Mr. Fantastic

Invisible Woman

The Thing

Human Torch

Franklin Richards

Victoria Richards

She-Hulk

Ant Man

Late Evening

"I'm so glad you decided to come and explore our facility, Mr. Richards," said an elderly asian woman about 5'4".

"I've been reading the press releases on this facility's upcoming grand opening for quite sometime, Dr. Locus. But I must say, it wasn't really your facility that attracted me here as much as the certain speculation recently about your inter-dimensional research. I'm intrigued. Extremely."

"Ah, Mr. Richards... a brilliant mind you are. I must ask, will your wife and children be joining you?"

Reed's eyes moved around the long metal corridor of the lab and then returned his sight to Dr. Locus.

"Yes, Sue and the children are actually downstairs in the lobby. She's making arrangements for us to stay in Pittsburgh for a few days while I attend a few of your lectures after the grand opening."

"Pittsburgh is a great city, Mr. Richards."

"So is New York."

"To each his own, I suppose."

Dr. Locus placed her hand on a hand-keypad and the two large doors opened to a room revealing what looked to be a large metal arch.

"This, Mr. Richards, is my greatest invention of all time. Of course, It's still in the construction process."

"What exactly is it?" asks Reed as he looks over the device.

"It's an inter-dimensional time displacement portal. Possibly the greatest scientific achievement of my career."

"Dr. Locus, as Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four, I must remind you of how dangerous inter-dimensions and time travel alone can be. It's not exactly something---"

"---something that someone my age shouldn't be messing with?," Dr. Locus asks.

"That's not what I meant."

"Of course not, Mr. Richards. I will take your concern into consideration. But as a scientist, science comes first."

"Perhaps."

Predator

Early Early Morning

"Johnny?"

"What?"

"I can't see a blasted thing."

"Ben, take off those stupid shades."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want anyone to see me in here."

"In here? Oh, you mean in a gay bar. Lighten Up, Ben. There's nothing wrong with this place; it's a great place to get a good drink. Everyone knows that the bartenders in gay bars make stronger drinks than bartenders in straight bars. You wanted a drink, so here we are."

"A gay bar wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Oh, grow up," Johnny tells Ben before taking a drink from his glass of Amaretto Sour.

"You sure you ain't tryin' to tell me somethin', Torchie ol' boy?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Y'know, that your gay."

"I'm not gay. I don't know anyone here."

"Yeah, right."

"Seriously. I dig chicks, Ben."

"I think you only date chicks to keep your secret --- even to the point of gettin' involved with Alicia and Lyja. Both of which you never could make it work with. You dated so many women just to cover your hide."

"Dude! I'm not gay."

"Riiiight, I'm not here to judge."

"Seriously, I don't even know a gay man."

"Johnny Storm? Johnny "Flame On" Storm?! OH MY GOD! JOHNNY!" a man says running into the bar towards Johnny giving him a huge hug.

Ben just sits there in awe looking at Johnny, who's face is so red it's practically on fire.

"Don't say a word," Johnny declares.

"I wouldn't dream of it, kid," Ben says chugging his beer.

SHIELD Conference Room, Pittsburgh.

Next Day

Reed sighed as he used his powers to reach across the room, and make sure that the connections were all in place. He didn't want to attend this meeting, but the SHIELD Director Forge had called the Baxter Building in New York, requesting that Reed attend an urgent conference, but he had been told that Dr Richards was in Pittsburgh and was unavailable. Then Forge had mentioned Victor Von Doom and added it was imperative, and so Reed had been contacted and he had acquiesced to the meeting and so Forge had arranged for SHIELD office to be made available to him. From this room he could hold a conference with the SHIELD headquarters in New York and link in to the Baxter Building computer systems.

As far as Reed was aware through his contacts in the Avengers and SHIELD, the threat of Doom's war machines had been negated, but he was unsure how it had exactly happened and as the picture came in to focused, Reed's eyes went wide as he saw the face of Victor Von Doom, unmasked.

Doom smiled as he saw Richard's reaction.

"Welcome, Richards," he said.

"What's going on here, Forge?" Reed asked, as he looked at the other man in the picture. Across the room there were images of other scientific minds that had also been called in by Forge.

"I think I'd better let Doom explain," Forge said.

