[Aron's first person POV] [Safe base]

I went straight to Stryker's office. According to what I've found from reading his memories, he kept a key and a security card. The key is for a locker in a local bank, where he kept an important data drive containing all the information about the inhumane researches he had carried out till now. Stryker was clever. Who would guess that such important files could be found in a local bank's locker? And it screams of a trap.

Well, I got Phoenix Force. I'll just burn them to ashes.

As for the security card, it can open and override any security measures in his lab and other hidden facilities. As far as I found out, he has six such facilities all over New York, all underground and secured with a biometric scanner. If I want to investigate them, I'll need that card. Maybe one of the labs holds more information about me or it could also be on that drive.

Now, some might think why haven't I just read his mind and uncover the information? Well, I did try. I got some information, but the thing is there was a strong mental barrier protecting his mind from my intrusion, almost like my psionic powers were blocked by an anti-psi shield. It blocked me from accessing certain parts of his memories. In other words, he either had an anti-psi chip implanted in his brain or someone created that barrier using power stronger than mine. That was why I had to resort to torture to get the information I wanted.

The thing that worried me was his last words. He was trying to reveal the name of the mastermind and he just uttered, 'All' before exploding. Is it All For One? There is a possibility. If I can be reborn in the Marvel world, then there is a possibility that All For One can also be reborn in this world after his death. And my power is somewhat similar to him. Am I his clone or a lab-made human, made using his DNA? Fuck! Anyway, if he's in this world, then I... No, we have the biggest problem on our hands. God knows how many abilities he has sucked out till now.

Sigh!

I took the keys and security card from Stryker's office.

[Manhatten]

Using my super speed, I made my way to the local bank with a weird name written in a language I was unfamiliar with, where the locker was stored, phasing through the exterior walls of the building like a ghost. The place was quiet, the cold fluorescent lights buzzing above. My steps echoed softly as I passed through the vault area, careful not to set off any alarms.

Finding the locker wasn't difficult. Stryker's memories had given me all the details I needed. I slid the key into the lock, feeling the familiar click. The locker door swung open.

But inside—it wasn't the data drive I expected.

I froze.

Instead of a data drive, there was a sleek, black mask—the kind worn by the Black Cat. Its glossy surface gleamed under the dim light. The last time I heard of her was in the newspaper, around three months ago. She stole a famous piece of art from the NY museum.

I picked up the mask... A small card fell from the locker, landing softly on the floor. I crouched to pick it up, turning it over in my hand. There was a single line of text written on it in elegant handwriting:

"You're not the only one chasing ghosts. Let's play a little longer, shall we? - F"

Felicia Hardy.

I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to crush the card in my hand. Of course, Black Cat would have gotten involved. If there was anyone capable of slipping into Stryker's hidden vaults undetected, it would be her. She was a master thief, her skills unparalleled. But why would she take the drive? What did she gain from this?

Someone hired her... That one killed Stryker must have known about this and decided to clean up the vault.

I stood up, gripping the mask tightly in my hand. She had left it here on purpose, taunting me. A game of cat and mouse—and right now, I was playing her game.

But this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

[Alarm!!]

The second the alarm blared through the bank, my muscles tensed. The high-pitched screech echoed in the vault. Of course, it's a trap. But it didn't matter. I tried to use my psychic power to check outside. Well, there were too many guards rushing toward the vault.

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Armed guards—heavily armored and armed to the teeth—rushed in as if they'd been waiting for me all along. They were efficient, their movements swift and coordinated. This wasn't just a random bank squad. No, these guys were military-level, likely Stryker's people or someone hired to deal with someone like me.

However, my psychic connection got cut out. I tried to turn to vapor, but it didn't work. Damn! I hate mutant suppression devices. Those fuckers are so annoying.

I looked up and saw several of the guards positioning what looked like high-tech rifles, their barrels crackling with blue energy. Anti-mutation devices. Damn it. Whoever set this up wasn't playing around. The entire building was rigged to suppress my abilities, turning this whole bank into a perfect cage.

I adjusted the mask over my face, pulling it tighter, and pulled on my hoodie.

"Surrender, Subject 43," One of the guards stepped forward, his rifle aimed at my chest. "Your mutation won't work here. There is no escape."

