Chapter 88

...

In the dark cave, Tony Stark, who had been missing for several months, lay on a wooden board, wearing a dusty gray tank top. He stared blankly at the small window in the corner, the only source of light.

He could no longer remember how many days and sleepless nights he had spent there. In the beginning, he had clung to life by holding onto a car battery, then he fell into a state of despair. He was forced to create a new weapon, the Jericho missile. Finally, encouraged by the old man named Yinsen, he resolved to use his intelligence to escape.

In the corner not far away stood a tall object covered by a rag—his only hope for escape.

Tony's chest rose and fell, and he could feel his life force weakening. Every night, the pain in his chest would wake him up multiple times. His eyes were unfocused, and his mind felt completely blank.

Not far away, Yinsen, with gray hair at his temples and glasses, sat in front of the stove, brewing low-quality coffee.

Aside from the chaotic noise outside, the cave was quiet and strangely peaceful. Noise? It seemed distant.

Tony Stark was still in a daze when he suddenly sensed something was wrong. He sat up abruptly from the board and looked at Yinsen in surprise.

Yinsen had stood up at some point and was now looking at Tony with the same concern.

"What's going on outside?" Tony asked.

"I don't know," Yinsen replied, shaking his head. "But this is where those guys gather, and they have a large armed force. There shouldn't be any accidents, right?"

Tony frowned and glanced at the large object in the corner, still covered by a cloth. He estimated it would take about a week to complete, and he couldn't afford for anything to go wrong now.

Boom!!

Ta! Ta! Ta!

Suddenly, an explosion echoed through the cave, followed by a barrage of gunfire and roars in a language Tony couldn't understand. The explosion shook the cave, and both Tony and Yinsen realized that a firefight had broken out between the terrorists and another group.

"Damn it," Tony muttered impatiently.

He had no idea who the other group was. If it was the U.S. military, that would be fine. But if it was someone else, it would undoubtedly disrupt his escape plan.

Yinsen leaned against the metal door, listening carefully to the chaos outside.

He could understand the language of the terrorists and tried his best to gather information from their screams amidst the explosions and gunfire.

"What are you hearing?" Tony asked.

"It sounds like someone is attacking this place. From what they're saying, it seems like there's only one person on the other side? They're calling them a devil," Yinsen said, his face filled with confusion. "Did I hear that right? One person? A devil?"

Tony's already haggard face turned a shade darker.

"Damn..." he muttered.

He hated this feeling of facing an unknown danger. All he could do was sit there, praying for some slim chance of survival. It was a helplessness he vowed never to experience again.

Boom!

The explosions grew louder, and the entire cave began to shake more violently. Dust and bits of gravel fell from the walls with each tremor.

This time, though, the chaos was accompanied by the sound of a shrill, desperate scream.

Tony's unease intensified.

Yinsen pressed his ear against the metal door, trying to hear more. Suddenly, a slightly magnetic, hoarse voice—a woman's—reached their ears.

"The gentleman leaning against the door, could you please step back?"

Yinsen and Tony were stunned and exchanged a glance. Yinsen hesitated, then quickly stepped back a few paces.

The next moment, there was a loud boom, and the iron door seemed to be torn off its hinges by some terrifying force. It slammed into the opposite wall and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Cold sweat appeared on both Tony and Yinsen's foreheads. What on earth was this? A monster?

As the dust was swept away by a breeze, a graceful figure emerged. She had a delicate face, short burgundy curls, and wore a gray vest. It was Natasha.

Tony, who hadn't seen a woman in months, stared wide-eyed, almost in disbelief. Yinsen, however, managed to keep his composure despite his age.

"Miss, are you here to kill him or save him?" Yinsen asked cautiously.

"I'm going to go with the latter," Natasha replied, brushing back her short curls with a smile full of charm.

Tony immediately perked up and, in his most gentlemanly tone, said, "Well, looks like being rescued by a beautiful lady is the best thing that's happened to me in months."

"Uh-uh," Natasha gave him a half-smile and replied, "If I were here to kill you, I doubt you'd be saying that."

"Ha, I don't believe someone as beautiful as you would ever be a killer," Tony shrugged, his expression playfully suggesting he wouldn't mind dying in her hands.

Natasha shook her head and turned toward the door. After taking a couple of steps, she glanced back slightly and said softly, "Follow me. Let's go."

"Um, it seems like there's still fighting outside," Tony said, pointing nervously at the skylight behind him.

"Don't worry, they're just a bunch of small fry," Natasha replied casually, walking ahead. Tony and Yinsen exchanged quick looks.

"Aren't we supposed to follow?" Yinsen asked.

"I think so," Tony nodded. "Yeah, we should follow."

With that brief exchange, Tony and Yinsen quickly trailed behind her. The memory of the metal door being ripped apart was still fresh in their minds, and Tony certainly didn't want to risk having his skull cracked by this mysterious woman.

With a mix of excitement and anxiety, they carefully left the cave. As they stepped out, they were greeted by a grim sight—bodies scattered along the winding cave passages, and walls riddled with holes.

The faces of the corpses were frozen in expressions of sheer terror and despair. Their bodies were mangled, as if they had been struck by a speeding truck, with dents, broken limbs, and blood everywhere. The scene was gruesome.

"Did she do that?"Tony suddenly felt that he was seeking death with his attitude a few moments ago.