Returning home

There was a calm in the city over the last few hours before daybreak, one that had never been felt in a long time. Reed had repaired and hooked up the empathy ray to allow it to broadcast over the city again. Something he felt would be a temporary salve to resolve the trauma of Malice’s nightmare. All around New York, the city was in a near perpetual state of positivity. Spirits were high and any remaining damages from Malice’s influence were currently being repaired by the locals. Reed didn’t want to keep the device on for too long, just in case people became dependant on it, but for now, it certainly made the last few moments easier to heal from.

Sitting on the couch with her two children resting their heads on her lap, Susan smiled warmly down at them as she combed her fingers through their hair. Sitting next to her right was the cat burglar version of her, resting a hand over Valaria’s shoulder and smiling wistfully. To her left, the Canoness did the same, hesitantly resting a hand over Franklin’s shoulder while they watched television together. Over at the couch, Ben and Alicia sat with their two adopted children between them while Johnny sat at the table with a cup of coffee in his hands, one shared by the other versions of his sister sitting with him. Nearby, the iron clad form of Susan Von Doom stood at the corner of the room while the cosmically powered Susan floated nearby, her white glowing eyes never diverting away from her, having learned her lesson regarding Malice.

“He’s been in the lab for the last 2 hours now.” Worried Susan the model, leaning back into her chair to peer down the hallway.

“It would have been three… If it wasn’t for little miss ‘I feed off sex’ over here.” Smirked the holographic Susan, pointing a thumb over to the blue skinned succubus sipping her coffee with a flutter of her feathered wings.

“You go without feeding for a day and tell me how much YOU need to eat in one sitting!” Chuckled the horned woman. “Besides, he didn’t complain. I healed him in ALL the right ways.”

“Okay… Too much information…” A chuckle was shared by the ladies as Johnny put down his coffee and slide it away from him, a look of grief on his face at the mental picture even while one of the Susans shook his shoulder playfully.

The cosmic powered Susan turned her attention briefly to the Invisible Woman sitting with her children and over to the Grimms with theirs, seeing that Alicia’s eyes were glassy and unfocussed, she slowly levitated towards the couple and brought a handout to rest over the woman’s shoulder, surprising her briefly before she calmed. Reaching up with her own hand and smile softly when she realised who it was.

“I’m sorry for alarming you, I was curious if you wanted your sight restored again.”

Feeling Jo’venn and N’Kalla hug her more tightly, she even felt Ben rest a stony hand over hers to provide some emotional support. “Whatcha say Alicia? Do you want yer eyes back?”

Making a face, Alicia Masters slowly shook her head, patting her hand over the rough, rocky texture of the back of his hand before squeezing over the fingers tightly. “No… Not now… Not after what she showed me.” Sighed Alicia as she hugged her children close. “But maybe… Maybe one day. For now, I just want to FEEL who I care about, instead of having it all **** fed into me all at once.”

Slowly nodding in response, Susan looked down at the family, her face expressionless when she stood back up, but found Alicia’s hand reach out for her own. “Try… Try to appreciate the things you CAN’T see, the things you can feel have just as much merit.”

Nodding, Susan looked down at the woman’s hand and spotted a golden ring with a diamond at its head on one of her fingers. Curious of its purpose, she remembered when her Reed offered something like it years ago to her. “What does this mean?” She asked, rubbing a thumb over the item, garnering Alicia’s attention, noticing the red-haired artist smile warmly as did Ben.

“EUREKA!!!”

Everyone stopped what they were doing when they all heard Reed cry out from the lab. Getting up from their seats, they all made their way there with a careful eye on Susan Von Doom the entire time when they got there. Entering the lab, they found Reed and the former sex **** of Susan sitting next to him, the man so ecstatic in his discovery he had knocked over his chair and was beside himself with excitement, one that had him pause and clutch his still bruised sides when the woman got up to check on him.

“Reed? What’s going on?”

