"Since that's the case, then now..."
With Reid pointing out a clear path, the despair that had just weighed down Adrian vanished completely.
At this mont, the way he looked at the frozen Captain Arica was even more intimate than his own wife.
"Hold on, Adrian. Studying Captain Arica is fine, but wait until he wakes up and gives you permission himself." Reid interrupted before Adrian could speak further.
What a joke. There was no way he would let the man get access to Captain Arica’s body samples right now. If he did, would Adrian still turn into the Vulture and go after Steve later?
"I need permission…?"
Those words hit Adrian like a bucket of cold water, quickly cooling his excitent.
By then, Reid had already lifted the ice block and flown into the sky.
Watching from the ground, Adrian slowly began to understand the real situation. He didn’t believe for a second that Reid cared about things like human rights. The only reason he would insist on getting Captain Arica’s consent was to force a connection between them.
But what would happen during that interaction?
Adrian couldn’t tell. He wasn’t like Luthor or Reid, who could predict the future just by relying on their superior brains and computational abilities.
Still, he could faintly sense one thing. Reid didn’t want him and Captain Arica to get along.
And it made sense. Being the sole super soldier from that era, Captain Arica had to know just how important his genetic sequence was. Even if Adrian tried to explain that the Super Soldier Serum in this era was no longer rare or valuable, it wouldn’t matter.
Unless the man fully trusted him, he would never allow anyone to study his body. It had nothing to do with personality. It was simply the most rational decision.
At the very least, Adrian didn’t believe Captain Arica was so fool who couldn’t think things through.
“Are you planning to make the villain here?"
As one of the few scientists acknowledged by both Reid and Luthor based purely on his capabilities, Adrian had spoken with them quite a lot. No less than Richard.
So he knew. From this point on, neither of the two n would interfere with his actions.
No matter how he managed to obtain Captain Arica's genetic sequence, or convinced him to cooperate with his research, it would all depend on his own ability. They wouldn’t step in.
"In that case, bring it on. I have to survive."
There was no ti to be angry about being used by Luthor and Reid.
Adrian began making his plans imdiately.
* * *
anwhile, Reid, carrying the ice block containing Captain Arica, had returned to New York. Not long after, Vought International released an announcent.
On televisions, radios, and the massive screen in Tis Square, a single sentence appeared:
"Do you rember who the first hero was? An Arican."
Combined with dazzling special effects and the silhouette of a strong, muscular man, the ad instantly captured the attention of every Arican following the superhero entertainnt scene.
After all, in recent tis, Vought had introduced quite a few new heroes, but their regional branding had beco increasingly obvious.
Most of these so-called "street-level" heroes had designated areas they protected, and naturally, they began to take on heavy regional identities.
Take Daredevil, for example. Vought had marketed him as the Guardian of Hell’s Kitchen. Along with a few other heroes placed in that sa neighborhood, they were grouped into a team called the Defenders.
Of course, unlike the one from the comics, this was a "budget" version. Only Daredevil could be considered outstanding.
The others were simply mutants Vought had selected from the general applicant pool to round out the numbers.
This type of street hero did have its perks. Within their respective districts, they enjoyed imnse popularity. In fact, people from different areas would even compare their local heroes, fueling hypothetical superpowered battle debates that could easily span nurous online forums.
But the downside was just as obvious.
These street heroes were restricted to their own neighborhoods. In order to maintain their appearance rates and popularity, they had all quietly agreed to a kind of unspoken rule: never operate justice in soone else’s territory.
And that, inevitably, led to aesthetic fatigue among the Arican public.
Sure, having a hero who fully represented your own neighborhood was a great thing. But most of these heroes weren’t particularly strong. Seeing them for too long just beca boring.
The only top-tier superhero team, the Fantastic Four, often traveled around the world. They rarely stayed in New York, or even in the United States.
What the public really needed was a superhero who belonged solely to Arica.
And this new Vought promotional teaser hit that sweet spot of anticipation perfectly.
"Did you see the tagline? Vought specifically ntioned us Aricans. That ans the hero they're launching this ti has to be way more famous than those local street heroes. Plus, he won’t be like the Fantastic Four, going around the world all the ti."
"Definitely. But to be honest, I’m more interested in Hollywood movies lately. Word is, any director with a decent na is trying to get real superheroes to act in their films. It's just a sha we’ll probably never see Susan Storm star in a romance flick."
"Hahaha! Dream on. She's the girlfriend of LexCorp’s CEO. Being a superhero is just a hobby for her. I wouldn’t be surprised if she quits the team in the future. Didn't the news say her wedding is happening really soon?"
"Oh my God! Susan! How could you get married?!"
As the Arican public continued their excited or ridiculous chatter, ti quietly ticked by.
* * *
On the other side, at LexCorp’s affiliated dical facility, Lex Hospital.
The cryogenic recovery of Captain Arica was nearing completion. He was right on the edge of waking up.
At the sa ti, Adrian, after ticulous planning and a thorough understanding of the hospital’s security layout, was ready to take action.
Just as he had predicted, ever since they left the Arctic, Reid and Luthor hadn’t interfered with his movents at all.
Now, taking advantage of a mont when the nurse had stepped away, Adrian slipped into Captain Arica’s private recovery room.
He stared at the man lying on the bed. Despite having been frozen for seventy years, he still appeared youthful and handso.
Then Adrian glanced at himself: barely in his forties, yet his body already worn and prematurely aging. Even his breathing grew heavier at the thought.
Slowly, he stepped closer and brought the needle in his hand near the vein on Captain Arica’s arm.
To ensure the experint’s success, he needed a significant sample of blood. A single strand of hair or so minor tissue would be aningless to his research.
But just as the needle was about to pierce Captain Arica’s skin, the latter's eyes snapped open.
"Who are you?!"
Hearing a sharp shout of alarm, Adrian looked up, only to be t by Captain Arica's iron fist flying straight at him!
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