"Just as I suspected—I knew there was something off about those two."
After spending three long, tedious days in a hotel with Ryōko, Daniel and her had finally parted ways. Once he returned to his villa, he began thinking about Alexis Ashiford. In the end, he decided he had to check on her, and in doing so, he uncovered her hidden secret: the Veronica Virus had fused perfectly with her.
After being cryogenically frozen in Antarctica for fifteen years—completing the work that had been left unfinished back then due to technical limitations—she was originally supposed to be dealt with by Chris and his sister Claire. But that was in a pure biochemical crisis world. Now that the theme was the Marvel universe, even the slightest change could alter countless circumstances.
When she eventually awoke and learned what was happening in the world, she joined the Anti-Biochemical Organization—not to subvert it from within or to take on Chris and his allies, but simply to further her research. There's no doubt that the Anti-Biochemical Organization, which has been fighting on the front lines, is best suited for collecting viral data.
With Umbrella Corporation already dissolved and bankrupt, researching viruses now required extremely expensive equipment—and the viruses themselves were strictly controlled to prevent them from leaking out. Under such circumstances, joining the organization was undoubtedly a simple and efficient solution. After all, in fifteen years, technology advances rapidly—even a genius like Alexis Ashiford still needs to keep learning.
In her plan, once her own "wings" had grown strong enough, she would break away from the Anti-Biochemical Organization and set up her own company to conduct further research.
That was Alexis's idea. As for Natalia Wesker—strictly speaking, Alex Wesker—her thinking was very similar to Alexis's. In fact, Natalia's current body had been taken over using biochemical viruses.
The T-Fear Virus—a mutated form of the T-virus researched by Alex Wesker—is one induced by the emotion of fear. If one's own fear remains below a certain threshold, the virus has no effect.
Using experimental data gathered on a remote island, Alex Wesker ultimately managed to achieve consciousness transfer via the virus. In a sense, that was akin to achieving immortality.
One couldn't help but pity Spencer. Through various means, he had forcibly taken in and exploited a hundred extraordinarily gifted children, hoping that one of them might harness the virus to achieve immortality. In the end, the only survivors—a boy and a girl, both carrying the Wesker name—betrayed him.
Of course, for ordinary people, such consciousness transfer might be viewed as a form of immortality. But for Daniel, this method could never truly grant eternal life—at best, it might extend one's life by a few hundred years.
After all, consciousness can be expended. It's like Dr. Animosola from Hydra—back then, he was extremely death-averse. In his desperate bid to avoid death, he attempted to transfer his consciousness into a computer. Decades later, his once self-preserving nature seemed to have vanished; he was even willing to perish alongside his captain for Hydra. That hardly matched his original personality—perhaps spending all those years inside a computer had gradually turned him into something more like a program.
"Now that I think about it, it's somewhat similar to Orochimaru's Undead Reincarnation—but unfortunately, it's of no use to me."
Using a biochemical virus to achieve consciousness transfer immediately reminded Daniel of Orochimaru. If Orochimaru ever learned about this virus, he'd probably be ecstatic.
Of course, using this virus for consciousness transfer came with very strict conditions—it required a suitable host. Alex Wesker was fortunate enough to find that in little Natalia.
Such conditions might be extremely attractive to those death-obsessed billionaires, but for Daniel, they held absolutely no appeal. Even though the virus was useless for him, he found Alex Wesker to be a remarkable person.
There was no doubt that both Alexis Ashiford and Alex Wesker were rare scientists—and Daniel's organization was in dire need of people like them. After some careful consideration, Daniel decided not to eliminate them. Instead, he used his Double-Hand Technique to alter some of their memories, making them serve his purposes.
Daniel's first task for them was to research a universal enhancement drug. Rather than using the virus to develop biochemical weapons, they were to focus on enhancing the human body—if even a slight enhancement could be achieved without side effects, it would be a boon.
