The moon hung high, the wind howled through the empty streets, and the night carried a sinister chill.
Shen He took Violet's small hand as he, alongside Saiki Kusuo, arrived early at a warehouse in the New York suburbs.
A strange mix of nervousness and anticipation churned inside him. This was the first time he was about to engage in something like this—a real mission.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aren't here yet?"
He scanned the surroundings, looking for signs of activity but saw no one.
"She's already here."
Saiki Kusuo, ever the sharp observer, turned his gaze toward an abandoned shipping container.
Anyone with an active mind couldn't escape his detection.
As if realizing she had been discovered, a graceful figure stepped out from behind the container's shadow.
A sleek black leather jacket wrapped around a well-proportioned frame—narrow waist, fair skin, and a confident, commanding presence.
Shen He's lips curled into a slight smile.
"So, it's you."
Standing before him was the infamous Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff.
She was even more captivating in person than the actress from his world's movies—mature, alluring, exuding a deadly charm. But, unfortunately, not his type.
Shen He preferred soft, gentle girls.
"You're full of surprises," Natasha remarked, striding forward with a casual elegance. She extended her hand. "Natasha Romanoff. I've been assigned to assist you with this mission."
Shen He shook her hand, immediately noticing the subtle way her little finger trailed across his palm—an intentional or accidental gesture?
His eyes flickered with thought, but he withdrew his hand without hesitation.
Nice try. But I've been single for years purely by choice. No matter how appealing, I won't bite unless it's my type.
"Tell me the mission details." Shen He turned his gaze to the brightly lit warehouse ahead. "That's our target, right? Looks like a gangster hideout."
"The gangsters are just a front."
Natasha's playful demeanor faded as she pulled out a tablet. A detailed blueprint of the warehouse appeared on the screen.
"These areas," she pointed, "are for show. On the surface, it belongs to the Yamaguchi-gumi's New York branch, but here—" Her finger circled a heavily guarded section at the center. "This place is different. Security is airtight. At least a hundred heavily armed personnel, fortified defenses. We suspect it's the entrance to an underground facility."
Shen He studied the layout. The central zone was littered with red markers, each representing a hostile presence.
Machine guns. Grenade launchers. High-level fortifications.
"With this much intel, why not just drop a missile on them?" Shen He muttered.
"Our objective is to trace the weapon supply chain, not destroy it." Natasha shot him a knowing look. "Besides, you're getting paid $400 million for this. Meanwhile, I've been an agent for years and haven't made even one percent of that."
Shen He smirked but turned to Saiki.
"What did you find?"
Saiki's normally dull eyes glowed faintly as he activated his x-ray vision.
"There aren't that many people."
"What?" Shen He blinked in confusion.
"The underground facility exists, but it's barely guarded. Maybe three or four people, max. I can teleport us in directly."
Shen He shrugged. "Then what are we waiting for?"
"Wait—!" Natasha instinctively raised a hand to stop them.
If there were only a few guards, why did she encounter overwhelming resistance the last time she came here? Something wasn't right.
But before she could protest further, Saiki took them by the wrist and teleported. The world blurred, and in an instant, they were inside what appeared to be a processing facility.
The few guards present barely had time to react before Saiki knocked them unconscious effortlessly.
Even the alarms remained silent.
"$400 million is way too easy," Shen He muttered, prying open a nearby crate. It was stacked with firearms and ammunition.
Was the mission already over?
Having Saiki is like having a cheat code.
"I need to hack their main system and trace the shipments."
Natasha wasted no time, pulling up a terminal and getting to work.
Her brow furrowed. The last time she infiltrated this site, it had been crawling with security. Now, it was almost abandoned.
Did they evacuate early? Did someone leak information?
While she worked, Shen He wandered through the dimly lit facility, scanning his surroundings.
His eyes caught on a large workstation covered in half-assembled mechanical parts. Frayed cables and broken circuits dangled precariously, sparking intermittently.
He'd seen something like this before—
In Tony Stark's lab.
"They… are replicating Tony's armor!" Natasha's voice cut through the silence. She shot up from her terminal. "This isn't a weapon warehouse—it's an R&D base! They've found someone who can actually recreate Tony's suits!"
"—!"
Shen He's pupils contracted.
Ivan Vanko.
This was his work. And if he was working with Hydra—
"Damn it! It's Tony's birthday party!"
His thoughts raced. The others—Shiki and Fujino—were still at Stark's villa!
Without hesitation, Shen He waved his arm. In an instant, the massive frame of the Mirage armor materialized in the cramped space.
The moment it appeared, the facility's alarms erupted in a deafening wail.
But he didn't care.
"Saiki, take Violet and teleport back now!"
Saiki nodded, grabbing Violet before vanishing in a flash of light.
Shen He leaped into the cockpit of the Mirage armor.
Thanks to Tony's modifications, its internal systems were now integrated with Stark's Mark series. A downside—it was no longer a two-seater.
BOOM!
A fiery explosion engulfed the facility's entrance as the Mirage blasted into the night sky, flames roaring from its thrusters.
Saiki, carrying Violet, followed closely behind. While his flight speed was slower, his teleportation allowed him to keep pace.
Shen He's thoughts were consumed by a single, urgent prayer.
Shiki, Fujino… please be safe!
---
Meanwhile, at Tony Stark's Villa…
Draped in his Iron Man suit, Tony stood atop a stage, microphone in hand, belting out lyrics to a classic rock song.
Music, cheers, and laughter filled the extravagant party.
Surrounded by models and celebrities, Tony basked in the atmosphere, reveling in the joy of life.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he called out, raising his drink. "Are you ready for the ultimate showdown? Who wants to see a mech battle?!"
The crowd roared.
"Yeahhh!!"
"The best show of the night!"
Tony grinned. His vision was slightly blurry from the alcohol, but he spotted something bright approaching from the skyline.
A burst of light. Fire streaking through the sky.
He laughed, throwing an arm around a model. "Look at that! My challenger has arrived! Give it up for—"
"Sir."
Jarvis's voice cut in, unnervingly calm.
"That's not your challenger."
Tony frowned. "Huh?"
"That is a Viper Missile. I strongly recommend you evacuate immediately."
Tony's grin faded.
Oh, shit.