SUSAN STORM (PRIME)

[jchnnytorch]

"Are you even hearing yourself right now? Twenty-two hours is like.. two hours short from being a full day." Math was never really his strong suit, but he was pretty sure that was right. His sister looked exhausted, but he knew that she wasn't going to want to give up on all of this until it was fixed. No matter how long it took.

So maybe he leaned into her protective nature, nodding slightly when she asked if he was hungry. If it was gonna get her to eat, then he'd let her cook for him. The whiteboard full of equations was reminding him all to much of the state of the labs a year ago, after their accident. And that level of productivity and constant calculating hadn't been good for Reed or Sue then, either.

It also ended with them accepting their circumstances for what they were, but he wasn't going to go there yet. They didn't know what was going on with the multiverse, and for all he knew they were right on the cusp of a solution that could help everyone who was displaced.

"Yes. Please, make me something. And maybe take a nap afterwards."

[invisiblewomn]

Two hours less than a day. That would be 120 minutes. 7200 seconds. It was without thinking that Susan's brain did the conversions, the pressure of time weighing heavily on her mind. Jesus, she needed a break. "It is," she confirmed. "And Reed did a day and a half. So, by that standard, I'm looking really good."

Then again, Reed Richards was not the standard to measure ones self against in some situations. Reed had a single mind focus that could consume him. Susan had watched him slip into the depths of his own mind since the accident, and she had tried in vain to try to pull him out. But they couldn't both drown in his guilt, could they? So they drifted apart, occupying the same space but no longer the same frequency.

Pulling the pencil out from behind her ear, Sue set it down on the table next to her notebook. The scribblings — usually neat and orderly — were beginning to look like hieroglyphics. A part of her feared leaving the lab. What if she lost her train of thought? Sometimes, it felt like she was right on the cusp of a breakthrough. Just a few more minutes, a few more hours. Maybe she'd finally crack it.

But she hadn't. Not after all these hours. Tossing her phone into her tote, Susan gestured with her chin for Johnny to follow her to the door. "What are you thinking? Classic like grilled cheese?" She had made that a lot for him in the early days. Their mother was gone and their dad was locked in his office or the labs. Sue had looked across the table at her brother and felt such a strong protective urge to protect him. She had tried to do so ever since. Sometimes it worked out better than others — the whole failed flight thing wasn't a great moment — but they were still here. Together.

"I don't think I could nap if I tried. You don't want to know how much coffee I have in me right now."

[jchnnytorch]

"Susie, hey.." Johnny hadn't been expecting his sister to roll up unannounced, and he couldn't help the grin that he broke out in at her question as he leaned in and pretended to ponder her question as he looked at her teeth. "Yeah, you've got spinach. Tons of it." His grin slowly faded into a regular smile as he tilted his head at her and raised his eyebrows. "What's up? Don't tell me I'm late for another team meeting that I totally knew about."

[invisiblewomn]

"Hi, Johnny." The smile that Susan returned was genuine. She quickly leaned over to give him a side-hug, the movement brief before the blonde returned to re-occupy the sidewalk square she had been standing on. "Well, that's impressive considering I haven't had any spinach today." What had she eaten? Her stomach grumbled as an answer. "No, no. You're all clear — this time. I'm wrapping up a few meetings and on my way back to the Baxter Building. I didn't realize I was going to interrupt your fan hour."

[imperialpraetor]

"The Majestrix isn't here. If she were I would be more at peace. Instead she's out there without her best guardian." While his words were firm there was little bite to them. "Unless you had meant Lady Xandra of earth 616. In which case I can not claim her as my Majestrix. Not now."

[invisiblewomn]

"And where is Majestrix Lilandra?" From what Susan knew, the Majestrix and Gladiator were rarely apart. Susan paused a second, mentally running through all the names. Crystalia? No, that was Inhuman. Xandra was the 616 Majestrix. "I have nothing but respect for Majestrix Xandra, but I was focused more on the Earth-Prime Shi'ar when prepping for this meeting."

