<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/8/8f/SS002A.jpg) </div><hr/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>  Name:</strong> Sue Storm<br/>  <strong>Title:</strong> Invisible Woman<br/>  <strong>Affiliation:</strong>  Resistance<br/>  <strong>Location:</strong>   Buenos Aires<br/>  <strong>Tags:</strong> Open<br/></span></span><hr/><br/>It all happened so fast. So fast that there was hardly anyone who could properly defend themselves for what was to come. There were no warnings, no threats. The onslaught just began, like some biblical disaster. Millions died. Billions died. And so many more were lost, missing. How many more are suffering.<br/><br/>Picture if you will… Buenos Aires. One of the most beautiful and largest cities in all the world. It isn’t the kind of place you might expect to find one Susan Storm Richards, the world famous Invisible Woman. Her usual stomping grounds are New York, as you might well know. But this week has been a special time for her and her 2 children. She had accepted an invitation from one of her oldest, dearest friends to visit the city. Her friend, Maria, has lived in the city for close to a decade with her husband, Dom. The invitation was a surprise, to say the least. And she almost didn’t take it, knowing her workload within the Fantastic Four was a full schedule. But her husband insisted, and the kids would love Buenos Aires.<br/><br/>She’s really going to regret coming. Maybe if she was in America, in her own territory, she could have put up some kind of fight.<br/><br/>It’s about midday here now, and the sun is shining bright over the sky. This whole week, the weather has been just lovely. Just perfect. Susan, Maria and Dom are currently inside of the house, in the kitchen specifically. It offers a nice view of the very large backyard, which is where her children are currently frolicking. Each of the adults holds a cold drink in their hands, for Maria and Dom it’s margaritas. And for Sue, it’s Crystal Light (lemonade). Mother of two has to fight to keep her figure, after all. Sue is clad in a dark colored top with simple worn looking jeans. It was nice to be out of the uniform for a whole 4 days so far. Has to be a new record for her. Ever since that fateful day the Fantastic Four gained their powers, it’s felt like she has worn one kind of costume or another.  Her long blond hair is pulled back into a ponytail, perfect for this kind of temperate weather.<br/><br/>The three of them laugh softly as they talk about the good times in college, where Sue and Maria met. Maria is telling Dom about the time she and Sue were dared to go to a frat party.. but Sue of course wouldn’t. She wasn’t really that kind. It was a wonder her and Maria got along so well, and especially after all these years. Sue smiles widely as she listens to the old stories, and every few moments she glances over Dom’s broad shoulders towards her children. At the moment, Franklin seems to have taken something from Valeria, and she has taken to chasing him around the yard. There are a few times she almost screams out at them to stop their horseplay, but she has to remind herself that she’s on vacation. Her children are happy, brother and sister merrily enjoying their time together. Even though Franklin seems intent on being mean to his little sister, it’s obvious how much they love each other.<br/><br/>“So t’night, we take the kids out ta tha pier mebbe? There’s this celebration goin on t’night. All tha boats’ll be all lit up. Lil Franky and Vally’ll love it.”    Dom says with a broad smile, his dark eyes on Sue. Dom is such a good man, and Sue thinks that Maria is so lucky to have him. He tops out at about 6 foot even, and tips the scales at 250 or so. He’s a big man, but would never hurt a fly. Maria gasps as Dom speaks, and she nods excitedly.   “oh that would be so wonderful! It’ll be the last bit of fun we can really have before you have to go back to New York!”  Maria says as she leans lightly against Dom. Sue laughs gently, glancing once more outside towards her children.  “I think that would be wonderful. Valeria loves boats.”   Her gaze moves back towards Maria and Dom, who seem just as thrilled at the prospect of going out and having a good time on the piers.<br/><br/>Sue turns then, setting her bottle of Crystal Light on the counter as Maria explains about the celebration, how it’s sort of like homecoming. But Maria stops.. seeing Sue suddenly acting odd. Sue freezes, and something in her heart tells her something is wrong. But what really stood out as a red flag for her, the fact that she no longer heard her children carrying on outside. Sue turns suddenly, her wide eyes looking passed Dom and Maria towards her children.. seeing them both standing motionless in the yard. Both of the children are looking towards the city itself, seeming fixated on something. Sue’s brows furrow as she looks passed her children, looking towards the city also. Maria and Dom look towards one another with an odd gaze, and Dom shrugs as he looks towards the children also.  “Whut whut’re we lookin at?”   