FF: Earth Girls Aint Easy Epilogue, Rev 1May (Patreon)

EPILOGUE: BUT THEY CAN BE HAD

"Do we really have to do this?"

"Well, we are here already, and they are expecting us.  We are guests of honor, after all.  It would not be polite to just leave now, would it?"

At his side on the luxurious vestibule, Susan Storm fidgeted.  "I just don't like it.  They were hardly transparent with us, Reed.  They were after you, to use you, to get the Nullifier."

"They were at war, Sue."  

"They almost got us all killed."

"But it all worked out, no?"

Sue turned to stare at her husband, her lips tightening.  She reached to adjust his black tie.  "Wasn't that easy."  

***************************************************

"Harder!  Harder, please!  And bigger!  Oh, please!  Just...  Just make it bigger!"

"Like this-?"

"More!  Like that, yes, but more!  Please!  Much more!"

"Sue, I don't-"

"Oh, Reed, please!  Make it bigger!  Much bigger!  So big I squeal!  So big it splits me in two!  PLEASE!"

Reed laughed.  "Oh, Sue.  That'd be too much, wouldn't it?"

"NO!  NO!  I WANT THAT!  JUST THAT!  PLEASE!"

***************************************************

"I'm... sorry."  Reed sat by her side on the bed, running his hand over her hair.  "I'm just a bit...  uncomfortable."

"I know."  She hugged a pillow.  "It's alright."

"I know you want to... expand things a bit."

"Yes.  I do.  Expand."  She sighed.  More than a bit, really.  Much much.  "Why can't we-?  Is it wrong to-?"

"No, no, of course it is perfectly normal to experiment.  Try new things.  But we would not want to have it get out of hand, right?  Not too far, too quickly."

"We wouldn't?"

"I wouldn't want to risk..."

"A little more... risk would not be-"

He stood up.  "We'll keep working at it.  Find the proper balance."

"Maybe I don't want it proper,"  she whispered.  "Maybe I just want it big and hard and rough."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

"I'd just never want to...  hurt you, Susan."

She winced.  "Never?"

"Of course."

She turned face up, sighed again.  "Of course."  

He walked away from the bed.  "We should probably get started.  They're waiting for us at Xandar at around eight.  They said they'd have everything just waiting for us."

She stared at the ceiling.  "Maybe I want it hurt.  Maybe I need it to."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

***************************************************

The dress was on display when she walked into the dressing room of her guest quarters at the Xandarian palace.  Long and shimmery and exquisite, it was an amazing sight of flowing silver unlike anything she had ever seen.

"Oh, Reed, it's gorgeous.  Just gorgeous.  I don't know what to say."

From the other room, Reed glanced in quickly.  "Uh?"  

"Thank you, dear.  Really.  It's perfect."

"Oh, great."  He went back out.

She was amazed he even remembered her size.  Or close to it, at least.  It did look like a tight fit.  A very tight fit.  Sometimes having large boobs was too annoying.

Could she even have anything on under that?  At all?  Would she want to?

***************************************************

"Is it too tight?"

"Uh?"

"The dress.  Is it too tight?  Does it make my boobs look too big?  Or my behind?  It's just so-""

"Oh, no.  It looks great on you."

"I don't want to look slutty.  Does it show too much leg?"  

"Susan, dear, you look beautiful."

"You always say that."

"Well, you always look like that."

"That's not helping."

The doors opened and they were ushered in with great ceremony into the Xandarian equivalent of a ballroom.  Polite applause welcomed them, as did the multiple media drones recording their entrance.

The space was enormous, its size emphasized by the partially translucent dome overhead that afforded a dazzling view of the cluttered local star-cluster hosting the artificially-linked set of enclosed planetary fragments that comprised Xandar.  There were easily thousands of people assembled on the many layered terraces and expansive areas mixing folliage with luxurious lounging sections.  Water spouted up and sideways in many gravity-manipulated decorative arrangements all over, while carefully layered music from exotic instruments filled the air.

The crowd was made of members of multiple humanoid species and a handful of non-humanoid ones.  The majority were clearly Xandarians, Earth-like in their physiologies but not their dress codes.  There was plentiful skin on display from both males and females, whispy veils and tight ribbons combining flamboyantly with the distinctive makeup patterns surrounding their eyes.  

But what made Susan pause were the many green faces present as well.  The pointed and elongated ears, wide mouths over deeply corrugated chins, and the various shades of green skin clearly identified them as Skrulls, the long-time enemies of the Fantastic Four and recent would-be invaders of Xandar.  Despite the careful climate control she instantly felt cold, and drew closer to her husband, gripping his arm tightly.

"There are so many Skrulls."

"It is a celebration of the Skrull peace treaty with Xandar, so of course there would be a sizable presence."

"I hate when you are so logical."  She did not loosen her hold.  "Can we leave as early as possible?"

It was a drastic inversion of roles.  Normally it was Reed who shunned social events, and she was the one making him attend and stay beyond the first few minutes.  Normally.

"I don't see why not.  We should just be visible for a reasonable while, to avoid offending them, and then-"

"Let's make it a short reasonable while, alright?"

He nodded, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

Susan avoided looking at anyone, anything in particular.  She could not wait to leave this place.  

Everything about it, from the decadent decor to the strange, alien faces, brought back to her unpleasant memories of the much similar event recently held back at the Skrull HomeWorld, where she and the others had been held as prisoners, and which she had been forced to attend as unwilling companion, as party date, to the cruel and devious Skrull emperor himself.  She had to walk by him, and hold his arm, much as she now did with Reed, her husband.  How many of these Skrulls, the political and military elite of their kind, now present here had been there as well, watching her with merciless, antagonistic eyes, as she was exposed to them in that almost-nothing dress, flaunted by that disgusting creep as his escort, his date, his would-be future concubine.  How many of them had watched her family being threatened by certain death, and celebrated it?  How many had stared at her as she had been forced to dance and strip for them, for him?

How many remembered all that just now, while watching her?   

Her chill did not leave her.

***************************************************

With his Nova suit in full ceremonial configuration, Rich Rider almost tripped and dropped his helmet.  

It was her, walking in with her husband.

She had her blond hair gathered high, with just a few long strands deliberately loose at each side of her face to frame her flawless features.  She looked pale under the minimal makeup, her eye-shadow a soft pastel that did not compete with the catching blue of her eyes.  She was almost heart-breaking beautiful.

But undeniably lovely as she was facially, it was seeing her in the dress what made him ache all the way to his private parts.

It was a long, body-hugging silvery sheath that covered her fully from neck to just above her high-heels, but with a daring slit high along one side, showcasing a smooth, toned leg with each step.  The fabric was thin and tight like a second skin but with a minute, delicate texture that emphasized her generous volumetry, seeming to shimmer and shift as she moved, adjusting fluidly to her contours with every motion, with the swaying motions of her walk, as if her body had been thinly coated with impossibly pure liquid silver, calling attention boldly to her hourglass-like shape, to her flat abdomen and narrow waist, the nicely curved hips and solid, rounded behind, and the large, so large, high-set breasts tightly packed in the skin-tight fabric, where the taut surface's sheen highlighted the subtly raised nubs of her nipples.  

Simple hanging earrings were her only jewelry, and she wore no other adornments.  There was no need.  Her body in that dress was all that could ever be needed.

And there was no way she had anything under that.  No way.

***************************************************

"You guys!  You finally showed up!"

"Hello, Johnny."

"What took so long?"  His face was flushed and he held a glass full of a reddish liquid.  "Alright, wow.  I can see now why you're late.  They had to sew that thing around you?  Can you actually breathe?"

"Very funny.  I can breathe, yes."

"Can sure see you can.  Damn.  That's some push-up action right there."

"I'm not wearing any-Oh, forget it.  We're late because Reed had to check things at the lab before leaving."

"Ah, nothing new there.  So where's Ben?"  

"Begged off at the last moment.  He didn't feel like bringing Alicia here and did not want to come without her."

"Bummer.  The party is awesome.  Lots of gorgeous-looking babes and the most amazing stuff to eat and drink."

"Careful with the booze, Johnny."

"Aye, Aye, Mommy."  He bowed with an exaggerated gesture.  "Rich?  Buddy!  What're you doing over there staring like that?  Come here!  I need a wingman!"  

"Ah, yes.  Hello.  Mr. Richards.  Ms. Richards.  How-How are you doing?"

"It's nice to see you again, Rich."

"Rich, my man, where are those three babes Sue left with you the last time?"

"Oh, we kinda lost contact these days.  They opened a business.  Doing quite well, I hear."

"Oh, great for them."  Sue smiled wistfully.  She would have liked to see her friends again.  It may have made this night  bearable.  "What kind of business?"

"Er, a service one."   Rich looked away, his face reddenning.  "Specialized service.  Er...  Seems the Skrull Empire abolished slavery all over their dominions and started offering finantial backing for start-ups of... um, specially trained individuals.  Looks like they will make it a franchise and all."

"Really?  What sort of franchise?  Fast food?  Beauty parlors?"

Sue raised her eyebrows.   "Johnny."

"What?"

Sue sighed.  Her brother could be dense sometimes.  "Just forget it.  You don't need to know."

"Why?"

Reed cut in, trying to be helpful.  "I think Rich means it is some kind of...  brothel?  Would that be the correct term?"

Sue covered her face.  "Could we move on?"

"Alright, Rich, come with me, let's get away from the old folks and get some drinks."

He dragged Rich away, who glanced back at Sue nervously.

"Er, I kinda don't-"

"Come on, you gotta get me connected there.  Those were really hot babes."

Sue shook her head, watching them go.  "We have to help Johnny get a steady girlfriend.  He's going to end up with some alien STD or something."

"Interesting concept.  Sexually transmitted diseases tend to be those so hard to contract that they require intimate exchage of fluids.  However, the index of actual compatibility among humanoid species which should be null, is instead unsually high, which hints at common origins, so maybe-"

"Alright, now I regret having mentioned it.  Maybe we could get some drinks, too."

"Really?"  He stretched his midsection an extra foot to peer over the crowd around them.  "I'll get you one, dear.  Just wait."

"No, no.  Don't you leave me here-REED!"

But he had already moved away.  Fuming, she tried to follow, but his pliability gave him a great advantage in navigating through the multitude of party-goers.  

"Oh, great.  Just great."

"He did not just leave you, did he?  So that anyone could just come and take you away?"

Susan froze, startled by the sudden voice heard over the loud din of the multiple overlapping conversations and the background music.  

Suddenly her dress felt too tight, so much that she could not breathe.

It could not be.  Not him.

She turned around, and her previous sense of cold became a glacial feeling of numbness.  

"I was told you were dead."

***************************************************

"Here, have this one."

"I don't know if the Nova Corps are meant to drink at all-"

"Come on, loosen up, grow some balls.  So how much are we talking about, money-wise?"

"Really, I never-"

"Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four.  I am happy to find you."

Both young men turned at the soft, musical voice, towards the slender, young girl in the lush, ornate robes flowing over her graceful frame, her long shiny black hair arranged in a complex pattern under the elaborate headdress, its green highlights shining in the indirect lighting.  Her bright green eyes shone, large in her young, lovely pale green face.

"Woah, Princess Analle?"

"Anelle."  

At her smile, both instantly stood up straighter.  "Right, Anelle!  

Rich stared.  "She's a-?  But she's so-"

Johnny hushed him quickly.  "Great to see you again, Princess.  You look lovely tonight."

Rich nodded.  "Lovely.  Yes."

"Thank you.  Johnny Storm, do you remember when we met recently?"

"Yeah, you...  So it was you, who came to my cell.  Back when I was held prisoner."

She glanced nervously at the two beefy Skrull warriors standing a couple of paces behind her.  "Please be more discreet.  But yes, I did see you there."

"But it wasn't you the second time, right?  Not while looking just like my-"

"I did go a second time."  She pointed at Rich.  "I gave you back his warrior suit.  To help you escape."

"Oh, yes.  That.  Right.  It was all a bit confusing.  Not that all hot green babes look alike or anything, but-"

"I was glad to know that you got away safe."

"Was kinda glad myself, too."

She smiled and they smiled back sheepishly.  

"So, what did he say?  Did he give you any reply for me?"

"Um, come again?"

"When you delivered my message, did you get any reply meant for me?"

Blood rushed away from Johnny's face.   "Oh!  THAT message."

***************************************************

"Oh, reports of my death were... greatly exaggerated."

Sue was almost a head taller in her high heels than the hunched, ungainly figure dressed in long, flowing robes.  The dark-spotted green face, angular and deeply-furrowed at the chin, sported a wide toothy grin while his narrow eyes shamelessly ran over her from head to toes.

Sue stepped back, her fists clenched.  "Kl'rt said that-"

"Kl'rt?  Such an unreliable underling.  I'm sorry you had to put up with him."

She glanced quickly all about them, still startled, unbalanced, yet ready to project her force-field.  Could this be a Skrull trick?  Part of a new gambit against them?  Could the Skrulls be planning to betray them all?  Yet all around them the party continued without any hints of wrongdoing.

