MARVEL : Zombie universe

As the lab door opened, Susan entered and stood beside Reed.

"I'm glad you're okay, Sue," Reed said, though his focus remained on the zombie specimen. He carefully cut a small piece of the zombie's heart and placed it under a microscope, studying it intently.

Susan, ignoring his distant demeanor, asked with concern, "Why are you working alone here? I thought you were collaborating with Banner and Tony."

"They're working on separate projects," Reed replied without looking up. "If one of us makes a breakthrough, the others can come to assist. It was Tony's idea, but I agree with it."

Susan nodded, understanding.

"To be honest, though, I'm not sure what they're up to, but I think I'm making real progress here."

"Progress?" Susan asked, a bit puzzled.

Reed's eyes sparked with excitement. "These creatures are fascinating. They're human but not human. The infection with this virus has made them incredibly efficient."

"Can you imagine? While a regular adult male needs at least 15,000 calories and 20 liters of water per week, these creatures survive on a fraction of that—one-thousandth, even one-ten-thousandth."

Susan's eyes widened in horror. "These zombies are monsters, Reed! They're not some new species. Do you remember what they did to our children?"

Reed, still peering into the microscope, responded indifferently, "Of course, I haven't forgotten. But what's remarkable is how these zombies have evolved. They're better adapted to the harsh conditions of this world."

He then removed one of the zombie's eyeballs, holding it close for examination with a look of admiration.

Susan, her voice filled with pain and anger, responded, "Evolution? This world is cruel because of them! They destroyed our home, took our loved ones away—and now you're talking about their evolution like it's some sort of marvel?"

Her voice shook with emotion as she looked at Reed, her eyes blazing with anger and despair. She couldn't comprehend how he could speak about the zombies so coldly, almost as if he was fascinated by them.

Unable to take any more, she turned and left the lab, disgusted with her husband's apparent descent into madness.

Meanwhile, Reed continued his work, examining the zombies' organs. He mused to himself, "Most of their organs are practically stagnant, no longer serving any purpose, yet they retain both mobility and intelligence. Their minds function only rarely. It's strange."

He called out absent-mindedly, "Are you still there, Sue?"

But Susan had already left, slamming the door behind her.

Outside the lab, Adrian, who had been observing, remarked dryly, "So, you've got all the evidence you need? He even calls this virus 'evolution.' But to me, they're just flesh-eating monsters, not some pinnacle of progress."

Seeing "Susan" revert to her blank expression and disappear into the wall, Adrian continued with a tone of frustration.

"Reed must have lost his mind after losing his child, or maybe he was always a little unhinged. Now he actually believes zombies are humanity's future."

Adrian continued, "Sure, zombies don't need to consume energy like we do, but Reed is missing one crucial point: their insatiable hunger. Normal humans stop eating when they're full because of signals in the brain. Zombies, though—they're relentless. They keep consuming, even when there's no need. They'll eat until they physically burst, yet they'll still continue if given the chance."

"Some zombie heroes have managed to resist this hunger, but that only happened forty years later. And by then, they'd devoured nearly everything in the universe."

Nick Fury, who had been watching Reed work on the corpse on a monitor, seemed hesitant.

Sensing Fury's doubt, Adrian pressed on, saying with urgency, "You remember what I told you, right? I'm the one who injured Quicksilver, which bought us valuable time. If that wasn't enough proof, then take what I just said: zombies don't need food or water to survive. Reed's experiments have shown the same."

Still silent, Fury remained thoughtful. In a flash of frustration, Adrian slammed his hand on the table. "What are you waiting for? Do you want all of us to end up as food for those monsters? Kill Reed now, before he causes more damage."

After a few moments, Fury finally broke into a chuckle. There was relief in his laughter as he extended a hand toward Adrian.

"You've proven your worth and your loyalty. Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D."

Surprised but pleased, Adrian shook Fury's hand.

"A pleasure to work with you."

Fury returned to his seat, lit a new cigar, and handed one to Adrian. As Adrian took the cigar, Fury turned his attention back to the holographic monitor.

The display zoomed in on Reed Richards, capturing his every move.

"Computer, initiate a purge in Zone 16 on Floor 30 of Gamma."

A mechanical voice replied, "A registered hero is present in the target area, ID: 00042, Mr. Fantastic Reed Richards. Protection protocols have been activated."

Fury, unphased, took a drag from his cigar, exhaled a plume of smoke, and calmly ordered, "Override with Level 10 authorization. Ensure the target is fully neutralized."

"Authorization successful. Initiating purge."

As the mechanical voice faded from the holographic projection, Adrian saw Reed in the lab, suddenly looking uneasy. He took off the magnifying lens he'd been wearing, walked to the table, and wiped his forehead, as though sensing something was wrong. After removing his lab coat and draping it over the chair, he looked around with mild confusion.

Was it just his imagination, or did the cold, sterile lab suddenly feel warmer?

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