Chp. 87 Smartest Idiot Alive

"I still can't get around this part, where did we go wrong?!" Phastos said as he and Paul pondered about the missing part they need to facilitate the transferal of energies between the old and new bodies of a celestial.

Paul already had the blueprint ready for the new body but the simulations seems to be not able to successfully go beyond a 70% success rate even when they both poured in all that they've known.

"There is just something about the process of exchanging that amount of cosmic energies that we cannot coalesce even when we have available materials able to withstand that amount and quality of power…" Paul looked at the equations they have come up with overnight yet they have only been able to make a 63% success rate so far.

"We have the know-how yet something just doesn't add up, I've checked many times but our numbers are right." Phastos looked tired as he double checked for the nth time already.

"Seems even knowing many branch of practice does not make us great thinkers for this sort of thing, yet." Paul also ran the simulations within his mind and somewhere midway the transferal will collapse even when the Dreaming Celestial is willing to volunteer in changing bodies.

Though the mental signatures will be there, the amount of power left in the new body will be fewer than that of the original.

Paul felt they can already do this but why not make it more perfect, Celestials need much more power to make more suns and if the stronger they are in producing cosmic powers then the better.

He knew there were differences in between celestials that there are some that are just so powerful that they could fight aspects of reality.

And Tiamut is one of them, but if he dies then there will be a big problem if there are events that needed their attention and they are one powerful celestial down.

"AGHH! I feel like we might need some fresh perspectives here but where can we get that?!" Phastos said but his eyes just caught what was on TV, a reporter talking about recent supernatural activities on earth.

"Could Stark be able to do it?" Phastos asked Paul who was taken out of his thoughts making him look at the TV and remembered what Phastos just said.

"Yeah he is one…" Paul answered distractedly as he also received notice from his satellites of a possible superhuman activity.

It was a sighting of a man made out of rocks sitting atop the Brooklyn Bridge.

"He is one? You are saying there is another?" Phastos looked at Paul as he thought only Stark seemed to be smart enough in his mind seeing he was able to make an advanced suit of armor by himself.

"Yeah, it seems like we might need to meet the Dumbest supergenius of the planet…" Paul said as he took out a phone and sent a message to Nick Fury.

[Von Doom Industries]

"Arghhh!!!" Victor threw away chairs and cases in his office as his investors had just recently notified him of them pulling out of the company.

He paced back and forth thinking of what to do since the recent fiasco in the space station had brought in lots of negative reactions from the public making his stocks go at an all-time low.

"Rough day?" then a voice sounded out from the corner making Victor flinch as he looked at the eye patched super spy appearing in his office without his knowledge.

"Y-you how did you get in here? Who are you?!" Victor was alarmed since he knew how advanced the security systems of their company that it was far better that the best known military grade equipment.

"The names Nick Fury, director of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division or SHIELD for short." Fury walked out of the shadows and paced a bit around the large office of Von Doom.

"SHIELD? I thought you guys were a myth, besides how did you get past my security systems?!" Victor seemed alert as he looked at Fury calmly looking around the furniture of the office.

"I know my way around rich kids offices, but that is now why I am here. Seems to me that you and the gang that went up are facing some changes in your body and it is making you a bit irritable." Fury was still calm as he found himself sitting on the large couch on the middle of the office.

"What do you mean changes?" Victor had been feeling a bit off lately and he doesn't know why but seeing that there was someone knowing what might be happening to him.

"The world is a weird place, Doctor Victor Von Doom. Quite a catchy name I must say, but what is happening to you is something I have been dealing with for years. SHIELD has been the one on the forefront of events like these. And Doctor, you might want to sit for this." Nick smirked as he can see he had caught the attention of the billionaire businessman.

"How come there were no word of any such events? Except for Stark and the one in Harlem has there been many others before?." Victor calmed down as he thought of the various rumors he heard in some gathering of high profile political figures.

"The public knowing events like these? No, but to you then I might have you see the weird side of the planet since you are slowly turning into one." Fury looked at Victor's knuckles which were showing a bit of metallic luster on them.

"I am fine, nothing is wrong with me!" Victor hid his hands feeling a bit threatened at Fury's words.

