Chapter 12: The Eagle's Call - Part 1
The SHIELD's sleek, black car pulled up in front of a nondescript building in the heart of a seemingly deserted industrial area. The door opened, and Kael stepped out, stretching his body slightly. The air inside the vehicle had been clean and filtered but laden with a silent tension.
Two agents awaited him at the entrance. He recognized them immediately. On the left, Clint Barton, Hawkeye, wearing tactical gear. On the right, Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, was a study in lethal grace.
"Kael," Natasha said with a nod. "It's a pleasure to see you again under less... explosive circumstances."
"Widow," he replied. "Hawkeye."
"Let's go, the Director doesn't like to wait," Clint said, turning and leading the way inside.
The interior was exactly what Kael expected: wide, well-lit corridors, steel walls, the muffled sound of their footsteps echoing. As they walked, Clint slowed his pace to fall in beside Kael.
"So, about those... archers of yours," Clint began, his tone a little too casual to be genuine. "Their aim. It's almost perfect. I saw the footage from the Hydra attack. Every arrow, a target. Fluid movement, impeccable posture."
Kael kept his face impassive. "They are efficient."
"Efficient is an understatement," Clint insisted. "They say practice makes perfect, but that... is another level."
"She's not even the best of my troops," Kael replied with a shrug, his voice neutral.
Clint stopped for a split second, surprised. "Really? You've got something better than a supernatural sharpshooter?"
For a brief moment, Kael's mind traveled within himself, to his kingdom. He thought of the common Archers, yes, disciplined and deadly. But then he remembered that, at the peak of his village's power, among his most powerful troops, was the Archer Queen, a figure of immense power, a legendary champion whose presence on the battlefield was synonymous with devastation. No other archer in his army compared to her.
"There is a... superior version," Kael finally said, breaking the silence. "The best. The ultimate one."
Clint seemed to want to ask more questions, but a quick look from Natasha made him back down. The subject was closed.
Kael then shifted focus. "And about the people who attacked me at the restaurant? Hydra. Did you find out anything?"
It was Natasha who answered, her voice soft but firm as steel. "That's a SHIELD matter now, Kael. Hydra is a global threat. You will be informed of any development that is in your interest, or that affects the security of the X-Men."
Kael didn't reply. He simply observed. His body, enhanced by the very Omega nature of his power, was an instrument of sharp perception. He saw the micro-expressions: the almost imperceptible tightening at the corners of Clint's eyes. The tiny tension in Natasha's jaw. They knew something. Something they weren't telling. Kael filed the information away. It wasn't his war. Not yet.
They reached an elevator that descended several floors. The doors opened into a command center. Giant screens covered the walls. In the center, with his back to them, was Nick Fury. By his side, Maria Hill.
Fury didn't turn immediately. He was watching a screen with the molecular analysis of a Healing Potion.
"Kael," Fury's voice echoed through the room. "Our best researchers can't replicate or properly analyze your healing potions. The molecular structure is unstable outside the vial."
Kael remained silent for a moment. "And who said that's my problem?" Kael finally asked, his voice calm but sharp.
A heavy silence fell over the room. A muscular agent near the control console took a step forward. "You will show respect to the Director, mut—"
He didn't finish the word.
A near-inaudible swoosh cut through the air. A sudden, cold, metallic, and sharp pressure pressed against the agent's jugular. He froze in place, his eyes wide. The tip of an arrow, held by a firm hand, was resting against his neck. No one had seen her arrive.
Beside the paralyzed agent, materialized from the shadows, stood a Stealth Archer. Her form was sleek, clad in dark, muted colors perfect for blending into the background. A hood obscured her features, and her eyes, visible underneath, glowed with a supernatural intensity, fixed on Kael, awaiting his command.
The tension in the room became electric. The sudden reminder of Kael's power hit everyone like a shock.
"Point taken," Fury said, his voice unexpectedly contained. "Stand down. All of you."
Kael gave a slight nod. The Stealth Archer, with fluid motions, removed the arrow tip from the agent's neck and returned it to her quiver. Then, she simply vanished. There was no sound, just a dissolution into the shadows.
The gasping agent stumbled back, his face pale. The message had been sent.
Fury took a deep breath, ignoring the incident. "As I was saying. Let's get to the point." He gestured to Maria Hill.
One of the giant screens changed, showing a series of hidden facilities marked with the logos of Hydra, A.I.M., and Weapon X.
"As part of our agreement," Fury declared, "the initial focus is to dismantle mutant research and imprisonment facilities. The goal is to free the individuals held there."
