Marcus's team of three soon returned to Queens through the underground tunnel, while Earthshaker departed to retrieve Killian's body. Their rendezvous point was the same pharmaceutical company where Winston had been created—now transformed into the headquarters of Marcus's undead army. Out of a certain dark sense of humor from his past life, Marcus had renamed the facility: The New Umbrella Corporation.
---
New Umbrella Corporation – Medical Laboratory
Alex carefully extracted a small vial of Marcus's blood and placed it under a microscope. His brows furrowed as he studied it in silence, his expression a mix of fascination and frustration.
"Master," Alex finally said, adjusting the focus on the lens, "this body of yours has become something entirely different from the clone I originally constructed. The fusion between the mutated regenerative factor and the zombie virus has produced a highly unusual, likely unrepeatable mutation. I… honestly have no idea how to replicate it."
Marcus nodded slightly, unsurprised.
In the Marvel universe, Deadpool's regenerative factor was famously impossible to copy. The fact that his zombie virus had merged with it at all was already a statistical miracle—expecting that hybrid to be transferable to other undead was wishful thinking.
That meant if this body ever died completely, Alex wouldn't be able to reproduce it again. The vessel could no longer serve as a disposable pawn. Still, the combination of its hyper-regeneration and death resistance granted Marcus an extraordinary level of survivability—perhaps even greater than his original body's.
A trade-off well worth the risk.
As Marcus watched Alex deftly operate the medical instruments and scientific equipment, a question occurred to him—one he had been too busy to ask before. He had known Alex for only two days, but this was the first time he'd truly felt curious about his background.
"Alex," Marcus began, "you seem to have an impressive level of medical and genetic expertise. Was that something granted by the virus?"
Alex shook his head calmly. "No, Master. Before my infection, I earned my degree in genetics from Columbia University and worked as a researcher for Gentek Corporation. Medical research has always been my profession."
Marcus froze. Gentek?
The name rang a bell. He frowned. "Wait… Alex—your full name isn't Alex Mercer, is it?"
Alex glanced up from his microscope, puzzled by his master's tone. "Yes, Master. That is my full name."
Marcus blinked, his composure breaking for the first time. "Then… have you ever heard of something called Blacklight?"
Alex nodded thoughtfully. "Before the outbreak, I did receive an internal notice from Gentek. The upper management was planning to transfer me to a classified program codenamed Blacklight. But before I could report for the project, I was infected by the zombie virus."
Marcus leaned back slowly, realization dawning.
So it's true.
Standing before him was none other than Alex Mercer, the protagonist of Prototype. Except this Alex hadn't yet become the monster he was destined to be. He hadn't joined the Blacklight Project, hadn't been transformed into the apex predator that would one day consume entire cities. For now, he was simply an unassuming scientist—a researcher who had stumbled into Marcus's service.
Marcus couldn't help but smirk.
Before crossing worlds, he'd heard rumors that Marvel once planned to acquire the Prototype franchise and integrate Alex Mercer into the Marvel universe. The deal had supposedly fallen through. Yet here he was—alive, real, and standing in the same lab.
And with Gentek's existence confirmed, Marcus realized something far more important:
This world contained the Blacklight Virus.
A virus infinitely more aggressive and potent than Extremis—a viral apex predator.
That would be his next target for assimilation.
---
The lab door creaked open, and a massive dark-skinned man entered. It was Earthshaker, the mutated courier Marcus often used for transport missions. He knelt respectfully upon entering.
"Master," he reported, "Killian and the Extremis samples have been delivered to Stark's residence."
Marcus gave a satisfied nod. He had already arranged for one vial of Extremis to be sent to Tony Stark for research—and for Killian's reconditioning to be handled personally by him.
After all, it had been Tony's broken promise years ago that had pushed Aldrich Killian from idealistic scientist to vengeful supervillain.
As the saying goes—the one who ties the knot must be the one to untie it.
If Stark could drive Killian to madness once, then perhaps he could now drive him to obedience. Marcus didn't care how Stark achieved it—whether through persuasion, coercion, or… less conventional means. What mattered was the result.
[System Notification]
You have successfully subdued the zombie-enhanced villain: Aldrich Killian.
Subject is now bound by mental link and cannot disobey direct orders unless consciousness is fully terminated.
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "That was fast."
He couldn't help but smirk. "Tony, you didn't actually… sell your body, did you?"
Regardless, it meant he had acquired another valuable asset—a scientist versed in cutting-edge technology and a powerful combatant when needed. Killian's leadership over AIM also granted Marcus potential influence in the scientific underworld.
A perfect pawn.
"Good. You may go," Marcus said, dismissing Earthshaker with a wave.
Once they were alone again, Marcus picked up one of the remaining vials of Extremis and turned to Alex.
"Alex, how long will it take for the zombie virus to assimilate and evolve after consuming Extremis?"
Alex frowned slightly, considering the question. "I can't say for certain, Master. The duration of virus assimilation depends on the genetic complexity of what's being absorbed. Each strain reacts differently."
Marcus exhaled. "That's troublesome."
He had expected as much, but still—time was a luxury he didn't have. By morning, he would have new operations to oversee. If the process required the same three-day crystallization period as the standard Extremis mutation, it could prove problematic.
The odds were slim—but Marcus was never one to gamble unprepared.
"In that case," he said after a moment's thought, "using this body to conduct the assimilation should work just as well, correct?"
Alex nodded. "Yes. If you undergo the fusion process personally, the result should be identical. You'll become the virus 'mother strain,' allowing your main body to inherit the new capabilities. Additionally, because this vessel contains Deadpool's mutated healing factor, it's possible it will manifest unique mutations beyond the original form."
"Perfect," Marcus replied, his tone decisive. "Then begin the injection."
He handed Alex the vial of glowing orange liquid, then lay down on the reinforced examination bed at the center of the lab.
Under the cold fluorescent lights of the New Umbrella Laboratory, the next stage of evolution was about to begin.
__
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