[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZfvPPwT.png[/img][/center]
[b]Triskelion, Washington DC[/b]

[color=#ffffff]Sue Storm set off running towards the billowing smoke without hesitation. There were sirens blaring from the Triskelion and SHIELD agents running towards the action. Sue outpaced them all. With a wave of her hand she formed a light construct at shin height and stepped onto it, bounding forward and onto another hastily-made construct, creating the impression to the agents below that she was bounding through the air without care. The sounds of havoc drew louder the closer she drew to the Triskelion – and Sue grew more desperate to determine its cause.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]It didn’t take long. The sounds of guns firing emanated from the smouldering hole in the side of the building. Sue watched as they hit their target and seemed to skid away from him without causing even a fraction of harm. The man let out a sadistic laugh and lifted one of his muscle-bound arms above his head, bringing his gunmetal fist against the ground like a sledgehammer with devastating effect. The SHIELD agents were knocked off their feet and the man turned to inspect the jump to freedom that awaited him.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]As he did so he made eye contact with Sue Storm. It took all of half a second for the Invisible Woman to work out Carl Creel’s identity through parsing his blackened features – but once she had done she knew she was in for a fight. Creel smiled at her as if she weren’t even there and leapt out of the Triskelion without a hint of doubt.[/color]

[color=#9fc5e8]“Oh no, you don’t,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Sue muttered under her breath as she extended her hand in Creel’s direction. [/color][color=#9fc5e8]“Not on my watch.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Sue created a construct to break Creel’s landing. He opened his eyes, confused as to what had happened, before hearing the sound of two dozen guns cocking in unison. Sue was descending rapidly as she watched Creel fight to his feet and set upon the heavily-armoured SHIELD agents with a savageness that her world’s Absorbing Man could never have mustered.[/color]

[b][color=#2f4f4f]“You sons-of-bitches want to put me away in some stinking hole for the rest of my fucking life? You’ve got another thing coming.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]Their armour broke and splintered on contact with Creel’s fists, their bullets skidded off his skin without leaving a mark but the SHIELD agents pressed on in spite of the perilous danger they faced – and how clear it was that Creel was clearly enjoying himself a little too much.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Finally Sue landed in the thick of the melee with a graceful roll. She managed to knock Creel off balance, knocking him to one knee by magicking up a construct beneath his feet, and giving him a hard kick in the chest. Her foot throbbed with pain. Punching and kicking had never [i]quite [/i]been her forte – but Ben had taught her more than enough to hold her own. What he hadn’t taught her was quite how to deal with someone whose skin was coated with an unbreakable metal. That much she was going to have to work out in the field.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Sue turned to the SHIELD agents and barked at them in a voice that would have made Captain America himself stand to attention. [/color][color=#9fc5e8]“Get the hell out of here before you get yourselves hurt.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]They looked to one another in confusion, unsure whether to comply, before reluctantly retreating to a more secure position to radio for reinforcements. Creel watched on with a smirk. He seemed completely nonplussed by Sue’s arrival – perhaps because she was a woman, or perhaps because he had never felt quite as strong as he did with the black metal coating his skin.[/color]

[b][color=#2f4f4f]“You sure you want to do this, blondie? I’ve got not beef with you. Turn around and walk away now, I promise I won’t rough the boy scouts up too bad on my way out of here. Heck, play your cards right and maybe I’ll even let you leave with me. Hows that sound?”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]Sue shot Creel a look that would have turned his blood cold if he knew what was good for him. Instead, he doubled down on his folly with a repulsive gesture.[/color]

