Saving Me
Summary: Johnny's best friend gets permission to come along on the space journey. A few things to know though…his best friend is a girl. She's also Ben's niece. The line between friend and friendlier is very thin and it just might get crossed as the discovery of powers makes an appearance.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Fantastic Four character people. They belong to Stan Lee.
A/N: The character I have in this story is generally the same as the one I have in Everything Burns except for her name, as well as her behaviour towards a few people.
"Hey, I'm looking for Mercedes Denver." Johnny said, walking into the building and removing his sunglasses.
"Miss Denver is with a 'class'." The woman at the desk said.
"Yeah, I figured." Johnny said. "So can you tell me which studio she's in?"
"Give me a second." The woman said. Johnny sighed and watched as she, slowly, flipped through the papers on a clipboard.
"You know…I'll find it myself." He said, giving her a sarcastic smile. He headed down the hall and peeked into a room. "Ah…ballroom." He looked into another one. He paused there, watching the women in skimpy outfits. "Right…looking for Merc." He shook his head and continued down the hall. He stopped and pushed open a door. He instantly smiled as he saw a familiar female dancing with a bunch of kids who seemed to be around the same age as her.
"Ok and one, two, three…down…up. Girls turn then fall…guys catch them!" Johnny smirked as he watched his friend giving instructions. One of the guys dropped the girl he was supposed to catch. "That's why we have the mats…anyone else wanna complain about them?"
"Yeah…they don't match the rest of the room." Johnny said. His friend turned then smiled and ran at him before jumping on him. Johnny grabbed her thighs to keep her up. "How ya doing, Merc?"
"Do you have to ask?" Merc asked, smiling and hugging him before jumping down. She looked at her 'class'. "Everyone…this is my friend Johnny Storm." The girls all smiled and waved while the guys just nodded. "Oh…Johnny…maybe you can help us out here."
"I dunno." Johnny said.
"Come on…you were the one that helped me with this to begin with!" Merc said, flicking her light brown hair over her shoulder. "Please?"
"Fine." Johnny said. He followed her to a spot in front of the group.
"Jake…can you reset the song to start from where we just were?" Merc asked. One of the guys nodded and went to the stereo. A few seconds later the song was playing from the place that Johnny had come in at. He stood behind Merc as she did the moves she wanted the other girls to know. She dropped down, got back up, spun, and then fell. Johnny instantly caught and pushed her lightly back to standing then joined her in a few more moves.
"Miss Denver we have to go." One of the girls said.
"Oh…" Merc said, stopping. She looked at the clock. "You're right. Ok well…I'll see you guys same time next week and…"
"Actually…you won't." Johnny said. Merc looked at him. "Week after that." Everyone looked at him then at Merc.
"Uh…ok…see you the week after next." Merc said. "Spend that time practicing because when I see you all again I expect everyone to KNOW the steps for at least two and a half songs." The class all left and Merc turned to Johnny. "Ok NASA drop-out…why won't I see them next week?"
"You won't see them next week because…" Johnny said, whipping out a card and handing it to Merc. "Victor has agreed to letting you come along."
"Cool…come along where?" Merc asked.
"He ain't lying, Mercy." Ben said. Merc sat at the table next to him as Debbie cooked up dinner.
"So I actually get to go into space with you guys?" She asked, bouncing like a little kid.
"Yeah…calm down." Ben said.
"Awww but Uncle Ben…" Merc said. "You know I always wanted to go into space and be closer to the stars."
"You always wanted to read peoples' minds and make things happen with your own as well." Ben said. Debbie put a plate of food in front of him. "Thanks Debs."
"No problem, baby." Debbie said. "Are you hungry, Merc?" Merc opened her mouth to say 'no' but Ben jumped in.
"Yes she is!" He said. Merc looked at him and glared slightly. Debbie put a plate in front of her as well before getting her own and sitting down.
"I was going to say no because I told Johnny…" Merc said.
"You also told me that you'd spend tonight here." Ben said.
"Well can I at least call him?" Merc asked. "He's my best friend Uncle Ben."
"Timing." Ben said.
"Ben." Debbie said. Merc smiled at her before getting up, picking up her plate and going into a different room. "He may not be the nicest boy but he is nice to her."
"That doesn't mean I have to like them being friends." Ben said.
"According to you, they were friends before he became a playboy." Debbie said, smiling slightly as she ate.
"Nah…my uncle wants me to stay in tonight." Merc said on the phone.
"That's no problem." Johnny said.
"I bet it's not. You probably have a line of girls waiting for you to go out with them." Merc said.
"Hey…if you really needed me I'd drop any of them for you." Johnny said. "Unless, you know, she was like a model or something."
"Johnny Storm, you nerd!!" Merc said. "Ok so anyways, you're still gonna give me that tour right?"
"Of course." Johnny said. "And I won't even charge you for being in my presence."
"I should be charging you." Merc said.
"Why?" Johnny asked.
"Because most people need to be paid to hang around you as much as I do." Merc said, laughing.
