He does the talking. She and I do the walking. Got it?" Ben growls at Victor.                Victor holds tight to his smile as he nods, condescending.

"Got it. So take a walk, Ben... I'm going to borrow Susan for a second." Victor replies.

"Sure." Reed concedes before they all go their separate ways. Susan stays with Victor while Johnny goes with Ben to go get samples, leaving Kathleen to help Reed with the tech stuff.

Reed checks data on a work station, set on a wall. Kathleen watches in boredom before she sees Reed tense up.

"No... no... impossible.  It's... too fast." Reed comments, panicking slightly and Kathleen gets up from her seat, walking over.

"What's wrong?" She asks but he ignores her, rushing off. Kathleen looks from his work station to the way he ran, still not seeing the problem but she runs after him anyways.

Reed slams the doors open to the observation center, entering and exclaiming; "The cloud is accelerating!" Kathleen enters behind him. "I don't know what happened." Susan quickly moves to a nearby control panel to verify Reed's claim, punching buttons and confirming Reed's findings with a nod. Victor tenses, trying to stay in control. "We've got minutes until it hits, not hours...Victor, that storm's deadly-the radiation's lethal.  We need to abort." Reed continues, still panicking. Kathleen's eyes widen, the danger of the situation finally dawning on her.

"Get a grip. Reed. We didn't come all this way to lose our nerve at the first little glitch. Just close the shields..." Victor suggests but something else dawns on Kathleen.

"But Ben is out there!" She shouts, not waiting to get his answer before gunning it out of the control room and put into the hall, making her way to where Ben and Johnny are. She pushes her way through other staff on board with desperation. She reaches Johnny who's watching Ben from a window and coughs, wheezing slightly since she's out of breath from running.

"Woah! Where's the fire?" Johnny asks as she hunches over, grasping her knees.

"Ben... come... back... in... storm... coming..." Kathleen pants, trying to regain her breath. Johnny is lost but she points out the window and Johnny looks, eyes widening when he sees the cosmic storm headed to the station. Reed reaches them just in time and calls over the comm radio in Ben's suit.

"Ben, we need you back inside." Reed urges. Ben turns to see Reed, Kathleen, and Johnny watching from a window.

"I ain't done arranging your flowers, egghead." Ben calls back gruffly.

"Ben. This is serious. Turn around!!!" Kathleen exclaims after snagging the microphone from Reed, she and Johnny gesturing for Ben to turn around. When he does, his eyes widen when he sees the cosmic storm rumbling toward the station. It's not close but not far either.

"Roger that, on my way." Ben calls back over the radio. Ben turns back towards the ship, retreating, the storm grows behind him. Reed, Kathleen, and Johnny stand by the airlock, waiting for Ben. 

"Event threshold in two minutes." They hear the automated voice state.  It panics both Reed and Kathleen.

"Come on, Ben, hurry up..." Kathleen whispers, clasping her hands together tightly in front of her chest as she says a silent prayer.

"Reed, we're running out of time." Victor calls over the radio in the station.

(AN: I don't know why... but I heard the song Lloro Por Ti (Remix) by Wisin & Yandel Ft. Enrique Iglesias begin to play so.. play it if you want?)

They ignore Victor for now.               

A wake of turbulence from the cloud hits Ben, making it harder to maneuver. The cloud's tendrils snake toward him and Kathleen begins to grow more worried by the second.

"Ben, you can do it! Come on!" Kathleen cheers him on, trying to encourage him to move faster.

"Reed, you need to get up here so we can close the shields! Now!" Victor orders.

"Not until Ben is back inside!" Reed calls back over the radio. Kathleen nods in agreement, even if Victor can't see it.

"It's too late for him, and soon it'll be too late for all of us." Victor replies, the gravity of the situation hitting Kathleen hard. No. It didn't matter if she died. She had to save Ben!

'But how!?'

"Victor's right. Johnny, Kathleen, get to the command center. Close the shields." Reed urges and the two look at him in shock.

"What about you?" Johnny asks but the look in Reed's eyes tell Kathleen and Johnny what he plans on doing. He won't leave without Ben. Kathleen steels her growing anxiety, shoving it back down. Neither will she. "Come on, big guy, you can do it!" Johnny encourages Ben, much to Kathleen's shock.

The exterior air lock door slides open.  In agonizing, weightless slow motion Ben reaches to haul himself inside. The leading edge of the cloud hits-Ben is pelted by a hissing mass of space dust, splattering his suit with orange stains.  Larger particles, small pellets, pepper him. Ben hauls himself in the last few feet by pulling on his tether.

"Event threshold in ten seconds." The automated voice calls again.

"TEN..." It begins to count down.              

Johnny punches controls to close the exterior airlock door...

Reed opens a first aid kit, grabs a thermo-elastic blanket...

Kathleen watches helplessly, eyes tearing up at the thought of being so useless...

Susan rounds the corner, seeing Reed, Kathleen, and Johnny.

"Reed! Johnny! Kathleen!" She shouts with worry.

"FIVE... FOUR..." Everything seems to move in slow motion as Johnny is hit with sparks of flame from a control panel, Reed reaches out for Ben and the airlock door, vapor stream pours down on Susan from a blown gasket, the space dust burns into Ben's skin, and finally... Kathleen closes her crying brown eyes while clutching onto the real tiger tooth Reed got her for her eighteenth birthday-praying for everyone to live...

Just before the exterior air-lock closes, a two particles zip through the narrowing gap, one hitting Ben and one squeezing into the station and hitting Kathleen's enclosed hands. The first one rips through Ben's suit while the second merged with Kathleen's skin, the tooth glowing brightly before the all the lights did out. The station had lost power just as the exterior door shuts and seals, leaving everything in darkness.

🐯 🐯 🐯

As quickly as it came, the cloud passes on and whirls away, leaving the space station intact. Power quietly flickers on.

Silence. Time seems to resume and all five pick up exactly where they left off, unaware of anything that just happened to them. Reed and Johnny scramble to open the interior air lock door. Susan and Kathleen join them as they pull Ben in. They try to remove his
helmet. They finally get it off, but he's unconscious.

"He's not responsive!" Reed comments, feeling Ben's pulse. Kathleen immediately pushes past Johnny, grabbing Ben's face and sobbing.

"Ben! Ben!! Ben!!! Wake up, please! Ben! BEN!!!"

🐯 🐯 🐯

"Ben, wake up! Wake up!" Johnny's voice is heard. Ben slowly wakes up, the blurry image of Johnny and Kathleen slowly coming into focus, both standing beside his hospital bed.

"Oh, thank God!" Kathleen gasps, hugging the recovering bald man tightly in relief.

"Where..." Ben licks his lips, collecting his thoughts, "Where am I?" He asks groggily as Kathleen pulls back, wiping at her eyes.

"We're back on earth in Victor's medical facility." Kathleen explains, so glad to see her friend alive and fine.

"We're in quarantine." Johnny adds, as if it's so cool. Ben furrows his brows, deciding to pay more attention to the sensible one; Kathleen.

"Reed?" Ben pauses. "Sue?" He asks again, trying to sit up. Kathleen shushes him, pushing him back into the hospital bed.

"They're fine, we're all fine." Kathleen soothes him, emphasizing the we to show she's okay too. Ben seems to relax a bit.

"Well, not everyone is okay." Johnny adds, seemingly not being able to look Ben in the face. Kathleen furrows her brows suspiciously. What was he up to?

"What's wrong with me?" Ben asks urgently and Kathleen now understands what Johnny is doing. She lays her hand on Ben's chest.

"Nothing is wrong with you, Ben. Johnny is-"

"Don't lie to him, Kat!" Johnny shouts and Kathleen snaps her head to face him, shocked he used the nickname only Ben was aloud to call her. "I mean, look at him!" Johnny gestures to Ben's face before turning to him with sympathetic eyes. "I swear to you they've done everything humanly possible. The best plastic surgeons in the world, Ben. You had the best-"

"Give me a mirror..." Ben murmurs, beginning to get worked up again. Johnny picks up a hand mirror on the bed table before Ben can reach it, reluctant to give it to him.

"Johnny-" Kathleen warns, or at least tries to, but Johnny holds up his free hand, stopping her.

"I know what the doctors said, I know." Johny tells her before looking towards Ben again. "They said that's not such a good idea, the shock alone could-"

"Give me the God damn mirror!" Ben roars and grabs it from him, then slowly raises it to look and see that...

Except for some serious stubble, Ben's totally normal. Kathleen sighs, shaking her head.

"Unfortunately, the doctors just couldn't do anything to fix your face!" Johnny cackles as he heads for the door. Ben heaves the mirror at him, breaking it into hundreds of pieces. He turns to the side-table, and grabs the picture Debbie gave him. It calms him. Kathleen gives him a soft smile.

"Want some water?" Kathleen asks quietly and Ben nods slowly, still staring at the picture. Kathleen grabs his left foot through the blanket, giving it a wiggle before exiting the room. She looks to the left and catches a glimpse of Johnny turning the corner and shakes her head, smiling.

'No ones ever been able to get under Ben's skin so easily before... it's kind of funny...' Then she's on her way in the opposite direction the obnoxious blond went in.

🐯 🐯 🐯

After taking Ben his water, Kathleen enters Susan's room to see her sleeping but surrounded by extravagant flowers in vases. Kathleen raises a brow.

"Either she has a lot of fans... or Victor is compensating for something again." Kathleen mutters to herself softly, trying not to be too loud. Kathleen places a glass of water down by Susan's bedside table before moving over to fluff her pillow. Just as she pulls away, she gasps loudly when she sees Susan is awake and watching her. "You scared me." Kathleen grumbles but smiles at Susan. "Glad to see you're awake." Susan smiles back.

"I'm glad you're okay too. How's Ben? I heard he woke up about an hour ago." Kathleen nods, confirming what Susan heard.

"Yeah, he's awake and alive. How old is your brother?" Kathleen replies before seemingly asking out of nowhere. Susan furrows her brows with a small smirk.

"Why, you interested in him?" Susan returns and Kathleen's dark cheeks explode in color.

"Oh, Gosh no! I was just asking because he acts like a five year old! I'm not-he's-you see-that's not... ummm..." Kathleen is unable to form a sentence and Susan laughs at the stammering woman.

"Relax, I was merely teasing. But that's too bad, you're the kind of girl that my brother needs to finally grow up." Kathleen snorts, waving Susan off.

"Psshh! As if he'd ever be interested in a girl like me." She replies, looking down. "I mean, just look at me." Kathleen adds sadly. "I'm fat, ugly, and just... ugh." Susan furrows her brows and sits up, grabbing Kathleen's hands.

"Hey, that's not true. You're a very beautiful woman and you're not fat. You're just curvy and a lot of men like their women curvy." Kathleen pulls her hands away from Susan and steps away.

"I should go, the doctors still need to do tests on me." That was a lie but Kathleen needed to get away. She hated when people tried to cheer her up by saying she was pretty. It was a lie... and Kathleen knew that. She steps out the door, Susan watching worriedly as she leaves.

As she walks down the hallway, back to her hospital room-her stomach growls and Kathleen turns around, making a beeline for the dining hall. She sees Ben, Susan, and Reed enter and gets suspicious. Kathleen follows, her steps slow and calculating. Her dark brown eyes begin to become a lighter shade before stopping at gold, and Kathleen is none the wiser to the change as she enters the dining hall, her senses getting sharper as she zeroes in on Susan and Reed who are sitting at a table. Without even realizing it, she tunes into their conversation.

"You are such a dork, Reed... You never got it and never will unless it's explained to you in quantum physics." Susan is clearly irritated and Kathleen tilts her head, not understanding why. Kathleen scrunches her face in slight pain, her tail bone and the two spots on top of her head beginning to throb painfully. She also starts to feel a tooth ache-two, in fact-her upper canines begin to hurt... followed by her lower ones. They stop hurting after a while but the throbbing on her head and above her bum continues.

Kathleen tries to continue to listen to the conversation but the pain almost begins too much to hear. She needs a doctor-and fast! Kathleen rushes off, her dark hair starting to lighten to an orange at her roots but it all stops when she collapses in the middle of the hallway, gasping from the excruciating pain that just so suddenly stopped.

