Mr. Blue was curious about everything related to Duncan, but this time, he was truly baffled.
"Why did the Xenomorphs bring back a vagrant, and why am I not even allowed to go near him?" Mr. Blue paused his experiment, shaking his oversized head as he stared intently at Reynolds, who was surrounded by a horde of Xenomorphs.
Something that appeared normal was, in fact, the greatest anomaly.
Even with his intelligence boosted five hundredfold, Mr. Blue couldn't make sense of the logic behind it. Duncan's actions constantly defied his expectations, rendering many of his predictions useless.
"You—you're human? No, your head—" Reynolds' face turned deathly pale. Years of drug addiction had ravaged his body, leaving him frail. His eyes briefly lit up before dimming again, and he helplessly curled up against the wall.
What he didn't realize was that on the other side of the wall, even more Xenomorphs lurked, ensuring there were no gaps in their defenses.
"Doesn't seem like a high-IQ individual, nor does he possess any special abilities," Mr. Blue assessed Reynolds' condition at a glance. A flicker of deep contempt flashed in his eyes as he grew even more perplexed—why would Duncan bother with such trash?
But since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to waste time thinking about it. He had already provided Duncan with two hundred more bio-engineered monsters, exhausting all available resources, including those Duncan had left for him.
"You better think carefully before you act. Don't assume I don't know what you're up to," Elektra appeared nearby, staring coldly at him.
Mr. Blue let out an eerie laugh, reminiscent of an old crow perched on a withered tree. "I fear that among all of us, only you are truly loyal to him. The rest—whether it's Mystique or myself—we've always had our own agendas."
"He never cares about your thoughts, only whether you've completed his tasks," Elektra said icily, her gaze locking onto the unnaturally intelligent, large-headed man. She pointed at the near-delirious Reynolds. "But from now on, it won't be just me. There will be another one—him."
Mr. Blue sneered.
"Him? That junkie fool? He's a coward, scared shitless of the Xenomorphs. He has no potential whatsoever. Using him as a host would be a waste! The Chestburster that comes out of him would probably be just as pathetic!"
But Elektra thought otherwise.
She had an inexplicable confidence in Duncan. The embryo in her chest, fused with her internal organs, pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat. She believed that Duncan had captured this man for a reason—parasitism was inevitable, and when it happened, the truth would be revealed.
Countless eyes were fixed on Duncan.
"So that's the guy..."
"The youngest T0-level threat? The one pulling off global blackmail?"
"A war fanatic, constantly sending Xenomorphs to high-tier battlefields. The Bifrost appearing unpredictably is proof of it. And yet, we can't do anything about him."
Whispers filled the room as people watched Duncan with trepidation.
Initially, their attention had been on Professor X, scrutinizing him as if that alone could confirm whether he was secretly monitoring or manipulating their minds. But the moment Duncan appeared, he became their sole focus.
Professor X was a known figure—even if his ideology had shifted and he had allied with Magneto, it was still within the realm of comprehension.
But Duncan was something else entirely—the first human to organize an interdimensional military expedition.
Throughout human history, Duncan's actions were nothing short of groundbreaking. Worse still, he had the capability to mass-produce a powerful army and deploy it onto battlefields at will.
"My academic lecture is titled 'Yggdrasil and Midgard'—a topic I believe many of you will find interesting. I will explain the history of the Asgardians and make it clear: this war will not stop. It will only expand, pushing forward without end.
"I urgently need more warriors. If anyone wishes to join my forces, you are welcome to visit my home."
Duncan placed Mjolnir on the lectern, the casual ease of his action serving as an unmistakable reminder. His words carried an unyielding warning, making more than a few people break into a cold sweat.
War-loving individuals like Magneto showed appreciation on their faces.
But for the vampires, these words were like a death sentence.
Duncan's war machine ran on vampire blood—his funds were drained from their coffers!
"I protest! This is a historic-level atrocity—this is a crime!" The vampire representative nearly jumped in frustration. "And besides, it's my turn to speak!"
But no one was listening to him. It was already clear that the moment he stepped out of the building, some 'randomly passing' Xenomorph would snatch him up. Soon after, he'd reappear in a different form—on some distant battlefield, locked in combat against Frost Giants.
