"Just an ordinary agent? It's hard to imagine, a few months ago, you wouldn't have easily taken action against these ordinary agents."
"No choice, reality keeps moving forward. Haven't you also been constantly changing your methods to deal with me? It's just that I'm too strong, leaving you helpless," Duval walked in.
Even with all his attempts to hide it, Coulson's face revealed a deep sense of desolation. "I originally thought I could win this time. No matter how I looked at it, you were the one who would lose. You had no chance."
His voice betrayed a deep weariness and bitterness.
Why did it turn out like this?
Coulson had prepared so much for this battle. He personally contacted the Eternals and brought Druig out from the South American Rainforest.
He had run countless simulations on the computer, considering all sorts of factors. After understanding Druig's abilities and their effectiveness against the Xenomorphs, he was even more convinced that he could win.
Duval had won many times. This time, Coulson felt that he should win at least once. Just one victory would be enough to send Duval to prison, locked away forever.
But the entire battle process left the experienced Coulson dumbfounded, suspecting that he had picked up the wrong script, that his brain's perception had been altered by an unknown enemy, and that everything he saw was an illusion.
"Druig successfully controlled all the Xenomorphs, but used that power to turn against his own kind. Such betrayal is rare even in human history, let alone among the Eternals."
Coulson slowly stood up from the computer desk, exhaled a long breath, stretched his arms, and yawned deeply, as if he were just a normal office worker.
Unfortunately, he wasn't.
"Is this your last will and testament?"
"Not entirely. I really want to know, what exactly did Druig read in your brain? How many terrifying mental traps did you secretly implant in your own mind?" Coulson's expression was complex and hard to read.
Duval retorted, "Could it not be that my mind is truly pure?"
"Yes, so pure that you brainwashed Druig, an Eternal who's thousands of years old, into your fanatical follower right before the battle? I believe in science," Coulson shook his head, not believing a word Duval said.
According to his speculation, Duval must have, long ago, used various methods to set up countless mental mazes and thought shackles in his mind, building an insane mental defense system, all to prevent mental intrusion.
"Is it to deal with Professor X? I think so. As far as I know, your Weyland Corporation doesn't have advanced mental shielding technology, unlike us at S.H.I.E.L.D., who use advanced technology to guard against people like Professor X, so you can only use this method," Coulson said.
Duval glanced behind Coulson. The expensive equipment was turned on, transmitting their conversation in real time.
Fury's voice came through: "Duval, spare his life. I can trade you the highest quality weapons. Have you heard of Symbiotes? I have some stored here, and I can give them all to you, allowing you to instantly possess many extremely powerful super-Xenomorphs..."
"No, I'm not very interested in Symbiotes," Duval said.
"Then what do you want to do, turn him into your puppet, like Elektra and the Sentinel?" Fury's voice turned cold. "We can talk."
Duval chuckled, saying to Coulson, "Did you hear that? He'd rather I kill you completely, afraid I'll get useful information from your head."
"This is an agent's fate. You should know that. Once it's determined that there's no way out, detonating one's own brain and completely destroying all the secrets one knows is what a high-level agent like me should do."
Coulson smiled helplessly. "Director Fury initially wanted to send the Howling Commandos and Steve to protect me, but I didn't think it was necessary. Once the Eternals were defeated, there was no way I could escape. Besides, an agent who repeatedly fails at the same objective is worthless."
"I originally had high hopes for you. You were very dutiful and responsible, but you were just too dutiful and responsible, using all your energy and all your methods to deal with me," Duval looked at him. "Farewell."
A Xenomorph walked out from behind Duval, swinging its tail to pierce Coulson's head, destroying his brain.
Duval sighed, glanced at Coulson's body, and then sat down in the seat Coulson had just occupied.
"Nick Fury, are you satisfied with this result? Another one of your operations has been dismantled by me, and your most valued assistant has died at my hands. The only difference is that my strength has increased again. The power of the Eternals has all become my power."
Duval said, "You can fail countless times, but every time I succeed, I'll take a big step forward, reducing the number of methods you can use."
"Is this a declaration of victory? It's too ordinary," Fury said.
"No, this is a declaration of war. You better not let me find out where you are. But I guess, with your paranoid personality, the moment Druig defected to me, you already fled to some secret base, and that base has complete soundproofing and other measures in various remote locations."
"You're right, but I'd prefer you use a different word, like 'retreat,' rather than 'escape.' Everything is just beginning."
"It's already over. You can't do anything about someone like me. The best opportunity was to act before I showed my talent. Unfortunately, who would pay attention to me when I was still an unknown nobody? By the time you reacted when I took action, it was already too late."
