Lynn was fairly certain his guess wasn't wrong.
A green cloak, an iron mask, a fusion of science and sorcery—that was unmistakably Doctor Doom's style.
But the part that didn't make sense was how the resonator could show Natasha glimpses of the future.
That was… odd.
When it activated, he'd been focused entirely on absorbing the Power of Death; he hadn't noticed anything else unusual.
Thinking of this, Lynn asked, "Besides you, did anyone else see anything? Captain Rogers? The researchers?"
"No."
Natasha shook her head. "I asked around just now. No one saw anything like what I did."
"They only saw those translucent jellyfish-like things."
Scooping a bowl of milk macaroni from the pot, she handed it to him. "What about you? Did you notice anything unusual?"
"Nothing," Lynn said, taking the bowl. After a short pause, he added with mild reluctance, "If I had a choice, I'd rather not eat this stuff."
"Just eat it."
Natasha chuckled softly, then looked at him with a faint smile. "Everyone has secrets they'd rather keep. So when I file my report about this… future vision, I'll make sure it stays off the record."
"I don't know whether the powerful version of you I saw in that vision already had this ability, or if it's something you gained later—maybe through some accident in the future."
"But if that future means you're fighting alongside us, then that's good enough for me."
Natasha's serious gaze lingered on him. Lynn simply nodded in thanks.
He had to admit, the pineal gland was a remarkable thing.
He hadn't expected it to let Black Widow see fragments of the future.
After dinner, Lynn stood by the window, absently shuffling a deck of cards in his hand. His eyes, glowing faintly with the Power of Death, looked out into the night.
Outside, under the calm and quiet darkness, a magnetic field composed of faint, multicolored motes—imperceptible to the naked eye—encircled the entire villa within a hundred-meter radius.
Behind him, Steve was polishing his shield. Natasha lounged on the sofa, scrolling through old videos on her phone.
Ronak squatted silently in a corner, lost in thought.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. researchers, meanwhile, were deep in discussion about the resonator.
"Hey, where's Fix?"
One of the researchers suddenly looked around mid-conversation. "He said he was going to the bathroom. It's been over ten minutes—why isn't he back yet?"
"Don't tell me!" Natasha's instincts kicked in the moment she realized something was wrong. She drew her gun and ran toward the lab. "Fix must've gone back there!"
The group rushed upstairs, and Steve kicked open the lab door.
Fix stood in the center of the room, arms spread wide as if welcoming something unseen. Around him floated clusters of translucent jellyfish and eel-like creatures.
Startled by the noise, Fix turned his head toward them, eyes glassy with fascination. "It's… beautiful," he murmured dreamily. "They're like creatures from heaven."
Seeing that Fix had completely lost control of himself, Natasha didn't hesitate—she raised her gun and fired at the power cable.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several shots rang out, severing the cord instantly.
But even with the power cut, the resonator continued to hum, the purple light growing brighter and more intense.
Seeing this, Steve gripped his shield and prepared to charge forward—only for Lynn to grab his arm and hold him back.
"Don't move!"
Lynn pointed straight at Fix, his expression sharp. "Something's not right."
The moment he spoke, Fix's outstretched arms began twisting unnaturally, bones bending in impossible directions.
Yet his face showed no pain—only blissful ecstasy.
Then, his skull slowly split open down the middle, and from within, a fist-sized, mucus-covered growth began to push its way out.
"Oh my God…" Everyone instinctively stepped back.
Even Natasha's eyes widened in shock.
Especially when the tumor turned—and they realized a human face was growing on it.
"Damn it," Natasha hissed. "What the hell is that thing? I'd rather run a hundred more missions in Budapest than see something this disgusting again."
"God… Professor Wilson?"
Ronak took an involuntary step forward, recognizing the face. "That's Professor Wilson!"
"Oh, my most brilliant student…"
A voice oozed out from the growth as long, slimy, tentacle-like appendages began slithering out of Fix's skull.
After the tumor-like face dropped to the floor, it began to expand rapidly, transforming within seconds into a grotesque mass of pulsing flesh.
Before their horrified eyes, Professor Wilson slowly rose from the pile of meat. "How magnificent… My dear Ronak, do you see? Our experiment succeeded!"
"This proves not only the existence of higher-dimensional life forms but also grants us eternal life!"
Taking a step forward, the professor's slick, tentacle-like appendages writhed and waved in the air. "Ronak, what are you waiting for? He has given you the same power. Don't resist it—embrace it. Assimilate it."
"This world will soon belong to us!"
As soon as Wilson finished speaking, the bulge on Ronak's forehead began to twist violently.
A brown, worm-like creature suddenly tore through his skull and wriggled out.
Ronak clutched his head, kneeling on the floor in agony.
Natasha and Steve started forward to help, but Lynn threw out an arm to stop them.
Through his golden eyes, Lynn could see Ronak's body overflowing with a chaotic, alien energy that did not belong to this world.
A heartbeat later, Ronak threw his arms wide and screamed to the ceiling as dozens of slick tentacles burst from his body.
"Look at it!" Professor Wilson cried ecstatically. "Such power—why fight it, when you can become it?"
With a casual wave of his hand, Ronak's body was pulled through the air and slammed to Professor Wilson's side.
"Praise Loki, my dear student," Wilson declared, his voice reverberating with madness. "From this moment on, Earth belongs to us. Humanity will kneel beneath our feet and serve as our slaves!"
Hearing his arrogance, Steve stepped forward, shield in hand. "I've heard that line before," he said coldly. "And every single one of them lost in the end. No matter who you are, or what power you think you have—you'll fall just the same."
The moment Steve finished speaking, Wilson turned his grotesque gaze toward them. "What a sight—one man desperate to fit into this world, one drowning in guilt, and one pretending to be ordinary."
"What a fascinating mix," he said with a chilling grin. "But unfortunately… your little team won't exist for long."
As his words fell, a massive tentacle lashed out from his body, whipping toward them with blinding speed.
Steve instantly stepped in front of Natasha and Lynn, raising his shield to take the full brunt of the strike.
The tentacle slammed against vibranium with a deafening clang, sparks flying.
At the same time, Natasha and Lynn opened fire on Professor Wilson, their shots echoing through the laboratory.
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