"I know. Long before I decided to take action, I was already prepared to face this reality," Duncan said, his gaze fixed on Iron Man standing at a distance, maintaining his vigilance.
It was easy for him to imagine that Iron Man had already deployed the advanced weaponry of his armor and could attack him at any moment.
"So calm. Who do you think you are? A superhero? Or maybe an exceptional biologist—a genius entrepreneur funded by government grants?" Tony's voice came through the armor.
Duncan pondered for a moment. "In terms of entrepreneurship, I do have some insights. Just take a look at these remarkable little fellows—beautiful and awe-inspiring. Aren't they my best business cards?"
Little fellows?
Tony instinctively glanced at the alien creatures behind Duncan, his eyes lingering on the four-meter-tall Abomination Alien in silence.
He mentally classified Duncan: a conceited show-off who uses every opportunity in public to flaunt his abilities without restraint.
Sometimes, proud people dislike others of the same ilk even more.
For a fleeting moment, Tony thought of someone he'd met before—a man with some difficulty walking. The man claimed to have extraordinary research results and preened like a peacock trying to impress Tony. To Tony, it was both laughable and childish.
Everyone knew Tony Stark was a super-genius, after all. The line of people hoping to curry favor with him could stretch around every burger joint in New York.
"Only people who lack confidence in themselves feel the need to find a stage and tell others how great they are," Tony remarked. "You and your big guy have caused the second wave of chaos tonight. Someone's bound to come looking for you."
"Accountability? I was clearly performing a heroic act—taking down the mutated creatures hiding among humans and causing havoc. The cheers of the crowd are the best reward I could ask for."
Tony couldn't help but marvel at Duncan's psychological resilience—it was terrifyingly calm. He could even spar with Tony in the art of shamelessness.
What piqued Tony's interest more was the term "mutated species."
"Jarvis."
"Sir, after conducting a secondary data filtration, I've located seven suspicious files. However, they are all locked. Based on technical analysis, the organizations suspected to have knowledge of these mutated species include S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., the Ten Rings, the Brotherhood, Atlantis…" Jarvis reported dutifully.
Tony's heart skipped a beat. This was only what Jarvis had uncovered from global information networks. What about the data it hadn't found?
What exactly were these mutated species? Some kind of offshoot of mutants or Inhumans?
"Alright, I'll admit it—you successfully diverted my attention."
Tonight had been intense for Tony. Any one of the combatants he'd faced could have easily crushed him and his armor.
"Your armor is too weak and has too many limitations. It needs upgrades. Maybe you should create different models tailored for specific enemies. That's my paid advice—$100,000. Make sure it's in my account. No need to thank me."
After leaving that remark, Duncan turned with his alien creatures and walked away, heading back to his base on the outskirts of New York.
"I need to start developing Mark IV, or even Mark V and VI… No, maybe I should follow his advice and create specialized suits for different threats," Tony muttered.
He instructed Jarvis to record and analyze all the information about the aliens, especially the Abomination Alien.
To deal with such monsters, crafting a suit designed specifically to counter them didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Jarvis, wire him the money. Make it $100,001—the extra dollar is a tip from the infinitely charming Tony Stark. But seriously, that advice was cheap. I could've thought of it myself!" Tony grumbled.
And so, the chaotic night came to an end.
For most people, it was a terrifying and baffling night. They witnessed monsters fighting, and then it was all over without explanation.
The public could do little but witness the military's incompetence. However, global public opinion erupted, putting everyone with special abilities in the spotlight.
As usual, the internet was flooded with anti-mutant rhetoric and theories about the mutant threat. Experts paraded across TV screens, earnestly debating the mutants as if they'd committed some heinous act on Broadway.
The world was like a massive spinning vortex, with the descent into the abyss of chaos seeming inevitable. Duncan's emergence was like a hard kick, accelerating the process for the world and everyone influential enough to affect it.
Seated on the Abomination Alien's shoulder, Duncan remained calm, returning to his lair under the watchful eyes of countless satellites.
The sign for "Weyland Private Research Institute" still hung prominently. In the past, it had been a joke to many, but from now on, it wouldn't be. No matter how informal the name sounded, it demanded attention.
The death of the Abomination and the birth of the Abomination Alien—its immense power far exceeding the former—could not be ignored.
The creatures called "Aliens" became the subject of secret research and covetous desire at every level.
These creatures were extraordinary. Looking back at human history and Earth itself, nothing like them had ever existed. They seemed capable of absorbing the strength of mature individuals and growing even stronger.
Duncan and his alien squad returned unimpeded to their dilapidated building, where he even greeted Dum Dum from the neighboring building.
"You won't have much time to relax like this. All kinds of people will come looking for you," Dum Dum said hesitantly. Under normal circumstances, he should have taken Duncan back to S.H.I.E.L.D. for brainwashing or long-term detention to prevent social chaos.
But at this point, that seemed incredibly difficult.
When Duncan had been less of a threat, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't paid much attention to him. Now that his talents and the aliens' terrifying power were evident, pulling him in—or taking him down—felt like it might be too late.
Duncan ignored him.
Reaching this point had been inevitable. Duncan knew the only ones he could fully trust were his aliens. Naturally, he had to seize every opportunity to grow his power.
But organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. would undoubtedly try to limit Duncan's growth, keeping the alien population within a safe, controllable range—or even wiping out all aliens, including Duncan himself.
This fundamental conflict was irreconcilable.
"The warrior alien born from the Abomination is just the beginning. There will be more powerful aliens under my command in the future. I won't stop getting stronger. And since others won't stop, I might as well keep pushing forward until the very end."
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