Earth-717: Fantastic Four Vol 2Chapter 3: ExplorationBouncing up and down in the air, Herie led !usan, "ohnn# and Ben out and onto the roo$ o$ theBaxter Building% &here, a special launching plat$or' had een prepared, and situated on it was a slee(, white and lue starship% )t was the sa'e si*e as the pre+ious iteration, with newl# designed engines thatwere powered # the warp core%,eed was standing in $ront o$ the ship, loo(ing down at a datapad in his hands% He was wearing his Future Foundation out$it, as were !usan, "ohnn# and Ben% -oo(ing up upon noticing the three approaching hi', he s'iled at the' and tapped a utton on the datapad, trans$or'ing it into its disc $or'% He put the disc in his poc(et e$ore holding out his hands%.E+er#one%/,eed loo( at the other three 'e'ers o$ his tea' in turn% &he# were standing opposite hi' in a line, with !usan on the le$t, "ohnn# in the 'iddle and Ben on the right% .&oda# is the cul'ination o$ all the wor( )0+e done,/ said ,eed% .&he ship is $inall# read#, and toda#, we go into space% 1llow 'e to present % % % %/,eed turned and gestured towards the co'pleted ship, which had its na'e painted on the side inlac( lettering%.&he Venture%/!cratching the ac( o$ his head, "ohnn# then held up his hand%."ohnn#2/ said ,eed%.3o, ig rain% 4h, 5uestion% 6here0s li(e % % % % the pi**a**2/E+er#one loo(ed at "ohnn# with raised e#erows% Herie e+en turned hi'sel$ sidewa#s%.) a' not 5uite sure ) understand #our choice o$ +eriage, "onathan,/ said Herie% .7h, co'e on% 8i**a**, #ou (now2 9u#s2/:o one said an#thing%.,eall#2/ said "ohnn#% .3ou gu#s (now what ) 'ean; 8eople; &hought we were celes; 6here0s the press, the $ans, the cheerleaders2/.1wh, what0s the 'atter, tough gu#2/ as(ed Ben, gentl# elowing "ohnn# in the side% .!ad cause #ou done up #our hair all nice and $anc# and there ain0t nood# 0round to see it2/.3eah;/Ben laughed while "ohnn# sul(ed% ,eed then reached out with oth his ar's, placing his le$t hand on !usan0s shoulder and his right hand on Ben0s%.) (now we0+e een through 5uite a it this last #ear,/ said ,eed% .1ll o$ us% 7ur li+es ha+e turned into a roller-coaster, and )0+e proal# spent $ar too 'uch ti'e on so'e things, and not enough on others%/!usan glanced awa# $or a 'o'ent and s'iled%.But there0s nood# else )0d rather do this with% &his is '# li$e0s drea', and #ou three % % % % #ou0re '# $a'il#% 3ou0re the ones ) want to share this 'o'ent with% :ot the press, not the $ans % % % % not e+en the cheerleaders% !orr#, ut )0' reall# not sorr#, "ohnn#%/"ohnn# sighed, putting a hand on his $orehead% !usan giggled%.!o, let0s go and 'a(e histor#% &ogether%/,eed retracted his hands%.Eh, 'ight# $ine speech, !tretch, ut ) don0t u# it% 3ou0re sa#in0 that we0re aout to last o$$ across the good old ust % % % % >ust thin(in0%/.) ha+e another sa+ed 'essage $ro' 1licia% &hat0s $our now that #ou ha+e not returned% 1re #oucertain #ou do not want to hear the'2/Ben lic(ed the inside o$ his chee( as he sighed% Breathing in and loo(ing awa#, Ben then grunted and placed oth o$ his $ists on his hips%.:ot right now, Her% :ot right now%/.) understand%/1 $ew 'inutes later, ,eed, !usan, "ohnn# and Ben had all cla'ered inside the ship% Herie was $loating around the seating co'part'ent as the hood o$ the ship loc(ed into place% Fit* and !i''ons were standing o$$ to the side% !i''ons ga+e an enthusiastic doule thu's up while Fit* put his ar' around her shoulders%8utting his hands on the controls, Ben initiated the engine% He was sitting on the upper le$t o$ the seating co'part'ent, with ,eed at his right% "ohnn# was ehind Ben, and !usan was ehind ,eed% &he seating arrange'ent was identical to the one the# used when the# went on their $irst trip into spaceon the $ate$ul da# that the# recei+ed their powers%Herie was $loating etween Ben and ,eed%.1ll engines and power s#ste's are online and operating at pea( e$$icienc#, =octor ,ichards; 6e are go $or launch;/.&han(s, Herie%/.Feels li(e slippin0 on an old and co'$# pair o$ snea(s,/ said Ben% ."ust hope it0s uh % % % % not as nutt# as last ti'e% Had a hell o$ a 'a(eo+er when we got ac( on our $irst space trip%/,eed placed his hand on Ben0s shoulder%.) wouldn0t do this without #ou,/ said ,eed%.3eah,/ said Ben, with a snort% .&hin( that0s the prole'% )0' alwa#s enalin0 #a;/"ohnn# (ic(ed out at the ac( o$ Ben0s chair%.9ot #our panties all twisted, Ben>#2; =on0t $la(e out on us now;/Ben groaned% !usan created a 'iniature $orce $ield that she used to s'ac( "ohnn# across the chee(%.76;/.3ou deser+ed that,/ said !usan%.!ure we can0t >ust toss the (id out2/ as(ed Ben% .ust $or us to explore; ) can0t wait;/.) >ust hope so'eod# re'e'ered to pac( us a lunch,/ said Ben%.7$ course;/ said Herie% .) 'ade all o$ the necessar# preparations; o# the ride%/Ben pushed another utton, and the coc(pit +iew o$ the ship turned into a lue tunnel o$ $lowinglight% 9lowing rightl#, the warp core e'itted a pulse o$ energ# throughout all o$ the ship0s s#ste's% &he Venture then started tra+elling $aster than the speed o$ light, roc(eting through the galax# towards the planet o$ ,igellia%-ittle did the Fantastic Four (now that the next ti'e the# would see their ho'e planet, it would e a +er# di$$erent place%? ? ? ?7n oard his 8ariah, 9eneral