Chapter 374: Operation Morgan Rescue
"Damn you, Allen!"
In the blink of an eye, Pietro stormed into Avengers HQ, brandishing a kitchen knife.
At that moment, the hall was crowded with heroes discussing the recent kidnapping of Tony's family.
Colonel Rhodes, who had mobilized military resources, was gnawing at his fingernails, eyes glued to his phone, afraid to miss any incoming calls.
Pietro's sudden arrival immediately drew attention.
Among those present, only he and Deadpool weren't official Avengers.
Deadpool, lounging elegantly—and flamboyantly—on the couch, savored a glass of top-shelf liquor. He was only here out of boredom, not concern.
Pietro, however, didn't care about the looks. His eyes locked instantly onto Allen.
Sure enough, Allen was right beside Wanda, leering shamelessly.
"Wanda, save me."
Without hesitation, Allen clung to her like a lifeline, wearing a dopey lovestruck expression as he provocatively glanced at the seething Pietro.
"Let go of my sister."
Pietro trembled with rage, his flabby flesh jiggling. He was far from the lean speedster he once was.
"Nope."
Allen only snuggled closer, looking like he'd rather die than let go.
He couldn't be killed, beaten, or threatened—Pietro was utterly exasperated.
"Allen, could you let go? It's kind of weird seeing you in the Captain America outfit…"
Wanda's face flushed in embarrassment. Steve had always been someone she deeply respected, and seeing Allen dressed like him while clinging to her made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Back when she joined the Avengers, Steve had looked after her like a mentor.
"Okay."
Allen took off the mask, unzipped the suit, and pulled out a pair of yoga pants from under his armpit, using it as a headwrap.
Wanda's expression froze.
This man had actually kept that headwrap? He really was insane.
"You can imagine I'm the kidnapper, Wanda…"
Allen purred, nuzzling his head against her thigh.
Tch…
At a time like this, why did he have to clown around? Could he not show a shred of empathy for the victims?
Tony, for one, stayed silent, staring blankly at a family photo.
"I'm gonna kill you."
Pietro couldn't hold it anymore and charged with the knife.
Fortunately, the others restrained him before it got out of hand.
Not that Pietro truly wanted to kill—he was secretly glad for the excuse to cool down.
Meanwhile…
In Killian's secret lab, most researchers had already evacuated, leaving only Pepper Potts writhing in agony as the Extremis virus tore through her.
The transformation process felt like being trapped in a furnace.
Her organs burned from within, then healed, only to burn again. An endless cycle of torture.
It was like being alive inside a cremation chamber.
Agony, despair, and the wish for death overwhelmed her.
Through surveillance, Killian observed the process, satisfied with how smoothly the integration was going.
If the virus failed, the body would glow from the eyes, nose, and mouth before exploding. But Pepper's body was holding on—she was enduring.
Once the temperature dropped, it would signal successful fusion, granting her superhuman abilities.
"Aaaargh!"
Pepper screamed in pain, having lost all reason.
The restraints on her limbs melted under the thousands-of-degrees heat radiating from her pores, dissolving the titanium alloy.
"The fusion looks stable."
The Extremis Super Soldier serum trials had already been conducted dozens of times—with a failure rate of over 60%. Individual physiology varied greatly.
Worse, a failed subject could explode with the force of a large-scale missile—easily enough to level a building.
That's why Killian set up remote labs underground, outfitted with only basic equipment and escape routes to evacuate personnel instantly.
"A shame she's not male," said an assistant. "Might've boosted her even more."
Extremis effects depended heavily on physical condition. Tests with the Super Soldier serum showed results ranging from moderate to tenfold boosts, especially when paired with a second Extremis dose and enhanced regeneration.
Such subjects became virtually unkillable.
BOOM!
Pepper broke free. Her eyes glowed with flame, and her veins pulsed with molten heat.
She smashed the metal door aside with a single punch.
"Morgan!"
Even in her state, her first thought was of her daughter.
But the underground base was empty. Her vision, now capable of seeing in the dark, revealed nothing but long, silent corridors.
Room after room, she tore open doors, shouting Morgan's name in a frenzy.
Killian watched, pleased—this was the exact outcome he wanted. The more Morgan meant to Pepper, the better leverage she became against Iron Man.
With no sign of Morgan, Pepper turned to a camera in the corner and roared:
"I don't care who you are or what you want—if you so much as touch Morgan, I'll rip you apart!"
Crack!
She crushed the camera with her bare hand.
Realizing she was wasting time, she crouched and leapt upward, punching through the cement roof.
Using sheer strength, she burst through layers of earth, emerging into daylight.
She took a deep breath, then sprinted toward the horizon, so fast she left afterimages.
High-altitude drones picked up her appearance, and zoomed in to confirm her identity. The data was immediately relayed.
Once the military matched her face, they informed Colonel Rhodes.
The incident had attracted high-level government attention—not only because of the kidnapping's brazenness but also due to suspicions of official involvement.
