“Tactical.”

 It was cold in the Artic circle.

 A thousand kilometres made of ice and snow. Among areas without human or technological presence for miles…save the whirring sound of the cameras and the roar of engines slowing fading as the carrier made its descent.

 Reed Richards was one of the greatest pioneers of modern science on Earth. He was the founder of the Fantastic Four, the first family of superheroes and the modern equivalent of Christopher Columbus.

 Today, he was nothing.

 The cold winds blow past him, as the two robotic guards behind him had grabbed hold of the back of his head, pushing it roughly onto the snow. Reed flinched, as he tasted the crushed ice on his lips; like the cold heart of the man whom he knew was enjoying this, slowly…slowly.

 “Patient.”

 Reed felt his arms; they were bound by machines, like handcuffs restraining him. He heard the slosh of snow against metal feet, and struggled to look up only to see two iron boots making its way towards him. He was intimidated, not by those boots but by the sound of the video film spinning away…sending live feed across the nation, no, across the world.

 And the man was silent as he stood before him, save for the heavy breathing beneath his iron mask. Calm when requisite, he showed neither happiness nor disappointment. But that had been the way of Victor von Doom.

 “Without mercy.”

 An electrical surge pulsed through Reed, as the machines around him were activated. Minutes later, he was on the floor with blood on his lips. The cold winds felt more and more painful, like sharp knifes now, as he had become vulnerable and weak more so than ever before.

 And Doom, for all his nobility, simply walked towards his most bitter enemy’s body, and with one swift motion, slammed his head with the sole of his iron boot, like a king would to a man inferior. His words echoes in Reed’s head like fading drums, as the taste of blood and ice made him choke.

 “These are the traits of all great kings in history.”

 Doom’s backed away, as his Doombots immediately held Reed up by the arm. Seemingly lifeless, the scientist turned to the madman. “…what…do you want,” uttered Reed, who had garnered his full attention.

 “What do I want,” Doom repeated, as if in passive thought. “It is not what I want, Reed Richards, but the want of my family. My country.”

 Reed knew a liar when he saw one.

 “You are my example, Richards, of a new Latveria; one which will not tolerate the crimes that stain its flag anymore. This is for the whole world to see.” Doom turned his back on Reed, facing the cameras, then back to his enemy. “Today, the whole world will know the meaning of justice. Today, no one will take advantage of my people, my children.

 “Reed Richards.

 “Today, you are charged with crimes against Latveria.”

 He was one of the greatest pioneers of modern science on Earth. He was the founder of the Fantastic Four, the first family of superheroes and the modern equivalent of Christopher Columbus.

 But today…

 Today, Reed Richards was nothing.

   “TERMINAL”

THE FANTASTIC FOUR

Reed Richards, Susan and Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm rode an improperly shielded rocket headed for the moon, only to be bombarded with cosmic rays which gave them amazing powers! Together, they became the Fantastic Four, sworn and intrepid adventurers seeking to face the dangers of the unknown.

WHAT’S GOING ON 1,2,3,4…

Reed Richards and Victor von Doom; the yin and the yang, the day and the night, forever one shall be the darkness of the other and vice-versa. Their enmity is legend, and their encounters plentiful throughout the span of time. This is the beginning of its end.

“…there’re two things I don’t understand.”

Jennifer looked at the delegates, officials and ambassadors before her, as she clutched the reports in her hands. Her eyes shifted across the room, and after, with one swift motion, slammed the files onto the table.

 “So explain them to me. Property damage, traumatic experience, lives in forfeit…are you insane? How could you even let that madman charge Reed with these!?!”

 “Now, Ms. Walters,” a Mr. Cartwright said on the other side of the table. “May I remind you and your clients in representation that Mr. von Doom has legitimate charges to the man…”

 “Oh, sure, go ahead and trust a guy named von Doom.”

 “…which we cannot avoid by any means. What he has done is perfectly constitutional.” Cartwright leaned back on his chair, taking the mug from the table and lifting it to his lips. After a sip, he sighed. “It is even stated in the UN Charter. All the charges filed against Reed…”

 “…yea, yes, legitimate my ass.” Jennifer slumped back onto her chair heavily, and groaned in frustration. “Okay. Fine. Fine, you…you just explain to me how you could let him walk out with Reed. That range of stupidity, I don’t just get at all.”

