The reinforced steel doors were ahead, a final barrier between Tony, Melina, and the architects of the Red Room's horrors. The command center beyond was Dreykov's last refuge, his final stronghold. He was cornered, and he knew it.
This time his scanners worked and he was able to pinpoint those inside the room. Thanks to the Red Room's system under his control, he was able to get the data on the remaining members inside the room, and well... They were all there.
Tony flexed his fingers, his suit humming with power. "Let's knock."
Melina didn't wait. She raised her gauntlet and fired, but the blast barely dented the thick metal.
Tony smirked. "Not bad. Now watch this."
He raised his right hand, the nanites shifting and forming a cutting torch. White-hot plasma ignited at his fingertips. He pressed his palm against the massive door and dragged it downward. The metal screamed, glowing molten red as it liquefied under the extreme heat. Within seconds, the steel sagged and dripped onto the floor like melted wax.
Melina stepped back, watching in silent awe. "Damn."
With one final push, Tony punched through the weakened door. It crumbled inward, revealing the command center beyond.
And the monsters inside.
The Red Room's Puppeteers...
The air inside was thick with tension. The high-ranking officials of the Red Room stood gathered around a massive conference table, their expressions ranging from fear to cold calculation.
At the far end, standing was Madame B, the cruel overseer of the Red Room's indoctrination program. Her eyes were sharp and unshaken despite the destruction surrounding her. She simply clasped her hands behind her back and observed.
To her left stood Orphan Maker, the Red Room's specialist in eliminating liabilities. A woman in a jet-black combat suit, her silver hair framing her face. Unlike the others, her expression wasn't one of defiance. She looked resigned as if she had expected this moment.
Beside her, standing rigidly, was Yelena Belova, Natasha's sister. Her green eyes were void of recognition, her stance unnaturally stiff. Tony's HUD confirmed what he already suspected.
[SUBJECT: YELENA BELOVA][STATUS: BRAINWASHED – NEUROCHEMICAL OVERRIDE DETECTED]
Tony clenched his jaw. 'Of course. Bastard.'
And then, to the right, standing closest to Dreykov, was Vasily Karpov, one of the key architects of the Red Room's most brutal training regimens. He was a thick, scarred man, his uniform looked that of a commando, ready to fight. He sneered at them, completely unfazed.
Dreykov himself stood in the center, gripping the edge of the table. His face was a mask of rage and desperation. His empire was gone, and he knew it.
Tony took a slow step forward. "Well, well, well. The rat's nest is full tonight."
Dreykov's lip curled. "You think this is over?" he hissed.
Melina answered by shooting Vasily Karpov in the head.
BANG!
The shot echoed through the chamber. Blood sprayed across the wall as Karpov's body hit the floor with a heavy thud.
Madame B barely blinked.
Orphan Maker flinched but said nothing.
Yelena… didn't react at all.
Tony let out a low whistle. "Damn, Melina. No warning?"
She reloaded her pistol. "Didn't deserve one."
Tony wasn't about to argue. Karpov was a monster. The things he had done to the trainees, the unspeakable conditioning to endure all situations, there was no place for him in any prison.
Dreykov barely reacted to the sudden execution. Instead, he sneered. "That's all you are, Melina. A dog trained to kill on command."
Melina's hand tightened around her gun, but Tony raised a hand. "Ignore him," he said casually. "He's just mad we crashed his little dictatorship."
Then, he turned to Orphan Maker.
She sighed, rubbing her temple. "Let me guess. You're going to kill me next?"
Tony studied her. Unlike the others, she wasn't brainwashed or under their control.
"You're not brainwashed," Tony noted.
She nodded. "No. I was never one of Dreykov's fanatics. Just a survivor."
Melina raised her gun. "You killed my girls."
Orphan Maker didn't flinch. "I did. I had no other choice. They got my family."
Tony caught her lies instantly. She doesn't have a family according to the Red Room's records, and she just made that up on the spot. Next was the fact that this version of Orphan Maker was different from the lunatic Tony knew. This one's name is Anya, an alternate version. She could be an asset in the future. And he also didn't get the sense she was here to fight.
"Let me walk away," she said. "I'm done with this place."
Melina scoffed. "Like hell..." She aimed her pistol.
Tony stopped her. "Fine."
Melina turned to him, eyes narrowing. "What?"
Tony shrugged. "This ain't her fault." He turned back to Orphan Maker. "You can go."
He released a couple of nanites. The invisible nanites went into her bloodstream without her realizing. Now, he should be able to keep track of her and use her when the time comes.
Orphan Maker exhaled in relief. She gave him a curt nod before slipping through the melted doorway and disappearing into the corridors.
Melina scowled. "We should've shot her."
