The Deathstrike woman lunged forward, trying to intercept him, but Ethan Voss calmly stepped between her and the others as if he had been expecting the attack all along. His voice carried an almost playful tone as he spoke, the words sounding completely out of place in the middle of a deadly confrontation. "Shall we play a game?" he asked lightly, his gaze fixed on her expressionless face.
She tilted her head slightly, and with a sudden metallic hiss ten needle-thin steel claws shot out from the tips of her fingers. Her eyes held no emotion at all, as though the person in front of her were nothing more than an object that needed to be eliminated. Without hesitation she lunged forward, her claws driving straight toward Ethan's chest with lethal precision.
Before the attack could land, however, the air between them rippled like disturbed water. A swirling portal snapped open instantly, its dark interior twisting like a vortex. The woman had no time to react to the sudden spatial distortion, and her forward momentum carried her straight through the opening.
Her body vanished headfirst into the portal.
Ethan chuckled quietly as he watched it happen, the sound carrying a faint note of amusement. "Too young," he said casually, as if he had just watched an inexperienced player make a predictable mistake.
The other side of the portal opened inside the base within Ethan's personal divine domain. The moment the woman tumbled through the gate, Ethan extended his arm through the still-open portal. Invisible force erupted from his outstretched hand, his telekinesis instantly locking her body in place before she could recover her balance.
Within seconds the guards stationed inside the divine realm rushed forward and subdued her completely. Shackles snapped into place, and the once-deadly assassin was dragged away before she could even process what had happened.
Of course, the portal had never been intended only for capturing her.
A moment later a group of people stepped through the same gateway and entered the hall one after another. At the front of the group walked Anton Vanko, his sharp eyes immediately scanning the surroundings as he adjusted his coat. Though he initially seemed curious about the unfamiliar environment, his attention was quickly captured by the enormous furnace dominating the chamber.
Inside the furnace, molten metal churned and glowed with an intense silver sheen.
Vanko walked closer, the reflection of the blazing alloy dancing across his glasses. "So this is the super alloy you mentioned?" he asked, his voice tinged with genuine interest.
Ethan nodded calmly while watching the liquid metal swirl inside the crucible. "Yes. It's one of the most advanced alloys in the world," he replied. "The key is that it can only be shaped while it's still molten. Once it cools and solidifies, it becomes virtually indestructible."
Vanko's eyes lit up instantly at that explanation. He leaned forward slightly, observing the surface of the alloy as if studying a rare scientific treasure. "Incredible. How exactly was it created?"
"Fragments from space meteorites," Ethan said. "When they're combined with certain catalysts, the composition sometimes contains traces of vibranium."
Vanko raised an eyebrow in surprise, clearly intrigued by that revelation. "Oh? That definitely sounds worthy of careful study."
Ethan folded his arms thoughtfully while watching the furnace burn. "The U.S. government should already have the formula for producing it," he said. "I'll find a way to obtain it."
Vanko burst into laughter at that statement, clearly entertained by Ethan's confidence. "Of course you have a way," he said with a grin. "Shield generators and mental suppression fields will both require materials like this, won't they?"
"Exactly," Ethan replied with a small nod.
Then his tone shifted slightly as another topic came to mind. "Speaking of which, with so many excellent scientists gathered by FDSW to assist you now, how's the Crimson Jaeger project progressing?"
Vanko's expression grew proud as he straightened his posture. "Much faster than before," he answered. "Those scientists have helped solve many of the technical problems that slowed me down previously."
He chuckled softly while adjusting a nearby instrument panel. "Of course, they still think they're researching shield generators and similar defense technologies."
Vanko's voice turned almost triumphant as he continued speaking. "But I can guarantee that the Crimson Jaeger will crush Tony Stark's fragile armored suit the day it's finally completed."
Ethan shrugged casually at that declaration. "Then you'd better hurry," he replied. "If this takes too long, there's no telling what Stark might invent next."
"Don't worry," Vanko said confidently. "With this super alloy now available, everything will move onto the fast track."
Ethan gave a small nod, satisfied with the progress.
By this point Vanko and his team had already finished removing everything valuable from the hall. Equipment crates, instruments, and materials were all transported back into Ethan's divine domain through the still-open portal.
Once the last person stepped through, Ethan lifted his hand and the portal snapped shut instantly, the air sealing itself as if the gateway had never existed.
At that exact moment Mystique's voice suddenly crackled through the radio headset.
She had located Professor Xavier.
The problem, however, was that the security door guarding the room was far too sturdy for her to break through alone.
Before Ethan could respond, the entire base suddenly shuddered violently.
A second tremor followed almost immediately.
It was important to understand that the entire Alkali Lake facility had been constructed inside a massive dam. Any structural instability inside the base could potentially threaten the entire structure holding back the lake.
Which meant those tremors were extremely bad news.
At the moment there was only one person capable of causing destruction on that scale.
Jean Grey.
In the original timeline of events, her powers had erupted violently while confronting her own inner turmoil. That uncontrolled outburst had damaged the dam's internal structure and ultimately led to its collapse.
Now the situation was even worse.
With multiple Abomination-level creatures rampaging through the facility, the dam might collapse far sooner than anyone expected.
