Chapter 62: Yes, We Have an Ally Who Perfectly Counters the Xenomorphs
Magneto departed with a sky-high fury. He tried to recall his recent, fragmented memories and abruptly remembered that Sentry—Robert Reynolds—seemed to be the person Du Wa had asked Professor X to find at the joint summit.
An unremarkable ordinary person. What had Du Wa done to turn him into such a powerful life form? This was practically a modern-day Treasure Island story.
Magneto couldn't help but glance back one more time, catching sight of the silhouette of a magnificent building. Feeling his blood pressure soar, he forced himself to turn away and disappeared into the distance.
Sensing Professor X's life force field, he glanced up at the sky, casually crushing a few surveillance satellites in outer space before finding Professor X and the others in a mountain stronghold.
"Erik, it's good you're back. Otherwise, we all thought you were under Du Wa's control." The four-thousand-year-old Nightcrawler sized up Magneto, letting out a low, malicious laugh.
As a demon-type Mutant, he loved having fun above all else. The cause of the Mutants and all that was secondary to him. After all, no matter how powerful Magneto became, could he truly surpass the Apocalypse of old?
"Azazel, you should really brush your teeth and clean that mouth of yours. How else could you say such things?" Mystique looked at Azazel with disgust. She had once borne a child with this red-skinned man—Nightcrawler.
Mystique, Raven, also had a Xenomorph larva inside her. The moment Magneto drew near, her expression became incredibly colorful, for she sensed the presence of another Xenomorph on Magneto.
Nightcrawler chuckled in a low voice, "We can be sure of one good thing: Erik's head is fine now. He won't go on another rampage."
"This was Stryker's conspiracy. His son is an incredibly powerful Mutant who bypassed your defenses and stimulated my brain."
Magneto glanced at Mystique, walked past her, and came to the side of the unconscious Professor X.
Wolverine wanted to step forward and block this dangerous individual, but Magneto simply waved his hand, tossing Wolverine, with his metal-laced skeleton, dozens of meters away.
"Charles still hasn't woken up?" Magneto's expression was grim, but he found Professor X's to be even worse, no different from an ordinary old man tormented by illness.
Professor X was, after all, a mortal. This time, the problem was with his brain, which was a severe injury to his body.
"Soon. He's getting better," Jean Grey said, standing beside Professor X with a blank expression.
Magneto gave Jean Grey a surprised look. He keenly sensed that the doctor's state was not quite right—she was far too calm. He began to suspect the Dark Phoenix power within her was awakening, but having just had a fit of madness himself not long ago, he felt he had no qualification to point fingers at Jean Grey.
"When Charles wakes up, I'll have him talk to you. It would be best if he could help you unleash your potential as soon as possible," Magneto said.
Meeting the questioning gazes of the others, Jean Grey gently shook her head.
Cyclops kept his fingers on his temples, ready to fire his Heat Vision at Magneto at any moment. "You are now the most terrifying terrorist in the world, the culprit responsible for the deaths of countless people. Don't think for a second we'll treat you as a friend."
"Friend? I just heard that nonsense from Du Wa, and it sickens me." Feeling the throb in his chest, Magneto's face darkened further. "After Charles awakens, the Brotherhood and the X-Men will officially merge. We will join forces to find Stryker, and then we will kill him."
"Aren't you afraid of being controlled by Stryker again?" Nightcrawler's face was full of ridicule. He loved watching a good show. With his long lifespan and Teleportation ability, if he ever met a powerful enemy, he could instantly escape to the other side of the Earth, lie low for a few hundred or a thousand years, and wait for his enemy to die of old age before re-emerging, full of life.
"Mastermind is already dead. I don't believe Stryker has a second Mutant capable of creating illusions. Even if he does..." Magneto frowned, trailing off.
Everyone except Mystique looked at him with bewilderment, growing vigilant. They suspected Magneto was slipping back into that frenzied state, but thankfully, he was not.
"We rest for one more day. Azazel, go bring some of our brothers and sisters from the Brotherhood over—the powerful ones. And transport some food and water," Magneto commanded.
Dressed impeccably in a suit, Azazel bowed gracefully. "As you wish, Leader."
