"You're really a piece of work," Adam said with a smirk, watching the scientist remove the explosive collar from his neck. "Let me guess, you're the one in charge of this lab?"
The scientist frowned. "How did you figure it out?"
Adam shrugged casually. "Come on, in a place like this, there's no way they'd leave low-level personnel wandering around. Even if you're not the head honcho, you're definitely someone important. Catching you is enough to wipe this place out."
The scientist in the white coat clenched his teeth, his face twisting in frustration. He had expected to manipulate Adam with his cowardly act, but now he felt like he was punching a brick wall.
"Aren't you worried about killing innocents?" the scientist asked, trying one last time.
"Innocents? In this place?" Adam raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Are there any?"
The scientist almost coughed up blood. It was true—no one in this lab could be considered innocent.
"Enough chatter," Adam said, his tone turning cold. "You're just buying time for nothing."
Seeing that Adam wasn't taking the bait, the scientist sneered. "Fine. You'll see soon enough. This is the end for you."
Adam didn't flinch. "Sure, sure. Keep talking. You're only digging your own grave."
"Adam," Tony Stark called, his voice tense. Adam followed Tony's gaze and saw that the five experimental subjects inside the tanks had opened their eyes. Their emotionless stares sent chills down his spine.
"What are you looking at? Fire!" Adam shouted, quickly raising his arm. A javelin-like armor-piercing round shot out, shattering the thick glass of one of the tanks in a fiery explosion.
The culture fluid spilled everywhere, creating a cloud of steam that blocked their view. But when the smoke cleared, the five experimental subjects were still standing. The explosion had torn through their flesh, exposing muscle and bone, but they were healing rapidly.
Adam watched in horror as their wounds closed, muscles knitting together unnaturally fast. Unlike Killian's Extremis soldiers, there were no flames—just a quiet, relentless regeneration.
"You should feel honored," the scientist said, his voice filled with fanaticism. "You are the first to witness the power of the Centipede Warriors. This is perfection!"
"Big deal," Adam scoffed. "You call these things warriors? Let's see if they can beat my brother." He shot a sly look at Tony Stark. "If they can take him down, I'll admit defeat!"
"Hey, kid!" Tony snapped, glaring at Adam.
"Good luck, brother!" Adam said dramatically before turning to flee.
"You little—" Tony cursed under his breath but didn't have time to finish. One of the experimental subjects moved with lightning speed and kicked him into the wall.
"Be careful," Tony groaned. "They're strong."
Adam grimaced. He had underestimated them. Even with the thrust from Tony's jet propulsion, the subject had enough strength to knock him back.
Realizing he couldn't fight them head-on, Adam tried to use the suit's maneuverability to his advantage. But the subjects were surprisingly intelligent, cutting off his escape routes and cornering him.
In desperation, Adam launched a barrage of rockets. The blasts ripped through one subject, exposing metallic bones beneath its charred flesh.
Adam's eyes widened. The silver-white skeletal structure glinted in the dim light, interlaced with yellow crystal-like segments. The crystals pulsed with an eerie glow, and as they did, the subject's muscles began to regenerate at an alarming rate.
"This is bad," Adam muttered, his heart sinking. These things weren't just enhanced—they were practically unkillable.
Another subject lunged at him, forcing Adam to fire again. "Tony! A little help here!" he shouted.
"I'm trying!" Tony yelled back, repulsors blazing.
The two fought desperately, but Adam knew they were on borrowed time. If their suits ran out of power, they wouldn't stand a chance against these regenerating monsters.
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