“I FOUND it!” He exclaimed, raising a shaking finger while stretching out his arm to reach for a freshly created device on his worktable. “I think I found a way to bring you all back to where you all belong.”

Taken back a bit by his announcement, some of the Susans present stepped forward to get a better vantage on what Reed was hinting at when he pointed at the dimensional portal and to the **** girl sitting on the stool with an eager smile on her face. His attention then turned to the floating cosmic being coming into view, whom Reed reached out to gently pull her close by the hand.

“Susan, do you remember what you told me about our world? How everything seemed wrong to you? Like the frequency was off?”

“Yes… This world is still unknown to me, the vibrations are all wrong.”

“That’s IT! The frequency.” Bringing his outstretched hand back, he set the device up close and turned it on, guiding it over to the woman sitting on the stool, pleased that she was helping. “I had considered that each universe is build differently; using the same ingredients that comprise matter, but each attempt has a different frequency to the intrinsic field that comprises that matter.”

Waving the meter over himself, the device beeped briefly before giving off a light ping. Turning the device over to see its readings, Reed nodded and stretched his arm out with the device in hand to show the others. “The frequency of the intrinsic field that make up my molecular structure is 616 Leestans.” Turning his attention to Susan sitting on the stool, the woman primmed up as he waved the meter over her, getting a reading before it finally beeped a number. “And your intrinsic field has a frequency of 265 Leestans.”

Crossing his arms and raising a stony eyebrow, Grimm harrumphed. “That’s nice Stretch but get to the point.”

Waging his finger and turning his attention to the others, he scanned them all, getting a reading on each of them. The POINT is if each of you has a different atomic frequency, then I can use that as a means of finding which universe you each belong to.” Nodding to himself as he calculated number in his head, Reed stretched himself over to the controls and began to activate the dimensional portal. Before he did though, he slowly looked over his shoulder to his wife amongst the crowd and make a face of worry. “Suzie, honey, maybe… Maybe you should stand by the far corner over there.”

Trading looks with the others; Susan nodded back and took to the furthest end of the lab away from the portal. The moment she felt she was far enough from the portal, Susan nodded back to her husband. “Alright Reed, let’er rip.”

Getting all the encouragement he needed, Reed activated the portal and watched carefully for any anomalies as the iris of energy formed and opened. Seeing the portal remain stable, Reed nodded to himself and began to work away at the controls, adding his findings from the scanner he used earlier in his manipulation of the portal. As he did, the images flickered and shifted from one reality to the next until it focussed on one and stayed there. “There we go… Susan, I mean… Uhm… Susan in the cat attire, does that look familiar?”

Slightly taken back, the latex wearing woman stepped forward and inspected the portal. On the other side, the reality looked no different than the one she was now, with a busy street filled with people in New York, leading the woman to look back at Reed and shrug. “Doesn’t look any different than here.”

“Are you sure? Because that world has the same Leestan frequency as you do.”

Her eyes going wide, the Cat Burglar squinted her eyes and looked more deeply into the portal, suddenly recognizing subtle details she knew from her world. “Home…”

Changing the settings again on the machine, the images flickered again, showing a completely different New York city, one where much to the burglar’s surprise had towering, white furred cat people amongst the throngs of pedestrians walking the sidewalks. Back with the group, the Wendigo Woman stepped forward and gasped at the images of her world in front of her.

“Is that…”

The sound of metal scraping at the entrance to the lab caught everyone’s attention when the autobot woman tried to squeeze herself through the door frame, acting sheepish when she made more of a scene than she wanted. “Sorry, tried to get up here as fast as I could.”

Smiling at the control he now had over his invention, he typed in each frequency he had scanned earlier from the other versions of his wife and the portal shimmered to each world, making him smile as the device remained stable. Stepping away from the controls, he used his scanner to get a read on the towering machine woman, getting results quickly and stretching his arms out to set the portal again. After turning some dials, the portal changed again, showing a world that showed a tall mechanical man walk down the street before transforming into an automobile and joining the traffic nearby, while another car stopped at a parking spot and transformed to get up to its feet and check the items at the front window of a store.

