NOVEL WEB Ch: 5 [Harley Quinn’s grand entry]
AN: The next few chs will be focused on Harley. It will give you a proper idea about the ongoing situation of this Earth.
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[Meanwhile...] [Unknown Island] [Magneto's special prison]
The island lay hidden in the middle of a stormy ocean, with skies always covered by dark clouds. Huge waves hit sharp rocks, sending salty water into the air. In the center of the island, tall metal buildings stood, built to withstand the harsh conditions, and mutants locked inside. The sharp cliffs and dangerous waters around the island made it almost impossible to escape.
Massive sentinels patrolled the perimeter, their glowing eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of intruders. These were not ordinary sentinels. They were the new generation—designed and built by Magneto's scientists. Unlike previous models, these sentinels had the ability to mimic the powers of the mutants, making them annoying and dangerous foes in battle. Their sleek, metallic bodies shimmered under the moonlight.
Inside the facility, the walls were lined with special metal and thick glass, giving the place an almost surgical feel. Mutants were locked in energy cells that neutralized their powers, trapped in a nightmare of their own helplessness. The corridors echoed with the faint sounds of suffering, the groans of those who had been experimented on, and the occasional clank of sentinel footsteps.
At the heart of the facility was the laboratory—a sterile, white room filled with advanced technology. Medical tables stood at its center, and the smell of antiseptic hung in the air. Here, Magneto's scientists performed horrific experiments to unlock the secrets of mutant abilities. They weren't just interested in power; they were obsessed with unlocking the secret behind mutation and evolving a new race of humans.
One such experiment was unfolding...
Mystique, who once supported Magneto and later joined the X-Men got captured by Magneto. For years, he performed experiments on her. She lay strapped to a cold metal table. Her blue, scaly skin shimmered under the harsh overhead lights, and her body was pinned down by energy restraints that prevented her from using her shape-shifting abilities. She never stopped resisting, but her strength wasn't enough. After a year of break, they began experimenting again. For weeks, she had been subjected to brutal testing—cut open, her cells harvested and studied. Yet, thanks to a healer mutant, she survived or was mostly kept alive for further experiments.
Magneto's obsession with replicating her ability to transform had reached new heights.
Two scientists, wearing white coats stained with blood and bits of flesh, worked methodically around her. One held a scalpel, carefully scraping off a thin layer of Mystique's skin while the other monitored the readings on a complex machine that beeped steadily in the background. Her skin was not just blue pigment—it was the key to one of the most powerful mutant abilities in existence.
Mystique was in so much pain, yet she couldn't scream or move anymore. They made sure that she remained silent.
"She's regenerating faster than expected. Weapon X's DNA strands seem to be working just fine for now. Give that healer a rest," the first doctor murmured, his voice devoid of empathy as he peeled another section of Mystique's skin. He placed it carefully in a glass container before sealing it with a hiss of escaping air. "We'll need more samples to stabilize the sentinel prototypes."
"Her cellular structure is unique," the second doctor added, eyes glued to the monitor. "We've only scratched the surface. We need to push to the next stage. Increase the electrical stimulation—see how her cells respond under more stress."
Mystique groaned in pain, yet no voice came from her mouth. Her body arched against the restraints. She had been enduring this torment for what felt like an eternity. Her once unbreakable will was cracking, and the constant agony made it harder to maintain control over her shifting powers. Her body wanted to change, to morph into something that could escape this hellish place, but the energy restraints kept her locked in her current form.
Her mind wandered, thinking of the X-Men, of Erik—Magneto. How could he let this happen? She had once believed in his cause, in his vision for mutant kind. But this? This wasn't liberation. It was madness. He had crossed a line, using his own people as fodder for his twisted experiments.
[Outside]
Far above Magneto's hidden island, a bright streak of fire shot through the thick clouds, its light shining brightly against the dark sky. The sentinels went into defense mode and raised the barrier around the island. The fiery path of the object changed direction slightly as if it was guiding itself before it crashed through the barrier, straight into the ground near the edge of the prison. The impact made the island shake, causing cracks to appear in the earth.
A massive wave of purple energy swept over the area, as the sentinels were thrown back by the blast. They went offline almost instantly unable to withstand the wave of residual dimensional energy.
Harley Quinn lay at the center of the smoldering crater, smoke rising around her from the intense friction of atmospheric re-entry. Her clothes were charred from the dimensional travel, and her nanite suit, originally designed to withstand tremendous force, was almost entirely shredded. Only a few fragments of armor remained, but beneath that tattered exterior, a secondary layer of protection, a resilient Amazonian armor given to her by Diana, clung to her body. She stood slowly, her head spinning.
"Whoa... that was one helluva ride!" Harley mumbled, her voice shaky. She rubbed her forehead, trying to gather her thoughts. "Guess Selina and Brucie got flung somewhere else. Welp, now what?"
Her answer came quickly.
Spotlights from the towering metal buildings around the complex focused on her position, and moments later, mutant guards rushed toward the crater with their weapons raised. These guards, enhanced by the very experiments that were conducted on them, moved faster than regular humans. They were also wearing special armor. Energy rifles crackled to life in their hands as they approached her cautiously.
"Stop right there!" one of the lead guards shouted, his voice amplified through his helmet.
Harley stood up and dusted off the remaining ash on her arms.
"Really? After all that?" She flexed her arms, feeling the strange, uncontrollable power coursing through her. Her mind was spinning, both from the crash and from the sheer force inside her body, but a crooked grin appeared on her face. "You boys wanna play with Harley, huh?"
The guards hesitated for a moment, thrown off by her carefree demeanor. Before they could react, Harley rushed in. Her body moved faster than she intended, a blur of speed that left her momentarily disoriented. She slammed into the first guard, her fist connecting with his chest.
Splatter!! Harley failed to control her strength. Her punch went through his armor and came out the other side, punching a hole right through him.
"Eeeww!" She pulled her fist out of the guard's chest, "That was nasty!"
The other guards immediately opened fire, their energy blasts sizzling through the air toward her. Harley's enhanced reflexes kicked in instinctively, and she dodged with unnatural agility. She zipped between the energy bolts, appearing in front of another guard before he could even blink. A swift kick sent him flying into a group of his comrades, toppling them like bowling pins.
One of the guards, a giant mutant with the ability to generate force fields, activated his defensive shield. "Stay back!" he yelled, his hands outstretched as the shimmering barrier formed between them. Harley cocked her head, her eyes glowing faintly red, feeling the temptation to use her heat vision again.
"Heat vision, huh?" She mused aloud. "I ain't gotten the hang of this yet, but let's give it a shot!"
With a deep breath, Harley's eyes flared, releasing twin beams of red energy. The heat vision struck the mutant's force field, and for a moment, the barrier held strong. But the Kryptonian power was too much. The shield crackled, buckled, and then shattered, sending the guard flying backward as the heat beams continued to scorch a path through the ground. Harley winced. She closed her eyes as they stung from the aftershock of using the unfamiliar power.
"Okay, that still stings like crazy... I gotta practice that," she muttered.
One of the guards, another giant figure with gray, rock-like skin, transformed before her eyes. His body swelled grotesquely, muscles bulging and distorting his form until he resembled a living boulder. He roared, the sound vibrating the very air around him, before charging at Harley with the force of a wrecking ball.
'Metahumans?!' Harley blinked, then grinned. "Well, ain't you just a big ol' pile of ugly!"
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