"What... was that?" Kathleen pants, trying to regain her composure as she moves out of the way, resting against a nearby wall. About fifteen minutes later, Susan, Reed, and Johnny are speed walking her way. Well, in the direction of Ben's room but then they spot Kathleen.

"Kathleen!" Reed exclaims in shock and rushes to her side, kneeling beside her. When Kathleen looks up, her eyes are back to their normal dark brown. "Are you okay?" Reed asks her with concern and Kathleen narrows her eyes, tilting her head.

"Oh yeah, I'm just sitting here in the middle of the hallway, for no reason at all." Kathleen bites back sarcastically, much to Reed's surprise and shock. Her eyes widen as well. "I'm sorry, Reed. I just had a painful migraine and I'm a little cranky." Reed nods, understanding before helping her up.

"Come on, we have to check on Ben." Reed urges, speed walking past her, Susan following quickly.

"What's going on?" Kathleen calls after them, taking up a speed walk as well. When she turns to her right, her eyes widen in shock when she sees Johnny naked save for a pink parka tied around his waist, hiding his private. "And where the hell are your clothes?" She continues, her eyes flashing gold for a second before returning to brown. Nobody notices. Johnny smirks at her, lighting his fingers in fire. Kathleen's eyes widen further. "Woah-!"

"Cool, right?" Johnny boasts.

"Knock it off, Johnny!" Susan calls as the four continue to march down the hall. Johnny frowns.

"Okay, "mom"." He replies grumpily as they finally reach Ben's door.

"Ben, open up!" Reed calls as he knocks rapidly on the door. Reed's about to knock on Ben's door again when he hears the banging, moaning and pleading inside. Johnny smiles.

"Oh, you dog you. Better not be my nurse!" Johnny calls and Kathleen does something unexpected, she growls. Yeah, growls. It's a low rumble deep in her theist and chest but everyone hears it.

"Did you just-?" Johnny is cut off by a creepy rippling movement beneath Ben's sheet and it gradually intensifies, reflected in the fabric's surface-the contours of Ben's body are changing inflating, growing rough, and craggy- the sound of grinding heavy rocks is heard next.

"Open up, Ben. We need to talk." Susan calls urgently. It all stops.  A beat of silence, then all four legs of the bed give way and it crashes to the floor. 

Under the covers, Ben groans in pain, and his voice is deeper, gravely, but definitely clear; "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Kathleen begins to grow even more worried but feels completely useless-just like she did back on the station. She doesn't want to feel that way.

"Ben!!! Open up, this instant!" Kathleen roars. Reed decides he can't wait any longer. He kneels to the floor, and he concentrates, not sure if it will work...

Suddenly, his arm stretches, thin enough to creep under the door jamb. Reed's arm wriggles under the door. It bends upward, swiping clumsily, until it finally grabs the knob. Rubbery fingers find the latch and unlock the door. Reed focuses, and pulls. His arm snakes out from under the door and snaps back into place, his flesh and bones reforming before the four's eyes.  Johnny stares at Reed.

"Ewwwwwwww. That is disgusting." He complains before they hear a tremendous "smash" from inside the room. Kathleen rushes forward, swinging the door open widely and letting it slam into the wall. Unbeknownst to them, it causes fissures in said wall. They look around the room, finding it completely trashed. Every stick of furniture smashed to splinters.

"Ben...?" Reed calls, slowly looking around for his best friend. Their eyes adjust; there's a huge hole where the window used to be. They rush to it.  Looking out they see something large in the distance, running away. Kathleen narrows her eyes, zoning in on it to see it's some kind of... rock man?

"What is that thing?" Johnny asks and Kathleen sniffs, findings a familiar scent on the weird looking being.

"Ben..." She whispers once she recognizes it.

"What's going on?" Victor calls and Kathleen visibly tenses, a scowl on her face.

"Victor, are you feeling alright?" Susan asks him with worry and Kathleen scoffs. Everyone turns to her in shock but she ignores them, still peering out of the giant hole as she tries to see where Ben is heading. Victor considers Susan's question, but never showing signs of weakness.

Victor nods. "Just a little banged up. A couple scrapes. Why?"

"Ben did this." Reed states. Victor raises a brow.

"Ben did this?" Kathleen, again, scoffs as she turns around, finally facing Victor and finding him with a bandage on his left temple. A large one.

"No, Shrek did-of course Ben did! Look around, do you see him here? This is his room, is it not?" Kathleen outbursts before sucking her teeth. "Tch, just move outta the way, princess, I have a friend to find." Kathleen bumps shoulders with Victor as she pushes past him. It causes pain for her, feeling like she collided with a brick wall. Kathleen turns a surprised glare to him before shaking her head and exiting the room, deciding she doesn't care.

"Did the storm change her personality?" Susan asks. Reed slowly nods.

"That could be the case, she doesn't seem to have had the same reaction as we did." Reed answers, trying to figure out the sudden attitude in his normally sweet and shy friend. Johnny is grinning like a madman.

"Shy her was cute and all, but feisty her? Damn, that's sexy." Johnny comments and Reed glares at him.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen stops in front of Ben's apartment in Brooklyn, knocking on the door. A skittish Debbie slowly opens the door.

"K-Kathleen?" She stammers in fright. Kathleen tilts her head.

"What's wrong, Debbie?" Ben's fiancée appears relieved before her eyes become weary.

"Are you a monster like him?" Realization dawns on Kathleen's face and she glares at Debbie.

"So, you'll love him no matter what, huh? Bullshit." Kathleen growls, stepping away and turning, ready to leave.

"Would you love a freak?" Kathleen pauses and turns, faster than she ever moved before, and grips Debbie's theist with her right hand, dragging her out from behind the door she was hiding behind and holding her in the air.

"You promised to love him forever, no matter what. You promised to hold, to cherish, and stay with him... until death do you part." Kathleen squeezes slightly, cutting off Debbie's air supply. "You know, I really hate liars." Debbie begins to gag. Kathleen brings Debbie inches from her face, her eyes a blazing gold. "Ben deserves better filth than you." And she drops the woman, letting her cough and gag as soon as her knees hit the floor. Kathleen turns, running the way she came. She needs to find Ben. She needs to comfort him. Ben. Ben. Ben- her head swerves to the right, her sensitive hearing picking up honking horns and loud crashing sounds coming from the Brooklyn bridge. Kathleen changes direction, skidding on the cement before whirling around to head that way.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen arrives just in time to see a fire truck dangling off the railings of the bridge, firemen hanging off the back and sides. All of a sudden, the old Kathleen is back. What should she do? What could she do?

Save them.

She's just a child. What can she do?

But she has a good heart.

What good will that do? Just let the pathetic humans die. That's what they get if they can't even save themselves.

*Gasp* How dare you say that? We have to help them.

*Sighs* Very well. Child, run forward and grab the front of the truck. Now!

Kathleen squeezes her eyes tight before reopening them, blinking several times. She doesn't wait to contemplate whether she's going insane or not and does as the voice asks-okay... so maybe she was going crazy.

'Mental note: check into an insane asylum after this.' Kathleen sarcastically thinks to herself as she instinctively leaps over cars and people, ignoring the pain in her skull and tail bone. Kathleen reaches the truck in time and grabs onto the bumper just as it falls off the edge. Kathleen digs her heels into the ground, but her feet drag across the concrete, digging grooves into the street. She grits her teeth, her sharp upper and lower canines clenching together. Kathleen pulls, trying to stop the truck.

'Great plan! But wait... how am I doing this?'

"With your newfound strength, sweetheart."

A kind woman's voice chimes to her left. Kathleen looks and stares in shock as a large glowing white tiger with beautiful ice blue eyes latches onto the bumper as well. It digs it's large paws into the ground, getting dragged as well.

"Put your back into it, child!" An annoyed male's voice growls from her right and Kathleen whirls around to face an orange tiger with red eyes. It's glowing like the other one.

"What!?" Kathleen exclaims in shock as it just sits there, watching Kathleen and the white tiger struggle to pull the truck back onto the bridge. Kathleen can still hear the panic around her but she's more focused on the giant glowing tigers. The orange one sighs in irritation.

"Do you want our help or not?" He asks her and Kathleen nods dumbly. He nods back before glowing brighter, merging with her. She looks to the left and sees the white tiger also glowing brighter and beginning to fuse with her too.

Soon, she glows orange and white, her human ears disappearing and forming once more on top of her head into orange tiger ears. An orange tiger tail slips out from under her flannel style dressed. Kathleen's body begins to shrink to become slightly thinner, lithe but built. Her dark skin begins to lose its brown and becomes orange, thick and thin black stripes crisscrossing across her new slightly furry skin. Kathleen's brown eyes burn a bright gold and her black pupils shrink to smaller circles, looking more like a tiger's while still remaining human-ish. Her nose and lips stay the same, and her face just becomes like the rest of her body, orange, striped, and slightly furry. Kathleen's long brown hair becomes a gold-orange color and it also gains black stripes.

Finally, longer and sharper black claws finish her new look and Kathleen grips the bumper tighter, roaring as she slowly pulls it back onto the bridge with some effort. It becomes easier suddenly and looking to the right, Kathleen sees Ben helping her pull it up, and the firemen scramble to get off-some climbing over Ben. Then, finally, the truck is leveled and the firemen are safe on the bridge.

Ben steps back from the truck and slumps to the street exhausted. Wary cops surround the two odd looking beings but the firemen begin to applaud. The crowd of onlookers slowly start to join in, Susan, Reed, and Johnny look surprised but touched by the reaction. Kathleen and Ben are both uncomfortable with the attention.

Ben sees a familiar face in the masses; Debbie. Ben steps toward her, a hopeful look on his face but she stops him with a look. She places something on the ground and runs off into the crowd. Kathleen looks over to find Ben walking over to the crowd before bending down, trying to grab something from the ground. Kathleen tilts her head, her newly acquired tiger tail swishing with confusion.

Check on him.

The female voice from before urges and Kathleen nods, walking over slowly before pausing beside the kneeling Ben as he desperately tries to pick up a ring-Debbie's wedding ring-the one he bought her. Kathleen scowls but squats down and picks it up between her claws, then holding it out to Ben. They don't even hear when Reed walks over.

"I swear to you, both of you, I will do everything in my power until there is not a breath left in me; you are going to be Ben and Kathleen again." Reed swears. Ben doesn't seem to believe him and Kathleen doesn't seem to care.

'I'm a freak either way... but in this form... I'm not useless.' Kathleen mulls over in her mind. 'I don't want to be cured.'

🐯 🐯 🐯

Reed, Sue, Ben, Kathleen, and Johnny sit together, getting changed. Well, Kathleen's dress was loose on her now but it was still okay to wear. They get ready to go, but the chief fireman enters, stopping them.

"There's some folks outside, want to talk to you." He informs them.

"We're not going public with this. We're scientists, not celebrities." Reed answers and Kathleen raises a brow.

'I'm not a scientist.'

Do you want to talk to people right now?

Kathleen curls her upper lip.

'No, not really.' She grumbles her reply, in her head thankfully.

"Too late, son." The chief fireman replies. He turns on a little TV monitor in the corner. News footage plays on all stations, with the tagline: Fantastic Five. "That's what they're calling you. The Fantastic Five."

"Nice." Johnny comments excitedly before heading to the exit.

"Johnny, slow down. Let's think this through a second." Susan calls to him and Johnny pauses, rubs his chin once, and...

"Okay. Done thinking." Johnny runs out. Sue, Ben, Kathleen, and Reed swap glances, knowing Johnny cannot be their spokesman. They take off after him, out to-

CLICKCLICKCLICK!

Fifty cameras flash. The field is full of press. The heroes freeze, shocked by the crowd. Johnny eats up the attention. Kathleen and Ben turn, self-conscious. Reed notices.

The Chief Fireman turns to them. "So which one of you's the leader?" He asks them and Johnny doesn't hesitate.

"That'd be me." Johnny calls cockily. The chief scoffs.

"No, seriously." Kathleen smirks and jabs a thumb in Reed's direction.