[freedombrawler]

"Don't you touch that radio--" steve warned. It was playing some old blues song, everyone kept telling him to download an app but he liked the scratchy static that came through the speakers. it added a bit of character. sue him for being a little nostalgic.

[invisiblewomn]

"Don't worry. I didn't have any intentions to. It's a good song." Susan offered a smile. "How are you adjusting?"

[warriorblooded]

"what is that!?"

[invisiblewomn]

"It's something that doesn't work." A multiverse bridge had always seemed so theoretical, and with their current situation, it was far from panning out. "Don't touch it, please. Not only does it not work, but it's not stable. We don't need any explosions in here."

[celestialdesign]

So this was what all the fuss was about: The Avengers Compound. It seemed sophisticated by human standards but the chaos running through the walls was another matter. The place reeked of anxiety and dread--a bunch of uncertain minds shadowed by even far more uncertain futures. Still, they gathered to try and save each other...it was refreshing. Druig had been around for centuries but he had never heard of humans assembling as global heroes, most of whom bestowed power beyond that of their majority. "Are you one of these Avengers, then?"

[invisiblewomn]

As terrible as it sounded, Susan often looked for excuses to leave the Baxter Building. For over a year, she had remained sequestered away in the steel & glass structure while Reed worked endlessly on finding a cure for their conditions. It had been agonizing at first, but over time she had come to terms with their new normal. It was a waste of time to try to fix them; they weren't broken. They were definitely changed, but that was okay. Now, she was free to come and go as she pleased. Trips to check on the refugees at the Avenger's Compound were now part of the routine. It introduced her to many new faces while also allowing her to get out for a bit. Overall, it was a win.

"No, I'm not an Avenger." Sue smiled. "Fantastic Four, actually. I'm Susan Storm."

[mutantbitch]

"Good to know some things never change. Mutants are still going to be hated no matter the universe."

[invisiblewomn]

"I don't think that's a fair assessment to make. It's too absolute. Mutants are new to this reality, but a lot of people are advocating for acceptance. We're working on it."

[wizardstrange]

"If you've come to ask for my help, I know just as much as you do." Which was unfortunately, nothing. It was a hard pill for Stephen to swallow, but it was the truth.

[invisiblewomn]

At this point, Susan was growing increasingly accustomed to people telling her that they didn't have answers. It wasn't her favorite thing to admit, but she had swallowed her pride repeatedly to also do so. Dressed in her civilian clothes, both hands were folded into the pockets of her jacket. She removed one only to brush a few blonde strands from her eyes as the wind pulled them into her line of vision. "I take it that means no updates then? It's okay, I don't have any either."

[jchnnytorch]

"Huh? Oh-- sorry, I don't do autographs. I might be able to squeeze a selfie in, though."

[invisiblewomn]

"Oh, is that how it is now?" The smile that crossed her tired face was genuine. Johnny — at times — had been a headache. Susan hadn't expected to have to parent him while she was still growing up. That didn't mean she would change anything, though. She'd agreed in a heart beat to be his sister even though it meant light nights and falling asleep studying as exhaustion weighed her down. "Do I look selfie ready? Anything in my teeth?" She flashed a quick smile.

[webbgineer]

Peter was sitting quietly in the lab looking at another set of blood samples. Call it morbid curiosity, but he was dying to know how different each of their (spider-man's) blood was from one universe to the next. He was in the middle of swapping them out when he kept hearing a shuffling of feet. He looked up, seeing someone that was either lost or definitely looking for...--well, anywhere but here.

"You looking for the bathroom?" he smiled, silently amused.

[invisiblewomn]

From one lab to another. Susan had left some notes in the Avenger's Compound when she had been there researching earlier, and her mind was racing as she hurried back over to the facilities. She was lost in her thoughts by the time she finally reached the labs. Standing there, it took a second to realize she was being spoken to. "—Oh." Sue blinked once. "No, sorry. Got distracted for a second."

Making her way to her work station, she flipped through the pages until she found her familiar scrawl. "I left this here earlier." Susan held the sheets up. "Unfortunately, it's needed."

[ebcnyblade]

"Always wanted to visit New York, just thought when I did I'd be able to leave. Expectations were too high I guess?"

