Chapter 25: Blood Beneath the Ice

Zoya had never felt time pass so slowly, yet as she and her subordinates emerged, it felt as though she had reclaimed the time lost since her transformation into a vampire.

"Commander, what now?"

"First, let's rendezvous with Hermann."

Meanwhile, Kara remained by Lynn's side. After the recent events, Lynn had returned to his underground laboratory. Several vampires, dismembered by Maria, were submerged in bioreactors; they would finally serve some useful purpose.

"Kara, how is the implant status?"

"Perfect. Their dark magic seems unable to influence my psychic control."

"Excellent. We may have use for that later."

Of course, Zoya was unaware of these developments. She soon arrived at a safe house near Manhattan to find her subordinates. Hermann seemed to have been resting there for a while and appeared quite frail.

"Commander."

"Rest for now. Don't rush to get up. I will return to Nosferatu alone. You are all dismissed; stay hidden until this is over."

For vampires, their bond was surprisingly human, possessing a rare sense of family.

After speaking, Zoya gave Hiya instructions to take Hermann and leave New York to lie low elsewhere.

"And you, Commander Stasia?"

"I still have a mission to complete for Lord Elaine."

With everything settled, Zoya left the safe house. Left behind, Hiya and Hermann watched their commander depart. Hiya removed her tactical hood, looking dejected. Hermann followed suit, his fingers brushing his neck unconsciously, unaware of the small bloodstain there.

***

The next morning, New York stirred as it always did, appearing no different from any other day. Yet, for someone, today was clearly anything but ordinary.

*Ding, ding, ding.*

Rogers awoke from his stupor. Outside the window was a somewhat unfamiliar scene, and a radio on the nightstand played a live broadcast of a football game.

From every angle, it looked like a cozy hospital room, but as Steve Rogers woke, he sensed something was wrong.

The noise outside the window was monotonous, repeating the same sound every three minutes. Even the commentary of the football game felt off to Steve.

Soon, a redhead in military office attire entered. She bore a striking resemblance to Peggy Carter.

"Captain Rogers, you're finally awake."

"Where am I?"

"This is a post-operative care facility in New York. Is something wrong?"

"I'll ask again: where am I?"

"I don't quite understand you, Captain Rogers."

"This game, May 1941. I was there."

Realizing the ruse had been exposed, the staffer quickly squeezed a transmitter in her hand to sound an alarm. The door behind her burst open, and several agents in black swarmed in, attempting to subdue Steve Rogers instantly.

A second later, five or six S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were sent flying out of the model room built specifically for Steve, collapsing on the floor, clutching their chests and arms, clearly badly injured.

Immediately, the local S.H.I.E.L.D. branch broadcast a Level 3 alert. Every agent caught a glimpse of Steve, but they had no hope of catching a super soldier.

Within three minutes, Steve had sprinted barefoot onto the street. Seeing the neon-lit, bustling New York, he froze in place.

At that moment, Nick Fury arrived with a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to surround him.

"Take it easy. The world has changed a lot. We just wanted to make it easier for you to accept. Steve Rogers..."

—

"...Rogers was a war hero who led the Howling Commandos during the Second World War. Their members included..."

Today, Lynn was visiting a special memorial with some students. Midtown High students were scattered throughout the hall, looking particularly excited about the trip.

This proved troublesome for the chaperones, as a few troublemakers were difficult to manage, but Lynn did not care. Once the Cronus Charitable Hospital was completed, he intended to change careers.

He had initially thought Peter might attract some powerful villains. But after the Vulture and Shocker of this world collaborated only to be beaten to a pulp by Spider-Man and White Tiger, Lynn lost interest; there was no profit in lingering there.

Spider-Man's opponents hadn't changed much. Lynn had visited his home a few times; Peter in this world had been raised by Aunt May and Uncle Ben early on, and his parents apparently never joined Oscorp.

Lynn had a favorable impression of that beautiful woman in her forties, but that was all. Considering Jessica would soon graduate from Midtown High, Lynn had no intention of staying. In two months, he would consider resigning.

"Mr. Cythis, what are you thinking about?"

"Ms. Ayala?" Lynn looked at the introduction to Steve Rogers' life and smiled. "Nothing, just how wondrous it is that a serum can cause such changes in a person's body."

"Don't you think there are many wondrous things in this world?"

Lynn looked at the jade tiger amulet at her waist and nodded. "You're right. There are many wonders in this world, some of which haven't even happened yet. Come on, catch up with the group. Old Man Kowalski is rambling on about his idol's glorious deeds. It might not help you much, but the old man tells a good story."

After patting Ayala on the shoulder, Lynn confirmed his suspicion: "There is a very pure life energy inside her. It is indeed that amulet."

Just as Lynn was about to follow, he spotted two eye-catching women. One was a beautiful blonde with a graceful figure, pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair. The old woman's gaze was vacant, though every so often, a flash of cleverness flickered in her eyes before she drifted back into memories, staring blankly at her surroundings.