 “…I had it with you, you stupid…!” one of the other officials, a general McIntyre, roared, as he slammed his fist onto the table, startling everyone. He immediately stomped towards the side of She-Hulk and pushed her seat around to face him. With one finger, he aimed it at her angrily. “I’m sick and tired of hearing your mouth lambasting all of us, goddamnit! You think you’re so tough, lady, with your attitude. Why don’t you shove your snobby little lady butt out of this meeting and go back to whatever freak show you came from.”

 She-Hulk stood up to him, poking him in the chest. “Watch it, G.I. Joe,” she snapped. “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

 “…I’ve got a right mind to…!”

 “Enough,” Cartwright said sternly, as two soldiers immediately held McIntyre back from slapping Jennifer. “Thanks for calling off the bulldog,” she grumbled, as she in frustration sat back onto her seat.

 “Your attitude is not helping, Miss Walters,” he scolded in reply. “You’re not the only one who’s frustrated, worried and pressured about this. We did not exactly let Doom leave in peace, you know that evident from the damage outside.”

 “…no choice?”

 “You can say something like that.” The delegate turned to McIntyre with a disappointed gaze, the latter replying with an outraged stare. “Say what you want about him, but General McIntyre has lost several men in the assault and among them his brother, who was a private in his flank. Please bear with his grief if it’s pretty much intolerable for you.”

 “…sorry, we’re all really ragged out here.” Jennifer leaned back and looked out the window towards the city of New York. The ruins that had laid Doom’s path from the building to the Latverian embassy were great in magnitude, and she herself regretted to have reached the site too late.

 “Furthermore, Doom has some form of cloaking technology that hides him from even our most advanced tracking systems,” Cartwright continued, taking in her apology. He gathered the files and organized them slowly. “We have no way of reaching him. And, truth be told, due to his political immunity (that comes with his status as a world leader), we have no real ways to touch him unless he initiates a war.”

 “Damn it, this is what he wants.” Jennifer placed her one hand over her face and sighed. “It’s his game now.” Cartwright moved towards her.

“Whatever the case, both you and I know that any world nation associated with the United States is willing to help your cause.” He placed her hands on her, and she looked to find the files in her palm. Cartwright smiled wearily. “If he makes one false move…we’re there.”

Nothing stirred, as the silence filled the room with an air of unease. Scott Lang looked up from his seat on the sofa, his eyes focusing on the ceiling. Just right above them, in between that floor and the next, were the scuttling of a million tiny appendages, moving towards the ventilation system; his ears had become sensitive to things such as those, after all these years. His eye twitched slightly, his mouth shifted so to form words with no sounds, and the critters instantly retreated, moving away from the fan blades.

 “…mumbling something, Scott?” Sue asked, passing him a cup of hot cocoa. Instantly, his attention shifted, moving away from the ants, from the ceiling and to the woman in front of him in a second. The Ant Man just looked at her, holding the mug in his hands. “It’s nothing, Sue,” he replied, sipping his drink. “Oh, and you can open the air conditioner now.”

 Susan Storm aimed her hand at the dial on the other side of their plush urban living room. With one snap, the air around the room began to cool, and she sighed, falling back onto the couch. She held her hands into the air, and shook her head.

 “You got eye bags,” Scott commented, only to have a little soft moan in reply. He looked at Sue and placed his cup down. “Sue, say something.”

 “…oh god.”

 “Sue?”

 Suddenly, the Invisible Woman slammed her hand against the table in frustration. Startled, Scott drew closer to her, holding her up. “I can’t do anything,” she exclaimed in anger, as a dew of tear appeared underneath her eyes. “It’s my fault, I let him go, and, and it was a trap! First Victoria, then Johnny, and now, now…!”

“Sue…!”

 “…I…I just wished…” She lay unclenched her hand and stood up, walking towards the window view of New York. “My daughter could die, Scott. Johnny’s missing. And Reed’s out there…somewhere…”

 “It’s not your fault.”

