Victor Von Doom shook his head as he looked around. This place had not changed in appearance at all since the last time he had gazed upon it. He remembered the time when he and the other heroes had travelled from the pocket universe created by Franklin Richards after the Onslaught affair, when he had done what he could to seize the power of the Celestials and make it his own. The effort had almost killed him, and it had forced him to fight for his life to return home, but he had proved he was Doom and that there were none in two universes that could break him.

That had been the last time he had been to the Negative Zone, and now he was back, and while he had changed it had not. The Negative Zone was a universe parallel to that of Earth and though the two have many similarities there were a few noteworthy difference. All matter in the Negative Zone was negatively charged; the Negative Zone was entirely filled with a pressurized, breathable atmosphere and more than that, at the centre of the Negative Zone is a deadly vortex of unspeakable power and that was where Doom knew the Darkhold would be.

He looked to Sarah, and he could see the fear and panic in her eyes and he knew that is what part of what the Negative Zone was and he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Calm yourself, Sarah," he said. "Focus on the Nega-Bands, they will soothe your mind."

"We're going to die here," she said and Doom looked in to her eyes.

"No, we are not going to die here. I am Doom and I will not permit it." Sarah looked back in to his eyes, seeing a man older than she could imagine, seeing the power and determination of a man who would not accept defeat in any arena. She looked down to the golden bracelets around her wrists and she could sense the calm flowing in to her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what came over me."

"Negative emotion," said Doom. "This place enhances it. There is great power in this universe, Sarah. We will get what we came for and then we will leave, as soon as possible. Time is different here, for every minute on Earth, five hours passes here. If I am right, it will be as if we never left."

"I understand," she answered him. "Where do we go?"

"The core," said Doom and he focused his own powers, channelling them through the Eye of Agamotto, which attached itself to his forehead and opened. A map of the universe appeared, showing where they were in relation to the core and a beam of light shot forwards in the direction they needed to go. "This way," Doom said as the Eye closed.

"What is the Negative Zone?" Sarah asked, and Doom smiled.

"Most people are aware of the Big Bang Theory, that the universe exploded from a single point where mass and energy were the same. That point contained everything that was to become the stars, planets and galaxies that make up the universe. The force of the explosion sent material in every direction and was so powerful that the universe is still expanding today. The Big Crunch says that eventually that expansion will slow down to a stop. The gravitational forces within the universe will begin to draw all of the masses back together until it all converges on a single point once again. It is apparent that this is the state that Negative Zone is currently in."

"So our universe will one day become a Negative Zone?"

"Perhaps," said Doom. "It may even become part of it, which is why the Core is so powerful. The Crossroads of Infinity reside there, and it is theoretically possible to get to anywhere in the multiverse from it, though it needs precise calculations."

"How precise?" asked Sarah.

"Only one man has calculated it to date," said Doom.

"You," said Sarah, but Doom said nothing, but she could tell he was proud of it. His was a mind of potency and she knew that if there were any way of saving their world, he would find it. "There is nothing here," she said.

"There was never much in the way of life here," said Doom. "Wars, a mad tyrant and a lack of resources capable of supporting life will have drained things beyond the minimalistic levels they once possessed."

Annihilus looked across the Negative Zone. He was the Lord of the Negative Zone, he had conquered everything that stood in his path. Blastaar had fallen to his army. Tyanna had fallen as well, but the price had been high and it had cost him his people to get to the very heart of the Zone, but he had won through and he had become the Supremor of the Negative Zone, but it had taken him everything to realise that it meant nothing. He had used the technology of the Tyannans to escape the Core and return home.

He was immortal, and more than that he was alone. In winning everything he had gained the ultimate knowledge of his existence. He had never realised that his universe was also his prison, that he ruled the universe, but all he truly ruled were rocks and corpses. In his fury he had tried to flee to the world he had knew existed outside the Negative Zone, to a world populated by heroes and he knew he would either conquer or die, but he found he could do neither. The Distortion Zone would not send him anywhere but the Negative Zone. Somehow the Zone had been sealed and he could not escape. Not even the Cosmic Control Rod would help him and he had screamed in his anguished torment. He could not die, would not die and his universe was his own private hell.

