Following the aftermath of World War Wendigos, Reed Richards and Stephen Strange are tasked with finding a cure to the curse. But all it takes is a simple mistake to cause an outbreak...
This is a work of fiction, all characters involved are the property of Marvel comics and Disney Studios respectively.
Susan Storm; The Invisible Wendigo
Chapter 1
Walking through a stark corridor in the sub-levels of the raft, three men walked down the hallway of the supermax containment center; one devoted to containing the most dangerous of prisoners SHIELD had ever found and contained. Unlike other facilities, THIS one was designed for each specific inmate they kept watchful eye on. Almost every corridor was met with a pair of armed and armored guards, eyeing the trio of men as they passed each, their actions scrutinized as they made their way down to their destination.
Looking to the cells to the left of them, each was painstakingly designed and built to hold their prisoners. Emil Blonsky; the Abomination, sat glaring out the portcullis of his cell, his arms and legs bound in vibranium manacles and chains while the entire surface of his cell acted as a massive radiation collector, sapping the gamma out of him at all times. Even so, the creature lost none of its size, mass, or temper. A low growl escaping his lips when one of the visitors chanced to peep into his cell and regretted it. Next to that was the cell to Kletus Kassidy, Carnage. The psychopath had free range of his cell, containment by any kind of bindings were impossible. The three never noticed, but the interior of the sound proof cell was a riot of subharmonic noise, unnoticeable to the human ear, but the red symbiote permanently latched to the mass murderer squirmed and writhed, unable to concentrate long enough to take any form necessary to escape. If the man had anything worth say to the trio walking past his cell, they were unable to hear him.
“I’m glad you two decided to agree to SHIELD’s request in this matter.” Spoke up the man leading the other two behind him as they passed another cell. The SHIELD director looking over his shoulder with a harsh look when they approached the cell at the back of the hall, leading them to its door. “My superiors felt that OUR crew would be the best to deal with this… Personally? They don’t know shit!” Crouching to have the ocular scanner read his good eye, the locks and security systems turned green and the whirl of heavy locks unclipped before the two-foot-thick door creaked and groaned open for the three to enter. Stepping inside Director Nick Fury, Doctor Stephen Strange and Doctor Reed Richards looked up at the subject contained in the cell.
“THIS is…”
Surrounding the patient at the center of the cell, both doctors looked down in shock.
“This is the Wendigo, or one of them anyway.”
Bound in a straight jacket comprised of an unfamiliar polymer and strapped in a gurney in the center of the room, its body chained and bound to all four corners of the cell, lay the Wendigo. Several IV tubes were stuck in its arm and neck pumping powerful sedatives into its bloodstream from a nearby series of fluid filled bags.
“This is highly unusual… I thought the Wendigo curse was only limited to the borders of Canada.” Wondered Reed, scratching his chin as he checked the massive creature over. If it were standing, it would have been well over 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Broad chested and solid with muscle rivalling that of the Hulk, its body was covered in thick white fur and long hair over its scalp that draped over its shoulders. Its bare hands and feet sported thick black claws not unlike those of a bear and a long prehensile tail that dangled at the side of the gurney. Although its face was still humanoid, there were traces of feline features there too; a flattened nose, black lips with fangs just poking out the bottom of the upper lip and long spaded ears. Some would have confused the creature for huge, muscled anthropomorphic lion man if not for the black horns growing out of the crown of the creature’s skull.
“It was, or at least THEY were.” Explained Doctor Strange as he stood opposite from the sedated monster, giving it the same studious attention as Reed was. “About a year ago there was an incident in Ontario; a murder at a meat processing plant that lead the killer to try and dispose of the body by tossing the corpse in the meat processor. In the span of 42 hours several towns had been cursed instantly after consuming the meat.”
“My goodness!”
“Indeed, a joint effort with SHIELD, Alpha Flight, the X-Men and Avengers were called in to contain the situation.” Explained Fury, circling the two as they studied the sedated Wendigo between them. “Seems Cap had the right idea to lure them across the national border which lifted the curse… Until it didn’t.”
“That was because of the forest spirit Tanaraq.” Doctor Strange continued, stand up straight and reading the sedatives being injected into the creature. “He was the cause of the Wendigo curse, seems he took the opportunity on the matter and wanted to make himself a god, bending the rules to his own curse and made it a plague. Last I heard the rest of the spirits with the X-Men killed him.”
“And doing that turned everyone afflicted back to normal.”
“So…” Wondered Reed. “Why not THIS specimen?”
“That’s why YOU two are here, we ended up picking this one up in the woods of Adirandack Park after we got reports of missing pets and hunters during deer hunting season.” Moving over to tap a finger against the IV bags, the trio watched as the monster twitched, but remained sedated. “We’ve been pumping enough of this stuff in him to keep him out of it, funny really, he’s gone through enough to knock out a herd of elephants.”
His interest peaked, Doctor Strange turned to leave the cell where he was met by the guards outside. “With the defeat of Tanaraq, the curse should have been lifted, interesting, I will try to determine the cause of this anomaly.”
“And what of me? I would think that curses and spirits are a little outside of my field of expertise. Wouldn’t you?” Replied Reed Richards with a shrug, understanding the situation but unsure of why he was there. Stepping over to a small tray, Nick Fury brought a sealed container with three sharp teeth rattling inside when passed to Mr. Fantastic.
“We tried getting samples from this thing; hair, blood, we even pulled a couple teeth before they grew back. From what we learned from the Ontario fiasco, this curse was spread by bites after the initial outbreak, that’s never happened before, if its not related to the curse and if it can be reversed or prevented I’d like to see if that can be done with science AS WELL as magic.”