With that, he vanished in a puff of smoke.
They were waiting, but others were busy.
"Damn it, Magneto destroyed the satellites, causing at least another hundred million dollars in losses!"
"He looks furious. His energy index is consistently high, at about 30% of what it was in Westchester!"
"Ha, how ironic. What is this, the fury of a Bushwacker? Unless he goes crazy again and slaughters another few hundred thousand people! What we should be concerned about is whether he's being controlled by Du Wa! If he is, did he have a falling out with Du Wa? Did they fight? Why would he build a house for Du Wa!"
"Du Wa transformed a petty thief like Robert Reynolds into an incredibly terrifying Host. Even if we can take Reynolds out with a public opinion offensive, we'll still have to face the Xenomorph that will chestburst from him."
Reynolds was ultimately a Human, but if the Xenomorph inside him were to chestburst, one could only imagine how much more difficult it would be to deal with, and with even fewer weaknesses.
Countless people desperately craved Du Wa's methods. They too wanted to wield a powerful individual like Sentry, but unfortunately for them, they didn't know that the miracle of Sentry could not be replicated.
Fury was at his wit's end, looking at the mountain of files on his desk and the incessant inquiry calls.
The battle of Westchester had profoundly shaken the entire world. The deaths of hundreds of thousands were merely the collateral damage from a fight between two superhumans.
This starkly exposed the power of superhumans to the world. For the first time, many realized that when top-level superhumans unleashed their full strength, the result was no less destructive than a large-scale war.
And that was just one battle. What if there was someone who wielded great power and also intended world annihilation?
Such a person was a walking nuclear warhead, yet far more flexible and reusable!
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s status was elevated immensely in a very short time. They were given money and personnel with only one objective: cultivate their own superhumans, ones who could also defeat Magneto!
Fury looked at this demand, his forehead throbbing. These people were truly delusional.
How many individuals on the level of Sentry and Magneto were there in the world? If they were so numerous, they would have dealt with Magneto long ago.
"Strength, strength, you think I don't know how important it is? But mastering power on Magneto's level, cultivating the next Robert Reynolds... how could it be that simple?" Fury said with a cold face, enduring immense pressure.
He replayed the recorded footage of the battle between Sentry and Magneto over and over. Although the screen was constantly obscured by immense dust clouds, dark skies, and shockwaves, blocking the satellite's view, one could still feel the terror and peril of the battle.
This battle had destroyed the established rules and standards on a global scale, raising the bar for "safety" to an infinite height and shattering the worldview of billions.
"Du Wa is an absolute anomaly. I've repeatedly scoured historical records and haven't found a second person like him. His emergence was too fast, and the stacking of his power is too astonishing. He always makes a move from an unpredictable angle."
Coulson arrived with a new stack of files, placed them in front of Fury, and said, "However, we can be optimistic. Magneto might not have been parasitized by Du Wa."
"How are we supposed to confirm that, Coulson? Find Magneto, draw some of his old blood, and see if it's corrosive?" Fury shook his head.
Coulson gazed at the man before him. If he remembered correctly, Fury was quite a bit older than Magneto. He pondered for a moment and said, "I don't think so. Magneto didn't return to the Brotherhood; he went to find Professor X. A grand union of Mutants is the overarching trend. We don't have the ability to stop it. We can only try to stir up internal conflicts to achieve a schism."
S.H.I.E.L.D. was helpless against someone like Magneto. Even knowing he was the culprit behind hundreds of thousands of deaths, what could they do? Issue a higher-level arrest warrant? Add another tier of colors on top of the red notice?
What a joke. The wanted files related to Magneto could be stacked from Earth to the Moon, and no one ever truly took them seriously.
"I have a new discovery regarding the reason for Magneto's rampage."
Coulson pulled out two files and placed them before Fury.
The first file detailed the operation where Stryker organized the Military to attack Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
"What's interesting is the second file. Stryker once had a happy family—a beautiful wife and an outstanding son. That is, until a terrible fire occurred. The cause has never been determined. His wife died tragically, and his son vanished, at least from population records."
Fury immediately understood Coulson's meaning. "But when the firefighters arrived on the scene, they didn't see any flames. Are you saying it was Stryker's son?"
