The battle between the two super-powered beings erupted in an instant.
These two individuals, with a mere gesture, are capable of creating terrifying natural disasters. At this very moment, above the Winchester region, they fought with all their might. From the moment they engaged, an earth-shattering and terrifying disturbance emerged.
The sky trembled, the earth howled, and countless stray particles in the air vanished with each of their clashes. The air itself turned into boiling water, visibly twisting as powerful shockwaves interfered with it.
From the perspective of an ordinary person, even with the most advanced telescope, all they could see were terrifying beams of light shooting into the sky. At first glance, it might appear to be the aurora, but in reality, it harbored destructive power.
The next moment, a golden figure was suddenly thrust backward by an invisible force. It barely stopped its motion in mid-air. Without hesitation, driven by extreme excitement, the figure rushed forward again, swinging a heavy punch that shattered all tangible and intangible matter in its path, demolishing any defense with overwhelming violence.
Every second, terrifying explosions of immense power erupted continually, but often, because of the opponent's powerful attacks, the energy failed to reach its peak before rapidly dissipating, annihilating itself on the spot.
Duncan observed this battle closely, almost experiencing it through Reynolds' own perspective, feeling the world-shaking disaster unfold firsthand.
Even when looking back at the past centuries, this battle was destined to rank among the top in human history—truly a battle of the peak.
Naturally, the destruction and casualties caused by the clash of these two super beings had risen to several levels of intensity. Even from a distance, a slight ripple of the released energy could instantly reduce anyone caught in it to dust.
Weaklings, let alone participating, would be terrified just observing from a few kilometers away.
Even from a distance of dozens of kilometers, one would have to be cautious of the blinding brightness from the sudden energy shocks that could blind anyone caught in it.
"I really didn't expect Magneto to be the one who fell to Stryker," Duncan muttered.
Duncan kept a close watch on the entire battle, assessing Reynolds' full state, including his cell activity, energy transmission efficiency, nerve speed, and self-healing ability. The most crucial aspect, however, was his mental state—specifically, the activity of his brain cells and the operational intensity of different brain regions.
If another Xenomorph hero had been up against Magneto, Duncan wouldn't have been this tense. In fact, he was more alert than Reynolds himself, knowing that Reynolds' mind was the most critical part that required constant surveillance.
At the same time, Duncan looked at Magneto with a deep sense of astonishment.
It was obvious that Magneto had fallen into the hands of the Illusion Master.
The illusions created by the Illusion Master were truly capable of blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. This guy could even create a vast and terrifying illusionary army!
Yes, an illusionary army—one that made it impossible for enemies to distinguish between reality and illusion, forcing them to fight against air itself.
Even Professor X, in his awakened state, would struggle to deal with such high-level illusions. The best way to handle them would be to directly control the Illusion Master himself with psychic abilities, since even he could hardly discern the truth. A small mistake could lead to disaster.
Let alone Magneto.
"Though the process may differ, the result is probably the same... a mass death event with millions of casualties."
Duncan stood by the window, watching the terrifying light flashes and energy beams shooting into the sky, his eyes distant as the sky gradually shifted from night to day.
Earlier, Duncan had mentioned that across the multiverse, there were two main origins for Sentinels. The majority of them involved Reynolds, in a delirious state, accidentally drinking the Sentinel serum in a lab.
However, in some universes, there was a more interesting aspect: Reynolds' dark persona, Void.
In some universes, Void was a real extra-dimensional entity. When Reynolds opened a passage to another universe and gained the power of a million stars, Void also seized the opportunity to invade his body.
In other universes, Void wasn't an external entity, but rather a split personality caused by Reynolds' mental fragmentation. The birth of Void was precisely due to... the Illusion Master!
It was the Illusion Master who, back when Reynolds was fresh to the scene, subtly implanted a psychological suggestion, causing Void to be born. Void then took control of the Hulk, triggering a rampage in Manhattan and resulting in the deaths of over a million people.
"From Manhattan to Winchester, the person who fell victim to the Illusion Master's psychological suggestion and went berserk... was actually Magneto..."
