Reed Richards was closing in on his laboratory as he fled.
Glancing back at Victor Von Doom, who was relentlessly pursuing him, Reed reached out and grabbed the edge of the fourth-floor balcony.
With a swift maneuver, he scaled higher, and in an instant, he was on the eighth floor.
Victor showed no hesitation. Electricity crackled along the walls beneath him, allowing him to cling effortlessly. The hatred in his eyes was almost tangible. Today, he would kill Reed Richards.
But when Victor entered the lab, Reed had already vanished.
"Reed, come out! You can't escape!" Victor bellowed.
Lightning flickered across the lab, illuminating the destruction in constant bursts. Every second, the lab's equipment was being damaged. Victor's desire to destroy only grew stronger with time.
"You think you've won, Victor?"
Reed's calm voice suddenly echoed through the lab. Beneath that calmness was an unmistakable sense of thrill.
Reed was confident. He had already won. This was his domain.
Victor froze, momentarily taken aback. He had forgotten something. But retreat was impossible. He could not step back.
The electricity in the lab surged violently as Reed began siphoning power. Without enough energy, Reed would be powerless to act. No matter how intelligent he was, without absolute power, his plans meant nothing.
Victor's methods, however, were no match for Reed's genius. Reed couldn't help but smirk at the thought that Victor had truly believed cutting the lab's power could suppress him. He had underestimated him.
Suddenly, a sharp buzzing filled the air.
Victor, in the midst of drawing power, felt his body stiffen. Within moments, the sensation passed, only for another blow to strike him. Even his mighty form, resilient as it was, felt the pain of Reed's relentless attacks.
"Do you think your metal body makes you untouchable?" Reed sneered.
"In just three minutes, I've devised over ten ways to kill you. What can you possibly do to fight me?"
His expression twisted into a rare grimace. Reed had always been a prodigy, never angered by others. Yet now, Nolan Locke and Victor Von Doom had stirred a fury in him he had never known.
"Reed!" Victor roared, astonished that Reed could control him. Reed's mouth spoke of venting long-suppressed grievances.
"I've heard many have died at Doom Enterprises recently, and you've benefited from it. But now, you kidnap Ben and openly attack me. These are solid pieces of evidence. Once I hand you over to the authorities, all your crimes will be exposed. You're finished, Victor Von Doom!"
Reed's words echoed through the lab, but then Nolan Locke entered. His face showed surprise at the scene.
"Victor, I thought you had the situation under control," Nolan said.
Victor's lips twitched, but he said nothing. He had indeed screwed up.
Nolan glanced at Reed. "You're not wrong. Victor's already finished. From the moment he killed those shareholders, it was inevitable. Yet he still thought his plan was flawless."
Nolan shrugged. In his view, Victor's approach was simply foolish.
"But why do you think you're safe?" Nolan continued, his expression turning sharp. Reed's missteps were just as significant.
"Today, you broke into Doom Enterprises. There's plenty of evidence to prove it. That gamma-ray converter proves that while Victor stole your technology, he had no intent to harm Ben, at least legally. Your own inaction pushed Doom Enterprises to the brink of collapse. Legally, that might hold up. But to the public, the law doesn't matter."
Nolan's grin widened. "So after today, you're done. You're a rat in the street, despised by all. No more superhero status, no more brilliant scientist reputation. You're just a disgusting rat."
Reed blinked, shocked. "Is that… true? I guess… yes…"
Victor laughed loudly. He too realized that while he might be in trouble, Reed wasn't much better off.
"This is impossible!" Reed roared. "No one will believe your lies, Nolan Locke! I will kill you!"
Nolan watched silently, observing Reed's meltdown. When Reed had finished, Nolan shook his head. "What a fool. I had no proof before, but now… you're finished."
"Recording complete. Upload now?" Red Queen's voice cut through.
Before Nolan could react, Reed lunged at him, mind consumed by the singular thought of killing Nolan Locke. If Nolan lived, Reed's plan would fail. He could not fail. Nolan had to die.
Reed struck fast, and Nolan didn't dodge in time. The blow sent him flying, yet both men knew it was insignificant.
