World Guardian S.H.I.E.L.D. Decides to Defeat Duva to Prevent the Xenomorph Universe from Appearing

The rapidly evolving Xenomorph before them, its body expanding, was the one S.H.I.E.L.D. had decisively raided and successfully seized while Duva had taken his main force from New York to New Mexico.

These scientists had long known about the Xenomorphs. They were now consumed by fanaticism, eager to see whether they could bring this creature under their control.

"This Xenomorph is far too intelligent. After bursting from a prisoner's chest, we locked it in an Adamantium cage and subjected it to electric shocks and freezing. It immediately became obedient and extremely quiet."

Hill held a file in her hand, flipping through it quickly as she spoke.

Fury stared ahead. "But from another perspective, its obedience should make us more suspicious. That proves it isn't truly that intelligent. It's merely pretending to be clever."

At that moment, the Xenomorph completed its transformation and grew to around 2.7 meters tall.

Fury took one look, and his previously restless heart cooled slightly. "Too small."

"The Matriarch needs time to grow. According to the information provided by Blade, when he first met Duva, the Matriarch beside him was only two or three meters tall as well. But when it appeared in New Mexico, that Xenomorph had already reached 4.5 meters," Hill said.

"But that doesn't seem right. Every Xenomorph besides the Matriarch around Duva rapidly grows within a few hours after bursting from a chest. After transforming at an abnormal rate, they stop developing."

"Perhaps that is the Matriarch's special trait. Our preliminary conclusion is that Xenomorph society is structured much like a hive. A Matriarch leads a Xenomorph tribe. We have now gained preliminary control over this newborn Matriarch through pheromones, and we will soon command an entire Xenomorph colony." Hill looked at the report in her hands and explained.

Duva frequently dispatched Xenomorphs to raid vampire populations, making his name resound throughout the vampire world and even the entire underground world.

After so many operations of varying scale, any faction with even a little standing had gradually figured out some of the Xenomorphs' superficial habits through constant observation.

And now, Fury believed he had begun to explore the Xenomorphs' core secrets and was about to gain complete control over the species.

"Look, the Matriarch is creating a Biological Tube! Maybe it's about to lay eggs!" a scientist shouted.

The group immediately began using pheromones extracted from Xenomorph secretions to communicate with it.

They were extremely busy. At the very least, they had confirmed that the Facehuggers born from the Matriarch could also be controlled by them.

"It's time." A sharp glint flashed through Fury's single eye. "Send a senior agent to contact Duva and invite him to join S.H.I.E.L.D.! We have already mastered the thing he is proudest of. In our eyes, he no longer has any secrets."

An unsheathed sword was what people feared most. Fury understood that principle well. Once he had personally stripped away Duva's secrets and seized Duva's greatest reliance—the Xenomorphs—he no longer had anything to fear.

What? Thunder God's Hammer? Hadn't Duva only lifted it because of Thor? Besides, in Fury's eyes, Asgard was not truly divine. It was merely a powerful and relatively advanced race.

The worth of Thunder God's Hammer had to be questioned first. More importantly, once they took down Duva, they could do everything Duva could do—and certainly do it better. "What team should we invite him to join? The Avengers? The Howling Commandos? God Hammer? Sky Cavalry?" Hill listed a string of names.

"The Howling Commandos."

"An excellent idea. With Blade there, we can keep an eye on him too."

Fury gave Hill an expressionless look. "That's not why. I simply don't consider him human. Anyone who can stuff a Xenomorph Larva into his own chest and replace it whenever he wants cannot possibly be a normal human. He is better suited to be with ghosts, mummies, and zombies."

As for the Avengers? Absolutely not. That was Fury's number-one team. Only people who were completely trustworthy could join it.

"But he lifted Thunder God's Hammer. Thor originally left him, yet later returned to him on his own. That makes it impossible for us to judge Thor and Duva's standing in Asgard."

"I don't acknowledge him as the Thunder God. Not long ago, he was only a human. The strongest power he possesses is now ours as well!"

Fury turned and left the laboratory.

"It seems your side has made crucial progress. Otherwise, you wouldn't have sent you to invite me." Duva studied the beautiful woman before him seriously.

Natasha swept aside her wine-red hair. Her lips parted as she spoke to Duva, but her gaze had already drifted toward Thor. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is a global organization. Its doors are open to all capable and ambitious people—"

"We can phrase this differently, or it'll be too tiring. Also, when you speak to me, you can look into my eyes instead of staring at Thor. He won't be going with you."

"How rude. Still, a guest from Asgard deserves a higher level of treatment. One small misstep could trigger an international diplomatic dispute..."