"You're Victor Von Doom?" Reed said, thinking he was considerably younger, and there was something about him, something that he did not recognise. Instead of the forceful nobility the man generally possessed there was a calm regality to him, as if the vices that had often made him an enemy of the Fantastic Four and the world had been quieted.

"Yes," Doom replied, his tone considered and patient. "I am Victor Von Doom, but not the same man you are familiar with. I am from an alternate version of your world, where the year is 2100, due to some small differences in the rate of temporal progression between your world and mine."

"Incredible," said Forge, thinking that most people here were aware of the actualities of alternate worlds.

"Quite," said Doom. "However that is not what I am here for. The fate of the world, and indeed this universe is at stake and I have come to ensure you are ready for what is happening."

"Explain," said Forge.

"Some years ago, there was an attempt by the elder god Set to return to this realm," Doom said. "Due to various events, that plan was thwarted and Set was deemed to be destroyed, for the time being."

"I remember speaking with Thor about it," Dr Henry Pym interjected. "He used the power of Demogorge and the threat was ended."

"As it was in many realities," said Doom. "However there was one reality where the war was lost. Set entered that Earth and he set about establishing control. Almost all the heroes were destroyed in the battle, and those that were left tried to defeat the god, but they too were annihilated, killed by a combination of the powers of Set and his brides."

"Susan Richards, Jean Grey, Ororo Munroe, Andromeda, Jennifer Walters and Wanda Maximoff," said Forge and as Doom nodded, Reed held his emotions in check, thinking how close it had been.

"In the time it took for the heroes to regroup after Set rose, the brides had been given to Set and he had made them his. They would bear his children and his progeny would rule the universe. However Set was defeated by the Avenger Quasar, who with the power of the Enigma Force and the mystical Eye of Agamotto, was able to trap the god where they would hold each other in check for eternity held within the Eye."

"So where is Set? How many versions of him are there?" Dr Peter Corbeau asked.

"Just one," said Doom. "He is an elder god, and every time he was defeated he pulled himself back together and tried again in another dimension as the dimension he had been driven from had been sealed and the mystical forces would keep him at bay for millennia."

"Okay," said Corbeau. "So what's the threat, if Set is gone?"

"His sons," said Reed, seeing where this was going. "The Sons of Set would succeed their father."

"Precisely," said Doom. "These seven sons were born and they devoured their parents, and feasted on the inhabitants of Earth and kept select few to go forth to the stars and ensure the universe became theirs."

"That's an amazing thought," said Pym. "A dimension filled with the progeny of Set. Theologically speaking he would have made the universe in his own image."

"So imagine the power of the Sons as they rose threw the multiverse," said Doom. "Attacking worlds unprepared for the assault, claiming universe after universe for their own."

"How do you know of this?" said Forge.

"My world was attacked, and I, as Sorcerer Supreme became aware of it and I managed to thwart the rising, but in doing so I have ensured they will try again with another world, then come back and they will not be stopped again."

"And our world is next?" said Reed, thinking to the signs and portents over the last year or so. The warnings of the Watcher, the riddles saying how important Franklin was, other events... Was this the thing they had been warned of?

"Yes," said Doom. "I have observed in the short time I have been here that this world has grown violent, conflicted. Dimensional energies are rife, energies that do not belong here. Invasions, wars, ever increasing irrationalities on both sides... someone has been ensuring that the world is ready, broken and unprepared for an invasion."

"I will admit the world's not been at it's best," said Pym, "but I don't think it's that bad. I mean..." His thoughts went to the Vision, the robot, the Avenger, who had lost control and Pym had been forced to destroy him, his creation, his friend. Could someone have been playing them all?

"There is also the matter of our own Sorcerer Supreme," said Richards, concerned that Stephen had not said anything about this so far. "If something was going on, then surely Doctor Strange would be aware of it?"

"It is a question I have pondered upon myself," said Doom. "I do not have an answer, but I will find one." He could see the puzzlement in Richards eyes, because he was certain he had never heard Doom say he did not have an answer before. "Be assured, Reed Richards, that I am Doom, but there are things I have seen, things I have done that have given me pause."

"We will have to consider things carefully," said Forge. "Speak to people, learn what we can."