Picking up the container of samples, Reed Richards gave the container a sharp look before nodding to the SHIELD director. “Covering all your bases I see, alright then director, I’ll see what I can find and provide you with a report once I have something.” Looking back at the sedated creature before leaving with the guards circling the cell’s entrance, Reed made one last look to the Wendigo laying on the gurney. “By the way, were you able to identify who this was?”
“What’s the point? After the damage this thing has done, I’m more interested in how to get ride of it then who it used to be, besides…” Flicking the creature’s ear with his fingers and not even getting a flinch as a response, Director Fury continued. “If we ever did return him to normal, he’d HANG himself after learning who he killed and ate.”
Breathing in sharply, Reed bundled the samples under his arm and joined Doctor Strange in the hallway. “Always a pleasure speaking with you Director Fury…”
*
3 days later…
Sighing and leaning back into his seat, Reed Richards rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He had run tests on the samples given to him by SHIELD for the better part of 72 hours since he arrived home, barely taking any time for himself to eat or sleep, and it was showing on his face; sporting a shaggier beard and rings under his eyes. Feeling a second pair of hands come up from behind him and gently massage his shoulders and neck, Reed smiled and opened one of his eyes to look up to find his wife Susan leaning over him with a warm smile.
“Hey there sleepy head, rough morning?” Cooed Susan as she playfully combed her fingers through Reed’s hair and beard.
“Morning? What time is it?” Sitting up, Reed looked around to find a clock to tell the time from. Giggling, Susan slowed her husband’s frantic actions, her smile never leaving her lips. “I’m kidding Reed, its 8 PM.”
Sighing, Reed slumped back down on his chair and exhaled, getting a peck on the forehead from Susan just as she moved to stand beside his chair and look over what he had been researching. Finding several vials and samples that Reed had already gone over and gave up on. “What did you find so far sweety?”
“That its all human tissue…”
Bundling up some of the reports he had already finished printing off, Reed showed his wife the results of his current research, scratching at his beard in frustration over the results he found over the last three days, or at least the LACK of results. Despite the state the samples were in when provided to Reed, all he had discovered were the fangs were human, the blood was human, and the fur was human. “This is why I hate magic; it defies natural science in favour of the unreal.”
“Did you at least find something useful?” Susan asked, closing the folder, and picking up one of the fangs Reed had been studying between her fingers.
“Only a name, at least I found out who our Wendigo is.” Typing a command on his computer, Reed brought up a news clipping for a missing persons report from the incident that year. “Richard Smith… 28 years of age, he was among the Wendigo lured across the border by Captain America and placed in a medical tent with the others before the curse expanded and he and a few other patients turned again. It was believed when everyone turned back with the death of Tanaraq, he returned to normal like the others… Apparently that was not the case.”
“So now SHIELD has in its custody a Wendigo OUTSIDE of Canada under heavy sedatives until… What? Have they bothered to tell this man’s family?”
“Pff… They consider him a lost cause and didn’t bother with identifying him.”
“Well that’s terrible… OUCH!” Dropping the fang between her fingers, Susan looked down at her thumb to find the fang had been sharp enough to draw blood.
“SUSAN! Are you okay?”
“Yeah… My fault shouldn’t have been playing with the damned thing.” Bringing her thumb to her mouth, Susan and Reed found the fang tip on the floor and returned it to the sampling case. Kissing her husband on the forehead again, Susan stood up and made to leave the lab. “I think you’ve been at this for a WHILE reed, come to bed, get some sleep.”
“Yeah… I think I’ll do that in a bit.”
Waving off her husband and turning the corner out of his lab, the Invisible Woman looked back down to her thumb, finding the injury had healed itself. Thinking nothing of the mild paper cut of a scratch Susan Storm made her way to the bedroom until she felt her stomach growl. Rubbing her middle, she looked down and turned her attention to the refrigerator across to the kitchen. Pursing her lips, Susan shrugged and made her way to open the fridge. “Guess a late-night snack couldn’t hurt…”
*
Stepping out of the lab an hour after his wife, and yawning into his hand, Reed rubbed the soreness out of his eyes, heading down the hallway of his home to his shared bedroom with his wife. Making his way there he noticed the kitchen light still on, hearing the rummaging of plastic packaging on the counter. Curios, the man turned the corner to find his wife at the counter making a sandwich for herself and using all the sliced turkey in the packaging to do it.
“Hey sweetie, feeling hungry?”
Taking a bite out of her sandwich and making a face while chewing that looked like she had been starving this whole time, Susan turned her attention to Reed and smiled, licking the mustard from her lips with a blush and combing her fingers through her hair out of reflex. “Yeah, hmm, sorry Reed, just getting a late-night snack before bed.” Biting into her sandwich again, the woman hummed to herself finishing off her meal and passing her husband at the kitchen doorway, kissing his cheek, and making her way to bed. Shrugging, Reed followed her to their room. Getting changed and buttoning up to sleep, Reed leaned over to see his wife in the adjacent bathroom, giving herself a look over and comb her hair.
“Huh… Reed, do I look pale to you?”
Seeing her poke her head out of the bathroom in a night gown and her long blonde hair draping down her shoulder, Reed tilted his head, shrugging as the light from the bathroom may have illuminated her, it didn’t show her complexion had changed. “You look as beautiful as always Suzie, maybe you’re just seeing things.”
“Yeah… Maybe…” Yawning into her own hand, Susan joined her husband in bed and curled up to sleep.
*
It was at night…
The sky was so dark, overhead all the stars could be seen like streams of sparkling lights just out of reach splayed over the canvas of the night, with the sickle thin outline of the crescent moon. Not a cloud in the sky, it was crystal clear as far as the horizon could show which finally ended with the obscurity of the pine trees, she darted past. Susan was running, running faster than she ever imagined in her life. Breathing hard, she could feel the icy wind through her long hair, the stark, brisk cold of the winter biting at her skin. But she never felt cold, even in the freezing foot deep snow she was running barefoot in. No, she was not cold, or tired, or scared…
She was hungry!
