Sue Storm Files For Divorce

Weeks passed. Then months.

The children had to be in court for the divorce proceedings. Porkum had insisted, and Sue hadn't resisted. They stood awkwardly as the lawyer argued before the judge. One word stood out to them. One word that defined their world now:

Abandonment.

The divorce was granted.

Porkum was already living openly in the Baxter Building by that point. He and Susan Storm spent hours in what had been their parents' bedroom. H.E.R.B.I.E. saw to the daily maintenance of the Baxter Building. Meals were ready when Franklin and Valeria were hungry. Lessons prepared for their continuing education.

His mother, when she appeared, was often distracted, hair in disarray. She never wore her Fantastic Four costume any more, just outfits skimpier than that one that had made Franklin's father upset. Sometimes, she did get dressed up, to go out at night with Porkum. He had seen them come stumbling back, clothes in disarray, reeking of **** and cigar smoke and something else that Franklin couldn't identify yet.

Valeria talked to "Unca Doom" every day. There was no one to tell her not to. Franklin spent more time in his room. Listless. Sometimes angry. He didn't know what was going on, though he knew, in his heart, that Porkum was at the heart of it.

If any of the super hero community noticed the sudden absence of the Fantastic Four, none of them managed to contact the children. Well, why would they? The Fantastic Four had disappeared before. And the divorce had been a public scandal. H.E.R.B.I.E. tried to filter the news, but Franklin's access to the internet was basically unrestricted these days as his mother and her lover concerned themselves only with themselves. He had seen some of the reports of their "nights out." The media even had a nickname for them. Suekum.

Darkness settled in Franklin's soul. His dreams grew strange. Across the world, Cerebro units flickered with alarming readings. Sudden surges in psionic power. Ripples through reality. Telepaths and precognitives had headaches. There were many who knew of the power that dwelt within Franklin Richards. The terrible potential which, one day, would be his to wield.

The danger of what would happen if that power was unleashed early. If triggered by stress instead of allowed to emerge naturally.

Once, Franklin had formed an alternate reality. Had shifted the entire timeline. Plucked his unborn sister from the moments before being stillborn and replaced her in his mother's womb. In the dark and lonely days that followed the divorce hearing, Franklin's mind replayed that moment over and over. How happy Sue Storm had been. How happy they all had been. His whole family, together again.

Reality rippled.

Changed.

From his mother's bedroom came a terrible scream.