Marvel: Umbrella Corporation

It was late night in New York, and the moonlight hung high in the sky.

A silver beam illuminated the city faintly, as if trying to banish the darkness, though it only seemed to embolden the shadows further.

In the suburbs of Westchester, at the abandoned "Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters", Charles Xavier, who had recently been resurrected, wheeled himself through the desolate halls.

The once vibrant corridors, now silent and derelict, weighed on Charles' heart.

Only a year ago, the school had been alive with laughter, brimming with mutant students learning and growing. The X-Men had been a formidable force, a beacon of hope.

But within that short year, everything had unraveled. Scott and Ororo had disappeared without a trace. Jean had lost control and vanished. Charles himself had been killed by Jean, forcing him to use a last-resort method of resurrection.

His consciousness now resided in a cloned body prepared long ago. While it saved his life, the transfer had left his psychic powers severely weakened, and he dared not reveal himself publicly.

With no one to manage the school, it had dissolved into nothingness.

Lowering his head, Charles sighed. He maneuvered his wheelchair toward the kitchen, intent on preparing a simple meal.

Though his psychic abilities were unmatched, they could not manipulate the physical world. Unlike Jean, Charles couldn't even use his powers to lift a fork, leaving him reliant on his own two hands for mundane tasks.

In the kitchen, he rummaged through the pantry and managed to open a can of food with great difficulty. Sitting alone, he ate in silence.

Unable to trust anyone, Charles had kept his resurrection a secret. He couldn't even hire staff, forcing him to live in complete isolation.

Still, he firmly believed his hardships were temporary.

If only Erik could help repair Cerebro, he could reconnect with the old teachers and students, and the school would return to its former glory. He would once again serve as its headmaster.

But just as Charles was halfway through his meal, an unsettling stillness caught his attention.

It was "too" quiet.

The school's abandonment had drawn stray cats and dogs to roam the grounds at night. Yet tonight, not a single sound could be heard.

"Something's wrong!"

Charles quickly abandoned his food and turned his wheelchair toward the exit.

Before he could move far, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the room. A small device rolled inside.

"Psst…"

Thick smoke filled the confined space almost instantly.

'A smoke grenade!'

"Cough… cough…"

No, it was worse—a tear gas grenade.

Charles' eyes and nose began to stream uncontrollably. The discomfort was overwhelming.

Before he could think of a solution, the door burst open. Two figures in black tactical armor stepped inside.

Seeing his attackers, Charles was both startled and determined. He focused his mind and unleashed his psychic powers, attempting to control them.

But it was futile.

His abilities slammed against an impenetrable wall. Their minds were shielded—just like Erik's helmet.

'They're wearing psychic-resistant gear!'

As this realization dawned, one of the assailants raised a weapon and fired.

A tranquilizer dart embedded itself in Charles' chest. His last conscious thought was that he had underestimated his enemies.

.....

When the smoke cleared, and Charles was motionless, the leader of the group removed his helmet.

It was William.

"Boss, the Omicron squad has successfully completed the mission."

...

On the top floor of Umbrella Tower, Adam listened to William's report with a satisfied smile.

The greatest variable, Charles Xavier, had finally been neutralized.

For a mutant capable of peering into memories and controlling minds, Charles had always been a thorn in Adam's side.

Using Lorna as a proxy, Adam had extracted Charles' location and subtly altered her memories in the process.

As Adam mulled over the events, a holographic projection of the Red Queen appeared before him.

"Master, I have received a report from Raven. Lorna is exhibiting unusual behavior."

"What kind of behavior?"

"Approximately thirty minutes ago, she began crying uncontrollably and entered a catatonic state for several minutes."

"Oh?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "It seems I've hit a nerve with her. No matter. Lorna is nothing more than a pawn. Whether she breaks free or not, it changes nothing."

He shifted his focus. "Red Queen, what's the progress on the Blacklight-2 experiment?"

"Miss Felia is finalizing the preliminary preparations. Human trials are scheduled to begin the day after tomorrow."

"And the psychic power research?"

"Progress has stalled due to a lack of suitable test subjects."

Adam smirked. "Not for long. Soon, we'll have the perfect specimen."

"What about the T-4 virus?"

"Miss Felia has prioritized Blacklight-2, so the T-4 project is stuck in the live testing phase."

"Use some test animals to expedite the process. What about the Phoenix host? Has she been behaving?"

"Following her last incident, Rogue has fully cooperated. The Phoenix's energy levels remain low."

"And Rogue's X-gene research?"

"Without dedicated personnel, there has been no progress."

"That won't do. Rogue's powers rival even the Phoenix's. We need more competent researchers."

Adam turned his gaze to a screen displaying the image of a young man.

The man had short brown hair, a sharp, handsome face, and intelligent eyes. He stood about 1.8 meters tall, exuding confidence and wit.

Reed Richards—future leader of the Fantastic Four.

In this timeline, Reed was still an ordinary genius scientist, yet to embark on his fateful journey to space and gain his powers.

Adam recognized Reed's title as the smartest man in the Marvel universe. He was determined to either recruit him or eliminate him preemptively.

But how to manipulate the young genius?

.....

An hour later, fifty kilometers south of Arnett City, a strange stillness hung in the air.

A mutated zombie surveyed the carnage around it, casually picking up a mangled body and devouring it.

"Crunch… hiss…"

The grotesque sounds of flesh tearing and bones snapping echoed through the area.

As the creature fed, infected corpses began to stir, their eyes snapping open as they slowly rose to their feet.

"Hunger…"

The newly risen zombies were about to feast when the mutant roared.

"Roar!"

The command was clear. Reluctantly, the fledgling zombies turned away from the bodies and shuffled off into the distance.

Moments later, the sound of helicopter blades filled the air.

Looking up, the mutant zombie saw a fleet of choppers equipped with reinforced glass containment units approaching.

The hunt was far from over.

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