Chapter 157: Let Me Help You Wake Up
Doom gave a slight turn of his head. Though the armor concealed his expression, one could easily imagine that his state of mind wasn't good.
Bright blue jets of energy burst from the back of his armor as he drove both hands into Gene, slamming him hard against the armory wall with a loud clang.
Despite Doom's usual arrogance, his armor's final design bore traces of Gene's influence. His thrusters were mounted on the back—unlike Stark's design, which integrated propulsion into the feet and palms. The truth was, many aspects of Doom's armor were fundamentally shaped by Gene's concepts. These ideas had taken deep root in Victor's mind, impossible to erase.
His iron fist smashed toward Gene's face without mercy. But Gene simply tilted his head, and the punch struck the Kree-alloy wall behind him, leaving a gaping hole.
"Not bad," Gene said calmly. "But the shock absorption and kinetic relay systems of that armor still aren't perfect. This isn't your best, Victor. You can do better."
"Shut up!" Doom roared, swinging again—this time out of sheer irritation. But Gene caught his punch with a smack and locked it in his palm.
Victor struggled to break free, only for Gene to twist his arm and pin him against the wall with effortless precision.
"RRAARGH!" Doom snarled. A thruster in his elbow ignited at full power, wrenching him free. He used the momentum to slam his elbow toward Gene's ribs, but the blow missed as Gene twisted away, and the attack instead dented the alloy wall deeply.
"Dormammu's already clouded your mind. Can't you tell?" Gene said, keeping his grip tight. "The Victor I knew wasn't someone so... petty."
"Shut up!" Doom howled, his helmet flashing crimson. His armor surged at full output, breaking Gene's hold, and he launched a furious strike at Gene's face.