The Doctor's Take 3

By Michael Weyer

Yet another ditty that struck me. Just something about this guy…

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He missed his cigars.

That may have been a crazy thing to say. One would think that being on the run from the most elite spy organization on the planet (not to mention various terrorists, mercenaries and any number of old enemies) would leave a person with a lot they wanted. A regular house, a bed, great food, cars and maybe a female friend to contact now and then.

But most of all, Nick Fury missed the cigars. Fine, wonderful Cuban cigars that he could light up and take a nice long drag on whenever he felt like it. He'd never liked the no-smoking policies the government had placed around SHIELD, which made no sense to him. It wasn't like it could do much damage to him with the Infinity Formula running through his veins. And hell, his world was already dangerous enough, what did a little tobacco do to it?

He was sitting in the small command center he'd worked out in the underground chamber. It was one of several safehouses he maintained around the world, ones no one knew about. Sure, it may have seemed paranoid at the time he put them together but the circumstances proved he was making the right choice. Those instincts had kept him alive for sixty years and still paid off for him now.

He took a drag on the small cigar he had, not a good brand but the best he could get. He was watching a video, the same one he'd been watching on and off for the last few days. Fury knew there were more important things he could be doing from checking in on the LMD he had in SHIELD to monitoring terrorist activities. But he just couldn't keep from watching the funeral.

He'd seen it before, of course. He'd even faked Cap's death once and gotten a big funeral out of it. But this was different. He'd seen the body, the reports, all of it. He knew this was for real. He'd always figured he'd go first but then, he'd learned a long time ago that life was unfair and death even more so.

He scowled as he saw Stark's eulogy. After all he'd done to push Cap into that position in the first place, for him to come out and speak on his behalf was just sickening. He saw Sam Wilson among the mourners and nodded. It figured Sam would be willing to sign the SHRA just so he could be there to see Steve off. He saw Sharon Carter openly sobbing and frowned. Something about her reaction…it was more than grief there but something else…

He shrugged as he moved to a nearby scanner. He checked the data, looking for any new data on the whereabouts of the Red Skull. He knew the Skull was up to something, killing Steve had only been the first part of it. He didn't know what it was but Fury was determined that it wouldn't work.

I'll get him for ya, Rogers. I'll put a bullet right into his brain myself and burn the body to make sure he stays in Hell this time. I owe ya that.

A blinking signal came in, indicating an incoming message. Fury's single eye narrowed. This facility was more remote than others and he knew he hadn't gotten the frequency to either Carter or Barnes yet. There was no way SHIELD could possibly find it, even with Stark's fancy gadgets. After a moment's pause, Fury reached over and hit the button to connect the message.

"Colonel Fury," Doctor Victor Von Doom stated. "You look as well as ever."

"Doom," Fury carefully stated. "How'd you get this frequency?"

"Please, Fury," Doom scoffed. "I infiltrated SHIELD's network years ago. I know the technology you use for your safehouses. Even you cannot build them yourself. It was merely child's play to narrow down the list to find this one."

"Congrats," Fury snapped. "So what do you want?"

Doom raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "I apologize. I was unaware I was interrupting an important day for you."

Fury glared. "Yer prime minister is the one who started this mess, Doom."

Doom was quiet for a moment. "Yes…yes, I suppose in a way you are correct. Believe me when I say that I had no knowledge of her actions and certainly did not support them."

"Oh, yeah, I believe ya, Doom," Fury dryly said. "Cause you're such the stickler for virtue and all that."

Doom's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. "Fury, you know how I conduct myself. Arming low-level criminals with highly advanced technology? There is no reason for that. I personally never understood the reasons she had for doing it. The only reason it occurred was because I was…indisposed at the time. Otherwise, rest assured, I would have handled her myself and in a much more final way."

"I think I handled the situation."

"Yes, wholesale slaughter of Latverian soldiers and the destruction of my castle," Doom said. "All using a variety of 'heroes' whose memories you then erased. With such fine tactics, I cannot imagine how you Americans fare so poorly in the Middle East."

Fury leaned over to switch the connection off. "Good-bye, Doom."

"Have you ever wondered why?"

Fury paused. "What?"

"Why," Doom repeated. "Why would the prime minister of a small European nation take such an action? More importantly, why she would risk my wrath as she should well know I would never approve of this? Why would Von Bardas attempt this move?"

Fury shrugged. "Usual super-villain craziness, Doom. What can ya do?"

"Perhaps," Doom said. "Or perhaps…it is something else. Perhaps this scheme was never intended to have such an effect on your country, Fury. Perhaps it was intended to do exactly what it did: push you to an extreme action that would remove from SHIELD the only man capable of holding the organization together."

