THE FIFTH ASSASSIN
No one questioned the death of the fifth assassin. His condition was serious, and there is only so much that can be done when a body has been stabbed and shredded by Adamantium claws.
The plan was to strip down his remains - along with the remains of the other four - to the very marrow in the hopes of discovering some biometric identification.
These were not people after all; they were property. Valuable property. And valuable property is tagged and chipped for reclamation.
Perhaps Dr. Reyes or Healer would have found some signature trace, even on a cellular level. The bodies contained many secrets. Reinforced bones. An abundance of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Oversized adrenal glands. Hidden weapons in the form of explosive putty and garroting wire and calcium daggers nested in the forearm.
But this - a comprehensive autopsy - was not to be. Because like the South Korean lab, the bodies detonated. Their skeletons became shrapnel no different than screws and stainless steel stuffed into an IED. The blast tore Healer apart, and he has been fast-tracked for resurrection.
The brain and spinal cord of each body were believed to be the source of the explosion.
It is unclear whether the assassins were outfitted with a biological timer or if this was an ambush that presented itself in response to the deep anatomical query.