##
Few hours earlier.
Time: April 12th, 2004, 7:17 AM
Location: Infirmary Bay, SHIELD Research Ship, Somwhere near Antarctica.
##
The infirmary lights were dimmed, casting long shadows across the white-tiled walls. Only the occasional beep of a vitals monitor and the soft hum of environmental controls broke the silence. A figure lay still on the central bed, his face partially covered in bandages, his arms resting motionless beside him like a statue buried beneath time.
Then—abruptly—Victor Von Doom's eyes shot open.
A sharp inhale.
The man's body tensed like a coiled spring. His eyes, though hazy for a heartbeat, quickly snapped into crystalline clarity. With precision bred from habit, he sat upright in one fluid motion, the blanket falling away from his metallic, elastic arms.
"Where.. am I?" Doom muttered, voice low and cold.
His gaze scanned the room with the calculation of a chess master reviewing a board mid-match.white beds lined either side of the space, each occupied by an unconscious form. His eyes narrowed.
Richards.
Storm.
Storm again.
And Grimm...
Doom's eyes narrowed as he noted the grotesque, stone-like transformation on Ben Grimm's body. An armor of jagged rock, pulsing slightly, as though alive. Doom's mind moved fast—'Chemical mutation? Genetic tampering? Radiation?'
He lowered his gaze to his own limbs, a sharp breath catching in his throat. His once-proud flesh, now replaced with a glimmering alloy that bent like rubber yet shimmered like forged steel.
"Unacceptable." Doom muttered to himself with restrained anger, flexing his fingers.
'Have they done something to me?' Doom thought.
'I am inside some sort of facility. Could it be a lab? A SHIELD vessel? Or worse… Richards' idea of a rescue?'
'No. Too neat. Too surgical. If this was Richards' doing, I'd already be chained or in observation.'
His thoughts flicked to Susan. She lay peacefully, almost serenely, two beds over. His stomach twisted. 'I need to save her. If danger is involved, she must not be left behind.'
But before Doom could rise from the bed, the infirmary doors hissed open with a mechanical sigh.
Doom's head snapped toward the source, his entire posture rigid and alert. He expected agents. Maybe Fury. Or some medical team.
Instead, a familiar series of beeps and whirs entered the room.
R2-D2 rolled in confidently, the dome of his head swiveling with practiced precision. A beat behind him came C-3PO, clattering in with metallic finesse and unnecessary commentary.
"Well, I'll be rusted." C-3PO remarked dryly. "R2, I do believe you've just proven me wrong. Mr. Von Doom is awake, and you're not malfunctioning—miraculous."
R2 whistled smugly.
Victor blinked, momentarily thrown.
'Droids?' Doom Thought to himself, eyes narrowing. 'They do seem familiar.. Ah Stark's Kid. Leo, He showed me they would help rescue us in case of an emergency...' Doom's face turned into a smile of self-mochery 'Ironic to be saved by a Stark yet again but... his Foresight was impressive. Far surpassing his playboy of a father.. must have gotten it from his mother.'
C-3PO halted a respectable distance from the bed, hands clasped together like a gentleman greeting royalty. "Oh, how delightful! Mr. Von Doom, what a pleasure to see you conscious. We've been monitoring your vitals, and I must say, your body's recovery efficiency is quite remarkable—even by our records."
Doom didn't respond immediately.
His eyes remained locked on the two machines, flickering between amusement, suspicion, and analysis.
"I am not in Latveria." he said at last, tone flat.
"No, sir," C-3PO said brightly, "You are currently aboard a SHIELD research vessel stationed above the Ross Ice Shelf. Sector 9G, if you prefer coordinates. You were found unconscious after a significant exposure event. Your vitals were stabilized thanks to our recovery pods and R2 here has been overseeing your… how should I put it… delicate enhancements."
Doom's eyes flashed with intrigue and curiosity of a child who loves science. "Enhancements?"
C-3PO tilted his head, then seemed to think of something. "Oh! Not of our doing, of course. From what our logs indicate, your transformation was a direct result of cosmic radiation. Fascinating really—though I do understand if it's all rather… unexpected."
R2 chirped again, a brief string of sounds that made C-3PO sigh.
"Yes, yes, I'm getting to it," C-3PO muttered. Then turned back to Victor. "R2 believes you'll want to see some preliminary diagnostics once you're feeling up to it. And perhaps a mirror."
Doom subconsciously raised his hand— and touched his bandaged face slowly and deliberately. Very quickly His thoughts darkened in realization. 'Fuck...!'
"You." Doom spoke, Looking at C-3PO, barely trying to contain the shame and rage he felt. "Hand me a Mirror."
C-3PO inclined his head with polite efficiency. "Of course, sir."