"Many have speculated that Stryker's son was a Mutant whose powers had awakened, causing this tragedy, but after so many years, no one brings it up anymore. Until Stryker attacked Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and Magneto went inexplicably mad. I think his missing son is the reason."
"Have you found his son, Jason Stryker?"
"Not even a corpse was found. He was probably destroyed along with Westchester. People who specialize in mind control generally aren't physically strong."
Coulson typed on an electronic device, bringing up a virtual display: it was a world map with scattered red dots blinking continuously, most of them concentrated on the American continents.
"The Xenomorphs are showing a trend of gathering. I originally thought he would intensify his retaliation against the Black Magicians, but it seems that's not the case. Du Wa is willing to go to war with the Military to eliminate Stryker. Should we notify Stryker?" Coulson asked.
Fury slowly shook his head. "No need. Both the Mutants and Du Wa want him dead, so let him die."
"Understood. It is the destiny of an adventurer. A very small minority enjoy flowers and applause, but many more are laid as foundation stones, dying in silence," Coulson said with a look of understanding.
"Heh, perhaps Stryker should feel gratified. He is destined not to die in silence, but with great pomp and vigor."
Stryker was a lost cause, but Fury highly valued the precious data he possessed.
He sent a letter to Stryker, bluntly requesting all of his scientific research achievements and promising to avenge him. Of course, the promise of an agent chief was worthless—something to be heard and forgotten.
"Coulson, the fact that you're standing before me means you already have a plan of action in mind, don't you? I want to hear it." Fury stared at the well-mannered man before him with his fierce, single eye.
Coulson shuffled through the pile of files he had brought and smiled. "Yes, boss. I am indeed prepared. I have at least three plans to deal with the threat of Du Wa."
"I assume it's not some pathetic tactic like asking him for peace. We are S.H.I.E.L.D., a large organization. We cannot bow to a superhuman who unleashes his power based on emotions and moods. That would be a disaster for the world."
An institution is more reliable than a temperamental individual. This was Nick Fury's logic. An institution is the sum total of a group of people and can always make wise decisions. An individual, however, cannot. If one day they're in a bad mood, feel their dignity has been offended, and then go on a rampage relying on their own power, that is an unstable element for global stability.
Coulson pointed at the numerous red dots on the screen and said confidently, "First plan, initiate the Mother Mold Project! This plan takes into account Du Wa himself, as well as the numerous Xenomorphs and Mutants."
"Second plan, I have already found a powerful ally with a special telepathic ability. He will permanently sever Du Wa's control over the Xenomorphs, and even convert the power of the Xenomorphs into a force controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D. Even Sentry, in theory, would be affected due to the Xenomorph within him."
A special telepathic ability?
Fury was very interested. He keenly realized that this might be a very targeted psychic power, perhaps one that specifically works on non-human beings like Xenomorphs?
"The third plan... that Black Dragon..." Coulson suddenly lowered his voice.
Fury was reminded of some unpleasant memories.
"I will be in charge of the Mother Mold Project. We'll build a Super Military Factory on the edge of the Sun. This was originally the ultimate solution for dealing with Mutants. I didn't expect a creature like the Xenomorph to be added to the hunting list."
Fury looked at Coulson with appreciation. This man was sharp and capable. "You will be in charge of executing the second plan. If you make progress, you'll be a Level Ten Agent. And you should also know that you must find a way to control your ally. I don't want a second Du Wa."
Coulson's face showed he understood completely.
"We have a chance to see S.H.I.E.L.D. absorb all the Xenomorphs. The thought of such a scene is gratifying. Earth's safety will be guaranteed to the greatest extent possible," Coulson said, his face full of longing.
...
Suburbs of New York City.
This was a supertall skyscraper, 620 meters tall with a full 120 floors. It stood like a blade pointing straight at the sky, shimmering under the sunlight.
It could truly be said to have risen from the ground.
The entire construction process was recorded, but no one could replicate it.
After all, this was a skyscraper spearheaded by Magneto. Did they think they could, like Du Wa, send a subordinate to beat Magneto into submission and then capture him?
