Confrontation!

By Jason Gasper

 

 

 

A violet wave covered the earth. None saw it's malevolence wash over them, nor felt anything but a slight, brief feeling of disquiet.  Most dismissed it as nothing more than a chill, yet in Latveria, its passing left a etheric switch flipped, the only sign that it had ever been there at all. 

 

"Master," the soft voice of HOMER came out of the air, "the extradimentional scans are passing again.  The appropriate reports are ready for your inspection.  Do you wish to begin trace?"

 

Doom's hands flew over the holographic keyboard hovering in front of his hands as he paced back in forth in front of the main screen in his command room. "Things are coming to a critical juncture here. What is the omnisource analysis?"

 

"Processing..." whispered the air around him as the main screen began to transition from its usual world map to a 3-dimentional graph.  Arcane formula flickered around the visual representation, displaying a wealth of information to the few who could decipher it.

 

Pausing in his stride Dr. Doom turned, the glowing colors reflecting strangely off the metallic mask. "So the scan is multidimensional - separated not just by space but time as well.  Intriguing... Broaden passive scan and follow."

 

"As you order" HOMER muttered in its sibilant voice.

 

A small emerald bubble began lazily following the violet wave as it retreated out of this reality and on to another place and time...

 

 

Above a metal pillar hung an emerald energy sphere encasing a black ball. About the size of a soccer ball, the sensor nodes and camera ports portrayed its purpose quite clearly as it floated about a foot over the waist high pedestal.

 

The doors to the room slid open. A purple robot proceeded Dr. Doom into the small chamber. At a gesture, the drone went around to the pedestal and poised itself to grab the sphere.

 

Dr. Doom's gauntlets flew in arcane movements as he intoned "Seven suns has Cygnus, that shine both west and east. Now from this sphere mystic energies release!"

 

With an un-theatric pop, the green energy went the way of a soap bubble. As the sensor sphere began to drop the robot completed its motion, catching it before it could hit the pillar. Without another word, Dr. Doom and his prize departed.

 

Once in the hall, Dr. Doom turned one way as the droid went the other. Doom spoke over his shoulder, "Alert me when the information is ready for anlasis."

 

As Dr. Doom entered his control center, his eyes began scanning the monitor wall for any priorities. The central monitor showed a world map with different data floating like virtual insects on a pinboard. Around it, the dozens of smaller monitors displayed a multitude of places and people. Victor took it in instantly, assessing and considering even as they flickered and changed. Approaching the chair in the room's center, his hands had already began typing commands into the holographic terminal that appeared at his movement.

 

It was only a short while later that Victor heard the soft whisper of HOMER that the probe data was ready. Quickly he brought is current work to a conclusion and signaled his readiness.

 

On the large primary monitor the camera's view began to flow by, with data from the sensors superimposed over it. The computer took only a second to filter out the protective spell's emerald haze. The image flickered through a series of different realities, each basically the same yet subtly different. The images slowed but then began to speed faster than the eye could follow. The dataflow showed that the image was moving through time instead of dimentions. Within seconds the 20th century had given way to the 30th on the temporal odometer. At that, the image began to slow again, ending in the image of a medieval fortress. As the probe continued to follow the descending violet wave the castle could be seen clearly, with guards armed with futuristic armor and weapons. The probe entered unobserved and began to wander through the archaic structure, mapping as it went. Vincent reacted no more than the robots at the carnage displayed in some of the rooms. As it entered a main chamber, perhaps a feast hall or throne room, the image dissolved into a haze of purple and green mist.

 

"So, somebody in the 30th century is performing blood rites and looking for victims from the past," mused Dr. Doom, "but for what purpose? Perhaps this bears closer investigation..."

 

The curiosity of Doom would not be sated. Even knowing that events were afoot that could affect the larger game, he could not resist. Victor was confident in his defenses and the pieces he had put into motion. There were few things that could happen while he was gone of such importance that his actual presence would be required. Even a massive event would trigger alarms designed to get his attention regardless of his location. Doom would gamble small with good odds of success.

 

In short order his Dimensional Doorway had been modified to incorporate his Time Platform. All that was left was the step. Yet he did not do so yet. There were other preparations that were nesasary.

 

Those other preparations involved his Armor. Having faced mystic combat and advanced technology in the past, he knew special care would be required. An array of pre-programmed spells was entered for use and his mystic database was downloaded. His already formidable force shield was modified to block mystic attacks as easily as others. Various gadgets he might need were entered into his gauntlet storage areas or onto is utility belt. Finally a last fail-safe was entered, with a mental block to prevent it being revealed if the worst should happen. And the worst was capture not death. For Doom had no fear of Death, but humiliation and capture would not be tolerated.

 

Double-checking, Doom was assured that all was in readiness. He called the Door and stepped into its shimmering brilliance.

 

 

Victor stepped from his glimmering portal onto the battlements of a gothic castle.   The walls were dark with dried viscera, leading up to spikes that were more useful than decorative.  In the background tall spires lanced the sky as if to bloody it also, while the drab remains of tattered flags gave the impression of having been successful. 

