"What did you just say?!"
Reed Richards was unmistakably enraged.
From the moment he was born, he had been heaven's favored child.
He graduated from Caltech, Harvard, Columbia University, and Empire State University, earning doctorates across multiple fields. World-class institutions, world-class credentials.
Yet Reed had never used those achievements to boast.
Because to him, all of that was simply normal.
What he pursued was true scientific accomplishment. From beginning to end, he believed one thing without question: he was the smartest man on Earth.
Tony Stark. Hank Pym.
So-called geniuses like them were, in his eyes, merely people qualified to stand beside him.
Never once did he believe they surpassed him.
And step by step, he was proving himself right.
Over the years, he had conducted research across countless disciplines. At a young age, he had already rented an entire building for his work.
Rented, not bought, not because he could not afford it, but because every dollar he had went into equipment, instruments, and experiments.
Those were his achievements.
He looked down on Victor von Doom. He looked down even more on Nolan Locke.
To Reed Richards, these people were nothing more than detestable businessmen.
He had the right to be proud.
And he had always been proud.
But now
Nolan Locke, a man with no research achievements worth mentioning, had just called him pathetic.
Baymax-style robots?
What kind of trash was that?
If Reed wanted to, he could design something far superior in a single day.
How could he not be furious?
Everyone in the room felt the heat of Reed Richards' anger.
Susan Storm even tugged lightly at Nolan's sleeve, silently urging him to stop.
If Reed Richards were capable of communicating with others, they would not have fallen out in the first place.
But Nolan did not stop.
"Isn't it true?
"I don't know what Ben Grimm means to you.
"But even without knowing him well, I know this. He had a promising career ahead of him. Because of a single sentence from you, he gave up everything and chose to help you.
"Now look at him. He has become this. And what have you done?
"Have you ever shown even a shred of concern for him?
"When he was arguing with Johnny, where were you?"
Nolan looked at Reed Richards with open mockery.
"You were researching. Researching your abilities. Trying to explore something even greater."
"I can handle those things myself!" Reed shot back, his eyes burning with fanatic intensity.
"You don't understand what these changes mean. Once we unravel the secrets of what happened to us, humanity will evolve!"
"Heh."
Nolan let out a quiet laugh of contempt.
Ben Grimm's expression dimmed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Reed's right," Ben said. "I can handle this. And Reed has more important things to do."
As he spoke, it was as if he was holding back a breath.
It was hard to tell from his rocky face.
"With Reed's ability, maybe one day he can figure out a way to turn me back."
Nolan sighed softly.
Ben Grimm really was the kind of friend anyone would envy.
With someone like him, you could trust him completely. You could always turn your back to him without fear.
Unfortunately, he had met Reed Richards.
Reed shot Nolan a provocative glance.
"Did you hear that? This has nothing to do with you."
The moment the words left his mouth, Reed felt a rush of satisfaction.
Because those were the exact words Nolan Locke had once thrown back at him.
Nolan's expression did not change in the slightest.
He simply said calmly, "You remember what I said back then, but can you forget how much pain Ben Grimm is in right now?"
Nolan's words did not only stab Reed Richards.
Johnny Storm's expression darkened as well.
From the very beginning, it felt as though Nolan's words were aimed at him.
Had he done something wrong?
Johnny did not think so.
He hated the big guy.
Just like the big guy hated him.
Apologize?
Not a chance.
Nolan had no intention of dealing with Johnny Storm.
He knew exactly how bad their relationship was. Comforting someone just because their enemy was suffering? No such saint existed in the world.
Besides, he knew Johnny Storm well enough. He was reckless, unreliable, and frankly, a jerk. At least for now.
But Nolan was certain of one thing.
Reed Richards was truly angry.
His expression went beyond rage. It looked as though he wanted to devour Nolan alive.
Reed was not stupid. He just had terrible emotional intelligence.
Nolan's words had already made him aware of his own problems.
But he had no intention of changing.
Instead, humiliation twisted into fury, and he wanted to teach Nolan Locke a lesson.
He raised his fist and swung it toward Nolan.
Nolan narrowed his eyes. Reed Richards' ability was troublesome, but not frightening.
Just then
"That's enough!"
A sharp command rang out.
Susan Storm's blonde hair flared as a powerful presence surged around her. An invisible force halted Reed's fist in midair.
She looked at Reed Richards with deep disappointment.
"Reed, are you really going to lay hands on an ordinary person?"
Nolan shrugged, offering no explanation.
Not fighting was fine. Even if they did fight here, it would be meaningless.
He would find another opportunity to give Reed Richards something far bigger.
Reed glared at Nolan.
His gaze flickered briefly toward Ben. Ben's eyes looked different from usual.
Damn you, Nolan Locke!
Reed roared inwardly.
He was furious.
But he had nowhere to vent it.
In the end, he could only speak stiffly, suppressing his anger.
"I will try to develop a way to reverse these changes. Superpowers should be a personal choice. Everyone deserves the right to choose."
Nolan let out a light chuckle and said to Ben Grimm, "Looks like you might get your chance to recover. Reed Richards may be a terrible human being, but at least he is capable."
Ben nodded, then hesitated.
"Reed… isn't a bad guy. He's just… just…"
In the end, Ben glanced at Reed Richards' retreating back and fell silent.
He did not think Reed was awful, but for some reason, he could not come up with a convincing argument anymore.
Nolan smiled without a sound.
He was also watching Reed Richards' back.
Was it possible that this world might gain a Doctor Doom, while the Fantastic Four became the Fantastic Three?
