The Hairy Hulk again started its frenzy. Alex countered his punch with his own, relieved, his arms didn't break. Hikaru sped towards Jason. He had to destroy the serum.
Jason ran up the wall and did a flip above the Hikaru. He punched the wall swinging his humongous arms around. Jason got hit and crashed into the opposite wall.
Hikaru charged at Jason. Alex tried to kick him, but his sheer mass overpowered him and couldn't stop his direction. Hikaru threw a punch. Jason barely tilted his neck to avoid getting his head crushed as his fist went through the wall. Alex attacked his feet, making Hikaru fall. Jason tried to get out before he stood up but had his leg caught in his hand.
'You all are weak.'
'Jason!'
He smacked him against the floor. Jason experienced the mighty strength of the beast. If he hadn't worn armor underneath, his bones would have been fractured by now. He had to protect the serum and himself at the same time.
'Jason, toss it here.'
Jason pitched the gun to Alex as he rolled aside, evading being stomped.
'Enough!'
Jason rose up and sidestepped to get to the backside. He punched him with full force aiming at his spine. Hikaru felt a sharp pain and knelt down. Jason subsequently pulled out his gun and aimed at the head. He was at the distance where the Hairy Hulk couldn't dodge.
'Stop.'
Alex grabbed Jason's hand and pulled it. The bullet penetrated the wall just near his head.
'Listen, we are going to save him, not kill him.'
'He cannot be saved.'
'Yes, he can. Come with me.'
Alex took Jason and ran as he whispered into his ear. The Hairy Hulk grew more aggressive and violent.
'Got it?'
Jason nodded unwillingly.
'Fine.'
They both parted ways. Alex had the reverse gun, waving it as bait to get Hikaru to follow him. Jason ran to the chemistry lab.
***'This is ridiculous, you are going to make aspirin to take him down?'
'I'm not going to create the aspirin, you are. Do you know how to create it?'
'I do, but it will take time.'
'Take all the time you need. I'll stall him until it's ready. Make sure to prepare two test tubes of it in an ethanol solution.'
Jason realized Alex was dead serious about it and agreed.
'Why do you need ethanol to be the solvent?'
'You'll see.'***
The situation was getting more and more ridiculous as time went on.
To create aspirin, basically, you need salicylic acid, acetic anhydride, and sulphuric acid. Jason searched for the salicylic acid and weighed out 6 grams of it. Next, he needed 15 ml of acetic anhydride but couldn't find any.
'Alex, there is no acetic anhydride.'
'Well, you better start making some.'
Alex ran, parrying the attacks of the Hairy Hulk.
'What is the method?'
'For God's sake fine, I'll tell you how.'
Alex dodged a door thrown at him and started running again, as he began telling the recipe.
'Weigh out 80 grams of dry sodium acetate.'
Jason found the sodium acetate and quickly weighed it out in a beaker.'
'Done.'
'Next, you'll need 55 ml of acetyl chloride and make sure it's chilled.'
Luckily, there was acetyl chloride in the lab's freezer. Jason poured and measured it.
'What else?'
'Pour the chloride on the sodium acetate stirring it slowly. This reaction is highly exothermic, so make sure the temperature doesn't go up than 60° Celsius.'
There was a flask labeled liquid nitrogen in the fridge. Jason poured it in a bowl. He put the beaker containing sodium acetate, stuck a thermometer, and began pouring the acetyl chloride. Barely keeping the temperature just below 60°.
'Next?'
'Just distill it, and you will have acetic anhydride as the product-whoa!'
Alex dodged another door as Hikaru grew more agitated. He again ran to the gym hall.
Jason fitted the tube with the distillation apparatus and had another flask ready to contain the product. It would take time to use a burner to distill it, something they didn't have right now. Jason slid open the slot of his bulky gun and loaded a bullet. He fired as concentrated blue flames came out of the gun.
'This is much faster.'
It only took a minute for the solution to boil, and in the next 2 minutes, 15 ml of acetic anhydride was in the flask. Jason proceeded to create the aspirin.
He added the 15 ml of acetic anhydride onto the salicylic acid and added 15 drops of concentrated sulphuric acid. The mixture started to take shape. He then added 30 ml of water into the mix.
After this, you are supposed to heat it in boiling water for 10 minutes, but Jason again directly heated it with the flames form his gun for 1 minute. He then submerged it in the freezing liquid nitrogen for another minute to cool it down.
The solution turned cloudy and milky, which was a good sign. He extracted it using the suction flask and an aspirator and filtered out some powdered aspirin. He added ethanol in the beaker containing the aspirin, stirred it, and it was enough to fill two test tubes.
He now had two test tubes of concentrated aspirin in solution. He fixed a stopper and then went to find Alex. He found Alex playing a game of volleyball with him being the ball. Hikaru saw Jason and threw Alex at him.
'Lookout!'
Jason dodged as Alex hit the wall upside down beside him.
'I have made the drugs, but how are you going to make him drink it?'
'Leave that…to me….'
Alex got himself up. Hikaru saw Jason and charged at him. Alex pushed him aside and was caught in the grips of the Hairy hulk. He bear-hugged Alex, which was starting to crush his bones. Alex screamed in pain.
Jason loaded another dart and fired at Hikaru. He avoided the dart, but it made him release Alex. Jason took Alex and carried him away, giving him enough time to recover.
'Listen…we only have this one last chance.'
Alex was struggling to catch his breath.
'What are you planning to do?'
Alex gave a weak but confident smile.
'Give me the gun with the dart, I'll also carry the reverse gun too. You only need the test tubes.'
Time was running out. As time passed, Hikaru grew harsher and more violent. Alex and Jason had only one dart left, one reverse gun with only 5 minutes to use it, and two liquid solutions of concentrated aspirin.
'Let's go.'