"Report! We've located the target! The target... still has vital signs! The target is severely injured and unconscious, but not dead! Initiating recovery!"
"Report! We've found Tony Stark, recovering him now!"
"Bring that guy back to the base, and drop Stark off on the shore."
...
Inside a military base, the lights in a laboratory suddenly flickered on. A general in uniform and a researcher in a white coat stood in front of a transparent cage, observing their new subject.
Inside the cage was Lynch, unconscious, with numerous instruments attached to his body. His eyes were tightly closed, his face pale, and his body covered in blood, with horrifying wounds all over.
If it weren't for the fact that he was still breathing and his heart was still beating, everyone would have thought he was dead.
In reality, no one expected Lynch to survive.
"It's truly incredible that he could survive a torpedo explosion at such close range underwater," murmured the middle-aged man in the white coat beside the general, pushing up his thick glasses, his gaze filled with a crazed fascination as he looked at Lynch.
"He's even more remarkable than that green behemoth..."
"Enough," General Ross interrupted impatiently. "I'm not here to listen to your ramblings."
He shot a cold glance at the overly enthusiastic researcher, filled with disdain.
"Tell me, what exactly is this guy? Is he of any use to your research?"
The man in the white coat composed himself, turned around, and quickly skimmed through a report, speaking as he did so. "His muscles are stronger than any known Earth creature's, to the point where they can resist bullets and missiles. There's an unknown component in his cells that stores energy, although most of it is depleted now. But this means he can survive without food or oxygen..."
"So, what's the conclusion?" General Ross pressed.
"Do you think he's a product of some lab experiment, or a result of random mutation?"
"No, no," the man in the white coat shook his head, his eyes once again burning with fervor, bordering on madness. "This can't possibly be the result of an experiment, nor is it likely to be a random mutation... because he's too perfect, too similar to a human—a higher form of human life... He's like, like..."
He hesitated, his voice trailing off into a murmur.
"A god?" General Ross finished the thought, his tone dry.
"Yes, sir," the man in the white coat admitted. He stepped closer to the transparent cage, reaching out as if to caress Lynch through the glass. "A young god."
"Gods can still get hurt, huh?" General Ross sneered. "He looks like a dead dog. Even if he were a god, we could still imprison him and study him."
"There are no gods in this world. And if there were, they'd be ones we created and commanded."
"Study him thoroughly. Let's see what use this 'god' has for us," General Ross ordered, casting a deep, lingering glance at Lynch before turning to leave.
...
"Rhodey! What the hell are you doing? Do you know I almost ended up sleeping forever at the bottom of the ocean?" Tony finally got through to Rhodey, sitting in his custom vehicle after being found by Pepper Potts on the shore.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want this either. That guy's a maniac, obsessed with dangerous experiments. He won't let go of such a tempting subject..."
Rhodey was visibly frustrated, now free after Ross had left.
"Enough with the excuses! Tell me who I need to talk to in order to make that lunatic pay!"
"That won't be easy, Stark. He's got powerful connections in the military. You'll have to figure something out on your own."
"F***!" Tony angrily threw the communication device onto the car seat, his eyes widening in frustration as anger boiled in his chest.
"Tony, take a look at this!" Pepper Potts handed him a tablet showing a video. The footage was blurry and shaky, with chaotic background noise, but the content was clear enough.
A human figure was sprinting at an incredible speed, then leaped several meters into the air, delivering a punch that sent a massive robot flying. Not far away, there was another figure, roughly human-sized, clad in steel.
After the silver-gray robot was sent flying, the scene fell into silence, followed by wild cheers.
Then the figure was seen blocking a missile...
Tony's expression changed slightly, his brows furrowing. "Why weren't these videos taken down?"
"They were going to be, but when you didn't return, I had them go viral instead," Pepper explained, concern evident in her eyes as she looked at Tony.
Tony paused for a moment, then quickly scrolled through the tablet. On the internet, on TV shows, on talk shows... everyone was discussing this incident.
Almost all of New York knew about the appearance of two heroes who had defeated the large silver-gray robot wreaking havoc in the city.
They had named the two "Iron Man" and "Wonder Kid," eagerly speculating about who they were.
Tony tossed the tablet aside and looked at Pepper with a tender expression. If Tony had truly fallen into the military's hands, Pepper's next move would have been to reveal Iron Man's identity and turn public opinion against the military, using media pressure to rescue Tony.
"You were right. I have some clearer footage here. Keep pushing this. I want everyone to know who their protectors are, who the real heroes are."
The car came to a stop—they were home.
Tony stepped out of the car, only to see a man with an astonishingly high hairline approaching. The man was dressed in a suit, with a warm and friendly smile.
"I'm Coulson, from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. We had an appointment to visit."
He extended his hand, and Tony, surprised, quickly grasped it, a look of delight spreading across his face.
"You couldn't have come at a better time. I have some things I need to discuss with your organization."
...
Back in the lab, the experiments were proceeding methodically.
"Experiment 3-1, preparing to release the current."
"Current release initiated."
Lynch's body trembled slightly, but he did not wake.
Some of the people in the lab felt a shiver run down their spines, mirroring the slight movement of Lynch's body.
After all, after conducting a series of experiments, they had come to realize just how powerful this guy—who had survived a torpedo explosion and was now held in a transparent cage—really was.
If he woke up, would this cage be able to hold him?
His human appearance was clearly just a facade.
Or perhaps, as their lead scientist speculated...
"Boss, is he really a god?" One of the senior researchers couldn't help but ask.
For a moment, everyone felt the absurdity of the situation.
The personnel present were all top scientists in the field of life sciences. But now, faced with such a being, their materialistic worldview was severely shaken.
Could this creature, so human in appearance, actually be a deity from myth? A higher, more powerful humanoid life form?
"I don't know, but we'll find out soon enough." Their lead scientist gazed intently at Lynch, as if trying to see through him.
"Do you mean we're trying to wake him up?" Someone nearby was shocked, realizing what they were attempting.
"Yes, I want to talk to him." The middle-aged man in the white coat took off his glasses, looking around at the others.
"We've gathered enough data. By now, you should all understand what kind of existence this guy really is."
His expression grew increasingly manic, his tone persuasive:
"He's too perfect, too powerful. Don't you want to know what he really is? We can't figure that out just through experiments."
"Only by communicating with him can we find the answers."
"Aren't you curious whether he's a god, a devil, or the ultimate secret of human evolution?"
Everyone fell silent.
Who could refuse such an offer?
"Increase the current!"
"Keep increasing it until he wakes up."
All eyes were fixed intently on Lynch, eagerly awaiting the moment he would awaken.
...
After a long time, Lynch's fingers twitched slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.
He took in his surroundings, then turned his gaze to the front, staring through the mirror-like glass directly at the group of fanatical scientists on the other side.
"So, you're the ones who imprisoned me?"