1963-11-14 - ...oh.
Summary: Just another Monday at the Baxter Building, where nothing of any noteworthiness or import happens whatsoever!
Related: If there are no related logs, put 'None', — please don't leave blank!
Theme Song: None
drew sue reed 


It's afternoon in the Baxter Building Fantastic Four residence and tea steeps on the kitchen table in a pot while Sue scribbles some notes in a notebook — something scrawled in girly cursive that no one else is intended to read. She emits a soft sigh as she ponders something and peeks about the home. There's a silence of sorts that has seemed to come over the place. Her eyes trail to the stairs to the lab, where her gaze lingers for several beats.

With a sharp breath Sue snaps the notebook shut and slides out of her seat. Purposed steps seem to have seen her find some semblance of courage as she peeks into the lab, "Reed?" her eyes flit around the room, "Do you have a moment?"

*

To Reed's credit, he stops in the act of covering a chalkboard (another one, again) in math almost immediately, craning his head around towards the stairs. "Of course. What's up?" he finishes the line of complex equations he's writing to get the immediate thought down, then turns and dusts his hands haphazardly on his lab coat, crossing whatever gap is still left between the pair by this point. Chalk dust, of course, floats all over his wake. Just a few more years til whiteboards…

*

Sue's weight shifts from one foot to the other as she stares at the chalkboard riddled with math that, at this moment, she couldn't begin to parse. She squints at one in particular, allowing it to act as a momentary distraction from whatever weighs on her mind. "Well. I think we need to talk." Pause. "But only if you're not too busy. I don't want to ruin something complex. I mean, I can totally come back another time…"

*

It doesn't help it's in Redd's personal shorthand notation, which lets him pack more onto a surface but makes it utterly incomprehensible. He smiles, shakes hi head, and offers a hand. "If we need to talk, the less-important things can wait." He waves vaguely at the chalkboard. "It's just a thought, anyway. I still needs a lot of work to make any kind of real sense." Sure, just an idle thought.

*

Reed's hand is given a solid squeeze, and a comical smile tugs at Sue's features, "You make an assumption I have something important to say. And I suspect your idle thoughts are more complex than some dissertations." But then, it seems, she's refocusing and the smile turns just a stitch anxious. She can feel her cheeks warm, prompting her gaze to drop to the floor. "So. We've have a rather… " her eyes turn upwards "…eventful few months around here. I mean, the last couple of months have kind of been crazy. But the last week or so, I really haven't been feeling like myself," her eyebrows draw together tightly. "And it's important that you know — "

*

There is just the slightest glimpse of movement outside one of the lab's windows. At first, it could be easily mistaken for a bird… but when it happens again, it becomes clearer: hair. Long, brown hair being blown up into view by the wind outside.

A moment later, a pair of familiar-looking, wide hazel eyes come peeking up just over the edge of the window, a sight that might be less alarming if this wasn't the thirty-fourth floor.

After a moment's hesitation, a hand comes up and lightly, urgently, tap-tap-taps against the glass. Sorry, Sue.

*

Sue can probably see Reed's mind working behind his eyes. He can't help but try to extrapolate guesses as to what her next words are going to be. It's the way he is. At first, he tries to ignore the little flicker of distraction out of the corner of his eye and focus on what Sue's trying to tell him with a supportive smile, nod and slight hand squeeze, but… okay, so it's the tapping that does it, and his eyes finally flick away to see the source.

Well. That's… unusual.

*

The noise at the glass is both interrupting and distracting, and Sue's thought, whatever it is, is gone moments later " — what is that at the window?" between her anxiety and distraction, her entire train of thought is lost. She issues Reed's hand a rather absent squeeze before releasing it to slip towards the window. Carefully she unlocks it, and then opens it before taking a single step back. Open windows, and people outside them, are to be categorically regarded with suspicion.

*

Peering up at Sue from just beneath the window is a rather frightened-looking teenage girl clinging to the side of the Baxter Building wearing mismatched, ill-fitting clothes that look like they were grabbed at random out of a laundromat. Because they were.

