Marvel: NIHILITY

As the three of them made their way toward Reed's private lab—where the negative zone project had been the source of much tension and hope—the corridors grew unnervingly silent. The hum of the building's systems amplified every footstep and whispered conversation, creating a surreal atmosphere that felt more like a cosmic stage than an office building.

David paused at the sealed door to Reed's lab, his hand hovering over the keypad. His mind raced with thoughts of his son's warning and Franklin's cryptic words. Protect your mom this time. Make sure you have a happy childhood. Yet, he felt dread mingled with determination.

"Reed doesn't usually lock himself in like this, does he?" David murmured, glancing at Susan and Emma.

Susan, stepping forward with an override code flashing across the keypad, said, "Not unless he's working on something huge—and secretive." Her tone was gentle but laced with worry.

Emma folded her arms and gave a knowing look. "Maybe he's taking it personally. You know, sometimes men don't handle rejection well when the money dries up."

The door slid open with a quiet hiss, revealing a dimly lit, chaotic lab dominated by a swirling, unstable portal at its center. Reed stood hunched over the control console, his gaunt face lined with exhaustion and worry. The portal's energy danced in eerie shades of blue and green, casting haunting shadows over scattered equipment and broken machinery.

"Reed?" Susan called, stepping forward cautiously.

Reed turned, his eyes bloodshot and haunted. "Susan," he rasped, "I'm… I'm busy. This isn't a good time."

David's gaze swept the lab, his eyes narrowing as he took in the chaotic array of gadgets and the volatile portal. "You're busy playing mad scientist with a glorified black hole in the middle of Manhattan? Yeah, I can see that."

Reed's jaw tightened, but he focused on Susan. "This is important. I've made progress—real progress that could revolutionize how we harness the Negative Zone's energy." His voice wavered with a mix of hope and fear. "If I can control it, we could have endless resources. We could fix so many things…"

Susan's eyes widened as she looked at the portal. "You mean the kind of breakthrough that could destabilize half the city if it goes wrong?"

Reed exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It won't go wrong. I've… I've accounted for every variable. I can make this work."

Emma stepped forward, her tone cutting through the tension with crisp precision. "And where does Victor von Doom fit into all of this? Because if you're calling in the king of clashing egos and twisted ambitions, then we're already skating on thin ice."

Reed's eyes snapped to Emma, frustration etched in every line of his face. "How do you—"

"Please," Emma interrupted with a wry smile, "I'd recognize Doom's fingerprints on a plan from a mile away. He's as predictable as they come."

Susan's expression darkened. "Reed, tell me she's wrong."

Reed hesitated, the silence speaking volumes.

"Unbelievable," Susan muttered, throwing her hands in the air. "You brought Victor into this? That man's a snake in a cosmic suit!"

Before David could interject, he stepped forward, his tone calm but forceful. "Reed, I get that you think you're doing the right thing. But trusting Doom out of desperation is like handing him the keys to the multiverse. If he plays his cards right, it'll be a royal flush of chaos."

Reed's eyes flashed with indignation. "You don't understand what's at stake! You, of all people, are an outsider— you don't see the bigger picture!"

Emma let out a low chuckle. "Classic deflection, Reed. When your argument falters, you attack the messenger. How very predictable."

The portal behind them flared ominously, its unstable energy spiking. Reed's fingers flew over the control panel. "Damn it!" he shouted, sweat glistening on his brow. "The energy is surging—if we don't shut it down soon, the containment field will collapse!"

Susan rushed to his side, her voice urgent. "Reed, shut it down! The portal's destabilizing!"

Reed's face was etched with panic. "I— I can fix it, I just need a moment—"

Before he could finish, a deafening boom rocked the lab. The portal erupted in a burst of blinding light, sending a shockwave through the room. David instinctively grabbed Susan, pulling her away from the console. Emma activated a sleek diamond-shaped shield that deflected the worst of the explosion's force. Sparks rained down as the lab's equipment exploded in a cacophony of destruction.

When the light subsided, the lab lay in ruins. The containment chamber was nothing more than a smoking crater, and where the portal had been, a rift hovered—unstable, pulsating, and ominous. Through it, shadowy figures emerged, their forms alien and terrifying.

David's voice broke the suffocating silence. "That wasn't the Negative Zone just breaking through, was it?"

Reed's eyes, wide with dread, fixed on the rift. "It's a temporary breach. I—I can fix it."

Emma's gaze, however, remained locked on the rift as her tone turned grim. "Oh, Reed. You didn't just breach it—you've invited something in."

At that moment, the shadowy figures solidified into towering insectoid creatures. Their chitinous armor glimmered under the flickering light of the shattered lab, and their clicking, hissing voices filled the air with menace. Susan swiftly summoned a protective force field, wrapping it around the group as she glared at the advancing horde.

Reed's voice wavered, "I need to drive them back into the rift and seal it, or this entire city—no, the entire planet—could be overrun."

David's eyes hardened. "Alright, ladies , let's do what we do best."

Outside, New York trembled with the approach of these alien invaders. As the insectoid creatures spread out, intent on wreaking havoc, David emerged from the shattered remains of the lab, a determined glint in his eyes. Emma and Susan, their expressions resolute, flanked him.

David launched into action with a ferocity that belied his earlier nonchalance. He soared through the air, reality bending beneath his fingertips as he began smashing the creatures one by one. His strikes were brutal yet executed with a playful flourish, as if he were swatting away flies on a summer day.

