CHAPTER 222: FINDING CAPTAIN AMERICA

"Lorna?"

Pietro and Wanda turned around in surprise. They hadn’t expected her to still be awake, let alone secretly eavesdropping.

"I don’t need you to pay such a high price just to protect me," Lorna said as she stepped down the stairs. "I’m a mutant too. I have powers."

She raised a hand, and green magnetic energy sparked to life around her fingers. Metal utensils from the kitchen floated up and hovered at her side, responding to her will.

"What you can handle, I can handle too. I want to face the future together with you."

Having heard their entire conversation, Lorna finally let go of the emotional barrier that had separated her from the last two members of her family. Her honest words also moved her two siblings deeply.

"That’s right. We’re a family." Pietro grinned.

Now that Lorna had made peace with the past and was willing to walk forward with them, all his hesitation vanished. He turned back to Tony.

"Mr. Stark, let’s change the terms. We want you to provide us with legal identities, and more importantly, make sure that doing so won’t attract LexCorp’s attention. In return, the three of us are willing to help you complete one task."

Tony gave a slight smile.

Lorna’s sudden appearance had definitely startled him, but now that the deal was sealed, he had nothing to complain about.

If there was one thing he did regret, it was probably that he couldn’t tie all three of them to the Stark banner for good.

"One task, huh? That’s enough. Now then, pack your things. You’re coming with me to Los Angeles."

* * *

Tony had successfully found the allies he needed. Meanwhile, Reid hadn’t slowed down on his end either.

In addition to steadily expanding LexCorp’s influence across the United States with New York as its core, he had led a team of researchers to a remote glacier in the Arctic Region.

That’s right. When it comes to the Arctic, there’s one Marvel hero that naturally comes to mind: Captain America.

This time, Reid was about to personally unearth him from the ice, nearly nine years earlier than in the original timeline.

"Mr. Pennyworth, we’ve located it. There’s a large object buried beneath the ice. It should be the Hydra aircraft that crashed during World War II."

Reid didn’t use his own powers to assist with the search. Instead, he let LexCorp’s personnel handle everything, using the opportunity to test the newly developed detection equipment.

He had never placed all his focus solely on developing his personal strength. To him, technological power was just as important. And when it comes to tech, even if he and Luthor spent every single day in the lab, true breakthroughs would still take time and accumulation.

That’s where these researchers came in. By giving them enough resources, Reid allowed these otherwise nameless scientists, who would have no place in Marvel’s history, to contribute to technological advancements that weren’t urgent but still valuable.

So even when problems could easily be solved with his abilities, Reid would deliberately leave them to the LexCorp research teams to experiment on. It gave them real-world problems to test their inventions and gain experience.

And those researchers didn’t disappoint him. They had actually managed to develop a glacier-penetrating scanner almost a decade ahead of schedule, and successfully located the Hydra aircraft beneath the ice.

"Alright, let’s begin. I’m sure a lot of you idolize Captain America. If that’s the case, then work hard and dig your hero out."

"Understood!"

After giving the order, Reid sat back at the camp, quietly watching them get to work.

With LexCorp’s advanced technology, it didn’t even take a full day before the target was confirmed. The team then dug up the massive aircraft—along with the massive block of ice that held Captain America’s frozen body.

"Contact headquarters about the aircraft. Have it sent back to New York for research. There might be something useful inside."

Once everything was ready, Reid stood and slung the ice block over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing.

Just as he was about to leave, a voice called out.

"Um, I have a question."

A man walked up. He looked to be in his 40s, though most of his hair had already fallen out.

"Adrian?" Reid turned to him. "What is it?"

Adrian Toomes.

The name alone might not ring any bells, but mention his other identity, and everyone would immediately recognize him.

The Vulture, who in the future would become one of Spider-Man’s most notorious enemies, was, for now, simply a nationally renowned scientist in the United States.

And unlike many others in LexCorp’s research division, he wasn’t just there to make up the numbers. He was one of the few truly valuable researchers in the company.

"When will Martian Manhunter return to Earth?"

Adrian’s voice was low, and his expression grim. It wasn’t because he held any resentment toward LexCorp or Reid. On the contrary, the company had given him treatment and recognition worthy of his intellect.

What truly weighed on him... was his own body.

He was suffering from a rare disease, one that bore similarities to the genetic curse plaguing the Osborn family. A condition never before recorded in medical history. It had caused his body to age rapidly. According to his most recent health evaluation, even though he wasn’t yet fifty, his physical condition resembled that of a man well into his sixties.

This level of deterioration made no sense when compared to his daily routines, work habits, and careful personal upkeep.

It was this growing disparity that pushed the once-celebrated electrical engineer to begin studying biology. Before Richard’s disappearance, Adrian had quietly and persistently sought his guidance in the field, hoping that with enough knowledge, he could one day save himself.

But clearly, ever since the man had gone missing, Adrian’s progress in biology had slowed to a crawl. At this rate, he was far more likely to die from accelerated aging than he was to find a cure.

So, his attention had shifted toward something beyond human.

The connection between Martian Manhunter and LexCorp was no secret. Neither was the alien’s incredible power. Adrian believed that if he could gain the Martian’s cooperation, he might not be able to cure his disease entirely, but at the very least, he could extend his life and slow the speed of decline. That alone would be enough.

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