章 164: Captured
Los Angeles, TCL Theatre
The bustling, lively entrance of the Theatre was now a scene of utter devastation. The ground looked as if it had been scorched by molten lava—charred black. All around lay the remains of people and objects reduced to ash by the intense heat of an explosion.
At the time of the blast, Natasha and Pepper had just exited the theater. Though they were some distance from the explosion's epicenter, the intense heat had burned more than half of their skin. Both women were now unconscious, their survival uncertain, lying near the entrance of the theater.
Happy, who had been waiting outside for them, was comparatively lucky. A solid metal food cart happened to be positioned between him and the explosion's center, shielding him from most of the heat and impact.
Even so, Happy was gravely injured, lying on the ground unable to move. With the last remnants of his strength, he tried to ensure that the two women he was protecting were safe, resisting the pull of unconsciousness.
Just as Happy struggled to turn his head to check on Pepper and Natasha, a pair of feet—glowing as if made of molten lava—appeared in his line of sight.
These feet didn't look human. In their molten state, they seemed to reconstruct themselves from a damaged, liquid form into a complete shape. The lava cooled rapidly, turning black, and eventually took on the appearance of normal human feet.
Happy wanted to look up and see what kind of creature this was, but he couldn't even muster the strength to blink.
He was fortunate, though. The man seemed to be searching for something. A few meters away, the figure knelt by a relatively intact corpse and retrieved a phone.
As the man picked up the phone, Happy's pupils dilated in recognition. He had seen this man before—at Stark Industries. He, like Happy, was a bodyguard, accompanying his boss to meet Pepper.
Happy had even mentioned this man to Tony, noting that he seemed dangerous, especially the way he looked at Pepper.
The man spoke into the phone, his tone carrying a trace of disdain:
"Something happened at the Theatre, but there's an unexpected bonus. You won't believe who's among the injured—Pepper Potts, Iron Man's woman, and one of the Avengers, Natasha Romanoff. Looks like she's that Blake's girlfriend."
The man's voice dripped with contempt, as if the Avengers were of little significance to him.
Whatever the person on the other end said, it prompted the man to move toward the theater entrance.
Summoning every ounce of strength, Happy managed to shift his head slightly. He saw the man kneel and begin dragging the severely injured Pepper and Natasha, who appeared to be unconscious, away.
"Hey!"
Happy tried to shout, but his voice was so weak that even he could barely hear it.
As the footsteps grew fainter and the man dragged the two women further away, Happy's face contorted with desperation. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, he reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone.
Using muscle memory, he dialed a number and managed to shout a fragmented sentence:
"Theatre... Pepper and Romanoff have been..."
That incomplete plea consumed all of Happy's remaining energy. His head fell to the side, and he lost consciousness.
The call was picked up by J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark's AI assistant. Within seconds, the recording of Happy's final words played in the hall where Blake and the others were gathered.
Fully evolved into a sophisticated AI, J.A.R.V.I.S. recognized the urgency of the situation. Skipping any unnecessary explanation, it immediately played Happy's distress call aloud for all to hear.
The situation involved the safety of Natasha and Pepper, so naturally, the most anxious individuals in the room were Blake and Tony.
Before Blake could react, Tony, whose nerves were perpetually on edge, clenched both fists inward.
Immediately, the room was filled with the sound of metallic clattering and whirring. Tony's latest vibranium armor split into over a dozen parts, each propelled by miniature thrusters, streaking through the air toward him.
The flying pieces crashed into everyone in their path. Captain America and Thor were sent sprawling to the ground, struck by multiple armor parts. Only Blake managed to avoid the chaos. He caught the incoming helmet with one hand and, without hesitation, jammed it onto Tony's head.
With a cold expression, Blake activated a space portal.
At the wreckage-strewn entrance of the Theatre, a swirling blue-black energy vortex appeared, forming a portal. Blake, Tony, Thor, and Captain America—four of the Avengers' most powerful members—stepped through.
In the distance, the sound of alarms and fire engines grew louder.
Tony immediately spotted Happy lying near the remnants of a food cart.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., scan for life signs!"
"Life signs weak. Multiple fractures detected, but internal organs are intact. I advise against moving him; wait for paramedics to arrive," J.A.R.V.I.S. reported.
Hearing this, Tony exhaled in relief.
"When the medics arrive, I'll get Happy straight to the hospital. Meanwhile, do a full sweep of the surrounding streets. If Natasha and Pepper were taken, they likely haven't gotten far," Blake said.
No sooner had he spoken than Tony launched into the air, his armor propelling him skyward.
At the same time, firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene. They paused momentarily upon seeing the Avengers but quickly resumed their work.
After confirming with the medics that Happy was stable, Blake communicated with them to prepare for hospital transport. Using a portal, he expedited the transfer of all injured victims at the scene to the hospital.
In just a few minutes, nearly all the injured were en route to the emergency room.
Thor and Captain America worked alongside the firefighters, checking for anyone trapped under debris, such as fallen billboards.
Moments later, Tony's armor descended from the sky.
"I scanned all the surrounding streets and even tried to check every passing vehicle, but there's too much traffic at this time. I can't be sure I didn't miss something," Tony said, his voice heavy with worry.
Blake wasn't in much better shape, though he was slightly more composed than Tony. He knew who was responsible for this, and while Natasha and Pepper were likely not in immediate danger, the situation was far from resolved.
"With Natasha missing, we've lost our intelligence edge. Peggy isn't familiar enough with modern technology. We need reinforcements," Captain America said, dialing Hawkeye's number as he spoke.
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