Chapter 37: The End of the Brotherhood?
As he looked down at the bloody hole in his chest, Blob felt a wave of intense pain.
He was dying.
While his energy reserves could accelerate the healing process to a certain extent, they weren't a substitute for true healing powers. Against such a fatal wound, they had little effect.
But he couldn't fall just yet.
Toad was still up there searching for Magneto. If he went down, even if Toad found Magneto, he would surely come under attack.
Thinking of this, Blob disregarded the pain and let out a furious roar.
"Ahhh!"
With all his might, he managed to push the G-virus monster back, leaving two deep grooves in the ground.
But the next second, the bone spikes on the G-virus monster's chest suddenly opened wide like a bloodthirsty maw and clamped down on Blob's chest.
"Rrrip..."
A large chunk of flesh was torn away. The intense pain and the weightless sensation from blood loss caused Blob's consciousness to blur.
Yet his determination to hold back the G-virus monster kept him clutching it tightly, refusing to let go.
Meanwhile, after getting back up, Porcupine was becoming frantic.
"Blob! Are you okay? Hang in there!"
He kept shouting as he attacked with his spikes, but his strikes could not penetrate the monster's defenses.
At this point, a hint of fear began to creep into his heart.
The monster before him was so terrifying that even if it stood still and allowed him to attack, he couldn't kill it. It was beyond terrifying.
However, because he wasn't certain if Magneto was dead, he didn't dare to run away.
After all, compared to an Alpha-level mutant, the monster before him was still somewhat understandable.
While Blob continued to hold on with all his might, Toad on the Statue of Liberty suddenly let out a cry of joy.
"Magneto is still alive!"
Soon, Toad was seen carrying Erik and jumping down from the Statue of Liberty.
However, Erik's condition was far from good. His clothes were tattered, revealing several burnt areas and numerous wounds.
If he hadn't used his powers at the last moment to control metal and shield himself, he would likely have been torn to pieces.
But even so, he was now barely clinging to life, almost like a broken shell of a man.
Seeing the carnage around him, Erik felt a deep sorrow. These mutants were his followers, whom he had painstakingly gathered over the years.
He hadn't expected that in such a short time, they would all perish here. But facing the G-virus monster, he was powerless.
When Blob saw that Magneto was still alive, a glimmer of hope lit up in his heart.
"All of you, run!"
Before anyone could react, the G-virus monster roared and stopped retreating.
"Roar!"
Blob had become extremely thin by now.
Then, with a sudden forceful pull, the G-virus monster ripped Blob in half with a loud "tear."
Seeing this, Hedgehog immediately ran to Erik's side.
"Boss, we need to get out of here!"
"Run? Can we even escape?"
Erik glanced around as he spoke.
Unbeknownst to them, Ellis Island had already been surrounded by a large number of soldiers.
It was clear they were completely surrounded.
"Roar!"
After roaring twice, the G-virus monster did not continue attacking but remained where it was.
General Ross then disembarked from a ship, followed closely by Luna, who was holding a control panel.
"Shackle them all!" Ross ordered.
Immediately, several soldiers stepped forward, pulling out X-gene inhibitors and handcuffs as they approached Magneto and the others.
Naturally, Magneto and the others had no intention of resisting; they were led away, faces ashen with despair.
Seeing the situation come to a perfect resolution, General Ross finally allowed a smile to appear on his face. Then he turned to look at the G-virus monster not far away.
"Your G-virus creations are quite impressive. I'll take a hundred of them at a million dollars each."
Luna's smile froze for a moment upon hearing this.
"Haha... General Ross, you're quite the joker. At a million dollars, I wouldn't even cover the cost."
"Our company sells G-virus serums for ten million a dose, let alone the finished products."
Before she could finish, General Ross raised a hand to interrupt, "Two million dollars each, off the books, sold directly to me."
Hearing this, Luna's expression remained unchanged, but her mind began to calculate.
In reality, the G-virus's production cost wasn't much—just a few dollars, really.
The only somewhat expensive aspect might be the nutrient solution injected into the test subjects.
But even then, the total cost would only amount to about a thousand dollars.
In fact, most of the profits from the products they sold for ten million dollars usually ended up as kickbacks.
That's just the way things were in America.
For instance, the wife of a certain commander might be employed by Umbrella, and whenever a transaction was completed, the company would conveniently have a crucial computer break down. That computer would then be "miraculously" repaired by this commander's wife.
To thank her for saving such important company data, the company would reward her with a few hundred thousand dollars.
All above board, with taxes paid, perfectly legal and compliant, if somewhat illogical.
You think the U.S. government doesn't know about this?
No, they not only know, but the media also hypes it up, showing how democratic the U.S. is and how well they treat the working class. They encourage everyone to come to America.
And so, many people, unaware of the truth, flocked to America, believing the air there was sweet and fragrant.
"General Ross, our Umbrella branch in Japan has run into some trouble lately..."
Hearing this, General Ross waved his hand, "Don't worry. I'll talk to the local officials and make sure the Japanese cooperate with you."
His tone and attitude suggested he was speaking about his own servants, full of disdain and contempt.
In response, Luna immediately put on a sincere smile.
"Then, here's to a great partnership."
"Haha, a great partnership indeed."
.............
The next morning~
In Tony's seaside villa in New York.
Tony Stark slowly opened his groggy eyes, then got up, ready to head to the underground lab to check on his Mark V armor.
The noise woke up Pepper, who was sleeping beside him, causing her to wear a disgruntled expression.
"Tony, our funds are running low lately. Be careful with your toys."
The Mark armor used a special titanium alloy, which cost fifty dollars per gram on the market, almost as much as gold.
Even though they could buy it in bulk at a slightly cheaper rate, they couldn't afford Tony's reckless spending.
"Got it."
Tony's enthusiasm immediately waned upon hearing this.
He headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat before turning on the TV news.
"Last night's United Nations Summit was a resounding success.
Multiple countries have reached a consensus to initiate the Mutant Management Act."
"Last night, a group of mutants calling themselves the Brotherhood, led by a mutant named Magneto, landed on Ellis Island, attempting to threaten several world leaders."
"Fortunately, under the wise leadership of General Ross, our brave soldiers foiled this plot, killing and capturing all members of the Brotherhood."
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