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[Marvel: Xenomorphs]Chapter 54: Super Serum x100000
🕑 Added 2025-02-08 16:25:32 +0000 UTCIt turns out that Magneto had, at one point, been planning something big—developing a machine to forcibly turn all ordinary humans into mutants.
Humans treat mutants as outcasts? Fine. But if all the world's leaders became mutants, wouldn't that solve the problem?
However, Magneto had clearly changed his mind.
Duncan pondered the reasons behind Magneto's shift in stance. One factor was that taking on the entire world head-on was unrealistic. Even if the old man could tank a nuclear strike, that didn't make him invincible.
Another likely reason had to do with Professor X.
Duncan had communicated telepathically with Professor X before and knew that the professor was always trying to persuade him to act with restraint—to avoid becoming like Magneto, a villain in the eyes of the world.
Ridiculous. Duncan was focused on his ambitions; he wouldn't waste time playing the role of a villain. If being a villain made it easier to achieve his goals, then sure, he'd consider it.
That said, Duncan suspected there were other factors at play—something had prompted these two to reconcile and use the upcoming global summit as a platform to announce some kind of bombshell to the world.
"Is it because of the Deviants? Have you decided to abandon humanity?" Duncan asked Magneto.
Magneto didn't respond, but Mystique revealed the existence of a peculiar mutant: Destiny.
"Destiny…"
The moment Duncan heard that name, his interest was piqued. A mutant who could see fate? She had clearly foreseen an unfavorable future for mutants.
With such a subordinate who had glimpsed a fragmented script of the future, it was no wonder Magneto's actions were deviating from the norm. It would have been stranger if they didn't.
On top of that, thanks to Duncan, Magneto had acquired a wealth of intelligence on the Deviants and had spent several days in seclusion. Who knew what plans he had come up with?
"In Destiny's prophecies, where do I fit in?" Duncan was quite curious.
"No idea. Even when speaking to Erik, Destiny remains tight-lipped, rarely giving direct or clear answers. Even when Erik presses her, she sometimes outright ignores him."
"I see. Either she's seen something so terrifying that she can't speak of it, or her visions are too fragmented to describe."
Compared to the Ancient One and her mastery over the Time Stone, Destiny's ability wasn't all that impressive. But as an external guidance system, she could at least provide some hints.
...
The sky was overcast, and a light drizzle fell steadily.
At the conference venue, countless people in formal suits wore serious expressions, trying to feign casual ease as they exchanged words with acquaintances.
The Global Summit was the most significant gathering on Earth.
This time, the scale was unprecedented.
Nerves were running high because some dangerous individuals had been invited. No one knew how many hidden threats lurked behind the event's grandeur and solemnity.
"Even mutants are here. What the hell is going on?"
"Relax. At least it's all humans. They didn't invite the Atlanteans or the Inhumans."
"Interesting. Why don't you go ask some representative mutants whether they consider themselves human? Magneto might just punch you to death."
Similar conversations echoed throughout the venue. Attendees scanned their surroundings warily, dreading the sudden emergence of a terrorist.
Just then, a streak of light shot across the sky, landing in the square outside the conference hall. The impact was dramatic—feet hitting the ground, arms flaring back in a theatrical pose. It drew many sidelong glances, but no cheers.
"Mr. Tony Stark, we have a designated landing zone for flying devices fifty kilometers away."
Diligent security personnel immediately approached.
Tony impatiently waved them off. Even using only a fraction of his Mark V armor's strength, he should have easily brushed them aside. But when he pushed, they didn't budge.
That told him everything—these seemingly ordinary guards weren't just humans; they had undergone genetic enhancements.
"So, the super-soldier program finally made some progress. Is this how your commanding officer trained you? Threatening a man of intelligence and charm?"
Tony raised an eyebrow. "And as for this 'flying device' you mentioned, I don't have one. This is my high-tech prosthetic limb. Everyone knows I'm too busy dating to waste time walking."
But the security team remained unmoved, continuing to surround him. Tony's expression darkened—he cared about appearances, and this was a global event.
Click, click, click!
A swarm of reporters closed in, cameras flashing wildly. One of them shouted from a distance, "Mr. Stark! Will you refuse? Or will you send your 'prosthetic limb' to the landing zone?"
Tony's face grew grim. He hadn't even wanted to come to this godforsaken place. But knowing that many big players would be present, he'd changed his mind—this was a prime opportunity to gather intelligence for his next armor upgrade.
But now they wanted him to take off his suit? His entire sense of security came from this armor.
As the situation remained at an impasse—
BOOM!
A sudden thunderclap roared through the dark sky.
