SUSAN STORM - In the Rush of the Deep Part I

(Note One: All characters belong to Marvel Publishing. This is merely fanfiction with no commercial interest and is intended solely for the entertainment of the fan/reader. Note Two: English is not my native language, so I apologize for any errors and idiosyncratic spelling. Anyone who would like to improve the story into "correct and more readable English" is welcome to help me. I hope you enjoy reading.)

"It's your decision, Susan," Namor said in a calm, low voice, in the dark, commanding tone Sue was used to.

A voice that could instantly win a woman's heart if she was weak. And yet, why did she hear the cold, stinging voice of Reed Richards, her husband, in her ear?

It's your decision, Susan... That's what Reed had told her back then, when she didn't want him to take an unauthorized test flight into space with his friend Ben Grimm. She had begged him, screamed at him, even threatened him, but the smartest man in the world was also the most stubborn, and so Reed had told her to come along if she wanted to. Either way, he was going into space, and it was her decision whether she went or not. And what had happened?

The harmless test flight turned into a fiasco when unknown cosmic rays penetrated the spaceship and gave the passengers unwanted superpowers.

The Fantastic Four were born and have protected Earth from all dangers ever since. They had stood their ground against the Red Ghost. They had pushed back the Mole Man and his army. They had stopped the Skrull invasion and defeated Doctor Doom several times.

And Namor... The King of Atlantis had been one of the team's first enemies since her brother Johnny helped him regain his memory. The Sub-Mariner wasn't a villain like Psycho-Man or the Puppetmaster, and his relationship with the Fantastic Four had always been strained, especially with Susan. Even upon their first meeting, he had flirted with the Invisible Woman and wanted to marry her immediately.

Sue remembered being as flattered by his offer as she was repulsed by his arrogant manner. Naturally, she had declined and stayed with Reed, yet Namor's interest had never waned. On the contrary. Even though Sue had married Reed and had two children with him, Franklin and Valeria, his desire for her had become even more intense.

The King of Atlantis was used to getting what he wanted, and she had to admit that her resistance crumbled a little more each time she met him. They called Susan Storm Richards the Invisible, and the legendary Sub-Mariner didn't even recognize her as such. For him, Sue was the most beautiful and desirable woman on the surface and in his kingdom.

The fact that he was half-Atlantean and she was human didn't bother the tall, black giant at all. Whenever Namor was alone with her, his gaze burned, and his desire was as palpable as the heat of a fireplace. And Susan liked it more and more each time.

Why shouldn't she? Namor was tall, strong, and damn good-looking, and what woman wouldn't want to be desired by a king? The Lord of the Seas could have any woman he wanted, but his heart beat for Susan Storm.

The way he looked at her, moved, and spoke to her. Even as he stood in front of her, his well-trained chest rising and falling as he breathed, he radiated dominance and eroticism. He knew his effect on women, and there was a reason he wore so little clothing. Usually just a pair of very tight green swim trunks. And Susan couldn't form an invisible shield around herself today to protect herself from his advances.

Not tonight. The Fantastic Four had survived their greatest adventure last night. They had saved the Earth from the world-devourer Galactus. It had been a long, hard fight, and they almost hadn't made it, and the entire Earth would have been lost.

Sue couldn't and didn't want to imagine what would have happened if they had failed. Now that it was all over, she felt the weight on her shoulders and felt so weak and fragile. Tonight, of all night, Sue needed some closeness. She was uneasy with herself, her fate, and wanted to talk to someone about it, but she was alone again. Johnny had flown out into the night to show off at some party, while Ben was licking his wounds with Alica and Reed? He had locked himself in one of his labs again and wouldn't be coming out any time soon.

So, as usual, she was alone on the roof of the Baxter Building, lost in her thoughts. It was her favorite place because from here she could see almost the entire city and all the way to the ocean. She loved the ocean, diving, and swimming. Today, however, she wouldn't be staying long.

As she stood at the edge of the roof, gazing out at the distant sea, the wind blowing through her short blond hair, Namor quietly and without warning flew from the sky, as if he had read her thoughts. Sue had actually been happy to see him.