Natasha stepped closer to Duva. The custom perfume she wore released wave after wave of fragrance that directly stirred the hormones. Before she could finish, Thor said in a deep voice, "I have no interest in your organization. Also, the smell coming off you is awful. It makes me want to sneeze."

Natasha's expression stiffened. In terms of charm, Thor had completely ignored her.

It was not because she lacked beauty or allure. Thor was simply fixated on the Xenomorphs around him, especially the newly emerged Xenomorphs born from biochemical monsters cultivated by Mister Blue. From time to time, he reached out to touch them, seizing every moment to familiarize himself with the Xenomorphs and consider how he should command this army against the Frost Giants after returning to Asgard.

These newly appeared, burly Xenomorphs resembling Abomination Xenomorphs naturally caught Natasha's attention. This cunning woman merely glanced at them before quickly looking away, but she had already committed everything to memory.

Duva smiled. "It seems your beauty cannot move a god over a thousand years old and rich in experience. My instincts tell me you understand men very well, but don't forget, if I truly wanted to do something, I clearly have better choices."

The smile on Natasha's face gradually vanished. Every muscle in her body tightened as she prepared to fight at any moment, staring fixedly at Mystique Raven approaching them.

Every few steps, Raven changed into the appearance of another beautiful woman. Each one had a voluptuous figure, and any one of them would have been a stunning beauty. In the end, she transformed into Natasha.

"Fury sent me to invite you to join the Howling Commandos. Blade is also on that team. The two of you would make excellent partners. If you agree, you will begin as a Level 9 Agent. Globally, Level 9 is an extremely high starting point."

Natasha's face remained stiff. "We will also provide you with a professional scientific team to assist your biological engineering research. All kinds of rare knowledge and resources will be prioritized for you."

"What do I have to give?"

"Follow S.H.I.E.L.D.'s command. Give up your personal control over Thor. Your Xenomorphs will also be counted as part of your power. Join S.H.I.E.L.D., and there is also Thunder God's Hammer—"

"Listen to this woman's nonsense, Thor. These people actually think I'm controlling you. And she isn't even willing to respectfully address me as Thunder God Your Excellency."

Just as Thor was about to erupt, Duva spoke. His words made Thor's eyes widen in helpless disbelief.

Duva looked at Natasha seriously. "I will not join a group of thieves. You know what I mean. You took something very important from me. Let me also remind you that no matter how hard you try, in my eyes, what you create will only be a batch of laughable imitations. You will never be able to match me."

Natasha finally frowned. "Have you really made up your mind? You may very well be classified as a supercriminal by the authorities. Uncontrolled group power can never be allowed freedom. That is absolutely unacceptable."

"Such as the Brotherhood, The Hand, Hellfire, Kunlun, the Ten Rings Gang, the Inhumans, Atlantis? Do I need to name a few more?"

Duva counted on his fingers, then said, "I have reached a new agreement with the prince beside me. If you refuse, fine. Then that will be a grave provocation against me, Asgard's new Thunder God. You had better consider the consequences. You people who made no progress in the struggle for New Mexico want to concern yourselves with Thor and me, the new Thunder God, after the battle is over? Do you know the status of the Thunder God in Asgard?"

"What agreement? An agreement with the Prince of Asgard?" Natasha's mind raced as she seized upon the most important words, concealing her doubts.

She desperately wanted to ask for details, but Duva clearly had no intention of wasting words on her. She turned and left. There was no point in continuing the conversation. Before departing, she glanced back at Raven and said to Duva, "I truly never expected you to be interested in a sixty-year-old grandmother with so many tricks."

"I'll see her out."

The moment Natasha left, Raven spoke and followed after her without hesitation. Clearly, she intended to do something unfriendly.

Duva estimated that with the boost from the Xenomorph Larva and her first-rate combat skills, Raven would have no trouble dealing with a genetically enhanced Natasha.

Duva had no interest in whether that public bicycle lived or died. He focused on fulfilling his promise.

"Dr. Sterns, you need to speed up the cultivation process. A mere hundred or so is nowhere near enough." Duva sent an order to Mister Blue underground.

Mister Blue rubbed his oversized head. He still was not used to the psychic thoughts emanating from his chest and drilling straight into his brain. As someone who relied heavily on his brain, it made him feel deeply insecure.

But when he thought about the beautiful Xenomorph living inside his chest, and how he could secretly study it whenever Duva was not paying attention, Mister Blue's mood improved again. Even his production of biochemical monsters became far more efficient.

"I saved those up with great difficulty. They were gifts I offered you in order to join you. You cannot treat that number as something I can casually produce..." Mister Blue tried his best to explain to Duva, naturally through the Xenomorph in his chest.