"He said that your wife had killed you."  

"Well, that's marriage, you know.  There were... old grievances to work out."  Bony shoulders rose in a shrug.  "It did mean a lengthy stay in a regeneration pod.  However, as you can see, I got better.  And there's now a new...  arrangement.  But I'm touched that you were so concerned."

She frowned.  "Concerned?  I wasn't-"  

"Of course, it must have been rather painful for you, to think me gone, to think you'd never again see me, or again be with me-"  

"What?  You think that I-?  You're insane!"  

"And now you must be quite overwhelmed, by surprise, and relief, and delight, and excitement, to know I'm still here.  For you."

"For-?"  She stepped back again, shaking her head, stunned by his arrogance, his audacity.  "How dare you...  show up here, like this?  After all that you did?  To us?  To me?  After all...."  Anger flared behind her pale blue eyes.  "I should just-!"

"Sue, I got your-Oh, good evening."

"Reed?"

He calmly handed her an elaborately arranged beverage.  "Sorry for the delay.  All dispensers were quite crowded."

"We meet again, Earthman Richards."

"Ah, Emperor Dorrek VII, if I am not mistaken."  Reed extended his hand.  "It has been a while since the Morrat incident."

Susan stared in disbelief as they calmly shook hands.  

"Oh, my place within the Empire has changed since you were last my guests."  

"Guests?"  Her beverage crashed to the floor.  "GUESTS?"

Those around them barely glanced and quickly returned to their affairs.  Drones hurried to clean up.

"Sue?  What was-?"

"This is Dorrek!  DORREK!  He-He condemned us to death!  He ordered that the aging ray be used on you and Ben and Johnny!  He's the one who-who-"

"The lovely lady is correct.  Such were my actions while being Emperor.  Hard decisions are the throne's unfortunate burden.  My sincere apologies for that."

"Apologies?  APOLOGIES?"

Reed moved close to her, lowering his voice.  "Sue, it was wartime.  We were helping Xandar, so we were their enemies at the time.  But now its over.  There is peace.  All this is to celebrate just that."

"You just don't know, Reed.  What he did.  What he-"

"I understand you are still upset.  I know that since I was not fully conscious at the time, it was easier for me, but that you had it much harder."

"Oh, I'm afraid she did.  Much harder, indeed."

"For you, and Ben and Johnny.  But the war is over.  There is a treaty now between Xandar and the Skrull Empire, ensuring peace, arranging for joint cooperation, for trade, for cultural exchange.  Slavery is outlawed at last.  There is widespread peace in this galaxy for the first time in untold cycles.  We can't put that at risk."

"So everything is forgiven?  Everything?  Just like that?"

"The only way to have peace is to let go of grievances."  

"Your husband is an enlightened man, my lady."

"It's really about time we ended this long enemity between us."  Reed turned towards the Skrull.  "There must be so much we could offer each other.  Much to share, to exchange, if we are both willing."

"Indeed.  So much.  To offer.  To share.  To exchange.  So much."   

Sue was stunned.  How could Reed not be getting any of that?   

The grin spread wider, green eyes boring into her.  "Are you, my dear lady?  Willing?"

"Enough.  That's enough."  She didn't care anymore where they were or what may happen.  She would just smash that odious grin from his face.

"Reed!  Susan!  Dorrek!"  The voice cut the tension, smooth, but with a sense of unquestioned authority.  "Oh, but you've already gotten together!"

Followed at a polite distance by an escolt of burly Nova Corpsmen, Adora, Suzerain of Xandar, strode towards them, all smiles and heavy perfume and exotic makeup and almost nothing else.

The green smile expanded even more.  "We are working on that."

***************************************************

Her eyes were like those of a deer before headlights.  "You lost it?  The message?"

"Yeah, sorry about that.  Look, it was quite a messy time, the escape, what with the fighting and all that-"

She covered her trembling mouth.  "I trusted the words of my heart to you and you-you-?"

"Hey, you were giving me a message for another guy, remember.  It's not like we were-"

She covered her face and ran away.  Her towering bodyguards glowered at both of them before following her hurriedly.

Rich turned to Johnny.  "You really lost her message?"

"Hey!  I was under stress, ok?  We were going to be killed there!"

"I know!  I was there, too!  But that was a lady trusting you to-"

"Oh, yeah, shinning knight, you would have done much better.  Just because she's a drop-dead gorgeous young princess begging for your help you would have risked your life for her sake without any doubt!"

"Um, yes.  Sure.  Wouldn't you?"

"Well...  I was rather worn out at the time, cause... reasons!  And she kept going on about this other guy, so it was sorta off-putting.  This Mar-Vell fellow who-"

"So what was the message about?"

"What the hell do I know?  Why would I read it?  I can't even remember if I got it out of the cell or not."

***************************************************

Her walk was a deliberate, well-measured production, her young, lean body lean flaunting the graceful curves of a supermodel.  Her long brown hair was arranged in multiple braided layers, strung with gleaming jewels, and more jewels shone stuck to multiple key points of her mostly bare flesh.  She wore less clothes than make-up.  The traditional Xandarian blue shades were patterned not just around her eyes but also drawn suggestively on her exposed flesh, like graphic instructions of where to look or touch or caress: over her abdomen and hips, her long neck, and in concentric whorls on her perky, out-thrust breasts, peaking on her blue-coated compact nipples.  White strips of soft leather were stacked in succession on her long shapely legs and arms, and a handful of lengths of gauzy, insubstantial fabric flowed at key spotsm careful to not really cover much of anything.

Sue had thought that the outfit she was forced to wear by the Skrulls back in their world had been slutty.  She had no idea.  No idea at all.  In her present skin-tight, body-hugging dress, she felt positively nun-like.

"Oh, Reed, Susan, we're so pleased to see you."  Adora took a hand of each and leaned to peck at their cheeks.  "We couldn't wait to have you both, here.  We owe all this to you."

Reed fidgeted nervously.  "Ah, no need to-"

"Yes, no need at all,"  Sue interrupted, holding on to his arm assertively.

"So you know Embassador Dorrek!"    

Green eyes glinted.  "Oh, yes.  We do know each other.  Quite well, too."

"He honors us with his presence, representing High Empress R'Klll."

Sue frowned.  "Ambassador?"

"The throne was a too heavy to bear for long, I confess.  R'Klll, my former wife, stepped up to the task instead.  That's the new arrangement.  I now serve the Empire in this far more pleasant capacity, here, mingling like this, with such extraordinary beauties as those before me."

"Oh, you are too kind, Ambassador.  But Susan!  Your dress is just amazing.  Interactive, inertia-responsive fabric, right?  Please, let us know the maker."

"It-It was a gift."

"Really?  How generous.  It must be worth a fortune."

"Reed-?"

"Doesn't she look ravishing in it, Ambassador?"

"Absolutely.  It's perfect for her.  Although the lady would always look beautiful in anything, Suzerain.  Or in nothing."

"I tell her that,"  Reed added.  "But she doesn't believe me."

Adora placed her hand on Reed's chest.  "Oh, it's not the same coming from your partner.  Never the same.  From your partner.  Isn't that right, Susan?"

Sue frowned at Adora's words.  "You're...  quite a sight yourself, Adora.  Very... striking."

"Please, it's just something I put on in a hurry."

More like put off, Sue thought.

Adora sighed.  "The treaty and all those new agreements are so time-demanding.  I must actually look dreadful.  Isn't that so, Reed?"

"No, you look lovely, of course."

"You flatterer!  We must have you more often.  Here.  With us.  In Xandar."  She turned, smiling, to Sue.  "Both of you, of course."

Reed glanced nervously at his wife.  "Well, there's much work to do on Earth, Suzerain.  It's not-"

"But the transporter makes it so easy!  You could be here every night.  Every night!"  She seized Reed's arm.  "To enjoy some relaxation.   And some variety."

Susan's eyebrows rose.  "Variety?"  

"Exactly."  Her hand moved to his shoulder.  "Xandar can offer so many more exotic pleasanties than Earth."

"Perhaps Earth offers him more than you think."  She stared at Reed.  Why hadn't he brushed off this hussy already?

"A mind of extraordinary intellect and sensibilities like Reed must not be restricted, Susan."

"Well, I'm sure he'd tell me if he finds himself...  restricted."

Reed looked away from her icy gaze.  "Ah, we apreciate your generous offer of hospitality, Suzerain, and we will keep up the scheduled work with Master Xar, but otherwise I must really decline-"

"Oh, wait.  Listen!"  Adora closed her eyes, gesturing for others to pay attention to the music rising in the background.  "That is my favorite composition!  I must dance to it, now!  Or this celebration shall be ruined for me.  Oh, please, Susan, can you be so kind?"

"Excuse me?"

"Can I have your husband?  Just for a quick one?"

Reed raised his eyebrows.  "I don't think I can dance this sort of music.  I'd better not-"

Adora laughed.  "Oh, I will gladly show you how, silly.  Come!  You must come with me!  You must!"

Open-mouthed, Susan stared as a flustered Reed was dragged away by Xandar's mostly naked ruler through a dense throng of wildly gyrating Xandarians.

"That slut.  That damn slut.  I never said he could.  Or she could.  Never.  Why ask at all, then?"

"She is quite...  impulsive, the Suzerain, isn't she?"

Sue did not even glance at the Skrull now standing next to her.  "Is that even dancing?  She's just rubbing against him!"

"We could join them."  A long-fingered green hand reached for hers.    

She pulled her hand away violently, and stepped back, glowering.  "Don't you dare touch me.  Don't you ever dare touch me!"

"Of course, you're right.  That's not dancing.  Now, what you did for me, back on my world, at my party.  How you moved before me, against me...  Now, that was dancing."

Her eyes narrowed.  "Don't you speak about that.  Just don't."

"You, twisting, ondulating, grinding, against me.  Making your body speak, speak loudly.  That was dancing indeed."

"You made me do that.  You forced me to."

"You got wet there, didn't you?  Dancing for me?"

"What?"

"You got wet.  Moving over me.  Against me.  Against my bulge, my cock.  You did.  I could tell.  Did I make you do that, too?"  

"You humilliated me.  Then you tortured and abused me."  She clenched her fists tighter.  "I should make you pay, right now, right here, pay for all that, for all you did.  I should-"  

"But it'd be a shame if anything were to undermine all this peace effort, and place everything currently achieved here at risk, wouldn't it?  A real, real shame."

"You think that... protects you?  That you can get away unpunished for everything you did just because it'd could become a political incident?  That this treaty gives you a free pass, immunity to do whatever you want?"

"Actually it does.  Ambassador to Xandar, remember?  Comes with the title."

"This is not about your world and Xandar.  This is about what you did.  To me.  Don't think I can so easily forget-"

"I know you can't forget it.  How could you?  You must think of it all the time.  About me and you.  And me, in you.  Thinking about how close you were to-"

"I'm thinking I should finish what your wife didn't!"

"Or perhaps we should finish what we didn't.  Everything we didn't quite finish.  Back at my rooms."

She closed her eyes and turned away.  "I don't have to listen to this.  I don't have to be here."  

"But did you come?"

"WHAT-?"

"Did you come?  There, in my rooms?  Or even earlier, at the party?  Right before everyone, before your companions?  Just by rubbing yourself against my covered cock?  Did you come?  Hard?  Harder than you had ever-?"

The sound of her slap was drowned by all the music and laughter and talking.

***************************************************

Rich shook his head with disapproval.  "You know, as a hero, you kinda suck."

"Hey, at least I'm not pinning for another guy's wife."

***************************************************

She stormed off, seething with fury, away from him, away from the party, away from them all.

The nearest doors opened behind opulent draperies to an empty large balcony, unroofed and dimly-illuminated, overlooking the Xandarian capitol city.  Between far-spaced low metal posts on its rim a traslucent, field-generated balustrade served as boundary before a drop of hundreds of feet.

She breathed deeply the clear air, eyes closed, leaning forward on the low barrier with arms spread out, taking in the silence and open space for a lengthy stretch of time, a welcome relief from the previous oppressive crowd and noise.  From everything.

She shivered, and not because of the cold air.

She knew they should have never come here.  She could not wait to get away from this horrible place, and its horrible people.  Away.  Away from...

"Nice view."

***************************************************

"What-What do you mean?"

"Come on.  I can see it.  She can see it.  Everyone can!  Maybe not Reed, but he doesn't count.  He's just Reed."

"See it?"

"See that you have a hard-on for Sue.  For fuck's sake, even Alicia could see it if she was around!  And she's blind!"

Rich blushed.  "I do-I do think Ms. Richards is very pretty but-"

"Please.  She's hot, alright?  Hot as hell.  I know.  Everyone knows.  That why everyone wants into her-"

"Jeez, man!  She's your sister!"

"Yeah, but I'm not blind.  Or stupid.  And she's always been like that.  Hot and smart.  Little Miss Perfect, basically.  Perfect face and hair.  Perfect long legs and tight butt.  Perfect big tits.  All that.  Bossy as fuck, though.  It's just lucky that Reed doesn't-"

"You shouldn't talk about her like that!"