He says as he shrugs again. And as he says that, they all see something in the distant city.. something… rising. Lifting from the buildings. Sue immediately starts forward as she speaks    “Franklin, Valeria, come into the house… please…”   her voice drifts off as the distant object glows a bright red… and there is an explosion of energy. It happens in an instant. There was no way to prepare for it. For what was to come. Sue’s heart leaps as she sees what is happening, and she thrusts her hands forward as she cries out.<br/><br/>And then there is darkness.<br/><br/>She can’t say just how long she’s been unconscious. But she knows her whole body aches. She’s trapped under something, her weak voice cracks as she utters   “…. F.. frankl… V.. va…”    She’s laying on her stomach, she can’t see anything.. but the smell is just acrid. She smells ashes, so much of it she thinks.  “Franklin.. Valeria..”   she says now in a stronger tone as she tries to push herself up. She groans with the effort, finding herself still trapped.  “Franklin! Valeria!”  She calls out more loudly, though still not that strongly. The images of her children smiling flashes in her mind, and she lets out something of a warcry as the debris around her suddenly just disperses. Pushed away by an invisible and unstoppable force. She lays there a moment, gathering her strength. But after that moment, she very slowly pushes herself up, small bits of stone and dust falling away from her as she does. She coughs loudly, her hand coming to cover her mouth out of habit. To one knee she pushes herself up, her eyes squinting as she looks around herself, trying to get her bearings.<br/><br/>Susan felt a little dizzy, of course. She still doesn’t know what happened. But she knows that the world around her is destroyed. What has this kind of power? Annihilus? Blastaar? Galactus, certainly. But she doubts it could be the latter. He wouldn’t get within the solar system without the Fantastic Four being alerted. She doesn’t know who it was, but knows they’ll still be here most likely. So she’ll watch for her team or her allies to come in and save the day, to take down the menace that did this. But help won’t come.<br/><br/>She lets out a gasp as her train of thought comes back to her more immediate concern, really her only concern.  “Franklin! Valeria!”   With a soft grunt she pushes herself to her feet, and she calls out as loudly as her voice will carry.  “Franklin Benjamin! Valeria Meghan! You answer your mother right now!”    She calls out as she starts to walk slowly… and then almost trips on a piece of rubble right next to her. She glances down… and then gasps in shock as she sees what it was she tripped on. Not rubble… but the half charred remains of.. well it can only be Dom.. he was the debris that was on top of her? She looks around slowly through wide eyes, making note of how most of the house has just been decimated. Most of it burning rubble or just ash. Did Dom save her with his body? She was in closer proximity to Dom than Maria was… so maybe Dom just saved who he could. Sue stares down at his body, and she feels tears suddenly rimming her eyes. Half of his body is just… gone. Burned away. She sees no sign of Maria… she has to find her children now. They’ll be okay. Franklin has powers, and he could save himself and Valeria from this kind of thing. He’s the big brother, he knows it’s his duty to keep little Valeria safe. That’s how this kind of thing always goes.<br/><br/>Slowly she tears her gaze away from Dom’s form, and she makes her way towards the backyard. She now gets a better look at Buenos Aires. My God… it’s been… just destroyed. She can see smaller beings in the distance, flying and leaping along the cityscape. So it’s an invasion. She gets out into the yard itself, and she looks around slowly. Fearfully. They have to be alright. After everything they’ve all been through. And what she finds in the yard.. it will haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.<br/><br/>There in the grass, it looks like two outlines. Charred into the ground itself. Around the charring marks, bits of clothing. Almost not enough to be sure.. but she can be sure. She knows it’s the remnants of the clothing her children were wearing. Slowly Sue starts to shake her head, now tears streaming down her dust covered cheeks.    “No… nooooo… no no..”   She says in a sobbing tone as she stares down at the char marks on the ground. The marks are about the sizes of her children… right next to each other.. almost like outlines of where her children once stood. She can’t breathe suddenly, her heart feels like it’s going to explode in her heart. Or maybe it’s just been torn into little pieces. Sue drops to her knees right in front of the char marks as she sobs loudly, uncontrollably, her hands clawing at the ground. As if she thought that they were safe there just below the surface. And it occurs to her.<br/><br/>They are safe now, in fact.<br/><br/>Susan lets out a horrified scream as she claws at the ground, and her upper body slumps forward as she brings her hands up to her face. How could this happen.. for all of her power, she couldn’t save them.   “My babies.. please God no… not my babies…”   she says in heavy sobs, trying to plea with whatever deity that might be listening to give her children back. She continues to cry uncontrollably, her mind reeling. Finally, her body just gives up. The whole spirit gives up. Slowly she lays down on the ground there next to where her children were. She just lays there curled up on her side, staring at the grass with blur filled vision. She wants to die. She wants to be with her babies.