Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

In the dim light, Tony Stark stared at Chen Haotian. The phrases "hellish crash course" and "cooled-down ticket" pierced his last shred of hope like cold needles. Going back wasn't something that could be done immediately; they were trapped here, and the timeline was unknown. A mixture of anger, fear, and a sense of being manipulated churned in his chest, but his years of experience navigating the treacherous waters of the business world and surviving desperate situations (though that time in Afghanistan, the environment was completely different) forced him to suppress the urge to explode. Getting angry wouldn't solve anything, especially in this godforsaken place, facing this enigmatic "brother."

He took a deep breath of the musty, dusty air, trying to make his voice sound calm, though rough like sandpaper: "How long will it take for the 'cooling' to happen?"

Chen Haotian shifted his body slightly, seemingly uncomfortable with the dull pain in his ribs, but he answered quickly, clearly having considered this beforehand: "Uncertain. The energy consumption is greater than expected, especially carrying people through. The initial estimate is at least 24 to 48 hours, perhaps longer. During this time, we must ensure we survive until then."

24 to 48 hours. Tony silently counted the number in his mind. It wasn't too long, but it was definitely not short either. In this perilous world, anything could happen any minute.

“Alright,” Tony stood up, stretching his aching neck and shoulders. His engineer’s logic began to take over. “Since we’re going to be here for a day or two, we can’t just rely on this metal box to tough it out. We need to turn this into a real temporary fortress, not a coffin to wait for death.” He picked up the fire axe leaning against the wall and gently tapped the heavy iron door with the blade, producing a dull thud. “First step: thoroughly inventory all our resources. From weapons, food, and water, to any junk that might be usable.”

Chen Haotian nodded, a hint of agreement on his face. "That suits me perfectly. Systematic resource management is the foundation of survival." He also stood up, picked up another powerful flashlight, and said, "We'll split up; it'll be more efficient. You're in charge of checking this cubicle and the area near the door, see if there's anything missing from the desks and filing cabinets. I'll be in charge of the main warehouse shelves, doing a more detailed inventory. Report any findings immediately."

Without further ado, the two immediately got to work. The pressure to survive made temporary doubts and misunderstandings take a back seat, and cooperation became the best solution at the moment.

Tony first focused on the old desk and filing cabinet. He opened a drawer, and found nothing of interest except some yellowed, faded papers, a few dried-up pens, and a bunch of useless paperclips. But in the bottom drawer, he felt a hard object—a metal box. Inside was half a box of 9mm pistol bullets, gleaming yellow and remarkably well-preserved.

"Ha, good stuff!" Tony's eyes lit up. Although he didn't have a gun now, having bullets greatly increased his chances of finding one. He carefully put the bullets away.

Next, he began to examine the radio. After disassembling the casing, the inside was covered in dust, but the components appeared largely intact. His gaze shifted between the radio's circuit board and the silent gasoline generator, and an idea gradually took shape.

Meanwhile, Chen Haotian moved among the shelves in the main warehouse. His flashlight beam, like a precise scalpel, swept across every corner. He not only looked for the obvious food and water, but also paid attention to those "non-traditional" resources that might be overlooked.

In the tools section, he found more useful items: several rolls of steel wire of different sizes, a box of fairly sharp hacksaw blades, several wrenches and screwdrivers of different sizes, and even a small can of industrial super glue. In the cleaning supplies section, he found several bottles of bleach (which can be used to disinfect and purify water, but should be used with caution), some plastic buckets, and large storage boxes (which can be used to store water or make simple traps).

On the bottom shelf in a corner, he made an even more important discovery—a box of unopened propane canisters, next to a portable propane stove. This meant they could heat food and boil water, crucial for maintaining health and morale. He also found a few packets of fresh salt and some seasonings; though not much, these little touches of flavor were invaluable after a long diet of compressed biscuits and canned goods.

He sorted the supplies and moved them near the entrance of the cubicle for easy access.

When Chen Haotian returned to the cubicle door carrying a box of propane gas cylinders, he saw Tony squatting in the corner, busy with the disassembled radio and generator. He was holding tools he had found on the desk and was trying to connect some components of the radio to one of the generator's output ports. There were also some disassembled wires and a small buzzer taken from some discarded electronic device scattered around him.

"Any progress?" Chen Haotian asked, putting down the gas canister.

Tony didn't even look up, his fingers deftly fiddling with the thin wires. "I'm trying to make a simple early warning system. Using generator power, I'm modifying the receiver module of this radio and this buzzer. If there's continuous, large-scale movement outside—like a horde of zombies moving—a specific frequency fluctuation might trigger the buzzer alarm. The principle is simple, but it needs debugging… Damn, the tools here are too rudimentary." He complained, but his hands didn't stop moving.

