"So, how do you handle extreme temperatures?"
Mario studied the young black man sitting across from him. They were in one of Xavier's school's reception rooms. Xavier sat to Mario's left, with Erik stationed beside him.
"If it's not too extreme, and you give me time to adapt, I can manage most environments."
The young man's name was Armando Muñoz, though he went by Darwin, a nickname that perfectly suited his mutant ability. Reactive Evolution, or as he called it, "survival of the fittest." His body automatically adapted to environmental stresses, changing to protect him from harm.
It was exactly the kind of ability Mario had been hoping to find.
Darwin seemed shy, almost timid. Mario softened his expression, trying to channel Coulson's non-threatening government-agent smile. "Don't be nervous. I just want to understand the upper limits of your ability. Whether it can grow stronger over time."
If Darwin's adaptation could actually improve permanently rather than just temporarily, combined with Raven's shapeshifting genetics, it would be the perfect enhancement for baseline humans. Better health, longer life, increased resilience, all without the uncontrollable firepower that made other mutant abilities so dangerous.
He had zero interest in offensive mutations. Take someone like Havok, sure, the guy could blast plasma and blow things up. Impressive at parties, maybe. But completely useless for improving human physiology. Mass-produced destruction abilities would just create chaos.
"Armando, I'd like to run some deeper examinations on your biology. Nothing invasive, just comprehensive scans and—"
"Can I refuse?"
Mario blinked, then smiled. "Of course. I'm not going to force you into anything."
He genuinely coveted Darwin's ability, but he wasn't some mad scientist who kidnapped people for experiments. Well, not when they were technically innocent, anyway. Hydra prisoners were a different story.
Darwin relaxed, tension draining from his shoulders. Then his eyes widened as he spotted what Mario was pulling from his inventory.
"Where did that frying pan come from? Is that your ability?"
Mario nodded.
"This is indeed part of my ability. Don't underestimate this pan, it may look ordinary, but it has the remarkable power to help people forget all their troubles."
The moment the pan appeared, Erik's hand shot up to touch the top of his head. A phantom ache seemed to pulse through his skull.
Xavier's face twitched. "You can't just... Armando doesn't consent, you can't turn him into an idiot with that thing—"
Meeting Darwin's horrified expression, Mario sighed and looked at Xavier with exasperation. "His ability is crucial to my research."
Since intimidation wouldn't work, that left only one option: bribery.
"I need to grab something. You all stay here."
Without waiting for a response, he teleported out of the room.
The three men stared at each other. Darwin turned to Xavier. "Can I leave?"
He meant leave the school entirely. Get as far from Mario as humanly possible.
Xavier sighed helplessly and shook his head. "He's set his sights on you. Running won't help. I tried to run once too. He found me anyway."
Erik's expression darkened. "We can't keep letting him treat us like this."
"We're mutants, the next stage of human evolution, not laboratory animals. What that man does is crossing too many lines."
Xavier frowned. That's when a figure entered from the doorway, arms loaded with shopping bags.
"What's going on with those soldiers outside? Why are they surrounding the FBI agents?"
Hearing the voice, he looked up with visible relief. "Raven, you're back!"
"Those soldiers were called in by Mario. He had a disagreement with some FBI personnel."
Raven set down her bags and scanned the room, noticing Mario's absence. "He came here? What did the FBI do to piss him off?"
She knew Mario well enough to understand he didn't start fights without provocation.
Xavier's smile turned awkward.
Raven's expression shifted to immediate understanding. "He didn't get angry, did he?"
She muttered to herself, "Probably not. Otherwise those FBI guys would already be six feet under."
Just how violent is your employer supposed to be?
Xavier, who had never witnessed Mario's full capabilities, had no frame of reference for what Raven meant.
Erik wasn't satisfied with Xavier's passive response. He continued pushing. "We're not his slaves. He said it himself, we need to fight for our own freedom."
Raven rolled her eyes. At that moment, she finally understood the concept of someone living in a well and thinking the small circle of sky above them was the entire world. She'd once thought Erik was impressive, but now she realized the man had severe limitations in his thinking.
"If you used Cerebro's amplification, maybe you could control him—"
"Control who?"
Mario walked back in with a smile, having not heard Erik's full comment. Spotting Raven, he waved. "Hey, welcome back. Your genetics research is basically complete. But you can stay on as a lab assistant if you want."
Raven nodded.
Mario turned his attention to Erik, who suddenly looked nervous, probably remembering the frying pan.
"Uh... I meant controlling the FBI outside..."
The moment those words left his mouth, even Darwin, who'd been quietly observing, looked at Erik with open contempt.
Mario glanced around at everyone's expressions, confused by the sudden shift in mood. "Erik's not wrong, though. Those FBI agents deserve special handling."
Ignoring the awkward tension, he walked directly to Darwin and pulled out something that made every person in the room freeze.
A suit of armor.
Not just any armor, this was a masterpiece of engineering and design. Sleek black plating with dark gold accents, aerodynamic lines suggesting speed and agility. A blade and energy rifle mounted on the back, the whole package radiating lethal elegance. The armor's combat capabilities were modest compared to his other equipment. But it had one undeniable advantage: it looked badass.
"Follow me, and this armor is yours."
Darwin's eyes went wide. Erik's mouth dropped open.