Of course, Daniel didn't immediately order them to leave the Anti-Biochemical Organization; he had them stay and learn. After all, he wasn't in a rush—he wasn't like that old Spencer guy, who, desperate to cheat death, rushed his research and ended up causing chaos.
"Unbelievably, they actually showed up. This is really interesting—The Fantastic Four."
Just as Daniel finished arranging his plans and was about to continue exploring this new world, a breaking news bulletin interrupted the broadcast, causing him to burst into laughter. The news reported that on a bridge where a chain-reaction car accident had occurred, three individuals stood out in an extraordinary way.
These four individuals were: one, a "Fire Man" completely engulfed in flames; two, a "Stone Man" whose body was composed entirely of yellow stone; and three, a person whose arm could stretch like rubber.
Upon seeing these three, Daniel immediately thought of the Fantastic Four—there was no doubt that these three were three of the Fantastic Four, with only an Invisible Woman missing to complete the quartet.
As the news continued, the Invisible Woman soon appeared on screen, and Mr. Fantastic explained that their unusual conditions were the result of being inadvertently caught in a cosmic storm during a space investigation—possibly triggering genetic mutations.
"Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm—this is going to complicate matters."
Under the guidance of Red Queen's investigation, Daniel quickly confirmed the four individuals' identities and obtained their public profiles. Although the emergence of the Fantastic Four surprised him, Daniel wasn't overly concerned; what truly interested him was who their future enemies might be.
"I must say, these people are fascinating. They're terrified of Inhumans and live in fear, yet the public adores the Fantastic Four. What a mindset—tch, tch."
Because of the Fantastic Four's appearance, Daniel postponed his plans to venture into a new world until he could observe the situation further. The next day, newspapers and online reports were filled with stories about the Fantastic Four, while coverage of the Avengers was relegated to a distant second. This trend immediately alerted officials like Carter and Natasha to the authorities' true agenda.
"Apparently, the officials plan to use the Fantastic Four to suppress the Avengers."
For several days, news and online discussions were dominated by reports of the Fantastic Four, with the Avengers receiving much less attention. This trend quickly made figures like Carter and Natasha aware of the authorities' plans.
Ever since the Avengers emerged, the authorities had sought to assert control over them. But this time, with no civil war and no Ultron era, even though the Avengers had inadvertently caused some collateral damage in their operations, the authorities had no pretext to force them to sign something akin to the Sokovia Accords.
But that was then—now, with the Fantastic Four's appearance, the officials saw a glimmer of hope. If they could bring the Fantastic Four under their control, they would have their own cadre of super-powered personnel, which could then be used as a pretext to crack down on the Avengers.
Imagine if the officially sanctioned Fantastic Four were dedicated solely to public safety, while the Avengers—who never considered such responsibilities—were sidelined.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please don't look away. Today's program will keep you glued to the screen. Up next: Blazing Fire Johnny versus Quicksilver Pietro—let's see whose speed reigns supreme."
Once the host finished speaking and the starting pistol fired, Quicksilver and Blazing Fire immediately activated their abilities. In the blink of an eye, Quicksilver vanished from the starting line, while Blazing Fire transformed into a swirling ball of flame, determinedly chasing after him.
"Whoever paired these two together is something else," Daniel mused.
Under the scrutiny of high-speed cameras from above, a streak of flame was seen hurtling along a deserted mountain road. Leading the pack was a silver flash—Quicksilver—while Blazing Fire, despite being able to fly, still lagged behind in sheer speed. Even though Blazing Fire's flight was impressive, the race was confined to a roadway just two to three meters above the ground.
"A single mutation has granted him power comparable to Ace's Burn-Burn Fruit. I have to admit, this mutation is truly something remarkable."
Blazing Fire's mutation allowed him to transform his entire body into flame—an ability similar to that of a natural Logia-type Burn-Burn Fruit. As for whether he was immune to physical attacks, Daniel wasn't entirely sure—unless he put it to the test.
"I recall someone once attacked Blazing Fire with missiles. He relied on his incredible flight speed to evade rather than absorb the damage. In that sense, he isn't completely immune to physical assaults."
