Adam had secretly deployed Xenomorphs across the world, ready at any moment to let them evolve into Queens and use the Xenomorph plague as a strategic weapon to bind the entire globe.
This was no secret, and it was undeniably effective. Even before gaining control of the Xenomorph-enhanced Sentry, Adam had forced the world to tread carefully around him. Unless absolutely necessary, people were unwilling to break with him completely.
But their efforts to track and locate the Xenomorphs had never stopped. If they could find a way to lock onto every Xenomorph's position and possess the ability to kill them all in an instant, they could neutralize Adam's threat of catastrophe.
Professor X should have been the most suitable person for the task. Unfortunately, for some reason, he had joined forces with Magneto.
Coulson thought this with some regret. Still, he had successfully found the best candidate to counter the Xenomorphs.
"You say you want to help me? You ordinary people?"
The young man before him had unremarkable looks but radiated strange psychic fluctuations... a special form of mental感应 ability.
Most importantly, the Xenomorph that should have been hunting in the South American rainforest as one of Adam's global weapons now stood quietly behind the young man.
Coulson felt greatly reassured. This Eternals member truly possessed such special abilities, with a powerful natural affinity and control over all living creatures.
"Mr. Druig, correct? One of the reclusive Eternals. A fitting name. We went through quite a lot of trouble to find you." Coulson showed extreme enthusiasm.
Druig looked at him coldly. "Get out. I have no interest in the outside world."
"Not even interested in the fact that your comrades were killed? A lot has happened recently…"
"I know."
Druig cut Coulson off. His cold eyes swept over the heavily armed agents behind Coulson, then pointed at the Xenomorph beside him. "This Xenomorph has participated in many battles. From its mind, I already know that my people grew restless and clashed with a man named Adam, suffering a heavy loss."
Even Makkari had died…
A flicker of sorrow passed through Druig's cold gaze, but only for a moment.
He differed sharply from the other ten Eternals in ideology, which was why he had lived in seclusion in the rainforest for centuries, refusing all contact with the rest of his kind.
If there was anything worth his attention, it was this strange creature that had somehow crossed mountains and taken root in the rainforest. This was the first time he had encountered such an odd being.
It naturally possessed an exoskeleton armor, a tall and streamlined body. One look told Druig this aesthetically striking creature was a born killing machine.
When he had mentally communicated with the Xenomorph, Druig had confirmed this. He had even keenly sensed Adam's consciousness.
But it didn't matter. Druig had absolute confidence in his own abilities. He was inevitably the best friend of all animals.
That naturally included Xenomorphs.
Look... this Xenomorph was obediently following him like his most loyal guard.
What Druig liked most about the Xenomorph wasn't actually its combat capabilities.
"I have no interest in outside disputes. My Xenomorph friend also told me that the last batch of Deviants has been wiped out. I have even less reason to leave with you."
Druig stared impatiently at the armed agents. "If you're here for this Xenomorph, I won't give it to you. I like its incredibly pure mind. It's far cleaner than all of you."
Pure mind?
Coulson's face stiffened slightly.
Yes, they were indeed very pure when working... single-mindedly focused on killing you or capturing people for parasitization. Vampires could attest to that.
"Your people recommended you to me. You don't care about that either?"
"People? Laughable. You mean the traitor Ikaris, or Ajak and that bunch of meddlers?" Druig's face twisted with anger as he let out a cold laugh.
At this point, Coulson understood why this Eternal was at odds with Ajak and the others. He seemed somewhat misanthropic.
"For the past seven thousand years, we have witnessed humanity rise from savagery to civilization. We watched human history unfold and quietly protected them, eliminating the Deviants." Druig's expression grew fierce.
Coulson frowned briefly, then relaxed. He said cautiously, "Yes, humanity's development owes much to you. That's why, facing an evil enemy like Adam, you should unite with the other Eternals…"
"Unite? A human dares speak to me of unity?!"
Druig suddenly raised his voice, nearly roaring. "I have witnessed countless humans slaughtering each other, endless genocides! As Eternals, we had the power to stop it. We could have stepped forward and guided you toward peace. But what happened?! Who caused all this? Who turned the world into this mess? Ajak! And now she's meddling in human affairs again. It's a joke!"
Coulson now clearly understood Druig's position: an idealist who subconsciously saw himself as the guardian of human civilization, burdened with the responsibility of leading it.
But obviously, the other Eternals... especially leader Ajak... didn't think the same. After largely eliminating the Deviants, they had vanished from human civilization's view and gone into seclusion.
Druig's resentment and break with the other Eternals stemmed from this severe ideological conflict.
