𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐌𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐃𝐓, 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀

TONY

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If Tony wasn't turned on before, he was now.

Elle was soaring and it was making him feel all sorts on the inside. When building the Iron Maiden, all he had in mind was Elle. She was a diamond in the rough—no. Just a diamond. She had a sparkle no one could steal away.

If this woman, humble and strong, was prepared to give up everything in a beat just to offer him succour of heart, what the hell was he committed for? She was ready to give him a child even though she felt doubtful, all because he wanted it. Tony didn't know how to repay her—kisses, balloons, flowers—and he thought building his armour was the turning point of his life. That's when he imagined; why not just do what he loved and make her a suit? It was going to take planning, he couldn't rough it as he did it with his usual suits. Not being sexist but she was a girl, after all. He thought of it this way—what would Elle want? 

One, no weapon systems. He remembered when he had offered to install the arc-reactor, her main concern was being treated like a bomb. Not wanting to be a weapon and to be toyed with. Hence, the suit being strictly search-and-rescue. 

Two, ease and class. The very reason he had fallen for her was her sense of simplicity, not bothering to flaunt what she had and work for what she didn't have. She disliked anything that drew attention, the exact opposite of him, and liked to keep it accessible. That went without saying, she could pull off the suit just by being her. 

Three, more fun. Nanotech. Mostly because he went a bit overboard with the programming. He installed her favourite music - hacked her phone for that one—and seeing the pregnancy news, created an emergency we-are-having-a-baby list. Created an AI which would mean nothing but guidance. He had a good laugh whenever Elle called JARVIS a lowkey snitch and figured, she would rather have a more compliant intelligence system.

And it was the best idea he had in a while. He looked at her, spinning circles until she was dizzy and whoos leaving her as she soared through the clouds, and knew it was worth it. The silver-red-gold suit fit her like a second skin and she was working through it fine. Maiden Two was no different from the first, instead of being all metal, he had incorporated the all nanotech theme from his suit and built hers. 

'Oh my god,' she was shouting in his ears, 'this is amazing!'

He grinned as he watched her do a little twirl in the air while holding out her hand-held repulsors. They had been flying for about five hours now and she hadn't stopped doing the same. She had almost crashed into a passenger flight, Tony had to smack her for being careless. Back home, Rhodey was on childcare duty which he was comfortable with. Margo was an easy one, he had claimed, he could shut her up more efficiently than Tony.  

'You like it?'

'It's like wearing a stretchy suit,' she explained, 'but better.'

'Okay, Stinkerbell,' he called out as she continued to zoom forward, 'might want to tone the squeals down. We're almost here.'

'Damn it,' she sighed. 'I probably sound childish but I'm having a blast.'

Tony laughed. 'No, I think it's cute.'

He dropped his altitude down a few feet until he couldn't feel his ear pop. Elle followed suit, falling close behind. They saw the expanses of Doomstadt come into view, just not as grand as he remembered it being. 

The place was the start of a rebellion gone wrong. It was wrecked, roofed houses collapsed into rubble and no sign of people on the streets. The capital that was known for its teeming temples had none and seeing the damage that had been done, he knew rebuilding was an impossibility. From the farthest reaches of the city, his scans picked up a thermal cluster and weaponized.

'What happened here?'

'Doctor Doom lost control of the nation and conflict came about,' JARVIS informed. 'Started revolutions. Doom ran a tight ship so without him, it fell apart.'

He looked to Elle, who seemed to be watching the wreckage spot. She didn't seem to be listening. 'You got that, babe?'

'What?' She sounded confused. 'Got what—'

Just when he thought they could be the power-couple of the skies. He felt a facepalm coming.

'—oh, I see it!' She quipped. 'Twenty-seven of them. Armed and harried. They look sore.'

'Stay high,' he told her, 'I'll go in first.'

She complied and Tony soared in first as stated, hovering a few feet above the debris. The people screamed at him in a foreign language which JARVIS helped translate word to word. Which wasn't necessary since he knew they were in Romanian. He sighed.