The real turning point came when Susan appeared.
Standing at the doorway, she watched the chaos unfold. She no longer seemed the confident Invisible Woman she had been. The scene before her made her feel like a helpless little girl. Her former boss had killed shareholders. Her ex, obsessed with research, was manipulative beyond imagination. Even Nolan was not what she thought he was.
"Everyone is complicated," Nolan said quietly as he fought.
Reed's powers were formidable, especially the infrasound waves he generated in the room. Both Victor and Nolan struggled to resist them.
Reed's red eyes blazed. This was his last chance. He no longer cared about anything except killing Nolan Locke. As for Susan, he assumed once Nolan was gone, he could handle her.
Nolan thought such logic was foolish, but Reed, lacking any emotional intelligence, could not see it.
Finding Nolan difficult to reach, Reed activated a device and unleashed another wave of infrasound. Both Victor and Nolan were again immobilized.
Reed sneered. "Nolan Locke, you think I have no way to beat you? Your armor may be strong, but it's just precision machinery!"
He slammed a button.
Boom!
An electromagnetic pulse surged, frying most of the electronics in the lab. Everything not specially protected was ruined. Reed smirked. Without the armor, Nolan Locke was defenseless.
Then Nolan sighed. "You really think that would stop me? Don't forget, you're not the only one who can go into space."
All eyes turned to Nolan. Even Victor's mouth twitched in disbelief. Susan's eyes widened. Only Reed remained calm, confident.
"At least you lost the armor," Reed muttered.
But the Thor Hammer armor, which should have been destroyed by the pulse, moved silently. Nolan's control had protected it.
Reed's shock deepened. How could Nolan still control the armor?
Nolan accelerated the Thor Hammer, fully channeling his power. The battle blade transformed into a slashing sword, cutting toward Reed.
Boom!
Reed was sent flying, smashing heavily into the wall. Nolan, braving the infrasound waves, destroyed the device generating them.
Nolan's expression was cold as he looked at Reed. "Do you still have confidence?"
"F*ck!" Reed cursed. "Nolan Locke, you can't kill me!"
His rubber body was nearly invincible. Even if Victor discovered his weakness, he wouldn't allow a second chance.
Nolan held his blade, unwilling to personally kill Reed if he could avoid it. He worried about Susan's feelings. He was even prepared to let Reed escape.
He glanced at Susan, then stepped out of the Thor Hammer armor, revealing himself.
Everyone was stunned. Nolan had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
Reed's brief delight flickered. With Thor Hammer, Nolan was formidable. But now he was exposed.
Nolan wore strange rings on his hands, but Reed ignored them.
"Die!" Reed yelled, charging Nolan.
"Susan, be careful!" she cried, alarmed.
Nolan remained still. Reed's physical defense was strong, but his magical defense was weak. The Ten Rings, though tech-based, were magical.
As Reed lunged, one of Nolan's rings glowed. A beam of light shot through Reed, piercing his chest.
His pupils shrank.
"Why… does it hurt so much…"
Blood gushed from his chest.
"This is impossible…"
Reed's mouth opened, disbelief on his face. He had believed his skin could withstand anything even a nuclear blast.
Reality was unyielding.
Victor hesitated, wary, while Nolan shrugged at Susan.
"He brought this on himself. I've held back long enough."
Finally, Nolan looked at Reed. Reed lay heavily on the floor. The beam had pierced his heart. He was dead.
Though surprising, Nolan had no regrets. Victor would never have killed him.
He could now focus on future threats, like the planet-devouring entity. The multiverse's energy was still insufficient, and leaving this world was far off.
As Nolan considered this, Johnny finally arrived.
"Reed Richards is dead?" he gasped. Shock quickly turned to excitement. He had long disliked Reed.
Susan, though saddened, said nothing. Reed's actions had disappointed her, and his final display was beyond belief.
Victor laughed maniacally. Only Ben Grimm, arriving last, could not accept Reed's death and charged Nolan. Susan raised her force field, stopping him.
Victor's eyes flickered. If he could, he would kill several people, but he could not. Without hesitation, he turned and fled.