The Tycoon's Odyssey

The air in the chamber was heavy with tension as Daniel stumbled inside, his breathing uneven and labored. At the far end, Evan stood with his arms crossed, his sharp eyes assessing Daniel's disheveled state. Aurora's projections flickered across the walls, running diagnostics and ready to report.

Daniel's legs gave out and he collapsed into the nearest chair, his body trembling. "Evan, you have got to listen to me. I'm telling you, that wasn't just a meaningless fight. He isn't what he seems!"

Evan raised a brow and stepped closer, his tone calm but firm. "Take a deep breath Daniel and calm down. Tell me what happened."

Clenching his fists, Daniel forced himself to remain steady. "When that guy—Adrian, or whoever he is—when he touched me, I felt… different. Sure, I felt an electric current shock, but it wasn't just physical. It was as if my brain was being invaded."
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Aurora's voice interjected, calm and clinical.

[When Adrian or his impersonator made contact with Daniel, an electric current traversed his body. This triggered the nano-tech armor, causing it to condense and shield him. The optic lens shattered from the impact.]

"No," Daniel's voice was sharp, almost desperate. "That's not all. It wasn't just a defense mechanism."

Evan's expression darkened. "What do you mean by that?"

Daniel's body visibly shivered as he struggled to articulate. "It felt like… someone was diving into my brain. Pulling memories out, piece by piece. Like stripping me down to my very core." His eyes darted around the room, wild and frantic. "My mind went blank, mushy even, but the sensation stayed. It was hollow, cold, and so… invasive and it felt like I was being stripped down to nothing"

Evan frowned, stepping closer. "Go on."

Daniel's voice dropped, his tone eerily quiet. "His eyes… they weren't human. They were reptilian—cold, calculating. It was as if they were staring straight into my soul. It wasn't just a look. It was like he was peeling away layers of who I am."

The more he spoke, the more frenzied Daniel became. His breathing turned erratic, and his hands clutched the edges of his seat as if trying to ground himself. "Evan, you don't understand! He's not human!"

Seeing the hysteria consuming him, Evan acted swiftly. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and struck the back of Daniel's head. The force wasn't enough to harm him but effective enough to make him slump forward, dazed.

"Aurora," Evan barked, his tone sharp, "something isn't right. Scan his entire body and calm him down. I'm not feeling good about this."

[Understood.]

Evan hoisted Daniel up and carried him to a pod, laying him inside before sealing it shut. The pod's mechanisms whirred as Aurora initiated a full-body scan.

Moments later, Aurora's voice echoed through the room.

[Scan complete. No significant abnormalities were detected. However, his vitals indicate hypersensitivity, heightened fear response, and nervous hyperactivity—consistent with extreme stress and trauma, not a physical condition.]

Evan exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Anything else?"

Aurora's projection flickered.

[Sir, it might be hard to believe, but I analyzed the data collected during the fight and cross-referenced it with prior records.]

Evan's expression hardened. "Go on."

[The individual who fought Daniel does not match Adrian's profile. His exoskeleton and strength exceed human capabilities. For example, no matter how much training someone undergoes, their skin won't achieve such hardness. His exterior is akin to advanced armor, likely impenetrable to bullets. Secondly, his regenerative ability is unnatural, almost on par with yours—capable of regrowing limbs and organs, except for his head or heart. However, unlike you, he has no system to manage cosmic energy. This shouldn't be possible.]

Evan's jaw tightened. "And his strength?"

[Comparable to yours. Determining who is superior would require a direct confrontation under controlled circumstances.]

Evan's eyes narrowed as Aurora continued.

[Sir, the individual who fought Daniel wasn't Adrian. Records show Adrian is Walter's secretary, and while he is superhuman, his strength does not match the level that was observed in the fight. Moreover, Adrian was nowhere near Area 51 during the fight. Walter, on the other hand, was unaccounted for.]

Evan's fists tightened, his knuckles turning white. "And?"

[If I correlate Daniel's description of reptilian eyes with the information from Vishal regarding the gecko-dragon mutation, it is highly likely that the person Daniel encountered was none other than Walter himself.]