Honestly, if Duncan hadn't seen such madness and irrationality coming from Magneto, he would have suspected that he'd grabbed the wrong script, had accidentally entered the wrong universe, and jumped into the battlefield of a different multiverse before fully developing.
"I had anticipated that Stryker would defeat Professor X, and I had expected that this guy would carry out his mutant extermination plan with top-tier mutants like the Illusion Master at Alkali Lake. I even suspected that he might take the chance to deal with me and seize my control over the Xenomorphs using Professor X. But I never expected things to turn out this way..."
After all, the fact that the United Nations Summit was taken advantage of to announce the independence was too much of a shock for certain radicals.
If it weren't for the existence of Fate, a peculiar mutant in this universe, Professor X and Magneto would never have made such a risky and uncertain decision.
Duncan's expression was strange as he observed Magneto, whose eyes were bloodshot, from two different perspectives. He didn't need to think too hard to figure out that whatever hallucination had driven the usually cold and calculating Magneto into such a frenzy must have been a vision of mutants being wiped out by humanity.
At this point, the only ones who might be able to stop Magneto were Jean Grey and a handful of others.
Of course, Reynolds was also one of them.
"Come on, Reynolds, show me where your limits lie!"
Duncan's eyes gleamed with anticipation. Reynolds was special—he had beaten the odds, succeeding against a one-in-a-billion chance. More than that, he had done so as a Xenomorph host, an unprecedented exception in the entire multiverse.
As long as Reynolds didn't get any wild ideas and sabotage himself, if he simply performed normally, the genetic enhancements from the Xenomorph should give him an edge. Even though he was just starting out, and his power hadn't yet reached its peak, he was still someone worth watching.
"Weren't you the one who said you'd be my most loyal guardian? Then go—unleash your full potential and let me witness it with my own eyes." Duncan spoke slowly.
It was as if Reynolds had heard Duncan's words. In the midst of his fierce battle, his body trembled, and his previously drained energy surged back to life. His face twisted into a ferocious expression as he truly exerted himself, opening his mouth wide to let out a deafening roar!
The soundwave transformed into a tangible energy blast, infused with golden energy, spreading outward with explosive force. It was like the whisper of a monster, reverberating in the ears of countless people.
The worst off were those in Winchester. In the face of that single roar, who knew how many unfortunate souls had been killed outright?
But in this chaotic and perilous battlefield, no one had the luxury of worrying about how they might die. As if they had a choice between perishing at Magneto's hands or being slaughtered by the Sentinels.
Reynolds pushed himself faster and harder, squeezing out more energy from within his body, saturating every cell with power.
Every muscle in his body pulsed rhythmically, enhancing his strength with a growing momentum.
At that moment, Reynolds was truly going all out. However, just how far he was from fully realizing his potential and completely mastering his abilities was still uncertain.
Especially considering that just a few hours ago, he had been a homeless drug addict with no future, barely scraping by in street brawls. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he was now fully immersed in a high-stakes battlefield.
If he had any combat instincts or fighting potential, most of it came from the Xenomorph embedded in his chest. The Xenomorph's genetic code carried an innate proficiency in battle, and now that it was fused with Reynolds, it granted him an extraordinary combat intuition.
"Still no results? A powerhouse like this, and we don't have a single record of him? That's completely unreasonable," Fury said aboard the Helicarrier.
S.H.I.E.L.D. monitored the entire globe and was supposed to have the most comprehensive database, containing information on every powerful individual.
But the emergence of the Sentinel had completely shattered Fury's confidence.
At first, they couldn't even determine whether this being was a mutant or a superhuman, let alone figure out how he had come to exist.
"We found something, sir. This guy flew out of Duncan's residence," Hill said, her voice filled with disbelief as she stared at the surveillance footage.
Fury's face remained expressionless, but inwardly, his heart sank. The last thing he wanted to hear, the name he least wanted to be involved, had just been thrown into the mix.
