Chapter 413
Laura Kinney's Adamantium claws are different from Wolverine's and Deathbird's. Wolverine has three claws on each hand, while Deathbird's claws are the fingernails on all ten fingers of both hands.
And she... has two steel claws on each hand and one steel claw on each foot!
The number of steel claws is the same as Wolverine's, but they are used on both the upper and lower body, making them more agile and more lethal!
"Would you like to come with us?"
Su Quan didn't specifically call the Deathbird over to make Laura Kinney call him "Dad," nor was it for a family reunion. Su Quan had only one purpose: to recruit her!
Laura Kinney hesitated.
Her childhood was tragic. She was subjected to experiments and training to kill from a young age. Even after leaving the laboratory and joining the Essex Corporation, she was still treated as a killing machine.
Over the years, she has also proven herself to be an excellent assassin.
However, she was confused. She didn't know why she had to become an assassin, why she had to become a killing machine, or why she had to cause pain to others.
But if we don't do these things, what else can we do?
Confusion, loneliness, sorrow...
Various emotions would occasionally surge into her mind in the middle of the night, making her wonder why she was alone and what the meaning of her existence was.
Su Quan's suggestion appealed to her. They were not her parents, of course, but their similar abilities naturally made her feel favorably towards and trust them.
"I..." Laura Kinney hesitated, unsure of what to say.
The Ultimate Sentinel couldn't help but speak up.
"X-23, are you betraying the company? Do you know what the consequences will be? The company won't let you get away with this, and it won't let any of you get away with this!"
Laura Kinney looked at her and said calmly, "I'm not afraid, and I don't care."
"Why? Just because they have the same abilities as you? Don't be silly. If there's one you, there can be countless others like you. They have nothing to do with you."
"You... you'll die!"
The Ultimate Sentinel tried to persuade him loudly, not understanding.
She wasn't exaggerating; even with Laura Kinney's powerful Self-Healing Abilities, the company already had ways to kill her completely.
Wolverine dead, isn't he?
Laura Kinney shook her head and said slowly but firmly, "No, I just... want to make my own decision this time!"
The Ultimate Sentinel opened his mouth, but ultimately shook his head and sighed, "Fine, since you've made up your mind, I can't stop you, I can only..."
"Bang!"
Before the Ultimate Sentinel could finish speaking, his head suddenly exploded.
Blood and flesh splattered everywhere as the headless, modified body slowly collapsed, its blood gradually soaking the ground.
"Ah..."
The unconscious Kiden Nikos was splashed with hot blood, which woke her up. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the headless Ultimate Sentinel, and she instinctively cried out.
Immediately afterwards, a special energy fluctuation emanated from her body, and the flow of time was instantly frozen.
People, objects, even the lamplight on the wall, the blood on the ground, the gentle breeze—everything was frozen in place.
Kiden Nikos a slight step back in alarm, slowly got up while leaning against the wall, glanced at the corpses of the Ultimate Sentinel and the X-Man, and then at the strange woman who had appeared on the enemy's side and the calm-looking Laura Kinney.
Gritting his teeth, he staggered and staggered toward Laura Kinney.
The company's mission for them was to capture the man named Su Quan alive, no matter the cost.
But now they have almost all been wiped out, leaving only himself, who is seriously injured and on the verge of death, and Laura Kinney, who only knows how to act recklessly, making it impossible for them to complete the mission.
Given my current situation, it's impossible for me to keep Time Stop to send Su Quan back to the company. I can only... I can only retreat with Laura Kinney for now.
Once he leaves this laboratory, he can resume the flow of time and have her take him back to the company for treatment.
New Magneto, X-Man, and the Ultimate Sentinel are all dead. The company suffered heavy losses of its strongmen this time, so... they shouldn't kill them because of the mission failure.
Kiden Nikos followed Laura Kinney closely, grabbing her arm and preparing to drag her away, but just then, a voice suddenly rang out.
"You want to take her away, did you ask me?"
Kiden Nikos awake and turned in shock to look at Su Quan, who was wearing a faint smile.
"You... you... how is this possible?! You are not affected by the flow of time!"
Su Quan shrugged. "You're not the only one who can Manipulate Time. My authority over time is higher than yours."
Kiden Nikos stunned. Her only ability and means was to stop the flow of time for all things except herself. Now that there was someone who was unaffected, she was at a loss.
