Extremis And Breaking Into AIM(chapter 23)

The reason why he was upgrading his armor to be bulletproof was simple: apparently, S.H.I.E.L.D. did not like him taking the Chitauri technology, so they sent their agents to look for him. Of course, they haven't found him yet, but Henry wasn't going to take any chances, so he upgraded his costume just in case they do find him and he has to get into an altercation with them. After getting up, Henry, who was smiling, could be seen. The reason for his smile was also simple: he finally succeeded in mutating one of his plants past the initial limit, which was 3rd grade.

[Name: Mutated-Ginseng]

[Grade: 4th]

[Description: Mutated-Ginseng is a specially cultivated plant, developed by gradually increasing the soil temperature and growth conditions over multiple generations. Only the most resilient plants were bred, resulting in a Ginseng variant with exceptional adaptogenic properties and enhanced vitality. Its roots thrive in nutrient-rich, warm soil, giving it a robust and fiery energy.]

[Effects: +61% energy boost, +53% endurance increase, +58% immune system support, +56% heat resistance]

[Deterioration-Rate: 0%]

He achieved this by slowly raising the temperature of the ginseng past its optimum temperature. The ones that died were marked as failures, while the ones that survived were bred to further continue the line. This was the first of the mutated ginseng he had seen. In fact, his success rate was an abysmal 0.1% chance of the plant mutating, yet he got one. Although the current mutated ginseng isn't even close to what a regular 4th-grade plant should be, it's a start. "I will eventually have a ginseng that grows in hot lava areas," he smiled to himself as he envisioned it. Suddenly, he heard the sound of small metal clinking on the ground.

Turning around, he saw a poorly made small robot in the shape of an ant. It was crudely made, even primitive, as he smiled. "Alright, MK-1 ARD, don't break yourself." This crudely made excuse of a robot was going to be Henry's main source of information, which sounds ridiculous, but as the name implies, it's a Mark 1 Ant Recon Drone, or MK-1 ARD for short. It currently runs on double-A batteries, but of course, that was just for now. If the plans he had in mind worked, he would give these an unlimited source of energy, which would work in his favor. And if he finished the studies on the tech at hand, then his knowledge would improve by leaps and bounds. But the technology in his hand was too far away from him, as he had just finished grasping the basic concepts of robotics, engineering, mechanics, and programming. The reason why he was so quick to grasp such concepts with absolutely no prior knowledge of any of those fields was simply because he had his potions, specially the ones that help retain information.

-scene change-

Still inside his second hideout, Henry, who had gotten out of his costume, could be seen sighing as he set a bag of money aside. He had made a deal with another gang who did not try to pull anything, much to his surprise and annoyance, as he wanted to try out his new equipment. But the gangs actually seemed to be somewhat respectful. It turns out having a brutal reputation did wonders for him, so of course, he was happy about that. But it meant that he didn't get to try out his improved equipment. After that deal, he purchased supplies before coming home, where he could now be seen sitting at his workshop, downing a memory potion before he got back to studying. While he was studying, he saw several news reports on the Mandarin, a terrorist who had attacked three times already.

Only for the government to reveal their own Iron Man suit, which was just War Machine, except they called it the Iron Patriot. "This is bullshit," he thought to himself as he continued surfing the web, where he saw a newly emerging company. Well, it had been there for 13 years. It was called AIM, headed by Aldrich Killian. "Hmm," thought Henry as he checked Aldrich's specialty, which was biotechnology. "Hmm, Extremis," which, from the little information provided by the web, was nanites that can rewrite the brain to regenerate the whole body. "Huh," an idea suddenly popped into his head as he smiled before he got up. "Well, how can it be to sneak inside a tech company" he chuckled to himself, before getting series and preparing himself.

"But first, i need potions, informations and equipments" he pondered to himself as he got work, the first thing he did was of course potions and poisons, after all, he was an alchemist, an alchemist without potions was like fishout of water, just plain stupid, "and tier 3's potions arent going to cut it, i need something else, something more power" he though to himself as mk-1 ARD passed by him, causing him to smile, "good job ard 1, you will soon be travelling the world gathering information in no time" he smiled genuinely which was demonic looking.

[ 2 weeks later ]

Under the cloak of night, Henry approached a structure that dominated the skyline of the industrial district. As Henry stealthily approached the imposing building, he noticed a series of security checkpoints positioned at strategic intervals along the perimeter. Each checkpoint consisted of a sturdy metal barricade manned by two armed guards dressed in sleek black uniforms. The guards stood alert, their weapons held at the ready as they scanned the area, but, he has been gathering information for 2 weeks on this particular building so he knew everything he wanted to know.

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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A/N Well, we all know what is coming, and it was just a matter of time before it happened. And no, this isn't going to be Henry's last time breaking into places, so stay tuned for more chapters.