Chapter 91: The Six-Person Rescue Team
Three days later, Corvus Glaive, fully recovered, returned to the laboratory.
"Sir, I seem to have..."
Ryan raised his hand, signaling Corvus to sit first, then smiled. "Self-healing ability, right?"
Corvus nodded.
Ryan used a scalpel to make a three-centimeter incision on Corvus's arm. Within two breaths, blood barely appeared before the wound had completely healed.
Wolverine's healing factor worked just like this.
"You're fortunate."
Corvus's lips curved slightly. "My fortune improved the day I met you."
Ryan didn't expect Corvus to express gratitude so openly. After chuckling, he led him to a glass tank prepared in advance.
"This is a circulating cooling system. It will help reduce the pain."
Corvus nodded. "Sir, you gave me this life. I'll do whatever you ask."
Ryan handed Corvus a respirator. "I'm going to infuse your entire skeleton with adamantium. Combined with your current healing abilities, your combat effectiveness will multiply exponentially. Of course, if you don't want this, that's fine. I'm not forcing you to participate in the experiment."
Corvus didn't hesitate for a second, donning the respirator and lying down in the tank.
Ryan produced several large-gauge needles and inserted them into Corvus's body at strategic points once he was positioned. He then activated another machine, releasing liquefied adamantium through tubes connected to the needles.
Even with the cooling system's protection, the molten adamantium caused Corvus immense agony as it entered his body and bonded with bone.
After several minutes, the pre-calculated dose of adamantium was fully administered.
After removing the needles one by one, Corvus weakly emerged from the tank.
"Sir, I feel significantly heavier!"
Corvus leaped from the tank to the floor with a resounding thud. The sound of his impact far exceeded what an ordinary person could produce.
Afterward, Ryan conducted a series of physical examinations, confirmed everything was stable, then released Corvus to return to the United States to continue investigating the adamantium smuggling.
Corvus's resurrection astonished everyone who knew him.
Regrowing severed limbs was, in everyone's eyes, an impossible feat.
Corvus approached Seraph, the senior White House official, and demanded, "Have you located the stolen adamantium?"
Seraph nodded repeatedly. "Yes, it's in possession of a criminal organization called Rattlesnake."
"Take me to them," Corvus said firmly.
Seraph was about to respond when one of her subordinates approached.
"Ma'am, the seizure of all S.H.I.E.L.D. property is complete, but there's something unusual: one of the bracelets marked on the inventory list is missing."
Seraph had to accompany Corvus to retrieve the adamantium from Rattlesnake and had no interest in minor discrepancies.
She immediately said, "You investigate that. I have other priorities."
Dismissing her subordinate, Seraph immediately arranged for tracking Rattlesnake's location.
They quickly discovered the organization's hideout.
With his adamantium skeleton and remarkable healing factor, Corvus was virtually unstoppable, eliminating the Rattlesnake operatives with brutal efficiency.
He quickly recovered the adamantium belonging to Celestial Island.
Corvus assigned a super-soldier to deliver the recovered adamantium back to Celestial Island, while he returned to Washington to continue monitoring the Avengers and President Ross's White House operations.
New York City
The Avengers had been struggling recently.
Since beginning their investigation into the Skrulls, they'd engaged in two battles. Although both ended in Avengers victories, they hadn't uncovered any useful intelligence.
The Skrulls seemed to know about every operation in advance.
Even the most oblivious Avengers realized they had a spy among them, but the Skrulls were so perfectly disguised they were impossible to detect.
"We can't wait any longer. The longer we delay, the more danger those captured face."
The Avengers had split into two teams—one in New Asgard and the other operating domestically.
Scott and Hope were worried about Hank Pym's safety, while Spider-Man Peter Parker was concerned about his friend Ned.
The six-person makeshift team had barely gotten accustomed to working together when they started disagreeing.
Ant-Man Scott, Wasp Hope, and Spider-Man Peter Parker advocated immediate rescue operations.
Punisher Frank, Isaiah Bradley, and Shang-Chi advocated remaining in the United States to investigate Skrull infiltration within the government.
"Everyone, the Skrulls are gathering in the Chernobyl nuclear contamination zone. Ordinary people will die from radiation exposure within hours."
"Everyone here is a superhero. Isn't there another way?"
Of these six people, perhaps only Spider-Man Peter Parker could withstand nuclear radiation exposure. The others would certainly die if they entered.
Peter Parker said, "Since they've captured Dr. Pym and Ned, it means they're keeping them alive for a reason and wouldn't take them to the contaminated area. We just need to find where they're being held."
"The problem is, we can't find them," Frank said gravely. "If we don't infiltrate the core area, we can't capture the Skrull leaders. Without them, we can't discover where the captives are being held."
"Then we ask for help from the more powerful Avengers," Ant-Man Scott suddenly said. "Maybe we can approach those sorcerers. Can't they use portals to locate anyone?"
"That's actually a good idea. Let's return to New York!" Spider-Man agreed eagerly.
Seeing no better investigative options, the others traveled to New York together to seek help at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Peter Parker and Strange had a good relationship. On the way to New York, Peter left an online message for Strange.
