Chapter 12

After about four months, I managed to get a good handle on my current abilities. Of course, I was still far from mastering them, but I had made significant progress.

"Why did I bring so much food?" I asked myself.

I hadn't expected that after receiving a dose of cosmic rays, my body would no longer need sustenance.

"At least I haven't lost my taste for food…" I muttered to myself, finishing another can of preserved food.

At the moment, I was working on significant upgrades to the Fantastic Four's costumes.

My journey to the Negative Zone, encounters with the Skrulls, and my understanding of spatial mechanics allowed me to create an improved version of the escape pods, powered by the next-generation arc reactor.

"Just a few finishing touches left, and I can start studying the data from the battle with Annihilus."

During my time in the Chronos dome, I developed a habit of muttering my thoughts aloud, which helped me stay focused.

Creating a beacon in space for the pods wasn't easy, but through trial and error, along with a few groundbreaking theories, I managed it. The final step was to develop a component that would monitor my friends' vital signs and transport them back in case of danger.

There were no issues with the scanners since I had hundreds, if not thousands, of different scanning methods in mind. The challenge lay in calibrating the pods to suit the specific physiology of each team member. Given our diverse abilities, this task was meticulous and time-consuming, even with Chronos.

"Sigh…" I exhaled, resuming my work, knowing that the sooner I completed this, the sooner I could dive into the data on Annihilus.

—= Latveria, Castle of Victor von Doom =—

"I must admit, Richards, you've impressed me with your home's defenses…" whispered the ruler of Latveria, examining the data from his tiny robots.

Before Doctor Doom's eyes, thousands of lines of code indicated the same outcome. His robots failed to uncover the limits of the Fantastic Four's abilities, as they are now known in society.

Science had not aided Doom, signaling it was time to employ his magical expertise.

Victor von Doom's gaze fell on the data he had gathered through his genius. The point on the map was in Romania, where someone could conduct the initial research on the Fantastic Four's capabilities... Esteban de Ablo. An alchemist who sold his soul to Mephisto in exchange for longevity and knowledge.

Victor believed this individual could provide the necessary data. Additionally, this would allow him to vex Mephisto.

The ruler of Latveria gestured, activating the first Doombot. A full-sized replica of Victor von Doom rose.

The imprisonment of the alchemist was a cunning and meticulously planned move by Mephisto, who had intentionally chosen a location protected by both magical and physical barriers.

Doctor Doom, standing before a massive screen displaying the map of Esteban's imprisonment, pondered briefly. He knew that even his Doombots, equipped with advanced technology and powerful weapon systems, might face significant challenges. The location was surrounded by a complex network of magical traps and puzzles that could halt or even destroy anyone attempting to enter.

Victor von Doom knew his robots had to overcome not only physical obstacles but also magical enigmas, making the task even more complex. He meticulously studied the data, seeking a weak link in the defenses that would allow his creations to succeed.

Realizing he needed to enhance the Doombot's software to adapt to magical obstacles, Doctor Doom got to work, quickly updating the code to improve the algorithms for recognizing and analyzing magical structures.

Upon completing the preparations, he turned to one of his robots. This was no ordinary Doombot but an upgraded version capable of handling both technological and magical challenges.

"Begin the mission," ordered Doctor Doom coldly, pressing the activation button.

The Doombot, equipped with Victor von Doom's latest advancements, rose slowly, its eyes glowing with readiness for the new challenge.

—= Transylvania, Diablo's Castle =—

The Doombot sped towards Esteban's location with incredible speed. Victor watched with keen interest, as this would be the first test of his attempt to merge magic and technology.

The Doombot's eyes glowed red. Thanks to its cameras and the map of magical schemes in the castle… The robot methodically followed Victor von Doom's protocols, skillfully avoiding all traps. Soon, it stood before Esteban's final prison, a crypt.

Without hesitation, the Doombot's iron hand, protected by Victor von Doom's rune magic, breached the ancient mages' defenses with astounding ease, as if they weren't there.

The alchemist's body hadn't aged a day. Still unconscious, this situation played into Doom's hands, providing him with an excellent opportunity.

Lifting the alchemist's body, the Doombot exited Esteban's castle, leaving it without its prisoner. Final preparations were needed before sending this old alchemist against the Fantastic Four.

—= Reed Richards =—

Having finished working on the pods, I turned my attention to analyzing the energy disturbances from the battle with Annihilus. I was particularly intrigued by the mechanism of his ability to induce terror on a mental level. Analyzing the collected data, I began to understand that Annihilus used a rare form of psi-energy capable of affecting the subconscious. His method involved creating a powerful psychic field that resonated with the victim's deepest fears.

This field was so potent it could visualize personal phobias, making them seem real. Annihilus could not only unconsciously "read" these fears but also amplify them to unbearable levels. He created a paradoxical state where victims were both witnesses and participants in their worst nightmares.

My task was to figure out how to counteract or neutralize this effect. I started developing a device capable of generating a protective psychic field to block or mitigate such attacks. This device needed to use a combination of bioelectric and quantum technologies to create a "cocoon" around the mind, shielding it from external mental intrusions.

