Chapter 65: Weyland Corporation is a Serious and Legitimate Company
"An ordinary agent? It's hard to imagine. A few months ago, you wouldn't have even bothered with ordinary agents like these."
"It can't be helped. Reality is always moving forward. Haven't you also been constantly changing your methods to deal with me? It's just that I'm too strong, leaving you with no other options." Du Wa walked in.
On Coulson's face, no matter how he tried to hide it, there was a deep sense of loss. "I originally thought I could win this time. No matter how you looked at it, you were the one who was supposed to lose. You had no chance."
His voice was filled with deep exhaustion and bitterness.
Why did it turn out like this?
For this battle, Coulson had clearly made so many preparations. He personally contacted the Eternals and ventured deep into the South American Rainforest to bring out Druig.
He ran countless computations on his computer, considering every possible factor. After learning about Druig's ability and that it was effective against the Xenomorphs, he was even more convinced he would win.
Du Wa had won many times. This time, Coulson felt that he should win, no matter what. Just one victory was all he needed to send Du Wa to prison and lock him up forever.
But the entire battle left the veteran Coulson dumbfounded, making him suspect he'd been given the wrong script, that some unknown enemy had altered his perception, and that everything he saw was an illusion.
"Druig successfully controlled all the Xenomorphs, only to use that power against his own kind. Such an act of betrayal is rare even in human history, let alone among the Eternals."
Coulson slowly stood up from his computer desk, let out a long breath, stretched his arms, and gave a deep stretch as if he were just a normal office worker.
Unfortunately, he wasn't.
"Are these your last words?"
"Not entirely. I really want to know, what exactly did Druig read in your brain? Just how many terrifying Mind Traps did you secretly plant in your own mind?" Coulson's expression was impossibly complex.
Du Wa retorted, "Couldn't it be that my mind is simply pure?"
"Yes, so pure that it brainwashed an Eternal thousands of years old like Druig into becoming your fanatical follower on the eve of battle? I believe in science." Coulson shook his head, not believing a single word Du Wa said.
According to his deduction, Du Wa must have, a long time ago, used various methods to set up countless mental mazes and Thought Shackles in his mind, establishing an insane mental defense line precisely to prevent Mind Invasion.
"Was it to deal with Professor X? I think so. As far as I know, your Weyland Corporation doesn't have advanced mental shielding technology, unlike S.H.I.E.L.D., which uses advanced technology to guard against people like Professor X. So you could only use this kind of method," Coulson said.
Du Wa glanced behind Coulson. The expensive equipment was on, transmitting their conversation in real-time.
Fury's voice came through: "Du Wa, spare his life. I can trade you the highest quality weapons. Have you heard of the Symbiotes? I have some stored here. I can give them all to you, allowing you to instantly possess many extremely powerful Super Xenomorphs…"
"No deal. I'm not that interested in things like Symbiotes," Du Wa said.
"Then what do you plan to do? Turn him into your puppet, like Elektra and Sentry?" Fury's voice grew cold. "We can talk."
Du Wa didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He said to Coulson, "Did you hear that? He can't wait for me to kill you, terrified that I'll get useful information out of your head."
"This is an agent's destiny. You of all people should understand that. Once it's clear there's no way out, detonating one's own brain to completely destroy all the secrets one knows is what a high-ranking agent like me is supposed to do."
Coulson smiled helplessly. "Director Fury initially wanted to send the Howling Commandos and Steve to protect me, but I felt it was unnecessary. Once the Eternals were defeated, it would be impossible for me to escape. Besides, an agent who repeatedly fails against the same target has no value."
"I actually had high hopes for you. You were very dedicated to your duty. But you were too dedicated, using all your energy, all your means, to deal with me." Du Wa looked at him. "Farewell."
A Xenomorph stepped out from behind Du Wa, its tail whipping out to pierce Coulson's skull and destroy his brain.
Du Wa sighed, glanced at Coulson's corpse, and then sat down in the seat Coulson had just vacated.
