Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

Chen Haotian glanced one last time at the surveillance camera that seemed to possess a life of its own, coldly watching them, and the faint smile on his lips deepened slightly. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and walked out of the police station, his steps steady, as if the eye contact just now was merely a meaningless coincidence.

Tony followed closely behind, his eyes, behind his tactical goggles, gleaming with a mixture of excitement and wariness. He lowered his voice and spoke to Chen Haotian through the built-in, encrypted short-range communication channel of his goggles: "Just leaving like that? Not even saying goodbye to that 'Observer'? Like, give it an electronic smack or something?"

"Say hello?" Chen Haotian didn't turn his head. His voice came through the communicator on his UBCS helmet, tinged with a hint of sarcasm. "Putting on this uniform is the best 'greeting.' Now, all we have to do is play the roles of UBCS members who are 'lost' or 'on a special mission,' and confidently head towards our destination. If Umbrella wants to see, let them see all they want."

His strategy was clear: since concealment was no longer possible, he would do the opposite, using his acquired identity to make limited exposures and confuse the enemy's judgment. Direct and bold actions can sometimes disrupt the enemy's plans more effectively than cautious infiltration.

The two men left the police station and returned to the sun-drenched yet deathly silent streets. Clad in dark blue combat uniforms and wearing tactical helmets, they blended eerily into the backdrop of the crumbling city. The security camera that had previously locked onto them on the street corner, as expected, subtly adjusted its angle again, silently tracking their movements.

"Jarvis, analyze the city's structure map and the known possible locations of the 'Hive' entrances," Tony whispered as he walked, a small, disguised smartwatch-like device on his wrist glowing slightly. Although the network and satellite signals in this world might be under tight surveillance or even blocked by the Umbrella Corporation, the basic equipment Tony brought could still perform limited local scanning and data calculations.

"Sir, based on the analysis of the building layout, underground pipeline distribution, and weak anomalous signals of energy flow," a processed, non-Jarvis-esque synthesized voice sounded in Tony's cochlear implant receiver, "the most probable entrance is located in the northwest area of ​​the city, adjacent to a private villa estate under the umbrella company's name, codenamed 'Mansion,' in the Arklay Mountains. Its underground structure is connected to a large, unknown facility."

"The mansion..." Chen Haotian pondered for a moment, then nodded. "It matches the information I have. It's one of the main entrances to the Hive, and also the easiest place for us to 'borrow' identities to approach." He pointed to the UBCS insignia on his chest. "It makes perfect sense for the internal security forces to be 'patrolling' or 'deploying' near the manor."

With their objective clear, the two immediately changed direction and quickly headed towards the Western-style mansion in the northwest area. They no longer deliberately avoided all cameras; instead, at certain intersections, they would intentionally linger within the camera's field of view for a moment, making actions befitting their identities, such as observing their surroundings and checking their equipment, as if they were genuinely carrying out a security mission.

However, the Umbrella Corporation's reaction was faster and more intense than they had anticipated.

As they passed through a relatively narrow back alley, Chen Haotian suddenly raised his hand, signaling to stop. His keen hearing caught the heavy, rhythmic footsteps coming from around the corner ahead, unlike the staggering steps of zombies, and a kind of... low, suppressed, beast-like panting.

Tony immediately became alert, switching his tactical goggles to thermal imaging mode and looking around the corner. Three tall, humanoid silhouettes radiating abnormally high heat signals appeared in his field of vision. Their movements were mechanically stiff, yet surprisingly fast.

"Not an ordinary zombie," Tony whispered. "Extremely high body temperature, abnormal muscle density, like... it's been enhanced in some way."

The words had barely left his lips when three figures emerged from around the corner. They too wore standard Umbrella Corps black combat uniforms, but were far more muscular than ordinary soldiers, their exposed skin an unhealthy bluish-gray, muscles bulging, veins protruding. They wore closed breathing masks, revealing only pairs of bloodshot eyes filled with ferocity and turbidity. They carried not standard rifles, but rather incredibly heavy-looking, six-barreled Gatling guns with rotating barrels, their muzzles terrifyingly thick.