"Whoa, I didn't say something is wrong with you. I think it is better that you are gaining these gifts, like I said earlier, the world is a weird place and we really need some weird on our side as it unravels." Fury then pulled out a tablet on his jacket and handed it to Victor.

He looked confused at first but he received it and looked at the contents making him frown for a bit.

"This is… information pertaining about everything I did in my life? Why are you showing this to me?" Victor's frown deepened as he thought of many things.

"We at SHIELD keep a list of various individuals that might need monitoring, so this includes people with vast intellect like you and Dr. Richards. And right now you both have gone up the list with this recent events, though as you might see in you assessment…" Nick gestured for Victor to read further down.

"Very Large Ego, Vindictive and has a skewed moral compass? Hmph, I thought you were here recruiting me or something but why does it seem like a fail already since this speaks very badly of me?" Victor scowled as he read more of the written paragraphs of various assessment of him.

"I know, I was one of the people that assessed you. But a consultant of ours who can find things that no one else can find seems to think otherwise. He said you are 'Ambitious and thinks that you must conquer the world through conquest to bring it to gain its long awaited peace and prosperity'." Nick frowned a bit remembering Paul's words about the person in front of him.

"I still don't understand?" Victor is seemingly confused now as he heard the words.

"I don't either, but he seems to think you are a good candidate to be considered." Nick still felt skeptical about the man in front of him.

"A candidate? For what am I being assessed for and what would I need such approval from men who does not even deign to show themselves to me?" Victor's face showed how irritated he was but still held himself in because he realized that even when he was pressing the alarm on his table nothing seemed to be happening.

"Soon the world will change so fast that many will not be able to make heads or tails about what is happening, he who had recommended you said you might be one of the people able to get the memo and adapt if need be." Fury then stood up and handed a USB towards Victor.

"What is this?" Victor sat back on his office chair seemingly intimidated by the man in front of him.

"A chance, to get a control of your company. Inside are the various incriminating evidences of crimes done by some of your shareholders and even directions on how to turn thing around for you. Also there is already a billion dollars being spent to keep you afloat, so don't waste time and take charge." Fury then turned and left with a poker face on not caring if Victor will take his chance or not.

Victor was silent at first as he watched Fury leave but as soon as he left he put the USB on the computer but it was then he realized that the tablet he was carrying earlier is gone.

This made him alert then remembered that Fury was some sort of super spy making him frown a bit.

But his frown deepened when he found some files in the USB regarding some illegal dealings made by some of his investors to the Fortunov family in Latveria.

The more he read the more his frown deepened and he found some files regarding some recent events that made him forget the fact that he is losing his billion dollar company.

"Valeria." Doom said as he looked at the picture of some riots and found many were hurt including the childhood friend of his as it was said in the files.

"No…" Victor then found many evidences that lead that even now the Fortunov Family were targeting him as they had fueled public backlash so his company would fail as soon as the accident happened.

His donation and humanitarian programs that he funded seemed to be getting on the nerves of the current rulers of his homeland.

"No!" It was then an image showed Victor of the state of a town which just neighbored the one where he grew up in.

"NO!" Victor seemed scared he might see his home next on the pictures but he calmed down soon after seeing there were not one for now but this made him sober up a bit.

"Why am I even doing this? To get back at Reed? Hehehe, how low you have fallen Victor Von Doom. He speaks of being able to get everywoman but now he still cannot get those he wanted." Victor suddenly went eerily calm as he stood up and fixed his appearance.

"Leonard, call for a press conference. There are quite a lot of news that will be public tonight!" Victor had read on how he can make a comeback as he had seen that there are other forces behind at work.

He can see it, why they suddenly wanted to pull out and try to take over.

He had been exposed to the cosmic radiation as well and some were already able to notice the changes so they planned to push him out and make a new protocol about company property.

Where in which they will try to technically label him as well as the others as company property so they can be experimented on by some to learn more about them.

"I guess some did fall for Reed's promise of a cure, though it barely make sense but somehow he is both the reason I am failing and also the reason I am making a comeback." Victor looked like he was on to get his prey as he walked undeterred not even caring to cover his metallic fingers.

