~Yo! We've hit 100 Powerstones, here's your Bonus Chapter as promised!
~Next milestone: 200 Powerstones! Let's keep the momentum going!
After Wanda's full diagnostic and bloodwork were completed, she excused herself to pack her things for the move.
Nolan, however, wasted no time.
He placed a drop of her blood and a preserved blood sample from Erik into the genetic sequencing system.
Within minutes, the results came in.
"Wanda is Erik's biological daughter?" Nolan murmured. "But she was born in Sokovia..."
The DNA matched. Erik was her father. The location discrepancy suggested one possibility: she was engineered. Or, at the very least, abducted at birth for experimentation.
He filed the theory away for later. First, he had something more pressing: replicating the Steel Physiology on himself.
Even if he someday managed to unlock Wanda's full mutant potential, without Chthon's blessing, he'd never wield Chaos Magic. The most he could harvest was her baseline mutant ability, reality manipulation.
And that wasn't enough.
Nolan approached his console. "AL, analysis ready?"
During the military base chaos, Nolan had covertly used magnetism to slip a data-chip into the central system, downloading the entire Hulk and Steel Physiology experiment archives during the Abomination skirmish.
"Confirmed," AL replied. Her voice was calm, professional, and almost melodic. "Surveillance footage indicates that a 60-decibel human shout during the original experiment may have caused a fluctuation. The sonic energy disrupted ATP regulation, allowing rapid metabolic amplification."
"So that's the trigger," Nolan mused.
"Summon Connors," he added aloud. "We're proceeding."
Moments later, Connors arrived, already aware of what Nolan intended.
"Norman," Nolan said, "bring in a test subject."
Norman's voice crackled over comms. "Boss, our stock is running low."
"Word's out in Hell's Kitchen. They're saying any test subject Osborn takes dies. Even before they're gone, it's... ugly."
Nolan's tone turned cold. "Then send Fisk a message. Bring Max and Alexei with you."
He knew Fisk didn't orchestrate the blacklisting but Fisk definitely allowed it. Either The Hand or The Sanctum faction was interfering.
Soon, three test subjects arrived.
Connors prepared the Steel Physiology serum while Nolan fine-tuned the acoustic resonance system. He wouldn't be using the diluted version. That was Ross's territory: mass production, high survivability, lower yield.
Nolan wanted perfection.
This would be the true peak form of the serum. No compromises.
"Begin the test," he ordered.
Each subject was assigned a unique resonance frequency to test the optimal sonic trigger. The first Subject 1 was a black-market test subject from Hell's Kitchen.
Serum entered his bloodstream. Nutrient lines connected. Monitor data streamed in.
The effects were immediate.
His heart rate spiked. Oxygen saturation plunged. His skin flushed dark red. Internal temperature hit 39°C.
Then... he screamed. Muscles convulsed. Blood dripped from his lips as he bit through them.
Worse, his body stopped processing the nutrient solution. His cells were in full metabolic revolt.
"Run 60 dB human voice frequency."
The acoustic system activated.
Sound energy in wave form slammed into Subject 1's body. The scream was agonized... but something began to change.
Vital signs stabilized. Then improved.
"Draw a blood sample."
A robotic arm withdrew a vial.
"Phosphate levels rising. Lactic acid spiking!" Connors reported.
He injected a carefully measured dose of sodium bicarbonate.
Subject 1's body surged. His musculature expanded. Bone density increased. The nutrient flow resumed.
"Ha... Ha ha!" Subject 1 laughed as strength exploded through his body. He was high on power. "I could level a building with a punch!"
Then he tried to break his restraints.
He strained harder. "Hey! Let me—"
Pain struck him like a tidal wave.
His cells turned on him. His body began eating itself alive. The enhanced height collapsed inward. Muscles withered. Bones cracked.
He slumped, dead. A puddle of blood and bile formed beneath him.
The other two test subjects recoiled in horror.
But it was already too late. The needles were in. The serum was flowing.
Nolan didn't even look up. He was already dissecting Subject 1's body.
"Adjust audio levels to 64.2 and 65.7 decibels," he ordered calmly.
The remaining two subjects underwent similar transformations, but this time, no pain. Their vitals remained steady. Muscles stabilized. And most importantly, no metabolic collapse.
"Begin post-procedure data collection," Nolan said, glancing at them with clinical disinterest.
Their eyes filled with terror.
"W-We made it! We're stable! That means we're safe, right?!"
They struggled against the restraints, but like Subject 1, they couldn't escape.
"Scalpels aren't working," one assistant noted. "Tissue density too high."
"Use vibranium or laser," Nolan replied coldly.
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