Noticing that the machine has been turned off, Doom's anger boils over. "You wish to make a fool of me? Face my fury!" he bellows, his voice laced with menace and indignation as he points his hands towards her.
ZAP!
BAM!
Crackle!
Doctor Doom's electronic beam surges forward, piercing the air with crackling energy. Susan scrambles to erect a forcefield barrier, but it shatters upon impact like fragile glass.
"AAH!" Susan's cry echoes through the room as the electric blast strikes her squarely, hurling her into the wall.
"This is the consequence of opposing Doom," Doom declares, his voice cold and commanding as he turns his gaze toward me. "Now, it is your turn to face the Doom!"
Plan 1: Charge at Doom
Plan 2: Attack Doom with fire
Plan 3: Attack Reed with fire
Plan 4: Attack with forcefield blast alone
Plan 5: Taunt Doom with telepathy to have him focus on me.
Plan 6: Charge straight at him, aiming to reach him and touch him to null his powers with Anti-Power before he can unleash his Electrical Blast. If he manages to blast me, rely on my Forcefield power, with Susan's assistance, to withstand the attack.
Plan 7: Instead of blasting Doom with a Forcefield, use it to push and cage him against the wall with Susan's help. Doom's new metallic body can resist my attack but it should not give him the strength to break free from my force prison. Once he is stuck use my Anti-Power to de-power him.
_
[Plan 6 Selected]
_
Turn 4
(Lucas) Health 100; End: 15 (Will use 6)
Forcefield Def_1: 29
Forcefield Def_2 : 32
(Susan) Health (62/80) End:15
(Doctor Doom) AC: 30; Health (297/300); End: 89 (Will use 6)
Electrical Blast_1: 30
Electrical Blast_2: 30
_
Doom's assault on Susan unfolds too swiftly for me to intervene. Anger and concern intertwine as I watch her slammed against the wall by the force of his attack.
With urgency, I summon a psionic shield to defend myself as Doom swiftly directs his palm towards me next.
ZAP!
Boom!
The force of Doom's Electrical Blast slams against my shield, driving me back with its sheer power. Straining against the onslaught, I fight to maintain it intact.
Crack!
Despite my efforts, the relentless force of the attack proves overwhelming, causing my psionic shield to fracture.
"Break for Doom!" Doom's command echoes through the room as he intensifies his assault.
Shatter!
With a resounding shatter, my shield gives way, but not without absorbing much of the Electric Blast's energy.
Sizzle!
Residual electric currents course through my skin, the absence of armour leaving my bare body vulnerable to the shock, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through me.
"See how futile your attempts are against the might of Doom!" Doctor Doom's voice resonates with haughty arrogance.
"You will pay for hurting Susan!" My voice carries a mix of determination and indignation as I charge toward him.
"It seems you are in need of another taste of my lightning," Doctor Doom retorts, gathering power into his hand and directing it at me.
ZAP!
This time, I am prepared, concentrating intensely to conjure a stronger psionic shield while continuing my advance.
BAM!
The force of the Electronic Blast against my shield is just as formidable as before, but I grit my teeth and push forward with determination. Despite the struggle, I maintain my momentum and press through the beam, my shield absorbing the impact.
With sheer effort, I manage to close the distance to Doom. As I near him, he halts his attack, most probably surprised by my proximity. Even my psionic shield falters and fizzles out in the intense confrontation.
_
Turn 5
(Lucas) Health (99/100); End: 9 (Will use 5)
Strength: 30 [Dubs Crit]
Agility: 24
Personal Anti-Power: 32
(Susan) Health (62/80); End:18
(Doctor Doom) AC: 30; Health (297/300) ; End: 83 (Will use 6)
Strength: 20
Agility: 16
Saving Roll: 35
_
As I close in on him, Doctor Doom redirects his focus from his Electric Blast attack to a physical assault against me.
"Coming near me was a mistake," Doctor Doom sneers as he swiftly throws a punch in my direction.
Swish!
His punch goes straight for me, catching me off guard as I have just closed in the distance. However, a remnant of my fading psionic shield intercepts the attack, dissipating as it absorbs the impact.
The blow then hurtles towards me, but it feels more like a gentle nudge than a forceful strike. Despite his menacing words, Doctor Doom's attack seems surprisingly ineffective.
