2840/Happy Doom's Day Richards!

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Happy Doom's Day Richards!
Date of Scene: 14 August 2020
Location: Four Freedoms Plaza - Midtown
Synopsis: Doctor Doom unleashes an evil new contraption upon the Fantastic Four. The 5-in-1 Doombot! Reed and Susan make short work of these Doombots and Valeria tames one for whatever hinjinx may come from that. Then Doom sits down with the family to discuss what he views as a real problem... the fact that aliens want to attack Doom's world. Oh, and Mamabear Sue makes several appearances throughout!
Cast of Characters: Victor Von Doom, Susan Richards, Reed Richards, Valeria Richards, Franklin Richards




Victor Von Doom has posed:
It is a late summer afternoon in Midtown Manhattan. A bit hotter than one might like for the middle of August maybe, but a clear and pretty day nonetheless. The area around Four Freedoms Plaza is quiet with a bit of foot traffic now and again.

At around 6 PM, the sound of a small jet can be heard. Before long the source of the sound can be seen and the sound of it propelling itself towards Four Freedoms grows as it nears.

A massive figure of Doctor Doom lands directly in front of the building. It is easily 2.5 times larger than the actual Doom in his armor, so it's status as a Doombot is pretty apparent from cursory scans. There's also another key difference about this Doombot that separates it from others that the Fantastic Four have seen in the past. This one has a blue tunic with a 4 on its chest and blue cloak for some reason.

Differences aside, when it speaks, it speaks with the voice of Victor von Doom: "RIIIIIICCHHAARRDDSS!!" It's loud enough to shake some of the glass of the windows of Four Freedoms and some of the nearby buildings. The Doombot then folds its arms and waits.

Susan Richards has posed:
    It's a good thing the Fantastic Four uniform breathes!
    And resists heat.
    And does so MANY useful things that Susan Richards occasionally wonders if she would have designed their costumes the same way if she knew it would be practical (and marketable!) to wear them almost all the time.
    That's what revisions are for, one supposes. But that's neither here nor there! Here, Susan is trying to spend quality time with the family, which so often means: lab assistant work. The more things change, etc. THERE, a towering Doombot has just arrived, rattling windows, challenging copyright, and startling Susan so badly that she turns invisible the same moment she jumps from alarm. When she turns visible again, she's already moving towards one of the windows, the lab coat worn over her costume floating a bit behind her with the speed she's moving at.
    Susan puts both hands on the window and just *stares* outside for a long moment before she takes a deep breath. "... Honey, I think it's for you?" she says, almost apologetically, since... yeah.
    It's a long running thing.

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards stands poised over a microscope of his own creation, peering down at the subatomic dance of particles with a curious stare. The sudden arrival outside and Sue's own commentary does not draw a gasp from him, nor a panicked look, nor even one of grim determination. Rather, he sighs a little and straightens up. He takes a few steps away from the microscope before he remembers he's wearing his lab coat and shrugs it off, tossing it over the top of a half-assembled HERBIE-like robot. Beneath it, he wears the familiar blue jumpsuit.

"That's a big one," he murmurs as he peers out the window past Sue, resting a hand on the small of her back and craning his neck to get a better look at the Doombot, "Not really his color, either."

There's another sigh and he gives the Invisible Woman a pat on the backside before adopting a long-suffering tone and adding: "I've got it."

He turns and strides across the room, finding a panel built into the window frame and tapping it. Suddenly, the whole of the wall facing the street slides away to create a makeshift balcony of sorts. Mister Fantastic steps to the edge, looking down at the giant Doombot. He lifts his voice loud enough to be heard over the wind and the sounds of the city.

"Blue suits you, Victor."

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria Richards was home, bored. And by bored, this meant working on any number of P R O J E C T S from her phone while skimming Instagram, lounging on the couch in the living room. But the loud voice of her godfather outside draws her attention, so she bounces to her feet to go see what fresh new argument he has for her father today. It's always fun to watch them bicker.

Huh. That's an interesting sort of Doombot! Valeria steps over to the window and presses against it, peering out.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
"I thought of something a little different. To commemorate this occasion. Maybe LEGO can make another set to sell children that doesn't involve you defeating my Flying Fortress!" A pause. "Speaking of which, remind Valeria that whatever earnings are due me, I have signed them over to her." Another pause. "Enough talk, I need to know if you're still in tip-top shape Richards. You're an older man now and there are things I may need your help with. 1.9995 Dooms are better than 1 Doom after all."

