Chapitre 36: 356-360
"Up in the sky!"
After a brief moment of uncertainty, Captain finally decided to trust his own judgment. He forcefully threw the carbide-reinforced shield on his arm towards the path of the flying knife.
Clang!
Unexpectedly, reality provided Captain with a surprise as the shield he threw hit a solid target.
After a crisp sound, behind a seemingly flawless expanse of clouds in the sky, the figure of Green Goblin descended. However, relying on agile reactions and exceptional balance, Green Goblin quickly adjusted their posture and regained control of the glider.
"Hi~ Hi~ Hi, I never thought you would be able to spot me! But since things have come to this point, there's no turning back. I can't let you ruin my carefully planned revenge scheme!"
Since his concealment had been exposed, Green Goblin could only face Captain head-on. Although in terms of strength, Captain was undoubtedly superior.
However, the issue was that Captain was in a hurry to stop the countdown of the emitter and deactivate the device's startup program. Time was extremely limited. In this situation, they also had to deal with Green Goblin's harassing attacks, making it unfavorable.
Furthermore, due to the limited space at the top of the tower, Captain couldn't fully utilize his speed advantage. Coupled with Green Goblin's flying ability that gave him a wider range of movement, this was another disadvantage.
Finally, Captain was fighting alone at this moment. His teammates who could provide support had not yet arrived, and Quicksilver at the base of the tower couldn't offer assistance. This was a disadvantage in terms of manpower.
With timing, location, and manpower all against Captain, he was in a completely unfavorable situation, without any advantages. Green Goblin only needed to wait for Captain to exhaust himself while continuously causing disruptions, delaying the time for charging of the emitter.
So even though Green Goblin's concealment had been revealed, and he had to engage directly, he was confident and showed no signs of panic.
If there was one factor that was unfavorable to Green Goblin, it was the need to avoid damaging the emitter with his attacks. He had to control his attack angles and avoid using weapons with a large area of effect, such as the pumpkin bomb.
Thus, for a time, Captain and Green Goblin were locked in a stalemate. Green Goblin remained at a distance, using a machine gun and throwing knives to attack, avoiding getting too close to Captain for fear of his shield hitting his glider.
While Captain reacted swiftly and could dodge and block all of Green Goblin's attacks with ease, he lacked effective means of counterattacking and couldn't find an opening to stop the emitter.
Once again, Captain blocked the flying knife launched by Green Goblin with the carbide shield in his hand. Captain quickly glanced at the central computer screen. There were only two minutes and twenty seconds left. He had to hurry and complete the connection operation to leave a sufficient time window for Mark on the other side.
Captain knew that there was only one way for him to reverse the situation now: find an opportunity to take out the capsule containing the Vibranium Nano Suit and equip it.
If Quicksilver were here now, completing this action would be quite simple. Although Quicksilver's superpower was primarily about his fast movement speed, in reality, maintaining balance while moving at such high speeds required extraordinary levels of coordination involving body strength, brain reaction speed, and especially the swinging speed of his arms.
Quicksilver's speed wasn't just about running; his every movement, even the blink of an eye, could reach astonishing speeds. To complete the equipment of the Vibranium Nano Suit in an instant under Green Goblin's attacks was undoubtedly effortless for him.
However, for Captain, his ability to achieve the same level of movement speed as Quicksilver, maintain balance in high-speed movement, and control his reactions all relied on the assistance brought by the Flash suit, which only increased his speed.
If Captain wanted to equip the Vibranium Nano suit under Green Goblin's continuous harassing attacks, it would indeed be quite challenging. Moreover, given Green Goblin's understanding of the Avengers, he wouldn't let such an opportunity go to waste.
"It seems that in order to get this opportunity, I must withstand one of Green Goblin's attacks."
As the time dwindled away, and still not finding a suitable opening, Captain decided to endure an attack from Green Goblin, even if it meant getting injured, to gain the chance to switch equipment to the Vibranium Nano Suit.
Seizing an opportunity, Captain used the carbide shield in hand to block the machine gun bullets shot from Green Goblin's glider, then turned around and took a direct hit from Green Goblin's flying knife with his back.
Green Goblin's flying knife was no ordinary weapon. The blade was made of a super alloy developed by the Osborn Group, extremely hard and sharp. The hilt was equipped with two miniature accelerator-guided thrusters.
