[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZfvPPwT.png[/img][/center] [b]Baxter Building, New York[/b] [color=#ffffff]Victor von Doom couldn’t help but smile as he inspected the repaired timecraft in the middle of Reed Richard’s laboratory. It was nearly unrecognisable from the smouldering heap of metal that he’d worked on with Reed in Latveria. The pair of them had toiled away for the best part of a week on it and hadn’t managed a tenth of what Reed had done since. It was a marvel, one that Doom wished he was there to see in person, but for the time being however a hologram would have to suffice.[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“This is remarkable. What you have achieved in such a short span of time is truly incredible, Reed.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]Reed’s smile betrayed the regard he had for Doom’s opinion. [/color][color=#3d85c6]“Thank you, Victor, but I didn’t do it alone. I trust you know Harrison Wells?”[/color] [color=#ffffff]Wells was stood in the corner of Reed’s lab with his arms folded. He looked distinctly unimpressed by Doom’s presence – partly because he felt like Richards had invited him to check Harrison’s homework, as it were, but also because of a deeply held disdain for Victor von Doom that went back years. The existence of which neither Victor nor Harrison seemed the need to disguise for Reed’s sake.[/color] [color=#6ecff6]“We’ve met,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Wells murmured in a voice dripping in contempt.[/color] [color=#ffffff]Reed’s brow furrowed at Harrison’s tone but he continued showing Doom around the timecraft. Where once there were cracks and burns, now new, seemingly improved, components had taken their place. SHIELD had been more accommodating of Reed’s requests for parts than he could have ever hoped. Now he stood on the cusp of doing truly something great.[/color] [color=#3d85c6]“At the rate Harrison and I have been working, I have every reason to suspect we’ll have the craft up and running again by this time next week. What will be waiting for us on the other side is an altogether different question.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]There was an uncharacteristic trepidation in Victor’s response. [/color][color=#6aa84f]“That is a very big risk.”[/color] [color=#6ecff6]“Now I’ve heard it all,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Wells scoffed.[/color][color=#6ecff6] “The man that lead a military coup against one of the world’s most repressive regimes is going to give us a lecture about risk.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]A wry smile appeared on Doom’s face. Reed feigned ignorance towards Harrison's hostility, instead skipping across the room to reach for a discarded set of blueprints that had notes daubed all over them. He held them up towards Doom as evidence might be held up in a courtroom.[/color] [color=#3d85c6]“We spent the best part of two days working on drone projections. Every single one of them came back negative. Interdimensional travel is damn near possible on its own – but shunting an unmanned drone across time [i]and [/i]space, and getting it back in one piece? It can’t be done.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]Harrison Wells let out a sigh. [/color][color=#6ecff6]“What Reed is trying to say here is that no matter what happened, this was always going to be a one-way trip.”[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“And I suppose my unease is not enough to deter you?”[/color][color=#ffffff] Doom enquired. [/color][color=#6aa84f]“Perhaps more time? More tests? Given everything you have told me about what happened to your homeworld, to go charging in blindly seems tantamount to suicide, Reed.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]If it wasn’t meant as a rhetorical question, it was rendered one by the resigned smile that Reed offered Doom by way of response. Despite all that had happened since they had arrived in this world, despite even the Silver Surfer’s sudden appearance, not returning home still felt like a rank betrayal of everyone he’d ever known. All the science in the world couldn't guarantee that they weren’t being transported to their deaths.[/color] [color=#ffffff]That would require something that did not come naturally to Reed – a leap of faith.[/color] [color=#3d85c6]“I’m sorry, Victor, I know you’ve got enough on your hands at the moment,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Reed sighed guiltily. [/color][color=#3d85c6]“How are things coming along in Latveria?”[/color] [color=#ffffff]Doom shrugged his shoulders as he stepped away from the craft. He fiddled at the cufflink holding the sleeves of his white dress shirt in place. Gone were the fatigues Doom had been wearing when they had first met. Now a dark-green suit had taken its place. He looked every part the head of state he had become.[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“Infant mortality has fallen through the floor since we introduced universal healthcare. Unemployment has halved. The living wage we introduced has lead to an increase in living standards across all demographics. Tomorrow we set about taking my people’s natural resources back from the clutches of foreign corporations. So, I suppose you could that say things are going very well.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]There was one lingering omission among Doom’s laundry list of accomplishments. When they had arrived in Latveria, after escaping Clyde Wyncham’s torture pits, they had been greeted by the sight of Doom deposing Latveria’s long-time dictator – Lucia von Bardas. They crowd had bayed for her blood and Doom had denied them their satisfaction.[/color] [color=#ffffff]Reed needed to know that he had not succumb to the pressure. [/color][color=#3c78d8]“And von Bardas?”[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“She stands trial in four months,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Doom said with a knowing smile. [/color][color=#6aa84f]“Though I am disappointed to report that her lieutenant, the so-called Marquis of Death, Clyde Wyncham, is still at large – much to the chagrin of General Karadick.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]The super scientist wore his relief openly on his face. Perhaps no matter how different this world’s Doom was from his own, the creeping fear at the back of Reed’s mind would never quite leave him – despite the sacrifice his Doom had made in his dying moments.[/color] [color=#3d85c6]“You should be proud of what you’ve done for your country,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Reed said wistfully as his Doom’s last moments replayed in his head.[/color] [color=#ffffff]A tender glance was exchanged between the two men. It occurred to Reed that where he had seen a Doom lay down his life for the world, Victor had watched on helplessly while a Reed had lost his life for nothing. Perhaps that was why each man sought the other’s approval so much. He had barely the time to consider the thought when stirring at the edge of the room distracted him from it.[/color] [color=#6ecff6]“Alright, I think I’ve heard just about as much back-patting as I can take,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Harrison Wells sighed. [/color][color=#6ecff6]“Reed and I have work to do.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]With a click of a button, Wells banished Doom’s hologram from the Baxter Building without providing either man with an opportunity to say goodbye. Reed was still blinking in shock by the abruptness of it all when he turned to face Wells. The STAR Labs founder had already restarted work on the craft.[/color] [color=#3d85c6]“You know, Harrison, I’m starting to suspect that the two of you don’t exactly see eye-to-eye.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]Harrison shrugged his shoulders.[/color][color=#6ecff6] “That is a very astute observation on your part, Reed. If this whole science thing doesn’t work out for you, maybe you should look into becoming a private investigator or something.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]Wells continued to tinker away at the craft. After a few seconds beneath Reed’s gaze, het let out a sigh and set down th tool in his hand.[/color] [color=#6ecff6]“Look, the guy was insufferable enough when he was a scientist. Now he’s running an entire country – and worse still, he’s [i]actually [/i]good at it. That doesn’t bother you at all? Because it bothers me. No-one should be that good at everything.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]A devilish smirk appeared on Reed’s face. [/color][color=#3d85c6]“If you think that’s bad, you should meet [i]my [/i]Doom.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]Wells stared at Reed blankly, then picked up his discarded tool, and set about working on the craft again. Richards watched him for at work for a few seconds before eventually making his way towards a workbench and grabbing a few tools of his own. He approached the tail end of the craft and inspected it one last time.[/color] [color=#3d85c6]“Just one more week,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Reed muttered under his breath quietly. [/color][color=#3d85c6]“One more week and then we get to go home. Well, whatever’s left of home.”[/color]