"Then we need you to step forward even more. The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago. The next best time is now." Coulson looked at him with sincere earnestness. "You have this ability, don't you? Just like you did in the past."
Druig fell silent for a moment.
"Fine. I don't know what Ajak told you, and I don't care what ugly schemes you people have cooked up."
Druig couldn't hide his inner agitation. "Ajak must have been wrong. Human society should be far better than it is now!"
"Yes, we look forward to you stepping up."
Pity rose in Coulson's heart for Druig.
Since when did humanity need an Eternal to lead them?
Druig suddenly glanced at Coulson and let out a cold laugh. "You'd best control your thoughts. Even without deliberately sensing them, your mind is like a light in the darkness to me."
Pity? Druig didn't care. If he cared about others' opinions, how could he have broken with his battle-hardened fellow Eternals?
"The urgent priority now is that we face an extremely evil enemy. He is recklessly expanding his army, brutally capturing all kinds of races to sacrifice them for his Xenomorphs." Coulson explained. "From a human perspective, this is unforgivable."
"Then I have one question. Has this villain named Adam ever parasitized and chest-bursted a human? Even one?" Druig looked at him coldly.
Coulson paused. "Yes. As far as I know, he has parasitized a human dark sorcerer…"
"I said, this Xenomorph beside me has participated in many battles. Adam wouldn't trust it in a place like this unless it was a battle-hardened veteran."
Druig rudely cut Coulson off. "That dark sorcerer has killed far more people than the Xenomorphs have! What else do you have to say?"
Coulson thought for a moment. If mutants counted as humans, Adam had captured Alkali Lake and taken a group of brainwashed mutants. He didn't know if Adam would chest-burst them. He hoped Magneto and Professor X would become hostile toward Adam.
Clearly, in this Eternal's understanding, parasitization and chest-bursting were two entirely different concepts.
Coulson carefully calculated and was shocked to realize that, so far, all the hosts Adam had massively captured and plundered were either animals or vampires. Chest-bursting ordinary humans… could almost be counted as zero!
What did this mean? It meant that Adam... this leader of a biological legion who constantly challenged the established order, repeatedly caused major direct and indirect effects, and operated outside laws and rules... was actually a genuine protector of humanity?
It was too absurd!
At that moment, Coulson felt an extreme sense of absurdity. It was like a blood-soaked super-villain holding a dripping knife and shouting to all his victims, "I'm doing this for your own good."
For example, should Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of New York's underworld, be crowned a saint of humanity and awarded the laurels of human civilization?
Adam's wildly aggressive yet clearly demarcated style of action left Coulson with a deep sense of unease.
Immense potential wasn't the most terrifying thing. Nor was staggering scale enough to cause despair. What was frightening was possessing both advantages while also having an unnaturally calm mind.
Druig said, "I have a favorable impression of Xenomorphs... their minds are so pure. So I will go meet Adam. If he is unworthy of them, I will strip away his control over the Xenomorphs."
Coulson smiled. "Of course. He is a skilled strategist and ambitious schemer, but he certainly never anticipated someone like you existing in this world, Druig… You should step forward and stop him."
The process differed somewhat from what Coulson had imagined, but the outcome aligned.
Coulson needed Druig to sever Adam's control over the Xenomorphs. That alone was enough. Without the Xenomorphs, Adam's power would be cut in half.
If things went smoothly and they could also control the unburst embryo inside the Sentry... thereby controlling the Sentry himself... that would be even better.
Adam would have nowhere to run. His fate would be prison. All his accumulated achievements and built-up empire would vanish overnight, becoming S.H.I.E.L.D.'s assets.
Coulson smiled as he led Druig and the Xenomorph onto the helicopter. The group quickly flew from South America toward North America.
Even aboard the aircraft, Coulson kept studying Druig and the Xenomorph. He deeply anticipated seeing Adam's stunned expression when he lost control of his forces.
"Even if Adam is deeply scheming, facing a mysterious Eternal far beyond him in psychic abilities, he will suffer an unpredictable setback on that front." Coulson thought.
Did Adam know about Ikaris and the others? Was he also fully aware of Druig, who had stayed out of worldly affairs for centuries? Impossible. Adam wasn't omniscient.
…
Alkali Lake.
The boiling floodwaters produced a terrifying, earth-shaking roar. Carrying billions of tons of force, they surged down violently.
It was foreseeable that many downstream towns would soon suffer disaster. Quite a few people would die.
Adam's group forced their way out through the torrent.
Adam looked up at the invisible aircraft in the sky and said slowly, "You're late."
Several mutants leaped down from the plane.
