Chimerology and Blood Magic

Walter Mayer.

There doesn't seem to be anything interesting happening in the near future, so I can focus on analyzing the new specimens. Where should I start? Hmm, maybe with this intriguing property?

In front of me hung a small sphere of blood. This luminous liquid caught my eye for several reasons - while all the other samples belonged to beings aged 16-20, this one belonged to a woman around 35-40 years old. Moreover, the presumed property was fascinating - almost complete immunity to physical attacks.

The skin and bones of this creature must have been energetically saturated and modified in a way that their strength would rival the most sophisticated titanium alloy. A natural adamantium? I wonder how Silvermane managed to obtain this specimen, but if it belongs to a woman of reproductive age... no, I don't want to think about it. The most interesting part is that I began to form a theory.

Mutants who rely solely on physical strength and modified physiology are the weakest among all. Take Rhino or Scorpion, or even Spider-Man - their speed and strength are indeed great, but nothing extraordinary. I am not that different from them either if we only consider physical aspects, except for one thing - the energy aspect. My energy is sufficient to maintain my muscles at their peak without any harm to my body, plus the healing factor from Symbiote, but I don't know how to work with energy directly yet, and that is the next step in evolution.

Someone once claimed that eventually all forms of life would evolve to an energy-based foundation. So, returning to the fascinating specimen, I could observe a transitional link - its foundation is still biological, but it already works intensively with energy. Though there is no conscious manipulation, only instinctive actions aimed at maximum protection and survivability, it still feels delicious.

I have already assembled the DNA for the first transformation, just like with the blood sample, the process will be intricate and complex, but not as monumental as the first time. However, this blood somewhat resembles mine, at least in terms of energy. Since my blood contained all my informational components, maybe I will find something similar in this specimen? Let's try it.

I focus and interact with the blood, but I don't try to reshape the sample to match me; instead, I adapt myself to it while remaining true to who I am. It's hard to describe this state in human language; there are simply no words or concepts for it. Try explaining the color red to someone blind from birth, for example, and the fundamental difference from green. Difficult? Well, it's equally hard for me to describe the sensations of non-human sensory organs in human terms.

Then, visions overwhelmed me. It was as if I was fully present in each scene, just like they advertise in movie theaters. The stream of images, though, was disordered, but along with the visuals, there were also tactile sensations and emotions.

Walter's visions:

I'm 16. The kids at school constantly bully me as if having an alcoholic father and an indifferent mother were not enough. Pain and humiliation, humiliation and pain. Hatred.

I'm 19. My grandmother dies of a heart attack - the only person who cared about me. I try to cut my wrists, but nothing happens - not even a scratch is left. Astonishment.

23 years old. My first contract - to eliminate a group of rebels. They shoot at me... it tickles. Humans... they are so fragile. I pierce the nearest idiot with an automatic rifle with my bare hands and look into his eyes - there's terror and fear. I once felt those emotions too. Now I understand why they bullied me - seeing fear and desperation in others' eyes is enjoyable. And here's the leader of these losers. He pleads to spare his people. I break his arms and legs. He doesn't scream yet, but he will. I play with the rest of them. Their screams and deaths bring me great joy. When only the former rebel leader is left alive, I feel a desire to have a conversation.

"Kimura, I have an interesting offer for you, something that fits your skills," a man in his fifties, dressed in a classic white doctor's coat, says.

"What do you want to propose, Rice?" This man always had excellent job opportunities and was generous in his payments. Working for him was enjoyable.

"I need... a trainer."

"A trainer? Are you planning to open your freak show?"

"Something like that," the scientist smirks, "Would you like to see?"

"Sure!"

They show me a little girl, about 7 or 8 years old. Long black hair, green eyes, and a cute face. And her gaze... it's been so long since I've seen such gazes, and I can't help but lick my lips.

"I need to turn her into the perfect weapon. Emotionless, obedient, and reliable. Your methods of upbringing are impressive, will you take on the job?"

"Oh, yes!"

36 years old.

"Little brat! How dare you cry?!" A heavy military boot strikes her face, and I hear the bones crack.

"It's just an instructor, X-23, an ordinary human," each word is accompanied by another blow. The girl doesn't resist - she's been trained not to, but her reactions... I've been working on her for 4 years, and she's still too human. Mmm... a victim, my perfect victim. I can play with her for a long time, very long - all her injuries heal almost instantly.

I grab her by the hair and drag her to the cell specially designed for her.

"A few days without food and water will help you realize the depths of your delusions, 23rd," I toss her into the room, and she slides down the wall in a funny way.

End of visions.