"Nick Fury, are you satisfied with this outcome? Another one of your operations has been dismantled by me, and your most valued assistant has died at my hands. The only difference is, my strength has grown again. The power of the Eternals has all become my power."
Du Wa said, "You can fail countless times, but every success of mine is a huge step forward, leaving you with fewer and fewer means to use against me."
"Is that a declaration of victory? A bit too ordinary," Fury said.
"No, this is a declaration of war. You'd better hope I don't find you. But I guess, with your suspicious nature, the moment Druig defected to my side, you had already fled to some Secret Outpost. And this outpost is in some remote, inaccessible place, with complete soundproofing and other measures."
"You're right, but I'd prefer you use a different word, like 'retreat' instead of 'flee.' This is all just the beginning."
"It's already over. You have no way to deal with someone like me. The best opportunity was to act before I revealed my talent. Unfortunately, who would pay attention to a nobody like me? By the time I made my move and you reacted, it was already too late."
Du Wa said, "It's not just me you have to face now, but also the Mutants. You can't handle either side on your own."
"You can wait and see. S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what it appears to be."
Fury cut the communication. There was no need to talk any further. After this, he would need some time to lick his wounds and find a suitable person to fill the void left by Coulson.
But he still hadn't admitted defeat. As long as he was alive, relying on an organization with a long legacy like S.H.I.E.L.D., he wouldn't lose.
"Pheromones and telepathic abilities have both failed. What other methods are there... There must be something. If a method can't be found in the Mortal Realm, then I'll look in the mystical realm."
To be frank, Du Wa was secondary. The main threat was still the Mutants.
If it weren't for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s desperate desire to take over the ever-growing legion controlled by Du Wa, wanting to use that power to turn around and deal with the Mutants or other threats, things would never have progressed to this point, and Coulson wouldn't have died.
It could only be said that any event is bound to cause ripples on the temporal plane, forming a monstrous wave at a specific node and changing the course of the entire timeline.
Accompanied by a deafening roar, the entire building collapsed amidst a sky full of thunder, turning into endless ruins.
When Du Wa's figure appeared in people's sight, everyone knew the result.
The one who planned all this was dead.
Who could it be? There were many who coveted the Xenomorphs, but few who dared to make a move against Du Wa. Even fewer could bring the Eternals into a decisive battle with him.
But at a time like this, no one cared who had died, because the dead are meaningless.
"The Eternals were completely wiped out. It's a pity. They had clearly made many contributions to humanity."
"Tsk, tsk, I just want to know what Du Wa said to that Eternal who could control the Xenomorphs that made him so emotional he launched a rebellion on the spot."
"Who knows? It must have been intelligence capable of subverting his entire worldview. Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. or other telepaths could have monitored it remotely."
"That rebellious Eternal could control the Xenomorphs. Does that mean telepaths are Du Wa's natural enemy? We could also find some telepaths to control the Xenomorphs."
"Brilliant idea. I suggest you go do it right now. Then wait for Du Wa to capture you and send you off-world to fight wars for the Asgardians. Let me ask you, are people short on cash interested in banks? Then why don't they just go rob one? Is it because the thought never occurred to them?"
Anyone with good sources was exchanging all sorts of intelligence in the underground world, but without exception, all the intelligence primarily revolved around Du Wa.
Looking across the globe, no one and nothing could capture everyone's interest more than Du Wa and his Xenomorphs.
On a Steel Island in the middle of the ocean.
"The Eternals have failed. Except for Ikaris, who stood off in the distance, the fates of the others were tragic."
Professor X took off Cerebro, his face exceptionally calm.
He had originally wanted to check if Du Wa was treating the Mutants captured from Stryker seriously.
Even if these Mutants had already lost their self-awareness and could only exist as tools, even tools have their proper uses.
Tossing them to the Asgardians to fight wars was one use. Keeping them in Weyland Tower as guards was another.
Clearly, Du Wa's approach made Professor X breathe a sigh of relief. At least Du Wa wouldn't treat the Mutants like cheap, assembly-line products to be easily consumed. This gave Professor X a small measure of psychological comfort.
