The heavy cargo container crashed to the ground, its contents spilling out. The enhanced warrior inside, battered and bruised, lay motionless. Even with his extraordinary physique and resistance, the blow from Su Zhan's Aether Lantern ring had been too much to withstand.
Struggling, the warrior tried to rise, but after several failed attempts, he collapsed again. Then, suddenly, his body began to float—lifted by an invisible force. Su Zhan stepped forward, his eyes cold and determined, and pressed his palm against the warrior's chest. Instantly, pain twisted the man's face.
May watched from the side, understanding what Su Zhan was doing. He was devouring the warrior's power, draining away the prion virus that made him so formidable.
After a long moment, the warrior's body went limp and fell to the ground. May rushed over, hoping to get information, but before she could speak, she saw the man's eyes bulge—then, with a sickening pop, his eyeball burst. He was dead.
"Don't waste your efforts. Go support Coulson," Su Zhan said, his tone calm but urgent.
May nodded, knowing there was nothing more to be done here. These warriors had equipment implanted in their eyes, allowing the Clairvoyant to see through them and, if necessary, kill them remotely to prevent leaks. This was not the first time Su Zhan had encountered such ruthlessness.
When Su Zhan and May reached Coulson's position, the situation was dire. Coulson was slumped against a cargo box, clearly injured, while Michael Peterson was locked in a desperate struggle against two super-soldiers. Outnumbered and outmatched, Michael was barely holding his own.
"Go help Coulson!" Su Zhan shouted to May. Then, with a sweep of his arm, two ropes of green energy shot out from his ring, wrapping around the two warriors fighting Michael.
Michael, exhausted and battered, gave Su Zhan a grateful nod. Su Zhan turned, swinging the two captured warriors through the air and slamming them together. Once, twice, three times—they collided with bone-crunching force until both were dazed and nearly unconscious.
He drew them in, extending both hands. His phagocytic ability activated, and in an instant, the powers of the two warriors—the prion virus—were devoured. Su Zhan felt the rush of new energy but also a wave of discomfort. He had now absorbed the prion virus three times in quick succession, and his body was starting to react.
Coulson and the others hurried over, concern etched on their faces. "Are you okay?" Coulson asked.
Su Zhan shook his head, forcing a smile. "I'm fine, I just need a moment to rest."
"Then stay here. We'll see if we can find any more clues," Coulson said, motioning for May and Michael to follow him as they moved deeper into the factory.
Su Zhan sat down beside a cargo box, glancing at the two dead warriors. He frowned, feeling a strange, churning sensation in his body—a kind of internal turbulence that made him nauseous and uneasy.
"System, something feels off. I only devoured three, but I shouldn't be feeling this bad. Why does my body feel so uncomfortable?" He asked silently.
The system's voice was calm. "The prion virus is a variant of the Extremis virus. It contains multiple elements that are somewhat incompatible with the Extremis already in your body. The integration process isn't smooth, but it's not due to the number of abilities you've absorbed. It's because the origins of the Extremis and prion viruses are similar but not identical. Don't worry—your body is automatically adjusting, combining the two viruses. There is no danger."
Su Zhan let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected the fusion of the prion and Extremis viruses to be so problematic, but if the integration succeeded, the resulting power would be even greater.
He leaned back, feeling his head grow heavy and his eyelids droop. The urge to sleep was overwhelming—a natural reaction, the system told him, as his body worked to fuse the two viruses. He struggled to his feet, determined not to collapse in the factory. Coulson and the others would be fine for now, and there was nothing more to gain here.
Stumbling outside, Su Zhan let the cool night breeze wash over him, clearing his mind just enough to keep moving. He radioed in, "I have something to take care of. I'll check in later."
With that, he took to the air, flying until he found a nearby hotel. He checked in, barely making it to the bed before exhaustion claimed him.
His sleep was deep and dreamlike. In his dreams, he could feel his body changing, evolving, growing stronger in ways he could not fully describe. When he finally awoke, night had fallen. The room was dim, and as he sat up and turned on the light, Su Zhan checked his phone—already past nine in the evening. He'd slept for six or seven hours straight.
He evaluated his current state. Even without exerting himself, he could feel a tremendous surge of power. With a thought, heat radiated from his skin, and the air in the room grew stifling. He glanced at the wooden bedside table and saw scorch marks—the heat had nearly set it alight.
"It seems the power from the fusion has at least doubled," Su Zhan mused, nodding in satisfaction.
He checked his phone: several missed calls from Skye and Coulson. Instantly, he realized something must have happened.
He called Skye back. Her voice was tense. "Where are you? Something's happened!"
"I know. I'll be back soon," Su Zhan replied, already moving to the window.
He didn't bother with the door; he simply opened the window and soared into the night, racing back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. plane.
When he arrived, the atmosphere was grim. May, Skye, Simmons, and Fitz all looked shaken.
"Su Zhan, Coulson was taken. Michael… he's probably dead," Skye whispered, her voice trembling.
Su Zhan let out a quiet sigh. "So it happened after all…"
But he was not truly worried. He knew where Coulson had been taken, and he knew the truth about Coulson's resurrection after Loki killed him before the Battle of New York. As for Michael, he was not dead but had been transformed into a Deathlok by the Centipede organization. There would be twists and turns, but the outcome would be alright—especially with Su Zhan's intervention.
"Don't be discouraged. They'll be fine," Su Zhan said, his voice steady.
"Are you sure?" Skye asked, hope flickering in her eyes.
Su Zhan nodded, tapping his temple with a reassuring smile. "Of course I'm sure. I can see it all very clearly."
The team remembered Su Zhan's uncanny ability to predict the future. Understanding this, their spirits lifted, and hope returned to their faces.