"Lately, this has been... a lot," Sue admitted, twisting the cap between her fingers. "I spend half my day cleaning up after Ben and Johnny. Ben leaves rock fragments everywhere, and Johnny has been setting fires like it's a competitive sport. Meanwhile, I'm running the entire building. Dad and Reed are so buried in the GeoCore project that they forget the foundation still has to function. Grants need filing, donors want updates, payroll has to clear. I'm one part scientist, four parts housekeeper, and five parts CEO."
Colleen nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. I've had a few bosses who put impossible expectations on me. They wanted results yesterday and did not care how many hours it took. You are juggling more than most people could handle, I think you should take a break m."
Sue leaned back against the wall. "I would settle for one day where nothing breaks, ignites, or requires my signature."
Both the women finished the water and stood up before leaving the gym. They headed toward the lounge, and Sue pushed open the double doors without hesitation.
The room looked comfortable enough; a large sectional sofa faced a flat-screen television mounted above a holographic fireplave, and a full kitchen occupied one side of the space. Sue walked straight to the refrigerator and opened it, only to find bare shelves staring back at her. A lone carton of milk sat on the top shelf, and a half-eaten container of yogurt rested in the middle, but everything else was gone.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Johnny," she muttered darkly.
Turning to Colleen. "He cleared it out again. We're officially ordering takeout." She added.
Colleen was about to respond when movement near the hallway caught her eye. Johnny Storm stood there, dressed in gray sweatpants and a black tank top, the tips of his hair sticking up and full of gel. A grin spread across his face when he looked at Colleen.
"Hey, Colleen," Johnny said, leaning casually against the back of the sofa. "You look incredible after a workout. There's something about that post-sparring glow. If you ever want a private session, I'm more than qualified. I promise not to go too hard on you."
Colleen folded her arms and gave him a flat look. "I don't date twinks... sorry Johnny."
From the hallway came a rumbling laugh as Ben entered mid-exchange. "Ha! She got you good, matchstick."
Johnny straightened immediately. "I am not twink!" he protested, flexing both arms with exaggerated pride. "This is peak physical condition."
Ben ambled past him toward the fridge. "Does not get any twinkier than you, bud."
Sue rubbed her temples. "Johnny, leave her alone. She's not interested."
Johnny turned toward her with theatrical disbelief. "She just hasn't been properly introduced to my charm."
Sue raised an eyebrow. "Keep testing that theory, and you'll be introduced to my foot up your ass, now go watch TV twink."
Grumbling, Johnny dropped onto the couch and grabbed the remote, flipping channels then throwing the remote.
Ben, meanwhile, retrieved a bottle of orange juice, took a long drink straight from it, and then glanced at Sue. "By the way, you've got someone downstairs. Says they're here about the intern interview."
Sue froze before her eyes widened. "The interview!" she repeated, slapping her forehead. "I completely forgot."
She turned to Colleen apologetically . "I'm so sorry. I need to handle this now."
Colleen waved her off. "Go. I'll survive."
Sue pointed toward Johnny without looking at him. "And you. Behave."
Johnny raised both hands lazily. "Scout's honor."
Sue shot him a look that made it clear she did not believe him, then hurried out toward the elevators and went down to reception.
As soon as her footsteps faded. "One harmless compliment and suddenly I'm the villain," Johnny muttured.
Ben snorted. "Hey maybe you should work this into your superhero name you were going on about, the Human Twink, or what about the Flaming Twink."
"Shut up I'm not a Twink!" Johnny cried out.
...
The elevator doors parted on the ground-floor reception level, and Sue stepped out into the marble-floored lobby, adjusting the collar of her cardigan as she crossed the open space. The reception desk stood unattended, though a security guard behind the glass partition offered her a respectful nod. She returned it absently before pushing through the double doors into the waiting area.
Six cushioned chairs were arranged in two neat rows, facing a coffee table cluttered with outdated science magazines. Only one person occupied the room, seated near the window with her legs crossed and a magazine resting against her knee.
"Darcy?" she asked, a relieved smile forming on her face as she crossed the room. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I completely blanked on the interview. It's been nonstop upstairs and it slipped my mind. Please tell me you haven't been here long."
