Ruby Thursday

The majority of the villains that Doctor Doom had called were men. The few women who had answered his invitation were exceptional, both in their abilities and their interests. While the male villains leered and jested, the women were more focused. One of them, in particular, caught Doom's eye. A female scientist of no mean achievements, and unusual courage to follow her dark research to their natural conclusion, regardless of the consequences and heedless of the opinion of common humanity.

A position that Doom could both relate to and respect.

After a moment, the woman separated herself from the ring of evildoers and approached him. Her body was slim, lithe, fit, dressed in a purple one-piece outfit that did not cover her arms or legs, and with a low-cut V in the front that exposed her cleavage, while the nape of the neck rose into an exaggerated collar. Elbow-length gloves and tall boots completed the outfit, but the demonstration of her womanly charms was not what was arresting about her. It was the small, featureless red orb the size of a small bowling ball that took the place of her head, perched on a golden studded collar that encircled her neck completely.

Ruby Thursday had replaced her own head with an organic computer. Her features utterly obliterated, vanity vanquished in the pursuit of proving her theories correct and her technology viable. A sacrifice that Doom could appreciate.

Doom allowed her to step into the bubble of time he had generated around himself, so that the other villains appeared to freeze, unable to see or hear what passed between them. As the red sphere had no visible eyes, Doom could not discern where exactly Ruby looked, either at him or toward the holograms of Sue Storm. A simple trick, fundamental really—the point of a mask is to hide something of the features—yet the nature of her augmentation made such deceptions second nature to Ruby Thursday.

"I am interested in your proposal, Doctor," she said. The vocal cords in Ruby's neck moved, but Doom noticed that the voice that came out held the tell-tale signs of being synthesized. For that matter, he had no clear idea how Ruby ate or breathed.

"You have a plan for dealing with the Invisible Woman?" Doom said.

The red sphere inclined slightly, as though in a nod.

"A divided foe is easier to deal with," Ruby Thursday said, and with her thumb drew an imaginary line at her neck. "One strike, and I can remove Sue Storm as a viable member of the Fantastic Four, while leaving a living part of her behind for them to care for. The others will fall over themselves to find the rest of her. The longer they fail, the greater the strain on them. Eventually, they will break."

Doom considered. "I do not seek her ****."

"I said nothing about killing her. The separation of Sue Storm's head from her shoulders—while keeping both parts of her alive—is well within my capabilities. Uniquely so. Her new disability will be a drag on the team. Her relationship with her husband will not survive."

The monarch of Latveria considered. It was definitely not a plan he would have come up with. Bold, provocative...yet it felt incomplete.

"How will you achieve this separation?" Doom said. "And, more importantly, how will you prevent the Fantastic Four from finding you? Reed Richard's resources are more than trifling—and he can call in assistance from others with more esoteric capabilities."

"I downloaded your data," Ruby said, and one hand gestured at the holograms. "Sue Storm, for all of her great power, still has the reaction speed of a normal human woman who engages in intense regular exercise. Strike fast and securely—"

Ruby Thursday did not appear to move. Yet the forcefield of Doom's armor immediately rose. There was a sharp crackle. A piece of green cloth from his cloak fell to the ground, the edge cut perfectly, down to the molecular level. Immediately Doom replayed the image in slow motion. Saw Ruby Thursday's head deform into a single crimson monomolecular line and whip out him. Only his armor's automatic sensors prevented his injury or ****.

A completely unexpected avenue of attack.

"—and Sue Storm will lose her head. As for keeping off of Richards' radar, that is where your resources come in. I'll need a space prepared to retreat to. A fully stocked lab, completely hidden. A place I can stay until the heat dies down."

"An intriguing proposition," Doom said, as he considered the requirements of such a hideaway. "And what do you get, for your trouble? The defeat of an enemy?"

The red orb deformed into a plump pair of lips, spread in a broad, toothy smile.

"A unique subject for experiments," Ruby Thursday said, without further explanation. Then her artificial head deformed again, into a fair simulacrum of Sue Storm's own head, as if carved from red plastic. "I have plans for Sue Storm!"

"Very well," Doom said, after a moment of consideration.