Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

In the stark white light of the emergency lights, Tony supported the nearly exhausted Chen Haotian, both their faces bearing the somber weight of having survived a near-death experience. Jarvis's intermittent warnings tolled like a final death knell in the deathly silent laboratory.

"Structured weaknesses...extremely unstable...immediate evacuation recommended..."

"Did you hear that, Jarvis?" Tony growled into the air, his voice hoarse with tension. "How much longer can this hellhole hold out?"

"Based on the energy dissipation rate and spatial stress analysis... the core laboratory area is expected to experience structural collapse within... eight to ten minutes... accompanied by a high-intensity energy release... equivalent to... a large-scale high-energy explosive explosion..." Jarvis's answer, accompanied by a piercing electrical noise, added a touch of urgency.

"Ten minutes..." Tony took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. His multiple identities as a billionaire, genius inventor, and former arms dealer quickly put him into crisis management mode. He glanced at Chen Haotian, who was pale and still breathing rapidly. "Can he move? We don't have time to waste."

Chen Haotian gritted his teeth, trying to stand up straight, but his legs remained weak. The runes within him, which had just been "fed" a meal but were still restless, were draining a large amount of his mental and physical strength. "I won't die... Give me thirty seconds." He leaned against the cold wall, quickly adjusting his breathing, his brain racing, analyzing the current situation. His cunning instincts immediately made him calculate the gains and losses, while his academic mind began to plan the optimal escape route.

"We don't have thirty seconds!" Tony released his grip on his arm and rushed to the control panel, attempting to reboot parts of the system, but the screen remained black. "Jarvis, activate emergency plan 'The Forge,' authorization code Stark-Alpha-79!"

"Emergency Plan 'Furnace' activated... Attempting to connect to the base's backup independent server... Connection successful... Initiating forced data backup... Target: All core research data, virus sample analysis records, preliminary energy crystal report, metal fragment observation log... Backup progress... Interrupted... Estimated completion time... Six minutes..."

Meanwhile, in a corner of the laboratory, an inconspicuous metal panel slid open, revealing a hidden emergency supplies depot containing several sealed silver briefcases bearing the Stark Industries logo and a few standardized military backpacks.

"Dr. Wesker!" Tony turned to the equally shaken research team leader. "Don't stand there! Take your most important research manuscripts and original samples, take as much as you can! We have to get out of this damned lab core area within six minutes!"

Wesker snapped back to reality, a flicker of struggle crossing his face, but seeing the occasional sparks flying from the surrounding instruments and the increasingly noticeable unstable energy fluctuations in the air, he immediately yelled at his team members, "Quick! Do as Mr. Stark says! Prioritize rescuing the T-02 mutant tissue samples and our experimental logs! Hurry!"

The lab instantly sprang into action, the initial shock replaced by a desperate need to survive. Researchers frantically opened freezers, retrieved precious sample tubes, and stuffed them into portable cryopreservation cases; some rushed to computer terminals, attempting to copy the last data via physical connection.

Tony rushed to the emergency supplies point and quickly inspected its contents. Besides the standard emergency food, water, and medkits, there were several high-tech-looking energy pistols and a few disc-shaped devices. "Good thing I always keep something in reserve," he muttered, tossing two backpacks to Chen Haotian, who had just managed to steady himself. "Here, these contain basic survival supplies and weapons. Is your 'little trick' still usable? We might need it to clear a path."

Chen Haotian took the backpack, feeling the still surging but slightly tamed energy within him. He shook his head with a wry smile: "Not sure. That last burst almost drained me dry, and the energy is very... chaotic right now. Forcing it might blow us up before opening a passage." He pointed to the subtle spatial distortions in the surrounding air, almost invisible to the naked eye but definitely present. "The space here is like a crumpled piece of paper about to tear; any additional spatial disturbance could be the last straw that breaks the camel's back."

Tony clicked his tongue, clearly understanding the point. "Then let's stick to the old method." He quickly distributed the energy pistols to the two more composed and experienced members of Wesker's team, while he picked up the two disc-shaped devices. "Portable shockwave generators, for close-range clearing," he explained simply, then looked at the base structure diagram provided by Jarvis, projected onto the remaining smooth surface of the wall, also flickering.

"Our location is here," Tony said, pointing to the red area marked "Core Lab" on the map. The edge of this area was already flashing red alarm lights. "The nearest emergency exit is here, through two corridors and a supply depot. But according to Jarvis's monitoring, the spatial stability along this path is also rapidly decreasing."

"Let's take the backup route," Chen Haotian suddenly said, his gaze sweeping across the map and pointing to a narrow route marked "Maintenance Route (Abandoned)". "This route connects directly to the armory's weapons testing range. Although it's a longer route, the structure is simpler, with most of it buried in the underground reinforced layer, making it less susceptible to energy interference. Moreover, the testing range has a large elevator platform that leads directly to the ground."

Tony glanced at the route and frowned slightly: "This passage hasn't been used for a long time; the lighting and ventilation might be faulty."

