American comics: Starting with mutants

Just as Ethan was about to make his move.

William Stryker, who had been keeping his chin slightly lowered and wearing a gloomy expression, looked up at Ethan the moment the countdown ended.

Promise me one thing.

"……Oh."

Ethan paused for a moment, then chuckled, looking at William Stryker with a hint of amusement: "I thought you'd be tough."

William Stryker's expression remained somber.

"I know how much you hate me, because I was the one who arranged and deployed all the mutant clone experiments. So I know very well that you, who have been tormented by me for three years, will not let me off easily."

"You will torture me, just as we tortured you back then."

"To prevent psychic mutants, I also installed a psychic inhibitor. So the reason you haven't acted immediately is simply because you want to get the answers to these three questions from me."

"I can answer these three questions you've raised, but only if you promise me one thing."

No one knew mutants better than him, and likewise, no one knew better than him the torment and suffering Ethan had endured over those three years.

and so……

William Stryker knew very well how Ethan would torture him.

but!

Stryker, who considers himself a big shot, believes that big shots should die big shots.

Right now, the only thing he can do is use the answers to the three questions Ethan wants to know to get himself a relatively dignified death.

Ethan frowned as he looked at Stryker, who, despite his gloomy expression, showed no regret in his eyes, but rather a look of accepting defeat.

This is not the scene he wanted to see.

The scene he wanted to see was William Stryker being captured, weeping and begging for his forgiveness, even if it meant licking his crotch to survive.

Instead of William Stryker, whose eyes showed no fear of his impending death, but only shock and disbelief at his strength, and who had accepted defeat in the bet.

next second.

He smiled.

Ethan looked calmly at Stryker: "Are you so sure that after I agree to your request and get the answer I want, I'll go back on my word?"

Stryker shook his head.

"Won't."

"reason."

"Whether you are a clone of yourself, or like Jean, you are the Black Emperor who was resurrected from the dead, in essence, you, the Black Emperor, and I are all the same kind of people."

"That's not a reason."

"The weak can only abide by the rules set by the strong, while the strong have their own rules."

William Stryker looked directly at Ethan: "But strong people all have one thing in common, and that is that they will always do what they promise."

Being untrustworthy, going back on one's word, and being despicable and shameless are the passports of the despicable.

But why would a despicable person need this pass, or even think it's useful?

Because this pass is issued by the strong.

A strong person keeps their word!

Words must be deeds, deeds must be resolute.

Ethan listened to William Stryker comparing him to himself, and although he felt a little disgusted, he didn't show it. Instead, he looked at William Stryker with a deep gaze.

He suddenly felt a bit bored.

His idea of ​​torturing William Stryker was based on Stryker's fear of death.

Only in this way could he enjoy the feeling he wanted from torturing Stryker.

But right now, Stryker has no fear of death; all he feels is the willingness to accept defeat after realizing he's truly out of cards.

He could continue torturing Stryker, but since he could no longer derive any pleasure from Stryker, what was the point of torturing him?

Are you just messing around with things on your own?

"I once thought about how I would torture you after I caught you, to let you experience the cruelest torture in the world, to vent the hatred in my heart."

"but……"

"I'd rather see you kneeling before me, begging for mercy, weeping and wailing, even licking my shoes as a sign of your plight."

"Instead of the way you are now, accepting defeat and giving up."

"You're not a good person, Stryker."

"But you are indeed someone to be reckoned with."

"OK."

At this point, Ethan looked at William Stryker and chuckled, "Tell me the answers you want to know, and you'll die, but I'll give you a quick death."

Upon hearing this, William Stryker's expression didn't change much; he simply showed a relieved look.

"Thanks."

"No need, just tell me!"

Ethan waved his hand dismissively, urging Stryker to hurry up.

If he was previously thinking about how to properly deal with Stryker, now he only has one thought: to finish this quickly.

William Stryker readily agreed after Ethan did.

"The first problem is that the core drug for the growth-suppressing agent you are missing is called Horton's Blood."

"...Houghton's blood?"

Ethan frowned slightly and looked at Stryker: "Is it some kind of mutant blood again?"

Stryker shook his head.

"I have no idea."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Ethan chuckled and looked at Stryker with a strange expression.

Stryker seemed to know what Ethan wanted to say, and spoke again before Ethan could even open his mouth.

"I really don't know. In fact, the reason you came to me is simply because you think I'm the mastermind behind the cloning project, the one behind it all. But what if I told you that I'm not actually the mastermind behind the cloning project? You've come to the wrong person."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Ethan's pupils contracted rapidly, and he stared intently at Stryker.

Stryker chuckled.

"Before my wife died, I was just a simple soldier. After my wife died, there was only one thing on my mind."

"That is, how to eliminate mutants."

"To this end, I brainwashed Logan and turned him into an indestructible adamantium Wolverine, intending to use the brainwashed indestructible Wolverine to help me destroy mutants."

"Unfortunately, it failed."

"But I have a backup plan."

"Humans are unreliable; only machines are."

"The Sentinel is my masterpiece."

"so……"

"If you're here to kill me because of mutants, then you've come to the right person. But if you're here to kill me because of the cloning program, then you've killed the wrong person."

"..."

Ethan looked calmly at Stryker, trying to find a flaw in Stryker's words on his face.

However, Stryker remained calm and his breathing was steady, showing no other unusual signs except for the occasional throbbing pain from the impact on his knee.

It doesn't seem like he's lying.

……