I come to my senses and struggle to lift myself on trembling hands. When did I fall to the floor? I can't remember. The image of the fragile girl, almost a child, who had been living in her personal Hell for years, still lingered before my eyes. Also, the faces of the creatures who tormented her daily. Dr. Rice and Kimura.

Thinking about them almost triggered my combat mode. I'm not a saint, and I mostly don't care about others, but to torment a defenseless child? And that monster derived pleasure from it. Maybe I'm overly romantic or sympathize with the "Dark Side," but even among the Lowest Demons, they must be rare.

I couldn't find where they were keeping the child, but I had their names and Curt's acquaintances. I wanted to abandon everything and rush to extract every bit of information Silvermane had about this mercenary Kimura, but common sense and combat mode (I did enter it, otherwise, my house would be blown to hell) told me not to rush - if the bastards go underground, finding them would be much more difficult.

Oh, I'm already looking forward to our meeting. I think they've been eagerly awaited in Hell, but no, I can't leave it to chance. I'll make sure they experience hell while still alive. A wave of hatred surged from the depths of my being and burst outward, causing the glass in the room to crack, and several cups shattered in the kitchen.

"Okay, Walter, calm down. Get yourself together. It's not the time to freak out. It's better to distract yourself with something else, dig into the new samples, and then head to Silvermane for answers."

Calming down was difficult and not immediate. I quickly and rather routinely completed the work with the other blood samples, memorizing all the variations of DNA. So, flight - already have it; external tissue transformation - unnecessary; muscle transformation for more powerful jumps - pointless. Light emission in the dark? What kind of mutation is that? Nah, forget it. Mm-hmm, couldn't get any "energy users" from the old man, and the simple "physically enhanced" ones couldn't offer anything fundamentally new.

(Although a modification with an elongating tongue might be useful in certain situations, if you know what I mean.) Alright, now let's start the transformation. Despite my hatred for the source of this ability, giving up the advantage of nearly impenetrable skin would be complete idiocy. After experimenting with the blood, I quickly made the necessary changes.

I was still far from having full control over the state of every cell, like in my "main" body, and I couldn't fully transform into pure energy, but making progress in mastering less sophisticated matters was immensely satisfying. One downside - I'll need to drink adrenaline now or find the Mega Needle. No other way to break through the new skin; at least, I remembered to leave a few spots unprotected for retractable blades.

Alright, now to Silvermane! Wait, what's this crap now? Some kind of creature with tentacles and claws was crawling on the adjacent building. It seemed to have six or eight limbs, and its appearance was painful, and its mood - despondent, otherwise, why would it be yelling like that? Peter was nearby, trying to free an innocent girl from the creature's slippery tentacles, apparently abducted recently (a psychedelic sight, I must say). And what's this?

A girl jumped out of an unusual aircraft shape using a rope. Hm, dark hair and a gray streak in the middle... Rogue? I thought she could fly on her own... or did that talent manifest later? Ah, whatever, if she crashes, it'll be sad - before meeting Felicia, I seriously considered the possibility of courting her (and even now, the thoughts occasionally pop up, but I suspect Miss Hardy isn't a fan of the idea of having multiple wives). I switch to my Nazgul form and make my way out of the building.

Several hours before that. Silvermane's Office.

A man in his forties sat in front of the desk, facing a person who appeared to be in his thirties but had completely gray hair.

"Imagine that he's actually over 80. Has he really found the source of eternal youth? How intriguing..." The man addressed Silvermane:

"So, why exactly do you want to hire me?"

"Alfred," the former old man smirked, "I need your services to infiltrate a certain facility. According to information from reliable sources, a certain Herbert Landon, a fairly well-known genetic scientist, has undertaken to create an army of mutants for Kingpin. I don't approve of this move.

Your task is to confirm this information. If it turns out to be true, destroy all the research at any cost, and if possible, make a copy first. If not, simply erase the data. Also, in case the information is confirmed, arrange for an 'accident' for Landon. Fatality is not necessary, but it's up to your discretion. That's all."

The man called Alfred pondered the offer.

"If it's just reconnaissance, 20 thousand. If it's the whole package, then one and a half million. Money upfront," Silvermane handed him a briefcase with the specified amount. His interlocutor raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You're so confident in your informant that you're paying top price upfront?" receiving a nod in response, the man stood up and left the office without saying goodbye.

"Alfred," the mercenary.

An interesting assignment indeed. Infiltrate a well-guarded facility, steal data from a computer, and punish one guy. It will be challenging, but the contract is already signed, and the money is received, so no need to complain, mercenary, just move forward.

