Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted

Summary:

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

Disclaimer:

This isn't stealing...I'm just borrowing without asking...

Author's Notes:

As said in the summary, this is the sequel to 'Retribution' my previous Fan4 fic. It would probably be wise to read that first if you haven't already, but you could probably get away with not. This is set one/two years on from Retribution

In advance, I do not know much about Doom's past, but I know he is aristocracy or something. I have made up this history as far as I know, I apologise now if I'm completely wrong, but it works with the plotline :P

Sorry this has taken so long, but I got distracted by shiny things. I hope you like :D

Chapter One: Blackout

Twenty Years Ago

Latveria

There was nothing more thrilling than the Call of the Hunt.

It created an excitement that shivered through the bones. First the hounds would pick up the scent while the huntsmen waited patiently on horseback. Then the dogs would run off. The prey was close by. They would howl chillingly causing a ripple of anticipation through the troupe. The Pursuit. Blood pumped quicker, adrenaline coursed faster, bloodlust grew. They would gallop and leap through the fields and trees and over hedges and gates...

The primal desires would take over as the chase drew to a close. The prey was trapped. No escape. Sometimes it would cower pathetically; sometimes it would never give up the fight until it was stone cold dead. It would yap and bark and growl; whimper, moan and whine. The Kill.

It depended on the group as to their method. Some would be sympathetic and make it quick. A bullet to the brain. Some would even let the creature go. The prey gazed up at the huntsmen, hoping for them to be merciful. They had had their fun. The game was up. Other huntsmen were more violent, more animalistic. Some would tear the prey apart, with their blades or just their bare hands; again, it depends. Some would drag out the torture...wound the beast and then let it keep running. Give it hope and then rip it away.

They could hunt the same prey for days. Running it down, weakening it until it no longer had the will to continue. They would break the prey down until it surrendered pitifully. The prey whined mournfully as it collapsed before the hunters. Now they would end its torture. Put it out of its misery.

But what would be the fun in that?

Victor Von Doom eagerly awaited the howl of the dogs. His horse shuffled restlessly, snorting and huffing. This was only his second hunt. He was the youngest of the troupe, just eighteen-years-old, but he could ride the fastest. He had reached the prey first last time. He had been allowed the honour of deciding its fate.

His short black hair was neatly groomed and his traditional red uniform was immaculately kept. He was of thin build with hidden lean muscles making him stronger than he looked. His dark eyes glinted with a natural malice in the murky moonlight.

The howl! Long, loud and shrill. It pierced through the cool night air, music to Victor's ears. He kicked his horse into action, causing it to whinny loudly before it galloped toward the dogs' calls. At first he stayed in pace with the group. He had yet to learn the art of tracking the prey and it would be no good if he got himself lost.

The troupe hurtled through the trees, skilfully dodging low-hanging branches and leaping over fallen trunks. Distant owls hooted their displeasure and the undergrowth grew silent with fear as the huntsmen passed.

The pursuit for this prey was surprisingly short. The bay of the hounds was close. Victor licked his lips in longing for the kill. He surged forward, taking advantage of his lighter weight that allowed him to go faster. Before long the dogs were getting louder as the hooves of the groups' horses grew quieter. He was alone; the kill was so close he could taste the blood...

There! They had the prey cornered. The hounds bared their teeth and growled at the fox, waiting for their master to finish the task. A murderous grin lit up Victor's features as he studied the prey. It was a fine specimen. Young, fit, stubborn. Its brown-red fur bristled as it hissed at the dogs. Its black eyes were still full of life. It probably had more chase left in him, but he just had nowhere to go.

Victor analysed the prey to fathom what the best method for killing it was. It was no old dog that needed a mercy kill. It wasn't weak and pathetic. Victor even considered letting it go before the troupe arrived so that it could believe it had a chance for freedom...Victor passed over the expensive hunting rival he had tied to his horse's saddle. He would not be shooting this prey. Instead he found the wooden handle of the knife he had sheathed next to the gun.