"Oh," I snapped my fingers, summoning the Phoenix Force. "You sure about that?"

My body burst into flames, burning like a bonfire. The heat emanating from my body made the air around me shimmer. I raised my arms, feeling the raw power rush through me. It was time to play.

The guards opened fire.

I waved my hand and an invisible force field manifested itself, protecting me from the bullets. Sure enough, those devices can only suppress mutants, but Phoenix Force isn't a mutation. It's a cosmic entity. And a cosmic entity cannot be suppressed by any manmade device. I snapped my fingers again and the force field expanded.

The guards were blown away from me, crashing against the walls of the vault.

"Die, motherfuckers!" I said unleashing the flames.

The vault erupted in flames as the Phoenix Force surged through me, turning the cold, sterile walls into molten metal. The intense heat radiated outward, and within seconds, the floor beneath my feet started to crack and melt, sparks flying in all directions. I felt the power thrumming through my veins, an unstoppable force of destruction.

But, unlike Jean, I was in control.

The guards screamed, scrambling for cover as the fire engulfed them. Their high-tech rifles crackled and exploded under the pressure, blue energy fizzling out uselessly. I smirked beneath the mask, feeling no pity for them. Stryker's men or not, they were nothing but pawns in a bigger game, and I wasn't planning to play fair.

One of them managed to get a shot off, a single beam of energy aimed directly at my chest. It hit the force field, but instead of dissipating, it created a brief ripple of energy before the beam was reflected back, striking the guard square in the face. His body crumpled to the floor, the helmet's visor shattering as he fell.

"Pathetic," I muttered under my breath, raising my hand again.

With a single thought, the entire building began to tremble. The walls groaned, metal straining against the heat and pressure. I could hear the alarms blaring louder now, a high-pitched wail that mixed with the crackling of flames and the sounds of collapsing infrastructure. It was beautiful chaos, a symphony of destruction.

I let the fire consume everything. The flames curled up the walls, licking the ceiling and spreading faster than any normal fire. In minutes, the bank was nothing more than an inferno. Smoke billowed from the windows, dark and thick, swirling into the night sky. The crackling of burning wood and steel filled the air, punctuated by the occasional explosion of tech equipment overheating and combusting.

As the last of the guards fell, their screams lost in the roar of the fire, I took a deep breath, allowing the Phoenix Force to cool slightly within me. I glanced around at what I had done—total annihilation. The entire building would be reduced to ash by the time the fire department arrived, and by then, I'd be long gone.

But Felicia… she was still out there, playing her little game.

I clenched my fist, the heat of the Phoenix simmering just under the surface. She had taken something important, and I wasn't about to let her get away with it. The drive was crucial, not just for my mission but for understanding the deeper mystery behind Stryker's work and possibly my own origins.

Still, as much as I wanted to hunt her down right now, I needed to stay low for the moment. A weird thought has been nagging me for some time now. I need to check it out. I turned to vapor and disappeared from that place.

...

[3rd person POV]

[Location: Classified]

A group of doctors and scientists were busy working on several things. The area was full of high-tech computers, lab equipment, and various machines. The atmosphere was tense, everyone focused on their respective tasks. A few soldiers patrolled the area, their faces hidden behind tactical masks.

Under that building was a hidden lab and only a handful of people were allowed access. The lab was state-of-the-art, filled with cutting-edge technology and equipment.

There was a massive glass tube and inside it was a person in some kind of liquid. His face was missing, eyes and nose to be exact, and there was a weird mask over his mouth. A machine was connected to the tube and a man was sitting in front of it, reading the monitor. It was none other than Sebastian Shaw, leader of the Hellfire Club.

"Dr. Essex, how is our guest doing?" He asked, glancing at the man beside him.

The man, Nathaniel Essex, was an expert in genetic research, mutation, and evolution. He was also one of the leading experts in xenobiology. He was wearing a white coat and had a bald head with sharp facial features. His eyes were red and had a creepy smile on his face.

"He's stable for now," Essex replied, adjusting his glasses. "But the procedure is extremely difficult, even for someone like me."

"I see," Shaw said, studying the monitor. "Any chance we can start the next phase of the project?"

"We need the key before we can continue. Find him for me and I'll give you what you want."