"And you shouldn't be drooling like that.  Get over it.  She's married.  Reed's like the smartest guy alive, and loaded, too.  Who the fuck are you?  Some punk kid not yet in college who got an alien superpowered suit through dumb luck?  She may hook up sooner with a Skrull or something than with-"

Rich just walked away.

Johnny shook his head.  Great.  He was really Mister Sensitive tonight.

***************************************************

She turned, irritated, the instant of silent peace broken by his smarmy voice.  Had he been staring at her rear?

"You shouldn't have followed me."

The green-skinned figure in the long robes walked onto the balcony under the Xandarian night sky.  

"We all could use some fresh air."

Anger rose behind her light blue eyes.  "I could just throw you over this edge here, and you'd get a lot of fresh air.  What about that?"

"Surely there are better things to do, out here, the two of us."

There was suddenly a barrier before the new arrival preventing any further step.  An invisible barrier.

"I'm warning you, Dorrek.  There's no power inhibitor on me now.  Things are different.  So stop taunting me.  Stop trying to provoke me."  

"You talk about provoking?  You, in that dress?"

The force-field pushed its target back over the floor, away from her, towards the doors of the balcony.

"You'd better leave.  Now.  Before I decide to make you pay.  For everything."

"But you don't want me to.  Not really.  As you didn't want me to go, back then, in my rooms. when we were so rudely interrupted.  That's why you came here now, where we could be alone, knowing I would follow you.  Wanting me to follow you."

"I warned you."

The force-field instantly slammed and pinning the short Skrull against the wall just next to the doors.

"That was for the aging ray."

The invisible force surged back and the forward again to slam its target against the wall much harder than before.

"And that was for me."

A grimace of pain lasted only a moment.  "Fair enough."

"There's so much more I could do.  I could end you a dozen different ways if I chose to."

"Yet you haven't."

"Not because you don't deserve it.  Not because I wouldn't want to."

"I know there's much you want to do.  So much.  But won't allow yourself.  Because you're just afraid."

"Afraid?  You think I'm afraid?  I've stood before Galactus, Dorrek.  I've faced threats you cannot even imagine.  There's nothing about you that could make me afraid."

Both green hands pressed flat against the force-field's invisible surface.  "Yet you feel you need to be protected from me."

She frowned, and after a moment of doubt, the invisible barrier was no more.  "I don't need protection.  Not now.  Not from you."

"Having no protection makes it more exciting, doesn't it?  Being...  exposed.  At risk.  That's why you got wet, back then, for me, when-"

"Stop that.  Just stop.  I- don't know what you're after, but you will not get to me, Dorrek.  Maybe you want to break the peace.  Maybe you want to goad me into doing it for you.  But you will not manipulate me.  I won't play along with your games."

"But you never answered me.  Did you come?  Back then?  Did you?"

Her invisible force seized and lifted up the robe-clad Skrull, off the floor and over to the very edge of the balustrade, to totter over the multi-story drop to the ground level below.

"I could just end this, here and now.  I could even make your body invisible and nobody'll ever know until the stench gives it away."

Inside the restraining force-field, the green Skrull face remaine impassive.  "You could.  But you won't."

She shook her head, and let him drop onto the balcony's floor.   

"I'm better than that.  I am finished with this."  She walked to the doors, high heels clicking on the polished floor.  "Don't even think of following-"

"You did not answer."  The Skrull casually rearranged the purple robes, standing up.  "Whether you came or not."

She stopped at the door, but did not turn around.  "I don't have to answer you, about anything-"

"So did you?  Grinding hard against me, at the party?   Or was it later, in my rooms?  When I had you?  When I owned you?"

Her hand on the door frame trembled.  "You did not have me.  Nor owned me.  You tortured me.  You abused me.  It's not the same."

"Really?  I seem to remember my hard cock stretching your tight, wet cunt, while you gasped and moaned.  Didn't that count?"

She slid the door open.  "Good by, Dorrek.  I never want to see again."

"But perhaps you may want to see this."

She heard a metallic noise, of something dropped onto the floor, right behind them, between the two of them.

Frowning, she turned, and her startled face was lighted by the glowing nimbus of the holographic playback.

"That's quite a lot to show, isn't it?"

***************************************************

Rich shouldered his way through the crowd, looking for her.  The noise and music and ever-shifting mass of partygoers, dancing and joking and flirting and what-not did not make it easy.  But she had just been here and could not have gone very far.

He had to find her.   He had to do what had to be done.

***************************************************

Within the subtly shimmering volume encompassed by the holographic three-dimensional proyection, she stood naked and bound, legs spread wide apart and arms stretched up above her head by the metal fastenings at her ankles and wrists, arching her back and shifting her weight with clear discomfort in her forced position, looking so completely exposed.  So vulnerable.  So helpless.

Susan's stomach tightened, watching herself in the holographic recording.  "How-?"

"Of course everything was recorded, my dear.  Everything.  Such an exquisite opportunity could not be squandered."

Nervously, Sue closed the partially translucent door.  

Dorrek made a dismissive gesture.   "Don't worry about those inside.  There is a privacy threshold set.  Only us, close enough, can see it.  For now, at least.  Quite fittingly, too."

A second figure came into the visual field, short, green-skinned and just as naked as the bound Sue Storm, but free to calmly move about, to strut, flaunting the all-too-visible phallus that dangled stiffly between his skinny thighs and reached almost to his knobby knees, drawing the eyes of both her present and past selves.  The face of the last was filled with shock and fear, and she could not say it was any less for her, even now.

She should not be staring.  Not now.  Not as she had done, back then, as her recording image did.  As she did now.  Staring.  At him.  At it.

Could the lateral angle be making it look larger than she remembered?  Larger than she had ever recalled, even in those few restless instances where such disturbing memories resurfaced to trouble her, to disrupt her peace of mind and body with unsettling, unwanted effects and lingering, too-absurd second-guessing?  Not even Terrax had seemed so monstrously over-endowed.  Perhaps it was just contrast.  Perhaps his member stood out even more dramatically because his overall body mass was so much proportionally smaller, compared to Terrax's thick frame, or Kl'rt's muscular build, making that huge thing between his legs look even more absurdly oversized against his otherwise unimpressive physique, so grotesquely disproportionate even for such an apparently ill-made being.  So monstrously huge.

The recorded Dorrek spoke with nasty threats and inuendo, but Sue only registered with unease how his figure moved closer and closer to her own, while his member shockingly grew even larger and stiffer, rising high, up and towards her, until its bulbous head brushed against her obviously trembling body.  

"Stop this.  Stop it.  Why-Why are you showing me this?"

"To help you remember.  Remember how you felt.  How you trembled before me.  Against me."

"Stop it.  Now."  Her anger was now overlaid by a tense, growing sense of dread.  She had underestimated how much of a threat he was.  Literally.  "Turn it off."

"And remember all you have to lose.  Or gain."

Her eyes reluctantly looked up.

Dark green against light pink, lips moved close to other.

***************************************************

Johnny Storm downed the last of his drink and leaned back to appreciate the view.

But if Sue were watching this, Reed would surely be sleeping on the couch tonight, or maybe forever.

He wouldn't have called that dancing, really, but Adora could certainly move that ass.  Quite an ass, too.  He should try hitting on her again.  One never knew.

And where was Sue anyway?  She did not seem to be around, much less watching.  You would feel the rage for miles.

He had forgotten that in these fancy clothes he did not have the usual communication nodules.  Probably neither did hers.  She surely could not carry anything at all while in that dress.

So where was she?

***************************************************

It took a lengthy while of many teasing near-misses and interruptions, of closer and closer brushes, of tension accumulated from the repeated proximity of coarsely corrugated green lips that almost touched her soft, light-pink ones, before their mouths finally met fully, at length, in eventual mutual participation and intensity, while his huge, hard member was caught between their bodies.

Sue's mouth was closed tightly, unlike that in the images displayed before her.  

"It didn't take you long to stop protesting, did it?"  

She looked away, uncomfortably reminded of the actual physical presence mere steps away from her, there in the terrace.  

"And to accept my touch, and my tongue in your mouth.  And so much more, too."  

A few taps in the control wristband made the holo image change into a different arrangement of it participants.  

She was leaning forward, hanging by her wrists from the disaligned arm restrains, her long blond hair flowing loose over her lowered head, while her her legs were spread apart much wider than before.  Dorrek was behind her, his hands on her trembling buttocks, while he positioned his rigid member against her private parts, parting the folds of her sex with its oversized head.

"You were certainly accepting... quite a lot, weren't you?"

Sue blanched, knowing what was to come, both hearing and recalling her gasps and short cries as it began.  She saw her whole body tense and tremble, and stiffened in sympathetic echo.  Without the chains holding her up she would have collapsed with the pain and strain.  How could she forget the pain?  The pain when his huge head began to force its way into her, began to stretch her gate open, began to...

"So did you come, right there, just as I first-?"

"Turn it off."  

"It does look like you-"

"TURN IT OFF!"

The holo images froze, with both participants immobile in the middle of their respective exertions.  Barely the tip of his member was inside her, yet her static expression spoke volumens of its effect, while the thickness and length still poised to follow proved a daunting sight.  

"So did you?  Did you come, right there, as soon as my cock was inside you?"

"You-You were barely inside me at all.  Just the tip, the head, for just a few seconds...  It was just...  an aborted start.  That can hardly-"

"Really?  That must have been so disappointing, then.  So frustrating.  Because you looked quite ready.  For more of it.  For all of it."

"You had me bent over and chained, with my ankles and wrists bound.  I could hardly walk away.  I wouldn't have had any of it, Dorrek.  Ever.  Of that, or your kiss, or anything else of yours, if you had not forced me to."

"But I did.  I forced you.  Forced you to surrender to me.  And I think that you found out how much it excited you, how much it made you cream yourself.  No wonder you were so appalled, so heart-broken to think me dead."

"Heart-broken-?"

"To think that you'd never have me properly fuck you.  Fuck you like you wanted to.  Like you wished you had.  Desperately wished you had, or that somehow you still could."

"You scum, I was glad to think you were dead.  I was relieved!  I was thankful!"

"Thankful?  That you wouldnt have to face me again?"

"YES!"

"That you would not have to face wanting me?"

"YES-NO!  NO!  Not that!  Not THAT!"

"Because you knew you loved it.  Loved being forced to surrender to that big cock forcing its way into your tight, hot, wet cunt.  Loved that big, thick cock, making you whimper and moan and-"

"I hated it!"  She trembled with anger.  "Hated it and I hated you!  You and that monstrous cock!  Hated every single part, every single instant!  Hated how much it hurt, how much it fucking hurt, hated how much it shamed me, and hated how much it made me-!"

She could not go on anymore, her breathing too hard and fast, her fury about to explode, both so close now that they could touch, and she saw him stare at her heaving chest, smirking.

"Oh, my.  How excited does it make you to hate all of that so much.  How, indeed."

She winced.  Her chest was rising with each labored breath, and through the delicately textured surface of her skin-tight dress her nipples poked out visibly, fully erect, the hard nubs and their respective sligthly raised aureoles standing out in full detail through the silvery cloth.

"Just as you were right then.  Excited.  And wet.  So wet.  How could you take it at all, otherwise?"

She saw her frozen expression in the holo image, taking in her closed eyes and open mouth and everything else.  

"I-I was tired, exhausted.  I was held for hours, and worked over, and teased and...  I could hardly control what..."

"Yet now you are rested.  Free.  In full control of yourself, and your powers.  But you're still breathing fast.  Your face is  flushed.  Your nipples are hard, very hard.  You're excited.  Aroused."

She crossed her arms again over her chest, flustered.  

"I-I'm angry.  That's what-"

"Just that?"

She stepped well away from him, along the edge of the now static holo field, to collect herself, her face flushed red.  

"Maybe you did...  affect me, physically.  Maybe my body responded in some measure to... what you did.  To you.  But that doesn't mean I hated it any less.  And I did.  I hated being there, hated being forced, forced into...  readiness.  But the life of those I love depended on my compliance and that was all that mattered.  I had no other options then but to... endure.  And I did what I had to do.  That was all."  She glanced quickly at the static holo image.   "Maybe even now, from watching this...  Maybe I...  But even if I..."

"If you-?"  The green-skinned alien was now a mere step away from her.

"It does not matter.  Whatever happened... between us....  I'll never let it happen again.  Much less become something...  more.  Not ever.  Not willingly.  And certainly not with you."

"Something more?"  

"No matter what you do, how you try to use this..."  She gestured at the holo image.  "It's not going to happen.  You're not going to... have me.  You're not.  I will not be yours.  No matter how you try to seduce me or blackmail me, or-"

"Blackmail is such a harsh word."

"It's the right word.  Why else would you show me this, if not to threaten me?"

"It would indeed be a shame if this were to filter through the galactic data networks, and become public.  What would your husband think?"

"I... would explain.  He knows what was at stake.  He could understand..."

"And the general populace of Earth?  Would they be so understanding?"

