Chapter 16: 16. The Prison Battle
The piercing sound of alarms reverberated throughout the mutant prison. Red alarm lights flickered in the dim corridors, casting a crimson glow on the passageways. Water droplets trickled down the walls, looking eerily like blood under the flashing lights as they fell to the ground.
This old facility, whose construction date was unknown, hadn't been this 'lively' for a long time. Since President X ordered its reconstruction, no one had dared to cause trouble here for years. Any disobedient escapees were quickly recaptured by Warden Fisk.
The soldiers here had become accustomed to mocking these mutant monsters. No matter how powerful these mutants were outside, here they were nothing more than dogs.
But today, the situation seemed to have reversed. The soldiers, awakened by the alarm, barely had time to dress. They knew what this alarm meant: someone had opened the prison and released the prisoners without authorization. If these monsters were set free, it would be troublesome.
The most troublesome part was that if they didn't quickly regroup and recapture the prisoners, they would face the inhuman torture of Warden Fisk. In the mutant prison, Warden Fisk was the only person, aside from President X, who instilled fear in them. Both the mutants and the guards were terrified of him.
They had witnessed Fisk tormenting mutants in various ways, deriving pleasure from their pain. They had also seen those who offended Fisk thrown into the mutants' cells to become their food. Thinking of this, the soldiers couldn't help but shiver. No one wanted to meet such a fate. They rushed out of their dormitories as quickly as possible, heading towards the mutant prison.
But when they reached the second floor, they were stunned by the scene before them. Dozens of soldiers armed with submachine guns were all frozen in shock.
Not far from the corridor door, Warden Fisk's massive body lay motionless on the ground, a large hole in his stomach. Beasts like Nightcrawler and Toad, who had been imprisoned on the third floor, were feasting on his body.
From Fisk's wide-open, lifeless eyes, it was clear that Nightcrawler had teleported behind him and killed him without his knowledge. He died without ever seeing his killer. But to the soldiers, how these monsters escaped and how Fisk died didn't matter. What mattered was that if they didn't act soon, they would be the next ones to die.
"The mutants from level 3 are loose! Open fire! Don't let them get close." a squad leader shouted, his voice trembling with fear.
Ratatatatata!!!
Gunfire erupted, bullets rained down on the mutants.
Beast roared in anger at having his meal interrupted, his feral eyes fixed on the humans daring to attack him. His sharp teeth grated together, making a chilling sound.
"Suppress them! Don't let them get close!!!"
Meanwhile, on the third floor, Alex paused while unlocking cells, his ears twitched as he heard the commotion from upstairs. It seemed the first batch of mutants had already engaged the soldiers. Alex had no doubt the mutants could handle the soldiers. Even though their powers were diminished in this universe, they weren't easily killed by ordinary guns. If some of them died, it was their fate.
Alex didn't care about the lives of the soldiers or the mutants he released. This world was already a dark, broken place, beyond saving. His priority was to escape.
After releasing the last prisoner on the third floor, Alex stopped by Kitty Pryde's cell. In this world, Kitty appeared to be in her twenties, older than Pietro, and quite different from the young, vibrant Kitty he remembered.
Alex's impression of Kitty was mostly from the comics and the young actress in the movies, who had since transitioned and couldn't reprise the role.
Setting aside his thoughts, Alex looked down at Kitty. "Need help?"
Kitty slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with complex emotions. Finally, she spoke softly, "You can't help me. This is a nightmare."
Alex sighed deeply, closed his eyes for a moment, then placed his left hand, equipped with his Iron Man suit, on the iron pillar fused with Kitty's body.
Kitty seemed to understand Alex's intention. She didn't resist but closed her eyes, waiting for what was to come. With a powerful pull, enhanced by his suit, Alex tore the pillar from the cell.
Due to Kitty's situation, Warden Fisk hadn't used particularly strong materials for her cell, making Alex's demolition unusually smooth. In the next moment, Kitty's organs spilled out spreading across the floor.
The sound of organs falling on the ground made Alex's hand tremble.
"Thank you," Kitty whispered with her last breath, then fell silent.
Alex knew she couldn't be saved. Her mutation failing had fused her body with the pillar. Not even Tony Stark could have saved her quickly. Ending her suffering was better than leaving her in torment.
Alex fell silent, closing his eyes briefly before reopening them with renewed determination.
He ascended to the second floor, where the battle continued. The soldiers, armed with heavy firepower, had temporarily suppressed the mutants, forcing them to take cover. Nightcrawler, Beast, and other strong mutants had launched several assaults but were repelled by the soldiers and guards due to their lack of coordination.
The soldiers knew that the moment the mutants escaped, the prison was sealed by an electric barrier, trapping everyone inside. If they didn't kill the mutants, no one would escape.
The mutants weren't foolish either. Realizing the soldiers' firepower, they took cover, seemingly waiting for an opportunity to strike. The soldiers, trying to conserve ammunition, stopped shooting and held their ground.
In this tense standoff, neither side made a move. Then suddenly, darkness engulfed the corridor as if someone had cut the power. Most people lost their sight as the tunnel plunged into pitch-blackness.
....
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17. A Terrifying Guess.
18. President X.
19. Possesion.
20. Trump Card.
21. Illusion.