Fury was thrown. "The hell are you talking about, Doom?"

Doom reached to press a button. "I had my satellites tracking the…exploits of that anti-Registration Act group who prefer to call themselves the 'New' Avengers." The screen was dominated by shots of the Avengers battling a horde of ninjas. In the center of it all was Elektra fighting some strange woman who stabbed the ninja leader in the gut. There was a pause before the various ninjas scattered and the screen focused on Elektra's body.

"The…hell?" Fury gasped as he saw the body suddenly transform into that of a green-skinned being with a furrowed chin and pointed ears. "Is that…"

"A Skrull," Doom confirmed. "Yes, I must admit surprise myself. Apparently, a very good copy, near perfect if even Wolverine and Dr. Strange could not detect this was an imposter."

"The hell are Skrulls doing trying to take over the Japanese underworld?"

"That is not the question to ask, Colonel," Doom stated. "The true question is, where else are they attempting to take over?"

Fury's eye narrowed. "What are you saying?"

"Put aside your attitude, Fury, and think about it. This Civil War, the tensions between the government and heroes, the moves your government has made that are even more baffling than usual…you think that all coincidence, Fury?"

Fury bit his lip, thinking about it hard. As much as he hated to admit it, Doom's words were making a lot of things make a lot more sense. "Damn," he whispered. "If you're right…"

"I'm always right, Fury," Doom stated as fact.

Fury stroked his chin. "Gotta admit…it never sat right that after working hard to reform your country, Von Bardas suddenly starts arming the B list of crooks with high tech."

"She was apparently replaced beforehand," Doom stated. "And it explains how she survived the castle collapse as a Skrull body is more sturdy than a human one. The fact that she self-destructed seems to hold it all up."

"Stark has been acting out of character, even for him…" Fury muttered. "And Reed's been putting more faith in math than his heart."

"Given how flawed his math often is, a most disconcerting notion," Doom stated. "And his powers are the easiest for a Skrull to duplicate."

"Panther suddenly deciding to take a bride…" Fury went on. "Cage going from a street vigilante to Avengers leader…Daredevil's problems…"

"Anyone and anywhere, Fury," Doom said. "They have attempted to take over Earth before with frontal assaults and failed. So subterfuge is their best option."

Fury rubbed his temples. "Damn. On top of all else, Skrulls…No telling where they are. Or who they are."

Doom sighed. "Yes…I have been attempting some scans but these agents apparently have learned from the past and done a better job making themselves undetectable. The only way you can know for sure is in death. And while I have no problem with it myself, randomly killing heroes and world leaders to find out which is a Skrull is a wasteful act."

"Yer all heart, Vic," Fury snapped. "Why are you calling me?"

Doom placed his fingers together. "Regardless of our pasts and how else you may think me…'evil'…I am human, Fury." He paused. "I had expected a sarcastic comment there so your self-exile has evidentially tempered you a bit. This is my world and I do not want these Skrulls controlling it anymore than you do."

Fury tapped his fingers on the armrest. "So what do you want?"

"You have your ways of finding information, Fury…I have mine. Perhaps together, we can learn more of these Skrulls and their intentions."

"Why me?" Fury asked. "How can you be so sure I'm not a Skrull?"

"Because if you were, you'd still be running SHIELD," Doom said. "Skrulls love power, Fury. I know their type."

"I betcha do," Fury muttered.

"Make no mistake, Fury," Doom rumbled. "This alliance is tenuous and temporary at best. But…perhaps it can be the one thing that saves this world."

Fury snorted. "Provided there's anything left once the Hulk hits."

"Indeed," Doom said, showing no surprise at Fury's knowledge of the Hulk's imminent return. "A wrinkle I'm sure they were not expecting…but one that can work to our benefit."

Fury leaned in to fix Doom with his hardest gaze. "You try to screw me over on this, Doom…"

"You know Doom is a man of honor, Fury," Doom said. "And as I said, I will protect my people and my world against those who would try to take it from Doom. Our alliance will hold…for now."

Fury nodded. "Fine…I'll look in, see if I can dig up anything."

"Be aware, Fury," Doom said. "We are dealing with a foe who can literally be anyone they want with no signs of anything wrong. Trust no one."

"Except you?"

"You can distrust me less than you can distrust anyone else," Doom said. "Do not fail, Fury. Our planet is counting on it."

"I don't fail, Vic. You should know that by now." Fury clicked the connection off and leaned back in his chair. A long list of faces filled his mind, heroes, agents, and many old friends. Which of them was really an alien invader in disguise? Who could he truly trust at this point? More importantly, could they even trust themselves?

Damn, he wished he had his cigars.