Marvel: NIHILITY

David strolled through the Xavier School's grounds, the psychic mark from Jean still lingering in his mind like a faint warmth. He rubbed his temples, the weight of the promise he had made pressing on him. He exited the school and walked towards home.

Just as he thought he could finally leave, a voice called out from behind.

"David, is that you?"

He turned to see Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman herself, standing a few feet away. She wore a light blue coat over her Fantastic Four uniform, her blonde hair glowing softly in the fading sunlight.

Her expression was calm but slightly uncertain, as though she wasn't entirely sure how to approach him.

David managed a polite smile. "Susan. It's been a while."

Susan's face brightened. "Yeah, it has! I saw you earlier, but you seemed… preoccupied. I thought I'd wait until things calmed down to say hi."

David chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, it's been a long day. How've you been? How's the Fantastic Four?"

Her smile grew more genuine. "Busy, as usual. Reed's always working on something, Johnny's... well, Johnny, and Ben's complaining about being dragged into every experiment Reed comes up with."

David nodded. "Sounds about right. What about you? Still keeping the team together?"

Susan shrugged. "Someone has to. Reed's been diving deep into his work lately. He's researching the Negative Zone again, and I've been helping him with logistics and planning."

At the mention of the Negative Zone, David's demeanor shifted. His expression grew serious, and he took a step closer to her. Placing a firm hand on her shoulder, he looked her directly in the eyes.

"Susan, listen to me," he said, his tone low and intense. "The Negative Zone isn't just some dimension to poke around in. It's home to Annihilus, a warlord who could make Galactus seem like a manageable problem.

If you create a portal, even by accident, you're inviting disaster to Earth. I've seen what he can do, and trust me, it's not pretty."

Susan blinked, caught off guard not only by his words but also by the proximity and the unexpected concern in his gaze. "I… I didn't realize it was that dangerous. Reed didn't mention anything about Annihilus."

David sighed, his grip on her shoulder loosening slightly. "Reed's brilliant, but sometimes he's so focused on the science, he overlooks the risks. Please, make sure he knows what he's dealing with. I'd hate to see someone as kind and gentle as you get hurt because of a mistake."

Susan's cheeks flushed pink, and she looked away briefly, a small, flustered smile tugging at her lips. "Thanks, David. I'll… I'll talk to him about it."

Realizing the unintended flirtation in his tone and gesture, David awkwardly pulled his hand back and took a step away. "Uh, sorry if I came off too strong. I just… wanted to make sure you were safe."

Susan smiled warmly, still blushing. "No, it's okay. I appreciate it. Really."

Before the conversation could grow even more awkward, a loud crash echoed through the area. A massive, grotesque beast with twisted limbs and glowing eyes landed in middle of the street , roaring furiously and scattering debris everywhere. David's eyes widened in recognition.

"Wait a second," he muttered, watching the creature rampage. "That's… from Thor 2. The convergence. Seriously? Now?"

The beast snarled and turned its attention to the two of them, preparing to charge. Susan instinctively raised her hands, forming a protective force field, but David stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.

"Don't worry, I've got this," he said casually.

Before Susan could protest, David blurred forward with a burst of speed, grabbed the beast by one of its twisted horns, and launched it into the sky with a single, effortless motion.

The creature vanished into the upper atmosphere, a faint speck disappearing into space. David dusted off his hands and turned back to Susan, who was staring at him with a mix of amazement and disbelief.

"You just… yeeted it into space," she said, her voice tinged with awe.

"Yeah," David replied nonchalantly. "Figured it was easier than fighting it down here."

Susan shook her head, a small laugh escaping her. "You're something else, David. Hey, if you're not too busy, maybe you could stop by the Baxter Building sometime? I'm sure Reed would love to pick your brain about… well, everything."

David hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. "Sure. I'll swing by. Just… keep an eye on the Negative Zone thing, okay?"

Susan smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I will. Thanks, David."

With that, David took off into the sky, flying toward his home. The wind rushed past him, and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to think about his fiancée waiting for him.

The warmth of her presence, the comfort of her embrace—it was the one thing that kept him grounded in a world that seemed determined to drag him into chaos at every turn.

As he soared through the clouds, his thoughts drifted back to the convergence. He knew what was coming—Malekith, the Aether, and the potential destruction of worlds.

