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Doom Patrol - Part Three

A  R E A L I T Y  V E R Y  D I F F E R E N T  T O  O U R  O W N

The skies were dark; an unnatural shadow blocked the sun and brought darkness to my land. The ground shuddered with each breath this ‘Galactus’ drew and the sand in all directions had been whipped into waves by the force of each exhalation. 

“Y O U  K N O W  O F  G A L A C T U S.”

The voice neither asked nor held any surprise. It spoke with the certainty of the Gods themselves and held no room for questions, although I had several myself. 

“That is the monster that left my land barren?” I could scarcely believe it, it looked too bipedal and alive to be so ancient. 

"Quiet child,” Doom was clearly in no mood to explain, "Doom has no time for idle chatter.” His attention was fixed upon the figure blocking out the horizon.
"Y O U  K N O W  M Y  N A M E,  W H A T  A R E  Y O U?”

Doom waited for the sands to settle before he responded.

"Your Doom.”

The words filled me with excitement, terror and hope in equal measure. Such a challenge was laughable when delivered to an enemy that blocked the very light of the sun but if any could back up his threat I knew it was the man in front of me.
A rumble in the ground alerted us to the incoming words.

"Y O U  W O U L D  D E C L A R E  W A R  U P O N  G A L A C T U S.”

"War has already been declared.” Doom responded coldly, ”You are merely the latest pre-emptive strike.”

Galactus did not respond, a hand rose from beyond the horizon and, with a gesture, mechanical spires began to rise from beneath the very dirt of my land. A hum filled the air, the sound pierced through my very being and left me screaming, clutching my bloody ears in the barren sand. 

A hand gripped my shoulder and pulled me to my feet, I was groggy and disorientated but could just about recognise Doom as he pulled a small device from a pouch on his belt. With a flick of his wrist we were instantly surrounded by a dome of clear energy and the sound that had made my body shake in pain was gone.

”---u m-st c---rol yo----lf,” His words were barely reaching my brain and I struggled to process their meaning. ”You must assist me or neither of us will survive this day.”

With that, Doom handed me the device he had conjured our protection with. I took it in shaking hands, the small object was cylindrical and was no larger than a straw that the hatchlings in my flock were fed with.

”When I give the word you will lower the forcefield for two seconds ,” As he spoke Doom was gesturing towards Galactus, the being had taken hold of the machinery he had conjured and was glowing brightly as it operated whatever fantastical controls it was using. I looked at Doom and realised what I had taken for a gesture was nothing of the sort, he radiated power and was clearly gathering it in preparation for an almighty act of aggression. ”You will then reactivate the device. Do you understand?”

I nodded quickly, hardly daring to speak; the device had a simple button atop the cylinder and I hoped desperately that it would be as simple as pressing it and the whole situation would be over.

”Very well,”The calmness of Doom’s voice emboldened me, ”We shall begin.”

At his nod I pressed the button on Doom’s device, instantly we were beset by a whirlwind of sand, it shredded the skin from my body and made my eyes water in agony but the worst sensation was the noise. The hum of Galactus’ machines tore into my brain and made the very act of remaining upright next to impossible. Doom gathered his power into a great charge of energy and, with a gesture, sent it hurtling at Galactus. He then looked down at me and I hit the button of the device once more. Instantly the ‘forcefield’ popped into existence, shielding us from the force of the elements outside. 

My body cried out for rest, moisture and soothing attention but I ignored it as I pulled at the cape Doom wore. “Is that it?” I asked desperately, “Have we won?”

Doom said nothing, his eyes were fixed beyond our little bubble upon the energy he had released. I followed his gaze and was just in time to see his attack strike the massive figure of Galactus…and have absolutely no effect. If the being even felt the immense charge of energy he gave no sign. He merely continued operating his equipment.

Doom exhaled slightly and I saw his shoulders sag momentarily before he straightened and began fiddling with his gauntlet once again.
“Did it work?” I asked worriedly, my body was close to giving up and I wanted to be ready should Doom need me for his next attack. 

”Not this time,”

“So, what do we do? We cannot give up.” 

Doom took the device from my hand and, with a swift motion, crushed it in his fist. ”This world is lost, there is no further purpose here.”

I could not be sure if the sudden sandstorm that enveloped us was what took my breath away or if it was the shock at the man before me admitting defeat.

“You mean you are not going to do anything? You brought this monster here in the first place, you and your sorcery!” If my words affected the man beneath the mask he gave no sign of it. He merely turned away, from the figure of Galactus, from me, from any of the problems he had caused. My body’s tenuous grasp on air had faded and I felt wisps of sand begin to slide down my throat as my breaths grew more desperate. 

"Your sacrifice will be remembered,” Doom said softly, the metallic tone of his voice making the words harsh in my ears, ”When Doom inevitably succeeds.”

With a gesture and a hum of energy, Doom was gone.

I have not left the spot where Doom disappeared. Galactus still works on his machines and the ground itself cracks and burns around me. My companion and protector, my inspiration and my betrayer has left me to the mercy of my people’s ancient enemy and I cannot even find the strength to curse him. I believe that he believes he is doing what he must and that causes my tongue to remain silent. 

Instead I begin the Song; the great history of my Flock and all the others of my world. The notes are hardly audible and my voice cracks in the sandstorm but I do not stop. I sing my people’s story as my world tears itself apart, Galactus cares not for history even as he finds himself absorbed into its melody and made into song like everything else. 

