The Mandarin and Mordo stood in Sebastian's path, their presence a formidable barrier, their intentions clear in their steely gazes.
Yet, it was the third figure that struck a deeper chord, one of disbelief and quiet sorrow. The silver armor, the masked visage, the green hooded cloak—most would see only a mysterious adversary, but Sebastian knew the figure was his friend, Victor von Doom.
The realization cut sharply, a betrayal laced with memories of camaraderie now tainted by this confrontation.
"Doom, are you standing against me too?" Sebastian asked, his voice steady but guarded, avoiding Victor's name to shield his identity from Mordo and the Mandarin.
Victor's masked gaze met Sebastian's, a faint sigh escaping him, muffled by the armor. "That you can still recognize me… it's perhaps the most heartening thing I've felt in a long time," he said, his tone carrying a bittersweet weight.
"Why are you with them?" Sebastian pressed, his wand gripped tightly, the air around him crackling with restrained magic.
"Sebastian, you joined the Avengers, didn't you?" Victor replied, his voice calm but resolute. "It's only fair I align with a group of my own. Besides, they offer aid for goals you and your allies can't fulfill."
Sebastian's mind raced, piecing together Victor's motives. A heavy sigh escaped him as he met Victor's gaze. "So, you're still set on ruling Latveria by force, aren't you?"
Victor's eyes, hidden behind the mask, seemed to pierce through Sebastian, a long pause following. "Sometimes, your understanding of me is almost unnerving," he said slowly. "I once wondered if you wielded some prophetic magic, glimpsing fragments of my future. But after studying the works of ancient magical masters, I dismissed it—no one can truly foresee destiny.
You simply know me. And if you do, you must see that Latveria's salvation lies in a strong, enlightened ruler. There's no other way."
"I understand," Sebastian said, his voice tinged with regret.
"Then let's see how strong you've become, Doom. We've never truly tested each other—now's the time."
As the words hung in the air, Tony and T'Challa arrived, their silhouettes stark against the city's glowing skyline. Spotting the Mandarin, Mordo, and Victor hovering midair, they wasted no time.
Tony's repulsors flared, targeting the Mandarin, while T'Challa's vibranium claws gleamed as he lunged at Mordo. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI(F)ire.net
Sebastian and Victor ascended higher, their clash igniting a battle that crackled with raw power.
Black smoke swirled around Sebastian through his Animagus death raven's Phase Form, his movements swift and elusive. His wand unleashed crimson bolts of energy, each strike precise, but Victor deflected them with a wave of his gauntleted hand.
His armor, rivaling Tony's in technological prowess, fired laser-like electric beams, their searing force slicing through the air with formidable might.
"Doom, have you abandoned magic for tech?" Sebastian taunted, dodging a beam. "A second Iron Man? I've got a name for you—Infamous Iron Man. Catchy, no?"
Victor's voice hardened. "You want my magic? Then witness it. I've journeyed through time, studied across eons, and mastered spells to rival yours!"
His hands trembled with power, unleashing streams of green mist that coalesced into massive serpents, their ethereal forms writhing in midair as they lunged at Sebastian, fangs bared.
Sebastian's wand slashed through the air, summoning the Shadowless Sword. Invisible blades cleaved the serpents, but their misty essence reformed, scattering only to merge again, relentless in their assault.
Intriguing, Sebastian thought, his eyes narrowing. His body spun, then erupted into dozens of ravens, their caws echoing as they evaded the serpents, swarming toward Victor.
Victor sensed the danger, retreating as he fired electric beams, disintegrating several ravens. But their speed and agility overwhelmed him, the flock too numerous for his precision.
As the ravens closed in, Victor chanted rapidly, his hands clapping together before thrusting outward. A green misty barrier expanded, obliterating the flock in a flash of emerald light.
Yet one raven, formed of pure black smoke, pierced the barrier unscathed, materializing before Victor. It swelled into a colossal death raven, the size of a jetliner, its talons seizing Victor's armor. The metal groaned, deforming under the crushing grip.
Victor's armor, forged by master artisans, blended magic and his advanced technology. As the giant raven's claws tightened, a surge of mystical energy erupted, forcing the talons apart. Victor broke free, widening the distance between them.
Forming arcane seals with his hands, his cloak billowed as green mist gathered behind him, forming a dense emerald cloud. With a sharp gesture, the cloud collapsed into a pinpoint, firing a nearly invisible energy thread. It sliced through space, severing a wing from Sebastian's giant raven form.
A thunderous boom echoed as the Sebastian Animagus dissolved into countless black smoke tendrils, scattering like a storm. But the smoke surged with purpose, splitting into myriad streams that rushed toward Victor.
Each tendril birthed a phantom of Sebastian, wand raised, firing compressed magical bolts via Waddiwasi. Each bolt rivaling heavy gunfire, blanketing Victor in a relentless hail.
Victor raised his hands, conjuring a translucent green misty shield to weather the onslaught. But Sebastian's true form materialized behind him, wand slashing downward like a sword. The shield shattered, and Victor was engulfed by the phantom bolts' torrent.
As Sebastian prepared to dispel the magic, a chilling incantation reached his ears, laced with arcane mystery. An invisible force tethered him to Victor, and to his horror, he felt his Hellfire authority's power being siphoned, drawn into Victor with ravenous intensity.