Coming Of Doom

Logan was watching TV. He lay on his bed, one leg half hung off of it and he had a bottle of beer in his hand. He wasn't really watching the screen though. He was thinking about Natalya. ‘What am I going to do?’ He wondered. It was like another piece of his life had just been cut out of him. He had had this feeling before. Back when Professor Xavier was helping him piece together his past. He had been in deep thought when he realized that he was no longer in his room and he found himself in the kitchen. His stomach growled when he smelled the food that Serena was eating.

“Hiya kid, how’s life treatin ya?” He said as he opened the fridge and took a gander to what was there.

At the same time Peter and Tony were putting the finishing touches on their trap and Pharaoh stepped into the lab.

“How soon before it is ready?” he asked in proper english. “Hi Mr. Maget, I think maybe just another hour...two at the most?” Peter responded. “Then I think you might wish to hurry,” Pharaoh said. “I have an odd feeling about today...I believe Victor is coming and soon,” He said as if he were only talking about the weather.

“Well you know what they’ll say Kate and none of them will suggest you leave. I…” he began but paused as the glass of water he had on the bedside table began to vibrate. That and the tv that was on had gone completely fuzzy.

Malcolm kissed Natalya as she straddled him. They were clothed but Malcolm had been teasing her by rubbing on her middle over her black, skin tight pants. They were lounging, watching tv and lay on their bed. “I was wondering how long it would take to get you into the mood,” he said as he smiled. They were screwing like rabbits, sometimes 4 times a day. This would be the second time today if what he saw in her eyes was accurate. She forcefully pulled at his jeans as if she meant to rip them off. “Whoa!” he said wondering if she was going to then she abruptly paused and an odd look came over her face, Malcolm didn’t know what she was doing. “Nat…” he began just as she started to move off of him.

In the kitchen Logan raised up his head from the fridge. In an instant he slammed it shut and tossed the beer bottle behind him. “Serena...you need to,” He began but a shimmer appeared in the main space near the couches and chairs. Dr. Doom in his dark green cloak and dark metal armor was flanked by 2 men in a silvery metal armor. They wore kite shields and spears and the black shimmering bubble slowly dissipated. Doom looked at Logan and Serena though he had never seen her before and didn’t know who she was.

“Kill them,” he said and pointed at them. Logan looked at Serena briefly. ‘Oh god no!’ He thought quickly and leaped forward toward them, claws out.

Kate suddenly had an odd and familiar feeling come over her. She knew he was there. She could sense him and it sent a shiver down her spine. She immediately got up and looked at Steve. "He's here...Doom's here."

Natalya grinned down at Malcolm when he playfully asked her how long it would take to get her in the mood. "I'm already there." The fact that Natalya couldn't become pregnant was freeing sexually and she and Malcolm didn't have to worry about anything. It had been the same with Logan. They had had sex whenever and wherever they felt like it. Though there was now a rule about not having sex in Tony's lab. Natalya grabbed Malcolm's jeans and began to pull them off of him when suddenly she paused and her grin faded. She looked away from Malcolm towards the door and then got off of him. "I think we have unwanted company," she said as she looked back at him. "Doom's here."

Serena had only seen pictures of Doom, but had never encountered him before. However, the moment he appeared she knew it was him. She stood up and felt her adrenaline begin to pump. She had already decided she wasn't going to run. She lifted up one of her hands and suddenly a red colored blast of energy shot out from her palm and hit one of the two soldiers.

Malcolm rolled out of bed and followed Natalya out. He had seen her grab her pistol out of her gun belt that hung over the back of the chair closest to the door. Tony, Peter and Pharaoh all looked at one another when the lab suddenly shook. It was as if the building itself had shifted slightly though they all knew that was impossible. “Find Serena kid!” Tony said as he gestured toward the back wall where his suit hung. As he did pieces of it flew toward him and he shifted his body this way and that so each piece had room to attached to him. Pharaoh ran after Peter but Peter moved with such speed he was out of his line of sight almost immediately.

