Marvel: Death Knight

Garus believed that he had temporarily resolved matters with the U.S. government. Now, it was time to address the threat posed by Baron Zemo of Hydra.

Since his arrival in the Marvel universe, Garus's first encounter had been with Tony Stark. However, they had rarely communicated recently. Ever since the Hulk incident, the two hadn't crossed paths.

Rumor had it that Tony was spending his days in the lab, improving his Iron Man suits. Garus wondered if Tony might already be designing armor specifically to counter Death Knights. He thought about it for a moment and found it entirely plausible.

"Tony!"

The call connected, and Garus heard a series of loud crashes on the other end, accompanied by chaos.

"Dummy, put out that fire! Oh, damn it... Stop it! Not my face!"

After a moment, Tony's voice came through, slightly breathless. "Who is this? How did you get my number? Oh, wait—it's you, Garus. What made you call me today?"

"I need your help with something."

Tony's response was swift. "Sure, what's up?"

"I've got a device. If it's a tracker, can you trace its user's location?" This seemed like the quickest way to locate Baron Zemo.

"Should be doable. As long as the device is still transmitting signals, we can track it."

"Tony, I'm coming to see you now."

To expedite the matter, Garus had Kingpin arrange a private jet for him, flying directly to Tony's villa in San Diego.

On a secluded coastal cliff stood a sprawling villa, complete with a private runway, swimming pool, and gardens. When Garus entered the villa, it seemed eerily empty.

"Hello, Mr. Garus. Tony is in his underground lab," came a voice from above. Looking around, Garus couldn't see anyone. He quickly realized it was J.A.R.V.I.S., the AI butler.

"Mr. Garus, please follow me." A door in the corner of the house opened automatically.

Descending into the underground lab, Garus found Tony deeply engrossed in fine-tuning his Iron Man suits. The man looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Tony…"

Before Garus could say much, Tony, visibly fatigued, waved him off. "Garus, let J.A.R.V.I.S. handle your issue."

A robotic arm extended from the side. "Sir, please place the device here."

"Is it safe to just take it out? My enemies might track its location back here."

"No worries. No one can monitor us here."

"Alright." Trusting Tony's confidence, Garus handed over two trackers the size of sesame seeds.

After a thorough analysis, J.A.R.V.I.S. pinpointed the location as a chemical plant on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

"Thanks, Tony," Garus said, already heading out. "If you need me next time, just call. For now, I'm off to settle a score with that bastard."

Garus wasted no time heading to the chemical plant. By the time he arrived, it was eerily quiet, likely due to the late hour. Only a few flashlight beams swept across the premises.

"Halt! What are you doing here?"

A security guard spotted Garus and aimed a flashlight at him, eyeing him warily. Before they could react, several bat-like creatures emerged from the darkness, snatching the guards into the air amidst their startled cries.

"What the hell was that?" the last remaining guard stammered, staring into the sky in panic.

"Tell me, is this Baron Zemo's base? How do I get inside?"

The guards were, in fact, Hydra operatives, and the chemical plant above ground was merely a facade.

"I don't know what you're talking about. This is just a factory. Leave immediately," the operative said, lowering his head.

A black Death Coil struck the Hydra agent, causing him to wither and die rapidly. Garus knew Zemo would soon be alerted to the intruder. He couldn't waste any more time here.

"Baron Zemo, an alert from the surface. Intruder detected. All guards are down."

Baron Zemo, deep in thought, stood up abruptly. "Who could have found this place? Bring up the surveillance footage."

The screen showed a seemingly ordinary young man. Zemo recognized him instantly, gritting his teeth. "It's him again. How does he keep finding my hideouts?"

"Adrian… never mind, I'll handle this myself."

Zemo strode toward a secure room, passing multiple security checks before reaching a row of iron pods. Through their glass windows, frozen human figures could be seen inside.

At the center of the room stood a computer. After completing the authentication process, Zemo entered a long password.

"Winter Soldiers, thawing in progress…"

The Winter Soldiers were elite operatives selected by Dr. Zola and transformed into super-soldiers through mechanical and physical modifications. Due to Zola's lack of research funding, he had loaned these soldiers to Zemo in exchange for significant financial support.

"Winter Soldiers thawing complete."

With a hiss, cold vapor escaped the pods as one by one, emotionless warriors emerged. Each had a mechanical right arm.

Zemo held up a photograph. "Kill this man."

There were five Winter Soldiers in total, each on par with Captain America in strength. But Zemo knew they wouldn't suffice against the intruder. His only hope was to buy enough time to evacuate his base with critical experimental data and valuable items—his life's work.

Lately, Zemo felt his luck had been abysmal. The betrayal of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver had significantly weakened his forces. While Dr. Zola's gratitude to his father's legacy meant Zola wouldn't turn against him, Baron Strucker and Madame Viper would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to eliminate him and take over his resources.

Zemo turned to his assistant. "Adrian, gather the important research and items. We need to move immediately."

"Yes, Baron Zemo."

Meanwhile, Garus discovered a hidden passage behind an iron door. Peering into the pitch-black depths, he was certain Hydra's base lay below.

He hoped Zemo was here; otherwise, finding him again would be a daunting task.

Suddenly, the sound of mechanical movement came from behind. Garus turned to see an iron door opening, revealing five heavily armed soldiers stepping out.

Could there be multiple passages leading to the underground base?

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