The question loomed in his mind: should he intervene? Should he once again step into the role of a hero, risking everything to stop another disaster? Why should he?

He sighed deeply, the weight of the decision settling on his shoulders. For now, he'd enjoy the moments of peace he could find. But deep down, he knew the choice would soon be taken out of his hands.

As David soared through the sky, his mind was consumed with thoughts of his fiancée and the bizarre day he'd just had. What he completely failed to notice was the storm brewing—figuratively and literally—back on the ground.

Susan watched as David disappeared into the horizon, her eyes glinting with a peculiar shine. After she returned to Baxter tower, She absently brushed her fingers over her shoulder, the very spot where David's hand had rested. Kind and gentle, he'd said. Cute, he'd called her. HE TOUCHED MY SHOULDER!

Her cheeks turned crimson as she hugged herself dramatically, spinning in place like a Disney princess high on caffeine. "David..." she whispered dreamily. "He's so... perfect."

She froze mid-spin, her gaze narrowing as her thoughts darkened.

"He said he'd visit the Baxter Building," she muttered to herself, pacing back and forth. "Which means... he wants to see me again. Obviously." Her pacing stopped abruptly as her lips curled into a disturbingly wide grin.

"Soon... soon he'll realize we're meant to be. Susan Faust—yes, that has a nice ring to it."

Somewhere in the background, Johnny Storm wandered past, took one look at her unsettling expression, and muttered, "Nope, not dealing with that." He promptly set himself on fire and flew off in the opposite direction.

Susan, now oblivious to everything but her spiraling thoughts, clenched her fists dramatically. "No one will get in my way. Not Reed. Not his fiancée. Not even that weird psychic connection he mentioned with some other woman."

Her voice dropped to a near whisper as her pupils dilated. "I'll protect him from all of them, by keeping him with me forever...."

From the shadows of a nearby rooftop, Madame Viper adjusted her high-tech binoculars, her Hydra-issued spy gear zeroed in on Susan's every move.

She shuddered involuntarily as she watched the Invisible Woman twirl and giggle like a love-struck teenager in a rom-com gone horribly wrong.

"What... what am I even witnessing?" Viper whispered, lowering the binoculars for a moment to question all of her life choices.

But then her gaze flicked to David as he disappeared into the clouds, and a completely different expression crept across her face.

"Focus, Viper," she told herself, her tone steely. "You have a mission to complete. Seduce the target. Extract intel. Infiltrate his life." Her confident smirk faltered for a moment. "And... maybe... just maybe... keep him for myself?" Her voice grew softer and more wistful as her thoughts strayed.

She slapped herself across the face. "No! Get it together! You're a highly trained Hydra operative, not some giggling schoolgirl."

Viper raised the binoculars again, only to see Susan still frozen in her delusions, muttering something about matching outfits and themed wedding décor.

The spy felt a chill run down her spine. "It's always the quiet ones," she murmured, shaking her head. "They're the craziest."

But then, without realizing it, Viper's own lips curled into an eerily similar grin to Susan's. He didn't harm me even though he knew who I was, she thought. And if Susan could fantasize about David, why couldn't she?

After all, he was nearly perfect. Handsome, powerful, mysterious—a man who could casually yeet monsters into space and still be humble about it.

Her heart skipped a beat as she imagined their first meeting. "I'll get close to him," she whispered, her voice laced with determination. "I'll infiltrate his circle. And then... he'll be mine."

A maniacal laugh bubbled in her throat before she could stop herself. She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, glancing around to make sure no one had heard. But the damage was done. Her mission had taken a very personal turn.

Back in the sky, David had no idea that he'd just become the unwitting protagonist in what was shaping up to be the most unhinged romantic drama of all time.

He hummed a little tune as he flew toward his home, blissfully unaware of the trail of obsessive admirers he was leaving in his wake.

For a brief moment, he felt a strange chill, as though someone—or rather, several someones—were thinking of him a little too intensely. He shook it off. "Probably nothing," he muttered to himself, focusing instead on the prospect of a quiet evening with his fiancée.

If only he knew.

Back on the ground, Susan and Viper unknowingly mirrored each other, both whispering into the night:

"He'll be mine."