"We are back in the present!"
Johnny's excited voice cut through the air as the bright light gradually faded.
Looking around, I realized we were in a different room — not the throne room where Doom had originally sent us to the past.
The three members of the Fantastic Four who had traveled with me were standing nearby. Beside them on the floor sat a large treasure chest.
"My emissaries," Doom said, standing in front of us behind a small control panel that had emerged from the wall. "I knew you would return."
Reed first glanced at me, his eyes showing clear relief, then turned to Doom and pointed at the treasure chest.
"As promised," Reed said in a flat voice, "here is Captain Blackbeard's treasure chest."
"Excellent," Doom replied, a faint trace of excitement in his tone. "The gems in that chest will help me gain mastery over the entire world."
Doom slowly approached the treasure chest as we took a few steps back. He stared at it intently, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
"These little baubles are far more than they seem," Doom continued, his voice thick with greed. "Among these treasures are stones that once belonged to the ancient magician Merlin. He enchanted them with mystic power… the power to make their owner invincible!"
Doom bent down and opened the chest.
"And now they shall be mine!" He flipped the latch. "With these gems in my possession, no force on Earth can ever defeat me!"
"Reed," Johnny whispered beside me, "the gems were scattered to the bottom of the sea during the storm. What if Namor ever finds them?"
Reed looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head slightly and whispered back, "We can only pray that he never does."
Doom opened the chest with eager anticipation, but as soon as he saw its contents, his excitement vanished as if someone had doused him with cold water.
"Wha—" Doom stammered, shock clear in his voice. "CHAINS?! Worthless chains?" He spun around, eyes blazing with fury. "You tricked me!"
Ben had already moved behind him while his attention was fixed on the chest, but Doom turned just in time and spotted him.
When Ben realized he had been caught, he dropped all pretense. "Let's get him, guys."
"Fool," Doom sneered in disdain. "You think you can defeat Doctor Doom so easily?!"
Doom swiftly pulled out a gun and fired. The bullet bounced harmlessly off Ben's thick, stone-like hide.
Ben completely ignored it. "Yeah, watch me."
Ben stepped forward and delivered a single, powerful punch to Doom's chest. The impact shattered the figure into pieces.
"It's a robot!" Ben exclaimed.
A part of the ceiling opened, and a large screen descended. It lit up, revealing the real Doctor Doom.
"Naturally," Doom said in a calm voice. "I am in a hidden room, watching all of you. And now, you shall find it difficult to breathe as I drain the oxygen from your chamber."
A soft beep sounded from the screen.
"Farewell, Fantastic Four," Doom continued, his tone dripping with malice. "This is the price of crossing me."
Johnny tried to ignite his flames, but they flickered weakly and died out.
"Fire doesn't burn without oxygen, Human Torch," Doom laughed condescendingly.
This fucking idiot.
It was already hard enough to breathe with the rapidly depleting oxygen, but Johnny's attempt had only made it worse.
Johnny collapsed to the floor, gasping. "I-it's difficult to… breathe!"
Reed also knelt near the door, feeling weak. "Hang on, save your breath." He looked for any gap around the door to squeeze through, but found none.
Ben gasped as he punched the walls repeatedly, but they were too thick. His blows only chipped away small pieces.
I looked at Doom on the screen. He wore a sick, satisfied expression as he watched us struggle.
There was no way I was dying of lack of oxygen after defeating the clone of an eldritch demon.
I scanned the room desperately, hoping to find any way out. The chamber was sealed tight. Each breath grew more difficult. My head was starting to spin.
But I was waiting. According to the canon, Susan was supposed to free everyone. Still, I couldn't wait forever.
If no help arrived in the next few minutes, I decided I would use the remaining grenades in my inventory to enlarge the hole Ben had started, giving him a better chance to break through the wall.
If they ask later, which they will, I will just pretend to be a mutant with the power to have a personal sub-dimensional pocket. It will open a whole other can of problems, but it is better than dying here.
It was then that I heard small explosion sounds coming from the screen.
"What's happening?" Doom exclaimed. His eyes widened as he looked around. "No! Invisible Girl! Where is she?"