[Brooklyn Bridge]

"Oh yeah Ben, few days in space. It'll be great! What's the worst that could happen?" Ben Grimm sulked as he sat at the edge of the bridge until a pigeon landed on his shoulders.

"Hey little guy hehehe…" Ben looked at the bird with a smile.

"You're not afraid of me, are you?" but as he said that the bird left and he noticed the white stain on his shoulders.

"Hmm? Urgh, perfect!" Ben's smiled vanished as he wiped it off with his hands.

But it was then a thin shivering man arrived near Ben making him look curiously at the man but he saw him throw his case down the bridge making him understand that the guy wanted to kill himself.

"Hey!" Ben shouted making the man falter in his attempt and almost lost his balance but as soon as he looked at who spoek he was suddenly scared.

"W-wo-uh whoa..dss. Oh!" the man was not able to make a coherent word as soon as he saw Ben.

"You think you've got problems? You take a good look, pal." Ben then pointed at his face.

"Heh, how bad could it be, right?" Ben said self loathingly but he saw the man back up on one of the metal bars of the bridge.

"I don't think you…" Ben tried to warn but he can see the fear and the action of the man to keep backing up.

"*sigh* Okay, pal. Take it easy. Nonono, don't go out there!" Ben stood up and tried to calm the guy but all it did was further scare him into backing up on the railings.

"Look, I said stop, you Fruitcake!" but the man backed some more looking unstable in his footing.

"Nonono, come close!" Ben tried to urged but his large rocky appearance scared the guy more and more.

"That's further! Come closer." Ben was trying his best but all he can see was the abject horror in the man's face.

"I said stop! Nonono!!" Ben was about to reach out but the man lost his balance and fell on the bridge where dozens of vehicles were running on high speeds.

"Wh-wa-whoa!!" the guy fell but he still manage to hold on for a bit by the edge on an electric wire but still ultimately fell on the bridge.

"See?!" Ben stepped forward trying to reach out again but the seeing the guy unable to hold on made him widen his eyes. The steel beam he was on was bending a bit due to the massive weight he has but right now his focus was on the guy in the middle of a highway road.

"Urgh! " Ben exasperated but he jumped down nonetheless or else the guy might be flattened by the many vehicles running on the bridge.

It was then a honk of a large trailer truck sounded behind Ben as he landed making him see it coming down there fast towards him.

Ben was alarmed but he steadied himself and used his body to stop the advance of the large truck.

But this caused a cascade of accidents behind as many cars crashed as well on the bridge.

"Come here!" Ben said as he pulled the guy who tried to jump of the bridge to the side saving him from a taxi going past the side of the beaten truck.

Just time few black sedans blocked the road behind to prevent more from going into traffic and came out from inside were bunch of agents dressed in suits.

SHIELD agents were already here because Fury already knew where Ben Grimm was courtesy of Paul pointing out that they have mutated from the cosmic rays.

So he had a team ready nearby just in case since they have been monitoring Ben Grimm last night.

At the edge of the bridge Reed, Sue and Johnny came out of their taxi seeing the traffic jam right in front making them curious so they walked ahead to see what was going on.

"Alright calm down." Ben said to the scared wanna-be bridge jumper but the man still seemed horrified of Ben so seeing this reaction hurt Ben a bit.

"You wanna be scared? Fine!!" Ben roared making the man pale and scurry away for his life.

"No!" the man screamed as he was carried by his legs away from Ben as his fear reached new heights.

There were many who witnessed this but they were more focused on Ben's bizarre appearance that they seemed to be feeling afraid since recently there have been the news recently of Harlem about massive hulking monsters fighting and destroying a lot in that area.

But Ben was not able to see this as he was focused more on the driver of the truck he crashed into.

He saw that the guy might have gotten a concussion from the crash so he walked up to the guy.

Meanwhile SHIELD agents were already cordoning of the area and stopped civilians from getting in, Reed and the others saw this and thought that maybe this is where Ben was.

"Whoa, guys in suits. What is this a James Bond movie?" Johnny said as soon as he saw the agents.

"What are we gonna do now?" Sue asked as she felt unsure now seeing that there seemed to be federal agents already on the scene.