"He is." She answers, Susan and Ben agreeing. The Chief hands Reed a mic.

"You're on, son. They all want a statement." All eyes go on Reed and he looks out, gulping hard. A long pause.

"Uh, during our recent mission to the Von Doom space station, we were exposed to as yet-unidentified radioactive energy, most likely some kind of nucleotide compoun-" A cluster of questions overwhelms Reed, cutting him off.

"What happened on the bridge?"

"Does it hurt to stretch?"

"Is that cat lady single?"

"Were you on fire?"

"Is it true that one of you can fly?" Is only some questions Kathleen can hear.

"Working on it. And it's a lot harder-" Johnny is cut off by his sister.

"We don't know much more than you do, at this point. Which is why we will be going directly to the lab, where we can diagnose our symptoms and-" Susan is cut off by a reporter.

"Symptoms? So it's like a disease?" The reporter asks. Reed looks at Ben's face, feeling the guilt. Meanwhile, Ben is lost in thought, looking at Debbie's engagement ring. Kathleen lays a reassuring hand on his left shoulder, her tiger tail wrapping around his thick left thigh.

"Symptoms? Please. If having powers is a disease, then yeah we got it. And we are gonna blow your minds. There's a new day dawning. The day of the Fantastic Five." Johnny adds, leaping in.

"Those things don't look too fantastic." Another reporter speaks up, gesturing to Ben and Kathleen. They both clench their fists, Ben's sounding like rocks crushing together.

"Ben Grimm and Kathleen Reyes Martinez are genuine American heroes who've been through a terrible orde-" Johnny cuts Reed off.

"What he's trying to say is: every team needs a mascot and pet! Let's just hope she's potty trained!" Reporters laugh, Kathleen and Ben turning away in shame while Reed seethes.

"Look, we went up to space to find a way to understand DNA, to cure disease, save lives. Well, now it's our DNA, our disease, our lives on the line..." Reed says in anger, before a pause occurs and he calms himself. "Thank you. No more questions." Reed adds. Reed, Sue, Kathleen, and Ben get up to go. The press waits a minute, then surges. Ben spins, holding up one giant finger.

"Be nice." He comments and the press step back, intimidated. They then take a picture before the "Fantastic Five" leave. Kathleen looks at Johnny with a hurt expression.

"Pet?" Johnny turns to her and nods.

"Relax, it was a joke and meant to be funny!" She scowls and walks past him.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't to me, asshole." Kathleen growls.

🐯 🐯 🐯

While Susan sat shot gun, Kathleen had to sit in the back between Reed and Johnny. She was still angry at Johnny so that made the ride more awkward, that and the paparazzi following them. Kathleen's family had blown up her phone with text messages and she got tired of the extra attention, so she turned her phone off. Yeah, it'll be worse later but she didn't want to think about what to tell her family just yet.

"This is awesome," Johnny comments out of the blue. He's looking out the window and waving at any girl he thinks is pretty. Which is most of them. Kathleen huffs, eyeing her new black claws in disdain.

"Oh yeah, looking like an even bigger freak is what I always dreamed of."  Kathleen bites back sarcastically. Reed looks at her with guilt, knowing her dream of becoming a famous singer was out the window.

"I think you look pretty." Susan calls from up front. Kathleen snorts, glaring at the back of the blonde's head.

"Well you need your eyes checked. Hell, you thought I was pretty before the accident." Kathleen replies grumpily. Reed reaches for Kathleen's furry hand but she pulls away, hunching in on herself.

"You're not a freak." Reed tells her soothingly and she glares at him.

"I look like a Thunder Cat reject! I mean, just look at me Reed!" Kathleen exclaims, distraught. Reed sighs and moves himself to face the woman better. She had gotten a little taller but not by much.

"I am, Kat!" Kathleen's eyes widen. Reed's never called her by Ben's nickname before. Reed sighs again and grabs her hand, not letting her hide it from him anymore. He presses his hand against hers, palm to palm, fingers to fingers, and looks right into her eyes. "You still have five fingers, two eyes, a nose, and lips. You still have a heart and a brain. You might have more facial hair than me now, and stripes, but you are still the Kathleen I tutored six years ago." Reed states firmly and Kathleen's lips tremble before she slowly pulls her hand away, looking at it. "And you're still short." Reed adds, trying to be funny and to cheer her up. Kathleen scoffs, chuckling softly before elbowing him gently, careful to not use her newfound super strength.

"Shut up." Kathleen grumbles. Reed grins.

"There's Kathleen." Reed whispers and let's Kathleen rest her head on his left shoulder, holding her in a comforting one armed hug. Susan looks at the two, and smiles when she sees how good of a father Reed could be. She then sighs sadly, knowing they would never work out. Johnny on the other hand, didn't know Reed's and Kathleen's history and could only watch the two with a small glare, jealousy burning in his chest. He snorts, turning away to look out the window again.

🐯 🐯 🐯

When they arrive at the Baxter Building, where Reed and Ben live, they step out and are greeted by even more flashing lights of cameras. Cops hold back the surging press. Ben and Kathleen keep their head down, self-conscious. They pass Johnny, who's smiling pretty for the cameras. Johnny spots them and grins.

"Smile guys! They want to love you!" Johnny calls to the two. "Give 'em your good side, or your less bad side." Kathleen glares at Johnny, really not liking his stupid jokes. Ben turns to a group of little kids, a bit tentative.

"Uh... don't do drugs." Ben stammers and Kathleen laughs, following him into the lobby. Well, tries to, a toddler accidentally tumbles in front of Ben. Kathleen snatches her up before Ben can step on her and holds her close.

"Kitty!!!" And the baby is yanking on her ear.

"Ow!" Kathleen complains as the girl keeps tugging. A female officer reaches for the kid to return her to her mother but Kathleen stops the cop, making her way to the mother. "Strong kid," Kathleen compliments as she hands the girl over. The mom smiles sheepishly but thanks Kathleen. "No problem, bye bye!" She waves to the little girl before finally entering the lobby. The "Fantastic Five" enter the Baxter Building and are greeted by Jimmy O'Hoolihan, an old-time doorman with a kind smile.

"Welcome back to the Baxter, Dr. Richards. All that for you?" Jimmy greets, motioning to the flashing cameras outside. Reed nods with a tired face.

"I'm afraid so..." He replies, smiling slightly at Jimmy. Jimmy then sees Kathleen and furrows his brows.

"Kathleen, is that you?" Jimmy asks in shock and Kathleen turns sheepish, giving a small wave.

"Hi, Mr. O'Hoolihan." Kathleen greets shyly and he grins.

"You've gotten taller." Jimmy jokes and Kathleen gives a forced laugh and a nod.

"Jimmy. Good to see you again." Susan greets the old man and Jimmy smiles at her, then at Reed.

"Good to see you too... Don't worry, sir. I know how crowded that head of yours is." Jimmy informs him and Reed nods.

"Any visitors while I was gone?" Reed asks Jimmy. The doorman nods.

"Just the usual, and a Mr. Harper called. He was asking for Kathleen." When Jimmy says that, Kathleen flinches, turning guilty. "Told 'em you were circling 'round outer space." Jimmy informs Reed and Kathleen. Reed opens a drawer full of letters from the bank. Reed looks sheepish and shuts the drawer, then looks to Johnny and Susan.

"We had a tough year." He admits hesitantly.

"Yeah, nine years straight." Ben grumbles and Kathleen elbows the rockman. She tilts her head, not feeling as much pain as she thought she would. Perhaps her thicker skin protected her?

Ya think, moron?

Kathleen glowers at the insult she got from the male tiger.

'How long are you two gonna be in my head?' Kathleen blinks in surprise when she sees the white tiger again, standing in front of her.

"We can stand out here if you want? But you'll still look like that... I'm afraid once you accepted your powers-"

"You accepted looking like a 'thunder cat reject'." The male adds, showing himself also and repeating Kathleen's earlier statement from the cab. Kathleen ducks her head with guilt.

"Sorry," She whispers before looking at them again. "What're your names anyways?" The other four turn to face Kathleen with weirded out looks and she flushes.

"What part of "you're the only one that can see us", don't you understand?" Orange grumbles, scoffing. Kathleen glares at him but is snapped from it when she hears Susan calling her.

"Are you okay Kathleen?" Susan asks in concern and Kathleen nods, ignoring the tigers for now.

"Uh-huh, yeah... just a little tired that's all." Kathleen easily lies before they hear a 'ding', the elevator door opening. The "heroes" enter it, Reed hits the top button, for the 20th floor.

"Twenty? From outside the place looks a lot taller." Johnny comments, trying to insult. Kathleen really can't stand him.

"Tch, I'd like to bite that human." The male tiger grumbles as he and the white tiger float into the elevator. Yeah, they float.

"Orion, please, he's young." Kathleen tilts her head.

'So his name is Orion.'

"Yes, and I am Winona. It's a pleasure to meet you Kathleen. I am the voice of reason, sympathy, and kindness. He is the voice of battle tactic, training exercises, and anger. We both help you with your powers, so feel free to ask either of us for advice. We can take over you body as well, if you do not know what action or path to take." Winona explains, floating as well. Kathleen doesn't like the sound of that last part and Winona seems to notice. "With permission, of course." Any further conversation is stopped when the elevator doesn't move, even if the doors are closed.

"Either we're moving really fast... or not at all." Johnny comments and Kathleen rolls her eyes.

"Really wish you had an off switch." Kathleen grumbles. Johnny turns to her, smirking cockily.

"Wanna search for it?" He offers flirtatiously and Kathleen crinkles her nose in disgust.

"I don't want to catch anything." Before any more banter can be exchanged, they hear another 'ding'. A digital readout on the panel shows; Exceed maximum weight. Followed by a sign that reads; Maximum Capacity: 2000 pounds. They all turn to Ben.

"I'll take the stairs," Ben admits sadly. The doors open and he lumbers out.

"Uh, I'll go with you if you-" Kathleen starts to offer but Ben shakes his head. As the doors close behind him, he looks back over his shoulder, locking eyes with Reed. Kathleen really feels bad for him but she knows how it feels. She steps back, resting her back on the cool back wall of the elevator, looking down sadly. Reed looks over at her, guilt gnawing in his stomach.

"How come Ben and Kathleen can't turn it on and off like us?" Susan asks as the elevator rises.

Kathleen frowns, 'I'm right here. Can't they discuss this somewhere else?'

"That's what we're here to find out." Reed replies. Susan nods, thinking something over.

"If it happened to them, then it could..." Susan let's it hang in the air, letting it speak for itself. Reed nods softly.

"Wait. You mean there's chance we could be full-on-24-7-fantastic?" Johnny asks giddily and Kathleen's frown turns deeper.

"Grow up, Johnny. You want to run around on fire for the rest of your life?" Susan snaps at him.

"Is that a trick question? C'mon, I can't be the only one who thinks this is cool." Johnny retorts and Reed looks like he's considering it but Susan sends him a look. Kathleen scowls angrily.

"Oh, boo hoo. He burns his underwear off and you're never seen again. At least you'll still look human, so stop crying over yourselves because obviously Ben and I are different." Kathleen snaps, tired of the "normal" looking ones pitting themselves meanwhile she's worrying about her family still loving her.

"I'm sure they won't shun you. I've looked through your memories and your family looks very loving-"

Kathleen cuts Winona off, "Shut up and stay out of my head! If my family was so "loving", we'd all still be together, wouldn't we?" Kathleen snaps, getting surprised looks from Johnny, Susan, and Reed.

"We didn't say anything about your family." Johnny says slowly and Kathleen glares at him.

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to-" She cuts off into a frustrated sigh, "oh, forget it. You only care about yourself anyways. I mean, why would you care about your stupid pet!?" The elevator finally reaches their floor and the doors start opening slowly-too slowly for Kathleen's liking- so she slams them open by sliding them apart with her strength, leaving the elevator quickly. They're on the twentieth floor but Reed owns it from this floor to the 60th. It's a massive atrium, lit by skylights far above.

Reed leads them into another area filled with separate "apartments" and all the amenities of home.

"We should stay here until we can define the extent of our changes..." Kathleen hears Reed say from behind her as she plops down on the couch she's sat on so many times.

