The Fantastic Four Page #19

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REED:

Is there something about flames?

About flaming, that you --

JOHNNY:

What are you trying to say? Just

because I dress well and like to dance --

REED:

(confused)

What? No. I'm trying to figure out

why we each ended up with different

symptoms.

JOHNNY:

Oh, well that's easy: I'm hot.

You're...well, you're a little limp.

Sue's easy to see through. And Ben's

always been a hardass.

(a beat)

Why aren't you writing this down?

Reed sighs. It's going to be a long process.

INT. BAXTER BUILDING LAB - DAY

Reed and Sue, tables turned: Reed observes her through a

prismatic device measuring light refraction. He "sees" her

through the device: lit up like some heavenly creature. He's

having a hard time concentrating. He focuses on his work.

REED:

It's not "invisibility" per se.

You're bending the light around you

with some kind of malleable force

field. That's what you projected on

the Bridge.

SUE:

What about you? You haven't eaten in

days. How come you're never on this

side of the microscope?

He tightens, uncomfortable with being center of attention.

She reaches for his arm, like a specimen. He pulls away, but

she sees a glimpse of BRUISES on his ARMS. She slows down.

SUE (CONT'D)

Bruises...from the bridge?

He nods, rolls down his sleeves.

REED:

Have you had any side-effects, from

your powers?

She considers. A little vulnerable.

SUE:

I've had some headaches. Migraines.

A beat. Reed drops his eyes, makes a note, back to work.

REED:

You should be able to bend light

around other objects, even people, if

you could control your emotional state

better --

SUE:

Excuse me?

She is annoyed. Reed is oblivious.

REED:

I'm saying, if you had a little more

self control, you could locate the

trigger. Can you remember the exact

emotions when --

SUE:

Anger. Rage. Frustration.

REED:

Okay. Is there any way to duplicate

that feeling? Some memory or...

SUE:

(staring right at him)

I'm sure I can come up with something.

She looks at Reed, eyes narrow. She becomes invisible. As

she focuses on Reed -- and gets angry -- a small, clear FORCE

FIELD forms around her body. The force-field BENDS LIGHT

around a MICROSCOPE, which goes INVISIBLE. Reed steps out to

ask...

REED:

How's that coming -- whoa --

The FORCE-FIELD shoots in all directions, knocking everything

over in a fifteen foot radius. Reed is thrown from his

chair.

SUE:

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to

do that... You must think that was

some kind of latent hostility or --

REED:

What in the world would give me that

idea?

An awkward beat.

REED (CONT'D)

I mean, you broke up with me, right?

SUE:

Are you kidding?

REED:

No, I distinctly remember: you walked

out my door. Ergo...

She didn't want to get into this. She looks down,

vulnerable.

SUE:

Reed. I was ready for the next step,

you weren't, ergo, I walked.

REED:

I think it was a little more

complicated than --

SUE:

I just wanted to share an apartment.

What was so complicated about that?

The question stumps him. A beat. He struggles.

REED:

There were a lot of variables to

consider --

SUE:

No. There weren't. There was you.

And me. No variables, no math. It

was actually the simplest thing in the

world. But your head got in the way...

like it always does.

Her words penetrate. He knows she's right. He looks away.

REED:

Sue...I just...I thought...

He struggles for the words.

SUE:

Same old Reed. Too much thinking...

He opens his mouth, but...WHAM! Doors open. Johnny enters,

wearing a CHARRED SHIRT. He points to the burned scraps of

his shirt.

JOHNNY:

Okay guys, we have a serious problem.

INT. BAXTER BUILDING LABS - DAY

ANGLES of Reed in the lab, grabbing their space uniforms from

various closets/containers:

REED (V.O.)

Our uniforms were exposed to the storm

like us. So they can transform like

us, becoming invisible, changing size

on demand or remaining impervious to

flame.

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