Chapter 83: When You're Powerful, Even Your Enemies Want to Be Your Friends
The Skrull infiltration of New Asgard immediately put the Avengers on high alert.
Though unspoken, everyone was speculating about who among them might have been replaced by Skrulls.
While maintaining friendly facades, they harbored inexplicable wariness toward one another.
While the Avengers investigated the Skrull threat, Ryan conducted his own investigation.
Ryan's method was simple and direct: he sealed off Celestial Island and tested the blood of everyone present.
The Skrulls' shapeshifting abilities extended to their genetics. When injured in human form, their blood appeared red, while in their natural green form, it appeared purple—making simple blood tests unreliable for detection.
But disguise didn't guarantee authenticity, at least not to Ryan's discerning eye.
Using a modified gene suppression serum, Ryan could distinguish between human and Skrull genetics.
As long as the gene sequence complexity was below a certain threshold, the suppression agent would force it to revert to its original state.
Human genes, with their single-nucleus cells, were relatively simple, but the silicon-based Skrulls were different. Their cells were single-celled but dual-nucleated.
After a thorough investigation, he actually captured a Skrull infiltrator.
Not a civilian or construction worker—this one was hiding among the super-soldier squad!
Ryan summoned Corvus Glaive and ordered, "Bring him in, preferably alive."
"Yes, sir."
Corvus Glaive led two soldiers and headed straight for the docks.
The docks had recently been locked down—no one was allowed to land on the island. This Skrull had disguised himself as a super-soldier to guard the docks, perhaps to facilitate the arrival of additional Skrull operatives on Celestial Island.
"Capture that man and bring him to the doctor!" Corvus pointed his weapon at one of the guards.
Before the others could react, the disguised Skrull bolted.
Dodging another super-soldier's attempt to block him, he leaped high toward a speedboat moored at the dock, intending to escape by water.
The imposter was likely a Skrull warrior. His enhanced physiology allowed him to arc gracefully through the air. Just as he was about to land on the speedboat, a faster figure flashed past him.
Swish.
A sharp blade slashed across the Skrull's leg.
Thud.
Corvus and the Skrull landed on the speedboat simultaneously.
Thump.
The Skrull's body lurched and collapsed, one leg cleanly severed and falling to the deck.
Corvus pulled a cloth from his belt, wiped the blood from his adamantium blade, and slowly sheathed it in his arm compartment.
"Hmph. You thought you could escape?" He waved to the soldiers. "Take him."
Two super-soldiers leaped onto the boat and carried the wounded Skrull toward Ryan's laboratory.
There were two restricted areas on the island.
One was the nearly completed palace, a symbol of authority. The Golden Throne belonged to Ryan alone.
The other was Ryan's laboratory. Besides Ryan himself, only the plump white mouse was allowed free access.
The Skrull, missing one leg, was brought to the lab entrance. Ryan, waiting there, produced a sample collection kit and began gathering tissue from the Skrull.
He then asked, "What was your purpose in coming to Celestial Island?"
The Skrull, now reverting to his green-skinned form with a missing leg, replied through gritted teeth, "The Skrulls want to cooperate with you. Together we can defeat the Avengers."
"The fake Rhodes already told me that. Give me something new."
"You killed him?" the Skrull said, startled.
The fake Rhodes's death had exposed the Skrull infiltration, and Ryan had been the one responsible.
"Why?" The Skrull looked at Ryan with genuine confusion.
Ryan said dismissively, "Rhodes wanted to sow discord between me and the Avengers, and you've been planting spies in high-level government positions, hoping to provoke a world war and seize control of Earth to enslave humanity. I can only say you Skrulls are remarkably naive."
Ryan had completely laid out the Skrull strategy.
"Anything else? If not, I'm done here."
He'd already guessed the Skrull's purpose for infiltrating Celestial Island: simply to gather intelligence for the outside world and relay it to the Avengers, preparing them for war.
The captured Skrull stared at Ryan, speechless and at a complete loss.
Ryan waved to Corvus Glaive.
Understanding the signal, Corvus struck with his blade, severing the Skrull's head.
Ryan said irritably, "Could you do that somewhere else next time? That blood smell at the lab entrance is genuinely disgusting."
Corvus remained silent, simply wiping his blade clean.
"Send someone to clean this up," Ryan said, turning back to the lab.
