Capturing Mystique

Robert didn't doubt Luna's words. After all, they had been working together for over a decade, and there was no reason for her to lie to him.

So, after some thought, he allowed Luna's men to take action and capture Garrick.

Luna, of course, did not refuse. She ordered her two bodyguards to stand behind the door. Once everything was ready, Robert took out his phone and sent a message for Garrick to come in.

"Knock, knock…"

"Mr Robert, what do you—"

Before Garrick could finish speaking, the two bodyguards ambushed him from both sides and pinned him down.

"What is going on?" Gernatt couldn't help but comment, "Oh, this mutant reeks… like durian, an odor both foul and sweet—so irritating."

Hearing the word "mutant," Garrick's pupils contracted. His originally orange eyes briefly turned a sharp yellow, resembling a lizard's, before quickly reverting to normal.

"Mr Robert, there must be some misunderstanding," Garrick said nervously.

Unsure of what to say, Robert turned to Luna for guidance. She smiled and suggested, "Perhaps Senator Kelly should ask something only you two would know. See if he can answer."

Robert nodded, finding the idea reasonable, and looked at Garrick. "Do you remember what happened in December four years ago, when you arranged for my hotel stay?"

Garrick hesitated, "Mr Kelly, I can't recall something from four years ago…"

Robert's eyes filled with disbelief and disappointment. "You're not Garrick! Who are you? Four years ago, a giant green creature went on a rampage at the hotel, nearly tearing it apart."

"We could never forget that! It was that incident that solidified our commitment to the Mutant Registration Act!"

Having confirmed that the person before him wasn't Garrick, Luna gestured to her bodyguards.

They tightened their grip, causing the captive to wince in pain. Unable to maintain the disguise any longer, the person's body began to transform.

Tiny blue scales covered her skin as she reverted to her true form: a woman with blue skin, red hair, and yellow, lizard-like eyes. She was none other than Mystique, Raven Darkholme.

Seeing Raven's true form, Robert staggered back in shock. "Who are you?"

Meanwhile, Adam's voice crackled through Luna's earpiece. "At all costs, bring her back to the company—dead or alive."

Hearing this command, Luna curiously observed the blue-skinned creature in front of her. Mystique's body was barely clothed, her scales forming a thin, tight covering that left nothing to the imagination yet obscured all the important parts.

While her shapeshifting ability was impressive, Luna didn't think it warranted such extreme measures. Still, orders were orders.

"Gernatt, summon all nearby Epsilon squad members. At all costs, we need to bring her back to the company, dead or alive!"

Gernatt hesitated. "But, Miss Luna, what about your safety?"

Luna smiled confidently. "Don't worry about me. Senator Kelly's men will ensure my protection. Isn't that right, Congressman?"

Snapping out of his shock, Robert nodded, his gaze still locked on Mystique. "Of course. But may I ask her a few questions first?"

"By all means," Luna replied.

Robert turned to Mystique. "Who are you? And where is the real Garry?"

She sneered. "He's been dead for a long time! Are you a mutant too? Why are you siding with humans?"

Mystique's gaze shifted to Gernatt, eyeing his strength and sharp senses, thinking he might be a mutant. Gernat, however, merely smirked. "I'm no mutant scum. I'm pure human."

In his eyes, mutants were simply ordinary people who had suddenly gained powers they didn't know how to use.

But he was different—an elite among elites, a Navy SEAL who had survived the T-3 virus enhancement. He was a "new" human.

Upon hearing that his loyal aide of over ten years was dead, Robert slumped onto the sofa, overwhelmed with grief. Luna, sensing the shift, gestured for her men to leave.

After some time, Robert regained his composure, though his face was pale. He looked at Luna and, in a hoarse voice, said, "I can get you into the Sentinels Project, but you must promise me one thing: do not let the murderer go!"

The Sentinels Project involved the development of robots designed to track, capture, and even kill mutants. Luna smiled confidently.

"Don't worry. Once someone enters Umbrella, there's no way they're getting out alive…"

.......

The next evening, at a villa near the New York coast…

"Mr. Stark, based on our analysis, this DNA couldn't possibly occur naturally."

"Indeed, such an extraordinary genetic combination is something we've never seen in decades of research."

"Frankly, if you hadn't brought us the muscle tissue, I would've thought it was fake."

"Mr. Stark, you MUST tell us where this came from!"

Tony Stark frowned as he looked at the so-called biology experts in front of him. "I'm here to get answers from you, not to hear more questions. I just need to know if there's a way to reverse this genetic mutation."

Due to the crash of an F-22, Tony was no longer the chairman of Stark Industries and was facing pressure from the military.

And since he hadn't yet had the opportunity to declare, "I am Iron Man," he had been lying low at home, studying the genetic material of the Insectoid.

But he found that the biologists he had hired were all too focused on marveling at the specimen and asking questions, without making any real progress.

"Reverse the mutation? Are you saying this is from a mutated gene?"

"Mr. Stark is right. Only a mutated gene could be this strange."

"Could this be related to the so-called mutants?"

"No, we already checked—there's no X-gene."

"Then if it's not a mutant, what kind of mutation is it?"

As they began to speculate again, Tony sighed in frustration. "I'm asking if you can find a way to reverse the mutation…"

The biologists exchanged awkward glances, unsure how to respond. They had never encountered such a mutation before and couldn't even begin to comprehend it, let alone reverse it.

Realizing these scientists were no help, Tony sent them away, "It seems I'll have to take a trip to the Middle East," he muttered to himself.

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