Days passed, and Victor's reputation within his own company began to wither like a leaf in winter. The board of directors, once under his thumb, now held whispered meetings behind closed doors. Investors pulled back, media vultures circled, and the once-mighty empire he built trembled beneath the weight of public and internal doubt.
Victor who is sitting in his lavish office with a glass of untouched scotch, stared out at the city skyline. His jaw was tight, his fingers drumming restlessly on the polished wood table, rage bubbling beneath the surface. That's when Ethan arrived—uninvited but expected.
"You look like you're one board meeting away from throwing lightning bolts at someone," Ethan said casually as he stepped into the room.
Victor's eyes narrowed. "You have nerve, walking in here like this."
"I wouldn't if I thought you'd actually do something reckless," Ethan replied with a calm shrug. "That's the difference between power and control. You've got the power, Victor. But you're losing your grip on the control part."
Victor stood, eyes glowing faintly with the magic he'd begun to tap into. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't burn this building down with everyone in it."
Ethan didn't flinch. "Because you're better than that. And because this fall? It's temporary. People rejected you because they feared your potential. Don't give them a reason to be right. Become so strong that they come crawling back to you… and when they do, you decide how they're used. You choose who matters."
Victor went silent for a long moment. Then, slowly, a twisted smile curled on his lips. "Interesting philosophy."
"You'll need strength for what's ahead," Ethan continued. "Master your magic. Learn from what your mother left behind. Your real power isn't in corporate boardrooms—it's buried beneath centuries of heritage and pain. Use it."
With that, Ethan left him to his thoughts. Victor locked himself away in the depths of his home, poring over the magical tomes and relics his mother once cherished. He began practicing, testing, learning.
Ethan's hope was clear—steer Victor toward growth, not destruction. He didn't want a future tyrant; he wanted a powerful ally.
----------
Meanwhile, in the heart of the city, the newly empowered Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm were facing their own trials. As incidents of rogue mutants and unstable villains began to rise, the four found themselves repeatedly in harm's way—saving civilians, stopping disasters, and battling threats that few others could handle.
Each encounter sharpened their skills. Reed learned to extend not just his body, but his thinking under pressure. Susan learned to stabilize her force fields through meditation and emotion control. Johnny—ever the show-off—practiced restraint, realizing raw power wasn't everything. And Ben… Ben struggled the most.
Despite his heroics, Ben couldn't stand his rocky, monstrous appearance. The stares, the whispers, the broken mirrors—it all chipped away at him. One night, he found himself at Ethan's doorstep.
"I want you to turn me back," Ben said bluntly, his gravelly voice carrying pain beneath the surface. "Reed… Reed's not doin' anything. He says he's workin' on it, but I know he ain't tryin' hard enough."
Ethan didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gestured for Ben to follow. They arrived at Reed's lab where, to Ben's surprise, a strange power chamber awaited.
"I already spoke to Reed," Ethan explained. "The machine works, but it doesn't have enough juice to replicate the storm that changed you. Reed couldn't power it with conventional means. But me? I've got… let's just say alternative options."
Ben's stone face tightened. "You really think it'll work?"
"It will," Ethan said with certainty. "But only if you want it. You get one shot at this, Ben. It's not just a physical change. It's a choice. Do you want to go back to the old life? The normal life? Or keep carrying the weight?"
Ben looked down at his jagged fingers. "I didn't ask for this… but I didn't ask to be left behind, either."
Ethan placed a hand on the chamber's controls. "Then make the choice. I've got you."
With a deep breath, Ben stepped inside.
As the chamber sealed shut, Ethan reached into the very core of his power, channeling energy against the energy conduit.
The machine sparked to life, electricity crackling like a storm trapped in a cage. Then—the lights flared. Alarms blared. Lightning arced through the chamber as the room trembled under the unnatural power coursing through it.
Ben grunted. Then groaned. Then screamed.
And just as suddenly, it stopped.
The door opened, and Ben stumbled out. His rocky hide gone. Flesh. Hands. A normal body. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at his reflection in the metal walls. "I'm me again…"
"You are," Ethan said with a small smile. "At least for now."
