Chapter 44 Degradable Drugs
Analysis of All Things and Stark-level engineering cognition operated simultaneously.
The molecular framework needed to satisfy multiple conditions at once.
Small enough to cross cellular membranes efficiently.
Precise enough for binding-site complementarity at the level of hydrogen-bond orientation and van der Waals interaction geometry.
Stable enough to avoid premature degradation.
At the same time—
Serum-protein binding had to remain low.
If excessive quantities became trapped by albumin in the bloodstream, active concentration at the target site would fall below therapeutic threshold.
Eighteen minutes.
The molecular structure was complete.
Next step—
Synthesis.
Lynn opened the chemical-reagent compartment inside the medical kit.
The Stark portable platform's microfluidic chip became the reaction chamber.
Four precursor compounds were extracted and introduced into the microchannels according to exact calculated molar ratios.
Reaction temperature—
Approximately body temperature.
No additional heating required.
Catalyst introduced.
Then—
A buffered enzyme solution.
Two minutes later—
A transparent liquid emerged from the outlet channel.
Analysis of All Things verified the result immediately.
Structural match:
Confirmed.
Purity:
91%.
Not ideal.
But operationally sufficient.
"Finished," Lynn said, lifting the vial.
He activated the communicator.
"Front line, the reversal compound is complete."
A pause.
"But there's a deployment issue."
"Too many infected targets for individual injection."
"I need aerosol distribution."
The commander's voice answered immediately.
"We can use firefighting helicopters."
"Aerial spray pattern."
"That works," Lynn replied.
"But direct liquid dispersal creates concentration inconsistency."
"I need an atomization system capable of producing aerosol particles between five and ten micrometers."
At that moment—
Engineering instinct took over completely.
Inside the armored communications vehicle sat a spare air purifier.
Contained within it—
An ultrasonic atomization plate.
Lynn disassembled the machine in under thirty seconds.
Then assembled a replacement system using:
An IV bottle.
Silicone tubing.
A compact battery pack.
Connected.
Calibrated.
The analyzer adjusted the atomizer frequency until droplet output stabilized within target range.
Three minutes later—
A functional aerosol diffuser sat on the table.
Small enough to fit in one hand.
"Get the helicopters," Lynn said.
The commander hesitated briefly.
Then glanced toward the front line.
Another barricade had already collapsed.
"Deploy the helicopters."
Two firefighting helicopters lifted off from Midtown staging zones and reached Harlem airspace seven minutes later.
Lynn loaded the diluted reversal compound into reinforced sealed containers.
Ground crews secured them beneath the aircraft using tow rigging.
Then Lynn climbed onto the roof of the command vehicle and activated the communications channel.
"All front-line personnel, listen carefully."
His voice transmitted directly into every headset.
"The reversal agent will be dispersed over the combat zone in thirty seconds."
"It is harmless to unmodified humans, but all personnel should wear respirators or avoid inhalation as a precaution."
"Mutants exposed to the aerosol will begin regression within approximately thirty to forty-five seconds."
"During regression, violent physiological instability may occur."
"Do not approach infected subjects until transformation reversal stabilizes."
The channel fell silent for two seconds.
Then Captain America responded first.
"Understood."
"All units fall back to secondary containment and mask up."
Black Widow's voice followed.
"Copy."
Then from above—
Hawkeye.
"This actually going to work?"
"You'll know in thirty seconds."
The helicopters descended lower over the combat zone.
Their spray nozzles opened.
The reversal compound passed through the diffuser and dispersed outward as a dense white aerosol cloud.
Against the burning streets and flashing emergency lights—
The scene looked surreal.
White mist descending over a battlefield.
The first mutant exposed was the insectoid variant.
Moments earlier, it had been tearing apart an overturned taxi cab.
The aerosol drifted across its face.
It inhaled instinctively.
Three seconds later—
It froze.
The six exoskeletal limbs extending from its torso began trembling violently.
Cracks spread across the hardened shell structure.
Not fractures—
Regression.
The exoskeleton receded gradually.
Like a tide pulling backward.
Pale human skin reappeared beneath it.
Its body shrank.
From over two meters—
Back toward ordinary human dimensions.
Detached limbs collapsed onto the pavement and twitched briefly before becoming inert.
Finally—
The mutant reverted completely.
A thin Asian male in his thirties lay on the street wearing torn remnants of a T-shirt.
Breathing hard.
Shaking uncontrollably.
Alive.
Then the second mutant began reverting.
The female thermal-emission mutant staggered backward as body temperature dropped rapidly.
The asphalt beneath her stopped melting.
Steam dissipated around her body.
Dark-red skin gradually returned to normal coloration.
She collapsed to her knees.
Then started crying.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Mutants across the quarantine zone began reverting one after another.
Like falling dominoes.
Within three minutes—
All eighteen infected civilians had returned to human form.
The battlefield became silent.
Soldiers slowly removed respirators.
Younger officers stared in disbelief.
Older veterans lowered their weapons without speaking.
Hawkeye lowered his bow while standing at the rooftop edge.
He looked down toward the command vehicle.
"What the hell," he muttered.
The channel remained open.
Everyone heard it.
Captain America said nothing.
He secured the shield across his back and crossed the barricade line toward the command vehicle.
Lynn remained standing on top of it.
White coat moving slightly in the night wind.
Steve Rogers stopped directly in front of him.
More than half a head taller.
Shoulders nearly twice as broad.
Several shallow wounds crossed his face and uniform—
Already healing visibly due to the enhanced physiology of the Super-Soldier Serum.
"Thank you, Doctor."
Steve extended his hand.
"You saved a lot of people tonight."
Lynn shook it.
The moment physical contact occurred—
His enhanced perception exploded with information.
Muscle density.
Bone structure.
Cellular metabolic efficiency.
Neurological signal speed.
And Analysis of All Things revealed even deeper details.
The biological architecture of the Super-Soldier Serum.
Mitochondrial energy efficiency enhancements.
Optimized synaptic transmission pathways.
Perfect endocrine balance.
Not random enhancement.
Carefully engineered biological optimization.
A human body refined almost beyond plausibility.
At the same time, Universal Diagnosis completed a full passive scan in the background.
The result revealed something unexpected.
"Captain Rogers," Lynn said calmly, his tone identical to an ordinary consultation,
"Has your right shoulder been bothering you recently?"
Captain America's expression shifted slightly.
"How did you know?"
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