Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

Inside the private testing area on the top floor of Stark Tower, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable. The air was thick with the strange stench of disinfectant, engine oil, and a faint, otherworldly odor of decay. On the main screen, which occupied an entire wall, complex data streamed rapidly like a waterfall. A split screen beside it displayed two starkly different viral structural models under a high-powered microscope—one a zombie virus from the world of The Walking Dead, exhibiting a wild, chaotic, and torn appearance; the other a T-virus sample recently brought back from the world of Resident Evil, its structure intricate and symmetrical, yet exuding a chilling malice.

Chen Haotian stood before the control panel, his long, slender fingers flying across the virtual keyboard. His brilliant mind was focused on analyzing the T-virus's genetic sequence, attempting to find its compatibility with the biological rules of the Marvel universe. He wore a simple black lab coat, the collar casually open, his brows carrying a hint of the languid ease of a playboy, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle, revealing the focus and prudence unique to highly intelligent individuals.

Not far away, Tony Stark frowned at a crystal emitting a faint, eerie blue light. It was a void energy crystal brought back from the world of The Walking Dead, currently held in place in mid-air by a complex energy confinement field. "The energy level contained in this thing is very peculiar. It's neither entirely the nuclear energy of the Arc Reactor, nor any known type of cosmic energy... It's more like a kind of... 'blank' universal fuel?" Tony stroked his stubble, muttering to himself, his tone filled with the curiosity and inquisitiveness of a scientist.

"A blank slate implies immense potential for growth, but it also means instability," Chen Haotian replied calmly without looking up. "Using it to attempt to stabilize virus fusion carries both risks and opportunities. Are you sure your contingency plan can handle everything?"

"Hey, doubting my skills?" Tony raised an eyebrow, his signature expression a mix of confidence and arrogance. "In my lab, even the Cosmic Cube would have to operate according to my rules. As for you, Haotian, has that 'travel ticket' etched into your bones been behaving itself lately?"

Chen Haotian's fingers paused almost imperceptibly on the keyboard. His cunning nature made him accustomed to concealing crucial information, even when facing his only current partner, Tony. He looked inward at himself; the transmigration rune, composed of countless tiny, intricate lines flowing with silver light, was quietly suspended deep within his consciousness. But unlike its usual stable and controllable feel, since coming into contact with that strange metallic fragment from the DC Universe, the rune had become somewhat... "restless." It was no longer merely a passive tool; occasionally, it would autonomously emit faint currents of heat, as if constantly scanning and sensing something, or perhaps accumulating power.

"It's under control for now." Chen Haotian gave an ambiguous answer, avoiding Tony's probing gaze and refocusing his attention on the virus model on the screen. "The T-virus's reverse transcription mechanism is very special. It seems to be able to forcibly rewrite the host's genes, but the direction of the rewriting is full of randomness, more like... a crude evolutionary filter."

"Those lunatics at Umbrella Corporation are selling this thing like a commodity." Tony scoffed, abandoning the Void Crystal which he couldn't fully analyze for the time being. He walked over to Chen Haotian, looking at the chillingly perfect spiral structure on the screen. "Speaking of which, we left in a hurry last time. There must be even more good stuff in the Hive's underground database. That Red Queen AI has a terrible temper, but she's got a lot of knowledge."

"Yes, we've only downloaded 37% of the data, and we've only obtained the basic model of the virus sample." Chen Haotian nodded. His academic genius made him obsessed with the unfinished research. "Moreover, the time flow in that world seems to be slower than here. If we go back now, we might be able to catch up with the start of the 'plot,' giving us more room to maneuver."

The moment he finished speaking, something unexpected happened!

Without warning, the transmigration runes deep within his consciousness erupted with unprecedented intensity, the silver light instantly engulfing his inner vision. A scorching heat surged forth from the depths of his spine like a wild horse, sweeping across his entire body! The intense energy fluctuations even affected reality; the space around him began to emit a faint, shattering "hum," the air distorted, and light refracted.

"Ugh!" Chen Haotian groaned, his body trembling slightly uncontrollably. He barely managed to stand by bracing himself on the control panel with his hands. Fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

"Haotian?!" Tony reacted incredibly quickly, immediately taking a half-step back. The portable armor bracelet on his wrist instantly activated, and nanoparticles rapidly covered his arm like living things, forming a small defense and energy detection unit. "What's going on? Energy overload? Or is that damn rune acting up again?"

Chen Haotian gritted his teeth, attempting to suppress the rune's rampage with willpower, but this time, the rune seemed to possess its own will, ignoring his control. The silver light grew stronger, forming a faint, distorted halo around his body. A crystal-clear spatial coordinate, like a red-hot branding iron, was forcibly imprinted into his mind—it was the Resident Evil world, Raccoon City, near the Hive entrance!

"No... I can't control it anymore..." Chen Haotian forced out the words through gritted teeth. He felt the runes frantically drawing some unknown energy from his body, forcibly constructing a passage to that predetermined coordinate. "This time it's... forced teleportation! The target... is still the Resident Evil world!"

Tony's expression changed instantly; he understood the situation. Forced teleportation meant no preparation time, no well-thought-out plan, and possibly no choice of landing point. "Damn it! Can we interrupt it?"

"Tried it...it didn't work!" Chen Haotian felt the tearing sensation in the space around him intensify. That familiar, agonizing force, capable of dislocating one's internal organs, reappeared, more intense than ever before. "Get ready...we're leaving!"

The laboratory alarms were automatically triggered by the violent spatial disturbance, blaring a piercing buzzer and flashing red warning lights. Jarvis's calm but slightly rapid voice rang out: "Gentlemen, an abnormal high-dimensional energy burst has been detected. The stability of the spatial structure is rapidly decreasing. Immediate evacuation of this area is recommended..."

"Evacuate? Where to!" Tony spat, his right arm armor rapidly extending to cover half his body. Simultaneously, he swiftly grabbed a sealed briefcase containing basic analytical tools and emergency supplies from a nearby lab bench. "Jarvis, lock onto our life signals and energy signatures! If we disappear, activate maximum security!"

"Understood, sir. The energy fluctuation pattern has been recorded, and we are attempting to build a tracking model..."

Before Tony could finish speaking, the silver light surrounding Chen Haotian suddenly reached its peak, transforming into a dazzling vortex that completely engulfed him and rapidly expanded, also engulfing Tony standing beside him!

"Tony!" Chen Haotian only managed to call out this name in the moment before he completely lost control of his body.

"What...exciting way to travel!" Tony felt dizzy, everything was distorted and stretched, as if he had been thrown into a high-speed spinning washing machine. He gripped the box tightly, his nanotech armor struggling to maintain its most basic life support system.

The next second, the silver light suddenly contracted and disappeared as if it were an illusion.

Inside the experimental area on the top floor of Stark Tower, only the frantically blaring alarms, flashing red lights, and two virus models frozen on the main screen remained. The spot where Chen Haotian and Tony had stood at the control panel was now empty; only the lingering, subtle spatial ripples and the strange aftershocks of energy in the air proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

In a distant world, a world rife with death and crisis, an unplanned adventure, fraught with unknown dangers, has begun. Meanwhile, in the Marvel universe, only Jarvis's calm report remains: "Sir, Mr. Chen, life signal lost. An unplanned high-dimensional jump has been confirmed. Highest security measures activated."