The Siberian wind howled like the wailing of vengeful spirits, whipping up snow across the forgotten white wasteland. Beneath this dead silence, a massive military base lay buried, like a steel beast entombed in history, lying in quiet hibernation.
Two streaks of light tore through the darkened sky—one gold-red, one pure black—hovering above the base with unstoppable momentum.
"Alright, I have to admit," Tony's voice crackled through the armor's speakers in his usual tone,
"This place is colder than Senator Stern's face. J.A.R.V.I.S., scan the structures below and find me an entrance with some style. I'm not crawling through some damn ventilation shaft—that would ruin the aesthetic of this masterpiece."
"Scanning, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied calmly.
"Detected: underground structures are unusually reinforced, constructed from multiple layers of reinforced concrete and titanium alloy. Recommended entry: East Sector, Zone 4, where the gate structure is relatively weaker."
"Weak? I don't think so," Henry's voice cut in, arms crossed as he floated beside Tony.
His eyes glimmered; to him, the base seemed transparent. Not like Superman's simple X-ray vision—he could freely adjust it, see through matter, trace human anatomy, and even detect energy forms.
"From my visual scan, this entire base is like a welded iron can. Any attempt to enter through the main gate would be sheer stupidity."
"Wait… visual scan? You awakened some new ability?" Tony fired back, unreservedly mocking.
"Do you expect your brain, which contains nothing but muscle and cheeseburgers, to negotiate physically with a titanium gate weighing tens of tons?"
"Negotiate?" Henry smiled.
"Oh no, Tony. I never negotiate with inanimate objects."
"I only…" he paused, "…command them."
Without further words, he became like black lightning, diving straight down!
He didn't even pose an attack—he simply used his body to smash into the snow-covered base dome below.
"BOOOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion erupted, as if it intended to tear all of Siberia apart.
The ground shook. Icebergs crumbled.
The steel fortress, dormant for decades, shattered under Henry's absolute force like a model made of cookies! Meters-thick reinforced concrete and titanium cracked and collapsed inward, leaving a massive, bottomless crater more than twenty meters wide at the center of the base.
Tony hovered midair, stunned at the scene below, like a meteor strike had hit.
The corner of his mouth twitched under the mask.
"Fuck."
After a long pause, he forced the word out through clenched teeth.
"I hate you, you destructive maniac."
"You're just jealous that my entrance was more efficient than yours," Henry's voice rang through the comms.
"By the way, Tony, why are you still lingering up there? Waiting for Hydra to roll out the red carpet?"
Tony cursed, adjusted his stance, and shot like a gold-red streak into the entrance Henry had created.
Inside the base, the silence of decades shattered.
Henry's earth-shattering breach triggered alarms instantly.
Shrill sirens screamed like the cries of hell, echoing through every corridor.
Red warning lights flashed wildly, casting the base as the twitching innards of a giant beast.
"INTRUDER! REPEAT, INTRUDER DETECTED!"
"All combat units, proceed to central sector! Authorization: lethal force!"
Rapid commands in Russian and German reverberated throughout the base.
Heavy alloy doors slammed down. Hydra soldiers in black combat suits and grotesque masks emerged from all directions, wielding energy rifles glowing an eerie blue.
Their movements were precise, efficient, and terrifying.
"I must say, this welcome party is way more enthusiastic than I imagined," Tony said, landing beside Henry. He looked at the glowing muzzles surrounding them, yet his tone held no fear—only excitement.
"Seems we've stirred a hornet's nest. But I like it. Way more fun than arguing with old fossils like Stern."
"Hornet's nest?" Henry surveyed the area, his eyes icy.
"No, Tony. It's just a slightly bigger anthill."
"Hey! Don't steal my lines, you mimic!"
As their banter ended, the assault began.
"Fire!"
Hundreds of eerie blue energy beams rained down like torrential rain, coming from all directions!
The density of firepower could instantly melt a main battle tank into a pool of molten metal!
"Watch out!" Tony shouted instinctively, preparing his energy shield.
But Henry didn't move. Not at all.
He stood silently as the energy beams struck him.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Explosions engulfed him—but the next second, he remained unscathed.
His black nanotech armor bore not a scratch, not a speck of dust. He stood like an immovable black reef.
"Alright," Tony said, seeing him unharmed, forcing a shrug to salvage his dignity.
"I admit, your tin can's durability is decent. But actual combat isn't just about standing there taking hits. You have to—like this!"
Before he finished, his boosters ignited violently.
His armor became a phantom streak, charging into the Hydra soldiers' formation!
Like a tiger into a flock of sheep, every strike accompanied by the wails of metal and human screams.
Mini-missiles on his shoulders erupted, painting explosions of death among the ranks.
Lasers on his arms swung like the Grim Reaper's scythe, leaving scorching red cuts in walls.
"See that?! THIS is art!" Tony shouted over comms, excitement coursing through his voice.
"The perfect fusion of power and tech! Elegant! Deadly! And stylish!"
Henry watched quietly.
Tony, like a child with a new toy, flaunted his moves everywhere. Henry shook his head, exasperated.
"Too noisy," he said lightly.
Then he slowly raised his head.
A blinding red light ignited in his eyes, illuminating the area!
The next second, two thick, scorching red beams shot from his eyes—far more potent than Tony's lasers!
No explosions. No thunder.
Only deadly silence.
The crimson beams swept through the space, cutting silently through every Hydra soldier, their weapons, reinforced walls, and cover.
"Shhh!"
After a faint sound, the entire world seemed paused.
Every soldier running, shooting, screaming froze simultaneously.
Then, in Tony's shocked eyes, their upper bodies, weapons, and nearby cover slid smoothly along the cut.
No blood. No screams.
Only instant carbonization along the cut line.
The entire first floor of the base, except Tony floating midair and Henry standing unflinching, had been sliced in half.
The corridors went silent instantly.
The scene's sheer shock left Tony stunned, giving him a direct, visceral understanding of Henry's power.
This was not human!
After a long pause, Tony finally muttered, his voice low:
"Fuck! You goddamn cheater."
***
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