Coming to dinner.

“Hey there everyone, we’re back from the game.”

Opening the door to the Richards apartment, Ben waved a greeting to everyone present while the kids ran past him and quickly joined the Human Torch and the supermodel version of Susan on the couch. Valaria and Franklin took either side of the woman at her seat and hugged her waist, leaving her confused but quickly getting used to their affection all while Johnny laughed at the sight and did the same with N’kalla and Jo-Venn. The pair just as happy and exuberant as his niece and nephew were.

“Hi big guy, who won?”

“Yankees 14, Dodgers 12, whatta game!” Chuckled the orange stone-skinned man as he hugged Alicia closer to his side. The woman smiling ear to ear and giggling with the same enthusiasm as she hugged him back, the woman took off and hung up her coat at the wall then sat at one of the chairs nearby after feeling for it with her cane.

“Oh yeah. The kids even tried to pick a fight with the mascot during halftime, it took the others and Ben to keep her in her seat.”

“It was eyeing me for a fight!” Barked out N’Kalla with a frown and cried out in protest when her uncle ruffled her hair and made her brother laugh at her protests until he stopped.

“How quaint…” Chuckled the iron clad Susan at the back of the room, where she, Malice and the returning vampire traded looks of cruel amusement before she spoke again. “The freaks have returned from a day of bread and circuses in town, hmm?”

“You got something to say, your highness?” Rebuked the Human Torch, giving the smirking Latverian Queen an ugly frown. “Because it doesn’t take much to be a freak yourself, ask OUR Doom, he ain’t winning any beauty contests.”

Barely covering her laughter with the back of her hand, Susan Von Doom stepped out of the living room with Malice and the Vampire following suit back to their shared quarters. But before she did, she looked over her shoulder to the others there and gave an imperious glare better found on their own Doom counterpart.

“Do not confuse yourself Johnathan, in MY realm I am a queen, a queen who surpassed her husband in every way. In my world you are but a petulant servant at my feet. If you wish me to know your Doom better, perhaps I will return the favour and have you know my Johnathan better… By having you lick my boots clean.” With a flap of her green cloak, the woman led her other selves back to their quarters and out of sight.

Watching the trio leave the room, the Susan on the couch being flanked by the two kids hugging her snorted and shared a smirk with Johnny.

“Bitch…”

“Yeah…”

Looking back at the woman and the way she smiled back with the same grin he remembered his sister give a hundred times, Johnny began to laugh. Walking into the living room after hearing all the chatter, Reed waved back to Ben and Alicia with the other version of Susan tailing behind him. The woman looked particularly pleased with herself over the man’s shoulder as they spotted Ben and Alicia’s return.

“Oh, hello everyone, welcome back, how was the game?”

*

Parking back into the lot under the Baxtor building, the blue hatchback turned off and its four occupants stepped to stretch and make their way to the elevator. No sooner had they taken a few steps away from the vehicle a fifth woman appeared behind them with a shimmer of digital code that took the form of Susan Storm and joined the other four in the elevator.

“Really? So, you’re like the queen of beast people now?” Asked the hologram as the five stood in the elevator and waited for the doors to close. “All because you took that guy’s place. What was his name? Takanam, Takata?”

“Taranaq, now HE was a real prick! And… Yeah, I’m Queen of the Wendigo because of that.”

“Does that mean you’re like, half Canadian or something?”

“What?! No!... Maybe?” Scratching the back of her ear in thought, the hulking wendigo woman had to think on that logic, swiftly shaking her head when her train of thought went to weird places. “I don’t THINK so…”

“Queen of beasts huh? At least its clearer cut than me, Doctor Strange tried categorizing me once and he kept getting different results.” Chuckled the succubus, crossing her arms and shaking her head with a smile. Striking a pose in the elevator and unfurling her wings, the succubus spoke up with an imperious tone.

