In between his primary research into the Thanos serum, Rory occasionally diverted his attention to study the blood samples from Steve Rogers and Jessica Jones.
Compared to Thanos's genome, their genetic structures were far gentler.
Their gene sequences contained far fewer pheromonal elements, just enough to provide moderate physical enhancements.
If Thanos's serum was a bloodline, then Steve's and Jessica's serums were, at best, mere augmentation cocktails.
With progress on the Thanos serum stalled, Rory shifted focus to analyzing the other two.
The next morning, he finally got a call from Wilson Fisk.
Riiiing,
"Rory, I found the synthetic chemical you were looking for... but the supplier refuses to sell."
Fisk had exhausted considerable resources locating the compound. No matter how much he offered, the supplier wouldn't budge.
Rory rubbed his temples. "Kingpin, you're a mob boss. If they won't sell, just take it. Don't try to play some goddamn saint in front of me."
On the other end of the line, Fisk nearly crushed the phone in his grip. After a long pause, he responded through clenched teeth:
"If I could, believe me, I would. But this isn't some shady street vendor. It's one of the biggest corporations in America. If I storm in, there'll be serious consequences."
Fisk was already under pressure.
Hell's Kitchen's self-righteous vigilante, Daredevil, was breathing down his neck, gathering evidence to bring him down. Just last night, Fisk had wiped out a Russian crime syndicate. Tensions across New York were at an all-time high.
If he messed with a high-profile biotech and defense conglomerate now, even a kingpin like him wouldn't survive the fallout.
Rory sighed. "Send me the address. I'll handle it myself."
Click. Fisk hung up and immediately forwarded the location to Rory's phone.
Rory changed clothes, took the elevator down to the lobby, and was greeted by the building's manager.
"Mr. Rory, the forecast suggests rain today," said the silver-haired gentleman with a polished British accent. "Might I suggest an umbrella?"
"Thank you, Mr. Lorne," Rory said with a nod.
The well-groomed Lorne looked like he had stepped out of a fashion magazine, black three-piece suit, white gloves, hair slicked back with precision.
Umbrella in hand, Rory stepped outside and flagged down a cab.
Midway through the ride, rain began to patter softly against the windows.
Good thing Lorne had offered the umbrella, Rory thought.
A few minutes later, the cab pulled up to the destination. After paying the fare and a generous tip, Rory stepped out into the rain and looked up at the building.
His expression shifted slightly.
"OsCorp Industries?"
No wonder Fisk had backed off. OsCorp wasn't just a biotech firm, it was also a defense contractor. Picking a fight with them wasn't just risky, it was suicide.
Inside the lobby, Rory folded his umbrella and approached the front desk.
"Hi. I'm here to inquire about purchasing a specific chemical compound currently manufactured by your company. Could you direct me to the right department?"
The receptionist gave him a quick once-over, then beamed a professional smile.
"You'll want to speak with someone in our sales division. Please take a queue number and follow me."
She stepped from behind the desk, handed Rory a numbered ticket, and swayed her hips with practiced poise as she led the way.
Rory's eyes couldn't help but follow the hypnotic rhythm.
American corporate culture sure goes all out for client relations, he mused.
The elevator grew crowded as they ascended. The receptionist gradually backed into Rory until their bodies pressed together.
Rory blinked. Okay, wow. These folks are really dedicated.
Ding. The elevator doors opened. Rory followed her into the marketing floor.
"Please wait here," she said sweetly. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Green tea is fine."
His appetite had improved drastically since the serum injection, he could stomach anything now.
A few minutes later, the receptionist returned with a cup of tea and… a small slip of paper. She winked and strutted off, leaving Rory both amused and curious.
Click.
"Next!"
Rory entered the office and set his tea on the desk. "I need over ten liters of potassium anthacene reagent."
Clatter. The staff member froze, accidentally dropping his pen.
"I, I'm sorry. I don't think we carry anything like, "
"I'm quite certain you do," Rory interrupted. "If you're not authorized, then escalate it."
Within ten minutes, the request had been kicked up the ladder. Eventually, it reached one of the board members.
A middle-aged man walked in and extended a hand.
"Hello. I'm Mr. Darwin, a board director here at OsCorp. From what I understand, this compound is rarely requested. It's mostly used in genetic engineering. May I ask what your background is?"
They shook hands briefly.
"Rory," he replied. "Biogenetic scientist."
Darwin's eyes lit up. "Perfect. Why don't we speak privately in my office? Perhaps we can help each other."
"Lead the way."
Once inside the boardroom, Darwin immediately closed the blinds and retrieved a folder from his desk.
"Mr. Rory, I'd like your opinion on this experimental report. Confidentiality won't be an issue, it doesn't include sensitive data."
Rory skimmed the file.
"This is part of your self-regenerating gene project, correct?"
"Exactly. Many creatures in nature possess self-healing abilities. If we can apply that to humans, it could be a revolutionary breakthrough."
Darwin listed off examples: salamanders, starfish, crabs, worms, species capable of regenerating lost limbs or tissue.
And it was true, regenerative medicine had always fascinated human scientists.
Rory closed the file and tossed it back.
"Biological regeneration isn't a novel idea. The reason it hasn't yielded major progress is because modern tech still can't decode the decay-rate equations necessary to stabilize it."
Darwin frowned. "What happens if we proceed anyway?"
Rory shrugged. "Maybe you end up creating a monster. Depends on which creature's DNA you're using as a base."
That's when Rory spotted the signature in the lower-right corner of the report: Dr. Curt Connors.
Self-healing project. Reptilian DNA. Lizard-based mutation.
Yep, this had "Lizard Man" written all over it.
Rory wasn't entirely sure why Connors had appeared this early… but then again, he himself had already shattered the timeline.
One more mutation in the mix?
Didn't seem so surprising anymore.
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