Steve grabbed up his shield and he and Kate opened the door and ran out toward where they thought the disturbance had come from. One of his guard raised his shield up and her blast reflected off of it up and to the left. Her energy bolt shattered the nearby window once it touched it and the air in the room quickly began to rush out as the air inside began to equalize to the outside. Logan attacked the same man she had but before he could leap on him the other one impaled him with his spear. Serena saw the spearpoint jut out of Logan’s back, blood and sinew splattered out, some of it staining her clothes and arms. Logan swiped at the spear shaft that held him with his claws but to his shock they did not snap and splinter as he thought they would. Instead the armored man lifted him up and he growled as he fell forward into him.

Behind Doom the others began to run at them, Pharaoh shot an invisible blast of psychic energy at him but with one wave of Doom’s hand a shimmering blue glasslike shield suddenly formed and deflected the attack. Captain America threw his shield at the other guard and though the guard raised his own in time the force of it knocked up back and off of his feet. Serena had to duck to avoid the man smashing into her into the kitchen appliances and table behind her.

“Ahhh, Miss Blackwell, I was hoping you would be here. I believe our ‘association’ was so rudely cut short,” he said in a low, booming voice. He lifted up his hand toward her and smiled at the look of horror in her eyes as she felt her will being torn violently away from her. However just before he reclaimed her will Peter was suddenly there and he shot 2 small balls of web and hit him in the face. It distracted him so that Kate felt her will restabilize but she knew now, in that brief touch from his power that he could have turned her. Tony arrived just after Peter had but before he could do anything Logan was flung toward him and Peter. Peter dodged easily but he and Logan crashed backward together though most of that was Tony trying to cushion Logan’s fall.

Natalya wasn't sure if the trap Tony had been setting up for Doom was ready yet, but she hoped it was. She knew that they had very little chance against him. He was just too powerful. She grabbed her pistol and gun belt anyways and raced down towards the main living area. There, to her horror, she saw Logan with a spear going right through him. Though she knew his regenerative abilities would heal him, she still didn't like seeing him like this.

Serena was able to duck just in time before Steve's shield came flying back at her. She heard it crash behind her and she immediately went over to grab it. She took it and flung it back over to Steve before using her powers to put up an energy shield around herself.

Kate looked over at Dr. Doom and saw him focus his attention upon her. She knew in that moment that she had made a mistake in trying to join this fight. She tried to fight him, but she could feel her willpower starting to slip away. She knew that if he was able to turn her then he would most certainly use her powers against the rest of the team. Thankfully, before he was able to fully turn her Peter distracted him by firing two web balls in his face. Kate seized that opportunity. She looked at Steve and into his eyes for a brief moment before she left. She needed to put as much space between herself and Doom as she could.

Natalya raised her pistol and fired a few shots at Doom's men, wanting to see if she could do any damage to them that way.

Natalya’s shots were right on the money but it looked as if there were far fewer gaps and creases in their armor. That and the guards were quick to raise up their shields to protect their faces from her shots. Another guard attacked Steve directly and he was almost caught off guard as he watched Kate step away. The guard stabbed down at him with his spear then bashed him with his shield with inhuman quickness that sent him flying forward toward Natalya and Malcolm. Natalya just managed to dodge but Malcolm had been focusing on Serena as the other guard moved toward her. Steve crashed into him violently and they both flew backward into the wall. The wall cracked and splintered as they hit and they fell to the floor and only Steve seemed to be moving after that. Tony had flew forward and he shot a repulsor burst at Doom. Doom flew back and crashed through another wall that led to the small server closet. Spiderman dodged his way to Serena and he used his webs to bind the guard’s shield to the floor which created an opening for Serena to use her energy bolt. Before she could do anything however the man’s spear came at her though it was deflected from her energy shield. The force of the blow was strong against her shield and it forced her to use more of her power just to keep it up. Pharaoh’s body had suddenly gone limp and he fell to the floor. As it did the guard closest to Natalya gave an odd jerk then turned toward the other one and stabbed his spear toward him though it glanced off of his shoulder guard.