"We're not going to get past these guys. But you could!" Reed seemed to think of a great idea as he remembered Sue's powers.

As the trio were thinking of how to get past, Ben was helping the truck driver to get out of the truck but it seems that the seatbelt was busted as well.

"Sorry about the truck, pal. Come on." Ben tried to get the seat belt as well but seeing that it was stuck made him not want to force it too much as it might hurt the driver.

"A little help, here? You wanna hit the button, sir?" Ben looked to the side as the driver tried again but it did not get off.

"It's stuck." The driver said as he tried many times.

"Ughh…" Ben thought of how he could gently get the guy out since he knew his strength might hurt him if he did not watch out for his strength.

At the cordoned area Maria Hill was handling the local police that just arrived and saw the faces of Reed Richards making her go over there but just in time to see Sue Storm start to get translucent.

'Sue, your clothes. Lose them." Reed whispered but the people around them still noticed her turning invisible.

"Oh right." Sue realized her clothes were still visible so she started taking off her shirt first.

"This is so wrong…" Johnny said as he felt weird about his sister taking of her clothes.

But just as Sue was on her underwear her invisibility started to wear off making many people as well as some agents gasp at the sight.

Even the police that recently arrived were distracted.

"Oh!" Johnny said as he looked away making Sue realize she was visible again while Reed was gawking at her body while she tried covering herself.

"Wow, you've been working out." Reed said as he realized she looked much fit compared to when they both dated.

"Shut up!" Sue said as she felt ashamed being a bit exposed there while Maria Hill received a message urging her to let them through.

"Any more great ideas? Why don't you strip down and have a 100 people stare at you?" Sue was getting angry but this time her invisibility was coming back.

"Sue." Reed called out.

"What?" Sue was confused but she saw herself being invisible again so she took of the last bits of her clothes.

"Imma need therapy." Johnny said as he felt a bit embarrassed at her sister doing this.

But this caused many to look around as to where did Sue Storm go including Maria Hill, but Reed and Johnny took this chance to leave while he picked up his sister's clothes on the ground.

But just as they got past a bit in the bridge Maria Hill intercepted them.

"Doctor Richards, Mister Storm I am Agent Maria Hill of SHIELD. I have been told by my director to let you three into the scene so if you would kindly follow me I have somewhere Doctor Storm can put on her clothes." Maria looked weirdly at Johnny who seemed to be eyeing her up and down.

It was at this time Paul's clone the Badger one arrived nearby while Fury was already on his way here.

But Paul paused as he almost bumped into someone and they both stared eye to eye while Paul occasionally glanced at the two perky peaks distractedly.

"Nice tits, why are you naked by the way?" Paul asked as he looked at the pretty blonde but found her face familiar then it dawned unto him who this was.

"What?" Sue was confused since she still cannot even see her arms but Paul was looking right at her eyes.

"Mister Esteban, you're here." Maria Hill arrived on time with Reed and Johnny behind her.

"Okay, this is awkward." Paul said as he looked at Reed and then at Johnny who held Sue's clothes.

He waved his hands and the clothes flew quickly and was placed on Sue in mere seconds.

"What the?" Johnny was surprised at the sudden flying of the clothes while Maria Hill raised her brow looking at Paul seemingly scrutinizing something.

"Sue?" Reed realized that Sue was already here.

"Y-yeah…"Sue slowly lost her invisibility but she was still blank and thinking of what just happened.

"Doctors and mister Storm, this is our consultant Mister Esteban. Now there is still the matter at hand about the person who caused this series of car crashes." Maria Hill did not dwell on it too much as she just received report of Ben Grimm pulling out the truck driver placing him down on the pavement.

"Right, right. We're gonna ignore the fact that some man waved his hands and magically clothes flew and my sister is now covered. How does he know Sue was there anyways?" Johnny did not ignore this part as Sue and Reed was made aware as well as they walked forward to where Ben was.

"Not important, there are currently various civilian injuries and they need to be evacuated now from the scene." Maria did not care but she still gave Paul a side eye as she was thinking of something.

Paul just shrugged his shoulders and walked by the side of Maria and whispered to her ears.

