Chapter 57: Serums

Howling Commandos

"Threat level 2?" Martin Reyna spoke up.

Nina shrugged. "He's a teen in a powered armor."

"Mutant," Reyna objected. 

As they strolled out of the cordoned region outside of The Baxter Building, Nina turned, walking backward, agile. 

"S.H.I.E.L.D. deals with the small fries were after the big baddies." She yipped.

"And yet we were here after some madman unleashed goblins across the city." 

"Proto-Goblins." Dum Dum Dugan corrected. "A particular nasty species of creatures that our ancestors barely won against, and now it has been discovered that half the population has the recessive gene." 

"Like Ghengis Khan, right? So, did our grands breed with-"

"No, they enslaved the first men, ate, raped, and used them as a sport," Dugan said with a hint of displeasure. 

Cole Stephens

He needed more people. 

Speaking to more people, Kelvin had an unforeseen accident or windfall. He mentally shrugged. Kelvin was not one of his people, a taglong of Anne Weying. He was unsure of their shared past or relationship; he didn't care either. He needed to understand magic more; the knighting of Kelvin by the Shattered Round Table was unexpected. 

Kelvin's survival had compelled Dr. Mishimoto to arrive in Harlem. He would see to the teen while further understanding the Serum that made Captain America, a serum he considered better than the older, well, other than the Golden Sentry Serum. 

The centipede serum and his System Shop had ensured the concoction imbalances were perfect. Effects at this point were nonexistent besides the glowy aspect when the user's adrenaline was pumping.

A group with firm ties to Hydra, Project Centipede was a secret project designed to give people superpowers through a Centipede-looking device. One of the recipients of the device, Mike Peterson, was given enhanced strength and durability. 

Project Centipede also had lesser ties to A.I.M.'s Extremis virus and Abraham Erskine's Super-Soldier Serum and was powered by Gamma Rays. The Centipede device, however, had the drawback of potentially exploding its users due to the Extremis element.

The Extremis super soldier project had been developed by the biotech company FuturePharm, a subsidiary of Stark Industries. Maya Hansen Dr. Aldrich Killian developed the nanite technology called Microsurgery Experimental Robotics. 

In Cole's memories, The U.S. military funded the project. However, when the military pulled the plug, Hansen and Killian stole samples. They sold them to a militant terrorist faction, but a guilt-ridden Killian confessed afterward in a suicide note. The Extremis Serum, in theory, is the eventual perfection of its counterpart, Centipede Serum. 

Knowing all of this knowledge was rewarding and stressful. He had been conflicted about where he should tread; initially, Cole was afraid of change, but lately, he worried about the world events not correlating with timelines he was aware of.

He summoned his H.U.D. He needed to see how far along the doctors were. He would intervene on Killian behalf and make Sure Maya Hansen didn't receive jail time once her former college mate, Tony Stark, discovered she had a hand in the Serum getting into the hands of domestic terrorists.

His Boas drones were surveying the doctors, and the drones would be able to stop most threats. He had already noticed Raina, the so-called girl in the flower-dress people. He had forgotten that she needed that pyrokinetic blood palate to further her research, which would lead her to the doctors. 

He sighed; Bullseye had been antsy and bucking his commands, the man had killed a family, Alfred had access to the bio-contacts, and Bullseye's already uncanny accuracy ability had transformed under his technology.

Jeremy York: I need an extraction.

He waited for a few seconds; Pointdexter usually responded fast. If anything, he had people to do small tasks that he deemed unimportant and needed to touch them. 

Bullseye: Twenty-five thousand. A luxury car-

Jeremy York: Agreeable. The target is Chan Ho Yin. He has a measure of pyrokinetic powers. Confirm with Alfred about finer details. 

He didn't wait for the assassin to reply, sending the money immediately. Bullseye can take the luxury car from the A.T.C. Building garage, which came fully supplied with an assortment of fleet vehicles.

Chan Ho Yin could be the fifth team member with a fire affinity. Six, Kelvin could develop a red lantern-like ability to breathe fire.

A ping had alerted him to his success. He had easily accessed Norman's least-secured data, learning some disturbing things. At least his hate for the family was warranted. Alfred could hack the entire mainframe, but this was Marvel; he would tread carefully.

After framing Mendel Stromm for embezzlement, the crime was Norman's doing, and having him arrested, Norman Osborn found a formula that could augment a person's body to superhuman levels in his notes. He began research on it, hoping to sell it eventually.

His fall from grace with the military-industrial complex had been a motivator. Norman's first attempt to recreate Stromm's formula turned his assistant, Nels van Adder, into a red creature who ended up killing people after losing control.

"So this Nels Van Adder was the first." He thought aloud, recalling the updated mission flavor text.

Cole had hovered in the darkening sky as he planned out his following order events. The updated Oscorp mission was simple but glaringly exposing; he had to terminate the proto-goblins. 

Annoyingly, his prompt had earned his attention, halting his order business for the night.

System message: Human-mutate Bruiser Incapacitated. Spiderman relationship- Strained. Sinister Six relationship- Hated. Rewards: + Neutral alignment. Sarcophagus. 

A Sarcophagus is a device the Goa'uld use to heal injuries and extend their lifespans rapidly. The device can also bring the recently deceased back to life. Even though the Goa'uld are scavengers and thieves of technology, a few have developed impressive adoptions of the technology they have stolen and studied. Based on the Ancient healing device but heavily modified so a human can use it, the Sarcophagus is one of the more impressive Goa'uldinventions.

Nice, he thought, a broad smile appearing across his uncowled face.

System Message- Insane Human-mutate Stalemated. Spiderman relationship-Strained. Oscorp relationship-Vengeful. Rewards: + Heroic alignment. $80,000

Cole grumbled. It was expected. He had wanted to leave the scene because the longer they remained, the more force could be brought to bear.

System Message- Villainous Swarm Captured. Spiderman relationship-Strained. S.H.I.E.L.D. relationship- Heightened. Rewards + Villain alignment. Black Manta (Prime Earth) Suit.

'Young master, I can assist you,' Kaecillus had sent to his telepathically.

Cole pondered. Could magic be the answer? He retrieved the Key from his hammerspace, technically his inventory, but it was unlimited space that could absorb almost anything.

He twirled The Key in his hand, and Kaecillus needed to take a peek sooner than later; he had to stop procrastinating and shore up his weakness, and the quickest way to accomplish that was to unravel everything the system handed to him. He looked skyward, quickly discovering the twinkle of light amongst the stars, the pull still weighing on him. 

He stopped and descended to an abandoned building, holding the Key in his hand. He faced the lock of a random door and sensed Kaecillus's arrival. He quickly vanished the Key and turned to greet the Red Lantern.

"Thanks for carrying out the mission." He said. 

He explained to the former master of mystic arts what was happening after he realized that Kaecillus hadn't been giving bio-contacts. He would rectify that once the Red Lantern arrived at his location.