It then seems to notice Sue and Valeria in the windows as well. "Susan, you look lovely as always. Valeria, I am glad to see you keeping busy."

The large Doombot unfolds it's arms and then it's chest opens up... to reveal another Doombot! Who jumps out and has his chest open up to reveal yet another Doombot! The third Doombot does the whole chest thing to reveal a fourth Doombot. Then once more to reveal a fifth and final Doombot, who's appeance causes the chests on the other four Doombots to close.

All 5 Doombots are decked out in the blue cloak and tunic with the 4 on it.

Then they begin to speak, or at least make some sort of noise.

Biggest Bot: "I AM DOOM."

Big Bot: "I AM DOOM."

Medium Bot: "I AM DOOM AND I AM HERE TO DEFEND VALERIA RICHARDS, WHO IS PRECIOUS TO DOOM."

Small Bot: "I AM DOOM."

Smallest Bot: *begins playing the Latverian national anthem (https://youtu.be/Jr0IXGqAnn8) for whatever reason*

Every Doombot (except the smallest), launches itself into the air and towards the part of the building shaped like a four. The Smallest Bot also launches itself upwards, but it doesn't seem to be aggressive. Instead it continues to play the anthem while the other Doombots begin to circle the building, launching blue-colored energy projectiles that all seem to miss the building and dissipate before doing any damage.

Susan Richards has posed:
    Susan squeaks very slightly and shoots Reed a look that's somewhere between an incredulous '*Now?!*' and a playful sort of 'still got it' in a moment of distraction that can only happen at a moment like this between a couple that's either lost its mind, or lived a crazy enough life that there's scarcely a difference.
    "Okay." Susan says softly. She looks back at the Doombot for a moment, then cranes her neck to look back at Reed's receding figure. "... Are you sure?"
    Back to the Doombot.
    Back to Reed.
    Susan turns around and begins following Reed. "I'll come with you."
    Susan does hang back a bit, straightening her labcoat somewhat and peering around the opening enough to expose a styled bob of blonde hair and curious blue eyes without the window obscuring them.
    "Thank you, Victorrrrr..." Susan calls back with a long-suffering dryness to her voice. No reason to be rude, but things are... complicated between the families. Which is why there is little pause before she says "Please, don't wreck my house."
    Susan watches with curiosity as the first smaller Doom bot lands. "Oh, it's like a russian doll!" She exclaims with something like delight.
    More and more Doombots pop out, and Susan's tone turns to one of somehow-exasperated dread.
    "Oooohhhh, no, it's like a russian doll."
    Susan cringes as they open fire, and begins to pull off her labcoat while muttering "We never get *nice* social calls."

Reed Richards has posed:
"Victor," Reed calls, "It's bad enough we had to leave the Baxter Building because of your constant attempts to destroy it. We have tenants here!"

A pause, he glances back towards Sue as though confirming if that's true or not.

"We have tenants!"

When it becomes clear the little Doombots are not going to peacefully climb back inside one another and fly away, Reed begins to stretch outwards. His legs still stand on the ledge, but his upper body stretches outwards until its level with the bots. Then he reaches out with one enlarged hand to try and pluck one from the sky.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria, however, squeals in delight. Russian nesting dooms! That's enough to have her do much the same as her father, tapping away at the controls that turns the window into a balcony and popping outside despite having no powers, no weapons, no protective gear beyond the unstable molecule suit she's wearing... You know. Basically, effectively not the best for a fight, except of course she isn't there to //fight//, she just wants to watch. Of course this is just for show and playtime.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
"Thank you for your polite admiration for my patented Nested Doombots, version 3.41a. It took a lot of engineering work to ensure that the deployment could be so quick and efficient." The voice of the 2nd to largest Doombot says in response to Susan. "And why would I think about destroying your home, Susan. Valeria lives there!" There's the faint hint of incredulity in the Doombot's voice with that comment, so it instead makes a flyby of the windows near Susan, rattling the windows but doing little else.

The Small Bot starts hovering around Reed, moving one way, then another. "Richards, you cannot blame me for the Baxter Building. I had nothing to do with that! I wasn't even on... I was not around when it was destroyed, let me just say that much." It tries to duck and weave around the extending reach of Richards, but Reed eventually grabs hold of it's leg. "Still as numble as ever!" It calls out, struggling against Reed's grip.

