Chapter 58: The Ambitious Man's Rhapsody Plays the Most Wonderful Melody
It all happened too fast, like a tornado.
Poor Reynolds had no idea what was happening. The events of the past few hours had been too intense.
He only saw Du Wa talk to two strangers, and then their heads exploded. Immediately after, Du Wa forced a tube of strange liquid down his throat.
God above, Reynolds had just gotten used to the Xenomorph and his new self. His mind was filled with a mix of apprehension and ecstasy, and he had already started fantasizing about becoming a superhero, the center of everyone's attention.
Maybe just like Tony Stark, wherever he flew, he would be met with the cheers of countless people, all taking out their phones to snap pictures?
Oh, right, he couldn't fly. But that didn't matter. Reynolds was already eager to escape his past life of being ignored and despised, to become a respected and powerful person.
As for pledging loyalty to Du Wa? Well, he meant it sincerely. Reynolds was genuinely filled with gratitude and reverence that someone like Du Wa had not only noticed him but was also willing to use such strange methods to pull him from his miserable life and grant him special powers.
But...
Reynolds never expected that the time to prove his loyalty would come so quickly!
It even skipped past pledging loyalty; in Du Wa's words, it had already become a matter of laying down his life!
"It's over, I'm done for. Seeing how serious they are, this stuff must be terrifying. I'm going to die..." This was the only thought in Reynolds's head, and a look of despair spread across his face as two streams of clear tears flowed from the corners of his eyes.
"Don't create so much meaningless psychological drama for yourself. You're not necessarily going to die."
Du Wa made sure Reynolds had drunk all of the serum before letting go, observing his condition as he spoke.
From the communication device in his hand, Stryker's shocked voice emerged: "What are you doing? That's the super serum! Even if it were a potent venom, it shouldn't be wasted like this! You didn't even look at the past experiment records or understand the serum's composition! Even feeding him a drop or two would have been enough, so what in the world are you doing?!"
Stryker stared at the satellite image before him. Combined with the sound of gulping he had heard, he knew what Du Wa had done and was utterly dumbfounded.
This was the super serum, and it was just chugged down in one go by some ordinary person?
"You think I'm being careless?"
"Careless?! I seriously doubt how you even got your master's degree! Is this how your advisor taught you to conduct human experiments?"
"Stryker, don't blindly pass judgment on things you don't understand. It's like your knowledge of mutants—without extensive observation and research, you wouldn't dare call yourself the 'Preacher' who stands against them." As Du Wa spoke, he used the Xenomorph to carefully sense the changes in Reynolds.
The effects of the super serum were indeed terrifying. The moment it entered Reynolds's body, it went on a rampage. Despite the small amount, it was like a boiling ocean, annihilating all his cells with devastating force.
Even on a more microscopic level than cells, the countless atoms that made up Reynolds's body were now suffering a violent impact, wavering under this power.
The Xenomorph larva inside Reynolds's body, just like Reynolds himself, directly faced this terrifying onslaught, on the verge of collapse.
Host and larva were instantly on the verge of total systemic collapse. Every piece of living tissue showed signs of shattering and melting. They were about to die.
"Is it going to fail?" Du Wa frowned, a hint of regret in his expression.
Only Reynolds could seize that one-in-a-billion possibility, using the power of the super serum to link to an unknown pocket universe and receive the power gifted by that soon-to-be-destroyed universe.
Du Wa had considered it carefully before deciding to implant an embryo in Reynolds while he was still a mere mortal, precisely because he wanted his own Xenomorph to master this power simultaneously.
"Of course it will fail. Did you actually think this would succeed?" Stryker's voice held a hint of mockery and schadenfreude. "I don't know what reason you have to be so confident in this guy. Is he a mutant with the ability to adapt? Let me give you an idea: recover his corpse and re-extract the super serum."
Suddenly, Du Wa's expression shifted slightly. He said slowly, "Well, this has been an unpleasant conversation. Our deal is off."
"Wait, you haven't agreed to help me attack the mutants yet. We can..."
"There's no need. I'm very satisfied with my current Xenomorphs. Compared to mutants, I still think it's more appropriate to continue using vampires as hosts."
"Wait, since you're refusing to join the fight, when will you give me the Xenomorph eggs?"
"Next time for sure."
"?"
Du Wa, with zero integrity, cut off the communication and casually tossed the device to a Xenomorph, having it carry it far away to prevent Stryker from eavesdropping.