She was RAVENOUS!!!
She never KNEW such hunger, like an abyss demanding to be filled but so vast no effort could be made to fill it. She could not think or feel anything other than the gnawing hunger driving her forward.
Stalking through the snow, Susan breathed hard with her pace, her hot breath escaping her black lips like smoke from a furnace. Looking down at her feet she noticed footprints in the ankle-deep snow, dragging into a trail ahead of her further into the pines. Hearing a cry ahead of her, her speed increased, carving a wake through the snow until she was forced to leap into the air to hide her presence, grabbing hold of a tree trunk 15 feet above the ground and vaulting herself to the next one, then the next. Picking up speed she heard the cry echo out into the darkness again, practically salivating, she leapt across the forest and landed on her feet on a rocky outcrop, running on all fours with her lips pulled back to reveal her fanged teeth. Leaping off the outcrop, she found her prey stumbling in the snow, his clothes torn and marred with caked blood that was not his and his face frozen in terror. He had been running for his life for so long he no longer had the breath to scream when he turned and looked up at her lunging for him with her claws brandished and her maw open to bite into his neck.
The taste of blood on her lips made her eyes roll back, her nostril flaring from the taste even as she ignored the gurgling cries of the man she sunk her teeth into, her claws digging into his ribcage with enough force that bones crumbled in her grip. Feeling him limply struggling in her grip, his hands grabbing at the fur of her back and shoulders, he coughed up blood, trying to mutter a word into her spaded ear.
“Susan… It’s… It’s ME… Reed!... Please… Wake UP…”
*
“Wake up Susan, the kids are about to head to school, and I’ve got that symposium at the University, should I drop them off or do you need some more time?”
Groaning awake and sitting up from her spot on the bed, Susan rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked around, squinting at the sunlight cutting through the blinds of the bedroom. Looking over to the bedside drawer, she found the alarm clock read 7 AM. Looking up to Reed just now finishing up putting his tie on around his neck, the man wearing his blue business suit for the meeting.
“Damn what a screwed-up dream…” Shaking her head, Susan groaned.
“What was that sweetheart?”
“Nothing Reed, I think I can drop off the kids, just give me a bit to get cleaned up.”
Feeling him place a kiss on her forehead, Susan swooned to herself and sat up to make her way to the bathroom, giving herself a look over in her reflection in the mirror. Leaning against the sink counting, the woman turned her head back and forth and pulled open one of her eyes to get a better look. Apart from her skin looking a bit pale and her eyes a tad bloodshot, she seemed no worse for wear. Slumping and exhaling a breath, Susan gave her reflection a face and snorted. “Last time I eat a turkey sandwich late at night…”
Turning on the shower head and getting undressed, Susan Storm got herself ready to get cleaned up and ready for the day.
Spending the next few minutes hastily getting washed, dried, dressed, and prepped up, Susan checked herself in the mirror after drying her hair. Giving herself a look over, she found the edges of her blonde hair seemed a lighter colour. Bringing up a lock of her hair between her fingers, the woman found the tips to be a bit bleach in comparison to the rest of her golden blonde hair. Shrugging and thinking none of it, she stepped out of the washroom, gathered her clothes to get dressed and plucked a pair of shoes from her closet to wear.
Stepping out of the bedroom in a pair of dress pants and a soft blue button blouse, Susan tied her hair back and made her way to the living room where she found her two kids eating breakfast. From the kitchen she could smell Ben Grimm scraping away at a skillet making scrambled eggs and bacon for everyone, the big orange stone-skinned man turned his attention from the burner to smile back at the woman. Smiling over to Franklin and Valaria, Susan kissed them both on the forehead before joining them at the table and setting up a plate for herself. “Morning kids, are the two of you ready for school after breakfast?”
“Yes MOM!” Her son and daughter cheered out in unison.
“Morning Suzie, sleep well? Made hash and bacon.” He waved with his spatula, scooping up the fried minced potatoes and bacon onto a plate and made his way over to the table to join them.
Yes PLEASE! Woke up starving this morning.” She answered, using her fork to scoop up all the freshly cooked bacon and eggs, surprising everyone on how much she was stacking on her plate before bringing said fork to the mound of scrambled eggs in front of her to start eating her meal. Watching her go, the trio sat silently as the Invisible Woman ate like she was starving. Wolfing down one mound of eggs and bacon after the other, a look of pure bliss on her face maintained with every bite she took.
“Hey uh… Suzie, want some toast to go with yer bacon?” Ben offered, seeing the woman shake her head slightly before inhaling another fork full of bacon. Scraping her place clean, Susan wiped her lips and stood up from her seat, looking over the table as if searching for something.
“Is there anymore?”
“Sorry mom, you ate it all.”
Slightly taken back, the woman looked down to realise that she had eaten almost all the eggs and bacon on the table, leaving the hash browns, toast and fruit practically ignored save for her kids and friend, taking what they could get from the show. Blushing slightly, Susan covered her mouth with the back of her hand in embarrassment, then wiped her hands on her napkin. “Heh, guess I was hungrier than I thought, well kids, lets get you two to school, don’t want to be late now do we?”
Quickly getting out of their chairs, the two grabbed their school bags and joined their mother at the front door. Turning to look back over to the table, Susan waved back to the Thing with a shy smile. “Sorry about the damage Ben, hope I left some for you.”
