The Siege Once Again

Upon hearing Maria's words, Nick's expression changed slightly.

Banner was a key member he had reserved for the Avengers. If General Ross managed to capture him, that would complicate things.

However, after thinking for a moment, he realized he was currently flying over Israel, and even if he rushed back with all his might, it would likely be too late.

So, he shook his head.

"Let's move out. Our priority is to find the zombie virus."

Maria immediately nodded upon hearing this.

But just as they were about to depart, Nick suddenly said, "Isn't Tony in New York? Have him go and check things out."

"Yes, sir."

Still not fully reassured, Nick added, "Give General Ross a call. Tell him to keep Banner alive."

"Understood."

Nick opened his mouth as if to say something more but ultimately waved it off.

"That's all. Go."

As Maria left, Nick rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of his responsibility. For the future of Earth, he had worn himself out completely.

...

In Tony's New York mansion~

At the moment, Tony sat with disheveled hair, looking miserable as he sipped on a bitter green leaf supplement.

The foul taste made him frown deeply.

Ever since he discovered his palladium poisoning, Tony had rarely left the house. He spent most of his time researching materials to replace the palladium in his arc reactor.

"Tony, I'm heading out."

Pepper's voice called from outside.

Tony quickly put the green leaf supplement aside.

Pepper soon opened the door, catching sight of him, "Darling, you really should clean yourself up."

"Yeah, I know. I'll go get a custom suit tonight and get a haircut."

"You've been saying that for who knows how long."

Pepper shook her head in exasperation before continuing, "I'm off. Coulson said he found some leads."

"Alright, see you later."

"Goodbye."

After Pepper left, Tony let out a sigh of relief, pulling out the bottle of green leaf supplement and taking another sip.

"Ring, ring..."

The phone suddenly rang.

He wasn't inclined to answer at first, but when he saw it was from S.H.I.E.L.D., he remembered how much Coulson had been helping them, and the shares that S.H.I.E.L.D. held in Stark Industries. Reluctantly, he put down the bottle.

"Hello? Who is it?"

"It's me."

"What's the issue?"

"There's something going on in Culver University, Virginia. We need you to handle it."

"Dont have time."

With that, he hung up the phone.

Going to Culver University? He hadn't even worn the Iron Man suit lately, afraid that the palladium poisoning would worsen.

Why would he go do free work for anyone?

After finishing his green leaf supplement, Tony resumed his research on new elements.

At this point, he wasn't desperate yet. He still had time to slowly work things out.

.....

In the underground base of Umbrella in New York~

Adam was examining a sample of green blood.

This was the most unique blood he had ever seen, packed with an extraordinary array of abilities. Each blood cell seemed like a mini-generator, constantly emitting energy.

Adam couldn't fathom how Banner lived with this coursing through him.

However, in his regular form, Banner's blood cells were red, indicating that his body could control this state.

As Adam continued his research, a hologram of the Red Queen appeared, "Master, we've located Banner."

"Oh? Where?"

"At Culver University, Virginia."

"Oh? Seems like General Ross has found him?"

"Yes, and the two sides are currently engaged in battle."

"Is there any surveillance footage?"

"Not yet, Master."

"Alright. Looks like we'll need to speed up the Sky Eye project....How much stock have we acquired from Starship Company?"

"Twenty-one point seven percent, but we've encountered resistance from the Life Foundation, who have driven up the stock prices by about double."

"The Life Foundation... I didn't expect them to show up. Red Queen, how are we doing on selling off Stark Industries' shares?"

"As per your instructions, we've sold off a third so far without affecting the stock price."

"Speed it up. Even if it impacts the price a little, it's fine. We need to fully acquire Starship."

"Yes, Master."

After the Red Queen's projection disappeared, Adam returned to studying the green blood sample.

At the same time, he pondered the Life Foundation.

He wondered if, because of his actions, the Life Foundation would still be able to launch rockets and bring back those parasitic aliens.

Those parasitic aliens were excellent research subjects.

Their parasitism, enhancement, and repair abilities, as well as their neural link with hosts, could potentially bring significant changes to Adam's 4-series virus.

Especially with the G-virus, replacing the Nemesis parasite's function might yield unexpected results.

And if worst came to worst, once he acquired Starship, he could launch a few rockets for the Life Foundation.

As long as those parasitic aliens were brought back, it didn't matter.

....

At Culver University, Virginia~

"Boom!"

A massive Hulk, standing over three meters tall, stomped down on a sonic tank, crushing it instantly.

"Roar!"

With a thunderous roar, General Ross's face turned grim in the distance.

He hadn't expected this sonic tank, hyped up by Obadiah, to be so ineffective.

It seemed that even Stark Industries didn't always produce top-tier products.

But Ross knew that the sonic tank wasn't entirely at fault; it was the overwhelming strength of the Hulk that was the problem.

"Where are the helicopters? Deploy the G-products and armed helicopters! Get them all in the air!"

After losing a hundred G-products last time, Ross had purchased a few more from Umbrella.

This time, the price had gone up to a million dollars per unit, but the combat power was said to be even stronger.

Soon after.

As Hulk continued his rage-filled roars, venting his fury, several helicopters approached.

Suspended beneath each helicopter were large containers, which were dropped once they reached their target before the helicopters quickly retreated.

The containers hit the ground with a series of heavy thuds, "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Soldiers nearby hurried to get clear of the area.

Hulk eyed the containers warily, a look of concern crossing his face.

Before long, the containers opened, revealing terrifying and monstrous G-products, showing their true forms under the sunlight for the first time.

"Roar!"

Unlike the uniform third-stage G-products from before, these had a variety of mutations. Some had black scales, others had sharp claws, and some even had grotesque fleshy wings sprouting from their backs.

It was clear that you got what you paid for. These G-products looked far more powerful and menacing than before.

And indeed, they were.

The G-products with scales or armor took the lead in attacking, encircling Hulk.

Then, the ones with enormous claws or scythe-like arms followed up, launching their assaults from behind.

Meanwhile, the winged G-products swooped down from the sky, striking whenever they found an opening.

"HULK!"

Enraged, Hulk let out another roar and punched one of the G-products, sending it flying.

But before long, he was entangled by the others.

The G-product he had punched flew through the air, its bones shattered and its body limp. Yet even so, its injuries were healing at an astonishing rate.

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