Creating Oasis:Mutant Dawn

Weapon X Headquarters, Lake Alkali.

Inside the heavily fortified control room, Wilhelm Stryker sat frozen in front of the monitor. His eyes remained glued to the screen as the final moments of the battle played out. Deadpool—his most prized creation—had just been defeated before the eyes of millions.

It was like being struck in the head with a hammer.

"This… this is impossible…"

He muttered, his voice hoarse, nearly inaudible. His lips trembled. He had no strength left to stand.

Deadpool—the result of years of research and ruthless experimentation—was supposed to be unstoppable. The apex weapon. The ultimate answer to the mutant threat.

And yet…

He was taken down in minutes.

It shattered everything Stryker believed in.

And then came the voice. Calm. Measured. Unshakably composed.

Joseph.

"I suppose I should explain," Joseph said from across the room, speaking almost kindly. "What you saw just now was my spell. It's called 'True Mirror Image.'"

He gestured vaguely toward the monitor, as if he were narrating a documentary instead of declaring absolute dominance.

"It creates a duplicate of me, identical in both mind and power. So while I'm standing here chatting with you..." He smiled faintly. "Another me is already on the battlefield, overseeing everything personally."

Though Joseph said it lightly, his words were not truly meant for Stryker.

They were for Magneto and Mystique, standing nearby.

The two of them stiffened.

They had fought many enemies. Seen many powers. But this was different.

A spell that could create another self—equally strong? Equally capable? That wasn't just power.

That was strategy. That was danger. That was... terrifying.

Magneto's usually unreadable face twitched for a fraction of a second. He imagined two of himself launching simultaneous assaults—and even he felt a flicker of unease.

Stryker, on the other hand, could barely process what he was hearing. His complexion had turned a ghostly white.

It got worse.

On the live feed, Adam Robert—the operative who had once stood by his side—had already confessed the location of the base.

Now, reporters from the Global Daily, the NYPD, and the X-Men were escorting captives onto the Blackbird aircraft, en route to Lake Alkali.

Even Iron Man had left ahead of them, flying at high speed.

At this rate, they would arrive within twenty minutes.

And when they did, Wilhelm Stryker would be standing on the stage—not as a hero, but as the villain of a global public trial, live for the entire world to see.

Joseph had calculated every move.

He wasn't content with just defeating Stryker—he wanted to expose him. Humiliate him. Break him before every camera and every citizen.

This wasn't just punishment.

It was judgment.

And now, Stryker realized, there was no way to stop it.

He could do nothing. Say nothing. The noose was already tightening.

"Hehehe…"

His face twisted. He let out a soft, bitter laugh.

"I lost."

His words were quiet. Resigned.

He looked up at Joseph, something like awe—or terror—glinting in his eyes.

"My greatest mistake…" Stryker whispered. "Was underestimating the possibility that someone like you could exist among Mutants."

Then, his gaze flicked briefly toward Magneto, lips curling with disdain.

"If the Mutants had always followed him—or even Xavier—I could have destroyed your kind long ago."

"But you…"

He closed his eyes. "You're something else entirely. Perhaps this really is divine punishment. For us… for humanity."

Magneto didn't respond.

There was no point arguing with a man who had already lost everything.

But Joseph wasn't done.

His gaze sharpened. The smile faded from his lips.

"Divine punishment?" he said coldly. "You want to play the victim now?"

He stepped forward, voice growing icier with every word.

"Tell me, Wilhelm. Are Mutants not human? Are we not born from the same wombs? Breathe the same air?"

"Don't forget—your own son was a Mutant."

Stryker flinched.

"He was born from your wife's womb. He didn't ask for his power. His mutation was a natural part of evolution. He couldn't even control it."

Joseph's tone turned harsh.

"It was the hallucinations caused by his uncontrolled ability that drove your wife to madness. To suicide."

"If not for that—if he'd been born without power—wouldn't you have loved him like any other father?"

Stryker turned away, jaw tight.

"No," Joseph said. "You don't hate Mutants because we threaten humanity. You hate us because of one boy."

"Because you couldn't accept that the boy you loved was the reason your wife died."

"And so you redirected that pain. That guilt. That hatred. Not at yourself, where it belonged—but at all of us."

"You're not a savior of humanity, Wilhelm Stryker."

"You're a coward running from the truth."

That struck the final nerve.

Stryker's eyes flared red with fury.

"You dare… call me a coward?!"

His voice exploded with rage. He staggered to his feet, shaking.

"The Mutant threat is real! Do you know what it means to let you people go unchecked?"

He jabbed a trembling finger at Joseph.

"Your abilities will consume everything. You'll take more and more land, more power, more control. And one day—humans will be reduced to slaves in their own world!"

"Even if it hasn't happened yet, it will!"

"Because power corrupts. It always does!"

"The politicians in Washington may be blind! The public may be ignorant! But I am not!"

He took a deep breath, chest heaving.

"I have lost. Kill me. Humiliate me. I don't care."

"But don't ever say I didn't fight for my people."

"I, Wilhelm Stryker—will die a hero!"

The words echoed across the room.

Magneto and Mystique stood in silence, momentarily stunned.

Joseph just smiled.

"You don't even understand the basics of sociology," he said flatly. "Let me break it down for you."

"Yes, power can be dangerous when it's held by a few. But when enough people share it, it becomes normalized. Regulated. Integrated into society."

"That's already happening."

He stepped forward again, raising two fingers.

"First: Mutants are growing in number. We're part of the evolutionary curve. You can't stop evolution, Wilhelm. You can't erase nature."

"Second: You talk about resources? About fear?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"A man like you can rise through the ranks based on cruelty and fear. And you're telling me someone stronger, smarter, and more evolved doesn't deserve a seat at the table?"

"No. You're afraid."

"Afraid that a Mutant will take your job. Your power. Your relevance."

"You're not a hero."

"You're just bitter."

Stryker stood frozen, lips trembling. He had no rebuttal.

Joseph waved his hand casually.

A portal opened behind him.

He turned toward Magneto and Mystique, signaling it was time to go.

Behind him, Stryker trembled. Sweat poured down his neck. His face turned ashen gray.

"He's not like Magneto at all…" he muttered in horror. "He's worse. Because he has a brain."

This was no warmonger.

This was a conqueror.

A new voice echoed inside Stryker's head.

"He won't kill me," he thought desperately. "He needs me alive. He wants me on the livestream. I'll expose him. I'll expose everything once the X-Men arrive—"

"You won't," Joseph said, suddenly turning around, smirking.

"I forgot to mention… this conversation?"

He stepped back toward Stryker.

"You won't remember any of it."

Stryker's heart skipped.

"Wait—what are you—"

Joseph's fingers glowed.

"You're a telepath too…" Stryker whispered in horror. "Just how many powers do you have?"

Joseph didn't answer.

Instead, he pointed two fingers to Stryker's forehead.

"One moment… forgotten."

A bright light pulsed.

Stryker's body stiffened. His pupils dilated. Then…

Silence.

His mind emptied like a wiped hard drive.

He slumped against the desk, eyes vacant.

And just before Joseph stepped into the portal with Magneto and Mystique, his voice rang out one final time:

"My name is Joseph—King of Mutants."

"Thanks to Wilhelm Stryker's 'care' over the years, today... Mutants repay the favor—a hundredfold."

That voice echoed through the halls.

And as the portal closed, both Magneto and Mystique couldn't help but shudder.