Seeing the door close, Ben Grimm looked down at the table to see the only thing left were jam lathered toast and hash browns, shrugging, he filled his plate and nibbled at his toast. “Hmm, well, Alicia DID say I could stand to lose a few pounds…”
*
Getting the kids into the spare fantasti-car, Susan flew her two children to their school to start their classes, the pair sitting in the back seat with their school bags in hand as they flew over the city. More than once Susan found herself preoccupied while flying, even after breakfast she was still hungry. Seeing the large campus for gifted children just below the flying vehicle, Susan made her descent and landed just outside the curb of the school, parked between two other cars nearby. Turning over to check on Franklin and Valaria in their seats, she smiled back at the two, giving their hair a look over before she opened the side door and let them out. “Bye kids, have fun at school.” Seeing the two wave her goodbye and run for the main gate with the rest of the children, Susan caught a moment where she spotted Valaria being held up by a trio of girls in school uniform like her, taller and obviously a year more into their curriculum. From her vantage she could not hear what was going on, but she could see her daughter have a distraught look on her face before she made her way inside.
Taking note of that, Susan reactivated the Fantasticar and ascended a few stories overhead before turning around and making her way back to Four Plaza. But during the trip back, she felt her stomach growl again. Rubbing her flat middle, Susan frowned and looked down to the main streets below. Spotting a burger bistro in sight, Susan descended and found a decent place to park the park and made her way inside. Patiently waiting in line, the pale woman sighed, her arms crossed as the line of people grew shorter and her turn to order came up, during that time Susan was getting irritable having to wait forever to get her order in, but in actuality she only had to wait 5 minutes. The teller at the front desk was a young teenager smiling up to Susan wearing a hairnet and cap with the bistro’s logo.
“Hello, welcome to Butch’s Bistro, how can I take your…”
“I want three orders of your double patty burgers with bacon and cheese, along with some barbeque sauce and fries.”
Blinking back at the woman, the petite cashier leaned to the side to look behind the Invisible Woman tapping her foot impatiently. Finding apart from an elderly woman and a child behind her, there was not a group she was with. “Will that be all ma’am?”
“And I want a diet coke.”
Getting her order, Susan made her way outside to the sitting area of the bistro and sat at a table in the shade. Immediately she began eating her meal, the moment the ground beef, bacon and sauce touched her tongue, her eyes rolled back with a moan of bliss. Eating like she was starving; the woman took one bite after the other, oblivious to the stares from everyone nearby as they watched the woman eat a large hamburger like she hadn’t eaten in days only to follow up with her second one. Already she could feel her hunger ebb away, the need to eat fading as she filled her stomach. Dipping her fries in sauce and taking a sip from her drink, Susan became distracted when she heard a familiar voice nearby.
“Susan? Susan is that you?”
Looking up while still biting into her burger, Susan’s eyes lit up when she found her friend Greer Grant looking down at her from across the fence line of the eating area, her son in her arms while she stood there with a slack jawed smile and shaking her head in surprise. “Wow… Feeling hungry there Suzie?”
“Hi Tigra! He there William, are you having fun with your mother?” Chirped Susan, wiping her face and pulling a seat out for the tiger woman to sit along with her, keeping her toddler Will in her arms while he playfully struggled against his mother’s grip.
“He’s entered the terrible twos… for sure, by the way, are you feeling alright, you pretty pale, heck I could make out in broad day light girl.”
Bringing a hand to her cheek to cover her blush, Susan pouted before licking the sauce from her lip and wiped her hands with her napkin. “To be honest I thought so too, but I feel fine except for a bit of an appetite.”
Well, I’m heading off to the gym to work off some steam and drop him off to day care, want to come with?”
“Oh I couldn’t do that Greer, I’ve got a couple of things to do back at the home and…” Looking down at her plate, she realised she had eaten three double stacked burgers all by herself in one sitting, not to mention she ate almost all the bacon and eggs this morning when Ben served breakfast. Looking down at herself and pressing a hand against her stomach, she did not look bloated, if anything she did not look any different then when she started the day. Still, her sudden eating habits did worry her. The last thing she needed was to get a ‘mom bod’ after trying so hard to keep her model-trim figure.
“You know what? Sure, need a ride there?”
*
Meanwhile at the University of New York…
Stepping out of the symposium and shaking hands with several scientists and researchers, Reed Richards smiled back as he made his way out to get something to eat and drink during the break in between speeches. Heading his way to the cafeteria, the man picked what to have for a meal and pulled himself up to a two-person table in the open area. Patting down his suit, Reed unclasped the plastic container of his tuna sandwich with swiss cheese and made to take a bight when a flash of light briefly blinded him and the spectral form of Doctor Strange appeared in the adjacent seat in front of him. Startling the crowd of students and professors taking the time to eat, only to find a non-corporeal man in red and green robes siting with one of their tenured teachers.
“Ah, Doctor Stephen Strange, how has your research been coming along?”
Resting his arms on the table and sitting back, the astral projection of the sorcerer supreme took on a serious face and closed his eyes. “Greetings Doctor Reed Richards, I have spent three days combing through the nether realms of the great north, the lands of the ancient spirits that dwells behind the veil of the living, the primordial realms from which the spirits dwell and flourish outside the purview of mortal eyes. From there I sought the cause of the curse, its creator; Tanaraq the great beast.”
“And…?” Reed asked tilting his head in rapt attention.
“Nothing” Sighing, the man opened his eyes and rested his head in the palm of his gloved hand in a look of frustration, plucking a small tablet of butter spread off of Reed’s tray and rolling it back and forth across the table. “A being like him would shine like a star in the night, I’ve not seen a candle’s worth of a flicker of him.”
“Well, my research was equally inconclusive.” Replied Reed, cracking open a bottle of water and taking a sip. “The samples provided by SHIELD have only shown me that the subject is human, but that’s about it… At least I found out our Wendigo’s name; Richard Smith.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I had to check news clippings and it turns out he was the initial start of the Wendigo outbreak, the one who killed his co-worker and dumped his body in the ground beef meat processer.”