"Um. G-good morning," the girl says, and for some reason, the sound of her own voice makes her cringe. "Is… um. I know this is weird. But I am freaking out and could really really use some help."

She swallows nervously before she points up at the window, uncertain. "Can, um. Can I come inside?"

*

Reed peers out the window, gives the girl an evaluatory looking-over, glances at Sue. What was she saying about things being crazy lately? Maybe the 4 on the building WAS a bad idea.

"Of course," he replies, stepping back from the window. Well thi is all very odd, but Reed is certainly not turning away someone very obviously in dire straights. Or adhering to the wall. Only one person he's personally aware of does that kind of thing, so this is quite puzzling. And concerning.

*

While the suspicion doesn't immediately leave from Sue's expression, she manages a flicker of a smile for the teen. Her hands clasp lightly behind her back as she watches the girl curiously. "Well…" her gaze flits towards Reed and then back to the teen, "if we can help, we will." Her head ticks towards one of the stools in the lab, and once everyone is safely tucked inside the lab, she closes the window and latches the lock.

*

The girl looks incredibly relieved when she's given their blessing to come inside. "Thank you. It's freezing out here," she grumbles and, quickly, she hauls herself up and through the window, bringing dirty bare feet down onto the lab floor. Again: so sorry. She quickly crosses over to the nearest stool and immediately takes a seat, looking like she can't decide what to fidget with first — her hair or the sleeves on the vastly oversized sweater she's wearing.

*

While Sue closes the window and Jess sits, Reed moves to rotate the blackboard over to its clean side. Not that he's concerned about her managing to read what he's working on. He may just need it. "So… Miss. I suppose if you need our help, you should begin at the beginning. I don't think we're acquainted?"

*

A small nod of Sue's head sees her ducking towards the door. "I'm going to get you some tea — it's already steeping and you need something to warm you up," and not likely to take no for an answer. And while she's at it, Sue will retrieve a blanket and a sweater for the girl as well. "I'll be back," she offers back towards the pair before retreating from the lab to attend to retrieve said tea.. and the rest.

*

The state of her hair does not make the girl look any less frazzled when she offers a quick smile towards Sue and calls a quick "Thank you!" after her as she retreats. Which leaves her with Reed. She drags both hands back over her hair to try and get it out of her face and draws in a long, calming breath.

"No, we're not," she tells him. Steady on. "My, uh. My name is Peter Parker." She pauses, one eye squinting. "Or. It's supposed to be, but I'm not. I don't. Something."

*

Reed tilts his head, and looks her over again. "No… you do not strike me as a Peter. Barring some highly improbable sequences of events that are nonetheless relatively possible. Perhaps you should tell me more. Broad strokes are fine for now."

*

"That's good, they're kind of all I've got." She forces her hands down into her lap and clasps them tightly to keep from fidgetting. Immediately, one of her knees starts to bounce. "So. I was on a class field trip," she says in a tight voice, her eyes on the ceiling. "We were getting a tour of OsCorp. And then I woke up this morning. In a lab, I think — I think the power went out. There was a riot or something going on outside."

*

Reed listens, then nods and looks thoughtful. "Curious. The part that most sticks out is this business with the missing time. You say you went on this tour, and then next thing you remember is waking up in a lab this morning? Did I understand that correctly?"

*

She nods once, still anxiously bouncing her knee. "Yeah, that's ri— "

The girl freezes with her bare foot where it has broken through the stool's little metal crossbeam that she had been resting it on.

"…oh. Um. Right. That too…"

*

Reed's head whips around at the noise, and it distorts slightly in the process. Mr. Fantastic and all. He doens't seem upset, though— just startled. Comprehension dawns. "Oh, yes. Well," he notes lightly. "It isn't as if it's normal coming in through the window, either. I suppose it's to be expected." A tilt of his head, again. "This is an odd question, but what year do you recall it being?"

