The massive military vehicle rolled up to the Everlife Medical Center, its tires screeching against the pavement. Soldiers quickly unloaded the barely breathing body of Emil Blonsky, his charred skin barely clinging to his frame.
General Ross stood stiffly outside the medical center, his hands clenched behind his back as he watched Blonsky levitate off the stretcher. The soldiers gasped as Soren's Psychokinesis effortlessly carried Blonsky into the building.
"Macaluso!" Ross called out, his voice edged with frustration.
Soren ignored him, stepping inside and shutting the doors behind him. A silence followed before he spoke from beyond the threshold.
"Take your men and leave. Now."
Ross stiffened. A part of him wanted to retaliate, but the memory of Soren's effortless dismantling of his forces kept his anger in check. Grinding his teeth, he gave the reluctant order. "Move out."
"But General!" one of his men protested.
"I said MOVE!" Ross snapped.
The soldiers quickly retrieved their wounded and withdrew, their vehicles rumbling away into the night.
Inside the medical center, Soren laid Blonsky on a treatment table. He examined the man's ruined body, the flesh burned nearly to the bone in some places. With a flick of his fingers, a sliver of steel embedded in Blonsky's ribs wrenched free.
"Gahh!" Blonsky's body jerked violently, but he was too weak to do more than twitch.
Green energy pulsed from Soren's hands, tendrils of life force weaving through the charred tissue, knitting together burned flesh and shattered bones. His body convulsed as the healing took effect, muscle fibers stitching back together at an unnatural speed. The wounds sealed, and even the internal injuries mended as the super soldier serum in his veins reacted to the surge of healing energy.
Soren exhaled slowly as the process completed. A familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for healing C-class character Emil Blonsky!]
[Blonsky]
[C-Rank Power Level]
[Abilities: Firearms Proficiency lv7, Tracking lv6, Maneuvering lv5]
[Starting ability extraction…]
[Congratulations! You have obtained Firearms Proficiency lv7]
Soren raised an eyebrow. Again? He had already drawn this ability once before. Just as frustration crept in, another message appeared.
[Two instances of Firearms Proficiency lv5 and Firearms Proficiency lv7 detected. Initiating ability fusion.]
Fusion? Before he could ponder further, another chime followed.
[Congratulations! Firearms Proficiency lv8 acquired!]
A smirk formed on Soren's lips, lv8… At this level, his marksmanship would be unparalleled. He could shoot a bullet through the eye of a needle at a hundred paces.
A groggy voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Where… am I?" Blonsky rasped, his head turning weakly.
Soren didn't look up. "You're alive. That's all that matters."
Blonsky blinked, his memory returning in flashes. Fire. Hulk. Pain.
"Banner…" He muttered. "He… threw me into the flames."
"You were more charcoal than man when they brought you here. Be grateful I decided to patch you up." Soren scoffed.
Blonsky struggled to sit up, his muscles still raw from the healing. "Who the hell are you?"
Soren turned, eyes cold. "Someone who had better things to do tonight."
Before Blonsky could question further, Soren flicked his wrist. A burst of Psychokinesis lifted the soldier from the bed and sent him floating toward the exit. The doors swung open on their own, and Blonsky was unceremoniously deposited outside.
He stumbled, catching himself just as the doors slammed shut behind him. He stared at the sign above the entrance: Everlife Medical Center. His mind whirled with confusion, but the lingering traces of raw power he had just witnessed sent shivers through him.
Shaking his head, Blonsky turned and sprinted toward Ross's last known location.
[Mission points are 100/100. Congratulations to the host! You have met the requirements to open the spree!]
A grin spread across Soren's face as a large gift package materialized before him. Without hesitation, he reached out.
[Beep! Congratulations to the host for opening the mission gift package. The host has unlocked two new facilities within the medical center: "Gene Laboratory" and "Pharmaceutical Laboratory".]
[Gene Laboratory]Introduction: Provides a platform and data for genetic experimentation. Allows for research on various biological genes.[Existing genes: None]
[Pharmaceutical Laboratory]Introduction: Provides a platform and data for drug experimentation. Allows independent research and production of medicinal substances.[Existing medicines: None]
Soren immediately felt the presence of two newly isolated areas within the medical hall. The thrill of discovery sparked in his chest as he made his way to the Gene Laboratory.
Inside, he found rows of gleaming experimental consoles, various instruments, and an assortment of bottles and vials filled with unknown substances. Though he'd never seen such equipment before, the system had granted him instinctual knowledge of their use.
At the center of the room, a screen flickered to life.
[Genes collected: None]
Soren sighed. "Tch… If only I'd drawn some blood from Blonsky before throwing him out. What a wasted opportunity."
Shaking his head, he turned and made his way to the Pharmaceutical Laboratory. The setup was similar but instead focused on the production and research of medicines. A large screen listed available drugs and their required materials.
[Quick-Healing Medicine]Effect: Rapidly recovers most bodily injuries. Research time: 3 months Ingredients required (per 10 bottles): 10 grams of matsutake, 1 blood orchid]
[Universal Healing Medicine]Effect: Heals all injuries of the body. Research time: 1 year Ingredients required (per bottle): 1 blood orchid]
Soren frowned. "Blood orchids… Rare. Guess I need to start looking."
Meanwhile, outside the medical center, a military convoy screeched to a halt. Soldiers saluted as a seemingly unharmed Emil Blonsky stepped out. The sight of him left General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross stunned.
"Blonsky…?" Ross's voice wavered. "How the hell are you standing? You were… you were burned alive! I saw it with my own eyes!"
Blonsky himself looked uncertain, glancing down at his perfectly healed body. "General, I… don't know. When I woke up, all my wounds were gone. That man… The curator of the Everlife Medical Center. He said he saved me. Then he threw me out like trash."
Ross clenched his fists. "That bastard… He did this? He healed you? Then tell me..." His voice lowered dangerously.
"Did you see Bruce Banner inside that medical hall?"
Blonsky hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No, sir. His medical center isn't that big. I would've noticed if anyone else was in there."
Ross's expression darkened. He hated the idea of owing that doctor anything, but the undeniable truth stood before him: a man who should've been at death's door was now perfectly healed.
Ross exhaled sharply. "So, he's not harboring Banner. But this… we need to find out what he's capable of."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Fellow Phantoms and aspiring Phantoms to be, if you seek to access advanced parts of this story procced to my shadowy realm of p@treon.
PhantomDream