they've got modified features and software brains [ psl ]

[nerdfight]

WHO Victor von Doom (nerdfight) and Misha Hunt (interspace)
WHAT In which science is done, a country is conquered, and Misha has to deal with a narcissistic asshole hellbent on revenge.
WHEN About a year after the sequel
WHERE Various places
WHY because fuck you Richards, that's why

It was something that had been bothering him for a while, a question that had been left unanswered and one that he was finally deciding to spend his time on now that he had to build up his resources and wait instead of attacking. Who was the girl who had appeared out of nowhere and integrated herself with his greatest enemies? She was an unknown variable, a puzzle to be solved, a threat to be destroyed. He needed to figure her out so he could properly dispose of her and move onto his real targets.

That would take time and research and since his last defeat, he'd take things slower so that he could do things properly. First, he watched from afar through cameras and finding videos of her exploits. Her flight was unnatural, something that couldn't be explained like how he and the others could be. Then, he had to take readings where he couldn't be caught. It was easy enough, send a small drone out to take the readings during a fight, with everyone distracted enough to not notice yet another spectator to the match. That was when he noticed it. He needed to study her in person, he had to know if the readings were correct.

So he set up a plan. A test run of his newly created Doombots would do nicely. Five points of attack to separate everyone so that he could grab the little insect like a flytrap, snatch her up in such a way that nobody could save her from his grasp. It was a beautiful day for an attack too, bright and sunny with no chance of rain. Donning his mask and outfit, Doom went out with his army of Doombots and waited on a skyscraper for his target to pass on the way to one company of his Doombots. When she arrived, he would be ready.

Comments

[interspace]

"No!" she denied, shaking her head and trying to bury it into her hands as if to block out the world, Doom's words, almost everything she could. It was fairly obvious she wasn't hearing everything that was being said to her, picking and choosing at random which pieces were filtering through. Disagreement, negativity. Hopelessness swelled up in her and the sobbing increased while she tried to tamp all of it down.

It all hurt. Her body, her heart, her everything. Why did this have to happen?

"I-I'm not gonna start over," she insisted, voice higher-pitched in distress and stuttering for the breaths she couldn't control. Despite all of her despair and freaking out, being held to Doom's chest, having ALFRED in her ear, she was evening out. Slow, sure, and unwilling.

[nerdfight]

Well, that wasn't how he was hoping things would go. So far, this was proving to not be something that he could handle just by going about this like he would and he would really need to think of this in another way. Comforting wasn't something he knew well, as it wasn't something he did personally, but he did remember a time when he was comforted by his father. Almost immediately as he remembered that, he repositioned Misha into a sort of shielding hug and held her close, giving her an awkward pat on the head once he did.

"You don't need to start over," he said, his voice quiet as he looked up and around to make sure nobody was going to see them back there. "You have the power to take us both home, Dragonfly, and loathe that I am to admit it, I don't."

[interspace]

Trying to interpret how someone would react in a panic attack wasn't easy. Thankfully Doom was getting on board with just dealing with the issue at hand whether he actually meant the comfort or the words; it didn't really matter to Misha when she was whipped up into such a state. Her body was trembling heavily while Doom held her, but the quakes were slowly beginning to subside.

"I-I—I can't... We're in Thor," she said. It was warbled and not quite clear, but at least her voice was lower than it had been. She was trying to focus on the facts, what was happening around them, even if it was one of the worst possibilities. "We can't be here."

[nerdfight]

"Then we won't stay here," he stated firmly, still keeping her close to help calm her down more. This was all so that she could get them home, he reasoned with himself, so of course he could show some emotions beyond his usual arrogance and distance from other people. "We'll leave as soon as we can, does that work for you?"

With the way Misha was reacting to someone she recognized, something was likely to happen while they were here and it would be for the best for them to avoid, but considering the state she was in, there was no way Misha would be able to get very far. She would need to rest and it was up to Doom to make sure that she did so. Once she's calmed down, of course.

[interspace]

It was weird how Doom was still warm to the touch, lifelike, despite the whole metal body thing. She didn't understand the biology of it and doubted that she ever would, yet the warmth and human touch was comforting right now. She would do quite a lot not to be separated from the one thing she knew to be true right here, right now. Victor von Doom (and ALFRED, but he was practically an extension of Misha herself nowadays and didn't quite count as the same).

She nodded in response, body wavering with the motion, and pressed herself against him. A lame attempt to block out the world around her, especially as a car horn went off somewhere close by and she flinched. It took several minutes after that to regain herself, eventually becoming still.

"That was..."

She paused, hunched her shoulders. Now that she was more clearheaded, she had better brace for being shoved away. Doom was being ridiculously pragmatic and not more antagonistic than she could handle right now and she appreciated that, but she also knew the kind regard would only last as long as she was a tool he needed. Knowing her luck, he'd figure out how to replicate this phenomenon sometime soon and leave her alone all over again somewhere even worse than this. Not that she needed to be borrowing more trouble than she was in.