The footage showed a terrifying golden light erupting from Duncan's building, followed by a golden figure bursting through the rooftop. The already fragile structure seemed like it could collapse at any moment.
Then, Fury heard Duncan's conversation with Tony and learned the name of this powerful being, cloaked in golden energy—Sentinel.
"Robert Reynolds—I need everything we have on this man," Fury commanded.
Hill quickly responded, "I found over two hundred individuals named Robert Reynolds. After cross-referencing all surveillance footage, the only plausible match is a guy with multiple theft charges. The results are absurd, and we'll need detailed facial recognition to confirm."
For a brief moment, Fury felt the sheer absurdity of this world.
He prided himself on being well-informed, but somehow, anything connected to Duncan always seemed to spiral off into the unexpected and bizarre.
"Are you telling me this guy is just another one of Duncan's puppets?" Fury's voice rose in pitch. He could barely wrap his head around the fact that someone capable of going toe-to-toe with Magneto had, until recently, been nothing more than a worthless vagrant and addict.
Yet somehow, after falling into Duncan's hands, he had transformed into an incredibly powerful superhero?
Could this be related to Stryker? But no matter how much Fury racked his brain, he couldn't see Stryker having access to such power—let alone being foolish enough to hand it over to Duncan.
At that moment, Coulson, who had remained serious and silent, finally spoke.
"That's not the issue right now. Their battle has already killed countless people."
Everyone present understood that neither Magneto nor Duncan was likely to back down.
"No matter who wins this battle, our assessment of Duncan must be updated," Fury said, rubbing his forehead.
Duncan had always been a tricky opponent, mainly due to the nature of the Xenomorphs—especially the unpredictable conditions that led to their evolution into a Queen.
No one wanted to see Earth overrun overnight with Queens capable of reproduction, which would throw the entire planet into chaos.
In the past, Duncan's own combat abilities had fallen short of the highest tier. While this flaw wouldn't have mattered much for most people, in Duncan's case, it had been a relief—proof that he wasn't invincible.
But now, everything had changed.
No one knew what Duncan had done, but the fact that he had sent out just one mysterious subordinate capable of holding his own against Magneto spoke volumes. Even if this subordinate lost in the end, the mere fact that he could fight Magneto on equal footing proved Duncan's growing power.
"Knowing Duncan's personality, he must have parasitized and taken control of this golden hero in advance. We should prepare for the worst," Fury said grimly.
Coulson's expression darkened as well. Ever since they had started dealing with Duncan, nothing involving him had ever been simple.
The pressure Duncan exerted on them was overwhelming, and his actions were always unpredictable, making it nearly impossible to plan against him.
A chilling tension filled the Helicarrier, like a giant industrial freezer set on max power. No one wanted to speak.
All eyes were glued to the numerous screens displaying the battle raging in Westchester.
Boom!
It was as if the sky itself had cracked open—deep, vast, and terrifying.
The fight between Magneto and the Sentry had reached its most brutal stage.
Reynolds was feeling the pressure mounting. He was now experiencing firsthand the overwhelming strength of Magneto, and the realization that he couldn't quickly defeat him sent a sharp jolt of fear through his mind.
"This guy is insane. Maybe I should aim for his head—knock some sense into him," Reynolds thought.
And so, he did exactly that.
He threw a full-force punch, carrying a golden glow as bright as a miniature sun. The terrifyingly compressed energy particles smashed through Magneto's magnetic field.
"He's weaker than me physically—he's starting to take damage."
Reynolds reassured himself, watching as Magneto's skin cracked, blood trickling from his nose. The injuries weren't severe, but it was a start.
No matter how far beyond human limits Magneto's physique was, he still couldn't compare to Reynolds—a true anomaly.
But underestimating Magneto—even in his maddened state—was a mistake that always came with a steep price.
"Watch out! Something's wrong with him!"
Storm, Ororo Munroe, shouted a warning. She wasn't strong enough to intervene directly in a battle of this magnitude, but she kept a close watch from a distance, ready to act if necessary.
