Jennifer Takeda had resigned herself to a solitary existence. Alone on an uncharted island in the Pacific, her days passed in measured silence, save for the rhythmic crash of waves and the occasional shriek of seabirds. She had built a modest shelter out of scavenged wood and stone, a fragile reprieve from the unrelenting truth of her existence: her body was a weapon she couldn't turn off.
Her powers—radioactive energy that coursed through her veins like molten fire—had only grown more volatile over time. Jennifer had spent years with the Shield and Hank Pym, trying to contain her abilities. Every suit, shield, or suppression device eventually buckled under the strain. The radiation she emitted had intensified to the point where even brief proximity to another person was a death sentence.
So, Jennifer went to Tony Stark to ask for his help and he agreed to help her contain that power. He created a new suit for her to help her temporarily suppress her power while he worked on a permanent cure. However, as time passed, they began to spend more and more time together as Tony continued to develop a cure. Slowly, she began to develop feelings for him, but just as she feared Tony got exposed to her radiation before he could synthesize the final serum. He was so close.
But she ran away in fear.
Jennifer never knew that Tony had successfully created a serum to cure her unstable power and he wasn't in life-threatening danger despite the exposure due to that same serum which neutralized the radiation effects.
Well, before he could search for her, Thanos happened. He never got a chance to give her that cure.
Since then, the island has been her penance, her sanctuary, and her prison.
She wasn't lonely. At least, that's what she told herself.
Until the day she saw the black ship in the distance.
Jennifer spotted the ship while tending to her vegetable garden, a patch of wilted greens that barely survived in the irradiated soil. The vessel was sleek, almost organic in design, a sharp contrast to the vast expanse of blue ocean it cut through.
She froze. No one should have known she was here. The island wasn't on any maps; she'd been careful to erase any trail leading to it.
The ship didn't anchor offshore. Instead, it hovered ominously above the beach, suspended by silent repulsor technology. Jennifer's stomach knotted as a figure disembarked.
The man was tall and lean, clad in a crimson cape that flared in the ocean breeze. His skin was pale, almost ashen, with black tattoos or scars carved into diamond-like patterns across his face. He looked out of place against the raw, natural beauty of the island—an unwelcome blot of arrogance and precision.
Mister Sinister.
Jennifer had heard of him, a name spoken with dread. Geneticist, madman, mutant—Sinister was all of those things and more. His obsession with evolution and perfecting the mutant genome was legendary.
But Tony Stark killed him and his clones years before Thanos' war. So, how is he still alive? And, why was he here?
Jennifer stood her ground as Sinister approached, her arms crossed over her lead-lined suit. Her mask shielded her face, though she doubted it would faze someone like him.
"You're trespassing," she said, her voice muffled but firm.
"Am I?" Sinister tilted his head, studying her like a particularly fascinating specimen. "It's hard to trespass on an island that no one owns. Still, I appreciate the sentiment. Jennifer Takeda, is it?"
"How do you know my name?"
"Oh, Jennifer." Sinister's grin widened, revealing unnaturally perfect teeth. "Knowing is what I do. You're quite famous, you know—among those of us with a penchant for rare phenomena. Radiation that rivals a star's core, encased in the body of a human. Not a mutant, true, but evolution is rarely bound by such mundane categories."
Jennifer tensed, her instincts screaming at her to run. But where would she go? The island was small, and Sinister's ship was faster than she could ever hope to escape.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"To help you," Sinister said smoothly. "Your power is a gift, Jennifer. A gift you can't control—yet. But I can change that. Imagine a world where your radiation isn't a curse but a blessing. Imagine harnessing it to reshape reality itself."
Jennifer shook her head. "I know who you are and what you did. And, I'm not interested in your sales pitch. Leave."
Sinister sighed theatrically. "Pity. I was hoping we could resolve this amicably. Alas, sometimes evolution requires... persuasion."
He raised a hand, and the ground beneath Jennifer erupted. She barely had time to react before a wave of mechanical tendrils shot out, wrapping around her legs and torso. She struggled, her radiation flaring instinctively, but the tendrils absorbed the energy, redirecting it harmlessly into the earth.
Sinister's grin widened. "Ah, yes. I thought you might resist. Fortunately, I've prepared for that."
"Did you, now?" Jennifer smiled under her mask. She knew that there was nowhere to escape, so, why not use her cursed power to kill that villain in front of her and prevent the pain he would bring to others in the future? She saw this as a chance to at least do something good with her power, even though no one would know.
Jennifer's smile under her mask was grim, a reflection of her determination. If this island was to be her tomb, she'd make sure Sinister was buried alongside her.
