latverianregent (latverianregent) wrote,
@ 2011-04-30 01:10:00

Flashback: More than a year ago: Blinded From Science
Kristoff had not spoken with the Master in some time. Doom had made it clear he did not wish to see him for a while, and Kristoff had focused on his dissertation. But he had found out, through various means, what had happened to him It had taken a great deal of care and resources, but he managed to get in.

"Sire? I'm getting you out of here."

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i_am_doom
2011-04-30 03:50 am UTC (link)

Victor von Doom knows something is wrong, though he is not sure of /what/ it is. That answer is lost to him, somewhere in his mind, along with other things he should know, things that he does not even realize he lost.

He also does not know /how/ he lost these things, only that he has.

For the better part of a minute, Doom doesn't recognize the voice that is speaking to him, that the person is speaking to /him/, and he remains silent as he tries to piece together what is so wrong with his world.

Finally, the presence cannot be ignored any longer and he speaks.

"Kristoff? Is that you?" he asks warily.

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	latverianregent 2011-04-30 03:53 am UTC (link)
	"Yes, Master," the boy says, distress in his tone as the faceplate draws back. This is not the way he's used to seeing him. "Are you... are you all right? We have to go." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_am_doom 2011-04-30 04:05 am UTC (link)
	"I will be fine." Doom says, enough of his memory remaining to know that he cannot show Kristoff fear or any manner of uncertainty. Doom is still Doom, after all. "Yes, return us to...home, immediately, Kristoff. I must rest. This endeavor has taken more from me than I would have liked." he says, drawing his hood over his head. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	latverianregent 2011-04-30 04:18 am UTC (link)
	And that's the father-sovereign he loves. "Yes, Sir." And Kristoff does everything necessary to get them out of this horrible place and back to Latveria. It's... rather grueling, really, but he's more worried about Doom. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

i_am_doom
2011-04-30 04:33 am UTC (link)

Once they arrive at home, Doom spends much of his evening in the library, poring over several alchemical texts. The longer he reads, the more frantic he becomes, evidenced by his elevated heart rate and seemingly erratic moves around the table.

He can't understand it. Any of it.

Weeks ago,the items in these books were as basic to him as breathing. Now, he can't understand how they work at all. Was this what it felt like to be Benjamin Grimm?

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Victor whispers, trying to make sense of the diagrams he sees.

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	latverianregent 2011-04-30 04:45 am UTC (link)
	"Has anyone brought him something to drink?" "...No, Young Master," a member of the castle staff says, obviously nervous. "We don't want to disturb him." "He needs to take care of himself. Let me take it." And Kristoff knocks on the door firmly, fearlessly. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_am_doom 2011-04-30 05:06 am UTC (link)
	"Enter." Doom says, looking up, when he sees Kristoff in the room, he returns to his studies "Close the door, Kristoff." Doom commands. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	latverianregent 2011-04-30 05:12 am UTC (link)
	Kristoff immediately does so. He crosses over enough to set the water on the table, then drops to one knee. "Sire, please have something to drink and some real rest." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

i_am_doom
2011-04-30 05:42 am UTC (link)

Doom's hand reaches up to his face, at which point, he removes his mask, revealing his horribly disfigured face.

"Kristoff, something has been stolen from me and I am unsure of how to regain it. No one must know. My enemies would fall upon me like wolves if they knew, and I will not have this." he says, anger growing in his heart.

"I do not know how this was done, but it must be /undone/ or we will all be destroyed." he says.

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latverianregent
2011-04-30 05:48 am UTC (link)

There is no flinch, neither disgust nor pity in Kristoff's expression as the mask comes off. Merely boyish filial adoration and the concern that matters are still very serious. It only came off when matters were serious, and it only willingly came off for Kristoff -- a source of some deep secret pride.

And then the boy's stomach goes into knots at what Doom says.
"My silence is yours, Master, as is all that I can do. What is known?"

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	i_am_doom 2011-04-30 06:28 am UTC (link)
	"I know that my mind has been compromised. Things I once knew with certainty elude me. Banner and his enemies did their best to remove me from the equation. I must know what they did so I might reverse it." he surrmises. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	latverianregent 2011-04-30 06:32 am UTC (link)
	He listens. "Perhaps we should go to the lab with the memory-encoding equipment, Sire. The neural scanners there might reveal the information we need. The staff will give us privacy unless called for." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_am_doom 2011-05-01 04:56 am UTC (link)
	Doom is silent, once again, for several minutes, seemingly unaware that Kristoff as spoken. "Come again, Kristoff?" Doom asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	latverianregent 2011-05-01 05:06 am UTC (link)
	Devel, it hurts to see him like this. "May we use the scanners down with the memory-encoding equipment, Sire?" he says carefully and clearly. "That way we could look at the picture of your brain and see what they did." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_am_doom 2011-05-01 05:11 am UTC (link)
	"Yes...yes, that would work." Doom says, as if just considering this for the first time. "Help me, Kristoff." Doom requests, picking up his mask and securing it to his face. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	latverianregent 2011-05-01 05:17 am UTC (link)
	"Yes, Master," Kristoff says as he rises. And they make their way down -- Kristoff leading the way as politely and carefully as he can without seeming too patronizing toward the man who is still Master of Latveria and his father -- to the room Kristoff hates most in the whole castle. "Please sit here, Sir." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

i_am_doom
2011-05-01 12:54 pm UTC (link)

Once again there is a look of utter confusion in Doom's eyes. He knows he should know how all of this works, but he cannot grasp it for the life of him. This was working at his mind and his nerves.

