Dr. Doom's gaze bore into Malrick. "TVA agent, I don't have time for games."
"Oh, really? Your introduction is surprisingly direct, very much in Dr. Doom's style," Malrick replied, a hint of provocation in his voice.
"I initially wanted a civil conversation, but now I think Deadpool might be a better match for you," he continued, floating slightly.
"After all, wearing that mask, you must be quite unpresentable. Deadpool and you would probably get along well."
Malrick's words hit like a calculated taunt. Both Deadpool and Dr. Doom had legends tied to disfigured faces, hidden scars that ran deep. His goal was simple: provoke Doom into reacting rashly.
Malrick noticed Doom's left hand, adorned with the six Infinity Stones, was tightly clenched, while the other hand held Kang's technology and the spacecraft. The Stones' full power required a fist, similar to Thanos. Earlier, Doom might have even snapped his fingers to try breaking Malrick's universal blockade. Now, he was on high alert, ready to use the Stones at a moment's notice.
Malrick had at least nine strategies ready to disrupt Doom, aiming to frustrate him into abandoning escape plans. Mocking one's appearance might seem cruel, but it was effective.
Yet, Malrick miscalculated. In the comics, Doom would erupt with rage at insults to his face. Here, he remained calm, eyes narrowing with curiosity rather than fury.
"To employ someone like Deadpool, your TVA is hopeless," Doom said, his tone sharp.
"Do not block me. My goal aligns with yours: to protect the Multiverse. These Kangs threaten the stability of Worlds. If your TVA cannot stop them, I will."
Doom extended his left hand, the Space Stone glowing as it opened a swirling blue portal. Malrick watched, puzzled. Mocked openly, Doom seemed unbothered—uncharacteristically calm.
Malrick's fingers moved subtly, erasing the portal and smoothing space itself. "Sorry, you can't leave. The TVA has hunted Kang variants for ages, but they always slip away. In truth, all those Kangs were killed by you, weren't they?"
Doom's eyes hardened. "Do not interfere."
"Interesting. You're calm about appearance, but angered when I question your superiority," Malrick remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"Shut up!" Doom's roar erupted, raw and furious. The six Stones on his hand flared, Power Stone at the forefront, targeting Malrick.
Malrick analyzed quickly. Doom's upper limit with the Stones required a fist snap. He responded instantly, channeling the energy of his Six Stones, meeting Doom's attack defensively. Even with the full power of the Stones, the aftershocks shattered the dimension, sending both into the void beyond the Universe.
Doom continued to roar, but Malrick's grip sealed his left hand. The six-colored Stone energy coursed along Malrick's arm, completely neutralizing Doom's Infinity Stones.
Doom's face darkened with realization. He could escape only by snapping his fingers, now impossible.
Yet Doom's right hand still clutched Pharaoh Kang's spacecraft, its runes beginning to glow.
Malrick activated spatial confinement on the craft. "You just acquired this tech and are already using it. Impressive. Unfortunately, no one else with Stones will save you this time."
Kang's time tech had matched the Time Stone, letting him escape before. This time, no reinforcements would arrive.
Doom's eyes narrowed. "I will save myself."
"Oh? Using… this?" Malrick's hand swept across Doom's green robe. Buttons popped open, revealing thirty precise, rune-engraved instruments strapped to his chest. All were frozen instantly.
"Over thirty time devices. Impressive—meaning you've eliminated over thirty Kangs." Malrick's tone was calm, deadly. "Any other tricks?"
Doom paused, then murmured, "To save the World, I can sacrifice everything, even myself."
Malrick froze for a moment. Why was Doom suddenly speaking of saving the World?
A massive, terrifying energy descended upon Doom, drawn from multiple dimensions, each pulse vast and chaotic.
"Magic… you are a practitioner as well." Malrick noted. Doom, classic villain of Fantastic Four, combined genius-level technology with sorcery.
"The aura… Mephisto, Satannish, Dormammu… you've made deals with some formidable entities." Malrick recognized the borrowed dimensional power. Even he, versed in multidimensional energy, found this scale unprecedented. Borrowing such force could tear one's soul apart.
"It's useless for you to rely on these energies," Malrick said, extending a hand. "All Spells End."
In his Six-Stone state, Malrick disrupted Doom's magic, severing the flow and dissipating the chaotic energy instantly.
"What? How is this possible?" Doom's eyes widened. A lifetime of magical mastery could not prepare him for this.
Malrick's hand patted Doom's shoulder. "Do you have any other tricks?"
Doom fell silent. His technological devices were sealed, his magic neutralized. Even Galactus had no methods as diverse as Malrick's.
"If you don't speak, I will. Why hunt Kang variants across the Multiverse?" Malrick demanded.
Doom remained silent.
"Then I'll extract the answer myself." Red light flickered in Malrick's eyes as he used the Mind Stone and the Anti-Life Equation, invading Doom's consciousness.
Doom's will, strong though it was, collapsed under Malrick's power. Memories and regrets spilled forth. Like a confession to a priest, Doom recounted every regret that drove his hunt for Kang.
Malrick summarized: the Fantastic Four's homeland destroyed, Galactus's invasion, and the pursuit to save universes. Doom sought to prevent further tragedy by eliminating Kang variants and seizing their technology—his first step toward becoming strong enough to protect all Worlds.
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