"Wow, they're really fighting! This is so fascinating—let's go watch the live scene."
In the end, the race was won by Quicksilver. Blazing Fire appeared visibly upset about losing. After exchanging a few taunts, the two clashed. Both sides possessed unique abilities, and for a while, neither could gain the definitive upper hand. In the past, the original Quicksilver might have been no match for Blazing Fire, but now—under the training of Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Natasha, and others—Quicksilver's mastery of speed was unparalleled; he would no longer fall victim to stray bullets as he once did during the Ultron era.
However, as tempers flared and the brawl escalated, teammates on both sides arrived. Soon, the live broadcast cut to advertisements.
"I wonder if the two sides will eventually come to blows—let's go check out the scene live."
Not wanting to miss this fascinating confrontation between the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, Daniel changed into his magician costume, opened a teleportation portal, and stepped through. Although Daniel had long since withdrawn from active Avengers operations—voluntarily opting out—he was still considered an auxiliary member, much like Thor. Even if he wasn't physically present in Midgard, he was still counted as an Avenger.
"This is sister against sister, brother against brother, Hulk versus Stone, Iron Man versus Mr. Fantastic."
By the time Daniel arrived, the battle had escalated into a full-scale eight-on-eight melee, with the team captain and Natasha watching from the sidelines.
"Why did they start fighting?"
Although Daniel found the scene captivating, he wondered why the brawl had erupted. Figures like Tony Stark and Reed Richards were far too intelligent for such chaotic clashes.
"Both sisters felt that their brothers were being bullied. And as for the other side—well, you know Stark's mouth. Hulk was called out, so he came to defend his honor," Natasha quickly explained.
During the race between Quicksilver and Blazing Fire, both teams had already arrived—something no one had anticipated. In fact, after the Fantastic Four emerged, the Avengers had reached out to them to inquire whether they'd consider joining forces. However, interactions had always been mediated by Natasha; this unexpected meeting could have been an opportunity for proper discussion, but instead, Blazing Fire, brimming with self-confidence, mocked his teammate Stone and then turned his ridicule on Hulk—enough to trigger Hulk's fury.
Subsequently, Stone's teammates, loyal and protective, couldn't bear to see their comrade insulted and leapt in to defend him. Incidentally, the entire incident had been sparked by Blazing Fire's obstinate refusal to admit defeat. His sister, though disappointed in her wayward brother, naturally shielded him—and that, in turn, infuriated Wanda. "Your brother matters, but doesn't my brother matter too?" she seemed to argue, especially since it was originally Peter who had prevailed.
Of course, although the two sides clashed, aside from the intense exchange between Stone and Hulk, the others showed restraint and refrained from delivering fatal blows. With both the team captain and Natasha present, Daniel had no desire to interfere.
"By the way, I wonder if Luffy's body could handle such a transformation. Perhaps, if given the chance, Luffy should try it sometime."
Watching Reed wrap his body around Tony Stark's Iron Man suit, Daniel couldn't help but think of Luffy. In theory, Luffy could employ a similar tactic, and it might work quite well—but Luffy didn't seem inclined to explore that possibility.
"Stone's strength is truly impressive—being able to go toe-to-toe with Hulk at this level. It's a pity that this mutation isn't exactly popular."
It was the first time Daniel had witnessed someone engage Hulk in direct, physical combat. Fortunately, they were far from the city; otherwise, their combined might might have made them demolition experts.
Regrettably, Stone's transformation was permanent—unlike Hulk, who could recover. Compared to the other three abilities, Stone's mutation was somewhat of a liability.
"Sir, excuse me—there's a missile heading our way!"
Just as Daniel watched Wanda single-handedly subdue Blazing Fire and Invisible Woman, an alert sounded from Red Queen's station. At the same time, Jarvis in Stark's headquarters warned Tony Stark.
"Looks like someone is trying to take us all down in one fell swoop."
(End of Chapter)
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