The Medium Bot, the one that promised to defend Valeria, lands near her and takes up a position guarding her. "What do you think of the design, Goddaughter? Would you like a set for your birthday?"

The Biggest Bot is still flying around in a circular pattern up above, and the Smallest Bot still blares away that pesky tune.

Susan Richards has posed:
    Susan catches that look from Reed and nodnods twice in confirmation. Yes, they have tenants!
    Susan cranes her neck uuuuppp to watch Reed stretch, before her gaze snaps over to the opening balcony as Valeria emerges, her eyes wide. "Valeria, honey, this isn't a good time! Your godfather's having one of his moods! Get back inside!" She calls.
    Susan seems to consider for a second.
    "Or at least put a coat on!"
    Susan glances at her own discarded labcoat and sighs. Setting a good example is hard.
    Susan turns back towards the fraca outside and looks upward with a slow sigh. "Scientists." She murmurs. A moment later, and invisible platform is lifting her up into the sky, where she appears beside Reed and the Doombot he's grappling with, with one arm raised. She lowers that arm sharply, and a sharp invisible force fields falls like a heavy wall of glass down towards the anthem-blasting Doombot, which she glares at with the muted frustration of someone who has to handle the inevitable noise complaints.
    She also reaches out and erects a floating barrier between Reed and whatever weapon-bearing parts of his Doombot may decide to get frisky for as long as it doesn't get in his way. Because that's the *actual* pressing matter.

Reed Richards has posed:
"This is marginally better than flying a blimp at it, I suppose," Reed offers, still grasping the Doombot by its leg and swinging it around in wide circles, "I got the painting, by the way. It's hanging in my Cogitorium. You're very good at imitating the old masters - or so the appraiser says. I don't know much about art."

Still swinging the Doombot, Reed tries to get enough momentum to angle it in a sharp toss towards the larger bot circling high above. As he does, his neck stretches down to the 'window' Valeria has opened to watch the battle unfold.

"Careful, sweetie, it's a long fall. Child lock on." As he speaks, a faint blue glow fills the air and a transparent forcefield appears to prevent his very grown up and competent daughter from falling out. That said, his head retracts back up to join the top half of his body.

"Hi honey," he says as Susan appears, "Victor's here."

Victor Von Doom has posed:
"Susan. How could you?" The Biggest Bot calls out from above when she puts a field around the Smallest Bot, silencing the music. "I was trying to give you inspiring music to encourage your heroics!" For it's part the Smallest Bot starts to hammer his little fists against Sue's shield.

The Small Bot in Reed's hand goes swinging around in circles and speaks, "Art is an important part of the human experience, Richards. You should learn more about it. Science is art. Magic is art. The world is a canvas and Doom will paint his greatest portrait yet upon it's surface when he brings peace and prosperity to this entire world!"

And at that very moment the Small Bot stops struggling. There's a click and two hisses and the it's torso detaches from it's legs and shoots directly into the sky. Where it explodes. Into a large blue and white firework display.

The Big Bot now makes an attack run on Reed and Sue, blasting lasers at them. Well not -at- them, but around them, as if intentionally missing.

The Medium Bot still stands stoically next to Valeria.

Susan Richards has posed:
    On the subject of art, Susan notes, "The explosives expert liked it too." In a voice strained by exertion and distraction. Though she smiles at Reed and chipperly says "I saw!" The glow in her voice dims as she adds, "Don't invite him in."
    Susan winces as the small robot begins to beat on her forcefield, the feedback causing her discomfort. "Please don't mention magic!" Susan says very hurriedly, casting a worried glance to Reed even as she begins to mentally shrink the forcefield in a distinctly unsurvivable manner around the anthem Doombot, her hands moving in the air as if feeling around the curve of a sphere that only she can see.
    Whether or not she's successful by the time the laser's come, Susan abandons the effort to hold her hands outward and erect a wide curved barrier between herself, Reed, and the laser fire, which... proves largely uneccessary as they are neither not the intended targets, or Doom isn't taking this seriously.
    "Victor, if you're trying to give these things a sense of humor, they need tweaking!" She calls, and casts a worried glance down towards Valeria and her own personal Doombot.
    She has to remind herself constantly that Doom wouldn't hurt Val - that Doom's had eighteen years to bust out a logic loophole in his words that lets him hurt her and her family - but when you learn a certain lesson enough times, it becomes hard to take the exception to heart.
    Don't poke the bear.
    Don't poke the bear.
    "*Doom* get that thing away from daughter!" she demands curtly.
    She really hates that bear!!!