Infiltrating a well-guarded laboratory was not a problem. His partner somehow managed to get a complete building plan, security patrol schedule, and a list of the companies servicing the laboratory. After all, it might be a guarded facility, but not a military one (although judging by the weapons carried by the guards, they don't seem to know that).

So, a simple garbage truck served as a good pass (had to go through the underside and breathe exhaust fumes, but it's still better than a direct assault). And then it's all about the equipment. Getting to the server was no trouble. However, the hard drives turned out to be too massive to remove, but that scenario was anticipated, so a powerful satellite modem was immediately connected to the computer.

The rest was handled by his combat buddy – no wonder he rescued her from a very shady situation in the past. After half an hour, the data successfully transferred to the required location, and the plundered server began the formatting process initiated by "Mouse" (I know, it's not original, but I have a perpetual problem with names. Author's note). It would be nice to blow them up entirely for guarantees, but that would create unnecessary noise and evidence.

Alright, now it's time to organize the "accident." Landon must be somewhere in his laboratory. Let's head there.

Ten minutes and three knocked-out guards later.

Oh, there's Landon on a small balcony, doing something to a huge blue gorilla in a cage. And under the cage, there's a tank with something suspiciously resembling acid.

Then, the alarm went off! Did they discover the knocked-out guards? I'm getting old... Oh no, it's just some creature in a dark blue suit with a mask. The creature had three metallic blades growing from its fists, and right behind it, a clown in a red and blue suit, with ropes shooting out from his hands.

Not bad, a nimble clown, and he's pretty accurate with those ropes. Alright, while they're all distracted by the newcomers, I can calmly complete the mission. I approach the slightly shocked scientist, and with a kick to his leg, send him flying... right into that vat of acid. And now let's go.

A few minutes after the mercenary's departure, a repulsive creature crawled out of the vat, resembling a terrible mix of a slug, octopus, and a human. Just as Wolverine and Spider-Man were caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, the creature quickly snatched Landon's assistant, causing a short circuit in the laboratory's wiring. After breaking through a wall, it crawled out into the city.

Spider and the team. Immediately after the escape of the new mutant.

"What was that?" Wolverine scratched his head with the tip of his claw.

"I suppose it's Landon," Beast replied thoughtfully. "By the way, thanks for saving me. A couple more minutes, and I would have been in that mess."

"What are we going to do? We can't let that creature roam the city!" Spider, as always, role-playing as Captain America.

"Wolverine, contact the others; we'll need help. This creature seems to be drawn to electricity, perhaps attracted by the increased electromagnetic field after that short circuit in the lab. And it appears to have grown stronger." Beast formulated the situation.

"If it reaches the power station..."

"That won't end well. We need to drain its energy. Logan, we need Rogue." Hank came up with the only correct solution, in his opinion.

"She's only 18, have some conscience, Blue! It's damn dangerous!" Wolverine didn't like the idea of involving his protégé in this dangerous situation.

"If you have another option, I'm all ears."

Logan gritted his teeth and contacted the school. Professor Xavier was also not thrilled with the idea of using the young girl, but there was no other choice. Eventually, Charles personally convinced Rogue. It took some effort, but the lives of thousands of people in the city were more important than the young girl's fear.

And so, a plan was devised: while Spider and the others distracted the monster, Rogue would be dropped on its back and begin hugging it tightly until Landon lost all mobility. The plan wasn't perfect, but there was no other option—the creature was getting closer to the power station, chewing up underground power cables as it went.

Then, it happened. A mental shock of tremendous force caused almost everyone present to fall to their knees, clutching their heads. Even Charles was shocked by the impact. The unleashed power was filled with rage and hatred, a desire to kill that could be felt kilometers away from the epicenter. And the X-Men were right at the center of the attack. It ended just as abruptly as it started, but the cracked windows in nearby buildings testified to the reality of the event.

"W-what was that?" Cyclops stammered as he struggled to regain his composure. "Another trick from that monster?"

"No, it's not him, but I wouldn't want to encounter a creature with such hatred for all living beings," Beast nervously shrugged.

"We'll deal with the problems as they come. First and foremost, Landon. Look, he changed his route and is now climbing a skyscraper for some reason," Hank recovered quickly and pointed at the monster.

"Alright, let's get to work. Rogue, are you ready?"

"No, but what's the difference..." The young girl was trembling.

"Spider and Cyclops are in position, Wolverine, you'll protect Cyclops. Alright, let's pray for the best," Charles finished briefing everyone, and the operation began.