Darcy Lewis rose smoothly from her chair, adjusting the sleeve of her navy blazer. She wore a crisp white button-down tucked into black slacks, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. "Relax," she said, offering a reassuring shrug. "I was late too. Bridge traffic was brutal and parking around here is basically a competitive sport. We're even."
Sue exhaled, tension easing from her shoulders. "That helps, but still. Not how I like to start things. Come on. Let's head upstairs. It's quieter."
They walked back through reception and into the elevator together. Sue pressed the button for the thirty-fifth floor. "Things have been... busy to say the least," Sue admitted, glancing at the numbers climbing above the door. "We're understaffed across the board. The lab's burning through funds. The administrative side's worse. If it looks chaotic when we step out, just know that's temporary."
Darcy waved a hand dismissively. "I once finished a thesis draft in my car because my dorm was being fumigated, trust me I can deal with whatever is up here."
Sue laughed softly. "You'll fit in just fine."
The elevator chimed, and the doors opened onto the thirty-fifth floor. They walked past a line of closed offices and several stacks of unopened supply boxes. Sue guided Darcy into a small conference room where a long glass table sat beneath the lights.
Sue closed the door and gestured toward a chair. "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?"
"I'm good," Darcy replied, setting her portfolio on the table and taking a seat.
Sue sat opposite her and picked up a tablet resting at the center of the table. After unlocking it, she pulled up Darcy's application file.
"Let me outline the role clearly," Sue began. "Officially it's lab assistant and administrative support. In practice, it's both at full speed. You'd help with lab setup, documentation, calibrating equipment, logging results, and running routine diagnostics when we need extra hands. On the admin side, it's grant tracking, scheduling, budget spreadsheets, and whatever else falls through the cracks because the rest of us are buried in research."
Darcy nodded thoughtfully. "So half lab coat, half assistant."
"Exactly," Sue said. "I flagged your application because of your prior lab experience. That stood out. Can you walk me through your time with Doctor Foster and Doctor Selvig?"
Darcy leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table. "I worked with them in New Mexico for almost two years. I handled data collection from the Einstein-Rosen bridge experiments. I kept equipment logs updated and maintained calibration schedules. I did the unglamorous work too; cleaning sensors, running spectrometer checks, inputting data into the database."
Sue scrolled through the file. "You've got solid hands-on experience, that's more than clear." She looked up. "I'm a little confused though, you're qualified for more than an assistant role. Why not apply for a full research position, there are tons of different laboratories across New York?"
Darcy didn't hesitate. "I'm not really too enthusiastic to work for some big corporate lab, from what I've read about the foundation you guys do a lot of work towards helping people, and I can more than get onboard with that."
Sue studied her for a moment, then nodded. "I see..."
She set the tablet down and folded her hands together on the table. "One more thing," Sue said. "We deal with situations that aren't always conventional. Some of our research touches on phenomena most institutions wouldn't know how to categorize. I need to know you won't back out if things get strange."
Darcy's mouth curved into a knowing smile. "I've seen strange, you don't have to worry about that."
Sue kept her expression neutral, though approval flickered in her eyes. "Good." She leaned forward slightly before sighing.
"Since you've been honest with me I'm going to be direct. I need someone who can support me across multiple roles. Lab work, administration, foundation oversight, building management. The hours can be long. The pay isn't spectacular at the start. But if you can handle the workload, the growth potential here is real. But honestly you're gonna be doing like two different jobs and it's gonna have you tearing your hair out."
Darcy met her gaze. "I'm in."
Sue blinked. "You're sure?"
"I need the job," Darcy replied calmly. "And you need the help. It's pretty straightforward."
Sue stood abruptly, relief washing across her face, and walked around the table before pulling Darcy into a tight hug. "Thank you," Sue said quietly. "You've got no idea how much this helps."
Darcy stiffened for half a second before patting Sue's back. "Okay. We're hugging. That's happening. I'm going to pretend this is professional bonding and not a HR incident."
Sue laughed and stepped back, keeping her hands lightly on Darcy's shoulders. "When can you start?"
"Tomorrow," Darcy answered.
"Tomorrow works," Sue said immediately. She picked up her tablet again. "I'll send entry codes, parking details, and your schedule. If anything changes, text me."
