chapter 199 part 1
Chapter 198: The Vanished Captain America
2023-05-02 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
Roar—
The continuous bombardment of Gamma Rays stimulated the cells in Hulk's body, pushing his mutation to a deeper level.
The muscles on his massive frame began to bulge, and the broad muscles on his back caused his posture to become even more stooped. At the same time, fine, hair-like substances started sprouting from the surface of his skin, and his once ink-green eyes began to shift to a blood-red color.
"Hair?"
Colin frowned, a look of astonishment on his face as he watched the hair-like substance emerge from Hulk's skin.
He had never heard of the Hulk growing hair during his transformation.
So, is this also the effect of the [Twisted Time Node]?
Looking at the green giant before him, who resembled the one in his memory less and less, Colin could only attribute everything to the influence of the [Twisted Time Node].
Since a Hulk-rat already exists, a hairy Hulk wasn't something so hard to accept.
Having silently convinced himself, Colin looked at the Hulk, whose aura was becoming increasingly bestial, and unleashed his [Heat Vision] without hesitation.
The way his opponent was mutating was clearly problematic; Colin certainly wasn't going to stand by and watch him finish transforming before making a move.
Two red high-temperature beams illuminated the entire city block in a crimson glow, striking Hulk's thick chest with terrifying heat.
In an instant, the acrid smell of scorched flesh mixed with burnt fur filled the air.
Roar—
Hulk roared, trying to resist the beams' assault. In the next second, however, the [Heat Vision] from Colin's eyes erupted with even greater power, engulfing his entire body in scorching heat. Not only that, but the beams pierced through Hulk's body, carving a deep trench into the ground that stretched all the way to the high-rise building behind him before finally stopping.
This was the first time Colin had used the full power of his [Bronze] level [Heat Vision] in the Anti-World, and even he was astonished by the force of the beams.
Using his [Super Intellect (Bronze)] to rein in the terrifying power erupting from his eyes, Colin turned his slightly glowing red eyes to where the Hulk had been.
He's gone?!
However, as the beams faded, what appeared before Colin was an empty, scorched patch of ground. In that deep trench, the Hulk's massive body had vanished without a trace.
Colin frowned, looking at the glass on the street that had melted from the intense heat and now shimmered with an iridescent sheen.
Hulk's disappearance had been extremely sudden. Even with his [Super-Precognition], Colin had received no warning. He scanned the area, using his [Super Vision] to search for any sign of the Hulk.
His [Super Vision], which was currently only at the [Black Iron] level, could not find any trace of the Hulk nearby.
So, how did he disappear?
Colin was certain that the Hulk did not possess the ability to vanish into thin air. His powers were mostly derived from the Gamma Ray radiation in his body, and the mutation's direction was also primarily physical, with Super Strength as the main focus. This was completely inconsistent with the current situation.
So, did someone or something take Hulk away?
Colin retracted his gaze from the city block, his eyes returning to the scorched trench on the ground before him as he fell into thought.
He was less interested in how it was done and more interested in why.
***
"...On the 20th local time, an explosion occurred in a building in New York, injuring 36 people, 7 of them seriously."
"According to an on-site investigation by Frontline reporter Clark Kent, the building where the explosion occurred is located in the Manhattan area of New York City. The explosion took place at approximately 9 a.m. on the 20th. It has now been confirmed that the site of the incident was the corporate building of Hydra Biotechnology, a famous landmark in New York City..."
"The building has a total of 7 floors. Most of the rooms on the ground floor collapsed in the explosion. On-site footage shows a large amount of bricks and other debris scattered on the nearby streets, and several automobiles by the roadside were severely damaged. Additionally, according to interviews with citizens near the scene, a giant green monster was seen running out of the Hydra building during the explosion. Hydra has not made any response to this..."
"New York Fire Department official Mark Furman said that 20 ambulances and 235 emergency personnel rushed to the scene. The explosion resulted in the hospitalization of 36 people, including six women, with 7 of them in 'serious to critical' condition. At the time of the explosion, 32 of the injured were inside the building, while the other 4 were in a building across the street."
"Furman told the media several hours after the incident that the fire department had completed its search for potential victims and was 'confident' that no one else was trapped inside. Currently, the cause of the explosion has not been determined. Frontline reporter Clark Kent has repeatedly inquired with Hydra about the cause of the explosion but has yet to receive a response."
"According to information from an anonymous internal source, this incident at Hydra was very likely the result of a failed experiment. Photos taken in the area afterward show that a fierce battle took place near the explosion site. Many citizens from around Manhattan witnessed a scene of a green monster fighting a mysterious figure and saw flashes of red light..."
"Hydra has stated that, as of now, there is no evidence to suggest that factors related to Hydra experiments caused this explosion, indirectly denying the cause of the incident and claiming that it was most likely related to the gas lines within the company."
"Currently, New York City has established an investigation team to look into the cause of the incident."
***
"Doctor Zola, report the damage."
New York, in the former Stark Industries building, now a Hydra subsidiary.
Helmut, his expression grim, questioned Doctor Zola on the screen.
The Hulk incident had a massive impact on Hydra. In order to conceal the cause of the incident and prevent the 'Super-Soldier Serum' experiment from becoming more widely known, he had to use his connections at the German embassy to pressure the American government, paying a huge price to suppress the incident.
"The losses are disastrous."
On the screen, Doctor Zola stated flatly.
"Over four experiments in Section D were destroyed, and the vast majority of the experimental materials were damaged. Furthermore, due to the overall destruction of the building, whether the Hydra building can continue to be used is still a question. If the building cannot be operated, many ongoing experiments will have to be evacuated and new laboratory sites constructed. The time lost for Hydra from this will be far greater than it currently appears... and that's without calculating personnel losses..."
The Hulk had destroyed almost all the experimental areas in Section D, including some vital equipment, and this was with Doctor Zola having sealed off the section.
"The damage to the Ultron II robots is also a problem. These robots were modified by Hank Pym before he left, and Hydra has not yet been able to fully decipher the technology used in this series of robots..."
In the office, Helmut listened with a dark expression to Doctor Zola's damage report on Hydra.
Although it wasn't the first time he'd heard of these losses, his expression never improved with each telling.
"In addition, and most importantly..."