She blanched.  She could imagine the headlines.  The broadcasts.  Tabloids.  Blogs.  All spreading the videos, the images.  Could she somehow shield Franklin from it?  Maybe if she quit the group?  Leave the Fantastic Four?  Wouldn't that distance her from Reed?  Would it break up her marriage?

"No.  I will not let you...  I'd rather fight this all my life in the media than bow to you, than..."

"And what about Xandar?  How would it affect the peace here?  Many may ponder your allegiances, your likely self-interest, once it's known that you've been involved intimately with the former Skrull emperor."

"Let them.  If they want peace, let them keep it, themselves, and not-"

"It may not be so easy."  Fingers tapped the wristband controls.  

The previous static holo image vanished and was replaced by a much different composition.  

Her identical image was standing, still nude, but unbound, with an exotic handgun in hand, pointing it at Dorrek, who lay sprawled on the floor.  The weapon fired, again and again.

"I didn't do that,"  Sue said, startled.  "That was not me!"

"Really?  What if the Skrull Embassador to Xandar were to suddenly vanish?  Followed by the discovery of dead Skrull body, resembling him to the last detail.  Shortly before a copy of this short scene is released.  How would that affect the current diplomatic process?"

Sue stared, dumbstruck.  "Who would believe that?  That I did it?  From Skrull footage?  Everyone knows Skrulls are experts at deception!"

"Not just Skrull footage."

Another tap and the holo display changed.

The purple-robed Skrull standing before Sue was suddenly jerked up into the air by an invisible force while her voice rang out loud and clear.

***I could just end this, here and now.  I could even make your body invisible and nobody'll ever know until the stench gives it away.***

The image then vanished, leaving just the simple metal disk laying on the terrace floor.  

Sue stared at the empty air, speechless.

"That was streamed just now from the local palace security system.  It is in their records.  Xandarian records."

She glanced all about her, stepping backwards, overwhelmed, her confidence shaken in so many ways.  Was she being recorded all the time here?  Everywhere?  Everything she had said?  Everything?

She was furious at herself, for letting him goad her into losing control.  

How had she let him trap her like this?  

"You bastard.  You... set this up.  All of this.  Just to make me...  Just to have...  me?"

"A beauty like yours is worth any effort, my dear."

"Alright.  So I say yes.  So we fuck.  Once?  Twice?  All night?"

"Why, what would you prefer?"

"And then?  You'd just fuck me and it'd be over?  You'd just stop the blackmail?  Or will it go on?  Will you demand that I become your mistress, fucking behind my husband's back?  Or your formal concubine?  At your side to fuck and flaunt before all other Skrulls, before all the galaxy?   Renouncing my family and world to serve you, forever, as your mate, your sex-toy?  As Kl'rt wanted?"  

"Kl'rt?  Interesting."

"Or maybe even become your actual wife?  Have me sworn to you in marriage?  Maybe even become pregnant with your seed, bearing your half-Skrull offspring?"

"Why, you're thinking this through more than-"

"Really, where would it stop?  Once I give in to anything?"  Her voice trembled with her anger and frustration.  "WHERE?"

"Who knows?"  The short, ungainly figure drew closer than before, and the green right hand reached for her face, green eyes glinting bright.  "But we could start...  with a kiss."

She stepped back, shaking her head.  "No.  It would never stop.  If I were to accept any of your demands, you would always hold power over me.  Always.  And

it would never stop.  I know that."  

"Do you?"

"Do whatever you want, Dorrek.  Release those holos.  Go ahead!  I'll just have to face it.   But I will not become your whore."

"Maybe it's you, then.  Maybe you know that once you were mine, you'd be the one who would not want it to stop.  And that is what you fear the most."

"What?  I-?  Don't be ridiculous!"

"Maybe you know you'd be who would want more.  More than just one fuck.  More than just one night.  Much more."

"NO!  You-You just disgust me!"

"Perhaps.  Does that make you more excited, more aroused?  To desire so much to be owned by someone you find so hateful and disgusting?"

She just stepped backward,

"Were those your fantasies you voiced?  Being my lover?  My concubine?  My wife? Is that what you wished had happened?  If we hadn't been separated?  If you had remained there, in my power, in my arms?  Did you you masturbate thinking of me?  Of what could have been?  Fantasizing about swearing me your love in a luxurious wedding before all the Skrull Empire?  About sharing my throne and bed,forever?  Does it still excite you?  To dream about being my beautiful Earthling bride and mate and mother to my children?"

"NO!"

Sue had paled, shaken by outrageous idea of being made pregnant by this odious ugly green alien, of being made to carry his Skrull children.  Their children. Why had she even thought of it, before?  They were different species. It could not be.  Not with him.  Not with Kl'rt.  It had to be biologically impossible.  

"Yet you are still excited."

Sue blushed, with shame and anger.  Her fully erect nipples ached painfully on her heaving chest, and her whole body felt on fire from her feet up.

Red-faced, she looked away from that leering alien face.  

"Maybe what you did to me... still has lingering effects.   Maybe I can't help feeling nervous, anxious, near you, after all you made me go through.  But that just makes me hate you and what happened even more.  Hate you and despise you. There is nothing I would ever want to do with you, Dorrek.  Nothing at all. You will never make me give in to you.  I am stronger than that.  And you will never have me.  Never."

"Really?"  The green eyes glinted.  "Prove it, then."

"What?"

"Prove it.  Prove that you don'? want it.  That you don't want me.  Prove that you are stronger."  

"I don't need to prove anything to you."

"And to yourself?"

"Why would I have to-?"

"So you can stop wondering about it.  About you and me.  About us.  About how it would've been."

"There is no 'us', there never-"

"One kiss.  That's all it'd take.  Just one kiss.  If you don't enjoy it, if you don't respond, that'll prove you're right.  That you don't want it, or need it."

"No.  You're never getting to touch me again, Dorrek.  NEVER."

"Are you afraid?  Of what you may realize?  Or what you may be unable to deny?"

"I have nothing to be afraid of.  You only disgust me!"

"Show me, then.  How disgusted you are.  How unafraid.  With just a kiss."

"I don't have to show anyone anything!"  

After a moment of silence, the robed Skrull knelt to pick the metal disk, extending it casually.

"Alright.  Here.  Have it."

She moved back away, ready to raise her force-field.  "What-?"  

"The holo disk.  Here.  Take it."

She stared, puzzled, but grudgingly took the offered item.  "Why?  Why would you-?"

"Call it... a gesture of good faith."

"Good faith?  From you?"

"The full holo code is there.  Not encrypted.  You can check it.  Surely knowing the full code sequences and with access to the Living Computers your husband can find how to automatically block them or wipe them from all systems across the galaxy, partially or in whole."  Bony shoulders shrugged.  "He is Reed Richards."

"And you'll just give it to me?"  

"Yes.  If you'll not be moved by them, what do I gain from their release?"

She weighed the small disk in his hand.  It had to be a trick.  "So I could just walk away now, with it?"

"Yes.  You can keep it.  Of course, I'd expect you to be fair."

She scoffed.  "Fair?  What do you know about fair?"

"I gave you something.  You give me something.  Isn't that how it works?"

"Right, there's the catch.  What do you want?"

"I want to fuck you, of course."

"Why am I not surprised?"  

"But I don't want a new wife.  Or a mistress.  R'Klll was the Empire's hottest piece of ass when we married, and I tired of her.  Mistresses are an even worse headache.  I just want us to fuck.  Finish what we started.  And we part ways afterwards.  No strings attached.  But I want you to want it, see?  That makes it better.  For both.  And I think you do."  

"I don't!"

"I think you just don't want to face it.  But maybe I'm wrong."

"You ARE wrong."

"So we find out who is right.  We have a test, first."

"A test?  What do you mean?"

"As I told you:  We kiss."

"I am not kissing you!  How many times do I-?"

"That'd be all you have to risk.  If you're as sure of yourself as you said."

"I am sure of myself."

"So we kiss, freely, and if you don't get excited and willing, then I was wrong and you can walk away and never need see me again.  You already have the holo disk.  You are safe."

"But if I-?"

"If I'm right, and you get as wet and horny and ready, as I know you will, then we fuck.  And we fuck well, and hard.  One night.  No more.  Afterwards, you leave.  And you still have the disk.  We never meet again.  Or we fuck from time to time, if we both want to.  But not make anything of it.  I just hate clingy bitches."

"You really think I'll buy that?"

"You have very little to lose.  If you're right.  It'd just be a kiss."

She could not believe his arrogance.  "You're so full of yourself that you really believe you'll get me to fuck you with just a kiss?"

"Actually, yes.  I do."

"What if I walk away now, with the holo disk, and to hell with your test?"

"That would hardly be fair."

"You handed it over yourself, of your own volition.  I didn't ask you."

"Sure.  But also, you'd never know."

"Never know?"

"If you'd have lost.  You'll never be sure.  You'll always wonder."

"I AM SURE."

"Then you have nothing to fear.  And it all would be down to just a kiss, right?  And then it would all be over."

The green, devious eyes glinted, coming closer to her.

Susan took in that smug, lascivious expression, the ugly, repellent visage, so coarsely-featured, so deeply-lined with corrugations beyond the usual Skrull norm, so homely and unappealing compared even to others Skrull, much less to Kl'rt.  The more she looked, the more physically repelled she felt by the idea of enduring again his touch, the more unnerved she became by the shifty way he moved ever closer to her, crowding her, physically intruding into her personal space, so opressively.  

How could such a scrawny creature seem so threatening just walking towards her?

He was so weak and pathetic, compared to all those others, all those super-human foes she had faced over the years.  Yet he was the first of their enemies to have actually spread her legs and forced his cock into her sex.  The first man, or male, aside from her husband or a variant of him, to have penetrated her, ever since she had been married.  Did that make him the first to have technically raped her?  Or was that Kl'rt, who had actually gone all the way with her?  Twice, too?  Did Dorrek's use of fingers and implements count, too?  However she judged it, Dorrek had abused her, sexually, cruelly, and now she was asked to kiss him.

Yet she could just walk away.  

Dorrek had given her the disk of his own volition, and there was no assurance yet that it was not fake, or a trick, or useless to her.  She was not morally obligated to reciprocate, even if he were deserving such considerations.  She did not have to.

But why did it feel...  off?  She was the one suppossed to do the right thing.  But what was the right thing?

He had done it on purpose.  To make her feel obligated.  And how could she owe HIM anything?

And could she even do it at all?

Could she bring herself to kiss him?  Her former abuser?  The cruel, loathsome alien who had once condemned her loved ones to death?  Who had held her bound and helpless to torture and force himself on her?

Would a kiss put an end to all of this?

There was risk.  In more than one way.  But surely she could handle it.  She would do whatever had to be done.  If she were to react in unwanted ways, as she had, with him, and Kl'rt, and even Terrax, surely she was ready now to deal better with it, now that she knew what to expect; she would be able to handle it, to keep her self-control, if determined enough, if she put her mind to it.  Even with him.  She would handle whatever anger and revulsion or any opposite alternatives.  If necessary.  It had to be easier than with Kl'rt; she certainly did not regard Dorrek the same way, physically or any way.  How could this stunted toad compare?

She could.  She had to.  She had to believe so.  

Because ultimately, it angered her to think he might believe she had been afraid.  She hated the idea of letting this arrogant, hateful creep think he could have won her over.  Of leaving any doubt.  

Maybe she did have to prove it.  To him.  To herself.

"Just one kiss?"

"Just one kiss."  

She squared her shoulders.  "Alright.  Let's do it.  One kiss."

***************************************************

"Master Xar!"

He was relieved to find a familiar face in the huge, teeming crowd, and rushed to join the aged scientist.

"Earthman Johnny Storm."  Xar nodded in greeting.  "Are you enjoying the party?"

"Well, booze's great, I give you that.  Music is weird but sorta funky."

"I see.  Well, now I must-"

"Wait, wait, I'm looking for my homies.  Like, Rich, the guy also from Earth who's in your Nova squad-"

"Nova Corps."

"That one.  Seen him?  He bolted just now and can't find him."

"I have not, I regret to say.  Now if you-"

"How about my sister?  You know, cute blonde with big-"

"Earthwoman Susan Storm Richards?  The companion of the Great Mind Richards?"

He snorted at that Great Mind thing again.  "Yeah!  Her."  

"I did see Susan Storm Richards near that area a while ago, walking rather in a hurry.  Towards the terrace there, maybe."

***************************************************

As the leering Skrull moved towards her, Sue took yet another step back, and suddenly ran out of terrace floor, her rear bumping the balcony's force field balustrade, with the multi-story drop behind it.  Startled, with her balance comprised, she flailed for the top railing, almost stumbling back, but her wrist and waist were suddenly seized with surprising strength, stopping her from toppling backwards, and holding her safely in place.  

"Careful, my dear."

The short, homely Skrull was right before her, holding her between him and the see-thru barrier at her back.  Her torso was arched slightly, pulled slightly forward by his hand at the small of her back, just over the edge of the balustrade, where her rounded rear pressed against its translucent field surface.  Both her arms were spread to her sides, holding onto the railing, with one held firmly at the wrist.  