Instead, he witnessed the Eternals launch a major offensive, only to be tragically wiped out.
"Every time I see you use Cerebro, my heart skips a beat. I worry something will go wrong with your brain," Mystique said, looking at Professor X with a frown.
"Until my work is done, I will not fall again. My brain is an extremely powerful weapon."
"But there will also be new brothers and sisters who join us who are filled with fear of your ability," Mystique said in a low voice.
Cyclops spoke matter-of-factly, "Then that means those people aren't our brothers and sisters. They harbor malicious intent and are unworthy of joining us."
Around them, the Mutants who came from the Brotherhood all wore strange expressions as they stared at Cyclops.
Malicious intent? How many members of the Brotherhood hadn't done bad things or harbored malice in their hearts?
Even now, there were quite a few Mutants who were full of hatred and doubt towards Professor X.
Someone like Nightcrawler was even more unscrupulous. He was wary of Professor X and also wary of Magneto, but in the end, he didn't really care about anyone.
Uniting the X-Men and the Brotherhood was already this difficult, let alone recruiting the powerful and dangerous individuals who existed outside these two major organizations.
Professor X looked at these people with their varied expressions. Even without using his telepathic ability, he could roughly guess what they were thinking.
"We will establish strict and comprehensive laws, meticulously classify different superpowers, and set up special guidance courses for young mutants when they awaken."
Professor X pointed to his own head. "Of course, we will also regulate the occasions and timing for using superpowers. I will take the lead in complying, because this is a 'weapon' that worries the entire world."
At the end, his tone carried a hint of self-deprecation, successfully easing the tension in the air.
"It's foreseeable that those Eternals will eventually become part of the power Du Wa commands. With every victory, his overall strength will undergo a world-shaking transformation."
Magneto had deep faith in Professor X's abilities—be it his superpower, character, or organizational management skills. As long as he shed his past naive ideas about humanity, Professor X would undoubtedly be an excellent leader.
Still, he was more focused on Du Wa and more curious about how Du Wa had turned the tables.
Professor X said, "On the other hand, if Du Wa were to suffer a single major setback, he would fall into an abyss and might never be able to climb out."
"How did he induce that Eternal to rebel? Didn't you say that guy was a telepath just like you, and a powerful one at that?"
Magneto subconsciously thought of his own helmet. Could it be that during the short time he was held captive, Du Wa had studied and acquired the technology to create a mind-shielding helmet?
But how could it be that simple?
"Du Wa didn't put up any form of defense. He allowed the man named Druig to invade his mind."
Professor X's face was also filled with disbelief. This was something he couldn't comprehend at all. "Druig must have seen something extremely terrifying. This discovery drove him to betray all his past experiences, to stand on Du Wa's side, and to raise the butcher's knife against his own compatriots."
"I don't believe Du Wa's brain is that of a normal person. It must have long been filled with all sorts of thought traps," Magneto said, and Mystique deeply agreed.
Applying defenses to one's own brain on a mental level is not something unimaginable.
Individuals with strong minds and firm willpower, even with mortal bodies, can apply psychological suggestions and establish mental logic mechanisms that only they can understand, achieving a rudimentary defense against the invasion of a telepath.
That's right, we're talking about Batman from next door. God only knows how many layers of mental mazes this mortal has stacked in his brain, or how many mental blind spots he's set up that even a Deity would find difficult to discern.
"Charles, if Druig could do it, it means you can too. You could also control all the Xenomorphs in an instant, and maybe even Du Wa himself. You just need to invade his brain." Magneto suddenly found the idea comical.
He had been made a host by Du Wa, Du Wa was deterred by Professor X, and Professor X, to a certain extent, listened to him.
Professor X didn't speak. He was also trying hard to change his old ways of thinking. When faced with the future fate of all Mutants, some of his past principles could be appropriately relaxed. It couldn't be helped.
However, controlling Du Wa... Professor X felt it wouldn't be that simple.