He'd recently been researching Skrull genetics. Like the Eternals, the Skrulls were a race created by the Celestials.
Following the Celestials' philosophy of using cosmic energy for genetic transformation, Ryan wanted to see if he could engineer Super-Skrull genes.
Ryan's own research on Eternal genetics had nearly reached its limits, and further evolution was becoming exponentially more difficult, so he was exploring alternative paths.
Rumor had it that the Skrulls once possessed a Super-Skrull variant, capable of replicating not just appearances and memories but also superpowers.
They could shapeshift, copy memories, and even duplicate the abilities of other enhanced individuals—powers Ryan coveted.
When Celestial genes were introduced to Skrull multi-nucleated single cells, they didn't divide like normal human cells, as Skrulls didn't undergo conventional metabolism.
This aligned with silicon-based life theory.
However, multi-nucleated single cells underwent internal changes, such as increasing from two nuclei to four or six. If these changes were applied to living Skrulls, their abilities would likely be significantly enhanced.
Ryan recalled that during the Secret Invasion comic storyline, Skrull leaders Kl'rt and Veranke had both become Super-Skrulls, capable of combining DNA from various superheroes and wielding nearly every Avenger's superpower simultaneously.
Perhaps the current Skrulls were also seeking to recreate the Super-Skrull phenomenon.
But fusion wasn't the same as replication. Fusion simply meant Skrull genes were highly compatible, but there were too many limitations. One could only use the superpowers of fused genes, not imitate others' abilities at will.
The advantage of true replication was adaptability with minimal weaknesses. It was the Celestials' most perfect creation.
Ryan was attempting this kind of fusion now.
Using a cellular injection needle, he introduced seven or eight different superhuman genes into a single Skrull cell. The original Skrull cell immediately integrated them, then replicated additional cell nuclei.
Over and over again, as many as twenty-six different cell nuclei appeared in a single cell, in various colors and shapes—an utterly bizarre sight.
After recording the results, Ryan murmured, "This should probably be classified as genetic corruption, right? Would it just turn into a pile of amorphous flesh if introduced to a living subject?"
He couldn't imagine what a creature composed of these cells would look like.
"What exactly defines a Super-Skrull? Must they remain silicon-based lifeforms?"
The Skrull Empire in the Andromeda Galaxy had been destroyed, so written records were likely lost. However, since the Skrull leadership was researching this area, they might know the secret of Super-Skrull creation.
Ryan also considered another possibility: all superpowers required energy. Since the Skrulls were created by the Celestials, they must have originally possessed cosmic energy capability.
But current Skrulls didn't use cosmic energy. Had they degenerated over millennia?
If they regained the ability to use cosmic energy, would they eventually become Super-Skrulls?
"Doctor, a Wakandan named Okoye is here to see you. She requests an audience."
Not long after Ryan returned to his residence, Corvus arrived to report the situation.
"General Okoye? What's she doing here?" Ryan was surprised.
Celestial Island had been locked down, with no one allowed to enter or leave. Communication was only possible through the federal naval fleet protecting the perimeter.
Corvus shook his head. "She only said she wanted to meet with you, nothing else."
Ryan considered for a moment. "Bring her here."
Corvus was about to leave when Ryan asked, "How's the mining operation progressing?"
Celestial Island was divided into two sections. One was the Celestial's hand, where the developing town, laboratory, and central control center were located.
The other was the Celestial's skull, where the main mining operation was underway, with Abomination in charge of security.
Abomination also commanded a special team that didn't mine but rather conducted deep exploration, attempting to excavate through the Celestial's cranium.
Ryan was inquiring about this skull excavation team's progress.
Corvus replied, "Progress is steady so far. We estimate completion in fifteen to eighteen months."
Adamantium wasn't easy to excavate.
Ryan waved him away and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
A few minutes later, Corvus returned, bringing General Okoye of Wakanda.
The woman had her signature shaved head, and even in the evening light, her dark skin seemed to absorb the illumination.
Ryan brought out a plate of seafood and two bottles of beer to the small table on the porch. He opened a beer and took a sip. "What brings you here?"
General Okoye stood ramrod straight. "I'm here on behalf of Wakanda to discuss cooperation. We hope you won't sell adamantium to other nations or organizations. If necessary, Wakanda can help you maintain this blockade."