Therefore, even though Captain's Flash Armor was made of graphene fiber material, it still couldn't prevent the flying knife from piercing through. With the powerful thrust of the two miniature thrusters, the blade deeply penetrated Captain's body.
At the same time, enduring the pain of his muscles being torn by the flying knife, Captain's actions were not slow. He quickly took out a capsule box from his waist, retrieved a capsule containing the Vibranium Nano Suit, and completed the suit's equipment.
Clang!
The automatically deploying Vibranium Nano Suit covered the entire body of Captain, simultaneously pushing out the "foreign object," the flying knife. The highly intelligent nanoparticles detected the injury on Captain's back and immediately took emergency measures to halt the bleeding from the wound.
Green Goblin's flying knife had indeed inflicted considerable harm to Captain. The high-speed penetration of the blade into the muscle tissue, coupled with the chaotic jet stream generated by the thrusters on the hilt of the knife, caused the blade to rotate irregularly inside Captain's body, resulting in a secondary injury.
And this secondary injury caused by the rotation of the blade was even more severe than the initial piercing wound. Captain could clearly feel the intense pain emanating from the wound on his back.
If it weren't for the Nano Suit temporarily suppressing the injury, he might have been unable to move by now.
However, the plan was proceeding relatively smoothly. After equipping the Vibranium Nano Suit, Captain turned his back to Green Goblin, using his own body as a shield and continued the operation he hadn't completed before.
After Green Goblin's attacks landed on Captain's Nano Suit, they lost their original power and had no effect on Captain whatsoever.
As a result, even though Green Goblin was reluctant to engage Captain in close combat, he had no other choice now. The situation had reversed, and he had to get personally involved to prevent Captain from completing his actions.
Without any hesitation, for the sake of fulfilling his revenge plan, Green Goblin had put everything on the line, including his own life. He flew over Captain's head and then disengaged from the glider, leaping from the air.
Thunk!
Following the enormous kinetic energy from the acceleration due to gravity, Green Goblin directly tackled Captain to the ground. In this self-sacrificing attack from Green Goblin, Captain's mobile device slipped from his grip and fell to the edge of the platform, as if a light breeze or a slight tremor could cause it to plummet.
Seeing this, Green Goblin, who was on top of Captain, immediately attempted to knock the device off first. However, in the split second when Green Goblin started to rise, the quick-thinking captain grabbed his ankle, bringing him into direct contact with the ground.
But at this moment, Captain didn't immediately retrieve his phone. Instead, he seized the opportunity to kick Green Goblin off the platform. Only after doing so did he look at his device teetering on the edge of the platform, retrieve it, and return to the central computer to resume his previous operation.
Green Goblin, kicked off the platform by Captain, rapidly descended several dozen meters in a short span of time. However, Green Goblin's reactions were swift. Calmly, he summoned his glider, stopping his descent just in time.
Yet, just as he was about to ascend again to continue engaging Captain, a series of rapid thuds echoed through the air!
A series of bullets came at him from behind, landing directly on his Green Goblin battle armor. Although Green Goblin battle armor utilized the highest-level bulletproof technology from the Osborn Group, it was still somewhat insufficient against such powerful machine gun fire.
The dense bullets left a multitude of marks on the armor at first, and then, quite coincidentally, some of the bullets hit those marks, completely bypassing the armor's defense and causing damage to Green Goblin.
The bullets had their energy weakened by the armor, and combined with the serum-enhanced Green Goblin's own heightened pain response, his reactions became even quicker. He immediately adjusted the glider beneath his feet to evade the bullet onslaught.
Turning his head, Green Goblin realized that the attacker was a Quinjet in the sky. Captain standing on the tower had a clearer view. He could see a familiar face waving at him through the cockpit's glass—the seasoned agent and his junior fanboy, Phil Coulson.
Upon receiving Mark's speculative report about Green Goblin's plan, Coulson promptly reported the situation to a member of the World Security Council. He began assembling his team members and prepared to take necessary actions, even if it meant acting against the Council's decision, in order to assist the Avengers.
As expected, his action request was denied on grounds of insufficient key evidence. Helpless, Coulson rallied the team members who were willing to defy the Council's decision and participate in the operation, and they set their plan into motion.
The reason Coulson and his team were able to arrive so swiftly was because, after contacting Mark, they obtained permission to use a spatial teleportation gate. At the same time, Mark provided them with Green Goblin's location information.