[color=#9fc5e8]“One chance,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Sue said coolly. [/color][color=#9fc5e8]“Get on your knees, place your hands behind your head, and revert back to normal, Creel.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Creel shrugged his shoulders. [/color][b][color=#2f4f4f]“Fuck it, I could do with the exercise anyway.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]He cut the distance between the two of them in an instance. Before Sue knew what was happening, Creel’s fist was flying towards her face. She managed to parry it with a forcefield but shuddered as it passed by her head. There was so much on Creel’s punches that all it took was for [i]one [/i]to connect to take off her head.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]She threw a punch of her own, this time making sure to coat her fist in a construct, but watched it fizz helplessly off Creel’s chin. He laughed as it did so. Sue was sure Creel had only let it strike him to show her how out of her depth she was fighting hand-to-hand with him. Her fears were confirmed when he caught the next punch with ease.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]A derisive laugh left Creel's lips. [/color][b][color=#2f4f4f]“You [i]really [/i]thought you stood a chance against me? You’re even dumber than you look.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]Creel yanked on Sue’s arm. There was a small crack and Sue let out a howl as she felt her arm being tested to its limit. With every bend, the sadistic smile on Creel’s face grew in size. He was enjoying every second of Sue’s pain. She tried to wriggle free of Creel’s vice-like grip but failed – and the Absorbing man only tightened it even more.[/color]

[b][color=#2f4f4f]“I’ve had enough of being pushed around. You hear me? Once I’m out of here, I’m nobody’s errand boy.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]Each millimetre Creel extended her arm sent a whole world of pain flooding through Sue’s senses. Amid the pain she thought she heard a voice. Was it Reed? Johnny? No, she frowned, trying her best to block out Creel’s rambling. It was a whisper – one carried on the wind from what felt like a world away – that seemed to grow in intensity with every repetition.[/color]

[center][b][i][color=#999999]BE FREE.[/color][/i][/b]
[b][i][color=#999999]BE FREE.[/color][/i][/b]
[b][i][color=#999999]BE FREE.[/color][/i][/b][/center]
[color=#ffffff]A man’s face flashed before her eyes. The sadness in the man’s eyes betrayed the horrors he had seen. Though the image was with her for but a moment she felt she knew him deeply – and suddenly it occurred to her that the face belonged to whoever was trapped in the belly of the Triskelion beneath the Silver Surfer’s shell.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]When Sue’s eyes opened her hand had inexplicably slipped free from the Absorbing Man’s grasp. Creel’s face was awash with confusion at the impossible escape act that Sue had performed and, in truth, Sue was equally shocked – but she wasted no time capitalising on it. A snaking light construct wrapped itself around Creel’s head and encased it away from any and all oxygen at his disposal.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Sue stretched out her throbbing arm and watched as Creel began to realise that even with vibranium-coated skin he still needed to breathe. A look of satisfaction settled over Sue’s face as she watched him struggling in vain.[/color]

[color=#9fc5e8]“You are a [i]truly [/i]vile man.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Creel struck and scratched at the construct in the hope of piercing it but Sue’s will held strong. The strength in this blows began to abandon him slowly until his sturdy legs began to weaken. He began to stagger towards Sue, his arms outstretched, as even in his delirious state he seemed to have finally managed to deduce that piercing the construct was not going to work.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]The Absorbing Man fell to his knees just short of Sue. The vibranium-coating on his skin seemed to have begun to fade away as he slipped towards unconsciousness. His hands lifted in one final act of defiance, that Sue observed in bemusement.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]With all of his remaining strength, Creel slapped his hands together and sent Sue flying backwards. She landed on the tarmac with a heavy thud and at once felt the blood rushing down her nose. Before she had quite recovered, she felt Creel’s hand around her neck. He lifted her off the ground with ease and was several seconds into verbally abusing Sue before she realised something was wrong. The ringing in her ears had not abated. In fact, it seemed be getting worse.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Her blue eyes fixed on Creel’s mouth as she tried to work out what he was saying.[/color]

[b][color=#2f4f4f]“Once I’ve made an example outta you, the first thing I’m gonna do is find that motherfucker Thor and make him pay for what he t-”[/color][/b]
[center][h3][color=#ffffff]CRAKOOM![/color][/h3][/center]
[color=#ffffff]The sky above Washington turned a wicked, vengeful black. Sue saw a hint of fear enter into Creel’s eyes as the deafening thunder shook the Triskelion to its very foundations. She couldn’t hear the thunder over the sound of ringing in her ears, but Sue could feel it – and she knew what it meant. From the look on Creel's face, so did he.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Creel’s grip loosened just enough for Sue to wiggle free and offer the Absorbing Man a word of warning. [/color][color=#9fc5e8]“Be careful what you wish for, Creel.”[/color]