'Guys,' he said, unimpressed, 'come on. Let's talk this out.'

The started to shoot and he didn't even try to deflect. They bounced off his armour similar to raindrops off panes, primitive and faulty. When the bout of bullets ended, he shrugged. His shoulder panels produced in-built rifles, letting the system take a self aim. It directed for the unharmed parts of the body, hurting instead of killing them. Twenty-seven blasts were shot and none left standing.

'Good talk.'

They groaned collectively and Elle fell into step with him, obviously not affected. She faced at him and even with the helmet on, he could feel her disapproval.

'Did you have to?'

'They were shooting,' he said simply, 'I shot them back.'

Just before she could fling another retort, a deafening screech rang through the clearing. Except for Tony and Elle, everyone had cupped their ears and had their senses scrambled. They looked tortured ere they had a mass fainting. Their suits fought off the emission safely.

'JARVIS?'

'Massive sonic attack,' the AI mentioned. 'Behind you.'

Elle had her repulsors held out to the light behind her, HELEN's information faster than his. He felt a twinge of jealousy when he turned around, facing a strange stream of pinkened light. The rays were growing in width and gleam, he used a hand to shield the light from his eyes and Elle doing the same. From the light, an ominous voice arose.

'Welcome, Tony Stark.'

∞

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'J, who the hell is that?'

From the beams of light appeared a figure, dressed for a formal meeting and his hands tucked into his pockets. He was almost as tall as Tony and his stance casual. His face was hard yet stretched into a friendly smile, the light portal finally disappearing behind him. He had a skip to his step as he neared Tony, stretching out a hand. This man looked straight out of any girl's dreams, his stupid high-bridged nose and tousled burgundy hair. Like some seasoned Roman warrior, he stood smirking at their gawks.

'It's okay if you don't recognize me,' he said. 'It's a new thing.'

'According to my bio-scans, this is Victor von Doom. Doctor Doom.'

'Oh, for fuck's sake,' he placed a hand over his head, 'that's him? I thought he had a Deadpool-y face underneath the mask.'

'I thought so, too sir.'

Doctor Doom was like a rip-off Iron Man but with superpowers and a gift for the mystic arts. Victor went by the titular alias and had even tried to kill Tony on many occasions. He refused to believe that this, very handsome man, was the original face of the villain behind the mask. Victor was known for pulling shit out of nowhere so if Tony died tonight, it wouldn't be a surprise.

Elle's helmet came off, slowly shuffling to Tony's side with her eyes on the peculiar man. He happily shifted her from focus, knowing this man was way too good-looking to be around his girl. Tony ordered his mask off as well and cocking a brow at a strange, attractive Doom. Hold it together, Tony.

'You're really him?'

'He's who?' Elle whispered to him, her breaths hitting the back of his ears. He pushed a hand into her waist, housing her behind him. Victor shot her a wink to which she sucked in a soft breath and Tony flared his nostrils in irritation.

'That's Victor von Doom,' he told her softly. 

'Yes and I'm certain your armour sensors and AI established the same matter and besides, you need me here,' he smirked at Tony, adjusting his collar. His gaze was strained on Elle who peered at him from the edge of Tony's shoulder. 'Who's the pretty little thing with you?'

'That's my—'

'I can speak for myself, thanks,' Elle said, her voice holding a threat. She had left his side, taking a sneering step forward. 'Call me pretty little thing again and I'll blow your bollocks to hell.'

'I like her,' Doom said to Tony, impressed. He stretched out a hand for her to take. 'Victor, hi.'

'Elle,' she introduced. 'Definitely not pleased to meet a terrorist.'

He let out an easy, unoffended laugh. Nodding at Tony, he shrugged. 'I can see why you married her.'