“It’s my responsibility.” Sue sighed, placing her hand onto the glass surface. On the reflection she saw her face, and something more; on that reflection, she saw the stars and the moon, and the man who would be her husband. She saw herself, years before, with a younger Johnny and a handsome young pilot, embarking on an odyssey that would change their lives forever. She spoke softly.

 “…did I ever tell you why I went on that first trip, to the moon? Why I was so insistent on me and Johnny joining the trip in the first place?”

 He pondered for a minute, scratching his head. “No.”

 The mother smiled a little, as she let her hand down. “It’s not that I wanted to be the first on the moon, really. I was never into that sort of thing at all. It was…”

 Memories were as fresh as yesterday. She remembered a young Susan Storm yelling in pain, as the rocket they rode began its descent. She felt the intense heat burning up around her, as beads of sweat formed around her body. Then, she felt a change; a calm, as if there was something around her, protecting her and everyone, lessening the burden of the descent. Without it, they would have never survived.

 And when she got out, he was the first thing she heard. She asked him why he was staring at her like that. He said it was nothing…he said… 

“…I get to see you grow old,” she reminisced, wiping a tear from her eye. She “I never thought I’d go anywhere to be with him. To be near him. To protect him. Him and Johnny and Ben, Franklin and Victoria, my family…sometimes I try to act like it isn’t, like I don’t…sometimes I can’t…I…” Suddenly, she snickered, holding her hand onto Scott’s shoulder. “…I’m sorry, I must sound like a such a fanatic right now.”

 “No,” Scott said, smiling. “No, it’s okay to…”

 “Mommy!”

 Franklin Richards burst through the room, startling the two. His hands flew to point into his room, where they heard the sound of the static and voices in panic and confusion. Sue immediately stood up, running towards her son. “What is it, Franklin,” she said, shaking her son gently. “What is it?”

 “Mommy…Daddy’s on TV!”

The sleek silver orbs spun around them, as their video lenses’ focused closely on Reed’s face; his eyes bore the burden of his hidden rage, his mouth wording words unheard, silent cries of pain. 

He found himself unlatched as the Doom bots released the chains that bound him down in the snow. Victor von Doom’s eyes glimmered as he watched his nemesis get up in the snow, his fist brimming with raw power. His palm brushed against the snowy surface, melting it with but a casual wave. “I was born in the snow, iron meshed with flesh,” Doom began, as he faced Reed. “Not as Victor von Doom…no, he died a long time ago…I, simply I, was born.”

 “Victor.” Reed twisted his body back, as an energy wave pulsed through the air straight at his chest. He found himself becoming thin as a rail, narrowly missing the beam.

 “Your first action,” Doom demanded ruthlessly. “Your first action against Latveria began with my murder.”

 Reed lunged at his enemy, trying to bring him down. His hands twisted around Doom’s, as the sound of rubber stretched echoed through the air. Pinning down his enemy, Reed was face-to-face with his former colleague…and friend. The heli-carrier swerved around them, as Doom bots fell from the sky, landing onto the weak thin ice. Their hands fell onto their machine guns, aiming at Mr. Fantastic immediately.

 “Well then,” he muttered, looking all around him.

 The bots fired, as empty shells fell into the snow, explosive slugs slamming onto the empty space where both the dictator and the scientist once were. The impact so strong broke the ice, and the bots fell into the crevice they created, opening up an underground of ice and cold water. And above, Doom pried himself away from the man, who fashioned himself like a parachute.  “You are the first,” he said, as his arm punched the elastic stomach of Reed, knocking the wind out of him. “And soon, the family will be next to fall.”

 With one blast, he fired himself away, his iron boots pushing him towards the snowy banks. Reed, reverting back to normal, rolled onto the snow, grabbing one of the guns ripped away from the androids. His eyes shot toward the other side, as Doom himself was already up with his iron arm ready to fire.

 The seconds passed slowly, like minutes, like hours, like forever. Doom’s hand moved slowly, as a ball of energy began forming on his palm. Reed’s fingers twitched, as a bullet punched through the end, searing through the cold air.

 Too late.