Even Xavier, who prided himself on mental discipline, couldn't hide his longing. He spoke before he could stop himself. "Please reconsider, I want to join your company."
Erik opened his mouth to object, but... that armor was just too damn beautiful.
"We're not the same kind of people. You're not suited to join my operation."
Mario appreciated Xavier's instant willingness to sell out his principles the moment he saw the armor, but he still didn't want him. The man was too idealistic, and committed to his vision of peaceful coexistence.
"This world's mutants still need you to lead them."
He patted Xavier on the shoulder, then turned to leave with Darwin, who had already suited up and was admiring himself in the armor's reflective surface.
Hendry walked over alone at that moment. When he spotted the armor standing nearby, shock flickered through his eyes. Smoothing his expression, he reported, "Sir, those FBI agents have all been taken into custody. As for the two who were disrespectful to you, I guarantee they'll rot in prison for the rest of their lives."
Mario nodded approvingly. "Good work."
He pulled a small box from his inventory, something he'd prepared specifically for Hendry.
"This is a gift."
Hendry accepted it and opened it immediately. Inside lay two rows of sky-blue vials arranged in protective foam.
Mario extracted one and held it up to the light. "Life Serum No. 1. Simple application. Once injected, it gradually improves your body's condition. It won't give you super strength, but it will extend your lifespan to over 120 years and dramatically boost your immune system. Common diseases will never touch you again."
Not just Hendry, everyone present except Raven stared at the liquid in disbelief.
Hendry's hands trembled as he held the box. This was more precious than all the gold Mario had previously given him. No one in their right mind would refuse something like this. He quickly closed the lid, terrified his excitement might cause him to drop and shatter the vials.
Mario loaded one into a syringe. "Come on, roll up your sleeve."
Hendry didn't hesitate for a second. He stripped off his shirt entirely, revealing a perfectly round general's belly. Even though holding the box made the position awkward, he refused to hand it to anyone else.
"I'm ready, sir."
Mario didn't hold back, injecting the serum directly into Hendry's arm. Hendry winced slightly at the sting, then felt warmth spreading from the injection site. The sensation flooded through his body, and his frame suddenly felt lighter than it had in decades.
Withdrawing the syringe, Mario continued, "The transformation is gradual. Give it at least two months. Don't rush the process. And you need to start losing weight. The serum's effectiveness depends partly on your physical condition. You could live anywhere from 120 to 150 years."
Hendry touched his substantial gut, silently vowing to start a diet the moment he returned to base. Then he glanced at the remaining vials in the box, understanding Mario's message. This stuff was the ultimate currency for dealing with superiors. No one would refuse it.
Mario was about to leave when something occurred to him. "Oh, one more thing. Try to get the mutant school placed under your authority, or at least under military jurisdiction. Treat them well. It'll benefit you in the long run."
The school had only recently been established and wasn't being taken seriously by the government. This was the perfect time to bring them under military protection. And when new mutants appeared, it would be convenient for him to collect genetic samples.
---
Two months later.
In the biological laboratory, Banner lay on an examination table surrounded by staff in white lab coats. Only Mario stood among them.
After finishing equipment calibration, Karen approached Banner's side. "Are you ready?"
Banner nodded. Over the past two months, his research had achieved numerous breakthroughs. Human trials had stabilized. Today was the day he would undergo genetic modification himself.
Mario stood ready as well, holding his wand. "Don't worry."
Banner also had milk and an totems of immortality prepared within arm's reach. If anything went wrong or he felt adverse effects, he'd chug the milk immediately. And if things went really bad, Mario would intervene.
Karen nodded and moved the nearby instrument closer. "Get ready. We're starting."
She controlled the injector and inserted it into Banner's body. His skin suddenly flashed green, but only for an instant. They'd already warned Hulk about the procedure, so the color change was just a stress response. The staff began monitoring Banner's physical condition and various device readings. Even Mario couldn't help feeling nervous, this would determine Banner's future path.
Compared to the busy crowd around him, Banner acted remarkably calm, lying on the table and describing everything he felt in technical terminology that Mario couldn't follow. But the one thing he understood clearly: Banner was fine.
A few minutes later.
He looked the same externally, showing no obvious changes, but joy flashed across his face. "I can feel psychic power manifesting. It's incredible."
This time he'd been injected with Xavier X's genetics.
"I can also sense Hulk's mental strength increasing."
Hearing this, Mario finally relaxed. "Based on what you're describing, this process will take time, but by the end your mental fortitude will have grown tremendously."
Banner nodded and clenched his fist. Then he said to Karen, "Continue. This time test the dual-gene combination."
"You should adjust first, wait—"
"No, test it now. While Mario's here, I can feel it personally and provide real-time data."
Though dual-gene and even triple-gene modifications had been tested on human subjects, they remained unstable. Hydra test subjects had frequently suffered genetic collapse and triggered their totems, which meant they'd been burning through milk and totems at an alarming rate recently.
Karen didn't argue, though she privately resolved not to let Banner attempt three mutant abilities at this stage.
A few minutes later, after injecting the new serum, Banner's body maintained a solid green color, but he didn't transform into full Hulk form.
In that moment, a Hulk with energy absorption and enhanced psychic power was born.
Mario looked at Banner's transformed body. "At this point, all you're missing is flight capability."
A Hulk that could fly would be broken.