[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZfvPPwT.png[/img][/center][b]Castle Doom, Latveria[/b]

[color=#ffffff]The wreckage of the Fantastic Four’s time craft smouldered at the centre of Castle Doom’s throne room. In front of it stood Reed Richards and Latveria’s self-appointed interim president Victor von Doom. For the past two days Reed had slaved over the craft in an attempt to figure out what anomaly had seen the four of them shunted across dimensions. To his credit Doom had spared no expense in attempting to aid Reed’s research.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Richards was no closer to working it out. Worse still he had begun to suspect that he was overstaying his welcome. Karadick and his men bristled with thinly-veiled disdain whenever they came into contact with them. It was clear they considered them an unnecessary distraction from the nation-building taking place.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Reed wasn’t sure that he disagreed with them.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Sue had seemed to settle in around the castle without incident – as one might expect of a woman capable of turning invisible at will – but Ben stood out for obvious reasons. They’d had to separate Johnny from one of Karadick’s men during dinner the night before. The swelling to his face had gone down some but it was clear there was still something not quite right about him.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]It fell to Ben Grimm to broach the subject with him.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]He found Johnny stood alone on the stairs overlooking the throne room. Doom and Reed were knelt in front of the time craft inspecting it for damage. Grimm’s heavy feet climbing announced his approach slightly earlier than he would have liked.[/color]

[color=#f6b26b]“You alright, Matchstick? You’ve seemed a little out of sorts these past couple of days,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Ben said as he placed a supportive hand on Johnny’s shoulder.[/color]

[color=#ea9999]“I’m fine,"[/color][color=#ffffff] Johnny said as he knocked Ben’s hand off with a shrug.[/color]

[color=#f6b26b]“Well, sure you as hell don’t [i]sound[/i] fine,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Grimm said with a heavy sigh.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Johnny’s head dropped as he felt a sudden pang of guilt. He knew he was being unreasonable. It wasn’t Ben’s fault that every time he closed his eyes he saw his best friend being torn to pieces. Why had he survived when so many others had died? That question had gnawed been gnawing away at him with every waking moment.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Tears began to form in Storm’s eyes. [/color][color=#ea9999]“I can’t get Peter’s screams out of my head, Ben.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]He fought them at first. He willed the tears not to fall from his eyes with everything he had. It was the sympathy in Grimm’s eyes that broke him. Big droplets rolled down his bruised cheeks and splashed onto the stone floor beneath them.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Storm gritted his teeth and wiped the tears away with the back of his forearm.[/color]

[color=#ea9999]“That son of a bitch Darkseid killed everyone we loved and we’re just sat around here like nothing’s happened. It’s not right. We need to get back there and make that bastard pay for what he did.”[/color]

[color=#f6b26b]“You think I don’t want a piece of Darkseid?”[/color][color=#ffffff] Ben growled. [/color][color=#f6b26b]“I’d give my left arm for a shot at that grey-skinned punk. But Reed and Doom’s time doohickey is on the fritz and until they’ve figured out how to get us back to our own world there’s nothing you or I can do.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Johnny nodded gently by way of acceptance and the two of them turned to face Reed and Doom again. Ben reached out and placed his arm around Johnny and this time Storm accepted it without complaint.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Storm gestured to the pair of geniuses at work. [/color][color=#ea9999]“If you ask me, Reed’s [i]still[/i] getting a little too chummy with old Vic.”[/color]

[color=#f6b26b]“I don’t know, Johnny, this Doom doesn’t seem quite so Doom-ish,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Grimm murmured without conviction.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Everything they had seen of this world’s Doom was at odds with the Victor von Doom they had encountered. Ben had loathed him since the first time they had met in college so to see a Doom that was not conqueror but liberator, adored by his people for his common touch, was difficult to reconcile.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Luckily Johnny had no such difficulty making his mind up about their host.[/color]

[color=#ea9999]“Once a Doom [i]always[/i] a Doom,”[/color][color=#ffffff] he declared without an ounce of self-doubt.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Ben let out a little laugh at Johnny's stubbornness. [/color][color=#f6b26b]“Heh, I can’t fault your logic there.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Below them a soldier entered the hall and beckoned Doom away from the craft with news of an emissary from Wakanda. Victor made his apologies, which Reed accepted gracefully, and left the scientist to his work. He tinkered around for a few moments before the sound of footsteps behind him caught his attention.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Sue Storm smiled down at her kneeling fiance.[/color]

[color=#9fc5e8]“You and our host seem to be getting on very well.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Reed climbed to his feet and offered a shrug by way of defence. [/color][color=#3d85c6]“Yes, well, it’s easy to forget because of all that came afterwards that Victor and I were friends of a kind once.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]A sceptical look crossed Sue’s face.[/color]

[color=#3d85c6]“Alright, friends might not be the right word but there was a … kinship there once upon a time,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Reed stammered as he tried to explain. [/color][color=#3d85c6]“There aren’t many people on Earth that possess the kind of intellect that Victor and I po-”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]With one threatening index finger Sue silenced him.[/color]

[color=#9fc5e8]“Don't you [i]dare[/i] finish that sentence, Reed Richards.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]She could see the gears turning in Reed’s head as he realised that he had again managed to have a ‘Reed moment’ – so called because of his unparalleled ability to put his foot in his mouth. Old people had senior moments, Reed had Reed moments. This was one of them. And luckily for him, Sue Storm was about the only woman alive who found them endearing.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Richards lifted his hands into the air and smiled apologetically at his fiance. [/color][color=#3d85c6]“Seven PhDs and I’m still no closer to cracking social interaction.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]They shared a laugh and Sue placed a tender kiss on her finance’s cheek.[/color]

[color=#9fc5e8]“It’s good to hear you laugh again,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Sue smiled.[/color][color=#9fc5e8] “Everything has been so dark since Darkseid arrived, I’d almost forgotten what laughter sounded like.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Reed nodded in agreement.[/color]

[color=#3d85c6]“We’re going to find our way back, Sue. You have my word on that. We’re going to do whatever it takes to bring this nightmare to an end, no matter how long it takes.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]They held one another there in the throne room. For the first time in two days Reed’s mind was quiet. The unending matrix of algorithms and equations and possibilities that flew through them gave way and in their place settled a rare stillness. He thought only about Sue and their love.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]On the staircase above them he spotted Ben and Johnny watching on. Reed offered them a curt nod and the pair nodded back. On this spot less three days ago, Sue had been all that stood between them and death at Superman’s hands. She had protected them when all else failed, as she always did.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]It was why the doubt he sensed in her gaze cut him deeper than any knife ever could.[/color]