 Doom’s hand exploded into an infernal crescendo, as the beam rode through the surface, cracking the ground before him. “Let the game,” he whispered, as the beam caught Reed, as the leader of the Fantastic Four fell into the icy waters below. The orbs flew at his face, capturing the grim visage of his triumph.

 “Begin.”

  Longtitude: 64 Degrees. 21 Minutes, 15 Seconds West.

Latitude: 2 Degress. 10 Minutes, 34 North.

The gunships flew in a v-like flank, moving quickly over the icy tundra of the North. The Thing lifted his rocky orange hands onto the air, grabbing hold of the heat-signature googles strapped onto his head then pulling it down onto his face. He dusted down his sleek black insulated suit, as the blizzards began raging across the land, making it difficult for safe descent voyage.

 “Ye sure Stretcho’s somewhere here, Jen,” Ben Grimm mumbled, as he put on the air muffler. She-Hulk’s voice was garbled by static on the commset, as he groaned, tapping the tiny device strapped into his ear. “Jen? Yea…yea, sure thing…no, I’m not packin’ a barf bag, whaddaya…?”

BOOM.

“Snowstorm’s bringing us down!”

“For the luvva…! Okay, okay, fine, this is where I’m getting’ off.” The Thing sighed, as he clamped onto the handle of the door and pushed it open. Clumps of snow pushed inwards the gunship. “Catch up one th’storm clears,” he yelled to the pilot, who gave him a thumbs-up in reply. “Well, Mama Grimm, looks like I ain’t gonna be afraid of heights no more…”

The Thing leapt out without a parachute and fell, leaving a giant mark into the snow. The gunships pulled back, leaving him stranded. Grumbling, Ben pulled himself upwards, grabbing hold of the snowy banks.  

He knew this was going to happen soon enough; Reed had been saving their butts for a million times now, and he wanted to pay back. Benjamin J. Grimm was raised to give back what he owed. He ain’t gonna stop now.

 Making an effort against the blizzard, he climbed onto the banks, and tapped onto Reed’s heat signature. Seconds later, a red dot popped into his view (behind the googles), and he walked, one step at a time against a force of nature, in that direction.

WE INTERRUPT OUR REGULARLY
SCHEDULED PROGRAM TO BRING YOU
THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL BULLETIN.

"...This is Manoli Wetherell for NPR-TV. Four days ago, Reed Richards, leader of the Fantastic Four has recently been charged with crimes against the country of Latveria, which has, for years been under the lead of his excellency Victor von Doom. All was still stable in relations between the United States and Latveria, until a few hours ago, von Doom stormed the United Nations Building and took Reed Richards by force, to be judged for his crimes. Now, we have acquired live footage from the monarch himself, detailing the proceedings..."

 "...Reed Richards, a man who has won the Nobel Prize twice and has been nominated thrice, was last seen falling through the ice. At this point, the United States are in negotiations with Latverian representatives for the exchange for Richards with payment for collateral damage and the release of several political prisoners, some suspected and convicted Latverian terrorists. This is a controversial matter which is currently being discussed by the Senate..."

 "Latverian Democratic Nationalist Party, a new radical group which has recently arisen a few months ago after a “Manhattan Hate” incident linked to the monarch himself, claims that von Doom is a dictator which must pay for his crimes and abuse of power. Naturally, this could be a political ploy to encroach on the Latverian public against Doom. But what if it is true? Given this fact, should von Doom even have the right to judge Richards when he himself is a criminal?"

“…wait…wait…reports are coming in. It seems that Reed Richards was once Doom’s…”

NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING.

FF PLAZA.

 A human body is made out of carbon-based molecules, like all living organics. That’s a little lesson Hank Pym taught me, when I first donned this suit. Identifying an organism means identifying the amount of carbon atoms that make up its exoskeleton. I can see this through the red lens of my helm…they tell me the chemical structure of any matter that’s in my line of sight that I need to know about, like, say a horde of ants that are making their way through the cerebral cortex of the man that I’m standing on. Only he isn’t a carbon-based life-form, the same goes for the rest of our attackers, which makes things rather complicated.

 They’re robots.