She tensed, shaken.  She had recently refused to be ever touched by Dorrek again, but now his hands were on her.  At her wrist and waist, holding her, much stronger than she would have expected, and large, very large.  She should not be surprised at that, should she?

Her face reddenned and she looked to a side, away from his face.  She could not thank him.  Not him.  

"It was just a misstep."   Her force-field would have saved her even if she had toppled over and fallen, anyway.

She tried to straighten up but was not released.  The holds on her wrist and waist grew tighter as she was pulled closer.  

Despite knowing she could rely on her invisible force, she still felt on the verge of panic, pinned there, her back against the low barrier, with the long drop behind her, and him before her, pressing forward.

"Wait.  I-I'm not... comfortable."  How could she, she thought bitterly.  She shifted her footing.  "Could we-?"

"I'll help."  

The hand at her back slid around her slender waist and down the side of her hip, reaching her outer thigh, just where the her dress was cut in daring slit to let one of her legs freedom of movement.  A fingertip tapped lightly the very point where the slit started and then slid up.  Following this, the slit became larger, higher, the silver, shimmering cloth parting effortless to expose more of the smooth, toned flesh of her upper thigh, reaching almost the top of her hip.

She gasped in surprise.  "How-?  How did you do that-?"

"It's a feature."  The fingertip moved back, brushing over her newly uncovered hip and then lower, encouraging her exposed leg to move away from the other.  "Better now?"

Her mouth opened in realization.  She should have known.  It was obvious in hindsight.

"It was you.  You sent it.  This dress.  To me."

"Of course.  You didn't think it was your husband, did you?  Something this exquisite?"

"You had no right!"

"You look luscious in it.  What else matters?"

"I should take it off-"

"I wouldn't complain.  Go ahead.  Or I could do it for you."

She shook her head, angry.  It did not matter.  So she was wearing his gift?  How could that be worse than having his hands again on her?  Than having his mouth again on hers?  She could handle that.  She had to.  She should get it done as quickly as she could.  Get it over with.

But even with her widened stance, with the two standing closer than ever, she still remained much taller, her face too high, and her bosom fit in the space between the Skrull furrowed chin and the sunken chest below.  Looking at the ugly, green-hued alien face and below, she self-consciously realized that her nipples remained achingly hard and were surely very noticeable just there, in their tight proximity.

"Perhaps I should... remove my high heels.  So you can better reach-"

"I like you in high heels."  

The hand on her side reached farther back and abruptly tugged her hips forward, pulling her lower body away from the balcony edge and against his lead leg placed between her own.  Her free leg stretched forward and out, allowed by the new higher cut on her tight dress, while the other became slightly bent, so she reclined at a steeper angle against the balustrade, lower on its surface, her upper body leaning further back precariously.  She was now just slightly higher, and her face was not beyond reach, while her breasts pressed hard and high on the bony upper body, so the alien chin seemed to rest just over their firm upper curved surface.

She opened her mouth to protest but with a lunge, the green-lipped mouth moved towards hers.

One kiss, just one kiss, she reminded herself, nervously.

She was now in his arms.  About to kiss.  

She had to.  She had to do it.  Let him kiss her.  Let Dorrek kiss her.  

And she had to hate it.  How could she not?  She had to hate it and show it.  She had to show him.  

She reached up with her free hand to brush a loose blonde lock of hair away from her flushed face, and her open lips.  Away from between them.

"So go ahead.  Test me."

***************************************************

He shifted the draperies aside.  Where was the lock?  Did these doors swing or slide or what?

***************************************************

She felt like closing her eyes, to keep from seeing him, there, right before her, about to meet her mouth again with his own.  

But she did not.  She could not.  

She had to see him, see Dorrek, with his ugly face and squinty, malicious eyes, peering hungrily into hers.  She had to remain fully aware of how much she hated him and how much she had to hate being kissed by him.  Having his mouth on hers, his lips, his tongue...

When the alien mouth moved forward, she did the same, and their breaths mingled as one.

***************************************************

"HEY, SUE-!"

Johnny strode out into the large open space of the terrace, glancing from side to side.  

"Sue...?"

He could have sworn he had seen someone out here, even as he opened the doors, yet there was no one.

Maybe he should be more careful with unknown alien drinks.

He walked to the edge of the space, taking in the brightly lighted alien city under the equally glittering night sky.

There sure was an amazing view out here and no one inside seemed to notice or care.

And for a party full of booze and half-naked alien babes, it was proving ridiculously hard to score in there, too.  Looked like sadly there would be no cheap and meaningless interplanetary species-crossing hot fucking for this Earthling tonight.  

Maybe his visit to the Skrull Homeworld had spoiled him.

Nope.  A wingman.  He had lacked a decent wingman.  Rich just sucked.  Even Ben would have been more useful.

Maybe Ben would have gotten lucky easier than him.  Somehow the hottest babes were going for the ugliest-looking guys these days.  Damned if he knew why.  Not that Ben would ever take advantage of it, the soft-hearted big lug with his schoolboy crush on Alicia.  Now, Alicia, there was a real cute, sweet babe.

He took a deep breath of cold, fresh air, to clear his mind, and looked up.

He could have a quick flight to let off some heat, work off the horniness.  He did not know the city, but how hard could it be to find again the big palace building complex whatever?

He vaulted over the railing.

"FLAME ON!"

The flaming trail vanished in the distance.

***************************************************

A very short distance from where Johnny Storm had stood, the two joined yet disparate figures became slowly visible.

Both leaned against the translucent balustrade, the green-skinned short Skrull in the heavy, loose purples robes holding tight against the shapely blonde Earthling beauty in her long and skin-tight silvery dress.  Their lips remained just a couple of inches apart.

"That was close.  Too close."

"Not close enough.  Not yet."  

She drew back, steadying herself on the railing behind.  

"He may come back at any moment."

"He's easy to see from a distance at night."

"I have my back to the city, and you... may be distracted."  She shifted, uneasy.  "Maybe we'd better not-"

"So you lost."

"What?  I didn't-"

"You quit.  You lose."

"I-I'm not quitting.  I just-"

"You're afraid."

"Of being found out-."

"Afraid.  You lose."

She frowned.  "It may just not be... the best moment."  

"You wanted the test to be easy?  Why call it a test, then?"

She breathed deeply and briefly sucked in her lips.  He was being worse than Reed.

"Fine.  Fine.  Let's... try again."

***************************************************

He thought it was her.  The long, black-green hair fooled him.  And the long robes.

He called to her, politely, but was greeted by a much different, harsher Skrull face, its chin furrowings deeper and wider, its eyes narrower and colder.  

"Sorry.  My mistake."

She sneered at him with disdain and spat something in a Skrull dialect his suit could not translate.

He apologized again and quickly moved away into the crowd.

Even with the robes she had been much more willowy and graceful than this one, too.  

***************************************************

The alien lips were dry and coarse all over their corrugated surface.  She opened her mouth slightly, letting them brush more easily against her own soft ones, the contact rough but fleeting, and after retreating, the motion was repeated at a slightly different angle, then repeated again, touching her lip briefly, at different spots each time, in slow, lingering brushes that soon made her grow impatient.  

Between the breathy contacts, the soft, faint brushing of their mouths, she complained.  "Are you... stalling?"  

"Why hurry?"  

His hand moved about her hip and upper thigh, from its front to its back, moving too far in each direction each time.  She did not want to give him time enough to let him get too daring there.

She squirmed impatiently, and her body sent the message that her voice later followed.  "Go on.  Kiss me.  Now.  For real."

Complying, the dry Skrull mouth fastened onto her moist upper lip in a firmer, longer contact, tugging gently at it, then moved to her lower lip and did the same.  Then switched back, pecking and tugging, just harder each time, until each contact was deeper and more intense, more and more each time.  

It was slow but insistent, simple but skillful, and it built into more and more insistent intensity.  

Soon she was even more annoyed, even more irritated.  

How could such a hateful monster kiss so well?  

But she did not move.  She did not close her eyes.  She did not open her mouth any further than she must.  

She focused on staying calm, on staying detached, using the kind of concentration she normally practiced for focusing her invisible force.  

She had to focus on how much she hated him, how much she hated this, having to hide away here in this balcony, letting this disgusting bastard lock mouths with her.  She had to focus on her disgust, on the knowldge of her extensive past humilliation at his hands, on the danger he had posed for those she loved best, on how he was a slimy, abusive jerk.  So she could dismiss the touch and taste of his lips and tongue, the pecking and nibbling and sucking and licking and so much more.  So much more.

She would not let him get to her.  She would show him.

She would not let him make her give in, not even if the damn bastard did really knew how to kiss a girl and really make her feel it from her mouth down to her toes, and through everything in between.  

***************************************************

"Sue?  Susan?"

Reed Richards walked out into the wide platform of the balcony, brow furrowed deep in puzzlement.  

"She's not here.  But I thought I saw someone."

Behind her came Adora, the svelte Suzerain of Xandar, walking sensuously, her unbound high breasts skipping up and down with each step, each perky nipple covered just in neon blue paint, the cold air of the balcony clearly having an effect on her very unclothed shape.

"So you found a place where we could be alone.  You are indeed a genius."

"Uh?  No, no...  Master Xar said that Susan may have come here."

She smiled, tossing her length of braided hair back over a shoulder.  "Someone may still come here, however."

"Yes, indeed, but it may not feasible to wait."

"I don't think we'd have to wait long for one to come."

"He did say that he saw her come this way.  But she may have detoured or been detained in the way here."

"So, she is not here, then."  She moved closer to him.  "But we are."

"Um?  Oh, excuse me.  I think I may need to go and keep looking for her."

She slid to stand before him, and extended her arms over his shoulders.  "I think you don't need to keep looking for any other woman.  Not anymore."

***************************************************

Susan tensed, still held tightly in the embrace, her mouth still under assault.

Adora would not dare, would she?  Not right here, not with Reed.  Her Reed.

***************************************************

He drew back.  "Adora.  We have talked about this."

She scrunched her nose.  "Oh, you so talk too much."  

She pulled his down to her as she lunged up, her mouth finding his.

***************************************************

Sue could not believe it.  

She had dared.  With her Reed.

She wanted to kill that brazen hussy.    

Had the so-called dancing had not been enough?  First she had slithered and grinded like a cheap slut all over a man who was certainly not hers and now she sneaked away into an empty balcony to kiss him?  

To hell with worrying about diplomatic incidents.  She would teach her to respect what belonged to others.

And the slut had it coming.  Coming from the very start.  

Hadn't she tried to fuck Reed back there, in the infirmary, in the Baxter Building, in their own home?  When she spreading her legs for the Super-Skrull instead.  Served her right, too.  She hoped Kl'rt had wrecked her cunt something fierce with his huge, fat Skrull cock.  To teach her.  Not that she even deserved it.

And she would have to certainly have to talk in greater depth with Reed about just what had happened back there, between him and Adora, in that place with the Living Computers.  Much greater depth.

Perhaps he had been out of it.  Perhaps this shameless slut had taken advantage of him after his whole mind-meld thing.  But that would not leave him in the clear.  She was not going to let him off that easily, not after this.  Not after he just let that slut climb all over him and suck his face.

She trembled with her new-found anger, gripping the railing behind her with furious strength, even while the now-invisible alien tongue pushed its way even deeper into her mouth.

***************************************************

"No, Adora.  Please.  No.  Really.  I mean it.  No..."

He had tried to push her off, gently, carefully, but she held on to him, kissing him, with truly shocking intensity.  And she was rubbing again against him, while seriously lacking in clothes.

Then she started to make that lack even more absolute, hurriedly throwing off what little she had worn from the start, and began to tear at his own clothes.

That could not be.  

"Enough, Adora.  Enough."

The suit could not stretch along with him, as would the clothes he had custom made of unstable molecules, but he could still turn pliable enough to escape Adora's embrace.  When she could not hold on to his shifting limbs, she grabbed harder for handholds on his clothes.

That was too much.  Susan had given him this suit.  As a gift.  Hugo Chief or something similar.  She liked seeing him in it.  He could not let it get damaged.

He whipped his stretched limbs about to confuse her, and unceremoniously, dropped her on her backside.  He hoped it would not hurt much.  It did seem a nicely toned one.

"Adora.  No more.  You know I am married.  You cannot do this."

She crawled towards him on all fours.  "You know you belong here.  Your mind does.  You'd be First Mind, above the Living Computers themselves, using them and their stored knowledge to work out all the secrets of the cosmos.  I am offering you all that.  And I can have your body.  You can be my consort.  What does not work in that?"

***************************************************

Consort?  Fucking her husband was not enough?  The slut wanted to steal him completely?  

Sue would have rushed to grab her by the hair, were she not entangled so tightly in someone else's arms, so tightly she could hardly breathe, or move, or do much but just let him do what she wished with her, while she stared at Reed and the slut right through his currently invisible body just before her.