"Tyrant... an early production version of the T-103?" Chen Haotian's eyes narrowed, instantly recognizing the enemy's identity. This wasn't one of those slow-moving zombies from The Walking Dead, but a true biological weapon from the Umbrella Corporation, possessing immense strength, a degree of intelligence, and absolute obedience.

These three tyrants had clearly received explicit instructions. Their crimson eyes instantly locked onto Chen Haotian and Tony. Without any warning, two of them suddenly raised their Gatling guns, and the rotating barrels began to pre-rotate, emitting a tooth-grinding hum!

"Scatter!" Chen Haotian shouted, his body rolling to the left like a ghost, while simultaneously drawing his 9mm pistol from his waist. He knew that this type of pistol posed almost no threat to the tyrant, but it could at least draw his attention.

Tony reacted even faster. The moment Chen Haotian spoke, he had already raised his arms, and nanoparticles surged forth, forming two compact energy emitters on his arms. "Try this!" he roared, and two beams of blazing white energy shot out, precisely hitting the Gatling guns that the two Tyrants were about to fire!

"Bang! Boom!"

The pulse energy instantly destroyed the gun's internal structure, triggering a small-scale explosion. The Gatling guns in the hands of the two tyrants were immediately rendered unusable, with metal parts and barrel fragments flying everywhere. The enormous impact also caused them to stagger back a few steps.

But the third tyrant seized the opportunity and charged directly at Tony with a speed disproportionate to its massive size! It abandoned its weapons, and its enormous fist, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind tearing through the air, slammed into Tony's face!

Tony's pupils contracted slightly. His nanotech armor wasn't fully covering his body yet, and taking that punch head-on was unwise. He unleashed tiny streams of energy from his feet, attempting to slide sideways to dodge.

At this critical moment, a figure slashed in like lightning! It was Chen Haotian! He had closed in without anyone noticing, and instead of using a pistol, he crouched down during his rapid sprint, his right leg sweeping like a steel whip towards the outside of the Tyrant's supporting leg's knee joint!

"Crack!" A crisp yet chilling sound of bone breaking rang out!

Chen Haotian's kick contained the internal energy he had gradually recovered and mastered after his transmigration. It was precise and ruthless, directly damaging the Tyrant's knee joint structure. The charging Tyrant instantly lost his balance, his massive body falling forward. His powerful punch grazed Tony's helmet and slammed into empty air, creating a shallow crater in the nearby concrete wall.

"Thanks, bro!" Tony took the opportunity to retreat, and nanoparticles quickly covered his entire body, forming the basic Mark armor form. Although it was not as complete as his usual suit, it was enough to provide powerful protection and combat capabilities.

"Don't be careless, they're not that simple," Chen Haotian calmly reminded him, his eyes fixed on the tyrant he had kicked down, which was struggling to get up. Sure enough, although the tyrant's legs were twisted, the ferocity in its crimson eyes intensified, and it let out an inhuman roar. It braced itself on its hands and seemed to be ignoring its leg injury and forcibly standing up.

The other two tyrants, whose weapons had been destroyed, regained their footing. They discarded their wrecked weapons and approached the two men with their bare hands, emanating an even more dangerous aura.

"Looks like Umbrella doesn't really like our disguise," Tony's voice laced with sarcasm from beneath his visor, as his palm cannons began charging, emitting a buzzing sound of energy gathering. "They've sent their watchdogs to test our mettle."

"Then knock out their teeth." Chen Haotian's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness. He slowly assumed a peculiar starting stance, his aura restrained, yet seemingly containing explosive power. Internal energy flowed through his meridians, sharpening his senses and making his movements even faster. Against these biological weapons, the combination of combat skills and internal energy was sometimes more effective than simple guns and cannons.

A wounded yet enraged tyrant faces two intruders disguised as UBCS, but possessing powers far beyond their time. The narrow alleyway instantly transforms into a brutal killing field. And all of this is clearly displayed behind a hidden screen, in the cold, electronic eyes.