But Duva clearly was not listening.

"One week. I want five hundred. Otherwise, you have little value to me. Prepare to welcome a Chestburster. Your life will continue in the form of a Xenomorph." Duva was merciless.

He could tolerate these people's ambitions and every attempt they made at betrayal, but he could never tolerate their incompetence.

If they were not going to work like beasts for him, would there not have been no point in parasitizing them? Duva himself began rapidly advancing the next stage of his plan. He dispatched Xenomorphs on a massive scale, splitting them into teams of five as they swiftly cleansed all vampires from New York and its surrounding areas.

Yes, including the human traitors who worshipped and pledged themselves to vampires—the Ghoul Clan. All of them became hunting targets.

New York was precisely the stronghold of the vampire kingdom. With the immense wealth accumulated over generations, those creatures enjoyed the delights of life in this decadent city.

Although Blade and Duva had taken turns cleaning them up over the past period, they still had a population of some size, even as that population rapidly dwindled.

Many vampires were not afraid of Blade. No matter how strong Blade was, he was only one person. But they feared Duva. The power in Duva's hands only grew stronger with every battle, and its numbers only increased. He was the vampires' natural enemy.

Even during the daytime, Duva remotely commanded dozens of Xenomorph teams through streets and alleys to search for vampires, occasionally drawing the attention of civilians.

The vampires wailed miserably and even brought out weapons like RPGs, inflicting some damage on the Xenomorphs. But they soon discovered in horror that the Xenomorph force facing them was rapidly expanding! This time, they killed five Xenomorphs. The next time, more than ten arrived!

The total number of Xenomorphs was rapidly expanding, and Duva's actions finally enraged S.H.I.E.L.D. Even if he was hunting vampires, he was still using private armed violence to disrupt the previously stable public order. He was openly using private order to challenge the public order maintained by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Pale-faced and still recovering from severe injuries, Natasha submitted her report, making Fury completely lose patience.

"Duva is becoming more and more reckless. The Xenomorphs number in the hundreds. At this rate, will he use an army of that scale to hold all of New York City hostage?"

"Right now, they are targeting vampires. Soon, they will target supercriminals, then ordinary humans. In the end, even every stray cat and dog on the roadside may have a Xenomorph Larva parasitizing its body!"

Fury looked at the reports piling up like snowflakes in his hands, his face ashen. He truly could not understand whether Duva was preparing for war. Why was he acting so shamelessly, not even bothering to maintain appearances? What truly sent chills through Fury was the Xenomorphs' reproductive mechanism.

Originally, Fury had not believed the Xenomorph Queen's reproductive capacity could be that terrifying. No matter how much one Matriarch reproduced, the colony's numbers would always be limited.

But after observing the Queen imprisoned in the Adamantium cage, Fury naturally had a thought: What if Duva could not control too many Xenomorphs and a few broke free? They could parasitize birds and migrate far away; parasitize fish and enter oceans beyond humanity's reach...

Then, under certain conditions, they would all transform into Matriarchs...

Good lord, would the entire planet be overrun by uncontrolled Xenomorphs?

The more Fury learned, the more he favored and valued the Xenomorphs, but the more clearly he understood the terrifying potential danger they would pose to the world if they went out of control.

This had nothing to do with his assessment of Duva's "talent." It was purely a matter of safety!

Things were still manageable. There were only barely over a hundred Xenomorphs for now, so...

"Taking down Duva will inevitably come at a terrible cost. Our agents and heroes will suffer grievous casualties against Duva, who possesses Thunder God's Hammer and a Xenomorph army!"

Fury thought of the Queen in his possession. Under their pheromone commands and with an unlimited supply of nutrients, it laid eggs rapidly every day. In only a few days, it had already accumulated a considerable number.

The scientists speculated that this Xenomorph Matriarch had likely awakened genes that greatly increased its egg-laying speed because it had undergone a spontaneous transformation and needed to expand the colony.

Duva's Matriarch, however, did not seem to possess that trait.

Xenomorphs were a species that fused and evolved toward different genetic paths. Such a difference seemed logically possible, although it was also possible that Duva was deliberately suppressing that Matriarch's egg-laying ability.

A glint of resolve and fervor flashed through Fury's eyes. "...We will act as well. We will use Xenomorphs to defeat Xenomorphs. Duva will watch in despair as we cultivate and employ Xenomorphs far beyond his capabilities. He is ultimately just a lucky man who happened to develop the Xenomorphs. Only in our hands can Xenomorphs become truly controllable, perfect biological weapons—power that safeguards Earth's security!"