Charlie Parker strode past the kneeling Lizard Parker, casually firing a strand of web to pull the fallen shield back into his hand.
“What kind of bargain-bin villains are you?”
“Coming at me one at a time?”
He patted the Lizard on the shoulder.
“Next time, wear an iron jockstrap.”
With that, he raised the shield to block another hail of bullets and charged toward the cave.
Lizard Parker slammed both fists into the ground.
His bloodshot eyes were filled with rage.
Sweat poured down his face.
Every attempt to stand reopened his injury.
The agonizing pain left him completely unable to stop Charlie.
“Damn you!”
“I’ll tear you apart!!”
Ignoring the furious roar behind him, Charlie rushed into the cave.
The vibranium shield spun through the air, smashing armed Ten Rings soldiers aside one after another.
Cries of pain echoed throughout the tunnel.
Charlie grabbed one of the gang members by the throat.
“Take me to Tony.”
“Ghk…!”
The man’s eyes bulged.
His face turned bright red as he desperately slapped Charlie’s arm.
He couldn’t force out a single word.
Charlie looked genuinely impressed.
“Not bad.”
“As expected of the Ten Rings.”
“Even a random grunt refuses to betray his comrades.”
He casually tossed the man aside.
Then he wrapped a nearby assault rifle in webbing and pointed it toward everyone else.
“So…”
“Anyone willing to tell me?”
“That way!”
Every single person immediately pointed in the same direction.
These people were all insane.
None of them wanted to die.
“Perfect.”
“Thanks.”
Charlie dropped the rifle.
The moment he turned around…
He froze.
The tunnel ahead had already been completely sealed off by pitch-black webbing.
Dark symbiote matter rapidly spread across the rough stone walls.
Within the darkness…
A pair of pale white eyes slowly opened.
They grew larger.
And larger.
Charlie whistled.
“Wow.”
“That’s a pretty cool entrance.”
He casually lowered his shield.
“Come on.”
“We’re both Spider-Men.”
“Give me a break, buddy.”
“Buddy…”
“…Tastes good.”
[You have been eliminated.]
[Resurrection Slot not awarded.]
[Strength Reward: +0.2 Tons]
[Remaining Restart Attempts: 9]
Fifth Resurrection Match.
Inside the bunker.
“I’m done.”
“My back’s killing me.”
“Come rub it for me.”
Steve once again turned around and leaned against the wall.
This time…
Charlie ignored him completely.
Instead, he looked toward the ceiling.
Carefully calculating the distance.
“We digging up through here?”
Steve asked.
Charlie shook his head.
“No.”
“There’s a septic tank above us.”
Steve blinked.
“…How do you know that?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Superpowers.”
Steve stared at him.
“Your superpower lets you detect poop?”
Charlie: “…”
Ignoring the mischievous old man, Charlie closed his eyes.
A mental map immediately appeared in his head.
The bunker.
The Ten Rings camp.
Their relative positions.
Twenty meters ahead…
The ammunition depot.
Ninety meters to the front-right…
Tony’s cave.
Unfortunately…
The existing tunnel didn’t lead there.
They’d have to dig an entirely new passage.
The problem was…
Everything underground consisted of solid rock.
Digging through it would take tremendous time and energy.
Being a mole wasn’t easy.
Only eighteen hours remained.
Unless he first confirmed Tony’s exact location…
There’d never be enough time.
Fortunately…
With Captain America’s shield, neither Lizard Parker nor Norman posed much of a threat.
As for Venom…
The symbiote was terrifying.
But it had two fatal weaknesses.
Sound.
And fire.
When the ammunition depot exploded earlier…
Venom Spider hadn’t appeared immediately.
Perhaps that was why.
Having made up his mind, Charlie hooked the gasoline cans onto his belt.
Then he began digging.
Once again…
He emerged beneath the ammunition depot.
“What was that?!”
“Enemy attack!”
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Bullets flew everywhere.
The ammunition depot exploded.
Chaos instantly erupted.
“Hehehe…”
“My little Charlie—”
Norman had barely flown out of the cave entrance when Charlie spun around and hurled the shield.
