35. Operation-01 (Part 4)

'.....'= Thoughts 

"....."= Conversations 

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Harry created a small gap wide enough for Tony and himself to enter from the underground. The data room was massive, filled with rows of servers, screens, and various high-tech devices. The Earth Release Technique had been remarkably silent, and none of the guards inside noticed as Harry and Tony emerged from one end of the room. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the floor, and the humming of the equipment masked any subtle sounds of their intrusion.

Tony immediately began inspecting the devices, his eyes narrowing in concentration. He was careful not to touch anything directly, instead using a small handheld scanner to analyze the equipment. Suddenly, his expression changed to one of concern. He glanced at Harry, his face illuminated by the faint glow of the holographic display.

Tony quickly activated a sound-dampening device he had brought along, ensuring that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "We've got a problem," he whispered, his voice tense.

Harry's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

Tony's eyes darted around the room, ensuring they were still unnoticed. "The moment I touch any of these devices, an alarm will go off, alerting the entire base."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought you disabled the alarm and security system earlier."

"I did," Tony replied, his frustration evident. "But this data vault has a completely separate security system from the rest of the HYDRA base. It's sophisticated, layered—far beyond what we encountered at the main entrance."

Harry let out a slow breath, processing the information. "How long would it take you to disable it?"

"More than an hour, at least," Tony admitted. "And that's if I don't run into any unforeseen complications."

Harry shook his head. "We don't have that kind of time."

Tony nodded, understanding the urgency of their situation. "Exactly. We need to get the recording of my parents death and get out of here before we're caught."

Harry's mind raced as he considered their options. "If I create a distraction, draw the HYDRA agents away, will you be able to work faster?"

Tony hesitated for a moment before nodding. "It could work. But it'll be dangerous, Harry. You'll be up against who knows how many agents."

Harry gave a determined nod. "A promise is a promise...uh I mean a contract is contract. Find it quickly"

Tony placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, his expression serious. "Just be careful. I'll work as fast as I can."

Harry took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. "I will. Just make sure you get that data."

Harry looked back at Tony, his mind already whirring with plans. "I'll take care of the three guards in the room first," he whispered. "Once I give the signal, start your task."

Tony nodded,"Got it."

Harry gave a reassuring nod and turned his attention to the three guards stationed in the room. Without wasting any more time, he used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing silently behind the first guard. With a swift motion, he drew a kunai from his system space and slit the man's throat, the guard crumpling silently to the floor.

He didn't waste a moment. Again, he used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing behind the second guard and dispatching him with the same deadly efficiency. As he moved towards the third guard, his senses heightened, Harry felt a sudden shift. The third guard reacted swiftly, dodging Harry's attack and countering with a punch aimed at his abdomen.

Harry's instincts kicked in, and he used the Body Flicker Technique once more to avoid the blow. "Shit," Harry thought, realizing the guard was no ordinary soldier. 'A Winter Soldier. His reflexes are too sharp.'

The Winter Soldier quickly raised his gun and started firing at Harry. Bullets whizzed past him, and Harry knew he had to keep the fight away from Tony and the sensitive data.

"Need help?" Tony's voice cut through the chaos.

"Focus on finding the recording!" Harry shouted back, dodging another volley of bullets. "I'll handle him."

Harry wondered why the Winter Soldier didn't care about the data in the room, firing recklessly and potentially damaging the devices. 'Must be programmed to eliminate threats first,' Harry mused, his mind calculating his next move.

He activated the Lightning Release: Overdrive technique, feeling the surge of electricity coursing through his body. His reflexes sharpened, and his speed increased dramatically. The world seemed to slow down, and he could almost see the bullets in slow motion.

With his enhanced speed, Harry dodged the bullets with ease and closed the distance between him and the Winter Soldier. He appeared at the Soldier's side and, with a swift, electrically charged punch, he struck the man's head. The force of the blow was immense, and the Winter Soldier's head snapped back, his body collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Harry took a moment to catch his breath, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. "One down," he muttered and looked at Tony. "How's it going?"

"Almost there. Keep them off a little longer," Tony replied without raising his head.

All the fight had caused his chakra to drop by one-fourth due to the use of a C-Ranked Lightning technique, but Harry didn't regret it. If he hadn't killed the Winter Soldier quickly, the damage that he would have caused to the devices inside would have been detrimental and might cause them to fail their operation of retrieving the recording.

After catching his breath, Harry quickly used his Sensory technique and found out that many people were approaching the data room from all over the base. Moreover, as these people were approaching, the door to the data room was also opening slowly at the same time.

Harry's heart pounded in his chest as the weight of their operation pressed down on him. They couldn't afford to fail. As he saw the door creaking open and heard the hurried footsteps closing in, he knew he had only moments to act.

Harry retrieved his storage scrolls. Unfurling one swiftly, he summoned the bombs he had meticulously sealed within.

"Take this, bitches!" Harry shouted, his voice echoing through the narrow confines of the data room. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the bombs out of the door. They arced through the air, their metallic casings glinting under the harsh fluorescent lights before disappearing into the hallway.

The explosions followed in rapid succession. The first bomb detonated with a deafening roar, the shockwave rattling the walls and sending a cloud of dust and debris billowing back into the room. Screams and shouts of alarm cut through the cacophony as the advancing agents were caught off guard, several of them thrown back by the blast. The force of the explosion shattered nearby light fixtures, plunging the hallway into a flickering, strobe-like chaos.

Harry didn't have time to observe the aftermath. He could only hope the bombs had taken out enough agents to slow their advance. He turned back to Tony, who was still furiously working on extracting the data.

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