Shaking her head minutely, she exhaled slow and strong. "Wasn't expecting that," she admitted. "Not Thor, of all people and places..."

[nerdfight]

To Doom, it wasn't much of a surprise that he was still warm. Computers gave off heat, so why couldn't a metallic humanoid lifeform with way too much electricity do the same? Plus it helped that it was a warm environment and his skin still existed to take in heat for him. As long as he appeared normal on the outside, it didn't really matter what the internal workings were.

If she was expecting him to push her away, she'd be waiting for a while. It wouldn't be worth it to push her away while she was still injured and somewhat shaken up. He'll let her move at her own pace for the moment.

"I can see that," he replied back without a second thought. "It's a good idea if we avoid him for now, if your previous comment of 'not again' was a sign of things to come."

[interspace]

She was tense while waiting for that moment. She didn't move away, however, and soon she settled back against him experimentally. Now that she was thinking clearly again, she did know he needed her so if Misha was going to be brazen and try things out to see the depths of Doom's tolerance, now would be the time.

"It's been so long," she said, "that I don't remember when those things come."

Which was certainly a problem. She remembered the broad strokes, about trying for the hammer and failing and making peace with earning its favor back and then Loki pretending that Odin was dead and all that jazz, but it was not very linear nor was it well-paced. More importantly to them, they would have to contend with a town being ripped apart by Loki's hissyfit and deal with the Destroyer whose technology would eventually—

She sucked in a breath and let her head rest against Doom's collarbone in minor defeat.

"You get what I'm getting at, right?"

[nerdfight]

For a crazy man with a low tolerance for dealing with most people, he was doing pretty okay with Misha putting out feelers to test the limits of his perceived kindness. He wasn't going to stop her just yet, instead merely watching her and following the thread of the conversation. Her inability to remember the timeline was troubling, but it's something he could prepare for.

"If you don't know when things are coming, then it looks like we'll have to be cautious while we're still here," Doom answered, looking down at her. "When we've found a place to stay for the night, I'm sure we can discuss what all you remember of this world."

[interspace]

She grunted at that, nodding reluctantly. Much as she hated having conversations like this and still avoided them wherever possible, Misha knew the stakes of staying quiet on this one. It wasn't the same sort of thing where she had been young and terrified and unsure of where she stood with the Fantastic Four in being heard, making a difference before everything was too late. With Doom, there was an entirely different foundation to work around.

"I'd rather sleep for a week," she said. She still felt like she'd been hit by a titanium steel bullet train (thanks, Doom) but there were bigger problems at hand than her own physical comfort. "Since this is pretty important, I'll try to put off those forty winks first. We should probably get moving," she added slowly.

[nerdfight]

If you didn't want the spoiler chat, Misha, then you shouldn't have dragged Victor von Doom through the multiverse and dumped him right in the middle of the MCU. But this is a completely different situation and Doom isn't going to have the same reaction that the Fantastic Four had when she revealed things to them back then.

"There will be time to rest afterwards, I will see to it." Practicality was winning out over everything else in Doom's mind and he was going to make sure she was taken care of as she was not only his only source of information in this world, but she was also the key to him returning home and following through on whatever plans he has for the future. "For now, are you ready to move?"

[interspace]

It wasn't an easy thing to cope with, but Misha would deal. She always did, even if now was more difficult than ever with all of her trauma slapping her in the face at once. The fact that a notorious supervillain was being somewhat nice to her while she struggled helped, if only for the jarring surreality of the situation. She didn't want to meddle, but their lives probably depended on it insofar as they were going to be in the middle of a terribly destructive action scene if they stayed too long.

"As ready as I was before all this," she admitted reluctantly. She hadn't gotten food and she wasn't really ready to stand, but she could force herself as necessary and now more than ever she needed to be able to function until they were actually safe. She stretched a bit, pulling her power together to help her as she made to move out of Victor's arms and onto her feet.

Puppeting herself into some sort of normal motion was not her favorite activity. It would have to do for now, regardless.

Knowing this wasn't the most practical, but still had its uses, she added, "We'll get further if we stand out less. At least for a couple of minutes."

[nerdfight]

For all that Doom was mentally unstable, he was painfully aware that he needed to be the stable one of the two of them right now. The fact that the multiverse was real was overwhelming, the fact that the only way home was Richards' pet project was more than a little frustrating, he hated it all, but he couldn't rage like he wanted to. This girl, this dragonfly needed support and if he had to break this universe to make sure that he was able to do so and then get home to the only place that mattered, well, then that's what he'll do.

Not that he'd ever give a hint about any of that to Misha, not when she seems to not want to get involved.

