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Chapter 43: Duncan is a Maniac
🕑 Added 2025-02-01 05:27:14 +0000 UTCThor had many flaws, but at least one thing about him was admirable—he valued his family as much as his own life.
The one he was closest to, naturally, was Loki, who had tricked him countless times since childhood.
Thor lowered his head, staring at the enhanced mutant Deviant that Duncan had pinned down. It was clear he wanted to observe the creature and deduce the consequences of accepting a Facehugger himself.
The fact that he was even considering this meant he had already made his choice.
In the past, the arrogant and prideful Thor would never have accepted such power. The old him would have already charged at Duncan, hammer in hand, believing he was being insulted.
But things were different now. His terrible temper hadn't improved, but as a mere mortal, he was now powerless to help his brother in the midst of a fierce battle. That same pride and arrogance gnawed at his self-respect, just like the consuming swarms of the Hive.
"Don't hesitate," Duncan coaxed. "You are a mighty warrior, and you should know how rare an opportunity this is. Your brother is facing countless powerful enemies. Look—The Eternals have a deep grudge against Asgard, and their Celestial overlords are likely watching this very moment. Kaecilius has been trying to kill your brother, and Magneto? We don't even need to mention him."
Every word Duncan spoke was logical, but when strung together, they became disturbingly persuasive.
All around them, Abomination Xenomorphs and other mutated Xenomorphs stood guard, shielding them from any incoming energy attacks.
Success was imminent.
Duncan lowered his voice. "I don't understand what you're hesitating for. Without power, you will lose everything—you might even lose your beloved brother. But with power, you can survive this crisis, reclaim Mjolnir, and have plenty of time to lift it again in the future. Have you forgotten honor? Is your dignity so fragile?"
A critical strike.
To Thor, honor and dignity mattered more than life itself. This was his creed, and the creed of all Asgardians.
"Midgardian, if this were any other time, I would have smashed your mouth with Mjolnir already!" Thor's eyes burned with fury, his shame and helplessness twisting into rage.
Yet he still extended his hand, allowing the Facehugger to crawl into his palm.
"But right now, I'm the only one willing to help you, aren't I?" Duncan continued smoothly. "Don't see this as coercion. In the face of a bright future, in the name of protecting your family, I am the only reliable ally you have."
"If I didn't know for certain you were from Midgard, I would think you came from Hell—a devil who excels at making deals," Thor spat.
And then, he let the Facehugger latch onto his face.
He wasn't stupid. He knew Duncan had something to gain from this.
But that didn't matter anymore.
All he knew was that if he didn't stand by Loki's side right now—if he didn't do something—he'd rather die.
Of course, once this battle was over and Loki was safe, Thor had already decided—he would either take his own life or challenge Duncan, reclaiming whatever honor and dignity he had left.
Duncan had a good idea of what Thor was thinking. He watched as the God of Thunder collapsed into unconsciousness.
"You bastard! What have you done?!"
Loki's eyes snapped toward them, blazing with fury. His voice cracked with rage.
"He's not dead. Don't get so worked up," Duncan said calmly. "I would never harm the son of Odin."
Loki was about to retort when his gaze fell upon something horrific—
The mutated Deviant on the ground convulsed violently. Then, with a sickening squelch, a Xenomorph burst from its chest, drenched in blood and shredded flesh.
The host's lifeforce extinguished almost instantly, its body going still.
For a moment, Loki was frozen in shock.
Was he about to watch the same thing happen to Thor? Was his brother about to convulse and die right before his eyes?
Loki's eyes turned bloodshot in an instant. Everything else ceased to matter. His divine energy surged wildly, countless spells forming at his fingertips.
BOOM!
Power clashed against the surrounding magnetic field, birthing a storm of lightning that shot skyward, tearing through the atmosphere and roiling the clouds into chaos.
Loki shot into the air, charging straight at Duncan.
"In this moment, you are more of a god than ever before," Duncan murmured, his tone almost admiring. "But don't worry—he won't die. That's not my goal."
Loki's furious advance was met with an unexpected response.
Duncan didn't attack him.
He turned his Xenomorphs against…Thor.
"The parasitism was a success. Already, a new Xenomorph is forming in Thor's chest—I can feel it clearly," Duncan said to himself. "But controlling Thor was never my real objective. Odin is probably watching this right now. He wouldn't allow it."
A dangerous light flickered in Duncan's eyes.
He was usually a composed man, rarely showing emotion.
But right now, he couldn't help himself.
He had traveled all the way from New York for this moment—not to control Thor, but to harness divine power.
The Xenomorph Ascension Project had always been his true goal.
And the simplest way to achieve it?
Contact with divinity itself.
In the vast cosmos, gods were not rare. Some ancient civilizations had even engineered their own pantheons.
Divine energy was both precious and plentiful.
And what could be more efficient than using a fallen god like Thor—one who had lost his divine power but still carried the blood of the All-Father?
Duncan stretched out his hand toward the unconscious Thor.
Then, without hesitation—
He performed open-chest surgery with his bare hands.
Schluck!
Thor's chest was violently torn open, blood and flesh spraying into the air.
Everyone turned to stare, stunned.
This was Odin's son!
He had just been parasitized, and now Duncan was tearing him apart?
Ajak's face went pale. "What is he trying to do?! He parasites Thor, then immediately kills him? Asgard will—wait, what?"
Before Loki could completely lose his mind, before the onlookers could even react—
Duncan did something even more insane.
With his other hand, he plunged into his own chest, just as swiftly and mercilessly as he had done to Thor.
Blood gushed, flesh was torn.
And from within his own body—he extracted an unformed, palm-sized Xenomorph embryo.
The sheer brutality of it left even Loki momentarily stunned.
"Brutal," Magneto murmured, his voice carrying a note of admiration.
None of them knew what Duncan was doing. Why was he mutilating himself like this?
Ajak's eyes widened in horror. "Could it be…?"
She remembered her conversation with Ikaris—how Xenomorphs devoured their hosts upon hatching and rapidly evolved.
But what if… someone extracted the embryo before it burst out?
It was a theory many had quietly speculated on.
And now, she was witnessing it firsthand.
"He had a Xenomorph inside him all along," Ajak whispered. "And now, he's extracted Thor's…"
A collective silence fell over the battlefield as everyone watched Duncan shove the embryo from Thor's chest into his own body.
"...???"
What kind of insane strategy was this?!
Was this even allowed?!
Even the most seasoned warriors—people who had seen and done the impossible—felt their minds break at the sight.
But Duncan…
He simply took a deep breath, feeling the surge of power now coursing through him.
And he smiled.
