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[Marvel: Xenomorphs] Chapter 55: He’s Always Patient with Quality Enforcers
🕑 Added 2025-02-14 15:19:15 +0000 UTCDuncan wasn't sleepy anymore.
After all, he wanted to use the serum.
However, the super soldier assigned to interact with Duncan completely misunderstood his intentions. He assumed that, as a scientist, Duncan was interested in studying the super serum rather than using it himself.
"Mr. Duncan, Colonel Stryker has said that as long as you agree and hand over the Xenomorph, he's willing to restart the Super Serum project," the soldier stated.
"You mean it hasn't been restarted yet?"
"That's right. The effects of this super serum are too powerful. As early as the last century, after numerous failed experiments, the serum was sealed away—until now."
Duncan lowered his head and quickly skimmed through the document. With his enhanced brain, he could memorize every detail at a glance.
"Well then, I have serious doubts about Stryker's sincerity. He wants me to hand over the Xenomorph, yet he offers only something so ambiguous in return? Is he mocking me?"
Duncan tore the document in half and threw it in the soldier's face.
The so-called super serum, said to be a hundred thousand times stronger than Captain America's, was actually capable of far greater effects—potentially exceeding even a million or ten million times—if used on the right person.
The real name of this serum was—Golden Sentry Serum!
Sentry—one of Marvel's Superman figures, said to wield the power of a million suns.
Duncan was astonished. He hadn't expected that a Sentry would exist in this universe. Across the infinite multiverse, Sentry were a rare phenomenon, with only a limited number known to exist.
A Sentry's origins typically fell into two categories, and their battle records were wildly inconsistent—some fights were divine, others humiliating.
The strongest Sentry of all was the one from Universe 616. He had defeated a variant of the Molecule Man, was resurrected by Apocalypse as the Horseman of Death, and was ultimately one-shotted by Knull, the God of Symbiotes. His soul was imprisoned by the Celestials, his corpse transformed into a zombie, and in the end, he was defeated by the Death version of Doctor Strange. This Sentry was the peak of all Sentrys. If his three personalities ever fully merged, he might even have achieved "solo omnipotence"—supreme power within a single universe, far beyond typical universal-level beings.
The second most powerful Sentry was the one from the World War Hulk universe, who battled the Green Scar Hulk and ultimately lost, albeit barely.
Then there were the weaker Sentrys, such as the one from the Marvel Zombies universe, who confidently charged at Zombie Banner—only to get immediately killed and turned into a zombie himself. Or the What If…? Sentry, who got instantly obliterated by Black Bolt.
Even the weakest Sentrys had a high baseline of power, making them formidable regardless.
As for the Sentry of Duncan's universe, even if he was the weakest of them all, he was still worthy of Duncan's attention.
Duncan wasn't worried about this universe's Sentry being weak. As long as he sent a Xenomorph to successfully parasitize him, it would be able to evolve alongside him—absorbing the best of the Sentry's genes, the serum's power, and even the energy from a pocket dimension.
Xenomorphs weren't inherently strong, but if one absorbed Sentry genes, it would become a Sentry-PLUS—a mortal version of the cosmic powerhouse. And once it adapted to the super serum's transformations, things would get really interesting.
After all, Sentrys start as ordinary humans. They only transform after drinking the serum. If a Xenomorph were to infect a Sentry before his transformation, at the very least, it would be useful as a weapon.
The most crucial point?
Before becoming a Sentry, he was a total junkie. His mental state was already unstable, and stealing things was second nature to him.
Under normal circumstances, he would break into a secret lab during a withdrawal episode, guzzle the serum in a drug-induced frenzy, and transform into the Sentry.
Duncan had no moral concerns about dealing with someone like that.
A sudden thought struck him—if he hadn't appeared in this universe, would this Sentry have ever existed at all?
Quite possibly not.
"William Stryker, I know you're listening," Duncan said, staring at the super soldier in front of him. "I want to know—when did research on this so-called Super Serum begin?"
The soldier was silent for a moment. Then, through his collar-mounted communicator, a cold and venomous voice responded:
"1947."
Duncan's eyes gleamed with understanding. "So… K-Department and Project Rebirth, attempting to recreate Steve Rogers' miracle, developed this super serum in 1947?"
"You actually know about that? Who told you—Nick Fury? Or Zheng Xian?"
Stryker was silent for a moment before answering, "The project was shut down decades ago. Even this so-called 'hundred-thousand-times' serum is just a theory—a desperate claim by those scientists to keep their funding. They could never prove it worked, because everyone who tried using it died."
