As soon as he entered the cave, Russell saw Mordo's body hanging from the vines. The portal was still open, and the corpse swayed in the strong wind, blood dripping from his toes. Mordo's eyes were wide open in a lifeless stare.
With his newly acquired magical knowledge, Russell quickly spotted a protrusion on the rock wall near the back door—it was the portal switch. Mordo had set a trap! If not for the triple speed granted by Spell-Frenzy, Russell would never have caught up in time.
Too bad for him, Russell thought with a smirk. Mordo had underestimated him. He thanked the Snake team for their selfless contributions, found an empty bottle, and hit the switch. Instantly, the portal closed, and the wind died down.
Now it was time to clean up.
Russell searched Mordo's body and found a broken ruby, a disposable defensive charm. Useless, he thought. I can make something better now. His real prize was the Sling Ring, which he finally found sewn into the lining of Mordo's robe. With the ring and the Reality Gem, he could leave this place.
Russell quickly gathered everything valuable in the cave: steel armor parts, three small reactors, a computer, batteries, light bulbs, some canned food, two boxes of wine, and other essentials. He wasn't planning on taking everything right now, but he needed them safe from potential damage.
He had something special in mind for his two "friends." He'd rig two high-energy bombs using the reactors. Thanks to the Knowledge Curse entry he'd obtained from Iron Man, Russell knew how to arm the reactors to detonate. The necessary parts for remote detonation were all here in the base.
After hiding his valuables, he spent 20 minutes making the bombs. He placed one in a cardboard box and hid it under the sofa, then arranged Mordo's body to look like he was sitting, arms hidden within his robe. Finally, he scrawled a note, mocking his enemies for their failed plans.
With the trap set, Russell left the cave and took a hidden vantage point nearby. He didn't dare get too close, as Spider-Man's spider-sense might detect him. Time passed, and soon the artificial sunlight dimmed. Hours later, the sound of a car engine broke the silence.
They were back.
Russell didn't look directly, in case Spider-Man's spider-sense detected his gaze. Instead, he used the corner of his eye to track the car as it stopped. The moment the engine turned off, he pressed the switch. He'd practiced the timing, knowing exactly how long it would take them to walk into the cave. The detonator countdown began.
Bang!
Tony Stark slammed the car door shut, cursing. "Damn it! Damn Pyro! I'll turn him to dust someday!" He'd lost the auction for Pepper Potts to Pyro, a mutant he didn't dare cross.
"Alright, alright, let's go," Peter Parker muttered irritably. "Grab your scrap metal; I want to get to bed." He was annoyed too, having missed his own opportunity with Iron Man's wife.
Tony didn't argue. Though he didn't get what he wanted, he'd used the reactor to trade for some armor parts—models more advanced than his own. Even if others didn't understand their value, Tony knew he'd gained something.
They reached the cave entrance. Just as they were about to enter, Spider-Man halted, sniffed the air, and whispered, "There's a smell of blood. And no breathing sounds in the cave. Something's wrong."
Tony's face darkened. His helmet closed around him as he yelled, "My stuff!" and dashed into the cave.
Spider-Man was about to warn him of a possible trap but followed when nothing happened. The reactor on Tony's chest illuminated the room, revealing an emptied base with barely a scrap left. Only the sofa, a few pieces of junk, and Mordo's dead body remained.
Tony seethed with anger, glaring at the note pinned to Mordo. Together, they read the messy scrawl:
"Dear Mr. Tony Stark, Mr. Steve Rogers sends his regards. He says they didn't get along, so he left the house to you. Mr. Mordo agreed; he's sitting here to confirm. Lastly, we thank Mr. Iron Man for his generous donation of the reactor. Rest assured, it'll be put to good use."
Spider-Man glanced at the bullet wound on Mordo and sighed, "Glock bullet hole—Steve's."
Tony clenched his fists. "I can't believe that guy betrayed us! Should've known something was up when he didn't come back last night!" He kicked the body, only to see a bomb with a countdown flashing "00:01."
Their blood ran cold.
"FUCK!"
"FUCK!"
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