He watches her pull herself up and his hold loosens and arms move out of the way so she can move away from him without much issue. There's inconsistencies in her movement, ever so slight, that he picks up on and figures she's using her flight to make sure he can stand.

"We won't be doing much to stand out for long," he says with a certainty he doesn't feel. A lone superhero and supervillain not standing out? Impossible, especially since Doom is acutely aware that he's got at least one cut revealing his metallic interior, who knows if there's any more. "First, we're going to find somewhere to rest. While the information in your head is important, the fact that your body cannot keep up is going to be an even bigger problem as time goes on."

[interspace]

"I know that, Mr. Practical," said Misha, trying not to snap at him as her wits really settled. Her memory wasn't bad, per se, but keeping up with what had happened and then what would happen wasn't going to be easy if she kept draining her reserves with random panic attacks and villain fights. She knew that. She knew it, but it was still so much to take in and ALFRED pumping her playlists to keep her steady would only help so much.

She sighed, turning her head away to survey the tiny town that would be the site of a terrible battle sooner than later. "There's got to be a motel somewhere we can slip into. Anywhere I can go vertical and you can plug into an outlet or whatever." Then a thought occurred and she turned to regard Doom thoughtfully, asking, "Can you charge up in a thunderstorm? Are you a lightning rod?"

[nerdfight]

As much as Doom wanted to immediately take offense to the quick nickname, they had better things to do than bicker. He stands once she's 'standing' away from him and brushes what dust and sand he can get off his clothes, which is not much considering their escapades in the desert practically embedded it into his clothes.

"We won't find it here. We should get moving," Doom says as he takes a few steps away to get a good look at their surroundings. Southwest Americana, he hates it, but they're here and he'll have to tolerate it for now.

There's a pause as he takes in her question and he's almost about to ask what kind of question is that before he stops and realizes that no, that's actually practical to ask in his situation. "I haven't had the chance to test it, personally, but I believe I could charge myself that way."

[interspace]

They were both gigantic messes in need of a shower and new wardrobe, but they also had to stay together in case of anything else insane happening, so it would need to wait until after they'd found somewhere soft to metaphorically land. She sighed and said, "I'm not asking for abstract reasons. Lightning is going to be a big problem soon."

Once they started to walk, it became easier as she got into the groove. Momentum and practice while she practically piloted herself from the outside would have looked awkward if they hadn't already stood out like sore thumbs. "ALFRED got a GPS lock on a motel, it's this way."

[nerdfight]

Getting to the motel was the first priority right now, they needed to rest and recharge before either of them could think about anything else. Although Doom was concerned by her comments about lightning. He wasn't afraid, but there was a healthy dose of concern, mostly for his skin.

"The you and ALFRED can lead the way, dragonfly," he says calmly as he keeps an eye on her and their surroundings as he follows her towards the motel. This place was still an unknown and he couldn't help but keep his guard up until they were back home.

[interspace]

Misha went quiet as they walked, the fear and discomfort warring with the absolute exhaustion of it all weighing her down. She couldn't really think straight, worries working her up into an internal frenzy. They were in another fictional universe and she had no idea how she'd really put them here, and not sure she could get them home even if they managed to leave. That terrifying landscape that haunted her dreams was surely not going to let her rest later, but what other choice did she have than to try?

Even if all that weren't enough, she was here with Victor von Doom, who was insane, evil and incredibly pragmatic about his own survival and interests. Ruthlessly so. It was only pure luck that those interests aligned with keeping her alive and healthy right now. She knew he wouldn't do anything to harm her while she was his meal ticket, but what about after? Would he capture her and try to study her powers all over again? Impossible to say, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it while he was right there to remind her.

Not to mention they would soon be in the middle of an alien attack, and for the absolute life of her, she couldn't remember the sequence of events clearly enough to know when! She grunted and bonked a fist against her temple in frustration. This was getting nowhere, but getting her mind off it was impossible. Stupid Thor.

[nerdfight]

If there's anything he could pick up from other people, it was when they were overthinking things and trying to carry burdens that they didn't need to keep to themselves. Doom was no idiot; he could tell that Misha was worried about the world they found themselves in and his own presence as her unwilling companion in this situation. Part of him wanted to sigh in frustration because while he was perfectly aware of his own failings-- not that he'd admit that he had failings, mind you-- he wasn't going to ruin anything by immediately lashing out when he had the freedom to do so.

Stepping to her side, he placed a hand on her shoulder before he lets out a soft sigh and says, "This isn't the time to think about all of this. You need to worry about getting some rest first. Whatever may happen later, we'll be able to handle it."

[interspace]

While she wasn't exactly unaware of her surroundings, the hand on her shoulder got a jump out of Misha. She looked up at him only briefly, glancing away to focus on ALFRED's directions, and she'd say, "I know you're right, okay? Try telling that to my brain."