*

The answer comes immediately: "1960," she says, as if it's the most patently obvious thing in the world. "…I mean, it is 1960, right?" There is an expression of slowly dawning horror on the girl's face before Reed can even reply, and she's on her feet and pacing in a circle in the blink of an eye, both hands coming up to the sides of her head. "ohjeezohjeezohjeez"

*

Reed lets her react, for a little bit, then answers the question to get her attention. "1963. But I don't think you were asleep for three years. That probably does not improve the situation in your eyes, though, I know. We should probably consider a blood sample, however."

*

Try not to hyperventilate in Reed Richards' lab, kid, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Her steps do take on a very distinct woooobble when he gives the year, however, and she manages to catch herself on the edge of a work table as the color drains from her face. "Nineteen-suh-suh… sih… sh-sure, a blood sample," she says awkwardly, kind of staring wide-eyed through everything in front of her as she feels her way back towards a place to sit. "That. Yeah. Blood sample."

*

It's unfortunate that there's no gentle way to deliver these kinds of truths. He'll just have to allow her to work through it. "No rush. Take some breaths, let yourself settle. You don't want to pass out if you can avoid it," Reed advises mildly.

*

"Nonono, I'm fine," she lies, her voice a touch high-pitched. Which, again, has her cringing. Once she's sat down again, she immediately starts dragging up one of her sleeves. "We need to figure this out, and… oh, jeez, my aunt and uncle! I should — should I call them?"

*

Reed comes up with a sampling kit soon enough and swabs the girl's arm. "I… have suspicions that it may be premature to make a decision on that one way or another. Let's see the results first, shall we?" It is difficult to keep this light and not worry the poor thing. "After all… you do have a decidedly feminine voice at this point." Oh, that's a little less disheartening probably. good job Reed. Maybe.

*

That actually earns a laugh, if a tight one. "Among other things. You're probably right," she sighs, watching glumly as he swabs her arm. Without prompting, she makes a fist. "One existential crisis at a time. Thanks, doc."

*

Reed draws the sample, matter-of-factly. He's no medical doctor, but he's clearly had plenty of practice. "Just Reed, please." If his hunches are correct… he doesn't have a lot of hope 'just Reed' is going to stick. Whatever, to the analysis tools! "I'm sure you won't run out of such crises any time soon. Life in general is a very interesting collection of such things."

*

To her credit, she tries: "Reed." Oh god, that sounds so weird. She makes a face and immediately presses some gauze down with her fingertips once he's withdrawn, staying put… for now. "You're telling me. I mean, mine was pretty okay yesterday," she murmurs, nodding her head to the side. Then she stops, and squints. "Or… 1963, so… three years ago? Jeez. My homework is really late."

*

Reed nods, chuckles, and asides, "Dr. Richards is fine if you really must." He purses his lips while tests run, considering her carefully. Seems to be adapting to things… maybe she's ready to deal with a little more. "You may want to start contemplating the possibility homework isn't late." A pause. "Or to be more accurate, that you don't have any to do."

*

"Thanks. Sorry. I was raised to be respectful," she notes with a laugh. Soon enough, she comes padding across the lab on bare feet to give the analysis tools a keen-eyed, curious look, still holding the gauze to her arm. "What do you mean? I mean, obviously I'd be expelled by now," she says with a roll of her eyes. "Or, you know. Presumed dead. This is way too long to have been missing — "

*

Well, there's no gentle way to say it, so he just rests a calming, reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "All true. But you may have to consider the possibility that the person you remember being didn't go missing and turned in their homework on time. And that your memory doesn't, precisely, have a gap. The chaos you mentioned when you woke up is… concerning."

*

It's taken an indiscriminately long time for Sue to reappear. Weary steps drive the mosts maternal member of the Fantastic Four into the lab. With a blanket and sweater draped over her shoulder, Sue's hands would be full if she were carrying the tea service that trails in front of her. Mentally, she sets the wooden tray onto one of the least cluttered lab benches — on the tray's top are a teapot, three cups, and a small container of sugar along with spoons. "I'm sorry that took longer than expected," she manages a weak smile.

