Some might wonder... Why not use super speed and phasing to go in straight or teleport inside? Well, I can't. Although Emma's spies disabled the outer nullifiers, the security measures in this room are different. The direct control is in Mr. Sinister's hands and that fucking wall has integrated nullifiers. In short, mutation won't work. But I almost forgot that mutant scanners don't work on me. So, getting in would be a piece of cake, hopefully. If things go south, I'll simply burn this place down to ashes.

I stepped into the chamber. The doors sealed behind me, the scanner whirring to life, bathing me in its cold, blue light. As the beams traced up and down, I forced myself to remain perfectly still, exuding the calm confidence of the assistant doctor I was impersonating.

The scanner's lights flickered, then shut off with a click. I'd passed.

Stepping forward, I emerged on the other side, greeted by a vast, sterile lab. The walls were lined with intricate machinery, towering containment units, and glass-walled observation chambers that stretched out in a perfect, pristine arrangement. The lab's cold, clinical atmosphere seeped into me, its silence like a coiled snake ready to strike.

Just ahead, across the polished floor and behind a thick wall of reinforced glass, I saw them.

I could see them: Mr. Sinister, tall and imposing with that piercing, inhuman gaze; his suit of dark armor glinting under the sterile lab lights. Next to him, in a sealed containment pod, was All For One, or rather, the remnants of him. He was just as Emma had described—a faceless, blank mask of flesh with only a closed, metal-bound mouth visible. The sight of him sent a shiver down my spine. That guy is fucking dangerous.

Sinister gestured at a nearby monitor showing a long, complex genetic sequence to another doctor—the likely result of their years of experiments with the faceless specimen. The pod All For One was in seemed to pulse faintly with a life-support system, a tangle of wires and tubes feeding into his body to keep him stable. I noted the meticulous design of everything around them—every pod, every piece of equipment screamed of Sinister's obsessive attention to detail.

I stayed in the shadows, keeping my borrowed face and stance relaxed to avoid arousing suspicion from any guards who might glance my way. I glanced around for the quickest way to disable the pod or, better yet, destroy it entirely. No amount of Sinister's expertise or twisted science would revive him if he was vaporized into nothing.

I picked up a data pad from the nearby table and began walking toward Sinister, doing my best to look like just another assistant handling routine lab work. I kept my steps steady, my face calm, channeling every ounce of the assistant doctor's confidence from his memories. Sinister's back was to me, engrossed in the swirling display of genetic data, unaware of the Phoenix Flames gathering silently around my hand as I held the data pad in front of me.

The other scientists didn't even glance my way. They were too busy working under Sinister's tyrannical supervision to notice another assistant approaching. I could feel the heat of the Phoenix Flames beneath my skin, just waiting for my signal. One shot, one strike. I just had to get close enough.

As I reached his side, Sinister finally glanced over, perhaps to instruct me on whatever monotonous task he thought I was here for. His face was calm, almost bored, as he looked at me, his sharp eyes not sensing the storm about to strike. He barely opened his mouth before I moved.

With a nice smile, I drove my fist straight into his chest, unleashing the Phoenix Flames. The flames erupted from my hand burning through layers of flesh and armor like they were paper. His expression shifted instantly from boredom to shock and pain as the fire burned through his body, his scream filling the lab.

"ARGGGG!!!" Mr. Sinister screamed in pain.

The scientists and guards turned, their eyes wide with horror, but it was too late. Sinister's body convulsed, writhing against the grip of the Phoenix Flames as I twisted my fist, ensuring every inch of his insides was charred beyond recovery. The flames ate through him mercilessly, disintegrating him from the inside out. His screams faded to a whimper as he collapsed into a smoldering pile of ash at my feet.

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That fucker is dead!

I glanced around, the flames still burning in my hand as the guards began to reach for their weapons. But before they could move, I raised my hand, sending a wave of Phoenix Flames crashing toward the closest ones. The fire roared across the room, engulfing them in an instant, and I could hear their panicked screams fade as they disappeared in the blaze.

All For One's pod hummed, still intact behind the glass wall. He was sealed within, powerless for now. I approached the console and typed in a command, locking the lab doors to trap any remaining staff. The lab was in chaos, people shouting, the alarms blaring, but nothing was going to stop me now.