The air grew heavy as Jennifer let the radioactive energy within her pulse outward. A greenish glow seeped from the seams of her suit, her power manifesting in flickering waves that shimmered like a mirage. The ground beneath her scorched black as she allowed her energy to surge, ignoring the pain that came with her rising fury.
The tendrils restraining her began to hiss and crack, their metal frames warping under the sheer intensity of the radiation.
Sinister's confident grin faltered for a moment before morphing into an expression of curiosity. "Fascinating," he murmured, observing the decay of his constructs. "You truly are something extraordinary."
"Save your flattery," Jennifer spat, wrenching herself free with a burst of energy that sent chunks of molten metal flying. She lunged at Sinister, her radioactive aura burning bright enough to cast harsh shadows across the sand.
Sinister stepped back, his movements unnervingly calm as he raised a hand. A translucent shield shimmered into existence just as Jennifer's fist collided with it. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, and the shield cracked but held.
"You'll have to try harder than that," Sinister said, his tone almost mocking.
Jennifer didn't respond. Instead, she lashed out again, this time releasing a concentrated burst of energy that disintegrated the shield in an instant. Sinister stumbled, clearly unprepared for the force of her attack, but his recovery was swift. With a flick of his wrist, a series of drones emerged from his hovering ship, each armed with weaponry that glowed ominously.
The drones circled Jennifer like vultures, their weapons locking onto her. Beams of energy shot toward her, but she twisted and turned with surprising agility, her suit absorbing some of the blasts while her own energy deflected others. The air crackled with heat and radiation as she retaliated, firing concentrated beams of green light that sliced through the drones with surgical precision.
Sinister watched her with a mixture of frustration and intrigue, his pale face illuminated by the fiery chaos. "You're wasting your potential," he called out. "You could be so much more than this—than a scared woman lashing out in desperation."
Jennifer ignored him, focusing instead on dismantling the remaining drones. She felt the strain of her power, the familiar burn in her veins warning her that she was pushing her limits. But she couldn't afford to stop. Not now.
Sinister seemed to sense her growing fatigue. "Enough games," he said, his voice cold. He raised both hands, and the ground around Jennifer erupted again, this time revealing a grotesque amalgamation of organic and mechanical creatures. They moved with unnerving speed, their bodies shifting and adapting as they charged at her.
Jennifer gritted her teeth, her glow intensifying as she prepared to meet them head-on. Her fists slammed into the creatures with explosive force, each impact sending shards of metal and flesh flying. But for everyone she destroyed, two more seemed to take its place.
Sinister watched with a calculating gaze, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as he directed the swarm. "You can't keep this up forever, Jennifer," he said. "But I can."
Jennifer's breath came in ragged gasps as she fought. Her vision blurred, the edges of the world dimming as her body struggled to keep up with the demands of her power. She knew he was right. She couldn't outlast him. But she didn't need to.
Taking a step back, she unleashed a massive pulse of energy, the resulting shockwave flattening everything in its path. The creatures disintegrated, their forms unable to withstand the sheer intensity of her radiation. Even Sinister was forced to shield himself, his crimson cape billowing as he braced against the blast.
The beach was left scorched and barren, the once-lush vegetation reduced to ash. Jennifer stood at the center of the devastation, her suit glowing with residual heat. Her legs wobbled, but she forced herself to remain upright, her gaze fixed on Sinister.
He lowered his shield, his expression one of grudging admiration. "Impressive," he admitted. "But you're still holding back. Why?"
Jennifer didn't answer. Instead, she began to walk toward him, each step deliberate despite the exhaustion weighing her down. Her energy flared again, brighter than before, and Sinister's confident demeanor faltered.
"You wouldn't," he said, his voice lacking its usual certainty.
Jennifer's lips curved into a grim smile. "Watch me."
The glow around her intensified, the air vibrating with raw power as she prepared to release everything she had. She could feel her body breaking under the strain, but it didn't matter. This was her moment. Her purpose.
Sinister took a step back, his eyes narrowing as he realized what she intended. "You'll destroy yourself," he said. "You'll destroy this entire island."
"Better the island than the world," Jennifer replied.
She closed her eyes, her energy reaching its peak. But before she could release it, something unexpected happened. A sharp pain lanced through her chest, and her power faltered. She opened her eyes in shock to see a small, dart-like device embedded in her suit, its surface glowing with a strange, pulsating light.
Sinister's smirk returned. "Did you really think I wouldn't have a failsafe? That's a suppression device, calibrated specifically to your unique radiation signature. Ingenious, isn't it?"
Jennifer dropped to her knees, her strength draining as the device sapped her power. She glared up at Sinister, her vision darkening. "You won't win," she said, her voice a strained whisper.
"Oh, but I already have," he replied, kneeling beside her. "Don't worry, Jennifer. This is only the beginning. You'll thank me one day."
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