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Chapter 51 – Shadows Behind the Curtain
Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains, scattering across the spotless marble floor of the penthouse. Adrian leaned over the counter, nursing a cup of black coffee while Plagg drifted lazily in the air, gnawing on a wedge of camembert.
"Peaceful morning," Plagg said between bites. "I give it five minutes before something explodes."
"Please," Adrian muttered, rubbing his temple. "Don't jinx it."
Across the kitchen, Natalie—or as the world knew her, Mayura—was typing rapidly on her tablet. Even at home, she carried the same precision as always: back straight, movements sharp, eyes scanning data like a machine fine-tuned for efficiency.
"You're right," she said suddenly, eyes narrowing at her screen. "Something's about to explode."
Adrian sighed. "What now?"
"One of Tinkerer's hidden bases," she replied, standing up. "I found its location a few hours ago. I'm heading there."
He frowned. "Didn't I tell you to take a break?"
"Yes—and I did. Yesterday." Her tone was calm but firm. "This man's been experimenting on people and selling weapons that can level buildings. I can't stop until he's done."
He set the mug down, exhaling slowly. "Natalie, you've been tracking him for a week straight."
"Exactly why I can't stop now. The activity logs show movement less than twelve hours ago. If we move fast, we might find something before S.H.I.E.L.D. does."
Adrian hesitated. The last time she'd said might find something, she and Daredevil had stumbled into a mercenary hideout. Still, he knew better than to argue when she had that look in her eyes.
He grabbed his jacket. "Fine. I'm coming too."
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Tinkerer's Base – Brooklyn Dockyard
The warehouse sat by the river, half-swallowed by rust and fog. Inside, silence hung heavy. A few broken crates, faint ozone in the air, and scattered equipment left behind in a rush.
A pile of bodies lay slumped near the yard entrance—mercenaries, from the look of their gear.
Mayura's eyes glowed faint blue as she activated her fan-blade drones, sending them to sweep the area. "No heat signatures," she murmured. "They cleared out fast."
Adrian crouched near a workbench, brushing aside dust. Fresh metal shavings gleamed faintly. "He was here recently."
"He should have been long gone," Mayura muttered, approaching a cracked bank of computers. "But he didn't have time to scrub the data."
She placed her palm against a terminal. Light rippled across the dark screens as her technopathy took over, data lines scrolling in a blur. A moment later, she stopped.
"Got something."
Adrian stepped closer. "What is it?"
"Contracts. Research notes." Her tone darkened. "And I found who he's been working for."
A logo appeared on the screen—bold yellow letters stamped across a black header.
A.I.M. – Advanced Idea Mechanics.
Adrian frowned. "That's not good news."
"There's more," she said, pulling up another file. Fragments of blueprints and chemical schematics filled the display. Two terms flashed in red:
Energy Stability Compound – Extremis Enhancement Protocol
Compound Delight – Variant 326 & 327
Adrian's expression tightened. "Extremis. Stark's nightmare serum. You're telling me he's merging that with Tandy and Tyrone 's powers?"
"That's what it looks like," she said grimly. "A hybrid—Extremis as the base, enhanced by their delight-326 to stabilize molecular decay."
He processed that, frowning. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Mayura said quietly, "he's trying to create living bombs that can detonate at will."
Adrian felt a chill crawl up his spine. "You think he's testing it?"
"I think," she replied, shutting down the console, "we'll find out soon enough."
They swept the rest of the warehouse but found nothing else—no weapons, no power cores, no trace of the Tinkerer. Just the empty shell of something much bigger at work.
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Later – Savage Land Base, News Broadcast
By evening, the base was quiet except for the hum of machinery and the glow of a single monitor. Adrian sat on the couch, absently flipping through news channels while Mayura ran diagnostics in the background.
The anchor's voice caught his attention.
> "... another explosion occurred earlier this evening in Rose Hill, Tennessee. Police confirm no chemical traces or bomb fragments were found—only a crater. Witnesses report a man standing one second, then a bright flash the next.
One of the victims, identified as Happy Hogan, head of security for Stark Industries, remains in critical condition.
Authorities link the attack to the terrorist group Ten Rings, led by the mysterious Mandarin."
Adrian froze mid-sip.
"Mandarin."
Mayura muted the TV. "Human bombing," she said softly. "That's no coincidence."
"Extremis," he finished. "It's already in use."
On-screen, Tony Stark appeared outside his Malibu mansion, speaking to reporters, his tone sharp and defiant.
> "You want me, Mandarin? Here I am. Here's my home address. Let's settle this like men."
Adrian set his cup down. "He just painted a target on himself."
"Arrogance often comes before the explosion," Mayura murmured.
He took out his communicator. "Jarvis, get me Stark."
After a few seconds, Tony's voice came through—impatient, guarded. "If this is another reporter—"
"It's Guardian," Adrian interrupted. "I have information about the bombing."
A pause. "Go on."
"I raided Tinkerer's base today," Adrian said quickly. "He's working for A.I.M.—the same people developing Extremis. It's a serum that boosts regeneration so fast it destabilizes the body. When the process overloads, the subject explodes. Those 'Terrorist bombing' aren't terrorists—they're failed test subjects. You're walking into their trap."
Silence.
Then Tony's tone changed—calm, focused. "You're saying A.I.M. is behind this?"
"Yes. And you need to—"
Jarvis's voice cut through sharply.
> "Sir, incoming alert. Three helicopters approaching from the southwest—"
The feed cracked, static building.
> "—and one unidentified man in black armor—"
A deafening boom drowned everything out.
The call went dead. The screen flickered, then went black.
Adrian stared at the communicator in stunned silence. Outside, the faint echo of an explosion rumbled through the distance.
Mayura stood beside him, expression unreadable. "what happened."
Above the burning ruins, a figure hovered in black armor—two glowing rings glinting on his fingers—before vanishing into thin air.
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End of Chapter 51
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