Hell or High Water (#Wattys2016)

•Pull The Pillars Down•

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"I know what you are, and you are not Doom. Still recovering in some unknown dimension, is he?"

"Hm. Can't pull the wool over your eyes."

"There were certain oddities. For example, Doom has a little habit of referring to himself in the 'Third-Person'. Moreover, you must enjoy having this advantage over him, considering you are, for lack of a better title, a rogue AI...or is he simply too unwilling to risk his life?"

Loki added after defending himself against another string of blasts, this time able to direct it back to his attacker with the same amount of force.

Doom was in the midist of invoking a wicked heat spell when the sound of Dreadknight's proposition reached their ears. Loki sneered, exhausted from straining his magic in order to protect Charlie further.

"Looks like you still have a fanbase. But does he know you are in fact a copy, and not an original?"

°°°°°

As the rest of his army of Doombots concluded their movement, Doom became increasingly, and dreadfully, aware that a joke had been made and he was the center of it.

"What is the meaning of this? I NEVER ordered you all to stop! End them, NOW!"

Thelia straightened her hair, always time for that, and faced him. Dreadknight outstretched his arm and revealed a square, almost transparent, glowing disc that fitted itself in the middle of his palm.

"Sidenote: you're a real pain in the ass, Doom. That, my dear friends, is what deactivated his deplorable army of tin foil."

"Fools! Are you forgetting the Chitauri Scepter? The Tesserect?" Said Scepter materilzed into his hand, this only made Thelia snicker. "I will have each one of you -"

"Aren't you forgetting something as well?" Thelia pulled out the Mind Stone and held it up proudly, amazed that her little trick had worked. "Ever felt like you missed the bigger picture by just that much?"

"When did you...?" Charlie tried to remember when Thelia could have possibly had time to take the stone without detection.

"Honestly, Charlie. You can talk of everyone else, but you can be just as oblivious when it counts."

Charlie rolled her eyes, knowing full well it was true.

Dreadknight raised his power-lance, taking specefic aim at Doom, whom was apparently paralyzed with disbelief on the spot.

"Bram, think about what you are doing. I could give you a new life; I am not the same person. Everything could be as it once was."

"I have thought long and hard, Doom, and what I am most sure of is this; you do not deserve any chance, nor pitying."

"NO! You will not ruin my plans!"

Doom sprinted forward, but Dreadknight was more ready than he first appeared and pressed one of the studs on the lance's hilt, releasing an electromagnetic beam into Doom's front and sending him flying backwards.

"How convenient." Loki muttered. Just when he was close to finding out the real truth of this AI's purpose, his luck runs dry.

"I didn't know Doom could fly, twice apparently."

"Again Charlie? Really."

"Is he... dead?" Charlie asked, choosing to ignore her friend and still holding the mace at her side, imagining how great a surprise it would make if she kept it in an a large tote should anyone attack her.