It was strange, to feeling this, feel him, against her, all over her, like that, even though she could not see him.  Any of him.  It made for an even more unusual experience, as despite having her eyes fully open, staring at what was happening so close to them, between those other two, she could not tell where each caress or touch or lick or bit would come from or where each would touch her, until it was happening, each becoming a surprise, a baffling distraction, a unpredictable barrage of sensations eroding away at her larger awareness, making her shift and squirm and shiver, making it hard for her to even catch her breath.

Reed may better put that skank in her place.  

***************************************************

He shook his head.  "Please, Adora.  I told you.  I'm married already.  I can't-"

"So?  Don't you have multiple marriages on Earth?  Group marriages?  Structured multi-tier options?  Susan can be my consort, too."

He paused, raising his eyebrows.  "Oh.  I see.  Well...  Well, that is not a commonly accepted practice in our particular Earth culture-"

She sat back on her heels, frowning.  "Really?  By the WorldMind, what kind of backwater mudhole is that?"

"Really, Adora.  You're a beautiful woman and your offer is most generous, but-"

"Please!  Don't you keep thinking back to it?  To us?  Back there with the Computers, you and I, together, while the whole world shook..."

"Because there was a Skrull attack-"

"Don't you remember how it was?  How great?  How amazing?"

He rubbed his temples.  "I do admit it was an unique experience."

***************************************************

That was it.  Reed was a goner, too.  She would kill both of them.

Group marriage her ass.

The hand on her squeezed that very part of her, as well, firmly, encompassing much of the firm roundness of her buttock, his long fingers proving so strong, knowing, and assured, working through the thin fabric of her dress.  

But Reed was definitely toast.  Definitely toast.

***************************************************

Adora reached him, still on her knees, looking up at him, while wetting her lips.  

"Oh, yes.  Yes.  I cannot forget it.  Forget your cock.  How you were so big inside me, and kept getting bigger and bigger.  And bigger yet!  Filling me so much, in so many ways!  I loved it so much!"

***************************************************

Sue almost spoke up.  Wanted to speak up.  But her mouth was busy at the moment.

Sue could not believe what she had just heard.

He would not do it for her but he did it for that slut?  

Fuck him.  Fuck her.  Fuck everyone.

Furiously, her tongue met and angrily wrestling that one deep in her mouth and then in the air between the two of them, with only the sense of touch and taste to guide each other.

***************************************************

"All that knowledge.  All those ideas.  And data.  And connections.  So many connections.   So many possibilities.  I-I still get dizzy at times thinking-"

"Oh, yes.  The connection of your cock and my cunt.  Your huge cock."

"Excuse me?"

***************************************************

Her anger spilled onto the struggle of mouth against mouth, and she bit down, her teeth fastening momentarily on the lip caught between them, tugging briefly on it, then letting it go and being biten herself in turn, hard, hungrily as was each part of their kissing, the shared caress having grown exponentially in intensity with each further second, her reluctance and hostility and distate forgotten, caught by the rising heat ignited by the furious back and forth between them and her emotional turmoil at seeing Reed, her Reed, kissed in turn by another woman, and knowing they had already done more than just kiss, and wanting to do them better, to make their locking of lips seem weak and tepid compared to her own.

***************************************************

Reed blinked fast and looked away.  

"Ah.  Right.  Of course.  Well, I'm sorry, Adora.  I am not happy about that, but it was a contingent situation that is not statistically likely to-"

She reached for his pants.  "Will you stop talking so much and just fuck me?"

He quickly moved away, frowning.  "You know, Susan does not mind me talking.  She never-"

Adora threw her hands up.  "Screw Susan.  Or better, screw me!"

***************************************************

She could not take it anymore.  She could not.  She was choking in her anger and confusion and heat and shocked disbelief and physical agitation and actual lack of breath.

She abruptly pulled away, trembling, and her body was tuned about, pushed her forward toward the balustrade.  Her hands gripped the railing, arms stretched before her, shoulders lifted while the mouth was on her neck and hands rose to cup and squeeze her heaving breasts, before one moved down her torso and hip, to reach under the high cut slit on the side of her dress, about the upper contour of her exposed thigh, to seek what lay just above, while a steady, hard presence pressed against her from behind.  

She turned her head, to keep staring over her shoulder at them.

***************************************************

"Adora, please.  I love my wife.  We are happy together.  That is all there is to know."

"So what?  I don't care.  As I said, bring her in, too.  I'd love to fuck her, too."

***************************************************

She tensed, baffled, confused, dazed by the overload of conflicting emotional and physical stimuli.

Her hands opened and closed on the railing, repeatedly.

While unnoticeable even with the thinness and tightness of her dress, she had worn underwear, panties, to be exact, but were those made of unstable molecules she had custom made for use under the tighter versions of her Fantastic Four outfit, consisting of a small modest patch to cover her pubenda and infinitesimally slender, fully unnoticeable strips to hug her upper hips and go down her rear crevice, thong-like.

These were found and started to be pulled down her trembling thighs.

***************************************************

"Really?"

"Of course.  She's ridiculously hot.  Great legs and ass.  Great big tits.  And that face?  Who wouldn't want to fuck her?"

"Ah, I-I see..."  He stepped back, blushing.  

He had just visualized a multi-part scenario where Adora and Sue interacted sexually, extensively, all while he would watch, in most configurations, with certain changing background narrative elements.  It proved more stimulating than he had suspected.

Adora smiled, kneeling on the floor, watching his quickly growing bulge.  

"Really, if Skrulls have any gram of sense she must have gotten her brains fucked out thoroughly every single instant she was in their world, too."

Reed's face grew bright red.  He reached down to cover himself.  "Please don't speak about my wife in such disrespectful terms, Adora."

"Oh, please.  Did you see her in that dress?  She oozed sex!  She's probably somewhere getting it, even as we speak.  There's lots of very well-hung Skrull warriors here tonight.  Who would want such an opportunity to go to waste?"

Reed exhaled, still keeping his hand over his groin, and then closed his eyes.

"Adora, I love my wife.  While I may have some different personal opinions regarding sexual mores, I know that she would not approve of my having an extra-marital affair.  She would be hurt by my doing such a thing.  And I would never willingly do anything to hurt her.  Ergo, I cannot do such a thing.  It is that simple.  Now, were she to ever indulge in such activities herself, that would be her personal choice, and I would trust that she must have strong reasons for doing such a thing, and would know whether it was a sensible thing to do or not, and act acoordingly."

Adora stared at him, eyes open wide within the surrouding ellipses of blue make-up.  "What sort of fucked-up people are you?"

He shrugged.  "Married, with child."

***************************************************

She held back a gasp, and many other sounds that would have risen loudly from her, were she not all-too aware that she had to remain silent, that she had to keep their presence there hidden, not just from sight, but from any chance of discovery.

She winced, perturbed by the further kneading of her breast, and the mounting exploration of her most private area.  Nervously, she tried with little success to push the hands off her, to wiggle lose from their demanding grasp, even as she stared at him over her shoulder, at Reed, her husband, her heart aching for him, as moved deep inside by his words as the rest of her was moved by the outside roaming of the skillful hands all over her.

She stared at Reed as he stood there, his back to them, oblivious to their presence, mere feet away.

She loved that man so much.

So much.

A finger probed her moist folds and she came close to moaning out loud.

Very close.

***************************************************

Adora gathered her so-recently discarded flimsy bits of cloth.

"Fine.  Live in your own fucked-up world.  In every sense.  See if I care."

"Thank you, Adora.  For understanding."

"Whatever.  Good luck finding Susan.  There ARE those well-hung Skrulls I mentioned.  I'll try to find some still about and available."   She strode for the doors.  "Enjoy the party."

After she left, Reed Richards gave a quick glance all about him.  He rubbed his temple.  He thought he had heard something.

He shrugged and went for the door.  

Adora certainly had a very active imagination.  Sue and a Skrull?  

Or more than one?  At once?

He adjusted his pants and breathed deeply, before exiting the balcony and rejoining the party.

***************************************************

She instantly dropped their invisibility and jerked away, gasping for breath, away from the hands that would not relinquish her.

"Stop.  Stop now."

Her upper arms were seized from behind.   "Why?  You know it's over."

She glanced again at the doors through which Reed had left.  "What?"

"The test.  Is done.  You lost.  Now-"

A hand caressed her side, down the shimmering curves highlighted by her silvery dress, and to her exposed leg.

"What?  No.  No!"  She frowned, squirming.  "Get your hands off me."

"You lost.  You kissed me back, fiercely, passionately.  As I knew you would."

She shook her head, and turned, pushing the questing hands away.  

"That-That does not count."

The bony brows rose high over narrowed eyes.  "It felt like it counted."

One finger reached to gently touch the tip of her left nipple, which poked stiffly through her dress, the shimmery fabric creating concentric whorls around its base, highlighting its size and hardness, proudly jutting forward from her heaving full bosom, and began to lightly nudge the hard nub one way and another with its fingertip, in small, careful motions.

"Stop that."  Still dazed, she had to will herself not arch her back and push out her chest.  

"This feels like it counted."

She pushed the hand away from her chest, irritated.  "Keep your hands off me.  I agreed to kissing, not groping!"

"You did not seem to mind.  Rather the opposite."

"You're wrong.  And it didn't count.  Because of them.  Being here.  You saw them.  You heard them."

"So?  They did not see us, or hear us.  You took good care of that, really."

"They were here.  That changed everything."

"Why?"

"Because of what happened."  

"Nothing happened, actually, between them.  Unlike with us.  Your husband is really a-"

"Yes.  Exactly."  She looked down, unsure of how to voice it, particularly to this unsympathetic listener.  "At first I thought it would.  I was angry.  Jealous.  That pushed me into losing control."

"That you did, indeed.  Quite so."

"But just because of them being here.  And what was said.  First it was anger, stress.  Then relief.  So I lost concentration.  That's why it didn't really count.  Why it can't count."

"You kissed me back.  At length."

She paused, hating having to justify her reactions, to say what she must.  

"Yes.  I did.  I kissed you back.  I did get into it, I know.  But only because my mind was elsewhere.  Because I was distracted.  "

The green brow furrowed in puzzlement.  "That is the opposite how such an explanation would normally be made."

"But it's true.  And because I made us invisible, throughout most of it, and to the end, I couldn't see you.  That made it different, too.  So we kissed and yes, I became very involved.  I admit that.  But I wasn't seeing you while I did.  So I didn't feel like I was kissing you.  Not you, in particular.  It was just impersonal, a reflexive, impulsive reaction while my mind was elsewhere, while my concerns were elsewhere."

"Why does that matter?  You reacted to my kiss.  My touch.  Undeniably.  So you lost."

"I just didn't think about you.   And hating you.  About being disgusted and angry and much more.  So it didn't really count."

"How convenient."

"And, if you wanted to make me react to you, if you wanted to prove that I really wanted you all along, but I had little conscious awareness of it being actually you, did you really achieve what you wanted?  Did you pass your own test?"

She saw the brow furrow even deeper, the shoulders tense.  Good.  She had hit his vanity.  She may still come out on top.

"You say we both...  lost?"

She nodded, and nervously, she bit her lower lip, where his teeth had recently done the same.  She knew that things still had to be settled.  Once and for all.   

"We must do it again."

***************************************************

"Princess?  Princess Anelle?"

She faced him, and it was her, at last, with her large, liquid doe-like dark green eyes and the small dainty nose and the lovely, delicate mouth.

The nearest Skrull bodyguard shoved him aside.  "Keep your distance from the princess."

"That is alright, Gn'Rr.  Let him near.  Let us talk.  Thank you."

Rich smiled.  "I was afraid you had left the party."

She pouted.  "I'm told I must stay for yet a longer while, for reasons of protocol.  Your name was-?"

"I'm Rich Rider.  From Earth.  You don't know me, but I heard about your message and-"

"Please."  Her eyes darted quickly at the tall, thick Skrull bodyguards standing near them. "Not that loud."       

"Sure,"  he muttered.  "See, I'm returning soon to Earth, and I think I may be able to help you."

Her eyes shone.  "You are?"

***************************************************

She knew it was going to be harder than she had at first expected.  Much harder.

Because to her remorse, she had indeed let go during the previous kiss, in every sense.  Despite all her distaste, she had allowed herself to enjoy kissing Dorrek.  Despite everything.  Despite knowing well how wrong it was.  How wrong he was.

Even with the distractions, with how upset and distracted the thing with Adora and Reed had made her, how could she have been so... weak?  To enjoy the touch, the taste of such hideous, awful creature?  Enjoy it again and again?

How much had influenced her watching those holographic images shortly before?  Being forced to recall not just those actual acts, but also her deep, lasting anxiety, her fear, her overwhelming sense of vulnerability, and all of which Dorrek had taken advantage before?  

Could there also be some association to her more extensive experience with Kl'rt, who had also affected her far beyond her better judgement?  Who had at least been a  physically attractive Skrull, with a twisted but recognizable sense of personal honor, and a driven, personal interest in her that went beyond a moment's dalliance and was as flattering as daunting?  Had she recalled him unconsciously in her forced contact with this other Skrull by the tenuous green-skin resemblance?  Did lingering memories of them together conspired with everything else to make her feel sexually excited?  So excited?

