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[Marvel: Xenomorphs] Chapter 57: Reynolds, Now Is the Time for Your Loyalty
🕑 Added 2025-02-19 15:29:04 +0000 UTCDuncan returned quickly, flying through the air in the form of lightning.
Even if he didn’t use this method of rapid movement, he still had a Xenomorph under his command that had broken through the chest of an Eternal and acquired super speed.
This was precisely why, during the battle in New Mexico, he had ignored the brutish and super-strong Gilgamesh, instead focusing all his efforts on capturing Makkari.
Super speed was always an extremely useful ability, no matter the circumstances.
Duncan moved through a horde of Xenomorphs—more than a hundred of them—before reaching a corner, where he stood above and looked down at a pathetic figure curled up on the ground.
"You’re back? Look at the state he’s in."
Mr. Blue let out a strange laugh.
But in the next second, Duncan grabbed his oversized head and pressed down, exerting just enough force to shove him deep into the ground, leaving only his head exposed.
"My patience is limited. And besides, you don’t need such ridiculous antics to prove your loyalty—I can sense everything through the Xenomorph inside you."
Duncan stared at the man, who had been itching with excitement, barely restraining his urge to study the Xenomorphs, to the point of almost driving himself mad.
Mr. Blue wasn’t stupid—he knew Duncan could monitor his every move. But knowing something was one thing; desperately wanting to do something but being constantly held back was another matter entirely.
"Take my advice—your intelligence should be used where it excels, not wasted on these childish outbursts to express your desires."
"If the same words were transmitted to me through a Xenomorph larva, they would carry a completely different meaning. This is not a suggestion; it is an order. So, can I take that as your agreement?"
Mr. Blue didn’t feel insulted in the slightest. He had always been a man with a flexible moral compass, far more devoted to the pursuit of biological perfection than to any sense of ethics.
Perhaps once his scientific hunger was satisfied, new ambitions would emerge. But until then, he could behave himself.
Duncan looked away—he understood Mr. Blue’s thoughts all too well. He also knew how much this man lusted after the Xenomorphs’ bodies, constantly scheming to experiment on both the adult forms and the embryos within their hosts.
For now, loosening the reins a little would at least keep him occupied for a while.
"Raven got away. No idea where she’s gone," Erika said, sidling up to Duncan with a hint of mischief.
"She’s gone back to Magneto. That was always inevitable," Duncan replied without a trace of surprise. "The real question is whether Magneto will accept her. If not, Xavier will, and he’ll likely set a psychic trap to lock down the embryo inside her chest."
Mystique had stayed with Duncan only reluctantly, serving as Magneto’s planted spy. Now that her task was complete, it was time for her to return to the mutant cause.
"Now then, this is our first meeting, Robert Reynolds."
Surrounded by the terrifying presence of numerous Xenomorphs, Duncan appeared even more monstrous and horrifying—in Reynolds’ eyes, at least.
The man trembled uncontrollably, his already frail body pushed to the brink of collapse by the overwhelming terror.
"Y-You... Who are you? What do you want from me?! I have no money to give you—monster!!"
Reynolds’ mind was shattered. He kept repeating the same words over and over, his voice a broken record of fear.
For someone like him—a petty thief with a fragile psyche—what he had just endured was beyond comprehension.
Who could have imagined that he would simply fall asleep in an alley, only to wake up and find himself kidnapped by Xenomorphs?!
It was too much. Reynolds was just an ordinary man; how could he possibly endure something like this? His already unstable mind spiraled further into madness.
"I don’t want your money. I want your body and your loyalty."
Duncan extended his hand, and in a swift motion, a speed-enhanced Xenomorph brought forward a massive alien egg.
The four petals of the egg peeled open, and a Facehugger crawled out.
As if sensing its impending doom, Reynolds' bloodshot eyes widened in terror. He let out a garbled scream, foaming at the mouth, then suddenly rolled his eyes back and began hyperventilating.
"Hah! You're wasting a Facehugger on this worthless trash? Give him to me instead—I can at least—"
Duncan cut him off with a single brutal kick, sending Mr. Blue crashing completely into the ground. Then, he silently watched as the Facehugger latched onto Reynolds.
Honestly, Mr. Blue’s outburst was understandable. If Duncan hadn’t known about Reynolds’ potential beforehand, he too would have thought this was a waste of a valuable Xenomorph embryo.
