The helicopter was still fast. They'd set out at sunset, yet even by the time they reached the New Jersey camp, the sun hadn't gone down.
They could see a crowd of the infected already surrounding the camp so tightly that not even a drop of water could slip through. A gap had even been torn open in the barbed-wire fence outside—but strangely, the infected hadn't taken the next step.
They showed no intention of continuing the attack, just standing there blankly.
What kind of situation was this?
Everyone was puzzled. Could it be that there was no one left inside? But if that were the case, why would the infected bother surrounding the place?
Or maybe the cure didn't just treat the symptoms—it also made the infected unwilling to approach?
They tossed around all kinds of guesses, but no matter what they thought, it didn't stop them from landing on the open ground inside the camp.
The sound of the helicopter drew quite a few infected to look up.
They roared instinctively, stretching their arms toward the newcomers—but in the end, they only reached out from a distance, not daring to actually approach the camp.
"This place… gives me a bad feeling…" As he stepped off the helicopter, Parker felt a faint unease, though he couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.
"Your 'Peter tingle' acting up again?"
Hearing that, Happy became a bit more alert.
"Peter tingle?" Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"It's hard to explain, but sometimes his intuition is incredibly accurate." Happy had already experienced the little spider's instincts firsthand.
"Maybe it's just because we're surrounded by the infected."
Thor lifted his hammer and reassured them. "No need to worry. I can handle these infected myself."
"Try to go easy," Tony quipped. "They're not just infected—they're patients."
"Uh… I'll try."
"Don't worry. They won't pose a threat to you." Just as they were talking, a voice unfamiliar to the Avengers sounded from the side.
Thor immediately tensed. As the one with the most battlefield experience, he hadn't sensed anyone approaching at all.
"Who are you!?"
"Calm down, Thor." Rogers carefully examined the person who had suddenly appeared. Though he had a human form and features, there wasn't a trace of anything truly human about him.
"Are you an AI?"
Tony had noticed it too.
"Yes. Mr. Stark from the past—my creators are you and Dr. Banner." Vision easily assessed the physical conditions of these familiar strangers and determined their ages.
With two Banners present at the same time, his computational capacity quickly reached a logical conclusion.
Tony and Banner exchanged a glance.
Clearly, a lot must have happened in the future—and none of it peaceful.
"Vision, were you the one who sent the signal? Did you develop a cure?" the older Banner asked curiously.
"Strictly speaking, it's not exactly a drug." Vision nodded, then shook his head, leading them forward as he explained.
"It's the Mind Stone—the gem from the Scepter. I tried using it to emit a sub-frequency the infected find unpleasant."
After Vision's explanation, Tony looked toward Vision's forehead.
Though he couldn't see it now with Vision walking ahead, he distinctly remembered spotting a gem there earlier. So this Vision really had been created by him and Banner using the scepter.
"So it really is a brain-related illness."
The older Banner nodded. That matched the conclusion he and his younger self had reached.
"Yes. After discovering their aversion to certain frequencies, I began experiments—testing whether targeted exposure could reverse their condition." Vision stopped in front of his research equipment and projected data into the air for everyone to see.
"You did the right thing! If we calm the system in the patients' limbic brains that's overloaded by an unknown substance, they'll return to normal!" The older Banner smiled. "Did you succeed?"
"Obviously, he did." A voice came from beside Vision—but no one saw another person.
"Hey, someone rotate my view," the voice continued. Vision turned the nearby chair 180 degrees.
Only then did everyone see a nutrient jar sitting on it. Through the transparent glass, a head connected at the neck smiled at them from within the tubes.
Scott.
"Kurt?" Scott's expression shifted.
"Scott!?" Kurt couldn't believe it. His old acquaintance had been reduced to just a head in a jar?
Even Bucky frowned. Scott had helped him before, and seeing a former teammate like this left a bitter taste.
"Hope! You're okay—that's great! Wait, there are way more people than I expected?" Scott hadn't anticipated this scene. Had a cure been found outside too?
"So we have to explain everything again?" Thor sighed.
"I recorded it in advance—on the plane," Tony said, fully prepared.
"If using the cure means ending up like this, then what's the point…" Happy's eye twitched, guilt and self-blame flashing across his face.
"I know I've lost some weight. Thanks for the concern."
Scott, however, showed no negative emotions at all. Surviving was already the greatest stroke of luck he could ask for.
"Don't worry, I'm not bothered. And we've got the smartest scientists in the world—building me a mechanical body later wouldn't be bad."
Only then did he show a hint of regret, looking at Hope with a trace of wistfulness. "It's just a shame we can't be together anymore."
"We can always be together." Hope showed no hint of disgust. She walked up, lifted the jar, and held Scott in her arms.
Witnessing this, Vision felt something stir within him.
At the same time, Madam Herta's voice sounded in the Avengers' ears.
[Your progress looks pretty good! But that's not the important part. The important part is—there's an interesting energy near you!]
"Madam Herta?" Her sudden voice startled everyone.
"What energy are you referring to?" Rogers glanced around but saw nothing unusual.
"Who are you talking to?" Vision scanned the surroundings, confused. He detected nothing out of the ordinary.
[It's Chaos Magic. It's not just that red machine—there's someone else nearby. They should be close to you. If you can find the Chaos Witch, I might make an exception and give you some truly good stuff.]
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.