"Of course," said Doom. "But time is of the essence for if the Sons rise, then we will have godlings to fight and I am not sure we will be able to stop them unless we are ready." Forge nodded and Doom was escorted to his quarters, as Forge looked at the assembled heroes.

"I know this is short notice, and I know there is much to do in the meantime, however I suggest we get to work and verify what is going on."

"If he is Doom, then I do believe him," said Reed. "That man was everything Victor could have been."

"One moment, gentlemen," said Forge as his assistant came in and passed him a message. "Tell him we're on our way." He looked back at the monitors. "I've been called to the United Nations. Verify what you can, make arrangements. If trouble is coming, we're going to be the first and last line of defence."

The link was broken and Reed rubbed his jaw as he thought. He had been with the Avengers when this had happened and they had joined forces with current Fantastic Four to stop the return of Set, and a handful of the combined teams had travelled to Set's dimension. who had beaten back by Thor who had been possessed by Demogorge the God Eater.

The remainder went to Lemuria where Ghaur was attempting to bring back Set from his dismemberment by using the serpent crown and the seven brides as Llyra and the Lemurian troops kept the Avengers and Fantastic Four busy, but the sudden arrival of Namor turned the tide of battle leading to a confrontation with Ghaur and Llyra. The serpent crown's power called forth Set, but he was betrayed by Naga and Ghaur, who wanted the power of the crown for themselves. They destroyed each other in there lust for power and Set was cast out of this dimension as the heroes rescued the seven brides and destroyed the serpent crown.

That should have been an end to it, but apparently not, but Reed had fully documented everything that had happened, taking many readings and scans to see if there was a way to defeat him. He had always meant to go back to those readings but something had always cropped up, and he had always believed he would get around to it in time.

Now was it and he went to work, thinking he would let his family rest before whatever happened... happened.

Downtown Pittsburgh

Early Afternoon

"Mom, when will we meet up with daddy?"

"Soon, Franklin," Sue Richards replied as she pushed the stroller with baby Victoria onboard.

"Do you think I'll be as smart as daddy when I get older?"

"No Franklin, I think you'll be smarter."

Sue smiles as Franklin giggles.

She looks around at the stores along the sidewalk as she pushes the stroller and holds Franklin's hand. She notices a antique shop and pauses outside of the window, looking deep into the store.

"Let's go in here, Franklin. Mommy wants to look around."

"Okay."

They enter the store and a sales clerk approaches them.

"Good afternoon, is there anything I can help you with?"

Susan smiles at the older man, and shakes her head as she answers.

"No, Just Looking. Thank you, though."

"Not a problem. Let us know if you need any help."

"Sure."

Susan pushes the stroller and tugs lightly on Franklin's hand as they walk towards the back of the store. She looks at all the ancient items on the shelves and is amazed by what she finds hidden behind several old wine bottles.

"This bottle is amazing."

"What is it mommy?"

Susan slowly bends at the knees and holds the bottle in front of Franklin, showing him the bottle.

"It's an antique."

"What's an antique?"

Susan smiles.

"An antique is something that belongs to a period long ago."

"Like Uncle Benji's action figures?"

Susan chuckles.

"Yes, like Uncle Ben's action figures."

Susan looks the bottle over and stands back up. She is astonished by the design.

*CRASH*

Susan quickly puts an invisible force field up around Franklin, Victoria, and herself. She turns to the front of the store to see a huge gaping hole. She unknowingly drops the ancient bottle into Victoria's lap.

"Franklin, stay down."

"Mommy, what's going on?!"

"Franklin, just stay down."

Susan looked around as a figure entered. A rather large snake entered the storefront on an invisible shield.

"At last," the snake said, it's eyes glowing. "I have found you..."

"Who are you?" Sue asks, throwing up a shield to protect the people in the area, pushing them out of the way, without harming them, but ensuring they were safe from the creature that had just appeared, and there were days she simply hated being a part of the Fantastic Four..

"Who I am is not important. Who you are is."

SHIELD Conference Room, Pittsburgh.

Reed worked as fast as he could as the information came in. The United Nations Secretary General had turned out to be Kulan Gath in a new host body, and Reed thought back to the last time the man had attacked his family, using Franklin to try and create a new world with him as it's ruler. He had failed, thanks to Alicia Masters in her form of the Undying and he had been driven off.