"Thank you…" he whispered.
Ethan placed a hand on Ben's shoulder, then turned to leave. "Take care of yourself, Ben."
As the lab doors slid shut behind him, Ben stood alone, letting the silence soak in. For the first time in weeks, his body didn't ache.
No more frightened stares. No more people crossing the street. He could walk into a diner without breaking the doorframe.
But then, the communicator on the console nearby buzzed to life.
It was Susan's voice. Panicked and strained.
"Ben! It's bad—we're being overwhelmed! That guy we took down earlier? He's back, and he brought backup—Reed's pinned, Johnny's down. We need backup—Ben, if you hear this, we need you!"
Ben stared at the device, frozen.
He looked down at his human hands.
He could ignore the call. Walk away. Live a quiet life.
But… could he really?
His heart thundered in his chest. He thought about Reed, always buried in equations, now likely shielding civilians. About Johnny—arrogant and reckless, but his brother in all but blood. And Sue… trying to hold it all together.
They were his family.
And they were in danger.
Ben clenched his fists.
Then, without hesitation, he turned back to the machine.
Ten minutes later, the doors slammed open—and The Thing came charging in with fists clenched and eyes burning with purpose.
He only had one thing to say, "It's clobberin' time."
This time, he embraced it.
He arrived at the scene just in time, his massive form slamming into the enemy with raw power.
With the four of them united—Reed stretching to protect civilians, Susan shielding a collapsing building, Johnny diving through flames, and Ben smashing the threat into submission—it wasn't just a fight.
It was the beginning.
The beginning of the Fantastic Four.
------
Time flowed on. Days turned into months, and months into years. Before long, it was 2005.
In the span of those passing years, the world didn't shake—no threats, no invasions—just steady changes unfolding beneath the surface.
The Fantastic Four continued their work as heroes, slowly becoming household names. Reed kept pushing the boundaries of science, Johnny loved the spotlight more than ever, Susan balanced the team's emotional core, and Ben, though still rough around the edges, found a sense of purpose in the team.
Victor Von Doom, however, was changing in his own way. After his fall from grace, he slowly regained his footing. The power within him grew, and with it came scars across his face—marks he refused to hide.
Instead, he forged a dark, imposing armor of his own design, blending science and mysticism. The man once called Victor was becoming something else entirely. But he stayed quiet, biding his time in the shadows.
As for Ethan—he took a different route.
He finished his doctorate in biogenetics, though he wouldn't lie: he'd leaned heavily on his telepathic powers to speed up the process. Degrees meant little to someone like him, but credibility was currency in this world.
Soon after, using funds acquired from less-than-noble sources—criminals who wouldn't be needing their fortunes anymore—Ethan purchased a failing biotech firm. With Jean and Anna by his side, he began building something real.
Jean stepped into the role of CEO, calm and composed in public while still as fierce and telepathic behind closed doors.
Anna took the position of Managing Director. Ethan? He remained as the Founder and Head of Research & Development.
Together, they gave birth to Aeon Biotech.
It started with an idea born from Ethan's own blood. His DNA, enhanced by Divine Spring was too unstable to replicate directly. Any attempt to extract or manipulate it caused the cells to disintegrate almost instantly.
So Ethan changed tactics.
He began experimenting by simply adding drops of his blood to various soils and plant systems. Observing quietly. Testing. Refining. With time, he developed a groundbreaking bio-fertilizer—crafted from trace concentrations of his blood—that turned dead fields green again. Crops grew faster, stronger, and healthier. A single spray could bring life back to barren land.
When Aeon Biotech launched the product, the results were undeniable.
At first, Ethan nudged early adoption through subtle telepathy—convincing hesitant investors and buyers to give it a chance. But after they saw the results for themselves, they didn't need further persuasion. The product sold itself. Farmers, agricultural tycoons, and governments came knocking.
By 2007, just two years later, Aeon had become a biotech empire. In a world teeming with technological advancements, none could challenge Ethan's silent reign in the agricultural sector.