Ethan immediately activated the communication channel. "Attention everyone," he ordered sharply. "Assemble at Mystique's position immediately."
As he moved through the corridors, Ethan quickly noticed the damage spreading throughout the base. Cracks had begun forming across the concrete walls and ceilings, and thin streams of water were already dripping through the fractures.
The structure was clearly weakening.
Within minutes he reached the rendezvous point.
A massive reinforced steel gate blocked the corridor ahead.
Most of the group had already gathered there. The X-Men were present along with the enhanced soldiers Ethan had deployed earlier. Several rescued mutants had also been brought here, though some of them were unconscious and had to be carried.
Ethan didn't waste time discussing the situation with Mystique.
He simply opened another portal.
"Colossus," he said firmly. "Lead everyone through and evacuate immediately."
Colossus nodded without hesitation.
The rescued mutant prisoners and the enhanced squad moved through the portal first. Many members of the enhanced team were carrying large equipment crates, computer cores, and sensitive instruments.
Several captured researchers and prisoners of war were also being escorted out under guard.
Bullseye approached Ethan and spoke quietly. "All the important data has been collected," he reported. "We also gathered enough evidence to prove Stryker's crimes, along with witness testimony."
Ethan nodded in satisfaction.
Soon only a few people remained in front of the gate.
Ethan.
Mystique.
Storm.
And Emil Blonsky.
Jean and Scott still hadn't arrived. They were apparently still struggling inside the facility.
Mystique turned toward Ethan urgently. "Do you know what's happening inside?"
"He's the Master of Illusions," she continued before Ethan could respond. "Stryker's son. A powerful mutant comparable to Charles himself, but he's been modified and controlled."
"He's the one who attacked Charles earlier," she added grimly. "Now Charles is under his control."
Mystique's voice rose with frustration. "I told you before that you're no match for him!"
"You have no idea what Stryker is planning!" she shouted.
"He moved the academy's main Cerebro system here," she explained rapidly. "With Charles connected to the Master of Illusions' powers, they can use the system to kill mutants remotely."
Storm's expression changed as she processed the implication.
"Thousands of mutants could die," Mystique continued. "All across America—and possibly the entire world."
"That's Stryker's real plan."
Ethan gave her a flat look.
"You probably should've mentioned that earlier," he said dryly. "Don't you think it's a little late now?"
Storm, clearly panicking, raised her hands and summoned lightning.
A bolt of electricity slammed into the steel gate.
The result was disappointing.
Aside from leaving black scorch marks on the surface, the thick door remained completely intact.
Just then an invisible wave of strange energy suddenly swept over them.
Ethan and Blonsky felt nothing unusual.
Mystique and Storm, however, immediately grabbed their heads in pain.
It felt like their skulls were splitting apart.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
Charles had begun.
The telepathic wave would start here at Alkali Lake and spread outward across the planet.
Every mutant caught within its reach would die.
Blonsky instantly transformed into his monstrous Abomination form. His muscles expanded and his skin hardened into a grotesque green armor as he stepped forward.
"Sir," he rumbled, his voice deep and gravelly. "Should I break down this door?"
"I'll handle it," Ethan replied calmly.
The unexpected answer startled Blonsky. He had never actually seen Ethan fight before, and curiosity flashed across his monstrous face.
Ethan stepped forward without hesitation.
He reached out and placed his hand against the steel surface of the door. Using his shoulder as a pivot, he slowly traced a circular motion across the metal wall.
Blonsky watched the process in stunned silence.
Ethan's hand moved casually, almost lazily.
But wherever his fingers touched, silver powder began falling away from the surface.
The metal was disintegrating.
Within seconds a perfect circular outline appeared in the door. The gap was only about the width of a palm, but it extended completely through the metal.
"Screech… creak…"
The circular steel plate tilted backward and fell inward.
Blonsky's eyes widened when he saw the thickness of the door.
Nearly twenty centimeters.
Even he would have needed considerable time to smash through something that dense.
What kind of ability was this?
Before he could process it further, the environment around him suddenly changed.
In the blink of an eye he found himself standing in the middle of a burning city street.
Flames engulfed nearby buildings. Wrecked cars littered the road while terrified civilians screamed and ran in every direction.
Helicopters roared overhead.
In the distance a massive green monster leaped between skyscrapers, charging directly toward him.
Ethan immediately recognized the sensation.
This was a different energy from the earlier telepathic wave.
Behind him Blonsky's breathing grew heavy and erratic.
After a moment of thought Ethan understood what was happening.
This was the illusion power of the Master of Illusions.
Fortunately, Ethan's mind was protected by extremely powerful psychic defenses. The illusion couldn't invade his consciousness at all.
Meanwhile, inside the main control chamber, two figures sat in wheelchairs.
One was a frail, hunched figure whose body looked almost corpse-like. Tubes protruded from the back of his neck and connected to the machinery surrounding him.
The other was the bald telepath known as Professor Charles Xavier.
Ethan's arrival had clearly disrupted Charles's concentration.
When the Master of Illusions realized that his abilities couldn't affect Ethan at all, he immediately ordered Charles to pause the mutant-elimination process.
Ethan suddenly felt something was wrong.
Sure enough, the next instant Charles's telepathic power erupted forward with overwhelming force.
.....
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