Chapter 57: Reynolds, Now is the Time to Show Your Loyalty to Me
Du Wa returned quickly, flying all the way as a bolt of lightning.
Even if he hadn't used this method for rapid travel, he still had a Xenomorph under his command that had mastered super speed after chestbursting from an Eternal.
This was also the reason why, during the battle in New Mexico, he had ignored the powerhouse Gilgamesh, who possessed super-strength and a more violent aesthetic, and had instead single-mindedly focused on capturing Makkari.
Super speed was an extremely useful ability, no matter the situation.
Du Wa passed through a swarm of no less than a hundred Xenomorphs and arrived at the corner, looking down upon the pathetic wretch cowering there.
"You're back? Look at the state he's in." Mr. Blue let out a strange laugh.
But the next second, Du Wa pressed down on his large head. With gradually increasing force, he pushed his entire body into the ground, leaving only his head exposed.
"My patience is limited. Also, there's no need for you to use such a foolish method to express your attitude. I can perceive everything about you through the Xenomorph inside your body."
Du Wa stared at this intelligent man who had long been itching to study the Xenomorphs, yet had been forced to restrain himself time and again, almost driving himself neurotic.
Mr. Blue wasn't stupid; he knew full well that Du Wa could monitor his every move. But knowing was one thing; being driven mad by the desire to do something, yet being unable to due to numerous concerns, was another entirely.
"Take my advice. Your intellect should be applied to your area of expertise, not used to express your needs to me with almost childish petulance."
"When those same words are transmitted to my brain through the Xenomorph larva, they carry a different meaning. That's not a suggestion; it's a command. So, can I take this to mean you agree?"
Mr. Blue didn't feel humiliated in the slightest. He was, by nature, a man with a flexible moral compass, more willing to follow his fervent desire for research and pursue the ultimate path in biology.
Perhaps only after he found satisfaction in this area would other ideas begin to sprout. Before that, he could behave himself.
Du Wa averted his gaze. He was perfectly clear about Mr. Blue's thoughts, just as he was clear about the man's craving for the Xenomorphs' bodies and his repeated attempts to get his hands on an adult Xenomorph, or even the larva within one.
Now, loosening the shackles a little would at least keep the man quiet for a while.
"Mystique escaped. No idea where she went," Elektra said as she walked to Du Wa's side, subtly trying to cause trouble.
"She went back to Magneto. That was an inevitable outcome. However, whether Magneto will accept her is another matter. I imagine Professor X will take her in, and he might even try to set up a psychic trap to seal the larva in her chest," Du Wa said, completely unsurprised.
Mystique had stayed with him, half-coerced, primarily serving as Magneto's mole. Now that her mission was complete, it was time for her to contribute to the new cause for Mutants.
"Well then, this is our first meeting, Robert Reynolds."
Surrounded by a throng of terrifying Xenomorphs, Du Wa's figure appeared incomparably savage and horrifying, at least in the eyes of Reynolds.
He trembled all over. His already weak body, subjected to such an unimaginably intense shock, was on the verge of collapse.
"Who—who are you? What do you want?! I don't have any money for you—Monster!" Reynolds was in a daze, muttering the same words over and over.
For a petty thief like Reynolds, who already had some mental health issues, what he was experiencing was simply too terrifying.
Who would have thought that he'd just doze off in an alley, and in the blink of an eye, get kidnapped by Xenomorphs!
Who could possibly endure this? Reynolds was just an ordinary person; how could he withstand such a shock? His already fragile mental state was now rapidly deteriorating.
"I don't want your money. I want your fine flesh and your loyalty."
Du Wa opened his hand, and with a whoosh, the high-speed Xenomorph had already brought over a large Xenomorph egg.
Its four petals bloomed, and a Facehugger crawled out.
As if sensing what was to come, Reynolds' eyes turned bloodshot. He howled strangely, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, before his eyes started rolling back and his breathing became ragged.
"Hah, a specimen like this is worth you wasting a Facehugger? Why not hand him over to me? I'll make him—"
Du Wa stomped, and with a loud bang, kicked Mr. Blue completely into the ground. He then calmly watched the Facehugger impregnate Reynolds.
To be honest, Mr. Blue's exasperated reaction was perfectly normal. If Du Wa hadn't known about Reynolds' special nature beforehand, he too would have thought that wasting a Facehugger on such a specimen was a monstrous waste.
Mr. Blue was going crazy anyway. Through the larva, Du Wa could sense the violent fluctuations in Mr. Blue's mental state, knowing the man was mad with jealousy—*You'd rather waste a precious Facehugger than give me one to dissect and experiment on!*
Forget Mr. Blue; no one in the entire world could understand Du Wa's actions.
Du Wa waited patiently.
After a good while, Reynolds slowly came to. Having been anesthetized by the Facehugger and fallen into a deep sleep, his mind had received a thorough rest, allowing him to adapt somewhat to the dreadful reality.