 

Glancing beyond this gruesome scene, Doom saw the battle in the distance.  A solitary figure stood among several vaguely recognizable costumes.  Victor snorted in disgust.  It was clear that Dr. Strange was either holding back or somehow not operating at full capacity.  The man who defeated demonic rulers in their own dimentions would never fall so easily.  It did not surprise him that Rogue was staggering.  He could see the reinforcements arriving, but he knew it would be futile.

 

“At this rate the mystic will overwhelm their combined forces in mere minutes,” Thought Doom, “I have no desire to engage in this particular debacle, as there is nothing to be gained by such.”

 

With that, he turned and walked toward the partially open main doors.  Doom murmured “Stealth mode” as he faded from sight. 

 

 

"Fools!" Cried the green and yellow garbed figure, "Witless, bumbling, lovable fools!"

 

The archaic clothing was out of place for the 30th century, but still quite appropriate for Loki, Asguard's God of Mischief!

 

"Mordu made such an excellent pawn," Tittered Loki, striding before the mystical viewing portal hung against the dungeon cell wall, "His plan would never have worked, but it would have given me the energy needed to destroy Thor and Asguard once and for all!  And now this; a rescue!  What a cosmic jest!  The more they fight, the more energy I can drain from their emotions.  Their hatred and anger, their disappear and hope; all fuel for my eventual conquest.  Regardless of who beats whom, I win! Bwahahahahaha!

 

With a waive of his hand he changed the view and cackled, "Watch as this man tries to sneak in.  Time to watch Daddy die-"

 

"OH, no! You can't pass out on me!  What's the point of the show if the audience doesn't pay attention..." Snarled Loki, stomping over to the young girl hanging from the ceiling by glowing green chains.  He grabbed a handful of blond hair, but seeing she was truly unconscious he sighed and turned away. 

 

"Well, I must be away to watch the attempted rescue.  I must see what will serve my efforts best."  So saying, Loki sauntered through the open door.

 

Out of the shadows an armored figure faded into view.  Doom murmured "She will not be here on your return, fiend."

 

The girl whimpered at his approached. 

 

"Hush, child.  I'm here to help you," He reassured as he scanned the chains.  With a negligent waive they gave way to dust under an abrupt energy blast. 

 

He moved to catch her as she fell, lowering her gently to the ground. "None should be made to suffer this way, especially one so young." 

 

"What of the others?" She murmured, "he kept threatening to make me watch their deaths the way he did Clark's..."

 

"They leave without you," whispered Doom, "It would take too much of his precious power to stop them.  Further explanations must wait until after we have gained our own freedom."

 

"Oh, it is already too late for that," Hissed Loki, standing in the doorway.  "Lead lined bricks may block the vision of others but I suffer no such restrictions.  I know what you have been doing.  You can't have her; I need her too badly!  There is no way to talk your way out of this!"

 

"I see." Said Doom, stepping in front of the figure sprawled at his feet, "That's the way it has to be, then."

 

Loki didn't even bother responding with words, instead throwing out his hands and showering Doom in coruscating energy.  It flowed around Doom, revealing a transparent globe surrounding himself and the girl, and blew out the back wall.

 

Doom stepped forward again, hands together.  From them leapt a lance of glowing plasma!  It struck Loki with an audible crack, as he staggered.  Doom closed, glowing fists pounding him further back. 

 

With a snarl, Loki swept his arm out as if swatting a fly.  A wave of energy followed his motion, lifting Doom off of his feet and throwing him backwards.  Doom landed gracefully a few feet away. 

 

Loki spoke through gritted teeth, "You are a more worthy foe than I ever have given you credit for."  

 

"Meaning you are suprised Doom still lives." Doom commented as he maneuvered for position. 

 

"Precisely," Said Loki, "But don't take it for more than it was intended.  Your death is still assured.  Scientifically acquired might cannot stand against my divine mystic power!"

 

"The source of one's power is as irrelevant as your supposed divinity" vocalized Doom, renewing his attack with a double handful of finger-laser blasts. 

 

Loki stood his ground.  The only effects of the attack were a half dozen whip-like burns across his chest and the damage to his costume.  With a flick of his hands and the stones from the roof began to throw themselves at Doom.  “My powers are divine in nature, assuring my victory over lesser sources.”

 

“You speak in subjective terms whose merit is dubious.”  Doom fired a wide-angle cone of force, disintegrating the stones, and the rest of the roof above!  With a wave of his other hand he directed the dust from his defense back into the face of Loki.

 

Loki cried out in pain and confusion, flinging his hands across his face, as it bit into his eyes.  “Such tactics will win you nothing!  It will take more than that to beat me!  So say I, so it is written!

 

“Fate is but words!  Doom also has this chapter penned, with mortality winning over torturous divinity!”  Doom declared, as he maneuvered for the next round. 

 

“Your destruction is now!  A pox on you!  Let us see who has the better grasp of fate!”  Loki cried out, enraged.  A glowing gesture and Doom was thrown through the sidewall by a lash of pure energy.  Within a second the surrounding walls, roof, and several floors above collapsed onto Doom’s prostrate form!