Except Elle smiled and acted like she was about to shake it, taking Tony's breath away for a second. Instead, she used her repulsors for a subsonic burst right at his chest. It deflected off the camouflaged shield that he had surrounding him, Victor tilting his head at her in a is that all you got gesture and ultimately, pissing Elle off. He had a mystical shield spell wound around him.

'Are you finished, Mrs Stark?'

She looked at an awed Tony over her shoulder. 'I don't like him.'

He sighed. Well, she wasn't the only one. One of the most dangerous men on the planet was standing there smiling at them like nothing was wrong. This man nearly killed him the time he tried to have the back of his friend Reed Richards during the takeover of Latveria. But of course, Doom had taken it back again.

'So you gave up your armour, you're all dolled up in the middle of your fallen kingdom and yet you're a world-class sorcerer,' Tony said matter-of-factly. 'Why are you here?'

'Finally,' Victor murmured, 'a reasonable question.'

'And no answer?'

'Sir, there appear to be zero weaknesses in his mystical power matrix,' JARVIS spoke up.

'Keep looking,' he ordered back quietly. He spoke to Doom next, raising his brows. 'You said we needed each other. Why?'

'Whitney Frost? Madame Masque. I believe you three have history,' he replied, looking between Elle and Tony precariously. Elle scoffed in response.

'She tried to murder us.'

'Well, regardless, she has embarked on a dangerous treasure hunt. Collecting items you don't want a criminally insane person's hands on,' he said, walking ahead of them to the castle doors. He beckoned them with a single finger, asking them to support suit.

Tony followed him in all inquisition, tapping on his reactor to let the armour vanish to the core. Elle's soft footfalls fell to his ears, her armour disappeared and the lonely, glowing reactor clinging to her chest. She made weird eyes at Tony.

'Are you sure you want to follow him into his castle of Doom?' She murmured lowly. 'Literally and physically?'

'One weird thing you should know about me,' he said in the same tone, 'I love criminal monologues. No matter who they're from.'

She rolled her lips to restrain laughter, pocketing her fists and nudging Tony's arm before falling into step behind Victor. Tony shuffled closer, too and taking in his surroundings while walking backwards.

The castle, a chateau, was older than any ancient bone in a burial ground. The cracked and pitted walls stood mute and the painted glass windows embedded with moss. Grass sprouted on the ground where the ceiling was cracked, he swore he spotted hilts or swords of olden times armours. Beyond the drawbridge was a grand, twelve-foot wide staircase, domineering and opening up into what was once a ballroom. The once golden-lit chandeliers dangled like frozen fireworks, old and dimmed. 

'Hey, Doomsy, I know some great interior decorators,' Tony mused, kicking a rock down the staircase which landed with a plop on the marble floor. 'This place could use one.'

'Your hospitality precedes you, Stark,' Victor laughed. 'But that is no longer the path I tread.'

'What is Whitney collecting?' Elle asked curiously, watching Victor's back. 'Cosmic cubes? Glowing joysticks? Arc-reactors?'

Victor beamed. 'I don't think it would be a surprise for you to find out that our planet resides in the junctures of interdimensional infinite energies—'

'No, I'd be very surprised,' Elle replied cockily, looking to the nearly demolished ceiling.

'Don't be coy, Mrs Stark. This way,' Victor stalked to her to link his arm with hers. 

Elle pitched his touch a disdainful frown yet letting him lead her to a door on her left. She cast Tony a tight look as if asking her to be freed. Tony smirked as if to say you got what was coming, looking forward to the winding staircase that seemed too imposing to be there. It leads them several meters down where JARVIS sensed a parallel air-current.

'This planet has survived all sorts of incursions. And when things like that happen, items that do not follow the physics of our biology tend to slip through the cracks,' he told her, 'things that don't belong here.'

'And?'

'These items don't belong in the hands of a sick woman,' he said, genuinely.

'But, what was she—what are you hiding?'

When they reached the end of the staircase, he thankfully left Elle's side to wander down the dark hallway and without answering her. Tony leaned into Elle. 'Scared?'

