Marvel: Empire of Power-Chapter 109 - 108: A Berserker Ascendant, a Shield Shattered, and the Skrull Gambit

The "Berserker Ascendant" evolution for Logan was an ordeal that pushed even Elias Thorne's System-enhanced capabilities to their limits. For three days, within the deepest, most psionically shielded vault of the Montreal compound, Elias poured his own bio-energy and [3.0 Prime Essence Shards (Reserve: 0.5/??)] into Wolverine's ravaged but resilient form. It wasn't just about healing this time; it was about reforging, about coaxing Logan's primal mutant energies and his adamantium-laced physiology to a new, cosmic tier of power. The vault became a crucible of raw, untamed energies, Logan's roars of agony and transformation echoing even through the reinforced plasteel walls, occasionally causing sympathetic vibrations in Elias's own adamantium skeleton. Dr. Finch and Thomas MacIntyre stood a grim, silent vigil outside, ready for any catastrophic outcome.

But Logan endured. He always endured. When he finally emerged, he was... terrifyingly magnificent. His physical form was subtly denser, his musculature even more defined, etched with faint, silvery lines where the Prime Essence had re-calcified his adamantium bonds. His eyes burned with an even fiercer, more intelligent yellow light. The berserker rage was still there, a palpable aura around him, but now it felt... controlled, focused, like a harnessed star. And when he extended his claws, they seemed to hum with a faint, internal energy, capable, Elias sensed through their amplified bond, of being charged with kinetic force or superheated plasma drawn from Logan's own internal furnace.

[LOGAN (WOLVERINE) – "BERSERKER ASCENDANT" EVOLUTION: SUCCESSFUL. ALL CORE ABILITIES AMPLIFIED TO COSMIC TIER (LOW-MID). Healing Factor: True Immortality (Resistant to extreme cosmic/reality-warping energies – partial adaptation to Frozen Throne signature). Adamantium Integration: Perfected (Can now channel bio-energetic force through claws/skeleton – "Hot Claws," "Kinetic Strikes"). Berserker Rage: "Focused Fury" (Enhanced control, strategic application of rage state). NEW ABILITY: "Primal Attunement" (Limited empathic connection to other feral/bestial entities, enhanced tracking of unnatural/corrupted lifeforms). Loyalty: 100% (ALPHA PRIMUS ABSOLUTE – Transcendent Bond Forged in Shared Agony/Power). SYSTEM NOTE: Logan is now a viable counter to low/mid-tier cosmic threats and Kree Accuser-class opponents.]

Logan was no longer just Elias's premier terrestrial assassin; he was now a planetary defense asset, capable of facing down alien warships and super-beings. The cost in Shards and Elias's own energy had been immense, but the return on investment was incalculable.

While Logan acclimated to his new power levels (which involved several unfortunate encounters with Thorne's Guard sparring partners and some heavily reinforced sections of the training compound), global events took a dark, unexpected turn.

Captain America, Steve Rogers, after months of increasingly disillusioned operations with S.H.I.E.L.D. and growing suspicion about the shadowy forces manipulating global events (including "Mr. Blanchard," whose trail Peggy Carter, for all her respect, was now cautiously investigating), finally reached his breaking point. Anya Petrova reported from Washington that Rogers had discovered undeniable evidence of S.H.I.E.L.D. itself being deeply infiltrated by Hydra remnants – not just low-level sympathizers, but high-ranking officials, some of whom had been his wartime comrades. This Hydra "Phoenix Initiative," as Finch later termed it, was not about overt conquest, but about subtly corrupting Allied institutions from within, twisting their ideals, and slowly rebuilding Hydra's power base under a new, more insidious guise.

Rogers, betrayed and horrified, confronted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s leadership (including a stunned Peggy Carter and a coldly pragmatic Nick Fury, who admitted to suspecting some infiltration but underestimating its depth). The confrontation escalated. Rogers, refusing to be a pawn in anyone's game any longer, declared himself independent, renouncing his S.H.I.E.L.D. commission. He was branded a rogue, a vigilante, by the very government he had sworn to protect. The iconic shield, symbol of American idealism, was metaphorically, if not yet literally, shattered.

[CAPTAIN AMERICA (STEVE ROGERS) – STATUS: ROGUE PRIME CONDUIT. Allegiance: Independent (Pro-Humanity, Anti-Corruption/Tyranny). Current Objective: Expose/Neutralize HYDRA Infiltration within S.H.I.E.L.D./US Government. Threat Level to Host Interests: MODERATE (Unpredictable; may inadvertently expose Host's network while hunting Hydra). Opportunity: Potential for temporary, deniable alliance against common HYDRA targets; increased instability within S.H.I.E.L.D. creates operational vacuum Host can exploit.]

Elias Thorne watched this development with a mixture of strategic opportunism and a sliver of something akin to pity for Rogers. The "good man" had finally seen the true, ugly face of the shadow war. His idealism, while admirable, made him a chaotic element. Elias knew he couldn't control Rogers directly, but he could certainly use him. He instructed Anya to subtly feed Rogers (via anonymous data drops and "concerned whistleblowers") just enough verifiable intelligence about specific Hydra cells within S.H.I.E.L.D. or other US agencies to keep him focused on internal cleansing, preventing him from looking too closely at "Mr. Blanchard's" operations or Elias's broader global network. Rogers, consumed by his righteous crusade, became an unwitting wrecking ball against Hydra's American resurgence, creating chaos that Elias could exploit.