The most challenging part was synchronizing with each person's unique bioelectricity.

—//—

After completing the protective cocoon, I realized that I still had time to tackle a side project.

I was well aware that in this world, there existed a multitude of clones—not just versions of myself from other universes, but those grown in test tubes. This situation didn't sit well with me, so my thoughts were occupied with possible solutions to this problem.

I identified three potential solutions: personal biological protection, DNA modification, and cryptographic DNA protection.

Personal Biological Protection—specialized devices or biochemical agents that continuously clean the environment of biological traces.

DNA Modification—embedding self-destruction mechanisms that activate upon external interference or cloning attempts.

Cryptographic DNA Protection—embedding cryptographic markers in DNA, making it nearly impossible to read or copy without a special key known only to me.

After some consideration, I concluded that DNA Modification was the most effective solution, preventing DNA from falling into the wrong hands.

"Hm... This is indeed a fascinating challenge..."

—= Some Time Later =—

"Chronos, run the simulation," I commanded the AI to recreate the conditions under which my DNA modifications would work.

"Running simulation..." declared Chronos.

This initiated numerous tests on the protective system I had created.

I embedded self-destruction mechanisms in the DNA I had separated from myself. These mechanisms activated upon attempts at analysis, copying, or cloning. This was achieved through specific genetic sequences reacting to unauthorized interventions.

The principle involved inserting unique biochemical constructs into the DNA, which acted as "triggers." These triggers responded to external attempts like cloning or unauthorized genetic analysis.

Once a trigger was activated, the self-destruction mechanism engaged, causing apoptosis.

This mechanism was designed not to affect the cell's normal functions in natural conditions. It only activated upon detecting unauthorized DNA-related actions.

With samples of my friends' DNA and comprehensive data on their bodies, I successfully created the necessary triggers.

Finally, the tests concluded, and I smiled, satisfied with the system's flawless performance.

"Congratulations, Dr. Richards," said Chronos.

"Thank you. How much time do I have left?"

"You have two hours remaining."

"Understood. In that case, stop the time acceleration. I've accomplished what I needed." I stretched my body. "Time to return to the real world."

"Time acceleration stopped."

The door to the Chronos dome opened before me.

I didn't rush, as I now had ample time. My first task was to implement the DNA modifications in my friends.

—= Some Time Later =—

"Reed, you're definitely paranoid," said Ben.

They already knew what I was proposing.

"This time, I agree with Ben," nodded Johnny.

Judging by Sue's eyes, she agreed with them. I understood their reaction, as they were unaware of certain individuals' proclivity for cloning people.

"Sue, you know people can already create full-fledged human clones, right?" I asked, starting from the basics.

"Yes, but it's highly unethical and illegal..." she began, but paused, realizing my point. "I get it..."

She then approached and placed her hand on the device, which introduced the necessary triggers into her body.

Johnny was shocked by his sister's actions.

"These laws and ethics don't always hold," I explained. "If you don't want clones of yourselves, I suggest you accept these triggers."

Ben stepped forward first, trusting me completely.

"Can you make one for Alicia too?" he asked, placing his hand.

I nodded.

"I need a sample of her DNA to create an individual trigger."

"Good," Ben smiled.

After finishing with Ben, it was Johnny's turn. Realizing the potential danger, he decided to take precautions.

"But you're still a paranoid, Reed," Johnny declared.

"Perhaps," I acknowledged. "But better paranoid than having an evil clone, right?"

"I'm sure my clone would be awesome!" Johnny confidently replied.

"Then it would be better than you, Torch."

Johnny's eyebrow twitched as he restrained his words.

"Alright, now that this is done, I can show you the next gifts," I said, avoiding any brewing conflict.

I placed the new suits equipped with the teleportation capsule and the mental protection cocoon before them.

"New suits?" Ben raised an eyebrow.

"A new design?" asked Sue.

"The old design worked for me," Johnny remarked.

"It's not just a new design, but some upgrades," I said, rolling my eyes.

I pointed to the Fantastic Four emblem, which now looked different.

"This is a teleportation capsule to the Baxter Building, activated in moments of danger. Using Skrull technology, I created this capsule. Unfortunately, I couldn't enhance it further during my time in Chronos, so it only works within the Solar System and our universe."

"And you call that an unfinished version?" Sue raised an eyebrow.

I nodded.

"In an ideal scenario, it should teleport from any dimension to our building."

Johnny, Ben, and Sue sighed.

I continued unfazed.

"Remember our battle with Annihilus?"

Judging by their looks, the question was redundant.

"Um, anyway, recall the moment of overwhelming fear? Thanks to the scanners, I discovered it was... a psychic attack on our minds... So, I created a mental cocoon to shield the wearer's mind from such enemies."

I pointed to the lines in the new suit where the mental protection cocoon, safeguarding against telepaths, was integrated.

"According to simulations, it should handle telepaths far stronger than Annihilus."