Greta tightened her coat around her shoulders as she and Candy boarded the late-night train bound for New York. Rain tapped the window, blurring the lights of the city they left behind.
"Still can't believe we're doing this," Greta muttered. Her tentacles twitched beneath her clothes, uneasy with the press of strangers in the carriage.
Candy leaned back in her seat, grinning as she unwrapped a lollipop. "Come on, squid girl, live a little. If you wanna play in the big leagues, you gotta knock on the biggest door."
Greta shot her a sideways look. "The Fantastic Four aren't a circus act. They're scientists. Explorers."
"Exactly," Candy said through a mouthful of sugar. "And if anyone can figure out why the Black Serpents keep pulling new toys outta nowhere, it's them."
---
Baxter Building
The Baxter Building rose over Manhattan like a monument of steel and glass, its iconic "4" blazing on the upper floors. Greta felt small just standing in the lobby. Candy, by contrast, bounced on her heels as though she'd been here a hundred times.
"Think they'll let us in without an appointment?" Candy asked with a mischievous smirk.
Greta sighed. "Why do I feel like you're about to cause trouble?"
Before Candy could reply, the elevator doors slid open. A tall figure stepped out, lab coat flaring around him, eyes sharp with curiosity—Reed Richards.
"I heard unusual energy readings in the building's lower sensors," Reed said calmly, scanning the two of them with a handheld device. "I assume that's you."
Greta stiffened. "We came to talk."
Candy twirled her lollipop like a baton. "We came to help. And maybe raid your candy stash if you've got one."
Reed raised an eyebrow, but his lips twitched in faint amusement. "Follow me. The others will want to hear this."
---
The Fantastic Four
Minutes later, Greta and Candy stood in the team's operations room. Sue Storm regarded them with quiet suspicion, Johnny Storm smirked openly at Candy's flamboyant outfit, and Ben Grimm crossed his rocky arms, muttering, "Great, more weirdos."
Candy winked at Johnny. "Flame-boy, huh? Bet you burn out before dessert."
Johnny grinned. "Sweetheart, I am dessert."
Greta rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, What have I gotten myself into…
But when she explained the Black Serpents—their attacks, their obsession with ancient artifacts, their growing power—the room grew tense. Reed adjusted his device again, frowning deeply.
"They're not acting alone," he murmured. "Someone—or something—is feeding them advanced technology. The pattern matches incursions I've tracked across the multiverse."
Greta's tentacles stirred uneasily. "So it's bigger than Germany. Bigger than us."
Sue's eyes softened as she studied Greta's face. "You came here for answers. I think you were right to."
Candy leaned forward, smacking a fist into her palm. "So what's the plan? Team-up? Four plus two makes six. I like the math."
Ben rumbled a chuckle. "Kid, you got guts."
Greta inhaled slowly, feeling the storm of fate close around them. For the first time, she wasn't just fighting for her street, or her town. This was something far larger.
And now, with the Fantastic Four at her side, she was ready.