...
Sokovia, Hydra Secret Base.
Baron Strucker stood with bated breath, watching a human augmentation experiment unfold in the laboratory below.
"Baron Strucker, the experiment is a success!"
Upon hearing the report from his head scientist, a wide, predatory grin finally spread across his face.
"Let's see the results."
At his command, the scientists began inputting sequences into the terminal. On the operating table, the elderly man—his body crisscrossed with surgical scars and cybernetic ports—slowly levitated into the air.
Strucker stepped into the lab, drew a handgun from his hip, and fired several rounds directly at the old man without a moment's hesitation.
Then, the impossible happened. The bullets screeched to a halt inches from the man's face, suspended in mid-air by an invisible force.
"Hahaha! Excellent! From this day forward, the world belongs to Hydra!"
Strucker let out a boisterous, arrogant laugh. This augmented old man was none other than the legendary Level 4 mutant and former leader of the Brotherhood: Magneto.
Thirty-five years ago, Hydra had assisted Dr. Rice in the global distribution of GMO suppressants. Why would Hydra help eliminate mutants?
The answer was simple: world domination. With the X-Men and the Brotherhood in the way, Hydra's plans would always be contested. The X-Men's morality was diametrically opposed to Hydra's, and the Brotherhood's "mutant supremacy" ideology meant they would never be true partners.
After deliberation among the Hydra high command, they decided to help Dr. Rice eradicate the mutant threat once and for all. They would then let Rice perfect the technology to create mutant killers who followed only Hydra's orders. By then, Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly complete; they held all the cards.
When the world's mutants began losing control of their powers, Magneto had taken his Brotherhood members to the school to find Professor X. The two old rivals intended to work together to find the source of the plague.
It was exactly the trap Hydra had set.
A Hydra spy swapped Professor X's specialized suppressants with a hyper-concentrated dose of the tainted GMOs, causing his telepathic powers to go into a violent, localized meltdown. Everyone present—except for the rapidly healing Wolverine—was killed, including the Brotherhood.
Magneto's helmet should have protected him, but Hydra had already replaced it with a dummy. His mind was instantly shattered by the Professor's psychic blast, leaving him in a permanent vegetative state.
Obsessed with power, Strucker used his moles in S.H.I.E.L.D. to steal Magneto's brain-dead body for research. He wanted to build a Magneto who obeyed only him. Controlling the Master of Magnetism meant that modern weaponry—including nuclear missiles—posed no threat to Hydra.
After thirty-five years of bio-engineering and experimental cybernetics, they had finally succeeded. The breakthrough was made possible not just by Hydra's technology, but by the constant stream of data stolen from Dr. Rice by Strucker's mole.
"Baron, an urgent report from 'Stick Insect'..."
Just as Strucker was savoring his thirty-five-year masterpiece, a Hydra soldier ran in and handed him a file. His good mood vanished instantly.
"A new mutant?"
He didn't care if Dr. Rice killed Wolverine or Professor X. Their movements were already monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 7 agent John Garrett—who was, in fact, a Hydra operative codenamed "The Clairvoyant."
Since Rice had developed the X-24 clone, Logan was obsolete. As for Professor X, his telepathic mind was impossible to control or augment; he was worthless. If they died, Garrett could easily fabricate a cover story.
Strucker's concern mirrored Dr. Rice's: did a new mutant mean the GMO virus was failing? If a new generation of mutants rose, Hydra's path to dominion would be blocked. Who knew if another terrifying Level 5 like Phoenix would appear?
"Deploy the Magneto cyborg," Strucker decided. "If Dr. Rice is in danger, save him. And bring that new mutant boy back to me."
If Rice succeeded, the Magneto cyborg wouldn't even need to reveal itself; the mole would just steal the data. But if things went sideways, Rice was too valuable to lose. Strucker hoped Rice could further optimize cloning—imagine a legion of Magneto clones under Hydra's thumb. A Wolverine army was a joke compared to that.
Under the control of the base scientists, the Magneto cyborg took flight from the Sokovian base, soaring into the sky.
...
Meanwhile, Goku and the others arrived at an abandoned smelting plant across the border in the black limo. This was the hideout where Logan, the Professor, and Caliban had been living.
The area was desolate for miles, ensuring that even if the Professor had a seizure, no innocents would be hurt. As long as he took his medication, the "episodes" could be suppressed.
"Logan, what's going on?" Caliban asked, stepping out of the shadows as the group exited the car. This was the first time Logan had ever brought outsiders to their sanctuary.
"Take them inside to rest. We'll talk in a bit."
Logan didn't offer an explanation. He headed straight for a reinforced, all-metal housing unit where the Professor lived.
"I'm hungry!" Goku raised his hand, his stomach letting out a thunderous growl. It was already afternoon, and he'd missed lunch.
"Sir, is there anything to eat?" Gabriela asked Caliban.
Caliban didn't understand why Logan had brought them, but he trusted his friend. He led the three of them into the factory's makeshift living area. "There's food. I'll get it for you."
Logan spent most of his time in El Paso, but he returned every few days with at least a week's worth of supplies. Since he had just stocked up yesterday, they had plenty of food.
Twenty minutes later, Caliban stared at the completely empty refrigerator and then at Goku, who was patting his bloated belly with a look of pure bliss.
"Is he... is he a mutant too?" Caliban asked, utterly incredulous.
...