Druig had already failed spectacularly, defecting to Du Wa like a zealot. No one knew what terrifying thing he had seen inside Du Wa's head to be reverse-brainwashed, willingly abandoning his Eternal heritage and mission to follow Du Wa wholeheartedly.
"We are friends with them. Perhaps there will be a time when we can join forces," Professor X replied. He really did not want to stand on the opposite side of a troublesome character like Du Wa.
While Professor X was deep in thought, the sole remaining Eternal was doing the same.
Ikaris didn't even dare to show his face now. Relying on his Super Vision and Super Hearing, he was constantly monitoring his surroundings. The moment he detected any trace of a Xenomorph, he would flee far away.
"The number of Xenomorphs is slowly increasing, and it's happening all over the world…"
Ikaris's face was grim. To be honest, ever since he was expelled by Ajak and the others, he hadn't been in a good mood, living as a wanderer, roaming the world.
A wandering Eternal... Ikaris found it absurd just thinking about it. He was an Eternal highly regarded by Arishem. Why had he fallen to such a state on this planet, Earth?
What was the reason? Oh, it was all because of that person—Du Wa, and the Xenomorphs he commanded.
"Ajak is dead, Sersi is dead…"
A flash of pain crossed the eyes of Ikaris, but only a little.
Did he have feelings for these compatriots? Of course, but not much. If he encountered an opportunity to gain greater benefits by abandoning his teammates, he would do it without hesitation.
As it turned out, Ikaris was the last surviving Eternal, but he felt he probably wouldn't live for much longer.
Because he had noticed that a man named Sentry had appeared in Du Wa's Xenomorph legion. He also possessed the ability of flight, might have Super Vision and Super Hearing, and could shoot Heat Vision from his eyes, just like him.
He might even be stronger than him, which made Ikaris extremely anxious. If Du Wa decided to scour the globe to find him, what would he do? Flee? In any case, there was no place for him on this planet. He could only escape into Deep Space.
"Ajak and the others have surely become Du Wa's Xenomorphs now. All the strength they accumulated over so many years has become Du Wa's power. How am I supposed to deal with so many powerful enemies?"
Ikaris felt his situation was just too miserable. Looking back, he had merely been the first to attack Du Wa and the Xenomorphs, and this was the result. Of the eleven Eternals, he was the only one left—that guy Druig no longer counted as an Eternal. From his mind to his body, he had already become a Xenomorph.
Did he also have to shamelessly surrender to Du Wa like Druig? That might actually be a good idea. From what he had observed, Du Wa treated his subordinates quite well and generally didn't interfere randomly in their actions.
Just as this thought arose, Ikaris felt his vision suddenly go dark. He was now in the cosmos, with countless stars shining brightly in the distance.
A colossal figure appeared before Ikaris.
"Arishem?!" Ikaris's face was full of disbelief.
…
"Arishem must have sensed the changes on Earth and will respond, probably."
Du Wa returned to Weyland Tower and asked Druig, "Has Arishem contacted you?"
"No. Ikaris is still alive. Even if he were to make contact, it would be with him." Druig shook his head, his gaze fervent as he looked at Du Wa. "Besides, Arishem is nothing anymore. You are the Truth. You should be a God."
He had never met anyone like Du Wa. On a mental level, not even Arishem could compare to Du Wa, the main consciousness of a collective of countless minds.
But in terms of strength, Arishem was naturally more powerful.
"Thank you for the praise. I'm not a very modest person. I can take any compliment people throw at me."
Du Wa nodded calmly. He always felt that after defecting to the Xenomorph faction, Druig's thinking had abruptly swung from one extreme to another.
This was indeed the case in the mental world. Du Wa could link to every Xenomorph, so of course, he could also indirectly perceive Druig's will. The mind of this master telepath had transformed into an extremely bright ball of light, protecting him just like the many other Xenomorphs.
Evidently, after accepting the wholeheartedly devoted Druig, Du Wa's resistance to mind control had once again surged. A shortcoming of his was now shored up.
Even if he faced Professor X now, Du Wa could mount a fairly complete mental defense.