The teapot wafts with the scent of mint as Sue pours a cup of tea before offering it to the teen. As she gets further into the light, the paleness of her face can be seen; she looks positively unwell. There were reasons things took longer than expected.

Carefully she sets the blanket atop the teen, and offers the girl the black sweater as well, "This is from my closet. It's warm and from what I see of you, warm would be wise," the smile reflects in her eyes.

Carefully she pours another cup of tea and she looks towards Reed, and, evidently, he gets a choice where the spider-woman didn't, "Tea?"

*

The girl blinks a bit when Reed puts a hand on her shoulder and peers up at him, her brow furrowed in an expression that Sue, at least, might find uncannily familiar.

It's probably good that Sue returns when she does. It startles the girl out of whatever mental feedback loop she'd gotten stuck in and she turns around, her eyes wide. Ohgosh, she's completely forgotten about all of this.

"Nonono, it's — thank you," she replies in a bit of a stammer, reaching out to very carefully accept the tea with both of her hands. Maybe their trembling will cancel each other out. Once she's relatively sure she's not going to drop it, she gives the sweater a curious look from beneath the blanket. "…I'd say you don't have to, but I kind of stole these," she mumbles sheepishly. "Thanks."

*

Reed accepts the tea, giving Sue a searching, questioning look before he silently draws her a seat. "Is everything alright?" he asks quietly, and, since Sue will no doubt decline to say more than that she's more or less fine with company around, adds, "The young lady here has had an interesting time. She recalls being Peter Parker until she woke up in a laboratory of some kind this morning. I'm running a blood sample," he concludes mildly.

*

"Nonsense," Sue replies to the girl. "We'll find you more. My closet has many options. It's not theft if it's a gift." Reed is cast a weak smile as Sue pours herself a cup of tea and then slides onto the offered chair. "I'm alright," she manages softly as she shifts on the seat. A hand presses to her forehead and she settles easier into the seat at the explanation.

"Well," she glances between the pair and then brings her teat o her lips, "I have to say, I thought I recognized the eyes." Her smile softens. "It sounds like you've been through an ordeal. What was Peter's last memory?"

*

"Well. I'm not gonna turn down a present," the girl says to Sue, mustering up a smile before she reaches out to accept the sweater. "Thank you. Hopefully I won't need to be gifted any more of your closet," she says lightly. While Reed brings her up to speed, she just looks down and sips at her tea.

And immediately spits a mouthful of it out all over the floor when Sue's words register. That was a good, proper spit-take, and at least she didn't get it anywhere near the equipment.

*

And Reed thought HE was in danger of saying too much too fast. Erp. Well, it was coming, right? He'd been edging around it gradually. "A feild trip to OsCorp, apparently. And then this morning. It sounded like there was some kind of disruption. I wouldn't wish to alarm anyone unduly, but it seems possible the awakening was somewhat… before intended." He does not add that it's probably for the best. "…i really must find a way to speed up these analysis machines…" He'd really rather talk about this with some numbers in hand.

*

Sue cringes at the spit-take. Her head turns towards Reed and she frowns slightly. Evidently that was too far. Right. She pinches the bridge of her nose and manages another weak smile. Maybe she just shouldn't say anything. Her fingers curl tighter around her mug and she sips the tea. "And what," she arches a single eyebrow, "happened this morning?"

*

At least the poor girl manages to set the rest of her tea down without spilling it. She sputters out an apology for the mess as she wipes her mouth with one of the too-long sleeves of her stolen sweater (not the gifted one! Important distinction!), her eyes still quite wide.

Focus, focus, focus. One existential crisis at a time, remember? "Um. Right, um — I-I woke up. In a dark room, like… like this," she says awkwardly, gesturing down at herself before she points back to her previous stool, where part of the metal where she'd been resting her foot has snapped in half. "And there was something going on outside, a riot or something, I don't know. I didn't really stick around. It's 1963?" she asks, giving Sue an almost plaintive look. "Seriously?"

