Chapter 19
Inside a mansion in Salem, Rogue is conversing with a bald man in a wheelchair. She confided in him about her encounter with Ace and how he remained unaffected by her powers.
"Are you certain, Rogue?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Hmm… intriguing."
Rogue talked to Charles Xavier, the founder of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Charles is an Alpha-level mutant and the most powerful telepath in the world. During their conversation, she discussed Ace and his immunity to her abilities. This caught Charles's interest, especially given the potency and danger of Rogue's powers. They had never come across anyone who could resist her abilities before, making Ace a unique case.
"If your account is accurate, then he is likely a mutant. I will need to consult Cerebro to confirm."
"Can I accompany you, Professor?"
"Certainly, Rogue. Please, follow me."
They continued on their way beneath the mansion to where the advanced facilities were located. Along the way, they came across three individuals: a woman with red hair, a man wearing red-shaded glasses, and a rugged-looking man in a t-shirt with a dog tag.
"Hello, Professor. Where are you and Rogue headed?"
"Ah, Jean. Rogue has discovered someone who may potentially be a mutant. We are on our way to Cerebro to investigate."
"A new mutant? He doesn't appear to be an ordinary one based on your expression," remarked Scott, the man in red-shaded glasses.
"He was able to make physical contact with Rogue without any harm," Charles responded.
"Really!? Is that true, Rogue?" inquired Jean.
"Yes... we even went on a date,"
Rogue blushed, which caught the attention of the rugged-looking man. Jean noticed this and realized that the girl had developed feelings.
"Well, Rogue, was he attractive?"
"Yes, and kind too. Even after learning I was a mutant, he treated me no differently."
"That's fantastic, Rogue. He seems like a good young man," Jean expressed her happiness for Rogue, acknowledging the affection the girl desired and the fact that she had now found someone who could provide it.
"Rogue, who is this guy?"
"Oh, Logan, don't be a downer. Why not be happy for her?"
"I don't trust this guy. Who knows what he's thinking?"Logan, also known as Wolverine, assumed the role of a parental figure to Rogue, treating her as if she were his own daughter. He was greatly irritated upon learning that a boy had asked her out without his knowledge.
"Stay out of it, Logan. This is not your concern."
"Rogue, I'm just concerned about you. You know how boys of that age can be."
"And I'm telling you he's different," Rogue replied, growing more frustrated with Logan.
"Now now, let's calm down ourselves. I still need to check on Cerebro." said Charles to ease the tension
"Hmph" Rogue storms off following Charles to Cerebro.
"Way a go Logan." said Scott, the man wearing red shades.
"One more word out of you Summers and you're barbeque."
Jean, Scott, and Logan accompanied Charles and Rogue to Cerebro. Upon entering, they found themselves in a chamber with a dome-shaped ceiling adorned with numerous panels. Charles proceeded to the center of the room, where he put on a helmet in preparation to use Cerebro. As he activated the device, countless silhouettes of people could be seen darting across the space at a rapid pace. Initially focused on locating Ace, Charles suddenly felt something peculiar about Ace.
"Professor is something wrong?" asked Jean
Charles turned off Cerebro and faced his students.
"I managed to locate him but… he is not a mutant. He doesn't emit any psionic energy whatsoever."
"What!?" everyone was surprised
"I can't seem to also read his mind as well. He seems to have some kind of resistance to telepathy."
Ace is not a mutant nor does he have an X-Gene. His body has been transformed to take in the powers of many riders. Even Ace himself doesn't know what he is now. Due to the mixture of powers. Ace has developed mental resistance.
"If he is not a mutant, then what is he?" asked Scott.
"Probably a robot. That would explain why he wasn't affected by Rogue," replied Logan.
"Actually, if he were a machine, Cerebro wouldn't be able to locate him. Nevertheless, Mr. Ace has piqued our interest. We should make time to speak with him," said Charles.]
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In a room within the Chrysler Building, a man lies in a bed surrounded by numerous medical devices that monitor and maintain his stable condition. The man is Tombstone, who was brought to the hospital by his men following a confrontation with Ryuga. Despite the doctors' best efforts, Tombstone remains in a coma after being brought out of critical condition.
In attendance is a young woman named Janice Lincoln, who is Tombstone's daughter. A skilled lawyer, she deeply admires her father and aspires to follow in his footsteps. Eager to immerse herself in her father's lifestyle, Janice longs to establish herself as a crime boss. Upon learning of her father's hospitalization, she rushes to his side to uncover the details of the incident.
After receiving information from Hammerhead regarding the assailants, Janice sets her sights on seeking revenge. Hammerhead believes that MetsubouJinrai.net is responsible for the attack, fueling Janice's desire for revenge.
Hammerhead entered the room to give her updates. "Have you found where MetsubouJinrai is?" asked Janice
"Unfortunately no, these guys just disappeared, and not even rumors could be heard about them."
"Keep looking, when I find they are going to regret messing with us."
"Okay, miss."
"How about my suit?"
"The Tinkerer is working on it but he would need more time. Someone has wanted to contact you, miss."
"If it is another client of mine, ignore it."
"He is a close associate of your father. He wants to discuss Boss' operations."
Janice thought about it for a moment before agreeing. "Very well, I'll meet this guy."