This was what made Du Wa so terrifying. The more Xenomorphs he had, the greater his strength on the conscious and mental planes would become. Every single Xenomorph would become his most solid shield.
"Tiamut in Earth's Core is still slumbering. Normally, its awakening is only a matter of time. As long as nothing happens to Tiamut, Arishem won't appear in person," Du Wa mused.
Every newborn Celestial is essentially nurtured by the conscious energy of countless sentient beings, only to be driven to extinction by the very Celestial they personally nourished.
The new Celestial will then travel to various parts of the universe, creating gravity, light, and heat, promoting the birth of more life.
"We have enough time to deal with the threat of Arishem. Besides, even if He came to Earth right now, He wouldn't necessarily be able to retreat unscathed."
After all, Earth has the Ancient One watching over it, and the Time Stone is also on Earth. Since she could fend off Dormammu, fending off an Arishem shouldn't be a problem.
"Ikaris is a hidden danger. I will find a way to track him down and make him one of us," Druig offered proactively.
His proactiveness was quite startling. At the very least, Elektra was giving the man a strange look.
"Chestburst or no Chestburst?"
"It doesn't matter. In whatever form, he will be with us forever. As long as you are immortal, we will never be separated. This is the truth I have seen."
Druig's gaze towards Du Wa was always filled with deep passion. When he looked away at others, it would turn icy cold again.
Du Wa didn't pay him much mind and said casually, "Then I'll leave it to you. Speak up if you need help. This planet no longer needs Eternals who serve the Celestials. By the way, that starship outside, remember to preserve it well. Just store it on the open ground north of Weyland Tower. Activate stealth mode."
Druig immediately left Weyland Tower, faithfully carrying out his duty.
But as soon as he stepped outside, he was met with a large crowd of humans that had gathered again. Listening to their loud shouts, Druig discovered that many of them were also filled with adoration for Du Wa, eager to join him.
"Even if it's just to seek power, to go from an ordinary person to a superhuman, it is worthy of attention. This further proves that Du Wa is right, to allow everyone's consciousness to be linked together," Druig thought.
Someone saw Druig come out and shouted at him loudly.
Some praised his heroic deed of leading the Xenomorphs in a counterattack against the Eternals, while others proposed they wanted to join Du Wa's ranks, just like him.
"Sir, what's your name? Why did you break with those superhumans?"
"Look at me! I'm strong! I can definitely become the best Xenomorph host—as long as there's no chestbursting."
Druig realized he had underestimated the fanaticism of these people.
It made sense. In this increasingly chaotic world where fights between supervillains and superheroes could affect large numbers of civilians, what could be more important than gaining power?
And when it came to gaining power, Du Wa's Xenomorphs were impossible to ignore. Through several great battles and the persistent hunting of vampires, these formidable creatures that often roamed the alleyways were exposed to the public eye.
Simply by joining Du Wa and coming into contact with the Xenomorphs, one could instantly become a superhuman. Low cost, high reward. Many hopeful people or adventure-loving madmen were drawn by the news.
To Druig, the actions of these people were a testament to the future.
"They are weak, but if we sent Xenomorphs to parasitize them, they could be of some use... No, our power is great now. We haven't reached the point where we need to use these people."
Thinking this, Druig ignored the crowd and boarded the giant starship they had arrived on Earth in.
This naturally caused another sensation, and countless people took out their cameras, frantically pressing the shutters.
Everything seemed to quiet down.
With even Du Wa seemingly halting his advance on the surface, it was as if the whole world had suddenly become much quieter. Superheroes and supervillains alike were busy with their own affairs, and the Mutants were in the process of deciding on a location to found their nation.
It was a rare period of calm.
As time passed, something happened that took everyone by surprise: the name of Weyland Corporation became increasingly famous as the company began to continuously produce various medical drugs.
Some insiders knew that these drugs were most likely developed under the leadership of Mr. Blue, a.k.a. Samuel Sterns.
If it had been just that, it would have been one thing. But soon, people discovered that Weyland Corporation had launched a drug that could extend one's lifespan, codenamed ALIEN-1.