"Auntie, let's go back in a little while, okay?"

"Why hasn't Steve returned? It's been two days..."

"Captain Rogers will be back soon. He's very popular here. Shall we head back early?"

"He still owes me a dance. He's still on the plane. Why am I here?"

Clearly, the old woman's mind was failing—a classic case of Alzheimer's.

Lynn had gathered enough intelligence from their conversation. Ayala had hurried back to the group, wedging herself between Peter and MJ. The atmosphere between the three was subtle, but Lynn had no interest in their love triangle.

He walked slowly up to Sharon Carter and asked, "Your mother seems to love Captain Rogers very much?"

The question made Sharon look annoyed; she assumed Lynn was just hitting on her, a common occurrence whenever she brought her aunt here.

"Actually, she is my aunt. And you're right, she does love Steve Rogers. Which old lady wouldn't? Now, sir, if you don't mind, please step aside."

Sharon nodded, offered a polite smile, and wheeled Peggy past him. Lynn clearly wasn't her type; she preferred the sunny, boy-next-door type—just like the Steve Rogers in the memorial.

But Lynn had confirmed his target. It seemed Peggy Carter of this world was not yet dead.

"Hmm... only three or maybe four years left," Lynn thought to himself. As Sharon disappeared into the crowd while chatting with the confused Peggy, Lynn returned to the Midtown High students.

Ayala and MJ were already bickering near Peter, who didn't notice his old friend Flash had his arm around him. The jock didn't know the "nerd" he often bullied was his idol. Peter was still wearing a Spider-Man undershirt.

Lynn didn't see Jessica. "Where did she go?"

At that moment, Jessica was being cornered in the restroom by several female students due to her "special circumstances." She looked as if she had been waiting for this.

"I said, aren't you acting a bit too cocky since you got back? That idiot Patricia has been giggling like a fool because of you. You'd better stay away from her and keep your hands off our toys, got it? Hey, I'm talking to you."

Jessica washed her face, shook the water from her hands, and looked back at the bullies with indifference. "Are you done?"

"You..."

Jessica wiped her wet hands on the girl's clothes, patted her shoulder gently, and walked out as if nothing had happened. This naturally didn't sit well with the bullies. The ringleader flew into a rage and threw a punch.

When Jessica returned to Lynn's side, he could tell she was in a good mood, though her jacket was missing.

Lynn reached out to wipe the blood from her face and said, "Remember to carry gloves next time. What happened to them?"

"Just some contusions. Minor injuries."

"As long as no one died." Lynn knew those girls; their backgrounds were traditional, and no one would care if they got beaten up. "By the way, what college do you want to attend after you graduate next year?"

"Can I even get into college with my grades?"

"You don't have to go. I'll hire private tutors. You choose."

"Does it cost money?"

Lynn was surprised by such a realistic question and laughed. "Don't you want to study?"

"I'm not cut out for it."

Lynn studied Jessica's expression. She clearly had other thoughts but dared not voice them in front of him. Even though Lynn always appeared harmless, she knew better. He was not as gentle as he seemed.

"Fair enough. We'll talk about it in a few days. I have some things to test, and I could use your help."

"Me? Can I?"

"No confidence?"

"I do! Of course I do!" Jessica nodded vigorously, a sense of satisfaction in being needed. Lynn patted her head and followed the group, preparing to leave the memorial.

Time passed. The sun rose and set as usual. Lynn answered a call from Blade.

"Cythis, did you agree?"

"Come see me tomorrow night. I'm in."

He hung up.

Back at the tower, Jekutor rested in a bioreactor. His modulation was nearing completion; his strength as a Zoanoid was perfected, and Lynn had added extra enhancements. His energy output was significant, making him perfect for the coming battles.

Meanwhile, Maria was in another reactor. She was a good subject, and Lynn had conducted experimental modulations on her to break the limitations of traditional Zoanoid technology. It was a success, which he had also applied to Jekutor. But for now, he didn't intend to experiment further on her. He needed Maria to help Kara with management, and he was satisfied with her current state—he didn't plan to treat her as a consumable like Tom.

As the liquid drained from the reactors, Lynn released both. Lab assistants immediately helped them recover. Kara followed Lynn.

"How is the stability between the Guyver cells and the control core?"

"Very stable, reaching the level you predicted, Doctor. But considering the unloading units are still being cultivated, we need a trusted target for testing."

"I have one. I'll bring her tomorrow."

"Understood."

Lynn continued, "How is the other bioreactor progressing?"

"As you predicted. The parameters meet your requirements after testing, but the energy output remains low and it crashes frequently. It is not stable."

"That's fine. We have plenty of time for testing."

Kara learned quickly and handled Lynn's tasks well, though she had her limits. Beyond a certain level of depth, she could no longer assist him.

"I really do need a few smarter brains," Lynn muttered, heading toward the engineering construction zone.