Hearing everyone in earshot suddenly spit out their food, or force themselves to gag, Reed looked around and stood from his seat with his arms out. “It happened in Canada folks, not here!” Seeing everyone calm down, Reed returned to his seat to join Strange.
Scratching his goatee, Doctor Strange mulled over that information. “Interesting, perhaps THAT is why he remains as the Wendigo, a punishment for such an atrocity…”
“I swear, magic is a topic I have NO hand in, how has it come so easily to you Stephen?”
“Magic is about what could ‘be’ in a world that ‘is’ Doctor Richards, imagination made manifest so long as one can tap into that which makes dreams reality.”
“Right… I am extremely comfortable with what ‘is’ Doctor Strange, unless you have something that can predict future events.”
“I have a magic 8 ball that tells the future.”
“Is it accurate?”
“It is!... If you shake it two or three times.”
*
Stepping out of the change room of the gymnasium Greer had encouraged Susan to join, the woman tugged at her nylon work-out clothes she purchased at the front desk while Tigra brought her son to the daycare in the same building. Holding herself close, the woman could still feel her stomach growl, something that was annoying her after eating three hamburgers all to herself. She did not know what was causing her sudden appetite, but she did know that if she did nothing about it, she would end up with thunder thighs in no time.
“Hi Suzie, I’m back, cute number.” Called out Greer, wearing black bike shorts and a tube top she changed into after dropping off her son, the tiger woman smirked as Susan hugged herself and looked out onto the gymnasium. “So, what do you want to try out first?”
Feeling a little overwhelmed by the facility, Susan began to stroll through the large space, finding rooms for yoga, calisthenics, a row of treadmills and bicycles, she did not know what to try out really. “How about… There.” Stepping through the weight training area, the two women garnered some attention from the local body builders until they came to the far corner where there was a boxing ring and fight training equipment. Looking up she watched as two men in gear sparred against each other while a spotter stood just outside of the ring to make sure things did not get serious. Nearby she could see others practice strikes and work on their swings. Looking at a man gather his tower and take a swig from his water bottle, he walked away from the punching bag now left open for anyone else to try. “How about that Greer?”
Moving up to the punching bag, Greer smiled a toothy grin and lolled her head and rolled her shoulders to loosen up. “So, you want to throw a few punches huh? Blow off some steam?” She asked, taking a few punches to the sand filled bag and listening to the satisfying rattle of its chain tether from the ceiling.
“Just trying to distract myself from this damn ache in my stomach.”
“Well if you want to work off eating a pound of ground beef, then girl, this is the way to do it.” Managing to pull a spare pair of fighting gloves from her bag, Greer helped Susan put them on and showed her where to stand on the mat, seeing the blonde bring her fists up, Greer stood back and brought her arm up. “Ready? Begin!”
The moment Tigra’s arm came down, Susan instantly began peppering the punching bag with swift jabs and punches, her fist bumping against the leather surface with all her might. Right hooks, left hooks, sharp jabs, she kept herself focussed on hitting the sandbag in front of her, her eyes narrowing as got into the routine. Then she felt something, a rush flow through her as her punches grew in speed and intensity. Every swing she felt something new, her mind wandering off as her imagination took over, daydreaming. Images of her taking swipes at an opponent that dodged and dove out of her strikes filled her mind’s eye, driving her to fight harder. Breathing hard she could feel her heart pound in her ears while the leather yielded to her fists, her punches growing in strength and intensity, so much so the chain tethering it protested with each blow.
“Uhm… Suzie, heh, getting a little carried away there!”
Susan did not hear a word Greer told her, so engrossed in her work out, her hunt, nothing else mattered to her right now. Sneering her lips, her teeth bared and grit while her punches became far more than practice swings. Her prey was almost down, struggling against her strikes yet still had not fallen. The gnawing ache in her stomach, the pounding in her chest and the booming in her ears drove her on, a singular drive to bringing the killing blow to her prey. By now she was no longer striking with clenched fists but with the palms of her hand, her fingernails cutting the leather with each palm strike that almost looked like the mauling blow of a bear or lion.
“Uhm… Mrs. Storm?”
Growling under her breath, Susan gave a final strike into the heart of the sand bag, practically roaring out loud and gaining the attention of the entire gym when her palm hit the surface and struck the punching bag with so much force the stitching burst and the chain snapped, sending the 100 pound sand bag flying across the gymnasium to hit the opposite wall behind it and burst open, sending yellow sand splaying everywhere on the tile floor. She was not tired, or sweating, there was no sign that punching the bag weighing as much as she did across 30 feet had any effect on her save a look of elated excitement on her face. Watching stunned, Greer could only stare at the remains of the punching bag and back to Susan, the woman panting with her mouth open and a gleam in her eye that looked almost predatory with glee before she calmed down, her breathing slowing when she turned her attention back to her shocked friend.
“Heh… Heh… That was surprisingly good, what else is there to do here?”
*
The next few hours were… Interesting to say the least. Greer could only shake her head in disbelief while staying with Susan Storm trying out exercise equipment at the gym. They had tried the tread mills, bicycles, medicine balls and several weight tension exercise booths. All of them were tested to their limits by the blonde woman who with every passing second was breaking so many records held in the gymnasium even some of the largest gym rats had to scratch their heads at what they were seeing going on.
Standing back, Greer watched on while Susan laid on a weight bench, being her spotter while Susan Storm lifted a weight bar that was now being reset with even more weights. Her workout had gathered quite a crowd now that she was getting into the zone. Looking around her, the tiger woman could see the rest of the gym patrons whisper in surprise, unable to look away from what they were watching. Hugging herself, Greer’s tail flitted back and forth as she watched her friend lift a new set of weights… All of them!
