Chapter 23: Magneto's "Gracious Invitation"
July 20, 2023 Author: Great Demon Spirit
At this time, the Broadway incident hadn't yet died down, and all over the world, authorities were suppressing a surge in superhuman crime incidents.
Then came news that shook every major organization and power on Earth.
The Brotherhood, led by Magneto, had suddenly appeared in Alaska and engaged a powerful enemy in battle. It seemed they had also been ambushed by a group of mysterious powerful individuals, suffering immense losses!
Word was that several core members had died.
This was truly shocking news. The one who had been thwarted was Magneto—a true professional dedicated to his cause for years, honing his powers. A man who was either in prison or on his way there; the mutant leader whom humanity wouldn't dare kill even if they managed to capture him!
Who had made a move against Magneto?
And who was capable of handing Magneto a defeat, causing the entire Brotherhood to suffer such heavy losses in the process?
Countless plausible-sounding rumors were spreading like wildfire across the major dark web sites, making it impossible to distinguish truth from fiction. All kinds of rumors flew about, creating a state of utter chaos.
Anyone with even a shred of status was trying to gather intelligence, wanting to know, at the very least, what kind of enemies had taken down Magneto.
Who on all of Earth possessed such strength?
The dilapidated Weyland Corporation building.
Du Wa sat on the sofa, idly swirling the glass in his hand. It wasn't filled with red wine or anything of the sort, just plain water.
He stared at the computer screen in front of him, taking in all the news circulating on the dark web.
"I see, so Magneto took a loss? Ikaris alone clearly lacks that kind of strength. He'd be lucky not to be beaten to death by Magneto. Their battle probably awoke the Deviants frozen in the lake."
Du Wa considered this, suspecting that other Eternals might have joined the fray. He remembered that among the eleven Eternals, one possessed super speed, much like the Flash from the other universe. This Eternal could rapidly transport comrades from all over the world to the front lines—a top-tier reinforcement ability, second only to spatial teleportation.
It was perfectly reasonable for Magneto's Brotherhood to suffer a major loss if they had to face both the Eternals and the Deviants at the same time, especially without being familiar with their combat styles.
"Magneto is a staunch extremist. I wonder what his expression will be when he finds out that Ikaris isn't one of the Deviants he imagined, and that the 'ancestors' he so revered are actually just a pack of big black dogs crawling on the ground."
Du Wa slumped into the sofa, muttering to himself and letting out peals of laughter, clearly in a very good mood.
A group of Xenomorphs and one person gathered around him, safeguarding him.
Within the entire building, besides Du Wa himself, only the Queen in the Underground Lair was more important.
"You did this on purpose? Were you the one who fed false information to Magneto?"
Elektra's face was rigid. Despite her best efforts to control her emotions, a look of resentment would occasionally surface. She was constantly devising escape plans, fantasizing about how, once she was free again, she would take a knife and carve beautiful scars all over Du Wa's serene and handsome face.
Elektra wasn't anxious for the plight of the Mutants, but for the fact that her own life and actions were under Du Wa's manipulation.
"Why do you say that, Ms. Rookie Assassin?" Du Wa said, "I just had a little chat with a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Even you didn't understand, so how would Magneto know?"
"Never mind the Mutants. What do I have to do to satisfy you?" Elektra desperately wanted to kill this man, but whenever the thought crossed her mind, the parasite in her chest would give a sickening squirm—the clearest and most terrifying of warnings.
The sensation was terrifying, yet because of it, Elektra had received an empowerment from the Xenomorph gene: superior power, speed, and a superhuman self-healing ability. Her strength had soared, allowing her to take the first step beyond the realm of mortals. This made her feel both happy and unhappy.
Du Wa raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What makes you think you can walk away from me alive and with your freedom? Or are you saying you'd rather work for an organization like The Hand than serve me? At least I was generous enough to enhance your strength and extend your lifespan."
Elektra opened her full, red lips, but didn't know what to say.
In a way, the man was right. When faced with two bad options, it seemed her only choice was to pick the lesser of two evils.
"What do you need me to do, new boss?" Elektra asked, as if all the fight had gone out of her, lowering her head.
"Just stay by my side. I can't be expected to do everything personally, like when I finally free up my hands and decide to eradicate The Hand," Du Wa said casually.
Elektra looked confused. "You probably don't know how powerful The Hand is. Relying on just you and these Xenomorphs..."
"No, I'm well aware. I know even better who the master behind The Hand is—some damned thing from beyond Earth. Their end is already determined," Du Wa said.
As the two spoke, a Xenomorph walked up behind Du Wa. This was nothing unusual; the Xenomorphs weren't statues, and protecting Du Wa didn't mean they had to stand perfectly still. This continued until the moment the Xenomorph made its move against Du Wa.
Elektra, who had just been wearing an expression of resentment and dejection, was like a changed person. Her instinct to protect Du Wa kicked in, and she subconsciously whipped out a blade, placing it before Du Wa's neck.
Clang!
Elektra blocked the claw aimed at Du Wa.
Simultaneously, the other Xenomorphs sprang into action. With perfect coordination, they instantly and precisely broke the rogue Xenomorph's four limbs, pierced its shoulder with a tail, and hoisted it into mid-air.
"I was wondering how long you could hold out. I didn't expect you to fail so quickly," Du Wa remarked calmly, turning his head.
The form of this Messenger Xenomorph shifted, eventually changing into a human.
It was Mystique, Raven.
"You knew from the very beginning?" Raven stared daggers at Du Wa.
"Of course. I can establish an inseparable mental connection with every single Xenomorph, yet somehow, you managed to sneak in. Do you have any idea how awkward it is when a vegetable curry patty gets mixed in with a pile of delicious custard pies?"
Du Wa sighed and patted Mystique's cheek.
Hmm, felt good. Thinking this, he gave it another firm pinch.
Mystique's expression didn't change. Something of this level was trivial to her; it wouldn't cause any kind of psychological reaction.
If she hadn't confirmed that the man before her was completely obsessed with his Xenomorphs, she would have tried to use her charms to solve the Du Wa problem. But on second thought, she figured such a calm man wouldn't fall for that, so she never attempted it.
"Why?" Raven hadn't given up. "Why did you deliberately spread false information and use me to strike at the Brotherhood? Maybe you're a Mutant too, and the ability you now possess comes from the X-Gene..."
"That's right, theoretically there is such a possibility. But I could also be on Professor X's side, here specifically to weaken you," Du Wa said. "But I never gave you any concrete information from the start. You were the one being clever for your own good, believing what you wanted to believe. You're the one who got your people killed, not me."
Raven frowned, just staring at Du Wa. After a moment, a device on her arm vibrated. She said, "Erik wants to speak with you."
Du Wa ordered a Xenomorph to release Raven's arm.
Raven didn't use this opportunity to do anything, like foolishly attacking Du Wa to try and escape. Instead, she activated the device's external speaker.
"If this was your invitation to me from the very beginning, I have to say, you succeeded. This trick was very effective."
Magneto's voice rang out: "Boy, let's talk. About the real Deviants. In return, I'll give you what you want—that pack of damned, despicable reptiles that burst from the lake to ambush us!!"
(end of chapter)