Then one day a book had appeared, a book from nowhere and he knew that the Zone had been accessed somehow, that someone had brought it and he had searched the dimension trying to find how the book had appeared. He had looked at the book and found he could not read it, that whatever language it was written in was beyond his capability to understand, but as he looked at it he knew two things. The first was that this book was the secret to his salvation and the second was that one day someone would come to reclaim it and he would wait.

He would find whoever brought the book and he would make them use it to find a way out of Hell. That had been long, long ago and he had studied the book from cover to cover, but he had never translated it but he had felt the book tremble a moment ago and he had looked at it. Something had caused it to respond and he looked across the vast emptiness. Was that a light he had seen? Someone had returned from the other universe and the day he had waited for had finally arrived. He would find out how stale he had become in the art of war and he set off to meet whomever was out there.

They had been moving through the Negative Zone for some time, with the Sorcerer Supreme telling his young charge about the history of the Zone, of what he had learnt from his encounters with the Fantastic Four and his own experiences in the zone.

"Sarah," said Doom, as he stopped, "I have a mission for you."

"What do you need of me?" asked the Moon Knight.

"There is someone coming, someone who I want you to stop for me while I retrieve the Darkhold. His name is Annihilus."

"Can I defeat him?" asked Sarah.

"I do not know," Doom replied. "Beware his power, for he is not a foe to be taken lightly. The Nega-Bands will help you. You have a vast psionic potential and you can use the bands. You have strength, speed and invulnerability. He is immortal while he uses the Cosmic Control Rod, but you have returned from death, so it is possible you may be a match for him."

"How long will you be?" Sarah asked, soaking in all this new information. Her career had been limited to fighting smugglers, thieves and other criminals on the Moon, fighting tyrannical super beings was a step up for her, and she was not sure she was ready.

"As long as it takes," Doom replied and she nodded as she watched the Sorcerer Supreme head off in to the distance and she prepared herself for battle. Doom would do as Doom would do and she looked at the Nega-Bands and hoped they would do as Doom said they would. They had protected her from the anti-matter so far so maybe they were all he said they were. Then he came.

Like a giant insect heading towards her, Annihilus flew and she looked upon the green and purple body armour and a sense of dread filled her. The yellow flesh and bulging eyes gave her a moment of panic and she looked at the Nega-Bands and she felt calm once more pass through her. This place was getting to her, but only if she permitted it to do so.

"I am Annihilus!" he cried. "Pay tribute to the Supremor of the Negative Zone!"

"You have no authority over me," the Moon Knight said. "I serve one whose power is beyond life, beyond death. I am the Fist of Khonshu, the Moon Knight."

"Fleshling," Annihilus said, "I can see past your form, past your ideals. You are mortal. I have scanning equipment, technology beyond your reckoning and you have not the power to defeat me."

"We shall see," said the Moon Knight and she flew at him, and he unleashed a barrage of kinetic bolts, which she deflected with the Nega-Bands at lightning speeds.

"You wear the bands of Mar-Vell," Annihilus hissed, remembering the otherworldly entity well.

"Yes," said Sarah. "My powers are similar to your own. Let us see which is the greater - the Nega-Bands or the Cosmic Control Rod." Annihilus seethed, thinking this child knew much about him and who he was and that meant he was at a disadvantage, but he would defeat the child as he had defeated all before him and he struck at her, his claws raking down her chest, slicing away body armour, but not reaching her skin as the Nega-Bands protected her, but the shock was evident. She had not anticipated such speed, nor had she anticipated surviving the attack and as Annihilus struck again, she reacted using her own skills enhanced by the powers of the Nega-Bands, fighting back and she matched the warrior blow for blow and she came to the realisation that as much as the alien warrior enjoyed this, so did she and the battle was joined.

Doom knew that leaving Sarah to fight Annihilus was not what he wanted to do, but more what he needed to do. The Darkhold was not for her, and what he was to do was not for her eyes to witness. Doom knew that whatever he did here would not end well for him, and he as he headed for the centre of the Negative Zone, he saw the ruins of worlds, of vessels and the corpses of people.

They had succeeded in destroying everything that had lived in the Negative Zone, and though it had not been much to begin with it had been enough. It grieved Doom to see the world like this but they had brought it upon themselves, and then he came across it.

The Crossroads of Infinity.