The galloping of the troupe was getting louder as they approached. It would unprofessional for Victor to kill before the rest of the huntsmen arrived. Besides it was their hunt as well. He decided to wait. He crouched before the cornered fox, the hounds surrounding him, and stared into its eyes. The fox stared back, not yet willing to give up.

Slowly, Victor unsheathed the weapon, allowing the fox to see the wicked blade glint in the moonlight. He knew the fox understood what was to happen. Somehow they had connected. The predator had found his prey.

"Victor!" came a disgruntled shout as the thundering of hooves came to an abrupt stop nearby. Annoyed, the teenager swivelled his head to acknowledge the troupe leader, Gastoul. A silent communication passed between them. The elder man seemed to flinch slightly beneath Victor's malevolent gaze. "It's your kill."

Gleefully Victor brandished the blade, an evil smile lifting his lips and darkening his face. The fox snarled one last stubborn snarl before its hunter ended his life.

Blood and fur and torn flesh spurted and sprayed as Victor Von Doom ripped his prey to shreds.

The Baxter Building

Present Day

The wedding dress was beautiful. The white bodice was intricately embroidered with clear beads and wrapped flatteringly around the bride's small waist. The soft linen then fell from the waist to the floor, the many petticoats hidden beneath. She wore dainty white shoes that clicked as she walked.

Alicia stared, without seeing, at her reflection in the mirror. Her long black hair had been pinned up and a small tiara perched on her head. She gently swayed and the long skirt waved around her ankles. She was getting married.

A lovesick grin lit up her face as she thought excitedly about her fiancé. Ben Grimm was perfect for her, and she for him. She loved him for the kind, caring man he was when others only saw his rocky exterior. He loved her for her understanding and support. She remembered what he had said when he had proposed to her in Ernie's Bar

"Alicia Masters, you are the most amazing person I have ever met. You made my life worth living when I couldn't, and for that I owe you my life. Will you do me the honour of making me the happiest man in the world? Will you marry me?"

How could she refuse? And now here she was, a year later, dressed and ready for her wedding.

"Are you nervous?" asked the raven-haired woman that was perched nearby. Alicia turned to the sound of the voice, knowing that her wide grin was clearly visible.

The woman was Dr. Kayla Maiden, a relatively recent addition to the Fantastic Four team. She was a trauma surgeon who had lost her job after an unfortunate accident had changed her quite dramatically. Alicia could always feel the cold that radiated from her because of her icy powers. Though she never went on missions with the team (they're not the Fantastic Five after all) she still proved useful as a fully trained medic. She had saved Johnny's life when Doom had attacked the Baxter Building last year and stabbed the Torch.

"I can't believe it's finally here," Alicia murmured in disbelief. Her smile grew even wider. "I'm getting married!"

"Yes you are," agreed Sue as she just finished adjusting her blonde hair. She and Kayla wore matching deep purple bridesmaid dresses that were decorated with silver rose patterns on the end of the skirts. Sue picked up her bouquet of midnight blue roses and turned to her friend. "You know I've been waiting for you and Ben to get hitched for a long time. When I first met you I knew the pair of you were meant to be."

"I love him so much," gushed Alicia as she sighed longingly.

"I should hope so if your marrying the guy," Kayla joked. She rummaged around for the watch she had taken off earlier and checked the time. "When are we meant to be at the church?"

"The limo will pick us up at half nine so that we're at the church for ten. The guys should already be there," Sue replied. She applied a light bit of makeup to her cheek. "Speaking of guys, who's giving you away?"

Alicia smiled sadly. Her father was in prison following his maniacal Puppet Master reign where he had attacked the Fantastic Four by controlling them with radioactive clay. "My father...won't be, for obvious reasons. I asked Johnny to do it. He did such a good job at Sue's weddings, and I love him like a brother too. It just seemed to fit."