“That’s MY universe!”

“Indeed, I can finally send you all back to your home realities.”

While the portal was open, the autobot woman projected her holographic pilot at her feet while she made her way to the portal entrance. Immediately she hugged the Invisible Woman and ruffled up Johnny’s hair, quickly moving to Reed to give the man an embrace and whisper that HER Reed was going to have a field day with what she had to share, just as the holograph dissipated when the giant robot finally stepped through the portal and out the other end, turning around to give everyone a thumbs up before transforming into a sports car and driving off. Switching the dials, Reed set the dimension back to the previous one, showing the Cat-Burglar’s home world.

Crouching down to hug both Valaria and Franklin, the cat themed woman kissed them both on their foreheads and stood back up to smile back at her counterpart, giving her a wink before rushing for the portal and jumping right through.

“Okay, who’s next?”

“If its all the same to you, the furthest away from this reality for me the better.” Scoffed the iron suited woman, stepping forward and frowning back at the others as she waited for Reed to scan her and find her home reality. Returning to the controls, Reed set the dials and the reality presented in the portal changed to one of the New York Susan Von Doom resided in. “Honestly, this entire affair has been a waste of my resources, I sincerely HOPE we never cross paths again.”

Before the woman could enter the portal, she found herself intercepted by the floating cosmic being who barred her path.

“You were one of the three who went against my original terms when we first arrived here.” She stated, her hair billowing over her head as the air around her began to generate a static charge that made everyone nervous. “I had spoken with the others about what to do about you.”

“If its not abundantly clear already, I’m leaving. With no intention of coming back.”

“I know you won’t come back.” Pointing at the iron clad woman’s forehead, Susan Von Doom gasped as her eyes went blank. “Because you won’t remember the entire time you were here.”

Using her powers to levitate the woman off the ground, she propelled her through the portal and back to her home reality. Stunned silent, the rest of the others could only stare back at the floating blue woman as she turned her attention back to the others. Her face remaining expressionless the entire time.

“I have erased her memories of her time here; she will not return to harm you.” Turning her head to look back at Reed, the woman continued. “It was Reed’s idea.”

Looking back at Reed who changed the settings on the portal to go to another reality, the Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic shared a look, one Reed replied with a shrug.

“Works for us.”

Stepping forward and stamping her steel boot to the floor with a stance and her hand to her chest, Susanna Stormbringer looked up to her cosmic counterpart. “I must ask you do the same with me.”

“What?!”

“Are you kidding me?”

Feeling a hand rest over her shoulder, Susanna turned to look back at the worried faces of her counterparts and their family. “But what about all the growth you’ve accomplished here?” Worried the Succubus, standing shoulder to shoulder with her others as they tried to convince her otherwise.

“If I return as I am, the Ecclesiarch will not like the answers they find, and I would be put to ****. Better that I live as a curiosity than die a heretic in the eyes of my Emperor.” Crouching down to see Valaria and Franklin, she hugged them both gently, then surprised everyone present when she embraced the succubus next, followed by the others. When she turned to the Invisible Woman, she whispered into her ear. “You are the greatest of us sister, cherish that which was not taken from you.”

Nodding and returning the embrace, the two separated, leaving the Canoness to turn her attention to Reed and pull him in for a gently embrace, kissing him on the forehead. “Perhaps one day…” Leaving the embrace and approaching the cosmic being, Susanna stood with her hands crossed over her chest in the salute of the Aquilla. “I am ready.” With a gesture, the cosmic woman did the same to her as she did to Susan Von Doom, sending her through the portal to her home.