What should I do now?
Should we charge in?
No, that would be suicide!
Run?
Even if I give up on Laura Kinney, I can't escape on my own. And even if I do escape, how far can I run in my current state?
Moreover, they simply couldn't get rid of the other party.
Seeing the bewildered Kiden Nikos, Su Quan couldn't help but laugh and shouted, "Hey, you're going to die."
"I...I know," Kiden Nikos murmured.
Do you want to live?
"If you switch allegiance to me, I will heal your injuries; otherwise... in your current state, you will die within ten minutes without my intervention!"
"You're still so young, you haven't seen a brighter future, you haven't truly experienced life, and you're already dying like this? Are you willing to accept that?"
Kiden Nikos's lips twitched. "I... I'm not reconciled..."
Su Quan smiled without saying a word and slowly extended his hand to her.
A moment later, a slender hand grasped his, and Kiden Nikos turned and stood beside him, restoring the flow of time.
"Huh?"
"When will you..."
The moment time returned to normal, everyone was surprised to find Kiden Nikos standing next to Su Quan, holding his hand.
"Kiden Nikos, you..." Laura Kinney was slightly taken aback, then looked at Su Quan: "You killed her?"
She was referring to the Ultimate Sentinel.
The death of the Ultimate Sentinel was too sudden. In this situation, the first person she thought of was Su Quan.
Su Quan had both the ability and the motivation.
"If I wanted to kill her, she would have been dead long ago," Su Quan shook his head in denial.
"Cyborgs, also known as electronic humans, mechanized humans, modified humans, or bio-engineered humans, are machines made of inorganic matter that serve as part of an organic body, using artificial technology to enhance or strengthen the abilities of the organism."
"I'm very interested in her kind of existence!"
Cyborgs are a general term for cyborgs, and representative figures include: Motoko Kusanagi from Motoko Kusanagi in the Ghost in the Shell, Alex Murphy from RoboCop, Genos from One-Punch Man, Alita from Alita: Battle Angel, and so on.
Cable from X- Mutants: Wolverine and Donald Pierce from Logan also belong to this category. The latter is also an employee of Essex Corporation, and he should be using the same technology as the Ultimate Sentinel.
Oh, and there's Cyborg from the DC Universe next door.
Laura Kinney chose to believe Su Quan; if he hadn't killed the Ultimate Sentinel, then it was... the company!
The company must have implanted a program in her brain that allows for remote control or some kind of trigger, which she probably doesn't even know about.
What a pity...
As Laura Kinney was thinking this, she suddenly heard Su Quan also say "what a pity," and then he raised his hand and sent a ball of golden-red energy light onto the Ultimate Sentinel.
This is the Phoenix Force!
The Phoenix Force is the embodiment of life, the reservoir and controller of life and emotional energy for Afterlife in the infinite Multiverse.
Su Quan's Phoenix Force naturally also possesses this ability; the only difference is the amount of future life energy it stores and controls.
If one person is resurrected, then one person will never be born again.
Sacrificing an unborn stranger or enemy to resurrect someone close to you or someone you're interested in is a worthwhile trade!
To put it another way, it's just life energy, which we have plenty of. How much life energy does it take to resurrect a person? It's just a drop in the ocean, something we can easily replenish with a little effort.
As the Phoenix Force surged and life energy was depleted, in a dazzling light, the Ultimate Sentinel's head, which had been blown off, rapidly regenerated and reappeared.
The enveloping light gradually dissipated, and the Ultimate Sentinel's eyes slowly opened.
"I... I exploded? No, how am I still alive?" The Ultimate Sentinel murmured blankly, gradually regaining his senses and coming to his senses.
"You did explode, but I resurrected you," Su Quan said with a smile.
The Ultimate Sentinel looked at Laura Kinney and Kiden Nikos beside Su Quan, remained silent for a long time, then stood up and said, "From now on, I'll listen to you!"
"Know your place."
Su Quan nodded with a smile. In this way, the three strongest Mutants of Essex Corporation — Laura Kinney, Kiden Nikos, and the Ultimate Sentinel —would all be on his side.
"My goal from the beginning has been to kill Mr. Sinister and destroy the Essex Corporation. Now that he has made his move, it would be impolite not to return the favor. Now it's my turn!"