Chapter 4: Calibration I
The city hadn't changed overnight, but Victor Von Doom had.
He stood alone on a rooftop at the edge of Queens, back to the rising sun. The skyline was familiar, but now he viewed it through a lens that shimmered with unseen layers — systems, signals, data. Like peering through fog with new eyes.
> [System Reboot: Complete]
Name: Victor Von Doom
Title: ???
Core Template: Latverian Sovereign
Status: Adaptive Mutation in Progress...
Sub-Systems: Analysis | Archive | Arsenal | Augment — Locked
Energy Calibration: 3%
Synchronization: Partial (Stable)
He let the translucent blue screen flicker in the corner of his vision before mentally dismissing it. No gestures, no voice commands. The interface responded to intent.
"Interesting," Victor murmured, eyes narrowing.
The name — Latverian Sovereign — was both mocking and prophetic. He had no kingdom. No people. Not yet. But the System recognized something within him and tailored itself accordingly.
He inhaled deeply, feeling the burn in his lungs — but less than yesterday.
His body had already begun adapting. Strength, stamina, reflexes — all incrementally enhanced. But not in the flashy way of mutants or serum soldiers. No explosions of power. No glowing eyes.
Just... precision.
He leapt from one rooftop to another, calculating the force needed with eerie ease. His boots landed without a sound. His balance — perfect.
> [Reflexes: 118% of Baseline Human Peak]
[Cardiopulmonary Efficiency: 134%]
[Neurological Responsiveness: Enhanced]
Victor pulled his cloak tighter as he dropped into a shadowed alleyway.
His System wasn't just empowering him — it was rebuilding him.
And he wanted to know how far it would go.
He made his way to an old water tower, long forgotten on a rooftop marked for demolition. It was the perfect place — silent, out of view, ignored.
With a flick of his hand, a faint ripple of green energy buzzed at his fingertips — then fizzled out.
"Crude," he muttered.
He hadn't unlocked any active modules yet. No weapons. No direct manipulation. But the traces were there — like circuits waiting for a charge.
> [Energy Core Stabilization: 3.1%]
Projected Unlock: Arsenal Sub-System at 10%
Too slow.
And yet, Victor relished the pace. Anything given freely was not worth respect. He would earn this power — and understand it.
He turned inward, pulling up the System's internal map — not of the city, but of himself.
> [Self-Architecture Preview]
Cerebral Efficiency: Increasing
Muscle Density: Compacting
Adrenal Regulation: Stabilized
T-Cell Modulation: Adaptive Immunity Active
Biotech? Nanotech? Or something beyond?
The System never answered his questions directly. It wasn't a companion — it was a forge. A crucible. A lens that sharpened only those who dared endure it.
Victor smiled faintly. That suited him just fine.
Still, testing was necessary.
He moved to the base of the tower and pressed a hand against the rusted metal shell. Cold. Slightly warped. He closed his eyes.
Not to sense it, but to command himself.
Breathe. Align. Focus.
He pulled a mental thread — not of thought, but of will — toward his palm.
Nothing.
Then—
A twitch. A flicker. A tug in the air.
The surface of the tank shivered imperceptibly beneath his hand, as if repelling him. Not much — a push the size of a heartbeat. But it wasn't wind. It was him.
Victor retracted his hand.
So the energy was real. Not just visuals or metaphors. The System granted interaction — tactile manipulation of space or matter — but only just.
> [Kinetic Imprint Initiated]
Force: 1.8 N
Accuracy: 12%
Repeat to refine calibration.
He scowled slightly.
Low output. Poor accuracy. But repeatable.
A process.
Everything with Doom was a process.
Night faded into morning. City noise rose like static behind the silence of the rooftops. Victor stayed until the sun was above the skyline, running slow drills — controlled jumps, grip strength testing, balance trials. Measuring every improvement, every failure.
This wasn't about fantasy.
It was data. And data would build the throne.
But by midday, something else stirred.
A twitch in the System. A pulse not from him, but from outside.
> [Localized Energy Signature: Weak. Unknown Origin.]
Would you like to trace?
Victor didn't move.
He simply watched the flickering signal as it wavered on his HUD.
Curiosity? Yes.
Caution? Always.
He tapped a mental command. The System bookmarked the location.
He'd investigate when ready.
For now, there was work to do.
He stood at the edge of the rooftop and looked out again at the city sprawling before him.
His kingdom wasn't built in fire or steel — not yet.
It would be built in silence.
Brick by brick.
Systematically.