Tony wasn't just Stark Industries' head—he was a core Avenger. A misstep here could trigger disastrous political fallout.
"Tony, we've located Pepper. She's in the outskirts…"
Snapped out of his stupor, Tony gently placed the family photo aside, then tapped his chest.
His nanotech armor flowed over him like liquid metal.
Though still in development, it surpassed all previous iterations.
Driven by desperation, he equipped it without hesitation.
Boom!
He rocketed into the air, feet fused into a massive thruster.
Within moments, he reached Pepper.
Hearing the roar, Pepper looked up and immediately knew it was Tony.
"Morgan?"
Tony landed and asked the question with dread.
Seeing only his wife, his heart sank—he didn't dare imagine the worst.
"She's gone. I couldn't find her…"
Pepper collapsed to the ground, sobbing. "It's my fault. I should've let her go play with Nanaue. Maybe this wouldn't have happened…"
She would rather have been the one kidnapped.
In truth, Nanaue had also been taken.
"Don't worry. I will bring our daughter back."
Tony knelt and hugged her. But the moment he touched her arm, he flinched.
"You're burning up!"
"She injected me with something... I thought I was going to combust."
Tony didn't dare speculate. Re-engaging his armor, he flew her back to HQ.
Within minutes, they arrived.
The other heroes saw Tony return with Pepper—but no Morgan—and guessed the worst.
"Banner, I need your help. Something's wrong with Pepper's body."
Tony rushed toward the lab.
Only Dr. Banner, with his multiple PhDs, was equipped to help.
Allen, no longer in the mood to flirt, followed to spectate.
Pepper lay on the exam table while the scanners did their work.
Allen leaned in with his usual cheeky grin.
Ack ack ack—!
Suddenly, Pepper lunged and grabbed Allen's throat.
Tony barely stopped her in time.
"Sorry, I mistook him for one of the kidnappers," Pepper apologized.
Allen gasped for breath, tongue out and eyes rolling. A normal man would've been dead.
But then again, Allen was asking for it—still wearing that headwrap, looking like a bank robber.
With her daughter missing, Pepper wasn't thinking straight.
"Tony, look at this."
Banner pointed at the screen, incredulous. "Her gene sequence has changed. She's got a strand that normally only appears in plants!"
This was a first for him. He had no explanation.
"Ssss… So hot!"
Allen poked her arm and recoiled, blowing on his finger.
Tony and Banner ignored him and continued analyzing.
"As long as I find the root cause, I can fix it," Tony said with determination.
The heroes watched from behind reinforced glass, knowing there was nothing they could contribute.
Science required precision—one small error could derail everything.
"Sir, incoming signal requesting connection," said the AI butler.
A strange signal?
Tony immediately suspected the kidnappers. Who else would call now?
"Patch it through."
A masked man appeared in the projection. "Hello, Tony."
"You did this?"
"Yes," the masked Killian admitted. "I'm sure you've seen your wife's condition. My demand is simple—give me a stable formula, and your family will be reunited. I'll send the data shortly."
Tony wanted to refuse, but with Morgan involved, he had no choice.
"You're not very professional."
Allen suddenly stepped into frame. "Don't real kidnappers start with proof of life? If you killed the hostage, we'd be wasting our time."
"…Who are you?"
Killian frowned, confused by this masked stranger.
"I'm Captain Kidnap. And you?"
"…Call me 'Fire Fiend.'"
Killian casually made up a name.
Then he played footage of Morgan locked in a cage.
She didn't seem scared—just bored, rubbing her lips on the bars.
This kid had nerves of steel.
"Happy now?" Killian asked.
"Very."
Allen grinned. "Killian, nice headwrap. You think I wouldn't recognize you?"
Killian's face twitched.
Impossible.
They'd never met—how could he know?
"Who are you?"
Killian's composure cracked, his tone turning violent. "Tony, let me be clear: if you don't cooperate, I guarantee you'll regret it for life."
"Don't hurt her! I'll do what you ask—just don't touch Morgan!"
Tony backed down, terrified of provoking him further.
"Relax, Tony."
Allen scoffed. "I'll have your granddaughter back in no time."
"Shut up!" Tony snapped.
Right now, Allen seemed insufferable—completely ignoring the seriousness of the situation.
"You yelled at me?"
Allen's eyes widened. "Such disrespect! I'm done playing."
He stepped into a portal—and stunned everyone watching.
Because inside the cell, Morgan now had company.
Seeing Allen, she cheered excitedly, waving and yelling—presumably calling him "Grandpa."
Tony's rage instantly vanished, replaced by guilt.
He shouldn't have shouted. Allen had a way to save Morgan.
"How the hell did he do that!?"
Killian panicked. His trump card was gone.
Meanwhile, Tony stood tall again. "Killian, I will find you. And I'll make you pay. No one harms my family."
Snap!
The call ended.
"Jarvis, pull up all files on Killian."
Tony was back in full Iron Man mode—dead serious.
"I know who Killian is," said Bucky, stepping forward, trying to smooth things over.
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