Everything happened as fast as a tornado.
Poor Reynolds had no idea what was going on. The things he had experienced in just a few short hours were overwhelming.
He had only seen Adam talk with two strangers before their heads exploded. Then Adam had forced some strange liquid down his throat.
God above, Reynolds had only just started getting used to the Xenomorphs and his new self. His head was full of anxiety and wild joy as he began fantasizing about becoming a superhero, admired by the world.
Maybe like Tony Stark... wherever he flew, crowds would cheer and pull out their phones to take pictures?
He probably couldn't fly, but that was fine. Reynolds was already impatient to leave behind his old life of being ignored and despised and become a respected powerhouse.
As for serving Adam loyally? Well, those words had been sincere. Reynolds was genuinely grateful and awed that someone like Adam had noticed him, pulled him out of the gutter with extraordinary means, and granted him special power.
But…
Reynolds hadn't expected the moment to prove that loyalty to arrive so quickly!!
It even skipped loyalty entirely and became "prove your loyalty" in Adam's mouth!
"I'm finished. I'm done. Looking at how serious they are, this stuff must be incredibly dangerous. I'm going to die…" Only this thought filled Reynolds's mind. Despair showed on his face as two clear tears rolled from the corners of his eyes.
"Stop adding so much meaningless mental drama. You might not die."
Adam made sure Reynolds had swallowed all the serum before letting go. He observed Reynolds's condition and spoke.
Through the comm device in his hand came Stryker's shocked voice. "What are you doing?! That's the super-soldier serum! Even if it's highly toxic, you shouldn't waste it like this! You didn't review the past experimental records or study the serum's composition. You could have given him just a drop or two, but what the hell are you doing?!"
Stryker stared at the satellite feed in front of him. Combined with the swallowing sounds he had heard, he knew exactly what Adam had done and was left stunned.
This was the super-soldier serum, and he had just made an ordinary person chug the whole thing?
"You think I'm being too casual?"
"Isn't it casual?! 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 define things you don't understand. Just like your understanding of mutants... without extensive observation and research, you wouldn't dare call yourself the 'preacher' against them." Adam spoke while carefully monitoring Reynolds's changes through the Xenomorph.
The super-soldier serum's effects were indeed terrifying. The moment it entered Reynolds's body, it went into overdrive. Despite the tiny amount, it acted like a boiling ocean, ruthlessly destroying every cell.
Even at a more microscopic level, the countless atoms making up Reynolds's body were violently impacted and began to shift under this power.
The Xenomorph embryo inside Reynolds faced the same terrifying onslaught and teetered on the edge of collapse.
Host and embryo instantly fell into a state of total systemic breakdown. Every tissue showed signs of shattering and melting. They were about to die.
"Failing?" Adam frowned, feeling some regret.
Only Reynolds had any chance... one in a hundred million... of using the serum's power to link with an unknown pocket universe and receive the gifted strength from that dying cosmos.
After careful consideration, Adam had chosen to implant Reynolds during his human phase precisely so his Xenomorph could also gain that power.
"Of course it will fail. Did you really think this would work?" Stryker's voice carried a hint of mockery and schadenfreude. "I don't know why you have so much confidence in this guy. Is he some mutant with adaptive abilities? Here's an idea... recover the corpse and refine the serum again."
Suddenly, Adam's expression shifted. He said slowly, "In that case, this conversation has been most unpleasant. This transaction ends here."
"Wait, you haven't agreed to attack the mutants yet. We can still…"
"No need. I'm quite satisfied with my existing Xenomorphs. Compared to mutants, I think continuing to use vampires as hosts is more suitable."
"Wait... if you refuse to join the fight, when will you give me the Xenomorph egg?"
"Next time for sure."
"?"
Adam hung up without a shred of credibility and casually tossed the device to a Xenomorph, ordering it to take the device far away to prevent Stryker from listening in.
Whether it was Stryker or anyone else, any attempt to control the Xenomorphs was foolish.
"I really should just put Stryker out of his misery." A flash of killing intent appeared in Adam's eyes.
