In the Arctic, atop the ice sheet that remained frozen year-round, a group of uninvited visitors arrived.
"Can you confirm it's him?"
The leader, a slightly balding man who insisted on wearing a proper suit even in the frigid Arctic, asked the person in charge with a stern tone.
If this turned out to be a wasted trip, he would show these people just how terrifying a good man could be when he got angry.
"Sir, please come take a look at this first."
Rather than answering directly, the person in charge led him beneath the excavated ice.
Then, through the ice, they saw a Circular Shield frozen within it, as large as a pot lid.
At its center, a Silver Star could vaguely be seen.
Around the star were rings of blue, red, and white stripes.
"It really is him. Excellent!"
Looking at the shield, which carried immense significance and was identical to one in his own collection, the slightly balding man immediately confirmed the identity of the person frozen beneath the ice.
At that moment, although he could barely maintain a calm expression, his voice seemed to tremble from the cold.
"Begin... excavation immediately!"
Afterward, under the personal command of senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson, they carried out a meticulous excavation of the frozen person beneath the ice.
Very soon, a body that had been frozen for decades was carefully loaded onto a fighter jet and secretly transported to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters at the highest level of confidentiality and with maximum speed.
The Circular Shield bearing the star was taken away with him as well.
Meanwhile, on the Antarctic side of Earth, opposite the Arctic, a figure streaked through the sky at high speed.
At that moment, directly below the entrance to the Antarctic Ice Cave, an area connected to all the surrounding laboratories had been turned into a temporary lounge.
"Hey, looks like we've got another newcomer."
Tony, who was relaxing on the sofa with a glass of cheap red wine, suddenly sensed the entrance above opening. A blast of cold wind rushed in, making him shiver.
Then, he noticed two figures had suddenly appeared before him.
"Wait, there's a trash can over there. Don't throw up on the floor..."
"Blegh..."
"Well, looks like I'm too late. Remember to clean that up later!"
Tony waved a hand in front of his nose, trying to disperse the foul stench.
However, the nausea in his stomach would not go away. The red wine he had just raised to his lips no longer tasted sweet.
"Fuck, what a mood killer."
Feeling disappointed, Tony grumbled and turned to head back into the laboratory.
But then he suddenly heard Peter call out behind him, "Wait, this is for you."
"Huh? Why does this look familiar?"
Tony had just turned around when he hurriedly caught the bottle of expensive red wine Peter tossed to him.
But after examining it closely, the smile on his face instantly vanished.
"That's right, I took it from your villa. No need to thank me!"
"Damn it, you robber..."
After saying that, Peter ignored Tony's suddenly ugly expression and led Professor Connors, who had just finished vomiting, to a laboratory sealed behind a metal door weighing several tons.
Rumble!
The metal door, nearly ten tons in weight, was effortlessly shifted aside by Peter with one hand. He then led Connors straight inside.
"Wait, are you going to start studying that green monster? Can you let me join? I know a thing or two about biology too..."
Through the gap left by the moved door, Tony spotted a green figure inside. He immediately stopped worrying about the wine and volunteered to join the research.
"Sorry. If you can promise never to leave this place for the rest of your life, I'll let you participate..."
As he spoke, Peter shut the heavy metal door from inside.
"Damn bastard, never leave for the rest of my life? How could I agree to that!"
There was no way Tony could accept such a condition.
It had not even been half a month, yet he already missed the large bed in his Luxury Villa terribly. Of course, he also missed those hot Blonde Women...
"But what exactly is that green monster? Why is he studying it so mysteriously?"
However, after quickly snapping out of his fantasies, Tony could not help becoming deeply curious about the green figure in that special laboratory.
"Fuck, that guy's vomit still hasn't been cleaned up..."
"Professor Connors, I trust you're no stranger to it?"
Pointing at the enormous green Monster frozen inside the laboratory, Peter spoke slowly.
"Of course I'm not. Because of it, I nearly lost everything..."
Connors gave a miserable smile, one filled with self-mockery. He had only himself to blame for being too greedy.
"Lost everything? Lost the pursuit you devoted your whole life to? Lost the arm you might have regenerated? Are you really willing to accept that?"
Peter looked at Connors and asked slowly.
"Unwilling? What can I do about it?"
"All the research data I spent decades compiling has already been taken away. Even if I started over, I doubt I would have enough time or funding to support it."
Even though Connors remained unwilling to accept it, as a researcher, he knew very well that restarting a project required immense time and funding.
Almost no one would support him in researching the Regeneration Serum project again.
"That's right. There really is no need for you to restart your Regeneration Serum project."
Peter spoke slowly, causing the last trace of hope in Connors's eyes to vanish completely.
"But I think you could devote yourself to an even greater cause."
Peter slowly turned his gaze toward the frozen Hulk and continued in a seductive tone.
"A great project that can not only regenerate your severed arm, but also grant you unimaginable strength, perhaps even immortality—a project worthy of being recorded in history."
At that moment, Peter seemed like one of those success gurus from his previous life, patiently guiding Connors along.
"So what do I need to give up?"
Everything required an equivalent price. Having suffered one complete failure, Connors understood better than anyone that no windfall would simply land in his lap.
"Your brilliant mind, and a little of your freedom..."
"So, what is our project called?"
Connors agreed almost without hesitation.
Or rather, he knew that in his current situation, he had no way to refuse a Superman.
"As for the name, there isn't one for now. But once you thoroughly uncover the secrets of this body, perhaps I'll hand you another project..."
Looking at the frozen Hulk, Peter spoke slowly, a mysterious glint appearing in his eyes.
"Uncover the secrets hidden within this body?"
Connors looked at the powerful body, his eyes filled with longing. This would be the Key of Immortality for humanity.
"By the way, what exactly is the other project you mentioned?"
Allowing humanity to attain immortality was already something everyone dreamed of.
Yet the other project Peter mentioned made Connors even more curious.
"A project... that will inspire fear, perhaps even bring destruction..."
Peter said no more, but a trace of hesitation flashed through his eyes.
Tony Stark: Thanks to gs200000 for the donation. If you ever get a chance to come to the Marvel Universe, I'll definitely give you ten percent of my assets and a set of MK50 Armor, and we can go beat up Thanos together!
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