16592/A Walk with DOOM!

A Walk with DOOM!
Date of Scene:	16 December 2023
Location:	Secret Basement - Latverian Embassy
Synopsis:	Doom tests a Doombot's theory, then has Zora dispose of the disappointing remains. As a reward, Doom invites Zora to join him for dinner.. in Latveria!
Cast of Characters:	Victor Von Doom, Zora Vukovic

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Victor Von Doom has posed:
The sounds of progress fill the underground laboratory of the Latverian embassy nestled within midtown Manhattan and Doctor Victor Von Doom is there to oversee it. The sound begins small at first as the machine begins to cycle. Wom. Wom. Wom. Womm. Womm. Wommm. Wommwommwommwoommm. Everything is going according to plan as the experimental generator begins to power up in the underbelly of New York City. To the right of Doom stands his Herald and perhaps the most beloved public figure of Latveria after Doom himself: Zora Vukovic, otherwise known as VICTORIOUS.

While the scientists and bots work at the behest of Doctor Doom, his cloak billows about with the wind created by the generator. That is until the sudden pop of a miniature explosion within the generator can be heard. What follows is a sharp, metallic screech before the generator begins to power down again with resonating, mournful moans. As the experiment proves itself a failure and the wind begins to decrease, so too does the movement of Doom's cloak until it falls still at his back.

Doom does not speak, nor does he act out with some outlandish or childish show of emotion. The perceptive may note that his right gauntlet briefly flashes and his fingers curl inward into the briefest of closed fists. Once it relaxes Doom's head turns and casts his gaze from his helmet toward his right hand, "All great innovation requires trials and errors," he offers casually. It's clear that Doom does not blame *himself* for the failure. It's likely an error on the part of a Doombot or one of the few organic scientists or engineers.

He does not turn away from the failure though. Each of his gauntlets moves to rest upon the railing of the catwalk which the pair stand upon to oversee the recently failed test. The relative silence lingers for only a moment before Doom announces, "Vibranium is what is needed. Doom requires it for the betterment of Latveria and its people. He makes this announcement just before his helmet turns again to look upon Zora who stands to his side and only slightly behind at his flank, "I trust that you can lead the acquisition of the material as my Champion?"

Zora Vukovic has posed:
Zora stands sentinel, witness to the wonder of Doom's genius, and as always, at his right hand. Close enough that he could reach out and touch her, that a wild gesture could absolutely smash a titanium gauntlet into her face. Showcasing that absolute loyalty and trust that she has in him, that he would not harm his most faithful of servants. The fierce expression on her face is not indicative of any particular emotion, merely how her features settle, the intensity of her gaze equally normal as she passively watches the generator hum to life.

Her own cloak begins to flutter and shift as the generator begins to power up, the fabric first shifting, then lifting to fan out around and behind her. So too do locks of her hair begin to stir, moving around her face and shoulders, whispering against the gilded titanium of her half-helm. And she watches. Her gaze strays only once, briefly, to the left. Taking measure of Doom's implacability, then returning to the invention.

When the generator begins to fail and the shut down process begins, Zora doesn't so much as flinch, though her gaze does once again move away from the flawed workings of the generator, to her lord and master. She gives a single, solemn nod to his response and intones, "A flaw in the material itself, no doubt. We will ensure a more thorough inspection and scan of all components before they are assembled, my lord." Doom does not make mistakes, and no Latverian would dare to disappoint their most magnanimous ruler. Therefore, the fault must lie within the machine itself, its base components.

His command receives another nod, this one swift and sure. "Of course, my lord. You shall have all you require. And I will personally oversee this acquisition to ensure it is of the highest quality. There will not be another error." Her belief, her *faith*, in him is absolute and unyielding.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Once more Doom's attention directs itself ahead. He watches the experimental generator as the few external moving parts come to a gradual, grinding halt. He does not launch into some explanation as to why Zora is correct, nor does Doom try to provide an explanation as to why vibranium of all materials might be of necessity. To Doom the Why behind the need is obvious. It should be obvious to all others.

The Herald of Doom's assurance is given and the ruler of Latveria offers only a solemn nod in return which results in his helmet shifting slightly with the motion. He wastes no further time staring down upon the failure of a test, so deep under the ground of Manhattan. He turns away and his cloak spreads out behind him in regal fashion. Doom begins to move with the catwalk trembling and vibrating beneath the steps of his titanium-alloy boots. Doom does not beckon or summon his Herald to accompany him. He knows that she will fall into step - faithfully and loyally - of her own accord. As much as she may know when her company is permitted; even more so she knows when it is not.

The pair begin to move along the catwalk with their steps echoing within the vast underground chamber and the monarch of Latveria speaks without turning his mask toward his chiefest of servants, "You have promised it," he answers on the subject of her insistence that there will be no further errors, "and it is known that you would not disappoint or lie to your liege."

