Ch: 19 [Norman]
Ch: 19 [Norman]
[Location: Oscorp Research Facility]
{3rd person POV}
Norman Osborn paced back and forth in his office. He was frustrated with the recent setbacks in their research. The military contracts were important to keeping Oscorp at the top of the biochemical weapons industry. The funding that those contracts provided would also allow him to move forward with his own personal projects. Projects that had a much more profitable end result than chemical warfare.
Among them was the new version of Super Soldier Serum that he was able to recreate from Dr. Erskine's notes, though Norman still needed a way to stabilize it so that it wouldn't kill anyone who used it. The lab rats and spiders he has been testing on haven't shown any promising results except for immense aggression. But he hid this fact about the side effects from the military contractors that funded his work in fear of losing the funding he desperately needed.
However, after months of failure after failure, Norman started to lose hope of ever perfecting the serum and moving forward with his plans. Well, things changed when the golden opportunity came walking through his front door one day. An injured teenage mutant with a peculiar ability never before seen walked into the hospital under OsCorp seeking medical help and Norman saw it as the breakthrough he'd been waiting for.
The dormant X-genes in that boy's body awakened after the accident. His power is immunity to all diseases and viruses along with an accelerated healing factor. That was the beginning at least. Norman knew there was something else dormant inside that boy after he performed various experiments on him. After all, Xavier himself said the X-Genes are capable of unlocking extraordinary abilities in its host. Osborn believed if they could awaken that gene then it could lead him to finally find the solution he had been looking for all these years.
Years passed as he continued to put that boy through inhumane tests to try and activate the dormant gene inside of him. He even went as far as injecting the unstable formula of Super Soldier Serum into that boy's body multiple times in hopes that it might trigger some kind of reaction. But the boy whom they were calling Subject 0x, his immunity kept blocking the serum and Norman became infuriated at the lack of progress.
He was there that night in that underground facility, in the observation room, observing the boy through the monitors as usual while OsCorp scientists conducted another experiment on the boy. Subject 0x was strapped down on the table surrounded by machines monitoring his vitals. They wanted to extract his immunity X-genes or mutation factor as OsCorp calls it.
Norman wanted to inject the SSS into himself but to eliminate the side effects, he decided to use Subject 0x's mutation factor. Time was running out for him and he needed to do something, anything to keep the contractors happy and funding OsCorp. So he instructed the scientists to extract Subject 0x's mutation factor and use it to make an artificial X-Genes which he could then use to stabilize the SSS.
"Sir. The kid will die if we proceed with the extraction," One scientist warned Norman who stood behind the glass wall overlooking the experiment room. "That's why you're here, doctor. Do whatever it takes." Osborn coldly said. "His father has already been paid handsomely for this," He added. The scientists gulped nervously at his boss' cruel order.
Subject 0x weakly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He was lying on that metal table unable to move after being injected with powerful sedatives. The drugs only keep him numb for a few minutes before his immunity power kicks in and neutralizes the drug. But his neck to head were always immune to drugs or any medications. He was always conscious and saw everything they did to him.
They had to move fast with the extraction due to the limited time. The boy slowly turned his head to look around the room filled with machines and scientists wearing white hazmat suits.
He was lying on his stomach.
"So, what's next? Going to inject radiation or nuclear waste inside me?" Subject 0x weakly asked. The scientists ignored him and began preparing the equipment for the extraction. "What? No taunts or mocking today? Did I hurt your feelings?" He mocked again but nobody paid attention to him.
Suddenly, one scientist approached him and leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "You have no idea how sorry I am," She whispered with a hint of regret in her voice.
"Nah! You have no idea how sorry you all will be if I survive this," Subject 0x whispered back with a smirk on his face. Then she quickly pulled away and joined the others to prepare for the extraction.
They punctured his spinal cord using special needles connected to machines. 33 needles total, all inserted deep into his spine. The boy didn't feel any pain since the sedatives were still at work, but when they pushed the needle deeper into his neck, he felt unimaginable pain that made him scream in agony.
"Argggg! Fuck you! You motherfucking bastards!! Arggg!" Subject 0x screamed at the top of his lungs. Norman watched everything from the observation room with a sadistic grin on his face.
"Beginning extraction," A scientist announced. The boy screamed louder as waves of electric current entered his body from the needles and traveled up and down his spine. The machines started beeping. "Extraction failed," Another scientist announced. "Increase the voltage," Norman ordered over the intercoms.
The boy continued to scream in agony as more waves of electricity entered his body and traveled up and down his spine.
"Another failure, sir. The subject won't survive another attempt," The scientist announced.
Norman gritted his teeth in anger but quickly calmed his nerves, "Extract his spinal fluid then," He ordered. "But sir..." The scientist tried to protest but Norman cut him off, "Just do it! Extract everything... Blood, organs, bone marrow... EVERYTHING!" He shouted angrily. The scientists nodded reluctantly and proceeded with the extraction.
"I will extract it from your remainings. Don't resent me, kid. Think of this as a sacrifice for a noble cause," Norman chuckled darkly to himself as he watched the boy screaming in agony.
The boy looked up at the tinted glass window where Norman stood behind. Even though he couldn't see him clearly, he could sense his killer's presence. Subject 0x glared at the glass wall as tears ran down his cheeks. Norman smirked sinisterly and waved goodbye to the boy who lay helplessly on that metal table being tortured by OsCorp scientists.
The boy just smiled at Norman. His eyes glowed red for a flicker second, "Got ya, fucker!" He showed him the middle finger.
"Noooo! Stop the extraction! KEEP HIM ALIVE AT ALL COST!" Norman yelled realizing that the boy had awakened his dormant X-Genes. "Sir?" The scientists looked confused. He frantically pressed buttons on the console in front of him trying to shut down the extraction machine. "KEEP HIM ALIVE!!" He yelled again.
"We are sorry, but the Subject is already dead," One scientist informed him over the intercom. Norman stopped pressing the buttons and looked up at the screen showing Subject 0x lying motionless on that metal table surrounded by machines monitoring his vital signs.
"ARGGG!" He punched the glass wall in anger causing cracks to appear everywhere. He panted heavily while staring at the dead boy's body through the cracked glass wall. "You... I will extract it from your corpse if I have to." He clenched his fists tightly until blood dripped down his knuckles.
[Present day]
Norman threw the glass of whiskey across the room shattering it to pieces upon impact against the wall. He sighed loudly before sitting down on the couch in his office. Osborn was furious about the latest news regarding the disappearance of the only serum he was able to create after four years of experimenting on Subject 0x's remnants.
It was supposed to be his big breakthrough. A final product that will eliminate all risks of using the SSS and increase the success rate by over 95%. This was supposed to be a turning point for him and his company, but everything was back to square one. He was standing at the same crossroads he was all those years ago.
Norman clenched his fist tightly while glaring angrily at the shattered glass pieces scattered all over the floor.
The contractors would want the product soon and Norman needed to deliver otherwise they would pull their funding. Without them, OsCorp won't survive long enough for him to move forward with his other projects. Everything would have been easier if Subject 0x survived the extraction four years ago.
He took out his phone and dialed a number, "Prep the machine for human trial..." He ordered over the phone.
"Yes, sir," The person on the other end replied before hanging up. Osborn sighed loudly before picking up the bottle of whiskey and pouring himself another drink.
"Haunting me years after your death, aren't you kid?"
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Ch: 20 [Wanda and Pietro]
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