"All right, Dad, mom, Stefanie, get in the car."
The family climbed in; the car eased forward and glided steadily toward villa.
The black armored car cruised calmly through the capital's streets.
After threading the bustling downtown, it headed west; skyscrapers gave way to leafy suburbs.
Soon, however, the three Stevensons inside were riveted by the ever-tighter security outside the windows.
At first, only the occasional army patrol rolled past.
But the deeper they drove, the more rifle-bearing, ram-rod sentries lined the road.
Further in, a checkpoint every hundred metres: searchlights, cameras.
"Bro, it's super strict here."
Stefanie, eyeing the stone-faced soldiers, murmured.
She realised at once that whatever Steve was involved in dwarfed her wildest guesses.
This was the outer security ring of Fortress.
The base now hosted world's top scientists and, with national-treasure Steve in residence, its security rating was maxed out.
The villa sat right on the edge of that core cordon.
President Kennedy, guessing Steve would hate the base's confines, had assigned him the nearest villa.
The surrounding grounds were swept into the highest-clearance perimeter.
After clearing checkpoint after checkpoint, the car rolled into a broad, elegant american-style estate.
"Dad, mom, Stefanie—here we are."
Steve helped them out, beaming at the brand-new, stately courtyard.
"Pick whichever rooms you like. I've got something to handle upstairs—don't disturb me till I'm done."
"Sure, sure—go get to it."
Nicole nodded repeatedly, pride and worry shining in her eyes.
Steve said no more; he strode straight to the master bedroom prepared for him on the second floor.
Door shut, curtains drawn.
With a thought, he pulled the just-acquired Tier 1 Perfect Gene Evolution serum from his system inventory.
A test-tube of crystal-clear fluid glimmered under the light.
Without hesitation he unscrewed the cap and drank it in one gulp.
Tasteless, odourless—like water.
Yet the instant it slid down his throat—
BOOM!
An indescribable, primordial heat detonated through every limb and vein.
His body shook uncontrollably.
He felt every cell shattered by the torrent, then re-forged faster, stronger, perfect.
Agony beyond words—but he clenched his teeth.
Time blurred; the tempest ebbed, the metamorphosis complete.
Steve slowly opened his eyes.
The world had never looked so sharp.
He could trace every whorl in the distant desk's wood grain.
Hear leaves rustle a hundred metres away.
Even separate the scents of different blossoms drifting on the air.
And something stranger.
A new sense bloomed: invisible tendrils that could reach outward.
"So this is psychic power?"
He focused on a glass on the coffee table.
He willed that newborn force, like an unseen arm, to wrap around the cup.
The next second, the impossible happened.
The glass quivered, then floated smoothly upward, defying gravity.
Another thought, and it settled back without a sound.
"Not bad."
Feeling the new strength, a notion struck him.
"With my current psyche, could I try possessing the Ender Dragon?"
He'd left the dragon behind in the World Zeta because, though he could project his mind, he couldn't subdue its boss-level will.
System privileges let him puppet it like a toy, but true control eluded him.
He closed his eyes, diving back into Overworld, reaching for the dragon once more.
Moments later he opened them again, disappointed.
His mind was vastly stronger post-evolution.
Yet still far short of dominating the Ender Dragon.
"No matter."
He adjusted quickly.
With world's vast industrial might, arming loyal Zombies and skeletons with cutting-edge tech could rival any dragon.
Besides—
"If we can extract that Mutated Zombie's genes and splice them into Zombie soldiers"
"We could mass-produce a bullet-dodging, super-speed undead legion."
The more he thought, the clearer it became: upgrading the troops themselves was the key.
Take the Endermen: they could teleport, yet if their reflexes lagged, high-speed foes still one-shot them.
"Mass-producing Type I Body Enhancement Liquid has to move up the schedule..." When he finished planning and stepped out, Nicole was in the living room directing Stephen and Stefanie with the luggage.
She turned, saw him, and froze.
"Steve?"
Shock filled her voice.
"You look... less ugly?"
"Do I?"
Steve rubbed his face.
"Yeah."
Nicole nodded emphatically, circling him in wonder.
Steve walked to the hall mirror.
His features looked sharper, skin smoother; his eyes, deep as stars, seemed to read minds.
An unearthly aura clung to him.
'A side-effect of the serum, I guess.'
He understood.
"Mom."