Natalya would see Malcolm was badly hurt and his right shoulder and arm hung at an odd angle. Steve shook off the stunning effect of being thrown and staggered back to his feet. Just in time for 6 duplicates of Dr. Dooms to appear around the room. As soon as they all looked around themselves...they attacked.

Natalya quickly realized that bullets were no match for the armor that the guards were wearing and she decided to save her bullets. She put her pistol away and looked up just in time to see Steve flying back towards her. She dodged out of the way just in time, but looked back to see Steve crash into Malcolm and then the two of them go flying backward into a wall. Malcolm had taken the brunt of the crash and she was horrified to see that he wasn't moving. She wanted to go to him, but right now she needed to help the others.

Serena could feel her energy being drained from her body as she continued to hold up the energy shield. She saw an opportunity to attack one of the guards as Peter used his web to bind the guard's shield to the floor. However, before she could take it the guard was able to attempt to attack her with his spear. The spear was deflected, but the blow caused a ripple in her shield that she had to fix by focusing more energy into it. She had never held up an energy shield this long and she could feel herself becoming weaker.

With Kate gone, Malcolm hurt and unconscious, Pharaoh unconscious, and Logan's body still healing it left just Steve, Tony, Peter, and Natalya. Natalya looked around her as suddenly six Doom duplicates appeared around the room. Natalya knew that they stood very little chance against them, but she was prepared to go down swinging and as the duplicates attacked Natalya unleashed all of her SSB training.

One of the Doom’s closest to Natalya tried to punch her with a gauntleted fist. Using her martial abilities and heightened strength and speed she put him into a hold then flung herself back and brought him with her. Her powerful legs threw him into another one and they both appeared to wink out of existence. The one near Steve was able to grab hold of him. Like a wrestler he lifted him up and threw him bodily at Peter. Peter used his webs to slow Steve’s momentum then hopped over Steve who cut at the webs with the edge of his shield. Peter shot webs at the Doom, binding its arms to his chest and Captain America threw his shield hard at him and the third doom winked out of existence. The one guard fought with his twin, each trying to bash one another with their shields and bring their spears around to stab one another. They fell back together and landed on Serena’s bubble of energy. The ever changing contact of their armor against her energy causing ripples and cracks to form. Serena felt and tasted blood run down from her nose. A clear warning sign she was using to much power in too short of a time. Tony attacked another Doom with his repulsors and the 4th doom winked out of existence. To Natalya’s surprise nearby things, a microwave, a toaster, a large vase, knick knacks and pieces of the broken wall suddenly flew toward one of the Doom’s. As it crashed into him it appeared to pause in mid air as black tendrils of dark magic took hold of them and flung them all to the floor. The other doom that had not acted suddenly disappeared and there was once more only 1 Doom. Kate had not really left, only moved out of Doom’s line of sight. In a moment of anger Doom’s voice boomed out at everyone.

“ENOUGH!” He shouted. It was clear that this would all eventually lead into a stalemate. The guard that had pinned Pharaoh’s guard stopped then backed off of him and allowed him to get up. Steve Rogers held his shield ready to attack again and Tony Stark flew over to Serena. “You ok kiddo? Can you stand?” he said quickly. His hands poised to attack. Peter stood nearby Serena, ready to defend her the moment anything came her way.

Natalya immediately rushed over to Malcolm's side. She kept one eye on Dr. Doom, but she needed to be sure he was alright and to protect him if necessary. She cradled his head with one arm and caressed his cheek with the fingers of her other hand. "Malcolm? Malcolm, can you hear me?"

