Tony stood in the center of his laboratory, the holographic screen in front of him flashing the self-destruct countdown of the space carrier. Jarvis's calm voice came from the speakers above: "The space carrier's self-destruct program has been fully activated and is currently irreversible. It is recommended that it be guided to the ocean area to minimize ground damage."
"Understood, Jarvis." Tony took a deep breath, his fingers swiping rapidly across the control panel in front of him. "Put that thing's propulsion system at full power and lock onto the nearest ocean area. We need to make sure this fireworks display doesn't set the city rooftops on fire."
"Instructions executed, sir." Jarvis's voice was as calm as ever, with a hint of barely perceptible humor. "Would you like me to prepare a martini to help with the viewing of this disaster?"
Tony chuckled softly, his voice weary. "I'm glad you still remember to tease me, Jarvis. But now's not the time for drinking. Have you confirmed the route?"
"Path confirmed. The space carrier will leave the densely populated area within 120 seconds." Jarvis paused, then added, "However, I noticed that the InSight satellites in outer space are also activating synchronously. They appear to have switched to independent mode after the space carrier's core network collapsed."
Tony frowned slightly, and stopped what he was doing. "You mean, those damn satellites are still operational? Hydra really is determined to be a global threat."
"That's right, sir," Jarvis said calmly. "Based on the satellites' current orbits and target analysis, they will likely continue to conduct threat identification and target locking globally, unless they are physically destroyed."
Tony looked up at the screen, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He tapped the console lightly, opening a communication with Dominic: "Hey, Dominic, are you there? Don't tell me you've already gone on vacation."
Dominic's slightly impatient voice came through the communicator: "Get to the point, Stark. I just got out of Hydra's den."
"Okay, then I'll get straight to the point." Tony's tone turned serious. "I've taken care of the Helicarrier; Jarvis is guiding it towards the ocean to explode. But we have a bigger problem now—the Insight Project's satellites are still in orbit. They're completely independent now, and nobody can stop them, except…"
"Besides what?" Dominic's tone was indifferent, yet a hint of interest was faintly revealed.
"Except for you." Tony's words were calm but went straight to the point. "Listen, I don't know what you are, and I don't want to know how strong you are. But if you really are a super being who can do whatever you want on Earth, then prove it to me. Those satellites must be destroyed; they are Hydra's last weapon."
Dominic paused for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought. Tony continued, his tone slightly probing: "I know you don't like taking orders, but this isn't for me, or for S.H.I.E.L.D., it's for Earth. Once those satellites continue operating, nobody knows what they'll do."
Jarvis added, "According to my calculations, the primary targets of the Insight program satellites are high-risk individuals and strategic facilities. Without intervention, they could lock onto and destroy more than 95 critical locations within 72 hours."
Dominic's voice finally rang out, tinged with a cold laugh: "Stark, you're quite the salesman. Aren't you afraid I'll take these satellites for myself?"
Tony chuckled, his tone carrying his usual confidence: "Don't worry, because I think you're much smarter than Hydra. Besides, this isn't your style. You prefer control, not a bunch of machines that obey the orders of the dead, right?"
Dominic didn't respond, but a faint chuckle came through the communication. His voice was calm yet carried a hint of danger: "Very well, Tony, consider it a favor I'm doing you. But next time, I can't guarantee I'll be so cooperative."
"We'll talk about next time," Tony replied quickly, a smile playing on his lips. "Now, let's get moving. Those satellites aren't waiting for you to pose. My good friend. Haha."
After the communication ended, Tony leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. He turned to Jarvis, a complex emotion in his eyes: "Hopefully he can handle it. Otherwise, this time, no one can really save us."
"Sir, you seem to have very high expectations for Mr. Dominic." Jarvis's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
Tony shook his head with a wry smile: "Expectations? No, Jarvis, I just understand that some people are born without expectations; they just need an opportunity."
Dominic placed Natasha on the rooftop of a high-rise building, making sure she wouldn't be affected by the upcoming shockwave. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, a hint of barely perceptible concern in his eyes: "Don't wander off, this place is safe enough for you."
Natasha leaned against the rooftop railing, smiled slightly, and said with her usual teasing tone, "Looks like I'm the lucky one today, being escorted to a top-notch scenic spot by superheroes."
Tony's voice came through the communicator, with his signature impatience and disdain: "Stop with the romance, Casanova. We have a lot of trouble to deal with. Jarvis has located those satellites, which are in geostationary orbit. You need to destroy them as quickly as possible, don't give Hydra a chance to retaliate."
