The Key of Immortality (Revised)

The Arctic, atop the perpetually frozen ice sheets, had drawn an unexpected group of visitors.

"Can you confirm it's him?"

The man leading the group, slightly balding and dressed in a well-fitted suit even in the bitter Arctic cold, asked the site supervisor in a stern tone. If this turned out to be a wasted trip, he'd make sure these people saw just how terrifying a nice guy could be when angered.

"Sir, you might want to take a look at this first."

Instead of answering directly, the supervisor led him down into the ice that had already been excavated. Through the ice, they spotted a circular shield, the size of a pot lid, frozen solid within. At its center, a silver star was faintly visible, surrounded by rings of blue, red, and white.

"It really is him. Excellent!"

Seeing this iconic shield—one he owned an identical replica of back home—the balding man instantly confirmed the identity of the frozen figure. Even though his face managed to stay composed, his voice trembled slightly, as if from the biting cold.

"Begin... excavation immediately."

Under the direct command of senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson, a meticulous dig commenced to unearth the frozen man beneath the ice. Soon, a body that had been encased for decades was carefully lifted onto a transport plane, whisked away to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters under the highest security protocols and at maximum speed. Along with it went the circular shield bearing the star.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the Earth, in the Antarctic, a figure streaked through the sky at high speed. Below the entrance to the Antarctic Ice Cave, which connected to all the surrounding labs, it had been turned into a temporary rest area.

"Hey, looks like we've got newcomers."

Tony, lounging on a sofa and savoring cheap red wine, suddenly felt the entrance above open, letting in a blast of frigid air that made him shiver. Then he noticed two figures appear before him.

"Wait, there's a trash can over there—don't throw up on the floor..."

"Ugh..."

"Alright, too late. You're cleaning that up later!"

Tony waved a hand in front of his nose to dispel the foul smell. But the nausea in his gut wouldn't fade; the wine he'd just brought to his lips suddenly tasted bitter.

"Damn, what a buzzkill."

Annoyed, Tony grumbled and turned to head back to his lab. But he heard Peter call out from behind: "Hey, this is for you."

"Huh? Why does this look familiar?"

Tony spun around just in time to catch an expensive bottle of wine Peter tossed his way. After a closer look, the smile on his face vanished.

"That's right, I grabbed it from your villa. Don't thank me!"

"Damn it, you thief..."

Peter ignored Tony's sour expression and led Professor Connors, who had just finished vomiting, to a lab sealed by a multi-ton metal door.

Boom!

Peter easily shifted the nearly ten-ton metal door with one hand and walked in with Connors.

"Wait, are you two about to start studying that green monster? Can I join? I've dabbled in biology..."

Through the gap in the door, Tony caught a glimpse of a green figure inside and dropped the wine issue, volunteering to participate.

"Sorry, if you can promise never to leave this place, I'll let you in on the research..."

As he spoke, Peter pulled the heavy metal door shut from the inside.

"Damn it, never leave? How is that possible?"

There was no way Tony would accept those terms. It hadn't even been two weeks, and he was already aching for the big bed in his luxury villa—and, of course, those fiery blondes...

"But what the hell is that green thing, that he's being so secretive about studying it?"

Snapping out of his daydream, Tony couldn't help but grow curious about the green figure in that special lab.

"Damn, that guy's puke still isn't cleaned up..."

"Professor Connors, I'm sure you're familiar with this, aren't you?"

Peter slowly spoke, pointing at a massive green monster frozen within the laboratory.

"Of course I'm familiar—it's because of it that I lost nearly everything..."

Connors gave a bitter smile, one filled with self-mockery. This outcome was his own fault for being too greedy.

"Lost everything—lost the pursuit you devoted your life to, lost the arm you might have regrown. Are you truly resigned to that?"

Peter looked at Connors and asked slowly.

"Resigned? What else can I do?"

"All my decades of research data have been taken. Even if I started over, I wouldn't have enough time or funding to support it."

Even if Connors felt unwilling now, as a researcher, he knew well that restarting a project required immense time and money.

Almost no one would back him in resuming the Regeneration Serum project.

"You're right—there's really no need to restart the Regeneration Serum project."

Peter spoke slowly, and the last glimmer of hope in Connors's eyes vanished completely.

"But I think you could dedicate yourself to a greater cause."

Peter's gaze shifted to the frozen Hulk, his tone laced with temptation as he continued.

"A project that won't just regrow your arm, but grant you immense power, even immortality—one worthy of being recorded in history."

At that moment, Peter was like a motivational guru from his past life on some video platform, gently guiding Connors.

"So, what do I need to give up?"

Everything comes at a price. Having experienced total failure once, Connors knew all too well that no pie would fall from the sky.

"Your brilliant mind... and a little bit of freedom."

"So, what's the name of this project?"

Connors agreed almost without hesitation.

Or rather, he knew he couldn't refuse a Superman at this point.

"A name? Not yet. But once you've thoroughly unraveled the secrets of this body, I might hand you another project..."

Peter looked at the frozen Hulk and spoke slowly, a mysterious glint in his eyes.

"Unravel the secrets hidden in this body?"

Connors gazed at the powerful physique, his eyes filled with longing. This would be the key to human immortality.

"By the way, what exactly is this other project you mentioned?"

Achieving immortality for humanity was already a dream everyone yearned for.

Yet the other project Peter spoke of intrigued Connors even more.

"A project... that will bring fear, even destruction..."

Peter didn't elaborate, but a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.

Tony Stark: Thanks to big shot gs200000 for the tip. If you ever get a chance to visit the Marvel Universe, I'll definitely give you ten percent of my assets and throw in a MK50 Armor. We'll go fight Thanos together!