Serena could no longer hold up the energy shield and released it. Her face had gone pale and she was trembling. She felt sick to her stomach and dizzy, but she knew she needed to stand. With Peter's help she was able to get to her feet. "Yeah...I'm fine." She wasn't entirely fine at the moment, but she knew that she would be.

Kate had not gotten very far before she stopped and made a decision to go back. She felt conflicted as she did not want to leave her teammates, but also did not want to put them in a position where she could possibly be used against them. She had watched from a safe distance as the others fought the duplicate Dooms. The team was able to handle them fairly easily, but the real Doom still remained. She watched him, wondering what he was going to do.

Malcolm coughed as Natalya shifted him. His nose was bleeding and he had several cuts and the beginning of bruises. He was only human and not nearly as resilient as herself and Steve. Peter helped Serena stand as Tony moved in front of her. His hands resonated with repulsor energy and he was ready to use it. Logan hobbled toward them and Pharaoh seemed to have regained himself. The 2 guards moved to protect Doom as doom looked at Steve.

“Did you get the license of the truck that hit me?” Malcolm said weakly and chuckled. His grin faded into a wince soon after however and Natalya would know he likely had broken ribs and internal bleeding as well. Malcolm’s power was very powerful but he was fragile if caught unawares like today.

“You’ve all fought valiantly, worthy of your name, The Avengers. But i did not come here for you...nor you Miss Blackwell. I require a book and the bar of Uru...and I know that it is here,” Victor said as he clasped his hands behind his back. He had a regal way of holding himself and his words were loud and clear “Steve looked at Kate who was looking back at him but his gaze shifted back onto Doom.

“No bargains Doom, we know the book will only serve to make you more powerful,” Steve said in rebuttal. Doom shifted his gaze to look at him. “Do you think your fight is the only fight happening? You are a small man with small words Steve Rogers. You don’t have the smallest idea of what my own battles are like,” he said and made certain to spread his gaze around. By now Logan was on his feet and ready to pounce upon him. He was angry and he cracked the bones in his neck. “If we cared, which we don’t, why should any of us help you?!” He growled. “I am in a constant battle with evil itself. My mother was taken by a demon and each year I do battle against him to protect her. With each fight he becomes more resilient against me and I barely survived this last one. I need that book!” Doom bellowed loudly then appeared to argue with himself a moment.

“I am willing to...barter for it,” he said plainly. “You’ve got nuthin we need bub!” Logan said and flashed out his claws. “Oh I can offer you more than you can imagine Logan,” He said and though no one could see it, Doom smiled within his mask.

Before Logan, as if out of thin air, Jean Grey was there. Her red hair was long and she wore a pair of black skin tight pants and a white blouse. She looked surprised at being here and looked shocked as she looked around the room. Logan sniffed the air and a look of shock came over him as well. “Jean?” He asked in astonishment. “Logan? Where am I?” She said worriedly as she stumbled. Logan was there in an instant to steady her and her arms moved to his chest. She fell against him as if disorientated. “Am I in the Stark Tower?” She asked as she held a hand to her head. Logan took her up in his arms. “What are ya tryin to pull Victor?” Logan said angrily. “Nothing, that is Jean Grey, I assure you,” He said and then his gaze moved over to Natalya.

Kate moved to stand next to Steve. She looked hard at Doom, but waited to see what he was going to do. Serena was weak and relied on Peter to help keep her standing. His arm around her, though there for support, felt good. She could feel his muscles through his suit and knew that he truly had become a man. She could only stand there with Peter and watch what was unfolding.

Natalya remained next to Malcolm, but turned her attention to Doom as he began to bargain for the book and for the Uru. They needed to remain strong on this and keep it out of Doom's hands...no matter what he offered. As Doom turned his attention to Logan, Natalya stood up. She breathed in when she saw Jean Grey materialize out of nowhere and fall into Logan's arms. Of course she knew about Jean. Logan had told Natalya about her when they had been together. As Logan looked back at her she began to wonder if his resolve was breaking.

