Sue Storm Contacts Doctor Doom

The Invisible Woman came home. The Fantastic Four immediately went on high alert. She was cleaned. Examined. Fed. Questioned. Reed Richards's voice was tight as he discussed how advanced her pregnancy was, options for abortion. Sue's description of her imprisonment was short, perfunctory. Her anger was a cold, hard thing in her heart, directed not at the bastard in her belly, but at the **** who had put it there. A year of Porkum's **** and whatever **** that Reed pumped into her body to counter the lingering effects of the mutant pig-man's pheromones killed whatever lingering affection she had.

Johnny and Ben were already on the war path, calling S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, the X-Men. None of whom, Sue was certain, would be any good. She needed someone who had an understanding of ****, and the resources necessary to find Porkum and do what needed to be done.

For a moment, when they let Franklin and Valeria in to see her, Sue Storm felt her purpose waver. The small children clustered near their mother's bed, in awe at her the sensors in place on her stomach. She wasn't showing yet, but soon...

"You're going to have a new little brother or sister," she said, and her voice had cracked a little, tears coming to her eyes. Sue held her children to her and let the tears come out. They were too young to understand. Not what she had gone through. Or what she was going to do.

It was late at night when Sue Storm rose from the bed. Invisible, barefoot, wrapped only in a thin robe. She went to the communications station, and locked the door. Set up a private call. Her hands shook as she made the motions across the console. A direct call, straight to Doomstadt.

Victor von Doom's mask filled the screen. They stared at one another for one long moment, no words passed between them. Then, with utter certainty, Sue Storm said:

"You know."

He gave a nod. A simple incline of his head.

"I am sorry for your suffering," he said.

"He held me for a year, Victor. **** me for a year. Bred me for a year. I was praying at the end that he would get me pregnant, just so it would end," the words tumbled out, and Sue shuddered. "His name is Porkum. Some kind of mutant. Looks like a pig-man. Pheromones."

The Latverian monarch's head tilted slightly.

"Why have you called me, Susan?" he said, finally.

"I want him dead, Victor. Reed or the Avengers might find him, but they'll just stick him in a prison, or send him back to his home dimension. I want more. I want him gone," she leaned against the console and shivered.

Doctor Doom seemed to consider.

"You are distressed. Not thinking rationally. Your husband will see this as a betrayal."

Sue stood. She let her robe slip to the floor. Her blonde hair was longer, the skin paler. A year of bruises, scratches, scars. There were teeth marks on her nipples. She was naked and exposed; he was armored, unreadable. Yet her vulnerability was a weapon that might touch even his cold heart.

"He threatened me, Victor. He said after this one is born, he'll do it to me again. You want to prove you're better than Reed? Do the one thing he can't do."

The masked monarch stared at Sue Storm. Perhaps he truly saw her for the first time in a long time. What had been done to her in that room.

Yet he was still Doctor Doom.

"There will be a price," he said, at long last.

"Name it," she said. "Only I want your word. Porkum dies."