But having Magneto engage in architecture—no matter how you looked at it, the whole operation felt bizarre.
Outside the skyscraper, a steady stream of people who weren't afraid to die came, drawn by its fame. A very small number were crazy reporters, but most were part of a fervent crowd.
They worshiped Du Wa's power, spurred by the battle of Westchester into trying to grasp at power and become superhumans themselves.
In this era, who was more trustworthy than Du Wa?
"Where is the master of the Xenomorphs? What floor is he on? I think I saw him!"
"What 'master of the Xenomorphs'? That nickname sucks. We all call him Brainiac online! Listen, Brainiac! The mastermind who controls the Xenomorph Legion, the demon who manipulates monsters to hunt monsters. You all don't believe in vampires, but I do! It was Du Wa who killed all the vampires and protected our nights."
"Shut up! I remember he has never publicly responded to any of the arguments or disputes online, let alone declared what his approved nickname is!"
"Great Du Wa, perfect Xenomorphs! Ah, the thought of a Xenomorph's form makes me tremble all over, I can't even stand steady... Let me become one of the Xenomorphs!"
"The chestbursting kind?"
"No, of course not the chestbursting kind! Damn it, why would you want to be chestbursted? It should be like Sentry! Look, that golden figure flying out of the skyscraper, isn't that Sentry? He's here!... And he flew back in again."
"He's out again!"
"I'm a survivor from Westchester! I yearn to join the Xenomorph Legion! I have a strong enough body to carry a great Xenomorph! I want to have the great power to protect my family!"
The crowd grew larger and larger. Seeing no reaction from Du Wa, and that the Xenomorphs flitting around the skyscraper didn't attack the crowd a hundred meters away, someone began to shout fanatically. Soon, the police arrived and set up a cordon.
"These idiots! If we don't stop them, they'll rush over and get torn to shreds by the Xenomorphs without a second thought!" a police officer grumbled.
The newly appointed Police Chief, George Stacy, said in a deep voice, "They're terrified. They will follow their instinct to seek a sense of security. In all of New York, where is safer than here? Even the powerful individual who defeated Magneto is one of Du Wa's men. Magneto even built a base for Du Wa."
That's right, George had been promoted again. The heroic former chief was caught in the crossfire of the Westchester battle, his body obliterated. George Stacy, who had just been promoted to deputy chief two months prior, had to tearfully take office.
"This era is truly insane. Two people were involved in the destruction of Westchester, yet one is a criminal and the other a hero," the officer complained. "So what should we do? What if Du Wa really starts recruiting from these people?"
George Stacy also felt troubled. He was privy to some inside information, knowing that Du Wa had been capturing vampires and sending them to an extraterrestrial battlefield. This was an extremely insane affair. It was foreseeable that if Du Wa really did recruit from ordinary people, it would undoubtedly be to send them to fight against extraterrestrials.
On the top floor of the skyscraper, Du Wa looked up, watching the slowly rising sun.
"Reynolds, stop flying back and forth. I can hear the hoarse shouts of those poor people below," Du Wa said, pointing at the sun in the sky. "Do you feel anything... miraculous?"
"I'm very excited, as long as I have their cheers and shouts." Reynolds completely misunderstood what Du Wa was trying to express. He constantly wanted to fly before the crowd and bask in their adoration.
If any mortal were to ignore him, Reynolds would become angry and dejected. He was someone who placed great importance on his public approval rating.
Du Wa didn't mind this addiction of his; such a minor quirk was perfectly acceptable. He turned his gaze to Elektra.
"I am aware of your contact with the people from Kamar-Taj. There's no need to get too close to them, but you can cooperate on the matter of hunting down the Black Magicians. Anyone who offends us will either be physically eliminated or captured to become one of us. However, the Black Magicians do not possess the qualification to become a Host."
Whenever Du Wa thought of Kaecilius, he felt it was best to get rid of that thing as soon as possible. Now was indeed a good opportunity.
"Kaecilius paid a price, and it's a price that cannot be repaired with Dark Magic. Elektra, when you do encounter him, I will send Reynolds to help you. You must eliminate this lackey of black magic."
