A family outing to Coney Island!!!

The next morning, Reed and Susan had woken up peacefully, getting cleaned up and dressed to start the day. Much to his wife’s eager coaxing, Reed decided to take the day off to spend time with her. Waiting for their two kids to wake up so they can check if school had been cancelled, Susan ordered HERBIE, their personal AI to cook up breakfast for her and the rest of the family. By the time 7 AM chimed in, Valaria and Franklin wandered into the kitchen drowsy and still rubbing their eyes when they found two plates of pancakes ready for them.

“Morning kids.” Chirped their mother, sipping from a glass of chocolate milk while cutting into her chocolate chip pancakes. “Sleep well?”

“Had a nightmare about bugs last night…”

“Aaaaw, poor baby.” Susan pouted, scuffing up her son’s hair with a free hand and taking a bite of her pancake with the other.

Joining them at the table with a coffee in hand, Reed took a sip of his drink and idly paid attention to the surprisingly amount of chocolate his wife had been eating. Thinking nothing of it, he lowered his coffee to a coaster and smiled back at his two kids.

“Well, I checked with the school board, it would seem that after the events of the last two days… And how everyone is likely still recovering from the spider plague, it’s a day off for you two.”

“YAY!” The two cheered, their hands up in the air as they gave each other high-fives.

“So, what do you two want to do on your day off? Go to the movies? Maybe the science center?”

Huddling together and whispering between the two, Valaria and Franklin plotted out what they wanted while their mother and father waited, Reed sipping at his coffee while Susan nibbled at her pancakes. Valaria peaked over her brother’s head to spot her parents as the two conspired, then nodded when they finally came to a decision.

“CONEY ISLAND!”

Stepping out into the hallway and groaning into his hand rubbing his mouth, Johnny stumbled into the kitchen to find the four, eating breakfast. “Hmm, morning everyone… What a night, that’s the LAST time I drink to celebrate saving the city.”

“Hi Johnny, we’re going to go out together as a family since the kids have school off.” Chirped Susan, finishing her breakfast and downing the rest of her chocolate milk. “Want to come along?”

“So long as its calm, quite and not licensed, I’ll tag along. So where to?”

*

One hour later…

“You entrapped me, and YOU know it.” Groaned Johnny, rubbing the dark shadows under his eyes while Ben elbowed him playfully in the side.

“Hey, take it easy hot-head, we’z here to celebrate after a good night’s work.” Ben smirked, seeing Johnny react to the screams from the roller coaster and cheers from crowds of people at the bazaar and games.

Rubbing her hands together with a wide smile of excitement, Susan turned to an equally pleased Reed and back to her children. “Well kids, lets go have some fun.”

The next three hours, the Richards family enjoyed what the boardwalk amusement park had to offer. Starting off with the roller coasters, and then following them with the thrill rides, each offering photos of the riders and each showing the family cheering with their arms up high… Except for Johnny whose hangover left him in different shades of blue and purple each ride. Then they took the time to have a bite to eat. Ben had a plate of turkey dogs with a bladder buster soda, Johnny was slumped on the table with a cup of water and antacid, groaning that the sun was too bright, and his stomach was doing jumping jacks.

Franklin and Valaria enjoyed a kiddy cheeseburger together while their father did the same, having no appetite after the tilt-o-whirl left him literally dragging his hands where his feet were. Susan on the other hand ate like a woman who was starving! A double decker hamburger with cheese and bacon along with a chocolate covered funnel cake and chocolate donuts at either side of her plate. Watching the woman eat her donuts with delight, the Invisible Woman only realised she was being watched by the rest of her family when she opened her eyes to find her drink to find everyone looking at her.

“What?”

“Honey… We’re not expecting another kid, are we?” Asked Reed, getting a dramatic pause from everyone at the table.

“… No?” She answered, biting into another chocolate donut, and sipped at her drink.

The collective sigh released by the Richards family made Susan give them all a dirty look. Even more so when Ben looked like he wiped his stony brow, claiming they all dodged a bullet.

“Hey! I just have a bit of an appetite, no one questioned when JOHNNY started eating more that one month.”