'Ha,' she snorted at him while walking forward, 'I laugh in the face of danger.'

He blinked. 'Was that a Lion King reference?'

'I've always wanted to use it,' she shrugged, adding a shy glance. Taking in Tony's deadpan, she sighed. 'Fine, I'll behave.'

They continued their ascent down the hall, the little oil lamps which seemed to ignite on their own as Doom marched past. He stopped abruptly near a strangely smooth-looking wall, placing a hand over the stone. The rock gleamed a bright blue, expanding into thinner lines onward the stone like an integrated circuit on a plank. The stone door drew back in with peaks of light edging in from the inside and it was Tony's immediate instinct to shield Elle.

'Doom, I'm warning you,' he said, having enough after his impromptu excursion through his creepy castle. 'The armour knows where I am. If I disappear, the Avengers know to—'

'If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already,' Victor told him in all seriousness. The door finally grew open and inviting them into a massive hall which looked like the inside of a demolished laboratory. Why oh, why was everything so spooky in this accursed country?

It was a mess of instruments and Tony, one of his kind, felt bad about the devastating condition around the place. Cranes and mechanical arms stood broken, the amount of collecting dust alarming Tony. It set off the claustrophobe in his when he saw a damage automated claw similar to DUM-E, quickly looking away.

'So, are you going to answer the wife, Lord Farquaad?' Tony asked. 'What did Masque come for? And from one scientist to another, this is very heartbreaking.'

Elle was in reverence. She dragged a finger down the remains of a cracked holographic screen, the sign 'Baxter' coming alive on the blue radiance. The projection of a work-in-progress quantum tunnel was pulled up and she inspected it closely. The diagrams readout Hank Pym over to the side, along with the name Reed Richards and Sue Storm. The name had rung a bell and she let out a breath of awe.

'Sue Storm?' She mused to Victor. 'The Sue Storm—Invisible Girl?'

'That wasn't mine,' Victor said to her, reaching behind the glass to grab an intricately carved, oak box. 'Reed loaned me his design after it failed. I worked on rebuilding it.'

'Oh my god,' She muttered in wonder. 'From Baxter Corp?'

'The very one,' he hummed indifferently, working on the latch of the box in his hands. Tony spoke under his breath, his eyes pinned on the box. 

'Keep defences up and initiate scans.'

'Scanning... unknown energies and origin.'

From within the box, Victor produced a lengthy, glowing wand that was almost the size of his forearm. It burned a fine golden, a thin set of crisscrossing lines engraved around the cylindrical surface. At the summits of the baton, two demonic, eerie heads were born and Tony threw it a ridiculing chuckle.

'What is this, the Elder Wand or something?'

'This is the Wand of Watoomb,' Victor explained, unfazed by Tony's sly comment. 'Through meditation, it is controlled by the thoughts of the user. If trained properly, it can be used to channel, propagate or redirect mystical energies.'

'Like the one Stephen has?'

Tony spun to face Elle. 'What?'

'I saw one in Doctor Strange's sanctum,' she pointed to the wand, 'just like that.'

'No, this one is mine,' Victor said, passing it to Tony for examination. He scrunched his nose, looking at Elle who sighed in response. She grabbed it from a confused Victor and pushed into Tony's chest. 

'I don't like being handed things,' Tony told him, unfazed. 'But I do like giving things. Like punches. Or—'

'Tony,' Elle cut in. 'Focus.'

Tony held the wand in a fist, it was almost weightless yet held the energies of dimensions. 

'Kinda old school,' he reflected, flinging it in the air to catch it again. 'Very shiny.'

'It is one of the five scattered through the dimension,' Victor shared. With a quick shrug, he waved at it. 'Take it.'

Tony was confused, conducting a slow blink of taken-aback on his face. 'Why?'

'It is better off with you than me. Or with Masque,' he smiled a friendly one before shrugging. 'Call it a good sign of faith.'

