Lynn's obedience test, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents reduced to prey

Inside the Negative Zone Prison, the air was as cold as solidified glass, and every breath brought a stinging pain that scraped against the lungs.

Lynn slowly turned around, preparing to leave this "asset showroom" filled with jealousy, fanaticism, and despair. Hela was obeying orders, slowly injecting the dark Death Force into the damaged Cerebro, like a goddess reduced to a slave, her face filled with resentment and obsessive obedience. Wanda stood to the side, her Scarlet eyes flickering, as if calculating something, searching for the next opportunity to prove her irreplaceable value.

Everything unfolded in an orderly fashion within his script.

However, the moment he took a step, a faint but clear "noise" came from the global Psychic Network woven from the cries and fears of millions of Mutants.

It wasn't Deadpool's mad ramblings that broke down the fourth wall, but rather a well-trained, deliberately suppressed fluctuation of thought, carrying a metallic and gunpowder-like quality.

A dozen... no, thirteen well-equipped "rats".

Lynn stopped in his tracks, a silent, intrigued smile curving his lips.

His consciousness, like a hawk soaring high in the sky, instantly locked onto the neighborhood shrouded in night on the outskirts of Manhattan. He "saw" them. He saw their "Phantom" combat suits that could distort light, saw the "Aria" vibrators in their hands designed for Mutants, and even "smelled" the pungent smell of sweat, gunpowder, and Hydra's distinctive putrid odor emanating from the burly leader.

Crossbones, Brock Rumlow.

Nick Fury's dog, Hydra's knife. A reckless old dog, leading a bunch of arrogant henchmen, dares to set foot in his hunting grounds.

interesting.

Lynn's heart remained calm. Under normal circumstances, he might have snapped his the Snap and let Hela or Wanda crush these flies. Using Skyfather-level power to eliminate a few agents was like using a starship to bomb an anthill—a sure thing, but also lacking in aesthetic appeal.

But now... he has a better toy.

His gaze, slowly, with a cold indifference like that of a scrutinizing instrument, returned to what lay behind him.

They turned their attention to the Red-haired Woman, Jean Grey, who had just been appointed "Warden" and was basking in the unparalleled ecstasy and glory of being dominated.

He needs a test.

A compliance test to examine the quality of "assets".

What he wanted to see wasn't whether these former superheroes, stripped of their power and dignity, would kneel and beg for mercy. He was already tired of that.

What he wanted to see was the pain and struggle written on their faces when he handed them the butcher's knife, ordering them to Carnage the "mortals" they had once sworn to protect, and... the docile eyes that were ultimately twisted and turned into killing machines.

This is true conquest.

"The zither."

Lynn's voice was soft, yet it was like a command, instantly piercing Jean Grey's soul.

Qin, who had just been kneeling on the ground like a docile pet, suddenly trembled. Then, with an almost pious posture, she raised her pale and fanatical face, her emerald green eyes burning with the flames of waiting for divine guidance.

"My master..." Her voice was hoarse and trembling.

Lynn ignored her morbid adoration and simply nodded casually with her chin toward the prison exit.

"Some uninvited rats have come in from outside."

His tone was as if he were instructing a maid to dust the room.

"Not many, thirteen. Their equipment is decent; they should be S.H.I.E.L.D..'s elite."

S.H.I.E.L.D..

This word caused Qin, who was kneeling on the ground, as well as Hela, who was "providing power" not far away, and Wanda, who was on guard, to glance at it slightly.

"I need you to deal with them," Lynn continued, each word like a cold chisel, reshaping Jean Grey's soul. "But not by you alone."

A hint of doubt flashed in Qin's eyes.

The cruel curve of Lynn's lips became even more pronounced.

"Take your prisoners with you."

"Let them go."

Boom!

This statement was more explosive than any previous order!

Sending prisoners... to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.. agents?

Are these X-Men, whose faith has just been shattered, whose dignity has been stripped away, and who have been reduced to prisoners... to fight against the armed forces that represent the human order?

What a cruel and insane order!

Hela stopped the energy transfer, a hint of amusement flashing in her dark eyes. She liked the idea; it was far more interesting than simple Carnage. Letting the prey hunt the hounds—this upside-down drama was what pleased the Goddess of Death most.

Wanda's Scarlet eyes narrowed slightly; she instantly understood Lynn's intention. This was animal taming. The most extreme and vicious form of animal taming. He wanted to use human blood to completely sever these Mutants' connection to the past, turning them into mad dogs who would only obey his commands.

As the direct recipient of the order, Jean Grey was momentarily stunned, then instantly overwhelmed by a tremendous, indescribable ecstasy!

She understood!

This is the master's trust in her! It is also the first formal authorization of her "Warden" authority!

Let her command her former companions to complete their master's mission! This proves her current status and value more than any reward!

"Yes, my master!"