I catch the surprise in Doom's eyes, seizing this chance I grasp his hand and invoke my ability, Personal Anti-Power. Despite its sensation being submerged beneath the weight of Personal Anti-Force within me, I manage to access it.
With determination, I direct this power at Doctor Doom's body.
"What are you doing?" he demands, his voice laced with both confusion and indignation, as his metal-clad hand begins to revert to human flesh under my power.
With a smirk, I intensify my efforts, determined to expedite the transformation.
"You dare to take Doom's Powers away from him? I won't let you! No one is allowed to take away what belongs to me!" Doctor Doom's voice reverberates with anger as he clenches his fists, metal resuming its dominance over his form.
I watch in astonishment as his once-human facade regresses to its metallic state. Despite my efforts to exert my power once more, it is all for naught, it's as if his body is actively resisting my power's intrusion.
"Do you have any other tricks to try against Doom?" His words carry a haughty defiance, reflecting his unwavering confidence in his superiority.
I feel the weight of exhaustion settling upon me after exerting my powers repeatedly. Before I can formulate my next move, a translucent figure hurtles towards Doctor Doom in front of me.
I recognise the translucent figure as Reed, currently invisible. Susan must have activated her powers, but because my abilities mirror hers, I can still perceive invisible entities as translucent figures just like her.
"What sorcery is this?" Doctor Doom's voice rings out with incredulity, as he futilely struggles against the unseen force binding and pulling him.
Reed's remarkable flexibility comes into play as he ensnares Doctor Doom, dragging him forcefully towards the window.
Smash!
Before I can offer any assistance, the sound of shattering glass fills the air as they plummet downward from the top floor of the Baxter Building.
I exhale deeply, relieved that the immediate danger has passed, and quickly make my way to Susan, who is sitting on the ground, clutching her head.
"Sue, are you okay?" I ask, concern evident in my voice as I carefully inspect her for any injuries.
"I am fine," Susan replies, her brow furrowed in discomfort. "But Reed won't be able to hold him off for long. We need to go help him," she adds, her tone laced with worry.
"Huh? Ouch!" I notice Ben rising from the wreckage of machines he was thrown into.
"Ben, are you okay? What happened? How are you human again?" Susan rushes to his side forgetting her own injuries, extending a hand to help him up.
"Victor, that son of a bitch…. he cured me, but then he hit me. He must have knocked me out," Ben grumbles, wincing in pain as he struggles to stand with Susan's support.
Susan fills Ben in on what had happened.
"That bastard! I knew he was evil. He must have tricked me so he could take away my powers!" Ben seethes with hatred.
"Yeah, we had no idea he was also affected by the accident," Susan sighs, her expression troubled.
"We have to go after Reed; he needs our help!" Ben's voice trembles with worry as he gazes toward the shattered window.
"You are not going anywhere, Ben," Susan asserts firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Stay here. Without your powers, facing him would be suicide. Don't worry; we will confront him," she adds, seeking confirmation from me with a determined look.
"B-but..." Ben begins to protest but falls silent with a resigned sigh.
"What should we do now, Luke?" Susan's voice breaks through my thoughts, her concern evident in her gaze.
I ponder my options.
I surmise that Reed and Doom are likely on the streets by now. Given their resilience, I doubt the fall has harmed them much, even from this height.
Johnny has yet to return, but I anticipate he has likely neutralised the missile threat by now and will be returning shortly.
As for myself, the previous skirmish has left me feeling quite fatigued.
Plan 1: Go directly down (Small increase in End) Reed himself was still frozen and hurt, he needs backup stat.
Plan 2: Wait here for a while before going down (Moderate increase in End) Reed will be able to take on Doom for a while right?
Plan 3: Wait here for Johnny to come back. I am in need of serious firepower for taking Doom on, Its not like Reed will die by then, right?
Plan 4: I can suggest to Ben that he could potentially regain his powers by using the machine. Since I believe his power has only been temporarily suppressed and will definitely resurface given enough time, and the machine should be capable of restoring them instantly.
Plan 5: If things get dicey use Ben as a human shield (I will honour his sacrifice by banging his girls on his funeral) [A joke.....or is it?]
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