Du Wa glanced at Elektra's slowly regenerating shoulder. Dealing with Black Magicians was always much more perilous.
"I can go right now! I have Super Speed—" Reynolds grew excited. He couldn't wait to find more enemies and then accept the cheers of the people.
Whenever Reynolds activated his Super Hearing now, he would hear countless prayers, many from people who had lost family and friends in the battle of Westchester.
The deaths of hundreds of thousands of people were enough to plunge this city into prolonged grief and fear.
At a time like this, the great Lord Sentry was needed to descend, bathed in a sacred golden light, to bring comfort to the world. That's what Reynolds believed.
Notably, Reynolds realized that his master, Du Wa, was an extremely generous and magnanimous person who never criticized him for his personal preferences or private matters. This greatly boosted Reynolds's confidence.
Du Wa glanced up at Reynolds. "Don't go alone. With your intelligence, you'd be banished by Kaecilius in an instant. Your fighting style is no secret."
"What should be done about those fanatical followers outside? They yearn to become your people, to receive power and security from you," Elektra said.
At this moment, Mr. Blue, who had been engrossed in reviewing various experimental data, looked up. "You can hand them over to me. I will conduct live experiments. Many research subjects could use them, such as live larva extraction and so on."
Du Wa ignored him.
"Pay them no mind. If they could obtain transcendent power just by shouting a few times, then such power would be far too cheap. Isn't this area an abandoned industrial park? Those who intend to live here will naturally receive protection. Perhaps in a few years, our little spot here could form a brand new, prosperous region—the strongest and safest." Du Wa didn't pay these ordinary people any mind.
It was a joke. The time it would take to select from ordinary citizens was better spent hunting for more vampires. Vampires were far stronger than these ordinary people.
A Drone Xenomorph born from parasitizing an ordinary person was only so-so in strength, not much stronger than a common Messenger Xenomorph. Sending them to Asgard to serve as soldiers would just be sending them to their deaths as cannon fodder.
Unless it came to a truly critical moment, such as the Earth being on the verge of perishing, and a massive number of troops were needed to fill a meat grinder battlefield.
However, Du Wa was somewhat surprised by his surging popularity. He had clearly never paid any attention to these citizens of New York, but unconsciously, through one action after another, he had gained their fervent adoration.
It seemed that no matter where one was, superior strength would always be paramount. With strength came followers.
"Well then, the base is complete. It's time to free up our hands and deal with Stryker. I did promise Professor X, after all." At this thought from Du Wa, a Speed Alien instantly ran before them.
"Sterns, you stay behind. Complete the relevant research for Weyland Corporation, and then register the patents with the appropriate departments. We can't always just be making do; we need to get the Weyland enterprise properly set up."
"So you were serious? I always thought you founded Weyland Corporation just to legally acquire a piece of land back when you were weak," Mr. Blue said, looking at him with a strange expression.
Du Wa couldn't be bothered to respond to his snide remark, because Mr. Blue's guess was, to some extent, correct.
Suddenly, he sensed something. His expression shifted slightly as he looked towards the south with great interest.
"What is it? Did a Xenomorph catch your attention?"
"No, just an interesting little interlude in South America. Never mind."
The next second, the Speed Alien began to rapidly transport military force, sending Du Wa's troops to their destination.
Alkali Lake.
Stryker sat very calmly in his chair, watching the monitor feed of his base being attacked by Xenomorphs. His face was placid, showing no change whatsoever.
"Send out all the soldiers to stop them. For the areas that can't be held, detonate the bombs. Kill as many as you can," Stryker calmly gave the extremely cruel command, driving the two hundred-plus soldiers in the base to their deaths.
He knew it was futile, but so what? Besides, he not only had ordinary soldiers, but also a group of enslaved Mutants.
Against ordinary soldiers, the Xenomorphs struck with heavy fists, but against Mutants, the Xenomorphs became very restrained, preferring to spend more time to ensure these Mutants were captured alive.
Normally, Stryker could have stalled for several dozen minutes, but with Sentry and the Speed Alien, all sorts of defenses were easily destroyed.
From the start of the attack to arriving before Stryker, it took only two minutes.