“Yes, we did, we ALL did. Turned out Johnny caught a bug after we went to the Plexar system.” Explained Reed, getting the sick Johnny to perk his head up and drink his water.

“Oh YEAH! It was awful!”

Putting her food down, Susan folded her hands in her lap and scowled back at her family, almost playfully at their reactions. “Now come on! Nothing is wrong with me. We all react to stress differently. Ben goes to the batting range. Johnny goes off for flights and bike rides and Reed spends hours on end in his lab.”

“In my defense, I do what I love doing, it’s not stressful at all.”

“Oh, please honey, I’ve counted the coffee mugs sitting at your desk.” Leaning towards her husband, she gave the man a peck on the cheek, making him smile as she pulled back to her seat and smiled into the straw she used to sip at her drink. “So… Anyone want to play some games before heading home?”

“YEAH!”

Finishing their lunch, the family ended their trip through the boardwalk by attending the games, PROMISING not to use their powers to win. Ben grinned to himself as he gripped the hammer in his rocky hands, looking over the test of strength game and gently swung it over his head to practically give the weight a love tap, watching the bell ring overhead with a satisfied gong. Reed and Johnny struggled with the sledgehammer, Reed especially as when he tried to lift it, his arms stretched over his head, leaving the hammer where it was on the ground where his hands gripped at its shaft.

“A little help?”

Smiling and giving her husband a loving pinch over his cheek, Susan tried to hoist the hammer in her hands, hearing her two kids cheer her on as she swung the hammer over her head and hit the target. The moment it did, the weight shot up and dented the bell! Blinking back at the damage and scratching his head, the operator looked back at the surprised woman and offered her a teddy bear with ‘eye E> NY’ on a little t-shirt it wore. Making their way through the games, the surprises kept piling up as Susan won the high score for the baseball pitch game… Throwing the ball through the milk bottle, and the wooden wall behind it.

Eventually their day ended near the guessing game, where a carnival barker dared Valaria to guess his age, height, and weight. The man showing a toothy grin as he locked eyes with the 12-year-old girl looking up back at him.

“Well kid? Can you guess?” He asked, daringly.

“You’re 42 years old, you’re 6’1 and you weigh 239 pounds. You also have a ”

Immediately his grin dropped, shifting his eyes back and forth then turning his attention to her parents who both shrugged back at the man. Grousing, he handed a stuffed dinosaur toy into the hands of the giggling little girl, murmuring to her parents. “You’re kid’s a witch!”

“THAT’s my girl!” Susan smiled, hugging her daughter close. Walking away from the game stand and making their way out of the park. “But we DID agree no powers.”

“You don’t need to be a super genius to know those things… You just need proper deduction skills.” Stated the little girl proudly, coddling her prize as they walked towards the exit.

“You there, sir. Do YOU want to test your skills?” Called out a carnival barker, pointing towards Reed who pointed back at himself, curious if the man meant him. “Yes you, care to test your punching skills and see if you can win your lovely lady a prize?”

Elbowing Reed in the side, Susan nodded for him to try. Approaching the large punching meter, Reed looked down at his hands and back at his family who cheered him on. Cocking his fist back, he swung as hard as he could into the stiff padded sensor, seeing a number fly on a digital meter, eventually landing at 135 psi. Nodding, the carnival barker handed the man a NY keychain as a reward.

“Mind if I gives it a try?” Asked Ben, slamming his fist into the palm of his hand, making the game owner grimace.

“And lose my job with you breaking the machine, naw man, I’ll give ya the prize right here and now… What about the lady there?”

Slightly taken back, Susan looked to the rest of her family who cheered her on to try. Shrugging, Susan stepped up to the punching target a little nervously. Standing hesitantly in front of the target, Susan clenched her fist back and took a swing at it. Resulting in the 1400-pound punching meter to break off its moorings and tumble back like a cardboard box in a stiff breeze and collapse several meters away… Leaving the carnival barker and Susan’s family to just stand there gobsmacked.

“Whelp… There goes MY career.” Turning around, the man offered Susan a free t-shirt and walked off.