Back where it all started.

Once word that the Sinister Susans had been properly contained after their rampage across the ship, all hands were on deck, making repairs to the vessel and seeing to it they were still in the air. The crew and staff of the SHIELD Helicarrier were already busy with damage control all throughout the vessel interior, spot welding damaged walls back together and repairing equipment and gauges throughout the corridors. Calls from control center gave confirmation of feedback to the repaired sections of the ship when work had been done, the crews then moving to other parts of the Helicarrier to do more with the short amount of time they had on hand.

Engineers were already trying to return a ventilation system back to working order when they looked up and immediately got out of the way of the Fantastic Four racing their way past them to the service elevator down the hallway. Ignoring any calls of protest from the guards who exited its interior when the Four made their way in and shut the doors behind them. With a mechanical click, the elevator made its ascent up to the flight deck.

Inside, Ben leaned against the wall of the elevator interior, brushing his stoney fists with his hands while Johnny simmered across from him on the other side of the elevator floor. But neither held a candle to the simmering anger being given off by the Invisible Woman, whose powers caused the four and some portions of the elevator shaft to occasional turn invisible around her.

“We’ll get them back home safe honey, I promise you that.” Reed spoke out loud, just as stern as his wife.

The flight crew on the landing deck of the Helicarrier stopped briefly in what they were doing when they spotted the Fantastic Four step off the cargo elevator and head over to their only means of transport; the Fantasticar, which stood idle and levitating a foot off the ground where two guards stood watch over it. The second they got the word on their intercoms to let the four pass, the gaze Mrs. Richards gave them was enough to have them step quickly away from the entry ramp and let them enter their personal vessel and depart.

“We’re going to get them back Susan.” Reed spoke up again, strapping into his seat as he checked the controls along with Ben. “No matter what.”

“You’re damned right we are!” Johnny grumbled, exuding intense heat from his seat as he stared out the window and spotted the two guards move back and clear them for exit.

Once Ben got to the controls of the vessel and revved up the engines, everyone took to their seats and steeled themselves for when the Fantasticar levitated higher off the flight deck and tilted over, immediately taking off at break-neck speed and away from the Helicarrier flight deck. The flight crew watching on as the blue flying machine headed out over the Great South Bay and towards the destination they were teased to head to.

***

Coney island…

The Fantasticar made a flyby around the beach front amusement park, finding that the locale was quiet and empty, a far cry from the usual bustle, noise and screaming from amusement park rides and carnival shows on a Friday night. The park was a ghost town, with the lights dark and the boardwalk empty. The Four didn’t like that one bit, but then again they knew it was going to be a trap. Finding an open space to land the Fantasticar, the hovering blue vehicle came to a floating stop with the exit ramp opening at the side with a hiss of air.

Stepping out alone in the dark boardwalk of Coney Island, Mr. Fantastic took a step off the ramp and made his way down the boardwalk, passing by carnival game stands, all of which were bare empty of their prizes. Restaurants and food carts dark and locked up. Looking around, Reed worried, wondering if he got the clues wrong as he searched the derelict theme park for his two children.

“FRANKLIN? VALARIA?” He called out, hoping to get their attention. “ARE YOU HERE?”

At that moment the lights surrounding the theme park came to life, park rides spun and revved up with motion while music began to play on stereos overhead, blasting carnival music so loud it could be heard everywhere on the boardwalk. It was enough that Reed almost brought his hands to his ears to block it all out.

And then there was the sound of cruel laughter echoing out over the park, seemingly from everywhere. Keeping a watchful eye, the man steeled himself for anything to happen. The laughter became more focused as it seemed to come from behind the roller coaster, followed by a trail of smoke from the glider that zipped by and circled the theme park overhead. Laughing all the while, the Blue Goblin stopped over the tilt-o-whirl and spread her arms out wide to show off the park.

“Doesn’t this bring back OLD memories honey?” The pale goblin woman asked, her smile menacing. “The sights. The smells. The regrets in life choices. I remember the first time we met on this boardwalk. You stumbled out of the tilt-o-whirl with Ben, and I took PITY on you… That was my FIRST regret. The rest is a TRAINWRECK of an adulthood and marriage. I’d have said I was a trophy wife but what carnival game did I play to get YOU as the winner?”

“Please Susan, I don’t know what this is about, but please don’t harm my children.”

“The children?” The Blue Goblin asked with mock confusion. Crossing her arms and screwing her face in thought, After a few seconds the pale skinned witch of a woman snapped her fingers, and the Blue Goblin smirked.

