Chapter 18: The Hunt Begins
Did Rory really escape from Steve Rogers?
Not entirely.
Steve didn't know where Rory had gone, and he couldn't handle the enhanced scientist alone. So he made the only logical choice—he returned to his original timeline through the Quantum Realm.
In 2023, Dr. Bruce Banner stood beside the Quantum Realm tunnel machine, his hand hovering over the controls as he counted down for Steve's return.
"Initiating return sequence in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!" Banner pressed the activation switch.
A brilliant flash of white light erupted from the tunnel platform, and Steve Rogers materialized instantly on the landing pad.
To everyone else, Steve's disappearance had lasted only seconds.
"Hey Cap, mission accomplished?" Sam Wilson approached with his characteristic grin, expecting good news.
Steve removed his quantum suit, his expression grim as he shook his head. "No. Far from it. We've got a serious problem on our hands."
"What kind of problem?"
Banner and Bucky Barnes moved closer, sensing the urgency in Steve's voice.
After collecting his thoughts, Steve recounted everything that had happened in 1970—the laboratory break-in, his confrontation with Rory, and the scientist's impossible strength.
"So you're telling us this Rory guy used Thanos's genetic material to create a serum that makes him stronger than a super soldier? And now he's vanished into the timestream?" Banner asked, his scientific mind already racing through the implications.
Steve nodded heavily. "I know this is my fault, but right now our priority has to be finding him before he does something catastrophic."
Steve had been replaying the encounter in his mind. The devastation Thanos had caused still haunted everyone—the Mad Titan had succeeded in eliminating half of all life in the universe. If Rory achieved that level of power with similar ambitions, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Bucky stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Steve's shoulder. "We're in this together, pal. Your problems are our problems."
Sam nodded in agreement. "That's what the Avengers do—we handle threats, no matter how big. We took down Thanos, didn't we? How tough can one enhanced scientist be?"
However, Banner, who had remained quiet during the explanation, offered a more sobering perspective.
"Guys, Rory himself isn't necessarily the biggest problem. The real challenge is going to be finding him. He could have jumped to any point in history, and even with our time travel technology, tracking him down will be like finding a needle in an infinite haystack."
Steve rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of the situation. "We need to bring in Scott Lang and Hank Pym. If anyone can figure out how to track quantum signatures across time, it's them."
"I'll start reaching out to the other Avengers," Sam suggested. "We should call a full team meeting. This is bigger than just the four of us."
While the Avengers of 2023 strategized about locating their new threat, Rory in 2008 was busy establishing his state-of-the-art laboratory.
Wilson Fisk had moved with impressive efficiency, securing Rory the perfect secret location within twenty-four hours.
The site was a massive penthouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan—a significant upgrade from Hell's Kitchen in terms of both safety and respectability. The affluent neighborhood housed numerous legitimate tech companies, making Rory's presence less suspicious.
Fisk had rented the entire top floor of a luxury apartment building, complete with private elevator access. The space was enormous, providing ample room for both a sophisticated laboratory and comfortable living quarters.
To any casual observer, Rory would appear to be just another wealthy resident. No one would suspect that cutting-edge genetic research was being conducted in their building.
A few days later, Rory surveyed his fully operational laboratory with deep satisfaction, offering rare praise to his criminal benefactor. "You may not be the brightest bulb, Fisk, but you're certainly efficient. I'm impressed."
Wilson Fisk forced a smile. "Whatever you need to succeed, just let me know."
Privately, however, Fisk was already planning to eliminate Rory the moment the experimental results were in his hands. The scientist's condescending attitude was becoming unbearable.
Rory, of course, had no idea what Fisk was thinking—and even if he did, he wouldn't have cared.
"Unless there's something urgent, try to stay away from here. I'll contact you when I have results worth sharing."
After Fisk departed, Rory carefully retrieved several blood samples from the secured container he'd brought back from 1970, placing them in specialized cryogenic storage.
His next step was to culture additional samples and refine his serum formulations.
Although he had already enhanced himself with Thanos's genetic material, his current abilities felt incomplete—as if he hadn't yet unlocked their full potential.
Rory worked late into the night, completing the initial blood culture process. Three separate containers now held samples from Thanos, Steve Rogers, and Jessica Jones.
After finishing his work for the day, Rory removed his lab coat and headed to the living area on the building's upper level. Following a quick shower, he prepared an elaborate dinner for himself.
Settling by the panoramic windows, he enjoyed his meal while taking in the glittering night skyline of Manhattan's Upper East Side.
[BREAKING NEWS]
"Billionaire industrialist Tony Stark confirmed missing after military convoy attack in Afghanistan."
A news alert suddenly appeared on his television screen. Rory paused mid-bite, then smiled knowingly.
"So the timeline remains intact. Interesting."
Rory couldn't be entirely certain whether time travel would create paradoxes or alternate realities, but one thing was clear—the events he'd witnessed weren't taking place in a parallel universe.
If Rory hadn't interfered with the post-Endgame timeline, Steve would have remained in 1970, living peacefully with Peggy Carter, gradually aging until he eventually passed the Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson in the present day.
If they were dealing with parallel universes, the elderly Steve couldn't have returned to meet the current-day Falcon.
Theoretically, during the Battle of New York, there should have been three different Captain Americas present simultaneously...
Rory shook his head, dismissing these complex temporal mechanics. Whether there were three or three hundred Captain Americas running around, it wouldn't affect his plans.
For the following weeks, Rory devoted himself entirely to his research. Using the advanced computing power available in 2008, he quickly replicated the progress he'd made in 1970.
However, he still couldn't reproduce the exact Thanos serum formula that had enhanced him—that breakthrough had been a fortunate accident.
With hundreds of base materials and millions of possible combinations, even with fifty years of continuous testing, he wouldn't be able to try them all systematically.
"Looks like I need to try a different approach."
Rory removed his protective equipment and picked up his phone, dialing Wilson Fisk's number.
Ring... ring... ring...
"Rory? Please tell me you have results."
"You think genetic engineering is like microwaving leftovers?" Rory replied sarcastically. "I need you to source a rare synthetic compound. I'm texting you the specifications now. Contact me immediately when you find a supplier."
"Consider it done," Fisk agreed eagerly, though his resentment toward the arrogant scientist continued to deepen.
End of Chapter 18
join patreon for update and advance chapters
https://www.p-atreon.com/c/Soulforger
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
"If you're enjoying this story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone! Your support keeps me motivated and helps the novel reach more readers."
"100 Power Stones this week = 1 extra chapter release!"
"500 Power Stones = 2 extra chapter release ."