At close range, Magneto suddenly reached out, using his immense power to seize control of Reynolds' bioelectromagnetic field. At the same time, he unleashed a devastating electric current, sending it surging through Reynolds' body.
Energy crackled. Shields shattered.
Even Reynolds wasn't completely invincible.
He had been injured.
"Don't panic, Reynolds. You have far more potential than this," Duncan's voice came through.
"But I'm hurt!" Reynolds cried out, the pain jolting him out of his battle-driven adrenaline rush.
"You're my subordinate—you should know the properties of a Xenomorph by now. Think, use your brain. For a Xenomorph, getting injured is just the beginning of the fight. It means entering the second phase—it's time for your enemies to start having nightmares," Duncan said. "Find an opportunity to wash your enemy with your blood—literally."
Reynolds' eyes widened as realization struck.
A few drops of his blood had splattered from his wounds.
At such close range, with both of them battered and their defenses down, a single drop had escaped the destructive energy and landed on Magneto's shoulder.
With his enhanced hearing, Reynolds picked up a faint but unmistakable sizzling sound.
In that split second, he used his superhuman vision to see the blood eating into Magneto's flesh.
Though Magneto's instincts kicked in, using his internal magnetic field to destroy the corrosive substance before it could spread further, the damage had been done.
Reynolds now knew exactly what to do.
"Yes… my blood. I have the Xenomorph within me—I carry its genes. My blood is my most reliable weapon."
Reynolds was filled with both surprise and gratitude, sincerely appreciating Duncan's generous gift once again.
He had gained a healthy body, immense strength, and extraordinary combat intuition—and now, even his blood had become a lethal weapon.
Reynolds gritted his teeth against the searing pain, deliberately keeping his wounds open just enough to prevent them from healing too quickly.
This kind of close-quarters combat was rare. Had the battle not escalated to such a brutal extent, there would have been no chance for his blood to reach his opponent. Under normal circumstances, the omnipresent magnetic field surrounding Magneto would have torn any foreign substance apart at the atomic level before it could get close.
One by one, buildings were torn from their foundations. Countless structures disintegrated into dust under the clash of violent energy, swept away by the raging storm.
Slowly but surely, Reynolds was gaining the upper hand. It was a painful process, but it was happening.
Outsiders might not have noticed the shift, but Duncan saw it clearly.
"Reynolds' body has yet to develop 'The Void'—this is limiting his full potential." Duncan made his assessment.
From the beginning, he had been wary of The Void. He had scrutinized Reynolds' every move, especially the moment he opened the gateway to the outer universe, ensuring that no strange entities had infiltrated his body.
For now, the birth of The Void would depend on Reynolds' own mental state. If he remained in a daze, he would never unleash his full strength.
But if The Void emerged, it would bring even greater trouble. At that point, it would become Duncan's problem to deal with. Considering everything, he was satisfied with Reynolds' current state.
Countless satellites were locked onto the battle, monitoring every detail, searching for the slightest clue.
A nuclear warhead had already been aimed at Westchester, primed for launch. Perhaps, in this situation, it was the only thing that could offer people some psychological comfort.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted between the two high-intensity combatants.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have meant much. But when observers noticed the raging energy beginning to weaken, and a figure plummeting from the sky, crashing into the ground and carving out a ten-meter-wide crater, they knew—
The battle was over.
Yet, as they surveyed the battlefield, there was no triumphant cheer, no overwhelming joy. Only relief—followed by a deep sense of helplessness.
Reynolds panted heavily, his wounds rapidly healing. His entire body ached, his muscles screaming in agony.
"I won. I won! But why… why isn't anyone cheering for me?"
"Do you think they should cheer for you?"
Duncan's voice rang out, carrying an unmistakable tone of approval—an invaluable psychological comfort to Reynolds.
"You're the victor, a superhero who stopped a butcher. But Reynolds, don't ever assume that your actions will always be met with equal reward. Sometimes, you might face the exact opposite."
Reynolds finally calmed down, looking around at the battlefield.