 And I’m Ant Man. The only thing I’ve got going for me is that I can shrink to microscopic size and beyond, speak to insects and have thrice my body strength while shrunk. To me now, bullets seem like giant helicarriers of adamantium, moving towards me like a speeding jet.

 Naturally, I dodge, but not without trouble. The heat radiated from the bullet makes me yell out in pain, as I twist my body around to spin over it. Landing on the sink, I watch as the man-bot suddenly drops to his knees, with the tiny members of the insect family Formicidae coming out of his mouth.

 I do my homework, you see, both on insects and on electronic technology. By ordering my friends to cut down the bot’s artificial nervous system, the bot should react the same way as any human being should; paralyzed.

 I get up onto my feet, leaping at the thing with my feet outstretched. I crash through it, and land on the floor, narrowly avoiding the falling scraps of metal which to me, seem like boulders of steel.

 While Hank Pym taught me my chemistry, Janet Van Dyne taught me ballet. I roll back, as a giant foot slams down onto the spot where I was awhile ago. Another one; this is getting monotonous. Then, I notice a tiny detail on this one; it’s tattered and torn, revealing some circuit board designs that were kind of familiar to me.

 Doom bots.

 I kick back from the floor, somersaulting up into the air and onto the table behind me; it’s like leaping onto a tall building from the ground, you get my drift. Hard to do, but that’s better than having the other android squash me like a bug.

 By now, you’re kind of wondering how I ended up in a sticky situation like this. Well, don’t be, it can’t get any simpler than this. Just another day gone surprisingly wrong, end sarcasm there. I mean, these Doom bots suddenly, burst through the windows, attacking us out of nowhere. Must be Doom’s kind of April Fool’s, looks to me.

 But it’s not.

 Feh.

 Good thing I was able to access the Plaza mainframe, shutting the FF-owned areas in. It’s best to keep the neighbours from getting hurt.

 I move back, as the robot’s hand smashed through the pots and pans in order to reach me. Gotta keep running. My helm detects a housefly hiding in the corner; putting together some quick sentences, it caught my drift, suddenly flying straight towards me.

 Damn. End of the table.

 I fall back, onto the edge, as the robot makes one more reach for me. Instantly, my butt lands on a prickly rough surface, and I hear the loud buzzing of a million chainsaws, permeating through my ears. Quickly, I order my helm to enter “mute mode”, as the fly swept us away from the bots.

 Geez, I wonder how Sue’s doing.

The Invisible Woman clutched her two children tightly, as they rushed through the corridor. Behind them, the locked doors exploded, the hinges flying straight at their direction. Suddenly, they were grabbed in mid-air and tossed back at light speed, straight at the first Doom bot that appeared out of the settling dust. The projectiles pinned the android onto the wall, delaying the attacker for only a second.

Sue hushed Victoria; she was awoken by the noise and was crying so loud, that the other Doom bots that had entered could easily pinpoint their location.

 “Franklin! Come back here!” Sue’s hand was outstretched, as her son freed himself from her grip and made his way into his room, hoping to get his CD game out.  “Franklin! Don’t go in…!”

A loud explosion came from within, as fire and debris lunged at the mother and child, knocking her against the wall. Panic and terror swept through Sue’s body, as she held her hand to the room, screaming.

  “FRANKLIN!”

 “Mom…!” Franklin was crying, in fear, as the skeletal shadows of huge proportions appeared to wander across the corridor; they were surrounded, trapped in the corridor of their own apartment.

 Victoria’s cries were louder than ever. A wave of calm swept through the Invisible Woman, keeping her focused on trying to save her son.

 Suddenly, Franklin’s voice was cut short.

 Managing to get onto her knees, Sue Richards was ready to leap into the fire, when she felt a blunt end with a hole nudged against her temples. The Doom bots immediately flanked around her, their machine guns aimed her and her child.

 “For a god, the brat’s easily disposed.”

 From the burning room Franklin flew, landing unconscious but alive at her mother’s feet. The woman, armed with highly advanced armour, walked through the cinder and ash.

 “We meet again,” Queen Invisible said in triumph, holding out her hand aimed at her counterpart’s face. There was a mask of disdain on her face, as the Invisible Force that she commanded wrapped around Sue, choking her.

