Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

The night, like thick ink, completely soaked the abandoned supermarket and its surroundings. Inside the main warehouse, only a low-wattage energy-saving light powered by a generator in one of the cubicles emitted a dim, yellowish glow, like a lighthouse on a lonely island in a dark ocean, fragile yet persistent. Tony Stark leaned against the wall, covered with his old work clothes, his breathing gradually becoming even and long, but his brows were still slightly furrowed, clearly indicating that even in his sleep, his nerves were not completely relaxed.

Chen Haotian sat down against the cold metal door, placing the flashlight within easy reach and turning it off. His ears, like the most sophisticated radar, picked up every sound from the outside world. In the distance, the distinctive, dragging, chaotic footsteps of zombies, their unconscious growls, and the occasional sound of objects being knocked over or glass shattering, intertwined to create a chilling symphony of the apocalypse, sometimes near, sometimes far, reminding them of the treacherous nature of their surroundings.

Time flowed slowly amidst the eerie alternation of silence and clamor. Chen Haotian would occasionally shift his position very slightly, loosening his joints, which had become stiff from maintaining the same posture for so long, but his attention remained highly focused, spending most of his time listening. He could hear Tony's occasional mumbled murmurs in his sleep, seemingly related to "reactors" and "palladium." It seemed that even in this otherworldly nightmare, this genius couldn't escape his original destiny.

The silence did not last long.

About two hours after Chen Haotian had been on duty, an unusual feeling instantly made him tense up. It wasn't that the sounds had suddenly become louder; on the contrary, the previously scattered roars and footsteps in the distance seemed to be converging and approaching at an unnatural speed, and... becoming more orderly? A low, rustling sound, like the friction of waves lapping against a beach, began to faintly emerge, replacing the previous chaotic individual sounds.

He snapped his eyes open, listened intently for a moment, and his expression darkened. Something was wrong. This didn't seem like a small, wandering group of zombies; it was more like... a large-scale gathering.

He immediately got up, without turning on the lights, and using the faint moonlight filtering through the vents, tiptoed to the main warehouse door and peered out through a small observation hole that had been cleared earlier.

Under the moonlight, shadowy figures were steadily increasing in the open space outside the supermarket. They emerged from various street corners and alleyways, their steps faltering yet their destination clear: the supermarket. Their numbers far exceeded the small group encountered during the day. Dozens? No, perhaps hundreds, or even more. They seemed drawn by some invisible signal; their empty eyes reflected a ghastly light in the darkness, and their throats emitted a series of bloodthirsty whimpers, coalescing into a chilling wave of sound.

A horde of zombies! And a horde of zombies that was actively attracted here!

Chen Haotian's heart sank. He quickly retreated into the cubicle, his movements becoming more exaggerated, no longer trying to conceal his actions.

"Tony! Wake up!" he whispered, but his tone was urgent and forceful, as he reached out and nudged Tony's shoulder.

Tony sprang to his feet almost the instant he was touched, the grogginess of sleep replaced by alertness in a fraction of a second. "What's wrong?" His voice was hoarse from just waking up, but his eyes were already sharp as an eagle's.

"Outside, a large number of zombies are gathering, and their target is most likely here," Chen Haotian said succinctly, while handing Tony a powerful flashlight. "Is your alarm system working?"

Tony tilted his head and listened to the makeshift buzzer he'd set up by the door; it remained silent. "No specific frequency triggered… Looks like they're not gathering by 'sound signals,' maybe it's smell, or… something else." His face darkened, and he immediately grabbed the fire axe leaning against the wall. "How many are there?"

"We've observed over a hundred, and the number is still increasing." Chen Haotian picked up his steel shovel, one end of which had been sharpened. "We're surrounded. Prepare for battle. We can't stay here any longer. We must retreat to the main warehouse compartment and rely on the metal doors there and our fortified positions."

Just then, a muffled thud came from the main warehouse door, which they had been holding shut with heavy objects! Then came a second, a third… The initial sporadic, tentative impacts quickly grew into a dense, heavy barrage! It was as if countless rotting arms and bodies were frantically battering the door. The door panels began to groan under the strain, and the crates and paint buckets supporting it shifted slightly.

"They've spotted us! Quick!" Chen Haotian roared and charged towards the iron door of the cubicle.