Reed Richards has posed:
"Magic?! We're going to have the magic conversation again?" Reed calls out exasperatedly, his upper body stretching and tangling like a long noodle as he swerves and dodges the oncoming lasers even though they aren't specifically trying to hit him, "There's no such thing as magic, Victor. You're smart enough to know that. All this magic is just fundamental physics we haven't explored yet. If you're going to call something 'magic' then where does it end? You might as well say these Doombots are magic. This building is magic. Gravity is magic. I mean really, Victor ... "

He's distracted for the moment, no longer fighting the Doombot but instead arguing with it.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria, for what it's worth, agrees with her dad on this whole magic business but doesn't pester Godfather about it too much. When Sue tells her to go inside, Valeria stomps a foot. "MOOOOOOOOOOM. I never get to do ANYTHING." She crosses her arms across her chest, and steps back inside the living room--

With, of course, her new pet Doombot protector-unit. "Come in, Doombot. Would you like some oil or do you need any minor reprogramming?" she asks cheerily as she flings herself back on the couch and grabs her phone. For THIS, she IS going to sent that text! HA!

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Valeria's own personal Medium Bot lets out a long sigh and turns its head to stare straight at Sue. "Susan Storm, Victor Von Doom gives you his word as monarch of Latveria and as Godfather to Valeria Richards that no harm will come to her. However if it makes you feel better..." It's about to fly off, but Valeria's polite request is heard and it turns and bows towards her. "What sort of minor reprogramming?"

The Smallest Doombot continues to beat against the shrinking forcefield around it and though no one can hear it, the sounds of Latveria's glorious national anthem warps as it begins to get crushed under the force of Sue's efforts. Then it explodes. Not into a great big ball of fire or anything, but another shower of blue and white sparkles that are all contained in the force field, so it's no where near as pretty as the larger one from earlier.

The Big Bot halts and hovers in front of Reed and points a finger at him. "How can you make such an ignorant statement Richards!? No such thing as magic? I have -shown- you my sorcery before and yet you continue to doubt. Shall I instruct Valeria in the ways of sorcery then? Allow her senses to tune into the mystical energies that run throughout this world so that her own scientific understanding grows?" The Doombot actually puts its hands on its hips in front of Reed. "Why must you be so stubborn about this?"

While Reed and the Big Bot debate sorcery, the Biggest Bot heads straight towards Susan. "Susan! Ask your husband why he must be so damn stubborn!"

Susan Richards has posed:
    "Honey-" Susan tries to speak softly as Reed argues with Doom, "Honey, no- honey- GAH!" Susan's interrupted by a sharp cry of surprise and discomfort as the Anthem playing Doombot explodes with the confines of her forcefield, causing her no small amount of discomfort from the feedback. Susan clutches her hands together, and draws in a slow breath through gritted teeth, before turning to see... the magic lecture.
    She stands there. Arms limp. Eyes slowly glazing over. She peers to the side. Where's Valeria? A few feet of the outside of the build turns invisible, and she spots Valeria texting with a Doombot.
    Susan turns the building solid again.
    She begins tilting her head to the side, giving herself until the inevitable satisfying pop to contemplate the wonderful madness of her life, before she smiles at the Biggest Doombot.
    "... It's 'cuz he's adorable."
    Susan clears her throat very softly and gently suggests: "Catch me, darling~" before she casually tips over in range to fall off of her platform into Reed's arms before expanding a great big spiked bubble of forcefield out around them to hopefully bounce back - and ideally damage - the remaining Doombots.

Reed Richards has posed:
"No daughter of mine is going to be a ... a wizard!" Reed almost fumes, apparently this is one of the few topics that actually gets his blood up, "Keep your spells away from her! Magic is just science we don't understand!"

The argument is interrupted by Susan calling for Reed to catch her. He reacts immediately, no longer stretched out in a twisting spiral he instead reforms to his normal size to thrust out both arms, providing his wife a comfortable place to land as the invisible forcefield stretches out around them.