He turned to the third robot—a humanoid unit with an expressionless silver face, sleeker and bulkier than his own delicate frame. At C-3PO's gesture, the robot stepped forward with mechanical precision.
Without a word, a hatch along its abdomen clicked open and folded outward like a drawer. Inside, rows of tightly packed items gleamed under the soft infirmary lights—medical instruments, nutrient packs, compressed towels… and nestled among them, a folded mirror case.
Doom's eyes narrowed in appreciation. 'A utility cache built into the torso. Leo's doing, no doubt. Hmph… The boy may carry Tony's blood, but his intellect is untainted by his father... and I will make sure that remains the case least another prodigal playboy is born.'
His reflection was delivered before the thought could fester further.
With a mechanical whirr, the silver robot placed the compact mirror on the tray beside Doom's bed. A click. The casing unfolded like an origami bloom, revealing a palm-sized, ultra-reflective panel.
Doom exhaled. Slowly, deliberately, he reached for his face. One bandage at a time—unwinding.
A strip fell.
Then another.
The tension in the room seemed to shift with every reveal. His eyes hardened. His jaw clenched.
By the time the final strip slid off his cheek, the temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees. The vitals monitor even stuttered once.
Doom's hand, ever so slightly trembling, gripped the mirror's handle. He angled it forward.
And stared.
His breath caught.
His once-regal features—sculpted, symmetrical, perfect—were now warped into a horrifying blend of molten flesh and glimmering metal. One eye burned brighter than the other. The skin seemed half-fused, as though locked mid-transformation by cruel alchemy.
He blinked. Once. Twice. No illusion.
Doom's mind surged with fury.
'My face… my dignity… ruined.'
But then… silence.
He closed his eyes.
A breath.
'Untamed anger is but an uncaged beast,' Doom thought to himself. 'And Doom is no beast.'
When he opened them again, the fury was gone—buried beneath layers of ice. What remained was resolve.
"I assume you've informed Leo?" Doom asked, voice cold but composed.
"Indeed," C-3PO answered, hands still politely folded. "R2 transmitted a distress signal as soon as we re-entered Earth's atmosphere. We estimate Master Leo's arrival within the next few hours."
Doom gave a single nod.
He stared ahead, thinking. Finally, he asked, "What... is different about me?"
The question was not out of conceited narcissism —but out of control. Of understanding the tools at Doom's disposal.
R2-D2 let out a staccato of thoughtful chirps.
C-3PO interpreted. "According to our scans, your body has undergone… extensive restructuring. Your skin and muscle tissue appear to have fused with a form of molecularly adaptive alloy—one that mirrors metallic properties but maintains biological responsiveness. You still breathe, bleed—functionally human. But your durability and reflex response have multiplied by several magnitudes."
Doom flexed his fingers. The gleam of silver caught the infirmary's dim lights. They curled into a fist.
"And my face?"
There was a long pause.
"I regret to say," C-3PO said carefully, "Due to your body's current rejection threshold, we were unable to administer the Extremis solution. It would have likely restored your facial tissue… but with your new physiology—well… you are immune to it."
Silence.
Doom's expression remained unreadable, but his eyes darkened. He turned away from the mirror.
"I see."
Then, after a pause, with quiet calm, Doom asked reluctantly "Is there anything... that might help conceal this?"
"Ah! Yes—one moment, Sir."
C-3PO turned to the humanoid robot again. A short, unspoken exchange passed between them. The robot gave a curt nod.
With a hiss, it detached the helmet shielding its face. A smooth, matte-black visor with glowing gold lines, shaped like a soldier's war helm—the unmistakable silhouette of the Master Chief from Halo. modified for compact utility. Without the helmet, the droid resembled a chrome skeleton—eerily human beneath the armor.
The helmet was held out.
Doom took it.
His metallic hands hovered for a moment… then he lowered the helm over his head.
Click.
Instantly, the visor flared to life. A HUD bloomed across the inside of the screen—thermal scans, heart rates, object markers. Doom's enhanced neural interface synced almost instinctively.
'Hmph… Functional. But crude.. For now.'
He looked up slowly, the helmet's glow reflecting in the mirrored panel.
'This is no longer just the face of Victor Von Doom. It is now a reminder of My failure, Failure to remain in control of my own life and letting fate play with it, however it pleased.'
#
Few hours later, after 10:30 Am.
#
Ben Grimm shifted uncomfortably on the reinforced bed, his rocky shoulders hunched as he stared at the wall.
Johnny paced with a restless energy, small flickers of flame curling between his fingers. Reed sat at the far end, his arm stretching just far enough to adjust a screen across the room.
While Susan sat in silence, eyes flicking between her sibling and her still-groggy husband.
The door hissed open and Two small figures stood at the entrance.