Chen Haotian looked at Tony's focused profile, a slight tremor running through him. This was Tony Stark; even in dire straits, his mind never stopped thinking, never stopped trying to use technology and wisdom to control the situation. This quality was more precious than gold in the apocalypse.

"Good idea," Chen Haotian affirmed. "I found the propane furnace, so we can have a hot meal now. Also, these," he pointed to the tools and materials he had brought back, "might be helpful for your 'project'."

Tony finally looked up, glanced at the items, and nodded. "The wire will be useful; maybe we can install some tripwire alarms at the door. The glue... I can't think of anything for now, let's keep it."

The two exchanged their findings. Regarding food: they found 24 bottles of water (500ml each), 18 packs of compressed biscuits, 23 cans of various meats and fruits, and some packaged food that might be expired but hadn't yet spoiled. If used sparingly, it would be more than enough to last two days.

In terms of weapons: besides Tony's fire axe and the metal table leg that Chen Haotian usually uses (now as a spare), there is half a box of 9mm bullets, as well as steel hammers, wrenches, etc. that can be used as weapons in the tools.

关键资源：强光手电筒5个，备用电池若干；急救包1个（内含基础药品和包扎材料）；丙烷炉灶1套，气罐4个；汽油发电机1台，汽油约5升；老式收音机1台（正在被改造）；以及各种零碎的工具和材料。

After taking inventory, Tony rubbed his sore eyes, looking at the neatly categorized supplies on the ground. A faint sense of control dispelled some of his confusion. "The resources are more plentiful than I expected; at least we won't starve or die of thirst immediately." He looked at Chen Haotian, "In your 'Apocalypse Survival Knowledge,' besides reinforcing the doors and windows, what other suggestions do you have for the defense of this kind of temporary base?"

Chen Haotian walked to the main warehouse door and shone his flashlight on the hinges and lock mechanism. "Bridging the inside with heavy objects is the most basic thing. We can use these empty crates and those cans of paint (they're not very useful, but they're heavy enough) to pile behind the door. Also," he pointed to the ventilation openings high up, "while zombies can't get in there, we need to be careful of small animals or birds carrying the virus. It's best to seal them from the inside with the wire mesh or sturdy fabric we find, leaving only necessary ventilation gaps."

He paused, then continued, "The most important thing is to establish a duty roster. The two of us must take turns resting, with one of us always on alert. Nighttime is the most dangerous time, and hearing and limited visual observation are crucial."

Tony agreed. With the division of labor clear, he continued tinkering with his makeshift warning device and began using the wire he found to set up simple tripwires at the doorway and in several possible blind spots, connecting them to some empty cans to create a rudimentary audible alarm.

Chen Haotian then began preparing dinner. He used a clean little pot he had found (from the junk pile), filled it with water, and boiled it on the assembled propane stove. Then he opened two cans of beef, poured in the contents, and heated them. Soon, a long-awaited aroma of oil and meat filled the small cubicle.

This simple hot meal was better than any Michelin-starred dinner at that moment. The two silently shared the food from the pot, the warmth spreading from their esophagus to their stomachs, as if injecting a bit of strength into their cold limbs.

After finishing their meal, it was completely dark. The warehouse was plunged into utter darkness, with only the beam of a flashlight piercing through a small area. In the outside world, the eerie roars and grinding sounds seemed even clearer and more intense.

"You rest for four hours first," Chen Haotian said to Tony, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll keep watch for the first half of the night. I'll wake you up in four hours."

Tony didn't object. The extreme mental stress and physical exhaustion had left him truly exhausted. He leaned against the wall, wrapped himself in a slightly worn but still relatively clean work uniform he'd found in the storage room, and closed his eyes. Despite his extreme physical fatigue, his mind was unusually active, a flurry of thoughts flooding his mind—about this world, about Chen Haotian, about that damned rune, about how to improve the nascent concept in his mind of individual soldier equipment that could provide stronger protection and firepower…

In his half-asleep state, he could hear Chen Haotian's extremely faint footsteps moving rhythmically between the cubicle door and the main warehouse, occasionally pausing to listen to the sounds outside. That steady rhythm, in this environment, unexpectedly brought a faint sense of security.

In the darkness, Chen Haotian leaned against the door, his flashlight switched off to conserve power, his ears catching every subtle sound. His fingers unconsciously traced his left ribcage, where mysterious runes radiated a faint warmth beneath his skin, as if slowly drawing energy, gathering strength for his next journey across time and space. His gaze pierced the crack in the door, fixed on the endless darkness outside, his eyes calm and profound, like a hunter lurking in the shadows, assessing the environment, calculating the risks, and planning his next move. Resources had been inventoried, and a rudimentary defense system was being built, but the real test might have only just begun.