When you're blue...

Laying on her back and gasping for air, Susan squirmed and panicked as she felt her stomach continue to swell and grow, the dome of her womb was a riot of activity as her unborn litter rapidly grew and ran out of space to gestate. Looking down, she already looked like she was full term with triplets and still growing. Then her attention fell to her friends and loved ones, all of them pinned to the ground while the infection slithered and took root in their bloodstream. And she was powerless to stop any of it. Looking out of the wreckage of the mansion, she could see other shapes crawling out from the burning debris, something that did not go unnoticed by the other Avengers when they looked behind them.

“Ah, the second generation has reached maturity… They will spread across this planet and lead the swarms to consume this world… And beyond.”

Turning their attention back to Susan, the Avenger horde grinned at the sight of the Invisible Woman struggle helplessly as her womb continued to expand, pinning her down by its weight and looking tighter by the second. Her four claws roamed over its taut surface, as if she could hold back the increasing pressure. But the horrified look on her face said otherwise, she KNEW this was the end for her.

“So much weaker now than how we remembered you mother.” Smiled the Scarlet Witch, she and the others looking down at Susan’s prone state with sadistic curiosity.

Lumbering up to Susan on all fours like some bear shaped cephalopod, the Hulk drooled and clicked his mandibles, leering down at her fecund state as she clutched at her stomach with increased worry. “It’s almost a disappointment really.” He hissed, his tentacles writhing over his scalp and back as he came close enough to see the fear in the Invisible Woman’s face. “I would have liked to have had you bred by the other Avengers, their powers have so many possibilities to be intermingled with… But then again, this is a suitable ending for you.”

Sauntering up beside the Hulk, She-Hulk caressed his tentacles like an adoring pet, leering down at her friend’s suffering. “You will end, and in your place, your progeny will scour the stars…”

Gasping for air, the pressure and activity within her body was too much to bear, any second now she was going to rupture and spill open. She could already feel the brink of her skin reaching its limit. But then… The strain on her skin began to ebb. The growth suddenly began to slow down, the pressure on her organs was constant but stopped building up, until it ceased all together. Looking down at her bulbous womb, Susan found its surface occasionally bulge and jolt with activity from the brood within, but she did not grow any further, the tell-tale sign that she would split open like a ripe tomato seemed distant now. Breathing hard and trying to sit up, the Invisible Woman was at a loss for words, why did it stop?

“What… What IS this?”

Looking up to the creature that used to be Steve Rogers, the monster looked down at his stomach to find a splotch of blue pigment seep into his flesh like a dye and spread across his abdominals and chest.

“WHAT IS THIS?! I Can’t… Can’t…” Stumbling back, the monster scratched at the spread of blue pigment crawling up his flesh, making its way down his legs and up his shoulders. His mandibles folding back together into his lower jaw where his face now looked filled with confusion and quickly turned to horror. “STOP IT! MAKE IT STOP!”

Hearing a guttural roar behind her, Susan found Thor in the same state, collapsing to one knee, and looking down at his stomach and chest as it quickly changed from a sickly translucent green to a sky-blue tint. Panicked and clawing at his chest, his mandibles and tentacles recoiled, revealing his former humanoid face as it winced and breathed hard in panic. “Numbness! SICKNESS!”

Backing away from Susan, the Avengers and the rest of the swarm crawling out of the mansion and surrounding the Fantastic Four gave the pregnant woman space, suddenly finding themselves in danger of her presence. Looking down at her unborn continuing to stir and kick inside of her, their rapid growth had been stunted, now growing at a HUMAN speed. Turning back to the two Avengers screaming in sheer terror at the blue spreading up their flesh, it all made sense to her now.

“The gene trigger…”

Slowly rolling onto her side and getting to her knees and four hands, Susan sat up to find the swarm in its hundreds circling her and her allies. Hissing and snarling at the new threat.

“You… You have become TAINTED, DISEASED!” Hissed Scarlet Witch, levitating up into the air and forming complex magical runes between her talons. “You must be PURGED! UNDONE! To protect the swa…”

Struck in the back of the head with enough **** to shatter her gnarled horns like glass and cause her to collapse like a heap on the ground, Mjolnir flew towards its owner who grasped its hilt when it was finally returned to him.

“NAY! No more shall FALL to you… Serpents!”

With a charge of lightning that sent the remaining swarm back. A column of lightning enveloped Thor, conjuring a suit of armor over his naked body as he got back to his feet and glared back at the hundreds of hissing creatures led by his possessed friends. Chainmail and leather armor now adorned his entire body. His skin was now sky blue, with a mane of slithering tentacles coiling behind his scalp and down his back to rest over the red cape unfurling behind him. Massive, gnarled horns framed either side of his head, banded in rings of etched uru metal, and a trio of tentacles that grew from his chin were braided like a beard, capped in uru as well. Looking down at the prone state of Susan, the alien looking man smiled and helped her to her feet, taking extra care to assist her standing as she dealt with the unbalanced weight being cradled in her arms.

