Deep inside Canada, nestled amidst rugged terrain, lay an artificial reservoir known as Alkali Lake.
This was a colossal artificial dam, initially constructed right after World War II with funding from the US Government for the Government of Canada. Its primary function was to facilitate irrigation and mitigate mountain flooding during the summer months.
Given the region's abundant rainfall, the dam quickly created a massive artificial lake after its completion. Farmers and residents soon clustered around the convenient water source, and in just over a decade, a large, bustling town had sprung up. For generations, Alkali Lake had been essential to their daily lives, providing a huge portion of their necessities.
Yet, the townsfolk could never have guessed the shocking secret concealed within the lake they relied upon and the dam that had been officially abandoned for decades.
This was the clandestine location of General Stryker's secret Base; the mysterious, military organization he commanded was hidden within the complex network of the old dam structure.
Stryker had poured significant resources into overhauling the dam, specifically to ensure that Mutants with diverse abilities could not easily enter or exit the premises. He viewed Mutants as his eternal enemies, and even the design of his Base was tailored to counter their powers.
Inside the compound, after his Soldiers, the most numerous occupants were the imprisoned Mutants. Decades of his ruthless efforts had filled the Base's cells with his captives. They were Mutants from all corners of the World. Some were transferred after being caught committing crimes, but the majority were simply snatched by his subordinates, who never bothered to distinguish between the innocent and the guilty. Many of the captured Mutants were still children.
In the eyes of Stryker and his Soldiers, Mutants were not human, not even the children. They felt absolutely no moral or psychological burden. They could watch these Mutants endure all manner of inhumane, gruesome experiments as if they were nothing more than lab rats.
Just like now.
A fiercely struggling Mutant was strapped securely into a chair. Several men in white lab coats used a high-speed drill to bore a small aperture into his skull, through which they injected a bizarre-colored liquid using a long, slender needle.
The surrounding Soldiers were unmoved, their expressions flat. To them, the subject was just a biological specimen, not a human being. They were utterly habituated to the constant wailing and screaming that echoed through their ears; it was an unremarkable part of their day-to-day existence.
No one cared about the subject's pleas or pain; their sole focus was the experimental outcome.
They watched as the pupils of the test subject, a Mutant named Cain, slowly lost focus, and his frantic struggling gradually ceased. Unlike previous attempts, where the subject's physiological readings had devolved into chaotic, near-fatal instability, this time the men in white coats exchanged glances. They shared a look of undisguised joy.
"General, it appears we have achieved success."
One of the white-coated researchers announced to the grim man standing beside them.
This man, though beginning to gray at the temples, was remarkably robust. His old-fashioned glasses, meticulously trimmed beard, and tightly set lips conveyed the impression of an intensely serious individual. His consistently rigid posture and measured steps infused his entire bearing with a pronounced military authority.
This was General William Stryker, the supreme Commander of this covert military Base.
Hearing the good news, General Stryker quickly moved closer to the test subject. Normally, the Mutants here would either glare at him with burning hatred or shrink away like terrified mice. He was the very definition of the devil to them, a title he readily embraced.
But now, the Mutant's expression was unsettlingly peculiar. His eyes were fixed on Stryker, yet devoid of any readable emotion, as if he were staring at a blank wall. More unnervingly, his expression was utterly pure, like that of an infant.
Stryker studied the expression, then leaned his rigid face close to the Mutant's. He spoke softly, intimately.
"Listen, Cain. I am the person you respect the most, and you always obey my orders. No matter what I tell you to do, you will do it. You always believe that everything I say is correct, and you will complete my commands at any cost."
The Mutant named Cain slowly tilted his head, staring back at Stryker, seemingly attempting to process the words.
Noticing the lack of any hostile reaction, Stryker waved his hand. "Soldiers, release his restraints."
"General, I strongly advise against that. Subject 254's ability is extremely dangerous, and there is no need for such a risky test," the white-coated man swiftly objected.
This was merely a preliminary result. There was no need to use such a life-threatening method to confirm the success of the trial. If the subject truly lost control, his powers could pose a grave threat to everyone present, including themselves and Stryker.
"One of the biggest reasons I dislike you people is your utter lack of courage." Stryker's mouth twitched—the maximum display of emotion he allowed himself. "Execute my command, Soldiers. Release his restraints."
To the Soldiers in this Base, Stryker's commands were absolute. Regardless of the researcher's warning about the danger, they followed the order unconditionally.
