"If you keep not aging, people might just capture you for another round of studies. You received the super soldier serum, not an elixir of immortality. I myself feel my body isn't what it used to be..." Tony Stark couldn't help but tease Steve upon hearing his lament.
"Actually, Howard had successfully replicated the super soldier serum back in the day," Steve mentioned quietly after a pause, looking at Tony. "But he never handed over the formula or the serum. If you're interested, you might want to look into it. After all, in this day and age, super soldiers are a dime a dozen, hardly considered powerhouses anymore."
"Let's talk about that some other time. I'm not particularly interested in the serum," Tony replied after a moment of surprise, shaking his head with little interest in the super soldier serum.
"In fact, it's quite beneficial for the body. I think you might need it, not just for facing enemies, but it could be useful in combat as well..." Steve hinted at Tony, emphasizing the importance in combat situations.
"If I wanted to enhance my physical condition, it wouldn't be impossible. A little research in this area, and I could create an even more potent serum. It's possible, but not necessary," Tony dismissed, failing to catch Steve's hint, or perhaps he found it hard to believe such a suggestion came from Steve. After all, Captain America's image was deeply ingrained in people's minds.
Tony forgot that Steve had stopped being Captain America for many years, now just an old man with a wealth of life experiences.
"Alright, Bucky, how's the search going on your end?" Steve sighed, turning his attention to Bucky, remembering their investigation into Howard's mission data and focusing on Haji.
But since Haji deliberately lured them here, the place might not even hold the data they sought, potentially being a mere empty base.
"We've found something. I came across some of the mission files I was involved in, but haven't found Howard's file yet. There's just too much paperwork here..." Surprisingly, Bucky did find some data, perhaps because Hydra was overly confident or sought realism in their archives.
However, locating Howard's mission file among the plethora of mostly paper records, with only a few containing video data on USBs or CDs, wasn't going to be easy.
Upon hearing Bucky's findings, Steve and Tony were instantly energized, rushing to the archive room. They temporarily set aside concerns about further Hydra attacks or Tohru's whereabouts, confident in the presence of numerous Iron Legion drones ready to respond to any threat.
Eventually, with combined efforts, Steve found Howard's mission file first. Tony and Bucky quickly joined him, eagerly opening the file together.
The first thing they saw was the mission report, with Tony swiftly scanning its contents, confirming the disappearance of Howard Stark's body as documented.
"There's a CD. Let me see!" Tony, feeling somewhat reassured but still needing confirmation, decisively scanned the CD with his armor, projecting the video data.
The video showed a masked, expressionless Winter Soldier Bucky completing his mission by stopping Howard Stark's car, first reaching for Tony's mother, Maria. However, Tony, familiar with his mother's demeanor, quickly spotted discrepancies. The Maria in the video only resembled his mother; her eyes were empty, devoid of soul.
Moreover, Howard's reaction to Maria's death seemed off to Tony, not as Bucky described. It was panicked, yes, but somewhat unconvincing.
In the video's end, as Bucky approached Howard to end his life, Tony noticed Howard's mouth moving slightly, as if he was about to laugh but restrained himself.
Watching the footage, Tony fell silent, his skepticism towards Bucky's account diminishing. He now believed there was an 80% chance his parents faked their deaths.
Tony suspected the Maria in the video was some sort of android, lacking consciousness, perhaps because the real Maria's acting skills were insufficient, raising Howard's concerns about exposure. Howard seemed confident in his acting, almost breaking character during his final moments, possibly due to his farewell to Bucky.
Yet, these were not Tony's primary concerns. He pondered where Howard and Maria Stark might have gone after faking their deaths. If their disappearance was to evade Hydra and pressure Tony into maturing, why hadn't they reappeared now that Tony was the renowned Iron Man?
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Tony realized he knew little about his father. If he had, he might have picked up on clues about Howard Stark sooner.
Seeing Tony deep in thought, Steve and Bucky refrained from interrupting, shifting their focus to other Hydra files in search of more clues. While S.H.I.E.L.D. might have cleansed its ranks of Hydra, the organization still lurked outside, potentially infiltrating political circles.
"Let's take all the files and leave..." Steve suggested, continuing their search for clues. Tony snapped back to reality, proposing to scan and upload the files with J.A.R.V.I.S. for quicker analysis.
Tony addressed Bucky, who struggled to find the right words, knowing he couldn't directly confront Tony about the possibility of having killed his parents.
"There are still some issues, but you're temporarily off the hook," Tony told Bucky, not fully exonerating him but acknowledging the possibility of his parents' staged deaths. Watching Bucky enact their murder, even if staged, was unsettling for Tony, given the victims' resemblance to his parents.
"I understand," Bucky replied, recognizing that he wouldn't easily forgive anyone who harmed a doppelganger of Steve.
Soon after, Tony, Steve, and Bucky left the Hydra base, obliterating it with Iron Legion drones, leaving no trace behind.
Meanwhile, not far from the base, a corpulent man fretted about the dimensional array concealing most of the dimensional gap, wondering if this would thwart the Devil Lord's plans and lead to his eternal torment.
This man was a shapeshifting demon, aiding the Hell Lord in finding hosts for power. However, the array's unexpected change forced him to hasten his plans.
"Let him be betrayed by those he trusts most, then killed. That should suffice..." The demon refined his scheme, intending to break his target by revealing a betrayal involving his wife and friend, allowing the Hell Lord to fully possess him.
At the same moment, Astra Logue sensed a chill, cautiously surveying her surroundings but detecting nothing amiss. "Must be my imagination. Let's focus on the mission and uncover the mastermind," she mumbled, returning to her task.
Elsewhere in the city, John Constantine, wielding holy fire, interrogated a demon about the sealed dimensional gap, uninterested in the demon's pleas for mercy after sharing everything it knew.
"So, you demons planned to enlarge the Earth's dimensional gap, but now that it's sealed, you can ignore your master's commands and seek to evolve a terrifying Hell Lord by preying on each other?" Constantine understood, his eyes twinkling with anticipation at the prospect of a formidable Hell Lord emerging from the demon ranks.
"Was hoping to find a suitable demon for a good fight, but it seems a more powerful Hell Lord might arise instead. Wonder if he can defeat the Hell Lord. Never really fought such high-level beings head-on, mostly just escaped their clutches. I'm not on your Hell Lord's hit list, am I?"
"Yes, the Hell Lord mentioned that if you die and fall into his domain, he'll be sure to 'entertain' you well!" The demon managed a grotesque smile despite the agony inflicted by the holy fire.
"Hmph! Who said I'd fall into hell upon my death? I am a great exorcist, I've done plenty of good deeds for heaven, banished so many demons; I'm destined for heaven!" John Constantine retorted with disdain, confident in his afterlife destination.
"Why delude yourself? Even if heaven hadn't fallen, how could someone who has committed suicide hope to enter heaven?" The demon shook its head, enduring the pain of the holy fire, and locked eyes with Constantine, challenging his beliefs.
"I will make it to heaven! By killing all of you demons!" A flicker of anger passed through Constantine's eyes, and the holy fire surged with his rage.
This chapter delves into Constantine's complex character, showcasing his determination, wit, and the dark humor that often accompanies his interactions with the supernatural. Despite the heavy themes of betrayal, revenge, and the quest for redemption, Constantine's unyielding spirit and his slightly twisted but steadfast moral compass provide a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness. His battle against demons and the forces of Hell is not just a physical struggle but a profound personal journey, reflecting his inner turmoil and his relentless pursuit of salvation, both for himself and others caught in the crossfire of cosmic battles.
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