Zoya had never felt time pass so slowly—until the moment she emerged with her subordinates, feeling as if she'd finally regained all the time she'd lost since becoming a vampire.
"Commander, what now?"
"Let's rendezvous with Herman first."
Meanwhile, back at the laboratory, Kara was at Lynn's side. After everything that had happened, Lynn had returned to the underground laboratory. Several vampires whose limbs had been severed by Maria were now suspended in bioreactors, awaiting further use—even in their current state, they would serve some purpose.
"Kara, how are the implants?"
"Perfect. It seems that even their black magic can't affect my mind control."
"Good. We might have a use for that in the future."
Of course, Zoya knew nothing of this. She soon arrived at a safe house on the outskirts of Manhattan and found her people there. Herman had already been resting inside for a while and looked extremely weak.
"Commander."
"Get some rest. Don't push yourself to get up. I'll return to Nosferatu alone. The rest of you are to disband immediately and keep your heads down until this is all over."
For a group of vampires, the bond between them felt unexpectedly human—there was a rare, almost familial sense of connection.
After that, Zoya handed Haya a set of instructions: she was to take Herman and leave New York for a while, finding a safer place to lay low.
"And what about you, Commander Stacia?"
"I still have to finish the task Lord Elaine assigned me."
Once everything was arranged, Zoya departed the safe house, leaving Haya and Herman behind. The two watched their commander go. Haya removed her tactical helmet, her face visibly dejected. Beside her, Herman also took off his headgear, absently touching his neck and failing to notice the faint traces of a bite.
The next morning, New York City bustled back to life as usual, indistinguishable from any other day. But for one person, today was anything but ordinary.
Ding-ding-ding.
Steve Rogers awoke from unconsciousness to a strangely unfamiliar room. Outside the window was a peaceful street scene, and from the radio on the nightstand came a live broadcast of a football game.
Everything about the place felt like a cozy hospital room, but Steve quickly sensed that something was off.
The noises outside seemed oddly repetitive—every three minutes, the same cycle of sounds played over again. The football broadcast felt wrong too; Steve immediately picked up on the discrepancies.
Moments after he woke, a red-haired civilian woman entered the room. She bore a faint resemblance to Peggy Carter.
"Captain Rogers, you're finally awake."
"Where am I?"
"This is a convalescent hospital in New York. Is something wrong?"
"I'll ask one more time: Where am I?"
"I'm not sure what you mean, Captain Rogers."
"This game on the radio—the one from May 1941? I was there."
It was at this point that the woman, realizing her cover was blown, surreptitiously pressed a transmitter in her hand to send a silent alert.
Moments later, the door behind her burst open and a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in black stormed in, intending to subdue Steve Rogers in a matter of seconds.
That did not go as planned.
Within the next minute, five or six S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were sent flying out of the meticulously designed replica hospital room, clutching their chests and arms in agony.
The commotion set off a Level Three alert throughout the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Every agent glimpsed Steve, but none of them had any hope of capturing a super-soldier.
Within three minutes, Steve—barefoot—had made it onto the street. Stunned, he looked out at the neon-lit splendor of present-day New York. For a long moment, he just stood there, overwhelmed.
That's when Nick appeared, surrounded by a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
"Take it easy. The world's changed a lot. We just wanted to make the transition easier for you.
Steve Rogers…"
"…Rogers was the war hero who led the Howling Commandos during the Second World War. His team included…"
Today, Lynn was leading a group of students on a field trip to a special memorial hall. Midtown High School students filled the exhibits, buzzing with excitement about the day's activities.
This, of course, was a headache for the teachers in charge. Some troublemakers were a nightmare to manage, but Lynn was unconcerned. Now that the Kronos Charity Hospital was nearly complete, he was already planning his next career move.
Initially, he'd thought that Peter might attract some powerful villains. But after Vulture and Shocker teamed up for a job—and ended up getting trounced by Spider-Man and White Tiger—Lynn's interest faded. There was no real benefit in sticking around.
The kinds of opponents Spider-Man faced hadn't really changed. Lynn had even made a few house calls. In this world, Peter had apparently been raised by both Aunt May and Uncle Ben from a young age, with his parents never having worked at Oscorp.
Lynn had a bit of a soft spot for that forty-something beauty, but that was as far as it went.
Given that Jessica would soon graduate from Midtown High, Lynn had no plans to stick around. In another two months, he was considering resigning altogether.
"Mr. Sidis, what are you thinking about?"
"Ava?" Lynn glanced at the display about Steve Rogers' life and smiled.
"Oh, nothing. I just find it fascinating—how a serum could change a person so drastically."
"Don't you think there are plenty of wonders left in the world?"
Lynn glanced at the jade tiger talisman hanging from her waist and nodded.
"You're right—there are plenty of strange things out there. Some of them haven't even happened yet.
Come on, let's catch up with the group. Old Mr. Koval is up ahead, regaling everyone with stories about his idol's heroic deeds. Even if it doesn't help you much, the way he spins a yarn is pretty entertaining."
With that, Lynn gave Ava a friendly pat on the shoulder, while quietly confirming his suspicions.
"There's an incredibly pure life force in her body. So it really is the talisman."
Just as he was about to follow the group, he noticed two women in the crowd. There was a significant age difference between them—one was a graceful blonde, the other a frail old woman.
The younger woman pushed the elderly lady through the museum. The old woman's gaze was vacant, but every so often her eyes sparkled with a sly, lively intelligence—only to drift back into memory, staring blankly at the displays.