'So I'm going to be cooped up in here? Oh well, not like I can go out anymore... or work... I'll have to use my savings to pay for my apartment until I look "normal" again.' Kathleen thinks to herself, pulling out her phone and turning it back on to get her family drama out of the way. Fifty-eight missed calls, eight from Hazel, nine from Skylar, two from Kirby, twenty from her mom, nine from Kyle, five from Derek, and five from her father. She has a lot of texts from the twins and Kirby.

"Crap." Kathleen mutters before hearing Ben's footsteps.

"-and figure out how to reverse them. Let me show you to your rooms." She hears Reed continue his earlier statement. "Kathleen, do you want your usual room?" He calls to her and she craves her head to see them watching her. Kathleen nods mutely, putting her ringing phone up to her ear. Reed smiles tightly with a small nod before leading the siblings to their own rooms. Kathleen decided to call Derek first, since she always goes to him first for advice.

"It's about fucking time, chiquita (little girl)!" Kathleen pulls the phone away from her sensitive ears as Derek screams into the speaker.

"I know, I'm sorry, Der. I had to deal with those stupid reporters and-" Kathleen pauses, looking around for any sign of Johnny before turning forward once more, "-y ese idiota rubio (and that blond idiot)." She finishes. Kathleen hears Derek hum in agreement.

"I know, I saw you on TV." Derek replies, his voice softer and Kathleen closes her golden eyes, sighing shakily.

"You saw then?" Kathleen asks and Derek hums again.

"Mmhm, but you know what?" He asks her and Kathleen feels her lips tremble and her eyes tear between her closed eyelids.

"What?" Kathleen asks, her voice cracking with raw emotion.

"Siempre serás mi pequeña, malcriada, hermana (You will always be my little, bratty, sister)." Derek whispers softly and full of love. Kathleen heaves a laugh and small sigh of relief, a single tear rolling down her right cheek.

"Y tú siempre serás mi hermano grande y cruel (And you will always be my big, mean, brother)." Kathleen replies, her voice sad but happy at the same time... if that made sense.

"Alright, no more girly-ness." Even if he is joking, Kathleen can tell by the tone in his voice that he's crying to. He sniffles quietly but Kathleen hears it with her heightened hearing. "You better call dad before her." Her meaning their mother. Kathleen sighs but nods.

"Yeah, okay." She says, realizing he can't see her.

"Bye, chiquita. Te amo y cuídate." Derek calls over the phone and Kathleen hums.

"Yeah, I love you too, Der. Bye." She then hangs up with him, not realizing Johnny just walked back into the living room. Kathleen scrolls through her call history and taps 'Papa' and puts it back up to her ear. It rings for a second before it's answered.

"¿¿¿Gatita (kitty cat)???" Her father calls through the phone in a hopeful panic. Kathleen laughs slightly, despite the situation.

"Yeah, dad, it's me. I just talked to Derek and he told me to call you before I call mom." Kathleen informs him. "Um, do you still love me?" Kathleen asks nervously, her heart thundering in her chest as she feels she's about to throw up.

"Mija, eres disléxica, no estúpida. ¡Por supuesto que todavía te amo (Mija is short for mi hija which means my daughter. So... my daughter, you're dyslexic, not stupid. Of course I still love you)!" José calls through the phone, being kind and not strict for once. Kathleen giggles, a smile growing on her once panicked face. Even more tears fall and she sniffs, wiping at her nose to stop the snot.

"Thanks papa, I love you too!" Kathleen cries back.

"No llores, ¿quieres que tu viejo también llore (Don't cry, do you want your old man to cry too)?" He complains but she knows he's already crying a little too. She laughs again.

"Sorry, pa. Let me call mom so I can tell her I'm okay." Kathleen replies.

"Bien, pero si ese pendejo no te acepta, avísame para poder patearle el culo (Alright, but if that dumb ass (referring to his ex-wife's new husband) doesn't accept you, let me know so I can kick his ass)." Her father advises her and Kathleen laughs again.

"Okay dad. Bye, te amo!"

"Cuídate mija (take care my daughter)." Kathleen hangs up. She sighs, going through this emotional process with the rest of her family before lying down, exhausted and all cried out when she finishes the last call with Kirby.

"How was it?" Kathleen gasps when she hears Johnny's voice. Kathleen sits up and spots him leaning against a wall, watching her. Kathleen glares with a frown.

"Why do you care?" Kathleen grumbles. She makes a mental note to apologize to Winona later. Johnny shrugs, stepping away from the wall and making his way over to her.

"I just wanna know if you told your boyfriend yet... oh, but, Reed won't be too happy about that." Kathleen furrows her brows at his sudden change from "superpowers are awesome" to "overprotective boyfriend". Not that she saw him as a boyfriend... she just thought that's how he was acting.

"Okay, two things: 1. Reed is not my boyfriend and 2. I don't even have a boyfriend." Kathleen grumbles and Johnny narrows his eyes slightly, leaning over her while resting his hands on the back of the couch.

"Oh yeah? What about the first person you called? Or the last three? It couldn't be the second or third person because that was your father, mother and stepfather." Johnny inquires. Kathleen scoffs and stands up, wanting to leave since she was starting to get irritated.

"Try my older brother, younger step sisters that are twins, and the youngest; my stepbrother." Kathleen answers before sputtering and shaking her head, pausing in her walking away to look back at Johnny. "And why should I explain myself to you? You're not my brother, you're definitely not my friend, and you sure the hell aren't my boyfriend." Kathleen lists, going back to leaving the living room. Johnny jogs after her into the hallway to the rooms area, before running around her and blocking her. Kathleen stops and crosses her arms over her chest, her tail twitching with annoyance as it hangs out of her dress. It was long and dragged on the floor slight. It was about four feet. So almost half her size. Good thing is that her tail was thin so it wasn't too heavy.

"I'm talking to you so don't walk away from me." Johnny growls at her angrily and Kathleen glares back, her gold eyes burning brighter while her tail thumps on the floor dangerously, as if trying to warn Johnny to choose his words carefully.

"What?" Kathleen grits out through clenched sharp canines.

"Why can't I just ask you some questions without you snapping at me like some wild animal?" Johnny asks, annoyed. Kathleen narrows her eyes, a deep rumble pulling up to her mouth from her throat.

"Because, it's the way you ask and just look at me, I am a wild animal now. Oh wait, I'm supposed to be the team's pet." Kathleen snaps, her anger levels rising. You can practically hear the steam growing.

"I told you that was meant to be a joke! I was only teasing!" Johnny argues and Kathleen can smell faint anger from him as well. But it's growing.

"And I told you that it wasn't funny! It's bad enough I'm stuck looking like a freak, but then you have to rub salt in the wound! Ben just lost his wife because she's an ungrateful bitch that only cares about looks... and I will never get a boyfriend-and sure, I gave up on that since I was a fat pig-but now I definitely won't get one! And to top it all off, I'm a twenty-two-year-old virgin so do you think you can show a little sympathy?" Kathleen roars before wheezing, trying to collect her breath-and herself.

"Debbie isn't a bitch." Ben growls, exiting the door Kathleen and Johnny were arguing in front of. Kathleen grimaces, not meaning for him to hear that.

"I'm sorry Ben, I liked Debbie too but... you have to admit, that was a bitchy thing she did." Kathleen comments, her voice softer. Ben looks down before slamming the door in her face. Kathleen throws her hands up in defeat, letting them slap her thighs when she drops them. "Great, now my best friend is mad at me." Kathleen complains. She sighs and turns to Johnny. "I-" Kathleen shakes her head, not even bothering and giving up. She pushed Johnny out of her way and walks down to her room, closing and locking the door behind her. Kathleen tosses her phone onto her bed before plopping onto it on her stomach, dropping her head into her pillows. "I hate my life." She complains.

"You need to control your temper, you say hurtful things when you don't." Kathleen hears Winona mutter from beside her. She lifts her head and finds the white female tiger laying on Kathleen's bed to the left. When Kathleen looks to the right, she sees Orion lying there. Kathleen groans and drops her head again.

"I'm sorry." Is her muffled apology.

"I didn't catch that, human." Orion replies, cocky. Kathleen pulls her head up once more and glares at him.

"I'm sorry, alright?" Kathleen repeats. Orion smirks, pleased.

"Alright, I forgive you, I guess."

"I forgive you, Kathleen. You've inherited more of Orion's side of the powers since you turned into the orange version." Winona adds and Kathleen turns over to lie on her back instead of her stomach.

"Since I'm a new person... ish... I think I'll change my hair." Kathleen murmurs, mostly to herself but she knows Winona and Orion heard her. Kathleen sits up before getting off her bed and heading back out, making her way to the bathroom. She steps in and is sure to lock the door behind her. Kathleen looks around before spitting some scissors on the sink and she grabs them, smiling slight.

SNIPSNIPSNIP!

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen smiles at her new look, really liking it.

"I guess I don't look too bad. I have to watch out for furries but..." Kathleen feels her tail, smiling at its softness. "I think I don't mind my looks too much."

"You look beautiful, that hair really suits you. Right, Orion?" Winona compliments before brushing her furred shoulder with his. He rolls his orange eyes.

"Yes, Winona." He grumbles and Kathleen giggles at the two before stepping out of the bathroom only to see Johnny about to open the door himself, stumbling back to not get hit by the opening door. Johnny stares at her with wide blue eyes.

"You..." He mutters, finally speechless. Kathleen rolls her eyes and pushes past him, making her way to her room again. "You look good!" Johnny calls after her loudly and she pauses.

"Yeah?" Kathleen asks and turns around to face him. Johnny nods, eyeing her up and down. She clenches her fists. "So you like cat me instead of fat me, nice Johnny. Real classy." She extends the word "real", holding it for a few seconds. Johnny clenched his jaw.

"Seriously? That's what this is about? Well, I'm sorry for not jumping on you the minute I saw you but just so we're clear, I was planning on taking you to bed after the mission." Johnny admits, smiling at Kathleen cockily. Kathleen scoffs, shaking her head and licking her teeth.

"Oh, I feel so honored!" Kathleen mocks before glaring at Johnny. "But no thank you. I wouldn't "go to bed with you" if you were the last man on earth." Kathleen retorts before turning and walking away.

"I know you want me!" Johnny calls after her and she just shakes her head, her newly short hair swishing around. Kathleen then enters her bedroom once again and locks the door behind her, biting her lower lip with her right upper canine, flushing slightly.

"I need a girl talk." Kathleen complains, reaching for her phone and calling Hazel, the expert on "boy drama". Hazel, Kathleen's step sister and the older twin ("By four minutes" Skylar would complain), is popular and currently enrolled in SUNY Westchester Community College where she's studying to become a veterinarian. Kathleen laughs to herself, remembering how deathly afraid she was of animals and there's Hazel, the complete opposite of Kathleen and with huge compassion for animals. Skylar just liked cats. Dialing her step sister's number, she puts the phone up to her right tiger ear.

It was a little awkward to talk on such a small phone but she could hear better than before and really just needed to keep it at her mouth.

"Hey Lee!" Hazel's cheerful voice answers the phone. "Calling again so soon?" Kathleen laughs nervously before sucking in a breath.

"Uhh, yeaaahhh..." Kathleen mutters, licking her lips thoughtfully. "I have boy trouble." Kathleen says quickly, pulling the phone from her ear fast. It's a good thing too because Hazel squeals loudly.

"Finally!!!! I've been waiting to hear you say that for so long! Okay, give me the detes!" Kathleen sighs and begins to "spill the beans". After he tale, Hazel goes quiet.

"Hello?" Kathleen calls.

"Yeah, I'm still here, I'm just thinking. Johnny seems to really like you but I don't think he's ready for a committed relationship and I don't want you to get your heart broken. You need to tell him that if he wants you, it has to be only you." Hazel tells Kathleen wisely. Kathleen sighs.

"But... I don't like him." There's no hesitance in Hazel's laughter.

"Puh-lease! You are head over tail for him!" Hazel jokes and Kathleen rolls her eyes. "Speaking of, Kirby wants to know if you have a hero name yet." Hazel adds. Kathleen groans.