Before, Susan had tried out a simple rep of 100 pounds, only to claim it was to easy. Then 150, then 200, then 250 pounds, every time she lifted the bar, she showed no more effort then the last series of weights she lifted. Standing two feet from the bench and absolutely stunned by the sight, Greer Grant watched as Susan lifted what had to be over 500 pounds of iron with the same effort as if she were lifting tissue boxes. “Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen…” Not even breathing hard, or sweating from the effort, Susan lifted again and again. The look in her eyes were absolute focus as she drove herself forward and kept lifting again and again. “Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one…” For Susan, each work out seemed to clear her head, distracting her from the gnawing ache in her stomach, which reared its ugly head whenever she stopped, so she did not. Repeatedly she worked out with heavier weights or maximum resistance to all the machines she tried, but each machine she tried out was not a challenge to her at all if anything things were getting easier. “Forty, forty-one, forty-two…” If she could keep this all up, she might be able to get her sudden appetite out of her system, but not being able to find a challenge was starting to make her irritable. “Forty-eight, forty-nine, FIFTY!” bringing the weight bar back onto its holster, Susan sat up from the bench to find herself surrounded by 30 gym patrons applauding and cheering her after her little show.
Looking up from her seat, the pale blonde looked around with a little surprise, she did not realise she had garnered a crowd from her workout. Seeing Greer approach, her with an outstretched hand to help her up, Susan smiled a toothy grin and stood up with the woman’s assistance. “Suzie! Do you realise what you did?”
“Lifted a bunch of tin plates, personally I thought it was a little light, is there any more weights to add?”
“Weights?! Girl the bar was fitted to capacity, you just did FIFTY reps of 500 pounds!!!”
Blinking in surprise, Susan turned to look over her shoulder to see the weight bar for what it was as if for the first time. Now realising what she had been doing for the last few minutes, she too became surprised by her strength. “Wow, I did that?” Still taken back, Susan shook her head and looked back at her friend with a surprised grin. Getting her towel, she was oblivious to the fact the bench had none of her sweat on it or that she looked fatigued in any way. The moment she cleared the bench, another weightlifter took her place and audibly struggled to lift the 500-pound weight set, not even being able to budge the thing before he asked to shed weight off.
“Huh, guess it’s a little harder for some than others huh?”
Giving her friend another look, Greer thought she was seeing things. “Hey Suzie, did you get taller?
Blinking back at the tiger woman, Susan Storm looked down at herself and made a face of confusion. She did not feel any different save for the growl in her stomach. But to Greer, the changes were FAR to obvious to ignore. Before hand, the two women could see each other eye to eye, but now Susan had to have grown 3 inches taller in the last 4 hours alone. Not only that, all the extraneous workout may have been ‘easy’ to Susan, but it certainly effected her body. Long toned legs, muscular thighs and broad hips and a firm heart-shaped rear tapered off to a narrow waist sporting firm abdominal muscle, a heaving chest with a top that looked skin-tight over her larger breasts, coupled with now broader shoulders and firm arm muscles that bunched and tensed when Susan struck a pose with a hand at her hip and her hand combing through the front bangs of her hair. In the span of just those four hours, Susan Storm had turned herself into a pale skinned amazon woman! But that was another thing that worried Greer, Susan looked almost sickly pale, like she hadn’t been out in the son for months, her hair which was a golden blond looked almost bleach white leading up the tips of her hair half way up to her scalp, almost like a crude dye job. Not only that, her eyes looked… Red. Not blood shot, no, more like the ocean blue of her irises were losing their vibrant colour and being replaced with a pinkish hue. If Greer did not know any better, it almost looked like Susan was going albino.
“Suzie, are you feeling alright?”
“I’m feeling GREAT actually, never better, why?” Susan answered defensively, flexing her arm, and smirking at the chorded muscles of her arm bunch up.
“Well… You look so pale, are you sick? Do you have a fever?”
Checking her forehead, Susan’s lip twitched when she did not feel warm to the touch. What she DID feel was hungry, especially after a workout like the one she had. No, I feel fine…” Suddenly her stomach growled again, this time loud enough for both women to hear, making the pale blonde blush before turning her attention back to Greer with a shy smile. “Say do you want to get a bite to eat? I’m STARVING!”
*
Making their way out of the gymnasium proper after getting changed and over to the day care to pick up little William and head over to a small food court adjacent to the local gym. Greer and Susan ordered at a pizza parlour and managed to find a table at the food court. Tigra had ordered a single cheese pizza slice for herself and her son, snipping the slice into small bite for her son to eat. Susan had ordered a meat lover’s pizza with extra pepperoni and a diet coke to wash it all down. But when she started to eat, she ATE! Folding a slice of pizza heaping with meat toppings, Susan took her first bite and moaned in delight. Her senses lighting up at the sweet flavour of crisp bacon, seasoned pepper meat and spicy sausage before swallowing it all down. One slice quickly became two, then three, then four. Already halfway done her medium sized pizza with no signs of stopping save to take a sip from her drink and dap her lip with a napkin. Her dress pants and flowing blue button blouse looked tight on her, but not because she was bloated, FAR from it really! The exercise at the gym had swollen her physique and curves so much she looked like she was wearing clothes several sizes too small. She even had to undo the top three buttons to her blouse to let her chest breath lest they had burst open anyway. But apart from that, she had no signs of any fat on her body in any way… Despite eating a medium meat lover’s pizza all to herself.
“Wow girl, where do you pack it all?”
Shrugging from the question, Susan continued to eat her meal, nothing else seemed to matter right now save to fill her stomach to capacity. It was sweet relief, the gnawing ache in her stomach relented ever so briefly to give her a reprieve from it all. She had no idea why she had been starving all day, but then again, she was no stranger to wild changes in her life. Maybe this would blow over in time.
