Searching for the Pathogen
Although there was no way to use Super Speed to install the equipment, with the help of the Mecha's auxiliary arm, Green Arrow Duck assembled the equipment he brought and tested it without taking too long.
After all, when it was built, it was designed to be quick and easy to move around at any time. Therefore, there were special requirements for modularity and standardized wiring for rapid assembly and disassembly, which came in handy today.
The X-Men didn't just bring a bunch of people. Since learning about the crisis in Raccoon City, they had naturally made preparations as well. For example, they brought some equipment and instruments from the X-Men base's medical room that they thought would be useful and easy to disassemble and move.
This part was to be assembled and adjusted by Jean Grey, the X-Men's doctor. Although she didn't have a robotic arm, she had telekinesis, and she didn't bring as much stuff as Green Arrow Duck, so the equipment was put into operation quite quickly.
The equipment brought by the X-Men needs to be powered by a cable run from the Blackbird Jet. Green Arrow Duck's equipment has always used Kree Technology batteries and doesn't have a plug for connecting to mains power.
Besides the concern that the power consumption of the equipment used in the Peace Clinic might attract unwanted attention, the power supply in Hell's Kitchen was not very stable and could easily damage the delicate instruments. Therefore, they simply abandoned the option of mains power and used homemade batteries for everything.
This isn't to say that New York City has insufficient power supply, but rather that the area's power lines are old. Unless they're completely broken, the New York City power company generally doesn't consider replacing the basic equipment in Hell's Kitchen. Even if they are broken, the timeline for repairs is uncertain.
By the time Green Arrow Duck and Jean Grey's group with their students finished their work, Spider-Man had just packed up a large bag of Zombies and jumped back into the sky. Looking at the Legion of limbless Monster, piled up haphazardly and bound together with spider Silk, Green Arrow Duck was inexplicably reminded of the famous United Kingdom dish— Stargazy Pie.
What's in front of you is like a giant meatball, with some people sticking out their heads, some sticking out their feet, and others sticking out their heads, hands, and feet in strange postures. Then they stare at you with empty eyes, making weird "ah-ba-ah-ba" sounds from their Barry.
Spider-Man said smugly, "How about that? Is this enough biological sample? I've checked them carefully; these people all have relatively mild conditions."
"Although they can no longer communicate normally, they are still relatively physically intact compared to others. After helping them recover, they should be able to live a normal life."
Just as he tried to pat the lump of flesh, he nearly slapped a Zombies in the mouth and got bitten. Luckily, his Spider-Sense was still working, and he quickly pulled his hand back, avoiding the tragic fate of being sent to his death by Green Arrow Duck's incendiary bomb. Seeing this, Green Arrow Duck didn't criticize Spider-Man's actions. Anyway, the live samples had been returned, and considering that Silk would degrade, they had to arrange a place for these Zombies to be housed.
He went out for a walk, brought back some barbed wire, and used it to fence off an area above the makeshift laboratory. "Spider-Man, throw those Zombies in."
"Zombies? Oh~ oh! You mean the Monster from * Night of the Living Dead *? Ah, they do look a lot like them. Do you know the origins of Zombies culture? It actually stems from voodoo..."
Interrupting Spider-Man's monologue, Green Arrow Duck's electronic voice remained cold and impersonal. "I'm only interested in its physiological origins, not its cultural ones. Are we wasting our time talking about the movie when the entire city is under threat?"
"Okay, I'm sorry." The barbed wire had no door, but it also had no roof. So the Spider-Man simply threw the Zombies ball in. "Should we help them untangle the Silk? What If...? we just wait, it might take several hours for it to decompose naturally."
"No need, just bring one out for sampling. I don't think they'll protest or demand their human rights anyway." The Spider-Man looked at the Monster that couldn't even speak properly, only making strange groans. "Okay. It sounds weird, but I think ignoring them is the best approach."
The Spider-Man jumped into the wire mesh cage, grabbed the leg of one of the Zombies, and pulled it out of the Silk. Luckily, the zombie didn't fall apart. As soon as it was free, it tried to bite Spider-Man.
Spider-Man didn't hold back, tossing the lucky Zombies over the top of the wire mesh. Green Arrow Duck caught it outside, lifted it, and carried it to the hospital bed, securing it with straps.
Monster that ordinary people would avoid at all costs are no different from rag dolls in the hands of this group of people.
With Jean Grey around, this unfortunate Zombies wouldn't have to be dissected right away. Compared to the unorthodox methods of Green Arrow Duck and Spider-Man- Man, Jean Grey from the X-Men is a person with formal medical training, and the first step is a series of tests.
The Green Arrow Duck certainly knew that this thing was a product of a viral infection. But it was completely clueless about how it actually manifested pathologically, so it could only conduct tests and record them one by one.
"Hey, this guy's metabolism is seriously abnormal. His skin tissue divides at a rate far exceeding that of a normal person, but the cells die before they're fully developed, and then the next newly divided cell takes its place. This is why these Zombies ' skin softens, rots, and eventually peels off their bodies—all because of this abnormal metabolic process."
Spider-Man, true to his talkative nature, remained chatty throughout the inspection. Others didn't even need to read the report; they could tell what had happened just from his monologue. Green Arrow Duck, however, stepped forward and asked, "How is it? Should we open it up and see what's inside?"
The reason for not immediately performing an autopsy, besides Jean Grey's expertise, was also Spider-Man's opposition. Little Bug still maintained the attitude that he could save these Zombies, so of course he couldn't "kill" them.
If the Antidote were created, the dissected "Zombies" would be beyond saving. In Spider-Man's eyes, this was tantamount to murder. But now, it seems possible that the condition inside their bodies might be different. After considering for a moment, Spider-Man nodded in agreement.
While Jean Grey can treat external injuries and fractures, and has dissected cadavers during her studies, performing an autopsy is a different matter. Therefore, this task was left to Green Arrow Duck.
The Green Arrow Duck didn't need anesthesia or to keep the subject still. A scalpel directly opened the Zombies's chest and abdominal cavities. This action didn't cause the Zombies any pain; at least, it didn't react violently. The internal organs pulled out of the body were in the same condition as the skin—rotten and decayed.
Even after most of its internal organs were removed, the Zombies still showed clear signs of activity, rather than experiencing a complete "death."
When the skull was opened, the brain was not even intact; the white part of the brain had spilled out onto the floor.
Those who witness this scene should be thankful that tofu is not part of their food culture. Otherwise, they would certainly have a very poor appetite for certain foods for a long time, to the point that they would feel nauseous at the sight of them.
But now that the Green Arrow Duck is hungry... isn't that a bit odd?
A closer look at the screen inside the helmet revealed that it was dinnertime; no wonder I was hungry. As a Kryptonian's afraid of getting hungry, I started thinking about how to get myself something to eat.