There was a deep pang inside her.  Could it have been Kl'rt here instead?  Or would that be worse, for her?  For her life?  Making it harder?  

Was he even still alive?

The coarse tongue licked his lips obscenely, the bony green face twisted in a leering smile, so repelent, so different from Kl'rt's face that she could only wince.  

At least Dorrek was making it easy for her, this time.  

Surely now she could remain detached.  Now she could brush it off.  Now that she would not be distracted by that hussy coming on to Reed.  Now that she must have gotten whatever had affected her out of her system.  Now she could hate it, his kiss, as she must, as clearly as she hated all of him, and show him just that.  That is what she must do, and would do.  

Retreating before him, she was again backed against the balustrade.  

She took in a deep breath.  She would.

A hand reached for her uncovered leg, running up from her knee to her thigh and then hip, and then reaching around from there.  Grabbing her, her lower body was tugged forward, with always-surprising wiry strength, and roughly positioned her for what was to come.

The other hand grabbed a handful of her blond hair.

She would have wanted a longer moment to fully catch her breath, let her heart beat slower and collect herself, her thoughts, her feelings, her resolve.  To properly ready herself.  

But there was not.

There was no more slow build up.  No more taunting, no more exchanges, no more words.

No more interruptions.

There was just him pressing against her, and his mouth covering hers.

***************************************************

So where was the damn palace again?  

He had not realized how big this city really was, how full of ridiculously tall buildings and structures, all lighted up in weird ways.

He had to find which damn balcony that one had been, too.  Or one close to it.

***************************************************

His head moved, sideways, rising, lowering, pressing forward.  

Hers remained still, held stiff, rigid, like most of her body, holding back, resolutely, for almost all of it.  

Almost.

***************************************************

"So could you get away from these gorillas to talk freely?"

"Them?  Yes.  I always do.  They're loyal but rather dim."

"Good, do so, and meet me at... that balcony over there."

***************************************************

Her hair was pulled and twisted, undoing her carefully coiffed hairdo, letting her blond locks fall freely to her tense shoulders.  

The hand seizing her leg behind the knee drew it up, bent, by his side, leaving the other extended down in the other, while what she judged as the upper thigh of his lead leg pressing harder against her, there, between her legs.  Or what she thought was his lead leg's upper thigh.

The exchange went on for longer and longer, until suddenly the short Skrull drew backwards, abruptly pulling away from her, away from her mouth, much sooner than she would have imagined or expected.  So much sooner.

Without thinking, she instantly lunged forward, after him, her open mouth anxiously seeking his, her tongue darting out fleetingly, past her open and trembling rosy lips, accompanied by her agitated breathing, her face flushed, her freed hair falling loose.  Her arms hesitanted over his bony shoulders, as her eyes, shining bright blue in the starlit sky between nervously fluttering lashes, dazedly sought his, to find them, flashing dark, deep green back at her.

The alien's smile became broader than ever.

She stared for an instant, before pulling back, flustered with embarrassment, disbelief, guilt and regret, her mouth still open, her chest shuddering visibly, rising and falling within the tight confines of the silver fabric of her dress, through which her nipples poked stiffly.  Her raised leg was still bent, tense, held by him at his side, hooked around his lower body, her bare foot no longer rubbing the back of his leg.  

One lone high-heeled shoe lay fallen on its side, on the floor, just by them.

"Oh, my God,"  she gasped weakly, anxiously pulling away farther from him.  

She could barely gather together what had happened, how had it happened, when she had just let herself slip only a small bit, and then another, thinking she would pull back, that it was just an instant, that she was just finding the right balance to be part of the kiss, but not give in to it, and then that she was helping him get it over faster, and then she just could no longer stop, and could barely remember when she was not in it, in the kiss, completely.

How could she have done this?  With him?  With Dorrek?

"I think you'll agree this counted."

Her face burned.  She knew she could not argue that.

The tip of his finger reached to brush her still quivering, moist lower lip.

"I told you how it would be."

She pulled back.  "You-You bastard-"

But despite her anger, he was right.  She had lost.  Lost the test.  To him.  To Dorrek.

Lost her chance.  Her chance to prove that she did not want him.

That she could not want him.

Him.  Dorrek.

***************************************************

"Quickly, they'll be after me in no time."

"Right, here, follow me."  They scrambled into the open terrace.  "They'll not think to look here."

"You said you could help me.  Are you sure?"

"I couldn't stand seeing you in distress.  Whatever Johnny failed to do, if its within my power and you let me, I'll do it for you."

"Oh, thank you, thank you!"  She hugged him, pressing her slender body to his.  "You're so kind!"

He blushed, arms held clumsily at his sides.  "Ah, it'd be my pleasure."

Her eyes were large and warm with gratitude, her arms still around him.   "I'll never forget the service you've offered me.  Never."

She rose on tip-toes and placed a quick kiss on his chin, just below his mouth.

His face seemed to burn.  "Ah, so about the message-?"

"Can you encrypt a secure data chip?"

"Um, I-I think not.  But-But if you tell me, I'll remember, I swear.  I'll deliver it exactly as you say it."

She hesitated, but eventually smiled.  "I suppose I should trust the new Hero of Xandar.  Alright, you must please find on Earth the Kree warrior Mar-Vell, called Captain Marvel by your people-"

"Captain Marvel?"  He frowned.  "Wait, isn't he-?"

"He is the bravest yet gentlest of all warriors, whether Skrull or Kree.  He helps protect your Earth, and the moon Titan, and many other worlds."

"But didn't he-?"

"Please tell my beloved that while our distance apart is utter agony, I still long only for him and that the love we shared just issued the most wonderful of gifts a few cycles ago!"

"Of gifts-?"

"I named him after my father, thinking to appease him, but I grew afraid, and arranged for his wet nurse to take him away to be hid, lest his life be endangered by those who wouldn't understand our love-"

"Wait, you mean you and-?"

"Tell him our Dorrek is a beautiful baby, golden-haired just like his father, and I live for the day when we may be all together at long last.  I will cherish our memories and will chastely save myself for his return.  Please, tell him that!"

Rich looked down at her, eyebrows raised high.  He sure knew how to pick them.  "Ah, sure.  Alright."

"Thank you, Hero of Xandar!"  She hugged him tightly once again, tears in her eyes.  

"Er...  Rich, my name is Rich."  

Without further word, Anelle rushed away, to exit out the balcony doors, where several burly Skrulls in ceremonial warrior outfits stood staring, thick brows furrowed over narrowed eyes.

***************************************************

Sue faltered momentarily, trying to keep her balance while endeavoring to get it to fit, while she still could, before it was too late to slip out, unnoticed.  

She was hindered by the tight dress, holding onto the holo disk, and trying to not make any noise, even if she wanted to cry and curse and berate him, for what he had done to her, for what he had made her do, and curse and berate herself, too, for just the same.  She felt fingers touch her arm, searching for her hand, but she jerked it away, grabbing the railing instead.  

She finally got her shoe back on, and walked carefully along the balcony's perimeter, towards the doors.

***************************************************

"Fellas, really, we don't have to do this."

The Skrulls stared at Rich grimly, removing their ceremonial upper clothes, exposing the thickly-muscled torsos and arms.

"We must.  You insulted our beloved Princess with your unworthy touch.  There is no other way."

"With my-?  But I didn't do a thing!  She was the one who hugged me!"

"Your words further damn you!"

"Good grief.  I never get a-!"

The thickest one turned to the taller one.  "No weapons.  We have orders.  We are at peace now.  We are guests here."

The other nodded.  "Only fists."  

The rest grumbled their assents.

"Wait, wait, what do you mean only fists?  We're just talking about fighting, right?"

***************************************************

She tried to get past the wedge of overmuscled Skrulls, but there were nearly a dozen of them blocking the door.  It was unbelievable.  Would everyone in the damn party eventually drop by here?

Her invisible force subtly pushed a pair aside, making it seem like they pushed each other, and she slid through the gap.  But a hand grabbed her own as she did.  She tried to pull it away but could not.

"Let go,"  she whispered.

"Must I remind you that you lost?"

The door and then the inner draperies closed behind them.

"I know, but..."  She sighed.  The crowd inside seemed to have their backs to them, so she made both visible where they  stood, hand in hand.  "You are being clingy."

He laughed, yet did not release her.  

"Sue!  There you are!"

"I knew I saw your companion near this vicinity."

Reed Richards came forward through the nearest gap in the crowd, with Master Xar close behind.

"Yes, thank you, Master Xar.  I thought I had already looked here."

"It was no problem.  We'll meet later to examine the oscillation records?"

"Of course.  My wife wanted to leave early, anyway."

"Reed."  Flustered, Sue quickly tried with to rearrange her loose, disheveled blond locks, still unable to free her other hand.  "Honey.  Hello.  You were looking for me?"

"Yes, yes.  It just was a bit difficult to disentangle myself from Adora's demands."

"Oh, yes.  I'm sure.  Really."

Reed glanced down at the joined hands.  "You and Ambassador Dorrek are getting along better, I see."

Her face warmed.  "I wouldn't-"

The smiling Skrull raised Sue's hand up.  "She accepted joining me in a dance."

"Oh, she did?"  He regarded Sue.  "I thought you wanted to leave the party early."

"She's getting more into it, now."  The smile flashed brightly.  "You don't mind it, right?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, I can have your wife, right?"  The gesture pointed to the nearest dance platform.

"Certainly.  Why not?"

Before Sue could protest, she was pulled towards the raised platform, where several couples were moving rythmically to a shrill melodic progression built over a heavy, cacophonous beat.

Sue fidgeted in his tow.  "I-I can't."

"It's easy.  Hold on to me and follow."  

She was taken by the waist yet again and drawn close.  Held by one hand and the lowest part of her back, much like back at balcony, she was led in short flowing steps that turned into abrupt jerking lunges at each main crash-beat of the music, where her hips were tugged forward towards her partner.

"Not that.  I meant... what we agreed-"

"So did I."  

She followed his lead with a baffled sense of absurd displacement.  She was now dancing, right before everyone, right before her own husband, with the evil, murderous Skrull who had abused her, and with whom she had agreed to become intimate again.  It was too surreal.

"I just can't," she muttered.  "We can't-"

"You're doing fine.  Lean more into me."

She was jerked in much more aggressively, much more suggestively in each jerking motion, in a pace that recalled a more violent version of tango for Susan.  Meanwhile, her held hand was made to slide up and down her own flank, from where the silvery dress hugged tightly her ribcage and down all the way along her fully exposed leg, as the high cut let its smooth, toned length escape forward and backward from the flowing silver skirt-part.  Again and again, in repetitive patterns.

Should she be surprised Dorrek was a skillful dancer?  Using just the right angles and level of pressure to nudge and pull and tug her into following his lead with smooth assurance?  Had he not done the same to her, before, in another kind of dance?

She should say it right away.  Say that she could not go through with it.  That even if she had lost, if she had failed to prove herself unaffected by him, failed to prove she was not excited by his touch, she still could not do what he wanted of her.  She had to refuse it, to quit.  The kiss had been bad enough.

She glanced all about, nervously, and noticed the eyes on them.

"Why's everyone watching us?"

"Why not?  You're beautiful, wearing a most artful dress.  Your sight enriches their lives.  Also, most find a couple of our respective species an exciting fetish, too."

"A fetish?"

"Statistically for compatible species, Terran-type human females have the tightest cunts, while Skrull males have the largest cocks, even without shape-shifting.  So it sparks immaginations.  Fittingly.  Very fittingly.  Wouldn't you agree?"

"That's... It's not always just about... size,"  she protested.  "Just... sometimes.  It's not so simple."

"Oh, was Kl'rt disappointing?  Didn't he measure up?"

How could her face keep getting even warmer?  "Kl'rt?  No!  No, I mean-I never said that-"

"Good.  It'd be a shame for the Skrull reputation otherwise-"

"I can't do this."  She stopped and tried to back away, to create some distance.  "I can't just chat like this, follow this charade, as if we were friendly, as if nothing ever happened.  And I can't do... what was agreed.  I just can't.  Even if I...  if I said I would, I can't."

"You can."  The hand holdings hers pulled it low between them, down into the front folds of the purple robes.  "Did Kl'rt measure up to this?"

***************************************************

The loud commotion helped him locate the balcony, and he landed on it, his flame lighting it brightly.

"HEY!  What's going on down here?  Stop!"  A tongue of flame rose from his fist, threateningly.  "That's my buddy there!"

The Skrulls did not back away, but glared at him sullenly   "You, human.  No weapons.  No powers."

"What's that?"

"We are at peace.  We have orders.  No weapons.  No deaths.  Only fists."

Johnny frowned.  Those were a shitload of Skrull, all built like line-backers.  But he had been taking lessons with Danny Rand.  

"What the hell."  He flamed off.  "At last we're getting some action tonight."

From the general reaction he was reminded that his black tie suit had not been made of unstable molecules.