Rather than a super serum, it was more like a super poison—even today, no one knew how to properly utilize it.
"So, it was just sealed away? And never used?"
"That's right. But if you hand over the Xenomorph, I can request to restart the project and bring the serum back. Don't you need powerful hosts? Don't you need more warriors for your war against Asgard? Think about it—I can break the serum down into countless doses to create super soldiers—stronger than the one standing in front of you. They'll all be your hosts."
"Good. Now I believe you're at least trying to negotiate in good faith."
"You once said you respect people with clear logic. Well, nothing is clearer than facts," Stryker replied with a low chuckle—one that carried an unsettling, almost psychotic edge.
Duncan remained silent, contemplating.
Stryker himself wasn't entirely sane. He had likely gone off the deep end after realizing he could never completely eradicate mutants, never truly avenge his murdered wife or shattered family.
Even just Magneto alone was an insurmountable obstacle for him. Forget manipulating metal from a distance—Magneto could generate an energy field strong enough to tank a nuclear explosion.
That kind of power was beyond Stryker's reach.
Now, in his desperation, he had set his sights on Duncan—a man just as "obsessive" in his eyes—and on Duncan's Xenomorphs.
After all, Duncan dared to get involved in a war among gods. That alone proved the terrifying potential of the Xenomorph species.
Stryker wanted a similar army—powerful, adaptable, nearly impossible to exterminate.
"In every ranking from nations and organizations," Stryker sneered, "you are undeniably T0-level. You know why? Because no one knows how many Xenomorphs you've released worldwide. No one knows how many will evolve into Queens, spreading across the sky, land, and sea…"
His laughter was cold.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. broadcasted footage of their own trained Xenomorphs attacking you. That clip went global. It was enough to make certain groups pause their genetic cloning experiments."
That was why no one dared to ignore Duncan.
That was why he had been invited to the summit—why he could stand here and speak.
Duncan's raw power might not rival Magneto's, but his threat level was far worse.
If Duncan died or decided to give up, the chaos that followed would be worse than anything Magneto could ever do.
This was Duncan's ultimate trump card.
The Xenomorph binding strategy—a direct threat to the entire world.
And he didn't bother hiding it.
Duncan ignored Stryker's words; his mind was on something else.
The super serum had been sealed away? So it was true. In every universe where a Sentry had ever emerged—regardless of their origins or the vast differences in their power levels—they had all undergone their transformation by breaking into a lab and drinking the serum.
And without exception, these super serums had been the subject of continuous research from the moment they were created. There was no such thing as halting or sealing them away.
In other words, if Duncan hadn't existed in this universe, Stryker wouldn't have set his sights on the Xenomorphs. He certainly wouldn't have gone rummaging through a chaotic stockpile of abandoned, long-forgotten experimental items and suddenly recalled the super serum—something his people had written off as a lethal poison, completely unrelated to Captain America's formula.
Duncan felt like he had stumbled upon a hidden treasure—like casually strolling down the street only to accidentally pick up a freshly deceased Galactus.
Of course, aside from the Sentry of the 616 universe and the one from the World War Hulk universe, no other Sentrys—no matter how many were grouped together—could stand against a single Galactus. Duncan had no great expectations for the Sentry that was originally doomed to perish in this universe.
Still, this unexpected discovery piqued his interest.
"Handing over a Xenomorph is out of the question," Duncan said. "If you were standing in front of me right now, the moment you made that request, I'd casually pluck your head off your shoulders and toss it from the 13th floor of the Summit Tower, just to watch it splatter like a watermelon."
Stryker let out a cold laugh. He didn't fear Duncan making demands—what worried him was Duncan refusing to negotiate at all. "So, we have an understanding. To you, this so-called poisonous serum is actually the perfect weapon..."
"I'll decide that after I get my hands on it," Duncan interrupted. "In name, it's a serum. But after being abandoned for so many years, if it really had any enhancement effects, would it have been left to rot? Stryker, I suspect that even you don't truly know if this thing is actually a serum."
Duncan reached out, plucking the communication device from the soldier's collar. Then, he looked around at the room—carefully arranged, equipped with an unknown number of psychic shielding devices and other high-tech instruments.
"Alright then. Looks like we've reached an agreement. Once the meeting is over, we'll proceed with the transaction. I'll have my people deliver the full details on the super serum to you. In return, I want a Xenomorph—preferably a breeding queen."