“RIGHT! The kids, how could I forget? A trip to the boardwalk isn’t complete without childhood traumas to add to bad memories.”

Taking to the air again, the Goblin flew her way over to the top of the Ferris Wheel, jumping off her jet-propelled glider to land on the highest cart of the wheel and pull free two children from the seating to flaunt down at the man staring up shocked and horrified. There in either hand were Franklin and Valaria, motionless and **** as their captor laughed and dangled them in the air 100 feet high.

“KIDS!” Gasped Reed, reaching out with his elastic abilities to stretch his arms out to get them when the Blue Goblin pulled them both away from his outstretched and oversized fingers, pulling them close and bringing a blue tinted blade to their necks.

“NU UH! TSK, TSK REED. FIRST YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE RULES OF THE GAME BEFORE YOU PLAY.” The Blue Goblin called out from her perch, smiling again when Reed receded his arms back. Once he did, she put away the knife and held both kids in either hand again. “GOOD! THAT’S A GOOD LITTLE DISAPPOINTMENT… THE GAME IS CALLED TOSS UP! I TOSS UP YOUR KIDS AND YOU HAVE TO PICK WHICH ONE YOU LOVE THE MOST TO SAVE.”

“You diabolical… WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!”

Laughing out loud maniacally, the Blue Goblin sneered a cruel smile back at Reed Richards as she lifted both kids over her head. “BECAUSE MY THERAPIST SAID I NEED TO CONFRONT THE PEOPLE WHO HURT ME TO MOVE ON! BUT I KEEP RUNNING OUT OF REED RICHARDS TO ****!”

Throwing Valaria into the air in one direction and Franklin in the other, Reed cried out as he tried to reach for both. And for his efforts, the blue Goblin reached into a satchel hanging around her shoulder and threw a handful of grenades down at the man. Reed could only watch on helplessly as the grenades lit up and gave off a mechanical chuckle, signalling they were about to explode… Only they didn’t.

Invisible bubbles of energy trapped the explosions before they could do any damage. Conjured by the Invisible Woman hiding unseen behind her husband Reed.

“What?” Hissed the Blue Goblin, snapping her attention to the two children. Finding them caught by the Human Torch and Thing in mid air where Ben landed on his feet with Valaria safe in his arms and Johnny landing close to Reed and Susan with Franklin in his own grasp. “Well… That’s just plain cheating.”

Meeting together under the protective barrier set up by the invisible Woman overhead, the Fantastic Four were relieved to find the two kids unharmed, asleep but unharmed.

“They’re alright Reed, kiddos are out cold, but they’re fine.” Ben spoke up, keeping Valaria safe in his arms.

Johnny smiled and lowered Franklin to the ground where Susan dotted over the boy, pulling Valeria in to hug them both while Reed crouched to join her.

Johnny looked back up to the Ferris wheel to find the Blue Goblin jumping back onto her glider, heading their way. “Let’s get out of here and tell SHIELD about where this loon is so they can go Hulk-Buster on her ass.”

“OH REEEEEED!” Called out the Blue Goblin overhead, circling the Fantastic Four. “COME OUT AND PLAAAAAAAY!”

“Not until I get a piece of this witch for what she did to us and our family!” Declared Susan, getting to her feet and staring daggers at the flying villainess. “How about the rest of you?”

“I’m with you Suzie!” Ben grumbled, getting back to his own feet, and slamming a fist into his open palm. “It’s clobbering time!”

“Damn right!” Johnny grinned, already igniting into a human fireball. “Let’s light a fire under this witch’s ass!”

Dropping the barrier so they could make their attack, the Blue Goblin laughed again, taking her chance then and there to strike. The wings bent on her glider, causing her to dive sharply to the ground and veer out of the way of Johnny’s fireballs and Susan’s barriers to carve a flight path between all of them and snatch up Reed by his throat. In that split second, Susan could feel time pass at a snail’s pace as her eye turned in the direction of the Blue Goblin, the variant of her blowing a kiss her direction before taking to the air and flying off at high speed. The only sound echoing out was the woman’s laughter and Reed’s screams of pain.

“REED!” Cried out Susan, watching the Blue Goblin fly off with Mr. Fantastic. Looking back to Johnny and Ben, she found her two children safe and sound in their arms. “Keep them safe, I’m going after them.”

Creating a disc of invisible hard light, Susan stepped on, and began to fly, chasing after the monster who stole her husband.