In the basement of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngster~
Jean quickly pushed Charles away from the scene. Nick, Natasha, Barton, and the others, though confused, followed closely.
*Whoosh!*
Just then, a portal opened in front of them, revealing the figures of Apocalypse and his allies.
Before anyone could react, Lorna stretched out her hand, pulling Charles' wheelchair towards her.
Seeing this, Jean shouted, "Stop her!"
As she unleashed her telekinetic power, she aimed to influence Lorna's actions. However, Apocalypse merely waved his hand, sending Jean crashing into a wall, knocking her unconscious.
Nick and the others were about to intervene, but another wave from Apocalypse closed the portal, taking Charles with them.
"What just happened?" Jean muttered in shock, lying on the ground, staring blankly at the place where Charles had vanished.
"Professor…"
Natasha stepped forward, picking up a notebook from where Lorna had disappeared.
"Director, maybe this can give us some clues."
Nick took the notebook and began to read. It was filled with details on Apocalypse's origins, abilities, and objectives. The more he read, the darker his expression grew.
With a loud snap, he closed the notebook.
"Let's go. We're heading to Cairo immediately. Also, convene the Security Council. We'll need global support!"
That night, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier set off.
Contrary to Nick's expectations, the Security Council's response was swift. Once he presented the notebook, he quickly gained the full backing of every member nation. Resources were put at his disposal, and a massive military force was organized to deploy to Cairo.
After all, the threat of nuclear weapons had everyone on edge, setting an irreversible course of action.
......
The following morning~
As Adam was preparing to inspect the Umbrella Armory, he received news about Apocalypse from the Red Queen.
He couldn't help but smile. Glancing at the environmental activists causing a commotion on the construction site, his smile took on a strange warmth.
"Let's go. We're heading back."
"Back? To where?" asked Luna, still struggling a bit with her steps.
"Back to New York."
"What about this place?"
"Leave it to the Omicron team."
"Are you sure? Won't this cause too much trouble?"
"Don't worry. Soon, the world's attention will be elsewhere. Besides, why would I set up an armory in a place like this with no resources, transportation, or economy?"
He'd known from the start that things wouldn't be simple. With so many watching the Sentinels Project, it would've been impossible for him to just walk away with $5 billion in research funding.
He chose this isolated location because its remoteness and poor accessibility would make it easier to cover up any incidents.
Not to mention, there was now the added complication of Apocalypse's nuclear missile attack.
After listening, Luna glanced at the environmental activists in the distance, a look of understanding dawning on her face.
"Got it, boss. Let's head back right away. We can't leave any loose ends."
Without heeding the mayor of Easton's attempts to keep them, the two boarded a private jet bound for New York.
After Adam and Luna departed, Mayor Easton and his group watched their plane leave with dark expressions.
A nearby official approached cautiously, "Mayor, do you think they're planning to pull out?"
Easton said nothing, simply glowering at the receding aircraft.
Another voice chimed in, "I told you, we should've waited until they'd invested more—when they couldn't just leave so easily."
"Yeah, they've only invested a few billion. Umbrella can still pull out if they want."
"Enough! We've all profited nicely, and none of you held back when it came to taking their money."
After a while, seeing his officials starting to bicker, Easton spoke in a low voice, "Silence. If Umbrella leaves, so be it. The machinery and materials on-site will still fetch us millions—maybe even over a billion."
At this, the officials' eyes sparkled with greed.
......
On the plane~
Adam was reviewing documents on his laptop when Luna suddenly took it from him and sat on his lap.
"Boss, I've been away on business for over a month now. One time isn't enough to make it up to me."
Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from General Ross.
Holding Luna in place with one hand, Adam answered, "Hello, General Ross. How can I help?"
"You need Blonsky? That'll be one million dollars per day."
"You want a thousand G-Products? I don't have that many… only twenty-seven are available."
"You need T-virus enhancement serum? That can be arranged."
While he was still on the call, Luna smiled mischievously, leaning in closer. Adam immediately felt the shift and quickly restrained her.
"Hiss… It's nothing, General, I'm on a plane to New York."
"Yes, I'll deliver the goods tonight. By the way, if I may ask, are you planning to head to Cairo?"
"Well then, good luck."
After hanging up, he gently tapped Luna on the head, "Stop that. This may be a private jet, but we still have a flight attendant on board."
In response, Luna simply gave him a playful look.
As he was preparing to enjoy the moment, another call came through.
It was Senator Robert.
He wanted an update on the Sentinel robots' progress and was interested in purchasing some T-virus enhancement serum.
Given Robert's influence, Adam couldn't refuse and reluctantly pocketed a few more million.
From there, it seemed everyone was calling in quick succession.
All the familiar forces he'd dealt with in the past wanted to place orders for T-virus enhancement serum. Some even asked for C-virus and G-virus variants.
It seemed that Apocalypse's destruction of the global stockpile of nukes had stirred up hidden ambitions worldwide.
But as long as that ancient sorcerer at Kamar-Taj and the Asgardian god remained, Earth wouldn't spiral into total chaos. Besides, nukes could always be remade.
So Adam wasn't overly concerned about these ambitious figures and simply continued his business.
......
A few hours later, the plane touched down in New York.
Feeling refreshed, Adam returned to Umbrella headquarters and resumed his genetic research on Masanobu Tanikawa.
Apocalypse's appearance had inspired new ideas for virus development.
Enhancement and mutation didn't have to be purely physical—they could also have a mental component.
If he remembered correctly, the Marvel Universe contained the concept of "Demon Eyes," symbolizing Cthulhu-like power.
If his assumptions were correct, he might be able to control a virus beyond the physical realm.
The Cthulhu Virus....
_____________________
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