Getting Extremis And Fighting Extremes Patients(chapter 24)

prevously in chapter 23

The first checkpoint, located near the rear entrance of the building, was bathed in the harsh glare of floodlights that illuminated the area with blinding intensity. Henry crouched behind a nearby dumpster, his heart pounding in his chest as he assessed the situation. He could see the guards conversing in low voices, their breath visible in the chilly night air, "alright, let's not get caught" he thought to himself as he breathed. With a cautious glance around, Henry reached into his utility belt and retrieved a small vial of gas. The vial, filled with a potent mixture of paralyzing agents, glinted in the dim light. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he crept closer to the checkpoint, his movements silent and deliberate.

As he approached, Henry noted the placement of the security cameras, their unblinking lenses trained on the barricade with unwavering vigilance. He waited patiently for the opportune moment, timing his approach to coincide with the brief intervals when the cameras panned away. With a swift flick of his wrist, Henry hurled the vial of gas towards the guards, its contents dispersing in a fine mist that hung in the air like a spectral veil. The guards, caught off guard by the sudden assault, instinctively reached for their weapons, but it was too late. The noxious fumes quickly overwhelmed them, causing their movements to falter and their bodies to slump to the ground in a heap.

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Chapter 24

Heart pounding with adrenaline, Henry quickly darted past the incapacitated guards and slipped through the checkpoint undetected. He moved with purpose, his senses sharp as he navigated the maze-like corridors of the building, each step bringing him closer to his objective. But he knew that the hardest challenges still lay ahead, and he braced himself for whatever obstacles the night might throw his way.

As Henry ventured deeper into the laboratory, he was met with a sight that sent a shiver down his spine. Rows of experimental patients lined the sterile white walls, their bodies twisted and contorted in grotesque displays of suffering. Some were missing limbs, others writhed in agony as their flesh seemed to pulse with an otherworldly glow.

The air was thick with the stench of chemicals and decay, and the soft hum of machinery filled the room with an eerie ambiance. Henry moved through the dimly lit corridors with caution, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

As he passed by rows of glass tanks containing mutated specimens, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. This was exactly what he had been searching for – a highly secured part of the lab where the most secretive experiments were conducted.

With a determined stride, Henry approached a reinforced door at the end of the corridor. Using a vial of corrosive potion, he melted through the metal with practiced ease, the acidic substance hissing and sizzling as it ate away at the barrier.

As the door fell away, Henry stepped into the room beyond, his eyes scanning the interior for any signs of life. That's when he saw her – a woman with lush brown hair and a pale complexion, her brown eyes widening in surprise as she caught sight of him.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice tinged with confusion.

Before she could react, Henry delivered a single, swift punch to her jaw, knocking her unconscious. As she crumpled to the ground, he rifled through her papers and vials, his hands moving with practiced efficiency as he searched for what he had come for.

Among the clutter, he found what he was looking for – vials containing a mysterious orange liquid. Snatching them up, he tucked them safely into his satchel, knowing that they held the key to unraveling the secrets of Adritch Killian's experiments, "hhhhhh, finally, finally i got" he laughed to himself madly.

Just as Henry took what he came for and was about to make his escape, the doors to all the experimental patient cells suddenly slid open. Those who could walk stumbled out, their eyes glowing with a fiery red light, exposing their nervous systems within their bodies. The sight was grotesque and mesmerizing.

"Oh, fuck," Henry cursed under his breath as the patients' eyes landed on him, their expressions a mixture of pain, confusion, and anger.

One of the patients, a man with charred skin that seemed to pulsate with a fiery glow, snarled, "You... you're not supposed to be here."

Another patient, a woman with missing limbs that had started to regrow grotesquely, her new flesh glowing red, muttered, "Get him!"

The fight began in an instant. Henry, fueled by the effects of his potions, moved with inhuman speed and strength. He delivered a powerful punch to the charred-skinned man, sending him crashing into the wall. But to Henry's shock, the man's skin regenerated almost instantly, the fiery glow intensifying.

"You think that can stop us?" the man taunted, his eyes burning with a manic intensity.

Henry barely had time to react before another patient, a woman whose body was riddled with glowing cracks, lunged at him. She moved with astonishing speed, her hands clawing at Henry. He dodged her attack and retaliated with a kick that sent her sprawling, but she too began to heal almost immediately, which excited him further as he though, "if that is what the extremis is capable of then" just the possibilities was endless.

A third patient, a hulking figure with bulging muscles and glowing veins, charged at Henry with a roar. The ground seemed to shake with each step. Henry sidestepped the charge and slammed a vial of Venomous Paralysis Elixir into the man's face, releasing the gas. The man staggered, clutching his throat as the gas took effect, but he didn't go down easily.

"Keep fighting! Don't let him escape!" shouted another patient, a young man with glowing eyes that radiated heat. He shot a beam of intense heat at Henry, who barely managed to dodge in time, the beam scorching the wall behind him.

Henry fought with everything he had, using his enhanced strength and speed to fend off the patients. He shattered bones, crushed limbs, and even managed to decapitate one of them, but they kept regenerating, their bodies knitting back together with horrifying speed.

Realizing he couldn't win this fight, Henry decided to flee. He bolted for the door, his heart pounding in his chest as he heard the patients rallying behind him.

"Don't let him get away!" one of them screamed, their voice filled with rage.

Henry sprinted down the corridors, the effects of his Stealth Elixir aiding him as he moved swiftly and silently. But the patients were relentless. They used their powers to chase him down. The man with the heat vision fired beams that narrowly missed Henry, scorching the walls and floor around him. The woman with the glowing cracks leaped with unnatural agility, trying to cut him off at every turn.

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A/N: I know some of the powers displayed by the Extremis patients weren't in the MCU. I just added them for some spice, to create tension basically, if I can even create tension, anyways.

PS: Is anyone else feeling single by reading the latest chapter of Shadow Slave? Because I am. I never expected romance this early in the novel (1800 chapters is too early for romance, right?).