Marvel: Mutant Ascension

Evan sat in his office, eyes scanning multiple screens displaying security feeds and ExxCorp's latest digital activity. He knew they would retaliate, and his instincts told him it wouldn't just be through corporate espionage or financial strikes. No, they needed something direct.

He had already anticipated an assassination attempt. ExxCorp was too invested in their own secrecy to allow a rogue element like Mercer Biotech to keep moving unchecked. They would send someone—a professional, someone enhanced, someone designed to kill.

But he hadn't expected this.

His screen flickered, bringing up newly decrypted files. ExxCorp's black ops personnel database had been tight, but not tight enough to keep him out forever. He had uncovered the name of their primary enforcer.

Agent Talon.

A perfect hunter, engineered for adaptability and close-quarters combat. Cybernetic enhancements, pain resistance, enhanced speed, and combat instincts bordering on supernatural. A man whose entire existence was designed for the sole purpose of eliminating obstacles.

Evan exhaled, leaning back in his chair. This was a test. Essex wasn't just sending someone to kill him—he wanted to see what Evan was truly capable of.

He smirked. Fine. Let's play.

Talon arrived in New York under complete anonymity. He had been inserted through a nonexistent flight manifest, transported via one of ExxCorp's underground networks, and equipped with a fully erased digital footprint. No security, no identification, no trace.

Mercer Biotech's security was tight, but Talon was trained for this level of intrusion.

He studied the cityscape from the rooftop of an abandoned warehouse, scanning for electromagnetic signals and heat signatures. Mercer's security detail operated with advanced counter-surveillance technology, but nothing was infallible.

He had already mapped the patterns of Mercer's security patrols, camera rotations, and automated countermeasures.

His entry point was simple—the blind spot created by the angle of a rooftop-mounted drone camera. A four-second window.

He moved instantly, landing with precision as he scaled down the side of Mercer Biotech's headquarters, using magnetic grip pads embedded in his gloves. He avoided detection perfectly, maneuvering across steel and glass until he reached an open vent shaft leading into the lower floors.

Inside, Evan was already watching.

He had designed his security system to always alert him to anomalies, no matter how small. A blind spot in his camera rotation, a missing frame in his security feed—all deliberate, all expected.

The moment Talon entered the vent system, Evan smiled.

Right on time.

He stood, rolling his shoulders as he moved toward his designated engagement zone—a hollowed-out section of the research facility designed for simulated combat testing. Large open space, reinforced flooring, and multiple environmental hazards hidden in plain sight.

This was no longer just an assassination attempt.

This was an experiment.

Talon moved silently through the facility, his enhanced vision picking up infrared signatures, scanning for movement. His HUD displayed the building's internal schematics, highlighting areas of potential traps.

Yet, something was off.

This wasn't a corporate office space anymore.

It had been modified.

The lighting was deliberately dimmed. The walls contained reinforced plating. The air was thick with ionized particles, disrupting electronic readings.

It was a combat zone.

He's waiting for me.

Talon's instincts screamed danger, but he had been built for this. No hesitation. He moved forward, drawing his twin retractable talons, his muscles tensing in preparation.

Then—the floor beneath him shifted.

The moment Talon stepped into the designated trap zone, a powerful electromagnetic pulse activated, momentarily disrupting his cybernetic HUD.

No digital tracking. No enhanced vision.

For the first time in years, Talon was operating on pure instinct.

Evan's voice echoed from the overhead speakers.

"Your profile says you can adapt quickly. Let's put that to the test."

Talon reacted instantly, lunging forward, ignoring the system failure. He didn't need computers to kill.

But Evan wasn't standing still.

A sonic pulse erupted from concealed speakers, sending a high-frequency signal that disoriented Talon's enhanced hearing.

He faltered for less than a second—but a second was all Evan needed.

Evan moved.

He struck low, aiming for the knee, forcing Talon to adjust his stance. A normal person would have collapsed. Talon didn't.

Instead, he spun mid-air, using the momentum to redirect the force, slashing at Evan's chest with razor-sharp claws.

Evan narrowly dodged, feeling the air split beside his skin. Talon was fast. Faster than Evan had calculated.

But that was fine. He wanted to see how fast.

Evan let Talon press the attack, deliberately testing his own body's limits. Each strike forced his adaptive evolution to work overtime, reinforcing his bones, enhancing his reaction speed. But there were limits. Talon's speed was pushing him to his current threshold.

His regeneration worked, but he still felt the impact of Talon's attacks. If he had been any slower, he would have been dead in seconds.

Evan baited Talon into lunging at him, sidestepping at the last second and triggering a high-pressure gas valve, blinding Talon momentarily. In that instant, Evan struck at the base of his skull, precisely targeting the vagus nerve cluster.

Talon's body jerked violently. His enhanced systems tried to compensate, but the nerve disruption sent his autonomic functions into overdrive—paralyzing his heart, flooding his brain with misfired signals.

For the first time, Talon couldn't move. His body locked in place, his enhanced reflexes failing as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

Evan watched as his opponent collapsed, eyes flickering as life drained from them. He had shut down his nervous system with a single, calculated strike.

Evan exhaled. He had won, but not without learning something crucial. Talon had exposed his weaknesses. He still had limits. And if ExxCorp had more like him… Evan needed to evolve even further.

He stepped over the corpse, his mind already moving ahead to the next challenge.

This was just the beginning.