He marvelled at the splendour of such a sight and he could feel the possibilities and the paths between the multiverse with his new abilities and he could perceive things, as he had never done before. He could feel the multiverse was in chaos, that the Sons of Set had done damage in their wake. While it was only a small percentage of the multiverse that had been affected he was still amazed at how much they had done and he promised himself that the virus would end here, that he would not allow them to ruin any more worlds and that he would die to defend reality.

The Darkhold was the means to doing so, the means by which he would stop the Harbinger and ensure that this universe was saved. Then he would deal with the Sons themselves, but there was much to do in the meantime and he reached out with his mystical senses and sought out the book and he felt it's presence, as if it were calling to him, inspired by the magic he carried, calling as if it were calling to a long lost lover. The power was seductive and he knew that the words within were of a dark magic that he would pay a price for mastering, but his soul was his own and no creature, be the mortal or Elder God would hold him.

He flew towards the book and he could feel the magic as he got closer, the energies radiating from it and as he placed his hand on the book he could feel a trembling as his power connected with it's own power and he instinctively knew it was fated to be like this and he looked at the pages of the book with a brief flick through them and though he did not recognise the words he knew what they said and that he could read small portions of it. He smiled and nodded and went to find Annihilus and ensure that the Lord of the Negative Zone came to an abrupt end before he did Sarah any serious damage.

He would need her for the coming battle and he did not want her in anything less than pristine condition. He approached them and marvelled at what he saw - the young woman holding her own against the creature. He was beating her back and she was bruised and bloodied but she was still going and Annihilus had sustained damage of his own, but it was time to draw this to a close.

"ANNIHILUS!" Doom spoke the name as if it were a command and the warrior turned, not seeing the book in his hand.

"Who dares address me as if I were a lackey?" Annihilus demanded and unleashed a radiation burst at the Sorcerer Supreme who waved it aside with a flick of his hand.

"I am Doom," he said and Annihilus remembered. He had faced Doom before, he had lost the Cosmic Control Rod to him and he had known that he had faced the accursed Fantastic Four on many occasions. For him to still be alive after all these years was incredible and to see him more powerful than ever was an amazing feat.

"So you live," said Annihilus.

"Yes and if you lay another finger on my charge, it will be the last thing you do."

"You cannot defeat me. You may steal the Cosmic Control Rod, but it's power has been grafted to me, with or without it on my person."

"I suspected as much," said Doom. "After all these years it had to affect you somehow, as all things must. You have squandered the power it gave you. Your life is empty, meaningless."

"I will not admit such things," said Annihilus.

"Of course," said Doom. "However the knowledge denied you must be excruciating." He held the Darkhold aloft and Annihilus knew that Doom held all the cards. "I can give you what you crave."

"It is ironic," said Annihilus, "that one who sought to prevent his death by all means now requests release from life."

"It is not lost on me," said the Sorcerer Supreme. "However your fate is not to die, your fate is to accompany my charge to my world and assist in ensuring it is protected."

"How can you trust him?" Moon Knight said, coming over to him.

"He doesn't," said Annihilus, looking at Doom.

"Betray me, betray mine and I will return you to this place and you will live forever and forever be lost." Doom's gaze was fixed on Annihilus. "In the battle to come, you may get your heart's desire."

"How will you return?" said Sarah. "The Nega-Bands..."

"The Darkhold, Sarah," said Doom. "I must study it before the battle, I must be ready and if I am not then we will surely lose everything we have and more besides. I will return."

"I know," she said and she kissed him on the cheek. "Just in case." Doom nodded and waved his hand at her, casting an enchantment to restore her health.

"Go," he said and she placed her hand on Annihilus and slammed the Nega-Bands together and then she was gone and Doom was alone, as he needed to be. Then he opened the book and began to read.

It was time to get serious.

Sarah and Annihilus arrived on the Moon to see that they were alone, and Sarah wondered what had happened to Xina and Cagliostro.

"They must have gone after the Harbinger," she said and she looked at Annihilus. "Let's go," she said and she went to the controls that she had seen Doom use before and set the co-ordinates for the Savage Land.

"Where to?"

"The battle," she said and she pressed the button and the two of them vanished but when Sarah reappeared she was unsure of where in the Savage Land she was and more than that she was alone. "Now what do I do?"