"I... I don't understand. You're the master of these monsters that have gone viral online, right? Why did you come for me?"
Reynolds looked fearfully at the surrounding Xenomorphs, temporarily unaware of what had happened to him. "Everyone is saying that these creatures, born wearing exoskeleton armor, are not a native product of Earth."
"Robert Reynolds, you possess extraordinary potential. I have chosen you." Du Wa's first sentence plunged Reynolds into deep confusion.
He pointed at his own nose, his attitude perfectly clear: *A degenerate like me, a guy surviving in a dark alley, whose blood even a slightly discerning vampire with some standards wouldn't bother to drink, you've taken a fancy to me?*
"This is probably the most sci-fi story of the year. Are you planning to turn me into food for these monsters?"
"Stand up, and you will understand."
Reynolds hesitated for a moment before dazedly getting to his feet. To his astonishment, he found that his body, which should have been weak, feeble, and scarred, was now brimming with power!
Though he was still as slender and gaunt, every muscle in his body felt as if it had undergone a qualitative change, generating an endless stream of power that fascinated him.
"This, this is me?" He pressed his hand against the wall, gritted his teeth, and pushed hard, actually breaking off a piece of concrete!
This power left Reynolds completely stunned. He looked down at his palm, then at the wall, and was immediately plunged into immense surprise and terror, looking helplessly at Du Wa.
"This—I don't understand. You chose me, gave me a strong body. What do you need me to do for you?"
"I told you. Loyalty, and your life. I have given you a rebirth, allowing you to escape that rotten and terrible fate of your past. In return, you will give your all to repay me," Du Wa said.
Reynolds felt his mind clear up considerably, his thoughts jumbling: *Du Wa gave me power, and he wants me to serve with this power...*
"You could do so much more with this power, instead of wasting it on someone like me—" Reynolds subconsciously clenched his fist and held it to his chest in an instinctive defensive posture. He couldn't bear to part with this newfound power and his enhanced body, yet he was filled with both adoration and fear for Du Wa, who had bestowed this ability upon him.
"I say you are worthy, so you are worthy. I don't like to repeat myself a third time. Reynolds, from now on, you are one of mine. You will fight for me until death," Du Wa stated.
Reynolds had never been the type with a high intellect or clear thinking. Even the Sentry of the 616 Main Universe, who possessed power that could dominate a single universe and had even defeated Molecule Man Owen, was ultimately tricked by the Green Goblin into joining the Dark Avengers. In the end, he was instantly killed by Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, who also devoured his most powerful dark personality, the Void.
Reynolds cautiously looked at Du Wa, then glanced around at the numerous Xenomorphs, each more savage and terrifying than the last.
For some reason, he actually sensed a feeling of intimacy from these creatures, right up until he saw the corpse of the Facehugger on the ground.
Du Wa walked up to him and pointed at his chest. Reynolds immediately felt a sharp pain. To his horror, he realized he could sense the movement of a living being from inside his chest!
"This is my power. But don't worry, it is gentle and will not harm you. You two have already become one. It is you, and you are it. All the power you now possess comes from the portion of genes it has gifted to you," Du Wa explained.
It took Reynolds a long time to adapt to his new state: the surge of power, his sharper senses, and that feeling of purity that came from deep within.
The larva in his chest had purged all the toxins from his blood, allowing him to live in this world in the healthiest and most robust state possible.
This gave Reynolds a feeling of spiritual ascension. He realized that Du Wa was right. He had received a rebirth and would henceforth escape the hopeless despair of his past.
Du Wa had given this to him, and he could naturally take it away.
"I'm not good with words, but... I am willing to become your most loyal guard, willing to give everything for you! As long as you continue to let me have this power..."
"Of course. I have always been generous to my subordinates. As long as you can truly and strictly carry out my commands, this is just the beginning. I have very high hopes for you, Reynolds. Do not disappoint me," Du Wa said, his words laced with persuasion.
Mr. Blue, at least, immediately heard the problem with that statement, because Du Wa was not generous at all. He hadn't even been willing to give him a single Xenomorph before!
*But it should be possible from now on,* Mr. Blue thought. *I must completely unravel the secrets of the Xenomorphs, then establish my own personal Xenomorph gene bank, and push the power of this species to its absolute limit.*
"Hehehe, only I, Samuel Sterns, am the true master of these Xenomorphs," Mr. Blue, his entire body still stomped into the ground, chortled without any sign of anger. The sound sent a chill down the spine of Reynolds, whose hearing had become much sharper.
*Perhaps besides Du Wa and the Xenomorphs, there are many other abnormal guys here. At least this big green-headed fellow is very off,* Reynolds thought.
"Now, my most faithful servant Reynolds, let us depart."
"To where?"
"To find a key," Du Wa said, glancing at Reynolds.
With him present, he had to prevent any possibility of the Void taking over Reynolds' body.