With Coulson's "S.H.I.E.L.D." providing cover against Green Goblin's harassing interference, Captain focused entirely on his task. With only one minute and five seconds left until the emitter finished charging, time was ticking away.
Sixty seconds, fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight seconds—time continued to diminish. Captain remained steady as he meticulously connected each wire to the device's data interface.
Twenty seconds, twenty-one seconds... Finally, with only eighteen seconds left on the countdown, Captain successfully linked the device to the central computer.
"Mark, I've completed my end!" Without delay, Captain immediately contacted Mark to share the news.
"Understood, Captain. Leave the rest to me, you can relax."
After receiving Mark's reply, Captain could finally let go of the tension in his heart. He believed that Mark could handle the remaining tasks.
As expected, just a few seconds after his communication with Mark ended, the countdown on the central computer froze at ten seconds. Soon after, the entire system started displaying a series of numerical gibberish. Ultimately, all data on the screen returned to nothingness, and the entire control system was completely destroyed.
At this moment, Captain dared to focus all his attention on Green Goblin. Turning around to look at Green Goblin, who was constantly maneuvering to evade as the Quinjet locked onto him, Captain took a deep breath into his lungs and shouted loudly towards Green Goblin, "Norman Osborn! Your identity has been uncovered by us, and your plan has been thwarted.
While I deeply regret the unfortunate events that befell your son, Harry Osborn, due to the Avengers' insufficient capabilities, your current actions, if known by your deceased son, would surely not make him proud of you.
While your sins are not yet irredeemable, surrender now, drop your resistance, and accept the legal consequences!"
"Hi~ Hi~ Hi~ Hi! Consequences?! If justice truly imposes consequences on those with severe sins, then how would you be judged for causing the death and injury of thousands in Seoul, bringing the entire city to ruin?
You Avengers, who claim the banner of justice while inflicting violence upon innocent civilians, still bask in the applause of the masses, the fear of the government—have you faced any punishment at all? Is that your version of justice?"
"I've heard from media reports about the code name you've given me, "Green Goblin." I quite like that name. Justice that angels cannot impose, let demons execute in their stead. I will show you the true hell!
You all think my ultimate plan involves releasing a massive biochemical gas emitter, spreading deadly biochemical weapons across all of Europe, shattering the Avengers' faith. I'm not wrong, am I?
But that was merely a ruse I wanted you to believe. Hi, Hi, HI! Even my fervent efforts to stop you from halting the emitter's startup sequence were nothing more than a facade.
The reason I've done all this, the reason I stayed here to play this hero-villain game with you, was merely to buy time. The adversaries you're about to face are more numerous, stronger, and devoid of any reason...".
"That's why I wanted to obtain a large-scale biochemical gas emitter. It's not about carrying out some kind of massacre, and the substances injected into the emitter aren't deadly biochemical weapons.
This thing isn't poisonous. For many, it might even be a beneficial remedy...
After all, it can regenerate limbs, bestow unparalleled self-healing abilities, and grant immense strength and agility.
In this light, the masses across all of Europe should be grateful to me for giving them such an opportunity to evolve and transcend, liberating them from the fate of being crushed by the aftermath of battles among you so-called superheroes."
"What are you talking about? Beneficial remedy, evolution—what does this all mean? What is your true intention?"
Seeing Green Goblin abandon his previous anxious demeanor and adopt a manic arrogance as he revealed his plot, Captain felt an immediate sense of danger.
What was even more chilling was that all of their side had been manipulated like pawns in Green Goblin's game. His meticulous calculations, his precise understanding of their information, had surpassed the limits of what Captain could imagine.
Yet, one thing he was certain of was that Green Goblin's self-assured appearance wasn't an act. Through Green Goblin's eyes, Captain once again glimpsed that madness and excitement he had seen in the Vienna United Nations meeting room. It was the inner emotion Green Goblin only revealed when his plans succeeded.
"Hi~ Hi~ Hi~ Hi! I might as well tell you. You're too late to stop me now.
Thanks to the holographic replication and three-dimensional printing technology invented by Mark Stark in your Avengers, I managed to duplicate a fully functional large-scale biochemical gas emitter in the shortest time possible.
What you can see now is nothing more than a decoy left behind to divert your attention. The real emitter that will be effective is placed somewhere else, where it's charging up.