"Stryker is dead?"
"Yes, dead. His body is probably already crushed into pulp under countless rocks by now." Adam replied casually.
"Serves him right. That kind of villain should have died long ago." Cyclops spat, feeling greatly satisfied.
Magneto's face was grim as he stared coldly at Adam without a word. Or rather, he truly didn't know what to discuss with Adam. Talk about maintenance tips for the embryo in his chest?
He would rather work with steel.
"Adam, those mutants are pitiful children. They are innocent... captured and brainwashed by Stryker! I can hear the pain in their hearts." Professor X sat in his wheelchair, his face extremely pale.
Adam turned to look at his spoils of war upon hearing this.
Every Xenomorph carried one or two mutants.
"Charles, this behavior is very rude. Instead of focusing on recovering your body, you come to me demanding people? As you know, I need people even more than you do. You have the X-Men and the Brotherhood, plus mutants worldwide eager to join you. What do I have?" Adam shook his head.
Professor X shook his head. "You also have countless humans who want to join you. They are still gathered around your new skyscraper, hoping to become your soldiers and gain protection."
Adam's lips curled. How could that be the same?
A group of ordinary people... whether used for chest-bursting or not... would only have so much strength. Mutants were different. Combining them with Xenomorphs allowed an individual to possess two genetic systems simultaneously, gaining the strengths of both. The resulting power increase was geometric.
Not to mention, imagine a mutant with some superhuman ability also gaining an incredibly strong physique and astonishing healing factor. If willing to self-harm, they could even use the blood from the embryo in their chest to kill enemies. Such a transformation would be earth-shattering.
Adam said nothing. The Sentry sensed his leader's mood and immediately stepped forward, clenching his fists with a cold laugh. "What are you people? You did nothing, and now with one sentence you want to take all our gains?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? They aren't objects... they're living people!" Wolverine tossed away his cigar.
This action successfully drew the Sentry's attention. He instantly turned into a streak of golden light. With speed too fast for most present to react, he threw a punch. Wolverine flew off like a broken kite, spraying blood and flesh as he sailed into the distance.
"Didn't pierce his chest again? I understand... he's Wolverine." The Sentry shook his fist, feeling unlucky. He had encountered two freaks with terrifying defenses in a row.
But no need to worry. At least one of them... Lady Deathstrike... was already in their hands and would soon become one of them.
With the Sentry's move, the atmosphere instantly became tense. Jean Grey was particularly aggressive. Terrifying energy surged around her as vast telekinetic power roiled wildly, completely unlike her usual gentle and calm demeanor.
"Calm down, Jean. They are not enemies." Professor X's expression changed.
The Sentry snorted, his golden light blazing brightly. "Even if you were, you'd only be our defeated opponents."
"Enough, Reynolds. Shut up. The flash flood has built up scale. Go all out to block these waters and redirect them to uninhabited areas." Adam ordered.
The Sentry immediately created an endless series of golden barriers. This was a crude and extravagant use of energy. When the golden light clashed with the flood, it produced deafening booms. The entire mountain seemed to tremble.
He let out a beast-like roar. Waves of energy lashed out everywhere, carving massive cracks into the ground.
"This isn't the place to talk. Let's leave here first." Adam said. He wasn't negotiating with them.
"You can board our plane…"
"No need. I have a better way to travel."
Adam swung Mjolnir and flew into the sky. Speed Xenomorphs unleashed their super speed, flashing several times to transport all the Xenomorphs present away.
Of course, that included the spoils of war.
"Should we follow them? Creating conflict with Adam at a time like this is very detrimental to our cause. Besides, he was the one who rescued those mutants. We arrived too late after all." Magneto said, somewhat irritated.
He felt constrained everywhere. Whenever he faced Adam, nothing felt comfortable. He hadn't felt this stifled in a very long time.
The Xenomorph embryo in his chest throbbed in sync with his words, making Magneto's expression even more complex.
Professor X remained silent. He glanced into the distance at the god-like, overwhelmingly powerful Sentry loyally carrying out Adam's orders, and said softly, "You didn't understand my meaning. We should protect our brothers and sisters... that is correct. But not without principles… Things are different now. If we want to establish our own nation, we must abandon some things."
Everyone looked at Professor X in shock, as if seeing this respected, morally upright man for the first time.
No one present was a fool. They roughly understood the underlying meaning in Professor X's words.
Wolverine, covered in dust, ran back. It had only been a short while, and this was already the second time he'd been sent flying with one blow. He immediately asked, "Then why did you say those things earlier, even risking a break with someone like Adam?"