I approached the containment pod, the faint pulses of All For One's life-support flickering on the monitors beside it. The pod seemed to radiate an oppressive aura, even in its dormant state. I took a deep breath, letting the Phoenix Flames roar even brighter around my hands.

"Not today," I murmured.

Instantly, the pod exploded outward, shards of glass and metal scattering as an intense, dark energy burst free. I barely had time to throw up a barrier of Phoenix Flames to shield myself as the blast radiated outward, filling the lab with an overwhelming force that tore everything apart. The machines crumpled like paper, walls disintegrated, and the entire structure shuddered under the weight of All For One's raw power.

When the shockwave finally dissipated, the world had transformed into a desolate, silent white landscape. Snow blanketed the ground, covering every trace of the lab, the machinery, the guards—there was nothing left but a cold, barren wasteland.

And there, in the midst of the snow, stood All For One. I could feel the weight of his presence pressing against me, a horrifying blend of twisted malice and unimaginable strength. He took off his mask and smiled. But he's still injured. I could feel his life force waning.

He chuckled softly, his voice a dark, rumbling echo that seemed to vibrate through the air. "Well, well... the Phoenix itself has come to greet me. How quaint."

I met his gaze, flames still dancing around my hands, defiant in the face of his power. "You should've stayed dead," I said, letting the Phoenix Flames intensify until they glowed like molten lava.

All For One's expression shifted. "And miss the opportunity to devour the very flames of rebirth? I think not." With a flick of his hand, dark tendrils of energy lashed out, clawing toward me.

I unleashed a wave of Phoenix Flames, meeting his dark energy head-on. The impact shook the very ground beneath us, sending waves of fire and darkness rippling through the snowy wasteland. We clashed, flames roaring against shadow, each force vying to consume the other. I could tell that the dark energy radiating from that freak was the power of decay.

"Your power... It's magnificent. To think that clone could withhold such power..." All For One sneered. "Doctor really outdid himself. Well, I'll take what's mine now, thank you."

"I don't think so," I unleashed a towering pillar of fire that spiraled toward him. The flames morphed, transforming into a phoenix-shaped blaze that soared toward All For One, its fiery wings stretching wide. The heat scorched the very air, and even he flinched as it bore down on him, engulfing him in the heart of its flames.

But, All For One teleported behind me and was about to grab me. "This is your end."

I decided to stop suppressing the Phoenix Force. Instantly, a burst of flames erupted, pushing him back. I could feel it. The limitless power of the cosmos. I could see the life force around me clearly. It's hard to explain but everything was clear and I could see every minute detail and the flow of energy around me. Then came the torrent of information on how to use the real power of the Phoenix Force in my mind. It was as if the Phoenix itself was guiding me.

The Phoenix Flame is a Cosmic entity after all. And I am the Phoenix, the physical representation of the Phoenix Force.

And this man... This freak is just a bug!

"Bastard!" All For One yelled, releasing a massive gravity pressure around the place. "I'll crush your body if I had to."

"Hahahaha!" I couldn't help but laugh at this bug's pathetic attempt to crush me. The gravity pressure of this level... What a joke! I can do that with my pinky.

"What's so funny?!" All For One was furious. He increased the intensity of the gravity pressure.

"You are already dead," I said, pointing my finger toward him. "Disintegration Ray."

An intense beam of golden light erupted from my hand, vaporizing everything in its path. The ray tore through the snowy wasteland, obliterating the very ground beneath it. And finally, it struck All For One, incinerating him in an instant. His body turned into golden dust in the air.

I watched the dust float away in the wind, the weight of his presence fading from the area.

That was easier than I thought. That guy is such a joke! He's no match for me. I clenched my fist and then released it. This new power is incredible. It felt like I could take on anything. But just to be sure, I used Phoenix Force to scan the surroundings. All For One's life force really did disappear.

"That bastard is dead! Phew," I sighed in relief.

This power is a freaking cheat. Jean struggled so much just to use a tiny portion of it and look at me now... I was overpowered beyond words. Anyway, I killed major enemies in less than two months or so. Stryker, Shaw, Sinister, and All For One. Now, all I need is that data drive in Black Cat's head. I just had to make sure that they don't have any clones shit and all that. Besides, I'm curious to know what's in that drive.

Well, time to go back...