Marvel: Xenomorphs

Alaska.

Relatively speaking, this is a desolate land, sparsely populated.

What it's most famous for are its dwindling gold mines and sled dogs.

But few know that, apart from Alaskan dogs, there are also low-tier Deviants that the Celestial known as Arishem dropped on Earth thousands of years ago.

Ikaris floated high in the sky, looking down at the thick layer of snow beneath him. In the perpetually frozen deep lake, a large number of Deviants lay dormant.

The eleven of them had spent thousands of years fighting these things, a battle that almost spanned the entire history of human civilization.

"What exactly are those things..." Ikaris's expression was extremely grim as he stared down at the claw marks on his chest. The wounds had long since healed, but the shock of encountering the Xenomorphs lingered.

This was the first time Ikaris had encountered creatures so similar to Deviants, capable of rapid growth like them, yet fundamentally different in nature.

He stood bathed in the falling snow.

At that moment, another figure flew toward him, not particularly fast, but his arrival carried an unmistakable sense of overwhelming pressure.

"Magneto?"

Ikaris frowned slightly. Having followed human history, he naturally knew of this man. At the same time, he looked further into the distance and noticed a red figure rapidly teleporting more mutants to the scene.

"Azazel?"

Ikaris's frown deepened, filled with doubt and unease.

From a distance, Azazel looked up, his gaze meeting Ikaris's, and then he flashed a meaningful smile.

During the Age of Apocalypse four thousand years ago, Azazel had been one of Apocalypse's top soldiers. He had lived all the way into the modern era, witnessing all sorts of powerful individuals and major historical events firsthand.

In Ikaris's eyes, Azazel was far more noteworthy than Magneto.

"So, you're the Flyboy?"

Magneto flew to a spot not far from Ikaris and spoke slowly. His first sentence made Ikaris lose his composure.

"Fly... what?"

"FLYMAN. That's what everyone calls you."

Magneto ignored Ikaris's changing expression, unable to contain his excitement as he quickly asked, "You're one of the Deviants, aren't you? How have you survived to this day? Longevity, or time travel?"

"Magneto, watch your words. I, Ikaris, could never be a Deviant!"

"No need to hide it. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. has confirmed your identity as a Deviant, not to mention Duncan." As Magneto spoke, a glint of eagerness flashed in his eyes, his sharp gaze scrutinizing Ikaris's body from head to toe.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was inclined to believe this guy's identity.

Hmm, but this strong physique, elegant lines, flawless skin... it doesn't quite match the characteristics of a Deviant.

Deviants, as the name suggests, are on average inferior to the Eternals. Their genes undergo rampant mutations, resulting in a bizarre variety of appearances and abilities among their kind.

Ikaris's appearance was far too refined.

Ikaris raised his voice: "I am an Eternal! Born pure, perfect, powerful, and free from genetic defects!"

"An Eternal?"

Magneto frowned, the enthusiasm in his eyes cooling. "I remember the Eternals as nothing more than defeated strays, driven to extinction by the Deviants. How can you be an Eternal? If you're an Eternal, how have you survived on Earth?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? If it weren't for us Eternals constantly hunting Deviants, how could you humans have lived so smoothly over the past few millennia?" Ikaris's anger flared. "Deviants are nothing but beasts that feed on humans. You're insane to sympathize with them!"

He wanted to vent his anger by killing Duncan and the Xenomorphs but had failed. Now, this mutant had inexplicably shown up, spouting a bunch of incomprehensible nonsense.

Ikaris was actually millions of years old, but his memories had been repeatedly wiped by Arishem, and he had been sent to various planets to carry out missions. In reality, he only had memories of the past few thousand years on Earth and knew little about the planet's ancient history, let alone the fact that a group of Eternals had fled Earth twenty thousand years ago.

"That's a real shame. You're not a Deviant, and you're filled with prejudice, insulting Deviants. You're a damn racist."

Magneto had completely lost his patience. "Unfortunately for you, I happen to be the most extreme kind of racist."

Given his temperament, it was rare for him to engage in a conversation like this. After confirming that Ikaris wasn't who he was looking for, he was even more disappointed.

Eternals? What can Eternals do? These worthless beings are incapable of anything.

"Since you've survived to this day, there must be something special about you. Capturing you might give me a chance to find the real Deviants."

Magneto didn't waste any more words. He was never known for his patience, and as someone seeking identity and connection with the Deviants, he had nothing more to say to the Eternals. He immediately took action.

A powerful magnetic field erupted, and in Magneto's hands, it was like a docile child, completely enveloping Ikaris.

Ikaris was unusually furious. According to the modus operandi of the eleven Eternals, they wouldn't easily interfere in human affairs outside of dealing with Deviants.

But now, Ikaris truly couldn't hold back.

Whoosh!

Golden heat vision blasted out.

Magneto's expression remained cold, clearly having anticipated this. With a wave of his hand, metal from all directions surged in, blocking the heat vision.

On Earth, magnetic fields are everywhere. Using them to control the abundant metal minerals was undoubtedly the most efficient way to fight.

But against an Eternal like Ikaris, Magneto was also using the magnetic field to interfere with Ikaris's physical form.

"Hmm? You can fly freely without using Earth's magnetic field?" Magneto was genuinely surprised.

"Using a planet's magnetic field can only make things slightly easier for me. How could I possibly rely on something like that!"

Ikaris could fly by harnessing his own immense energy. He could even leave Earth and fly through space in his flesh-and-blood body!

Much like Captain Marvel.

The battle between the two powerhouses officially began.

Ikaris darted through the overwhelming cloud of metal, his golden heat vision shooting in all directions, cutting through everything in its path and piercing countless incoming metal minerals.

But Magneto's abilities weren't limited to controlling metal. He was also using magnetic forces to strongly disrupt Ikaris's bodily magnetic field.

An invisible energy net formed, trapping Ikaris and compressing his movement space.

"You're like a sparrow flitting around. It's best if you stay in a cage," Magneto said.

Ikaris kept moving, letting out a cold snort. Feeling the discomfort within his body, he forcefully surged upward, looking down at Magneto from high above.

In the next moment, he plummeted downward. Magneto quickly retreated, and as far as the eye could see, countless materials were under his control, like an endless river, continuously surging toward Ikaris.

All around, the ground shook and the mountains trembled, as if the entire world had been thrown into chaos.

The spectacle was earth-shattering, but for the time being, Magneto couldn't easily subdue the formidable Ikaris. Suppressing him was one thing, but killing him would take more time.

"Give up. My people are here. You have nowhere to run," Magneto said.

One after another, mutants radiating powerful auras were rapidly closing in on Ikaris.

"Run? You think I'll run a second time?"

Ikaris's hair was disheveled as he gritted his teeth and let out a cold laugh. He suddenly looked down at the shattered ice lake. "Let's see who's running now!"