 “Now it’s time for the clean up.”

  “Come up.”

 Doom’s voice echoed in the cavernous interiors, which swept around it like a wave of darkness. Reed woke up in the middle of the cold waters, which felt like needles even with his insulated costume. Bursting through, he swam to shore, aware that Doom was still hovering above him, waiting for him to come up. “God,” he muttered, as his feet went numb from the frostbite. Suddenly, a fist burst through the ceiling above him, pulling him upwards into the sky.

 Doom’s eyes fixated on him with amusement. “So this is the enemy that I have been facing all these years,” he said, holding onto Reed’s collar tighter. “The enemy who has been the bane of my existence…no more.”

He threw Reed, only to realize that Mr. Fantastic has already enveloped himself onto his arm, and that the force he had exerted had backfired onto him. Victor von Doom fell onto the banks, as Reed floated gently downwards. Without hesitation, he pulled himself back onto his feet, rushing towards Doom angrily. With one hand, he grabbed hold of the mask that hid the monarch’s face. “What did you do,” Reed exclaimed. “…what did you do to my family!?!” 

Doom savoured the moment. The dark side of Reed Richards has revealed itself, and that was where the challenge was…in defeating someone of equal thought, equal genius…equal ruthlessness. 

“You will do anything to save them,” Doom remarked wryly, as he tossed Richards aside. Lunging at the man, he did not hesitate anymore to deliver the blows he had waited to deliver for so long. “That which makes you a pale shadow of me. Fool.” 

Suddenly, his fist was caught in mid-air by Reed, whose nose was broken and lips bleeding. With all his anger, all his rage, everything that had been boiling down to this moment…he punched him. Reed Richards punched Victor von Doom, and all his anger flowed through his knuckles, denting the metal mask of the man he once considered his friend. 

A punch that had garnered the attention of the orbs, no, the attention of all those watching through the live satellite feed. Those who were avidly waiting for the season finale of their favourite shows stopped. Those who had passed by the appliance stores stopped. Those who were doing other things they once thought much more worth their time stopped. 

Male or Female.  

Young or Old.  

Man, Superhero, Mutant, or God. 

Across the world, they stopped, all their eyes locked onto the screen, waiting. 

Waiting. 

Waiting. 

Waiting for what was to happen next. 

“You…you…”  

A little blood trickled down Victor von Doom’s lips, down onto the cold metal mask he wore. Reed Richards, defiant, stood before the monarch, his fists clenched. “I’ve had enough,” he muttered. “I’ve had enough.”

It all came down to this. 

Reed Richards. 

Victor von Doom. 

A showdown at the top of the world.

Queen Invisible looked down at Sue Richards with malice, as the Invisible Woman’s cheeks turned blue, as she fell onto the floor. “Too bad you won’t have any last words,” the Queen said, her fist clenching even tighter; the field had formed tightly around Sue so to outline her face. Sue Richards felt her whole face aching in pain, as the field began pushing through her. “Count the seconds, Susan,” her enemy replied in a bored tone, while grabbing the baby Victoria from Sue’s hands. “Before your head implodes. Hm.” She looked at Victoria with wonder. “Would you like to join your mommy?” 

Suddenly, one of the Doombots exploded; an unknown force slammed another against the wall, catching the Queen Invisible off guard. Immediately, she drew back, as Sue found herself gasping for breathe. She immediately turned to her unconscious children, then back to her enemy. 

“Sue, take a deep breathe,” A tiny voice told her, and in a moment’s pass, the Ant Man instantly reverted back to size beside her. “You nearly died, You’ve gotta…”

“…no. No,” she said angrily, as she got up. “Get my children out of here, Scott.”

Queen Invisible raised her arms, as a force field formed around her area, protecting her from the Invisible Woman’s barrage. “Nice try,” Sue intoned. The ground beneath the Queen shot up, smashing the woman against the ceiling hard. “You’re fighting fire with fire.” 