After obtaining and using the super-soldier serum, he would close this final loophole of Stryker's.
But right now, the most important thing wasn't killing Stryker... or even getting involved in the war between the mutants and Stryker. It was ensuring Reynolds could make it through.
"It's already taking effect. His body is undergoing internal phase shifts." Adam's eyes brightened.
The atoms inside his body were shifting phases and linking to an external universe.
Now it was just a matter of waiting patiently. Whether he could seize that nearly impossible chance depended on Reynolds himself... or perhaps also on the Xenomorph embryo inside him?
Adam immediately grabbed the convulsing Reynolds and moved into an underground cavern. Layer upon layer of Xenomorphs sealed the area.
"Reynolds, I know you can hear me. Remember, you still have a bright new life ahead of you. You haven't shown the world your immense power yet. It would be a shame to die like this."
Adam transmitted the words directly into Reynolds's brain through the embryo.
Reynolds's sense of self was growing weaker and weaker. Hearing those words and thinking about how he hadn't yet revealed his strength to the world, a surge of intense unwillingness and desire nearly consumed him, erupting into an extraordinary force of will.
There was no doubt... Reynolds was that kind of person. In any universe, his "addiction" was enormous. After becoming the Sentry, he had simply converted his drug addiction into an addiction to being a superhero. He often lacked the sacrificial spirit and sense of justice expected of true heroes.
But Reynolds only held on for a little while before he started failing again.
Adam stimulated him once more, making him rally with a roar. This process repeated.
"It seems the Xenomorph embryo is indeed placing an additional burden on him... at least making the atomic phase shift to the proper position more difficult." Adam stroked his chin.
…
Alkali Lake Dam.
In almost every universe, Stryker established his main base here... a place that buried all his ambitions and sins.
Stryker sat at his experimental table under dim lighting, his expression shifting. He thought for a full three minutes but still couldn't understand what Adam was doing. Was he simply testing the serum's effects? But the process was far too casual. Wasn't he afraid of wasting it?
Around Stryker were various strange devices. Shelves on the walls were packed with countless jars and bottles containing all kinds of bizarre organs.
A closer look revealed that the glass containers held not only mutant limbs and organs but also parts from Xenomorph bodies.
These were all items Stryker had painstakingly collected over a long period.
Adam kept sending Xenomorphs into battle. They couldn't always return intact. There would always be injured or dead Xenomorphs. Even a single remaining cell gave people like Stryker an opportunity.
Stryker had quietly gathered them. He already possessed a certain scale of Xenomorph genetic material. In theory, he could even begin cloning Xenomorphs.
But Fury's painful lesson had served as a warning. Stryker decided it was better to wait a little longer to avoid provoking Adam.
"Hiss! Haa!"
Several Xenomorphs of varying forms surrounded Stryker, making realistic sounds.
Stryker could even feel the murderous aura emanating from them. When he reached out to touch them, they felt cold to the touch.
Just like the real thing.
"Enough, Jason. I don't need these fake illusions. And stop trying to please me this way! The 'Preacher' doesn't need this!"
Stryker impatiently picked up the phone and issued an order. Soon, all the Xenomorphs around him vanished.
Despite being just a colonel, in the global underworld he was a notoriously infamous figure.
Ever since his wife's tragic death and his family's destruction, the deeply traumatized Stryker had become the Preacher and embarked on a bloody path of persecuting mutants.
"As long as I can obtain Xenomorphs and implant them into mutants, I can harness those ugly X-genes and build an unbeatable army! But the question is, how do I break Adam's control over the Xenomorphs and claim them for myself?"
S.H.I.E.L.D. had already suffered a painful defeat that indirectly helped Adam's military operations. Stryker would be more cautious and consider new methods for controlling the Xenomorphs.
Using his son... the tool he had turned into the Master of Illusions?
Mastermind Jason could deceive all five senses, creating illusions that were flawless in sight, sound, touch, and more.
If used properly, he could drag a person's mind into a permanent cycle of illusion.