"Got it."
They walked together to the elevator and rode down to the lobby. When the doors opened, Sue held them briefly.
"I'm glad you came in today," she said sincerely. "This is really going to make a difference."
Darcy offered a small nod. "See you tomorrow."
Sue watched her cross the lobby and exit through the glass doors, and for the first time in weeks, her chest felt lighter. The pressure that had been sitting there eased slightly. Finally, someone to share the workload.
She turned back toward the elevator and rode up.
When the doors opened on the thirty-fifth floor, she stepped into the corridor and moved toward the lounge. She had nearly reached the double doors when an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind, and a hand clamped firmly over her mouth. She was yanked sideways into a narrow side room, and the door slammed shut behind them.
Sue reacted on instinct.
A shimmering force field snapped into place around her body, expanding outward in a burst. The pressure shoved her attacker backward.
Sue spun around.
Her eyes widened in recognition.
"Natasha?"
Natasha Romanoff stood a few feet away, her hands were raised in a non-threatening gesture. "Sue," Natasha said quietly. "I need your help."
For a second, Sue Storm just stared at her.
Her pulse was still racing from the sudden grab, and the faint shimmer of her force field flickered at the edges of her skin before stabilizing. "What...Natasha, what's going on?" Sue's words tumbled out fast, overlapping. "Is this SHIELD? Are we compromised? Are we being quarantined again? Because if this is another containment protocol I need to call Reed and—"
"It's not that," Natasha cut in.
Sue didn't slow down. "Because the last time they put us under review it took weeks to clear and if they think the GeoCore's a threat, we just stabilized the—"
"Sue."
The single word manages to stop Sue mid-sentence.
Natasha took a small step forward, still keeping her palms visible. "I need you to breathe. Just for a minute. Calm down and listen to me. No interruptions."
Sue swallowed. Her field tightened instinctively, forming a faint, translucent barrier between them at chest height. She didn't even realize she'd done it.
"Okay," she said quickly. "Okay. I'm listening."
Natasha studied her for a moment, measuring whether she truly had her attention. Then she lowered her hands slowly, exhaling through her nose as if composing herself.
"I left SHIELD," Natasha finally said.
Sue blinked. "Left?"
"I'm off the grid," Natasha continued. "Officially I'm AWOL. Unofficially, I'm being hunted."
Sue felt like the floor shifted under her. "Hunted," she repeated. "You're telling me SHIELD is actively pursuing you?"
"Yes."
Sue took a step back, and the barrier between them thickened instinctively. "Natasha, that makes you a fugitive. That makes you a federal criminal. You can't just walk into our building and—" She gestured. "You realize what that does to us if they track you here?"
"I didn't do anything wrong," Natasha said calmly.
Sue let out a short, incredulous laugh. "You don't get hunted by SHIELD for nothing."
Natasha's expression hardened slightly. "Sue. I need you to stop panicking and start listening."
Sue crossed her arms tightly, though the shimmer remained in place between them. "Then explain it to me. Because right now this sounds like the worst possible situation."
Natasha held her gaze, and for the first time since Sue had known her, there was something unfamiliar there. It almost looked like fear.
"I'm pregnant," Natasha said.
The word didn't register immediately.
Sue frowned. "You're... what?"
"Pregnant."
Sue's brows knit together in confusion. "Okay," she said slowly. "That's... not illegal. Why would SHIELD be hunting you because you're pregnant?"
"They're not hunting me because I'm pregnant," Natasha replied. "They're hunting me because of who the father is."
Sue opened her mouth to ask, and then stopped. A thought flashed through her mind and she dismissed it instantly. But the fact that it even surfaced made her stomach drop.
"Natasha," Sue said carefully, "who is the father?"
Natasha didn't look away.
"Invincible."
Sue's eyes widened. "Invincible?" she repeated, disbelief thick in her voice. "You mean the Invincible?"
"Yes."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Invincible. The superhero powerhouse. The nearly indestructible anomaly who'd redefined what the word "superhero" meant. The very person that Sue had been looking for ever since he had saved her from in the Marriott.
"You're telling me," Sue said slowly, trying to piece the logic together, "that you're carrying his child."
