In the days that followed, Sean frequently visited Reed's laboratory, the home of the science-obsessed Mr. Fantastic, who had converted his residence into a workspace...
Upon stepping inside, the first things to catch the eye were the large-scale equipment and instruments. The spacious area was divided into two floors: the upper level served as living quarters, while the lower level was dedicated to experiments.
Noticing Sean's stunned expression, Reed chuckled awkwardly...
After graduation, he had long struggled with financial difficulties. And since he was unwilling to accept job offers from other research institutions, owning a private lab had been out of the question.
Yet Reed seemed perfectly content, unbothered by his humble circumstances. Unlike his old classmate Victor Von Doom, this genius devoted to exploring science and truth harbored no obsession for fame or power...
Sean glanced around, spotting Ben, who was now transformed into a rock-like being, along with the ever-cheerful Johnny and his sister Susan. The three were currently staying at Reed's place and waiting for him to find a solution to their genetic mutations.
Of the four, only Johnny appeared unconcerned. In fact, he was thoroughly enjoying the sudden fame.
Becoming an overnight celebrity in New York had the young man elated, especially with the curious gazes from attractive women sending his excitement through the roof.
"Hey, Sean! Reed said you didn't change at all, what a shame..." Johnny greeted him, his tone as flippant and unrestrained as ever.
"Has anyone ever told you that you look like a certain historical figure from a museum?" Sean studied him with a peculiar expression.
"Oh, you noticed too! Lots of people say I resemble Captain America from World War II. It must be the Storm family's superior genes... though personally, I think I'm better-looking than Cap!"
Johnny preened, and was even ready to continue his self-praise, but Susan, unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, dragged him away.
The stunningly beautiful Miss Storm had no patience for her brother's shameless antics.
"What a lively young man," Sean remarked dryly.
Soon, he joined Reed's research efforts. The first step was conducting tests on each individual, studying their physical changes and compiling data.
"To identify the cause of the mutations, we must isolate the recombined genes to activate specific genomic sequences..."
Seeing the blank look on Ben's rocky face, Sean coughed and translated, "What Reed means is, we need to give you a physical exam first."
Susan smirked and added sarcastically, "If you want to have a normal conversation with Dr. Richards, you'd better brush up on quantum physics!"
Reed remained silent in the face of his ex-girlfriend's taunts...
Their relationship was strange... neither could truly let go, yet neither was willing to make the first move.
Suppressing a smile, Sean organized the initial data...
Ben's skin had turned into ultra-durable rock, granting him incredible resistance to damage. His weight had ballooned to around 500 pounds, and his strength had increased dramatically... He was now strong enough to lift a fully loaded truck.
The free-spirited Johnny could generate flames exceeding 1 000 degrees Celsius while remaining immune to fire damage... though his flames were natural, so they required oxygen and were thus vulnerable to extinguishing by liquid nitrogen...
Susan's invisibility wasn't literal transparency, but rather the bending of light to achieve a 'cloaking' effect.
While it seemed underwhelming at first glance, the potential applications were vast... vibrating air to create force fields, projecting energy shields, or even weaponizing the ability...
As for the leader of the Fantastic Four, Reed's body possessed superhuman elasticity and plasticity, allowing him to stretch into virtually any shape and rendering him nearly immune to physical attacks.
Of course, in Sean's view, Reed, much like Tony Stark, derived his greatest strength from his genius intellect, capable of transforming abstract ideas into tangible inventions with ease.
"Next, we'll draft the 3D schematic for the energy storm conversion device. Cosmic rays will be generated by this machine and channeled into a human containment chamber. The timing and energy output must be precisely controlled, so you'll need to run calculations. I can lease Umbrella's supercomputer to you, that should save a significant amount of time."
Sean's generous assistance earned genuine gratitude from Ben, who was desperate to return to normal, and Reed, buried under endless calculations. Without Sean's help, they wouldn't have progressed so quickly into the final stages of constructing the machine...
...
While the Fantastic Four made rapid progress, Victor Von Doom, on the other hand, had begun noticing abnormalities in his own body...
The wound on his temple refused to heal, and his arms showed signs of metallic transformation.
"Your tissues, organs, and entire physiology are changing, yet all systems are functioning normally," his private physician reported after a thorough examination, "It's like a fusion of organic matter and metal... harder than titanium or carbon steel, surpassing even diamond in durability."
The doctor stared in amazement at Doom's arm, parts of which had already taken on a metallic sheen. The transformation was accelerating... And within two to three weeks, the process would be complete.
"I must notify the CDC. If this is contagious, we could be facing a major crisis..."
The conscientious physician failed to notice Doom's darkening expression.
"It's not that serious. I'm the head of a publicly traded company, this matter must remain confidential."
Under Doom's imposing glare, the doctor stammered, "Mr. Doom, this could be a terrifying degenerative disease. I have to—"
A powerful hand clamped around the doctor's throat. Fury surged within Doom as he coldly hissed, "What unfortunate news."
With newfound strength, Doom hurled the physician against the wall. The fickleness of the board members, the arrogance of Wall Street's Ned, all of it stoked the flames of his rage.
He had worked harder than anyone to establish himself in New York, shedding the labels of 'poor kid' and 'country bumpkin'... Just as he was on the verge of ascending into high society as a true elite, Reed had shattered all his hopes and dreams.
Clenching his fist, Doom watched as the lights in the room flickered. Currents of electricity arced toward his metallic arm, sending a thrilling jolt through his body.
Staring at his transforming limb, a slow, dark smile spread across his face, "How fascinating..."
As his low laughter filled the room, the lights abruptly cut out.
Standing in the shadows, Doom seemed to have an epiphany. If the universe had granted him extraordinary power, then he would wield it to its fullest potential...