"A spectacular duel, Du Wa. Only after seeing the power you possess with my own eyes do I finally understand why others fear you so much."
Stryker looked at the straight channel Sentry had punched through with his bare fists and couldn't help but applaud.
Du Wa walked in with a peaceful expression, looking around the laboratory, which was filled with various mutant and Xenomorph organs. Finally, his gaze fell upon Stryker. "You think you're the protagonist of a movie? Want to give a soul-stirring speech before you die? Do you need me to record it for you?"
*Swish!*
From the ceiling, a female mutant in a black leather suit suddenly leaped down. Her claws were incredibly long and sharp, flashing with a cold light as she swiped at Du Wa's neck.
But Du Wa didn't even move. Reynolds took a step forward, blocking in front of Du Wa, and immediately threw a punch, intending to smash the woman into a meat paste. But he was instantly astonished; he had only shattered the woman's flesh, sending her flying.
"Lady Deathstrike. Same as Wolverine, Adamantium has been implanted in her body," Du Wa identified her with a glance and ordered, "Capture her."
Reynolds shot out like a streaking light, ramming into Lady Deathstrike and smashing through several walls.
"I see your Xenomorphs are capturing these Mutants on a massive scale. This gratifies me. The dream I've fought for my whole life is about to be realized through you." A twisted sense of exhilaration bloomed on Stryker's sinister face.
Just seeing the Mutants meet their misfortune, about to become containers for Xenomorphs to chestburst from, filled him with a wave of pleasure.
Du Wa shook his head. "Has it ever occurred to you that I can have Xenomorphs parasitize Mutants without the chestburst? That way, the Mutants can continue to reproduce normally, for generations to come."
"No! You can't do that!!" Stryker's face changed drastically. Just as he was about to angrily charge at Du Wa, a Xenomorph's tail whipped out, piercing his chest and hoisting him into the air.
"Don't let me see such a clumsy version of you, Stryker. All your thoughts are laid bare before me. Trying to provoke my greed for Mutants? It's a good idea, indeed, but you won't have the chance to see the future." Du Wa waved his hand.
Stryker's mouth gaped open in defiance, wanting to say something, but in the next second, a Xenomorph twisted his head off.
Du Wa didn't even bother to tell Stryker that killing him was just a side task.
The tremors of the dam grew more and more frequent. Amidst the continuous sounds of explosions, it was rapidly collapsing.
By the time the Xenomorphs had cleared out all the soldiers and captured all the Mutants, Reynolds flew back, clutching an unconscious Lady Deathstrike.
"This woman is truly strange. I can't even break her bones. I could only knock her out by attacking her head," Reynolds said, amazed by Lady Deathstrike's terrifying self-healing ability and absurd defense.
"Even if you could break them, her Adamantium bones would regenerate."
Beta Adamantium was just that strong.
Lady Deathstrike was an enhanced version of Wolverine.
The surging waters finally broke the dam, rushing in with a roar. The might of nature was on full display in this moment.
When Magneto and his group belatedly arrived, they were greeted by a scene akin to a massive flash flood. Endless streams of water converged, letting out a deafening, terrifying roar.
"What's going on? Are we sure this is the right place? Stryker's base has been destroyed?" Wolverine took the cigar from his mouth, his face filled with astonishment.
Just then, Professor X, who was still struggling to recover from his brain trauma, said, "It's Du Wa. I can feel him and his Xenomorph army."
"Professor, try to use your ability as little as possible!"
"Don't worry about me, Jean Grey. This level of mind power won't have much of an effect." A glimmer of hope flashed in Professor X's eyes. "I also feel the minds of many Mutant children. They are terrified and scared. We should save them."
Magneto rudely interrupted, "No need. That guy has already brought them all out."
Just as Du Wa and the two poles of the Mutant world were about to meet once again...
In a distant tropical rainforest in South America.
Coulson had also found his target.
He, along with a large group of well-trained special forces, smiled at the young man before him. He focused his gaze on the Xenomorph at the young man's side, and the smile on his face grew even richer.
"It seems you've already established mind control over the Xenomorphs lurking in the tropical rainforest. That's a dangerous act, but we can help you."
(end of chapter)