Dominic ignored Tony's sarcastic remark, instead lowering his head to adjust his breathing, his gaze becoming deep and cold. He said softly, "Space? Perfect, I'd like to know if I can fly that high."
Tony clearly caught the implication, a hint of confusion in his voice: "You mean... you haven't tried breaking out of the atmosphere yet? That doesn't sound like something you'd do."
Dominic raised an eyebrow, his tone relaxed yet authoritative: "There's always a first time. You'd better pray this experiment doesn't fail."
The communication was lost. He took a deep breath and looked up at the endless sky. The clouds on the horizon were bathed in the golden-red light of the rising sun, and the air was filled with the lingering smell of gunpowder from the battle.
He pushed off slightly with his foot, and the ground suddenly cracked, sending pebbles and dust flying in an instant. His figure transformed into a blurry afterimage, soaring straight into the sky. Gale-force winds swept in from all directions, tearing at his clothes, and the air was filled with howling sounds.
His speed increased, and the layered sea of clouds became a blurry barrier in his eyes. He could feel the pull of gravity and the oppressive feeling of the thinning air. Each breath in his chest became deep and slow, but these were merely natural bodily reactions to him.
As he broke through the stratosphere, he suddenly felt a sharp chill and piercing pressure, but this feeling was quickly dispelled by the surging power within him. His eyes narrowed slightly, and everything around him began to become silent and empty.
As he passed through the last barrier of the atmosphere, the scene before him abruptly changed. The dark expanse of space unfolded like an endless curtain, within which stars shimmered with a cold, distant light. He hovered in this silent universe, feeling a loneliness and tranquility completely different from that on Earth.
He looked down at the Earth beneath his feet, a beautiful planet woven with blue and white. The curved horizon outlined a gentle arc, and the vast ocean wrapped around the land like silk. The flowing white clouds shone brightly in the sunlight, like a warm veil.
His gaze was fixed on the planet, a complex emotion welling up within him. It was a vague impulse, somewhere between protection and conquest. His hands clenched slightly, and he murmured to himself, "Such a beautiful place, how ironic. And yet, I have to protect it all."
Jarvis's voice came again, reaching your ear directly through the built-in miniature communication device: "Mr. Dominic, you are approaching the target area. Project Insight satellites are currently arranged in a ring above you, with each satellite approximately 500 kilometers apart. We recommend destroying them quickly to prevent them from triggering the automatic defense program."
He smiled slightly, his gaze fixed on the first satellite: "500 kilometers? That's not too far for me."
He adjusted his posture, leaning forward abruptly, like a blazing meteor hurtling towards his target. The vacuum of space made his movements even more rapid, and the surrounding starlight seemed to stretch into streaks of light around him.
The first satellite came into view, its surface covered with complex mechanical structures, crimson lights flickering ominously in the darkness. He looked at this Hydra's "eye," a cold smile playing on his lips: "This is your strongest weapon? It looks more like a toy."
His eyes gleamed slightly, and a beam of high-energy red light shot out from his pupils, striking the satellite's core. The crimson beam pierced through the satellite, the explosion sounding particularly jarring in the silent space. Metal fragments scattered, and the crimson light was completely extinguished.
Dominic didn't stop. He turned and locked onto the next satellite, accelerating towards it once more. His speed increased, his body like an indestructible cannonball, crashing directly into the satellite's main structure. The violent impact shattered the satellite into pieces instantly, debris scattering and floating in space.
"How fragile," he muttered under his breath, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "These things dare to threaten Earth?"
Jarvis's voice came through again: "The second target has been destroyed. The remaining satellites are attempting to activate the automatic defense system. We recommend completing the mission as soon as possible."
Dominic nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the remaining satellites: "What's wrong with testing the defense system?" He suddenly accelerated, streaking across space like lightning. The third satellite began flashing an intense red light, clearly activating some kind of attack mode.
Laser beams shot from the satellite's surface, attempting to strike him. However, his reaction was incredibly fast; his body nimbly changed trajectory in space, easily dodging all attacks. At the moment of close approach to the satellite, he threw a punch, smashing the massive mechanical structure into fragments.
"Foolish machine," he sneered, a burst of intense energy erupting from his hand, instantly incinerating the remaining core to ashes.
Jarvis reported again: "Three targets have been destroyed, and the remaining four are attempting a synchronized long-range strike."
Dominic looked up at the few satellites still twinkling in the distance: "Simultaneous strike? Let's see if you're faster, or I am."