It wasn't the best place to be on a good day. Right now was not a good day. If this hadn't been such a podunk town, they could have remotely checked in to the motel and skipped dealing with anyone at all, but at least it was a short walk and she just grit her teeth through it and played up the exhausted traveler to let Doom take over until she could sit down and let her body rest, even if her mind was determined to buzz angrily at their circumstances.

[nerdfight]

His hand stays on her shoulder for a brief moment before he pulls it away. Comfort was never his strong suit, even if he knew the concept back when he was still a child and still had people around him who cared, but knowing of it and acting it out are two completely different things.

For now, he'll just take the lead and once they get to the motel, Doom works on getting them a room, playing up his natural charm and making sure to make good use of his stolen cash to make sure there's no problems getting a room and after a few minutes of haggling and mild flirting, he gets the keys to a room and focuses on directing Misha to it so that she can sleep.

[interspace]

It was a quiet trudge to their room in the small motel, somewhere sparse but clean and she'd just move to sit on the bed and scoot herself against the backboard with a groan. "Okay, so, this is Thor, which I think was... 2010? 2012? It's been a long time, I'm a little fuzzy on those details," she began, voice turning into a bit of a thoughtful drone. "It's an origin story, so we've gotta deal with Thor coming into his own and realizing his brother is turning evil and at some point there's a giant robot attack on the town."

It would be really nice if she could muster up anything but the highlights right now, but Doom at least deserved those before she conked out. If nothing else than to be prepared for the both of them; given the Four's super-heating trick from years ago, the pure heat and power from the Destroyer could be a problem. Did Thor call down a whole storm during the fight, or was she mixing that up with some other scene? Rain would be a huge problem to contrast the laser beams, actually.

[nerdfight]

As soon as they get to the room, he sits down on a chair by a little table and closes his eyes briefly. He listens to what she's saying, taking it all in and things she mentioned before start to make sense to him. Mythology may not have been something he had a lot of dealings with, he at least knew Thor was a god of thunder. Of course this had to be where they ended up at.

"So, we're stuck in the middle of a sibling battle of godly proportions, we don't know when anything is set to happen, but it is going to happen," he says with a soft sigh of frustration. If only Misha could control her powers and bring them back home so that they don't have to deal with this, but she can't and they just have to go forward. "Get some rest, I'll go out and get us food and clean clothes. We can't keep walking around looking like this."

[interspace]

Misha would look at him warily, tiredly, exhaustion dragging her down until she'd move to set ALFRED aside on the nightstand and lay down along the bed. She'd slept with the device on her before but it was never a comfortable experience and she was already going to struggle to stay asleep, so it wasn't in her best interest to be unfair to herself.

"You owe me aspirin," she reminded him, voice already on the way to muffled by sleep, "'n I want a notebook to try and plot this stuff out."

Really, she should have covered herself up or done anything else but honestly there was no shot of that. As soon as she laid down, the battle was lost, and she was down for the count. How long she'd actually stay asleep was another matter entirely.

[nerdfight]

"Aspirin and a notebook, got it," he says as he opens his eyes and watches her fall asleep before he gets to work.

Standing up, he goes to pick up ALFRED and interrogate him on her clothing sizes before he sets the device back down and leaves the room to go pick up a few things for them, starting with clothes. He ignores the weird looks from the locals and instead focuses on his tasks. Everything is easy enough to find with a bit of searching and asking locals where he can find things and after an hour or two, he's back in the hotel room with a couple backpacks full of clothes and supplies they'll need to survive off the grid a bit, as well as the aspirin and notebook Misha asked for, which he places next to ALFRED for her to use once she wakes up.

Goal complete, Doom heads to the shower and cleans off the dirt and grime from his skin and searches for any damage, which there is a few cuts showing glints of metal that are easily hidden by clothes and gloves. With the shower done and him dried off and dressed in clothes that scream cowboy more than business CEO and gloves to cover scratches on his hands, he settles back into the chair and closes his eyes to rest up, even if sleep eludes him due to his powers.

[interspace]

It really wasn't as long as it should be, the dead-sleep Misha fell into, before she rocked up to her hands with a gasp and wide eyes. Her gaze did a rapid scattering survey of the room while her chest heaved with panting breaths, catching sight of Doom and wildly starting to relax as her situation came back to her. It wasn't good, but it wasn't the nightmares of permanent alienation, no hope for going back home (to either of them), and the hopelessness of nothing waiting for her anywhere she went.

This was solid, and real, and they had a chance of getting out of here. Maybe even before shit hit the fan in this universe, but that one didn't really seem all that likely depending on how long she had been out for. As her mind caught up to the circumstances, she took in the reality in front of her as well.

"That's, uh... very Brokeback Mountain of you, isn't it?" she asked, brows raising past her hairline.