So many villains seemed to return from a seemingly inevitable defeat, he should have expected something like this, but he had not. However Doom seemed to have and in a style that he was more accustomed to, Doom had used people to achieve his goals, which from Reed's readings was a timely intervention.

While magic was not Reed's strongest suite, he had learnt enough in his time as a hero to know what he was looking at and the scientific data seemed to corroborate what he suspected from all information he had gathered to make a hypothesis. Had the Sons of Set ascended to this plane as one unit, they would have been hard pressed to stop them, but thanks to Doom, their powers had been separated, and the Sons had been scattered across the globe, seemingly at random.

Forge had not wasted any time rallying his people and letting the heroes know that there was trouble brewing, but thatw as not what troubled Mr Fantastic. What troubled Reed most was the fact that Doom had done this for the best of reasons yet his methodology was the same as it had always been - calculating, cold, formidable. He had seemingly feigned things to ensure that Kulan Gath would be fooled in to thinking he was unprepared for him, and now he and Stephen Strange were in pursuit of the ancient sorcerer. If they stopped him, what would happen then? Would Doom remain or would he return home and if he stayed were they ready for a Doom far different to any they had ever truly known.

However there was a pattern to the portals that were forming, and the laws of nature were not as inviolate as it seemed. The portal that had been forming in New York had been broken and new portals were forming across the world, and the Sons of Set seemed to be drawn to certain places, places that had key elements, things that held a natural logic to them.

New York. It seemed only right that the Son be drawn to the mother, and in the city that contained so many heroes it made Reed wonder exactly who the Sons were after. There were two, one in Greenwich, and another at Manhattan, though that one had seemingly disappeared for the moment, and though it registered, there was nothing specific, which worried Reed. What if this Son knew it was not as powerful without it's brothers and was being more surreptitious than it's brothers? However there was a distinctive gamma trace in the area, and he knew that Jennifer's apartment was in that area, so perhaps it was her Son, being drawn to her.

Greenwich was also an interesting choice to arrive, but there were certain signatures that matched the bio-frequencies of Jean Grey-Summers of the X-Men. Perhaps the Son of Set had meant to materialise near the Hudson Bay area, but there was a lot of displacement activity in the air around New York. It would make a great deal of sense, even though there were no actual facts to back that up. It would be interesting to see if any of these creatures survived, as they would provide invaluable scientific data, Reed thought, but the needs of humanity came first.

Fiji was a place of nexus, where the lines of chaos and order seemed to join together and there were legends there of sorcery and a god named Degei, who took the form of a snake and was one of the most important figures in the areas mythology. With these facts in mind it was no surprise that one of the Sons had been drawn there, probably the Son of the Scarlet Witch due to her mystical and mutant abilities. It should have appeared near to the mother true, but the hex powers meant that it had a distinct advantage, and could therefore plan who and where it arrived on Earth.

Caribbean. The vast variations in the weather and climate made it an ideal place for a demi-god attuned to the biosphere of the Earth, such as the Son of Storm, who due to the death of the mother would be drawn there instead of to the corpse of the former leader of the X-Men. There the Son would have a great amount of power and capability, thanks so tropical storms, the mountainous areas and the golden days of sunshine. It would be interesting to see what effects the presence of the snake had upon the global climate in the months to come. The threats of global warming had been well documented, and this was something of greater significance.

Africa, the supposed cradle of mankind, where it had long been theorised the origins of humanity had begun. If that were true then the link between humanity and their Atlantean cousins would also be found there, and in that respect it made sense that the Son that had appeared was the Son of Andromeda, who had disappeared after the original battle with Set. It was rumoured that after the battle with Set she had returned to the woman her soul possessed after her death as part of the Defenders. He would have to speak with Namor, if they survived this.

Canada. A Son of Set had appeared there and Reed wasn't sure why, but if the others were correct, then it had to be the Son of Dagger, but why was she in Canada? It was something interesting to say the least. However the biggest problem was that the portal for Sue's child was missing. It didn't make sense unless...

"Unless I just can't see it!" Reed said, the most obvious reason suddenly coming to him. Perhaps he'd been hoping it wasn't going to affect them after all, or perhaps there had been too much to consider. In either case he had made a fundamental mistake and he quickly compensated for it and the readings chilled him to the bone and he knew his theories were correct and he pressed the emergency button. A portal had opened in Pittsburgh, a Son of Set was loose and there was only one place it could be going.