I am not sure of how to recount my own history, the Song has notes for heroism, villainy and acts of betrayal but they all seem to ring false. I left my Flock with a stranger, I journeyed through the barren desert with him and I watched as he engaged in battle with our ancient enemy and then left my world to its fate. Perhaps I am a simple traitor and failure. But I will let the Gods decide, if they hear my words and judge me so coldly then I will abide. If not then we will see where they decree my fate to lead. Please-

C A S T L E  D O O M  -  L A T V E R I A  -  O U R  D I M E N S I O N

Boris studied the monitors in Doom’s lab, the Master had given strict instructions to not interfere with his latest project and so the old man watched as the parallel world crumbled beneath the feeding process of a parallel Galactus. How many times had he watched the process now? A dozen? More? It did not matter, the Master had fixed his attention on Galactus and would visit as many parallel dimensions as it took to find a way of killing the cosmic giant. Boris was no expert on such things and was content merely to know his place. He would monitor his master’s progress and be there when called upon.

A hum alerted the aged Romani to his master’s return. With a shimmer of energy the silhouette of Victor Von Doom appeared on the dimensional pad fixed in the lab. The silhouette slowly formed into the solid shape and form of Latveria’s ruling monarch. 

“Master!” Boris found himself exclaiming, “You have returned.”

”Of course Boris, I always come back.” The cold tones of Victor’s mask did not hide the frustration in his voice. ”The texts of the Golgotha Revolutionaries did not provide the power as we hoped. The Devourer was unharmed.”

Doom stepped from the pad, his strides heavy and leaving a slight trail of dust in their wake. 
“I realise,” Boris chose his words with care, “that you may wish to explore other avenues for this venture but there are matters here that have arisen in your absence.”

”What matters demand Doom’s attention?” The frustration in the Master’s voice had given way to weariness; this had been the latest in a growing number of assassination attempts on alternate versions of Galactus and Doom never dealt well with failure. He had barely slept or taken sustenance since deciding to embark on his task and, though he would admit no weakness, must have been feeling the effects of such a decision. 

“Prime Minister Von Bardas has proposed several measures that need your personal ratification,” Boris did not hide his disdain for the young facilitator of Latveria; Lucia Von Bardas was ambitious, canny and a keen presence in Doom’s inner circle but was also a strong proponent of a less isolationist policy and believed Latveria should open its borders to tourists and commercialism from countries abroad. Boris disagreed emphatically with such policies and, more importantly, so did the Master. Doom had always made his disdain for foreign influence very clear and would not allow it to bleed into Latverian soil. However, he kept Von Bardas close in his cabinet, a decision that confused Boris, there had been rumours of the two enjoying a more exclusive relationship but those were quickly quashed before the Master became aware of them. 

Doom nodded, ”Very well, what else?”

Boris swallowed, “There is a slight shortage of the Latverite stockpile. It looks like some has been taken.” 

This drew Doom’s attention, Latverite, a new element found scattered all over Latverian soil after a particularly heavy meteor shower a few years previously. It took the shape of rocks in a primarily green hue and had proven very difficult to accurately quantify. 
Studies had eventually shown a concentrated level of radioactivity in the mineral so Doombots had been used to remove the green rocks from inhabited areas and were continually scouring the country for signs of the foreign element. Doom had obsessed over the rocks for months and had drawn up plans to use them to as an efficient energy source when the Galactus problem had demanded his attention. Since then the Latverite had been locked safely away in storage, or it should have been. A cursory inventory check had revealed that several kilograms of the mineral were missing. 

"Can Doom not trust the safety of his home to anyone?” Frustration again, a sure sign of the seriousness of the matter, Boris knew better than to respond. ”You did well to alert me old man.” Doom’s voice betrayed just a hint of fondness before it was replaced by his customary coldness. ”It is clear that Doom must take the world in hand once more.”

“I have instructed the Parliament to assemble in the morning to hear your decree.” Boris assured his master, “They will all attend.”

”Good, now leave me. The journey has been long and even Doom must rest.”

Boris nodded shortly before turning and leaving the room.

Doom stood in the silent lab, the machinery around him was in constant movement but the filters in his armour kept the sounds from piercing the metallic shell around his ears. He reached up and unclasped the protective straps of his mask, ignoring the enchantments that would have burned another being’s fingers from their hand for attempting such sacrilege, with a smooth movement Doom removed the mask and took in the pure and unfiltered sights and sounds around him.

”One day it will not matter,” Victor whispered, ”It will all run smoothly and all will know how they are blessed to live under Doom.”

L E X C O R P  B U I L D I N G  -  M E T R O P O L I S  -  U N I T E D  S T A T E S  -  M I D G A R D

"What is it that you would like to talk about, Thor? I do hope our red-caped friend hasn't been trying to fill your head with ideas."

Lex oozed confidence, Thor had known this as long as he had known the man. There was a subtle difference this time in the other man's demeanour that Thor could not quite place. As he stood in the centre of Lex's office Thor allowed his senses to open, he sensed the lightning pulsing through the building around him, much of it concentrated in this very room. A groan from Corben brought Thor's attention back to the here and now as the mechanical man retched.

"Thy conduct troubles me." He finally admitted, "This poor creature emerged from thy care and his misdeeds must reflect upon us all." He strode forward towards Lex's desk, keeping Corben gripped tightly all the while. "Furthermore, whence was he here and what was the purpose of his release?."

Thor knew Lex well enough to know that the other did nothing without a reason, however, Thor had been charged with Corben's care now and if Lex thought he would meekly surrender his prisoner without another word on the matter then he clearly did not know the God of Thunder as well as he thought. Still, the man had dealt fairly with Thor up until this point and the Odinson was willing to hear him out.

Nonetheless, Thor did not entirely like the look in Lex's eye, far too predatory for his liking. He twisted his body to place himself between Lex and Corben, partially for Lex's safety; the man had managed to harm Superman after all and Lex was merely human. But in his heart of hearts Thor was fully aware of who would be at a disadvantage should the two come to blows in this place.

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