Evan stood in silence, the weight of Aurora's words sinking in. His face darkened, and an unmistakable fire lit in his eyes.

"Then Walter isn't just a human."

Evan stood frozen for a moment, processing Aurora's report while his fingers tapped rhythmically against the edge of the pod within which Daniel lay unconscious. The air in the room felt colder and heavier, as though a storm was brewing within his mind.

"Are you absolutely certain?" Evan asked, his voice low and measured, but the undertone of restrained fury was unmistakable.

[Yes, Sir,] Aurora replied. [While I cannot confirm Walter's exact methods, the evidence aligns too perfectly to dismiss the possibility. The creature Daniel described—reptilian traits, near-impervious skin, unnatural regeneration—everything matches Walter's profile far better than Adrian's.]

Evan's jaw clenched tightly. "If Walter has taken on such a form, it's no longer a question of stopping him. It's about understanding how he became this way. There's no way he could have achieved this on his own."

"Or was he born that way?"

The possibility gnawed at him, Evan couldn't just conclude that Walter was alien and who knew if this might lead to another hybrid experiment leading to the formation of beings like Hulk and lizard men.

Aurora's voice, calm yet tinged with urgency, interrupted his thoughts.

[One more thing, Sir. During the fight, Daniel's nano-armor activated to protect him from a significant energy surge—an energy signature unlike anything I have ever encountered before. It was neither purely electrical nor organic. It's as if Walter's touch momentarily bypassed every known physical and technological boundary, affecting Daniel at his core.]

Evan's eyes darkened further. "What kind of energy are we talking about?"

[I cannot pinpoint it precisely,] Aurora admitted. [It's foreign, not of terrestrial origin. Walter may have harnessed an external power source, something beyond Earth's current capabilities.]

Evan exhaled sharply, his breath uneven. "So, not only is Walter ahead of us, but he's working with technology—or power—that might not even be from this planet."

Aurora hesitated briefly before adding, [It's possible that whatever Walter is using is tied to the anomaly we've been monitoring—the cosmic energy flux near Area 51. If Walter has tapped into that, it could explain his rapid evolution and how his ability is able to match your strength.]

Evan turned sharply toward Aurora's projection, his voice cold. "And if he's already this powerful, what's stopping him from taking the next step? He's not just a threat to me or Daniel—he's a threat to the entire balance of this world."

Suri, who had been silent until now, stepped forward cautiously. "Evan, if what Aurora says is true, we're dealing with something that might be on par with your tech—or worse."

Evan's eyes flicked toward Suri, his mind racing. "You think he's not acting alone?"

Suri nodded, her expression grim. "Think about it. If Walter's transformation is the result of external influence, it's likely whoever—or whatever—granted him this power has a larger plan. He's just the beginning."

Evan slammed his fist into the wall beside him, leaving a dent. "If that's true, we need to act now. Aurora, continue monitoring Walter's movements. I want every anomaly near Area 51 to be under constant surveillance. Any spike in energy levels, no matter how small, report it immediately."

[Understood, Sir.]

Evan glanced back at Daniel, still unconscious in the pod. His chest rose and fell steadily, but his face was pale and his body still continued to tremble. Evan knew this wasn't over. Daniel had survived the encounter, but the psychological scars were evident.

"Aurora," Evan said, his tone softer now.

Evan's brows furrowed. "We can't afford instability right now. Stabilize him with whatever you have at your disposal. Use sedatives if necessary, but keep his mind intact. We'll need his firsthand account when he wakes up."

[Understood. Initiating stabilization protocol.]

As the pod hummed to life, administering calming agents, Suri stepped closer to Evan. "What's our next move?"

Evan's gaze hardened. "We go on the offensive. If Water is tied to that cosmic anomaly, we'll use him to find the real origin. But if he's not alone, we'll uncover who's backing him."

The room fell silent as Evan's words hung heavy in the air. This was no longer a battle for survival—it was a war for dominance, and Evan had no intention of losing it.