Tony was doubtful, squinting his eyes to absorb the varying information. Why would Doctor Doom, a supervillain, want to show faith in him, the man he tried to kill too many times? And why would he waltz into his radar to do good?

'Okay, hold on,' he shook his head and pointed between Doom and him, 'what is this?'

'We're going to help each other, Tony,' Victor said calmly as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. His dark eyes gave off nothing but the truth. 'The only way that would work is if you learn to trust me.'

'I will never trust you.'

'Eventually, you will.'

Tony rolled his eyes. 'Are you saying you turned over a new leaf? I want to laugh, I do. Maybe give you a medal of freedom in the process but I left it my other armour.'

'Stark, I know the hole I've dug up for myself,' Victor replied tersely. 'It was never easy. But for now, you should leave.'

'Just a moment, now,' Elle cut in, barging in front of Tony to place a hand over Doom's chest. 'How do we know this... wand is the real one?'

Smart Elle.

'The one she took was a decoy meant for someone else. I'm positive Masque still thinks she has the real one,' he told her, pushing her hand off his chest. He never even broke into a glare. 'Take it and track the energy trails. It will lead you to her.'

She scowled. 'What the hell does that mean?'

'It means you've overstayed your welcome, Mrs Stark,' Victor said in a dignified voice. 'Find her before she opens up a dimensional door and lights the world on fire.'

'Mister Doom, can I—'

'Mrs. Stark, no worries,' he brushed a finger over her cheek in a friendly gesture to which Elle cast it a weird glance, 'I will find you soon. But for now, you should be on your way.'

'Energy fluctuations detected.'

And with that Victor snapped his fingers. Tony leapt to stop his movement but went in wain when the world darkened for a moment with Elle's brief screech echoing in his ears.

'Wait! Don't you - '

A poof of blue smoke consumed him and Elle, the armours coming in place. When the smoke cleared they were in the middle of... a living room? Tony glanced around with his repulsors aiming everywhere until he realized where they were. Elle's hands had gripped his arm tight enough to stop the blood flow, a gasp leaving her when she observed her surrounding. They were in Rhodey's apartment.

'Oh my god,' a voice muttered, 'Tony?'

A shocked James Rhodes, dressed in pyjamas and holding a glass of milk was staring at them with wide eyes and a dropped jaw from behind the kitchen counter. The lights were off around the apartment, the windows looking over the brazen skyline of Los Angeles, still scintillating and moving. He looked to the bedroom door where apparently Margo seemed to be dozing before hissing at them in a soft voice. His eyes were slicing through them like lasers.

'What the hell happened to you two?'

The couple took their time to acknowledge the situation. They had been teleported back to LA by Victor von Doom. Doctor Doom could teleport people now, and that was nightmare salsa wrapped in a trauma burrito for the world.

'To be honest, I'm weirded out on so many levels,' Tony whisper-hissed back. He looked at a fearful Elle in disbelief. 'Did he just transport us back to LA?'

She sucked in a deep breath and shaking her head to wad off the shock, calling off her armour which diminished back into the reactor. Tugging off the core on her chest, she tossed it on the tiny coffee table near her foot. 

'Rhodey, we are so sorry,' she apologized. 'This Doom fellow made us lose our minds.'

He slammed the cup of milk on the counter, bewildered. 'You went to Latveria without me?'

Elle quietly said, 'Well, we're never going back again.'

'Oh haha,' he said dryly and looked at the baton in Tony's hands. 'The hell is that?'

Tony brandished it in response, pursing his lips at the now dimmed wand. 'A memento from Doomstadt. I got it for a special someone on Bleeker Street.'

'Whatever it is,' Rhodey waved his hands around in scepticism, 'I don't care. It's two in the night and I just put your kid to nap so if you wake her up, I'll kick all of you out.'

Way to set the priorities straight, Rhodey.

∞

[ I've got something exciting being added to this book this week! KIT for the surprise! ]

edited!