By now, that emitter should have completed its charging preparations, ready to ascend and initiate the release process.
Once the emitter starts, the regenerative serum I injected into it will be dispersed across the entire European continent. The ordinary people affected by the serum will all transform into bloodthirsty lizard monsters devoid of humanity and reason.
At that point, I'm curious to see what choices the Avengers will make when the very people they vowed to protect turn on them, seeking to devour their flesh and blood."
"Your evil plan will never succeed!" Just as Green Goblin revealed in his triumph, Mark and the others, who had fallen behind Captain, finally arrived.
Upon hearing the scenario described by Green Goblin, Falcon's overwhelming sense of justice couldn't be contained any longer. He soared into the sky and charged Green Goblin with a bullish force.
Bang! Without any preparation, Green Goblin was sent tumbling by Falcon's charge. Mark and Scarlet Witch utilized their abilities to take to the air, encircling Green Goblin.
In the sky, the Colson team's Quinjet, along with Mark, Falcon, and Scarlet Witch, blocked his escape route. On the ground, Quicksilver, Black Panther, Bucky, and Natasha cut him off. Green Goblin was undoubtedly trapped within the Avengers' encirclement; he had nowhere to run.
"Wanda, quickly use your mind control ability to infiltrate his memories and find out where the other emitter is located. We don't have much time!" Mark's expression turned grave as he looked at Scarlet Witch.
Scarlet Witch nodded, and a crimson mist began to spread from her hands. With her telekinetic powers, she immobilized Green Goblin and then invaded his mind, delving into his memories.
"Ah!"
Just as the group waited for Scarlet Witch to bring them some good news, she suddenly clasped her head in agony, her expression contorted in pain.
"What's wrong, Wanda?" Falcon, who was nearby, rushed to her side to support her.
"It's not working. I can't retrieve the memories from Green Goblin's mind. His thoughts are too chaotic and violent, filled with negative emotions. Just resisting the assault of this madness has depleted all my strength. I have no capacity left to access the memories."
"Hi~ Hi~ Hi~ Hi! You don't need to struggle anymore. Evolution has already begun, and your failure is inevitable!" Freed from Scarlet Witch's suppression, Green Goblin regained consciousness.
As he noticed a pale green mist beginning to spread through the air around Lithuania, he knew his plan had succeeded. In the coming minutes, the regenerative serum would spread across the entire European continent, affecting every living creature that inhaled it into their respiratory systems.
At that point, whether it was humans, pets, or livestock, all would turn into the most terrifying monsters, simultaneously becoming the most formidable enemies of the Avengers Alliance.
Before the echo of Green Goblin's words faded, Bucky on the ground suddenly became agitated. Green scales started to grow densely over his body, and a sturdy lizard tail sprouted from his back.
Witnessing this horrifying sight, Scarlet Witch instinctively formed a shield using her telekinetic powers, protecting herself and Falcon beside her.
Within the Quinjet, due to the utilization of an internal air circulation system, they luckily evaded the danger.
On the ground, Quicksilver's Vibranium nanosuit had already filtered the regenerative serum's effects before it entered his body.
Black Panther and Captain America are the same in this regard; the visors of their suits possess the same filtering function, so they haven't been affected by the serum and transformed into lizard-like beings.
As for Natasha, due to undergoing the ultimate transformation, the regenerative serum would trigger a more intense immune response when it entered her body compared to others.
This instantly destroyed the serum's activity through her robust immune system, not to mention the hundreds of degrees Celsius of body temperature produced by the immune reaction, rendering the regenerative serum completely ineffective.
As for Mark, there's no need to mention him. Also having undergone the ultimate transformation, the nanobots within his body are capable of exerting powerful effects equivalent to immune cells, and he hasn't been affected by the regenerative serum either.
So among the group, only Bucky is the unfortunate one who once again lost himself due to the influence of external modifications. Can we say this is his destiny?
However, even if it's only Bucky, this outcome is already quite terrible. Even the super-enhanced assassin subjected to Hydra's modifications can't resist the effects of the regenerative serum. The Avengers and the Colson team can already envision the impending scenario where they'll face a besieging horde of lizard-like creatures...
Racing against the clock, the Avengers ultimately fell victim to Green Goblin's carefully crafted conspiracy, allowing him to successfully complete his plan.