*

Reed perks up a touch as the machine starts printing, and frees a hand from his tea, grabbing the results sheet before it's even done rrrrrrk-rrrrk-rrrrrrking slowly out of the slot in the top of the thing. "Hmmm. Well… Sue's the expert, but I can't say this is wholly unfamiliar-looking."

Once it's finished, he tears off the sheet and passes the results to Sue. "The sequencing remind you of anything? maybe a little of some of our friends in the binder of malfeasiance, perhaps?" Patched DNA is something they've seen before. Unfortunately. this isn't quite the same of course, but…

*

A few beats pass as Sue reviews the sheet. Her eyes flit over the sequence and she inhales a long breath. Her lips purse and she issues a small nod, "It's different, but it's reminiscent," she points directly at one particular spot, and her head tilts to the side. She directs her attention back to the girl, "Alright. So." Her eyebrows draw together. She leans forward to try to catch the girl's gaze. "It seems," she slows down some, "things are quite complicated." Her tongue rolls over her lips, "And your DNA has been spliced somehow and are having some…" she casts a quick glance towards Reed, "…strange memories as a result. They feel normal, but something isn't quite adding up."

"I think…" she offers slowly "…you need more help than a few hours in the lab are going to give you." She glances towards Reed. "A few floors down there's a guest apartment. Let us get you comfortable as we help you figure this out. You've already been through an ordeal."

*

Don't mind the girl, she's just gonna… gonna lean against the edge of the worktable a bit more, so she doesn't fall down. The mood of the room is not going unnoticed at all, and it is not making her feel any less nauseated. This isn't looking like one of those fun, easily fixed existential crises.

"They're not strange memories," the girl mumbles under her breath, her eyes focused on the floor in front of Sue's feet. Still… she nods, slowly reaching for the black sweater as she slides to her feet, a touch unsteady. Guest apartment? "Okay."

*

Reed trades gazes with Sue, nodding after a moment. "And by now… you probably don't feel as tired as you are. Sue's right— this is going to take some time. We should probably talk it over, but I wouldn't want to alarm you unecessarily with speculation, to be honest." He pauses, considering carefully before adding, "I should tell you, though, that honestly I don't think this is going to be easy to swallow when we do figure it out. It has that kind of feel to it." Sorry kid, he feels for you. Nothing worse than giving bad news to good people.

*

Reed's words grant Sue pause. She manages another flicker of a weak smile towards the teen, but it's ever clearer that this isn't going to be resolved today.

Sue emits a soft sigh and reaches out a hand to squeeze the girl's shoulder. "Alright. It's decided then. We'll get you settled, let you have some rest, and will help you work through this." She shoots Reed a small frown before setting her tea cup on the lab bench and pressing up to a stand. She offers the girl her hand.

*

The girl gives Reed a look that, if she wasn't suddenly feeling the effects of an adrenline crash, might be withering. As it is, it probably isn't terribly impactful. "Don't worry about it, doc. I've got the speculation and alarm covered."

It takes her a second to realize it's there, but once she's noticed it, she does somewhat warily reach for Sue's hand — but doesn't take it just yet. "I'm, um. Strong. Really really strong. Apparently. I don't want to hurt you."

*

Reed doesn't precisely respond to Sue's glances explicitly— more in the nature of a general thin frown registering a resigned unhappiness for the situation their visitor is in. It just never ends, does it?

*

Sue manages a small, but still present, smile at the thought. "Right. Well, you can't be afraid to touch someone just because you're strong. Be gentle with me, and we should have no troubles at all." The hand continues to reach out. "Not that…" her eyebrows draw together "…if you don't want to take my hand, you can just follow too." But one thing should be clear: Sue isn't worried about the teen's strength.

