Marvel : Mutant God

Neither Richard nor Susan paid attention to the reporters' stunned reactions as they proceeded directly toward the hotel entrance.

Richard's indifference stemmed from familiarity—since achieving notoriety, such reactions had become routine whenever he appeared in public near journalists. Susan's composure reflected her anticipation of this scenario. Though she hadn't left the manor during the past week, she'd thoroughly reviewed the Hellfire Club's intelligence briefings and understood her counterpart's prominence in this universe.

Moreover, after discovering that her doppelgänger harbored no romantic interest in Reed Richards, Susan shared the public's speculation that Mr. Fantastic either concealed some troubling characteristic or had committed some grievous offense that alienated this universe's Susan Storm. Otherwise, based on her understanding of Reed's character, her counterpart should logically have reciprocated his advances.

Though curious about her alternate self's aversion to Reed, Susan had no intention of engaging this universe's Mr. Fantastic in meaningful conversation. For her, the Reed Richards she had loved was gone forever. Despite identical appearances, this universe's Reed wasn't her Reed. Emotional connections were forged through shared experiences—without that history, even perfect physical resemblance couldn't resurrect authentic feelings.

Shortly thereafter, Richard and Susan reached the hotel's grand banquet hall. Their timing proved neither conspicuously early nor fashionably late—numerous guests had already assembled within the elegant space.

Similar to the external observers, attendees within the banquet hall registered visible surprise upon witnessing Richard's entrance with his arm encircling Susan's waist. Among these onlookers, none appeared more astonished than Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.

Sister? Why is she here? No—why is she with Richard?

Witnessing Susan comfortably accepting Richard's intimate gesture, questions cascaded through Johnny's mind in rapid succession. Though confused by his sister's unexpected appearance with Richard, the characteristically impulsive Johnny didn't waste time on lengthy contemplation. He immediately approached the pair, bringing along his new girlfriend whom he'd been dating for only a few days.

Upon reaching them, Johnny first regarded Richard with a suspicious frown before addressing Susan. "Sis, why are you here? Don't you usually avoid these kinds of functions?"

As Susan prepared to respond, Richard interjected smoothly. "Is this your new girlfriend?"

"Yes, any objections?" Johnny replied tersely. "And don't tell me you already know Alice."

Johnny's wary expression betrayed lingering resentment. Despite considerable time having passed, he hadn't forgotten watching his former supermodel girlfriend Nina Quinn willingly abandon him for Richard's arms.

"Rest assured, I've never met your girlfriend Alice," Richard smiled. "Allow me to introduce you—this is my girlfriend, Susan Storm. Susan, this is Johnny Storm, the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four."

What game is he playing? Identical expressions of confusion crossed Johnny and Alice's faces.

As Johnny opened his mouth to object, Susan extended her hand. "Mr. Storm, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Johnny stared at Susan's outstretched hand with deepening bewilderment. If Richard's introduction had triggered suspicion, Susan's formality transformed confusion into complete bafflement.

What does she mean, 'pleased to meet you'? I'm her brother! Her beloved brother!

Rather than wasting mental energy on speculation, Johnny addressed the situation directly: "Today isn't April Fool's Day. Your joke lacks humor."

"We're not joking," Richard replied casually. "Susan genuinely is meeting you for the first time. If you doubt this, call your sister."

Having deliberately brought Susan to this event, Richard harbored no concerns about revealing her alternate-universe origins. Naturally, he wouldn't announce her zombie-universe background to the entire gathering, but selective disclosure presented no problems.

Though uncertain of Richard's intentions, Johnny retrieved his phone and dialed his sister's number.

Beep...

The connection established quickly.

"Don't tell me you've gotten yourself into trouble again tonight," Susan's voice emerged before Johnny could speak.

Johnny's expression transformed from confusion to dawning comprehension.

"I'm not in trouble," he responded rapidly. "Where are you now? At headquarters?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" came the reply.

"No particular reason—just checking. Nothing urgent. Goodbye."

Johnny terminated the call, then regarded Richard with exasperation. "Using Mystique to impersonate my sister is pathetically unoriginal."

"Who suggested she was Mystique?" Richard countered. "Susan, perhaps you could demonstrate your abilities for Mr. Storm."

"Of course," Susan nodded.

Before Johnny and Alice's attentive gazes, she activated her powers.

Invisible Force Field!

With a graceful gesture of her right hand, Susan generated an invisible force field that instantly rendered Alice completely imperceptible.

Johnny froze in astonishment. Though invisible fields remained undetectable to the naked eye, as the Invisible Woman's brother, he had witnessed this particular ability countless times. The field surrounding Alice persisted only momentarily before dissipating.

As Alice reappeared, Johnny's expression transformed from shock to outrage. He now recognized with certainty that this Invisible Woman wasn't Mystique.

A new suspicion immediately crystallized: Clone!

This woman accompanying Richard must be a clone of his sister!

Since the Ghost Rider incident, Johnny had abandoned his jealousy and hostility toward Richard. Now, however, believing Richard had created a genetic duplicate of Susan, incandescent fury ignited within him.

"Richard Wesley, you've gone too far!" Johnny's face contorted with rage, as if ready to immolate Richard on the spot.

Though Johnny hadn't articulated his specific accusation, Richard immediately deduced the cause of his anger.

"Calm yourself," Richard advised evenly. "While I freely admit to having certain appetites, I'm not depraved enough to clone your sister. Susan isn't a replica—she comes from another Earth."

Another Earth? Johnny and Alice exchanged identical expressions of disbelief.

Before Johnny could respond, Richard continued, "If you're struggling to comprehend this concept, I must genuinely question your intellectual capacity."