CLANG!
It struck the Goblin Glider with perfect accuracy.
“What?!”
Norman cried out.
The damaged glider immediately spiraled downward…
Straight into the flames.
Charlie retrieved the returning shield with a strand of web.
“…No challenge whatsoever.”
Right on cue—
“CHARLIE PARKER!!”
Lizard Parker burst from the cave.
Before he even landed…
Charlie had already rolled the shield spinning across the ground.
Sparks danced behind it.
Slice!
“AAAAAAAHHHH!!”
The Lizard instantly dropped to his knees.
As Charlie walked past him, he sighed sympathetically.
“I told you…”
“You should’ve worn an iron jockstrap.”
“…When exactly did you ever tell me that?!”
Lizard Parker shouted furiously at Charlie’s retreating back.
Inside the cave…
The shield spun through another group of armed guards, knocking them flat.
Charlie turned toward the wall of black symbiote webbing.
His expression remained completely calm.
Without hesitation—
He hurled one of the gasoline cans straight at Venom Parker.
BOOM!!
The shield scraped against the cave wall.
A shower of sparks ignited the gasoline.
The tunnel instantly erupted into roaring flames.
“SKREEEEE!!”
Fire rapidly spread across the black webbing.
The writhing symbiote twisted violently inside the inferno.
Its ear-piercing shrieks echoed throughout the cave.
Charlie’s confidence immediately skyrocketed.
It works!
But only seconds later…
The black symbiote rapidly spread through the flames.
Everywhere it passed…
The fire visibly weakened.
Charlie’s eyes widened.
“…What?!”
The thing was practically overcoming its natural weakness.
Without hesitation, Charlie sprinted deeper into the tunnel.
As he ran…
He slammed the shield repeatedly against exposed metal pipes.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The deafening sound waves filled the cave.
The symbiote shrieked again.
Its body twisted violently.
Taking advantage of the opening, Charlie rushed straight through the wall of black webbing.
He disappeared into the darkness.
At the very end of the tunnel…
He finally found it.
A heavy iron door.
BANG!
One strike from the shield shattered the lock.
Charlie kicked the door open.
Inside…
A battered figure hung tied to a steel frame.
Tony Stark.
Charlie recognized him instantly.
Tony had already lost consciousness.
Blood covered his face.
The arc reactor embedded in his chest emitted only a faint glow.
His body was covered in horrific injuries.
Both arms…
Both legs…
Had clearly been broken.
Explosives had been strapped around his feet.
The countdown timer displayed in glowing red numbers…
Matched the mission’s remaining time exactly.
Charlie’s face darkened.
To make the rescue even harder…
Those three lunatics had gone completely overboard.
Just then…
A thin, bald man carrying a cup of water walked over to Tony.
His expression was numb as he carefully brought the cup toward Tony’s lips.
“You’re here to rescue him.”
He spoke calmly.
“I know you’re not one of those monsters.”
Charlie’s nanotech mask retracted.
He nodded.
“You’re Dr.
Yinsen?”
A flicker of surprise crossed the man’s eyes.
“…You know me?”
“Of course.”
Without Dr.
Yinsen…
Tony Stark would never have become Iron Man.
Charlie stepped closer, examining the unconscious Tony.
“How is he?”
Yinsen slowly shook his head.
“They ordered me to keep him alive.”
“They only need him to survive for twenty-four hours.”
“But…”
“He’s in terrible condition.”
He pointed toward Tony’s back.
“Tony can’t be saved.”
“Neither can I.”
“We’re both going to die here.”
He sighed quietly.
Only after Yinsen pointed it out did Charlie notice the iron spikes driven through Tony’s body.
“They’re barbed.”
“The slightest movement…”
“Will instantly tear through his nervous system.”
“He’ll die immediately.”
Yinsen’s explanation completely crushed Charlie’s hopes.
He had thought this mission was merely nightmare difficulty.
Turns out…
It was Hell difficulty.
Tony…
Was doomed.
(End of Chapter)