"Mom! Dad!" Valeria rushed forward, her excitement and relief unrestrained.
Susan stood up just in time to catch her daughter in a tight embrace. "Val... I missed you sooo much, sweetheart."
Valeria clung to her mother before turning and leaping into her father's arms. "Are you guys okay? Lso said a cosmic storm hit your spaceship!"
Reed, with a faint smile, kissed the top of her head. "We're alright. Changed… but alright."
Ben let out a low grim chuckle. "Speak for yourself, Stretch. I look like I lost a fight with a mountain."
Leo walked in calmly soon, stopping just a few feet from the group. "Glad to see you're all still breathing."
Johnny lit a small flame in his palm, smiling. "Leo! You missed the part where I lit myself on fire and didn't turn into ash."
"I see. I assume you're still figuring out how not to burn the floor when you walk?"
Johnny grinned, tossing the flame in the air and catching it. "Working on it."
"Leo," Ben greeted with a nod. "Thanks for coming to pick us up, bud. Those scientists have been constantly pestering us for their tests."
Leo gave a polite smile "No worries, We can leave anytime now, The jet plane is ready."
Doom, leaning quietly against the far wall in his helmet, finally spoke, voice metallic and low. "You're late."
"I had to make sure Valeria was well rested" Leo replied without flinching. "I am sure, you would have started pestering me if you saw black circles around her eyes."
Doom merely scoffed but didn't reply a retort. Clearly showing his tactic approval.
Valeria looked back at Doom and gave him a small sweet smile. "Glad to see you're still so upbeat, Uncle."
Doom inclined his head ever so slightly. "Likewise."
As the group settled into an uneasy calm, Susan turned to Leo, folding her arms with mild curiosity and Disappointment.
"Where's your dad?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutralm "I thought he'd be here."
Leo paused. His relaxed face faded into a more measured expression. "He's... busy."
"Busy?" Susan raised an eyebrow. "After what happened to all of us?"
"He didn't take the news well, He wanted to come but.." Leo said carefully. "Something came up."
Johnny, ever curious, leaned in. "What kind of something? Was it more important than us..?"
Susan shot her brother a sharp glare. "Johnny."
"What?" Johnny blinked. "I'm just asking. It's not like I asked for stock reports."
Leo's eyes dimmed with a rare seriousness. "It's fine. You should know anyway."
He looked around the room, voice dropping just enough to match the gravity of his words.
"We found out that Obadiah—Dad's uncle—has been selling Stark weapons to terrorist organizations. Under the table. For years."
The room fell silent. Even Johnny's flame died out.
Ben's rocky brows furrowed. "You serious?"
Leo nodded. "We found encrypted logs. Shipment routes. Transactions. All pointing to black-market deals with groups that Don't quite have civillain safety in mind"
Susan's hand went to her mouth. Her face now laced with concern and worry. "Oh, Leo… is Tony going to be alright?"
Leo's face softened, and a small, almost mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his lips. With amusement he said "He's more than alright. Let's just say... he's cleaning up the mess personally now."
Reed tilted his head in confusion. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Leo said slowly, "that my dad's not waiting for governments or lawyers to fix this. He's... taking a more direct approach."
Doom's visor turned slightly toward Leo. "You mean he's on the hunt.. Did he also gain powers somehow?"
"Well not powers like yours but more technical In nature" Leo said in deliberate vagueness.
Johny, unable to handle Leo's Cryptic words, with mild annoyance, said "Out with it already."
"He's freeing people " Leo finally said. "Taking down camps, One base at a time Using an Exo skeleton suit he had built. Of course I provided the concept by the way."
Johnny let out a low whistle. "That's... kind of awesome."
Susan frowned. "It's dangerous. He could get hurt."
"He knows that" Leo said softly. "But, something changed within him when he saw the pictures, He said he couldn't wait any longer while more lives were being lost."
Susan exhaled, placing a gentle hand on Leo's shoulder. "Still… I hope he doesn't try to shoulder it all alone."
Leo looked up at her, eyes steady. "He's not alone. He has me. And now… he'll have you guys too if you are willing..."
##
Word count: 2381.
Author's note:
Sorry for the late update, I initially had written a whole chapter, but the latter half was disappointing. Then I had a brand new idea, I finally had an use for Obadiah stane.
Previously I was debating between making Obadiah Good vs The canon depiction, Mostly because iron man 1 plotline felt lacking in my timeline. But now, I have a good idea. Which I will probably write more about in the next chapter.
So the savage lands arc would have to wait lol.
Also I have decided on what kind of superheroe suit Leo would have. He will have the turbo suit thing from Max steel franchise. I randomly discovered it while scrolling YouTube. After looking more deeply into the suits, I absolutely loved it.
Anyways, See you all tomorrow.