Stryker had even written a usage manual for his son. According to his calculations, properly utilizing his son would allow him to conquer a city in a short time!
"Based on the process of that battle, Nick Fury was able to control Xenomorphs. It might be pheromones or an imprinting mechanism. After confirming those are ineffective, the most reliable method is mind control… As long as I can capture Professor X, controlling the Xenomorphs will allow me to fulfill my lifelong wish!"
A deep madness flashed in Stryker's eyes.
The underworld knew all too well how unhinged the title "Preacher" truly was. Even someone like Fury had to regard this mere colonel with caution.
"That dishonorable bastard Adam will pay the price eventually. As long as I can eliminate Professor X…"
Stryker's goal was simple: capture Professor X and use his brain to control the Xenomorphs. When it came to using mental powers to control Xenomorphs, whose brain in the world would be more useful than Professor X's?
Originally, Stryker had only wanted to use Professor X's brain with Cerebro to wipe out all mutants worldwide in one stroke. But after witnessing the Xenomorphs' unique qualities, he gradually changed his mind.
Even if he could kill every mutant on Earth, ordinary humans would simply give birth to new ones.
Stryker recalled another secret project... the Sentinel robot program. It involved creating powerful robots, continuously upgrading them, and ultimately achieving global mutant extinction.
It was a good plan... using mass-producible robots against a reproducing mutant population. But with Xenomorphs available, who would still care about Sentinel robots?
If he could find a way to break Adam's control over the Xenomorphs, the perfectly obedient Xenomorphs would be far superior to rigid, code-vulnerable machines.
The Xenomorphs' potential was also ridiculously high, and their method of growing stronger was far better than upgrading robots.
Stryker's vision was to replace Adam, seize control of the Xenomorphs, and ultimately merge the Weapon X and Sentinel programs into one. He would become the supreme leader of both ultimate projects and complete the permanent extermination of mutants... every time a new mutant appeared in the world, a Xenomorph would kill them immediately.
Most importantly, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He didn't know what madness had possessed Professor X, but the man had clearly declared war on the authorities and shown his hand at the global summit.
Mobilizing part of the military to attack Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters wasn't difficult.
And Stryker had indeed done exactly that. He rallied a group of people dissatisfied with mutants, gained their support, and launched a surprise attack before Professor X and the X-Men could fully relocate from New York.
"This is the last chance! Acting now, the worst outcome is simply angering Professor X. But someone like him won't take things to the absolute extreme. If we can kill him, the threat mutants pose to the world will be cut in half immediately!"
A single phone call from Stryker convinced quite a few worried individuals.
As expected, Stryker's operational efficiency was frighteningly high. That very night, his forces had already reached Xavier's School.
Gas canisters rained down densely, covering the entire school.
Trained squads of soldiers advanced violently in armed helicopters, tanks, and armored vehicles.
Some might have found the scene familiar. Just over a month earlier, Abomination and the Hulk had enjoyed similar treatment on Broadway.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The heavily fortified Xavier Institute for Higher Learning... the X-Men's old base... saw all its defensive measures crumble before missiles and artillery.
"The army is here! Humans are declaring war on us mutants!"
"The Professor was right. It's a good thing he secretly moved the students before attending the global summit…"
"The Professor passed out right after putting on Cerebro. The humans must have tampered with it!"
The X-Men showed varied expressions... anger, heartache... then showed no mercy as they struck back against the invading forces.
Theoretically, these modern military units had no way to deal with the X-Men. Even without Professor X, a single Wolverine could single-handedly wipe them out given enough time, to say nothing of Cyclops and the others.
But Stryker's preparations were never something that could be easily countered.
Mastermind made his move. This arguably most terrifying illusion creator in the world effortlessly altered everyone's vision, hearing, and smell. He rendered himself completely undetectable, slipped straight into the school, and found the unconscious Professor X.
But he never expected that besides Professor X, there was another dangerous individual waiting.
Magneto slowly opened his eyes, his gaze ice-cold as he stared at the seemingly empty space before him.
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