"Aunt, just a little longer and we'll head home, okay?"
"Why hasn't Steve come back? It's been two days already…"
"Captain Rogers will be back soon. He's very popular here. How about we go home a bit early?"
"He still owes me a dance. He's still on that plane… Why am I here?"
Clearly, the older woman was suffering from advanced Alzheimer's.
From their exchange, Lynn gleaned a few useful details. Ava had already rejoined the crowd, slipping herself right between Peter and MJ. The atmosphere between the three was… complicated. But Lynn had no interest in sorting out their love triangle.
He quietly walked over to Sharon Carter and spoke up.
"Your mother seems to be quite fond of Captain Rogers?"
The question left Sharon a bit exasperated. She seemed to think Lynn was hitting on her—something that happened every time she brought her aunt to the museum.
"As a matter of fact, she's my aunt. But you're right—she really did like Steve Rogers. What elderly woman wouldn't?
Now, if you don't mind, could you please step aside?"
With a polite nod and a smile, Sharon wheeled Peggy Carter around Lynn and out of sight. Clearly, Lynn wasn't her type; she preferred cheerful, sunny guys—like the Steve Rogers pictured in the museum's exhibits.
But Lynn had confirmed his suspicions. Peggy Carter was still alive in this world.
"Hmm… Judging by her condition, maybe three, four years left at most."
Lynn noted this internally, watching Sharon gently talk to the confused Peggy as they vanished into the crowd, then returned to his students.
By now, Ava and MJ were already arguing beside Peter, completely ignoring the fact that Peter's old friend, Flash, had thrown an arm around him. The jock had no idea that the nerdy guy he used to bully was actually his hero.
He was even wearing a Spider-Man tank top under his jacket.
But Lynn didn't see any sign of Jessica.
"Where'd she go?"
As it turned out, Jessica was currently cornered in the restroom by a few other girls from her grade—who had clearly been waiting for her.
"Listen, have you been getting a little too cocky lately? Patricia has been acting all weird ever since you came back.
You'd better stay away from our toys, got it? Hey, are you even listening?"
Jessica splashed some water on her face, shook her hands dry, and looked at the girls with an indifferent expression.
"Are you done?"
"You—"
Without another word, Jessica wiped her wet hands on one of their shirts, patted the girl's shoulder, and walked out as if nothing had happened.
That move, of course, did not go over well.
The tough girls, furious, immediately swung at her.
When Jessica finally returned to Lynn's side, it was clear she was in a good mood, though her jacket was missing.
Lynn reached over and wiped the blood from her face.
"Next time, remember to bring gloves. What happened to those girls?"
"Just some bruises. Nothing serious."
"As long as no one got killed."
Lynn knew those girls—they came from very traditional families. Even if they took a beating, nobody would really care.
"So, what are your plans for college after you graduate next year?"
"My grades aren't good enough for college, are they?"
"You don't have to go. I'll hire a private tutor for you—pick whoever you like."
"Does it cost money?"
Lynn hadn't expected such a practical question and couldn't help laughing. Don't you want to study?
"I'm just not the academic type."
But he could tell Jessica had something else on her mind, though she didn't dare say it in front of him. For all that Lynn seemed harmless, she knew better.
He wasn't as gentle as he looked.
"Fair enough. Let's talk again in a couple days. I've got things to take care of, and there are some experiments I'll need your help with. Maybe you can assist."
"Huh? Really?"
"Not feeling confident?"
"No, I am! I really am!"
Jessica nodded vigorously, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction at finally being acknowledged. Lynn ruffled her hair and got ready to leave the Steve Rogers Memorial with the rest of the group.
Time passed, the sun rising and setting as always. Lynn picked up a call from Blade.
"Sidis, did you agree?"
"Come by tomorrow night. I'll do it."
With that, Lynn hung up.
Back at the building, Jekyll was quietly suspended in the bioreactor. His modifications were nearly complete. As a Super Zoanoid, his abilities had been thoroughly enhanced, and Lynn had even added some extra features.
His energy projection capabilities were now formidable—he'd be a valuable asset in the upcoming battle.
Meanwhile, another bioreactor held Maria.
This female vampire was an ideal test subject; Lynn had performed numerous experimental modifications on her in order to surpass the previous limits of the Zoanoid technology.
These experiments had paid off, and the advancements were applied to Jekyll as well. However, Lynn had no intention of using Maria as a disposable asset like Tom.
For now, he needed Maria to help Kara with management. Her condition was exactly what Lynn wanted, and he had no plans to use her up.
When the liquid in the bioreactors finally receded, Lynn released both of them.
Laboratory assistants immediately set to work helping them recover.
Kara followed Lynn closely.
"How stable is the connection between the control cells and the restraint core?"
"Very stable, Doctor. It's reached the levels you projected. However, since the current offloading units are still in cultivation, we'll need a reliable subject for the next phase of testing."
"I've got one. I'll bring her in tomorrow."
"Understood."
"And the progress on the other batch in the auxiliary incubator?"
"As you expected—after testing, all the parameters are within your projected thresholds. However, energy output remains low and tends to destabilize, leading to frequent breakdowns."
"No problem. We have plenty of time for further testing."
Kara was a quick study and always executed her assignments well. She did, however, have her limits—once she entered certain specialized fields, she could no longer provide much help to Lynn.
"I really could use a few more bright minds," Lynn muttered, heading toward the engineering wing.