James stood on the villa's terrace, night wind tugging his black combat suit. Wanda slept upstairs, the Mind Stone necklace glowing faintly, shielding her from nightmares.
"Turing," he called softly.
"Yes, sir?" the AI replied.
"Monitor Wanda. If she wakes, tell her I'm out briefly."
"Understood."
James traced a golden portal, aimed for the sun's corona. Plasma churned like a golden ocean. His bio-field filtered the heat, letting only warmth through.
Just as he stepped forward—
[Ding! Multiversal anomaly detected!]
The system's voice rang in his mind.
[Emergency Mission: Prevent zombie virus spread to other universes. Target coordinates locked. Proceed immediately.]
"Zombie virus?" James frowned.
The system projected fragmented images: a rotting Captain America devouring civilians, a zombified Iron Man roaring in his armor, a world drowned in bloody apocalypse.
James glanced back at the villa. Wanda's training had just begun, but time was short.
"Turing, if Wanda asks, I'm handling urgent business. She should follow the training plan."
"Logged. Good luck, sir."
James traced a new portal. Beyond it, a gray sky loomed—not his New York, but a ravaged one. Smoke curled, buildings crumbled, streets bled.
He stepped through, the portal closing. Rot and blood hit his nose.
"Roar!" Below, zombies tore at a corpse.
A red-and-blue figure swung between buildings—Spider-Man, suit tattered, half his face decayed, eyes scarlet.
"Interesting," James said, intrigued. "Zombie universe."
Hovering, his super vision scanned the city. Stark Tower stood, its arc reactor dark, windows shattered. A faint energy signal pulsed inside.
"Jarvis?" he muttered, accelerating into a black streak toward the tower.
The mission began.
Inside the top-floor lab, chaos reigned—scattered equipment, bloodstained walls. A modified Mark 43 suit was pinned by mechanical arms, feral growls echoing from within.
"Unknown lifeform detected," Jarvis's voice crackled. "Energy signature unmatched."
James landed, boots crunching glass. "James Holden, from another universe."
The suit's faceplate opened, revealing Tony's half-rotted face, struggling against the restraints.
"Another… universe?" Jarvis hesitated. "That explains the anomalies."
James touched the holographic console, data streaming. "What happened?"
Jarvis played a recording: "Three months ago, Reed Richards' quantum experiment unleashed an unknown virus. He was infected first, then his family."
Footage showed the Fantastic Four mutating, attacking the Avengers. Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow fell, rising as monsters.
"Mr. Stark, bitten, initiated lockdown," Jarvis continued. "He modified the suit to confine himself. For 87 days, he's fought the virus."
James eyed the snarling Tony, a flicker of his old self in his decayed face. "Kill… me…" Tony rasped.
Jarvis tightened the restraints. "Sir, no!"
"Other survivors?" James asked.
"Some may hide in bunkers," Jarvis said. "But Zombie Hulk's the worst—three cities leveled."
Alarms blared. "Warning! High-energy signature approaching! Thor—"
Lightning shattered the wall. A towering figure emerged—Thor, half his hair gone, skin gray, Mjolnir bloodstained.
"Roar!" Zombie Thor's eye gleamed with hunger.
James's eyes flashed gold. "Asgardian, time to rest."
He broke the sound barrier, his fist cratering Thor's chest. Rotting organs sprayed. A heat vision beam severed his spine, his head rolling, jaw still snapping.
"Threat… neutralized?" Jarvis stammered. "You killed Thor."
"He wasn't Thor anymore," James said, shaking off gore. He turned to Tony's suit. "Can you make a cure?"
Jarvis ran simulations. "No viable materials or method to eradicate the virus."
"Reed's lab?" James asked.
"Baxter Building, but it's the infection's source," Jarvis warned. "Stark's notes mentioned a vaccine."
Tony thrashed, snapping restraints. "Reed… still… rational… careful…"
The suit broke free, lunging. James's bio-field stopped him mid-air. "Goodnight, Tony," he said, casting an illusion spell. Tony's body stiffened, collapsing as if dead.
"Is he… gone?" Jarvis asked.
"Sleeping," James said, heading to the broken window. "Someone's gotta clean this up."
He traced a portal. "Coming, Jarvis?"
"Your watch—my core's in it, from another Tony," Jarvis said. "I'll follow. Maybe we can save something."
James smiled, stepping through.
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