Tony followed closely behind, and the two quickly retreated into the relatively sturdy compartment. Tony slammed the heavy iron door shut behind the compartment and quickly inserted a thick steel bar he had found into the makeshift latch behind the door—a makeshift latch he had created during the day using the tools and door frame structure he had found. Although crude, it was more reliable than simply blocking the door.

Almost the instant they finished doing all this, a loud "boom" came from the direction of the main warehouse door, accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of metal twisting—the outer door seemed to have been smashed open!

A cacophony of chaotic, desperate shouts, like a burst dam, flooded into the main warehouse. The sounds of shelves being overturned and debris being trampled could be heard, and countless dragging, hurried footsteps rapidly filled the space, closing in on their last stronghold.

"They're in!" Tony leaned against the metal door of the cubicle, clearly feeling the vibrations and impacts coming from outside. His face was pale, but his hand gripping the fire axe was steady and strong. He glanced at Chen Haotian. "Do you have any emergency plans for this kind of situation in your 'knowledge base'?"

Chen Haotian leaned against the opposite wall, his eyes rapidly scanning the cramped space, his mind racing. "The horde of zombies relies on sheer numbers. The cubicle doors won't hold for long; once they're breached, we're trapped in this confined space. We can't just passively defend; we must use the environment to our advantage, create obstacles, and divide them up!"

His gaze fell on the supplies they had inventoried, and he spoke rapidly: "Plan: Utilize the complex terrain and wrecked shelves inside the main warehouse. I'll open the door to draw the initial attention, you come with me and rush out. We'll move to the right, where there are more obstacles created by the collapsed shelves. Use the gasoline!"

He pointed to the nearly empty can of gasoline in the corner. "Build a wall of fire; it'll at least temporarily hold them off and create chaos. Remember, the goal is to create an escape route, or stall them until they lose their target and scatter, not to wipe them out! Stay close to me, don't linger!"

Tony instantly understood his intention. It was extremely risky, but it was indeed the only possible way to survive in their current desperate situation. Without hesitation, he picked up the can of gasoline, unscrewed the cap, and a strong smell of gasoline instantly filled the air. "Ready when you are."

Chen Haotian took a deep breath, regulated his breathing, gripped the steel hammer tightly in his left hand, and placed his right hand on the bolt behind the door. He glanced at Tony, his eyes chillingly calm: "Count to three."

"One." The banging outside the door grew louder, the roars were almost upon them. "Two." Tony tilted the gasoline can slightly, ready to splash it. "Three!"

Chen Haotian suddenly pulled out the steel pin and kicked the iron door open with force!

Outside the door, a horrifying horde of zombies swarmed, the closest ones less than half a meter from the entrance, their rotting faces and outstretched arms almost touching Chen Haotian's face! The stench was overwhelming!

"Get out of the way!" Chen Haotian roared, his body sliding out like a cheetah. He stabbed the steel dagger in his hand into the eye socket of the first zombie with precision and ruthlessness, and kicked it down, knocking over several zombies that squeezed in from behind.

Tony followed closely behind, and the instant Chen Haotian cleared a small gap, he suddenly splashed the remaining gasoline in the bucket onto the area in front and to the left where the zombies were most concentrated! The pungent liquid soaked many zombies.

"Fire!" Tony yelled.

Chen Haotian was already prepared. Almost at the same time as the gasoline was poured out, he threw a lit small torch (made from scraps of cloth and wood that he found) into the area covered in gasoline!

"boom--!"

A dazzling wall of fire erupted instantly, and a wave of scorching heat swept over us! The burning zombies let out shrill, inhuman howls, charging around like moving torches, igniting more of their companions and the scattered paper debris around them. The flames and thick smoke spread rapidly, temporarily blocking most of the horde of zombies to the left and in front, the pungent smell of burning flesh masking the original stench.

"To the right!" Chen Haotian shouted, and charged ahead in the designated direction.

Tony brandished his fire axe, felling a zombie that lunged out from the shadows of the shelves, and followed closely behind. The two moved swiftly through the chaotic main warehouse, a place of flickering flames, billowing smoke, and the sounds of roars and burning.

The burning horde of corpses caused immense chaos, drawing the attention of most of the zombies, but also reducing visibility and creating a new danger—the spreading fire.

