~Doom Industries~
In the empty office, Doom stood silently...
The wound on his temple had grown longer, stretching across half his face, while his arms had almost completely transford into tal.
A re week had passed, yet Doom Industries, which once on the brink of collapse, had miraculously stabilized.
The Wall Street representative who had reveled in his downfall had been effortlessly eliminated by Doom who now wielded terrifying power. Betrayed by his board and nearly stripped of everything, the darkness within Doom had fully surfaced.
The fear of losing his wealth and status had nearly consud his sanity. The thought of returning to the backward, impoverished nation of Latveria filled him with dread and fury.
Thus, he embarked on a path of no return.
First, he silenced the private doctor who refused to keep his secret. Then ca the greedy Wall Street representative. Through threats and intimidation, he forcibly stabilized the situation. Even as Doom Industries' stock continued to plumt, the company clung to survival.
With his empire temporarily secured, Doom's arrogance swelled uncontrollably. He began plotting revenge against his old classmate... after all, it was Reed Richards who had reduced him to this state.
The genius had betrayed his trust, squandering a billion dollars and shattering Doom's dreams of rapid expansion post-IPO. To make matters worse, Susan had quietly returned to Reed's side.
Consud by jealousy, Doom vowed to make Reed pay, now that he too, possessed extraordinary power.
"First, I'll deal with Reed's lackey."
Defeating the nigh-invulnerable Thing would be difficult, but through careful observation, Doom had identified the fledgling team's fractures.
"I know it's not easy. For Reed, Susan, and Johnny, life hasn't changed much... at least they can still show their faces. But you..."
"Reed is a genius, no doubt. He'll do everything to cure you... you're his best friend after all. He has no reason not to hurry..."
"...I understand how it feels to watch the one you love slip away... until it's too late."
These calculated words eroded Ben Grimm's once-unshakable faith. Of the Fantastic Four, he had suffered the most. His grotesque, rock-like form had driven away his beloved wife, while the world's stares and whispers beca unbearable.
Doom had pinpointed this vulnerability. He knew Reed's cautious nature... after one failure, the man would proceed with extre care. But Ben's desperation would breed conflict.
With a little prodding, the lifelong friends were destined for a bitter fallout.
Events unfolded as Doom predicted. When Reed and Susan returned laughing from an outing, Ben's pent-up frustration erupted like a bursting dam. Exhausted from relentless work, even the usually patient Reed lost his temper. Their argunt ended in a rift.
"One down, three to go."
Doom then led the furious Ben back to the Baxter Building. Desperate for a cure, the Thing reluctantly trusted Victor's claims and entered Reed's energy storm converter.
A blinding white light flooded the chamber, illuminating the entire room like daylight.
"Fools, calling this a disease! This is power, this is divine favor! Victor Von Doom was never ant to be ordinary!"
Doom opened the chamber's valve, reaching inside. Like flickering orange flas, the cosmic rays reflected in his ambitious eyes as the energy storm surged forth.
The building's lights flickered and died, leaving only the converter's radiant glow... Like a torch in the ink-black night.
"Victor, we did it!"
As the storm subsided, the chamber's light dimd. The door slid open, revealing a naked, stocky man who stared at his restored hands in disbelief before bursting into joyous laughter.
Ben's heart swelled with euphoria. Finally, he could return to normal, no longer a monster in the world's eyes.
"Everyone thought I was safe in the shield..."
A ragged figure erged from the shadows, Doom, his exposed skin gleaming like cold tal.
Ben pointed at the machine, "The machine cured ... It can help you too–"
Victor cut him off, "Yes, Ben. It gave even greater power. I've never felt better. Unlike you, cowering from the unknown, I embrace my destiny."
Doom inhaled deeply, his scarred tal face alight with ecstasy. He stood at humanity's pinnacle, his arrogance swelled by the second.
With a casual wave, he sent Ben, who was now bereft of his rocky armor, crashing across the room.
Reed, roused from unconsciousness, gasped at the scene. The grieving Mr. Fantastic had tested the machine on himself earlier, nearly dying in the process.
"I've created a better, stronger self, one who surpasses the great Reed Richards."
"Exposing yourself to the energy storm is incredibly dangerous! Victor, you need help!" Reed recognized the tallic transformation... Like them, Doom had been genetically altered.
"You always know everything... Then tell , what happens when rubber is superheated?"
Doom smirked, unleashing a searing electric current. He had an invulnerable tal body capable of conducting and manipulating electricity.
Bolts of lightning speared through the darkness. The weakened Reed barely resisted before being blasted through the window, plumting from the skyscraper.
Only his immunity to physical harm saved him from splattering on the pavent.
Striding down to street level, Doom gazed down at his lifelong rival, satisfaction coursing through him. This power, this supremacy... It was intoxicating. No wealth or influence could compare.
A glimpse of his reflection in the glass shards revealed a cold and ferocious face.
Doom didn't care.
Dragging the helpless Reed behind him, he marched triumphantly toward Doom Industries.
The weak Victor Von Doom was dead.
Now, he was Doctor Doom...
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