Chapter 121: Mutant War
"That’s a fact. But it’s also a fact that even the weakest mutant is stronger than the average human. They even have a ritual that lets them choose their own EF.
There’s even a saying that the first Wild Walker who brought enhanced tattoo technology was a mutant who saw himself as human and decided to help humanity outside the confines of the cities," Strauss paused, then continued.
"From what I’ve uncovered about the Echelon, they believe that humans should be livestock. They share the same mindset as the mutants. That’s why they’re trying to perfect mutant biology, by stabilizing their DNA, so mutants don’t have to depend on human genes and DNA anymore," said Strauss.
"And what does that have to do with Nihilus?" she asked, still not understanding.
"Don’t you see? The reason why the mutant war started this early, instead of a few years down the line, is because Nihilus uncovered all of The Echelon’s plans. Hell... he even captured one of their key operatives, Manifesto, for us. They had no choice but to start a war, a war that neither side is prepared for," Strauss said.
"Then what about those children? Are you saying they were a necessary sacrifice just to teach me a lesson? I admit, I wasn’t at my best back then, but... those children..." Photon Fury gritted her teeth.
She remembered the time she lost control of her powers, killed all those children, and still failed to defeat Nihilus. Then Nihilus, using only martial arts, subdued her. No powers, no flashy weapons... just pure skill.
That defeat forced her to rethink everything about her career. She had believed that, given her level of power, she should have been offered more important roles, higher-level missions, and greater public admiration.
She dismissed her setbacks as discrimination, without realizing the real reason: her skills simply weren’t good enough. Sure, she had been trained by Atlas once, but she had brushed it off, thinking Atlas succeeded only because he was the number one hero.
But after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Nihilus, she changed.
She became obsessed with honing her skills, using the least amount of power to deliver the most effective results in neutralizing threats.
As a result, she grew stronger, so strong that she even found it hard to believe.