"Damn it!" said Reed, realising his wife and children were at the mercy of a Son of Set and he hit the emergency alert button. The Fantastic Four were needed...

Downtown Pittsburgh

Susan drops the invisible force field around her children and herself and steps towards the snake.

"I'm Susan Richards. What do you wish to gain from assaulting this antique shop?"

"You are not just Susan Richards, you are the Invisible Woman --- of the Fantastic Four."

"Yes, I am. What's that have to do with anything?"

"As if you didn't know," the snake said and looked upon the children. "The children of the cosmic storm, reunited at last..."

The snake floats towards Franklin and Victoria, and Susan quickly places them in a protective force field, but the snake was able to counter the force field, and take a hold of the two frightened children.

"Leave my children alone!" she demanded, but the snake simply looked at her and laughed, keeping her at bay with an invisible wall and she knew this was no ordinary foe.

"Who's going to stop me? Certainly not you."

Suddenly, a large fireball sends the creature crashing into the shelves of the antique shop, releasing the hold on the children. Susan quickly grabs Franklin and Victoria and heads towards the storefront.

"I can tell you who's going to stop you," a man's voice says firmly.

The man's voice turns out to be a flamed Johnny Storm, hovering just lightly above the ground next to Benjamin Grimm, Reed Richards, Jennifer Walters, and Scott Lang.

"Ah, the Fantastic Four," the godly powered snake says. "The world's greatest heroes."

"And you are the Son of Set and my wife," Reed states and Sue's eye's go wide in horror at what she's hearing. "You and your brothers have arrived."

"Yes, Reed Richards. We have arrived. You four have fought many a powerful foe, but there are no Watchers this time to aid you, and you can not challenge a God. Witness the power of Nemesis." The team were held all held in place and Nemesis tapped in to the full extent of the power he had inherited. The abilities of the Invisible Woman were derived from the cosmic radiation, a link to the primal forces of the universe and because he was a god and could manipulate such forces and he used the hold he had on them to affect the Heroes.

Ben's rocky exterior begins to crack and he screams out in pain, as chunks of the rock begin to fall from him, his strength ebbing away and he cannot stop himself and as the rock falls, he starts to bleed from the cracks and he tries to call for help from the others but they cannot.

Johnny's flames begin to go out of control, and he forces himself up in to the atmosphere to try and regain control and ensure he does not hurt anyone, but the store is on fire as is half of the block they were in. He has not lost control like this in a long time and it is his greatest fear coming to life and even the airlessness of the upper atmosphere cannot quell the fires and he knows he will die...

Jennifer's transformation is gamma based, and so Nemesis cannot affect her as he can affect the original members of the Fantastic Four, but he causes her to loose control, changing her perspectives from those of Jennifer Walters, to the Savage She-Hulk she had been when she had first been coming to terms with her powers, to the hero she now was and a fourth mindless state, where she could feel the rage and anger, the dark side of the gamma radiation. Now four personalities are loosed in her mind and for the first time she truly understands what her cousin Bruce fights with on a constant basis and without the control over who she is, she is nothing more than another gamma spawned monster

Scott Lang waves and gestures as his control over ants is reversed and he's attacked viciously by the ants, as the come at him, swarming over him forcing him to the floor as they crawl over him and fire the formic acid over, him burning at his skin. Small amounts would not affect him but this is more than anything anyone could ever expect as the ants attack him, their intent to destroy him, and every ant he swats away he feels it in his mind as his senses are heightened by Nemesis.

Reed's elastic ability causes him to loose his stability and he melts into a puddle of goo, but all the while he is formulating, calculating. The molecular cohesion he is losing can be resolved, but only if he had specific chemicals. He had always believed that at some point he would loose his integrity as he got older, and he had been making preparations for that, just in case. However his lab is far away and he can feel himself spreading out across the floor, but he believes that if he can get his will together he can do something about it, but the screams and cries of his friends are not helping him.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Sue screams out as she holds her children near.

"I have done what any God would do. I have rid the world of a plague."

"The Fantastic Four is not by any definition a plague to the world. We've saved the world time and time again. How could you say such a thing? If you were a God, a true God, you'd know what the Fantastic Four stands for."