"Logan...you can't do this. If he gets the book and the Uru then that's it...it's all over for us. Please...we have to be strong...all of us. Think of the consequences...please."

Logan had tears in his eyes as he turned to look at Natalya. Jean nestled her head only Logan’s shoulder and she saw the awe and confusion in his eyes. He was on the brink of taking the offer and clearly Doom was not done yet. “Natalya Sokolova....I know you to,” Victor said and a sudden strangeness began to happen in Natalya’s middle. That and her lower abdomen began to expand. At about a woman who was pregnant for about 5 months, the expanding stopped and she felt a shudder inside of her and the extra mass with the feel of liquid inside. The baby that was growing inside of her kicked and she felt it, alive inside of her. Then she heard Malcolm’s gasp.

Just a few feet in front of them a little girl with dark, wavey hair coloring in a coloring book that was flat against the floor. She had on a light blue and green dress and she hummed a tune that Natalya remembered from her childhood. One of her caretakers had hummed it and she recalled it, sometimes. But she had never told anyone about that. Never. The girl looked toward them and she had Malcolm’s eyes and Natalya’s mouth and cheeks.

The girl, held up her coloring book. It was a picture of a pony. “Momma, what color should the pony be?” the girl asked her. Malcolm didn’t know what was happening and he leaned back as if he was going limp as he stared at the young girl. She was very beautiful, a perfect melding of all of their mix of features. Kate’s lower lip trembled as she looked on and Peter looked on wide-eyed.

Natalya could see in Logan's eyes that he was right on the edge. She started to step towards him when suddenly Doom addressed her directly. She looked over at him with a dangerous gaze when all of a sudden a strange feeling came over her body. Looking down she saw that her lower abdomen began to expand. She knew this was all a trick, but she was still in shock. She was about to say something when she heard Malcolm gasp. She looked over and saw a young girl...she couldn't have been more than 3 years old coloring in a coloring book on the floor. She looked...so real and that tune she was humming made the blood in her veins go cold. When the girl looked at her she felt a few tears come to her eyes because she knew that a child was something she would never have and would never be able to give anyone. That ability had been taken from her in a rather horrific way...one that she would never be able to forget. She closed her eyes for a moment and pushed away all of those thoughts and feelings. When she opened her eyes she glared at Doom.

"No...NO!" She was practically trembling now from all the feelings that were swirling around inside of her. "I will NEVER give in to you! Offer me whatever you want, but my answer will always be NO!"

Doom tilted his head as he looked at her. “Ah, you think that it is not real? That these are illusions? Well they are real and I alone can make it all permanent. I need the book to give me the edge I need to win my battle. Why should you not have what you all want?” He said. “Steve Rogers, do you not miss Peggy? I could bring her here in the flesh. Spawned by magic but she is real. As real as she ever was,” he said. Peter moved and took Serena’s hand in his. He wanted nothing more than what he had now. He loved Serena and though he missed his parents he knew that the world would not just accept them back like Doom suggested. At least he didn’t think so. It was then that Pharoah stepped forward.

“So you can create but your creation is flawed, measurably. To the world beyond this room they do not exist. You create flesh but you also create lies. And one thing I do know, the universe won’t allow a lie to go on for very long,” Pharaoh said. “What makes them, the seeds of them has the nature of what made them. Black magic is corrupt Victor. And everything you do is born with that seed of evil just like you are,” He said.

Peggy appeared before Steve Rogers. She was in a striped blue skirt suit and she looked around the room wide-eyed. When Steve saw her though his eyes grew large and they began to well up with tears. “Peggy?” He asked and when she saw him her own eyes welled up. “Steve? Am i dreaming? If I am, I don’t want to wake up!” she said and flung herself into his arms. And then Doom looked at Tony.