"Maybe," Tony admitted. "But I prefer knowing where the wolves go."
Dreykov's lips curled into a sneer. "Yelena. Kill them."
Tony had already anticipated that.
Before Dreykov could even finish his sentence, Tony deployed his nanites. Although he was running low, he had no other choice. He simply couldn't afford another battle in that cramped room without killing them all. The microscopic machines surged forward in an invisible cloud, swarming Yelena before she could move.
Her body tensed. A sharp intake of breath—then her eyes fluttered, and she collapsed to the floor.
[SUBJECT: YELENA BELOVA]
[STATUS: TEMPORARILY NEUTRALIZED – NEURAL REPAIR IN PROGRESS]
Tony exhaled. 'Good. One less problem.'
Dreykov's face twisted in shock. "What did you do?"
Tony tilted his head. "Oh, you know. Fixed your little brainwashing experiment. She'll wake up soon, but without your bullshit messing with her head."
Melina stepped forward, gun raised. "You're next."
Dreykov took a step back, but Tony moved first.
His nanites shot out again, this time targeting Dreykov and the remaining Red Room officials. In an instant, their limbs locked up, their bodies stiffening as the nanites paralyzed their hands and legs.
Dreykov's expression twisted in rage as he struggled against the invisible force holding him still. "You think this—this little trick—means you've won?"
'Fuck! My body feels like a slug. Haaa...' Tony walked over and casually plopped himself onto a chair, exhaling as he stretched his arms. "Oh, I don't think. I know."
He glanced at his HUD. His nanites were running dangerously low, and his suit was still damaged. He was out of Overdrive mode, and if another fight broke out, he wouldn't be able to sustain another drawn-out battle.
'Gotta wrap this up.'
He steepled his fingers and looked at the restrained officials. "Alright, let's skip the usual 'I'm not gonna talk' routine and get straight to business. Where are Madame Hydra's eyes?"
Silence.
Madame B stared at him with unwavering coldness. Vasily Karpov was already dead. That left Dreykov, Madame B, and the other lesser officials, all glaring at him with defiance.
Tony sighed. "Yeah. I figured you'd be stubborn."
He turned his helmet slightly toward Melina. "Wanna do the honors? Get some stress relief in while keeping them alive?" He made sure to record everything.
Melina's grip on her pistol tightened. She took a step forward.
Dreykov's expression faltered for the first time.
"Melina—"
CRACK!
The butt of her gun smashed into his face. Blood splattered across the floor as Dreykov's nose broke, his head snapping to the side.
Madame B remained expressionless.
Tony watched, letting Melina take the lead. His suit was already working in the background, his last remaining nanites focusing on self-repairs. His armor shifted subtly as systems recalibrated.
Melina grabbed Dreykov by his collar, dragging him forward so he was inches from her face. Her voice was ice. "For decades, you made us your weapons. You stole us. Used us. Turned us into monsters."
Dreykov spat blood onto the floor. "And you were my best creation."
Melina didn't hesitate. She pressed the barrel of her gun against his kneecap and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Dreykov screamed. His leg jerked violently, but the nanites kept him locked in place, preventing him from moving or passing out.
Tony leaned back in his chair. "See? This is why you should've just answered the question." His body ached all over and as usual, his brain was already overworking, analyzing the flaws in his suit and how to fix them. 'Tsk. To think despite vibranium nanites, I'd suffer so much damage. A design flaw? No... It's the lack of vibranium. Gotta get my hand on some more vibranium. Wakanda or somewhere else... Savage Land. Haaa... So much to do.'
Dreykov panted, pain wracking his body. He glared up at Tony, fury burning in his eyes. "You think this will change anything?" he rasped. "You think burning down the Red Room makes a difference? There will always be another."
Tony sighed. "Yeah, yeah, the whole 'cut off one head' speech. Heard it before." He flicked his wrist, and a thin plasma blade extended from his gauntlet. "But here's the thing—you? You're not Hydra. You're not a goddamn legend. You're just a glorified trafficker who got too comfortable in the shadows."
Dreykov's face twisted in rage, but before he could say anything else—
BANG!
Another shot.
Melina had shot his other kneecap.
Dreykov howled in agony, his body convulsing as he struggled against the nanite paralysis.
Tony arched an eyebrow. "Damn, you work fast."
Melina's breathing was steady. Controlled. But Tony could see the fury behind her eyes. "Let me kill him. He won't talk anyway."
"A little patience, my dear. You will get your revenge," Tony turned his attention to Madame B. "You wanna give us a useful answer before you end up like him?"
Madame B's lips curled into a thin smile. "Do your worst."
Tony smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Melina went over and pressed the hot muzzle of her pistol on Madame B's ear.
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