CH: 113 - Virus Fusion
{Chapter: 113 - Virus Fusion}
The twisted remains of the cargo box groaned as sparks fizzled from ruptured metal. One half was folded like an accordion, the other reduced to sharp, jagged fragments—evidence of a devastating impact. The Centipede warrior lay sprawled across the wreckage, his genetically enhanced body twitching in futile resistance. Despite his muscular build and reinforced skeletal structure, the devastating blow from the Reality Ring construct had overwhelmed even his advanced defenses.
Aiden slowly approached, boots echoing softly against the concrete floor. His figure was partially cloaked in dark green, the low flicker of overhead lights glinting off his dark battle suit. The Centipede soldier groaned, metallic-sounding breath rasping from his chest as he tried to stand—once, twice—but his limbs failed him.
Then, something impossible happened.
The warrior's body lifted off the ground—not through strength, but as if gripped by an invisible force.
Aiden extended his arm, hand open and slowly closing around the head off the Centipede soldier's floating and he began to shake violently.
The expression on soldier's face shifted—tightened. His jaw clenched, and his brows drew together in pain.
May's eyes narrowed as she pieced it together. "He's… devouring his power."
May looked and knew what Aiden was doing.
He was devouring the powers of the centipede warrior.
There was a sudden TAH! A shockwave pulsed out from the soldier's body as his back arched unnaturally. His eyes rolled back, and with a final tremble, his body collapsed like a ragdoll.
May rushed forward—desperate for intel. These Centipede soldiers weren't just muscle. They were linked, controlled. If she could get even a fragment of information—
But before she could speak, the Centipede warrior's head exploded in a burst of bio-engineered gore. A grotesque pop echoed in the empty factory.
May flinched instinctively, shielding her face. "Dammit!"
Aiden calmly wiped a droplet of blood from his sleeve. "Don't waste your breath. He was rigged to blow the second he became a liability."
"Clairvoyant," May growled. "He's watching us."
Aiden gave a faint nod. "And he's not taking chances anymore."
As they moved deeper into the factory, sprinting toward Phil's last known position, the sound of close-quarter combat rang out. Metal clanged. Something exploded. Then a grunt of pain.
Rounding the corner, they found Coulson slumped against a cargo crate, breathing heavily, one hand pressed to his side. His face was pale, but defiant. "Hey," he muttered with a grimace, "took you long enough."
In the center of the open space, Michael was barely holding his ground, dodging and countering two relentless Centipede warriors. His punches were fierce but ineffective—these soldiers weren't just tough; they were made to endure.
Aiden's eyes glowed faintly, and he calmly raised his arms. With a sudden hum, two ropes of hard light shot from his ring—snaking through the air and wrapping around each of the warriors like constricting serpents.
Michael blinked. "Thanks for the assist!"
With a flick of his wrists, Aiden whipped both warriors into the air and smashed them into each other with a loud boom! A second and third collision followed, the sound like rolling stone. Cracks formed on the concrete floor from the force of impact.
The two Centipede soldiers, disoriented and unconscious, hit the ground in a heap.
Aiden walked forward like a man on a mission. With deliberate precision, he placed a hand on each of their heads.
He grasped their heads and started devouring their power.
A while later their powers were devoured, consuming three centerpiece viruses made Aiden somewhat uncomfortable.
Aiden staggered back, catching himself against the wall.
"Aiden?" May's voice softened for the first time since entering the mission zone.
Phil limped closer, his voice full of concern. "That's three. Are you alright?"
Michael, still catching his breath, added, "You look pale, man. And that's saying something, considering the suit."
Aiden shook his head slowly, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "No... I'm fine—just give me a minute."
Coulson exchanged a glance with May. "We'll sweep the rest of the area. Try to find anything they didn't vaporize. Michael, with me."
May lingered for a second longer, giving Aiden a long, searching look. "Don't die on us."
Aiden chuckled softly. "Something like this can't hope to kill me."
As they left, Aiden slid down to the floor, exhaling shakily. The once-silent factory now hummed faintly with the tension of what had just occurred. The air felt heavier, like it carried residue from the corrupted enhancements he'd just taken in.
