Riley: Sorry for the long wait my hard drive crashed and I have had writer's block. Good news is this is my longest chapter, bad news is I think it contains a bit of a lull in excitement which is why I had trouble writing it, I tried to maintain the humor and keep Jensen in character while letting Johnny show through a little more.

Chapter 3: Reunion and first meetings

Ben Grimm pulled off the road and headed toward the wrecked van. Johnny made it easy to find their location, what with the smoking jeep on the road. The kid better consider himself lucky, after the four split up Ben had trouble finding some place he could relax and not have to deal with the press. He ended up in Afghanistan driving a flatbed tow truck, he would pick up American SOS signals and drive out to pick up the cars and help out any survivors. He was paid with supplies, and there weren't any paparazzi in the desert, so it was a win-win for him.

Johnny was easy enough to pick out, wearing a powder blue shirt with sleeves burnt up to the elbows, there were four other men standing near him. Ben pulled around to back his truck up in front of the van, he was well aware that despite the fact he and Johnny were friends the four didn't trust him. Wait until they saw him.

"Ok, Roque, Clay." Jensen paused for a moment following everyone's gaze to the tow truck. He could hear every step Ben took and noticed the demo expert tense. "Especially Roque; no shooting, or knife throwing, or anything. I know he looks… odd, but he's a good guy." The two in question shared a confused look, after all how bad could it be.

Pooch was the only one that knew about the Fantastic Four, and Cougar actually assessed a situation. Clay and Roque were the shoot first types, though Clay was no where near as bad as Roque. He turned to see Ben walk out from behind the van, suddenly a shot rang out and Ben took a step back with his left foot as chips of rock flew from his shoulder.

"Hey, Watch it!"

"Roque!" Jensen didn't even have to look to know that Roque had his gun out and aimed at Ben (who, other than being a little disgruntled was fine.). He ran his hand over his face and turned his head to glare at the man who gave him a shit-eating grin as he lowered his gun and tucked it back into his shoulder holster.

The Thing quickly closed the distance between them, glaring at the scarred individual for a moment before pulling the blonde into a tight hug. Jensen cringed and let out a breathless chuckle, trying to pat Ben on the back as men did when it was time to end a hug. Finally he got enough breath to utter a sentence.

"Nice to see you too big guy." The Thing finally released Jensen from the death grip he called a hug, allowing the hacker to fall to the ground taking deep breaths. He grasped his sides, faked a flinch and with a laugh said, "Jeez Pebbles, I think you broke a rib or two. I'd hate to be Alicia, really how does she do it?"

"Johnny, I just now find out yer alive… I can fix that." Ben helped the kid up and had noticed the tense looks he got from everyone at the threat. "Now get off yer lazy underwear model ass and introduce me."

"Well to start, that's Pooch, like me he loves cars. He drives the get away car, kinda like a chauffeur. Guy in the hat is Cougar, you never see him coming, like Sue but without the PMS. Scary guy over there is Roque, you two were acquainted when he shot at you despite me telling him not to, I think he did it just to annoy me, I consider him the Losers version of you. Finally, the Mr. Fantastic of the group himself, former C.O meet new C.O, Ben my friend, this is Clay."

Ben shook hands with the apparent leader (not that it could be doubted after Johnny's introduction), Pooch waved at him, and he received a nod from Cougar. As for Roque, he received a simple glare whilst he cleaned his nails with a knife. Clay cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets meeting the rock man's gaze.

"So you were Jensen's former C.O?" Clay found this interesting, he was curious to know how the blonde had behaved before he joined their team. A small smile spread over his face as he recalled something Ben said earlier. "Also did I hear you say underwear model?"

Ben opened his mouth to start talking but a fireball to the face shut him up. All eyes turned to Jensen who was staring at the sky whistling nonchalantly. Ben took a threatening step forward but stopped when Cougar stepped in front of Jensen, Ben relaxed deciding to let him get away with it for now. He smiled though, when the sniper smacked the blonde in the head earning a pained yelp.

(In an undisclosed location)

Victor Von Doom was practically giddy with glee. He had connected to a satellite uplink and was able to obtain photographs of the group that had stolen the plans he needed, and if that wasn't lucky enough, there was Ben Grimm. One of the four he wanted revenge on and five people he wanted dead simply for the inconvenience.

This of course left one curious question. How did they know The Thing? His fingers clicked against the computer keys as he opened a new file which contained the video surveillance of the storage robbery involving Reed's blueprints. Sadly, only three of the five men had been captured on camera, he magnified the images of their faces and increased the resolution.

"Well, this is interesting." Had he not been looking for it he might not have noticed the similarities. The man who had actually stolen the blueprints, a blonde wearing circular framed glasses and sporting a goatee, despite the extreme change in appearance Doom recognized the man he once planned on making his brother-in-law. Things just kept getting better.

