Marvel: Trading with Worlds

Tokyo

A white-collar office worker suddenly collapsed on the street. After a brief seizure, he fell to the ground, lifeless within minutes.

Passersby were stunned. Some screamed, while others cautiously approached, asking, "Hey, are you okay?"

The body remained still, prompting one onlooker to step closer to check the situation. Without warning, the seemingly dead office worker sprang to life, sinking their teeth into the shoulder of the person leaning over them. 

Blood sprayed everywhere, and the crowd erupted in panic and terror.

Calls to the police were made, people shouted warnings, and chaos engulfed the street within ten minutes.

This wasn't an isolated incident. Similar occurrences began spreading across the globe—in France, Britain, Germany, Australia, and other nations.

However, Umbrella Corporation had anticipated this. With branches worldwide and covert influence in many sectors, the company quickly mobilized to contain the situation. 

They worked both openly and in the shadows to suppress news of the T-virus's catastrophic side effects.

Umbrella established a specialized Biological Disaster Countermeasure Force, which operated out of over 70 strongholds globally and commanded more than 3,000 armed soldiers. 

Zombies were quickly identified, eliminated, and discreetly removed by the force. Local police were left to clean up the aftermath, often using pre-arranged excuses: "police cooperation with Umbrella," "lack of resources," and similar justifications.

Despite the mounting civilian casualties, Umbrella had bought off government officials in numerous countries. Any suspicion of the corporation's involvement was easily dismissed due to lack of evidence.

The drugs Umbrella sold—all containing the T-virus—were cleverly marketed as incomplete products. 

This ensured that no one else could reverse-engineer the virus or its effects from the corpses or distributed pharmaceuticals. 

The few nations attempting such research lacked the advanced biotechnology capabilities that Umbrella possessed.

Even within Umbrella, the T-virus remained only partially understood. For now, the company focused on controlling the narrative and developing an antidote. 

No matter how many fingers pointed toward them, Kain—the man pulling the strings—would never admit the corporation's culpability.

Umbrella Laboratory

Kain looked at Alicia with a soft smile. "After today, you'll not only be healthy again, but even stronger than normal people. Once you're better, do you want to go to school or take some time to relax?"

Alicia tilted her head thoughtfully before replying, "I think I'll go to school. Godfather, you're so busy lately. We can talk about fun things later."

Kain ruffled Alicia's hair affectionately. "You're such a smart and sensible girl."

He guided her to lie down on the laboratory bed, preparing for the procedure.

From a nearby tray, Kain picked up the serum—a perfected version of the Extremis virus. After years of research, he was confident it would repair Alicia's rare degenerative disease and strengthen her body.

Carefully, he administered the injection.

At first, Alicia's body convulsed as the serum coursed through her veins, causing intense pain. It was an unavoidable side effect of the virus's integration into her system.

 Kain watched anxiously, knowing this phase would pass.

Minutes later, Alicia's pain began to subside. Her body had fully absorbed the Extremis virus serum, which now worked to "re-edit" her biological structure. 

Her frailty and the signs of premature aging were being erased at a cellular level, replaced by strength and vitality.

Kain gently placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "It's over now, Alicia. You're completely healed."

After helping Alicia off the test bed, Kain smiled warmly at her. Now, not only had she regained her health, but her physical fitness had increased several times over in a remarkably short period.

Alicia's newfound strength was extraordinary—she could easily kill an adult with a single punch or even drag a car behind her as she walked. 

Recognizing the potential risks of such power, Kain cautioned her to train and control her strength before attending school. 

"Otherwise," he warned, "if you get into a conflict, you might accidentally kill three classmates with one punch."

To ensure her safety and minimize risks, Kain assigned Alicia a team of bodyguards. Five visible guards accompanied her at all times, while fifty elite armed personnel provided covert protection.

 Should anyone dare to target Alicia, her security team would arrive on the scene within two minutes to neutralize the threat.

This security force was more than capable of handling a small-scale battle. In extreme cases, Umbrella was prepared to deploy gunships and fighter jets for backup. 

Additionally, Alicia carried two magical protective items that made her nearly untouchable—even an attempt by the President of the United States to harm her would prove difficult, barring the use of a nuclear strike. 

And if it ever came to that, Kain would be ready to retaliate.

With Alicia's arrangements settled, Kain turned his focus to Umbrella Corporation, where he checked on the progress of the T-virus antidote.

"Still no success?" he asked, frowning as he reviewed the latest reports from Dr. Isaac and Dr. Ashford.

More than a month had passed since the outbreak of over 100 T-virus zombie incidents worldwide.

 The death toll had exceeded 400, and although Umbrella's public relations and Biological Disaster Countermeasure Forces were operating at full capacity, the crisis continued to escalate. 

Without an antidote, the number of zombie cases caused by the drug's side effects would only grow.

"We need at least three more months, boss," Dr. Ashford said grimly. "While we've gathered a significant amount of reliable data, the T-virus evolves unpredictably. To fully develop an antidote, we require a large number of experimental subjects."

Kain's expression hardened. "Use the resources of the Biological Disaster Countermeasure Force to obtain what you need. From now on, Dr. Ashford, you'll lead the T-virus team. Isaac, you're being reassigned immediately."

"Yes, boss," Isaac replied without hesitation.

Dr. Ashford blinked in surprise at Kain's abrupt decision but quickly masked his reaction. Isaac, once deeply invested in the T-virus project, had agreed to the reassignment without protest—a drastic shift in his usual demeanor.

Ashford bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you for your confidence, Chairman."

Despite his initial confusion, Ashford welcomed the change. He and Isaac had frequently clashed over the direction of the T-virus research. 

With Isaac gone, Ashford could now focus entirely on finding a solution without interference.

….

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