Kael studied the screens and nodded. "What's the first target?"
Fury pointed to the Weapon X symbol. "William Stryker. After recent events, he's cornered and desperate. We hit him before he decides to launch a nuclear attack on Xavier's School."
Kael felt a chill down his spine. The logic was sound. "I agree."
"The attack is in 48 hours," Maria Hill informed. "You and a selected SHIELD squad will make the initial assault."
"I bring who I want from my side," Kael countered, his voice making it clear this was not a request.
Fury stared at him, then nodded. "As long as the mission is accomplished. Tell the X-Men what you deem necessary."
"I will tell them the plan," Kael replied.
Without further ado, he turned and left. This time, no one tried to stop him.
The ride back to the X-Mansion was silent. Kael looked out the window, his mind already planning, not which troops to use, but the order and combination in which to deploy them. The brute force of Barbarians, the precision of Archers, the overwhelming power of P.E.K.K.A., and the swift versatility of his Battle Deck—they were all his to command. They were moving out of the defensive. This would be the first real strike.
Then, his mind wandered to the possibilities. Weapon X. Stryker. His experiments. He remembered X-23. What version of her would they find? He imagined the look on Logan's face upon discovering he had a daughter. And another figure came to his mind: Lady Deathstrike. Would she be the loyal version from the comics, or the mentally controlled version from the films?
The attack was taking shape, and with it, the future of many.
Chapter 12: The Eagle's Call - Part 2
The X-Jet hovered silently over the dense forest surrounding the Alkali Lake Dam. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with the solemn quiet that precedes battle. Kael looked out the window, his enhanced vision making out the outlines of the massive concrete structure in the distance.
"Smooth landing in three... two... one," Ororo's calm voice announced. The aircraft touched down with a slight jolt in a hidden clearing, a safe distance away to avoid early detection.
As the ramp lowered, the cold, damp forest air filled the compartment. Leaning against a tree with a casual posture that belied the alertness in his eyes was Clint Barton. He was wearing a modernized, more tactical version of his classic purple comic book suit.
"Thought you'd get lost," he greeted with a half-smile. "Come on, the party's about to start, and you're the guests of honor."
Following Clint, the group reached a camouflaged observation point. Several SHIELD agents were already positioned there. Kael closed his eyes and summoned his main village army.
The air behind them shimmered. From a silent rift in reality, Kael's army emerged. It was an impressive force. The Barbarians now sported a small, hammered metal tiara on their foreheads. The Archers lined up with deadly grace, their hair now a deeper, wine-purple hue. The Giants had large, golden knuckle-dusters wrapped around their stony fists. The Mages' robes had shifted from light blue to a richer, mystical lilac. Among the troops were the Healers, their white wings and golden halos glowing softly in the dim light.
The SHIELD archer whistled softly. "Man... seeing it on film is one thing. Seeing it live is... different."
Kael didn't respond. He turned his focus to his second power source: the Arena Battle Deck. His elixir bar was full. To summon the evolved troops, he needed to expend his entire bar at once, regardless of the troop's normal cost. He concentrated, and the energy drained completely.
The space in front of him distorted, and with a sound of grinding metal, a colossal figure appeared. It was a P.E.K.K.A., but unlike the normal one. A thick leather strap in an "X" pattern was fastened across its chest, and the massive blade it carried now glowed with a supernatural pink light.
The SHIELD agents instinctively recoiled, their faces a mask of pure astonishment.
Kael turned to Natasha. "When do we start?"
"We were just waiting for you," she replied instantly.
A cold smile spread across Kael's face. His troops, an extension of his will, began to advance.
As the army marched, Kael felt his elixir bar already rapidly refilling. This time, he channeled the accumulated energy into another evolutionary summon. The air around him chilled, and from the ground, a horde of Skeletons arose. Among them, one stood out: it wore a rusted metal helmet and held a long spear from which a flag with a skull emblem fluttered. A Skeleton Commander. While the common skeletons rushed toward the base with eerie screeches, the Commander remained at Kael's side. As long as it stood, the rest of the skeletal horde would persist.
With a nod, Kael, the X-Men, and the SHIELD agents advanced. The approach was not one of subtlety, but of overwhelming power. The Giants were already at the main gate, absorbing a hail of gunfire from the guards.
Kael didn't break stride. He extended his hand, and a yellow-orange Fireball spell materialized instantly. He launched it.
The Fireball flew like a comet, hitting the center of the reinforced gate with a deafening impact. The metal didn't just buckle; it melted and exploded inward. The guards and agents looked at Kael with a new wave of surprise.