"Hello," he says with a smile to her, leaning in to give her an affectionate kiss on the forehead.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria drops her phone after sending a string of rapid fire texts to a boy she KNOWS Dad will H A T E. Or at least be concerned about, Dad never really seems to hate anyone? Oh well. She tilts her head, then picks her phone back up and takes a 'OMG lazing on the couch' selfie which she uploads to Instagram as soon as she puts a few cute filters on it, then looks at the Doombot. "So, I'm thinking... if you're all blue and stuff, we should add a component that makes you either invisible like Mom OR catch on fire like Uncle Johnny." She taps her chin, musing.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
"THE PROPER TERM IS SORCERESS, RICHARDS. GET IT RIGHT! SHE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A SORCERESS SUPREME AND DEFEND THIS WORLD FROM ALL MANNER OF MYSTICAL ENEMIES." The Big Bot says, it's voice growing louder as he and Richards continue to debate the finer points of magic. "Ah HA! You admit there are such things as spells if you are willing to admit that Doom knows them! I will take this as a victory!" The Big Bot throws its arms into the air and begins to spin around from the waist. Faster and faster and faster and *POP*.

The upper half of the Big Bot goes flying up into the sky one way. And the other half of the Big Bot goes flying into the sky in another direction and they both explode into large burts of blue and white sparkles.

The final bot (aside from the one with Valeria), the Biggest Bot turns and faces Reed and Susan, watching his old rival hold Susan and nods, even as it begins to feel the forcefield pushing against it. "I hope you liked my little entertainment for the evening Richards. Susan. I'm even glad to see you're all in fine form."

Sparkes begin to appear on pieces of the Biggest Bot as it is pushed back. Then it breaks into pieces, each piece flying in a different direction to form a large circle in the sky. Then each piece begins to explode into small fireworks that eventually present an outline of Doom's masked visage for only a moment before fading into the sky.

As for the Doombot that Valeria has taken, it follows her and nods, "Imitating functions of the Fantastic Four are acceptable with the exception of Jonathan Storm's... unless you program it to say anything but Storm's silly catchphrase. Please be more creative than him. I really do not understand how he and Susan can be related."

Susan Richards has posed:
    "Hey there." Susan replies, and returns Reed's kiss with a vocalized "Mwa~"
    Susan shields her eyes with one hand held flat over her brow from the lightshow of Doom's departure. Her eyes narrow more and more tightly over several seconds until she's satisfied that it's too late for a missile to appear, at which point she relaxes and drops her head against Reed's chest with a sigh, satisfied to be Princess-carried - well, lowered - back to stable ground. "I'm sure he's just saving face by running, honey." She says placatingly with a gentle pat on the shoulder.
    It's a token gesture, there's a real chance that nothing can stop magic from being the recurring topic for the entire day.

Franklin Richards has posed:
    Try as Franklin might, he can't quite drown out the sound of Doom shenanigans even with the impressive sound system set up in his room. The young mutant lifts himself from his bed, runs a lazy hand through his black hair, and departs his sanctuary and the heavy thud of pop-rock beats.

    "Huh," Socked feet pad into the living area, and he drops down near Val, poking at the Doombot. Then, a slow grin towards his sister. "We should give it pigtails. Maybe paint him pink?" Forget about scientific upgrades. There's Doom humiliation that needs to be done.

Reed Richards has posed:
"Magic," Reed mutters, still holding onto Sue as the light show provides entertainment not just for them but for neighbors, pedestrians, and other residents of Four Freedoms Plaza, "Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?"

After they've had some time to enjoy the sights, Reed slowly retracts to where the lower half of him is still standing at the edge of the makeshift balcony. Now back to his normal proportions, he gently sets Sue down on her feet before scratching his head thoughtfully.

"I've lost my train of thought."

Valeria Richards has posed:
"I dunno," Valeria replies to Franklin. "I like the blue a lot better than pink." She isn't thinking of humiliation, of course. She eyes the Doombot. "And Mom asks that question about Uncle Johnny /a lot/, you know." She muses. "So do I sometimes." She does, however, 'borrow' the Doombot's cloak and puts it on (even if it is a slight bit too large for her) before moving to find one of her omnitools. "We should upgrade it AND make it sparkle."

Victor Von Doom has posed:
There's a odd sound that comes from the inside of Four Freedoms, rather near where Valeria positioned herself, and where Valeria and Franklin are both at now. A man standing a bit over six feet tall with a solid build stands there now, he appears in his mid-20s with short, dark brown hair, intense brown eyes, and a rather handsome face. He wears a finely tailored black suit with a green vest, a white dress shirt and a gray tie. There is a even a nice little pocket square tucked away in the breast pocket over his heart.

He takes one look at Franklin and nods once, then looks kindly upon Valeria with her new Doombot. "I think the blue is fine for Valeria's purposes." He says, his voice soft though with a harder edge to it, as if serious about what he means. He winces at the mention of making it sparkle but a gift was a gift.