"I can also see through things, but I prefer it women taking their clothes off than taking a peek." Paul said which made the atmosphere between him and Maria weird.

"Seriously are you going to ignore this Reed?" Johnny looked left and right trying to find someone to talk but somehow Reed was thinking of something else deeply while Sue was distracted also.

But soon they stopped as they arrived at the front of the crash pile.

"Ben! Ben!" Sue got on top of a taxi and started shouting looking for Ben.

Just in time for Ben Grimm to hear and show himself making Sue gasp and Reed pause while Paul admired the bulky stone man.

"Cool, I wonder how strong you max strength is." Paul did not care much as he walked ahead and started patting Ben's rocky exterior.

"Damn you bulletproof now huh?" Paul scrutinized the man making Ben confused as to who this stranger is.

But it was just at this time Johnny saw a girl looking scared and alone besides a burning car. His eyes darted to the nearby oxygen tanks making him wide eyed and ran fast going to the girl.

He jumped past a car as a tank exploded while he pounced to cover the girl on his embrace as fire covered them both.

But this explosion caused a domino as some cars also exploded and a few was sent flying past Ben and towards the fire truck that was going fast to respond to the crash pile.

The driver of the fire truck was surprised that he instinctively turned the truck around as well as pressing on the breaks but this caused his back side to lean out into the side of the bridge causing it to break the railings and half of its body hanging by the edge of the bridge as it slowly came to a stop.

Sue was at the back as well when the explosion happened and she raised her hands instinctively to defend herself therefore generating a force field that covered the explosion from reaching her thus protecting the agents behind her as well as the civilians watching from the top.

Paul on the other hand hugged Maria Hill as the flames blew by covering her with his own force field but he made it tight so he can hug the Icy faced agent.

As the fires vanished Johnny checked if the kid was okay while Sue pushed back the fires and debris where no one would get hurt.

Reed was at the top watching the Fire Truck leaning out to the river while some firemen were struggling to hold on as they were a bit dazed at the sudden crash of the truck.

"Hold on!" A fireman said as he tried to reach for his colleague that was hanging at the edge of the truck but the back side was heavier so the whole truck is slowly tilting down to the river.

But Ben can in time to hold the front of the truck and held on while slowing down the tilting. He grunted as he slowly pulled down the head to get a better angle in pulling the truck back.

But the fireman on the back panicked as he felt the ladder come loose and he slid down but it was then Reed reached at the top seeing the fireman slowly losing his grip.

"Hang on!" a fireman said as he tried to get to the ladders but the guy at the edge of the ruck lost his grip first and fell.

Many gasp were heard as the guy fell but just as he was screaming for dear life he suddenly felt his fall stop.

"Huh?" he looked back to see what was grabbing him.

"I got you." But what greeted him was Reed Richard who elongated his body to catch the guy.

He slowly retracted his body while Ben mustered the strength to slowly pull back the fire truck off the ledge of the bridge.

Many were awed at this but the agents of SHIELD were slowly getting them out and stopped them from taking pictures as well as videos.

"Are you going to let go now?" Maria asked as he looked at the hands of Paul grabbing her butt still seemingly trying to 'protect' her.

"Oh, my bad. It was nice by the way." Paul smiled innocently as he felt that Maria has some firm cheeks to squeeze on to.

It was then Fury arrived on a helicopter while more and more agents responded in keeping the matter controlled as much as possible.

(A/N: Let me point this out, in the movies as soon as the accident happened police were already there able to respond very fast. They were even in the middle of the traffic and there were a lot of vehicles on the bridge as well.

How the hell did the responders able to arrive there in an instant is quite of a mystery since police don't come in that quickly at the crime scene.

The scene of Ben Grimm taking the truck driver out seemed to be only moments but the police were already there and had cordoned the area to prevent more people from getting in?

What a load of Bull crap, also they just saw Ben Grimm save a fire truck and first thing they did was point guns at the man who carried 30 tons and is made of stone. This is just to mush of poor writing for me, not that I am a great writer or anything but come on. They made it look like the police were just decorations, clearly the writers like the firemen more than the police since he gave them more screen time on the movie..)