With his newfound wealth, Ethan purchased an entire twenty-story building in the heart of the city, converting it into Aeon's global headquarters. Advanced protection wards—both magical and technological—shielded the entire facility. He left nothing to chance.
Of course, success always attracts attention.
Hackers tried to break in. Corporate spies attempted infiltration. Some even hired powered individuals to sneak into the facility.
None succeeded.
Some lost their memories. Others lost their ability to speak… or even remember their own names. They became hollow shells of their former selves—wandering blankly through the streets until they were quietly taken away.
Rumors spread fast.
Nobody knew exactly what happened inside Aeon Biotech. Only that those who tried to cross Ethan Carter never returned the same. Or at all.
And so, fear took root.
Ethan didn't mind. In fact, he preferred it that way.
------
**Unknown location**
Nick Fury sat in the dim light of his office, the steady tick of the clock echoing in the silence. A thick file lay open on his desk—stamped with a red "Priority Alert."
His one good eye scanned the pages, his expression unreadable. Across from him stood Agent Phil Coulson, hands clasped behind his back, waiting silently as Fury finished reading.
Fury's jaw tightened the further he read.
"These results are consistent across the board?" Fury finally asked, not looking up.
"Yes, sir," Coulson replied. "Every single operative we deployed to investigate Aeon Biotech suffered… severe consequences. Psychic trauma, in most cases. One can't even process language anymore. It's like their minds were unraveled."
Fury exhaled slowly and leaned back in his chair. "And we still don't know how?"
"No traceable tech. No defense systems we could identify. Just wards—magical in nature—and something else. Something… powerful."
Fury didn't respond right away. His thoughts were centered on one man—Ethan Carter.
Just a few years ago, Ethan was a complete unknown. Now, he ran one of the fastest-growing biotech companies in the world—Aeon Biotech—and had somehow acquired the influence and resources of a tech empire. Even more concerning, he wasn't alone.
By his side were two women: Jean Grey and Anna Marie, both of whom had been quietly flagged in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database as mutants. Jean's psychic profile alone could make her a potential Omega-level threat, while Anna—also known as Rogue—possessed absorption-based abilities.
That left Ethan, the mystery at the center of it all.
No records of mutation and his involvement with X-Men for few years.
The mutant detector devices didn't identify him as one, But Fury wasn't buying it.
"Three powerful figures, hiding in plain sight under the name of a company that's rewriting the rules of agriculture and genetic science," Fury muttered. "And no one's been able to find anything useful. It's like he knows what we'll do before we do it."
Coulson cleared his throat. "Some believe Ethan himself might be a mutant—one with powers beyond what we've encountered before. His rise has been too fast. His tech is advanced. And his methods…? Let's just say, we've never seen anything like it."
Fury nodded grimly. "Then it's time we stopped poking the lion with a stick."
The office door opened quietly, and in walked a red-haired woman in black—Natasha Romanoff, the infamous Black Widow. She moved with the fluid grace of someone who had already read the room before stepping into it, "You called, Director?"
Fury slid the folder toward her. "I've got an assignment for you. A position opened up at Aeon Biotech—personal secretary to the CEO. We made sure your application ends up where it needs to."
Natasha picked up the file and flipped through the pages. "Ethan Carter. Billionaire. Mysterious. Possibly a mutant… and, damn, not bad-looking."
Fury didn't flinch. "Don't let his face distract you. He's dangerous. Every agent we've sent either went mad, disappeared, or came back half-broken. Whatever he's hiding, I want to know."
Natasha arched a brow. "And you think I can get close enough to find out?"
"I know you can." He paused. "Just… be careful. This one's not like the others."
Natasha closed the folder, already intrigued. "Relax, Director. If he's hiding something… I'll find it."
As she turned and walked out, Fury leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, "We're not dealing with just a man," he muttered to himself. "We're dealing with a force."
He had a bad feeling about this one.
And this time, S.H.I.E.L.D. would tread carefully.
....
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