“Don’t even try it scarface,” Tony said as he stepped toward him. “You can’t just wave a magic wand and change people’s minds. I loved my wife and I grieved when she died. We all have grieved in our lives. It is that pain that lives within us, makes us who we are. I won’t have you take that away from me or my daughter!” He said forcefully. Doom looked at him for a long moment then waved his hand.

In an instant everything was as if it had never happened. “You can’t begin to know all of what you’ve denied yourselves. No matter, Kate where is the Book?” he asked and Kate looked around as if she was confused. It’s alright Kate,” he said. Kate was not seeing him as Dr. Doom, she was seeing him as Steve and where Steve had been he was no longer there. And Steve was telling her to tell him where the book was. She did know, it was in Tony’s vault in the lab. “It’s in the lab,” She said awkwardly looking around as if she didn’t understand what was happening. “Tony’s vault in the lab,” She repeated and then Doom pulled down his illusion. As he did Steve appeared beside her and it was Doom that had been addressing her.

“Thank you Kate,” He said as the Avengers moved to attack him.

Peter hopped out and used his webs to blind his henchmen. As they struggled to pull off the webs Steve jumped into action and attacked Doom directly. Kate used her telekinetic powers to lift Doom into the air just as Logan attacked the blinded henchmen, his claws finding a gap in one of their suits...at the face. Pharaoh Shot a Psychic blast at the other guard and he dropped his shield and spear and fell to his knees as he fought off the madness that threatened to overcome him. Tony blasted Doom with his repulsor beams just as Natalya did a whirlwind kick into his side and stopped him from dodging it. The blast took him in the chest and he was flung backward and crashed into the far wall. He fell forward then unseen hands picked him up then slammed him into the floor over and over and over. He groaned weakly as Steve looked back at Kate who had a look of angry concentration upon her face. ‘I love you’ He mouthed silently to her.

Serena felt Peter's hand take her own and she laced her fingers in his and gave his hand a squeeze. She looked over at Peter as he looked at her and their eyes met. She was scared about what was happening, but she felt stronger with him there beside her. She knew in that moment that what she felt for him was strong.

Kate stood off to the right side of Steve. She could see Doom thinking as clearly what he had tried with Natalya hadn't worked. As Doom began to look at Steve her breath caught in her chest. She knew in that moment what he was going to offer him and when Peggy materialized and she saw the look in Steve's eyes a strange sense of fear came over her. Would he choose Peggy over her?

Serena suddenly saw Doom look at her father and she gasped because she knew what Doom was going to offer him...her mother back. She couldn't remember her mother. She had been three when she had died. All she knew was that she had been extremely beautiful and extremely brave. She had been the first female member of the Avengers and her father had loved her very much. The thought of being able to see her...to get to know her...but would it truly be her or all just an illusion? She looked at her father and listened to him, but she could see the conflict in his eyes. It was the same conflict that was in Natalya's eyes...and Logan's...and Steve's...

In an instant the illusions vanished and for a moment the room was silent as the thought of what they had all just given up sank in. Kate looked over to where Steve had been standing next to her, but suddenly he wasn't there. He was in front of her. Why was he asking her where the book was? She thought they all knew. She felt an odd sensation that compelled her to answer, even though her brain was realizing that this was all just another illusion. She heard the words come out of her mouth and then suddenly the sensation and illusion vanished.

Kate just stood there for a long moment as the others exploded in their attack. A feeling beyond anger came over her. She clenched her fists as she looked at Doom. She hated him for what he had done to her...what he had done to the others. She used her telekinetic powers to slam him over and over into the floor. She could feel herself getting out of control, but she couldn't stop herself. She wanted him dead. She didn't want to have to fear him anymore...or what he might make her do. She looked over at Steve and saw him mouth 'I love you' to her. She looked back at Doom and suddenly blasted him back out of the window and down to the ground below.

Everything in the room was trembling and vibrating from her powers. She knew she needed to get away from everyone so she turned and walked from the room. She went immediately to the training room and shut the door. She practically collapsed onto the floor where she began to cry.