A few moments later, a beeping sound rang out, and the gate began to slide open vertically.
"Air!" Ben exclaimed. "We're saved!"
"Guys, look," Reed said. "It's Sue."
Susan stood outside the door and rushed in, immediately helping Reed to his feet.
"Thank heavens you're unharmed, Sue." Reed sighed in relief.
"What do we do now?" Johnny asked, sitting upright and taking large, rapid breaths.
"Now?" Ben rumbled, his voice thick with rage. "Now we tear this joint apart. And once I get my hands on him…" Ben didn't finish the sentence. Instead, he punched his fist into his palm, silently promising Doom a world of pain.
"Hold it, Ben," Reed said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Knowing Doom, he might have booby-trapped every inch of this castle. Let's get out of here first."
Ben reluctantly nodded.
We left the room and looked around, but found no obvious way out. The doors were locked tight — Doom had sealed us inside.
"There is no way out," Johnny said, frustration clear in his voice.
"There is," Reed replied, looking toward one of the walls.
We followed his gaze in confusion and saw a window reinforced with metal bars. The gaps between the bars were far too narrow for any normal person to squeeze through.
But Reed was anything but normal.
He stretched his body thin and slipped through the narrow gap. Once outside, he continued stretching, crossing the wide moat in front of the castle until he could firmly grab a large rock jutting out of the ground on the far side. On our side, he anchored himself by gripping the bars with his legs, his body pulled taut like a living bridge.
"Push, Ben!" Reed shouted.
"With pleasure, bub," Ben growled.
With their combined strength, cracks began to spiderweb across the wall. Soon, a large section broke free and fell away from the castle with a heavy crash.
Ben scooped up Susan and me, then jumped down. He landed heavily on his feet and carefully set us down. Johnny landed beside us a moment later, his flames extinguished.
We reached the edge of the moat. It was roughly fifty meters wide and teeming with alligators. Reed was already waiting for us on the opposite bank.
Johnny reignited his flames, picked up Susan, and flew her across.
He returned quickly and grabbed me next. Flames didn't cover his hands and part of his arms.
"You are heavier than you look," Johnny commented mid-air. I just laughed it off.
He set me down on the other side and flew back for Ben. As expected, they started bickering almost immediately.
"You better put me down carefully, Matchstick," Ben warned.
In response, Johnny dropped him from a few meters up.
"Damn you, Flame-Brain!" Ben roared.
Johnny flew off laughing. "Time to smoke out the mouse," he called back as he headed toward the castle.
Johnny circled the castle several times, creating a roaring whirlwind of fire around it.
We saw Doom, which was actually another Doombot, cursing furiously at Johnny from a window. But I couldn't hear him clearly because of the distance. He jumped out of the window and flew away using a jetpack.
Johnny flew after Doom, but it might be that he had used up his flames too much; they flickered and died, and he started falling.
Reed stretched his arm long, caught Johnny in mid-air, and pulled him towards us.
"I lost him," Johnny said, clearly disappointed.
"It's okay," Reed replied, patting his shoulder. "I'm sure this isn't the last time we'll meet him. He'll come back, but next time we'll be ready."
"We will," Ben rumbled, cracking his knuckles. "Next time, we do things my way."
Reed turned to the group. "While you were crossing the moat, I tried contacting the Fantasticar, but Doom must have set up some kind of jammer. We may need to walk for a while until we're out of range."
We nodded and started walking.
"By the way, Kevin," Johnny said as we walked. "What did you do for those two days?"
"Why did I do?" I repeated, then put on the wronged expression of someone who had suffered a great injustice. "I was worried sick about you guys when I found out you'd been kidnapped. I spent both days searching everywhere, trying to find you. I even asked around about Captain Blackbeard, thinking you might have escaped and gone after him, but I couldn't find any trace of him either."
"Yeah…" Johnny said, looking sheepish. "We woke up on a ship in the middle of nowhere. One thing led to another, and there was no time to come back for you."
"We apologize, Kevin," Reed added, guilt evident in his voice. "You were dragged into this against your will, and we failed to protect you despite promising we would."
