Thundra Approaches Sue Storm For Help

"Mrs. Richards," H.E.R.B.I.E. said. "You have a guest."

The Invisible Woman, who was in her full costume and working her way through a series of yoga poses, glanced at a screen. It showed a familiar, tall, musclebound woman with a great shock of orange-red hair and fierce eyes. Thundra, the time-lost warrior woman from the future woman-only nation of Femizonia, stood with arms cross over her breasts, tapping her foot.

"Conference Room 3, H.E.R.B.I.E.," Sue said as she rose to her feet and straightened her uniform. "And bring us some mineral water, would you please?"

"Of course, Mrs. Richards," H.E.R.B.I.E. said.

"I require your aid, Susan Storm," Thundra said without preamble.

"My aid," Sue said. "Not the Fantastic Four."

Thundra glowered. "I know you care for the men, but this is a matter between sisters."

"Okay," Sue said as she cracked the cap on a bottle of water. "I'm listening."

The femizon leaned forward. "The patriarchy are moving against super-powered women. They are alarmed by our power. You were not the only one attacked by giant robots."

The Invisible Woman raised one blonde eyebrow.

"More Sentinels?" Sue asked. "Who? When?"

"At least half a dozen have been attacked over the last week. Anaconda. Asp. Black Mamba. Nekra. Lady Gorgon. Titania was captured last night. I barely managed to escape," Thundra said.

Sue frowned. Those were all minor to mid-tier villains.

"Any idea why they were targeted and taken?" Sue asked.

"I believe they are targeting those who will not be missed, first," the femizon said. "You were by far their most high-profile target. Yet if they target you, they will target other heroines as well. None of us are safe. As for why they were taken—"

Thundra withdrew a futuristic-looking tablet device and touched the screen. It displayed a website—probably part of the dark web—and the Invisible Woman's eyes widened as she saw Anaconda naked, the homely blonde villain blindfolded and bound, a power-dampening collar around her neck. Sue Storm's lips curled back as she saw that it was some kind of auction site. Bidding was underway.

"It is a sex-trafficking operation for super-women," Thundra hissed. "That power-dampening collar is S.H.I.E.L.D. issue. That, and the Sentinels involved, suggests someone in your own government is a part of this. You see why I could not go to the men with this? They cannot be trusted to free our sisters."

Sue nodded, slowly. She took a sip of her water.

"I'll help," she said. "And I think I know where to start."

Reed hadn't invited Sue Storm to his Illuminati. She had been furious when she had found out about his little boy's club. However, the Invisible Woman had recognized the potential utility in a clandestine group that came together from time to time to address threats as they came up.

So Sue sent the signal.

They met in an apartment that Sue Storm maintained under a cover identity, a modest space on the lower East side, barely furnished but clean.

Namora of Atlantis helped herself to a bottle of water, the statuesque blonde dressed in little more than a swimsuit accented with bits of Atlantean battle armor.

Sage of the X-Men sat cross-legged on the couch, dressed in a sleeveless tunic, black jeans, and a too-large leather jacket marked with yellow X's, securing the apartment from any electronic snooping.

Clea of the Dark Dimension stood in the center of the room, hands a-glow as she warded the place from mystic probes, her oddly shifting purple-and-black bodysuit moving on its own, her silver hair curling and uncurling in a dance that matched the strange words she mouthed.

Abigail Brand of S.W.O.R.D. and Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D. were pointedly not talking to one another from opposite ends of the couch; they had some complicated history, and if Sue didn't know better she'd think they used to date.

Seated on a chair, also in civilian attire, was Julia Carpenter, the former Spider-Woman and current Madame Web. Her thick black sunglasses hid now sightless eyes, and her blonde hair was a bit of a mess, but Sue knew that her precognitive and clairvoyant powers allowed Julia to see and foresee things that the others could not.

"Rescue and Ironheart couldn't make it," Julia said, to Sue's unasked question. "They have other business. Unrelated to what we're about to discuss."

Sue nodded. "Thank you all for coming. As many of you know, this is Thundra...and she tells us we have a situation on our hands."

Thundra spoke. The assembled heroines discussed. A vote was taken, unanimous, to act. The only question was how.

"They came for you and Thundra once," Madame Web said. "They will try again."

"This time, I'll let them succeed," Sue said. "Brand, Hill, can you work on this from your end? Find out who is supplying their tech, what connection the government has to this operation?"

The two spies nodded.

"Sage. Crack the website. I want names, places, account numbers for everyone involved," Sue said.

"Already on it," the mutant replied.

"Clea, Namora, I'd appreciate if you'd stay on standby, somewhere close. We don't know who our enemies are or what their full capabilities might be," Sue said. "Julia..."

The blind woman frowned, shook her head.

"Something clouds my vision. Someone is...deliberately making the future difficult to see. They anticipated my involvement," she said.

Which is when a gigantic hand punched through the wall and grabbed for the nearest heroine.