Under Stryker's direction, several Soldiers stepped forward, unlocking the cuffs on Cain's limbs and freeing him from the rigid steel chair.
Once free, Cain made no aggressive movements. He glanced around the room, then slowly walked to stand directly behind Stryker, adopting the posture of a loyal shadow.
A curved arc appeared at the corner of Stryker's mouth; Cain's compliant performance clearly satisfied him.
"Very good, Cain. Now, I command you: transform."
He turned and softly ordered the transformed Mutant behind him.
Hearing the command, Cain stepped back two paces, and his entire body began a rapid, colossal transformation. He grew swiftly taller, and his skin's texture became rough, taking on the quality of wood. Soon, he looked like a towering, massive humanoid statue carved entirely from timber.
"No, no, no, Cain. Not this limited form. I want you to transform into your most terrifying state. That enormous, giant form."
Cain's wooden eyes rotated hesitantly. But quickly, he nodded, and his body, already well over two meters tall, began another transformation cycle. A thick, bark-like shell covered his wooden skin, and his height continued to climb, quickly reaching the laboratory ceiling. His skull spread outward, forming a crown covered in a layer of dense, green leaves. He looked exactly like the immense canopy of a tree.
The changes to his limbs were equally staggering. His massive arms were no longer human appendages but thick, root-covered tree stumps, each about the width of a man's waist, swinging heavily with his movements. Below his waist, the roots were even thicker and stronger, tearing through the heavy concrete floor to firmly anchor him to the ground.
At this point, Cain was completely non-human, resembling a giant, slightly humanoid tree.
This was the power of Cain the Treant; at full manifestation, he became a four-meter-tall humanoid tree creature. In this state, he moved slowly but possessed monstrous, earth-shattering strength.
The colossal tree stumps of his arms could deliver an impact exceeding two tons. And so long as his root system was deeply embedded, he could continuously draw nutrients and energy from the earth, allowing him to recover from most injuries. His hardened, wooden skin could shrug off bullets from standard automatic weapons.
In Stryker's records, Cain the Treant's strength, defense, and regenerative abilities far surpassed that of an average Mutant. Among the many prisoners under his control, Cain was classified as one of the most dangerous.
Yet, this danger was highly conditional. Cain's ability could not be maintained indefinitely. If he remained in this form for too long, his brain would begin to lignify, turning him into a literal tree. He would normally revert from this form to save himself, but this self-preservation window was brief, only one to two hours.
Watching Cain grow into the huge tree form, Stryker remained impassive. He was waiting for the ultimate test result: would Cain continuously obey his command, or would he break the order out of self-preservation?
Time ticked by. A look of struggle appeared on Cain's bark-contoured face, but he did not move, maintaining his Treant form.
Stryker simply watched him, watching the struggle drain from his expression, watching his slight, swaying movements slowly cease, watching him transform right in front of them into a literal, immovable tree.
Two hours later, Stryker tapped on Cain's body; the hard structure emitted the dull thud of high-quality wood.
"Cain, Cain. Respond if you hear me!"
He called out a few times, but Cain, now fully a tree, had lost the ability to speak. Though biologically alive, from a human perspective, he was brain-dead.
Receiving no reply, Stryker pulled out his sidearm and fired a few rounds into the trunk. The bullets tore through the outer bark but lodged firmly in the wood beneath. The usual, sentient Cain would have reacted to the pain, but now, the entire tree was still.
"It seems it really works!"
Satisfied with the conclusion, Stryker holstered his weapon and turned away from the rooted tree.
"Soldiers, dispose of this specimen. Chop him up and discard him. Don't leave him here cluttering the space!"
"Now, tell me. How confident are you in replicating this experiment? How many doses can you produce?"
The men in white coats consulted briefly, then replied: "Provided we can obtain the necessary raw Materials, we can produce enough doses for approximately ten subjects. If more are needed, we must wait until Subject 147 has fully recovered."
"Use all the Materials you currently possess. I have plans that require them immediately." Stryker waved his hand, issuing the command.
He then looked past the laboratory, toward the rows upon rows of cells where countless prisoners watched him with eyes full of sorrow and simmering hatred. They were all Mutants.
"Mutants are extremely useful tools. With them, my plan will soon be realized."
Stryker muttered to himself, clenching his fist. He had waited far too long for this day.