He sits down and lowers his hood, his concentration slipping once again.

"What will happen, Kristoff?" Doom asks suddenly, his tone colored by confusion and, maybe, a small bit of fear.

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	latverianregent 2011-05-01 04:29 pm UTC (link)
	"The scan is nothing, Master. Merely a picture taken," Kristoff assures. "If, once we have looked at it, we have to use the memory-encoding equipment to undo the damage... It is uncomfortable, but only temporarily. And I will do nothing without your instruction." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_am_doom 2011-05-01 06:15 pm UTC (link)
	"Do what you must, Kristoff. We both know that Doom cannot continue this way if Latveria is to survive. I must be as I was...or I must be nothing." Doom says, looking into Kristoff's eyes. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	latverianregent 2011-05-01 06:25 pm UTC (link)
	There's ice in the pit of Kristoff's stomach as he meets Doom's eyes, then nods respectfully. He conducts the scans, gives careful, simplified explanations of what's wrong. "I do not understand how someone could do this," Kristoff mutters as he gets the rest of the equipment down. Much as he is glad not to have lost Doom, he knows death would have been kinder. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_am_doom 2011-05-02 03:26 am UTC (link)
	"The one responsible...will pay, Kristoff. They could not kill Doom, so they sought to lessen him. Such will not be forgotten." he whispers. "What is the next step?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	latverianregent 2011-05-02 03:36 am UTC (link)
	Kristoff places the helmetlike apparatus of the memory-encoding equipment appropriately. "You will need to remain very still, please, Sire. I need to coordinate the machine." And he would not ask for help. No one else must be privy to the Master of Latveria's time of trial. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

i_am_doom
2011-05-02 04:28 am UTC (link)

Doom does as requested, once again removing his mask. He feels comfortable enough in Kristoff's presence to do so, even though he can see the pity in the younger man's eyes.

Like me, he knows that I am less than what I was. Like me, he hopes there is a way to mend this injury.

And like me, he knows that those responsible must be paid in full for their treachery, whether or not this gambit is successful.

"Kristoff...if this is not successful...there can be only /one/ Doom. Do you understand?" Victor asks.

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latverianregent
2011-05-02 04:37 am UTC (link)

It's not Doom's face that causes the touch of pain in Kristoff's eyes at that.

"I...I understand, Father" he says, his throat tight. "If I fail you now, I beg your forgiveness, but it will be for the last time, I swear."

At this moment, Kristoff is willing to do to Bruce Banner things the boy has ever argued no man of honor should due to a sentient being.

He looks over the equipment. Checks, and checks, and checks again. Gets it all set up with agonizing -- and agonized -- care. "It is ready, Sire."

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i_am_doom
2011-05-02 04:45 am UTC (link)

Doom takes a deep breath. He knows, deep down, that Kristoff will do /all/ that is necessary to keep Latveria running, should this gambit be unsuccessful.

"I am proud of you, Kristoff. I always have been and shall always be, no matter the outcome of this day." Doom tells him.

"My son, if I fall, only /you/ are truly worth of the name Doom." Victor says, reclining in the chair.

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	latverianregent 2011-05-02 04:50 am UTC (link)
	"...Thank you, Sir." And when Doom is ready, Kristoff activates the machine, lets the neural encodings flow into Doom's brain rapidly. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

i_am_doom
2011-05-03 03:19 am UTC (link)

The machine does its work, re-encoding Doom's brain, repairing the damage done, first, by the Intelligenica, then by Bruce Banner.

However, as the machine continues its work, there is spike in the energies traveling through it and soon, the machine is on the verge of an overload!

Circuits spark and fry and Doom roars in pain as the screen shatters, then blackens and the machine shuts down completely, leaving Kristoff and Doom in the dark.

Victor remains unmoving for several long seconds and then...there is fire in his left palm.

"Fires relit...science and magic rekindled...the chains of mere mortality broken!" he calls out, as the light in the room grows brighter, centering upon him.

"Doom is reborn...and war is declared." he finishes, rising from the chair.

"Excellent work, Kristoff. I am /myself/ once again, Son. Come, we have work to do and plans to make." Doom says, sweeping from the room in a flourish of his emerald cloak.

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	latverianregent 2011-05-03 03:39 am UTC (link)
	After what happened, the relief when Doom begins to speak is immense. Then, Kristoff stares adoringly at his father and follows after him despite his exhaustion. "Yes, Sire." (Reply to this)(Parent)

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