"I already have enough issues with getting used to my new looks and powers, Johnny being Johnny, and having to apologize to-" Kathleen gasps. "Ben!" She exclaims. "Listen, I gotta go and thanks for listening y todo (and everything) but I really have to guy. Bye!" Kathleen gushes out, hanging up before Hazel can reply and rushing out her room, heading to Ben's. Before she can reach it, she's distracted by shouts by the elevator and sighs frustratedly, heading that way instead.

"Abort? Reed, I put my company, my name, billions of dollars on the line, and I will not let you make me look like a fool." Kathleen hears the familiar voice of Victor comment angrily to Reed apparently. Kathleen comes to see him and Reed having a stare down.

"Victor, if we could understand what happened to us-" Victor cuts Reed off.

"I don't want to understand it. This isn't one of your science projects. I just want to fix it. Fast!" Victor growls and Kathleen tenses, her own growl rumbling in her chest. The two men turn around but she keeps her eyes on Victor, watching carefully, studying him-sizing him up.

"Reed is doing what he can. You're supposed to be a scientist, you should know that to try and fix something, the best way to do that is to study it first. You can't fly a plane without going to flight school, right? Crawl before walking." Kathleen states angrily, shoulders tense and tail swishing side to side every now and then. Victor eyes the tail before looking into her eyes, knowing Kathleen means business.

"Right, well," Victor turns back to Reed, close, quiet. Lights flicker. "Just pay your goddamn electric bill, and get to work on a cure." Victor finishes before stepping away from Reed, walking past Kathleen who continues to keep a careful watch on him. Reed exhales, a little shaken up, as Victor steps into the elevator. Kathleen only relaxes her tense shoulder when she sees that the elevator reaches the lobby.

"I don't trust that man." Kathleen states, eyeing the elevator shaft in suspicion, as if Victor was still there. Reed smiles slightly, patting her shoulder before making his way to his lab. Kathleen inhales, gathering her courage and going back to Ben's bedroom door. Kathleen slowly knocks her usual rhythm she always did with Ben, 'Knock knockity knock knock'.

Kathleen smiles sheepishly when he slowly opens the door. When he sees her, he sighs, and steps back to let her in. Kathleen walks in and Ben closes the door behind her before turning to face her.

"What is it, Kathleen?" Ben asks gruffly, getting to the point.

'Ouch, no nickname.' Kathleen winces before messing with her fingers and walking slowly, coming to a stop and turning to face him.

"Well..." She starts and sighs, dropping her shoulders and giving him a pleading look. "I'm really sorry about what I said, will you please forgive me?" Kathleen rushes in one breath, giving Ben hopeful eyes and droopy round tiger ears. She juts her bottom lip out for extra measure. Ben groans and swipes down his face with his right hand, the sound of rubbing rocks echoing in his room.

"Alright fine, Kat, I forgive you!" Ben complains and Kathleen claps her hands, running in place happily and cheering.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" Kathleen chants before rushing forward and giving him a bear hug, actually lifting him from the ground with her strength. Ben helps in surprise and Kathleen, afraid she hurt him, sets him back down immediately and recoils. "Did I hurt you!?" Kathleen asks with worry. Ben shakes his head, resting his rocky left hand on her right shoulder.

"No, just surprised me, is all. You've gotten stronger too." Ben notes and Kathleen nods, holding her left arm up in a flex.

"Strength of a tiger!" She boasts pridefully. "And you've gotten rock-hard abs." Kathleen jokes, poking his rocky stomach. Ben actually smiles for the first time since he's changed into his new form.

"You are such a dork, Kat." Ben replies and she beams at him happily.

"But I'm your dork!" Is her usual retort.  Ben chuckles, shaking his head and smiling fondly.

"Yeah, yeah. Now, get out of here and go bug someone else." Ben jokes, ushering her out of his room. Kathleen giggles, exiting his room after giving him a final hug. A huge smile plays at her lips but it falls when she sees Johnny watching her from the couch, a football game playing on the TV. Kathleen huffs and turns away, flipping her hair and making her way to her room once again.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Now, Kathleen was sitting in a chair, in front of Reed. She had just gotten a physical from him and Susan an hour prior and it was time for the questions. Reed taps his clipboard with his blue pen, the cap at the end having a few chew marks showing that he bit it on occasion.

"Okay, Susan said it would be better for me to ask since we're good friends..." Reed starts, showing signs of awkwardness. Kathleen tilts her head. Reed can't meet her eye and continues to stare down at the clipboard before clearing his throat. "She wants to know if... you know... your, uh, anatomy, is still... um... the same?" Kathleen doesn't get what Reed is trying to ask.

"What?" Kathleen asks in confusion and her eyes narrow, finding a small pink tinge to Reed's cheeks.

"Has there been any changes to the inside of your body like the outside?" Reed explains awkwardly and it dawns on Kathleen, her own blush growing.

"Um, well, I don't have extra breasts if that's what you mean. My... um..." Kathleen gestures to her crotch. "Is still the same too... my tongue isn't rough like a cats. My nose is enhanced since it acts as a tiger's and human's so I can smell stuff good but the scent has to be familiar if I want to track it. That's how I found Ben. My ears," Kathleen gestures to the tiger ears atop her head, "are sensitive but that's to be expected. I can focus on what I want to hear or not." Kathleen explains, still embarrassed about having to explain her body to Reed. He takes it down in his clipboard and she pauses, waiting for him to catch up.

"Anything else?" Reed asks once he does. Kathleen thinks it over, tapping her chin before realizing-her claws.

"My claws retract like a cats but it takes too much focus so I just let them be." Kathleen adds and Reed nods, writing that down too.

"I'd like to take an x-ray if you to see if your bone structure is like a tiger's." Reed informs her and Kathleen nods, fine with that.

"Uh, okay, sure." Kathleen replies and follows Reed to get that done. He snaps some x-rays before looking at the printed pictures, finding her skeleton is the same except her backbone is thicker and it supports her body more, starting from the base of her skull to the tip of her tail. That's the only change to her-well, actually... Reed notices her legs are longer than a usual human's legs... stronger looking too. They're meant for jumping.

"I think your body changed into more of a tiger-human hybrid." Reed comments, thinking it over before writing that theory down. "But why? Why did we each end up with different symptoms?" Reed grumbles, mostly asking himself. Kathleen shrugs, not knowing herself.

"I don't know but if anyone can figure it out, it's you, Reed. Um... are we done?" Kathleen asks and Reed nods, waving her off. Kathleen ruffles his hair before exiting. She makes her way to the kitchen and grabs an apple, biting into it but spits it out, looking down to find it went bad. Kathleen scrunches her nose in disgust and throws the rest of the apple away, wiping at her mouth to try and rid the taste.

Kathleen knows Reed will be looking over Susan's powers next, and she has a feeling that will be even more awkward.
She sighs, getting her headphones and plugging them into her phone but before she puts the buds into her ears, she pauses, eyeing them thoughtfully.

'How am I going to listen to music with cat ears?' Kathleen thinks to herself. Before she can muse further, Johnny enters with a frown, his shirt burned in places, and his nipples showing. Kathleen licks her lips hungrily, eyeing the blond male before catching herself. She rubs at her eyes, trying to clear them.

"Where's Reed?" Johnny asks. Kathleen removes her hands and keeps her eyes off Johnny as she makes her way over to the living room couch.

"His lab, probably looking over Susan to figure out her powers." Kathleen answers, flipping the television on only to tense when she finds it playing a porn movie. Kathleen jumps from the couch, hurriedly pressing the off button but in her panic, she breaks the remote with her strength. Kathleen yells, freaking out. Johnny jogs over, changing the channel the old fashioned way; by pressing the button on the side of the TV. Kathleen is relieved to see it's no longer playing the adult movie.

"Geez, you really are a virgin." Johnny teases and Kathleen groans.

"I regret telling you that." Kathleen complains before sitting back down to watch TV. "But thanks anyway, though, I'm pretty sure you were the one with the TV last." Kathleen adds. She still hasn't looked at Johnny once. Johnny watches her for a few minutes before leaving to find Reed. He comes back with Reed and Susan fifteen minutes later, all three dressed in the same wetsuits they wore when they went to space.

"Our uniforms were exposed to the storm like us. So they can transform like us, becoming invisible, changing size on demand or remaining impervious to flame." Reed informs them before turning to face Kathleen, tossing her suit to her. She catches it and eyes it, then slicing off the sleeves and pant legs, making it sleeveless and into short shorts. Kinda like overalls. Kathleen notices a hole cut out where her tail goes and raises a brow at Reed. "I measured your tail width when we did your physical." He explains and she nods, leaving to change into it.

When she comes back, they find that it fits her perfectly, somehow changing from plus size to athletic. Her short bob frames her face well as she looks over herself, turning her head and straining to look at her tail.

"I like it," Kathleen comments.

"You three look like an eighties rock band." Ben comments when he enters the living room, talking to Reed, Susan, and Johnny. He then turns to Kathleen. "And you look like you belong in that cartoon; Josie and the Pussycats." Kathleen frowns, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Wrong, I belong in either Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Thundercats, there's no other show." Kathleen returns, grinning. Ben laughs and Susan holds out Ben's suit to him.

"The suit will stretch. You should try it-" Susan is cut off by Ben rejecting it.

"I wouldn't be caught dead in that." Ben grumbles and Kathleen gets an idea, taking the suit from Susan and cutting off the shirt part, leaving the pants.

"How about just the pants then? The blue really makes your eyes sparkle~!" Kathleen coos, joking around with Ben as she holds the pants out to Ben. He purses his rock lips and looks them over before sighing, taking them.

"Fine." He grumbles, leaving to put them on before coming back to show the group. "Happy?" Kathleen nods, whistling like they do in the movies.

"Looking good, Benito!" Kathleen compliments and Ben waves her off.

"But these costumes are kissing something." Johnny interrupts Kathleen's and Ben's goofing off.

"They're not costumes." Reed tells him sternly.

"We're not taking them out. Johnny, we need to stay here till we've stabilized." Susan adds. Johnny shakes his head, frustrated.

"I'm getting sick of being trapped here.  NASA wasn't even this strict!" Johnny complains and Kathleen doesn't blame him. Johnny marches out and Susan turns to Reed, who says nothing. Susan heads out, most likely to go after her brother, leaving Ben, Kathleen, and Reed. A beat. Ben looks at Reed.

"Maybe it's missing a utility belt." Ben comments and Kathleen snorts, nudging Ben with her elbow.

"Or a cape, haha!" She inputs, laughing and Ben joins in. Reed sends them a dark look, clearly unamused but that just makes the two laugh harder.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen yawns as she makes her way to the kitchen, sniffing a bit as she smells freshly made popcorn. When she hears the sounds of motors, she walks over to where the television is, finding the X-Games playing on the screen. Investigating further, Kathleen finds a bag of Jiffy Pop Popcorn sitting on the couch cushion, no one there to eat it.

"Uh, anyone own this popcorn?" Kathleen calls into the empty living room. Getting no answer, she shrugs and jumps over the back of the couch, digging in.

About thirty minutes later of watching the stunts of the motorcyclists, and getting some cream soda to go with the popcorn she's slowly eating, Kathleen watches as the announcer comes on screen.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a special guest for you..." The announcer grins madly before gesturing behind him. Kathleen lifts the bottle of cream soda to her lips to take a sip, "Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Five!" And Kathleen proceeds to spit it out. Johnny emerges, wearing his blue uniform, waving to the crowd. Kathleen's gold tiger eyes are wide before they narrow.

"REED!!!!" Kathleen roars loudly, her voice echoing in her temporary home. It was five am and still dark out in Mew York but the sun would be up soon. Ben is the first to enter, he and Kathleen watching as Johnny does stunts on a bike he must've borrowed. For his finale, Johnny picks up speed and jumps off a hill, jumping high with the bike. His body lights up in flames when the bike goes too far from his grasp and he burns off the outer clothes he was wearing, showing he wore the special suit underneath. For a few seconds, he's actually... almost... flying. He then proceeds to plummet back down, rolling down the next hill before coming to a stop, out of breath.