"The King of Atlantis greets you, Susan Storm," he had said, smiling, showing his perfect white teeth.

"Hello, Namor," was all she had replied. The familiar tingling sensation on her skin returned whenever she saw him, and on this cool night, she noticed it especially.

"How are you, beautiful woman?"

"Always better when I see you," she answered, not knowing why she had said it. It had just slipped out.

Namor smiled even wider.

"I feel the same."

"What do you want here?"

He stood next to her before answering.

"I heard about your fight against Galactus and wanted to ask how you're doing."

Sue closed her eyes and smiled gratefully. As bossy and dominant as Namor was,

"I don't miss much. Not even..."

His gaze traveled down her body and back up again.

"...that your heart rate and breathing have changed since my arrival."

Sue rolled her eyes.

"Please, not today."

"Why not?"

"Because..."

She crossed her arms.

"I just don't feel like it. If you had seen and experienced what we went through last night, you'd also like to take a short breather."

"I wanted to help you, but the effects of Galactus's arrival had also been felt in my kingdom, and I needed to stand by my people."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes, the Atlantean people are strong and used to surviving disasters with combined strength. But I knew the upper world didn't need my help. It has the Fantastic Four..."

His gaze rested on her, and his eyes radiated the same power and warmth as his words. And his body.

"...and you in particular."

For a very brief moment, just a very brief moment, Sue shimmered invisible. She mastered her abilities perfectly, but in a few weak moments, she lost control.

"Thank you."

She crossed her arms and looked at the damage to the city left behind by the conqueror.

"You're always there when I need you, and you help me just by being near me."

As Sue spoke, she became visible again.

"I feel the same," said the king, taking a step closer to her.

Namor always smelled so good. Of seawater and exotic, foreign scents.

"I was still worried about you."

"You don't need to be. My team is always there for me."

"And how are your teammates now?"

She didn't like the tone of Namor's voice.

"Everyone lives their own lives, but when the world needs us, we're there."

"I asked... who's there for you now?"

Namor's tone sharpened a little.

"I can help myself."

"I don't doubt that for a second. Even the famous Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four needs someone sometimes."

"I have Reed," she said quickly.

Namor's skeptical look hurt, but she couldn't respond.

"He's a fantastic husband. I love him and..."

"And where is he now?"

"In his main lab, developing a shield against Galactus."

"And how long will he lock himself in there?"

"I don't like where this conversation is going."

Sue could have knocked him off the roof with an invisible push. She could have simply gone back to the Baxter Building, but she did nothing of the sort. Sue stayed here because she wanted to talk to someone, and Namor was here, listening to her. Even if he was dominating the conversation, as always.

"I wouldn't hole up somewhere and leave you alone. Like now."

"I know that..."

"I can smell how you feel, Susan. Even on land, where my powers are weaker. You're not so uncomfortable with me being here. Quite the opposite."

"I never said that."

Namor stepped closer to Sue. Far too close for her to allow.

"Why are you resisting your feelings so much, Susan?"

"Namor! We've had this conversation more than once, and have you just come back to whisk me away to Atlantis?"

"Nothing like that is on my mind. You prevented the end of the world. You are more than just the Invisible Woman. You are more than worthy to wear a crown."

Susan laughed weakly.

"A crown of Atlantis?"

Sue was teasing Namor, and she was the only one allowed to do so and even contradict him. He smiled, but couldn't completely hide his slight annoyance.

"Yes, Susan. A crown of Atlantis by my side."

He was about to approach her fully, but Sue raised her hand, the one with the wedding ring, and placed it on his chest. His body was rock-hard from the pressure of the sea, though his taut black skin felt so soft.

"I am married and have two children," she said firmly.

"Your children will understand your decision, and I would accept it as mine."

"I believe you. But I love Reed."

Namor's eyes narrowed. This made his black pupils sparkle like pearls from a shell.

"I don't doubt it. Only..."

He grinned like a shark.

"...why is your hand still on my body?"

It took her a few seconds to process this information, and she quickly withdrew it, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Don't get too carried away. You're just a very attractive man."

"Am I?" His grin widened.