Ryan slurped down a shrimp and asked, "Oh? And why would you do that?"
"Too rapid technological advancement only brings disaster and war. Wakanda has experienced this, and we're offering you advice from experience."
These words merely rationalized Wakanda's isolationist philosophy.
In the name of preventing war, Wakanda had isolated itself and its technology from the world, becoming a unique power on Earth.
But if the world gained access to adamantium, technological advancement would surge, and war would inevitably follow.
Wakanda would then lose all its current advantages, directly harming their interests. The Wakandans certainly didn't want that outcome.
War was destructive, but its silver lining was that technology could advance to unprecedented heights, potentially reaching the point where humanity could transcend Earth and reach the stars.
Ryan himself had considered exploring the vast cosmos after dealing with the Avengers, witnessing the greater wonders of the universe.
But that wasn't a reason for Wakandans to threaten him.
Hearing Okoye's eloquently hypocritical words, Ryan chuckled. "You're not trying to help me. You're just worried about Wakanda losing its current technological monopoly."
Okoye frowned. "We're simply offering friendly advice."
Ryan wiped the oil from his hands and picked up his beer. "This is my territory. Put away that condescending attitude and stop acting like I owe you something."
"Also, if we're discussing cooperation, state the terms clearly. Don't just offer empty promises."
Okoye, as a Wakandan general, was accustomed to direct military communication.
She was about to respond more forcefully when she suddenly remembered Ryan's combat record and immediately reconsidered the confrontational approach.
"Wakanda is willing to share its technology with you, but Wakanda must participate in adamantium mineral development."
"Ha!" Ryan scoffed. "You've got some nerve! You haven't forgotten Black Panther T'Challa's attacks on me, have you? Now you're asking to cooperate? Do you really think I'm that easy to manipulate?"
Black Panther had participated in two attacks on Ryan, and while his role was relatively minor, that didn't mean Ryan would simply forgive and forget.
Okoye hadn't expected Ryan to be so uncompromising. She asked in a harder tone, "Do you want to go to war with Wakanda?"
"Ha!" Ryan smiled and stood up. "You think I'm afraid of war?"
He took two steps forward to stand directly in front of Okoye, looked down at her, and said, "I saved Earth from Thanos, and I helped kill a Celestial. These resources belong to me. No one can dictate my decisions! Not the federal government, not the Avengers, and certainly not Wakanda!"
Okoye's expression shifted between shock and anger as Ryan directly insulted Wakanda.
But the expected confrontation didn't occur, and Okoye's tone softened unexpectedly.
"King T'Challa has passed away. The conflict between you and Black Panther is over, so Celestial Island and Wakanda are no longer enemies."
This actually stunned Ryan.
He blinked. "Black Panther is dead? How did he die?"
Okoye said with genuine sadness. "His Majesty was diagnosed with a terminal illness long ago. He simply wanted to do something meaningful for the world before his death. He didn't truly want to be your enemy."
"That sounds absurd. He wanted to protect the world so he tried to kill me? Are you stupid or did I mishear you?"
Okoye argued, "But the fact remains—you killed Captain America, Steve Rogers, and you stood against justice. T'Challa wasn't wrong in wanting to stop you. If you truly want to protect the world, you should cooperate with Wakanda."
Ryan was genuinely stunned.
Since when did Wakanda learn moral blackmail?
Seeing Ryan didn't respond, Okoye continued, "Wakanda has experienced what you're about to face. Human greed knows no bounds. Adamantium is a precious resource. If it falls into the wrong hands, catastrophic war is inevitable."
Wakanda valued vibranium above all else. Just because a small piece was stolen, their high-tech warriors would hunt the thieves across the globe.
Now, they wanted to control not only vibranium but also adamantium.
If they wanted to use these resources to benefit the world, Ryan might understand, but their refusal to leave their isolationist bubble was genuinely bizarre.
Ryan said flatly, "Alright, spare me the lecture. What happens to Celestial Island's resources is my business. If you really want to help someone, I suggest Wakanda take in the homeless Skrulls. Maybe they'll appreciate your wisdom."
Their initial meeting with Wakanda ended on a sour note.
Ryan, fundamentally, didn't want to collaborate with the isolated nation. His ambitions lay with the stars, not with Wakandans who sat on mountains of advanced technology and squandered their potential.
End of Chapter 83
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