Using collapsed shelves and piles of debris as cover, they fought and retreated. Chen Haotian's steel axe was like a venomous snake, always accurately finding the zombies' most vulnerable points, killing them with a single blow—his movements were efficient and ruthless. Tony's fire axe, on the other hand, was powerful and heavy, often incapacitating zombies with a single strike. Although not particularly agile, it was equally effective in this close-quarters melee.

"Watch out for your head!" Tony yanked Chen Haotian back, and a metal beam, loosened by flames and streaking with sparks, crashed down where they had just been.

Chen Haotian glanced back at Tony, a barely perceptible flicker in his eyes, but he had no time to say anything at the moment. "Thanks! Keep going, through the passage formed by the collapsed shelves ahead; there's a relatively spacious receiving area there, maybe we can get rid of them!"

However, just as they were about to reach the entrance of the passage, a row of shelves on the side, which had seemed sturdy, collapsed with a sickening metallic creak as the flames burned the bottom supports and the horde of corpses repeatedly rammed into them!

Countless metal supports and the remaining goods poured down like an avalanche!

"Back off!" Chen Haotian reacted quickly, grabbing Tony's arm and pulling him back sharply.

Countless debris rained down on them, raising clouds of dust. Although the two narrowly escaped being buried alive, they were forced back to their original path, and the collapsed shelves completely blocked their way to the receiving area.

Even worse, the wall of fire behind them was weakening as the flammable material was about to burn out, while on the left and right sides, more zombies bypassed the fire or stepped over the burning bodies of their companions, roaring as they closed in once again! They were surrounded again, and their escape route was cut off!

Tony was panting heavily, his forehead covered in sweat and cigarette ash, the blade of his fire axe bent and filthy. He glanced at the blocked passage, then at the approaching horde of corpses, and gritted his teeth: "Looks like your Plan A failed, genius. Any Plan B?"

Chen Haotian wasn't in much better shape; he was covered in filth, and a small burn mark on his arm from flying sparks, but his eyes remained calm. "Plan B," he slammed a steel spike into the jaw of a zombie trying to pounce from the side, pinning it to a nearby shelf, "It's about fighting your way out! Follow me, we'll force our way through on the left; the fire is the least intense there, and the zombies are relatively scattered!"

Without time to hesitate, Tony growled and raised the fire axe again: "Then let's fight our way out!"

Like trapped beasts in dire straits, the two unleashed astonishing fighting power. Chen Haotian was responsible for precisely eliminating any approaching threats, while Tony used brute force and his battle axe to clear a path. Under the pressure of life and death, their teamwork became increasingly seamless; a single glance or movement was enough for them to understand each other's intentions.

Finally, after suffering several minor abrasions and expending a great deal of energy, they managed to break through the relatively weak point of the zombie horde on the left and return to the relatively open area of ​​the supermarket.

The horde of corpses continued their relentless pursuit, but the pressure lessened considerably without the confinement of the narrow space. The two dared not linger, using their familiarity with the terrain to quickly weave between shelves and ruins, constantly changing direction in an attempt to shake off their pursuers.

They ran for an unknown amount of time until the roars and footsteps behind them gradually faded away. They took refuge in an abandoned cold storage room, where the heavy insulated doors temporarily separated them from the outside world.

The cold storage room was pitch black, with only the heavy breathing of two people echoing in the air. The air was filled with the sour smell of rotting food and the cold, rusty smell of metal.

Tony slid down onto the cold metal wall, the fire axe clattering to the floor beside him. His arm felt as heavy as lead. He glanced at Chen Haotian, who was also sitting opposite him, his chest heaving, and forced a tired yet strangely excited smile: "Hey, seriously... that last move wasn't bad."

Chen Haotian regulated his breathing, the runes under his ribs faintly warm from the intense energy expenditure and emotional turmoil. He looked up at Tony; although he couldn't see Tony's expression in the darkness, he could feel the emotion of someone who had survived a near-death experience. He didn't answer, but simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Their first battle side-by-side, a brush with death, forged an unspoken, nascent trust and tacit understanding based on their shared strength, quietly taking shape in the dark, blood-soaked cold storage. The horde of corpses outside was not far off, and danger remained, but at least they had survived for the time being.