The price the Avengers had to pay for this failure was the innocent populace and ecological environment of the entire European continent – an undeniably heavy toll.
Faced with this outcome, even Captain America, whose determination was unwavering, now revealed sadness and despair in his eyes.
While everyone else was startled by the difficulties before them, only Mark maintained a calm mind. He moved directly to Green Goblin's side and knocked him unconscious.
"Wanda, use your telekinetic abilities to restrain the lizard creature that Bucky has become, don't let him escape. Bucky's physical qualities and combat instincts surpass those of ordinary individuals by a large margin.
If he's allowed to act recklessly, the other lizard creatures will soon gather under his influence, forming a group, which will make our situation even more challenging."
After subduing Green Goblin, Mark quickly shouted to Scarlet Witch.
Hearing Mark's words, Black Panther, Quicksilver, and Natasha on the ground, who were closest to Bucky, also snapped back to reality and hurried over to restrain the lizard creature Bucky had transformed into.
With the assistance of her companions, Scarlet Witch found the task considerably easier and didn't give Bucky a chance to escape.
"Hey! Folks, it's not the time for despair yet!" Seeing Bucky also restrained, Mark lifted Green Goblin with one hand, attempting to boost everyone's morale.
As an avid fan of the Spider-Man series in his previous life, Mark vividly remembered Green Goblin's plan, which was essentially a variation of the Lizard's plan from the movies.
However, while the Lizard's plan was confined to the city of New York, Green Goblin used the spreading capabilities of the large-scale biochemical gas emitter to expand the scope to the entire European continent.
Of course, in the movie's storyline, it would ultimately be the superheroes who defeat the evil forces and heroically save the world. In Mark's recollection, Spider-Man, as portrayed in the plot, managed to reverse the serum released by the Lizard, creating an antidote that reverted the lizard people back to ordinary humans.
Since there was already such a precedent, Mark believed that the same procedure shouldn't pose a significant problem for him, especially given that he possessed the "Extremis Virus," a potent tool, and was highly skilled in human augmentation.
Thus, Mark immediately gathered everyone and conveyed his idea to the other members, "...So, it's not the time for despair yet. We still have a chance to turn the situation around."
"Now, the most crucial thing is to obtain the original serum from Green Goblin's possession to complete the research and production of the reversal serum!"
"What's your plan? We're all under your command now, just give the orders!" Upon hearing that there was a chance to salvage the situation, Captain America was the first to express his attitude, indicating his willingness to follow Mark's lead.
Following suit, the other members also voiced their support, agreeing to follow Mark's commands. After all, Mark was the only one with the capability to lead them in accomplishing the reversal.
"Alright, I believe we should split into three teams now!
Natasha and the Coulson team will contact the World Security Council to enforce a transportation blockade over the entire European region. Simultaneously, you need to find my old man. With him, our progress in reversing the serum can be expedited.
Pietro, you and Captain are the fastest. Together, use the spatial portal to return to New York. Search Osborne Group and Norman Osborn's estate for any remaining samples of Green Goblin's serum, or serum formulas and research data. Baymax, you can assist them, and I permit you to directly infiltrate the Osborne Group's servers to search for any useful leads.
As for the remaining team members, come with me. On one hand, we need to retrieve the two large-scale bio-toxin emitters that Green Goblin set up in Lithuania. These will be used to release the antidote for the reversal serum.
On the other hand, if Quicksilver and Captain don't find any information or samples of the serum, we need to extract critical information directly from Green Goblin."
With the mission plan laid out, everyone immediately began to act according to Mark's instructions. Mark, along with Black Panther, Falcon, and Scarlet Witch, escorted Green Goblin and the lizard creature Bucky back to his laboratory at Stark Industrial Park.
The reason for not choosing a more advanced and well-equipped laboratory was mainly due to the high number of regular employees and visitors in the company building. Bucky's current appearance would likely frighten them and cause unnecessary panic.
First, Green Goblin was confined in a cell shielded by energy. Then, Mark extracted some blood samples from the lizard creature Bucky for the upcoming research.
If Captain America and the others truly hadn't acquired any samples or data of the serum and couldn't get useful information from Green Goblin, this would be their last hope to resolve the issue.
By deducing the formula components of the reversal serum from Bucky's mutated blood samples, they could attempt to create the antidote. Although this method was more challenging and time-consuming, it was a fallback plan.