[invisiblewomn]

"Expectations can be killer, can't they? When I was younger, I'd always try to not expect things. Easier said than done, of course. It's human to want things or plan for them to happen. I can't say I entirely saw this coming, though." That in itself was hard. Susan was one of the few people who studied the multiverse scientifically in her reality. She should have saw this coming. Probability and stats composed her every waking thought. How had she been caught so unaware?

[vacanthearted]

"If someone says multiverse like I'm supposed to know what it means one more time, I think I'm gonna get hostile."

[invisiblewomn]

"I'd be happy to explain, if you'd like. It's complicated, yes, but becoming more aware of it is only going to help you out."

[fangedwebs]

"We should all be far more concerned that proven methods of multiversal travel are not working right now. I haven't been able to open up a portal since I arrived— that's never happened before."

[invisiblewomn]

"Trust me, I'm plenty concerned." The issue was almost all that Susan thought about. She was dreaming about it — when she gave herself enough time to get to REM, that was. "From what I've been able to find, you're not the only one. There's a girl named America Chavez who can travel the multiverse. Or, she could before all this. She's stuck as well. Those who have attempted dream walking also found it didn't work. We're completely cut off."

[witcheschaos]

"frankly, i think every one is a bit too casual about this. i've been alive for half a millennia and spent lifetimes studying the vast expanse of the mystic arts. Even I can't think of too many beings capable of this sort of multiversal feat, at least not any that bring comfort." "Plucking variants from one universe to the next and gathering them to another is one thing. It is another entirely to perform so against our will, in such a way that it cannot be undone. And, for what? Annihilation? Amusement?"

[invisiblewomn]

"Some of us are taking it extremely seriously. We've been researching around the clock." At this point, researching was all they did. They were eating, sleeping, and breathing multiversal theory to no avail. Susan sighed. She would have preferred to scream, but that wasn't going to get them anywhere. She'd reserve it for her pillow at night. "What beings can you think of that might? Even if there's not many of them, we can't leave a single stone unturned right now."

The unease that had been lingering in Susan's mind was out in full force. The realm of magic was not her expertise. She was versed in science and facts, in numbers and theories. If she was going to be informed, however, she had to be as well-versed as possible in as many areas as possible. "I know that I'm not the only one who will do everything in my power to avoid annihilation."

[fcntcstic]

"—I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Reed was easily distracted from conversation on good days, but with so much going on he was finding it more difficult than usual to stay present when being spoken to. He had no idea if he had just been asked a question, yelled at, made fun of, or maybe even all of the above.

[invisiblewomn]

By now, Sue was used to it. To Reed. Sure, there was a layer of awkwardness that hovered on the edges of their interactions after everything had happened. Some days, she felt the gap between them more than others. At the end of the day, however, he was her teammate. He was her friend. Reed Richard's was someone who mattered to Sue, and she accepted him and all of his quirks. "Give me one second." She said as she finished scribbling the equation down. Checking it over once, Sue looked over to Reed. "I was running numbers past you, but I think I got it. How long until we reach the boiling point? Of tensions, I mean. That's what I've been trying to factor. I don't love the probability here."

[destroyrofworlds]

"I'm Daisy. I don't think we've gotten to meet throughout all of this chaos, but whatever the Fantastic Four needs, I'm happy to help with whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. resources I can muster."

[invisiblewomn]

"Nice to meet you, Daisy. I'm Sue." Not Susan, not Dr. Storm, not the Invisible Woman. Sue just wanted to be Sue. "I've been meaning to connect with S.H.I.E.L.D., but there's never enough hours in the day." They'd been incredibly private since the accident. Reed locked himself in the lab and punished himself. Sue did what she could as well, but they weren't making progress alone. They needed outside help. "That'd be great. I think we've officially reached the all hands on deck level of critical."

[bandagedknight]

"Oh, yeah. It's real nice that we get to stay in this creepily abandoned complex until everything's sorted out. It's like a frickin' vacation if you ask me."

[invisiblewomn]

"It was a bandaid solution. I think everyone was hoping that this would be resolved by now."