Chapter 227: Trying to Survive
(⌒▽⌒)☞☜(⌒▽⌒)
===================
Stark, in his upgraded Mark VI armor with a more powerful, triangular arc reactor and more flexible armor. Although standing on the shoulders of giants, he was now above Howard Stark, his own father, in terms of innovation and design.
Seemingly unimpressed by Rhodes' and Daisy's approach, he clicked his tongue, "Look at you two, helpless without me. Haven't you learned that to break an egg effectively, you need to focus your force at one point?"
His wrist armor lit up with a red glow, striking even amidst the cacophony of gunfire and the smoke-laden battlefield, the blood-red laser was starkly vivid.
The shield, already reduced to a thin layer, was easily sliced open by the high-energy beam, though Stark had no intention of killing; he skillfully avoided Doom's body, the laser passing cleanly through the shield.
"Doom, surrender. You have no chance of winning," Stark said, glancing sideways at Daisy, who, despite her combat capabilities, was pretending to be an ordinary person in the fight. Stark clearly despised such pretenses in combat situations.
Daisy, not inclined to argue in public, turned her head to switch off the video recording feature on the mechanical soldiers.
Stark, of course, recognized Doom, though they were not well-acquainted.
"You still have a chance to start over. Give up," Stark said sincerely.
Maintaining the magical shield was a significant strain on Doom, and even without Stark's final blow, he was nearly at his limit.
"Armor, huh? It looks good. I will make myself a suit when I get a chance," Doom observed, glancing at the armors worn by Stark and Rhodes. Daisy's mechanical soldiers were automatically ignored by him.
As War Machine and Iron Man joined the fray, the Fantastic Four regained their footing. With the six of them, plus Daisy's mechanical soldiers, they surrounded Doom in the center. It felt like a collective effort to take down an evil force, devoid of any need for honor among enemies.
Doom, like a lonely lion, let his gaze sweep across each of his enemies. Stark and Reed regretted the waste of his talents; Susan looked away in guilt; and to Doom, Johnny, Ben, and Rhodes were just bystanders. What? Who is Daisy? Doom didn't even register her presence.
"Alright, I surrender..." Doom used his pretense of surrender to lower the heroes' guard before suddenly lashing out with his electric whip, trying to capture a bystander to aid his escape.
Being treated as a mere bystander, Daisy felt a bit miffed. She was already standing quite at the back, yet Doom still thought she was an easy target.
She quickly calculated several scenarios in her mind. Doom wasn't wrong; capturing her could indeed give him control over the mechanical soldiers, greatly increasing his chances of either turning the tables or escaping.
To capture her, Doom even thoughtfully reduced the power of his whip, fearing that too much force might kill her...
Daisy sighed and effortlessly hopped to the side.
Doom was momentarily stunned by his plan failing. He lacked the dynamic vision to keep up with Daisy's casual agility, but he could see her ease and comfort.
Not fully understanding the implications of what just happened, he was caught off guard when Stark's repulsor beam hit him squarely in the face. Doom ducked and instinctively pulled back his whip, using it to ensnare Stark instead.
In this reality, where Stark had minimal contact with Ivan Vanko, Stark was caught off guard and did not dodge in time, allowing the intense electric currents to start savagely damaging his armor systems.
Next, amid the combined assault of the Fantastic Four and Colonel Rhodes, Doom used another electric whip to ensnare Rhodey.
Although their mobility was significantly hindered, having both Iron Man and War Machine constrained on either side also limited Doom's capabilities.
"Rhodey, I have an idea," Stark said as he raised his right hand.
The colonel, somewhat slower to react than the Fantastic Four who had already distanced themselves, only grasped Stark's intention afterward.
The two beams of identical power and technology collided at a central point, causing a deafening explosion that engulfed Doom.
Seizing the moment, Daisy raised her right hand, targeting Doom with her disintegration ring, and a very thin and fast silver laser shot out.
She made a quick decision to target the brain rather than the heart, given that in this world filled with advanced technology, heart injuries were less fatal. A prime example was Stark, who lived vigorously despite shrapnel near his heart, while brain injuries were harder to mend and could fundamentally change a person.
Caught in the whirlwind of the explosion, Doom felt a terrifying sensation of impending doom as his senses screamed warnings at him. The overwhelming pressure felt as if a massive mountain was pressing down on his chest.
From Latveria to Manhattan, he had always trusted his instincts—the only time he didn't was when he was tricked by Reed recently, distracted by romantic rivalry rather than heeding the warnings in his mind.
Now, a more dangerous and terrifying premonition emerged.
He felt an intense killing intent, unmasked and raw, convincing him he was about to die.
His life flashed before his eyes at an unprecedented speed, reviewing his entire existence.
Doom looked back at his childhood. His mother was a genuine Gypsy witch, not one of the charlatans. She possessed real magical powers and had even made a pact with a demon from hell for knowledge and magical prowess.
The demonic magic meant Doom was not like other people; he remembered every detail since birth, not just from the age of three. He recalled everything post-birth as every ritual and spell his mother performed was etched in his memory. As a child, he couldn't harness it simply because he lacked the demonic power.
Childhood memories were torturous. Despite his awareness, his body couldn't keep up, and he had to wait as it slowly matured.
At four, his mother died. Though others said she simply passed away, Doom knew the truth was different.
As an adult, he left Latveria for the State University of New York, meeting Reed Richards. Having memories from birth had always been his pride, but reality served him a cold lesson. Reed defeated him repeatedly, seeming born to counter him, excelling in everything.
Helplessly, he took a different path, proving himself in New York City. He could at least claim superiority over Reed in wealth. Relishing control over Reed through investments and having Reed's beloved by his side was intoxicating for Doom.
But it all fell apart.
Doom searched his soul; he still had much to achieve—he couldn't die yet!
Desperately tapping into his potential, he used his flesh, soul, hopes, and an array of convoluted elements to summon strength. Mimicking his mother's methods, he drew power from another dimension, attempting to escape what seemed like certain death.
===================
(⌒▽⌒)☞ Send Power Stones and comment if you like the fic ☜(⌒▽⌒)
If you want to support:- https://ko-fi.com/daoistyuri