“Nnnn…nguh!” Queen Invisible dodged quickly, as Franklin’s bed immediately flew at her direction. Sue on the other hand felt an invisible spike right through hair, and she somersaulted out of the Queen Invisible’s line of fire almost blindly. Getting onto the floor, Sue immediately felt something in her chest, rising. The Queen smiled, as she raised her hand into the air. 

Scott Lang placed the two kids inside the panic room Reed had created behind the kitchen; slamming his fist against the fingerprint identifier, he immediately shoved them gently inside. The energy blasts razed through the kitchen, as several androids made their way into the room. Ant Man saw the dark outline of their shadows, and turned to face them. “Looks like I’m in trouble huh?” 

Lunging to the side, the Doombots fired at his direction, their attention moving away from the panic room but to Scott. Only he wasn’t there anymore. Having shrunk to size, Ant Man propelled himself from the corner, his fists punching through the robot’s chest. Dropping down, he turned, grabbing hold of the one of the feet he saw. He instantly commanded via his helm silently, and his hand channelled a jolt of electricity to short-circuit the Doombot. Its eyes grew grey and fell onto the other bot. Without hesitation, Scott leapt into the panic room and reverted back to size, slamming his fist onto the interior control board, and the security locks shut down on them, protecting them from the fight outside. 

Sue closed her eyes, as she felt her heart slowing down. “Giving up?”  Queen Invisible said as she walked towards her opponent. 

“No,” Sue replied instantly. “Just beginning.” 

Honing all her concentration and frustration, Sue opened her eyes. Immediately after, the hot bright white flash blinded the unprepared Queen Invisible, as the room was ripped apart by the awesome power of the Invisible Force. 

In an instant, the room was swept clean, leaving a part of the apartment in ruins. Queen Invisible moaned, as she found herself badly hurt in the head, having been slammed through walls unprepared. Susan Richards clenched her fist, walking down a straight line. “It’s over,” she muttered, standing a few feet away from her counterpart triumphantly. “Interior field security systems, disengage.” 

Suddenly, as if by reaction, one surviving Doom bot flew in between them, with an invention that Sue only knew too well. “Well, what do you know,” Queen Invisible said with a smile. “I was just waiting for you to say that. Looks like Round Two goes to me.” 

Before Sue could realize or react, both the Queen Invisible and the Doom bot had crashed through the windows, falling downwards. Sue rushed to the window’s edge to chase them, only to find not even a single trace. 

“They took it,” she repeated to herself, as she slumped onto the floor.  

“…they took the EM-Breaker….”

Reed’s fist connected to Doom’s arm, knocking it back and changing his aim. Doom’s eyes widened in surprise as the beam he fired flew into the air, punching through the glacier. “You can’t kill me,” Reed uttered mockingly, his arms stretching wide and grabbing hold of his enemy’s arms. “And I’ve had enough of you, Doom. I’ve had enough of your whining, your bickering, your everything. I’ve had enough of you going after my family again and again. It ends here and now.” 

Victor von Doom felt something slip into his armour…and Reed grew agitated, somewhat fiercer. “What if I just stretch inside your armor? Or maybe inside your body? Will that help? Will that help at all?” 

“Please,” Doom suddenly whispered. “You’re pathetic.” 

A sharp pain seared through his flesh, as an explosion blinded Reed, with him falling back into the snow. Doom backed away, as his armour glowed radiantly. “Had you not think I was prepared for this? All I needed was to get you close…” 

Reed fell back, as he felt his blood cells dying slowly. The pain was too much to bear, as Doom walked towards him in triumph, amidst the raging snowstorm “Within minutes, you will die. You are right, Richards,” Doom whispered into his ear. “It ends here and now.” 

“Hey, you stupid sardine can! Here’s whatcha got comin’ fer ya!” 

The voice surprised Doom, who turned, only to have him punched in the stomach by the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing. Stumbling backwards, Victor watched in outrage as Ben lifted Reed up. “C’mon, Reed…ye ain’t gonna on me…” 

“…antidote…” 

“Reed?” 

Mr. Fantastic’s hand stretched out, only to fall flat onto the ground right in front of Doom. Victor did not smile. “He needs this,” he said, lifting a small vial from his palm. “He needs this in five minutes.” 

He threw it behind him, away from the two. 