That was the new reality for vampires. Society had quickly adapted to this new structure. Everyone—except the vampires.
"Damn it! He's not just stopping—he's escalating! He wants to drive us to extinction!"
"There's no way out. We were hoping Blood Baron would step up, but that coward is too busy running, constantly being chased down by Blade!"
"If only Dracula were still around... but we have no idea where he's sleeping."
The vampires were utterly devastated. Their entire legacy—wealth, power—had become obsolete overnight.
At first, only Blade had been hunting them. Then Duncan joined in. Then S.H.I.E.L.D. got involved. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. had eventually pulled back, it was clear that as long as people kept trying to capture and clone Xenomorphs for control, the vampires would always be caught in the crossfire.
Duncan's voice echoed through the hall:
"Yggdrasil holds nine realms. Earth is located in Midgard, one of the three realms of the middle plane..."
"The evil Frost Giants launched an invasion. The warriors of Asgard, protectors of the Nine Realms, rose to fight back, upholding their ideals of bravery with blood and steel..."
Duncan's speech was impassioned, almost hypnotic. But for those who knew the truth, it was hard to keep a straight face.
"If I didn't know a bit of history—if I didn't know Asgard had spent centuries waging war and instigating conflicts—I'd almost believe this guy's version of Asgard as some pacifist utopia worthy of a 'World Tree Peace Prize.'"
Watching remotely, Nick Fury's normally stoic face twitched slightly.
The more righteous and noble Duncan sounded, the more absurd it all seemed.
This was the same ruthless, cunning man who had orchestrated a global hostage situation using Xenomorphs—and yet here he was, standing at the podium of the Global Summit, preaching peace and justice?!
Look at him—Fury himself didn't even dare show up in person, having committed too many shady deeds. He always had to worry about someone using the same tactics against him.
"I and my kind—Xenomorphs—will not stand idly by. I am the current Thor, but more importantly, I am a peace-loving Earthling! To safeguard the Nine Realms and ensure Earth's security, I have taken immense risks and made great sacrifices. I have given my all for this war!"
Duncan passionately gestured at the cameras, his words echoing through the room.
"..."
"I can't listen to this anymore," Magneto exhaled deeply.
Professor X remained composed. "Erik, you must be more patient."
"You know me, Charles. I would never—"
For a moment, Magneto struggled to find the right words to describe the man standing at the podium, delivering such a grandiose speech.
Professor X said calmly, "Let's consider this from another perspective. On one hand, he's sending troops to Asgard, and on the other, he refuses to let go of Mjolnir. Meanwhile, Asgard has yet to make any concrete response, but the continuous appearance of the Bifrost transporting Xenomorphs from Earth speaks volumes about their stance."
Asgard clearly desires Duncan's power. In other words, the Xenomorph legions, and the even greater numbers they could produce in the future, are of immense value to Asgard.
Even the fact that Mjolnir is currently wielded by an outsider has been met with silence.
"Let's go. Staying here any longer is meaningless. Asgard is too far removed from us—solving the survival crisis of mutants is our top priority," Magneto said, turning away.
Professor X also turned his wheelchair, his gaze resolute. To him, everything they were doing now was already pushing the limits of radicalism, but he had no choice.
"We need to find Destiny first. She can foresee our actions and provide us with guidance. We also need to locate a secure base and powerful allies." Professor X glanced at Magneto. "Perhaps—just perhaps—if the situation becomes dire, we could consider forming an alliance with the Deviants."
Magneto's tone was ice-cold. "You must be joking, Charles. According to Duncan's intel, the Deviants are nothing more than failed experiments of the Celestials! I tolerated your request and refrained from killing their leader, but that doesn't mean I'll ever consider those beasts as kin—even if they possess genetic fragments similar to the X-Gene."
"Believe me, I understand this pain better than you do. Juggernaut is my brother, after all. But for the future of mutants, we must endure. Others may falter, but we cannot."
Professor X closed his eyes in anguish.
