Awakening Kryptonian Bloodline In Marvel.

The remaining people exchanged uncertain glances.

Marvin broke the silence. "Old Man, you stay behind. Elliot, you're with me. The survivors should rest here."

"I'm with you, Marvin," the burly officer said with a nod.

"Um... is he really the savior?" Robert Kendo asked, hesitant. "I never got the chance to thank him."

"You'll have time to thank him when he comes back—take your daughter with you," Marvin said, helping him gently lay his daughter on the stretcher.

"But... going into Umbrella's lab—that's a suicide mission, isn't it?" Duncan's voice was heavy with doubt.

Officer Elliot responded quickly, "Mr. Malrick is beyond strong. There's no way anything down there can stop him."

"We don't know for sure he's the savior. That's... hard to believe," Kendo muttered.

"We believe in him," the fat officer added calmly.

Marvin stepped out from behind the medical partition, adjusting his gear. "Let's move, Elliot. We've got his back."

Two officers—one black, one white—drew their pistols and entered the underground passage.

Ada Wong stood silently nearby, watching them disappear. Then, with a smirk, she spoke. "Seems like you all get along well."

"Hah, no way," the fat officer chuckled as he slumped onto a couch. "I nearly peed myself when I saw the armor and that freezing breath."

"But you don't seem to mind being left behind," Ada remarked, eyeing the passage.

"Somebody's gotta guard the place," he replied, squinting at her. "Unless you've got another idea, ma'am?"

Ada walked gracefully to the passage entrance. "No opinion. I just came to say goodbye."

With a final wave, she ducked her head and disappeared down the stairwell.

"Hey! She can't just go in!" Duncan shouted, bolting upright. "We've got to stop her!"

But the fat officer remained perfectly still. "Relax. Whether she's here to investigate or stir up trouble, it won't matter. Nothing she does will affect Malrick. You think some regular agent could touch the guy who casually ripped the Lady Justice statue out of the floor?"

---

Meanwhile...

In the depths of the underground facility, four people and one suit of armor stepped into a waiting elevator.

The platform was wide, designed to carry heavy equipment to the lower levels. But the moment the armor stepped in, a shrill alarm buzzed.

"Weight limit exceeded," Jarvis reported.

Malrick raised a brow. "You're too heavy, Jarvis. You'll have to fly."

"Correction, sir—your armor is too heavy." Jarvis lifted into a hover, preparing to match the descent speed manually.

"Good comeback," Malrick muttered as he pressed the button. "That's the last time you get to borrow my gear."

As the doors began to close, a figure in red slipped between them, graceful as a cat.

Ada Wong straightened her dress. "You're looking a little flustered."

Malrick glanced away. "Just caught off guard by the color. Black's more subtle."

"They're safety shorts," she replied smoothly.

"And I'm a gentleman," Malrick said, smirking. "That's why I pointed it out."

"I really ought to thank you," Ada said, stepping closer. The elevator was spacious, but she still found a reason to stand directly in front of him, close enough to feel his breath.

Malrick knew this game well.

Natasha used to pull the same move—leaning in during their late-night strategy sessions, voice low, eyes inviting. He had learned the rhythm of these agents well: lure, tease, pull away.

Had he leaned in, Ada would've called him unprofessional with a smirk and walked away.

A test. A setup.

But Malrick didn't flinch. He didn't bite the hook.

He wasn't some flustered soldier or overeager rookie. He wasn't here to play along.

Especially not with someone who wasn't offering any real advantage.

"You're welcome," he replied coolly. "But what I'd really like to know is why you're tagging along. It's dangerous down here."

Ada tilted her head, the faintest hint of surprise flickering in her eyes.

"This is my job. Danger's part of it," she said, pulling a sidearm from her vest.

"Besides, Dr. Bud is going with you. Aren't you concerned for his safety?"

Before Malrick could answer, Bud spoke up from the back. "I'll be fine. Mr. Malrick's more than capable of keeping me safe."

Ever since meeting Malrick, Bud had experienced a level of security he'd never imagined. Not even before the outbreak had he felt this protected.

More than once, he'd considered quitting Umbrella and working for Malrick instead.

Compared to that corporate hellhole, Malrick was a far better boss.

Ada raised an eyebrow. "So Mr. Malrick really is that strong?"

She was fishing, but not very subtly.

"You'll see for yourself," Malrick said.

Ada Wong, for all her bravado, wasn't Natasha Romanoff. She was younger—maybe 23 or 24—and still had a lot to learn. While she was sharp and bold, she didn't carry the battle-hardened presence that Natasha wore like armor.

"Ding!"

The elevator chimed.

The doors slid open, revealing a wide corridor that led deeper into Umbrella's underbelly.

The team stepped out—five people and one A.I.-powered suit of armor.

Below the elevator was a long staircase.

Malrick took the lead, moving swiftly down the stairs, freezing any undead that blocked the path with a wave of frost, ripping doors open like paper.

Eventually, they reached the sewer tunnels beneath the station.

"Keep moving through here," Malrick said. "It'll take us straight to the Umbrella facility."

Without hesitation, he launched into the air—no way he was slogging through sewer water.

Even with his senses suppressed, the stench was almost overwhelming.

"Did he just—fly?" Marvin blinked, watching him hover above the muck. "Okay. That's new."

Shaking off their awe, the others continued on foot, splashing through the thigh-deep sewage.

Only Ada remained on the stairs, hesitating.

She glanced at the filthy water... then up at the hovering armor and the man leading the charge.

Her lips pursed.

Malrick met her gaze, clearly amused.

After a beat, Ada sighed, muttered something under her breath, and leapt down into the water.

---

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