Chapter 707 - 679 Death (5)

Lille had heard this sentence many times—

He now believes that this Tony Stark is nothing short of a complete bastard by nature, much like the most well-known version—a millionaire with his own brand of kindness.

But before the bloody reality he witnessed, his kindness had layers.

As for his very life...

Someone responsible for so much death, if he turns over a new leaf, should he be forgiven?

This is a complex proposition; if you measure it by his future potential contributions, it seems too sycophantic; if it’s an eye for an eye, it’s too merciless...

In any case, Tony Stark didn’t throw this dilemma at Lille; it was his own choice—

The degeneration of the gamma serum is completely different from the lizard serum. The gamma rays have already transformed the cells at a molecular level into something that, in some sense, transcends biology. If degenerated, the human structural system will never be repairable again...

In other words, Tony Stark is already dead.

"Tony..."

"This was already the best ending for him."

Pepper was utterly devastated: they came to save him, and this is the outcome?

One of Lille’s Octopus Arms blocked Happy and Pepper, sending this gradually necrotic and decaying human shell to the outer floor, then took a piece of radiation-proof material in the workshop to wrap his remains...

Soon, his body would become unrecognizable even to those closest to him.

Lille sighed inwardly: At least in the end, Tony saved himself—

Boom!

A loud explosion sounded in the sky outside!

It’s the refining explosion from the Houston oil refining industrial cluster!

If they failed to stop Rocksen, this tremendous roar would spread worldwide and even to other realms of infinite possibilities—

Lille walked up to the fabricator; the machine fully deployed upon his intervention:

The fabricator is used for manufacturing and upgrading equipment, and now Lille himself was an intricate machine!

The Octopus Arm picked up Tony’s final designs, those he dreamed of realizing on himself—

Lille slowly walked into the fully controlled fabricator, a massive composite machine containing all the equipment that genius Tony Stark needed. Its interior space was cramped yet highly flexible, like a moving metal maze, a masterpiece of precise and beautiful modern industrial technology.

Under Lille’s control, the equipment slowly opened a metallic path, and hundreds of flexible mechanical tools and precision instruments awoke as if bestowed with life!

With every step he took, the equipment, with astounding accuracy, locked onto every joint and module of the high-precision prosthetics, the space filled with varying low and high-pitched hums of machinery and electrical currents...

Welding beams flickered, arc sparks burst forth, cutting lasers removing old parts, as mechanical arms assembled the new designs onto his body:

Ion thruster, aerodynamic gliding wings, micro missiles, super high-temperature blade....

All the technologies and equipment Lille knew, everything Tony Stark dreamed an Iron Man should possess—

Finally, a gleaming "heart."

Lille sent all the Vibranium Fragments stored within his body into the ark reactor, creating a peculiar high-frequency vibration that depleted the last backup power from Stark Tower, making the Vibranium melt and reforge in the vibrations...

Eventually emitting a bright blue glow.

Charging complete.

Stark Tower had turned into a dead silent structure of pure concrete and steel.

But Lille’s body was entirely remade.

Boom!

A blue path shot into the sky!

...

"Unbelievable! Just now, President Ellis announced the usage of a presidential order, and Congress passed the ’Long Journey’ act to amend his term!"

"He outright vetoed President Barnes’ inauguration ceremony...what is that?!"

"We have just received shocking news, multiple Space Carriers have suddenly appeared at key locations all over the U.S.—"

"This is no joke; these are gigantic combat units we’ve never seen before, we don’t know to whom they belong, whom they obey, or what they are going to do!"

"This is an unprecedented attack, they’re..."

"Our network is down!"

"What is that...is it a fighter jet! They’re attacking the New Future District!"

"The President is under attack—I said the President is under attack!"

"Our network is down!"

Boom!

The massive water curtain resulting from the Space Carrier’s underwater takeoff astounded everyone!

Yet the collapse of the internet bizarrely left this huge combat unit hovering in the sky for a long time, people looking on in terror, even thinking they’re extraterrestrial!

But Barnes recognized it immediately—It’s the airborne command center once envisioned by the Strategic Science Corps!

"Mr. President! We should..."

Barnes hurriedly walked toward the parking lot under the protection of his bodyguards.

Whoosh—

Several Quinjets took off from the carrier, generating massive sonic boom clouds in the air:

Despite losing Zola’s Insight Program assistance, they had an aim they must eliminate no matter what!

Boom!

A missile accurately hit the site where Barnes was speaking five minutes ago!

The explosion tore through the constructed stage, the blast wave sweeping everything, lifting dust, rubble, flames, and thick smoke into the air over the ruins...

There were corpses and screams everywhere!

Barnes, supported by his bodyguard, got off the ground, everything in front of him suddenly resembling decades ago:

"Bucky..."

"Mr. President! Mr. President!"

The bodyguard, bleeding from his head, roused him; Barnes appeared confused: his mind seemed to shuttle between two completely different worlds, unsure of what to believe.

The bodyguard pointed at the presidential limousine: "We should get in the car!"

Boom!

Yet another missile hit the other end of the parking lot!

That side was beyond the security barricade, large sections of cars were flipped over, causing secondary explosions in the impact!

Barnes got a start, pointing to another vehicle in the parking lot, it was a pickup—

"Get in that one!"

"Alright!"

Barnes felt like he’d instantly returned to his younger self when he was still at war!

Bam!

Inexplicably harnessing energy, the old man nearly caught up with his bodyguard’s pace, leapt into the truck as the bodyguard pulled the door open—

"Get in, we need to..."

He instinctively turned back to look at his bodyguards, those young men, as he once looked at comrades...

He saw the bodyguard opening the car door pulling out an explosive and throwing it inside, while the other bodyguards merely watched.

Their eyes were so cold, just like those enemies he had defeated.

"Goodbye, Mr. President—long live Hydra."

But just before that Hydra closed the car door, a loud noise resonated in the air:

Whoosh—

Bam!

A vehicle fell from the sky, directly smashing them into meat pancakes on the ground, grinding vehemently!

Bam!

The second sound came from someone landing on the car’s rooftop.

The next second, Barnes truly felt he was dreaming:

Carter clung to the roof and climbed in, with a face that hadn’t changed in decades.

"Sergeant Barnes...no, you’re Mr. President now."

"Cap..."

Boom!

Another missile struck a nearby building, that attack directly penetrated the building from the outer surface, snapping the supporting columns!

Half the building collapsed like a giant falling tower, plummeting toward the car...

Carter leaped into the driver’s seat, all the while not forgetting to hand Barnes a gun: "We have to go!"

Barnes gripping the gun...

He truly returned to the past!