"Of course, Hank. Do you have another surprise for ?"
Alex's voice was light with curiosity, but beneath his casual tone lay a trace of anticipation. Ever since Hank had begun working on integrating the alien technologies Alex had acquired, each visit to the lab had beco a source of genuine excitent.
Standing in the center of the high-ceilinged room, lit with flickering fluorescent lights and the occasional blinking of consoles, Alex raised a brow. His sharp gaze locked on Hank, whose expression practically glowed with eagerness.
"There's been a new breakthrough," Hank said, barely containing the enthusiasm in his voice. "Let show you!"
Without waiting for Alex's reply, Hank turned and gestured for him to follow.
Alex didn't hesitate.
He strode through the corridor with Hank, passing through reinforced steel doors and rows of workbenches cluttered with parts, prototypes, and ancient monitors that buzzed faintly. Despite the outdated surface technology, there was a depth of brilliance humming within every machine here—a fusion of old-world tools and cutting-edge alien insight.
But Alex wasn't interested in the aesthetics. His mind was already racing through the possibilities.
Hank led him into a more secluded chamber—a secondary lab sealed off from the main research area. Here, the temperature was cooler, the lighting dimr, and in the center of the room, mounted by a tallic armature, hovered a brilliant object.
A soft blue glow pulsed from within.
It was unmistakable.
The Tesseract.
"Hank, is this what you wanted to show ?"
Alex pointed at the cube, eyes wide with recognition. The energy radiating from it humd across his skin like static electricity. His heartbeat quickened slightly as he took a step closer, srized by its shimring surface.
"You've managed to make progress with the Tesseract?"
The excitent in Alex's voice was hard to miss. This artifact—this relic of cosmic power—was no re object. It was one of the Infinity Stones. That Hank had not only stabilized it but was actively experinting with its energy was nothing short of astounding.
But Hank raised a hand, chuckling. "Not exactly, Alex. While this cube is an incredible source of power, I haven't done anything drastic with it yet. I'm still gathering data, running diagnostics, and exploring its properties."
Alex furrowed his brows. "Then what did you want to show ?"
Hank turned, walking to the other side of the lab and picking up a sleek device that looked like a prototype blaster from a futuristic armory. A long, insulated cable extended from the back of the weapon and snaked across the lab floor—connecting directly to the Tesseract's containnt claw.
"This, my friend, is what I wanted you to see."
He flipped several switches on the weapon.
Click. Click. Click.
In response, the Tesseract flared brighter, its energy rippling down the cable and surging into the weapon's core.
The gun lit up instantly, its surface glowing with intricate patterns as the alien energy activated.
Even without formal scientific training, Alex instinctively understood what was happening.
Hank had successfully drawn and redirected the Tesseract's energy into a man-made weapon.
"Can you believe it, Alex? This little thing could blow up a tank in a single shot."
There was awe in Hank's voice, as though even he couldn't fully grasp the magnitude of what he had created.
Alex stared at the device, nodding slowly.
This wasn't just an energy weapon. It was a revolution.
Harnessing the Tesseract's seemingly infinite power and binding it into a compact, controllable weapon was like taming a star and placing it in your palm.
"It's more than I expected," Alex murmured.
"The energy problem is finally solved," Hank added, stepping back with a satisfied smile. "With the Tesseract, we can mass-produce Makluan-based energy weapons. No more worries about battery capacity or output degradation."
Alex knew exactly what that ant.
Hank had cracked the design of the Makluan energy guns long ago, reverse-engineering them from salvaged parts and battlefield wreckage. But the bottleneck—the single greatest challenge—had always been energy.
Their own prototype power cells were limited in duration and output. Enough for a burst of firepower, but not sustainable. Not battlefield-ready.
Now, with the Tesseract integrated into the system, all of that changed.
It wasn't just a solution—it was a paradigm shift.
"We're no longer bound by the limitations of Earth's energy sources," Hank continued, pride swelling in his chest. "This is alien-level warfare, Alex. And now, we control it."
Alex clapped a hand on Hank's shoulder.
"You've outdone yourself, Hank."
This was more than science. It was the foundation of the arsenal for the nation Alex planned to build—a new world forged through superior power.
---
anwhile – Albany
Far from Alex's lab, within the cold, cavernous interior of a hidden facility nestled beneath the city of Albany, the mood was very different.
Here, in the heart of one of Mr. Sinister's many underground bases, darkness reigned.
Heavy steel doors groaned as they sealed shut behind them, and the chilling hum of machinery echoed off stone walls.
Mr. Sinister stood tall, his expression unreadable, gazing at the massive DNA sequencing monitors that lined the hall.
Beside him stood a man—pale, trembling, clearly weakened.
Oblivion.
He looked like a shadow of the arrogant powerhouse who had once terrorized enemies with impunity.
The battle with Alex had left more than bruises. It had shattered his pride.
Alex hadn't even taken him seriously.
And yet, now Oblivion was here, barely able to stand upright, his body still recovering from the onslaught of telekinetic pressure, heat beams, and brute force he hadn't even been able to resist.
"Sir…" Oblivion spoke weakly, voice hollow. "Is Alex really as strong as you?"
He couldn't wrap his head around it.
Mr. Sinister was supposed to be unmatched.
Yet he had fought Alex for hours—and hadn't won.
Sinister turned his gaze toward his subordinate, his crimson eyes dark with reflection.
"We fought for four hours," he said slowly. "Neither of us erged victorious."
Oblivion blinked, stunned.
"What?!"
It was unfathomable.
Only that man—only one being in all the world—had ever stood equal to Sinister.
And now there was another.
"But sir…" Oblivion's voice trembled as he processed the impossible. "If Alex is that strong… he might be the one you've been searching for all these years."
A long silence followed.
Sinister didn't answer imdiately. He gazed at the flickering screens in front of him, watching as strands of mutant DNA flowed across the display like rivers of light.
"I don't know if he's the answer," Sinister said at last. "But he's closer than anyone else I've found. Closer than anyone."
Oblivion nodded fervently. "Sir, this must be fate. A sign from above! Who else but a divine force could birth a mutant like him?"
Sinister's lips curled into a thin smile—one without humor.
"God?" he sneered. "One of my past selves played that role once."
He didn't believe in fate. He was fate.
A manipulator of evolution, a designer of destiny.
He didn't bow to gods—he beca them.
"No, this isn't divine intervention," he said coldly. "But whether he's the solution or not… I will obtain his DNA."
His fingers clenched into a fist, knuckles cracking.
"Alex Winters will be the key to unlocking true power. The final step to surpassing even Apocalypse."
Oblivion's confidence wavered again.
"But sir… how will we capture him? If even you can't overpower him, how can we bring him in?"
Sinister's eyes glead with dark promise.
"I don't need to capture him through brute force," he said softly. "I have a plan. One he won't see coming."
He turned away, his coat billowing slightly as he stepped into the shadows.
"There's a gift I've prepared for our dear Alex," he said, voice dripping with anticipation.
"One that will… surprise him."
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