Knight System

In 2006, six years after the meteorite incident in a small town in Kansas, within a research and development base owned by the Osborn Group in New York.

"This is the Knight System developed by our Osborn Group's industrial department for Xenomorphs. Users who wear it can gain power and speed comparable to Xenomorphs, but it places high demands on the user's physical fitness. According to our experimental data, the acceleration requires withstanding high loads, so it's best for the wearer to be an active fighter pilot, the very best."

Norman Osborn, full of confidence, explained to everyone. Beside him stood a humanoid armor encased in a display case, about two meters tall, with an overall sleek and streamlined appearance. The armor itself was based on a black flexible material, covered with red plate-like armor. Between the armor plates were golden energy conduits, exuding a refined technological beauty just by looking at it.

"Norman Osborn, our time is very valuable. If you've merely 'invented' this armor of questionable utility, there's no need for us to make this trip!"

The audience consisted of people from the Department of Defense and the military. The one raising the objection was a lieutenant general. He looked at the confident Norman Osborn, his words tinged with displeasure.

They were well aware of the capabilities of Norman Osborn, their military partner.

To replicate the miracle of Captain America, they had long been cooperating with the Osborn Group. However, Norman's so-called "human enhancement serum" had yet to yield any results, and the funds spent were enough to launch a regional war.

But the situation had been too unusual these past two years. The appearance of Xenomorphs had disrupted all of America's plans, and even high-ranking military officials had been infiltrated by Xenomorphs. Consequently, all external operations were canceled, and the military funds originally intended for foreign wars were diverted to Xenomorph research.

The American military in Hollywood movies was just that—a movie. They had no experience fighting enemies from outer space. Since Xenomorphs primarily appeared in densely populated urban areas, where weapons of mass destruction were restricted, current individual soldier weapons were incapable of inflicting effective damage. They could only resort to a scattershot approach, placing specialized development orders with multiple industrial groups.

The development cycle from project initiation to the present had been too short. Only the Osborn Group had managed to produce a product. Even without high hopes, they had come.

Seeing the expression on the lieutenant general's face, Norman Osborn immediately said, "The Knight System has been fully debugged and is ready for actual combat operations at any time. Data can only tell part of the story; its performance in practical application is more convincing."

As a ruthless individual who had applied the unfinished "human enhancement serum" to himself, Norman Osborn had personally worn the Knight System. Having undergone corresponding enhancement and modification surgeries, he could fully unleash the armor's power, hence his confidence.

A lieutenant named Sonon was assigned to test the weapon. This lieutenant was a tall white male, a former pilot of the EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft stationed at a US base in Japan. Due to the Xenomorph incident, he had been recalled to the country, perfectly fitting the archetype of a protagonist in a mainstream American movie.

Under the guidance of Osborn's personnel, he put on a specially made, form-fitting anti-gravity suit and entered the display case.

The interior of the display case maintained a low temperature. Sonon shivered unexpectedly. His entry activated the built-in weight and infrared sensors.

Upon detecting the user, countless fine light beams formed a delicate net, scanning Lieutenant Sonon from head to toe. The Knight armor began to make mechanical adjustments based on the feedback, ensuring a closer fit to Sonon's physique.

After the adjustments were complete, the Knight armor was disassembled by ten robotic arms. Then, following the contour of Lieutenant Sonon's body, it began to assemble onto his person. In less than a minute, a mechanical warrior clad in exquisite armor appeared.

Assembly complete, self-test complete, Knight System activated.

"This feeling... it's incredible!"

As countless usage instructions for the Knight System scrolled across his retinal display, Lieutenant Sonon found that all his senses seemed to have been enhanced. The instructions, which would have made a normal person dizzy due to their speed, were perfectly clear to him. He could even see the trajectory of dust particles moving in the air. Even through the thick armor, he could hear the heartbeats of everyone outside and distinguish each one.

He felt like a superhero, and it wasn't an illusion!

"Beep beep beep, Xenomorph detected!"

Before he could even experience the armor's various functions, an alarm only Lieutenant Sonon could hear sounded within the armor. Amidst the crowd, one person was highlighted, and their data was listed beside them.

Lieutenant Sonon couldn't understand the professional terms he had never encountered before, but through the system's feedback, he realized that a Xenomorph had somehow infiltrated his comrades.

"Captain Patrick Honeck, identify yourself!"

Lieutenant Sonon stepped out of the display case, approaching the highlighted comrade with imposing pressure.

"So I've been discovered. Then this armor and its developers cannot be allowed to leave!"

Captain Patrick smiled strangely and reverted to his original Xenomorph form. Unfortunately, it was an adult.

This Xenomorph resembled a combination of a human and some kind of spider, standing two meters tall with a humanoid silhouette. Its face had three pairs of black, glass-like eyes of varying sizes, arranged symmetrically. Its hands were insectoid claws, and four appendages were curled up near its ribs. Its entire body was covered in an exoskeleton interwoven with gray-brown and black, dotted with tiny spikes.

The military personnel reacted swiftly. Upon sensing the danger, they began to move, scrambling to distance themselves from the Xenomorph that had infiltrated their ranks, even though they knew they couldn't escape its abilities.

As the group took their first steps to flee, the Xenomorph's special ability activated. The world seemed to slow down 64 times, allowing the Xenomorph to act freely while no one could see its movements or keep up with its speed.

"ClockUp!"

Lieutenant Sonon had already acted the moment the Xenomorph revealed its true form. Following the instructions, he tapped a button on his right hip. The energy conduits on the armor's exterior glowed red. Powerful energy emanated from the central power unit at the waist, spreading throughout the body along the conduits. Some of the escaping energy ionized the air, causing tiny arcs of electricity to strike outwards, emitting faint popping sounds.

"I can see its movements, and I can keep up with it!"

The figure, previously only capturable by high-speed cameras, slowed down before Lieutenant Sonon's eyes. Although the Xenomorph's movements were still swift, they were within human perception. Sonon could keep up perfectly.

As the fleeing group took their second steps, numerous display cases in the exhibition hall shattered in an instant. Lieutenant Sonon, clad in the armor, crashed into a wall in Zone C. After a few struggles, he couldn't get up. The armor on his body continuously emitted high heat, causing the surrounding air to distort in waves.

The Xenomorph, which had threatened everyone's lives, lay on the ground on the other side, its exoskeleton shattered and limbs mangled. Viscous green bodily fluid pooled on the floor, a gruesome sight as if it had been run over by a truck. It had become a corpse.

The battle between humans and Xenomorphs had, for the first time, resulted in victory.