Around them, curious onlookers occasionally cast glances their way, trying to decipher their hushed conversation. But Jean had already erected a psychic barrier, blocking all prying eyes and listening devices.
Onstage, Duncan watched the backs of the departing mutants and shook his head privately.
With Destiny involved, the inevitable path to unity had already begun. They would flee to Krakoa, attempting to build a utopia.
But at best, that would only buy them a brief period of peace. The outcome remained bleak. In the vast majority of universes, mutants suffered, struggled, and ultimately met tragic ends.
Duncan's presentation soon concluded.
The tormented audience, who had endured it, immediately breathed a sigh of relief, pulling out their carefully prepared questions to interrogate him further.
Simple as the questions seemed, they were laced with traps—every answer Duncan gave might reveal new clues and insights.
But Duncan had no interest in entertaining them.
He pushed through the crowd, made a theatrical gesture for patience, then took off with Mjolnir.
The Sentry issue was far more pressing.
"How rude! Even Magneto is easier to deal with than him!"
"Do you hear yourself? Are you a mutant, too? Duncan and Magneto—they're both impossible to get along with. If I had to choose, I'd pick Duncan."
"Then maybe you should accept his invitation and see for yourself. That way, when you die on some alien battlefield, at least you'll have some dignity, Earth's hero."
The hall erupted into a clamor, leaving the leaders of various factions with headaches.
"He's made his stance clear—this war isn't ending anytime soon."
Fury shut off the screen. He had opposed sending Duncan to the United Nations' Summit from the very beginning. But with Magneto and Professor X backing him, this was the outcome: Duncan had poisoned the situation, and now even Professor X had become a destabilizing force.
"Hill, find out exactly what kind of deal Stryker made with Duncan," Fury ordered.
And Fury wasn't the only one discussing Duncan.
Somewhere in a school in Britain—
"You all saw it, didn't you? That's Duncan—the one who killed Makkari and tore through the Eternals. Even Asgard sees him as important."
Ajak pointed at the television screen.
Several Eternals present remained silent, their brows furrowed as they watched the footage of Duncan speaking confidently on stage. Though it had been carefully edited for public consumption, leaving his true message a mystery, the implications were clear.
"Asgard choosing a human like him… Odin must really be dead."
"And Thor? He's just a reckless child, trading Mjolnir for an endless army. I can't even imagine what Odin would say if he were still alive."
Hatred flickered in the eyes of the gathered Eternals as they looked at Duncan. For thousands of years, they had fought side by side, sharing joys and sorrows, only to now see one of their own brutally slain.
"He won't stop. A man like him will only seek to expand the war—because war is where he finds his best hosts."
As the leader of the Eternals, Ajak made her stance clear.
If Duncan were here, he'd probably applaud her speech.
The other Eternals clenched their fists in response.
"We could call Ikaris back. He's incredibly strong."
"Shut up! He betrayed us first—he hid the fact that there were still Deviants alive! That was a direct violation of—"
Before Gilgamesh could finish, Sersi—who had been working as a teacher at the school—interjected, "But Duncan is human. And humans have hurt us. Isn't that a betrayal too?"
Ajak opened her mouth but fell silent. She didn't know how to explain to her fellow Eternals that their role in protecting humanity was never about saving them—it was about ensuring their deaths served a purpose, fueling the emergence of the next Celestial.
In a twisted way, Duncan's interference actually made him a savior.
It was ironic how quickly the lines blurred—murderer and savior, one and the same.
"We have to act now. We must kill Duncan, no matter the cost. Not just for ourselves, but for humanity as well. If we don't stop him, he will drag the entire Earth into the abyss of war. Countless people will die because of him!" Ajak declared.
If too many humans died prematurely, the Celestial slumbering beneath the Earth's core wouldn't be able to harvest enough energy from their collective consciousness. Its birth would be delayed.
Ajak didn't want the Celestial to emerge too soon, but that didn't mean she could ignore Duncan's murder of Makkari.
"Kill Duncan—at any cost. It's for our sake, and for all of humanity. If necessary, I'll report this to Arishem. He will deliver the fairest judgment—on Duncan and this entire planet."
...
Join patreon if you want. patreon.com/GreekGreenGlass