Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

Chapter 48 Fragment Research

The laboratory on the top floor of Stark Tower remained brightly lit even late at night.

Chen Haotian leaned against the control panel, his fingertips lightly tapping the rotating metal fragment model on the holographic projection. This fragment, extracted from the brain of a mutated zombie in the world of The Walking Dead, gleamed with an eerie dark golden luster under the bright light.

"Still unable to resolve its molecular structure." Tony's voice came from the other end of the lab. He was standing in front of a high-precision scanner, his brow furrowed. "Jarvis ran seven different analytical programs, and the results showed that this thing shouldn't exist at all."

Chen Haotian lazily curled the corners of his mouth: "Dear brother, if it were so easy to analyze, we wouldn't be staying up all night here."

Since returning from the world of The Walking Dead a month ago, the two brothers have established this delicate working relationship. Tony is in charge of the technical research, while Chen Haotian provides directional advice from his perspective as a transmigrator. On the surface, they cooperate seamlessly, but they both know that this cooperation is built on mutual testing and the exchange of benefits.

"Data shows that this fragment contains 67.3% unknown elements," Jarvis's electronic voice echoed in the laboratory. "The remaining components include lead, kryptonite particles, and an energy signature that contradicts the known laws of the universe."

"Kryptonite?" Chen Haotian raised an eyebrow and slowly walked to the scanner. "This is interesting."

Tony glanced at him: "What do you know?"

"Perhaps." Chen Haotian chuckled, his fingertips tracing the projection, enlarging the fragment model. "In my memory, kryptonite is closely related to a certain alien savior wearing a blue bodysuit."

Tony took a swig of coffee, his tone clearly skeptical: "Are you going to start your 'prophetic' act again?"

"Believe it or not," Chen Haotian shrugged, but his eyes turned serious. "But I suggest you treat this fragment with caution. It may come from a world far more dangerous than we imagine."

Over the next few hours, they tried various methods to further analyze the fragment. Laser cutting, particle bombardment, and even Stark Industries' latest quantum probe were used, but not a single scratch was left on the fragment's surface.

"Indestructible." Tony stared at the test report, his tone a mixture of frustration and excitement. "One hundred percent energy absorption, zero thermal conductivity, and electromagnetic fields have absolutely no effect on it. This thing is practically mocking modern physics."

Chen Haotian did not respond immediately. He felt the runes within his body were slightly warming up, a reaction he had never experienced before. Since returning from the world of The Walking Dead, he had clearly felt that the energy of the runes had increased significantly, but this resonance with the fragments was a first for him.

"Let me try," he suddenly said.

Tony looked at him warily: "Your little trick?"

"To be more precise, it's energy sensing." Chen Haotian stretched out his hand, hovering a few centimeters above the fragment. "Since conventional methods are ineffective, perhaps we should try unconventional ones."

Tony hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Jarvis, record all the data, including any unusual energy fluctuations."

Chen Haotian closed his eyes and focused his mind on guiding the energy of the runes within his body. A barely perceptible wisp of silver light emanated from his fingertips, slowly reaching towards the fragment as if it were alive.

The moment the energy came into contact with the fragments, a sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, the fragment burst forth with blinding golden light, and all the instruments in the laboratory simultaneously emitted piercing alarms. Chen Haotian felt a massive flow of information surge into his consciousness through the energy connection, countless unfamiliar symbols and images flashing through his mind.

"Energy readings off the charts!" Tony yelled, quickly activating the emergency protocol on the control panel. "Chen Haotian, disconnect!"

But Chen Haotian couldn't respond. He seemed to be caught in a vortex of information, strange images flashing before his eyes: a gigantic red sun illuminating a crystal-like city, figures in cloaks flying through the air, and a being shrouded in shadow emitting a low laugh...

"Warning: High-dimensional energy leak detected." Jarvis's voice became urgent. "The laboratory's protective barrier is overloaded."

Tony acted decisively, initiating the emergency isolation procedure. A reinforced glass wall instantly rose, isolating Chen Haotian and the debris within the experimental area.

"Chen Haotian!" Tony pounded on the glass. "Can you hear me?"

Chen Haotian suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils flashing with golden light. He remained in the outstretched hand position, but his entire body was shrouded in a faint golden mist.

"I saw it..." he murmured, his voice echoing strangely, "A universe...a law...an impending crisis..."

Tony was shocked to discover that the fragment was slowly levitating, rotating at a finger's distance from Chen Haotian's palm. Countless tiny golden runes emerged from the surface of the fragment, forming complex and ever-changing patterns in the air.

"Jarvis, analyze those symbols!" Tony commanded.

"Unidentifiable, Mr. Stark. These symbols do not belong to the language system of any known civilization, but their arrangement shows a high degree of mathematical regularity."

Chen Haotian suddenly took a deep breath, and the golden light in his eyes gradually faded. He withdrew his hand, and the fragments fell back onto the experimental table, restoring the previous calm.

"Are you alright?" Tony asked as he was released from quarantine and quickly approached.

