//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: DOOM of Griffonstone! // by ShadowStar_IMHP //------------------------------// Two Years, it took me two years to make a cosplay costume I’m proud of. 3D plastic printed armor, fine pure cloth high count green fabric, even had the makeup for scars. It was my crowning achievement as a cosplayer. The full armor of Doctor Victor Von Doom, and once it was done, the state is on stay-at-home order and the con is canceled. Really it no one’s fault, not every decade a major pandemic happens. Even if the government did its job and had us all social distancing and locking down the convention would still be closed. It was just so damn annoying. Not to mention scary as fuck. The existential dread, a key emotion of Lovecraftian horror, stuff that nightmares are made of, in 2019 no one really understood that feeling. Being helpless knowing something was outside ready to kill you and not even care. Now in 2020, we know what that feeling is as the death totals rise. Sitting at the computer the only form of social interaction I have left on Facebook was showing memes and posts. Postings from some relatives get on my nerves. “Come on... the president's... fuck it.” Closing Facebook I start surfing the net. One adds caught my attention, really I just ignore all the ads but this one stood out. Not sure why really, was it the colors, or some clickbait wording I can’t really say. It was just something about the website MultiverseTrader.com that caught my attention. Not being stupid I went to Google and typed in a search for the site. There it was a website for all things cosplay offering items and gimmicks for characters across the multiverse. There in golden glory with six sparkling gems was the Infinity Gauntlet. Doom did have the Infinity Gauntlet a few times in the comics, heck technically from what I recall he has more than one from other universes. Looking back at my costume I smiled who else would have an Infinity Gauntlet wielding Doctor Doom cosplay? Besides the gauntlet was limited supply and only... crap just one left. With a quick filling in the info partly thanks to my Dashlane I had the Gauntlet ordered. Of course, it would be weeks if not mont... two days it was going to be delivered in two days? Well, guess the seller was close by. Okay, the price wasn’t bad either and there was that emergency money due to the pandemic coming from the government. Might as well use it to ease my emotional stress. Life was not normal after that same stay-at-home lifestyle. Watch a movie streamed from whatever service I logged into, eat frozen pizza, play video games. Thank god we got those, after modding Skyrim for the tenth time I got a whole new experience to play through. It was during an online game of D&D when I brought up the Infinity Gauntlet. IAMDOOMJS: Yeah, so I order an Infinity Gauntlet from the Internet. Some sites called MultivereTrader.com. JokeBOX54: Dude, ordering crap off the Internet? I bet you got scammed say goodbye to that cash. GoodLoving843: Josh, what was that site again? I tried to find it but, I’m not getting anything. IAMDOOMJS: Odd... I even saved the link but it’s not showing up now. Crap Joke right it's gone fuck I got scammed. JokeBOX54: Called it. IAMDOOMJS: Guys I need to play some DOOM to blow off steam. Nothing like blasting demons to release stress. JokeBOX54: Call your bank and get your account locked down. Don’t want to risk it being an Identity thief. IAMDOOMJS: Good idea Joke thanks. GoodLoving843: Take care man. Logging off of discord I looked outside spotting a delivery van. The van was green and had the company name DNA Delivery. Where did he recall that before? Who calls a delivery company DNA? The Delivery man was dressed in green thin with red hair. He tips his hat setting down the box before leaving. Opening the door I brought in the box and opened it seeing the gold gem-mounted gauntlet. “Fuck, it was a real site. I need to tell the guys.” Logging back in. IAMDOOMJS: Guys it’s here! JokeBOX54: What? The Gauntlet arrived? Shit, maybe the guy shut down the site after sending it. IAMDOOMJS: It’s beautiful work too not a cheap crap thing. I post pictures on Facebook. Goodloving843: Dude you need to do it in full armor. Show off your hard work as well. Besides you in plain clothing with the gauntlet on would be dorky as hell. IAMDOOMJS: Sure guys I armor up and take some selfies with the Gauntlet. Going to take me some time to put the suit on alone thought. JokeBOX54: It is worth it. At least you get to do some cool poses with that armor. IAMDOOMJS: Give me likes when you see the pics. Logging off I look at the gauntlet in the box. An urge to just put it on did enter my mind, but the guys were right it deserves the full armor. Around an hour and a half later I was in the full Doctor Doom outfit. Looking down at the gauntlet I saw it had strapped to adjust the size. “Cool wonder if I can get it onto the armored gauntlet?” Sure enough, I got the Infinity Gauntlet on and struck a pose. “No one can stop VICTOR VON DOOM!” Laughing to myself I look down at the box and noticed a card with large bright gold letters. ‘Enjoy your adventure. Signed the Trader.’ “What...” the world shifted under my feet and I fell losing consciousness. “Fuck”