"Hah, Doomstadt's hospitality is world-class; anyone lucky enough to visit only sings its praises!"
Doctor Doom turned around and laughed heartily as he addressed Noah.
Seeing that the attention of Latveria's ruler had shifted, the technician hurriedly swept the shattered glass into the trash and returned to his workstation after casting a grateful glance at Noah.
Noah nodded. "That's true. It's far better than the fast food on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarriers."
"Hahaha! Enough flattery," Doom cut his laughter abruptly, his expression reverting to its cold and unyielding demeanor. "What brings you to seek Doom?"
"I heard the teleportation device still needs more preparation?" Noah asked just as Fury entered the room.
"Correct."
Doom gestured for the two men to follow him to a metallic platform, explaining, "Doom has selected two hundred Latverians for this operation, and you brought an additional one hundred and fifty people, significantly increasing the load."
"The computer is currently calculating a suitable destination to ensure we land far from the zombies. Additional work is being done to finalize the setup. You wouldn't want to arrive in a new world only to be pursued by them, would you?"
Noah shook his head. "Just tell me—how much more time do you need, and how long until the zombies arrive?"
"One hour. In one hour, everyone will be teleported to a zombie-free world."
After a brief moment of thought, Noah nodded. The time advantage he had gained by injuring Quicksilver earlier was slipping away, aligning closely with the original timeline.
"Additionally, the Latverians must go first."
Noah glanced at Fury, who seemed poised to protest, and gave him a subtle shake of his head before replying, "That's not a problem."
"Then let's begin preparations. Doomstadt must not fall within the hour. The zombie heroes are already on their way."
Doom raised his hand, summoning a holographic projection that displayed a familiar sight—the Eiffel Tower.
The iconic structure was covered with infected humans, their movements aimless as guttural growls escaped their lips. Their bodies bore the marks of bites, and they writhed in grotesque agony.
Beneath the tower, Zombie Colonel America furiously smashed his shield against the ground. Before him stood a large gathering of zombie heroes.
"Damn it! You idiots! Why take one bite and leave the rest? Don't you know even the slightest contact with our fluids turns them? And don't you realize how disgusting we taste?"
"And who was the moron that contaminated the water supply? Now we don't even need to bite them, and there's nothing left to eat!"
His voice was filled with rage and disdain, his eyes reflecting disappointment and frustration toward the zombie heroes around him.
They had lost all rationality to the virus, leaving only an insatiable hunger and primal aggression. While some retained fragments of intellect, their behavior was dominated by bloodlust, making restraint impossible.
"It might have been Hydro-Man," muttered Zombie Daredevil, raising his mutilated left hand. "I saw him swimming around in the water earlier."
"What?! That's slander! I was trying to lure out that mutant who can phase through walls. And didn't you get a piece of her in the end?" Hydro-Man retorted indignantly, his voice trembling.
His defense fell on deaf ears as the other zombie heroes shot him accusatory glares. Cursing under his breath, Hydro-Man propelled himself toward a nearby pool using water jets from his legs, hoping to escape through the plumbing.
"Don't—run—away—"
A powerful sonic wave suddenly echoed, striking Hydro-Man and reducing him to a scattered puddle of droplets that quickly evaporated into mist. The attack had utterly destroyed his molecular structure.
The scene shifted to reveal Black Bolt, his empty gaze radiating menace. The tuning fork on his forehead emitted a faint glow. He turned toward Zombie Colonel America and said, "Now that the traitor is dealt with, care to tell us why you've gathered us here? Otherwise, I'll take Tetanus and find fresh meat elsewhere."
"Trust me, our speed in finding food far surpasses yours."
The zombie virus had inadvertently granted Black Bolt the ability to speak normally. His zombie Lockjaw barked twice in agreement.
"Relax, Your Majesty," Colonel America chuckled darkly, his bloodstained teeth bared in a feral grin. "I was just getting to that."
"I'm sure you're all aware: survivors have either been infected or are dead. Tracking down the last few is tedious. But I know of a place brimming with fresh humans."
Black Bolt narrowed his eyeless gaze and bluntly pointed out the flaw in the Colonel's claim. "If that's true, why haven't you gone there yourself? Why involve us?"
"Fair point," Colonel America admitted. "Even with my team, the defenses there are impenetrable. We can't break through the fortress alone."
"Stop beating around the bush. Where is this place?" Storm roared, her voice summoning rolling clouds and changing the skies.
Captain America smirked as he picked up his shield. "Latveria. Doomstadt. It hasn't been touched yet."
"According to intel from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s crashed helicarrier, Fury led his people there. As long as they're alive, we can't rest easy."
"But here's the best part!" he added, his tone dripping with malicious delight.
The zombie heroes exchanged skeptical glances before shouting in frustration, "Enough with the suspense! Just spit it out!"
"They have a fully operational teleportation device!" Captain America revealed. "It's designed to escape this world. To reach a world full of fresh meat!"
Black Bolt's expression shifted, his eyeless gaze lighting up with excitement. Overwhelmed by the prospect, he let out a deafening roar.
The powerful sonic wave swept through the area like a storm, shaking the Eiffel Tower violently. The massive structure trembled under the force, its metallic frame groaning. Finally, it collapsed, raining debris and scattering the infected humans clinging to it into the air.
Blood and gore exploded in all directions, painting the scene a vivid crimson.
As the dust settled, Black Bolt turned to Lockjaw. "Tetanus, teleport us to Latveria!"