Mark's concern was that if time dragged on for too long, the ordinary citizens who had already mutated into lizard creatures would suffer a significant death toll. Furthermore, the economic losses caused by this crisis would have a long-lasting impact on the global economic situation.
"We must develop an effective reversal serum as soon as possible!" Placing the extracted blood samples into the analysis apparatus, Baymax would assist him in analyzing and extracting the data, extracting useful information to enhance Mark's work efficiency.
Then, Mark entered the cell where Green Goblin was confined, accompanied by Scarlet Witch. When Mark had knocked him out earlier, his anger had driven his actions, and his strike had been far from gentle. Despite the enhancement from the semi-finished serum for super soldiers, Green Goblin hadn't regained consciousness till now.
"Well, that actually saves me some trouble, so I don't have to knock him out again.
Wanda, as you've likely witnessed before when you were with Captain, I successfully helped Bucky overcome the negative effects using a device that emits brainwaves. He managed to retrieve critical information from his own memories.
However, Green Goblin isn't like Bucky. He won't willingly cooperate to reveal the information we need. That's why I need your assistance.
I'll use a brainwaves link device to establish a mental connection between you and Green Goblin. Through this channel, you can retrieve the information we need from his memories.
Additionally, it will help you suppress Green Goblin's wild consciousness, allowing you to smoothly complete this task. So, the next steps are up to you!"
"Leave it to me. After all, I'm now a full-fledged member of the Avengers. I won't let you down and will complete the mission!"
Inside the room, Green Goblin and Scarlet Witch sat on opposite sides, each wearing a brainwaves link device crafted by Mark. The difference was that Scarlet Witch's seat was extremely comfortable, equipped with cushions and pads to meet comfort needs.
On the other hand, Green Goblin wasn't as comfortable. Not only was he disarmed, but he was securely fastened to an interrogation chair. To prevent him from waking up midway through the plan, breaking free from his restraints, Mark had tightly bound him with graphene ropes, making him look like a big dumpling.
"Are you ready? I'm about to initiate the brainwaves link device," Mark asked Scarlet Witch as he stood in front of the control panel.
"I'm ready. We can start whenever," Scarlet Witch nodded with determination evident in her expression.
"Alright. Once the plan begins, I will guide your consciousness into a virtual world. Initially, you might feel a slight dizziness, but this process is brief. Once the dizziness subsides, you will see a gateway in front of you.
Enter through the gateway, and inside is the room containing Green Goblin's memories. Your task is to flip through his memory scenes like viewing surveillance footage and find information about the regenerative serum.
You can close your eyes now. The brainwaves link device will help you enter deep sleep and establish a connection between both of your consciousnesses."
Scarlet Witch followed Mark's instructions and slowly closed her eyes. Under the influence of the brainwaves link device, she gradually entered a state of drowsiness.
However, her peaceful slumber didn't last long. Before she knew it, she experienced the dizziness that Mark had mentioned. It felt as if her consciousness was being pulled out of her body and thrown into a rapidly spinning whirlpool, where the boundaries between sky and earth seemed to vanish, blending into a blur.
Fortunately, just as Mark had said, the uncomfortable dizziness didn't last too long, though it still took her a while to recover from the queasiness in her stomach.
Once again feeling the solid ground beneath her feet and the stillness of her surroundings, Scarlet Witch had never imagined that such a sensation could feel so precious.
She silently swore to herself that if she had a chance to do it over, she would rather endure the chaos and negative emotions from Green Goblin's mind rather than go through this disorienting state again.
After the complaints subsided, the mission had to continue. After all, she had managed to endure the unbearable dizziness, and if she couldn't complete the mission now, all the sacrifices she had made would truly be in vain.
Turning her head to look around, Scarlet Witch immediately spotted the large door Mark had mentioned. Approaching the door, she pushed it open and entered the room. The room was dimly lit, but she could still make out all the items and furnishings inside.
In front of her was a wooden office desk with a disk array placed on top of it. Next to it was an inactive management computer. "It really is just like viewing surveillance footage," Scarlet Witch mused.
Seeing the environment inside the room, Scarlet Witch didn't waste much time. She directly activated the management computer and began searching for key information related to the regenerative serum in Green Goblin's memories.
