The S.H.I.E.L.D. Device Misses Moonstone's Manipulation

"Nothing," Maria Hill said. "No electromagnetic interference, no psychic fluctuations or exotic energies. There's a bit of activity in your front cortical lobes, but the device didn't register anything that could have caused that."

"But how could that be?" Sue Storm stared at the data from the device.

"Well, either Moonstone was using something that doesn't register at all on our instruments, or..." The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent didn't finish the sentence.

"Or?" Sue prompted.

"Or she isn't manipulating you using any superhuman powers and fancy technology. Just...talk therapy," Maria said. The agent leaned back from the table and crossed her hands beneath her breasts, unconsciously emphasizing them. Sue found her gaze drawn to that; the S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms didn't leave much to the imagination, and Hill had an astounding figure. It was positively distracting. "Nick Fury used to tell me stories about the old interrogators, how they could get inside people's heads, convince them of things. But to do it under the guise of psychiatric sessions? And to what purpose?"

"I don't know," Sue admitted. "Mostly we seem to be talking about my sex life and the stress I'm carrying."

They paused to chew that thought. At length, Maria said:

"Wait. You said you drink tea at each of these sessions, right?"

Sue nodded. "Yes. You think it might be ****?"

"It's a possibility," Hill said. "Can you get a sample?"

"Easily," Sue said. "But it would mean another session."

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent nodded. "We might also take the precaution of having you visit a S.H.I.E.L.D. psychiatrist first. They can help train you in techniques to identify and resist purely talk-based techniques."

Sue frowned at that, but nodded back. It was too much of a risk to go back to Moonstone without taking further precautions.

In Latveria, Doctor Doom monitored the scans from Sue Storm's last session. His sensors had identified the device that the Invisible Woman carried before she had entered the room, and he had adjusted the room's equipment accordingly, so that it would record only what he wished it to record. He had expected such a tactic eventually, either from Richards, Stark, or S.H.I.E.L.D. The presence of the recording device led to one inescapable conclusion:

Moonstone's identity had been discovered.

Doom did not immediately relay this information to his "partner." Her awareness of it would lead to changes in behavior that would increase the suspicion of the Invisible Woman and her allies. Yet soon, no doubt, they would move in to apprehend Karla Sofen.

It was an interesting game, and Doom contemplated his next move. The recording device, and the fact that they had not arrested Moonstone immediately, bespoke caution and ignorance. They did not know what was happening to Sue Storm or why. There was a potential opening there. An opportunity.

Sue Storm's next session, Doom determined, would be very eventful.