It's evening. Not too early, though everyone should already have eaten; not too late, though no one should be totally wastedly drunk, either. Nothing disastrous has happened of late, but whatever has kept the Four busy or away or just distracted of late should have been dying out. So, Johnny has let it be known that people should come meet Mike who haven't met Mike yet, because, really, he's going to be punching people with them at some point soon. For his part, Johnny's in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, relaxing on the couch, drinking a beer. "So there's this one time…" he begins a story over to the friend he invited over.
Sue had a meeting with one of the investors earlier, one done over dinner and cocktails and blithe apologies that Dr. Richards wasn't available but she'd be sure to pass everything on to him. "I swear," she says as she steps inside, setting her purse on a side table and already letting her hair down. "The next thing I'm asking Reed to make is a Reed-bot. It doesn't even have to say anything, just smile and nod at these men. They won't even know the difference." She leans against the wall, bending down to take off the white heels that go with her mid-calf blue dress.
Ben Grimm is wearing a wife-beater top that barely stretches over his rocky frame along with his usual trunks, barefoot as he makes his way in, a cigar at the corner of his mouth. "If ya make a Reed robot, you can't let it be all stretchy or we'll never be able ta tell the difference. Well, me an' Fireball won't, you probably got yer own methods, Suzy." He nods to Mike and settles into an oversized chair designed to hold his weight.
Mike Matthews is settled on the couch nearby, his own bottle in hand, though he hasn't consumed much of it yet, balancing the bottle against one knee. He's in a pair of jeans as well, though his own t-shirt is a dark green with some small gold lettering with the name of a nearby bar on it, faded a bit from wear. He glances up as Sue comes in, and then Ben, lifting his beer in a salute to both of them in greeting. "Hey," he says to each of them in turn.
"Sue, if you want a Reedbot, I consider this entirely your own business and as your brother will support you …though the judging snickers will be unavoidable." Johnny cracks a grin, sprawling in a relaxed posture, and gesturing, "So, Mike, this is my dear younger sister, Sue Storm, by far the best #2 in the team that the team could ever have. Sue, this is Mike Matthews, a friend who has graciously agreed to help us out from time to time if we need it. Also I'm teaching him out to take proper care of bikes; he gets to borrow mine." He nods to Ben, "Mike, this is Ben, by far the best Ben in the team that the team has. Ben, Mike."
"As long as it can manage to say 'Sue will take care of it,' I'll settle," Sue smirks over at Ben, pausing when she realizes they have company. "Ah, so this is Mike?" She smiles more warmly as she approaches the pair. "It's so nice to meet you, Mike. Johnny's said such wonderful things about you." Also, can I have a blood sample and a tissue sample? See, the ability to not say those things is what separates Sue from Reed. "Sort of like the very nice things he says about me," she chuckles. "I'm his older sister. Sometimes I think it was all just to prepare me for this team. Surviving Johnny's teenage years prepared me for just about anything."
"I'm de only one, last I checked, but I'd definitely be da best even if I wasn't," he says. "Don't let Matchsticks there wind ya up too much - pretty sure them flames o' his is powered by all the hot air he keeps inside," he says. "Nice to meetcha an' all dat. Get yer measurements ta Reed, he'll get ya a fancy pair o' super-duds."
"Has he?" Mike asks as he rises to his feet when Sue approaches, offering a hand to her in greeting when she is close enough, and then the same for Ben as well. "He's told me of your brilliance, and I'm looking forward to getting the opportunity to talk to you about the projects that you are working on." He then looks to Ben and says, "Nice to see you again. Sorry that first meeting was very short. I ended up having to duck out. But it's good to get another opportunity." He smiles to both, one after the other, and only after all the proper greetings are made does he settle back down onto the couch with his bottle in hand.
"That was the point, Ben." Johnny flashes a grin over at Ben, tilting his beer back and watching the greetings and exchange between Sue and Mike. "So, you know how we used to run through the trials? Test and measure everyone's abilities for Reed? Well I've been doing some with Mike, but think we should all do an update. See if we're stronger. See how he matches up. See how we work together. I'm feeling ernest and save the worldy— Don't worry, Sue, I'm sure it'll pass. COme on, you know if I wasn't around to keep you entertained you'd have been _bored_ in your youth."
Sue Storm's handshake is warm as well, both hands closing around Mike's. "It's a pleasure to meet you, and we're very glad to have you," she assures him with a smile before she settles into a chair of her own, tucking her feet up beneath her skirt. "I'd be interested in another round of testing," she nods to Johnny. "I've been practicing as well. How about you, Ben? Feel up to smashing a few things for science?"
Ben Grimm gives a wide, crooked grin, "I'm always up fer clobberin' time, you know dat," he says. "And yer still in your youth, blondie, if ya ain't noticed. When yer a grown ass man, I'll let ya know it," he teases, pushing back up and stretching, rolling his massive, slablike arms around a bit as he loosens his shoulders.
"Thank you," Mike says to Sue, "I'm glad to be here." He then glances over toward Ben and can't help but chuckle just a little bit at his teasing of Johnny. He seems comfortable enough just settled into his spot on the couch to listen to them for the time being before saying, "I'm interested in finding out if any of my own skills have improved since being here, given that I've been here for over a year now." He glances toward Johnny and then back toward Sue and Ben, presuming perhaps that Johnny had told them some things about him, anyway.