The infiltration became a destructive onslaught. The base guards were completely unprepared for the diversified, supernatural horde. Kael's troops were unstoppable.
Kael advanced through the chaos, flanked by Ororo, Logan, and Shadowcat. They saw William Stryker observing from an upper level.
Stryker, realizing he was discovered, shouted an order. A figure emerged from the shadows behind him – Lady Deathstrike. Her appearance matched the version from the X-Men films, with adamantium fingernails extending from her fingertips and a blank, controlled stare. She leaped through the broken window, landing before the group.
Stryker began his usual villainous speech. "You think you're superior? You are an aberration, a cancer that I will..."
Kael didn't let him finish. In a burst of speed, he shot forward. Before Lady Deathstrike could fully position herself, Kael's fist connected with her jaw with a sharp, bony crack. Her eyes rolled back, and she fell to the ground, unconscious. A single blow.
Stryker, in a panic, frantically pressed a button on a remote on his wrist.
Immediately, a piercing, high-pitched hum filled the air. Ororo, who was floating, suddenly fell, her weather powers severely suppressed.
Stryker laughed, a desperate sound. "You see?! It works! The Mutant Suppressor works! Your power is useless!" He drew a heavy pistol and aimed it directly at Kael's forehead. "I will rid the world of your filth!"
As Stryker spoke his last words of hate, Kael simply raised his hand and grabbed the gun's barrel. With minimal pressure from his fingers, the high-strength metal crumpled, trapping Stryker's fingers in the deformed weapon. The villain screamed in pain and surprise.
Before Stryker could process this, Kael delivered a quick, precise punch to his temple. The man's head snapped to the side, and he fell unconscious to the floor.
Kael then located the source of the hum—a pulsing device on a nearby column—and crushed it under his foot. The humming ceased immediately. Ororo gasped as her powers returned.
Logan approached, looking from the destroyed device to Kael. "How the hell didn't that affect you, kid?"
"It did, Logan," Kael explained. "My primary mutation, the gateway to my dimension, was suppressed. I couldn't have summoned more troops while that thing was active. But my strength, speed, and resilience... that comes from the Elixir flowing in my body. It's an energy source, not a mutation. The suppressor was useless against that."
He then looked at Stryker's unconscious body. "What do we do with him? The decision is yours. You have more history with this man than any of us."
Wolverine looked at the face of the man who had tortured him. A war of emotions raged in his eyes. Then, with a dark resignation, he spoke, his voice a low growl.
"I've lived long enough to know. Some people... some wounds... don't heal. Men like him don't seek redemption and don't deserve a second chance to cause more suffering." He looked at Kael and Ororo, a deep weariness in his gaze. "The world will be safer without him."
Without hesitation, Logan stepped forward. With a definitive shhnikt, his three adamantium claws extended. He drove them deep into Stryker's chest. The villain's body arched for a moment before going completely still.
The rest of the rescue at the base was anticlimactic. The remaining mutants, scared and confused, were freed and guided to safety.
Back at the X-Mansion, the atmosphere was one of exhaustion but cautious triumph. Hank McCoy approached the main group.
"A resounding success," Hank announced. "Kael's troops were... perfect. We rescued dozens of our brothers and sisters today."
He then hesitated, his yellow eyes turning to Logan. "Logan... there's one thing. We found something in Weapon X's main archives. Something... that directly concerns you."
The room fell quiet. Logan froze. "What is it, Hank?"
Hank took a deep breath. "Stryker didn't stop with you. The Weapon X project continued. They found a way to sequence and manipulate your DNA to create a new subject."
Ororo put a hand on Logan's arm. "Create? What do you mean, Hank?"
"They called her Weapon X-23," Hank explained, his voice grave. "She is... a young woman. Cloned from Logan's genetic material. Created, trained, and conditioned to be the perfect assassin since she was a child."
Ororo was stunned. "She is... she is his daughter?"
"In a biological and genetic sense, yes," Hank confirmed. "She carries his DNA, his healing factor, and his bone claws, though only two in each hand and a set in her feet."
All eyes were on Logan. His expression was a complex tapestry of emotions: first total disbelief, then a deep, boiling anger at what had been done to a child—a child who was, in essence, his daughter. This was followed by an overwhelming wave of confusion and a stab of a protective instinct he didn't even know he possessed.
Kael, who had been observing the whole scene, couldn't contain a small, discreet smile that touched his lips. Seeing the genuinely stunned and vulnerable expression on the always-gruff Logan's face was something to behold. The old lone wolf's journey was about to take a whole new turn.