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[Frog] Chapter 136: Anna's Secret
🕑 Added 2024-11-01 16:48:09 +0000 UTCNight had fallen.
Standing by the balcony, Alan held a glass of fine wine, savoring its flavor. Naturally, this wine was something he had obtained from Tony. Tony’s efficiency was impressive—after Jarvis arranged everything, Tony flew off to retrieve the items himself.
In just one afternoon, Alan had secured 2 kilograms of vibranium, and he even managed to score two bottles of wine from Tony as a bonus.
After all, he’d experienced the power of Tony’s last batch of wine, and it was just the thing to share with Gwen for another drink...
Meanwhile, in the underground prison of the NYPD headquarters
Anna, dressed in a white lab coat, stood with two nurses beside her. They pushed a medical cart loaded with psychiatric drugs, which they would need for the patient they were approaching—a homeless man who had undergone experimental modifications at Norman’s hands.
Currently, the man wasn’t in his usual agitated state; instead, he lay quietly on the bed. However, his body bore bruises of varying shades, and some areas were even bandaged.
Anna’s expression was complex as she observed the scene, her brows deeply furrowed. She heard footsteps approaching and turned to speak tiredly, "Uncle George, you’re here."
George, noting her exhaustion, replied apologetically, "Thank you for doing this, Anna. How is he?"
Anna removed her mask, inhaling the cool air that quickly revived her. "Not good. His body... it seems to be falling apart..."
George’s brows knitted together. "What do you mean by that?"
Originally, he had just wanted to see if Anna could get the man stable enough to testify in court, as that testimony would help them secure an arrest warrant for Norman. But the situation seemed worse than he expected.
Anna explained, “Initially, communication with his two personalities was progressing well. But, for reasons unknown, his other personality has started to destabilize. He’s even begun to harm himself.”
She took out her phone and played a video for George. His expression grew darker as he watched the footage: in the video, the man seemed deranged, repeatedly bashing his head against the wall and punching himself in the face. George glanced over at the cell, where dried bloodstains were still visible on the walls.
"I had to use a potent sedative combined with a strong anesthetic just to calm him down enough to take a blood sample," Anna said, picking up a stack of lab results from the cart and handing them to George, who took one look before passing them back.
"Just give me the conclusion," he said. "I don’t understand any of this."
“His cells are dividing at an incomprehensible speed,” Anna replied, “and the most concerning part is his brain cells, which are dividing at almost double the usual rate.”
Seeing George’s confusion, Anna simplified her explanation: “In layman’s terms, every cell in his body right now… they’re all…”
“Cancer cells…” George murmured.
Anna nodded grimly. “If we can’t find the cause of this transformation, there’s no way to treat him. At this rate, he has maybe two days left at most…”
Bam!
George slammed his fist into the wall in frustration. This man was their only solid evidence against Norman Osborn. If he died...
"Wait," George said, piecing things together. "Based on what you’re saying... is there any chance that the Green Goblin from that night might have suffered from a similar condition?"
Anna nodded. “Yes, judging from his bizarre behavior that night, the symptoms do seem to match.”
“But… there’s something different about it too,” she added thoughtfully. After all, the Green Goblin’s ability to generate a cold fire on his own was quite distinct from the homeless man lying before them.
They were practically two different beings. Anna could only sigh and shake her head.
“If only we knew exactly what drugs Norman had been giving him,” she said. “Maybe we’d have a way to help him.”
But Anna knew that without an approved search or arrest warrant, they had no way of conducting an investigation inside Oscorp.
Just gathering at Oscorp’s doors would get them forcibly removed. That was the beauty of the American system, with its protections for high-taxpaying corporations—after all, the structure of society itself was built by these wealthy elite.
Anna’s words were spoken out of frustration, but they sparked something in George. His eyes lit up. “I think I know someone who can help us,” he said.
Anna perked up, curious. “Who?”
“Peter Parker!” George replied confidently. “Norman Osborn’s assistant!”
George then briefed Anna on Peter, omitting Dr. Connors' involvement but informing her that Peter had joined Oscorp as Norman’s assistant—a fact that wasn’t much of a secret anymore.
“Do you think he’d actually help us?” Anna asked.
George nodded confidently. “Yes, he’s a good kid. I’m sure he’ll want to help.”
“Then we should act quickly,” Anna agreed. “If he has any research on these drugs, we might have a solution.”
Just as she finished speaking, Anna suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, stumbling as she nearly lost her balance. George quickly stepped in to steady her, an apologetic expression on his face. “Anna, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Uncle George. It’s an old issue of mine,” Anna reassured him. “It always happens when I’ve been concentrating too long.”
Noticing her pale face, George apologized. “I’m sorry for pushing you so hard.”
“Why don’t you go rest while I go find Peter?” he suggested. “Come back to the station tomorrow.”
George understood Anna’s condition well. From a young age, Anna had been a prodigy, yet her brilliance came with a certain drawback. If she concentrated on something for too long, it would cause an unusual spike in her energy consumption. Despite consulting numerous doctors, no one had found a cure, and over time, everyone simply got used to it, since it didn’t seem to impact her health severely.
However, Anna knew her own body better than anyone.
Years ago, she had conducted a personal study and arrived at a shocking conclusion: it wasn’t just her physical stamina being depleted but her life force itself.
During one particularly severe episode, she forced herself to stay conscious to draw blood and analyze it, discovering that her cells were dying at an alarming rate.
This was a secret she had kept to herself, a burden she carried alone. Her situation was entirely different from the homeless man’s, which was why her gaze had been so complex when she looked at him earlier.
In his strange condition, she glimpsed a potential cure for herself…
With the help of two nurses, Anna went to George’s office to rest. After she felt somewhat recovered, she waved the two nurses off. “Thank you for today. You can go ahead. Please also thank Dr. Cho for me.”
These two highly professional nurses were borrowed from a friend’s hospital. One nurse spoke up, “Miss Anna, Dr. Cho said she’s returning to Seoul tomorrow and would like to meet again sometime.”
…
Dr. Cho (Helen Cho), the brilliant scientist from Avengers: Age of Ultron, who used vibranium and cellular regeneration technology to create Vision’s body.