St. Peter's Church

"So you ready for this Ben?" asked Johnny with a grin on his face. He had never seen the rock man so nervous. The Thing visibly shook as he stood near the altar. Johnny received an annoyed glance from both Ben and his best man Reed. "What?"

"Don't start Johnny," groaned Reed tiredly. Ever since the Torch had found out about the engagement and the wedding he had been making jokes and remarks. It was just his way of saying congratulations but it was starting to wear them down.

St. Peter's Church was huge and old. The walls were constructed of heavy grey stones and there were large stained-glass windows. Deep purple rose bouquets decorated the edges of the rows of pews that ran up either side of the aisle. Already people were starting to pour in, eager to see the celebrity wedding. The three men at the front of the church looked impeccable in their black and white suits.

About ten minutes passed as they waited for the ladies to arrive. The loud rumble of an old fashioned engine could be heard from within the church. Seconds later Kayla popped her head round the door at the back where the bride would enter and gestured for Johnny. Quickly he stood up and patted Ben on the arm, "Good Luck Ben, you're a lucky man." He took two steps before turning to Reed "You remembered the rings right?"

Reed's face melted into an expression of pure panic as Johnny left. Ben just stared at his best man "You didn't."

Desperately Reed patted his pockets trying to find them. After a few seconds that felt like years to Ben, Reed sighed with relief as he withdrew the small box from inside his jacket. "Phew, I got them. We're good."

The loud organ struck up the opening bar of the Wedding March. The entire congregation stood and turned expectantly to the door at the back of the church. Ben took a deep breath, his nerves giving way to excitement and happiness.

The doors opened and a young flower girl entered. She grabbed handfuls of petals from the basket that hung from her arm and scattered them down the aisle. Then followed the Maid of Honour, Susan Richards, and the Bridesmaid, Kayla Maiden. They both smiled as they walked.

Then came the Bride. Alicia Masters, dressed all in white, walked down the aisle. She had her arm hooked with Johnny's, relying on him to guide her as well as give her away. She was so beautiful. Ben thanked his lucky stars that he had found someone as fantastic as Alicia. His heart actually fluttered as she came closer and beamed at him.

As they reached the altar Sue and Kayla split up, Sue stood next to Reed who was on Ben's right, and Kayla stepped to the left and waited for Johnny. He gently lifted Alicia's veil and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek before helping her up the steps. The music came to an end as Ben and Alicia stood opposite each other and held hands.

"We are gathered here today..."

"I now pronounce you Man and Wife." The Vicar finished. He smiled warmly. "You may now kiss the Bride."

The congregation stood and applauded politely as Ben gently placed a kiss on Alicia's lips. But that's when it all went wrong.

Suddenly the lights in the church went out. Panicked whispers filled the seemingly endless abyss. Something wasn't right. It's broad daylight outside, there should be light through the windows, thought Reed. But there wasn't. The darkness was so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Their eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness.

"Ben? Ben? What's going on?" asked Alicia, sensing the tension.

"Th-The lights...It's just gone black..." Ben vaguely explained, the confusion evident in his voice. "Reed? What the hell is this?"

"I don't know," admitted Reed. The darkness was unnatural, that much was certain. It wasn't the right time of year for an eclipse, and even if it was, it was too dark. "Johnny, light."

Silence.

"Johnny? Light!" Reed ordered slightly more forcefully. He had a moment to wonder why the young man didn't answer before he was blinded. The light returned, but after the pitch blackness it was far too bright for his dilated eyes. They all blinked furiously trying to readjust to another lighting change.

Once he could see again, Reed scanned the room. They were still in the church. They hadn't moved at all. There still seemed to be the same amount of people in the congregation. Nothing seemed to have changed at all. Except for one thing.

Johnny was gone.

:D The First Chapter!

Thank you very much to everyone who read, reviewed, or favourited 'Retribution' and 'Lights Out', I hope you are just as nice and do the same for the sequel :P

I will attempt to update quickly, but I finally got the Sims 3 working and I am very easily distracted :D