"I need to get my hands on the serum and test it first. Otherwise, how can I be sure you're not handing me a fake?"
"That puts me at a disadvantage. If you just take it by force, I'll have no way to retaliate. I need a fully intact Xenomorph first."
The two continued their exchange for a while longer before Stryker finally ended the call. From beginning to end, he remained cautious—so much so that he had no intention of showing himself even in future dealings with Duncan.
Duncan remained expressionless as he looked at the super soldier before him. The soldier, without a word, pulled out a detonator and activated the micro-explosive embedded in his brain, instantly reducing his head to a pulpy mess.
This didn't surprise Duncan in the slightest. Stryker wouldn't let a subordinate who knew this much information remain alive.
"Stryker has no idea what really interests me... He's making his preparations, and I should start mine. First, I need to locate the Sentry—Robert Reynolds."
But searching for a junkie like him without a starting point would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Duncan pondered for a moment, formed a plan, and quietly issued orders to all the Xenomorphs hidden throughout New York City. Then, without hesitation, he left the secret chamber and calmly returned to the conference hall.
The moment he left, soldiers entered the room to clean up the mess. Within minutes, it was as if nothing had ever happened.
Back at the hall, Jean Grey had just finished her speech. Everyone had assumed that the mutant representatives were done speaking and collectively breathed a sigh of relief. But then, with a complex expression, Jean dropped a bombshell:
"After negotiations, the X-Men and the Brotherhood have officially reconciled. We will unite to find a new path for mutant survival. When necessary, we will establish a nation of our own."
The room instantly erupted into chaos!
The uproar of countless voices turned the conference hall into a deafening beehive of arguments.
But as soon as Professor X and Magneto, seated below the stage, silently fixed their gazes on the crowd, the noise gradually died down.
"Dr. Grey, where exactly do you intend to establish this nation? Do you plan to invade other countries and slaughter countless humans to claim land for yourselves?"
"Mutants are citizens of this planet too! You can't just dictate their fate!"
"Professor Xavier, have you truly made up your mind? What could possibly drive you to make such a reckless decision—to compromise with the world's most dangerous terr—" The speaker barely caught themselves before saying "terrorist" and quickly corrected, "—the Brotherhood's leader?"
This was bound to be a grueling, drawn-out political battle. Just this one speech alone would send shockwaves across the entire globe.
Jean Grey simply shook her head, refusing to answer, and walked off the stage with heavy steps.
Truthfully, even she hadn't expected things to escalate so quickly. Charles Xavier and Magneto—lifelong rivals—had now stood together.
As long as these two reached a consensus, the rest of mutantkind would inevitably follow, even if some had their doubts. No one believed they had the power or wisdom to challenge these two titans.
"Truly spectacular. Gets the blood pumping," Duncan remarked as he forcefully shoved his way through the crowd. Carrying Mjolnir in hand, he commanded an aura that no one dared to challenge.
Magneto shot him a cold glance. "You didn't listen to a word of that speech. You just ran off to meet with a scheming bastard."
"I heard the beginning and the end—enough to get the gist," Duncan replied. "It looks like the influence of Destiny is spreading at an astonishing rate. I also had a hand in nudging things along."
He wasn't surprised in the slightest. Knowing of Destiny's existence, and combining that knowledge with his memories from his past life, he had already expected this alliance between Xavier and Magneto. It was inevitable.
Professor X's expression softened ever so slightly. "It seems your negotiations went well."
"They did. William Stryker wants to strike a deal with me, but I have a better idea. You help me find someone, and I'll kill Stryker for you. Fair trade, wouldn't you say?"
At the mention of that name, every mutant in the room frowned.
"Who are you looking for?" Xavier asked, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "He must be important to you."
"Robert Reynolds. A New Yorker. Possibly a junkie. Skilled at theft. Seems timid. Might have some mental issues. Find him for me."
"We already have. Third alley on the north side of Central Avenue."
Duncan glanced up at the stage, where the vampire representative was just beginning their speech. Without hesitation, he flew onto the stage, cutting in and forcefully starting his own "academic presentation."
But his mind was already elsewhere. Several Xenomorphs had quietly slipped into the shadows, weaving their way through the crime-ridden city.
Meanwhile, Robert Reynolds had just woken up, his face pale with terror as he stared at the creatures before him.
"Where the hell did you freaks come from?! What do you want from me?!"
Comments
Colin Hilterhaus
Chapter 56 is not here