“Come and get it.” 

“Why ya no good…” The Thing stampeded towards Doom, who smirked. Dodging him easily, Doom caught his suit and slammed him onto the snow. “You, Grimm, are only a bit player in this game,” he declared, moving towards the weakened Mr. Fantastic. “That makes you unworthy of my attention.” 

“…Victor…” 

“Please, Richards, spare me the theatrics.” 

Doom’s fist flew straight at Reed, who let it bounce onto his chest. He swerved upwards, latching onto Doom like an elastic leech. 

Ben grabbed the vial into his hands, and turned back to the battle site. Suddenly, the ground beneath him began to crack. 

“Do you common men ever learn anything,” Doom raged mockingly, as he fired through Reed’s stomach another ray blast, knocking him backwards. Reed, instantly taking cue, wrapped himself around the blast like a plastic ball, bouncing back onto the ground. “As long as I have the power to destroy you, I can.” 

“…it’s you who hasn’t learnt anything, Victor,” Reed began, finally coming back to his senses. “You always keep telling us how powerful you are, at the expense of everyone around you. Don’t you understand? As long as I have my family…as long as I have something worth fighting for…I will never stoop to your level. There’ll always be a better way. 

“It’s because of you Victor, that I will always win.” 

At that moment, he stretched back like a ball in a slingshot and launched himself at Doom, unravelling the stored energy from the beam blast. The impact shattered through most of Doom’s armour, as well as the glacier on which they were all standing on.  

“You…” 

“Yes. Me. Goodbye, Victor.” 

The with Reed and Doom falling into the waters below. Doom’s voice was silenced, as the snow crashed onto them in an avalanche of ice. Ben, yelling, rushed to the edge, as the sea was white with snow. 

Beneath the cold waters a second time, Reed felt numb and light, like he was floating away…like he needn’t need to worry about anything anymore… 

Suddenly, a hand punched through the ice and pulled him back onto dry snowy banks of the glacier. Ben Grimm immediately unsealed the vial and poured its contents into Reed’s mouth. After minutes, Reed coughed up blood, and felt his body temperature.

“Rest easy, Stretch,” Ben uttered. “Looks like ya won.” 

Overhead them, the sky cleared, as the gunships finally made it to their destination. Jen’s voice suddenly became clear through the commset, asking in detail how and what happened quickly, in panic or in excitement. The silver orbs, without Doom to command it, fell onto the ground deathly still.  

Reed coughed, as he tried to stand. He found himself facing what was one of the greatest battles of his life, and survived. Wherever Doom was, he hoped it was a better place. After all, where could he have gone?

The rope was pulled down for the two, picking them up. As they held on, Reed gave one long look at the Artic tundra that had been their battle field. 

And for a first time in awhile, he was at ease. 

“C’mon, Ben,” he said in relief. “Tell Sue we’re coming back. 

“It’s over.”

EPILOGUE: ARTIC CIRCLE. DAYS LATER. 

I was born in the snow. 

After I was made into this horrid beast, created by him, I travelled to Tibet, where I forged my mask of steel…and my heart of steel, as mask was embedded onto flesh. 

I did not choose it to be this way. 

I do not know how I survived. I do not care. I hunger and thirst for what was rightfully taken from me on that day, a day that I will never forget for as long as I lived. 

My redemption. 

The world believes me to be dead. For now, let them dream. But all is according to the plan, and this little incident has just made the taste of the spoils even sweeter. 

After all, the game has only begun.

My country…my blood. Forgive me, for the pitfalls and chaos whilst I be gone you will suffer. But not in vain. No, nothing is ever done in a vain promise. No. 

I was born in the snow. 

I shall not die in the snow. 

I shall take back what is mine, and the rightful heir shall have his throne. After that, it will only be a matter of time…before the family falls. 

I shall return.

 NEXT ISSUE: Whatever happened to Johnny Storm? Find out in the next story-arc that we’d like to call, “SHADOW FALL”, as the Fantastic Four venture into the dark heart of the Universe. Meanwhile, follow the adventures of EXCALIBUR#15, the companion book to this story!

 COMING SOON: FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL 2003!