At one point, a particularly massive, clawed creature broke through Susan's force field, its dark limbs reaching hungrily toward her. Without hesitation, David roared and yanked Susan into his arms, spinning her around and delivering a savage blow that sent the creature hurtling into a building where it exploded into shards of chitin and dark energy.

Susan, nestled in David's arms, melted into him, nuzzling his chest. "That felt... surprisingly nice," she murmured, her eyes shining with affection even amid the chaos.

Emma, hovering a few feet away and watching the spectacle, chuckled. "Hold that affection, Susan—this is public, you know. Save it for when the battle is over."

David's voice boomed as he continued to pummel the invaders. "Come on, guys, you're not going to get past us! New York is not your snack bowl today!"

Suddenly, from behind a ruined skyscraper, some of the Avengers arrived, accompanied by Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm—the latter two the remaining members of the Fantastic Four. Tony, Natasha, Clint, and Steve was present only as Banner was in rest and Thor in Asgard.

David quickly gathered them around.

"Listen up," David announced, his tone urgent but laced with dry humor. "We've got a situation here. Some insectoid creeps from the Negative Zone are trying to turn New York into their personal picnic, and I need your help to stop them. Let's do this fast—my dinner plans depend on it."

Natasha Romanoff stepped forward, her eyes fixed on David. "I'm just a regular helpless human David , but I need a strong man like you to protect me." With a seductive wink, she drew closer, much to Tony Stark's dismay, who glared at her from a safe distance with obvious jealousy.

David sighed and replied, " Is this really how you see yourself as? A helpless woman?"

Clint chuckled and Steve looked away awkwardly. But they understood David's words and focused on fighting the creatures.

As the battle raged on, the combined forces of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the motley crew led by David gradually drove the insectoid horde back. Their teamwork was a chaotic ballet of superhuman might and wit. But then, without warning, a massive surge of energy pulsed from the rift—a surge that sent shockwaves throughout the battlefield.

David's eyes narrowed. "Hold on, everyone," he barked. "Something's happening at the portal."

Natasha moved to intercept him and grabbed his arm . "David, wait! Let's get backup!" But before she could finish her sentence, she was pulled along with him as he teleported toward the rift. Emma and the others watched in stunned silence as they vanished together.

Near the rift's edge, Reed was found slumped over a control panel, half his face burnt, his screams of agony echoing in the chaos. A bizarre insectoid monster, unlike any before, clutched a glowing golden staff. Its eyes gleamed with malevolent intelligence. David's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the creature: Annihilus.

Annihilus stared greedily at David, his presence exuding a limitless, dangerous energy. David knew that confronting Annihilus outside the Negative Zone would be devastating for New york . Even so, his gaze flickered to the weaker Natasha, still clinging onto him as she looked at him with seductive smile . He pushed her away and said, "Focus lady , we have bigger things to worry about."

She replied with a purr, " I am indeed focusing on the bigger thing ~."

Annihilus realized he can't fight David here, So he used the cosmic rod in his hand and yanked Natsha who was standing beside David, and jumped back into the portal with a provocative grin. Natasha yelped in surprise as she was pulled into the negative zone.

David sighed after watching the classic villain move, and said, "Seriously ? the classic prince charming rescuing a damsel in distress scenario ! Let's hope the damsel offers a decent reward for her rescue, I ain't working for free." He followed them into the portal with a calm swagger.

The portal's unstable energy roiled around him as he entered, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation. Reed, his face twisted in agony and hatred, scrambled at the control panel, desperately trying to stabilize the portal. Moments later, the portal shuddered violently and closed, sealing the breach with a final, echoing crash.

Within minutes, Susan burst into the hallway, her eyes wild with panic. "Where is my husband? Where did he go?" she demanded, her voice trembling with both anger and fear.

Emma stepped forward, holding Susan's arm gently. "Calm down, Susan. It's our husband—remember, we share him." Her tone was soothing yet edged with practicality.

Reed, still reeling from pain and the chaos, managed a bitter smile. "He… they went into the Negative Zone after Natasha was dragged in. The portal closed automatically. I tried to hold it open, but…" He trailed off, exhaustion and defeat in his voice.

Susan's face contorted with fury as she punched Reed sharply, tears streaming down her face. "You brought this upon us, Reed! How could you let him go there?"

Emma quickly intervened, placing a steadying hand on Susan's arm. "Susan, listen. Our husband is the strongest there is. He can take on the entire multiverse if he wants. Just… let him do his thing."

Then, with a mischievous glint and slight anger in her eye, Emma added, "Besides, I just hope that redheaded slut doesn't try to sneak into David's pants . I mean, seriously—if that happens, I might have to chain him down and make sure he stays away from all sluts!"

Susan's eyes flashed with jealousy and indignation, and she shot Emma a look that promised retribution. "I'll kill that bitch if he gets hurt because of her." She promised.

Meanwhile, a heavy silence settled over the battered Baxter Building as everyone absorbed what just happened . David just vanished into the negative zone along with Natasha, and they were trying to figure out how to get them back.

Emma presided over the situation with a calm fury. " I want every resource available to focus on re opening the portal and finding David. Tony, contact Fury and tell him to figure out something."

Tony nervously chuckled, " I already did, but it seems he has no clue as well. We can't do anything until Reed recovers."

Clint nodded, " we should focus on the rescue and organization of the aftermath. We aren't scientists."

Johnny tried to console his sister, " Don't worry sis, he's a tough guy, nothing will happen to him."

Susan didn't reply but nodded sadly.

It seems peace was never an option for their lives.