"Logan, show the Professor some respect." Cyclops was fed up with this rude wild dog and sometimes wanted to hit him with an optic blast.
Wolverine glared at Cyclops but said nothing more. He stared straight at Professor X.
"What we must do is unite more people, continuously weaken and kill those who oppose us... even mutants who might hinder our great cause… Adam is different. He might stand with us and become our ally. That's why I wanted him to cherish our mutant brethren."
Unknowingly, Professor X's face grew even paler. He himself could hardly believe such naked political maneuvering would come from his mouth... and that he had begun to implement it.
Magneto looked approving. "You've finally awakened, Charles. If you lack even this level of resolve, we might as well not seek independence. We should just surrender to humanity and wait to be exterminated. That would be more fitting."
"Then what should we do? Allow Adam to parasitize those mutants?" Jean's voice was cold.
Magneto glanced at Jean. He remained deeply wary of this compatriot with such exaggerated potential. He said, "What else if not parasitization? Don't forget, those people were brainwashed countless times by Stryker and turned into weapons without independent thought. At least when Adam takes them, he can place them in suitable positions and exert strong control. He won't let them run wild."
"It seems after capturing you, Adam placed you in a suitable position. Otherwise you should be running wild right now." Jean's words unconsciously carried barbs, and an intangible psychic force emanated from her.
A flash of anger appeared in Magneto's eyes. Just as he was about to act, Professor X shook his head slightly and said to Jean with concern, "We need to have a proper talk."
"Talk about what?"
"You are an indispensable member of our group. The urgent priority now is to find a way to unlock your latent power and help you control it."
Jean said nothing. Her primary personality still in control, she nodded gently.
The trajectory of fate shifted once again in this moment, turning toward directions these people had never imagined.
Adam had mentally prepared for this change in fate. He also knew that Professor X and Magneto would eventually establish their own nation on the living island of Krakoa.
But this shift manifested in other areas, beyond Adam's expectations.
"They didn't follow? So they had this idea. Both a reminder and a warning."
Through the embryo in Magneto's body, Adam learned Professor X's meaning. Cherish them? Using these mutants who had lost their independent will to the fullest was already the greatest cherishing he could offer.
Otherwise, even if Adam hadn't taken them and let Professor X's group have them, Professor X might be able to restore the mutants' consciousness... or perhaps not completely.
In any case, Adam would never compromise. He had obtained these spoils through strength. Why would he hand them over to Professor X?
"The Professor is a man of dignity. The only thing that could make someone like him yield is the 'great cause.'" Adam recalled that in many universes, whenever the two factions moved toward alliance, it was filled with bloodshed and tragedy. As leaders of mutants, they had killed countless mutants themselves.
But that had nothing to do with Adam. He had no interest in getting involved in mutant affairs. He had simply forcefully claimed his war spoils.
Yet when Adam returned to the Weyland skyscraper with his army and had barely settled in, something unexpected happened.
"…Hm. The Xenomorph I sent to South America has returned."
Adam was on the 93rd floor of the Weyland skyscraper... a sealed level where elevators couldn't stop. This floor was the Queen's nesting and egg-laying chamber.
Adam had personally placed a Facehugger onto Lady Deathstrike's face, completing his control over this mutant whose combat power surpassed Wolverine's.
He tried using the embryo's consciousness to pry into Lady Deathstrike's original mind, only to find it contained nothing but absolute emptiness and obedience.
As a result, the embryo... which should have been in daily dormancy... now had to remain awake to pilot her body.
"That works too. The Xenomorph's combat instincts aren't inferior to her original consciousness. Combined with her beta adamantium skeleton and extremely strong healing factor, she can confidently use corrosive blood to kill enemies."
Adam was very satisfied. He greatly appreciated the current Lady Deathstrike. She was a unique creation, just like the Sentry.
In terms of combat will, Lady Deathstrike far surpassed the Sentry. She felt no fear or hesitation... she was a true killing machine, worthy of being Adam's right and left hand.
As for letting the embryo chest-burst to become a complete Xenomorph, Adam had considered it but quickly abandoned the idea. A chest-bursted Xenomorph would no longer have the beta adamantium skeleton.
This skeleton possessed self-healing properties. Even if shattered by a skyfather-level or higher force, it could slowly regenerate. It was a special product combining adamantium with Lady Deathstrike's super-healing genes.
With beta bones, Adam would even dare let Lady Deathstrike tank a nuclear bomb. The skeleton would ensure she maintained her basic body structure and protected her critical brain. As long as her body wasn't completely destroyed, her healing factor would always repair any injuries.