"I hope he broke something." Ben grumbles, glaring at the television. Kathleen nods dumbly, but her mind is focused on what Johnny just did. It was amazing. Sure, she would never admit it to him but it really was cool. Then Johnny walks over to a reporter but is stopped in his tracks by women swarming him, a tinge of anger rolling in Kathleen's gut... with a hint of-dare she say it-envy.

"NO...NO...NO FREAKIN' WAY!!" Ben's sudden roar scares her out of her thoughts. That gains Reed's and Susan's attention and they enter the living room in a hurry.

"BEN! What? What's going on!?" Reed asks as he comes to a stop. Kathleen and Ben gesture to the wall-sized TV: the ESPN MOTO X Games.

"So what can you tell us about the outfit?" An X Game reporter asks Johnny. The blond is standing next to the reporter, peeling burned cloth off the blue suit, revealing a 5 in a circle over his left pectoral. Kathleen looks down at her own matching circled 5. Reed added it as a last minute touch up since Johnny insisted the suits were still kissing something.

"Not too much, but I will say that it's all weather and no leather. Kind of Armani meets Astronaut." Johnny replies and Kathleen rolls her eyes.

"He didn't." Susan comments in disbelief and Kathleen nods.

"Yeah, he did." She replies.

"What did he do to the uniform?" Susan asks and Kathleen clears her throat, pulling her leather jacket snugly over the 5. Reed also hides it by pulling his lab coat over it.

"So what are your superhero names?" The reporter asks, drawing the four's attention again. Kathleen just hopes Johnny doesn't give Ben an insulting name.

"I go by the Human Torch. The ladies call me Torch." Johnny gives the camera a flirtatious wink and Kathleen rolls her eyes once again.

"What about the rest of the team?" Johnny clearly wasn't prepared for the rest of them.

"Uh, we call my sister the invisible girl... the Invisible Girl." Johnny spitballs and both Kathleen and Susan are offended by that.

"Girl?" They ask in disdain.

"That's easy to remember." The reporter concedes. "And Reed Richards? He's the leader. So what's he? Mr. Fantastic?" The reporter asks and Kathleen nods, kind of thinking the name was okay.

"Well, I wouldn't say he's the leader." Johnny mutters.

"Could be worse." Ben murmurs and Kathleen nods in agreement. Suddenly, a photo of Ben fills the big screen behind the report.

"What about this one? What do you call this thing?" The reporter asks, a look of disgust on his face. Kathleen and Ben tense at this, and Kat hopes to everything that Johnny is sensitive about it. But when Johnny smiles, looking right into the camera, she knows he's not going to handle it well.

"That's it. Just The Thing. We would have gone with The Rock, but it was taken. And "Thing" pretty much sums it up." Johnny answers cockily and Kathleen growls, both her and Ben clenching their fists with anger.

"Now what about her?" And Kathleen's anger turns to fear when she sees her photo put up next. "There's rumors that the two of you are dating." Johnny's grin grows.

"We're not dating per say, but, yeah... she's Wildcat and an animal in bed." Johnny replies, Kathleen giving the loudest growl she's yet to give. Not only did he give her a stupid name, but he just told everyone he conquered her in the room... and that made her feel ashamed, as if she actually did it. Then her anger turns into fear once more.

"What if my family's seen this?" Kathleen whispers.

"Okay. I'm gonna go kill him now." Ben says, matter-of-factly. Ben turns to go but Reed wraps a hand around his arm, trying to stop him.

"Ben! Slow down a second and-" Reed sees a photo of himself.

"Is it true what they say? That he can expand any part of his anatomy?" The reporter questions, gaining some giggles from girls.

"Actually, between us, I think he's got some problems staying rigid." Johnny mocks.

"-and wait for me." Reed says, finishing his earlier thought to Ben.

"Which may explain why this woman's not smiling." The reporter jokes, putting up a photo of Susan.

"I'm driving." Susan states, following the men. Kathleen sends one final glare to Johnny on TV.

"I'll sharpen my claws." And she's off after them.

"I'll tell you which vitals to aim for on him." Orion adds, floating after Kathleen.

"I say just aim for his reproductive organ." Winona inputs, actually sounding angry oppose to her usual calm and kind voice.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Ben rounds the corner. Sees a crowd of girls lined up near a red Porsche parked out front... with "TORCHED" on the plates. Ben slows down and smiles wickedly. Kathleen comes to a stop next to him, sees the look on Ben's face, before following his line of sight. She grins wickedly herself, walking over and pulling off the license plate.

Johnny comes out to find his car gone but it is soon found when a 4 X 4 solid cube of red junk metal slides down the street and stops at the curb in front of Johnny.

"What the-" The back of Johnny's head is hit by his license and it falls to the ground, front side up. Johnny rubs the sting out of his head before looking up and finding Ben and Kathleen in the distance, Ben dusting off his hands. Both wearing matching grins. "You're gonna pay for that, Tigger, Pebbles." Johnny shouts at the two. Johnny then sees his sister. "What!?" He snaps at her.

"You gave us names? What are you, the "face" of the Fantastic Five now?" Susan asks him angrily. Ben marches up, his fists clenched and Kat right behind him.

"It's about to be a broken face." Ben threatens but Reed stands in front of him, getting in Johnny's face.

"This isn't permanent, Johnny. We need to be careful until we're normal again." Reed informs Johnny strictly, looking much like a dad.

"What if some of us don't want to be "normal" again? We didn't all turn into monsters like-" Johnny starts, gesturing to Ben and Kat. Ben reels back a fist the size of an anvil but he stops himself. Instead of attacking, he starts to walk off. Kathleen glares at Johnny before stepping away to follow Ben, not wanting to do something she'd regret either. Johnny hurls a fireball that smacks Ben in the back of the head. Ben stops and turns around more shocked than hurt. Kathleen is shocked too, turning to stare at Johnny with disbelief.

"Did you just-" Ben gets hit with another fireball. This time in the face.
"Okay, that's it, tinkerbell! You want to fly? Fly." Ben starts charging like a bull and Kathleen knows, by the look in Ben's eyes, he might kill Johnny. Something inside her, call it instinct, call it whatever, but it makes her jump in the way of the incoming Ben. Kathleen is struck by a mean uppercut, sent flying into a billboard before sliding down to the ground. The crowd gasps and all is quiet.

"Get up! Brush it off, you got this!" Orion tries to tell her but she stays down, shocked, angry, sad,... a whirlwind of emotions. Kathleen hears heavy footsteps and looks up in time to see Ben stocking off.

"Ben..." Kathleen whispers weakly.

"Are you alright, Kathleen?" Winona asks in worry, cuddling her head against Kathleen's face. Kat nods, slowly pulling herself up. She stumbles over to Reed, Susan, and Johnny, glaring at the last one.

"I wish I never met you." Kathleen growls before sending a sad glare to Reed. "And that I never went on that stupid space ship." Kathleen starts running, leaping over the crowd before disappearing from sight.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen goes to the only place she know she can; her mother's place. Rapid knocks on the door until its pulled open by a young teen with pale skin, freckles splattered all over his face, black hair and dark brown eyes.

"Kirby." Kathleen states with relief and the teen's eyes widen before he's letting his older stepsister in.

"What-" He starts, closing the door behind them, but is cut off by Kathleen enveloping him in a tight hug. "Can't... breathe...." Kathleen slowly let's go, guilty and sad. She forgot... she's not human anymore.

"Sorry." Kat apologizes quietly and the teen knows something is wrong.

"Um... you want some juice or... something?" Kirby asks, unsure of how to cheer her up. He knew Hazel wouldn't have a problem, hell, even Skylar would be more useful than him.

"No, I just... did you see?" Kathleen answers, pacing around and shaking her clawed hands. Kirby looks her over, it all looking way different in person.

"The X Games thing? Yeah, it's all over FaceBook, Twitter, and pretty much every social media." Kirby replies nonchalantly, seeming uninterested. Kathleen sighs in annoyance, running her hands through her short hair, combing it somewhat. Her tail lays limp, dragging on the floor as she continues to pace back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth. Kirby blinks, knowing if this was her old body, she'd be tripping at least once by now but right now, well, are looked like an angry tiger pacing around. "It's not that bad, if you think about it." Kirby adds, shrugging. She stops and he gulps when her head slowly turns to look at him.

"Not that bad?" Kat asks slowly, fully turning to look at him. "'Not that bad'?" She asks again, mimicking his voice. "Not that bad???" Kathleen repeats before tugging at her hair, then grabbing her tail, twisting her hands around it. "He made me look like a slut, an easy one at that! He hurt Ben's feelings... he threw fire at him... he went too far this time. And I stupidly took a hit for him. Why did I do that? Especially when all he's caused for me is grief-for me and Ben!" Kathleen starts to rant, more to herself than her stepbrother. "Johnny is rude, selfish, an attention addict, a womanizer, a pervert, insensitive, annoying, childish, and-" Tears start to spring to her eyes. "And a big jerk!" She finishes.

"But you're in love with him." A new voice adds, it's her mother. Kathleen whirls around to find her standing in the living room doorway. Kat sobs before running towards her, falling into her mother's arms like she used to when she was a child. Kathleen made sure to not use her strength while her mother ran her hands through the short light orange hair. "Hey baby." Brooklyn Jacobs-Harper whispers soothingly.

"Why, mama? Why do I have to love ese maldito tonto (that damn jerk)?" Kathleen cries into her mother's shirt, staining it with her tears. She starts to fall so her mother kneels down with her, letting her little girl lay in her arms.

"It hurts, I know, baby, but... you don't choose who you love, sweetheart. Sometimes... sometimes it just happens and there's nothing you can do to stop it. You can move on but... you will always love that person. Even if they become someone you hate... you'll always love them." Brooklyn replies honestly and gently, petting her daughter's hair.

"I don't want to love him, mama. It hurts and he..." Kathleen trails off.

'He'll never love a monster like me.' Brooklyn hugs Kat harder.

"Shh, it's okay, honey. It's okay." Brooklyn whispers into the top of Kathleen's head, kissing it. "You're a strong, independent, woman. You're also a tiger now and what trait do all tigers have?" Kathleen looks into her mother's eyes with confusion in her gold ones.

"Stripes?" Kat answers unsurely. Brooklyn gives a deadpan look before shrugging, conceding.

"I was talking about bravery but... stripes will work. Baby," Kathleen's mother grows serious again, her hazel eyes looking at her daughter in proud determination, "it's time you wear your stripes with pride. Go out there, and you tell Johnny-no, demand- that boy to love you and only you. If he won't, tell him 'good luck on finding another perfect woman'." Brooklyn instructs confidently. Her hazel eyes go dark, "And if he does take you... you bring that boy here because I have few words to tell him. He hurt my baby, and nobody hurts my baby without mama getting revenge." She threatens ominously. Both Kathleen and Kirby swallow thickly with fear. Brooklyn's sweet smile is back. "Now, go and get your man!" She urges, getting up and pulling Kathleen with her.

"I don't know, mama-"

Brooklyn cuts her daughter off, "No. Kitty, baby, you'll regret it if you don't at least tell him. Go, confess, and I will make you whether you're willing or not." Brooklyn turns her threats on her daughter. Kat sighs, giving up. She gives her mother and stepbrother a final hug before leaving.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen stops short when she sees Victor step out of a limo, Johnny inside with two gorgeous models on either side of him. Her eyes widen as she stares, watching the two women throw themselves on her Johnny.

'Wait... he was never mine, was he?'

Kathleen takes a step back after catching her reflection in the tinted windows of the stretch. She notices Victor watching with a calculative stare but Kat looks away. Then her mother's voice rings in her mind and she gets filled with determination as she marches her way over, grabbing the back of the limo to stop it from driving off. Kathleen uses her claws to pop the back tires, dropping the bumper before walking over to the door Victor exited, tearing it off and throwing it back.

"What the-Kathleen!?" Johnny asks in shock, almost kissing the model to the right. Kat glares at the girls, baring her teeth at them.