Duval said, "The fact is that you now have to face not only me, but also the Mutants. Neither side is something you can handle alone."
"You can wait and see. S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what you see."
Fury hung up the communication. There was no need to continue talking. After this, he would need some time to lick his wounds and find suitable personnel to fill the void left by Coulson.
But he still hadn't admitted defeat. As long as he was alive, relying on S.H.I.E.L.D., this long-standing organization, he wouldn't lose.
"Pheromones and mental abilities have failed. What other methods are there... There must be. If I can't find a method in the secular world, then I'll look for it in the mystical world."
In the end, Duval was secondary. The main threat was still the Mutants.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't been so eager to take over the growing legion controlled by Duval, hoping to use that power to turn around and deal with mutants or other threats, things wouldn't have progressed to this point, and Coulson wouldn't have died.
It can only be said that any event will inevitably cause ripples in the timeline, forming a monstrous wave at a specific node, changing the course of the entire timeline.
With a deafening roar, the entire building collapsed in a blaze of thunder, turning into endless ruins.
When Duval's figure appeared in people's sight, everyone knew the result.
The guy who planned all this was dead.
Who could it be? There are many who covet the Xenomorphs, but few dare to confront Duval. Even fewer could pull the Eternals into a decisive battle with Duval.
But at this point, no one cares who died, because the dead are meaningless.
"The Eternals were completely wiped out. It's a pity for these people, who clearly made many contributions to humanity."
"Tsk tsk, I just want to know, what did Duval say to that Eternal who could control the Xenomorphs, that made him so emotionally agitated that he launched a rebellion on the spot."
"Who knows? It must be information that subverts cognition. Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. or other telepaths could remotely monitor it."
"That rebellious Eternal can control Xenomorphs, does that mean that telepaths are Duval's natural enemy? We can also find some telepaths to control Xenomorphs."
"That's a great idea. I suggest you go do it now, and then wait for Duval to catch you and send you to an alien planet to fight for the Asgardians. Guess what, are people who lack money interested in banks? Then why not rob one? Is it because they can't think of it?"
Anyone with good connections was exchanging various pieces of information in the underworld, but all the information, without exception, mainly revolved around Duval.
Globally, no one is more interesting to everyone than Duval and the Xenomorphs.
On a steel island in the sea.
"The Eternals have failed. Except for Ikaris, who stood in the distance, the others suffered terrible fates."
Professor X took off the Cerebro, his face unusually calm.
He originally wanted to check if Duval was seriously treating the mutants he had captured from Stryker.
Even if these mutants have lost their self-awareness and can only exist as tools, tools also have their uses.
Throwing them to the Asgardians to fight is one use, keeping them in Weyland Tower as guards is another.
Obviously, Duval's approach relieved Professor X. At least Duval wouldn't treat mutants as cheap assembly line products and easily consume them, which gave Professor X a little psychological comfort.
As a result, he saw the Eternals launching a large-scale attack, which ended in a complete annihilation.
"Every time I see you use Cerebro, my heart pounds, worried that something will go wrong with your brain." Mystique looked at Professor X, frowning.
"Before the cause is achieved, I will not fall again. My brain is an extremely powerful weapon."
"However, there will also be newly joined brothers and sisters who are full of fear of your abilities." Mystique said in a low voice.
Cyclops said as a matter of course: "Then it means that these people are not our brothers and sisters. Harboring malice, they are not worthy of joining us."
Around them, the mutants from the Brotherhood showed strange expressions in unison, staring at Cyclops.
Malice? How many members of the Brotherhood haven't done bad things, haven't had malice in their hearts? Even now, there are quite a few mutants who are full of hatred and suspicion towards Professor X.
People like Red Devil are even more unscrupulous. He is wary of Professor X, and also wary of Magneto, but in the final analysis, he doesn't care about anyone.
It's so difficult to unite the X-Men and the Brotherhood, let alone win over those powerful and dangerous guys who are detached from these two organizations.
Professor X looked at these people with different expressions. Even if he didn't use his telepathic abilities, he could roughly guess what these people were thinking.
"We will formulate strict and comprehensive laws, classify different superpowers in detail, and specially open guidance courses for adolescent mutants when they awaken."
Professor X pointed to his brain: "Of course, we will also stipulate the occasions and times when superpowers can be used. I will take the lead in complying, because this is a 'weapon' that worries the whole world."
At the end, his tone was somewhat self-deprecating, successfully easing the atmosphere.