“You have spared me a fate most cruel Susan Storm, for that I thank you.” Turning his attention back at the snarling Captain Marvel swooping in to attack, the Asgardian smirked a fanged grin and begun to spin his hammer by its leather satchel. “But for now, I must face the demons who have claimed my friends. HAVE AT THEE!” With a burst of air, Thor was propelled upwards and slammed into Carol with enough **** to halt her attack and send them both careening into a building five blocks away.

Watching the two trade blows that sent them across the city, Susan’s attention quickly fell to the pair of arms that gently hugged around her side and then quickly turn her so she could look directly into Steven’s reptilian eyes. Gone was the predatory gleam or soulless lust that dominated his features. Now instead there was a blue skinned alien male with a look of pure horror in his eyes checking her over… And focusing on the healing wounds he left on her and the unborn still kicking away in her womb.

“Susan! I’m so… Oh GOD… I couldn’t control myself; I wasn’t…”

Cupping his cheek in one of her hands, she tried to sooth him, nodding in understanding to what he must be feeling at this very moment. “It’s okay… I understand, I was the same when…”

His attention diverted to over her shoulder, and his widening eyes told her to look behind her long before he called out “Look out!”

Spreading her arms out, Susan pulled up a forcefield just in time to block the advancing swarm and push them back to protect her friends and family. With enough space to move, they could both see just how many were now congregating towards the mansion ruins. Hundreds of creatures who had been breeding, waiting, and hiding for weeks in the dark recesses of the sewers or in plain sight of the populace had all gathered at the mansion, clawing, and snapping at the barriers of her **** field like feral animals. Looking over to her friends still pinned to the ground, Susan’s attention immediately went to her husband, still face down in the dirt.

“Help me… Help me get to Reed.”

Helping her support her stance as she waddled towards her husband, Susan knelt to the ground and rolled the man over, checking his body and cupping her talons over his face. His eyes continued to flutter, and his breathing was hitched, but much to her surprise, he was still human. “Reed! Wake up, we need you here.” She called down to him, gently patting her hand over his cheek and getting a response as he stirred awake and darted his head around to see where he was.

“Suzie!” He gasped, looking down to her full-term pregnancy with quintuplets, her distended womb cradled in two of her hands while the other two gently held up his face. “Great Scott! What happened to you?”

“What happened to YOU?! Carol tried to infect you, how are you still human?”

Sitting up and rummaging through his pockets, Reed pulled out a small vial which sadly did not survive the fall. “While I was working on a gene trigger to cure you, I also came up with this deterrent to make sure no one else could get infected, I administered it to Johnny, Ben and the kids. It’s a symptomless version of the flu I used to protect us when you first went mad. I… Got the idea from a movie”

Sitting up, Susan could not help but smirk and shake her head, her long tentacled hair swaying behind her in the act. “World War Z?! You got the idea from World War Z?” Chuckling out loud despite the situation, Susan kissed her husband over the forehead. Grateful that he was alive and well.

Shrugging, the man sat up and got to his feet, finally able to see the situation around him and how dire it was. Nearby he could see Captain America help Wasp out of the gelatinous webbing that kept her pinned while Johnny and Alicia helped Ben back to his feet. “Geez… Feel like throwing up!” Complained Ben, shaking his head and looking up to find a naked and blue skinned Steve Rogers help an injured Iron Man back to his feet, the man clutching his side and sharing a look with the male creature giving him a reassuring smile. Even though he had tentacles for hair, bony spurs over his forearms, ankles and spine, reptilian eyes and razor-sharp teeth, Tony was able to recognize the man smiling sheepishly back at him.

“Hey Cap… Welcome back to our side of things.”

Thanks… You wouldn’t happen to have a spare pair of pants in there would you?”

“AAAAAGH!” Clutching her head with all four of her hands, Susan gasped when the two Hulks slammed their claws against her **** fields. FAR too powerful to keep back, each strike was like holding back a tidal wave. “Too much! It’s TOO MUCH!”

Looking around for the container he brought with him, Reed spotted the canister and ran for it. Inspecting the cylinder for any damage, Reed looked over his shoulder to find the two Hulk’s pounding away at Susan’s **** fields with everything they had, the rest of the swarm practically crawling over the surface of the solid light bubble and putting more pressure on Susan’s abilities.

“SUZIE! When I tell you, drop the **** field!”

“Are you NUTS Reed?” Coughed Tony, getting the same look of shock from Captain America as he helped Iron Man up.

“Trust me… Are you ready?”

Seeing her wince in pain and grimacing with fanged teeth, Susan gave Reed a nod while still trying to hold up the **** field for them.

“NOW!”

Dropping the field and collapsing to her side, the **** field dropped, and the two Hulks came rushing forward with a horde of monsters behind them. Taking the cannister in his hands, Reed threw the object as hard as he could over his head.

“NOW STARK! SHOOT IT!”

Looking up at the metal cylinder tumbling in the air, Tony raised his repulsar gauntlet at the thing and fired.