A suppressed, excited hiss escaped Jean Grey's throat. She kowtowed heavily, her forehead pressed against the cold ground, her voice distorted with excitement, "These lowly prisoners will feel the greatest honor to have cleansed your dust!"

After saying that, she suddenly stood up.

In that instant, the servile nature she possessed, so lowly it was almost groveling, vanished without a trace, replaced by a cold, cruel, and Warden authority befitting a warden.

Her gaze swept over her former companions lying on the ground, some unconscious, some mentally broken.

There was no trace of pity left in those eyes.

"Get up, all of you!"

A cold rebuke, accompanied by a gentle yet irresistible Phoenix Force, swept across the entire area.

The Mutants, who had been limp on the ground like corpses, began to convulse uncontrollably.

A black Mutants with a mohawk and the ability to manipulate energy stood up stiffly, his eyes closed, his face streaked with tears, and he was groaning unconsciously. His limbs seemed to be being pulled up by invisible threads.

A girl whose body could transform into elements huddled in a corner, trembling, yet driven by that power, she floated into the air with a blank stare.

Even Scott Summers Summers, whose limbs were pierced by Hela's Night Sky Sword and who was almost corrupted into a living corpse by the Death Force, let out a painful whimper under the stimulation of the Phoenix Force, and his pinned arms began to struggle in vain.

They were like a group of manipulated puppets, without souls or will, just empty shells forced into action.

"Too slow."

Jean Grey frowned impatiently.

What she needs is a team that can carry out the mission, not a bunch of zombies.

A flash of Dark Gold flame appeared and disappeared in her eyes.

A more domineering, burning Psychic Power, like a branding iron, was fiercely imprinted on the minds of every Mutants stood up!

"Obey!"

"Kill!"

"For my master!"

The simple, brutal, and direct command instantly overwhelmed all remaining emotions and memories in their minds.

"Aaaaaah--!"

A Mutants clutched his head in agony, trying to resist and banish the blasphemous voice, but the force gnawed at him like a leech, slowly burning his will to ashes.

Ultimately, the struggle in his eyes vanished, replaced by a numb, cold, and absolute obedience.

He looked up at Jean Grey as if she were a deity.

One, two, three...

Soon, a seven-member "execution squad" of Mutants with vacant eyes assembled behind Jean Grey.

Among them are werewolves who can track scents, Shadowcat who can walk through walls, and Storm who can control the weather... They were once the backbone of the X-Men.

And now, they are Lynn's knife, Jean Grey's dog.

Jean Grey looked at her "masterpiece" with satisfaction. She turned around and knelt down again before Lynn on the Throne, her posture humble yet fervent.

"Master, your knife is sharpened."

Lynn watched all this expressionlessly, her heart completely unmoved.

He simply waved his hand dismissively.

"Go."

"Let me see your worth."

"Yes!"

Jean Grey felt as if she had been granted a pardon and abruptly stood up. Instead of going through the main entrance of the prison, she raised her hand directly, and the Phoenix Force surged, tearing a Spatial Rift in the void that led to the surface of Manhattan!

She turned around and swept her cold gaze over her seven former companions.

"Keep up."

After saying that, she was the first to step into the Spatial Rift.

Without the slightest hesitation, the seven Mutants, like programmed robots, followed closely behind with synchronized steps, disappearing into the crack.

Silence returned to the prison.

Only Hela and Wanda remained, along with a field of Mutants had been filtered out as "not of high value."

Hela looked at the slowly closing Spatial Rift, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes, but more so annoyance at being overshadowed by a newcomer.

Wanda gently stroked her Scarlet fingernails, lost in thought.

And at this moment, in the shadows of Manhattan.

Crossbones and his STRIKE Team are using grappling hooks and climbing gear to silently approach the exterior wall of Area B of the Baxter Building, like geckos.

"Attention all units, we are 300 meters from the target."

"Is the energy detector responding?" Crossbones asked in a low voice over the channel.

"Captain, everything is normal. The energy readings are as low as a ghost town, and even civilian radio waves are scarce. It's too quiet... something's not right."

Crossbones frowned, and that ominous premonition resurfaced in his heart.

He was about to order the troops to halt their advance and reassess the situation.

Suddenly, one of his teammates stopped moving abruptly and froze against the wall.

"What's wrong?" Crossbones asked warily.

The team member didn't answer, but slowly, in a trembling voice filled with extreme terror, said:

"Captain... Captain... Look... What's that?"

Crossbones looked in the direction he was pointing.

They were visible in the shadows of a street corner, dozens of meters below them.

Eight figures silently emerged from a spatial ripple that appeared out of nowhere and burned like flames.

The one leading them was a Red-haired Woman.

She raised her head, her emerald green eyes precisely locking onto the location of each of them in the darkness.

That look in their eyes didn't seem human.

It was like a hungry Beast, scrutinizing... its prey about to be torn apart.