Bringing his attention back to the controls, Reed changed frequency and the portal changed realities once again. This one however was a New York that appeared bleak and dark, showing ocean blue banners hanging from skyscrapers and light posts that reminded them too much of Latveria in their own dimension. At the center of the city was a massive spire that focused its attention on all who saw it, with gaudy blue lights shining over its stone and glass exterior.

“Damn, what an eye sore, who’s reality is this?”

“It’s mine.” Shivered the former sex-****, gripping the sides of the stool she sat on as she looked through the dimensional window with dread. “That’s the world where MY Reed lives.” Immediately getting out of her chair, the woman quickly made her way towards Reed as if to hide behind him and gripped at his shoulders from behind. “Do I have to go back? Can’t I stay here?”

Looking back at his wife with the rest of his family, the woman gave the same worried look back, unsure of how to handle the situation.

“Well why CAN’T we keep her here?” Wondered Ben out loud, scratching the back of his head. “She’s better off here then THAT place.”

“I agree!” Answered the succubus, crossing her arms and flapping her feathered wings behind her. “I remember her memories, if Malice was bad, then HER Reed is just as depraved.”

Thinking on the matter, Reed turned around and pulled the woman’s hands in his. “Suzie, is your Reed as smart as I am?” Hesitantly, the woman looked down and slowly nodded. “So, the odds he might create a dimensional portal of his own to find you wouldn’t be too far off then. That is if he isn’t already…”

Looking away, the **** slowly nodded again.

Trading defeated looks, the others didn’t know how to respond to that… Until the wendigo perked up and pulled the alien and succubus versions of herself close to whisper. For a moment, no one knew what the trio were plotting until the four-armed woman gasped and her spines shivered like a rattlesnake behind her. “ARE YOU INSANE?!” Raising her arms up in a shrug of defense, the wendigo looked away briefly before the three finally came to a silent decision and approached the sex ****.

“We think we may have a solution to her Reed not coming up with the idea to start looking for her… AND a means for her to defend herself when she gets back… I still can’t believe what you are considering!”

“You got any better ideas?” The wendigo asked, tilting her hip, and resting a hand at her side while the succubus leaned over the tall woman’s shoulder to address everyone else at the door.

“I suggest the kids leave the room for this, not unless you want to pay for their therapy.”

Immediately getting the idea, Ben and Alicia herded their adopted kids out of the lab, followed swiftly by Susan and Johnny guiding Franklin and Valaria out the door and closing it.

“What’s going on mom?”

“Believe me son, you don’t want to ask me that question until you’re 18!”

*

One by one, the rest of the other Susans were sent back to their home realities, each of them expressing their goodbyes and gratitude before stepping through the portal. Considering how late it was and how much they had all gone through, Susan and Reed tucked their kids in and bid the Grimms farewell to return to their own domicile. SHIELD had been addressed of the entire situation after New York was restored to normal, and when Reed felt everything was normal again, he deactivated the empathy ray.

At almost 2 in the morning, Susan and Reed laid in bed, with the Invisible Woman lounging over her husband, tracing her fingers through his hair affectionately and nuzzled her chin against his shoulder. Breathing in a sigh of relief, Susan hummed and closed her eyes, grateful that Reed and her family were alive and well. “I was worried you know, worried she would do something to you I would never forgive her for.”

“I honestly thought she was just like you… In a way she was, but in other ways she totally wasn’t.” Replied Reed, shaking his head. “I guess this had been a week of self reflection for you.”

“Kind of…” She answered. “They were me, all of them, but they lived very different lives than I did. Heh… It’s kind of funny to think that me ordering coffee instead of tea is what sparks a totally different me to form.”

“I will admit, I will miss your other selves, they were quite fascinating to be around, especially the succubus who-ouch!” Feeling his wife playfully punch him in the shoulder, Susan smirked back at him before resting her head over his chest.

“You got a pass this week Reed Richards, don’t press your luck.”

“Yes dear…”

Exhaling a held breath, Susan clung to Reed more tightly. “Still… I wonder how they are all doing.”

“So do I Suzie, so do I.”