The isolated island in the Pacific once again fell silent.
...
New York.
Umbrella Biotech.
Herman and Dr. Marcus were still deep in conversation.
"Chairman, please don't shut down our research. I swear, within two years at most, my work will bring profits to the company."
Dr. Marcus pleaded once more.
"I'm not scrapping your research," Herman replied, "but right now there's another project that takes priority. I need to reassign you and your team to it."
Of course, Herman wasn't about to tell him outright that the Stairway of the Sun Project had to be terminated. He knew all too well how dangerously stubborn these mad scientists could be.
"You want me to work on something else?"
Dr. Marcus frowned. "Chairman, with all due respect, I can't imagine any research being more important than this—something that could benefit all of humanity."
Benefit humanity?
Hah.
Flooding the world with zombies—what a blessing that would be.
At least there was one bit of good news. Dr. Marcus hadn't made much progress yet. The original T-virus sample remained untouched, and the fungal strain from that small town hadn't spread beyond it.
"What if it were the Super Soldier Serum?"
Herman knew he needed to steer this lunatic's focus elsewhere.
And he wasn't worried about Marcus being unfamiliar with it. Among scientists, the Super Soldier Serum was no secret. Every major organization was scrambling to find researchers and companies to reverse-engineer it.
"What! You've acquired the Super Soldier Serum formula?" Dr. Marcus's eyes widened in shock, quickly giving way to delight.
Just as Herman expected.
The serum's allure was irresistible to any scientist.
"I've obtained part of the formula—far more complete than anything the other companies have. That's why I need someone of your caliber on the reverse-engineering team." Herman deliberately pitched it so Marcus's involvement sounded indispensable.
The praise worked.
Dr. Marcus's face lit up with satisfaction. He wasn't one for complicated schemes; after a quick moment of weighing things over, he accepted Herman's proposal without hesitation.
"The Stairway of the Sun can wait. We can return to it anytime." Clearly, he wasn't so fixated on that particular virus after all.
Given a better project, his choice was quick and decisive.
"If we can recreate the Super Soldier Serum, it will mark humanity's evolution—a true cause for celebration." Dr. Marcus grew more and more animated, eager to jump straight into the research.
It was, after all, the serum that had created the miracle of World War II. No scientist could resist the chance to replicate Captain America's legend.
At that moment, the virus inside the Stairway of the Sun was completely forgotten in his heart.
Herman understood his excitement. In the Marvel Universe after WWII, America had elevated Captain America to near godhood.
It was, of course, a calculated move to rally the people. And for a dead hero, politicians never hesitated to squeeze every ounce of propaganda value. What none of them could have imagined was that one day, Cap would return from the grave.
"I'm glad you're putting the greater good first."
Herman was more than satisfied with Dr. Marcus's reaction.
With this, the cursed bioweapon project could finally be brought to a clean end... Herman felt as though, in his own way, he had just saved the world.
"To compensate you, I'll have Finance increase your salary by thirty percent." Herman offered him another gesture of goodwill.
No one understood Marvel better than Herman.
He knew Marcus's pride had to be carefully managed. After all, in the Marvel Universe, countless monsters had been born simply because investors cut funding, leaving bitter, resentful scientists to create horrors in defiance.
Herman understood that cycle all too well—and he was determined to avoid it.
"Thank you, Chairman! Thank you!"
Dr. Marcus was so moved he was nearly in tears.
Herman was very pleased with his reaction.
"Make sure every dangerous sample is destroyed. Keep only the research data. This lab will later be used for our work on reconstructing the Super Soldier Serum."
Herman reminded him again.
He then gave a lengthy speech full of praise for Dr. Marcus's talent and importance.
Feeling valued and trusted, Marcus readily agreed to everything, never suspecting that Herman's real goal was simply to put a stop to his virus research.
"Everyone, be thorough with the cleanup! Don't let down the Chairman's trust!"
After Herman left, Dr. Marcus led his team in carefully shutting down the Stairway of the Sun Project.
Most of the researchers had no objections. As long as there was still research to do and salaries to collect, the type of project hardly mattered.
Besides, reverse-engineering the Super Soldier Serum?
Who wouldn't want to be part of that?
The only one unhappy with the decision was Marcus's most prized student.
"Professor, I think the Chairman tricked you. That man just wants to shut down our project! We can't give in so easily!"
The angry young man was William, a handsome student Marcus had been mentoring since his university days.
"William! Don't malign the Chairman's intentions like that!" Marcus, now a loyal supporter, snapped at his student.
"Then how am I supposed to see it? He ordered us to destroy every single sample! If this is really just a suspension, why go that far?"
William's tone was defiant.
"You and I both know how dangerous these samples are. The Chairman is right. We only ever needed to keep one mold strain."
"You know how fast they reproduce. And as for the Stairway of the Sun—those flowers grow in abundance in the African jungles."
Marcus never doubted Herman's motives. In fact, he thought the order was entirely professional.
"You've been deceived!"
William refused to back down.
"Don't you want to recreate Captain America's miracle?"
Marcus tried to convince him by bringing up the Super Soldier Serum.
"The Super Soldier Serum is an incredible invention, yes." William gave his teacher a long, searching look.
But he said nothing more, instead turning to help the others pack up and destroy the lab's samples.
Marcus believed he had persuaded him. As he busied himself sealing away materials, his mind was already filled with thoughts of the serum.
He never noticed William watching him closely.
"Super Soldier Serum? Hah. No matter how great its enhancements are, replicating it would only make the world marvel again at Abraham's genius."
"The Progenitor Virus—that's the miracle worthy of bearing our names." William sighed inwardly, then clenched his teeth and made a reckless decision.
Watching his colleagues destroy samples, he seized a moment when no one was paying attention, and smuggled a vial of the Progenitor Virus into the restroom.
Inside the small stall, William did something most would find unimaginable—he forced the vial painfully into his most private place.
When he came out and rejoined the others, his gait was awkward. He claimed his hemorrhoids were flaring up, then continued helping with the cleanup.
Just as he expected, Marcus didn't notice a missing vial. William felt a surge of secret satisfaction and relief.
Snap—
He sat down on a chair.
And felt something shatter inside him.