New York, Hell’s Kitchen.
Site Base, Sublevel 3.
As the airtight doors slowly hissed open, a thick scent of disinfectant mixed with ozone wafted forward.
“Oh!
My God!
Look at this!
It’s practically a work of art!” Dr.
Bright held the cryogenic case as if it were the Holy Grail.
His face was pressed against the cold glass, staring greedily at the tube of glowing green Hulk blood inside.
“Sir, you truly are my Santa Claus!” Bright turned around.
Beneath his messy hair, his eyes shone with a terrifying intensity.
“This isn’t just blood.
It’s…
a perfect fusion of high-concentration gamma radiation and an unknown biological enzyme!
Its activity is simply incredible!” “Cut the chatter, Doctor.” Levi rubbed his temples, feeling a bit weary.
Although the round trip to Brazil had been fast, it had drained a fair amount of his energy.
“Tell me, how are you going to use this on your generator?” “It’s simple!
Catalysis!” Bright snapped his fingers and inserted the blood sample into the analyzer.
“The Old Man’s regeneration is fast, but it’s based on its own bio-energy.
If we refine the Hulk’s blood into a sort of ‘Rage Serum’ and inject it into the Old Man…” “What happens then?” Ada Wong asked from the side, her brow furrowed.
“Will it turn into a green giant?
Will our containment measures still be able to suppress it?” “No, no, no, that would be too low-level.” Bright wagged a finger.
“What we want is localized stimulation.
We only stimulate its regenerative cells, not its muscular strength.
It’s like…
giving its cancer cells Red Bull!” “Imagine if its regeneration speed increases tenfold, and our laser cutting speed also increases tenfold…
how many times more biomass fuel will we produce?” “That would mean infinite power!
We could even power this entire city!” Madman.
Levi looked at Bright and confirmed this fact once again.
Only a Foundation scientist could come up with a scheme that was both so brilliant and so twisted.
“Experiment approved.” Levi issued the order.
“But it must be conducted in stages.
Hank, have your squad on 24-hour standby outside the lab.
If there are signs of a breach, immediately activate the acid vat’s maximum power.” “Yes, sir.” …
Half an hour later.
Behind the bulletproof glass of the Biomass Conversion Lab, a brutal experiment began.
A mechanical arm precisely injected the refined green serum into the spine of the Hard-to-Destroy Reptile within the acid vat.
“Roar—!!!” The Old Man, who had been somewhat lethargic, suddenly erupted with a piercing shriek of agony.
The pain seemed to transcend the corrosion of the acid, reaching deep into its genetic core.
Its mangled, broken body began to writhe frantically.
Countless fleshy sprouts grew and tangled at a speed visible to the naked eye; wounds healed instantly, only to burst open again from the excessive growth.
“Detecting a surge in biomass total!
300%…
500%!” Bright shouted excitedly, “Cutters!
Full power!” Sizzle—!!!
Several high-energy laser beams wove into a net of death, ruthlessly slicing through the crazed, growing flesh.
The severed chunks of meat fell into the conversion furnace like rain.
The needle on the energy readout slammed into the red zone.
The entire base trembled slightly under the massive energy surge, and the lights flared with blinding brightness.
“Pain…
rage…” The Old Man thrashed in the acid, its eyes—filled with deep-seated malice—slowly turning an eerie dark green.
“You…
will pay…
for this…” “Maybe.” Levi watched the scene for a moment before turning to leave the lab.
“But until then, you’re going to help me pay the electricity bill.” …
Back on the surface, the morning sun filtered through the curtains into the living room of Apartment 301.
Levi took a shower, changing out of his clothes that smelled of gunpowder and dampness.
He specifically checked the soles of his shoes and found traces of red mud—the characteristic red clay of the Brazilian favelas.
Ding-dong.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Levi’s gaze sharpened.
He threw on a bathrobe and went to open it.
Standing at the door was none other than Natasha.
“Good morning, Mr.
Landlord.” “Oh, morning.” Levi stepped aside to let Natasha in.
“Is something the matter?” “Actually, yes.” Natasha walked into the room, her nose twitching slightly.
Although Levi had showered and used soap, the unique scent of someone returning from heavy rain and gunpowder was still detectable to a top-tier agent.
And…
Her eyes swept unobtrusively over the floor mat at the entrance.
There was a very faint, almost imperceptible trace of red mud.
“It seems the landlord went out last night?” Natasha asked with feigned casualness.
“I saw on the news that there was quite a commotion in Brazil last night.
Apparently, some green monster made short work of the US military.” “Is that so?
I slept like the dead last night, didn’t see the news.” Levi remained expressionless.
“As you know, the soundproofing in this building is too good.
Sometimes that’s not exactly a benefit.” “I suppose.” Natasha walked over to the sofa and sat down, her long legs crossing.
“However, I’ve heard that that specific type of red clay is only found near the South American rainforests.
The soil in New York…
is black.” Natasha pointed at the mark on the mat, her gaze turning sharp in an instant.
“Mr.
Landlord, don’t you think your shoes need a cleaning?” Faced with Natasha’s direct confrontation, Levi smiled.
“Miss Rushman, your observational skills are keen.
For a photographer, that’s almost a waste of talent.” Levi turned and leaned against the breakfast bar.
He no longer feigned his lazy posture, instead radiating the oppressive aura of a High Overseer.
“Since you’ve seen through it, I won’t bother pretending anymore.” “Yes, I took a trip to Brazil.
After all, I needed a little souvenir to decorate my basement.” “What exactly are you trying to do?” Natasha stood up, her muscles tensed.
“Collecting monsters?
Manufacturing weapons?
Or do you want to rule the world?” “Rule the world?
Such a boring endeavor is only for third-rate villains.” Levi shook his head.
“We are protecting it.” “Protecting it?” “Yes.
In the depths of this universe, there are countless terrifying existences you can’t even imagine, all peering at Earth.
The little squabbles SHIELD gets into are like infants playing house compared to them.” Levi’s voice was low.
“We need power, we need resources, and we even need sacrifice to build a wall capable of holding them back.” Natasha looked into Levi’s eyes, trying to find a trace of a lie, but all she saw was a bottomless calm.
“You people are truly dangerous.” Natasha took a deep breath.
“Nick Fury will not allow an uncontrolled organization to exist.” “He’ll get used to it.” Levi smiled and picked up the Infinite Pizza Box from the table, opening the lid.
A steaming hot Russian sausage pizza appeared inside.
“Have some breakfast, Natasha.
Don’t spend all your time worrying for that old bald man, Fury.” Natasha froze.
He had used her real name.
Not Miss Rushman.
Natasha.
This meant her identity had been compromised from the very beginning.
“…Thank you.” Natasha took a slice of pizza and took a large bite.
“Tastes good.
But if you think this is enough to buy me off, you’re mistaken.” “I certainly don’t expect to buy you off.” Levi looked out the window at the rising sun, a glint of light in his eyes.
“I just want you to see that in this world, besides SHIELD, there is another option.” “A much more powerful option.”