People flinched, instinctively looking up. Their pupils shrank as they witnessed a massive bolt of lightning erupt from the thick clouds, splitting the heavens before crashing straight down.
In the blinding flash of electricity, a figure descended, hitting the ground with a force more powerful than a cannon shell, shattering the pavement beneath him.
"Looks like I found the right place."
Under countless astonished and excited gazes, Duncan remained completely at ease, as if his grand entrance was nothing out of the ordinary.
He paid no mind to the security personnel, whose nerves were practically shattered.
A high-profile arrival from Iron Man was bad enough—maintaining order had already been a nightmare. But now, another, even more over-the-top arrival?
"You'll be getting an astronomical bill for property damage soon," Tony quipped at the showboating nuisance.
"No problem. I won't pay it anyway. I've got a whole family to feed. Who has spare cash for that?" Duncan replied.
Tony had no rebuttal. That "family" of his was big enough to field an army on a divine battlefield. The vampires knew that best.
Duncan glanced at the security personnel still surrounding Tony, then casually swung Mjolnir as he walked forward. "You all have good physiques. If you're really that bored, why not come to my place? I've got some interesting things."
"If they had the guts, they wouldn't be standing here blocking me," Tony mocked.
Tony played by the rules. Duncan? Not so much. If he said it, he might actually do it.
"The world is changing—faster than some people can keep up with. Those guys behind you? They should be replaced."
With that, Duncan spun Mjolnir, unleashing a storm of lightning that sent the guards flying.
He wasn't one for restraint.
"But Lord Duncan, are you declaring war on the world?" one of the security agents asked quietly.
"Can I declare war on the whole world by myself? Can you declare a global war against me? How did you even come into existence—did you drink too much super-soldier serum and fry your brain? That's one thing the WWII hero did much better than you."
Duncan pointed in a direction.
A man holding a shield walked over, his posture upright and his expression righteous.
Gasps and excited cheers erupted.
Captain America—S.H.I.E.L.D. had finally dug him out of the Arctic.
...
"Let's head inside. Staying here too long will only cause a disturbance and go against the original intent of this meeting," Captain America said, his expression unwavering.
Tony, unable to believe what he was hearing, repeatedly scanned the man in front of him. Beneath his mask, his mouth had formed a perfect "O" shape in shock.
Duncan cut straight to the point. "Is that an order, soldier?"
"No, it's a rule of the meeting. Whether one is human, god, or Xenomorph, everyone has to follow it."
"Good. I like people who stick to logic. You'd better keep an eye on your soldiers—some researchers didn't do a great job replicating your miracle. All they created were a bunch of defective products."
Duncan gave him a thumbs-up as a sign of approval and strode forward, stepping over fallen security agents. Sparks of lightning flickered around him as he effortlessly dragged Tony—armor and all, weighing over a thousand pounds—up the stairs toward the conference building.
Of course, this dragging left a trail of shattered steps behind him. Duncan didn't care about such minor details, but the onlookers could barely contain their reactions, their eyelids twitching wildly.
"Cap…"
"Don't say it. I know you're all unhappy about this, but your goal here isn't to start a fight with these people. Even if you have other intentions, at least pick the right moment."
Steve had only recently woken up, but he was quickly adapting to this new and unfamiliar era. At the very least, superhumans were now able to openly display their powers without restraint—something unimaginable in his time.
As far as he knew, this phenomenon had only started in the past couple of months. A series of events had shaken the world, propelling it in an entirely new direction.
And at the center of it all was the man now walking away from him—Duncan.
Steve had no idea if this was a good or bad thing. He was just a soldier following orders, and right now, his job was to keep an eye on the super-soldiers under his command, who had likely been given some questionable directives behind the scenes.
Who knew what the people creating these super-soldiers had in mind for Duncan?
What worried Steve even more was how many Xenomorphs were lurking nearby. He refused to believe that Duncan had really come here alone, leaving an entire army of Xenomorphs behind.
Duncan's arrival was just the beginning.
Magneto had flown across the ocean, landing in full view of everyone. His cold, aloof demeanor made it clear that no one should approach him.
The superhumans hiding in the shadows, watching the situation unfold, were left speechless.
"Maybe Duncan was right—times really have changed. People with special abilities can now openly showcase their power."
"Yeah, but don't forget—we're superhumans too. Or are you saying that just because you're a Ghost, you don't count as one of us?"
"Shut up, Mummy. You're in no position to talk about me."
The Howling Commandos had gathered as well, ready for any sudden developments. But against the sheer number of powerful individuals present, there wasn't much they could do.