The ground beneath his feet was riddled with craters, as if the area had been struck by a meteor shower. To an outsider, it might look as if the moon had crashed into the Earth.
The once-bustling streets, the neatly arranged buildings—they were gone. Even finding a structure that remained as rubble was rare. Expecting survivors among the devastation was wishful thinking.
Reynolds opened his mouth slightly, momentarily dazed, before slowly descending.
Magneto was struggling to stand.
A surge of fury erupted within Reynolds as he clenched his golden energy-wrapped fist, raising it to deliver the final blow—to put Magneto to rest.
"Bring Magneto back."
Duncan's command cut through the air.
"He is not our enemy—at least, not for now. Your heroic actions have spared his life."
Reynolds hesitated, wanting to say something, but in the end, he only lowered his head in silent frustration. He grabbed the old man—who had just fought him to the death, a man whose strength bordered on the absurd—and prepared to take off.
Storm, Ororo Munroe, finally flew closer. Even though the battle had ended, the lingering chaotic energy in the air made her uncomfortable. She couldn't even begin to imagine how terrifying the full-scale fight had been.
There was no way she could have withstood it.
"He—"
"Step aside. I'm not handing him over to you."
Reynolds cut her off, his voice firm.
He no longer felt surprised by his own transformation—it was simply how things were now.
Storm hesitated, torn between her thoughts.
She wanted to argue that Magneto had been under someone's control. Even though Reynolds had defeated him, it would be best not to take him away. But then she realized—if Magneto woke up, she wouldn't be able to subdue him. That would only make things more complicated.
"Who do you work for?" she finally asked. "I have a feeling that once the Professor wakes up, we'll meet again. We will take Erik back—mutants cannot lose him."
Her voice was uneasy, tinged with apprehension. "I don't even know your name."
A rare grin appeared on Reynolds' face, excitement flickering in his eyes.
"I'm Rey—Sentinel, a follower of the Xenomorph, Duncan. If you want Magneto back, it's not my decision to make."
Duncan?
Storm's eyes widened. She knew of him—the master of the Xenomorphs, the newly ascended God of Thunder, the first human actively assembling an army to wage war beyond Earth.
Even Professor Xavier had been keeping an eye on him.
But this so-called Sentinel—this overwhelmingly powerful individual—was also Duncan's subordinate? And judging by his expression, he seemed proud of it?
"My mission is complete. I'm heading back. If you want Magneto, take it up with Duncan—not me."
Reynolds hoisted Magneto and shot into the sky, breaking the sound barrier in an instant.
Countless satellites tracked his movements, watching as he returned along the exact same route.
Even his descent was precise—he landed through the very hole in the rooftop he had smashed open earlier.
At that moment, many people wore complicated expressions. Some were dumbfounded, others found it utterly incomprehensible.
Such a powerful individual… was truly one of Duncan's people?
How?
What exactly had Duncan done? Was it all because of the Xenomorphs?
Tony Stark watched Reynolds disappear into the distance and muttered,
"S.H.I.E.L.D. boys, I know you're listening. If I were you, I'd drop any unnecessary ideas and focus all efforts on de-escalation."
"Uncontrolled power is a ticking time bomb," Nick Fury responded.
"Placing all your hope in the mood and morality of a handful of super-powered individuals is the stupidest thing you can do."
"I'll be re-evaluating Duncan.
"And Stark—I strongly suggest you seriously reconsider the Avengers Initiative.
"The Earth needs a powerful superhuman team."
Tony thought seriously for a moment. Fury was right.
A team's strength usually surpassed that of an individual—except when facing an enemy like Reynolds, where sheer numbers became meaningless.
"So, besides me, who else is on this team? For you to consider it a trump card, there must be some remarkable members," Tony asked.
"Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hulk," Fury said after a brief pause.
"Sorry, my Mark V suit must have taken some damage—my signal receiver seems to be malfunctioning. Did you just say the strongest member of my team is the Hulk? Ha! And you think he's more reliable than Magneto? The ghosts of Westchester are watching you right now," Tony nearly cut the communication and turned away.