"Forget it, it's fine," I said, shaking my head. "I was just worried about all of you. You were trying to help your teammate — I completely understand that. I was happy when I saw you safe and sound… and that you even managed to find the treasure," I added with a laugh, "or at least a replacement for it."
Reed, Ben, and Johnny looked even more guilty.
"Thank you, Kevin," Susan said sincerely. "Thank you for helping me even though you weren't obliged to."
"What does obligation have to do with it?" I scoffed lightly, then grew serious. "I did it because it was the right thing to do."
The members of the Fantastic Four looked at me with warm, proud smiles.
I continued in a slightly self-deprecating tone, "However, it wasn't as if it was of any use in the end."
"Cheer up, kid," Ben said, patting my back heavily. "It's the heart that counts."
The others nodded in agreement. I smiled and nodded along as well.
We resumed walking through the mountains, but after some time, Susan suddenly stopped.
"By the way," she said.
"What happened, sis?" Johnny asked curiously.
Susan looked at her brother, then with lightning-fast speed, her hand shot out and grabbed his ear, twisting hard.
"Aaah, sis, what are you doing?!" Johnny yelped in pain.
Susan smiled sweetly. "Dear brother, did you think I forgot what happened earlier today?"
"What are you talking about?" Johnny asked, feigning innocence.
Susan's smile vanished. "Brat, how dare you go through my things without permission? And not only that, you even destroyed my property." She twisted his ear harder.
"Let me go, you violent gorilla!" Johnny screamed. "Let me go, or I'll sue you for domestic violence and child abuse!"
"You still dare talk back?" Susan said angrily, twisting his ear even more.
Johnny looked at Reed and Ben with the desperate expression of a man searching for a lifeline.
But both men pretended not to notice and instead looked at the sun.
"Ben, don't you think the sun looks a little rounder today?" Reed asked.
He adjusted his glasses, studying the celestial body with the intensity of a scientist examining a newly discovered lifeform.
Ben followed Reed's gaze without missing a beat. "Y'know, Stretch, now that ya mention it, it does."
"How fascinating!" Reed murmured.
Johnny stared at them in disbelief before turning toward me. There was hope in his eyes.
I looked away and joined the other two.
"Don't you think the sky looks bluer today?" I asked.
Ben nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Definitely bluer."
Reed squinted upward. "Remarkable. I don't believe I've ever seen such a vivid shade before."
Johnny must have hit his head if he thought I was stupid enough to get involved in a fight between two superpowered siblings.
Johnny finally broke when he realized no one would help him. "Sorry! I'm sorry, sis! Please let me go—I won't do it again!"
Susan gave him a long, hard look, then finally released his ear. "Remember what you just promised."
Johnny nodded desperately.
It was a small, light-hearted interlude. We resumed walking through the mountains.
While walking, I had only one thought running through my head:
Is it a good time to ask for the taxi fare?
The day Namor attacked NYC:
In the hadal depths of the ocean, far beyond the reach of sunlight, a humanoid figure advanced in near-silent flow. Every so often, a single kick, brief and controlled, struck the water with force, launching the person forward in a violent burst before the movement settled back into smooth, uninterrupted motion. The pink-skinned being drove deeper and disappeared into an underwater cave at the base of a seamount.
The cave eventually opened into an air pocket beneath the mountain. The figure emerged from the water, revealing herself to be a dark-pink female humanoid. She had faint light-pink patterns across her skin, slightly pointed ears, and dark-pink hair. She wore metal armor that covered only her private parts, with a spear strapped to her back.
The female soldier walked through a maze-like structure until she reached the end, then dove back into the water. She swam through what appeared to be an underwater city filled with coral buildings.
She didn't stop anywhere. Instead, she headed straight for the giant underwater castle. The guards at the entrance, also pink female humanoids dressed similarly, nodded to her with respect. She returned the nod and entered.
She passed through a long corridor, following a winding path until she reached the end of the passage. As she stepped through, she entered a room with no water. The water stopped abruptly at the threshold, forming a vertical wall.