This time, the entire world was in an uproar.
A drug that could extend life just by eating it was undoubtedly an incredible thing on 21st-century Earth. Some even suspected it was an elaborate scam.
But when they saw it was a product of Weyland Corporation and that its owner was Du Wa, they shut their mouths. This didn't stop them from harboring strong suspicions, however.
After some people risked taking the drug and confirmed it was indeed effective, public opinion around the world completely exploded.
At this moment, even those who had previously criticized Du Wa and the Xenomorphs online and harbored doubts underwent a complete 180-degree turn in their attitude, praising Du Wa's Weyland Corporation for making history and leading the advancement of Earth's biotechnology.
"The drug is real? It's actually effective? It extends human telomeres?"
"I don't believe it. You don't even need to focus on health regimens; you can just pop a pill to live longer. Could there be a problem with this drug?"
"Taking the drug for one week can extend your lifespan by about two weeks. And with each dose, the effect is greatly diminished until it eventually becomes ineffective. It's not like you can extend your life by years or decades at once. This has already been confirmed."
"Tsk, I just wonder what the manufacturing principle of this drug is…"
But major powers well-versed in biological research already knew where this drug came from.
"This thing... seems to be a secretion from the Xenomorphs? We can't be sure, but the molecular structure is very similar! Can Xenomorphs be used like this?"
S.H.I.E.L.D. had a lot to say about this. After all, they had briefly possessed a batch of Xenomorphs and naturally had some of their specimens in storage.
"A while ago, Du Wa sent Samuel Sterns to register a large number of trademarks. It seems it was all in preparation for today."
Honestly, this was a bit of a surprise. Since Du Wa established his company, when had he ever actually run it legitimately? He was mainly focused on developing his Xenomorphs and strengthening his own power.
Even his residence was a dilapidated, drafty, abandoned building that Stryker had approved back in the day.
And now? He'd rebuilt it into a super-tower and was now seriously engaged in scientific research?
Now he was actually using Xenomorph secretions to develop and sell longevity drugs, reaping the goodwill of the entire world.
People with sinister minds were already speculating that Du Wa was doing this to make it easier to recruit cheap hosts from all over the world when he needed soldiers in the future.
He wouldn't even need to deliberately recruit elite soldiers. He could just use a group of homeless people as hosts and get a batch of qualified Xenomorph warriors in minutes to send to the battlefield.
In the eyes of the world, Weyland Corporation's status in the biopharmaceutical field was advancing by leaps and bounds. No one would argue with a longer lifespan.
Du Wa remained very calm in the face of this change.
It was true that a drug made from Xenomorph secretions could extend human lifespan, and it was something Du Wa had planned to implement from the very beginning.
"The average human lifespan is only a few short decades. That's too pathetic. If humanity were left to develop on its own, who knows when they would be able to create a life-extending serum. So, I might as well take the lead. Possessing the Xenomorphs gives me a unique advantage."
Du Wa sat on a bench, looking down at the scenery outside through the glass.
The area around Weyland Tower was, admittedly, rather desolate, with few buildings. But this was only temporary. Before long, people would continuously migrate here and settle around the tower.
Because people would struggle in this fucked-up era for a while, lose more friends and family in one major event after another, become more and more pained, more and more filled with despair, and then realize that this was the safest place. Xenomorphs constantly patrolled the streets and alleys, cleaning up anyone with ill intentions.
Du Wa looked down at the people who often came by, trying to join Weyland Corporation and become superhuman, and shook his head.
This is just the beginning, and they're already feeling anxious? The future will only bring even more despair.
"Using the threat of the Xenomorphs to bind the world, using the longevity drug developed from Xenomorph raw materials as bait to leverage the whole world... In the end, the entire planet will be unable to leave the Xenomorphs, let alone me. When that time comes…"
A massive source of soldiers will become Du Wa's most solid backing. A vast number of powerful, Xenomorph-based superhumans will gush forth into deep space like a blowout, baring their terrifying fangs.
(end of chapter)
the last 10 chapter each one of them was over 5k word per chapter