The most powerful version of the 616 Sentry was the three-in-one Red Sentry, born from the mortal personality of Bob, the hero personality of Reynolds, and the dark personality of the Void. He was strong-willed, not neurotic, and stood at the pinnacle of a single universe.
But the Void, that dark personality, was extremely uncontrollable. It was a time bomb buried inside Reynolds.
*Still, I should first take a look at the so-called one-hundred-thousand-times super-serum. Contact with it is fatal for any ordinary person. Only Reynolds could grasp that one-in-a-billion chance of success. But that was a purely human Reynolds. As for this current Xenomorph-hybrid Reynolds...*
Du Wa took out the communication device he had obtained from the summit and contacted Stryker.
Soon, someone came to the door, delivering a thin file and an address.
Just like the last, after completing his mission, this person's brain exploded on the spot, and he died.
Dealing with Stryker was mentally taxing.
"Stryker, you've set the transaction point at a semi-abandoned military base twenty kilometers away. I never thought you'd have a stronghold in a place like that," Du Wa said, his expression unchanged as he leafed through the file in his hand.
"I am very wealthy. Whenever I mention resolving the threat posed by Mutants, I always receive a lot of funding. The fact that you were able to successfully open that meaningless company of yours was also because I approved it."
"So you just pocketed the funds that should have been mine?" Du Wa's face showed a look of sudden realization.
"This was a bargain we made from the very beginning, wasn't it? To gain something, you must lose something of equal value. That is what's fair," Stryker's voice brewed with a deeply hidden malice.
Du Wa's brow furrowed slightly. He said slowly, "I hope not to discover this is a scam. The price for fooling me is one you will pay with your life."
"Why would you think that? That vial of serum has no value to me. The Xenomorphs are what have value to me. In exchange, I need you to give me one Xenomorph egg, one that can birth a reproductive matriarch."
"You will get it, but I need to get the serum first," Du Wa repeated.
His response was a long silence from Stryker, who was clearly weighing the pros and cons, or possibly just posturing.
Stryker hung up. Ten minutes later, he called back.
"I have already arranged for someone to deliver the serum to you. As long as we can cooperate happily, I will give you the truly confidential data on the serum, including the process of its creation and all the academic reports and experimental footage of its use. This way, you won't have to start your research from scratch. This will be a good start," Stryker said in a low voice.
Without these things, it would be impossible for Du Wa to research anything from the serum. Stryker was deeply convinced of this.
"So?"
"So, I hope you will join my team in attacking Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters! Just think, you will get countless Mutants, which means you will get countless powerful Xenomorph warriors! You can send these Xenomorphs to off-world battlefields without any restraint!" Stryker's voice was filled with malice.
A strange look appeared on Du Wa's face. He finally understood Stryker's plan. He was actually going to launch an all-out attack on the Mutants ahead of schedule. Today's summit had not been for nothing; it had provoked people like Stryker beyond their limits of tolerance.
"You don't really think we would have no reaction to the declaration those two made at the summit, do you? The reason someone like me can exist and hold such great power is precisely to deal with situations like this."
A flicker of interest flashed in Du Wa's eyes. *So that was it. The initial plan to lure me to that military base was to deceive Professor X and Magneto?*
"It seems you are very confident in your strength."
"I wouldn't make a move if I didn't have a mature battle plan."
Soon, another soldier arrived, delivering a briefcase.
Du Wa opened it and took out a seemingly unremarkable test tube. He swirled it gently, and in the last rays of the twilight, the liquid inside bloomed with magnificent colors.
"This is the super-serum, and also the most terrifying poison in the world. No one can physically withstand the power contained within. Du Wa, as long as you join me, you can save yourself more than half a century of detours and master all the research results!" Stryker's voice suddenly rose several decibels as he tried to entice Du Wa to join him.
From any perspective, Du Wa was a radical warmonger. He dared to confront S.H.I.E.L.D. and send troops to an alien planet. Therefore, joining forces with the military to capture Mutants in order to obtain powerful Xenomorph warriors was completely in line with his modus operandi.
Of course, Du Wa had dealings with Professor X and Magneto, so perhaps he would refuse out of consideration for their relationship or dread of their strength. That was why Stryker was upping the ante with detailed data on Mutants and the super-serum.
Stryker just wanted to tie Du Wa to his war chariot. "While I've been speaking with you, my men have already made their move. With my meticulous preparations, they have absolutely no room to resist. Just think, you could even have a Xenomorph with mind-control abilities and... Wait, what are you doing?"
Du Wa had completely ignored Stryker's nonsense. He simply grabbed the nearby Reynolds, who had been scared witless by the two consecutive soldiers with exploding brains, pinched his mouth open, and forcibly poured the unknown liquid from the test tube down his throat.
"Reynolds, didn't you say you wanted to be my most loyal guard and serve me? Now is the time to show your loyalty."
(end of chapter)