***************************************************

Sue felt the stiffness, so hard and thick, hanging there, hard and thick and long and huge.  Flustered, she tried to pull her hand away, but could not, and was again pulled tightly against it, there under her hand.

"No.  NO."  Invisible force expanded between them, forcing her Skrull dance-partner back, to stumble against another couple.  "I said I can't."  

She thrust the holo disk against the narrow alien chest.  "Here.  Take it.  Do whatever you want.  But I can't, and I won't."

"Will you go back on your word?"

"I agreed to the test.  And I lost, I know.  You...  you can read whatever you want into that.  I will not argue that.  But I didn't ask for this disk.  You gave it to me, now I give it back.  That ends this."  She walked off from the dance platform, towards her husband.

***************************************************

"You're all red-faced, dear.  That must have been some dancing."

"It was."  She embraced his arm, trembling, looking for solace, refuge.  "Let's leave, Reed.  Now.  Right away."

"I thought-"

"Please.  NOW."

"Sure, dear."

Her arm was seized just as they turned to leave.  Dorrek's face smiled thinly by her side, while a small, soft bundle was pressed into her hand.

"I'd rather have kept this, but I suppose you should have it back."   He moved away before she could protest.

She paled, and brought her hand down, low against her side, away from sight, holding her crumpled, damp panties.

***************************************************

"Are you sure you don't mind?  Master Xar said that these readings opened up whole new-"

Sue did not look away from the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.   "Sure, Reed.  Go.  I-I could use some time... alone."

"Thank you, dear."  He kissed her cheek from behind.

"Keep away from Adora,"  she muttered, half-heartedly, watching him leave for his preferred idea of night-time revels.

She kicked off her shoes and went to her room.  After a moment of closed-eyed silence, in a sudden flare of temper, she threw her still-wet panties to the floor.  

To her surprise, a couple of thumbnail-sized metal disks were revealed inside the folded, stained cloth.

It was the holo chip, she realized.  Again.  And the other looked just a personalized ID chip much like the one that opened her guest quarters here.

***************************************************

The outer, ceremonial robes were cast aside carelessly, on the floor, to a side of the plush recreation-platform centered in the luxurious bedchambers.

The smile spread wide across Dorrek's face as she walked in, already naked.

***************************************************

Two massively-built Skrull warrior stood guard before the outer doors.  Other four were placed strategically farther along each stretch of the private access corridor.  All had extensive bruises on their face and knuckles.  Mostly the former.

The doors suddenly opened wide.

"What the fuck-?"  Multiple curses in gutter Skrullian rose up.  Heavy weaponry was unholstered and the guards deployed into the foyer.  After a lengthy examination, they returned to their position outside, puzzled.  No alarms had been activated at any time.

"Bl'kd, shouldn't we report-?"

"We have orders.  Not be disturbed unless confirmed extreme threat."  He slapped angrily the control pad to shut the door again.  "Shitty Xandarian systems.  Can't wait to get back home."

***************************************************

Cries rose high and loud, filling the large room, followed by groans and moans and more cries at ever more urgnet paces.  

The enormous phallus pushed forward, forcing tender flesh to yield before its massive girth, quickly reaching bottom with the power of its thrust, to then withdraw and repeat its motion back and forth with relentless fury, in and out of the drenched depths, the swollen pink trim of the entrance proving shy witness to the repeated rushing passage of the monstrous invader.

How could she take all that?  All of that?  So deep?  So hard?  

It did not seem even physically possible.

Fists clenched handfuls of the silken bedsheets, trembling, spasming violently, and finally unclenched in slow, gradual collapse into weak, quivering lassitude.

The phallus took a daunting long time to pull out, dripping plentiful fluids with its retreat.  

A hand reached for a nearby placed dispenser of clear, viscous fluid, and Susan Storm opened her eyes wide.  Surely he would not try that.  He could not.  He would tear her apart.

After a lengthy squirt and careful application of fluid, the bulbous huge head pressed against the puckered anal entrance, firmly forcing its way in.

A low, deep groan rose, like the desperate grumble of an injured animal, the first of many, many more.

No wonder, she thought, horrified.  He must be splitting her in two.

The thrusts began deliberately slow, but quickly built up its cadence, until it was a savage, violent pumping that made all her body shake.  Soon her raised perky rear was completely pounded down against the bedding, the tautly contracted buttocks and spread thighs trembling visibly, while the rest of her body lay limp, face down, and the huge green penis again pulled back and full out, to shoot abundant thick of faintly-green-tinted jism all over her sweaty back.  When the jets of semen finished, the still swollen head was rubbed on the smooth surface of her flawless, trembling ass-cheeks, transfering the last residues of ejaculate.  The tremors on her flesh lingered as did the soft, fading moans, but she did not otherwise stir and her eyes remained closed, the blue make-up running dark down her face with the sweat and tears, her loose straight brown head a sweaty mess spread around her head.

The scrawny, knobby-jointed, naked green Skrull body looked even more grotesque over the limp form of the unconscious Suzerain of Xandar, the oversized phallus still throbbing from its recent use of both her most private orifices.  Still breathing heavily with the recent exertions, the green, dark-visaged face turned around, towards the open door to the bedchambers, where Susan Storm stood, invisible.

"So, did you enjoy watching?"

***************************************************

"Can we see go over the data now?"

"Why, of course, but it's quite late, Great Mind Richards.  Will your companion not protest?"

"Oh, she knows I keep odd hours."

***************************************************

"Let her rest here.  It was hard for her, as you saw."  The odious grin spread wider.  "Come, follow me."  

At the luxurious, all-white lounge, golden liquid was decanted into a cut-crystal wineglass.  "Do you want some?"

There was no reply, and the bony shoulders shrugged.

"I know you are here.  The security system told me when the access chip I gave you was used.  I was just too busy to welcome you at the moment, as you noticed."

The holo and ID chips appeared on the surface of the beverage station, followed by her voice.  "I just came to return these."

"But you don't have to."

"I'm not keeping anything of yours, Dorrek.  You're not going to pressure me into anything.  I've returned your things.  Now I leave."

"What about the dress?"

"The dress?"

"The dress I sent you.  Are you wearing it now?"

There was a short silent pause.  "You want it back... now?"

"You said you weren't keeping anything of mine."

There was a moment of tense silence, and suddenly a thin layer of cloth began to appear in mid-air, becoming visible just as it was peeled off the body it tightly hugged.  More of the silvery fabric came into view as it slid down snugly Susan Storm's invisible body,  pulled, gathered, and shrugged off, briefly defining the contours underneath in its path, the shape of the jutting breats with their pointed nipples, the trim midsection, and shapely hips, until it was finally left in a shimmery heap on the floor.  

"There!  Took it off myself, too, as you said it had to be.  Satisfied?"

"Had to be?"

"What you said, that you tear the clothes off men but should make a woman undress herself."

"Yes?  Ah, of course.  How well you treasure my words."

The dress was kicked over the floor.  "To hell with you.  And your dress."

"A pity.  Your body deserved such a piece."

"Not everyone gets what they deserve.  Even those who most should."  

"You could.  Your body deserved that piece most than any.  And this one, too."   The thick member dangled between the thin thighs, still mostly erect, aimed at the area from where her voice came.  "You could get it.  All of it.  All you deserve."

"I'm leaving.  Keep your holos.  Do your worst.  I'll just face it."

"Really?  Yet you don't dare face me, here.  You hide behind your power.  Invisible."

"I'm not hiding.  But I'm not becoming visible.  I just took off the dress.  I won't-"

"Be naked before me?  Yet am I.  Naked before you.  As you can see, I am sure."  The thick member oscillated heavily with each step.  "Is that fair?"  

"I'd rather you covered yourself, actually.  There's no need for us to ever see each other, ever again.  After I-"

"Please, aren't you watching me just now?  All of me?  And taking your time, too?  That's why you haven't left yet.  Because you don't want to leave."

"No!"

"Just as you took your time watching me fuck that Xandadrian minx's hot cunt."

"No!"

"Did you touch yourself?  Your teats, your crotch?  While you watched us?  Wishing it was you?  Did you finger yourself while I fucked her tight-?"

A bar stool was shoved aside by an unseen hand, crashing noisily to the floor.   "NO!  I did not-!  I DID NOT!"

"Oh, you don't have to get angry."  A hand gestured towards the bedchamber.  "That was just a quick diversion.  A warm-up, while I waited for you.  There's no need to be jealous."

"WHAT?  Jealous?  I'm not-!  How could-?"

"I thought we'd cleared the air between us, back at the balcony, at the party.  When we kissed.  And danced.  Together.  When you were in my arms, enjoying yourself, enjoying my nearness, my touch, my-"

"ENOUGH.  I'm gone now.  NOW."  Other stools were pushed away.  "You can't stop me, no matter what you say or what you do."

"Really?"

At a tap on a control pad, the holo disk left at the beverage station was activated.

***************************************************

"But the implications of these are beyond my ability to understand."

"I have to test and confirm, but if the results support the model, this may clear many standing issues with the prediction of higher-dimensional topology."

He could not wait to show Susan this.

***************************************************

"What is-?  Wait, why-?  That's Reed?  He looks...  Where was that-?"

"I thought you'd want to see this."

"I don't...  But-!  That's not me!  I know I wasn't there.   Is she-?  Oh, fuck."

A moment of stunned silence followed, before she could even speak.

"Why-?  What's that about?  Why is she...?  No...  No!  That's my husband!  NO!"  

Her voice failed her and her mouth hung open.  For a stretched moment she could just stare.

"Why-Why is she-?  Oh, gross.  What?  Really?"

She frowned, disgusted.  Reed was almost wholy unconscious!  He was basically being raped!  But she still could not look away.

Why was he so big down there?  He was huge!  Was it like that for everyone but her?  What did that mean?  

She grimaced.  She had never imagined it.  She thought she had been the only one who had been abused there.  Poor Reed.  Her heart ached for him.  Even as she bristled at what she had just seen, for so many reasons.

To her relief, it seemed to be over quickly, but then the images just changed.

"Wait...  Ben?  What-?"

***************************************************

Benjamin Grimm walked away from Alicia's apartment building.  A nice dinner at a discreet Italian place and then an open-air concert with his lady.  Didn't get much better than that.  He was glad he had skipped that stuffy event at Xandar.  They had probably all been bored to death there with speeches and whatnot.

***************************************************

She had no idea.  No idea.  About Ben.  About...

Of course it wasn't her.  He must have figured it out, too, at some point.  Certainly had enough time to do it.  But still she felt embarrassed, perturbed.  For both.  Even if she had nothing to do with it.  But it was still about her, wasn't it?  

How had Ben dealt with it?  With seeing her, after...  How could she npw look at him and not think that...  Think about...

She shook her head.  This was going to make everything so uncomfortable, back at home.  How much worse could it now get?

"Wait...  Oh, my God... JOHNNY?"

***************************************************

Johnny groaned, sitting up, trying to clear his head.  He hurt everywhere.  Everywhere.

Rich was huddled by a corner.

"Hey, why are we both naked?"

"Shut up.  Just shut up."

***************************************************

"Oh, no...  No.  NO!  Wait, not..."

She covered her mouth.  How could he?  

Her eyes grew wider and wider.

"JOHNNY!"

What was wrong with him?  How MUCH was wrong with him?

And come on, her breasts were already more than big enough.  Way more!  Why would he...?

She shook her head.  Now she had to kill him.  She had to.  

Johnny.  Her baby brother.  

How could he?

***************************************************

The holo shut off.  

Her mouth was dry, her body tense, her skin hot, almost feverish.  

How could this have happened to them?  She would have never imagined...  

How would this affect them?  If everything was to come out, openly?   If they all to face it?  How would it affect their relationships?  How they regarded each other?  Just knowing that...

It could change everything.  In many ways, it may already had.  But to add public exposure?  Public judgement?  

For all of them?  

It had changed everything.

"Was... all that... there?  All along?"

"Yes."  

She was startled to realize the Skrull stood now just behind her, his unsightly naked body visible from all angles as her power hid her own from sight.  Caught by the images of the holo display, she had not noticed the gradual approach, the proximity.  Her voice, her gasps of surprise and disbelief must have given away where she was.

"It was only fair to give all of it to you."  

She felt the stiffly protruding Skrull phallus brush against the back of her leg, hard, so hard, and she instantly stepped away, nervously.  "Fair?"

"Don't you feel you had to know?"

She breathed deeply, thinking of what she had seen, all she had seen.  How Ben...  And Johnny...  And even Reed...

"No.  No.  Some things... it's better not to.  It's better that... nobody knows."  She looked up at the deep-set green eyes, so unpleasantly full of malice, of disturbing expectation.  "Nobody."

It was no longer just about her, about her pride, or reputation, or self-regard.  It wasn't.

She winced, and let out a long exhalation, in a mixture of both resolve and bitter defeat.

"Nobody."

Her contours began to appear out of thin air, filling with the texture and color of her flesh and hair, from her head and feet and filling out progressively from each direction, revealing the complete volumetry of her unclothed body in all its detail, becoming visible, before the hungry green eyes.  

TO BE CONTINUED