"For someone over a hundred years old? Yes."

"Almost a hundred and five," he corrected her.

Namor was half-human, half-Atlantean. His mother had been Princess Fen and had fallen in love with the black Captain Leonard. Namor never made a secret of his past, but he was the King of Atlantis and would protect his kingdom and the oceans from all dangers.

"But you are also the most beautiful woman I've ever met in my long life. I respect your choice..."

He suddenly flung his hand out, placed it on Sue's back, and hugged her.

"Namor!"

"...but I don't accept them. Don't waste your feelings, your love, and your life on the smartest, most unfeeling fools in this world."

Sue said nothing. She felt weak in his arms. In fact, even weaker than when she saw Galactus.

"I love you, Susan. I always have and always will. And you feel the same way."

"That's not true!" she snarled.

"It's not just your breathing, your body's signals, and your heartbeat that betray you. Why don't you take my breath away by squeezing my throat or smash me with an invisible hammer? Because you simply don't want to. Answer me, woman."

"You're hurting me."

Only now did he let go of her, and she immediately took several steps back. She raged inside. A rage unknown to her controlled her, and she would have liked to crush the King of Atlantis with an anvil, but she was very confused at the moment. About herself and her feelings.

"Answer me, Susan," he repeated again, and with the impatience in his voice, one could shatter boulders.

"What should I answer?"

"Do you love me?"

The question caught Sue off guard, as if the Hulk had punched her.

"What?"

Namor didn't repeat the question. He placed his fists on his hips and seemed to grow even taller. Sue had stood before Galactus, but the King of Atlantis intimidated her just as much in that moment.

"I... I don't know, I..."

Namor's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, Namor. I love you," she suddenly blurted out, turning away from him.

She wanted to cry, but no tears left her eyes, and she closed them. She crossed her arms and tried to calm herself down a little before continuing.

"I love... I loved... Reed. Since we came from space, everything was fine at first, but with every fight against Doctor Doom, with every trip into his pocket universe, we grew apart little by little. And Franklin and Valeria haven't changed that either. They call Reed Mr. Fantastic, but there are so many things that are difficult for him. I fight villains every day, saving New York, for the people and for my children. What happened with Galactus showed me that there are still great and fantastic things and equally great dangers. Who am I? What can I still do? I've changed too, and I'm scared and I don't know where the journey will lead me, what the future holds for me."

There was much more Sue wanted to say, but she couldn't speak. Especially not when Namor approached from behind and very gently and carefully wrapped his arms around her. The Sub-Mariner managed to calm her down almost immediately without saying anything.

Just a single, tender touch.

"I didn't love you immediately, Namor. I thought you were an arrogant, brutal pig. I still do. But with each of our encounters, I realized that I felt for you the way you felt for me. Yes, I married Reed and I love my two children, but my heart has been beating for you for a long time."

Sue's voice trembled, especially when Namor began to gently stroke her arms. His warm breath caressed her neck.

"Come with me, Susan," he said calmly.

She shook her head.

"I can't."

"Why."

"What about Franklin and Valeria?"

"They have their father and can come to us if they want."

"What about the Fantastic Four?"

"The world has other heroes. The people of Atlantean need you just as much as I need you. A strong woman who will protect the seven seas with me."

Sue opened her eyes and looked out at the distant sea. She seemed to feel the sound of the waves in her blood.

"Will you come with me, Susan?"

Eternal seconds passed before she answered. She nodded, and Namor let her go. He turned her around.

"I want you to say so," he commanded.

"I want to go with you, Namor."

He smiled, practically radiant. Like a warrior who had achieved a victory but hadn't yet won the battle. He smiled because Sue was finally looking at him the way he had hoped for so many years.

"Then there's only one more thing you have to do."

"What?"

"The realm of the seas and Atlantis aren't made for humans. You won't be able to survive down there. Even with your abilities."

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"We have to find a way to transform you into an Atlantean."

"What?"

"If you want to be mine, Susan, there's no turning back."

Sue's eyes darted back and forth. She was confused, her emotions raging like the sea during a storm. She felt simultaneously so safe and secure around Namor, yet so robbed of her powers and strength. Sue loved Namor. She wanted to leave her husband, her family, and the team for him, but the idea of transforming herself completely for him still made her hesitate a little.