Hammerhead exits the room and Janice stares at her father in a coma.
"MetsubouJinrai…"
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In a SHIELD base, Nick Fury is reviewing various files. He scrutinized them closely and the deeper he delved, the more concerned he became. Following the warning from Kamen Rider, he uncovered unauthorized missions, missing personnel, and tampered files. As the Director of SHIELD, why was he kept in the dark about these matters? While he was starting to believe Kamen Rider's claims, his trust was not absolute. Known as the world's top spy, Nick Fury remains cautious, yet acknowledges the validity of Kamen Rider's statements.
"I'm going to need to get to the bottom of this."
Fury is going to investigate more. He doesn't want to be left in the dark and this hidden enemy might notice him. So, he needs to deal with this discreetly and using his own resources. If he could contact and get some help with the Rider is also a possibility.
As he was thinking of a plan he was called on by his subordinate.
"What is the matter, Coulson?"
Agent Phil Coulson is one of Fury's most trusted men. He sends him mostly on errands and trusts the man to do his job.
"It's Banner sir. He is in New York."
"Banner?"
Bruce Banner aka the Hulk was a genius scientist who worked on gamma radiation. After an experiment gone wrong. Bruce Banner was exposed to lethal levels of gamma radiation. But instead of killing him, he transformed into a giant green monster known as the Hulk. Because of this Banner is on the run and the military is chasing after him, wanting to capture him and recreate him. SHIELD has been keeping tabs on him in case they need Banner. Fury thought about recruiting him for the Avengers but didn't have time as the Chitauri invaded New York a few years ago.
"Yes sir, he met with his lover, and General Ross with his army started a fight on a school campus. How should we deal with this?"
"Cover everything up as much as you can and monitor Banner's movements. I'll contact the Avengers in case anything goes wrong."
"Understood sir."
Fury concluded the call with Coulson and immediately began making preparations. A sense of foreboding hung over him. Given all that he had been through, he wouldn't be shocked if a confrontation erupted - especially when dealing with the volatile Hulk. He just hoped the resulting damage wouldn't be too catastrophic. Then there was Ross, with his relentless obsession to capture the Hulk over the years. Backed by numerous military connections, he was not one to easily back down. Fury could already feel the onset of a headache.
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In a private laboratory, Bruce Banner is secured to a table with numerous needles inserted into him. His partner Betty Ross and a new acquaintance he had met online, Dr. Sterns, who goes by Mr. Blue online, are working together to develop an antidote to halt the Hulk's transformations. Betty gazes at Bruce with concern, her hopes resting on the success of their endeavor. She reaches out to hold Bruce's hands in an attempt to comfort him during this challenging time.
"This is going to work Bruce."
Bruce nods and Dr. Sterns is ready to start the procedure.
"Alright, we're set to pop?"
Bruce nods in agreement, and Stern instructs Betty not to hold his hand. Suddenly, Stern shocks Bruce, triggering his transformation. Bruce screams as his body grows larger and turns green, causing the table to barely restrain him. While Stern looks at the Hulk in awe, Betty appears even more worried.
"RAGH!"
"Now, do it. Do it now!" said Betty
Stern was so mesmerized by the sight of the Hulk that he didn't hear Betty. As the Hulk was about to break free, Betty quickly positioned herself on top of him.
"Bruce, Bruce, look at me. Stay with me. The antidote, now!"
Stern finally snapped out of his daze and began administering the antidote. The antidote flowed through the needles into the Hulk's body. In a matter of seconds, the Hulk began to lose strength and slowly transformed back into Bruce Banner.
"Bruce? Bruce, can you hear me?" asked Betty
Bruce was unconscious for a moment before suddenly waking up with a gasp. He looked around in a panic before Betty comforted him, assuring him that he was okay.
After a few moments, Bruce got dressed, and Stern enthusiastically began discussing what he had just witnessed.
"That was the most extraordinary thing I have seen in my entire life!"
"Okay, you know what? Stop, please. We need to talk about and talk about what just happened in there." said Betty
"Absolutely" Stern began talking about his hypothesis of Bruce's transformation but Bruce and Betty did not care.
"Now, maybe we've neutralized those cells permanently. Or maybe we just suppressed that event. I'm inclined to think the latter, but it's hard to know because none of our test subjects ever survived."
"Wait, what did you just say?" asked Bruce
Stern presents a room full of Bruce's blood, believing that they can use it to make humans impervious to any disease. However, Bruce disagrees, fully aware of the danger his blood and the Hulk pose. He is determined to destroy any traces of his blood to eliminate the potential threat.
"No, no, we've got to destroy it."
"Wait, what?"
"All of it. Tonight, we are going to incinerate it. Is this the whole supply?"
"What… We could get the Nobel for this!" Stern was in disbelief at Bruce's decision.
Bruce and Stern began to argue vehemently. Stern believes they could positively impact millions of lives, while Bruce contends that it is too dangerous and is convinced that the military only seeks to weaponize his blood.
Suddenly, a tranquilizer dart struck Bruce in the back. Betty rushed to check on Bruce, while Stern was seized by panic. Despite Bruce's efforts to remain conscious, he succumbed to the effects of the tranquilizer, and everything faded to black.
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Extra chapter for reaching 3000 cumulative power stones. 2680/3000
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