Marvel: Umbrella Corporation

Seeing the woman who appeared before them, everyone present couldn't help but think who the hell is she?!

But amidst the ongoing chaos, no one had the time or curiosity to delve into her backstory.

"Retreat! The plan has failed!" Barton shouted loudly.

Though there hadn't been a direct order from Nick, with almost everyone dead, the mission was clearly over.

From afar, the mutated zombie fixed its gaze on Ruth, a flash of hesitation—eerily human—appeared in its eyes.

But moments later, it let out an enraged roar.

"Roar!"

A laser beam shot forth instantly.

Ruth was hit directly, but her immense physical resilience prevented her from being instantly killed. Gritting her teeth, she endured the beam and quickly took cover behind a steel plate.

Suddenly, steel plates descended from the sky, pinning the mutated zombie under their weight.

More plates rained down, one after another.

It was Lorna, seizing the opportunity while the zombie wasn't targeting her, to lend support.

"This won't hold for long! Let's go!" someone yelled.

Without hesitation, the remaining survivors climbed onto a steel plate, which Lorna controlled to lift into the air.

Moments later, the steel barricade on the ground shattered, and the mutated zombie leaped out, roaring furiously as it turned to direct the surrounding Rift Zombies toward nearby towns.

........

Back on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, the survivors saw Nick Fury waiting on the deck.

"You're back. Where's the mutated zombie? And where's everyone else?"

Nick's confusion was evident as he scanned around, expecting to see more survivors or perhaps even the captured zombie.

Barton and Natasha exchanged a grim look, struggling to find the words to explain. Despite their hardened natures, the loss of over a hundred of their elite colleagues in one night was a crushing blow.

Lorna, her face pale and expression cold, spoke first.

"I'm going to rest," she said flatly before walking away without looking back.

The battle had taken the greatest toll on her, both physically and emotionally. The mutants she had painstakingly recruited were nearly wiped out.

Nick furrowed his brows, watching her retreating figure. "What's with her?"

Barton lowered his head, his voice hoarse. "Too many… died."

Nick's expression darkened as Natasha approached and whispered, "Everyone who survived is here. But we've gained a guest."

Nick glanced briefly at Ruth before returning his gaze to Natasha.

"Over a hundred agents… all gone?"

Natasha and Barton nodded silently.

Nick was speechless, the weight of the loss sinking in. While they'd faced perilous missions before, never in the history of S.H.I.E.L.D. had so many lives been lost in one operation.

Not even the battle against Apocalypse the previous year had been this devastating.

After a long silence, Nick finally said, his voice low and somber, "Take some time to rest. The misjudgment of this mission's risks is on me. I'll take full responsibility."

With that, he turned and left for his office, his posture heavy with defeat.

This loss was catastrophic, and Nick feared his position as director might no longer be secure.

Watching Nick walk away, Barton turned to Logan and Victor.

"You were both injured. For safety reasons, you need to isolate for a while. Everyone else, proceed with decontamination immediately."

Natasha, meanwhile, turned her attention to Ruth.

"Who are you? And why did that mutated zombie hesitate when it saw you?"

Ruth's expression darkened as she sighed and shook her head.

"My name is Ruth, also known as Sabra. It's… a long story."

......

New York City~

Due to the time difference, it was currently afternoon.

At the top floor of Umbrella Corporation's skyscraper, Adam watched the S.H.I.E.L.D. battle against the mutated zombie through satellite footage.

After the feed ended, only one thought lingered in his mind: acquire the mutated zombie.

"If I can clone and mass-produce a mutated zombie army…" he murmured.

Though the zombie's physical strength was average, its laser abilities showed incredible potential. If its capabilities could be scaled up, it could revolutionize weaponry.

After all, a synchronized attack from a million mutated zombies could potentially obliterate an entire planet.

Furthermore, studying its laser ability might lead to advancements in space-based weapons systems.

"Knock, knock."

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," Adam said.

Luna and Felia entered, the former holding a hard drive.

"Boss," Luna began, "this contains data I extracted from Oscorp."

"Does it include their glider and super-soldier serum?" Adam asked.

"Yes, the glider tech is here. However, there was no super-soldier serum. There are other interesting technologies, though."

"Good. Red Queen, retrieve the data."

From the ceiling, a mechanical arm descended, connecting to the hard drive to upload its contents.

Meanwhile, Felia seized the moment to speak.

"Boss, there's been a breakthrough with the Blacklight Virus. I'm requesting permission to begin human trials."

"Oh?" Adam's interest was piqued.

Felia nodded confidently. "Yes. Previously, we couldn't integrate the devouring gene with others. But by using molecular inhibitors to neutralize its aggressiveness, I developed TX-214—a compound with unique stereochemical properties."

She launched into a detailed explanation of the compound's structure and function.

While Adam listened intently, Luna, feeling out of her depth, quietly excused herself.

Ten minutes later, as Felia finished her explanation, Adam nodded in approval.

"Excellent. TX-214's molecular design is ingenious. Proceed with the human trials. Activate Red Queen's highest security protocols—I suspect we might encounter… unexpected developments."

"Understood, boss," Felia said, her excitement evident as she hurried out of the office.

Watching her leave, Adam leaned back, a faint smile on his lips.

The future held immense promise...

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