She first filtered out the memory segments of Green Goblin from the time of the Seoul battle until the present, then accelerated the playback speed for examination.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, although there were occasional pieces of information related to the regenerative serum in the footage, they didn't hold significant relevance for Mark's research on an antidote.
By the time she had gone through all the memory scenes from this period, she hadn't found the content she needed.
"Let's take a look at the earlier memory segments, there might be something we missed." Given the gravity of the situation, Scarlet Witch couldn't afford to be careless. Besides, she had endured quite a bit of torment for this mission; she couldn't just let it go like that.
Continuing to rewind, starting from the accidental death of Green Goblin's son during the Seoul battle and moving backwards in time, Scarlet Witch finally struck gold.
She saw the incident that had occurred before Norman Osborn became Green Goblin, involving an accident at Osborn Industries and the covert confinement of Dr. Curt Connors, who had transformed into a lizard-like creature, in the Osborn estate.
"I've finally found it!" Scarlet Witch had no idea how long she had been in front of the monitor. Since she was in a state of consciousness, hunger wasn't something she felt, and time within the virtual world flowed at an unusually slow pace.
In this desolate and solitary space, persevering and staying focused on her task wasn't an easy feat. So, when she finally found the crucial information, her excitement was understandable. It meant she could finally leave this dreadful place.
...
In the real world, Mark stood in front of the control panel, attentively observing the data of Scarlet Witch's mental fluctuations on the screen. If any abnormality occurred in the data, which could potentially cause serious harm to Scarlet Witch's psyche, Mark would immediately terminate the plan and separate her consciousness from the projection of Green Goblin's memories.
Fortunately, up to this point, apart from the initial phase of consciousness detachment when Scarlet Witch's mental state had been fluctuating slightly, all the data remained stable.
"Hmm! Is she about to come out?"
Suddenly, the mental data displayed on the screen exhibited intense fluctuations. Mark was well aware that these were mental tremors that occurred when the consciousness was leaving the virtual world.
Blinking her eyes open, Scarlet Witch paid no mind to her current mental condition and immediately spoke, "In Norman Osborn's underground chamber! Green Goblin has sealed all items related to the regenerative serum there!"
"Alright, I've got it. I'll convey this information to the Captain and Pete shortly. For now, you should rest well. Spending an extended period in a virtual space, examining someone else's memories, places considerable strain on your psyche.
Get a good night's sleep; the remaining Avengers will take care of what's to come. By the time you wake up, everything will surely be resolved."
"Mmm..." Scarlet Witch merely murmured softly in response, and she had already drifted off to sleep, her fatigue evident on her face.
"Baymax, ensure that Wanda has a pleasant dream on my behalf. Let's consider it a reward for her hard work."
"No problem, Master!"
Glancing at Scarlet Witch, who now wore a sweet smile due to the dreams conjured by Baymax, Mark smiled faintly and left the room with Green Goblin.
"Next, it's all up to the efficiency of the Captain and the others..."
Mark's tasks on this end had mostly been completed; what remained was to see if the other two teams could successfully accomplish their assigned missions as well.
The first team to return was the duo of Natasha and Coulson. The current state of Europe was an undeniable reality presented before the eyes of the World Security Council, leaving them with no choice but to respond.
In fact, when the Council members personally witnessed that the reports mentioned by Coulson had indeed materialized, they were genuinely startled.
However, the reason for their shock was not the significant changes occurring in Europe, but rather Coulson's earlier application for action. This was equivalent to accusing them of being aware but inactive in the face of this event, leaving them guilty of inaction.
For their future political careers, this was a major stain; if subsequent remedial actions didn't yield results, their political careers would effectively come to an end. The captivating power they held would slip into the hands of others, and years of cultivation would vanish into thin air.
In this context, the World Security Council members naturally couldn't afford to act passively any longer. With one decisive command, all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, regardless of their mission locations, were ordered to immediately return to the Triskelion headquarters, awaiting further assignment and deployment.
Meanwhile, several nations situated along the border of Europe had already taken action under the coordination of the United Nations. They had dispatched substantial military forces to construct defensive structures cutting off the transcontinental routes and guarding critical passages.
Even the Avengers, who had often been at odds with the United Nations, were granted exceptional autonomy this time. They were permitted to act according to their own judgments and make prompt responses in the face of changing circumstances.
The sole requirement for the Avengers was to put forth their utmost effort to resolve the crisis in Europe.
