Reed is like a schoolboy when he sees Sue, Doom though does not seem bothered, it seems he has made up his mind on his future.
Ben and Frankie hold back and watch as everyone is led into the building.
I noticed once they arrived Fury left, 'Why are you leaving? You might have got lucky?'
'Mothe .., Can you not do that? I have enough on my plate.'
'You can choose a reward, you have done me a favour, think of something you want."
'Hm, can I bank it for the future?'
'Sure can.'
'I'll do that then.'
I break the connection and go back to watching the scene.
Once the 3 of them see the rock they show a genuine interest, it is only after a while they realize the cosmic energy within the rock is exponentially increasing.
Four run for it, Doom stares straight at the rock and smiles warmly as he whispers, "Thank you, mother.", the others only make the door as Ben throws himself on top of them to try to act as a shield.
As the energy appears before Doom, I stop time, I decided long ago I would give him his powers after the Silver Surfer encounter, no longer disfigured and powerful all-around physically, in addition to his control over electricity, only once he learns magic will he be truly Doom.
As I finish with him I swear I see his eyes moving oh so slightly trying to see me. Fine, he earned this, I release his mind and mouth from the time freeze.
"Go ahead."
"My mother, where is she?", "In hell, literally, she tried to make a deal for her soul, but she was tricked."
"Can I get her out?"
"There are ways, but it was a legitimate contract, so it cannot be openly done."
"Why did you help her?"
"Do you know how beautiful and pure her soul is even now? All she wants, all she wanted was for you to be safe and happy. I cannot give anyone happiness, but I can give you the power to ensure your own safety. Okay, last one, they need to be impacted as well, just not to the same degree."
"Your name."
"Lord Paragon, God of all Awakened." I smile and time stops for him again.
I walk to the four and give them their powers, for those who are unaware, The thing has always been able to turn back to normal, he just never tried apparently.
With that time returned to normal, and they are all thrown back, Doom manages to regain his footing right before he crashes into the others, leaving skid marks in the floor. Looking down at his hands he nods, he knew his mother would never let him down.
The assistants come running in and take the four to the medical bay, when they reach Doom he merely glances at them, "Doom is fine." he turns and walks out, as one orderly tries to grab his arm he feels an electrical discharge that stuns him for a moment. Looking about he realizes Doom is gone already.
Good, this is what this world needs, now, who next?
Oh wait, I wonder how the Agents turned out, I hope Fury can make use of the presents I sent him, I grin and cast my gaze at the other medical bay.
In the stiffly sanitized medical bay, the four come to. Their senses are heightened, they perceive the sterile smell of antiseptic as a violent onslaught, and the flickering fluorescent lights above them are as blinding as a midday sun. They feel within them, a force, roaring like a tide yet waiting to be tamed.
(All made up hero/villain's)
The first to rise is Jessica, her eyes glowing with an ethereal blue light. She feels the power coursing through her veins like wildfire, urging her to command it into existence. But when she tries to raise her hand, the effort is too much; fatigue overpowers her and she crumples onto the white sheets.
Next to stir is Mike, his body pulsating with unfamiliar energy. A simple thought and he's levitating off his bed. Startled by this newfound ability, he completely loses control and crashes into the stark white ceiling before falling back down onto his bed in a heap of confusion and wonder.
Lee comes around slowly; he's always been the cautious one. He can feel an iron-like strength in his muscles which wasn't there before. Tentatively, he clenches his fist, and the entire bed frame crumples under his touch like it was made of paper.
And then there's Anna. Her body remained still on the bed but her mind was raging with chaos. She could hear thoughts buzzing like angry hornets in her head, thoughts that weren't hers. Everyone's fears, and doubts were now hers too.
The four look at each other across the room, their eyes wide with shock and fear as they start comprehending what they have become, no longer just humans, but superhumans.
As they try to grapple with their newfound abilities and subsequent consequences, they are tossed into a whirlpool of questions, How do they control these powers? What will happen if Shield or for one, Hydra do when they discover these powers? Did they even want such a responsibility?
A sense of isolation starts creeping into them as they realize that despite being in a room full of people, only they can understand the magnitude of what has happened to them. How they handle it will shape not only them but potentially, the world itself.
While the one responsible for it all is feeling rather proud of his work. Meanwhile, in the medical bays of the four visitors, Frankie was the first to sense her new capabilities. She could feel a burning heat simmering beneath her skin, coursing through her veins like a volcanic river, yet she remained unscathed. Experimentally, she reached out toward a nearby tray of medical instruments. To her awe and horror, the metal tools ignited upon her touch, melting into a puddle before her.
Suzie, on the other hand, noticed an odd sensation of lightness that had nothing to do with her physical condition. She extended her hand towards Frankie in alarm, only to watch her fingers disappear before them as though she were a ghost. With a gasp, she pulled her now translucent hand back.
Reed seemed the most perturbed among them. His limbs felt elongated and elasticized strangely as if they had taken on a life of their own. As he tried to sit up from the stretcher, his body stretched out impossibly, leaving him looking more like an abstract piece of artwork rather than a man.
At this point Ben was still asleep, outwardly showing no signs of change, but they all noticed every time Ben rolled over, his bed sank just a little lower.
Meanwhile, while travelling home on his private jet Doom was watching the security cam footage of these chaotic events unfold with an impassive gaze. His mind was whirring with possibilities that lay ahead, his own powers unfathomable and vast.
So, who next? Magneto is a great defender of his people, but there are no people yet. Should I allow the X gene to activate more easily? Yet without that bacteria and Sinister, they should not be persecuted like in other universes.
I return home and focus on how to seed powers without causing a serious imbalance.