Just thinking about it was exciting.
Nolan casually wrapped an arm around Susan's waist, openly staking his claim.
Susan did not resist. In fact, she looked happy.
She had never been someone who hid her feelings.
Johnny Storm's expression soured.
To be honest, after what had just happened, he already disliked Nolan Locke quite a bit.
"Nolan Locke, watch your behavior," Johnny snapped. "You two aren't officially together yet!"
Nolan smiled.
"Sorry. I thought we already were."
As he spoke, he gently pinched Susan's cheek and leaned in to kiss her.
Seeing Johnny's frustrated expression filled Nolan with a wicked sense of satisfaction.
Today's visit had exceeded expectations.
Not only had he thoroughly scolded Reed Richards, he had also left Johnny fuming.
Most importantly, the Fantastic Four were one step closer to falling apart.
Before leaving, Nolan turned to Ben and said with a hint of hesitation, "Your ability comes with a terrible price. But a flawed appearance cannot corrupt a good heart."
It was obvious encouragement, almost cliché.
But it worked.
Ben Grimm appreciated it.
Even though he was anxious, he had already prepared himself for the possibility that he might never change back.
To him, Nolan's words were sincere comfort.
After visiting the Fantastic Four, Nolan returned home and quietly waited for what would come next.
In truth, events unfolded far faster than he expected.
The Fantastic Four began to grow more active.
Though internal conflicts ran deep, Reed Richards still managed to bind them together with his intellect.
Even Susan, despite gaining her abilities, worried about potential hidden dangers.
Meanwhile, at Doom Industries
Victor was summoned to several board meetings at the shareholders' insistence.
During this time, he also confirmed his own abilities.
He now possessed a metallic body, along with the power to absorb electricity.
His skin resembled living flesh, but once damaged, it revealed the metallic sheen beneath.
He could feel it clearly.
He had already crossed the line that separated humans from something else.
Another board meeting convened.
The shareholders once again applied pressure.
Victor suppressed his anger and explained calmly, "Give me a little more time. It won't be long before Doom Industries stands back up."
He already knew what they would say next.
"Victor, we've already given you too many chances this past month," one shareholder said angrily.
Victor thought grimly, as expected. Same words as always.
But the next second, the man's expression turned cold.
"Sorry. This time, you will not get another chance. The board has unanimously decided to remove Victor von Doom from the position of CEO, effective immediately."
Victor's mind went blank.
Then he shot to his feet, fury blazing.
"You can't do this!"
Doom Industries was his creation, built with his blood and sweat.
"You can't just throw me out like this!"
As he shouted, the lights in the conference room flickered wildly, unsettling the board members.
This had happened several times recently.
But his protest was meaningless.
Victor glared at the shareholder who had spoken.
"You will regret this."
The man sneered. "You have one month."
Regret?
In one month, Doom Industries would belong to him.
The first thing he would do was smash that Victor statue in the lobby.
He had hated that damned sculpture for a long time.
No, he would not even wait a month.
He would do it tomorrow.
The next day, when Victor entered the building in a daze, he saw his statue toppled and broken.
His anger continued to build.
But he forced it down.
He still had a chance.
As long as he found a solution within the month.
Soon, he saw the news. The Fantastic Four were gaining fame.
Victor went to see Reed Richards.
He hoped Reed's brilliant mind could help him escape this crisis.
After all, if not for Reed Richards, none of this would have happened.
But
Reed Richards looked at Victor calmly.
After hearing his request, Reed said, "I'm sorry. I don't have that capability."
Then he added, "I regret that the experiment failed, but that couldn't be helped. Right now, I have many other things to deal with."
His mind was consumed by gamma radiation research.
Victor von Doom?
This had nothing to do with him.
What Reed despised most were people who worked solely for money.
That was why he had never liked Victor.
And why he also despised Nolan Locke.
Reed Richards' response shattered Victor completely.
He felt the urge to kill him.
Reed's indifference was unbearable.
At that moment, Victor's fury was nearly ignited beyond control.
Damn them.
All of them.
He had no other options left.
He even considered murder.
He had power now.
If he obtained Reed Richards' research results, his company would naturally recover.
Even if not Reed, if he killed that shareholder, he would buy himself more time.
And in that time, he would succeed.
He was Victor von Doom.
Back in his office, night had already fallen.
Darkness enveloped Doom Industries. Only a few scattered lights suggested people were still working inside.
Victor stared at the iron mask on his desk, holding a glass of red wine.
Perhaps he really should do it.
Just then
Victor suddenly turned.
"Who are you?!"
A figure stood in the corner.
He had no idea when the person had appeared.
Victor's pupils contracted, but fear did not appear on his face.
He had never been afraid before. Now, with his newfound power, even less so.
"Looks like you're considering killing someone," a familiar voice said.
The voice continued, "But perhaps you have another option. You don't necessarily have to walk that path.
"If you need it, I can invest thirty million dollars."
The figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Nolan Locke?" Victor said in surprise.
Nolan's expression was calm.
Victor frowned. He did not understand why Nolan Locke had appeared here.
Nor how he had guessed his thoughts.
But
"Thirty million won't solve anything," Victor said, swirling his wine.
"Still, I appreciate the gesture. You can leave. We have no basis for cooperation."
He was deeply unsettled by how Nolan had entered, and by his words. It had actually stopped him from acting.
Nolan did not leave.
"No. We do.
"This space mission cost both of us dearly. Only Reed Richards walked away with everything.
"Perhaps… we can work together."
…