He steps over to a table and places a bottle of ancient Latverian whiskey onto it. "Valeria, please tell your father to get inside. I require some of his time this evening."

Susan Richards has posed:
    "Yes, dear..." Susan patiently sighs with her head nestled against Reed's chest until they touch ground. She makes an uneccesary effort to straighten her costume, smiles at Reed, and gives him a peck on the cheek before moving to go back inside, answering: "Science, I think?" She picks up her discarded lab coat and begins folding it as she walks. "There was some test-tubes, and a... beaker? And-"
    Susan drops her lab coat the instant she sees the unfamiliar figure in her home. Doom is one thing, Doom is familiar, Doom will at least let you know what he WON'T do. A new person? In her home? Where her children sleep?
    No.
    By the time heer labcoat hits the ground there's an invisible forcefield forming around the new arrival that rapidly shrinks to force them down onto their knees. A heartbeat later, the arrival's entire torso turns invisible past the last layer of muscle a human would normally have. Without looking, Susan is already rapidly saying "You have *three* seconds to tell me why you should live, before I pick an organ."

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed is a bit slower to make it to the room. He's distracted by the experiment he was running, and for a moment considers just staying behind in the lab to try and catch up. In the end, though, he decides he might be hungry. Arriving in time to see the sharply-dressed man, his brow furrowing.

"I'm going to assume that's another android," he tells the man, folding his arms across his chest, "I refuse to believe you haven't aged at all since the early eighties. Even you haven't mastered that, Victor."

Franklin Richards has posed:
    "Blue works. I'll get the glitter," Franklin chimes, moving back into his room with the intent to find some fancy art supplies. The sound catches his attention, and he straightens upon noticing the strange young man who's a little too familiar with his sister. "Um, hi," He tsks lightly and teasingly. "You sneaking boys around, Val? Dad won't like that..."

    Or Mom, apparently. "Doom? I won't lie, I expected a lot worse. You know, since you're always wearing that the mask."

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria blinks at the arrival of the young man, and goes to call for Dad when ANGRY MOM shows up...

She snatches up her phone and actually hides behind the Doombot, because annoying Dad is an art form, but annoying Mom? That's asking for trouble. When Franklin pops back in, she cuts him a look. "I mean, not //now//..." but yeah that DOES sound like a good idea, actually. Dad wouldn't like that.

"Godfather?" Valeria tilts her head. "Huh." She doesn't seem surprised, exactly, more intrigued. "Or it could be tachyons. I have a theory about using a reversion field bombarded with tachyons that might cause a deaging effect.." she begins.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
"Susan." Says the man in a familiar tone. He winces when he feels the force of her power encircle him, but instead of submitting to it, he extends a hand. Index, middle and pinky fingers up with thumb and ring finger touching at an angle, a magical barrier forms around him and pushes back against the force of her power. "There is no need for that amongst old friends." He even manages a smile.

"Ah, Richards, Doctor Victor von Doom is capable of many feats which need not be explained. Needless to say, I wish to speak with you about a partnership to defend this world from the threats that seem to come at us every several years from places that lie outside of our solar system and perhaps even our galaxy. We have had our differences, you and I. Our rivalry. However, there are two other intellects that I trust to help me with this task and both are standing in this room." He glances at Valeria as he says it.

His eyes flicker towards the bottle on the table. "Now, once Susan removes this barrier from around mee, as I do not wish to cause her pain by using my magic to push back against it, we can consume this bottle of fine Latverian whiskey together."

Franklin's comment is met with a slight smirk. "What, did you expect the devil himself? I am a human, just as anyone else is. Perhaps the greatest example of a human being this planet has ever seen walking upon it, but still, a man." As Valeria hides, he makes the slightest of sighs. "Goddaughter, I have sworn to never harm you, and I never go back on my word."

And back to Richards. "Shall we share this bottle now, old friend?"