*

"I broke your chair," the girl admits in a very small voice. "It was an accident." But for all that, she does tentatively slip her hand into Sue's and tiredly shuffle a bit closer to her, her other arm hugging the new sweater to her chest.

*

Reed meanwhile, lets them get out a bit ahead of him before he follows along, lost in thought. There is whatever Sue wanted to talk about before the interruption, after all. That is a conversation he shouldn't let himself get distracted from. And then there's the distraction in question, which looks to him like it's going to be a whole Thing on its own. there's a few possibilities here, and the girl isn't going to like any of the ones he came up with. Neither does he, truth be told.

*

"Chairs can be replaced," Sue offers mildly. "Just avoid some of the lab equipment until you know your strength better. Not forever, just for now." It's easy enough to lead the teen down the hallway. "So, you should call me Sue. Or Seo, if you prefer. Both are, technically, correct." Her teeth toy at her bottom lip and she easily draws the girl to the stairs back into the residence, and then to the staircase again, down one floor towards the guest apartment.

The apartment itself is easy enough to access, and actually extremely comfortable, despite it being a guest space. It's furnished and decorated with a strange combination of fifty's jazz and sixties mod — like no one explained its identity to itself. Sue's face scrunches, "So. Maybe we can make this space work better for you."

*

Give the girl credit: she tries. "Seo. God, I hope I'm pronouncing that right," she mumbles, allowing herself to be led by the hand through the residence without any fuss at all. "If I'm butchering it, please tell me and I'll stick to Sue until I know how to say it." Worrying about pronouncing Sue's name distracts her from the fact that, since the other woman apparently knows Peter Parker enough to recognize her eyes, she has no idea what to have Sue call her.

She stops just inside the guest apartment with a somewhat odd expression, her eyes darting uncertainly from place to play before she turns to offer Sue a small smile. "It's fine. It's only temporary, right?" she says, trying to reassure them both.

*

Reed just follows along with his hands in his pockets, for the most part. "There's no need to hurry yourself out of it on our account, though," he notes, stopping jusssst shy of "as long as you need it". The impulse was there. He didn't realize he's quite so quick to take in a stray. You know, except how he's kind of done that for years.

*

"You're doing marvellously," with Sue's name. "And either is fine. Honestly." She manages a nearly-easy smile that brightens at Reed's assertion. She takes a slow step out of the apartment, "I'll get you set with some more clothes for the next few days, and perhaps tomorrow we can go shopping and you can purchase ones more to your taste." She slowly steps into the hall. "And please, come upstairs if you need something, including company. But Rest. Use the space. It's terribly underused."

*

The girl makes an admirable attempt at a smile and gives a small, jittery nod of her head. "…sure. Okay. And we'll figure this out, and get it all fixed, and then I'll get out of your hair." Yes. That makes it sound almost like there is a course of action for her to pursue, and that helps. She takes a small step backwards towards the apartment's bed. "Thank you. For, you know. Opening the window. And everything."

*

"Wouldn't be so Fantastic if we didn't," Reed notes glibly as the girl retreats for rest. Okay, so maybe it's a little lost on her. He waits for Sue to close the door and turn back around rubbing at his forehead with a bit of a lightly-harried manner. "So. We needed to talk about something." Yep, not going to let that wait for another crisis to put it off again.

*

The smile fades as Reed, apparently, remembers where things left off before their lives were interrupted by Patricia Parker. Sue's expression takes on a slightly pinched edge as she tries to garner her nerve again. Her lips twitch twice over and she uncomfortably clasps her hands behind her back only to drop them to her sides seconds later. "I… I think I'm pregnant."

*

Does anyone know where Reed's off switch is? Because his central processing unit appears to have locked up as the news floats into his ear and bounces aroundinside his head wrecking the place and pushing over vases. But no… he's just… absorbing perhaps the last thing he expected to credibly hear anytime soon. Eventually, his eyes… well, they don't quite come back into focus *entirely*. But at least he seems to have finished processing. More or less.

"…oh."

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