"Yes."
Sue pressed her palm to her forehead. "Oh my god."
Natasha's jaw tightened. "SHIELD won't see this as a child. They'll see it as a potential asset. Or a threat. Either way, they'll want to contro them."
Sue's breath caught. "They would take the baby."
"They'd take the baby," Natasha confirmed. "They'd study it. Train it. Turn it into something they can use. I won't let that happen."
Sue lowered her hand. "You're sure? About SHIELD's intentions?"
Natasha gave her a flat look. "I've worked inside that system for years. I know how they think. If they can't control something, they contain it. If they can't contain it, they neutralise it."
Sue nodded slowly, though her mind was still reeling at the father's identity. Invincible. Of all people.
She dropped the barrier, but still remained tense. "Why come here?" Sue asked after a moment. "If they're looking for you, the Baxter Building is one of the first places they'd check. We're not exactly well hidden."
Natasha nodded. "They will look here. Eventually. But your father has influence. And with the right legal pressure, they can't just storm this building without cause. Especially not while you're working on the GeoCore Stabilizer. SHIELD desperately want that project completed."
She stared at Natasha for a second, and then shook her head slightly. "Why didn't I think of that?" Sue muttered to herself, she then exhaled slowly. "Okay. Fine. Say we can keep them out for a while. That still doesn't explain why you need me specifically."
Natasha hesitated for the first time. "I need a doctor to monitor the pregnancy."
Sue blinked. "Natasha, I'm not a medical doctor."
"You're a biologist," Natasha countered. "And that's what I need."
Sue's confusion deepened. "Why?"
There was a pause.
Then Natasha said quietly, "Because I had my ovaries and reproductive system removed when I was younger."
Sue stared at her.
"That's not—" She stopped. "That's not possible. If that were true, you wouldn't be pregnant."
"Exactly. Hence why I need you," Natasha continued. "This pregnancy shouldn't exist. And yet it does. I need someone to monitor it. To make sure my baby's healthy. To figure out what's happening."
Sue didn't answer right away. She felt like she was trying to process three separate crises at once. A rogue SHIELD operation. A child fathered by one of the most powerful beings on Earth. A pregnancy that defied basic biology.
Her scientist's mind was screaming with questions.
Her friend's heart was pounding with concern.
"You're sure?" Sue asked finally. "About the surgery."
Natasha nodded once. "It was part of my training. Permanent. Or so they told me."
Sue paced once across the small room, dragging a hand through her hair. "This is... this is a medical impossibility. There's no documented mechanism for spontaneous ovarian regeneration in adult humans. Unless—"
She stopped herself.
Unless Invincible's physiology had altered something at a cellular level. Unless foreign genetic material had triggered regenerative pathways.
Her brain was already racing.
She looked back at Natasha.
"You understand," Sue said slowly, "that if this is real, if this is viable, this changes everything."
"I know."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Sue inhaled deeply and nodded.
"Okay," she said.
Natasha's shoulders loosened slightly.
"There's a room," Sue continued. "It's not on the official blueprints my father designed it years ago as a containment observation chamber. We never registered it with the city. It's small. No windows. But it's shielded, and it doesn't show up on the building blueprints."
Natasha's eyes flickered with cautious hope.
"You can stay there," Sue said. "Off the record. We'll limit who knows. I'll run tests myself. We'll figure out exactly what's happening."
Natasha let out a breath she'd clearly been holding. "Thank you," she said quietly.
She stepped forward before Sue could react and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Sue stiffened for half a second, then returned it. "Don't thank me yet," Sue murmured. "In truth? I'm as invested in this as you are. This isn't just about protection. It's a biological anomaly. I want to understand it."
Natasha huffed a faint laugh against her shoulder. "That's the Sue I know."
Sue pulled back. "We'll handle SHIELD," she said. "We'll handle the science. And we'll make sure your baby is safe."
Natasha searched her face for a moment, then nodded. "Okay," she said and for the first time since she'd stepped out of the shadows, she smiled.
(AN: So Natasha is calling on her friend Sue because it makes the most sense when it comes to actually figuring out how she became pregnant in the first place. Anyway hope you enjoyed.)
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