Zora Vukovic has posed:
Zora would have been surprised if he *had* offered additional explanation. She has had the benefit of a first-rate Latverian education, clearly putting her several steps above any *foreign* education, and she has had the benefit of Doom's personal attention for the last five years. And that is far better than any institution could possibly offer. She needs no further explanation. The vibranium is needed, and his Herald will ensure its delivery to him.

Conversation, such as most view it, is largely unnecessary between the pair. He needs to offer no additional instruction to his Herald, she will see the task accomplished, and without requiring him to waste time and words on telling her how to do her job. She knows. As if they had practiced it, the beat after Doom has turned and started off, the movements are mimicked in Victorious. Falling into line with his steps exactly, as if she were an extension of the great man himself.

Zora doesn't respond to Doom's comment, to do so would be redundant, and redundancy is an annoyance to Doom. She stays in step with him, awaiting the comment that will surely follow the last one made. She won't jeopardize the gravity of the moment with pointless commentary or reassurances. She is Zora Vukovic, Herald of DOOM, VICTORIOUS. Her promise is without question.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Together the pair traverse the catwalk in silence. The silence becomes quite one-sided when Dr. Victor Von Doom comes to an abrupt halt. That halt is so sudden that it very well could have caught even Victorious unprepared and resulted in her taking an additional, unnecessary step forward in her effort to maintain her pace with her lord and master. Just when one begins to question the sudden stillness of the ruler of Latveria they may spy something on the catwalk ahead. For a split second a simple WHUMPH of sound can be heard that seems to create no echo within the subterranean chamber. There is all his glory, adorned in the regalia of Doctor Victor Von Doom is... Doctor Victor Von DOOM.

The Doom to Victorious' left seems to have frozen in place until, finally, its helmed head lowers submissively as the Doombot goes dormant. Yards ahead stands the sovereign of Latveria, his gauntlet wrapped fists planted to his sides and his head held high. Despite the way that his head rests imperiously high, he looks down upon both Victorious and the now dormant Doom with great expectation. That is, at least, until Doctor Doom's right hand lifts from his side and he gestures toward the recently failed experimental generator as he declares, "I see that experiment's experiment failed," he remarks without surprise even lightly tainting his tone. He knew all along that it would fail, but sometimes proof requires the data.

There is no hesitation in Doom's next decree as his right hand moves away from its gesture toward the failed generator experiment. The thick index finger extends to point directly at the - apparently - failed Doombot experiment, "Victorious," he announces with the strength of authority and command ringing within his regal voice, "destroy that *defect*".

Zora Vukovic has posed:
Still in perfect synchronized step with Doom, moving down the catwalk, one might think his halt is too sudden for her to react to. One would be mistaken. Her focus on him is intent enough that even the slightest hitch in step is reacted to before he fully halts in his movement. Watching passively as the bot kneels to the true DOOM, her gaze lifts towards the true lord and master of Latveria. ALL HAIL DOOM! Her right fist comes up to her left shoulder with a slight forward bend from her hips towards him.

Giving a swift nod to his comment, she reports, "It felt that the materials were in error and that vibranium would be needed to absorb the impact of the generator's movements." Such can be the duties of a good right hand at times. She neither questions nor balks at the orders given, understanding that this is DOOM's quest to enhance the already monumentally impressive Doombots.

At his command, Zora reaches to her hip, pulling a rod and extending it out into a spear with a two-pronged head. Bring up the spear, it begins to crackle along its entire length with the magenta-colored Power Cosmic that DOOM bestowed upon her. In a flash, the spear is brought down, swift and hard, through the back of the Doombot's head, driving straight through the internal cortex that runs it's processes, that magenta power crackling and snapping as it fries the circuitry all the way back to the failed bot's power supply.

Pulling back with a mighty yank, she dislodges the weapon from the cranium of the ruined bot and retracts it again to holster the simple rod at her hip. Her head turns ever so slightly as she barks out, "Cleanup! Get this heap out of his lordship's sight immediately!" A pair of men in Latveria fatigues come rushing out across the catwalk to drag the dead bot off for recycling.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Zora springs into action and she is Victorious against her dormant, kneeling foe. This seems to please Doctor Doom, judging by the approving nod of his helmet that he offers. The cowl raised and his regalia replete, the ruler of Latveria turns away and begins to move so that he must not watch such a meaningless operation such as *clean up*. He wastes little time in beginning a discussion anew as Zora no doubt moves to join at his side once again. Doom walks with his gauntlets held at the small of his back, but beneath the cloak that trails after him. "While both prototypes were a failure, there is something to be learned from the failure of others," he intones solemnly with a glance aside to his Herald.