With Max's resources he was able to have a small group of elite soldiers assembled to go after his targets. He was sure to pack a heat seeking missile as a little ode to their reunion.

(In the desert)

Jensen slid into the front passenger seat of Ben's truck, there was only room for one in the front carriage and he was the only one who was comfortable around the big galoot. The rest of the group had made themselves comfortable in the van as it was loaded onto the flatbed. Ben opened the door and somehow fit himself behind the wheel, he started the engine and pulled out onto the road.

"So you're going by Jensen now." He stated not taking his eyes from the road. Jensen smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"Jacob actually, Jensen is my surname." Ben glanced at him with a slight smile.

"Jacob, like my middle name?" Jensen nodded. He had indeed picked the name Jacob simply in remembrance of his friend, and had he still been Johnny Storm he would have never admitted it to the guy, but Jensen had learned to appreciate camaraderie.

If Ben wasn't an orange rock man he would have blushed at the sentiment, instead he did what men did and punched Jensen's arm.

(In the van)

There was a nervous tension amongst the four men. Roque kept twisting his knife a nervous habit usually only happening at times when he wished to cut someone open. Cougar would not stop staring at the truck as if he was trying to see through the metal to check if Jensen was okay, Clay had unloaded his stash of bourbon and had polished off half the bottle (at first Pooch was worried, then he saw Cougar was helping the man along).

As for Pooch, he could hardly believe that a real live superhero had been working next to him, eating next to him, sleeping next to him! He paused at the last one glad, he was a little too excited about this. Pooch took a couple of breathes just in time for Clay to ask a question.

"Pooch, can you tell me what you know about what Jensen is?"

"He's a superhero, a real live mother fucking honest-to-God superhero."

"Should you really be dropping the F-bomb and saying God in the same sentence" Roque asked with a smile, which Pooch ignored.

He continued to tell them about the Fantastic Four. How they first appeared. How they got their names (everyone should've guessed Jensen would be the one to come up with them.) Their first arch-nemesis. Their first time saving the world (Clay vaguely remembered the incident, but Cougar, Roque and himself had been undercover in Africa at the time with no TV.)

By the time Pooch had finished telling them about Susan Storm and Reed Richards having a secret wedding in Japan the car had stopped. From what they could see through the windows they appeared to be in a scrap yard. They felt the floor beneath them rise a sign that meant the larger of the two sitting in the carriage had most likely exited the vehicle.

Cougar was the first to the door and to open it, they all climbed out of the van rather haphazardly in an attempt to survey the area. They were parked in front of a house simple in design, with vaulted ceilings and double doors it was painted a faded cream that matched the desert landscape.

A black female opened one of the doors balancing a tray with several glasses of lemonade and one metal cup. Ben took the metal cup and gave her what they could only guess was a peck on the cheek. He set to work on getting the van off of the truck; Jensen, meanwhile, walked silently toward the woman, who seemed to sniff the air.

"Johnny I thought you were dead." She said with a smile, not turning to look at him at all. Jensen snapped his fingers looking for all intents like a child caught drawing on the wall.

"And you know, I just finally got rid of that smell… until today that is." He chuckled and took the tray from her before giving her a hug. They chatted momentarily, she mentioned how his looks changed, reaching a hand up to touch his goatee and glasses. He gestured at her body saying how she looked the same she did when he last saw her.

Jensen and the woman shared a quick farewell before parting ways, she went back inside and Jensen marched toward them. He proffered the tray of lemonade to them with a broad smile on his face.

"Dudes, you haven't had lemonade until you've had Alicia's." He took a glass for himself as Cougar took the tray grabbing a glass for himself before passing it on. Ben finished removing the van from the truck and stomped over to the group just as they finished passing the tray around and it had made it's way back to Jensen.

"Hey Tinker bell, bring that inside would ya." The hacker looked ready to argue but the Thing continued before he could. "And call yer sister."

Jensen sighed and nodded sulking as he made his way to the house. Ben turned on the rest of them.

"Yer van has weeks of repair ahead of it, now I know you don't have the time but with Johnny's help I can have another car ready fer ya." He ran a large hand over his face casting a glance at the house over his shoulder. "Jus' sit tight fer a few days, give Susie a chance to make it here."

"How do you know she'll come?" Clay asked, as he sipped at the lemonade (Jensen hadn't lied, it was outstanding.) Pooch had filled them in on Johnny Storm's sister Susan Storm Richards, and from what he heard being quiet wasn't the only thing the silent sniper had in common with the girl.

"You don't know Susie."

(To be continued)

So Jensen talks with Sue next chapter, and Doom starts the hunt. I know that the boys were kinda quiet through this chapter but I just view it as them assessing the situation and environment. So I was looking up stuff about the Fantastic Four and Ben's full name is indeed Benjamin Jacob Grimm, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make that connection. Also I know I said Jensen would explain things to his team but it was easier to let Pooch do it, that and Pooch fanboying is fun.