This had to be a joke.
"Magneto would never join the Avengers, and even if he did, Stark, you wouldn't sleep soundly at night," Fury said, pausing for a moment.
"Funny. With the Hulk around, I wouldn't have to worry about insomnia either—because I might never wake up again," Tony sneered before flying back to Stark Tower.
Fury, meanwhile, remained on the command deck of the Helicarrier, his face dark with frustration.
The world was spiraling in an unpredictable direction, and even Fury himself felt an uneasy sense of foreboding.
"Xenomorphs, xenomorphs… That lunatic Stryker. Magneto's outburst could be linked to him, but we have no concrete evidence. He's had secret dealings with Duncan before—probably reaching some kind of understanding, maybe even trading for something related to xenomorphs…" Fury's thoughts drifted to Magneto, who had just been taken by Reynolds.
Earlier that day, Professor X and Magneto had publicly announced an alliance and had even spoken briefly with Duncan. That very night, they were both attacked. Professor X was seemingly rescued by the X-Men, while Magneto ended up in Duncan's hands.
Fury had every reason to suspect Duncan's involvement. After all, he was the biggest beneficiary of the entire situation.
But the fragmented, disconnected clues wouldn't form a coherent picture. Trying to force them together would only make things more convoluted and bizarre.
"He solidifies his position through war, proving the value of the xenomorphs. Thinking about it, that's always been his way—no false humility. Even the Asgardians acknowledge his logic," Coulson said, shutting off his monitor. The sheer volume of information today made his head spin, and he couldn't think of a perfect solution.
Then again, maybe there was no perfect solution—only absolute power that could not be deceived.
Fury suddenly hesitated.
To Coulson, he looked like a man caught in a storm, debating whether to take out a long-cherished umbrella.
If he didn't, he could keep it intact—but he'd suffer. If he did, it might get ruined and lose its value.
Coulson remained silent.
Finally, Fury exhaled deeply. "It's not time for the last resort yet. We shouldn't contact her prematurely."
Coulson was curious about who "she" was but wisely chose not to ask. That wasn't information he was meant to know—at least not yet.
"How many casualties?" Fury asked.
"Initial estimates suggest somewhere between three hundred thousand and six hundred thousand. Economic losses are currently incalculable," Coulson replied.
What they would never know was that if the Hulk had rampaged unchecked instead of Duncan's forces stepping in, the death toll could have easily reached a million.
At the same time, in Kamar-Taj—
The sorcerers who maintained the global magical defenses were well aware of what had transpired.
A new, immensely powerful entity had emerged—one that demanded the attention of Earth's most renowned mystical sanctuary.
"There is no strength without cause. The magical wards have detected energy from an alternate universe. Sorcerer Supreme, that human must have a problem!" Mordo said, though it was unclear whether he was referring to Duncan or Reynolds. To him, it made no difference.
Duncan controlled Reynolds, making him a vassal of the xenomorphs. That meant Duncan and Reynolds were essentially the same. But Reynolds would never be Duncan—at least, not in Mordo's rigid way of thinking.
The Ancient One listened to the echoes of the universe before slowly opening her eyes, surprise flickering within them.
"It is indeed power from another world. The one hosting the xenomorph is a beacon—a coordinate linking to an unknown universe," she said softly.
Kamar-Taj's duty was to monitor all incursions from beyond this realm—including extra-dimensional demonic entities.
Mordo's expression hardened. "That could mean an otherworldly god has already infiltrated our world through that coordinate."
"Or perhaps it hasn't."
The Ancient One's voice remained calm. "But I have detected nothing unusual. So tell me, what do you propose? Arrest Duncan and his xenomorphs? How do you think Asgard would react? How would the mortal world see us? Duncan would not sit idly by—he is always preparing for every possibility."
"But—"
"There is no 'but.' You should focus on tracking Kaecilius."
The Ancient One gazed at the distant mountains, murmuring in a voice only she could hear:
"Because the time is drawing near… and I need someone who is always prepared."
...
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