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Smoke billowed, windows were chattered. Rachel and Sue rushed inside, seeing Doom's devastation. Silence, deadly silence. Then, they saw a pile of wreckage shift. Ben crawled out. "BEN?!" The girls asked in unison.
The girls helped him in the rubble. He was beaten, battered. "Rachel!" They heard a boy say.
Rachel turned to see Johnny. He came running in and saw the wreckage. "I'm sorry, Rach, for leaving you guys --"
"No, I'm sorry, for pushing you out." Rachel apologized. He kissed her head and nodded to Sue. He looked around and saw Ben.
"Jesus, Ben!" Johnny eyed him. "I go away, look what happens. You got a lot of explaining to do." He motioned to the wreckage.
"The machine works. And Vic's gone Mister Hyde on us --" Ben said weakly and struggling.
"Really? With a name like Von Doom? Didn't see that coming." Johnny said sarcastically.
Sue looked around. Only one question was in her head. "Where is Reed?"
"Victor must've taken him." Rachel said.
Johnny, Rachel, Ben, and Sue heard a missile being fired and they turned to the window -- it banked, coming straight for them.
Johnny rushed toward the edge, to get a good look at the missile streaking closer. As he moved, the missile shifted slightly with his motion. His eyes narrowed, thinking.
He flamed on a hand. He waved his flaming hand, and the missile locked onto the fire. Johnny darkened, realized. "Great. Heat-seeker." Johnny muttered.
His mind raced. He made the decision, and stepped up onto the ledge, hundreds of feet above the street. "What are you doing?" Rachel asked, terrified.
"Rach, let me take care of you for once."
"But Johnny, you can't fly."
Johnny considered, He looked out. "Well then this'll be one hell of a basejump." He said under his breath. Rachel reached out to stop him, But Johnny dived heroically off the edge.
"Holy shit my brother just killed himself." Sue said. She sat down is despair. As she sat down, Johnny flamed on. The missiles followed his arc. As he dropped, his clothes burned off, revealing his uniform.
"Come on...come on...come on..." He muttered under his breath again. He fell lower and lower. And he banked. Swooped up, and flew. "FLAME ON!" He yelled.
Rachel watched with fear, but a hint of pride. "We need to help Reed--" Ben said.
Sue shook her head sympathetic. "Ben, you got what we all wanted. You need to stay here. It's too dangerous." Sue
------- --------
Eerily silent. Reed tried to move, but he was frozen. He heard a footstep. But the room was empty. No sign of Doom.
A freezing tube started to shift. It went taunt, clearly being manipulated by a hand--an invisible hand. Sue appeared next to Reed, tube in hand. She tried to stay calm. "What has he done to you?"
Reed's eyes shifted to see Doom emerge from the darkness. "How romantic." He said. Rachel came from the darkness as well. Sue rolled her eyes.
"Bibbity bobbity boo. I can be Batman too.."
Rachel paused for a moment, thinking of what to say. "Bitch." she muttered. Sue tried her best not to laugh.
She turned to Victor, "Victor, please --"
"It's Doctor Doom to you." He stepped closer. Electrodes coursed over his metal skin.
"We know the machine works. It worked on Ben, it'll work on you. We can turn you back--" Sue tried to explain. Victor cocked his head.
"What she's trying to say is she can make you from ugly to decent." Rachel said trying to act tough.
"Do you really think fate turned us into gods so we could refuse these gifts?" Sue hardened, a little force field started to emanate from her.
"Victor. You always thought you were god." Sue said. Doom had a hand behind his back, generating an energy blast.
"Sue please, let's not fight."
"No, Victor... let's." Sue said. She hurled a force field at him. It connected, knocking him back half a step. But he simply shook it off, and stepped up. He smiled as his arm cracked with electricity.
"Susan...... You're fired." He said. He then fired an electric shockwave. Sue made a force field to protect herself, while Rachel was launched back. She spiraled through the air, crashing into the wall, and thudded to the floor. As Doom stalked closer, Sue gathered her strength to go invisible. "Marco.." Doom said creepily. "Polo."
He spun and grabbed her from behind. Doom gripped her neck, slamming her to the ground beside Reed and Rachel.
In the distance, the city lights blinked, fading in and out. The lights fluttered softly. Suddenly, from their vantage point, they saw a missile explode. Rachel's eyes darkened as Doom gripper her neck.
Reed tried to desperately move, but he was frozen. It took every last ounce of strength to lift his finger, which made a cracking sound. "One more down. Now it's just the scientist, his girlfriend and his specimen." Victor laughed.
Rachel and Reed locked eyes. Reed tried to move his mouth. He had something to tell her but he was struggling to move his lips. "Rachel...you are the best sibling I could ever ask for...I love..." His lips froze before he could finish.
"Same here Reed." Rachel whispered.
Doom stepped toward Rachel, about to deliver the final blow. "And so five became none. It's my time now." He said. Suddenly, an elevator door flew into the room.
"Actually Vic." A voice said. The siblings and Sue recognized the voice. Victor turned to see Ben back in rocky form. "IT'S CLOBBERING TIME!" He yelled.
Ben hit Victor harder then any living thing has ever been hit. The force sent Doom back through the air, toward the far wall, where he smashed into the massive "V" sculpture. It snapped, crashing onto him. There was a few sparks and then nothing.
Nothing at all. No more movement. Victor was dead. Ben turned to Reed, "Damn, I've been wanting to do that."
Reed managed the thinnest smile as Ben started to disconnect the tubes from Reed. "Victor's "not that bad," huh? Just "a little larger than life"? Maybe you'll listen to me next time before --" Ben said.
The wreckage shifted They turned to see Doom emerge. He stood, power coursing. He then charged at Ben. Ben charged back and the two behemoths.
Sue turned invisible and hopped after them. Reed stood up and ran to Rachel. "Are you okay?"