"It's better than being torn in two by a spatial rift that could appear at any moment in the main passage," Chen Haotian calmly retorted. His analysis was based on a trade-off between risk and efficiency. "What we lack now is time, not comfort."

"...That makes sense." Tony decisively adopted the suggestion. "Jarvis, mark the backup maintenance route as the priority evacuation route and update the structural integrity report along the route in real time."

"Route updated... Warning... The base's main energy system is beginning a chain reaction of failures... Lighting in some areas will fail... Ventilation system efficiency will decrease... It is estimated that in three minutes... the core laboratory will enter an oxygen-deficient environment..."

"Damn it!" Tony cursed under his breath. "Everyone! Follow us! Now!"

He rushed first towards the inconspicuous, heavy metal door on one side of the laboratory, which required manual opening; it was the entrance to the backup maintenance passage. Chen Haotian took a deep breath, suppressing his weakness, and followed closely behind. Wesker and his team members, carrying salvaged boxes and equipment, stumbled after them.

Tony yanked the manual turntable on the door, the gears screeching, but thankfully it still worked. The door opened a crack, and a blast of cold air, smelling musty and metallic rust, rushed in. Behind the door was complete darkness, broken only by the faint glow of an emergency light in the distance, which vaguely illuminated a narrow, downward-sloping passageway filled with pipes and cables.

"Stay close! Watch your step!" Tony turned on the small light attached to the prototype armor on his arm (although the main body of the armor had not yet been built, he had already developed some auxiliary functions in advance), and took the lead to crawl inside.

Chen Haotian was the second to enter. He glanced back at the laboratory, now shrouded in chaos and partial darkness. It had once been a symbol of their safety and hope in this apocalyptic world, but now it was about to vanish. A barely perceptible hint of regret flashed in his eyes, but more than that, a calm resolve shone through. Losing a base was certainly a pity, but the data, samples, and… the unknown changes in the runes within his body might be even more valuable.

Just as Tony had predicted, the lighting in the corridor was mostly down, with only a few emergency lights still working, casting a dim glow. Underfoot lay years of accumulated dust and scattered discarded parts; the air was stale, and ventilation was practically nonexistent. Behind them, unstable energy fluctuations emanating from the direction of the laboratory served as background noise, a constant reminder of the approaching danger.

"Structural integrity report...Maintenance passage is currently stable...Slight spatial distortion detected 50 meters ahead...Prompt passage recommended..." Jarvis's voice came through the miniature speaker on Tony's arm, intermittent but providing crucial information.

"Speed ​​up!" Tony urged the people behind him.

The group moved quickly through the narrow, dimly lit passage, everyone on edge. As they passed the section Jarvis had indicated, everyone felt a subtle, dizzying, distorted sensation, as if the surrounding walls and pipes were writhing slightly. No one dared to stop; they pushed forward relentlessly.

Suddenly, the entire passageway shook violently, and dust and debris rained down from above.

"The explosion has started!" someone in Wesker's team shouted in terror.

"It wasn't an explosion, it's structural resonance caused by spatial collapse!" Tony corrected, his face growing even more grim. "Quick! The exit is just ahead!"

After rounding another bend, a light appeared ahead—the entrance to the weapons testing range. A huge, rusty metal elevator platform stood before them.

"Jarvis! Activate the lift! Maximum power!" Tony rushed to the control panel beside the platform, only to find the screen black. "Damn it! The platform's power's been cut off!"

"Manual start!" Chen Haotian immediately looked at a red handle and a hydraulic device next to the control panel. "It needs to be cranked manually! Get a few people to help!"

Tony and the two remaining researchers rushed over, grabbed the massive crank, and began to turn it with all their might. The gears creaked heavily, and the elevator platform began to rise slowly and laboriously.

Just then, a muffled, loud crash, like shattering glass, came from deep within the maintenance tunnel they had come from, followed by an even more violent tremor and a surging shockwave carrying dust and a burnt smell!

"The core laboratory is finished!" Weeks stared at the direction of the passage, his face drained of color.

"Faster! Faster!" Tony roared, veins bulging on his arms, as he and the others frantically cranked the handle.

The lifting platform groaned under the strain, but its ascent finally quickened. The edge of the platform began to make contact with the edge of the ground exit.

Chen Haotian stood at the edge of the platform, looking back sharply at the passage that had been completely swallowed by darkness and chaotic energy. This energy anomaly and emergency evacuation had resulted in heavy losses, but it had also given him a deeper understanding of the danger and value of runes and these otherworldly items.

As the elevator finally rose fully, the pale sunlight (the world of The Walking Dead is always hazy) shone on them. From the direction of the armory behind them came a deafening explosion, accompanied by towering flames and thick smoke, and... a strange, teeth-grinding shriek that seemed to tear space itself apart.

The base was completely destroyed.

Everyone stood on the ground, looking back at the rising mushroom cloud and the distorted light and shadow, still shaken and their faces ashen.

Tony released the crank, panting heavily, and looked at Chen Haotian, his tone heavy: "Now, we need to consider how to survive in this damned world, without a base, until you can open that 'door' again."