Manhattan's real estate prices remained exorbitant under the shadow of war.
A brand-new skyscraper was under construction, its steel skeleton gleaming in the sunlight, pointing straight toward the heavens.
It did not have a name yet, but Lynn had already prepared one for it.
On the other side of the city.
Another "temple" had quietly been completed.
Dr.Phineas Horton stood in the center of his new laboratory.
There were no cluttered wires or blueprints.
Every instrument was quietly placed exactly where it belonged.
This place was fifty years more advanced than the most perfect laboratory in his dreams.
The walls were made of a special alloy, capable of blocking all prying eyes.
An independent power supply system was sufficient to support the electricity needs of the entire New York City.
This was not a laboratory.
This was the womb for creating miracles.
"My God..."
Dr. Horton muttered to himself.
He reached out with his thin, withered hand, gently stroking the casing of a German-made centrifuge as if caressing a lover.
Lynn Morris walked in.
Horton turned around, his eyes filled with irrepressible excitement and fanaticism.
"Mr. Morris! You... have you seen it? This is... this is..."
He was incoherent with excitement, like a child eager to show off a new toy to their parents.
"Dr., I am never stingy with my investments in genius."
Lynn's gaze bypassed the excited Horton and landed in the deepest part of the laboratory.
There, "Subject Three," submerged in pale green nutrient solution, floated silently.
That body with its perfect muscle definition and the shocking, scorched hole in its chest formed an eerie harmony.
A perfect shell.
An empty soul.
Lynn did not waste words; he placed a silver metal briefcase on the central console.
"Click."
The latches on both sides of the case popped open in response.
Horton stared fixedly at the case.
A ghostly blue light spilled out from the case, illuminating Horton's bloodshot face.
On the black velvet lining of the case lay a single injection vial.
Super Soldier Serum.
Horton's body began to tremble violently.
He was not kneeling to Lynn, but rather worshipping that vial of fluid that radiated a divine glow.
"Blood of the Gods..."
His voice was hoarse and dry.
"I see it... the perfect... cornerstone..."
Lynn took out the serum and slowly twirled it between his fingertips.
"Your previous works have all failed."
Lynn walked up to Horton and looked down at him.
"Do you know why?"
"Because... because..."
"Because your foundation was too weak."
Lynn hit the nail on the head.
"You tried to use mortal cells, fragile carbon-based structures, to carry the concept of a perfect life."
"It is like molding a statue of a deity out of mud; no matter how exquisite your craftsmanship, it is still mud, and a single rainstorm can wash it away."
"Yes... yes! It is the base! The fragility of the base limited my creations!"
"Now."
Lynn gently placed the serum into Horton's trembling hands.
"I am giving you the blood of the gods."
The feel of the serum made Horton shiver as if electrocuted.
He looked up, tears mixed with ecstasy streaming down his aged face.
He looked at Lynn, his gaze having completely shifted from that of a "confidant" to that of a fanatic.
"I will create a true god for you!"
He raised the serum high in his hand, roaring feverishly in a tone that was almost like an oath.
"A perfect creation that transcends all human weaknesses!"
"He shall be your shadow, your sword, the extension of your will in this world!"
"He will not have the confusion of Subject Three, because your will is the only reason for his existence!"
"He will serve only you! Forever and ever!"
Lynn watched the raving mad Horton quietly, his face still devoid of any expression.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
A loyal lunatic capable of creating miracles.
"Very good."
Lynn turned and walked out of the laboratory.
"Begin your work, Dr."
"A miracle needs time to gestate!"
Horton's voice rang out behind him.
The alloy door closed, shutting off everything inside the laboratory.
Lynn walked down the corridor.
He did not care what Horton would create.
A god? A demon? A monster?
It did not matter.
As long as its chains were firmly held in his own hands, it was a perfect tool.
Johann Schmidt...
Didn't you want to see a good show?
Weren't you expecting me to walk right up to you?
Don't be impatient.
I am currently preparing the most magnificent funeral for you and your pathetic HYDRA empire.
...
A week later, an encrypted call broke the silence of Lynn's office.
The call was from Dr.Phineas Horton.
His voice was no longer purely fanatical, but laced with an anxiety bordering on madness.
"Mr. Morris! The prototype... the prototype is complete!"
"But! There is a... a problem that desecrates the miracle!"
Lynn leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desktop.
"Get to the point, Dr."
"Energy! It's energy conduction!"
"The Super Soldier Serum reshaped its cellular structure; it is a perfect biological miracle! But, I cannot design a stable energy circuit for it!"
"When the energy core I designed injects energy, over 90% of it dissipates during conduction!"
"This perfect body would be burned to ashes by its own energy the moment it wakes up!"
Energy circuit? Conduction loss?
A name appeared in his mind.
That arrogant genius, it is time for you to shine again.
"Steady, Dr. It is not your fault; you are just missing the right tool."
"I will deliver the tool to you."
Hanging up the phone, Lynn took a blank document out of the safe.
Lynn picked up a pen and fell into thought.
A few seconds later, he wrote a few large characters on it: [Vanguard Holdings · Future Energy Project Proposal].
The next day.
Lynn appeared at Howard Stark's private Villa on Long Island.
The guy was shirtless, covered in grease, and tinkering with an oddly shaped engine.
Several blonde women in bikinis were standing nearby, handing him chilled champagne.
"Morris? You damn Vampire, what do you want to squeeze out of me this time?"
Howard tightened a wrench with a metallic click.
"A concept, Howard."
Lynn placed the proposal on a reasonably clean table.
"About the future."
Howard wiped his hands dismissively.
He picked up the proposal and flipped through it casually, the mockery on his face becoming more obvious.
"Bio-battery? Storing and releasing electrical energy by simulating the function of cellular mitochondria? Lynn, are the brains of those so-called scientists under your command filled with mush?"
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