Chapter 85

Roman, however, seemed oddly calm. He reached into his bag and pulled out the laptop.

"Here," he said, thrusting the device into Xavier's hands. "Hold this."

"What the hell are you doing?"

Roman began stripping off his tactical gear, tossing aside his vest and shirt. "Just wait here."

"Are you insane?" Xavier hissed. "This isn't the time for jokes!"

"Who says I'm joking, tin man."

Before Xavier could respond, Roman's body began to change. It started with his hands - fingers cracking and stretching like hot metal being forged, each digit extending into foot-long obsidian claws. His muscles convulsed and swelled, quadrupling in size as tendons and ligaments rewrote themselves. The sound of bones restructuring filled the air - wet snaps and pops as his skeleton reformed, growing denser and larger until his frame had doubled in size. His shoulders broadened with sickening crunches, vertebrae elongating one by one up his spine.