The Ghost Rider's warning.

At the home of the Fantastic Four…

Looking herself over in the mirror of her washroom, Susan checked herself over back and forth, tying up her hair behind her in a broach and willing certain cosmetic changes to her reflection. Applying blue lipstick and light eye liner without ACTUALLY using any make up on herself. If anything, she found that part of her nature a life saver; capable of changing her appearance to any desirable form she needed to be alluring or attractive. So far she had tried different skin complexions, hair styles, eye colour. Same went for her clothing, as she had the ability to alter the clothes she had on into anything she willed, so long as she retained her will on it. Turning back and forth to see herself in the blue sundress, Susan smiled back at her reflection and blew herself a kiss and stepped out.

Making her way into the living room, Susan’s smile grew when she spotted her kids coming home. “Hi MOM!” Franklin and Valaria cried out from the door as they ran inside with Ben Grimm closing the door behind him. Falling to her knees, she hugged her son and daughter tightly, kissing them on the foreheads as they ran back to the living room to turn on the television and sit on the couch. “Now don’t watch something you’re not supposed to this late at night kids.”

“We won’t!” Chirped the pair of children, watching the sports channel for Ben just as Susan hugged the man’s arm, smiling up at Ben’s rocky smirk. “Thanks for dropping them off Ben, I just have a couple of things to do tonight.”

“Eh… No problem Suzie, Say, why isn’t Reed picking up the kids?”

“Oh he’s still in the lab, he told me he thinks he found a way to…”

A small explosion rocked the floor just as a plume of smoke billowed out of the lab. Turning their attention down the hallway, the two sighed in relief when they spotted an outstretched arm give a thumbs up. “I’m okay!”

“Glad to hear honey!” Called out Susan, plucking the book off the coffee table nearby and stepping out of the way with Ben at the door.

“So, what’s that ye got there Suzie?” Asked Ben Grimm, eyeing the dirty old looking tome in Susan’s hand.

“A couple of fans gave this to me a couple of days ago after calling me over to their place, seems they wanted advice on dating.” Showing off the book, Ben read the cover and squinted when he realised it wasn’t written in English. “I take it they were out of towners?”

“No, just Goth metal fans, they thought it would have gotten me to do them a few favours.”

“Huh, didn’t think you were into that kind of music… So whatcha gonna do with it?”

“Pff…” Scoffing and rolling her eyes, Susan replied. “I certainly don’t need it; I was thinking of giving it to Doctor Strange.”

“Yeah, seems like its up his alley, come on kids, lets get some popcorn ready for the game!”

Hearing her kids cheer, Susan smiled and closed the door behind her.

*

Taking a cab downtown to the Sanctum Sanctorum, Susan patted the book sitting across from her and looked outside her passenger side window to read people she spotted driving by. Another thing being a succubus granted her was the ability to know a person’s deepest sexual fantasy and desire.

“He’s a closet masochist… She’s a leather fetishist… A tits guy… She’s a size queen that practices on eggplants……”

“Ummm… What was that lady?”

“Hmm? Oh, nothing.” Looking out the window again, Susan caught the sight of a man dressed in black riding a motorcycle. The two people trading eye contact until Susan realised, she couldn’t read anything off him. She thought he looked familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. The man wore dark leather pants and a leather jacket, and despite the fact he didn’t wear a helmet, she couldn’t quite make out his face. Confused, she tried to look deeper, only finding thoughts of… Vengeance; burning, fiery vengeance. Blinking and shaking her head, Susan looked back out the window to find the motorcyclist gone. Turning away, Susan looked ahead as the cab finally reached its destination.

“That’ll be 35 buck lady.”

Paying the cab driver and bringing the book with her under her arm, Susan stepped outside and waved the cab driver off. Seeing the sanctum across the street, Susan looked either way for the traffic to die off before crossing. The moment she took a step out into the road, Susan was stricken back by the roar of a motorcycle and the rush of intense flames circling and enveloping her. When it came to a stop, Susan found herself staring up at a fiery motorcycle with flames for wheels, ridden by a skeletal rider wreathed in fire for flesh. The angel of Vengeance; the Ghost Rider.

“You… Demon…” Stepping off his fiery cycle, the Ghost Rider pulled free a bundle of chains slung around his shoulder and back, the iron going red with heat and catching fire in his grip. “You FEED off the desires of men… Destroy all that you touch… You do not belong here…”

Preparing herself for a fight, Susan looked around to find she was trapped. She had heard rumours of the Ghost Rider, but she had never considered that she would end up on the bad side of the fiery rider. “Look, I’m not here for…”

“YOU don’t belong here… Your hands are stained with the blood of…” Stopping in his tracks, the burning skeleton paused, leaning forward as if he were squinting at the woman, before his arms went slack. “Oh… Hello Mrs. Richards, lovely night isn’t it?” Wrapping the chains back around his shoulder, the Ghost Rider snapped his bony fingers and the circle of fire instantly went out.

“Uhm… Yes?”

“I almost didn’t recognise you out here, so how long have you been… This?” Gestured the Rider with his hand over the woman up and down.

“A few months actually, I’ve been trying to be constructive with my new lot in life.”

“OH, preaching to the choir! I’ve seen some of your handywork, PURE poetry!” Chuckled the fiery skeleton, making a gesture with his hand to his bare teeth as if to kiss the sky, a plume of flame spitting out. Heading back to his motorcycle standing at the ready behind him, he called out over his shoulder. “I especially liked the bit where you made the pimp his namesake… What was it again? Bowling balls?”

“Reckinbawls…”

“Meh, would have called him dipshit personally, but oh well.” Getting back on his cycle, the Ghost Rider revved the engine where an arc of flame fired behind him, the roar of the motor almost deafening before he pulled back. “By the way, I gave you a look over before all this, hence all the confusion, seems YOU are considered an arch demon in hell now, what with Darrius and Vallar being dead and all.”

“Is that… I don’t know… Bad?” Wondered Susan, not understanding the ramifications of the two demons now gone, possibly for good.

“Well it does mean that if you were in hell, a small portion would be your very own kingdom to rule.”

Taken back, Susan scoffed. “Like I’d EVER want to live down there! I’m better off up here where I can do some good.”

Shrugging, the Ghost Rider revved his engine again. “Well, suit yourself, HEY let me know if you want to talk again; we can chat, catch up on things, punish the wicked, good times!” Letting the motor roar out with a plume of fire, the Ghost Rider rode off into the darkness of the street, leaving behind a thread of fire behind him that faded after he was out of sight.

“My own kingdom in Hell? Pff, wonder what that would be like?” Shaking her head, Susan crossed the street and knocked on Strange’s door to drop off the spell book.