<br/><br/>And for hours she lays there. As the world goes by, as the attacks by Apocalypse’ forces continues. Bit by bit the world is brought under his control. Were Susan aware of that, she probably wouldn’t care. Let it burn. Let he whole world burn. She lays there in the singed grass, until finally she passes out from mental anguish and physical exhaustion.<br/><br/>Her dreams are naught but nightmares. All she can see is her children, her babies, and the char marks on the ground that is their remains.<br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;"><br/>-get up-</span><br/><br/>It’s dark now, and Susan slowly comes around again. She still lays there in the grass, her mind reeling. She can hear… fighting in the distance. People yelling. She hears a warzone… a disaster. The sort of thing her and her team are supposed to aid with. Help those that need it. But now, thoughts of just killing herself dance in her mind. Just ending it. They’re gone. Her babies are gone.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">-get up!-</span><br/><br/>“I don’t want to”  she murmurs as she lays there, her eyes closing again. Nothing matters anymore. Nothing. She hears… it almost sounds like heavy footfalls getting louder. Something is coming. But she doesn’t care. Nothing matters anymore. Hopefully whatever it is will end her misery. End this nightmare her life has become.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">-get up!-</span><br/><br/>Susan’s eyes flutter open, and for the first time in many hours she looks away from the patch of grass. Her eyes are red by now of course, her body trembling. She sees people in the street, in the short distance, running. In groups. Staying together. Running from something. Now Sue pushes herself up with shaky hands, sitting on her knees as she watches. Those footfalls.. they’re getting louder. Her gaze flicks towards the north, where she sees the outline of something.. big.. some kind of machine. Sue’s brows furrow as she watches, putting two and two together.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">-get up! get away!-</span><br/><br/>Without realizing she was even moving, Sue is suddenly on her feet, still staring in the direction of the walking machine. No one has noticed her yet. Everyone seems intent on their own business. Either being hunted or hunting, she thinks. Down to her hands she looks, her hands still shaking. And then down to the charred grass she looks once more. Slowly she crouches down, bringing two fingers to her lips and kissing them. She then touches those fingers to each of the char marks before her. And as she does, she gathers what small scraps of clothing are left, and she tucks them into her pocket as she pushes herself to her feet. A scream reaches her ears from the distance, her gaze flicking in that direction. Maybe she needs to go see what is going on.. offer what help she can.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">-run! get away!-</span><br/><br/>Susan stands motionless for a few moments more, and then she turns, dashing into what’s left of Maria’s house. Quickly, efficiently, she traverses through the wreckage to the guest room she was staying in. Quickly she searches the rubble, whatever piece of rubble she touches turns invisible, to help her along.  “There.”  She whispers, pulling her backpack from under some of the wreckage of her room. She stands with it, and she looks into the backpack for a moment. It has a couple bottles of water in it, as well as some snacks she had for the children. And her Fantastic Four costume. Another scream reaches her ears.. closer now… so she slings the backpack onto her back, and she is once more in motion.<br/><br/>Except for the occasional person running by, running from whatever danger there is, the street near the house is essentially empty. Giving one more glance towards the yard, she starts to run. She does look a mess. Her body basically covered with dust and dirt, except for streaks down her cheeks. Not like it matters. She’s not totally aware of the area around her, but she knows if she can make it to the jungle, these things would never find her.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">-run! live!-</span><br/><br/>She knows she has to run, she has to live. And as she runs, her body seems to simply fade from sight. As If she were some ghost disappearing back into the ethereal. She runs for a few minutes, and then she leaps into the air. She lands on an invisible platform, and it carries her away from the city far faster than she could ever run.<br/><br/>And by morning, she is in the jungle itself. She thinks if she can make her way.. north.. maybe she can get help. Or get some kind of communication out. Her communicator isn’t working for some reason. By now, she is once more visible, making her way through the jungle at a slower pace. She still looks a mess, and she is still miserable. But now she knows she needs to get to her husband, get some backup to go in there and make these monsters pay for what they have done…