"Right." This is the sort of thing Johnny only mentions in person and with Mike there, so Johnny nods a bit. Well. He probably told Sue most of it, but he and Ben are not exactly chatting buddies. "Mike is really Mon'El, Prince of the planet Daxam, which doesn't really exist anymore, so, refugee. Alien. I know, the resemblance to humans is remarkable. Strong, durable, fast. He's kinda like a plant and absorbs our sunlight." A nod to Mike, "I have notes from our earlier tests when we first met, so yeah, let's compare regularly. Maybe you're… Okay I was going to make a blossoming joke there but even I couldn't." He grins, then responds to Ben, "You're, what, six years older then me, old stone? I am absolutely going to let *you* define my manhood." He smirks at that, "You're just mad because I'm the only one who can take a hit from you. But not now. We need Reed too."
"At the risk of sounding too much like Reed, I'd really love to speak with you sometime, Mike," Sue admits, smile crooked. "I've made something of a hobby of biology and biochemistry, especially since the accident that changed us." An understatement - Sue could have more than one doctorate in the fields if she'd gone through traditional paths. "And if Johnny is telling the truth about your abilities, then it would certainly be a valuable test for my fields. I suspect Ben holds back," she teases their rocky companion.
Ben snorts in Johnny's direction, "It ain't the years, scrub, it's the mileage," he says. "An' I only hold back cause I don't wanna waste a bunch o' the Foundation's money replacin' all the toys I'd end up breakin'," he says. "An' you ain't never taken a hit from me that I -meant-, kiddo. Remember that before you start feelin' too full o' yerself." he says "But if you want me to hit somethin'. Tell me what to hit."
"But not really like a plant," Mike is quick to add. "My physiology is very similar to your own." He smirks at Johnny at the blossoming joke and shakes his head. "I do not.. bloom." It's said with the sort of tone that hearkens back to a more royal time, perhaps, but it's mostly affected, and he can't say it with a straight face either, that easy grin slipping over his features. He almost makes a comment about Johnny's manhood. His mouth opens, and he raises one finger, and then he just closes his mouth again, clearing his throat. "So yes, testing. Testing is good." He then nods to Sue and says, "Certainly. And you can have whatever samples you need to study as well," offering even if the question isn't asked. He then glances back over to Ben and one brow raises a bit. He glances between Ben and Johnny and then says, "You should hit me sometime, and we should measure it. I'm curious."
"Hey, what is this 'if Johnny is telling the truth' thing? I am oh so many things, oh so many, oh, oh, oh so many. Liar is not one of them." Johnny hmphs, and tilts his beer back, finishing it and then he laughs as Mike denials his blooming, "It was metaphorical." He eyes Ben a moment, and snorts, "Reed couldn't find anything that _really_ hurt, no matter how much he tried; not worried abouot your pebbles, big guy." But then he does look genuinely concerned when Mike's all, hit-me, "Ohhhkaaay let's work up to that, Mike. Seriously, tell you the truth, we never did find a way to measure Ben's top-tier strength accurately." He admits this grudgingly. "What'd it top out at, 90-ton range?" He does not, further, comment on his manhood.
"Just not inside," Sue adds quickly when Mike suggests Ben hit him. Because sometimes it's just better to make sure the ground rules are clear. "The boys are pretty indestructible," she agrees, smile faint. "I'm less so. At least when it comes to my person. But between the fields and invisibility, avoiding getting hit generally works for me."
"Yeah, we don't need any you-shaped holes in da walls if I hit ya too hard, yer highness," he says to Mike. "Runs a racket on the ol' homeowner's insurance. Don't worry, I'll give you a nice, juicy knuckle sammich sometime, you keep yer mouth waterin' for it," he says with a craggy grin. "Yeah, right 'bout there, I guess alt'ough I still think I can do more. Stretch just don't want me gettin' nosebleeds tryin' in practice."
Mike Matthews glances over at Johnny's concern and can't help but chuckle, "Well I didn't mean that he needed to hit me at full strength, just that we could measure how much I could withstand." He dips his head to Sue and says, "Outside, of course. We don't need to be doing any property damage." But finally he tips back his beer and takes a long swig from it, chuckling to Ben and saying, "Not the face, please. Appearances, you know. I'm a bartender. I need to stay at least passably pretty." He flashes a grin.
"I don't know if I'd call Reed indestructable so much as you can't really get purchase on him if you hit him. It's like punching water. Its just not /there/ anymore." muses Johnny consideringly, though water? Bad thoughts. Rising, glancing over to see if Mike needs a drink, then going to get himself another beer. "But yes, in any confrontation the #1 goal is to make sure no surprise harm comes to Sue. Against something she knows is coming she can defend herself." He looks to Ben, "Do you even have blood?" He furrows his brow, and is distracted by Mike wanting to stay pretty, so chuckles.
"I'll let you know when I manage to find something that can pierce his skin," Sue smiles ruefully to Johnny, unfolding from her chair and shaking a hand through her hair. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I really ought to check in on Reed and start taking care of a few other things. Mike, it was lovely meet you. I look forward to training with you. Johnny, be nice to Ben," she adds, winking as she disappears down a hallway.
Ben waves a bit as Sue departs, "Hell, I dunno. Ain't nobody made me bleed yet. I think Bill Shakespeare said somethin' 'bout that kinda thing once upon a time, but I'm still a person, just like you, even if I'm different now," He says, a little bit of a growl in the back of his throat at that. "Just what we need, another pretty boy," he says. "Guess it don't make much difference. Everybody looks pretty next to me," he mutters.
Mike Matthews's own beer seems to be declining only slowly, as he doesn't seem in any hurry, just nursing it as they talk. When Sue gets up to go he smiles and lifts his bottle to her in salute, "I look forward to training with you as well. Have a good evening." Then his attention shifts back to the others in the room. He looks apologetically to Ben then and says, "My apologies."
That gets a little awkward, but Johnny's used to it, and answers it by ignoring it. You can't really make Ben feel better about that. He rises, "Okay, I'm going to show Mike around some more, Benny boy. You should visit that greek place, they have good shit."