"Better than I imagined." Chen Haotian rubbed his temples, but his face was filled with excitement. "This fragment...it's a beacon, Tony. A beacon from the DC Universe."

Tony frowned. "DC? You mean the one in the comics?"

"Reality is often more bizarre than fiction, isn't it?" Chen Haotian chuckled as he walked towards the holographic projection, recalling the rune patterns Jarvis had just recorded. "These aren't ordinary symbols; they are the embodiment of laws. Or rather, they are the projection of the fundamental physical laws of a higher universe onto this universe."

Tony silently observed the slowly rotating runes, his scientist's instincts telling him that Chen Haotian might be telling the truth. The arrangement of these symbols revealed a beauty and order beyond human comprehension, as if the deepest secrets of the universe were hidden within them.

"And what's most interesting is," Chen Haotian continued, lightly tapping one of the particularly complex runes with his fingertip, "that symbol represents the concept of 'time travel.' This fragment not only comes from another universe, it is itself a miniature time travel device."

Tony looked up abruptly: "You mean..."

"That's right." Chen Haotian turned to face him, a cunning glint in his eyes. "It's no coincidence that this fragment can resonate with my runes. It's calling for its kind, or rather, it's searching for the key to activate it."

A brief silence fell over the lab, broken only by the faint hum of the instruments. Tony walked to the control panel, pulled up all the data records, and his mind raced.

"If this is true," he finally spoke, his voice low, "then we are not just facing a piece of alien metal, but a gateway to an unknown universe."

Chen Haotian nodded: "And it's a universe even more...chaotic than Marvel. There, gods walk among humans, magic and technology coexist, and the lines between good and evil are blurred."

"Sounds like a mess," Tony scoffed.

"It's also an opportunity," Chen Haotian smiled. "Imagine, Tony, if we could gain the ability to travel freely between two universes and acquire the unique resources and technologies of those worlds..."

Tony didn't respond immediately, but his eyes betrayed his interest. For a genius like him, the unknown is always the most alluring challenge.

"First, we need to fully understand how this fragment works," Tony finally said, reactivating the scanner. "If it really is some kind of time-travel device, then it must have an energy core and a control mechanism."

Chen Haotian nodded in agreement: "I can continue to try to establish an energy connection with it, but this time I will be more cautious."

"I'll monitor all parameters, and immediately shut down if energy fluctuations exceed the safety threshold." Tony set up the safety protocol, then suddenly glanced at Chen Haotian. "What did you mean by 'crisis' earlier?"

Chen Haotian's smile faded slightly: "During the energy connection, I sensed some... fragments. A massive shadow is gathering power in that universe, something capable of devouring stars. And this fragment could be a warning, or it could be... bait."

Tony paused for a moment, then laughed unexpectedly: "Looks like our family gathering is going to expand to the multiverse level."

"Scared?" Chen Haotian raised an eyebrow.

"The Stark family is never afraid," Tony said, downing the last sip of coffee. "We just prepare in advance."

In the following period, the two divided the work. Tony was responsible for analyzing the fragment's properties from a scientific perspective, while Chen Haotian attempted to establish a connection with the fragment in a gentler way. As the research progressed, more and more evidence showed that the fragment was indeed closely connected to another universe.

"A faint gravitational wave anomaly has been detected," Jarvis reported. "There are subtle changes in the spacetime curvature around the debris, consistent with the predictions of wormhole theory."

"The energy characteristics are 89.7% similar to the rune energy in Mr. Chen's body," another analysis result showed.

Tony looked at the data thoughtfully: "Perhaps your runes and this fragment are different manifestations of the same technology."

Just as Chen Haotian was about to respond, he suddenly felt a pulsation in the runes within his body. This time, the feeling was completely different from before; it wasn't a gentle resonance, but rather an almost urgent pull.

"Tony," his voice turned serious, "I think we've triggered something."

The fragments shone with golden light once more, but this time the light was more stable and persistent. The runes of law reappeared, but their arrangement had changed, as if they were forming some kind of command sequence.

"The energy readings are steadily rising, but there are no signs of danger." Tony stared intently at the monitor screen. "It looks like... a program is starting up."

Chen Haotian took a deep breath, feeling the ever-strengthening connection between the runes and the fragments. He could sense that a passage was opening, that a world was calling out. And this time, it was no longer a passive response, but an active connection.

As the last rune was in place, the fragment suddenly shot out a beam of golden light, shooting straight towards the laboratory ceiling. Before reaching the ceiling, the light abruptly diffused, forming a constantly shifting star map. In the center of the star map, a familiar planetary symbol slowly rotated—the red and white umbrella-shaped logo of the Umbrella Corporation.

"Resident Evil..." Chen Haotian muttered to himself, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

Tony strode over to him, staring at the holographic star map: "Is this our next destination?"

Chen Haotian nodded slowly, the runes within his body already locking onto the coordinates of that world. This time, it wasn't an accidental transmigration, but a deliberate choice. He looked at the star map, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

A new journey is about to begin.