Previously, Johnny would have bristled at the slightest interaction with Richard, let alone direct insults to his intelligence. His temperament had evolved, however.

After several seconds of contemplation, Johnny turned to Alice. "Would you mind fetching me some champagne?"

"Of course," Alice responded promptly. Though lacking superhuman abilities, she possessed sufficient awareness to recognize Johnny's desire for privacy.

Once Alice departed, Johnny addressed Susan directly. "You're truly from another universe?"

Susan confirmed with a silent nod.

"In your reality, am I still your brother?" Johnny pressed.

"Yes," Susan replied softly, "but my brother is dead."

Dead? Though intellectually understanding this referred to his counterpart in a parallel reality, Johnny experienced a profound dissonance—as if overhearing news of his own demise from a stranger's lips.

After studying the Invisible Woman for more than ten contemplative seconds, Johnny addressed Richard: "After dinner, come to the Baxter Building. My sister will want to meet Susan."

"No problem," Richard agreed readily.

With a grateful nod, Johnny departed to rejoin his date Alice.

Shortly thereafter, the evening's host, Justin Hammer, entered the banquet hall. Upon noticing Richard, his expression registered momentary surprise before transforming into a welcoming smile. Though Richard had previously rejected his recruitment efforts, Hammer hadn't abandoned hope of securing his talents.

He recognized Richard's friendship with Tony Stark but didn't consider this an insurmountable obstacle. In Hammer's assessment, if Stark could establish a relationship with Richard, so could he.

Approaching with practiced cordiality, Hammer declared, "Before leaving my office today, I had a premonition you might attend tonight. How gratifying to see my intuition proven correct!"

"You've sent numerous invitations," Richard observed dryly.

"It would seem discourteous to decline indefinitely. Perhaps you should attend to your other guests—Susan and I have private matters to discuss."

"Of course," Hammer responded promptly. "I won't intrude further. We'll speak later this evening."

After Hammer's departure, Susan turned to Richard. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"No, we're merely acquaintances," Richard replied, taking a measured sip of champagne. "He's repeatedly attempted to recruit me to Hammer Industries, but I've consistently declined."

"Why refuse him?" Susan inquired.

"His capabilities don't match his ambitions," Richard answered frankly.

From a purely business perspective, Justin Hammer had achieved remarkable success. Regarding personal capacity, however, his abilities—while certainly exceeding average standards—fell significantly short of his outsized aspirations.

After processing Richard's assessment, Susan abruptly changed subjects. "Are you particularly familiar with this universe's Susan Storm?"

"Not especially," Richard replied. "We've encountered each other only twice."

"Is that so?" Susan responded with evident skepticism. "My intuition suggests you harbor certain designs toward her."

"I'm hardly unique in that regard," Richard countered with an amused smile. "Reed Richards certainly maintains similar interests. However, my attention has shifted elsewhere."

Had the zombie universe's Susan not accompanied him back to his reality, Richard would have continued pursuing this universe's Invisible Woman—particularly given his interest in potentially becoming Franklin Richards' father. Now, however, his priorities had realigned.

"Are you genuinely no longer interested in her?" Susan pressed. "Don't you find the prospect of experiencing two identical versions of me simultaneously... appealing?"

Susan arched an eyebrow suggestively, her voice lowered to ensure privacy. Prior to her extended exposure to Richard, such provocative commentary would have been unthinkable. Their intimate association had either corrupted her sensibilities or simply revealed her deeper understanding of his nature.

Two Invisible Women simultaneously? Richard regarded Susan with undisguised surprise. As a self-admitted man of healthy appetites, such fantasies weren't foreign to his imagination. However, Susan's direct acknowledgment of these possibilities exceeded his expectations considerably.

Though her question didn't constitute consent to such arrangements, the mere fact that she'd broached the subject demonstrated remarkable evolution in her perspective.

"If both parties were amenable, I certainly wouldn't object," Richard replied with characteristic directness.

"I object!" Susan declared emphatically, rolling her eyes.

One hour later.

Richard and Susan departed the hotel, driving toward the Baxter Building—headquarters of the Fantastic Four. Located conveniently within Manhattan, the iconic structure stood less than twenty minutes from the banquet venue.

While the Fantastic Four maintained their base within the Baxter Building, they weren't its exclusive occupants. The team occupied only the uppermost five floors, with the remaining levels housing civilian residents—specifically, extraordinarily affluent civilians.

Manhattan real estate commanded premium prices under normal circumstances. The Baxter Building's units represented an entirely different echelon of exclusivity. The least wealthy individual who could afford residence within the structure qualified as a billionaire by conventional standards.

After securing his vehicle in the underground parking facility, Richard and Susan followed Johnny to the Fantastic Four's private elevator. Johnny had sent his date Alice home separately via taxi. Though occasionally irresponsible, Johnny possessed sufficient awareness to recognize tonight's circumstances demanded discretion.

Under different conditions, he might have unhesitatingly brought Alice directly to his quarters for an evening of intimacy. Tonight, however, clearly necessitated alternative arrangements.

Upon escorting Richard and Susan to the reception area, Johnny announced, "I'll call my sister, Reed, and Ben. Make yourselves comfortable—treat this as your own home."

Without awaiting acknowledgment, Johnny hastily departed.

Observing Johnny's rapid exit, Richard settled casually onto a sofa, prepared to wait patiently.

Shortly thereafter, Johnny returned accompanied by his sister Susan, Reed Richards, and Ben Grimm.

What in the world? Upon witnessing the Invisible Woman seated beside Richard, both Reed and this universe's Susan registered identical expressions of astonishment.

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