"It seems these officials are truly anxious this time. They've completely disregarded their own reputation and granted us full autonomy.
Our previous deadlock wasn't due to excessively stringent conditions, but rather their insufficient interests. Yet, when everything is coated in a veneer of righteousness, their performances could even deceive themselves."
Coulson listened to Mark's rant about their superiors with a mix of embarrassment and understanding. Having been a civil servant for so long, he was well acquainted with the bureaucratic tendencies of these leaders. Mark's scolding was indeed accurate and illustrated how profoundly their bureaucratic mindset had hindered the efficiency and realization of their organizational tasks.
Recalling the frustration he had experienced under these officials' rule, Coulson couldn't help but mutter a few choice expletives in his mind about their mothers, then shifted the conversation back to the main topic.
"Tony's also agreed to lend a hand, but he needs to make a stop at the Avengers Compound first to change into his new armor. So, he'll arrive a bit later than us."
Just as Coulson finished speaking, Mark received a report from Baymax, "Sir has arrived at the main entrance."
"Speaking of the devil, he's here, Coulson. My old man's arrived, but it seems he's too embarrassed to come in. Let's go down and meet him."
...
Outside the main entrance on the ground floor, Tony and Rhodey had already touched down, but they hadn't directly entered the lobby. Instead, they were sneaking around at the entrance, peeking inside cautiously.
Clap!
"Dad, why are you lurking out here instead of going in?" Mark suddenly appeared behind Tony and gave him a light pat on the shoulder.
However, this simple action caused Tony to jump like a startled rabbit, his eyes nearly popping out of his sockets.
"What are you doing? Don't you know scaring people can lead to a heart attack? And where was I being sneaky? I was just maintaining a necessary sense of vigilance."
Tony kept patting his heart, his breath slightly accelerated from the shock he had just received. Even in such a state, Tony didn't forget to find excuses for himself, truly preferring to suffer than lose face.
"Oh, I see!" Seeing his old man looking so guilty, Mark immediately understood why Tony was avoiding a direct entrance.
"You're worried about feeling awkward when you meet Captain, don't know how to face him, right?"
"Nonsensical... Utter nonsense! Why would I feel awkward? If anyone should feel awkward, it should be Steve when he sees me. He's the one who doesn't know how to face me!
Hmph! I'm going to walk in there openly to show you that I'm not backing down."
"Alright, alright, you don't have to pretend. We've been living together for so many years, don't I know you well enough? Relax, Captain and Pete are still out on a mission and haven't returned. Besides, you're going to the lab to work a bit. You and him won't cross paths for a while."
After hearing Mark's words, Tony let out a discreet sigh of relief. However, he executed the action so subtly that it was practically imperceptible.
But Mark wasn't an ordinary person, let alone after undergoing the modifications from the "Heaven's Eye Virus" that granted him enhanced informational vision. Tony's small gesture was naturally not hidden from his eyes.
Tony, who had been discovered by Mark regarding his facade of bravado, finally let his guard down and reverted to his usual self. Throughout their journey to the laboratory, he cracked numerous jokes, aiming to prove that he wasn't afraid of face-to-face interactions with Captain.
However, once they entered the laboratory, Tony's demeanor shifted. His entire presence exuded seriousness. This time, both he and Mark carried an immense responsibility on their shoulders. The success of reversing the crisis rested upon them, particularly on the antidote they were preparing to develop.
"Now, do we have any known information about the Regeneration Serum released by Green Goblin in Europe? How's the progress on the experiments?"
Once he entered his work mode, Tony immediately began to gather information about the research's progress.
"As of now, we know that the Regeneration Serum project was initially launched by Dr. Curt Connors to treat patients with limb deficiencies. The inspiration behind it was to transfer the gene expression mechanism responsible for the regeneration of a lizard's tail to the human body, allowing humans to acquire similar regenerative abilities in cases of limb loss.
However, you're already aware of the situation across the entire European continent. This project ultimately ended in failure.
I've already extracted blood samples from the Lizard People and had Baymax analyze them for me. However, if we want to expedite the research progress on the Reversal Serum, we need Captain and the others to bring back the Regeneration Serum samples and research data as soon as possible."
Mark had just finished speaking when Baymax delivered excellent news to the lab, "Master, Captain and Pete have returned!"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone