A Rustic Cabin in New Jersey

"It's New Jersey, so I won't be far," Sue Storm told Reed Richards. "And I'll have my communicator. You'll be able to contact and find me. It's only a week."

"We'll miss you anyway," Reed said. "But I hope it is a worthwhile trip."

There were mountains in New Jersey. Wooded mountains, the forests climbing up through the hills. Dr. Stone insisted they take her car, a very formidable-looking Japanese version of a Jeep, compact but 4-wheel drive and rugged as a scrappy dockyard dog. Sue Storm was in the passenger seat, and watched the city recede in the rear-view mirror. Across the bridge. Through the cities and towns, the Ramapo Mountains getting closer and closer. Off the highway. Onto smaller backroads.

Then the backroads gave way to a dirt trail.

And the trail ended.

Karla parked the car and killed the engine. She didn't even bother to lock the car. Just pointed to a path that led between the trees, up the side of the mountain.

"We walk from here."

Miles, as the sun sank behind the mountain. Sue Storm didn't even see the cabin, which was nestled between two glacial boulders, until they were almost on it.

"Off the grid?" Sue Storm said, and felt the sweat drip down her body. She was in civilian clothes, as was Karla. Simple, plain cotton work clothes, hiking boots, jeans.

"There's a generator if we need it," Karla said. "But no telephone, no internet, cistern for water. It's going to be cold showers, home-made bread, clean air, exercise, and no clothes."

Sue Storm blinked.

"What?"

In response, Karla dropped her pack and peeled off her shirt, to reveal her bare breasts, which almost seemed to gleam in the last setting of the sun.

"No pants. There's nobody here for miles. We're getting back to nature, and that means nothing but your hiking boots. Unless you want to walk back down to the car and go home, like a quitter, take off your shirt."

Sue Storm absorbed that. If Karla had told her this back in New York—

The Invisible Woman smiled. Karla had already opened the door.

She knew Sue wasn't a quitter.

"Alright," Sue said, dropping her own pack and unbuttoning her shirt. She, at least, had a sports bra on beneath, but under Karla's gaze, she took that off too. "There. Happy?"

"It's a start," Karla said, and welcomed Sue into the rustic—but surprisingly clean—cabin. Solid wood furniture, every piece of which could have been a century old. Stone flag floor. Sealed and locked drawers full of MREs and other long-lasting goods. The only advanced technology Sue could see was a water filtration system that looked to be StarkTech.

And there was only a single bed.