"Get. Out." Kathleen growls and the girls scramble out the other door. Johnny glares at Kat but before he can speak, she climbs into the limo, straddling him and grips onto his shoulders tightly, making him wince from her overpowering strength. "You're going to listen and not say a word until I'm done, got it?" He nods silently, confusedly staring up at her as she stares into his blue eyes with her glowing ones; looking like fireflies in the dark.

"Johnny, you've been nothing but a jerk to me. You're rude, selfish, hotheaded, and an attention seeker. You don't care about anyone but yourself and maybe your sister. You want nothing but fame and glamor and those cheap whores. You said you wanted to take me to bed. Maybe, I want to go to bed with you-" A smirk plays at his lips and her glare burns fiercer, "but on my terms. I want to go on dates-real, authentic, possibly romantic, ones. I want roses, chocolates, to hold your hand, tender kisses, a shoulder to cry on for those sad Disney movies that always get me. I want it to be you, and me. No one else. If you want me, it better just be me. No. One. Else. Because for me, it's only you, Johnny. I love you. As shocking and stupid as that sounds."

Kathleen inhales, trying to gain her breath.

"Now, I'm going to kiss you, and you're going to like it even if it's my first-so don't laugh if it's crappy." Kat warns before ducking her head and placing her lips on his. She didn't know how to kiss. She thought you just had to pucker up or whatever. Since she didn't know how, she easily forks over the control to Johnny who grabs her face, holding her steady as he moves his lips against hers-slowly, gently, passionately. Neither of them wanting to pull away and, yeah, she's sloppy and a little tense, but Johnny likes it because it's perfectly imperfect-like her.

They pull away, needing to breathe and Kathleen stares into Johnny's eyes, amazed.

"Wow..." She whispers in awe before blinking, shaking her head to clear it. "I've said my piece so... talk." Kat urges, turning into a ball of nervousness. Johnny licks his lips, looking her over, savoring her taste on his lips before looking the way the models left then back at Kathleen again.

"Well, you're no super model, but... I guess you will do." Johnny mutters, going in for another kiss only for Kathleen to pull away.

"That's it? 'I'll do'??? Johnny, I told you I loved you. Do you love me?" Kathleen asks, getting angry and hurt. Johnny stares at her, unsure of how to answer. He wanted her, sure, but... did he love her? Kathleen nods before stopping, shaking her head and backing away, off of Johnny. "Nice. I pour my heart out and all I get is a backhanded-well, not even a compliment. I'm not a second choice, Johnny. I'm not a compromise. I'm a person. With feelings. Oh wait, I forgot, you have none of those." Kathleen steps out of the limo and sucks in a quick breath, trying to stop herself from crying. "I give up." Kat concedes, walking away and leaving a numb Johnny behind.

He wasn't ready for what she dropped on him. But that wasn't an excuse. Johnny looks up to stop her but it's too late. She's gone.

(AN: play Tengo Un Amor by Toby Love)

'I'm done.' Kathleen thinks to herself, on the torch of the Statue of Liberty. Okay, so it might not have been a good idea to sit on the thing that reminded her of Johnny but... she somehow found herself there. Don't even ask her how she got across the water for not even she knows. A flickering of lights catches her attention and Kat's head snaps up, finding the top floor of the Baxter Building putting on a light show as a sinking feeling hits her stomach.

"Oh no..." Kathleen is up in an instant, jumping from ledge to ledge as fast as she can until she's at the base of the statue, feet on Liberty Island. She looks at the ocean then to the Baxter Building, the lights dying out and the feeling churning stronger in her gut. Kat nods, determination coloring her features before she's jumping, right into the rigid waters. Reed had noticed her hands and feet were slightly wet and with her strength, she crossed the body of water in under ten minutes.

When Kathleen crawled out, her tight suit stuck to her even more than before but it wasn't uncomfortable. Kat shivers from having a wet body in nippy night air, skating out her fur by twisting her body like a wash machine. She sniffs, knowing she'll most likely catch a cold but she pushes past that, taking off in a sprint to try and reach the Baxter Building before something terrible happens.

Kathleen comes to a stop, about to enter the lobby only to stop short and catch Jimmy who was thrown out of the glass doors-literally. She sets him down and he scurried away just as Victor exits, confident. Kat glares at him.

"Victor." She growls and he gives her a sick grin.

"What's the matter? Johnny didn't want anything more than a one night stand?" He looks her over. "Who could blame him?" Kat clenches her fist but notices something. Reed is falling to the ground, like a slinky.

"Reed?" She questions and in her distraction, gets zapped by electricity and thrown far back, crashing through a wall of a building down the street. Kathleen groans as she lies in the pile of rubble, everything hurting.

"Come on, get up! Your friend needs you!" Orion urges but Kat can't. She's struggling to but Victor just electrified her more, making her scream in agony.

"You act so tough but you're still that pathetic, fat, girl that went to space." Victor calls over the crackle of electricity.

"Winona... O-Orion... help... please..." Kathleen pleads, begs, and the two tigers nod.

"I need permission, Kathleen." Winona informs the woman and Kathleen nods. Orion pushes Winona.

"Good enough, now go!" Winona nods, merging with Kathleen once more but it's different this time. Kathleen's gold eyes snap open and turn blue before her body begins to grow, double-triple-bigger than a tank and into a humongous white tiger with blue eyes. A loud, earth-shaking roar, pulls from her muzzle.

The giant white tiger charges at Victor, taking him down by using his shock and keeping him pinned with her right paw before roaring in his face.

"YoU'lL pAy FoR hUrTiNg OuR KAtHlEeN." A distorted woman's voice threatens him. It sounded like Kathleen's but mixed with another woman's voice. Victor finally shows fear before putting his mask back up but Winona saw it. Kathleen was currently dormant while Winona was in full control of her body. The giant beast was more of a shell while the woman lay sleeping inside.

"What are you?" Victor asks in confusion.

"ThE lAsT tHiNg YoU'lL sEe BeFoRe YoU dIe A pAiNfUl AnD sLoW dEaTh." Winona continues before pressing her paw harder onto Victor, planning on squashing him. She doesn't count on him zapping her again. She roars in pain before pulling her paw back, going to smash it to the ground only for him to provide a stronger current of electricity which sends her reeling back, into a diesel. It explodes, propelling the giant tiger forward and onto the hard ground, unconscious. The white tiger slowly shrinks back until only a sleeping Kathleen is left, a large gash running from her left eyebrow curving down to her chin.

"Pathetic," Victor growls. He grabs Reed, taking off with him.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Susan shows up to see the wreckage, not noticing Kathleen lying in the middle of the street before she's rushing into the lobby, heading right up to Reed's place. Or what's left of it. When she steps out of the elevator, she finds the whole place wrecked. A pile of rubble shifts and out stumbles Ben.

"Ben?!" Susan exclaims with worry, rushing over to help him. Ben is beaten and battered.

"Sue!" Johnny comes running in but stops short when he sees the wreckage. "I'm sorry, sis, for leaving you guys-" Susan cuts him off with a shake of her head.

"No, I'm sorry, for pushing you out." Susan replies and Johnny nods before noticing Ben.

"Jesus, Ben!" Johnny eyes the normal looking Ben. "I go away, look what happens. You got a lot of explaining to do." Johnny motions to the wreckage.

"The machine works. And Vic's gone Mister Hyde on us-" Ben starts, struggling.

"Really? With a name like Von Doom? Never saw that one coming." Johnny comments sarcastically, interrupting Ben. Susan looks around, only one question crossing her mind.

"Where's Kat and Reed?" She asks, everyone turning serious. Johnny begins to panic, looking around too.

"Kathleen!?" He calls, desperate.

"She... she wasn't here but... Victor attacked Reed. Out... the window..." Ben struggles to tell them. That's when Susan and Johnny notice the broken window and they set Ben down gently, rushing back to the lobby and out into the street, searching. Susan pulls her phone out, having Kathleen's number, and dialing it. A Spanish song rings crisp into the night, making their hearts sink as they slowly turn to find its location. They see Kathleen lying there, unmoving. Johnny's first to rush over, Susan not far behind him.

"Come on, you better be alive." Johnny hisses, sliding the last feet to reach her, kneeling beside her and checking her neck. He doesn't feel anything. "No, come on, Tigger, you can't do this to me. You said you loved me and I..." Johnny grabs her head, lifting it as he shifts, getting closer to her face and moving her hair out of her bruised, dirtied, and bloodied face. "I still need to tell you I love you. Okay? I love you! You hear me???" Johnny roars, tears swelling up in his panicked blue eyes. "Come on... Kathleen, come on!"

Johnny rests his forehead against Kathleen's, letting a tear slip down his cheekbone and onto her nose ridge, trailing down her right cheek. Kathleen's nose twitches and her eyes flutter open slowly, blinking a few time as they adjust, gold again. Kat finds Johnny's face extremely close and her eyes widen, tail thumping softly as it wags happily. Her ears twitch, curious as to why he's there. Susan gasps quietly, seeing the motions of her tail.

"I'm sorry..." Johnny whispers. "I should've grown up... I was selfish and now..." He continues to keep his eyes closed, still crying. Kathleen smiles sweetly, reaching her hands up and cupping his face. Johnny's eyes fly open and go wide with shock.

"I forgive you." Kathleen whispers hoarsely and Johnny kisses her, not even giving her a chance to inhale. He pulls away.

"I love you, Kathleen, please go out with me." Johnny says hurriedly, slight nervousness in his tone. Kat laughs and sits up with a little struggle.

"I will, but-" Her eyes widen. "Reed! Ben!" Kathleen jumps up but Susan stops her.

"Ben is fine, it's Reed we have to rescue. We think Victor took him." Susan explains and Kat grits her teeth, clenching her fists.

"I'm going to kill him." She growls heatedly. Suddenly, her tiger ears twitch when she picks up a sound. The others seem to hear it as well since they all turn to look for the origin of the noise. They see something approaching-a missile! Johnny leans over the balcony to get a closer look and the missile moves with him. Kathleen's eyes widen. Johnny lights his hand on fire and moves it around, the missile following his movement. "Heat-seeking." Kathleen whispers in horror.

Johnny's mind races but he makes a decision, and steps up onto the ledge, hundreds of feet above the street. Kathleen and Susan both panic, Susan being the one to speak up.

"What are you-?" Johnny cuts her off.

"Sis. Let me take care of you for once." He replies and Kat steps closer, ready to grab him.

"Don't do it, amor." She pleads, using a pet name to try and coax him out of doing whatever it is he plans on doing. Johnny smiles at her over his shoulder.

"I love you." Johnny tells her.

"You can't fly." Kathleen says instead, trying to be reasonable. Johnny considers, and it looks like he'll back down. He looks out into the street below.

"Well then this'll be one hell of a base jump." Johnny whispers under his breath but Kat catches it. Unfortunately, she doesn't catch him as he jumps off, plummeting.

"NOOOOO!!!" Kathleen screeches, rushing forward to look over. She stares, petrified, as the man she loves continues to fall. She really shouldn't watch but she can't seem to look away.                Johnny falls lower, lower. And... he... swoops up, flying! Kathleen watches him soar through the sky, a trail of fire behind him as he shoots through the air like a comet. "Voy a matarlo (I'm going to kill him)." She utters in pride.

"We need to help Reed-"

Susan stops Ben, interrupting him. "Ben, you got what we all wanted. You need to stay here. It's too dangerous." Susan orders. She heads off, Ben watching her and feeling helpless. Kathleen opens her mouth to say something as she looks from him to the way Susan left but decides against it, giving him a sheepish shrug before following after the Invisible Woman.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Kathleen waits outside the building, following the plan of hiding in the shadows and being the secret weapon in case things go sideways. Kat hears the explosion of the missile and prays that Johnny is still in tact. Well, for Victor's sake, he better be. She sighs before her eyes catch someone, or should she say, someThing.

Kathleen smirks. "Go get 'em, Benito." She whispers to herself. A few minutes after Ben enters Victor's building, she hears noises of a great impact and rushes forward with worry. She scales the walls using her claws until she reaches the floor Reed, Susan, and Ben are on and enters through the window in time to hear Ben speak.

"Victor's "not that bad," huh? Just "a little larger than life"?" Ben asks, quoting Reed from when they went to ask about the space trip. Kat is brought back to that time, when things were awkward between Reed and Susan, when Victor was just a creep and not a superpowered creep, and...

