The elevator didn't budge. I slammed my fist against the console.
[They've locked the system down,] Bloodcode hissed.
Of course. How could I have been so stupid? They wouldn't just leave the front door open.
Suddenly—BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the facility, coming from the direction of the control room. I activated [Acute Hearing] to sweep the area. Amidst the ringing in my ears, I picked up four distinct heartbeats I had never heard before. Steady. Powerful.
I sprinted toward the control room, staying low.
[Control Room]
I pressed my back against the cold steel of the wall, eavesdropping on the conversation inside.
"Was the explosion really necessary, Scott?" a woman's voice asked, sounding exasperated.
"Hey, don't look at me! It's not my fault they started tossing grenades," a man replied.
"Wait..." another woman's voice cut in, sharper this time. "I feel a mind behind that wall."
"Come out," a gruff voice commanded.
Realizing my cover was blown, I stepped into the light. My breath hitched.
Standing amidst the rubble were the X-Men: Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, and Jean Grey.
"Who are you?" Cyclops asked, his hand hovering near his visor, his posture aggressive.
I raised my hands, making sure they looked shaky. "I'm... I'm Zero," I said, my voice trembling slightly for effect. "Those people... they captured me." I pointed toward the doctor's lifeless body on the floor.
Storm's expression softened. "Don't be afraid. We're here to take you to a safe place."
Cyclops leaned toward her, whispering but not quite low enough for my hearing. "Are you sure? He could be brainwashed—this whole thing could be a setup."
"I can check his memories," Jean said, stepping forward. "I'll know if he's an enemy."
She raised two fingers to her temple. I felt a strange, invasive pressure knocking at the gates of my mind.
[Warning: Mental Intrusion Detected,] Bloodcode growled in my head. [If she looks inside, she will see everything. Me, your past life, the innocent blood on your hands. They won't see a victim; they'll see a high-level assassin. They won't help you—they'll imprison you. I can block her out, but only for two minutes. You need to run. Now.]
I needed a plan. Fast.
I bolted toward the jagged hole the explosion had torn in the outer wall. As I rounded the corner, I activated [Bloodcontrol], forcing a mass of my own essence to split from my body. I shaped it into a [Sentient Puppet] with my exact face.
"Buy me time," I commanded the puppet. It nodded silently and turned back to face the X-Men.
I disappeared into the dense forest surrounding the bunker, while my puppet—whose senses remained linked to mine—stood its ground.
"What are you doing?" Cyclops shouted at the puppet. "We want to help you!"
"Help me?" the puppet spat back, using my voice. "By reading my mind? By controlling me? That's exactly what they wanted to do."
"No," Jean argued, her brow furrowed. "We just need to ensure you aren't a threat."
"You're right about one thing," the puppet said with a dark smile. "I am a threat to hypocrites like you."
Stick to hand-to-hand, I commanded the puppet mentally. Don't show them our real cards yet.
After a few minutes of intense combat, the puppet was forced to the ground.
"We don't want to hurt you," Jean pleaded.
"Everyone says that," I whispered through the puppet's lips. "Goodbye."
With a thought, I severed the connection. The puppet dissolved into a puddle of stagnant blood.
"Is he dead?" Wolverine growled, sniffing the air.
"No," Jean said, looking shaken. "When a person dies, their brain waves fade slowly. His... they just vanished instantly. Like a cable being cut."
"I have a feeling we'll meet him again," Storm murmured. "Hopefully under different circumstances."
I reached the outskirts of a small town on foot just as evening fell. I ducked into a dark alley, waiting. I needed clothes. I needed currency.
A man walked past a few minutes later. I stepped out, delivered a swift, non-lethal blow to the back of his head, and caught him before he hit the ground. I stripped his outer clothes and emptied his wallet.
[Finish him,] Bloodcode whispered. [He saw your silhouette. He's a witness.]
"No," I countered. "A murder creates a manhunt. A mugging is just another Tuesday in a place like this. Besides, he never saw my face."
I walked toward a dumpster, where a discarded newspaper caught my eye. I picked it up, my eyes widening as I read the headline.
MAY 2008 — TONY STARK MISSING IN AFGHANISTAN
I leaned against the brick wall, a cold realization washing over me. 2008. The billionaire playboy had just vanished.
"Bloodcode," I whispered. "We aren't just in the X-Men's world. We're at the very beginning of everything."
[Well then,] Bloodcode chuckled. [I suggest we get to work. The world is about to get very crowded, Zero.]