"It is foreseeable that those Eternals will eventually become the power that Duval controls. With each victory, his overall strength will undergo earth-shaking changes."
Magneto deeply believed in Professor X's abilities. Whether it was superpowers, character, or organizational management skills, as long as he shed the naive ideas he had about humans in the past, Professor X would undoubtedly be an excellent leader.
He was still more concerned about Duval, and more curious about how Duval turned the tables.
Professor X said: "Conversely, as long as Duval encounters a serious setback, he will fall into the abyss, and it is very likely that he will never be able to climb out."
"How did he lure that Eternal to rebel? Didn't you say that guy is a telepath like you, and his strength is still very strong."
Magneto subconsciously thought of his helmet. Could it be that Duval, in the short time he captured him, researched and obtained the technology to manufacture telepathic shielding helmets? But it can't be that simple.
"Duval didn't put up any kind of defense, allowing that man named Druig to invade his mind."
Professor X's face was also full of disbelief, this was something he couldn't understand: "Druig must have seen something extremely terrifying, a discovery that prompted him to betray all his past experiences, stand on Duval's side, and raise a butcher's knife against his own people."
"I don't believe Duval's brain is normal, it must be full of all kinds of mental traps," Magneto said, and Mystique deeply agreed.
Applying mental defenses to one's own brain is not an incomprehensible thing.
Like some mentally strong and determined individuals, even with mortal bodies, they can resist the invasion of mind power users by applying psychological cues and establishing logical mechanisms of thought that only they can understand.
That's right, we're talking about the Batman next door. God knows how many layers of thought mazes this mortal has piled up in his brain, and how many mental blind spots he's arranged that even gods find difficult to identify.
"Charles, if Druig can do it, it means you can do it too. You can also control all the Xenomorphs in an instant, even Duval, just by invading his brain." Magneto suddenly found it very amusing.
He was parasitized by Duval, Duval was intimidated by Professor X, and Professor X would listen to him to some extent.
Professor X didn't speak, he was also trying to change his old ideas. When it comes to the future fate of mutants, some of the past adherence can be appropriately relaxed, it can't be helped.
However, to control Duval... Professor X always felt it wouldn't be that simple.
Druig had already crashed, joining Duval like a fanatic. No one knew what terrible things he had seen in Duval's head, resulting in being reverse brainwashed, willingly giving up his Eternals origin and mission, and wholeheartedly following Duval.
"We are friends with them, maybe there will be times when we join forces." Professor X replied, he really didn't want to be on the opposite side of a troublesome guy like Duval.
Professor X was pondering, and the only remaining Eternal was doing the same thing.
Ikaris didn't even dare to show his face now, relying on his super vision and super hearing to monitor everything around him at all times, and would hide far away whenever he discovered traces of Xenomorphs.
"The number of Xenomorphs is slowly increasing, all over the world..."
Ikaris's face was gloomy. Since being expelled by Ajak and others, he had been in a bad mood and in a state of wandering, roaming around the world.
A wandering Eternal, Ikaris just thought it was too absurd. He was an Eternal valued by Arishem, so why had he been reduced to this situation on Earth? Why? Oh, it was all because of that person—Duval, and the Xenomorphs under Duval's command.
"Ajak is dead, Sersi is also dead..."
A trace of pain flashed in Ikaris's eyes, but not much.
Did he have feelings for these compatriots? Of course, but not much. If he really encountered an opportunity to abandon his teammates to gain greater benefits, he would not hesitate to do so.
Facts proved that Ikaris was also the last Eternal to survive, but he felt that he probably wouldn't live too long.
Because he noticed that in Duval's Xenomorph army, there was a man named Sentinel, who also had the ability to fly, and might also have super vision and super hearing, and could also shoot Heat Vision from his eyes like him.
He might even be stronger than him, which made Ikaris very anxious. Once Duval decided to search the globe for his location, what should he do? Escape? Anyway, this planet had no place for him, he could only escape to the depths of space.
"Ajak and the others must have become Duval's Xenomorphs now. All the strength accumulated over so many years has become Duval's power. How can I deal with so many and so powerful enemies?"
Ikaris felt that he was too miserable. Looking back, he just took the lead in launching an attack on Duval and the Xenomorphs, and it turned out like this. Only one of the 11 Eternals was left—Druig was no longer considered an Eternal, from spirit to body, he had become a Xenomorph.
Could it be that he also had to surrender to Duval shamefully like Druig? This might be a good idea. According to his observation, Duval treated his subordinates fairly well, and generally would not interfere with their actions.
Just as he had this idea, Ikaris only felt that the view in front of him suddenly became dark. He was already in outer space, and the stars in the sky were shining brightly in the distance.