Susan Richards has posed:
    Normally Val's comment would be where Susana acts very intrigued and says she could use a de-aging effect. She BARELY could, but that's beside the point!
    Right now, though, she's hyper focused on mangling an intruder - maybe turning him invisible first so the kids don't have to see - when Victor's magic begins to repel her forcefield, causing Susan to grunt sharply and stagger back a step. She's miliseconds away from trying to impale his shoulder against a wall when Reed's words register. "*Victor?*" she blurts out with surprise.
    Susan had never seen Victor when he was young. She wasn't around for Reed's college days. She was... a little younger than him.
    A little.
    "It's Vic- he's??" The forcefield begins to let up as she continues to mumble "... a Doombot. He's another Doombot." Susan actually seems to be having trouble unwinding from the place she's in right now, as the forcefield and invisibility are undone. She takes a deep breath, slowly lifting her shoulders, then sharply drops them as she exhales, still flustered.
    She folds her arms under her chest. She's long learned to deal with Victor's eccentricities, but... she's very specifically not a fan of people sneaking into her home. Assaulting it from the outside, that's just Friday, but sneaking? Noooonononono.
    She eyes Susan and Franklin, and her expression actually looks a little guilty for showing that side of herself to them. She looks to Reed quizically, curious about his response. Interstellar threats are somehow simultaneously in her wheelhouse, but not, unfortunately, something she's knowledgeable enough to approach from an angle that doesn't involve beating it up.

Franklin Richards has posed:
    "Riiiight," Franklin rolls his eyes at Doom's boasting. He frowns, miffed about not being included in the Earth Defense Squad. "Unlimited cosmic potential standing right here. No? Nothing?" He steps over to his mother and squeezes her shoulder in a silent gesture of solidarity. Or to let her know it's okay she went full mama bear on Victor.

    It only lasts for a moment before he's fetching rock glasses for Victor's whiskey. Is that four glasses? Weeeird.

Reed Richards has posed:
"That's Victor alright," Reed says to Susan with a nod, planting his hands on his hips and tilting his head to one side, "Looking exactly how he looked the last time I saw him. Before ... "

A pause. No sense bringing up that little event that caused the rivalry that continues to this day.

"Hmm, alright, I'll bite. Pour a glass and tell me more."

Victor Von Doom has posed:
"Susan." Victor repeats. "Ah, well, I have used Doombots enough. Also, I believe your son thinks he is of an age where he should be joining your husband and I in consuming alcohol. If this were simply beer, I wouldn't make a comment, but this is seventy-five year old Latverian whiskey taken from the last Latverian monarch before I first took over the nation." He takes a seat and gestures for Franklin to bring the glasses over. He will pour at least three glasses. One for himself, Reed and Susan. He'll let Susan make the decision on the fourth glass.

"We are all keenly aware of what has happened over the past decade or so with attacks on Earth. I think it would be foolish of any of us to think that more won't happen in the future. This Justice League and it's moonbase, I suppose they plan on monitoring threats from it but the moon is close to earth. I think it may be time to use our engineering and scientific knowledge to create some sort of net around our solar system to pick up on possible threats headed to Earth."

Susan Richards has posed:
    Susan smiles warmly to her son, and gives his hand a squeeze while it's on her shoulder. She leaves her hand there for a moment after it's gone, keeping her arm crossed diagonally across her chest. Still audibly coming down from a good riling, she tries to be light hearted. "I'm sure we'll come upon a vast cosmic threat soon, sweetie, don't worry."
    Poor guy, she thinks. She supposes that when all you have to hand is limitless cosmic potential, all your problems look like a... giant... cosmic... nail?
    Susan's eyes peer off to the side for several seconds.
    Sure. Reed would probably back her up on that one.
    With Victor's identity confirmed, Susan lets her arms drop. Suddenly she could very much use either coffee or half of whatever's in that bottle Victor brought; whatever's less likely to kill her before she turns sixty.
    She frowns slightly as Victor speaks, clearly not overly fond of being given parenting advice in front of her children. But when he's right, he's right. "Thank you, honey." She says to Franklin, then takes the fourth glass off the table and hands it back to him with an apologetic little smile. "Give it a couple more years, okay? Hang in there."
    As for her own glass, she... holds it. Considers it! For now. She's still in a bit of a defensive mood; more of one than the literal attack put her in, oddly enough. She just watches Victor quietly for now, her brow raising slightly at his suggestion.

Franklin Richards has posed:
    "Here's hoping. I need to get off-planet more," Franklin says to Sue as casually as if he was talking about being cooped up in the house. Once the glasses are set, he hones in on Victor's words. "It couldn't hurt to have more eyes up there, right? I feel like this planet's becoming a target for weird intergalactic baddies to come out of the woodwork," He'd know. Annihilus came for him before his first birthday. "It'd be good to have a heads up whenever someone like Brainiac decides to kidnap mutants again."