"System…" he muttered. "I've only devoured three powers. I shouldn't be feeling like this. Why does it feel like I'm burning alive from the inside?"
A pause—then a familiar digital voice responded in his mind:
[[The Centipede Virus is a mutated strain of the Extremis Virus, engineered with a complex blend of elements that naturally conflict with the Extremis already coursing through your system. In simpler terms, the fusion process is inherently unstable—not because of the number of abilities you've absorbed, but due to the fundamental differences between the origins of the Extremis and Centipede strains. However, there's no need for concern—your body is instinctively adapting, recalibrating itself to seamlessly merge the two viruses. There is no danger.]
Aiden exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders releasing just a fraction.
The explanation from the system made Aiden relaxed.
He didn't expect the centipede virus to fuse with Extremis, if this process then the result would be powerful.
"If I can fuse the two… I'll be stronger than ever," he whispered. "Faster healing, more endurance, and maybe—maybe even something new."
Thinking about it, Aiden felt his head become heavy and a little tired. He struggled to stand up and leave the factory. Anyway, Phil and the others shouldn't face any danger and there's no benefits staying here.
His vision wavered slightly. The world tilted at the edges.
"But first… I need to get out of here before I pass out like a rookie," he grumbled.
Pushing himself upright, he stumbled out of the factory. The night air hit him like a splash of cold water. The wind tugged at his hair, the fresh scent of rain in the distance doing more to wake him up than the fight ever had.
"I've got something I need to take care of," he said through his comm, his voice a little breathless. "I'll regroup later."
Without waiting for a reply, with a thought he was launched into the sky, streaking above the trees.
The city shimmered in the distance. Below him, lights glowed like stars. Aiden's gaze locked onto a tall building—a hotel, likely with minimal security and plenty of rooms.
"Just a few hours… That's all I need."
He landed softly on the rooftop, body sluggish, head pounding. Entering through the emergency stairwell, he made his way to an empty suite and collapsed on the bed.
Somewhere deep inside, the Extremis and Centipede virus began merging war. And Aiden—caught in the middle—prepared to become something entirely new.
Something powerful.
---
The door creaked open, and Aiden stepped inside his hotel room. The weight in his legs told him he had reached his limit, his body a battlefield of internal chaos and regeneration. He staggered to the bed like a soldier finally allowed to rest and collapsed, face-first into the mattress.
Before he even realized it, the darkness swallowed him whole.
---
Aiden felt as though he were drifting through a river of fire and thunder, the very atoms of his body tearing apart and knitting themselves together again. His consciousness hovered somewhere between agony and euphoria. He saw brief flashes—Viral chains melting and fusing, chemical storms igniting within his cells. Every nerve pulsed like a live wire, every organ shimmered with unnatural energy.
His bones crackled like a fire heating metal. His muscles coiled like spring-loaded cables.
---
Hours later—though it felt like days—his eyes fluttered open.
The ceiling above him was familiar: beige drywall with faint cracks from poor upkeep. His fingers dug into the bedsheets. Slowly, he sat up. His shirt clung to his sweat-drenched body, the air in the room feeling unusually heavy.
Outside the window, the world had changed too. The sky was pitch black, the gentle glow of city lights casting long shadows across the landscape. The clock on the bedside table blinked at him: 9:02 PM.
He had been out for nearly seven hours.
And yet... he felt energetic.
Energy surged through his veins with every heartbeat. There was no trace of the exhaustion or nausea he'd experienced before collapsing. Instead, he felt recharged—electrified. As if he could tear a tank apart with his bare hands.
He rose, walking barefoot across the wooden floor, but paused when he noticed something strange: the desk near the corner of the room was scorched, its edges blackened as if someone had torched it with a welding flame.
Aiden ran a hand across the charred surface and exhaled sharply. "So it's true. The fusion was completed… and the strength it brought…"
He clenched his fist, watching faint, ember-like sparks pulse through his skin. "At least twice as strong… maybe more."
There was a brief moment of satisfaction—
His phone buzzed violently on the nightstand. When he picked it up, his heart sank.
Six missed calls.
From: Quake, Phil, and Fitz.
He barely tapped the screen before a call from Quake came in again. He answered immediately.
*****
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