 

“NO” the girl cried out, straining to sit up, let alone stand and help her erstwhile champion.  With the destruction of her emerald chains she felt her powers returning… but not nearly fast enough!

 

Loki swaggered over to the pile of rubble.  “So fall all of the enemies of Loki!”

 

The mound began to twitch… then exploded as Doom rose to his feet!  Cloak in tatters, tabard ripped, Doom was reeling but upright. 

 

“tcha..” exclaimed Loki, exasperated.  “I’ve expended this much energy on you… you Will DIE!”

 

With a scream his hands lashed out sending yard wide bolts of raw, primal energy tearing toward Doom!

 

Doom staggered, leaning into the blast.  His force bubble began to bend inward, flattening, and finally bursting altogether!  Still Doom struggled to stand amidst the continual onslaught of emotional and energetic fury.  He sank to one knee, then both, finally collapsing under the pressure.

 

Loki laughed in exsausted mirth.  “All of the energy I had gained, I spent on you.  It has been centuries since I have faced a foe as worthy as yourself.  I salute your corpse, Doom!”

 

For a second there was silence.  Then Doom began to rise!  “Save your words until after the bodies have cooled, Godling!”

 

Loki laughed out loud again.  “Yield and I will spare your life.”

 

Doom slowly, inch by painful inch, staggered to his feet.  His armor was pitted, cracked in places, nothing left but raw broken metal.  Yet Doom stood defiant and said one word: “No.”

 

“So let it be,” As Loki raised his hands again.

 

“Nooooo…” screamed the girl, throwing herself from her keeling position directly into flight; trying to block the blast with her own body!  If only she could be fast enough!

 

“Earrrggghhh!” She screamed again as Loki’s blast caught her directly in the head!  Doom caught her as she was thrown back by the force of the blow.

 

Without looking up from her form crumpled in his arms, he stated “And so I shall defy you thrice over. I take my leave alive, while you lack prisoner and stolen power both.”

 

As he spoke Doom stepped back through a shimmering curtain of golden energy that had instantly materialized behind him.  Even has he stepped through, and Loki screamed defiance while trying to raise his exhausted arms again, it began to fade from sight!

 

“It Cannot BEEEE!”  Loki cried out in anguish, alone in the wreckage of the thirtieth century.

 

 

Kira awoke suddenly, sitting bolt upright with a gasp!  At first she thought it was all a nightmare… until she felt the pressure of the bandages around her face.   She dropped her head down into her hands and began to cry; partially in horror at the memories, and partially relief to know she was free of it.

 

“You’re awake.  Good.” Commented a deep, synthesized voice.  In walked an armored form she recognized.  Yet gone was all of the damage she had just seen!  The green tabard was freshly pressed and the gray armor gleamed.  Doom chuckled at her surprise. 

 

“ A change of armor and cloths and I am well.”  He began, “Unfortunately the same cannot be said for you.  It was a challenge to acquire sufficient information about your systems in time to repair your damage before you died.  Now that the worst is out of the way, you appear to be healing on schedule.”

 

Victor sat on a chair near her medical bed in the small, sterile, infirmary.  “You still present many unanswered questions.  Primary among them is your identity.  To whit: whom have I rescued?”

 

She tried to answer, pausing several times to organize her thoughts, “I… I’m… My… Much of what I know is scrambled…  Loki tortured my mind as well as my body… It’s like looking at a photo album with the pictures all out of sequence… I remember the name Kira.  My mother was a clone of Supergirl.  She wanted to name me Corina, but somehow it ended up Kira.  I don’t remember a lot before Loki captured me, or even how he did it.  He showed it to me so many different ways, I have no idea which is real.  He made me watch as the others were captured.  Made me watch as Mordu….  He killed Clark right in front of me…  The others… They escaped and left me for dead the way they did my dad…  He’s dead, mom’s dead, everything I know is dead.   Kira should be dead too…”  

 

She dropped her head into her hands and cried, wracking her body with her sobs.

 

Victor quickly stood and walked over to her.  Lifting her chin, he met her gaze and whispered, “You are not dead.  Doom did not rescue a corpse and I will not allow your sacrifice to be in vain.  Your scars will heal.  They were caught faster than my own and soon your face will be as beautiful as ever.  You are free now, and I will teach you enough that you will never be a prisoner again.”

 

Seeing that she was listening to him and the crying was slowing, Doom continued, speaking more firmly.  “Is Kira dead?  Then be Valeria, for you have won the gratitude and affection of Doom.”

 

She perked up as he spoke, and slowly began to wipe away the tears.  She realized that, in his own armored way, he was trying to cheer her up.  She smiled haltingly, “Valeria… I like the sound of that.”

 

“Then it is settled.”  Victor straightened up and declared, “Valeria it is.”

 

The two stood, and began walking toward the infirmary door.  “Come, Valeria, for your injuries are not such to delay your training.  It is time to begin your apprenticeship to Doom!”

 

And so ends Confrontation!  Look for more of Kira/Valeria in future stories by Jason Gasper!