"Do you want it, Susan? Do you want to prove your love to me?"

"I don't know how..."

"Reed's development chamber, the one he built to transform Ben back into a human," he whispered.

Sue remembered.

Reed had once managed to capture a small portion of the cosmic radiation that had given them their powers and concentrate it in a chamber. They had used the device to transform Ben back into a human, but Ben had to reverse the transformation when a threat loomed that only The Thing could combat.

Since then, the chamber had rested in one of Reed's less-used labs, gathering dust.

"How do you know about the chamber?" Sue whispered.

Namor didn't answer. Not with words. His stern, unblinking stare captured Susan's heart and mind.

"It's your decision, Susan." Sue silenced all alarms so Namor could follow her into the Baxter Building.

They crept quietly through the halls, but they made a quick stop at Franklin and Valeria's nursery. She wanted to see them again, and now, seeing her two children sleeping peacefully in their beds, Sue had changed her mind. It broke her heart that she wouldn't be able to see them for a very long time, but this restless, racing heart was also the reason for this farewell.

Namor said nothing, but his impatience was palpable, and they continued on. Finally, they reached the lab. Since it was locked, the Sub-Mariner didn't care. He easily **** open the heavy metal doors, and Sue feared the crash would be heard throughout the building.

"What's going on, Mrs. Richards?" Sue heard someone croak behind her, and she turned in alarm.

HERBIE, the Fantastic Four's house robot, floated through the air. A question mark was displayed on its screen face.

"I didn't know we were expecting visitors. Does Mr. Richards know…"

Namor's hand shot out and crushed the small robot's skull. Before Sue could say or react, he took her hand and pulled her into the lab. The lights automatically switched on, and in the relatively large room, in a corner, between transport portals and dimensional banners, stood the transformation chamber.

The machine was unique and one of a kind. Reed had never been able to design a second device and perhaps never could again, as it was nearly impossible to reorganize the unknown cosmic radiation, let alone capture it. Namor pulled Susan toward the control panel.

"Is it working?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm not that familiar with it..."

Sue checked the gauges, barometers, and digital readings.

"...but I think I should be able to do it," she said.

She whispered, though to her ears it sounded like she was shouting. Her racing heartbeat seemed to set the rhythm of her voice, and her hands trembled. She pressed the glowing digital buttons, pushed files aside.

There it was. Convert, and Sue typed in Atlantean.

She could still turn back...

Nothing had happened yet...

Everything could stay as it was...

Namor stood behind her, placed his hand on hers, and pressed START PROGRAM. The loading bar filled, and the energy meter shot up. There was still enough radiation for two transformations. As the machine whirred to life, light filling the glass chamber, Sue turned to Namor. She had secretly dreamed of this moment so often, and now it was actually coming true.

She wanted to snuggle up to him and kiss him, finally touch his lips, find out if he tasted as good as he looked, but the King of Atlantis stopped her in surprise.

"We don't have much time."

With a hiss, the chamber behind Sue opened. She was surprised and hurt that he didn't finally want to kiss her, and he pushed the woman into the chamber. The glass door closed automatically, and when she turned around, she saw Namor already standing at the console.

Sue smiled and placed her hand on the glass. The Sub-Mariner looked at her seriously and determinedly and then pressed START.

Immediately, the chamber was flooded with the infinite, multicolored lights and rays. A rainbow dance of unknown colors swirled around, and the light of the stars flashed behind the glass. And in the center of the chamber stood Susan Storm Richards, the Invisible One of the Fantastic Four. She had already been exposed to these rays once, but today it was a conscious decision, and even though every fiber of her body ached, seemingly dissolving and then reassembling, it was the most wonderful feeling Sue had experienced in a long time. She had to endure endless minutes, where rays of light struck her as hard as a punch, deforming, changing, and transforming everything inside her. Sue could only stand for a few seconds before she had to kneel.

Namor watched everything, and even though he was deeply worried about the woman he loved, he watched with excitement and anticipation as Susan Storm slowly transformed. The impatient king would have preferred to speed things up, but he had to practice patience.