“Hey Suzie, mind if I...” Reaching for a slice of pepperoni from one of the pizza slices not yet eaten on Susan’s plate. The tiger woman got the scare of her life when Susan spotted her hand and practically growled at her, glaring down at the woman’s hand, and baring her teeth despite her mouth filled with a half-eaten slice of pizza. Snapping her hand back, Greer was taken back by the act until Susan calmed down and blinked, realising what she had done.
“Heh, sorry Greer, I don’t know what came over me, sure.” Plucking the pepperoni off the slice, Susan offered it to William who snatched it up out of her fingers and began to chew on the thin slice of spiced meat. The moment she had done so, Susan went right back to eating, wolfing down a slice and moving on to another.
“Excuse me, ladies?”
Hearing a man’s voice approach their table at the food court, Susan looked up from her meal to spot a representative of the gym come up and offer his hand. “Hello, my name is Patrick Schwartzman, I’m the proprietor of the Global Gym just over there.” He pointed back towards the gym the two women exited previously before getting a bite to eat.
“Okay… How can we help you?”
“Miss after your demonstration on the gym floor, I want to sign you up for a free membership to our gym, so that we can have more attention to our training and workout classes, the crowds LOVED you in there.” Fumbling with his jacket, the 50 something year old man pulled out a business card along with a small pamphlet to the gym they just came out of. “Don’t decide right away, but please give us a call so we can set you up.” Smiling back at the two women, the man quickly turned and made his way back to his business across the complex, leaving Susan to read the pamphlet with one hand while stuffing her face with the last slice of pizza with the other.
“So… What else did you have planned today Suzie?”
Finishing her pizza and looking down at the empty box with mild dismay, the woman sipped at her drink and pocketed the card and pamphlet in her back pocket. “Well I had a few things planned but I guess those are cancelled now, I was going to finish the day by picking up the kids from school, need a ride home before hand?”
“Sure, thanks for that Suzie.”
Getting up from their seats and hugging from the offered gesture, the two women made their way out of the mall complex to the parking lot where Susan had the fantasticar parked. Even though it was only minutes after finishing a meal that would have served as breakfast lunch and dinner all at once, Susan still felt her stomach growl, demanding to be filled. Pursing her lips in a frown, the pale blonde woman shrugged and tried to push that at the back of her mind before forcing herself to reposition the seating to the car, finding it strangely snug since the last time she drove earlier today.
*
After dropping Greer and her son home, Susan started her flight back to her kid’s school to pick them up after their classes. During the quick flight there she almost diverted to a fast-food franchise or two getting there. Shaking her head she tried to remind herself that by now her son and daughter were standing outside the school waiting for her to pick them up, ignoring the ache in her stomach until she made it to the front campus and landed the fantasticar in a nearby parking spot and opened the side doors. Looking out of the vehicle, she smiled to find Franklin wave over to her and quickly run to her. But when she looked up to find Valaria, she found her with the same trio of older girls from before. The leader of the trio had her hands at her hips and looked like she was talking down to her. Narrowing her eyes, Susan could not figure it out, but it felt like she could just make out wheat the girl was saying; something about homework and a deadline… She could not make sense of it until she decided enough was enough and called out for her.
“Valaria, it’s ME, time to come home dear.”
Seeing the three girls snicker, Valaria quickly made her way to the fantasticar with her head down and her books clutched in her arms. Getting into the car, Susan gave her daughter a look over and looked back at the trio now leaving the campus together. “So… I’ve seen you with those girls before, are they friends of yours Valaria?” Seeing her daughter shake her head and still looking down at her bags, Susan frowned. Leaving the subject for now, Susan activated the fantasticar and began her ascent above the electrical and lamp posts and flew back towards For Freedom Plaza across town.
Again, the woman found herself distracted on the way home, her eyes darting downward to the local restaurants while keeping her eye on her destination.
“Mom, are you feeling okay?” Asked Franklin from the back seat, his eyes never leaving his mother’s pale complexion during the flight.
“Hmm? Oh, I’m just peachy son, just been hungry lately.” She smiled down to him, not the least bit convincing with her current state.
“Okay…”
The moment they made it to the landing pad of the building, Susan cut the engine and opened the doors for her kids to exit and get inside. Closing the fantasticar doors, she noticed her daughter seemed slower getting inside, looking depressed. Crouching down to see her eye to eye, Susan traced a finger to pull a bang of hair out of her daughter’s eyes. “Hey sweetie, I know a sad kid when I see one, wanna talk about what happened today?”
Seeing her daughter pout and slowly shake her head, Susan sighed. “Okay then, but if you change your mind, let me know okay?” Getting a nod from her genius of a daughter, Susan pecked her on the forehead and sent her inside. The moment the trio entered the apartment, the two children ran to their father who was busy in the kitchen while Johnny and Ben were on the couch watching television.
“Hey guys, we’re home.”
“Sis, is that you? DAMN! What, did you hit the gym or something?” Chuckled the Human Torch, finding his sister step inside wearing blue pants and a button blouse that looked almost painted on her athletic frame and curves.
Smiling sheepishly and scratching the back of her head, Susan smirked back at her brother and posed with a tilt of her hip and flexing her arms over her head. “Actually yes, I bumped into Tigra while out for a meal, she introduced me to a gym south of Manhattan, they offered me a free membership I might take them up on.”
“Hey, if it gets you out of the apartment, go for it.” Chuckled Ben, toasting back at the pale woman with the beer in his stony hand. He and Johnny chuckled going back to watching the game together.
Stepping out of the kitchen and wiping his hands with a cloth, Reed approached his wife from behind and kissed her on the neck, making the woman swoon and giggle feeling his arms wrap around her waste and wrapping her own around his affectionately. “Welcome home honey… Did you get taller?” Asked the surprised man, finding his wife was now an inch taller than he was, and feeling her arms holding his more tightly with a strength he did not know she had.