Doom's boots clank and clatter across the catwalk as he and Zora begin to walk aside one another anew. Despite the environment and despite such a mundane mode of travel as *walking*, The Doctor Victor Von Doom, seems to perform it with regal bearing. Possessing the presence and well-measured gait of the Earth's future ruler, the sovereign of Latveria speaks to his Herald with nary a glance in her direction, "Still," he begins, followed by only a moment of pause, "the experiment's determination is accurate. Vibranium is necessary to reduce the destabilization". Another pause, this time more pregnant than the last, before Von Doom concludes, "It is the will of Doom that you carry out its instruction and emerge from your effort, Victorious."

The command built upon the back of an imposter's command is reinforced and Doom does not afford time to its *repeated* confirmation. Instead it is onto more personalized matters that Doctor Doom carries their conversation into as his tone turns respectfully conversational when Doom blesses his Herald with the greatest blessing that he can provide to a mortal being: his friendship, "New York," he begins with the pair of words sounding as though they sour his tongue, "how does it treat you, Zora? Are you eager to return home, walk among your people, and be freed of this foul place?" There's a brief pause before he asks, a wry tone bleeding into his words, "Or have you finally fallen in love with all the *glory* the West has to offer?"

Zora Vukovic has posed:
Without another glance spared for the failed bot, Zora falls into a timed step with Doom, taking the exact position she had with the bot before. After all, she would never disrespect the wishes of DOOM by not performing her part in these experiments as if it were truly DOOM himself and not one of his bots. Moving along at his side, her gaze strays towards him at his words, giving an equally solemn nod of agreement. Her hands remain at her sides, as any good Herald, ready for *anything* that might be asked (or simply commanded).

"It will be so, my lord," his orders confirmed, Victorious doesn't dwell or expect additional instruction from the real Doom anymore than she did from the Doombot. Her own gaze remains facing forward, focused on planning the acquisition already, letting ideas run through the back of her head while the bulk of her attention remains on DOOM.

"It is filthy and crowded and stinks of petulant Western entitlement. I long for the fresh air and beauty of Doomstadt, but my duty is at your side, my liege. So long as you remain, and wish me here, this is where I will remain," her response comes easily, her gaze straying to his mask once more. Shuddering at that final question, she gives a vehement shake of her head, "My love is reserved for my homeland above all, I could never betray Latveria with such a cesspit." Her own pause is brief as she considers everything. "Some of their entertainments are amusing enough, but they lack unity, discipline. They question their leaders at every turn, and their leaders in turn have no care for the wellbeing of their people, only their own pockets. It is amazing the country hasn't devolved into anarchy and war."

Victor Von Doom has posed:
The Herald of Doom has many opinions regarding the West and more specifically New York City. Doctor Doom marches along the catwalk while listening to Victorious without interruption and the glance aside toward her affords her the sight of Doom's small smile visible through the narrow slot of his mask. Doom does not interrupt while she elaborates on her points of view regarding the city, the country, or its leader.

Only when Victorious has stated her case for the glory that is Latveria does Doctor Doom's arm extend to the side. Atop her cloak his gauntlet presses while the palm of it can be felt at the middle of her back. It isn't a lascivious gesture, but one that is shared between comrades and those in pursuit of like ideals. Together and side by side, Doom's voice is delivered richly and powerfully to his right hand, "Expertly you have summed up why Latveria and Doom MUST succeed. The world NEEDS Doom!" Within that usage of Doom it isn't simply speaking of the man. No, that resolute and powerful declaration caters to the whole. All that embodies Doom would be the salvation of the world. The Doctor himself, Latveria, its people, its technology, its social programs, its cultural impacts, and all of it would be achieved in due time. Then they would truly be Victorious.

The gauntlet at her back serves a purpose. As do all of Doom's actions. The next sound that accompanies their side by side steps changes from the metallic clank of the catwalk to the more blunted, solid sound of stone. Suddenly and with the dizzying sensation of teleportation, Doctor Victor Von DOOM and Victorious emerge upon one of the parapets of Castle Doom overlooking Doomstadt. The bitter chill of a Latverian winter - atop a mount no less - hits the pair hard. Doctor Doom does not seem to be at all bothered by that sudden shift from the temperature controlled basement in New York City to the freezing temperatures of Eastern Europe (or Eastern Doomurope). It isn't until he's stepped to the battlements to overlook their mutual home that Doom begins to speak, his voice practically resonating upon the cold air, "That is why you are the Herald of Doom, because your loyalty to land and people will *never* waver. Others will become covetous of power and authority, while you will strive to defend the *stability* of all that we achieve. That is why I bring you here now," Doom remarks while his gaze remains fixed to the lands stretching out below.

Tearing his gaze from Doomstadt below while a gauntlet rises up to rest upon the flat surface of a merlon atop the crenellation. Doom's gaze falls upon his Right Hand once more as he remarks with obvious good cheer, "You deserve to see your home. You have been mired in the United States for some time. While your work there is not done, Doom rewards those who toil alongside him for Latveria. My gift to you: a night at home, to reward your loyal service."