Author's notes: First off I want to apologize for any continuity errors that you may encounter throughout this story. Thus far, I haven't actually read all of the Ultimates, only Superhuman (volume 1). Almost all of the plot details I have gleaned from the Wikipedia, heh. After buying it just this week, I've become almost obsessed with the Ultimates, and I've done my best to make it plausible (i.e. it doesn't take a stretch of the imagination for it to fit in with continuity). I'll gladly take any advice, praise or criticisms on offer. Thanks =)

The Ultimates: When Thunder Booms

1:22pm, July 24, 2004. The Triskelion, Captain America's quarters.

The view of Manhattan from Steve Rogers' bedroom window was spectacular. The immense New York cityscape rested against a backdrop of a pale cerulean sky. The Statue of Liberty, like a candle in the darkness, protruded from within shimmering azure water. Ferries constantly transported gawking tourists back and forth. From afar it seemed perfect, flawless – the towering buildings masked the poverty and crime with a veil of bustling activity, omnipresent street noise and constant lights.

Steve reclined on his sofa, stretching out his legs and resting his head on his hands. It had been quite some time since he'd had the chance to relax – the recent surge in superhuman criminal activity had forced the Ultimates into combat four times in the past week. In addition, Steve had had to complete debriefings on all their recent missions, attend a press conference and explain away controversies regarding Tony Stark's alcoholism and Hank's abusive nature, report to General Fury for information about the current status of the alien chitauri and read a 1,000-page analysis on the properties of vibranium. It was Saturday, and it felt unbelievably good to simply "chill out" and spend the afternoon watching Spike TV after the stresses of the week. Later in the evening he intended to go out to dinner with Janet van Dyne, the Wasp. Lately the two had been an item; the relationship had been fragile and somewhat rocky to begin with, but things were beginning to smoothen out.

Steve's moment of respite was slashed short by his mobile phone's irritating ringtone. I really need to change that, he thought as he reached across to grab it off the adjacent coffee table. A quick glance at its screen immediately drew a groan from Steve. Fury again. He ran a hand through his short flaxen hair and answered the call.

"Yeah?" he mumbled, pressing the phone against his ear.

"Cap! I need you in the war room, pronto!" came Nick Fury's anxious reply.

Steve quickly snapped out of his afternoon daze. It was rare for Fury to sound so urgent, so whatever was going on was obviously very serious. "I'll be right there, General!"

Dashing to his closet, the deceptively-youthful war veteran ripped one of his uniforms and a mask off a coathanger. Within a matter of seconds, he had stripped off his civilian clothing and donned the visage of the sentinel of liberty. As he bolted out of the room, Cap snatched his vibranium-adamantium alloy shield from his bedside. The shield was much more than simply a means of defense – it was symbolic of freedom itself, evidence of the accomplishments of democracy. It embodied everything Captain America stood for, while at the same time allowing him to bash the crap out of his opponents. Adorned with rings of cobalt and crimson and emblazoned with a white five-pointed star, it was a true patriot's dream and, in Steve's capable hands, a potentially lethal weapon.

1:23pm, July 24. The Triskelion, War Room.

When Cap arrived, the rest of the Ultimates were already waiting for him. Iron Man, sheathed in gleaming red and gold metal; the mysterious and sexy Black Widow, dressed in tight black leather; the Wasp, hovering at face height, smooth Asian skin reflecting the light of the computer monitors spread around the room; former Olympic archer Hawkeye, quiver filled with trick arrows of all sorts; mutant siblings Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, clad in equally colorful and flamboyant outfits; and of course, battle-hardened General Nicholas Fury. Thor, the God of Thunder (or was he a just nutcase with a mighty hammer?), was absent, or in his words, "dealing with frost giants on the battlefields of Niffleheim". Henry "Hank" Pym, or Giant-Man, and Robert Bruce Banner, better known as the infamous Hulk, were both suspended from the team and being detained within the Triskelion.

"The long and the short of it," Fury began, "is that up until this afternoon, Victor van Damme, or 'Doctor Doom' as the papers dubbed him, was M.I.A, believed dead. According to our intel, Doom ventured into a parallel universe ravaged by an infectious 'zombie' plague and was presumably killed."

"Same old, same old," Tony grinned behind his helmet, "find him, bring him in, right?"

"Not that simple, Stark. At 1:19pm today, Doom showed up in Times Square. Claims he's rigged half of New York with explosives, and the bastard's demanding that both us and the Fantastic Four surrender to him immediately."

Fury paused briefly to allow the Ultimates to mull over this information. "Your objective is straightforward – take him out as quickly as possible without civilian casualties. Cap, I'll let you decide on a plan of attack. Because we're currently short on members, for the purposes of this mission Shadow team is part of the standard Ultimates team. Clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Captain America responded with gusto.

The team of superhumans filed out behind Cap, silently praying they wouldn't have to deal with a massacre.