"You know her?"
Mystique licked her lips, looking at Vincent with surprise.
"I don't know her, but I've seen her," Vincent smirked. "Psylocke fits my aesthetic."
"She's fierce, you know," Mystique purred, leaning closer. "Do you like that?"
That's a trap, Vincent thought.
"Your variety brings me endless joy. Of course I like it."
"Then enjoy it. You've earned it."
The ice boat cut through the Atlantic, leaving a trail of frost on the waves. They moved slowly, savoring the night, until they arrived back at Vincent's private beach at dawn.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
"Keep steady. Don't land."
Nick Fury stood in the command center, watching the live feed from a deep-sea submersible.
1,000 meters down.
The wreckage of the USS Gerald R. Ford lay on the ocean floor. It was encased in ice that refused to melt, emitting a cold aura that was altering the local ecosystem.
Agent Maria Hill, a veteran of supernatural events, couldn't hide her shock.
The camera showed bodies. Sailors frozen in mid-action, perfectly preserved statues.
"Sir, can they be revived?" Hill asked. S.H.I.E.L.D. had GH-325 and other resurrection tech (TAHITI project).
"Unlikely," Fury shook his head. "Like Cap, they look frozen. But their cells have crystallized. Extracting viable DNA would be impossible, let alone reviving them."
"What about the Nevada explosion?"
Hill pulled up another video file.
"This is the recovery footage."
It showed Blonsky's last moments. And the frame where Vincent's body evaporated into water vapor before the nuke hit.
"And San Diego?"
Satellite footage played on the main screen. Vincent stood on the water, glowing with energy comparable to a 200-kiloton warhead. He raised his hands, and the ocean swallowed the base.
"His control over the ocean exceeds his ice powers," Hill noted grimly.
Fury was silent.
This was a god-level threat. S.H.I.E.L.D. was built to protect the world, but it was funded by the US. And the US military had just been humiliated.
"The military surrendered because of the tsunami capability," Fury deduced. "He can destroy every coastal base on the planet."
"Walk with me."
Fury led Hill to a secure room.
"Natasha's mission failed," Fury said bluntly.
"It was a suicide mission from the start, sir," Hill countered. "You sent her into the lion's den knowing he knew who she was."
"He knows about the Skrulls," Fury admitted, his confidence shaken. "He knows too many secrets. We've investigated everyone he's ever met. Nothing explains his sudden rise."
"Are you suspecting a leak?" Hill asked.
"I suspect an entire organization is living in my house," Fury muttered. "I suspect Hydra is still alive."
Hill's blood ran cold.
"If the military's surrender pushes them into Hydra's arms... and if Hydra recruits the Ice Demon... we lose," Fury said. "Tony is dying. Cap is depressed. The Avengers Initiative is stalled."
"We need eyes on him," Fury continued. "Natasha got us a truce, but I don't trust him."
He looked at Hill.
"I need someone else on the inside."
Hill scoffed. "Nick, are you asking me to be a honey trap?"
"I'm asking you to save the world," Fury said.
"Go to hell, Nick." Hill turned and walked out.
Fury sighed. He thought of the Fantastic Four, Professor X, even Captain Marvel. But Carol was off-world.
Time to call Charles, Fury decided.
Siberia. Hydra Base.
Deep underground.
"Professor Connors, the third gene serum is ready for integration," Peter Parker said, holding a vial of blue liquid. His eyes shone with fanatical ambition.
"The integration is theoretically possible," Dr. Curt Connors warned. "But the third animal gene could break the balance. You might become a true monster."
"I can't wait," Peter sneered.
Ever since Vincent took over Oscorp and acquired Tesla Lighting, Peter's jealousy had twisted into hatred. He remembered the thrill of tearing Norman Osborn apart. He wanted that power again.
"Peter, if the fusion fails, there is no coming back," Connors said coldly. He didn't care about Peter; he cared about the data.
"I understand. I'll continue refining it," Peter bowed. "By the way, Professor, I'm heading to London."
"School starts?"
"Yes."
"Good. The London Mutant Research Lab is operational. Join them," Connors ordered.
Peter's eyes lit up. The X-Gene was fascinating. It was the next step in his evolution.
"Understood."
A fat man smoking a cigar walked in. Alexander Eugene (a pseudonym for a Hydra head, likely connected to Strucker or Malick).
"The boy needs to grow," Eugene laughed. "But he is a perfect subject. His father died protecting the algorithm, and now the son delivers it to us."
"Don't tell him," Connors said. "If he finds out we killed his parents, he'll destroy us."
"How is the Life Equation coming along?" Eugene asked.
"It's the key to the Monster Army," Connors said. "Encoding obedience into the genetic structure."
"Good. The Ice Demon is a threat. We need the army ready in six months."
"Give me a year."
"Six months."
Eugene left. Connors glared at his back.
Genetic Divinity. Genetic Immortality. That was Connors' true goal. Hydra was just a funding source.
But the Ice Demon terrified him.
"Vincent Hall..." Connors shivered. "I wish I could dissect him."
New York. Oscorp Tower.
Vincent gained 1 million Desire Points. Not much, but steady.
Raven started working at Oscorp officially. With her new strength and confidence, she was ruthless.
Sandi Brandenberg called.
"Mr. Hall, you seem to have forgotten us."
She was lounging in her lingerie, looking out at a neighbor's villa. Inez (The Outlaw) was eating ice cream and yelling at the TV.
On the screen, a government official announced the "Mutant Cure."
"It's a disease! We can cure them!"
"You're the disease!" Inez shouted.
Sandi sighed. She was a mutant too—Energy Sensing. She hid it well.
"How could I forget my cuties?" Vincent answered. "Sandi, see you tonight."
He had neglected them for Raven. But Oscorp needed an enforcement squad.
"Time to build my own team," Vincent thought. "Maybe I'll be Homelander. And they can be The Seven."
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