The Quinjet descended vertically into a forest. Not far from a guard post, a faint, ancient castle was visible, half-hidden in the trees. The guard post was a former fortress belonging to Baron Strucker, and the ancient castle in the distance was his main headquarters.
Through their 'spies' inside S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA had managed to transport a large number of Chitauri corpses and spacecraft debris to this headquarters. Their goal was to research alien technology to explore the limits of the human body and awaken superpowers.
In the original storyline, the twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff gained their powers through experiments here. After Ultron escaped, he also used the facilities in this place to build his new body. In short, Sokovia was a chaotic place, where government inaction and United States ideology created a nest of evil. The largest H.Y.D.R.A. organization in Eastern Europe was hiding here—or rather, trying to hide.
"Kurohane, are you coming with us?" Tony asked. He wasn't wearing his armor, only a nanobot box hanging on his chest. It seemed Tony hadn't been idle during Kurohane's absence and had successfully created nanotech armor. However, there was a strange detail; the shrapnel in his chest hadn't been removed yet, as if the plot of Iron Man 3 hadn't fully happened.
Kurohane smiled, patting Steve on the shoulder next to him. "I'm here to find someone. You've already seen the data on the twins; don't hurt them. As for the rest, feel free to fight as you like. Even if you die for half a minute, I can bring you back."
"Understood." Steve unlatched the Vibranium shield from his left arm and hung it on his back using a magnetic device. He and Bucky immediately sped off on motorcycles, while Falcon's wings sprayed gas, launching him into the sky.
Before long, the guard post ahead was transformed into a sea of fire. H.Y.D.R.A. members fell one after another. All the Avengers members had departed. Natasha was driving a vehicle, Hawkeye served as a mobile ADC, while Scott clung to Tony's armor, flying with him. Suddenly, only Bruce Banner and Kurohane were left, looking at each other with helpless expressions.
"If you want to have some fun, Bruce, just transform. I'm here, nothing will go wrong."
After speaking, three pairs of wings appeared on Kurohane's back. With a single flap, he shot into the sky, chasing after Tony. Who knew what Tony was planning, he even changed his armor's color scheme to white and gold. Kurohane thought, he should charge royalties!
Bruce Banner actually wanted to go up and vent his anger, but remembering the Abomination incident on Broadway, he immediately gave up the idea. He chose to go back to the plane and brew some black tea.
"Hey, Tony, about that armor color scheme, don't you have something you want to explain to me?"
"Explain? What is there to explain?" Tony's voice sounded conceited over the radio. "This color scheme was chosen by my little fans! I love them!"
"Heh, I'll give you one last chance to change it, or that shrapnel in your chest will stay there for the rest of your life!" Kurohane flashed and appeared next to Tony. His six large wings completely covered Tony.
"Hehe, lately I've found a research project called the Extremis Virus, a kind of virus that can regenerate severed limbs," Tony replied, his tone mischievous. "There are some side effects, but after I finish researching it, I can remove this shrapnel without your help."
"Your ex-girlfriend Maya Hansen's research? Do you know who the sponsor is?" Kurohane realized the Iron Man 3 plot hadn't disappeared, but was merely delayed. Thinking back to the movie—Tony meeting his ex-girlfriend, while Pepper Potts met an obsessed fan—Kurohane thought, 'This could be a mid-life sci-fi romance film genre, right?'
"I heard his name is Aldrich Killian," Tony replied. "I've already asked Agent Hill to look into his information."
"No need, I can tell you who he is," Kurohane said, using the Shield of Seraphim to deflect an RPG rocket flying toward him. His strange laughter sent shivers down Tony's spine. "This Killian is the guy you ignored because you went to sleep with Maya. That poor guy you told to wait on the rooftop all night. Do you think he hates you or not?"
Tony frowned. Something felt wrong. Could this kid want to kill him just because of this?
"What's interesting," Kurohane continued, his mouth not stopping. "This Killian has admired Pepper for a long time. He didn't dare to get close because of his appearance. Now, he seems to have had successful plastic surgery. While you're busy fighting here, he might be getting close to Pepper!"
Tony's eyes widened in shock. "Jarvis! Display surveillance footage from Stark Tower!"
The footage appeared. Tony saw a man with an evil aura interacting intimately with Pepper, playing with some kind of 3D projection device. They looked very intimate!
"Damn it!"
"You're cursing again, Tony~"
Although Tony's face was covered by his helmet, Kurohane's super vision saw it clearly: Tony's face turned from blue, then green. It looked very healthy! Both Tony and Kurohane knew, the Extremis Virus project was over. Tony would never invest in or research that project, even if it could turn people into superhumans. Why? Because Boss Tony wasn't happy!
"Kurohane, I'll change the armor color later. But can you remove this shrapnel now?"
"Sure. Three seconds at most." Kurohane swung his light sword at the H.Y.D.R.A. below, blowing up their bunker. He didn't even bother to check how many justice points he got; he wasn't short on them.
"Later. Let's finish off this pile of H.Y.D.R.A. first, then we'll talk. I have to move fast!" Tony was now incredibly eager to go home. He shot off, surpassing Kurohane, and then launched a barrage of mini-missiles, turning the ground below into a sea of fire.
"Kurohane, was what you said to Tony true?" Natasha's voice suddenly appeared in the radio headset, on a private channel.
"Of course. When have you ever seen me lie?"
"Then... the missing organ?"
"I'll make you a new one!"
"Then I'll wear a bikini for you!"