Whether it was Stryker or anyone else, all attempts to control the Xenomorphs were foolish.
"I really should just put Stryker out of his misery." A murderous glint flashed in Du Wa's eyes.
Once he had obtained and utilized the super serum, he would eliminate Stryker, this final loose end.
But the most important thing right now wasn't killing Stryker, or even participating in the war between the mutants and Stryker, but ensuring that Reynolds could successfully pull through.
"It's already taking effect. His body is undergoing an internal shift." Du Wa's eyes lit up.
The atoms in his body were undergoing a phase shift, linking to an outer universe.
All that was left was to wait patiently. As for whether he could grasp that nearly impossible possibility, that was up to Reynolds himself—or perhaps the Xenomorph larva inside him too?
Du Wa immediately grabbed the contorting Reynolds and entered the Underground Lair, where layers of Xenomorphs surrounded the area.
"Reynolds, I know you can hear me. Remember, you still have a great new life to enjoy. The super strength you possess hasn't been shown to the world yet. It would be a real shame to die just like this."
Du Wa transmitted his words directly into Reynolds's brain through the Xenomorph larva.
Reynolds's self-awareness was growing weaker and weaker. Hearing these words, the thought that he hadn't yet shown his prowess to the entire world caused a powerful sense of unwillingness and desire to nearly devour his heart. In the next moment, an extraordinary will burst forth.
There was no doubt that this was the kind of person Reynolds was. No matter the universe, his "addiction" was immense. After becoming Sentry, he transformed his drug addiction into an addiction to being a superhero. Most of the time, he lacked the self-sacrificing spirit and sense of justice of a true superhero.
But Reynolds only held on for a moment before he was about to give out again.
Du Wa stimulated him again, causing him to jolt upright, howling. This repeated over and over.
"It seems the Xenomorph larva is indeed a burden on him. At the very least, it's making it harder for the atoms in his body to reach the appropriate phase shift position." Du Wa mused, stroking his chin.
...
Alkali Lake Dam.
In any universe, Stryker would set up his headquarters here. This place buried all of his ambitions and sins.
Stryker sat at an experimental table under dim lighting, his expression uncertain. He thought for a full three minutes and still couldn't figure out what Du Wa was doing. Was he just trying to verify the serum's effects? But the process was far too casual. Wasn't he afraid of wasting the serum?
All around Stryker were various strange devices. On the display racks against the walls were countless jars and containers, holding all sorts of bizarre organs.
A closer look would reveal that these glass jars contained not only the severed limbs and internal organs of mutants, but also some Xenomorph body parts.
Stryker had spent a great deal of time collecting these, bit by bit.
Du Wa constantly sent Xenomorphs into battle, and it was impossible for them to always retreat unscathed. There would always be Xenomorphs that were injured or killed. Even if only a single cell remained, it gave people like Stryker an opportunity.
Stryker collected them in secret. He already held a certain amount of Xenomorph genes in his hands. Theoretically, he could even begin cloning Xenomorphs.
But Fury's bitter lesson served as a warning bell. Stryker felt he could wait a little longer to avoid provoking Du Wa.
"Hiss! Hrrk!"
A few Xenomorphs of different forms surrounded Stryker, letting out cries, appearing vivid and lifelike.
Stryker could even feel the killing intent emanating from these Xenomorphs. If he reached out to touch them, he could even feel a cold texture.
Just like they were real.
"Enough, Jason! I don't need these false illusions. And stop trying to curry favor with me this way! The 'Preacher' has no need for this!"
Stryker impatiently picked up the phone and gave a command. Soon, all the surrounding Xenomorphs vanished.
Don't be fooled by his rank of colonel; in the underground world across the globe, he was an infamous figure.
Ever since the tragic death of his wife and the ruin of his family, the severely traumatized Stryker had transformed into the Preacher, embarking on a bloody path of persecuting mutants.
"As long as I can get the Xenomorphs, and then implant embryos in mutants to harness their hideous X-Gene, I can build an invincible army! But the problem is, how do I break Du Wa's control over the Xenomorphs and take them for myself?"
S.H.I.E.L.D. had already suffered a crushing defeat, indirectly aiding Du Wa's deployment of his army. Stryker would naturally be a bit more cautious, thinking of a new method for manipulating the Xenomorphs.
Rely on his son, Mastermind, whom he had already turned into a tool?
