~Washington D.C., Army Officers Club~
Dressed in a black suit, Sean entered carrying a dark briefcase...
His invited guest sat at the bar on a swivel stool, savoring sweet rum. The impeccably pressed military uniform adorned with shining stars revealed the host's illustrious status.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, General Ross." Sean strode to the bar and ordered a whiskey, "I thought a brave soldier like you would prefer something stronger like vodka."
Ross chuckled while pouring himself another drink, then shook his head, "That was true when I was younger... When I loved hard liquor and beautiful women. But I'm not that strong young man anymore. My personal doctor keeps warning me to cut back on tobacco and alcohol, he says those things will send me to meet God ahead of schedule..."
Even as he spoke, Ross accepted a premium cigar from the bartender, and puffed out thick smoke.
The gray-haired Army general glanced at Sean and got straight to the point, "You want me to champion Oscorp's cause? Young man, perhaps capital drives this nation's direction, but not everyone can be bought... at least not at the price you and Oscorp can currently offer."
Ross looked down his nose arrogantly. Of course he'd heard of Sean, the genius making waves in New York. Over his long career, Ross had met many so-called geniuses... like Howard Stark, that shrewd arms dealer, or Hank Pym, the stubborn old fool... He'd long since stopped being impressed by "geniuses"...
Human intelligence might solve most of the world's problems, but it couldn't lift a boulder. Knowledge alone wasn't omnipotent, it needed the support of money and capital.
"I fully understand money can't buy a general's friendship," Sean smiled faintly, unperturbed by Ross's bluntness, "But I have something the military would find very interesting. I wouldn't come to humiliate myself without proper bargaining chips."
Ross found Sean's confidence intriguing. Few young men could maintain such composure in his presence.
"What could you and young Osborn possibly offer? Filling an Army general's appetite isn't easy," the cigar-smoking old man said dismissively.
The conflict between Oscorp and Worthington had become common knowledge. As the industry leader, Worthington stood like an inviolable lion... any challengers to its throne had been torn apart by its sharp claws!
The consensus was that the shallow-rooted Oscorp stood no chance. With its new CEO Harry Osborn achieving mediocre results at best, how could they possibly compete with an established giant like Worthington?
"Super soldiers," Sean said succinctly.
From his briefcase, he carefully extracted a vial of vibrant green liquid that seemed to pulse under the light, emitting an almost hypnotic allure.
Ross's pupils contracted as his casual demeanor instantly transformed...
Stubbing out his cigar, he said gravely, "Oscorp's failure in the human enhancement program is public knowledge. Don't let youthful impulsiveness lead you to regretful mistakes, young man. Deceiving senior military officials isn't a game."
The term "super soldier" held unimaginable appeal for the military. During WWII last century, Captain America Steve Rogers had been the beneficiary of Project Rebirth, leading the Howling Commandos to victories against Nazi forces...
To this day, Brooklyn's museum housed detailed records of this legendary story...
"Oscorp's human enhancement program did fail... it was just one step short of success: a strong-willed, exceptional soldier."
Sean's lips curled slightly as he regarded General Ross with a hint of mockery, "I've done my research, General. Was Abraham Erskine's super-soldier serum truly so perfect, completely flawless? As I understand, Captain America wasn't the first super soldier. Before him, there was a man named Johann Schmidt..."
"...Due to side effects, this first recipient of the serum became horrifically disfigured like a skull... evil, murderous, utterly inhuman. The good become better, the bad become worse. It's no different from the formula that created the Green Goblin."
Sean knew the historical truth the military had tried to bury...
In Dr. Erskine's eyes, a super soldier needed not just physical strength, but a brave and virtuous heart. That's why the scrawny Steve Rogers had been chosen... and he'd proven worthy of that trust.
The serum induced unimaginable agony, amplifying both physical suffering and dark emotions simultaneously, like releasing savage beasts from within to devour one's rationality and morality...
The Red Skull, former leader of HYDRA, exemplified this outcome. Steve Rogers had resisted the darkness... or perhaps the man called "Captain America" simply embodied humanity's noblest spirit, his will unshakable and indomitable.
"...You're correct. The serum that created Captain America wasn't perfect. Finding another man like him would be nearly impossible." Ross sighed ruefully, "An army of murderers, megalomaniacs and madmen would be useless to us. The military needs perfect super soldiers... loyal, strong, capable of taking on hundreds alone, with power to sway entire battlefields!"
The tall general stood up, having expected more substantial offers from Sean, "Oscorp failed to deliver that, which makes their human enhancement program a failure!"
All he'd gotten so far was youthful bravado. To gain powerful allies, one needed to offer commensurate benefits... flawed enhancement formulas fell far short.
"Oscorp is willing to provide ten samples of the enhancement formula plus all research data." As Ross made to leave, Sean remained unperturbed, sipping his drink before dangling the first bait, "I hear you've assembled an independent research team, recruiting genius physicist Dr. Bruce Banner to recreate the super-soldier serum. These materials should prove quite valuable."
"Smart young man, you know exactly what to offer." Ross's eyes flashed with appreciation as he returned to his stool, "But it's still not enough. These aren't worth antagonizing a pharmaceutical giant for Oscorp's sake."
"I don't need you as Oscorp's backer, General. As long as Oscorp insists on entering the medical field, one of us must leave the arena... either Worthington or us." Sean paused, his deep eyes glinting coldly, "I'll give you all of Oscorp's enhancement research and samples. In return, you simply ensure my new drug gets approved. That concludes our transaction."
"And how will you handle Worthington's retaliation?" Ross asked with growing interest.
"That would be mine and Harry's problem to solve." Sean maintained his polite, humble demeanor.
His fingers tapped lightly on the bar as he said softly, "Don't always associate me with Oscorp, General. Allow me to properly introduce myself... Sean Cyphers, founder of Umbrella Laboratories. I believe we'll have more opportunities to collaborate in the future..."
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Read ahead on my P@treon...
[email protected]/MayaMatengele01