As expected, Mr. Blue was practically frothing with jealousy. Through his connection with the Xenomorphs, Duncan could sense the man’s mental state unraveling—his thoughts filled with outrage: You’d rather waste a precious Facehugger on that piece of garbage than give me one for dissection and research?!
And truth be told, no one in the world would be able to understand Duncan’s reasoning.
So, he waited patiently.
It took quite some time before Reynolds finally woke up. The anesthesia from the Facehugger had put him into a deep sleep, allowing his brain to rest—perhaps just enough to make sense of his new, nightmarish reality.
"I… I don’t understand. You’re the one behind those monsters that have taken the internet by storm, right? Why did you come for me?"
Reynolds glanced around at the surrounding Xenomorphs in fear, still unaware of what had happened to him. "Everyone’s saying these creatures, clad in their natural exoskeleton armor, aren’t from Earth at all."
"Robert Reynolds, you possess extraordinary potential. I have chosen you."
One sentence from Duncan left Reynolds completely dumbfounded.
He pointed to himself, his expression clear: Me? A nobody? A scumbag barely scraping by in a filthy alley, the kind of guy even vampires wouldn’t waste their time feeding on?
"This… This has to be the most ridiculous sci-fi story of the year. You’re not going to feed me to these things, are you?"
"Stand up, and you’ll understand."
Hesitant, Reynolds slowly stood up—and to his absolute shock, his once frail, battered body now brimmed with power!
He was still thin and wiry, but every muscle in his body had undergone some kind of transformation. There was a wellspring of strength flowing through him, intoxicating and exhilarating.
"This… is me?" He pressed a hand against the wall, clenched his teeth, and pushed hard—only to rip a chunk of solid concrete clean off!
The sheer power stunned him. He looked down at his hands, then back at the wall, his emotions fluctuating between shock, joy, and fear. Finally, he turned to Duncan, utterly bewildered.
"I… I don’t understand. You chose me, gave me this power—what do you want from me?"
"I told you. Your loyalty and your life. I have given you a new existence, freed you from the pathetic fate you once had. In return, you will devote everything to me."
Reynolds’ thoughts raced. Duncan had given him strength, and now he was expected to serve in return…
"You could have chosen anyone. Why me?" Reynolds unconsciously clenched his fists against his chest—a defensive posture. He didn’t want to lose this newfound power, but he also feared the one who had granted it.
"I say you’re worthy, and that’s all that matters. I won’t repeat myself a third time. From now on, Reynolds, you are mine. You will fight for me until death."
Reynolds gulped, looking at Duncan and the monstrous horde around him.
For some reason, amidst the terrifying creatures, he felt… connected.
"I’m not good with words, but I am willing to be your most loyal guardian, willing to give everything for you! As long as you allow me to continue possessing this power..."
"Of course. I have always been generous with my subordinates. As long as you strictly follow my orders, this is just the beginning. I have high hopes for you, Reynolds. Don’t let me down." Duncan spoke in a tone full of subtle guidance.
Mr. Blue, however, immediately detected the problem. Duncan was not generous at all—he hadn’t even been willing to give him a single Xenomorph before!
But that might change now. Mr. Blue thought to himself. He was determined to fully decipher the secrets of the Xenomorphs, then establish a gene bank of his own, pushing the power of these creatures to the absolute limit.
"Heh heh heh... Only I, Samuel Sterns, am the true master of these Xenomorphs."
Mr. Blue was pinned to the ground, yet he showed no anger. Instead, he let out a chilling laugh, one that sent shivers down Reynolds' spine, his enhanced senses making it even more unnerving.
Perhaps Duncan and the Xenomorphs weren’t the only abnormalities here—this green-headed man was definitely not normal, Reynolds thought.
"Now then, my most faithful servant, Reynolds—let’s go."
"Go where?"
"To find a key," Duncan said, casting a glance at Reynolds.
With Duncan present, he could ensure that the Void wouldn't take over Reynolds' body.
The strongest version of the 616 Sentry was a fusion of three personalities: the ordinary human Bob, the heroic Reynolds, and the dark entity known as the Void. This Red Sentry was a singular being, standing at the pinnacle of his universe—strong-willed, free of neurosis.
But the Void was highly unstable, a ticking time bomb hidden within Reynolds.
