21 - The Birth of the Fantastic Four

"Beep beep..."

"Alert!"

"Alert!"

"Distance to frontal storm impact: nine minutes and forty-seven seconds."

The alarm from the main computer system at Victor's space research station blared, yanking Reed Richards—who was basking in the glow of imminent fame and success—back to harsh reality.

Reed stared at the countdown on the screen, dumbfounded, "This can't be right. We should have seven hours left."

They were here to observe a life-giving cosmic cloud—a rare phenomenon that could benefit humanity, extend lifespans, and improve quality of life—not to face the universe's deadliest killer: a massive, terrifying cosmic storm.

Of course.

That terror was relative to humans.

Reed desperately wanted to prove the system was wrong, but with just nine minutes left, what could he do?

Nothing.

The next second.

Reed bolted out of the lab, finding Susan—his childhood sweetheart, now Victor's girlfriend—holding a ring Victor was about to give her. He blurted out, "We miscalculated. It's coming in minutes, not hours."

Susan glanced at her former lover, then at the ring, before dashing upstairs.

Victor, annoyed, turned to face Reed, who'd appeared at the worst possible moment.

Reed, oblivious, pressed on, "Victor, that storm's lethal. We need to abort now."

Victor clasped his hands behind his back, "Calm down. We came all this way—if we panic over a little hiccup, what's the point? Activate the shields!"

Reed pointed outside, "Ben's still out there."

Victor's expression remained cool, "Then bring him in. We're here for a mission. Hurry up."

Reed rushed toward the command module.

At that moment.

Susan, already in the command center and working the controls, spoke through her headset, "Victor, Reed's right. We've got less than six minutes."

Simultaneously.

The cosmic storm, triggered by a disturbance at the universe's edge, had trekked across vast distances and was now nearing Earth.

But.

Ascertaining danger was one thing.

Avoiding it was another.

Six minutes might be enough on Earth for a fierce battle to conclude.

But in space?

Against a deadly cosmic storm, with someone outside in a clunky spacesuit?

Six minutes?

Heh.

That was practically a death sentence.

Boom!

Back on Earth, Lake stood by a window, gazing at the Victor Industries building—three blocks from Stark Tower—when he suddenly looked up at the distant sky. There, beyond mortal sight, a brilliant light streaked toward Earth.

No doubt about it.

The Fantastic Four were born.

But...

Their birth meant one thing: Victor was thoroughly screwed.

"Agatha!"

"Here, sir!"

"How's your study of this world's financial games going?"

"Perfectly, sir."

"Good. Short Victor Industries' stock first, then buy it up big. Victor needs a savior, and I'm going to be that savior."

"Sir, this goes against your earlier plan to stay hidden..."

"That was then. The Fantastic Four, heh. Agatha, someone's crossed universes to mess with me—I don't mind giving them a little push. Besides, there are two ways to hide: like a blind monk swallowing raw, or my way—hiding in plain sight."

"Understood, sir."

"...Wait, short it first. Hold off on buying until I say so."

"Yes, sir!"

As Agatha began setting up to short Victor Industries, Lake turned to Michaela on the couch with a smile, "Ten days from now, you've got something to do."

Michaela blinked, "...What?"

Lake smiled faintly, "Hold on. I need to confirm a few things first."

Michaela: "..."

Lake's memory of Fantastic Four wasn't crystal clear, but the villain stuck with him—his first taste of America's warped sense of values.

In short.

Because of my girlfriend, I bet my company's future on a rival NASA didn't believe in. He failed, my company tanked, and then my girlfriend ran off with him. The result? The broke rival who ruined me and stole my girl became a hero, riding my sponsorship to fame and fortune, while I somehow ended up the bad guy?

Was there any justice in the world?

In the original story, Victor had no one and nowhere to vent his grievances.

But not anymore.

Lake was here, so this time, Victor had a place to make his case.

And!

Lake even suspected Reed's "miscalculation" was intentional.

Don't believe it?

Look at how Reed's described.

Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic, a child prodigy from the start.

Graduated from top-tier schools like Caltech, Harvard, Columbia, and Empire State University—a rich educational background.

His achievements were dazzling.

Doctorates in engineering, mathematics, physics, and more.

In the original timeline, his inventions were so powerful they rivaled gods, earning him the title of Earth's smartest man.

So...

A genius like that making a basic calculation error?

Fool someone else.

Lake, ever one to assume the worst, strongly suspected this was all a scheme by the arrogant Mr. Fantastic...

Victor's company went bust.

His ex-girlfriend Susan fell back into his arms.

See?

What a perfect plan—worthy of a true genius. The so-called "miscalculation" was just an excuse.

Sure enough.

Four hours later, when Victor Industries' spacecraft crash-landed on Earth, news of the accident at the space lab spread like wildfire as the crew was rushed to the hospital.

When that news hit Wall Street, everything changed. Victor had staked his company's future on Reed's mission.

Success would've meant wealth and love for Victor.

Failure? Well, the genius scientist Reed Richards, still fussing over Susan in the ambulance, was the one poised for both.

And so.

The market reacted. Victor Industries' stock, nudged by a mysterious force that timed its entry perfectly, halted its upward climb and plummeted. Stockbrokers scrambled, calling clients to dump Victor's shares fast.

Wall Street stocks were like houses in the East.

One rule.

Buy on the rise, not the fall.