Sue Storm Steals Money From Criminals

In the throes of her moral dilemma, the alarm blared. A Skrull saucer screamed down toward Manhattan, evidently barely under control. The Invisible Woman was in her costume and in the air within minutes.

She followed the smoke and the flame. As she drew closer, Sue could see the bright zaps of ray guns, hear the chatter of automatic weapons fire. Her brow creased as she swung the Fantasticar down low and leaped out, safe within an invisible ****-bubble.

The ship had crashed, at relatively low velocity, into what looked like a warehouse. Gangsters with uzis fired at the aliens as they spilled out of a hatchway that was at bad angle. The Skrulls, eyes wild, returned fire with ray guns. Sue landed on the ground and walked, with quiet confidence despite the occasional twinge of pain in her leg, into the midst of the fray.

The gambit worked, as both sides turned their attention to this new foe. Particle beams and bullets alike burst against the invisible shell that held her...and Sue saw what had happened.

There were long tables of chemical equipment, a haze of white powder in the air, plastic bricks of **** ready for shipment. The Skrulls had, by complete chance, crashed into an active **** lab—and as the Invisible Woman caught a glimpse of the actual pallet of cash, the bricks wrapped in clear plastic, she realized it must have been in the middle of a deal.

The next few moments were frantic. Sue could hear the police and fire engine sirens coming. Invisible chains whipped out and knocked weapons from human and alien hands. By the time the police arrived, they were all captured.

Sue stood there, a brittle smile on her face. There was plenty of evidence to convict the **** pushers, she told herself. They didn't need the millions of dollars in cash. Nor did anyone notice when the money simply...vanished. Invisible, it was lifted by unseen **** fields into the Fantasticar that hovered up above to take her home.

Guilt bothered Sue as she talked to the police, and to S.W.O.R.D., who took charge of the Skrulls and their ship. Yet not enough guilt. That worried Sue more, as she flew back to the Baxter Building. That it didn't bother her as much as it should have. She felt the craving for Porkum's milk in her bones. Even now, sweat dripped off her beneath her costume. Her empty stomach rumbled.

Her palms itched as she unloaded the pallet of cash. How much was it? Millions, certainly. Maybe tens of millions. Enough for weeks.

Maybe enough to ween myself off of Porkum's addictive goo?

Yes, Sue told herself. I'll ween myself off. Just enough to keep me going. Maybe H.E.R.B.I.E. or Reed could synthesize it...no, not Reed. I can't tell him. Not after what I've done. He can never know!

Sue's hand shook as she grabbed her smartphone and dialed a number. It rang, and rang, and on the third ring it picked up.

"I have your money," Sue said. "I'd like...a week's supply."

"No problem," Porkum said.