“You know, you’re the second person to ask me that, I don’t feel any different…” Hearing her stomach growl, Susan blushed that it was loud enough for her husband to hear. “Though I DO feel a little hungry.”
“Well that’s good, I had HERBIE cook up a roast for the family, I think he may have overdone it a bit though.”
Smiling more widely, Susan pulled her husband around to press up against her front, kissing his lips and nose while scuffing up his hair affectionately with both her hands. “Oh Reed, you’re too good to me.”
*
Three hours later…
The door to Reed and Susan’s shared bed slammed open with the pair making their way inside and making out intensely before Susan playfully shoved her husband onto the bed and kicked the door closed behind her with her bare foot. During dinner she surprised everyone when she ended up eating almost half the roast all to herself! Not even bothering with the rest of the side dishes save for something to drink while eating one fork full of cooked meat after the other. When dinner was finished, the kids were sent to their rooms for the night and Johnny claimed he was heading out for the club. Ben had decided to go to the landing pad to check on the fantasticars before bed and Reed went to clean up the dishes. He was almost finished when he felt his wife come up behind him and pull him close, nuzzling the back of his head and kissing down his neck. “Hmm, nice dinner Reed, I think I need to reward you for such a delicious meal.”
“Well I only set up the dishes, HERBIE’s the one who…”
Quickly spun around, the man found himself pulled into a passionate kiss by his wife. Moaning into his mouth while her tongue swirled and explored the inside of his mouth. One thing led to another and the man found himself tossed onto their bed with the woman kicking the door closed behind her and looming over the man until she straddled his waist. Pressing down on the man with her chest, Susan went right back to making out with her husband, grinding against his waist, and moaning into his mouth. Feeling his hands roam over her back to down her rear and thighs, Susan moaned louder in his mouth before she pulled away and reared up, fumbling with the remaining buttons to her top and tossing her blouse across the room. Her breasts looked like they had grown, the slopes threatening to touch her chin until she undid the clasp at the back. Pulling her bra off, she tossed it aside with her blouse and went back to making out with her husband, smiling against his lips while they kissed.
“Well, You’re certainly in the mood.” Reed moaned in between kisses while Susan giggled and rummaged to undo his shirt, tugging at the sleeves, and prying it off him and try to unbuckle her pants. Kicking her pants off and prying Reed’s pants and underwear off his waist with an aggression Reed had never seen in her. Practically ripping her panties off herself, Susan straddled Reed more fiercely, her thighs squeezing his while she arched her back and thrust her chest into his face. Smirking as he mumbled a response with his nose in her cleavage, licking under the slopes of her E cup breasts and up her chest.
Sliding lower she brought herself eye to eye with her husband, kiss his mouth before making her way down to kiss his chin, down his neck and chest until she found herself at his crotch, gently moving his legs out of the way to stroke at his growing erection and lick at its length. Seeing him grip at the bed sheets the alabaster skinned woman purred with arousal, sucking him off before sandwiching her breasts between his length, licking the head of his cock to hear his gasp and wheeze. Eventually her coaxing and ministrations rewarded her when she found her mouth flooded with his cum, gulping it all down hungrily and licking his length to clean it off and gather what else she could to taste. Even now she still wanted more, but she had other appetites she wanted sated. Slowly crawling up his body and letting her breast and stiff nipples drag against his body, Susan straddled her husband once against and swooned when she kissed and nuzzled against Reed’s chin and lips. Positioning his still hard length between her legs she sunk down on his cock and groaned when her pussy was filled with him.
“Come ON honey, I know you have more for me.” She husked, grinding, and gyrating her hips against his, pleased to feel his hands grip at her thighs and rear and try to buck his hips against hers. Rearing back, Susan moaned, her bare breasts heaving from her chest as sweat slicked her skin. Her long platinum blonde hair swaying with each thrust and arch of her back. Her inner muscles squeezed at Reed’s length as she sank down again, trying to drive him to release again and again. Gasping, Reed looked down to find his wife’s fingernails digging into his shoulders, but as far along as he was it only drove him on to satisfy his wife.
Sitting up, Susan tossed her hair back and forth, her eyes fluttering as she reached her limit, a building crescendo reaching its peak just when she felt a pair of hands cup her breasts and massage their soft masses, his thumbs flicking her nipples and setting electrical jolts of pleasure down her spine. Eventually it was too much for the both of them, and with a keening cry, Susan’s mind went blank with orgasmic pleasure when her husband found his release a second time in the same moment, flooding her insides and causing her body to collapse in a heap of orgasmic pleasure. Moaning and cooing in post coital bliss, Susan hugged Reed close and wrapped her arms and legs around him as if he were a life preserver, her breathing hoarse and erratic while her explosive orgasm racked through her, her vision blurry.
Eventually the couple calmed down, and Reed was pulled close more gently by the pale skinned amazon woman, cooing and purring with delight as she breathed in the scent of his sweat and hair, kissing his lips and forehead before nuzzling his scalp and licking his hair like a domestic cat. Breathing in his scent, the woman slowly found the peace of sleep, despite the gnawing ache in her stomach.
*
Deep in the bowers of the Raft super-max containment facility, the Wendigo laid motionless. Still unconscious and comatose from a string of IV tubes linked in its arm and neck pumping full of tranquilizers to keep it contained, the only sign of life being its feint breathing. For weeks, the beast was well contained and sedated, but very quickly its breathing began to grow in intensity, its barrel chest inhaling deep full breaths and exhaling hot breath. The monitors keeping track of its vitals began to beep with more intensity, signaling a rise in activity. Opening its blood red eyes, a growl echoed from its cell to the hallways of the Raft.
It was awake…
Topic: Susan Storm: The Invisible Wendigo (Read 1118 times)