Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1094 (Second Update)

Tony Stark didn't follow Steve Rogers or the Joint Special Operations Command task force deeper underground. When it happened, he was walking out with Agent Natasha Romanoff and Sharon Carter, who appeared out of nowhere. Secretary Ross was using the task force as leverage, and Tony Stark naturally had his own plans—while the Veronica Combat System had proven ineffective in the battle in front of UN headquarters, its concept of synchronized satellite armored pods was still applicable. He had already called for the deployment of the armored pods on Friday, dropping his conventional Iron Man suit to his location.

It would take time for the armored vehicle to arrive, as it was being deployed from low orbit. Therefore, he made his way up the fire escape to the helipad to retrieve his equipment. During his ascent, Natasha Romanov and Sharon Carter vanished without a trace; no one knew what they were planning—perhaps he had never understood the ways of spies.

According to facility security personnel, the explosion originated in the underground parking garage. The car bomb detonated, triggering a chain reaction of explosions in other vehicles within the garage. The underground parking garage is now completely engulfed in flames, and the automatic fire suppression system is unable to cope with the intense fire. No one is able to access the scene for investigation.

Because all surveillance equipment is currently unavailable due to power outages in the city, the investigation to determine which car caused the explosion is ongoing. The situation is extremely dire. No one knows what happened, who the perpetrator is, or why the Winter Soldier suddenly broke free—it's hard not to suspect someone wanted to help him escape for some nefarious purpose. Tony Stark even suspects it was a scheme orchestrated by Secretary of State Ross to silence the Winter Soldier or as a pretext to place him in a more secure location, preventing others from accessing any secrets he might reveal.

Considering what Secretary of State Ross said when they got off the plane, this is entirely reasonable suspicion.

"Oh!" he exclaimed as he reached the balcony leading down to the next level of the helipad.

Before him stood a disheveled man with a full beard and a prosthetic arm. Tony Stark had only seen this man in surveillance footage and text files before; now, facing this man with a gun in his hand, a chill ran down his spine. He instinctively pressed his wristwatch—after the watch cover was opened, he pulled one end of the watch's layers of mechanical structure against the back of his hand, wrapping it around half of his fingers and then covering his palm. This was a standard defensive handgun, equipped with a low-power, non-lethal arc pulse emitter. Due to energy and size limitations, the armor protecting his hand was also very thin; after all, all the space had to be used to house the energy and the non-lethal weapon.

Tony Stark hid his hands behind his back, trying to lower James Barnes' guard with a smile and jokes. However, the Winter Soldier ignored him and fired directly at him, startling Tony Stark into immediately dodging behind the rows of coffee tables and chairs on the balcony. The Winter Soldier didn't pursue him further; he kept his gun pointed at Tony Stark behind cover, providing suppressive fire intermittently. Finally, he simply threw his empty gun at Tony Stark and strode towards the stairs leading to the helipad. Seeing James Barnes getting further and further away from the effective range of non-lethal weapons, Tony Stark quickly emerged from behind cover, jogging to try and keep up with the Winter Soldier.

However, someone else was faster than him.

The rapidly approaching footsteps and the cheerful Friday greeting made Tony Stark instinctively dodge to the side. He then saw Steve Rogers, covered in sweat and blood, charging towards him like an enraged bull. As he passed, a gust of hot air billowed out. Turning around, Tony Stark saw the elevator door, pried open, twisted, and squeezed shut—in fact, the damage to the door wasn't his fault, as the Winter Soldier had chosen the same path, only faster, making it much easier and less dangerous for Steve Rogers to cling to the shaft while trying to open the door.

Friday's subroutine quickly reported its communication with Steve Rogers to the main program and Tony Stark, including the bodies of the task force members that Steve Rogers saw in the corridor.

While temporarily ruling out Secretary of State Ross as a suspect didn't offer any reassurance and only made the whole affair more perplexing, Tony Stark did breathe a quiet sigh of relief. It meant he didn't have to confront a state apparatus or an interest group. He put himself behind Steve Rogers, his pace slowing, the distance between him and his target growing—you can't expect an ordinary person to run as fast as two physically enhanced soldiers.

"This isn't fair!" That's what Tony Stark wanted to shout. Although he thought he got enough exercise, the level of these two was beyond what could be achieved through training alone. His burning lungs and the metallic taste of blood in his parched throat prevented him from speaking. He attempted to fire an arc pulse from a distance, but the distance was simply too great, and the arc ultimately dissipated into the air.

"Bucky, stop!" Steve Rogers caught up with the Winter Soldier at top speed.

The Winter Soldier was already in the helicopter cockpit and had started the engine. The rotors spun rapidly, lifting the helicopter off the helipad. Steve Rogers leaped and grabbed the skid landing gear on the side of the helicopter, which had just defied gravity. With his other hand, he gripped the horizontal safety railing around the edge of the roof, trying with all his might to pull the helicopter back. Under Steve Rogers's force, the safety railing bent and deformed. When the Winter Soldier realized he couldn't get away quickly, he decisively pulled the control stick to the left, causing the entire helicopter and rotor to tilt towards Steve Rogers.

As the rotors drew closer, Steve Rogers had to release his grip and land on the safety railing, but the helicopter was out of control, and the rotor blades crashed into the railing. The Winter Soldier swung his metal arm, shattering the cockpit window, and leaped out to pounce on the fallen Steve Rogers, grabbing his throat tightly. Steve Rogers struggled to break free but to no avail. He punched the Winter Soldier's metal arm repeatedly, and the Winter Soldier constantly shifted his stance, doing everything he could to control Steve's throat. The two wrestled and grappled.

The out-of-control, crashing helicopter tilted uncontrollably, its rapidly spinning rotors drawing ever closer. The deafening noise of the engines, the exhaust fumes, the swirling winds, and the debris from the high-speed collision of metal and concrete were blinding. The sharp metal fragments and concrete chips that stung him forced Steve Rogers to pull his attention away from the stalemate and suffocation. He realized the rotors were inches from his head, and the white horizontal safety railing, bearing the weight of the helicopter, twisted and contorted with the malfunctioning aircraft. Instinctively, he kicked the Winter Soldier in the head, causing them both to roll sideways to avoid the rotors.

Tony Stark finally arrived at the tarmac, panting heavily.

Upon seeing the scene before him, he immediately raised his hand and fired an arc pulse at the tilted helicopter engine. The engine, billowing black smoke, slowly came to a stop, and the twisted rotor no longer posed a risk of breaking and injuring anyone. However, before Tony Stark could approach the helicopter where Steve Rogers and the Winter Soldier were still wrestling, the twisted safety railing finally snapped with a metallic groan, and the helicopter, completely out of balance, plummeted from the rooftop, dragging the shattered railing along with it, into the Spree River.

"James Barnes, suspect in the Viana bombing, escaped from prison today, and Captain Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson of the Avengers have also disappeared..." The news was playing on the television at Berlin Airport, but Heinrich Zemo paid no attention to it. Instead, he was focused on listening to a recording of his last phone call with his wife. Only when he heard the boarding announcement for passengers bound for Russia did he put down his phone and head to the gate. He was going from Vladivostok to the secret destination in northern Siberia, the end of his mission. He could certainly ask the organization for help to obtain those secrets more quickly, but he enjoyed the feeling of taking revenge himself. No one could have imagined that the legacy of the Yeltsin era would still be useful today.

The time for the next call was fast approaching, and Heinrich Zemo waited hopefully for his call with his wife.

He will be able to see her again soon.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)