He took a deep breath, his body suddenly accelerating, charging straight at the target with an indescribable pressure. His fists, red light, and scorching energy struck in alternating waves, each attack tearing apart the satellite's outer shell with devastating force, completely destroying Hydra's plan.
As the last satellite disintegrated into countless floating fragments, he hovered in space, his gaze coldly fixed on the scattering trails of the debris. He looked around; the blue planet still floated silently beneath his feet. In the brief silence, he murmured, "Earth, you owe me one."
He turned around and slowly descended back into the atmosphere, the intense red light burning around his figure, like the last shooting star in the sky.
His figure pierced the atmosphere like a burning comet, the intense friction creating a layer of blazing white flames around him. He controlled his speed, beneath his feet a gradually revealing blue-green continent and winding clouds. A cold smile played on his lips as he let the wind whistle in his ears, his arms slightly outstretched, his posture composed yet arrogant.
He looked down at the ground, gradually approaching the rooftop of the building he had been on, and Natasha's figure became clearer in his field of vision. She leaned against the railing, her arms crossed over her chest, looking up at the scene descending from the sky, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"How was the flight?" Natasha teased, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "Did you realize you're not really suited for the job of an astronaut?"
Dominic landed with a slight tremor, brushing the dust off his clothes as if his feat was nothing more than a routine stroll: "Not bad. Space is a place that's insanely quiet."
"Isn't quiet better?" Natasha chuckled softly, her gaze following the sky behind him. "You don't seem like the type to like too many people."
"Too many people are annoying, but no one is more annoying." Dominic sneered, turning to look at her. "Seriously, how's Tony doing?"
Natasha shrugged, her tone relaxed yet serious: "Jarvis is already assessing the losses and remaining threats. Tony said that although you've cleared those satellites, we may still need to deal with more hidden Hydra forces. He suggested we return to the building as soon as possible for a meeting."
"A meeting?" Dominic raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with sarcasm. "I have no interest in such a waste of time. If they really need to contact me, Tony knows how."
"Of course." Natasha nodded slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes. "But I still have to remind you that not everyone can easily handle a threat of this scale. You've been a great help today."
"I just don't like others touching my territory." Dominic said calmly, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "Hydra people had better pray that I don't find them again next time."
Natasha smiled slightly, took a few steps closer to him, and said with a hint of teasing in her tone, "One day, you'll find that not everything can be solved this way. But until that day comes, I'm still very grateful to have someone like you."
Dominic didn't respond, but simply looked up at the sky, which had returned to calm. His gaze was deep and cold, as if it pierced through everything and looked straight into the distant future.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Natasha gently shook her head, her smile unchanged. "If you keep being this cool, someone will eventually get fed up with you." She turned and walked towards the edge of the rooftop, waving her hand. "Anyway, thank you, hero."
Dominic scoffed, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: "Don't be so quick to thank me. I didn't agree to clean up your messes for the rest of my life."
Tony's voice suddenly came through the communicator, breaking the brief silence: "Gentlemen, let's not get too emotional. I just had Jarvis calculate that the losses and the commotion you've caused will probably give S.H.I.E.L.D. a headache for years to come."
"Tony, I admire your time management skills," Natasha retorted without mincing words. "Since we have time to calculate the losses, we should hurry up and dig out the remaining Hydra outposts."
"Don't rush, Natasha," Tony said with his usual flippancy. "I'm already working on it, but it takes a little patience. Oh, and by the way, Dominic, I just checked the satellite wreckage. You should have made sure the last one was hit more thoroughly; some of Hydra's data modules are still there—"
"That's your problem, not mine," Dominic interrupted him impatiently, his tone icy. "I'm only responsible for destroying them, not for cleaning up the mess."
"Well, cold and ruthless." Tony chuckled. "But seriously, don't forget to grab a drink with me next time. And you've been acting strange today, a bit cold."
Natasha glanced at Dominic, a hint of sarcasm in her voice: "Did you hear that? Iron Man is giving you life advice. You should learn to enjoy life."
Dominic's gaze remained fixed on the distance, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable chill: "My way of enjoying life might be a little different from yours." With that, he turned and walked towards the rooftop exit, leaving Natasha behind with her enigmatic smile.
"One day, this guy will realize that he actually needs a team more than any of us," Natasha murmured, then turned and continued to follow him.
The clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, and sunlight shone behind them, illuminating the endless outline of the city. The battle was over, but they knew it was just a gentle breeze before the calm.
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(End of Chapter)