The Son generates a invisible force field, much like Susan's and sends a force bolt into Sue's stomach knocking her against the wall of the hotel across the street.

"Mommy!" Franklin cries out, while holding onto Victoria's stroller.

The Invisible Woman quickly returns to her feet and returns the Son of Set the force bolt that he struck her with. She quickly surrounds her children with a force field and then picks up several of the blocks, pipes, and pieces of glass from the Antique Shop that the Son had destroyed.

"You're good."

The broken blocks, pipes, and shards of glass are sent into the back of the God, knocking him to the ground. Susan firmly looks to the Son of Set and continues to use her invisible ability to send shards of the building into the back of his head. Pushing them deeper into him. Franklin watches from afar, horrified at the brutality his mother is unleashing and then Nemesis laughs.

"And you are not, would be mother. You have never used your powers to their fullest, always keeping yourself in check. I have not just rendered your attacks invisible but immaterial as well, reducing their cohesion."

"That isn't possible!" Sue shouts.

"Yes it is, and now it is your turn. Watch as you fade away to nothing, always being there but having nobody ever know. Goodbye, mother."

"NO!" shouts a voice as a scared little boy finally finds the strength to act and Nemesis is wracked with pain. "You hurt my mom! You hurt my dad!" Anger pours from Franklin as he unleashes his powers, powers that could twist reality with a word, that could spawn a new universe if he commanded them to, powers without limits because as a child he knew no limits and the full power of the young boy is pitted against the power of the snake that called itself his brother.

"This is not possible," said Nemesis. "I am a god, and you are just a child."

"You're a bad snake!" said Franklin, energy sparkling from his eyes as the downtown Pittsburgh shakes with the forces being unleashed. "Bad snake!"

"NO!" cries Nemesis but there is nothing he can do as he starts to shrink, feeling his body becoming rigid, his powers not responding the way he wants them to but he has one final trick left to play. "Destiny... you cannot destroy my... Destinyyyyyyyy..." Nemesis's voice fades away as on the floor lies a stuffed snake, a glint in it's eyes to show that it is aware but helpless, but the affects of what Nemesis has done are still being felt as Franklin tries to stop his powers but he cannot, he lack the control and Pittsburgh begins to shake as the city is starting to be torn apart by the incredible powers of Franklin Richards.

"MOMMY!" he says as he feels himself being torn apart by his own powers, but Susan can do nothing as she cannot stop the transformation that has been started on her. "DADDY!" Franklin cries, but Reed cannot help either, his cohesion dispersed to the point where he cannot perceive reality any more, but there is one member of the Richards family left and Victoria can sense her family and their friends are in trouble and she can help them and she wants things to be good, to be happy again and Franklin's powers stop raging out of control and the Fantastic Four start to return to normal, scarred from the experiences but stronger because of it.

Sue watches as Reed, Ben, Scott, and Jennifer are returned to their normal state and her brother lands and he gives her a gentle nod to let her know that he is fine. She walks over and looks to the former God lying on the ground.

"Some God." Sue returns to her children and holds them tightly. "I love you both so much." Reed steps up in front of the group, his hands slightly shaking after his experiences, and he promises that this will never happen again.

"Now that we're all together, I think we should talk. About the future, our Future, especially in light of what's happened here and now. If we have seen nothing here today, we've seen what we can do, how far we have all come and how much further there is to go."

"Whatcha thinkin', Stretch?" Ben asks, wondering what his old friend is planning.

"I'm thinking it's time for a change."

NEXT ISSUE: A Change is Coming! Fantastic Four #41!

Fantastic Forum:
I've come to find out that I need to be in a certain mood to write, turning 21 definitely took a lot of my time away. I find myself in a bar more than in front of my computer but I still manage to make time for the good ole FF. Changes are definitely coming to M2K's FF. From my own perspective, M2K has always been mutant dominated. But with David's Son Rise cross-over, it pulls everything together. I have to admit, the Sons of Set is a very interesting event. But I think it serves a bigger purpose. It brings M2K in closer together. Bringing Continuity Back. I can promise you that Fantastic Four will have more to do with the Marvel Heroes, Marvel Knights, and Marvel X-MEN divisions of M2K. Starting with Fantastic Four #41, expect some major changes for the FF leading up to the biggest FF event of all time. !

~Jason Bruss