Upon arriving in New York, they easily entered the Sanctum.
"Hello, we're looking for Doctor Strange."
Entering the Sanctum, Peter Parker explained their purpose to Wong.
Wong nodded. "The Sorcerer Supreme is occupied with other matters. I will assist you."
Wong donned the Sling Ring and began casting a spell, quickly opening a portal in the Sanctum's main hall.
Everyone peered through—a dark factory filled with scattered equipment came into view.
Peter Parker suddenly shouted, "They're over there!"
Everyone turned their gazes and saw the captives in the distance.
There were not only Dr. Pym and Peter Parker's friend Ned, but also several federal officials they'd seen on television.
"What are we waiting for? Let's get them back!"
They immediately entered the portal. Peter Parker rushed to rescue his friend, while Scott and Hope went to save Dr. Pym, and the remaining three went for the other captives.
"Hey, everyone, look at this!"
The others turned to see Shang-Chi approaching, supporting a slender, dark-skinned man.
"It's James Rhodes!"
The six-person makeshift Avengers team repeatedly entered and exited the portal, rescuing everyone held captive by the Skrulls.
Since Ryan's emergence, the Avengers hadn't experienced such a smooth operation in a long time.
The mission, which rescued nearly twenty high-ranking officials, was a resounding success. Now, they only needed to verify these individuals' identities, and they'd soon identify the impersonating Skrulls.
Peter Parker and Ned embraced. The heavyset Ned sighed, distressed, "Dude, I thought I'd never see you again."
"How could that happen? I'd never give up on you."
Nearby, Dr. Pym, a man in his seventies, was recovering slowly due to his frail health.
He opened his eyes and saw Scott and Hope, lips trembling. "It's so good to see you both again."
Just as Wong was considering what to do with all these people, the Sanctum doorbell suddenly rang.
Ding dong!
Wong approached and cracked the door open, only to have it violently forced inward by someone outside.
Thud! Wong stumbled backward.
Corvus Glaive, accompanied by five super-soldiers, walked in with a cold expression, followed by a group of federal agents.
"Who are you?"
"Celestial Island. Corvus Glaive."
Corvus narrowed his eyes, scanning everyone present. He said calmly, "Take everyone into custody. Anyone who resists will be neutralized."
Ryan's attitude toward the Avengers was mirrored by Corvus.
Spider-Man was first to step forward, blocking everyone and demanding, "Excuse me, sir. You can't take these people. They're—"
"It doesn't matter who they are. What matters is that I'm taking them."
Seraph followed from behind, displaying her credentials and warning, "I'm Seraph, senior White House liaison. These individuals will be taken into federal custody."
The six-person makeshift Avengers team stood before everyone. Though no one spoke, their message was clear.
Seraph frowned. "Are you planning to oppose the federal government on American soil?"
The six-person makeshift team lacked leadership, and no one stepped forward to speak.
After a brief standoff, Ant-Man Scott emerged, hands raised. "Hey, everyone, let's calm down. We're not enemies."
Scott stepped between the two sides, retracted his Ant-Man helmet, and looked at Corvus, offering a friendly smile. "Hey, remember me? You and Dr. Ryan visited my house recently."
Corvus responded by extending his adamantium blade.
The cold blade seemed to radiate death itself. Corvus said coldly, "The master gave you an opportunity, but you didn't seize it."
"No, no, no, listen to me. Dr. Pym was captured by Skrulls. I had to rescue him. Dr. Ryan will understand."
"Then surrender peacefully."
Ant-Man Scott and Wasp Hope had achieved their objective. They'd never wanted involvement in the conflict between Celestial Island and the Avengers in the first place.
Seeing this, Hope helped Dr. Pym up and walked over. "We'll go with you."
The other superheroes were stunned, then Spider-Man Peter Parker also stepped forward.
"Um, Mr. Ryan knows me. I just wanted to save my friend, so..."
Three of the six-person team had defected. How could this continue?
Corvus turned to the remaining three, his blade pointing at the six Ten Rings on Shang-Chi's wrists. "Hand those over."
"In your dreams!"
Four of the Ten Rings had already been taken. His purpose in remaining with the Avengers was finding an opportunity to reclaim the rings Ryan had seized—there was no way he'd surrender the rest.
"I'm not negotiating," Corvus waved his hand, and several super-soldiers immediately surrounded Shang-Chi.
The atmosphere grew even more tense.
BANG!
Inevitably, Punisher Frank fired the opening shot.
The bullet struck Corvus squarely between the eyes, but before Frank could celebrate, the bullet was ejected from Corvus's forehead, clattering to the floor, and the wound healed instantly.
The Ten Rings were incredibly powerful. Even with four missing, ordinary super-soldiers were no match for Shang-Chi.
He wielded the rings with such ferocity that anyone who approached was sent flying.
The next second, the super-soldiers drew their firearms, leaving Shang-Chi stunned.
Whoosh!
Wong opened a portal and immediately fled with the remaining three heroes. As for the rescued personnel, they had no choice but to leave them to federal custody.
Had they known this outcome, the conflict would have been unnecessary. The result remained the same, and relationships only worsened.
End of Chapter 91
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