'Before I met Johnny.' Kathleen mutters in her head. Okay, so maybe going on that "stupid space trip" wasn't so bad. Kat is brought back from her daydreams when the wreckage shifts.  They turn to see Victor emerging from the rubble. He stands, power coursing, and he charges at Ben who charges back. These two behemoths slam into each other, crashing through glass, into thin air.

Kathleen rushes forward, watching them fall into a rooftop pool and struggle with each other in it. They then crash through the roof of the hotel they're over and Kat backs up, running out of the room to head down to the street and join the fight once it reaches there.

Kathleen gets out in time to find the streets slightly flooded but Victor and Ben nowhere in sight. She hears cop cars growing closer, their sirens screaming into the night but still no sign of the fighting metahumans.

BOOM!

A huge shape explodes from a large garbage truck and Ben lands on a car, his head cracks the windshield. Victor steps out of the garbage truck next, water flooding the street around him. Cop cars converge on Victor. He turns his attention to the cops as his limbs spark with electricity, ready to fire at the cars. Knowing that the cops are dead meat, Kat turns to around and finds two old ladies about to get in their car to get away but she stops them.

"I'm borrowing your car!" She shouts, picking it up over her head easily. The driver looks at Kathleen in awe.

"The clutch sticks a little." She answers and Kathleen smiles at her gently.

"Not going to be a problem, ma'am." Kathleen then roars, chucking the vehicle at Von Doom. It throws the maniac back at least twenty feet and into an out of service bus before Kathleen, or Wildcat, is rushing him, reeling her right fist back with an angry growl.

"What a nice young woman." The second old lady says to the first who nods in agreement.

The bus Victor crashed into slams into an electricity pole, snapping the pole. Victor steps out, unharmed. Kathleen is still charging towards him. Victor grabs the broken electricity pole, flips it into his hand, and wields the pole like a giant stun-gun. Electric sparks fly through the air into the running Kathleen, the blast of volts launching her off her feet. Wildcat goes flying backward, electrocuted in mid-flight, and she lands hard, face down, creating a small crater from her hard landing. Water rushes into the crater as Wildcat lays there, incapacitated.

Ben finally gets up and sees Wildcat before glaring at Victor angrily, rushing  at the psycho himself. Victor does the same thing to the Thing before he                strides up to Wildcat, and raises the electricity pole for the death-blow. Currents surge.

Right before he swings down- "I can't let you do that." Reed calls to him. Victor turns around to find Reed alone, bruised and battered. Doom smiles.

"And you can't stop me." Victor sasses. He turns back to Wildcat, raises the pole again, but... he can't swing down. Something is holding the pole in mid-air. Something invisible. "Hello Susan." Victor greets darkly. She turns visible, holding back the pole with a force field.
Using her power, she flings the pole from Doom's grip. It skids along the street and Reed helps Ben to his feet while Susan helps Wildcat. Victor turns to these four wounded heroes. "What is this, the pitiful four?" He mocks. Victor steps towards them but is stopped by a voice.

"Five." Johnny swoops down, hurling a fireball like a flamethrower, knocking Doom back. Johnny takes his place alongside the others. The five of them stand as one. Johnny turns to Thing. "Had a little relapse, huh?" Ben goes to retort but Johnny cuts him off, smiling warmly. "Welcome back." Wildcat smiles at Johnny, nodding her appreciation for that.

They turn to Doom, who stands with metal skin slightly singed and melted, making him look all the more menacing.

"This is going to be fun." Victor comments, smirking cruelly.

Electricity starts to course through his body. He stands at the foot of the crater Ben made and thrusts down, grabbing a thick power cable, ripping it out of the street. Victor snaps the cable into two snaking, lashing strips. He holds tight, absorbing the power. Lights flicker and dim in the buildings around them, and windows blow. Victor glows, amped up. He lets go of the cables, the two deadly wires snake out of control and pedestrians scatter, panicked. 

Reed sees the wires slashing through the air and makes a move; Reed stretches his arms, reaching for the deadly cables. Victor fires superpowered energy bolts and the electric charges surge through the air toward the Fantastic Five, but Susan tosses her force-fields, exploding Victor's blasts in mid-flight. She keeps her hands up, blocking blows like a prized fighter. One of Doom's bolts glances off her force-field and smashes into a concrete stanchion of a building. The pillar starts to crumble, with people huddled under the overhang.

They're about to be crushed by the falling concrete, but suddenly, the concrete roof holds steady because Ben is holding it up! He stands beside the stanchion, like Atlas holding the world.  People run out, safe.

Reed is finally able to grab both ends of the wire. "JOHNNY! SPOT-WELD!" He roars to the blond. Kathleen snaps out of her awe of her friends and jumps into action when she realizes Susan can't hold the force field much longer. Wildcat leaps over the field and lands a kick to Victor's face, sending him back ten feet. Once she lands in a squat, she's rushing him punching left and right. Until he discharges a blast of electricity that is. Wildcat is sent hurling back but Reed catches her and sets her down before turning to Johnny.

"Johnny, supernova." He orders hurriedly.

"But all these people-"

Reed cuts Johnny off. "Now!" He commands. Johnny charges toward Victor; flames on his body starting build to a blinding white intensity, engulfing everything. Johnny grabs Victor. Johnny explodes in a PULSE of bright white light, which starts to heat up everything surrounding it. Reed doesn't miss a beat. He's in total command now.

"Sue, I need some of that anger, rage, frustration." Reed orders.

Susan nods, looking right at Victor. "I'm sure I can think of something." She concentrates. She sees Johnny holding onto Doom-and the growing heat and light.

Susan shuts her eyes. A giant force field explodes from her body. A massive wave of energy. It swoops past a car, which warps and melts. Ben turns to the crowd, extending his arm, blocking them. Susan's force-field envelops Johnny's supernova, containing it in a bright sphere of energy. The light increases, to the point that it's blinding.  The crowd and Wildcat (having sensitive eyes) look away.

Finally, Johnny's supernova fades. He collapses to the ground, exhausted, and smoking. Susan exhales and falls to her knees, her nose bleeding. Her force field fades and the light flickers out. As everyone's eyes adjust, we hear...

THUD.  THUD. 

Victor steps through the smoke. Unharmed. His metallic body glows white, trailing molten metal. Wildcat grits her teeth with anger, wanting this to be over. She then remembers a certain science project Reed helped her with. A wicked smirk grows on her face when she remembers the title.

What Happens To Hot Metal When Cooled?

Kathleen looks around for anything to cool him off with before finding a fire hydrant nearby. Reed stays calm but he knows what Kat is doing.

"Is that the best you can do...? A little heat...?" Victor taunts.

"Time for your lesson, Vic. Chem 101: what happens when you supercool hot
metal...?" Reed looks to Wildcat who beams.

"Ooh! I know, I know!" She cheers in face excitement before breaking off the top of the hydrant, Ben (who followed her) using his foot to redirect the strong stream of water at Victor.

Doom rushes toward Reed, but the water flies out, dousing Victor. Giant clouds of steam fill the air from the cooling metal. Victor screams and Kat almost feels sorry for him. Almost. His shrieks finally fade to silence. Wildcat stops the water by forcing the metal top of the hydrant closed. Thick steam clouds roll, completely obscuring Victor from view. A long beat of silence.

The steam clears to reveal:

Victor-no, he would be fully known as Doom now. A true statue... a hard, cold solid piece of metal. Frozen forever. Reed, Sue, Ben, Kathleen, and Johnny- The Fantastic Five-exhale. They stand as one, in roiling smoke. A small pause passes between them.

"Damn, I love this job." Johnny comments happily. Susan and Reed slowly lock eyes, thinking the same thing.

"Job, huh?" Ben murmurs.

"Well, we do have the suits." Reed concedes with a shrug. Kat grins.

"And the names... apparently." She adds, giving Johnny a look who turns sheepish. Look at that, he has shame. Who knew?

"You know, about what we said up there, I think maybe-" Reed cuts Susan off with a kiss, a deep one. Johnny cringes in disgust but Kathleen pulls him into one herself, albeit a bit aggressively.

"It's funny how things turn out, isn't it?" Ben asks and Susan pulls away from Reed, staring lovingly into his eyes.

"Hilarious." She replies.

As Kat and Johnny continue to kiss, people emerge, stepping out of hiding.  The sun rises around the heroes. The Fantastic Five step into the new dawn of a new day.

🐯 🐯 🐯

Reed and Sue kiss on the deck of the Circle Line as it chugs around New York City.

A party in progress. Drinks, food, music. A familiar face is in the crowd; Jimmy O'Hoolihan (cast on his arm), bartender Ernie, and Kathleen's family.  Johnny, Kathleen, and Ben stand behind Reed and Sue.

Reed and Sue pull apart and Reed turns to Ben, excited.

"Ben, I've been crunching the numbers on the machine. I think if we can rework the power settings-" Ben cuts Reed off by waving him off.

"Forget it, egghead. I'm good as is." Ben comments and Kat nods in agreement when Reed turns to her questioningly.

"Same here." She says.

"That's my Benny." Alicia Masters, Ben's girlfriend, adds. Kathleen liked Alicia much more than Debbie. She was blind but tough.

"Sue, can I talk to you for a second?" Reed asks before leading her out, Ben, Kathleen, and Johnny sharing looks. Everyone applauds when Susan and Reed kiss after she said yes to his proposal. Ben gives Johnny a serious look.

"No more wisecracks about how I look." Ben orders him.

"Hey, I'm Mr. Sensitivity now." Johnny replies before giving Kat a quick peck and weaving through the bodies of people at the party. "Clear the way, wide load coming through." He calls and Ben glares, giving chase. Kat shakes her head, smiling fondly as she steps closer to Alicia.

"And that's my Johnny." She mutters before walking on stage. "Alright, imma sing!!!"

"Let's groove tonight
Share the spice of life
Baby slice it right
We're gonna groove tonight." Kathleen starts to sing just as Johnny flames on, flying up and blazes the number "Five" enclosed in a circle of flame (their symbol front their suits), over the city skyline.

Ben shakes his head, "Showoff."

Damn. This took so long. Five days. I started the Tuesday I got back and finished at 12:28 am Monday January 1, 2018. Speaking of, HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!

I went on vacation on Saturday December 23, 2017 and got back Tuesday December 26, 2017. I went to Laughlin, Nevada and visited some casinos, found a perfectly round and smooth rock, then headed out to Las Vegas, Nevada, spent a night there too, then went to Reno, Nevada and went to the zoo there (they had this white tiger named Caesar and he really didn't like my dad and would jump up on the fence-onto his hind legs-and growled at us), then we just drove around and passed through San Francisco before going home.

My brother and I mostly spent time in the arcades of the casino since I'm too young to play or be near the machines. (I'm eighteen, I can stand around but not close to them. I can be trialled as an adult but I can't play a stupid gambling game? Seriously?) and yeah. That was my vacay. It was fun but I hate traveling because I'm all cooped up in the vehicle and my dad didn't want us on technology so that meant I had nothing to entertain myself with. I'm half Mexican so my dad listens to Spanish music and my brother kept annoying me with facts about the music videos of said Spanish music when all I wanted to do was catch up on the sleep HE DEPRIVED ME OF!!! (He talks, fights-by fights I mean he punches and kicks anything near him-, and hums-really loud may I add-)

And that's it I think....

But yeah. This chapter has a lot of errors but I put that in the beginning so you guys should know already. I used a script I found online so stuff might not be accurate and I may have worded things wrong. But I still hope you guys enjoyed.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT THIS TURNED INTO A BOOK (that way I can elaborate on Kat's past and family for you a bit... but that's why I put her information at the beginning too)!!!

The songs used are in this order:

1. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things- Taylor Swift

2. Si La Quieres- Selena

3. Lloro Por Ti (Remix)- Wisin & Yandel Ft. Enrique Iglesias

4. Tengo Un Amor- Toby Love

(If you'd like me to make a playlist for my OCs-and strictly then-comment and let me know)

Carry on my wayward readers!

Always crazy,

CasHasSass

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