"For now, let’s examine that so-called ten-million-times-enhanced super serum. Anyone who comes into contact with it dies instantly—only Reynolds has a one-in-a-billion chance of surviving. But that was when he was purely human. Now that he’s a Xenomorph hybrid..."
Duncan retrieved a communication device from the summit site and contacted Stryker.
Soon, someone arrived, delivering a thin file along with an address.
That same person then promptly self-destructed, his brain bursting apart upon completing his task.
Dealing with Stryker was always mentally exhausting.
"Stryker, you placed the transaction site in a half-abandoned military base twenty kilometers away. I never expected you to still have a foothold in a place like that." Duncan flipped through the file without changing his expression.
"I'm a wealthy man. The moment I bring up eliminating the mutant threat, I receive generous funding. Even your little company—completely useless as it is—only exists because I approved its funding."
"So you swallowed the funds that were meant for me?" Duncan asked, feigning realization.
"This was part of our original deal, wasn't it? To gain something, you must sacrifice something of equal value. That’s fair." Stryker’s voice carried a deeply buried malice.
Duncan frowned slightly and spoke slowly: "I hope this isn’t some kind of trick. If it is, you will pay for it with your life."
"Why would you think that? The serum holds no value for me. The Xenomorphs do. In exchange, I want a Xenomorph egg—a fertile queen capable of reproduction."
"You’ll get it. But I want the serum first," Duncan repeated.
The response was silence. Stryker was clearly weighing his options—or perhaps simply posturing.
After a long pause, Stryker hung up.
Ten minutes later, he called again.
"I’ve arranged for the serum to be delivered to you. If our cooperation goes well, I will provide you with the true classified research on the serum, including the full manufacturing process, all scientific reports, and experimental footage. That way, you won’t have to fumble in the dark. This will be a promising start," Stryker said gravely.
Without that information, Duncan would never be able to uncover the serum’s secrets. Stryker was certain of that.
"So?"
"So, I want you to join me in attacking Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters! Think about it—you’ll gain access to countless mutants, which means you’ll have an army of powerful Xenomorph warriors! You can send them to war on alien battlefields without restraint!" Stryker’s voice brimmed with sinister intent.
Duncan’s expression turned strange. Now he understood Stryker’s plan. He was actually preparing to launch a full-scale assault on mutants.
Today’s summit had truly shaken Stryker to the core, pushing him to act.
"You didn’t think we’d just sit back and do nothing after those two made their declarations at the summit, did you? People like me exist—and hold significant power—for precisely these situations."
Duncan’s eyes flickered with intrigue. So that’s the reason. The military base wasn’t just a transaction site—it was meant to mislead Professor X and Magneto?
"It seems you're very confident in your abilities."
"I wouldn't act without a well-developed plan."
A soldier soon arrived, carrying a briefcase.
Duncan opened it, retrieving a seemingly ordinary vial of liquid. He swirled it gently. In the last rays of the setting sun, the liquid inside shimmered with an eerie, mesmerizing glow.
"This is the super serum—the most terrifying poison in the world. No one can physically withstand the power contained within it. Duncan, if you join me, you’ll save yourself half a century of trial and error. You’ll gain access to all the research immediately!" Stryker’s voice rose, trying to tempt Duncan.
From every angle, Duncan seemed like the perfect recruit—a radical warlord who had fought S.H.I.E.L.D., launched off-world invasions, and pursued ultimate power. Capturing mutants for Xenomorph experimentation would logically align with his goals.
Unless... he had ties to Professor X and Magneto. Or perhaps he simply feared their strength? That’s why Stryker had sweetened the deal with detailed data on the serum and mutants.
Stryker wanted Duncan to be fully committed: "While we’ve been speaking, my men have already begun their mission. With my preparations, the mutants have no chance of resisting. Think about it—you could have Xenomorphs with telepathic abilities, mind control, and... wait, what are you doing?"
Duncan completely ignored Stryker’s nonsense.
Instead, he yanked Reynolds—who was still in shock from witnessing two soldiers' brutal deaths—over to him. Without hesitation, he pried open Reynolds’ mouth and force-fed him the mysterious serum.
"Reynolds, didn’t you say you wanted to be my most loyal guardian? To serve me?"
"Then prove it."
Comments
Colin Hilterhaus
Chapter 56 is not here