A behemoth appeared in front of Ikaris.
"Arishem?!" Ikaris looked incredulous.
...
"Arishem must have noticed the changes on Earth and will respond, right? Probably."
Duval returned to Weyland Tower and asked Druig: "Has Arishem contacted you?"
"No, Ikaris is still alive, even if he wants to contact someone, he will contact him." Druig shook his head, looking at Duval with fiery eyes, "Besides, Arishem is nothing anymore, you are the truth, and you should be a god."
He had never seen someone like Duval before. On a spiritual level, even Arishem could not compare to Duval, who was the main body of countless consciousness clusters.
But to say who is stronger, naturally Arishem is more powerful.
"Thank you for your praise, I'm not very modest, I can take whatever others praise me for."
Duval nodded calmly. He always felt that after Druig jumped to the Xenomorph camp, his thinking suddenly turned from one extreme to another.
This was indeed the case in the mental world. Duval could link to every Xenomorph, and of course he could also indirectly sense Druig's will. The mind of this mind master had turned into an extremely bright ball of light, guarding him like many Xenomorphs.
Obviously, after accepting Druig, who had wholeheartedly surrendered, Duval's resistance to mind control had once again ushered in a surge. A shortcoming on his body had now been filled.
Even if he faced Professor X now, Duval could largely deploy a more complete mental defense.
This is what makes Duval terrifying. The more Xenomorphs there are, the stronger he becomes on a conscious and spiritual level. Each Xenomorph will become his most solid shield.
"Tiamut in the Earth's core is still dormant. Normally, it's only a matter of time before it awakens. As long as Tiamut doesn't have any problems, Arishem won't personally intervene," Duval mused.
Every newly born Celestial is essentially nourished by the conscious energy of countless intelligent lives, only to be exterminated by the Celestial they were raised to feed.
The new Celestials then travel to all parts of the universe, creating gravity, light, and heat, prompting the birth of more life.
"We have enough time to deal with the threat of Arishem. Besides, even if He comes to Earth now, He may not be able to retreat unscathed."
Earth at least has the Ancient One sitting guard, and the Time Stone is also on Earth. Since they can resist Dormammu, resisting an Arishem shouldn't be a problem.
"Ikaris is a hidden danger. I'll find a way to bring him over to our side," Druig said proactively.
His enthusiasm was quite striking, at least Elektra was looking at him with a strange gaze.
"Chestburster or not?"
"It doesn't matter. In either form, he will always be with us. As long as you don't die, you will never be separated. This is the truth I see."
Druig's gaze towards Duval is always filled with deep passion, but when he shifts his gaze to others, he reverts to being cold.
Duval didn't pay much attention to him, casually saying, "Then I'll leave it to you. If you need help, feel free to ask. This planet no longer needs Eternals serving the Celestials. Oh, and remember to preserve the spaceship outside. Just store it in the open space north of Weyland Tower and activate its stealth mode."
Druig left Weyland Tower immediately, faithfully fulfilling his duties.
But as soon as he stepped out, he was met with a large group of humans who had gathered again. Listening to their loud shouts, Druig discovered that many of them were also filled with admiration for Duval, eager to join.
"Even seeking power, transforming from an ordinary person into a superhuman, is worth valuing. This further proves that Duval is right, allowing everyone's consciousness to be linked together," Druig thought.
Someone saw Druig come out and shouted at him.
Some people praised his feat of leading the Xenomorphs to counterattack the Eternals, while others proposed to join Duval's team like him.
"Sir, what's your name? Why did you break away from those superhumans?"
"Look at me, I'm very strong, I can definitely become the best Xenomorph host—as long as it's not a Chestburster."
Druig realized that he had underestimated the fanaticism of these people.
That's right, in this increasingly chaotic world, where supervillains and superheroes fighting can affect a large number of civilians, what could be more important than gaining power?
And when it comes to gaining power, Duval's Xenomorphs are always impossible to ignore. Through several major battles and the persistent hunting of vampires, the Xenomorphs, these powerful creatures that often lurk in alleys, have been exposed to more people's view.
Just join Duval, come into contact with the Xenomorphs, and you can instantly become a superhuman. Low cost, high return. Many hopeful people or adventurous madmen flock to him.
For Druig, the actions of these people are precisely a demonstration of the future.
"They are weak, but if we send Xenomorphs to parasitize them, they can still be of some use... No, we are strong enough now, we don't need to use these people yet."
Thinking this, Druig ignored these people and boarded the giant spaceship they had used to come to Earth.