Mastermind, Jason, could deceive a person's five senses, creating illusions that were flawless in terms of sight, sound, and touch.
If used properly, he could even pull a person's brain into a permanent loop of illusions.
Stryker had even written a user manual for his son. According to his deductions, by making good use of his son, he could conquer a city in a short amount of time!
"Judging from the course of that battle, Nick Fury was able to manipulate the Xenomorphs. Perhaps it was pheromones, or maybe an imprinting mechanism. Therefore, after confirming those are ineffective, the most reliable method is mind control... As long as I can capture Professor X, controlling the Xenomorphs will fulfill my lifelong wish!"
A deep-seated madness flashed in Stryker's eyes.
The level of insanity contained within the title "Preacher" was plain for all in the underground world to see. Even someone like Fury had to take special notice of him, a mere colonel.
"That bastard Du Wa has no integrity. Sooner or later, he'll pay the price. As long as I can take care of Professor X..."
Stryker's goal was simple: he wanted to control Professor X and then use his brain to control the Xenomorphs. When it came to using telepathic abilities to control Xenomorphs, whose brain in this world was more useful than Professor X's?
Originally, Stryker had just wanted to use Professor X's brain with Cerebro to kill all the mutants in the world in one go. But after witnessing the unique nature of the Xenomorphs, he gradually changed his mind.
Even if he could kill every single mutant in the world, ordinary humans would just give birth to new mutants.
Stryker thought of another secret project: the "Sentinel Robot" plan. It also involved creating powerful robots and continuously upgrading them to enhance their strength, with the ultimate goal of achieving a global extinction of mutants.
It was a decent plan, using mass-producible robots to deal with mutants who could reproduce. But, with Xenomorphs now in the picture, who would even care about Sentinel robots?
As long as he could find a way to break Du Wa's control over the Xenomorphs, wouldn't absolutely obedient Xenomorphs be far better than sluggish, rigid robots that were prone to code vulnerabilities?
The potential of the Xenomorphs was also incredibly immense, and their method of growing stronger was far superior to upgrading robots.
Stryker's idea was to replace Du Wa, control the Xenomorphs, and ultimately merge the Weapon X and Sentinel Robot projects into one. He would be the supreme head of both ultimate projects and would carry out the great task of permanently exterminating mutants—every time a mutant appeared in the world, a Xenomorph would kill them immediately.
Most importantly, this was a golden opportunity. For some reason, Professor X had gone mad, making it clear he was going to oppose the authorities and even laying his cards on the table at a global summit.
Mobilizing a part of the army to attack Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was not a difficult task.
And Stryker did exactly that. He incited a group of people dissatisfied with mutants, gained their support, and launched a surprise attack before Professor X and the X-Men could move out of New York.
"This is the last chance! If we act now, the worst that can happen is enraging Professor X, but a man like him won't take things to the extreme. If we can kill him, the threat of mutants to the world will be reduced by half!"
Stryker made a few phone calls and persuaded many worried individuals.
As it turned out, Stryker's operational efficiency was ridiculously high. That very evening, he had already moved the army to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
Gas grenades fell as densely as rain, covering the entire school.
Squad after squad of well-trained soldiers advanced violently in armed helicopters, tanks, and armored vehicles.
Some people might have found this scene familiar, because just over a month ago on Broadway, Abomination and Hulk had also enjoyed this kind of treatment.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The heavily guarded Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, also the main base of the X-Men, saw its various defensive measures crumble before missiles and cannons.
"The army is here! Humanity is declaring war on us mutants!"
"The Professor was right. Thank goodness he secretly transferred the students away before attending the global summit..."
"The Professor fainted right after putting on Cerebro. Humanity must have tampered with it!"
The X-Men had varied expressions—some of anger, some of anguish—as they unleashed lethal force on the attacking army.
Theoretically, this modern army shouldn't have been a match for the X-Men. Even without Professor X, a single Wolverine, given a little time, could take them all down by himself, not to mention people like Cyclops.
But Stryker's preparations were never something that could be dealt with casually.
Mastermind made his move. This man, who could be called the most terrifying creator of illusions in the world, easily altered everyone's sight, hearing, and smell, making them completely unable to perceive his presence as he walked straight into the school and found the unconscious Professor X.
But he never expected that, besides Professor X, another dangerous individual was already waiting for him.
Magneto slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling coldly on the empty space before him.
(end of chapter)