Realizing the terrorists had caught on, Dr. Ethan's nerves were fraying fast.
"Tony, are you okay?! They've discovered something's wrong!" he asked in a panic.
Tony Stark didn't even look up. "It's done. Ethan, help me put on the suit!"
Without hesitation, Ethan rushed forward and began strapping the steel armor onto Tony's body. The wearable armor was only the first step—without a full charge from the arc reactor, it was nothing more than a metal coffin.
"It'll take five minutes for the suit to finish powering up," Ethan said, glancing nervously toward the sealed entrance. "We have to hold out until then."
His hands trembled as he worked, every sound outside making his heart skip a beat.
Tony, though visibly tense, tried to reassure him. "Don't worry. We rigged the door with explosives. If they barge in, they'll get blown to bits. That should buy us some time."
Then he paused, frowning. "Wait a minute... Henry, didn't you trigger the trap when you came in?"
Henry froze. Awkward silence hung thick in the cave.
"Uh… about that," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "I, uh… didn't exactly come in through the front door."
Before anyone could respond—BOOM!
The cave trembled as a thunderous explosion shattered the air. Bits of stone and steel rained down, and the reinforced metal door was obliterated.
A dead silence followed.
Then the sound of a body hitting the ground.
The first terrorist was dead. That was the good news.
The bad news? The explosion had just announced their location to every other hostile in the area.
"Tony, please!" Ethan hissed. "Now's not the time for questions! We need to stall them until the suit's online!"
Tony gave a short nod and focused on syncing the system.
Ethan turned to Henry. "Can you help us? Please?!"
Henry felt a chill run down his spine. "What do you need me to do?" he asked, already feeling the answer would ruin his day.
Sure enough—
"Just delay them!" Ethan pleaded. "We need time!"
Henry blinked. Excuse me?!
He was a college student! A soft-bodied civilian! And they wanted him to stall armed terrorists with machine guns?
But when he looked at Tony, still half-armored and exposed, he realized—if the suit didn't power up, they were all dead. He had no choice.
"…Alright," Henry mumbled, swallowing hard. "What do I need to do?"
"Come on, let's fight back!" Ethan declared with a determined glint in his eyes.
Henry's stomach dropped. "R-Right. Let's… go…" he said weakly.
The two of them stepped outside the lab.
The scene was brutal. The door had been blown open, and blood splattered the nearby walls. Limbs and metal fragments were scattered across the cave floor.
Henry felt bile rising in his throat. He clenched his jaw and forced it down.
Ethan didn't even flinch. He walked forward calmly, picked up a discarded rifle, and handed it to Henry.
"Here. Use this. Protect yourself."
Henry took the weapon stiffly. His hands shook. This is insane. I've never even fired one of these in real life!
He tried to recall any knowledge from video games or movies, but this wasn't fiction. This was survival.
Footsteps echoed through the cave—angry shouts in a language he didn't understand. They were coming.
Ethan gritted his teeth, raising his weapon. "They're close. I'll charge out—you cover me!"
"Wait—no!" Henry said quickly, grabbing Ethan's shoulder. "Don't go out! We'll get mowed down!"
"If we stay here, we're dead anyway!" Ethan argued.
Henry pointed to the narrow entrance. "No! This choke point works in our favor. It's tight—only one or two can come in at a time. We stay here and wait for them."
Ethan hesitated. Though he had guts, he wasn't a soldier. And Henry, despite being just a student, sounded like he actually had a plan.
"…Alright," Ethan nodded, breathing heavily. They took positions behind the rubble.
Moments later, three or four armed terrorists came rushing into the cave, rifles at the ready.
The passage was narrow—no room to dodge, no room to retreat.
Henry's breath caught in his throat. "Shoot!!" he shouted instinctively.
Without waiting for Ethan, he squeezed the trigger.
The gun kicked hard in his hands, nearly knocking it loose. He sprayed bullets wildly, not even sure he was aiming at anything.
He expected nothing. Maybe a single hit. But then—
Screams.
Bodies dropped one after another. The terrorists hit the floor hard—and didn't get up.
Henry froze.
"…What?" he muttered.
Ethan looked stunned. "That was incredible!" he gasped. "You… You killed them all before I even pulled the trigger! Where did you learn to shoot like that?! Military? Secret agent?!"
Henry stared at him blankly. This was literally my first time holding a gun…
Even he didn't understand what had just happened. Was it dumb luck? Beginner's fortune? A hidden talent?
He didn't have time to dwell on it.
More footsteps. Louder. Faster.
Another group of terrorists was rushing toward them.
Judging from the noise, there were even more this time—maybe seven or eight.
Panic welled up in Henry again. "How long until the suit's ready?!"
Ethan checked. "About one minute!"
One minute? I won't live thirty seconds at this rate!
Henry cursed under his breath. "We can't wait. We hold them off ourselves."
He turned to Ethan, his tone deadly serious. "If you see them—shoot. Don't hesitate. Don't miss."
Ethan nodded again, though his face had paled.
Henry took a deep breath and braced himself. His grip tightened on the rifle.
The air in the cave grew cold. Still.
Then—shadows appeared at the edge of the corridor.
Henry pulled the trigger.
Dudududududu!
Gunfire erupted in the cave. Bullets whizzed past in every direction, sparks flying as they ricocheted off rock and steel.
Henry didn't even keep his eyes open. He just fired. He held the trigger until the clip ran dry.
Click.
Silence.
He opened one eye. Then the other.
He was alive.
No pain. No bullet holes.
He slowly stood, blinking in disbelief.
Bodies littered the floor in front of him. The second wave of terrorists—gone. All of them.
Ethan was wide-eyed, speechless.
Henry turned, looking equally confused. "Did… Did I get them all?"
Ethan nodded slowly, stunned. "You… You weren't even hit. Not a scratch. I got hit twice, and you're just—standing there."
Henry looked down at himself. No blood. No wounds.
"…This is ridiculous," he muttered.
Ethan shook his head. "No. This is unscientific!"