This Hydra "Phoenix Initiative" was indeed more insidious than Strucker's overt militarism. These were not jackbooted thugs; they were politicians, scientists, industrialists, intelligence analysts, all working to subtly steer global events towards Hydra's long-term goals, their true allegiance hidden behind masks of patriotism and public service. They were also, Anya discovered, very interested in Carol Danvers. With Project Pegasus now under tighter S.H.I.E.L.D. control (and Anya's "Miss Sharma" still a trusted, if carefully watched, advisor), these Hydra infiltrators were attempting to gain access to Danvers, to study her Kree-derived powers, perhaps even to try and control or weaponize her for their own ends.

This was a direct threat to Elias's own long-term plans for Captain Marvel. He decided on a preemptive strike. He wouldn't send Logan or his Legionnaires – too overt, too risky given Rogers' current crusade and heightened S.H.I.E.L.D. scrutiny. He needed a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.

He reactivated "Wraith" – James Buchanan Barnes.

Barnes's "Project White Wolf" deprogramming was now stable, his mind largely his own, though forever scarred. He possessed a chilling understanding of Hydra's methods, having been their weapon for so long. His loyalty to Elias was complex but firm ([90% - Liberator/Redeemer Bond Strengthened; Shared Animus Against HYDRA/Soviets; Finds Purpose in Host's Clandestine War)]). His upgraded bionic arm, a masterpiece of O'Malley's Skunkworks ingenuity (incorporating System-tech for enhanced strength, EMP shielding, micro-tool deployment, and even a short-range psionic scrambler derived from Finch's research), made him arguably the most dangerous covert operative on the planet.

Elias tasked Wraith with a high-stakes infiltration of the compromised S.H.I.E.L.D. sub-division that Hydra was using to target Danvers. His mission: identify the key Hydra infiltrators, gather evidence of their plans for Captain Marvel, and then, with extreme prejudice, "sanitize" the entire cell, making it look like an internal power struggle or a catastrophic accident. This would protect Danvers, further cripple Hydra's American ambitions, and subtly demonstrate to any watchful S.H.I.E.L.D. eyes (like Carter or Fury) the consequences of allowing such infiltration to fester.

It was a mission perfectly suited to Wraith's unique skills. He moved through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s layers of security like a phantom, his knowledge of Cold War espionage tradecraft and Hydra protocols giving him an almost supernatural edge. The ensuing "internal cleansing" within that S.H.I.E.L.D. sub-division was brutal, silent, and left no witnesses who could definitively point a finger. Several high-ranking Hydra moles vanished, their research into controlling Danvers destroyed. Captain Marvel was, for the moment, secure from that particular Hydra plot, though she remained unaware of her unseen protector.

[HYDRA "PHOENIX INITIATIVE" (S.H.I.E.L.D. INFILTRATION CELL – DANVERS TARGET) NEUTRALIZED BY ASSET "WRAITH". KEY HYDRA ASSETS ELIMINATED. INTEL ON HYDRA'S AMERICAN NETWORK ACQUIRED. Prime Essence Shard Echoes Acquired: +0.4 (from elite Hydra infiltrators with minor psionic/technological enhancements). Total Shards: 3.2/???]

While these terrestrial shadow wars played out, the cosmic threat loomed larger. Namor, from his Atlantic throne, reported increasing, coordinated Kree probe incursions into Earth's solar system – small, stealthy reconnaissance flights, often testing Terran (and Atlantean) sensor capabilities and response times. They were clearly gathering intelligence, preparing for a more significant offensive. Some Kree probes, Namor warned, were also showing a disturbing interest in ancient, dormant energy signatures on Earth's moon and even Mars – sites that resonated with Atlantean legends of "Celestial Gardeners" and "Star-Forge Relics."

The Kree were not just interested in Earth's current technological level; they were interested in its cosmic history, its forgotten, powerful artifacts.

Elias, cross-referencing this with the data from the Frozen Throne and Schmidt's "Nexus of Worlds" ravings, felt a growing sense of dread and opportunity. Earth was not just a primitive planet; it was a treasure chest of lost cosmic power, a forgotten battleground of ancient gods, and the Kree were coming to stake their claim.

His thoughts turned to the dormant Klyntar symbiote. Finch's research had progressed. They now understood its basic needs, its potential for symbiotic bonding, and, crucially, a way to create a temporary, controlled "psionic leash" using a combination of Element X, refined Prime Essence, and Finch's own Arch-Necromancer abilities. It was incredibly risky, but it offered the prospect of wielding the Klyntar's power without immediate, total host corruption.

Elias knew he needed a game-changer against the Kree. His Legionnaires, even Logan, were terrestrial powerhouses. Captain Marvel was still too unstable, too independent. Namor could defend the oceans. But what about space? What about facing down Kree warships or Accusers directly?

The Klyntar, bonded to a supremely powerful, supremely loyal host...

He looked at his True Legionnaire roster. Marcus Primus was the obvious choice – powerful, disciplined, his Praetorian loyalty absolute. Could he withstand the Klyntar's psychic onslaught? Could he master its terrible power and remain himself?

Elias didn't have a full [5.0 Shards] yet for another major Host Augmentation or a new Tier 3 Prime Legionnaire. But [3.2 Shards] was enough to potentially fuel the Klyntar bonding ritual and create the "psionic leash" Finch theorized.

A new, terrifying gambit began to form in Elias Thorne's mind. The Skrulls had also been mentioned in Atlantean lore as ancient enemies of the Kree. What if Earth wasn't the Kree's only target in this sector? What if he could play one galactic empire against another? And what if a Klyntar-bonded Legionnaire was the perfect instrument to deliver a message, or a catastrophe, to the heart of either the Kree or Skrull empires?

The Cold War on Earth was already a complex game of chess. The coming cosmic war would require a level of ruthlessness, vision, and power that few beings in the universe could comprehend. Elias Thorne, however, was just getting started. The Earth was his. The shadows were his. And soon, perhaps, the stars themselves would learn to whisper his name.