Early the next morning, after washing up and finishing breakfast, Rory brought several super soldiers to the warehouse from the night before.
Luke Cage was still hanging, a jaw-spreader clamped in his mouth.
"So, have you thought it over?" Rory asked.
Luke looked up at him, no nod, no shake.
Rory chuckled and waved a hand. "Notify the lab: shut things down for today. I'm going to need the facility."
Two super soldiers brought Luke down and followed Rory to the underground laboratory.
They strapped Luke to the testing table, where Rory walked over with a tray of syringes and explained, "Here I've got HIV, lymphoma cells, motor neuron test viruses, and blood-borne pathogens. Let's see if your ironclad body can withstand any of them."
Virology had always been integral to bio-experimentation. Even the Super Soldier Serum was born from Rory using cancer cells to destroy Steve's original cells before extracting and refining the genetic material.
Cultivating viruses wasn't difficult. Bio-hazard labs around the world routinely stored and handled viral strains.
Luke's eyes were filled with terror, but he still refused to talk, only continuing to struggle silently.
Just as the needle was about to pierce into his flesh, Luke finally broke.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!!"
Rory sighed in mock disappointment. "Tch. And here I thought you were actually tough."
He retracted the syringe and turned to the soldiers. "Take him back. Get a recorded statement confirming S.H.I.E.L.D.'s involvement. Send the evidence to Ross. And tell him to issue the arrest warrant for Captain Marvel."
With Luke escorted away, Rory sat down to analyze the blood sample he'd extracted the night before.
Luke Cage had gained his powers from a biochemical accident, which fell under the category of radiation-induced gene mutation. This type of enhancement had a relatively low ceiling, Rory wouldn't use it on himself, but it could be valuable for refining his super soldier program.
His plan: isolate the radiation virus and integrate it into the serum that cracked genetic encryption, rewriting the DNA code.
Squeak squeak…
Rory snatched up the little white mouse that had been happily nibbling on nuts nearby. Every time he obtained new genetic samples, he tested them against the white mouse's serum.
All of Rory's previous serums focused on strengthening the body's genetic capacity. Only the white mouse's wasn't. Its serum was the control benchmark.
The mouse squealed in protest as he injected it again, squirming and flailing its tiny paws.
Once the blood was drawn, it bolted away.
After nucleic acid sequencing, Rory sat at the electron microscope and injected the white mouse's genes into Luke's cells, and vice versa.
The result: complete asymmetry.
The mouse's gene grade was higher than Luke's. When its genes entered Luke's cells, the cells began to rapidly divide and strengthen.
But when Luke's genes entered the mouse's cells, they quickly withered and died.
"…Huh?"
After injecting it with Thanos's gene sample, the white mouse's DNA had an 84% similarity rate with Rory's own, meaning it was a decent proxy for his genetic strength.
A few minutes after injecting Luke's cells, Rory noticed a brand-new type of blood cell emerging, a surprise even to him.
"A radiation-virus-enhancement serum? Should I give it a try?"
In Rory's hierarchy of power-up methods, it went like this:
High-dimensional gene infusion > Self-gene enhancement > Radiation virus enhancement > Biological gene fusion.
Rory himself had used Eternal genes to overwrite his own. Captain America and Captain Marvel fell under self-gene enhancement. Back in Erskine's day, tech was limited, otherwise, Steve might've been stronger.
Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Hulk all fell into the radiation-virus enhancement category. Their powers came from biochemical agents, radiated viruses, or high-dose radiation exposure. Rory referred to this class of mutation as "radiation virus enhancement."
As for the last type, gene fusion, the classic example was Dr. Connors, the Lizard.
In Rory's view, mixing cross-species DNA was the lowest form of experimentation. He labeled them "chimeras." Abominations. Biologists despised these freaks, neither human nor beast, a violation of all biological principles.
Now that he'd accidentally created a radiation virus enhancement serum, Rory suddenly had the urge to try it on a human.
Beep.
"Bring in the remaining two test volunteers. Now."
Ross had sent over four volunteers earlier, two had already died. The remaining two were perfect for this round.
Soon, the volunteers arrived.
One claimed to be wrongly convicted and wanted to reduce his sentence through participation. The other was a disabled soldier missing his right arm, hoping to leave his family a payout through this trial.
Sitting with their recent medical reports in hand, Rory said calmly, "First things first. This trial carries risk. I can't guarantee what will happen."
The veteran shrugged. "Even better. If I die, my family gets more compensation."
The convict added, "If I die, I want the government to clear my name. I don't want to carry false charges into the grave."
Rory closed the report with a small smile. "Sometimes, death isn't the worst outcome. Living worse than death… now that's real pain."
He brought both men into the testing area. After drawing blood, he first checked for basic cell rejection.
Unless the genes were identical, some rejection always occurred. Rory adjusted the serum's concentration based on the rejection rate, aiming to find a stable threshold.
"You first," he said, pointing to the veteran. "Strip and lie down."
Radiation virus enhancement didn't require the energy-conversion pod. The radiation would alter the host's genome on its own, destroying and repairing at the same time, completing the transformation.
The biggest flaw? You couldn't predict the result.
The exact same serum might produce wildly different results in different hosts. That's why Rory rarely researched this method, he hated leaving things to fate.
The soldier stripped down to his underwear and lay on the table, body tense.
He wasn't afraid to die, but no one could stay calm at a moment like this. The fear of the unknown was hard-wired into the human species.
"Restrain him, not too tight. Just enough so he can't break loose."
Rory adjusted the serum while instructing the convict to help.
With the dosage finalized, he set up the recording device to document everything.
"10:27 AM, the 26th. Radiation Virus Serum N1, Human Trial #1. Subject: Anthony. Age: 41. Weight: 183 lbs. Heart rate: 137. Serum concentration: 47%."
Rory spoke the data into the recorder, then stepped to the table, needle in hand, ready to begin the trial.
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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