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After realizing his opponent hadn't killed him, Adrian crawled to the side and glanced at Thor, who was spinning his hammer without actually throwing it. Thor seemed hesitant, uncertain if Invisible Woman's telekinesis was pushing him away or if she was merely holding back.
"Listen to me, Susan. I understand the pain you're feeling, but Reed truly betrayed us. Give me a chance to explain," Fury said, trying to calm the furious Susan as he holstered his blaster.
In response, the holographic projection in the conference room shifted to display a laboratory. On the screen, Reed sat before an experimental table, his expression intent and focused. Susan's gaze locked on him, her anger slowly giving way to confusion.
"This footage is from three hours ago; let's fast-forward a bit," Fury said.
The image blurred and then showed Reed struggling in a sea of flames. Susan's pupils constricted in horror as she watched Reed's body twist in agony. Before she could erupt again, Reed's desperate shouts echoed through the conference room.
"Anger! You blind fool! I know what you're afraid of! You're afraid of the future!" Reed cried out.
Reed's voice cracked with madness. "Can't you see the beauty of eternal life? You don't understand! Just a few more minutes, and I could've made Susan and the others… new!"
The room fell silent, Reed's last words still echoing. Susan's gaze remained fixed on the screen as tears streaked down her face. "Why didn't you give him a peaceful death?" she whispered, heartbroken.
Fury lowered his eyes. He knew she was right; the methods they used weren't the kindest. But he also knew Reed's betrayal had left them no choice.
Susan's face contorted with anguish. "I was so foolish," she murmured. She turned and ran out of the room, her heart torn apart.
Torch, fearing his sister might harm herself, quickly followed. Thing, however, paused briefly, offering Adrian a silent nod before leaving.
As Adrian settled back into his chair amid the conference room's wreckage, he looked at Fury. "Where were we?"
"You mentioned another teleportation device in Latveria," Thor reminded him, taking a seat.
"Right, a time-travel machine, practically the same thing. SHIELD's project is far from complete, but the one in Latveria… I'd bet it's nearly operational," Adrian explained.
Fury shook his head skeptically. "I doubt Doom will share his technology with us."
"Maybe not willingly. But I think we have something that Doom might want," Adrian said, a glint in his eye.
"Such as?" Fury asked, intrigued.
"Victor von Doom once attended New York State University, where he met two key people in his life—his nemesis and the love of his life."
"Reed Richards and Susan Storm," Fury muttered, realization dawning. "We've killed his lifelong enemy and saved his former love."
Fury's eyes sparkled with a newfound idea. "It's worth a shot. Let's make contact with Doom."
The two stood, but before they could leave, a loud alarm blared, echoing through the corridors. Red emergency lights flashed across the hall as Hill's voice crackled over the intercom.
"Director, we're detecting an unknown energy source on the deck!" she reported urgently.
Adrian's thoughts raced. This wasn't part of the original storyline. Could his actions have triggered an early attack by the zombie heroes?
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