Besides, these figures weren't rampaging or causing destruction. They genuinely seemed to be here for the meeting.
The conference would last for seven days, featuring various speakers—some representing nations, others organizations, and some entire species.
Right now, on stage, was Dr. Jean Grey, a mutant scientist. She was presenting extensive research on the X-Gene, advocating for a rational approach to viewing mutants and promoting peaceful coexistence.
Those with keen senses could feel the oppressive, overwhelming power radiating from her. Even the most hardened individuals found their expressions shifting as they watched her.
Beside the podium, a visibly nervous man was preparing to speak next. Even from a distance, he refused to meet Duncan's gaze.
Duncan noticed him, glanced at him briefly, then looked away.
"Aren't you even a little worried? He's representing the vampires. He'll be speaking right after Jean Grey," a middle-aged man said, stepping up beside Duncan.
It was natural, in such a large gathering, to take the opportunity to expand one's network.
Duncan replied, "Worried about what? That he'll complain about how unfairly vampires are treated? Look over there—Charles and Erik are both listening intently to Jean Grey's speech, saying nothing."
Vampires? Those parasites were hated by both humans and mutants alike. They did nothing but leech off humanity.
And there were far too many of them. Worse, they had the ability to turn ordinary people into more of their kind in bulk. No one liked dealing with them.
Duncan's Xenomorphs had been specifically targeting vampires, stripping them of their wealth and, in a way, solving a longstanding problem.
"As far as I know, your side has already eradicated vampires entirely. As the other half of the Holy Shield Brotherhood, the Spear Bureau is clearly on the right path," the middle-aged man continued.
Duncan turned to him. "Zheng Xian, right? Director of the Spear Bureau. Maybe you've got some difficult criminals on your hands. You can hand them over to me—I don't mind getting my hands dirty."
"You're even more direct than I expected. At least pretend to negotiate instead of asking for benefits so openly."
"If you were Nick Fury, I'd be even more straightforward." Duncan eyed him. "Let's change the subject—let me guess. You're interested in the war happening on Yggdrasil. Otherwise, you wouldn't have sought me out."
"That's right. People don't talk about it openly, but a select few have ways of getting information about the universe. S.H.I.E.L.D. once tried to connect with Asgard through Thor, but they failed—because of you. We weren't going to just sit back and watch, so we made our own connections with another godly faction."
Duncan remained expressionless. He had known about this all along.
A thousand years ago, when Odin led the pantheon of Yggdrasil against the Celestials, he had worn the Destroyer Armor—a suit blessed by nearly all the gods of the different pantheons.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. had been able to contact Asgard and recruit Thor into the Avengers in the normal timeline, then it made perfect sense for the Spear Bureau to have established its own intermittent connections with "Da Luo Tian.", the heaven of Taoism.
"The war won't stop. It will continue until Asgard wins. I will keep supplying troops until that happens," Duncan stated clearly.
"But Odin is dead."
"Says who?"
"Everyone. Even Loki has taken the throne."
"Fake news."
"Why are you so sure? Have you or your Xenomorph generals seen Odin in battle?"
"If Odin were truly dead, then why hasn't Hela appeared? I refuse to believe that Odin's proudest heir is so incompetent that she can't even break free from her seal."
"Fine. We'll recognize your actions. If conditions allow, we can provide you with various forms of support. But regarding the prophecy of Ragnarok… Asgard is at its core. If you, the new Thor, discovers anything significant, I want to be the first to know."
With a few brief exchanges, the deal was made, and the two men walked away separately.
The time of Ragnarok was approaching. According to prophecy, if Asgard were to be annihilated by a great force, the other pantheons would have to consider their own fates carefully.
And as one of the three realms of Midgard, Earth was the central link between the upper and lower branches of Yggdrasil. In such an unprecedented crisis, determining its position, assessing whether it would be affected by the coming chaos, and evaluating its own strength to withstand it were all crucial. At the very least, contingency plans needed to be set in place.
Zheng Xian left.
Then, the real schemers—the ones who needed Duncan to achieve their hidden agendas—finally arrived.
Colonel Stryker had been eyeing Duncan for a while now. This man, obsessed with hunting mutants, didn't even dare show himself in front of Professor X and Magneto. Instead, he sent a soldier to negotiate on his behalf.
"Stryker? I have no ties to him, nor do I care to. He doesn't actually think I owe him something, does he?"
Duncan shook his head, dismissing Stryker's invitation outright.
But when the soldier made a certain hand gesture and led Duncan into a room filled with high-tech equipment, presenting him with a classified document, Duncan's expression shifted.
"A super serum… with hundred thousand times the potency of Captain America's? So it's this…"