He saw the white woman's skin slowly turn a beautiful sky blue and a light, thin layer of scales cover her body. Her eyes turned black and her ears became pointed. There were also three thin lines on the left and right side of her neck.

Then, quite suddenly, the light died down. The chamber went dark and the humming stopped. With another hiss, the door opened again, and Sue lay curled up on the floor. Her body trembled and shook.

"Are you okay?" Namor asked.

Sue didn't answer. Concerned, he entered the chamber, grabbed her shoulder, and helped her up. Even though the Sub-Mariner, the King of Atlantis, had seen and experienced a great deal in his long life, what he saw now still surprised him, and even Namor, usually so controlled in his emotions, let out a surprised and joyful gasp. The woman he loved had truly transformed into his equal.

Susan Storm Richards was now an Atlantean, a woman of his people. His wife...

"Namor?" Sue simply hissed, too weak to speak. She looked up at him, and when he saw her beautiful, blue face, he fell in love with her again.

"You are... beautiful."

Somewhat confused and weakened, Sue looked at her blue hand, and her now black, pupil-less eyes widened. She stammered something incredulous, which Namor didn't understand. At the moment, he didn't care. He helped Sue up from the floor and led her out of the chamber. He was patient with her, walking hesitantly on unsteady legs, as if she were just learning to walk again. They stopped a few steps from the chamber.

"There are two more things we need to do," he said.

"What?" Sue asked.

She was too confused at the moment. Her body felt so strange and different, of course, but her senses were also somehow different. It was just like when she'd first been exposed to the rays.

"The chamber still has enough power to transform you back..."

Sue blinked several times. The world around her was somehow simultaneously so blurry and yet so sharp.

"...I will destroy it and..."

Namor looked down at her body disparagingly.

“...I never want to see your beautiful body in that uniform again," he commanded sternly, already turning to the machine.

Sue would have liked to hold on to him longer, and even though her fingers clung to him, the king withdrew from her and began destroying the chamber with his superhuman strength.

While he worked on every square inch of the machine with his fists, ripping out cables, shattering the glass, Sue immediately obeyed her new king's first command and took off the tight-fitting Fantastic Four uniform.

The dark blue fabric with the white 4 logo, which usually fit her so well and was uncomfortable, constricted her body and was uncomfortable. She practically ripped the costume off her body. Sue wanted to be free, she wanted to belong to Namor and leave everything behind. The fact that he was seeing her completely naked in her new body for the first time bothered her completely.

The Atlanteans had a different, more relaxed attitude toward nudity and eroticism, and Sue already seemed to think like a sea creature.

Sue belonged to Namor, and he should see what now belonged to him...

A fire broke out in the lab and the alarm went off, which didn't bother Namor at all. After he had destroyed absolutely everything in the chamber, he turned in the firelight to his newest and most beautiful conquest and smiled when he saw the naked, changed woman standing before him. His work filled him with pride, as did the way Susan presented herself to him.

The fact that her uniform lay at her feet like a bad memory even completed the picture.

"Come here, Susan!" Namor commanded, and Sue obeyed immediately.

Neither of them could or wanted to wait any longer. Just as Sue rushed toward her king, the lab door opened and Reed entered the room armed with a fire extinguisher. First, he examined the damage, began to extinguish the fire, and then, in the chaos, he discovered the two people in the lab. Reed couldn't believe it at first. He thought he'd walked into the worst nightmare he could imagine.

"Susan?" he asked, shocked, and Mr. Fantastic received no answer.

He only saw the naked Atlantean Susan Storm snuggle up to her king, fall into his arms, yearning and excited, and the two of them kissed in front of his eyes so passionately and uninhibitedly, as if there was nothing else in the world but the two of them.

Susan Storm Richards, the Invisible One of the Fantastic Four, no longer existed and would never exist again.

Now she was Susan Storm, the Queen of Atlantis and the wife of Namor...

And meanwhile, in faraway Latveria, the ruler of the land was enjoying the fact that his plan had worked...

TO BE CONTINUED...