    He takes the glass back from his mom, face hardening, and sighs dramatically. "Fineee," Somehow, he feels as if he's being banished. "The adults are talking. I get it. Bye." Off to his room.

Reed Richards has posed:
"You want to build a moon base?" Reed asks, taking the whiskey glass and swishing it around a little before letting it stand, "We've already been to the moon, but it might be nice to go back. I was hoping to be there for the Watchtower's grand opening. It's nice to see how far those nice young men and women in the Justice League have come, don't you think?"

He glances out the window thoughtfully, drumming his fingers on the side of the glass.

"I think you may be right, though," he adds at last, "A defensive system of some sort. The Thanagarians earlier this year. Brainiac. The Dominators. War World. It definitely doesn't seem to be slowing down."

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria finishes applying sparkles to the Doombot, the stolen cape swishing around her as she does. Her omnitool lays untouched on the coffee table while she decorates her new toy, though she does stop for a moment to check her phone with an impatient look. Nothing! Terrible. This is the worst.

She holds the phone in the air above her head, taking a downward angled selfie with the glittery Doombot behind her. Hashtag glitter!

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Victor glances at Franklin and gives him a nod. One that indicates that he's impressed by the young man. He looks past him and to Susan and actually smiles, "Susan, both of your children are very impressive." Leave it to Doom to compliment Reed without actually speaking Reed's name. He swirls the liquid in his own glass and lets out a sign, "No, I do not wish to build a moon base. I'm talking about going out to the Kuiper Belt and establishing sensors out there. Though it would require relays to ensure that the signals could bounce around more efficiently. It might be an extensive task, but..." He shrugs. "As the ruler of Latveria, and the future ruler of this world, I cannot allow harm to befall mankind from an outside source."

There's a slight wince as he takes in what Valeria has done to the Doombot. "She has an artistic way about her."

Susan Richards has posed:
    Susan smiles wistfully for a moment as Reed speaks of the Justice League. Good kids. At least one of them has kids of their own now! GOD she feels old. Still smiling though. Her family had always been more in the realm of astrunauts - extradimensional and otherwise - and specialized problem solvers; defense seemed more the realm of those groups of heroes, and crime was... well, the police, technically, but a lot of people have dedicated themselves to THAT problem too. But... extra-galactic threats have been a troubling theme recently.
    Susan looks to Victor as she's complimented, and isn't able to keep some wryness out of her voice as she says "Thank you, Victor..." squeezing Reed's shoulder as she says "Reed and I are very proud."
    Not coincidentally, she watches somewhat blankly as her daughter poses with a glittery robot in their oldest frenemy's cape.
    ... Susan takes a sip of the drink.
    "She's in a..." Susan speaks over the rim of the rim of her glass "... experimental phase of expressing herself." Susan says of Valeria. She doesn't have to understand to love her! Though it would lend some order to her life!
    On the matter at hand, though, she says "... I thought you didn't like the Moon Base, Victor. Said it overstepped our treaties. Filling the Galaxy with monitoring equipment and such sounds like..." Susan shrugs, "... A lot more of that. Give or take a few superheroes."

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed still hasn't taken a drink, having apparently forgotten about it entirely in the course of discussing space exploration.

"I could do that," he adds with a nod, "The Marvel Flyer still works as well as it did in '89. The latest generation has engines that can easily get it out to the very edges of the heliosphere, and remote piloting isn't an issue with quantum tunneling ... "

A very slow nod, and he strokes the greying beard on his chin.

"Very interesting."

He seems entirely unaware of what Valeria is doing for the 'Gram.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria's phone buzzes, and her redecoration of the Doombot ignored as she flops on the couch to rapidly text back... whomever. Probably Nadia? Probably Nadia.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
"I think there is a difference between placing a base on the moon full of superpowered individuals and a network of unmanned scanning system that is strictly to determine if anything is coming towards us from outside of our own solar system. It need not contain any weapons, just having the knowledge that something is coming can give us all time to devise defensive strategies and technologies." Victor shakes his head and glances to Reed, nodding at his own suggestions. "Perhaps you would be willing to send over the scans of the Marvel Flyer to the embassy and I can see what other solutions may come available. Valeria too, when she is not on her Instant-whatever." He stands then.

"Either way, there are a few tasks I should see to. Susan, it was a pleasure seeing you and the children. Richards, it's always an experience talking to you and getting into vigorous debates. About sorcery." And as if he knows that might spark another debate, Victor takes a step backwards and teleports himself away.