New Research

After reading the news and checking Stark Industries' stock situation, Tony and Pepper showed confident smiles.

"Tony, you were right. Stark Industries really can't do without you," Pepper remarked.

Tony's lips curled into a self-satisfied grin. "Yeah, Stark Industries is in good hands with you. If any of those shareholders come looking for me, just tell them I'm busy and can't meet."

With that, he got up and headed towards the luxury car waiting outside.

Yesterday, Jarvis had already arranged for him to meet with several biological experts. He was on his way to see them and to study the blood and tissue of that mysterious creature that had been haunting his thoughts.

Pepper watched as Tony left, her mind already working on how she would handle the company's top brass if they came knocking.

Just then, her phone rang.

"Could they be losing patience this quickly?" she thought, a slight smile playing on her lips.

But when she saw the caller ID, her smile faded slightly. It was Coulson.

"Agent Coulson, thank goodness you're okay."

"Oh? Miss Potts, you already know?" Coulson's voice carried a hint of surprise.

"Yes, I heard yesterday. Someone made a formal complaint against you."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

"What can I do for you, Miss Potts?" Coulson finally asked.

Pepper quickly recounted the events of the previous day's board meeting.

Coulson listened quietly before saying he would need to consult with his superiors.

Pepper understood.

"Oh, by the way," Coulson added, "if anyone asks you about what happened the night before last, just stick to the story that you witnessed technology beyond your comprehension."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Just take it at face value. I don't have time to explain right now, but it's important that you remember."

The line went dead, leaving Pepper confused and a bit bewildered.

Meanwhile, in the corridors of the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Coulson put away his phone, a troubled expression crossing his face.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was going through a rough patch, and now with Tony being ousted from the board, it would only add to Director Fury's headaches.

Just then, a man in a suit and tie approached, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"Agent Coulson, what are you doing here?"

Seeing the man, Coulson quickly hid his phone and put on a friendly smile.

"Nothing, sir, just taking a quick break."

The suited man gave a curt nod. "Get back to the meeting room. You're up next."

"Yes, sir. Right away," Coulson replied.

As the man turned away, Coulson discreetly hid his phone in a nearby potted plant, making sure no one noticed.

The formal complaint against S.H.I.E.L.D. was far more serious than Pepper imagined.

S.H.I.E.L.D., despite its vast authority as the foremost agency managing extraordinary events, was under intense scrutiny by the Security Council.

At that time, the Council members were not as divided as they would be in the future, and they held a unified stance on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s activities.

If today they interfered in civilian matters, what was to stop them from meddling in the Council's own affairs tomorrow?

The precedent was one they could not afford to set.

Thus, a comprehensive investigation by a five-member panel of the Council was set in motion, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was subjected to the most rigorous questioning from top to bottom.

.........

Three days later, in the underground laboratory of the Umbrella Building, Adam's eyes gleamed with interest as he observed the G-3 virus test subject before him.

The new subject had reached the third stage of the G-virus evolution. Standing over two meters tall, its right arm had slightly smaller eyes, while another eye had emerged on its leg.

The previously protruding mass on its right chest had transformed into a bone-like structure. The subject's original head had almost completely receded into its body, becoming twisted and malformed.

Its left arm had turned into a massive claw, though slightly smaller than the right arm due to the absence of an eye. A new pair of claws had grown beneath its original hands, capable of independent movement.

The creature now bore no resemblance to its human origins. Its original hands had shifted backward, resembling the wings of a fallen angel. Its appearance was grotesque and terrifying.

"The G-3 virus allows the subject to evolve conditionally under specific circumstances, no longer undergoing random, uncontrolled evolution. For example, after repeated exposure to sedatives, the subject developed an antibody against them. Struggling against restraints has increased its strength."

Adam mused aloud, "If it needed to fly, those large hands could probably turn into real wings. But I wonder how long it will take to reach the fourth stage. As for the fifth stage, it must be controlled."

From the existing data, it was clear that more stages of G-virus evolution were not necessarily better.

While the fourth stage was acceptable and provided a significant power boost, the fifth stage was almost useless.

The creature would become a giant reptilian monster, too large to move effectively. Its defensive capabilities would increase, but its offensive abilities would be almost nonexistent.

Given modern firepower, a few mortar rounds could easily kill it, making it more of a regression than an evolution.

However, Adam believed he could refine the evolution pathway of the G-virus, ensuring that it would not become weaker with each stage.

Just then, the sound of high heels echoed through the corridor.

Soon, a black-haired woman in a white hazmat suit, holding a file, appeared at the other end of the hallway.

Although her figure wasn't as striking as Luna's, and she stood only about 1.6 meters tall, her facial features were softer, and the glasses perched on her nose added a touch of intellectual beauty.

"Boss, we've made some progress on the T-4 virus research," the woman said.

"Oh?" Adam finally turned his attention to her.

"Report."

The woman's name was Felia. Like Luna, she had been an orphan Adam had taken in. However, while Luna specialized in administration, Felia had chosen to focus on biological research. Adam had assigned her to work on the T-4 virus.

Although the Red Queen AI was impressive, when it came to innovation and research, nothing could beat the human mind.

Felia opened the file and began her report. "Boss, I've modified the T-4 virus strain. In addition to having greater strength and speed than the T-3 virus, we've also integrated a segment of X-gene."

"This X-gene allows the user to develop rock-hard skin. However, their regeneration ability is reduced to about one-third of the original level."

"Additionally, we've significantly suppressed the evolution into a Licker form, which means it now requires over fifty times the energy of T-1 to possibly evolve into a Licker."

_______________________

Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-

patreon.com/ShadySmuggler