Chapter 10: Acceptance & Training

Arriving at the Baxter Building I swiftly took the elevator up to Richard's home.

Stepping out of it I immediately saw Susan and the others.

Their powers running out of control.

Richards was a tangled mess on the floor, Susan was fading in and out a frightened expression on her face, Johnny was grinning like and idiot as he tried to control flames on his finger tips, while Ben was sitting in a corner of the lab with an angry and sort of hollow look in his eyes.

'So, it's bad. But not as bad as I thought it would be.' I thought.

At least none of them have left the building and are roaming the streets of the city.

That would've made things harder to deal with.

Especially if any of them got caught on camera or the like.

That would've drawn attention none of us need at the moment.

So I am glad they all stayed put.

Now, to wrangle them.

Oh and on a quick not Johnny thankfully looks nothing like Chris Evans.

Good.

That would've made things really strange when Roger appears in the future.

But back to the matter at hand.

"Hello." I spoke. Drawing everyone's attention to me.

"Victor, what are you doing here?" Reed asked. His mouth wide open and elongated as he did. Yet the words he was speaking still came out clear as day.

Making it both cool and disgusting at the same time.

"Susan called me and asked me to come over right away." I quickly explained. "And now I can see why. Looks like that cloud of cosmic energy did affect you all."

"You can say that again. It turned us into monsters!" Ben shouted in rage.

When he did I looked directly at him. "Monsters Mr. Grimm. How wrong you are. I see no monsters here. Only those who do not yet know how to control the power they have now come to posses." I said. "Now then, everyone clear your minds and concentrate. Reed, picture your body the way it was before. Susan, picture yourself solid. Jonathan, picture yourself not ablaze or aflame in any manner, and Mr. Grimm, calm yourself. Lest you break the others concentration." I spoke.

"Hey, who are you to be giving us orders?" Johnny asked.

"Jonathan Storm, just shut the fuck up for once in your life and listen!" Susan shouted.

Making Johnny cower slightly.

"Yes sis." Johnny replied.

After he did he began following my instructions.

So did everyone else.

That's why within five minutes Reed, Susan, and Johnny were all back to their normal appearances.

"Good work all of you. Now, keep focusing. For letting up for even a moment will make your powers got out of control once again." I explained to them.

They nodded their heads.

All except for Ben of course.

But now that the others were taken care of for a moment I could focus my attention on him.

Walking over to the man I summoned several spell circles in the air around him, that began to analyze his body. Ignoring the shocked expression Ben gave me after I did.

"Victor, what in the-"

"-Quiet Richards!" I interrupted Reed. "This analysis requires my full concentration at the moment."

Well actually it doesn't. I just don't want to answer any of Reed's numerous questions right now.

Deciding to heed my words Reed closed his mouth and kept it shut. Giving me sweet and utter silence as I worked my magic on Ben. Which lasted for five minutes before the results came in.

Being just as I suspected they would.

"I see. As expected." I spoke. Waving my hand to dismiss all the spell circles in the air around Ben. Who was looking at me with a curious gaze.

"What? What is it? What did you learn? Can you fix me with that you just did? Can I go back to being human?" Ben asked. Peppering me with several questions at once.

I leveled a glare at him to make him stop. Which he did.

"Thank you Mr. Grimm. Now to answer some of your questions. Yes, I learned something just now from the magical analysis I performed on you."

"Wait, magic is real?" Johnny asked "Ow!" Only to earn himself a slap on the back of the head by Susan. "Alright, I'll be quiet." He said.

Thank the universe for Susan.

"Now as I was saying, I learned something about your condition just now." I said. "Next, I am not going to fix you Mr. Grimm. At least not in the way you think. But what I am going to do is help you. Like I will help Susan and the others. And for the last time you are not a monster. Simply a man who was gifted power and has no idea how to control it yet. But if you and the others follow my instructions that will no longer be the case. Then you will be able to do this on your own."

I raised up my right hand in front of Ben, and a spell circle appeared in front of it. A light then came out of the circle and washed over Ben's entire body, turning him back to the way he was before he was struck by the cosmic energy cloud.

Proving my theory, and the analysis from the spell circles I used on Ben, correct.

By learning magic Ben can come to control his powers.

Because it never made sense to me that Reed, Susan, and Johnny had the ability to control their powers, yet Ben never could. Even though they were all hit by the same cosmic energy/rays. I mean it stands to reason he should be able to, yet never in the comics, television shows, or movies could he.

As such I decided to do a magical analysis on Ben to see if it could help. Given that it was energy that triggered his transformation, and magic is basically all about manipulating energies I deduced it may be able to help Ben control his powers.

Looks like I was right.

Score another one for Doom.

"Woah!" Johnny exclaimed.

Susan and Reed joining in immediately afterwards.

While Ben simply touched himself, with a smile of utter delight on his face.

Wait.

That came out wrong.

"I'm...I'm back." Ben said.

"Yes and no." I said. "For what I just did is only temporary."

Then no sooner than I spoke did Ben revert back to his Thing form, as I'm calling it from now on.

"What, no!" He shouted. Ben then looked at me desperately. "Victor, Mr. Doom, whatever. Do what you just did again and make me look normal, please." He begged.

"As I just told you Mr. Grimm, what I just did is only temporary. And if I did it again the same thing would simply happen. However if you did it yourself then things would be very different. You would be able to change forms at will." I explained. "However learning to do so will take time. As well as patience. Not to mention you learning to stop seeing yourself as a monster. It won't be easy. But if you can do it then you can take control of the power you have been gifted and make it yours. So, what do you say Mr. Grimm?"

"I..I..." Ben muttered.

An unsure look on his face.

"Take your time, there is no rush." I told him. "When you have come to a decision let me know." I spoke. "Now then, as for the rest of you. I turned to face them. "Unlike Mr. Grimm you can control abilities much easier. Meaning your training to fully gain control over your powers starts now."

"Wait a moment Victor." Reed said. "While I appreciate you helping us out, and what you're doing for Ben, there are still things we need to work out and discuss. Such as if these powers are a danger to us, what other side-effects might present themselves if we continue to keep and use them. Not to mention if any of us even want to keep these powers in the first place."

"Speak for yourself Reed. I'm not giving these powers up and no one can make me." Johnny said. Giving Susan a look. "Not even you sis. I'm not budging on this no matter what you say."

"Even if your powers cost you your life Johnny?" Susan asked.

"Okay, if they are bad for me I'll give them up. But only if. Otherwise I'm keeping them." Johnny replied.

"Fine." Susan retorted. She then turned to look at me. "And Victor, I truly appreciate the help you've given us tonight but Reed is correct."

"I never said he wasn't." I spoke. "But the fact still remains all of you need to learn control. Unless you want to lose control of your abilities out in public and risk injuring yourselves and others? Because from what I saw when I first arrived that would be a very likely scenario as you all are right now. Especially for you Jonathan. Given that your abilities are flame and heat based. So like I said a moment ago, training starts now. Unless anyone wants to make any other objections?"

To my question no one spoke up.

"Good. Then, let us begin." I said.

Thus I began teaching the F4 how to use their powers.

Planting some of my seeds in their hearts that I hope would grown and bear fruit.

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