From the very first seconds, everything went awry. Anna (a.k.a. Rogue) jumped onto the monster with a scream, but it just swiped at her with its tentacle, missing her slightly as she flew past. However, the safety line she was attached to was hit. The safety line couldn't withstand such abuse, and with a sad sound, it snapped. The young mutant was thrown away from the creature. She had nothing to hold on to, and gravity was unforgiving. Anna was about to experience her final fall from a height of 30 meters onto the road. Spider was too far away and couldn't make it in time.

"That's it," the falling girl thought sadly. "I never got to do much in my life—even kissing someone, just once."

Anna closed her eyes, waiting for the impact that would end her existence. However, instead of hitting the ground, something gently caught her, and an ocean of energy flowed into her body.

Walter Mayer (Nazgul):

Ugh, just in time, and who was the idiot who thought it was a good idea to send cute girls with interesting abilities against this monster? Speaking of abilities, Rogue turned out to be an incredibly powerful energy vampire – she drained energy from me despite the resistance of the Symbiote. The only good thing was that even with all the upgrades in my body, their power consumption was negligible compared to Venom's capabilities, so I wasn't in a hurry to fall like a dried-up mummy (though the increased power consumption did cause the temperature of the surrounding air to drop by about five degrees).

"You know, madam, unauthorized flights are forbidden," I couldn't help but say, although my voice was now a soft baritone, not a metal tone filled with Arctic chill. The girl opened her eyes and immediately squinted them shut again (well, imagine you've said your goodbyes to life, prepared to visit the afterlife, closed your eyes, and then you see a grim figure in a black cloak without a face embracing you).

Finally, Rogue dared to open her eyes again.

"Am I already dead and in hell?" she asked timidly.

"And what if you are? – Geez, I'm getting really excited about her. I want to cuddle and squish, so cute. – Anyway, as a decent person (now I have to marry her), I couldn't let such a beauty leave us in her prime, so you're still in our world."

"Huh?" – Looks like she hasn't received many compliments... Meanwhile, I was descending.

And then she noticed the energy flowing into her and tried to pull away, but who would let her go?

"Stop, you can die, you can't touch me!" she said.

"Hmm, haven't I been 'touching' you for the past two minutes? I just held her tighter and brought her face closer to mine. No, I can't resist it anymore, hope Felicia won't find out about this innocent mischief. Using Chameleon's cells, I slightly change my facial features, shave my beard, and change my hair color from black to milky white. Then I pull on my mask, allowing her to see my face. And I whisper softly in her ear.

"I am the only one who decides what I can or cannot do, young lady. But I see your friends are almost here, so it's time for me to go. But first..." I lean in and give the stunned student a kiss, teasing her with my tongue (hm, with this mutation upgrade, I definitely gained something). While I'm enjoying myself (unfortunately, I couldn't collect genetic information from the dead skin cells – they were completely dried out. However, I was able to obtain some information using this method), I suddenly realize her ability.

Quite interesting. Hm, it's been about three minutes of contact with me... I think it'll work. I allow her to draw a little more energy from me – this should be enough. I release my embrace from Anna Marie.

"How do you see, I'm still alive. I think you'll like my little gift," I smile.

Precisely – the girl loses consciousness. Looks like I didn't make a mistake. Carefully, I put her on the asphalt and put my mask back on. It's time to leave. But I wasn't allowed to leave peacefully.

"What did you do to her, bastard?!" – Who's so audacious down there? Ah, Logan, who would've doubted.

"I saved her life and left her a small gift. It's still better than throwing defenseless children at monsters, don't you think?" My voice is icy with a hiss. "And as for you, you'll have to answer for calling me a bastard."

Mm, almost managed to dodge, that's quite a reaction, but not completely. The metal glove got stained with blood, but the cuts on Wolverine's chest healed almost instantly. A very delicious regeneration, and if you add the capabilities of the costume... it's just delightful.

"Oh, you..." the mutant tries to impale me on his claws. I don't even think about dodging – when else will I have the chance to test the new armor against such a weapon? Hit! Screech. The claws slide off helplessly, causing no significant damage, but the impact throws me into the air. Hm, well, there's nothing else for me to do here, and Silvermane is waiting.

I leave the battle, flying away, leaving a cursing Logan below. Oh, I almost forgot. I fly past the monster. Yes, it's horribly changed, but still blood. I use a simple technique – I call it "semblance" – the blood in the victim's body behaves exactly as mine. And I just stop my blood flow. How long can a brain live in such a situation?

Five minutes, I think? And remaining conscious? So the little monster quickly went into unconsciousness. I cut off the connection and get away from the scene of the fight – that's enough heroics for me today. And there's plenty to think about. Oh, how much to do, and all on my own, can't wait for Frederico's assistance to return.