But without beta bones, there was no point thinking about tanking a nuke with flesh and blood. She would be vaporized the instant she touched the blast, with no chance to heal.
Adam looked at the coldly expressionless woman before him and nodded in satisfaction. As for the other mutants, he naturally left them to the Xenomorphs for individual parasitization. They weren't worth his personal attention.
Now, Adam calmly walked to the window. With the Sentry on his left and Lady Deathstrike on his right, he gazed outside.
The next second, an enormous rectangular spaceship appeared in the air, its surface etched with strange golden patterns.
Several figures in blue tight-fitting combat suits flew out from the ship, staring at Adam from afar.
"Ajak, Gilgamesh, and Sersi who can reconstruct matter, Kingo with his long-range energy projection, the versatile illusionist Sprite, the unhinged warrior Thena, Phastos who skillfully crafts precise weapons with energy… Oh, and leading them is Druig, who has taken control of my Xenomorph…"
Almost all the Eternals had come. Adam felt deeply gratified at the sight.
He smashed the glass before him with one punch. "It looks like you've picked up the script you abandoned centuries ago. How about I give you a new name? Let's call it the Eternals Grand Assembly."
"That name is terrible, child. A bit childish, but it suits your age."
The female warrior Thena, holding an energy blade, assumed a combat stance. Her natural battle readiness made the other Eternals anxious.
Thena had mental issues. As Ajak put it, repeated memory cleansings by the Celestial Arishem had left countless memory fragments jumbled together, causing Thena to become erratic at times.
"Druig, keep an eye on her condition." Ajak signaled to Druig.
But Druig only gave Ajak a cold glance. Having learned that Arishem had used them repeatedly for millions of years, he had completely lost trust in leader Ajak and didn't want to say a single word.
"Leave Adam to me. You're here for revenge over Makkari and to serve Arishem. I'm different. I'm here for Adam and the Xenomorphs." Druig made no effort to hide his disgust for Arishem.
The other Eternals remained silent, watching warily as Adam's forces mobilized on a large scale as well.
Rumble!
Individual Xenomorph movements were very quiet, but when there were so many, the sound became deafening.
Thousands of Xenomorphs poured continuously from the Weyland skyscraper. In deathly silence, they completely surrounded the group of Eternals.
This sheer number put heavy pressure on the Eternals.
"So these are Xenomorphs. No wonder Sersi and Ikaris mistook them. They really resemble Deviants, but they're actually completely different beings."
"They're more terrifying than the Deviants. At least Deviants don't have such exaggerated reproduction and growth potential." Ajak's expression was grave. She hadn't felt this tense in a very long time.
She had never expected to encounter a terrifying enemy like Adam on Earth. Both Eternals and Deviants had suffered heavy losses at his hands.
Ajak didn't dare imagine what Adam would grow into if given enough time... parasitizing more powerhouses, continuously expanding his strength. If he eventually left Earth and spread to other planets…
Oh, he had already spread. The Asgardians had helped with that. She didn't know how the war was going.
But that was the past. Because Adam no longer had a future. The Xenomorphs might.
Ajak looked at Druig, who now walked at the front instead of standing behind her as he once had.
Hiss!
The Xenomorph following Druig let out a sharp screech.
Countless Xenomorphs joined in the chorus. Except for Adam and Druig, no one else knew what they were screeching.
"Welcome to my territory, Eternals. It seems we can at least agree on one thing: fighting here won't cause too many innocent deaths. We can go all out without worry."
Adam walked out with the Sentry, Lady Deathstrike, and Elektra, commanding a vast number of Xenomorphs.
The ordinary people in the area had already fled in terror the moment the Eternals' ship appeared, watching everything from afar.
Multiple satellites had also been redirected to monitor the situation.
"This time, Adam has nowhere to run. His biggest mistake was gaining the Xenomorphs only to lose them again so soon."
Several kilometers away, Coulson clenched his fists in extreme excitement. He would soon strip Adam of his strongest weapon and either kill or imprison the man.
On the Helicarrier, Fury asked, "Is this Druig you mentioned truly controllable?"
"Rest assured, Director. Idealists like him have one great strength: extraordinary steadfastness. Their greatest weakness is the same thing. It makes their personalities extremely rigid. Once they fixate on something, they never turn back. That makes him very suitable for us to control. Since he has already demonstrated absolute control over the Xenomorphs through action, he is qualified to be brought into the fold."
Coulson pointed at the screen. "If there's any chance of him becoming a problem, the only thing I can think of is someone fulfilling this idealist's unrealistic fantasy of permanent peace and ending all war. But we all know that's impossible."
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