The Fantastic Four Page #9

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BEN:

It was a freak of nature. Last I

checked, you don't have a crystal

ball. Let it go.

Reed considers. But he can't let it go. He opens his

computer back up, returning to work. Ben shakes his head,

looks out at the view. His eyes catch on something, wheels

turning.

BEN (CONT'D)

You go through something like this,

makes you appreciate having the right

woman in your life.

REED:

Yeah, you and Debbie and perfect --

BEN:

Reed, I'm not talking about Debbie.

Reed follows Ben's eyes to a lower level patio: SUE.

REED:

What? Come on. She's got a good

thing with Victor --

BEN:

I'm sorry, did that cosmic-bath loosen

your screws?

REED:

He's smart, powerful, successful --

BEN:

Well maybe you should date him.

Reed looks at Ben, resigned.

REED:

Ben. He'll give her the life she

deserves. She ended up with the right

guy. Things worked out for the best.

Reed steps away. Ben stands alone, an idea sparking.

BEN:

Do I have to do everything myself?

INT. HELICOPTER/EXT. MOUNTAIN SUMMIT - DAY

The chopper hovers over this pristine peak. JOHNNY and his

NURSE sit in the chopper-bay, prepping their ski gear.

Johnny's customized snowboard has wild, acrylic patterns.

His Nurse wears a hot pink cat-suit, her skis dangling out.

Their bodies are close: a sexy, competitive flirtation. They

look down at a death-defying black diamond run.

JOHNNY:

Me like-y.

SEXY NURSE:

Stay right. Left is trouble.

JOHNNY:

I though we went over this.

SEXY NURSE:

Last one down springs for room

service.

She pulls down her goggles, jumps out. Johnny drops out

after her, hitting the snow. He smolders: literally. The

snow bank behind him sizzles and starts to melt.

He takes off after her and the chase is on:

EXT. BLACK DIAMOND RUN - DAY

The Nurse knows every inch of the trail, slicing expertly in

and out of the trees through deep powder. Johnny's a speed

freak, maximizing velocity, closing the gap between them.

Ghostly FLAMES shoot off his hair: his ski cap catches fire,

flies off. Jets of fire knife through the back of his jacket.

The Nurse looks back: In a burst of speed, Johnny draws even.

She looks over and sees the flames shooting out behind him...

SEXY NURSE:

You're on fire!

JOHNNY:

Not this again --

SEXY NURSE:

No:
You're ON FIRE!

Johnny sees his gloves are burning, flicks them off in alarm.

His body SHUDDERS: the back of his ski suit catches on fire.

A burst of flame launches him down the slope like a rocket.

Nurse loses concentration, falls. Johnny races away like a

missile, screaming in exhilaration. He looks back -- no

nurse.

He tries to put out his flaming clothes, and accidentally

VEERS to the LEFT. He fails to notice the giant CHASM in

front of him. He faces forward and...

SCREEAAMMS! LAUNCHING off the cliff, LEGS FLAILING, trying

to catch ground. FLAMES begin to TRAIL his body as he FALLS

towards the rocks below. He tries to will his body away.

Instead, his body becomes engulfed in flame. He is a HUMAN

TORCH! And for a moment he HOLDS THE AIR -- the fire giving

him some kind of...LIFT. He maneuvers just over the rocks,

almost making a 90 degree turn.

He looks back at the rocks in disbelief. But the lift

doesn't last long. He quickly CRASHES, landing HARD into a

snowbank.

He opens his eyes; tries to move but can't. He's trapped

under snow and ice. With all his strength, he tries to move,

NO DICE. Panic sets in. His eyes go wide as the snow around

quickly begins to melt. Johnny is on fire, and within

seconds he's sitting in a small POND, steam rising from the

water.

The nurse races toward the steam. Scared, panicked. She

finds Johnny...smiling, sitting naked in an impromptu hot

tub, staring at his hands. His body. Exhilarated.

JOHNNY:

Care to join me?

She smiles and unzips. The FLAMES DISSOLVE TO...CANDLES IN --

EXT. VON DOOM COMPOUND - VICTOR'S OFFICE - DAY

On an expansive parapet with a billion-dollar view, Victor

prepares a romantic dinner-setting as his staff scurry about.

He checks every fork and knife, with a slightly manic energy.

VICTOR:

How's the IPO?

LEONARD:

Stable. We're looking at low

twenties. It's a good number,

considering the fallout from --

VICTOR:

Reed's disaster. You know, I half-

think he did this to me on purpose.

LEONARD:

Sir, I'm sure he wouldn't put himself --

But Victor is on to the next thought, always strategizing.

VICTOR:

Get me on the AM shows, Larry King,

cover of the Journal...

(staring into silver tray)

I've got to do something about this

scar. Make sure they only shoot my

right side.

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