“I am Susan Storm; Arch-Seducer of the second circle of Hell, breaker of men, queen of carnality, and empress of vanity… Angel of love, mender of broken hearts, defender of children and hugger of trees.”

A little taken back by the many titles, the alien in the group tapped at her own chin with her clawed finger. “So… You’re like… What? The patron saint of hippies then?”

“Well, when you say it like that…”

Rolling her eyes, the succubus dropped her arms with a harrumph when everyone started laughing. The doors to the elevator opened and the five made their way down the hall to the door of the apartment. The moment they did, Susan called out to everyone inside that they had returned and was pleasantly surprised to find Ben and Alicia back from the game.

“Hi everyone, we’re back.”

“MOM!” Jumping off the couch and running to their mother at the door, Susan laughed as she hugged her kids at her waist and ruffled at Franklin ‘s hair. Looking over to the model who sat on the couch, she noticed the woman lingered on the two kids before her attention fell to the others.

“Hi kids, I hope you all had fun, we had a little spat with the Mole Man again.”

“Yeah, we saw that over the television.”

“Heard it over the radio too, knew you’d have it all handled Suzie.” Giving the woman a thumbs up, Ben’s attention fell to the fifth person in Susan’s group who entered their home. “So, who’s this one? Reed been fiddling with that portal again?”

Approaching the stone man and his wife, the newcomer shook their hands and grinned as her appearance shimmered, revealing her holographic nature. Surprising Ben but leaving Alicia oblivious.

Yeah, I’m Susan from another dimension, I’m ACTUALLY a robot that can turn into a car, I’m parked in the lot under the building right now.” She winked, and nudged Ben’s shoulder with her own. “What you’re looking at is a holographic representation of my old human self.”

Sharing a look together, the couple shrugged. “Well… It’s HARDLY noticeable.” Replied Alicia with an innocent smile.

“Thanks, its such a breath of fresh air to see you as your OLD selves.” Leaning in close, the woman whispered into Alicia’s ear. “Would it blow your mind to know that your cybertronian forms on my world are a bulldozer and a jackhammer? You two were MADE for each other.”

“Uhm… Thanks?”

“Say… Where’s the terrific trio?” Asked Susan, noticing the darker versions of her were missing. “Would have thought they’d be here to scoff and gloat after taking out the Mole Man.”

“Pff… Those three? They got sick of all the kids telling us how the game was and locked themselves in their room.”

Looking out into the hallway where their provided room was and the closed door in sight, Susan narrowed her eyes but shrugged, seeing no harm in their lack of attendance. Turning her attention to the clock on the wall to find it at past 5 PM, Susan patted her children’s shoulders and turned to everyone else present.

“Well, I’d say it’s been a full today, who’s up for dinner?”

Chattering together, the Fantastic Four and their guests continued to tell each other how the day had gone by, giving the Grimm family the details on how they stopped the Mole Man and a proper introduction to the Richards ‘visitors’ until Reed could find a way to bring them back where they belonged. The alien and holographic Susans shared a drink with Alicia while N’kalla and Jo-Venn hung from the wendigo Susan’s arms, playfully being hoisted up by her lifting biceps while Johnny and Ben cheer them on to keep holding on and not letting go. By the time dinner was served, the group joined for a meal and to trade stories until it was late enough to see the Grimms head out and see their kids to bed.

Sitting up from his chair and yawning into his hand, Reed checked the time and stepped out to leave the living room.

“Well… I think I’m going to call it in early, spent a good amount of the day trying to fix the dimensional portal, I’ll get that running tomorrow, bright and early.”

“Good night sweetheart.” Swooned Susan, blowing the man a kiss from the dinner table she sat at. The others there shared a laugh as the man showed the tint of a blush on his cheeks at her affection. Once he was out of sight, the rest of the Susans present lingered staring down the hall where he exited, shifting their attention back to each other innocently, but occasionally bringing their eyes back down the hallway where his room was.