Chapter 124: Secret Gathering
"Commander, we engaged the Atlanteans in the deep sea. Their scientific and technological prowess isn't weak at all. In fact, they've developed a whole new form of underwater tech that's bizarre and effective," Doom reported concisely, his tone as steady as ever.
He and Spider-Man had taken the risk to get close to the Atlantean mother city—not Atlantis itself, but close enough to observe its defense systems and catch a glimpse of their civilization.
Unlike the land-based societies, Atlanteans had evolved along an entirely different trajectory, forming a unique underwater civilization brimming with bio-mechanical wonders and pressure-based weaponry.
Inside the bridge of the S.W.O.R.D. headquarters, a massive holographic screen flashed streams of submarine surveillance data—deep sonar maps, particle scans, thermal anomalies—so dense that Spider-Man's eyes nearly rolled back in confusion.
"Ugh, I swear this stuff's written in alien," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
Gene, on the other hand, stood calmly, watching the raw data scroll past. His eyes glowed faintly with calculation, his neural network parsing everything at inhuman speed.
"There's a physiological shift after prolonged exposure to their city's energy field," Gene said quietly, tapping one of the glowing readouts. "Definitely worth studying."
As soon as the word "studying" left Gene's mouth, both Spider-Man and Doom flinched.
They looked at each other knowingly.
They'd both witnessed firsthand the "research" done inside Gene's underground Hive Lab—advanced beyond modern science, yet disturbing beyond belief. The last time they were there, a biotank had something inside that may or may not have been breathing backwards.
Yet deep down, they knew Gene wasn't wrong. If they were going to survive this new world of mutants, aliens, gods, and monsters, humanity would need knowledge—even if it came with a few moral trade-offs.
"Alright. This mission will be handed over to the Sharp Blade Squad. Rogers will be the field commander," Gene said, turning away from the screen.