"Ah!" Johnny said, mocking shock. "You can't see it but my hand's over my heart."
"Get some rest Mr. Pilot." Merc said. "I'll see you…"
"Tomorrow probably." Johnny said. "Night, Mercy."
"Night." Merc said, hanging up. She brought her empty plate to the kitchen and then went to her room. She sighed and sat on her bed.
"…And over there you got…yet another office." Johnny said the next day. "Gee…ain't this place surprising."
"Shut up." Merc said.
"Hey, you were the one that wanted the tour." Johnny said.
"Yeah I know. Just thought it'd be different somehow." Merc said. "Like…maybe some high-tech…mass destructive things or something."
"You think too much of Victor." Johnny said quietly. Merc giggled. At that moment, Victor came around the corner up ahead of them. Merc fell silent.
"Ah…this must be the infamous Mercedes." Victor said. "I'm glad to finally have the pleasure of meeting you."
"Oh? I've heard of me?" Merc asked, accepting his hand.
"Susan won't stop talking about how much Johnny won't stop talking about you." Victor said. Merc looked at Johnny and he successfully avoided her gaze. She narrowed her eyes slightly. "I hope that you enjoy your time with us."
"Oh I will." Merc said. "Thanks for letting me come along." She was glad she actually sounded sincere because she sure didn't feel like it. She gently pulled her hand out of Victor's grasp and looked at Johnny. She really wished she knew what he was thinking then
"So…what are you two up to anyways?" Victor asked.
"Just showing her around." Johnny said. "Almost done showing her all the exact same offices." Merc bit the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing. "We'll be off then, come on Mercy." He took Merc's hand and led her around Victor. Merc laughed once they were out of ear range. Johnny joined her, leaning against the wall.
"That was just stupid." Merc said. "Funny…but stupid."
"That's what you say about everything I do." Johnny said. "For years now…"
"Years?" Merc asked. "Johnny we've only been friends since Sue and Reed started dating."
"Yeah…still counts as years." Johnny said.
"My definition of 'years' is maybe like ten or more." Merc said.
"If it were ten years, you would have been nine when we started being friends." Johnny said.
"Wow…you are, like, so smart." Merc said, faking a valley girl voice.
"Your sarcasm makes me feel sooo much better." Johnny said.
"I do what I can…so let's finish this tour." Merc said.
A few days later she stood, examining herself in a mirror. She ran her hands over the full body, dark blue, wetsuit-like uniform.
"These are great." Merc said.
"Victor came up with them." Sue said. Merc turned and smiled when she saw her. "How you doing?"
"I'm fine." Merc said, hugging her. "How about you?"
"Great." Sue said.
"Captain on the bridge!" They heard Johnny yell.
"Oh no…I hope he doesn't bother my uncle too much." Merc said.
"…should be flying or performing Swan Lake in these suits." They heard Ben say as they neared where the guys all were. "Who the hell came up with these things?"
"Victor did, apparently." Merc said. Everyone turned to see both girls in the uniforms. Johnny's jaw dropped.
"The synthetics act as a second skin, adapting to your body's individual needs." Sue said.
"Now that means it keeps the hot stuff hot, and the cool stuff cool." Johnny said.
"Oh I thought it'd make the hot stuff cool and vice versa." Merc said, sarcastically.
"Laugh it up shorty." Johnny said. Merc stuck her tongue out at him.
"Fantastic." Reed said, not having heard a word the younger two had said. He took the suit from Ben's hands and Merc looked at Sue to see her frown. "Material made from self-regulating unstable molecules. I've been working on a formula for this."
"Great minds think alike." Sue said. She handed Ben one of the flight suits she had been carrying. "Here you are Ben."
"Thanks sweetie." Ben said.
"Reed." Sue said, throwing the other one at Reed as she went past him. Merc looked at Johnny and both held in laughing.
She decided to spend her last night on earth working on dances. If she expected her class to have things nicely done then she'd have to keep herself one step ahead of them. She was completely unaware of the fact that she had been singing along with the song as she danced until she spun around and found herself looking at Sue.
"You could give the Pussycat Dolls a run for their money." Sue said.
"I don't think I'm at that level of…burlesque dancing yet." Merc said.
"I think you've passed it." Sue said. "Is that what you're teaching?"
"Kinda." Merc said. "Just…not as…"
"Slutty?" Sue asked, smiling. Merc laughed slightly.
"Yeah…slutty." She said, nodding. "So…you and Victor…"
"What about me and Victor?" Sue asked.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Merc said.
"We work together…and…" Sue said. She sighed. "Things are complicated."
"Ok." Merc said. "I guess it's bedtime then."
"Yeah…early day tomorrow." Sue said. She hugged Merc. "See you in the morning."
"Good night, Sue." Merc said. "It's nice seeing you again."
"You too." Sue said. She left the room and Merc sat on her bed, thinking about what would happen up in space.
Ok so a little rushed but I couldn't think of much else to put in this chapter. Like I said, Merc is the same as Alexa but…a few aspects are different.