Becoming Wanted Man and New Hideout(chapter 8)

prevously in chapter 7

The shot fired near Henry's ear, temporarily deafening him as the man tried to aim his gun at Henry again, only for his vision to diminish by half as he started to see several flashes of images. Most of these images consisted of a black man wearing a suit with an eyepatch, saying in a decrepit voice, "I AM... disappointed..." The man fell to his knees, his heartbeat loud and erratic, but his pain didn't last long as the dagger slit his throat, killing him. Henry then immediately drove off, far away from the expo, never to be seen again. 

After 50 minutes since the attack at the expo, and Tony Stark and Rhodey's victory against the evil genius Ivan Vanko and the Hammer Industries drones, Agent Romanov could be seen, along with other agents, looking at the dead agent, who was currently being taken away. That's when a black man wearing a dark leather long coat, bald head, and eyepatch arrived at the murder scene. "I want answers, now."

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Chapter 8

[1 month later]

Deep within an unexplored area in the woods, where lush forest covers miles upon miles, a small hole in the ground could be seen. Going down that hole, where light was shining through, was a cave with a large opening the size of 20 rooms put together. Despite its size, the cave had a large crystal-clear pond, and in the middle of that pond was a small piece of land where the sun shone through the hole. On that small land, there was a tent, several boxes and crates, as well as a couple of coolers. There was a hiking backpack with hiking gear in it, and in the middle of that small piece of land was a small campfire. Sitting in front of that campfire was Henry.

Henry was sitting in a lotus position, wearing a simple plain shirt and black jeans. He suddenly opened his eyes, which were shining, and then stretched out his hand where two stone mortars and pestles lay near him. Each mortar had a plant paste in it, which he then mixed and combined together to form a new green liquid, displaying the following panel:

[ Name: Frostbane Tonic ]

[ Grade: 3rd ]

[ Description: The Frostbane Tonic is a potent elixir crafted from the synergistic properties of Rhodiola rosea and Eleutherococcus senticosus. It offers formidable protection against the biting cold, fortifying the imbiber against frigid temperatures and harsh winter conditions. ]

[ Effects: +50% resistance to cold-based attacks, +50% boost to endurance in freezing temperatures, +50% enhancement of internal heat regulation for the next 20 minutes. ]

[ Deterioration-Rate: 0% ]

"Well, just a sip of this should do the trick, at least for the next 20 minutes," Henry sighed as he placed the new potion in a flask. "With this flask used, I only have five more before I need to restock for more flasks," he groaned. He then looked around, where several small saplings could be seen, planted around the small island, each with its own unique soil that promotes their growth. "Ever since that night, those suit bastards have chased me to fucking nowhere." 

After that night at the Stark Expo, where Henry ended up murdering that mysterious man in the suit who had a gun to his head, despite driving for hours to put a distance between them, the men in the black suits still managed to find him. They came guns blazing, nearly killing him. Only by luck and by literally yeeting his car off a cliff did Henry manage to lose them, although he didn't come out unscathed.

They didn't stop there. They even chased him down the mountain, through the woods. But the most difficult thing through this whole ordeal was the fact this mysterious organization seemed to have the whole world in their pocket, making things difficult for him and making him a wanted man. It was safe to say that Henry hated them more than the red ninjas, and he was not going to forget them or let them be. However, a good thing came out of this whole situation. He was able to not only find a very secluded cave, which was not only in the middle of nowhere but the surroundings had a lot of plants for his alchemy. The reason he had these coolers and hiker gear was because he looted them off a campsite. What happened to the campers, well, you don't need to know that.

"Looks like I need to go out again," he sighed as he then walked through the pond, which was actually deep. He had wooden poles to walk through it. Walking through the pond, Henry was faced with three cave openings, which were boarded up by actual metal doors that he had made using his alchemical weapon skills. It turns out anything can be a weapon as long as it can kill, and well, a giant metal plate in the shape of a metal door could be considered a weapon. "They should have named it something else, like production alchemy," he thought to himself as he went to the middle door, which was more armored than the other rooms. It opened to a cave opening that had its inside altered and layered with bricks made from cave stone. This was, of course, made by Henry, painstakingly. This room, in particular, had more boxes, coolers with ice, and other storage inside.

The reason being was that this is a storage room. He then placed his newly created potion inside one of his coolers before laying his eyes on a specific plant paste, which was made from the first plant he had grown from the ground up. He supervised its growth and made sure it grew up healthy, which led to the creation of the following plant, which used to be a 1st-grade plant.

[ Name: Enhanced Ginseng ]

[ Grade: 3rd ]

[ Description: This Ginseng plant, cultivated from seed using the potent Verdant Elixir, displays enhanced adaptogenic properties and vitality. Its roots delve deep into nutrient-rich soil, absorbing the nourishing elements provided by the elixir, resulting in a superior quality herb. ]

[ Effects: +50% energy boost, +50% endurance increase, +50% immune system support. ]

[ Deterioration-Rate: 0% ]

"I should start the production of the strength tonic before leaving. Hopefully, I can get a 4th strength tonic," he hoped, which was the main reason why he wanted to grow his own plants. He finally succeeded in making one, but one was all he could make. After placing his new potion inside the coolers, Henry sighed as he thought, "I wish I could just create a spatial ring or something to store them, but oh well," he sighed as he then took out several ingredients. "Well, the deterioration rate is climbing up fast, so I need to use them soon," he mumbled as he finally got everything he wanted before turning off the small lamp lighting up the area. The lamp was solar-powered, which was great for him as it meant that he didn't have to scramble for batteries or electricity.

After leaving his storage, he entered the door to the right, which turned out to be his living quarters. This included everything he needed to live, including a kitchen area, living room, and a library, at least that was what he liked to think. This room, although not lined with bricks, was decorated with other items. After picking up a small fur which he used as a pillow, Henry turned off the lamp, which flickered, before entering the last room, which had a large stone desk as well as some storage, some tools, and a chair. This was his workshop, where he worked, and the small island in the pond was actually his farm where he grew his enhanced plants, as most of them died in the car crash. In fact, the ginseng was the only plant he could get before his car exploded, so yeah the men in black where his mortal enemies.

After turning on the lamps, yes lamps, this room had two lamps, which he used to light the room, he placed materials he was gathering as he then started to work. But his eyes laid on a black mask, a mask resembling a plague doctor's mask with a white wig which was made from the fur of an animal, which was the intention he had when he made the mask. Yes, this was a mask he made with his skill. The mask was, of course, not made at once, but rather it had to be made in separate parts, two at a time since his skill only allowed him that way. At least it had good effects.

[ Name: Plague Doctor's Mask ]

[ Grade: 3rd ]

[ Description: The Plague Doctor's Mask is a menacing artifact crafted from the bones of a formidable brown bear, its surface dyed with extracts from Walnut Hulls for a dark, foreboding appearance. Featuring a peak with a crude filtration system and eyes made from sleek black sunglasses, it shrouds the wearer's face in an air of mystery and dread, reminiscent of the plague doctors of old. Additionally, a luxurious white fur from a lynx has been added as a wig, adding to its eerie allure. ]

[ Effects: 50% enhancement to stealth capabilities, +45% filtration efficiency against airborne toxins and pathogens, +50% obscuring of facial features ]

[ Durability: 100% ]

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A/N: Well, another chapter, and ah, the story truly begins here. Of course, this is not going to be his only hideout; there will be many more. As for how he is going to travel between them (hint: rainbow light). Anyways, what do you guys think of the chapter?