Unperturbed, she continued walking. After several more corridors, she arrived at a beautifully adorned door. She knocked respectfully and stood at attention, waiting for a reply.
"Come in," a dignified voice said.
The soldier nodded and entered.
The room resembled the personal chambers of royalty. A large four-poster bed with white drapes dominated one side, accompanied by elegant sofas and a table made of an unknown wood. In one corner stood a gold-lined showcase on a wooden pedestal, displaying a chipped sword inside.
The soldier scanned the room, but no one was present. She walked toward another inner door and opened it. The inner chamber resembled an open bath. Through the transparent ceiling—whether glass or some other material—the underwater ocean was clearly visible.
Another pink woman, wearing only a sheer white robe with golden accents, stood near the bath. She slipped the robe off her shoulders, letting it pool at her feet and revealing her bare body. She walked sensually toward the open bath.
Two other pink women, dressed in simpler, sheer white robes, waited respectfully. These attendants helped the woman step into the bath until she was half-submerged. Then the attendants removed their own robes, entered the water, and stood on either side of her, gently pouring water over her body.
The soldier took a few steps forward and stopped roughly a meter from the edge of the bath.
"Empress," she called out respectfully.
The Empress did not answer immediately, but the soldier knew she could speak freely.
"Empress," the soldier said respectfully, "Namor has reappeared. He has declared war on the surface world and attacked one of their cities."
"Namor is just a petulant child," the Empress replied gently, her voice mature yet authoritative. "Let him do as he pleases. Neither he nor the Atlanteans concern us."
The soldier waited for a beat, then continued, "He used the ancient monster Giganto to carry out the attack."
At the mention of "Giganto," the Empress's hand trembled for the briefest moment.
The soldier knew she now had the Empress's full attention.
"Among the so-called superheroes who fought against them," the soldier continued, "three matched the descriptions of the Emperor's former companions."
"Who are they?" the Empress asked.
"They are members of a superhero team called the Fantastic Four."
"Was he with them?" Despite her efforts to remain composed, a faint trace of excitement slipped into the Empress's voice.
The soldier shook her head regretfully. "I apologize, Empress, but the Emperor was not among those who fought Namor and Giganto."
The Empress calmed herself. She already knew the answer, but couldn't help asking. She said nothing for a moment, simply sitting on the seat within the bath and gazing up at the ocean visible through the transparent ceiling, watching the aquatic life swim by.
"Empress," the soldier said hesitantly, "if you permit, capturing Namor and presenting his head to the Fantastic Four may serve as a gesture of friendship and peace. It may help us locate the Emperor."
The Empress considered the suggestion for a moment. 'Even if they were once his companions, I doubt they were particularly close. During our time together, he never once mentioned them. Even when the pirates kidnapped them, he made no effort to help. We only learned of their existence after asking around about him.'
One of the attendants gently poured scented oil onto the Empress's skin.
The Empress shook her head. "Namor still sits on the Atlantean throne. We are not afraid of them, but given our current circumstances, we will not commit to a full-scale war. Leave him. We lack certainty regarding their involvement."
Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "However, if in the future we become certain and his head is required, you may proceed with your suggestion."
The soldier nodded in understanding.
"But now," the Empress said, a fond smile touching her lips for a brief moment, "we can be sure he belongs to this era."
"Yes, Empress," the soldier agreed, smiling as well.
"We will wait," the Empress said, the smile disappearing just as quickly as it came. "It shouldn't take one of you too long to reach the next level. Then I can safely leave the Empire for some time and search for him myself."
As the Empress spoke, the soldier was overcome with a tremendous sense of guilt.
"Please punish me, Empress," the soldier said, her face filled with remorse. "I am useless. Despite all your support, I am still not strong enough to lighten your burdens."
The Empress gently shook her head. "This is not your failure. These things cannot be rushed, or it will harm your future progress." She continued with a warm smile, "You have talent. I know you will reach that step soon."
"I will not let you down, Empress," the soldier vowed with conviction. "I will reach that level as quickly as possible."
The Empress smiled softly.
"I have waited for him for three centuries," she said quietly. "What are a few more years?"