This naturally caused a sensation again, with countless people taking out their cameras and frantically pressing the shutter.
Everything seemed to calm down.
When Duval seemingly stopped moving forward on the surface, it was as if the whole world had become much quieter all of a sudden. Superheroes and supervillains alike were busy with their own affairs, and the Mutants were determining the location for their nation.
This was a rare period of calm.
As time passed, something unexpected happened: the name of Weyland Corporation became increasingly prominent, and the company began to continuously produce various medical drugs.
Some insiders knew that these drugs were likely developed under the leadership of Mister Blue, also known as Samuel Sterns.
If it were just that, it would be fine, but soon someone discovered that Weyland had launched a drug that could extend lifespan, codenamed ALIEN-1.
This caused a global sensation.
A drug that could extend life by simply taking it was undoubtedly an incredible thing in the 21st century, and some even suspected it was an elaborately crafted scam.
But when they saw that it was produced by Weyland Corporation, and that the owner of Weyland Corporation was Duval, they shut their mouths, but this did not affect their strong suspicion.
After some people risked taking the drug and confirmed that it was indeed effective, the world's public opinion completely exploded.
At this moment, even those who had criticized Duval and the Xenomorphs online and harbored doubts had made a 180-degree turn in their attitude, praising Weyland Corporation led by Duval for creating history and leading the progress of Earth's biotechnology.
"The drug is real? It's actually effective, extending human telomeres?"
"I don't believe it. You don't even need to maintain your health, just take a pill and you can live forever. Could there be something wrong with this drug?"
"Taking the medicine for a week can extend life by about two weeks, and each time you take the medicine, the effect will be greatly reduced and eventually become ineffective. It's not like it can extend life by several years or even decades in one go. This has been proven."
"Tsk, I just don't know what the manufacturing principle of this drug is..."
But major forces proficient in biological research already know where this drug came from.
"This thing seems to be a secretion from the Xenomorph? We can't be sure, but the molecular structure is very similar! Can Xenomorphs be used like this?"
S.H.I.E.L.D. has a lot to say about this, after all, they once briefly possessed a batch of Xenomorphs and naturally stored some Xenomorph specimens.
"Some time ago, Duval sent Samuel Sterns to register a large number of trademarks, it seems that he was preparing for today."
Honestly, this is a bit unexpected. Since Duval founded the company, when has he ever honestly operated it? He has mainly been developing Xenomorphs and strengthening his own power.
Even his residence is in the dilapidated, leaky abandoned building that Stryker originally approved.
Now it's better, he has rebuilt a super building, and now he is doing scientific research in a serious manner? Now he is actually using Xenomorph secretions to develop longevity drugs for sale, harvesting the goodwill of the world.
Some sinister people have speculated that Duval is doing this to make it easier for him to recruit cheap hosts worldwide when he lacks soldiers in the future.
There is no need to deliberately recruit elite soldiers, just use a group of vagrants as hosts, and in minutes you can get a batch of qualified Xenomorph warriors to send to the battlefield.
In the eyes of the world, the status of Weyland Corporation in the field of biomedicine has been rapidly improved, and no one will go against longevity.
Duval remained very calm about this change.
Using Xenomorph secretions to make drugs that can extend human life is true, and it is something Duval had planned to promote long ago.
"The average lifespan of humans is only a few decades, which is too bad. If humans are allowed to develop on their own, I don't know when they will be able to develop a life-extending medicine, so I might as well take the lead. I have Xenomorphs, which is a unique advantage."
Duval sat on a bench, looking down at the outside scenery through the glass.
The surroundings of Weyland Tower, it must be said, are relatively desolate, with few buildings, but this is only temporary. It will not be long before people will continue to migrate here and settle around the building.
Because people will struggle in this damn world for a while, lose more relatives and friends in one major event after another, become more and more painful and desperate, and then realize that this is the safest place, with Xenomorphs constantly shuttling through the streets and alleys, cleaning up all the guys with ulterior motives.
Duval looked down at the people who often came over, trying to join Weyland Corporation and transform into superhumans, and shook his head.
It's only this far, and they already feel anxious? The future will only be more despairing.
"Use Xenomorph deterrence to bind the world, and use longevity drugs developed with Xenomorphs as raw materials to pry the whole world. In the end, the entire planet will not be able to leave the Xenomorphs, let alone me. By then..."
A large-scale source of troops will become Duval's strongest backing, and a large number of powerful Xenomorph superhumans will gush into the depths of the universe like a blowout, revealing their grim claws.
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 180+ fanfic and original translations or request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the RandomTranslator community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------