The desperate Extremis-enhanced soldiers were losing hope. Despite their heightened speed and reflexes, they were utterly outmatched by Patchwerk.

  Moreover, the extreme heat they emitted did nothing to harm the monstrosity before them. Its regeneration was simply too powerful. At this rate, they were doomed. It was no wonder there were no other guards in this area—who would dare challenge such a terrifying creature?

  As they stood on high alert, the massive abomination suddenly turned and walked away, though it seemed reluctant to do so.

  "Master does not allow Patchwerk to py."

  They watched as Patchwerk lumbered into a room and fell silent. None of them had the courage to investigate. Their freshly regenerated limbs still ached from their previous encounter.

  "Dr. Killian, what do we do now?" The others looked to him for guidance, as they always did.

  "We move forward," Killian said through gritted teeth. According to their intel, the archives were only a few rooms away. If they retreated now, all their efforts would be in vain. "But we must be quick. I fear this might be a trap."

  What had once seemed like a fwless pn now felt unreliable. What other horrors awaited them ahead?

  In front of a surveilnce monitor, Dr. Connors tightened his grip around a control orb infused with necrotic energy. The gray aura of death swirled within it, and deep within the underground b, a mechanical abomination opened its glowing eyes.

  "Zzt... Zzt..." The semi-mechanical flesh golem, Thaddius, crackled with electricity as it stepped out of its containment chamber.

  When Killian and his team saw the electrified giant blocking their path, they knew they'd been discovered. Perhaps someone had betrayed them.

  Damn it. Taking the money but failing to keep their mouth shut—whoever it was, Killian swore he'd burn them alive next time.

  "We need to get out of here—now!" There was no longer any hope of retrieving the data.

  The others immediately turned to flee.

  "Zzt! Zzt! Zzt!" Blinding arcs of electricity shot toward them, enveloping every Extremis soldier.

  "Electrode Conversion!" Thaddius shifted the pority of the energy field, pulling the escaping intruders back toward him.

  Killian was now filled with regret. He should never have coveted Azerothian technology. Extremis alone had been enough to fulfill his ambitions.

  Suddenly, a blinding red light fred beside him. One of his men looked pained—something was wrong. Killian realized what was happening.

  "Move! Get clear!" he shouted, summoning fmes to counteract the pull of the electricity.

  But things didn’t go as he expected. The giant’s crackling energy neutralized the Extremis explosion before it could trigger. The electrical currents only intensified, forcing their bodies into violent spasms.

  Their vision darkened.

  They all bcked out.

  "Thaddius, take them to my b."

  A group of attendants emerged from a side room, hauling the unconscious captives toward Dr. Connors’ boratory.

  "When will I get a real challenge? My Gluth is nearly complete," Connors muttered, eyes glinting with a manic fervor.

  When Killian woke up, he found himself confined within a metal cage. He was alone.

  "Don’t bother struggling. That’s adamantium," came Connors’ voice.

  Killian turned toward a computer monitor dispying the scientist’s image. He had never heard of adamantium, but his fmes should have at least warped the metal. Yet, even at full intensity, it remained unchanged.

  "You pnned this from the start, didn’t you?"

  "Of course." Connors regarded him with mild regret. "You could have had a pce in my company, access to resources and technology beyond your wildest dreams."

  "Spare me the speech. I don’t take orders from anyone." Ever since Tony Stark had betrayed his trust, Killian had vowed never to rely on others.

  "You’ll regret that. Your comrades are already my test subjects. Like Patchwerk, their bodies will be torn apart and stitched back together. As for you… Garus will decide your fate." Connors terminated the feed.

  A transport truck carried the adamantium cage toward a teleportation ptform, where a group of mutants awaited.

  Through the portal, they arrived in Naxxramas.

  As the adamantium cage was unlocked, Killian found himself face-to-face with a young man.

  Noticing his captor was alone and unrestrained, Killian immediately unleashed a bst of fire, hoping to create an opportunity to escape.

  He knew he stood little chance, but it was better than doing nothing.

  However, before he could take more than two steps, an icy wind enveloped him, freezing him solid.

  When he regained consciousness, his surroundings were eerily gray.

  Garus looked at him. "I need the formu for Extremis."

  "I..." Killian was confused. Something felt off. His body felt insubstantial.

  "You’re dead. Your soul belongs to me now."

  Killian tried to flee, but his spectral form dissipated like smoke, unable to break free. Dark mist coiled around him, holding him in pce.

  Overwhelmed by the unknown, he was forced to yield.

  "The USB drive containing the formu is in my pocket."

  Through the melting ice, his lifeless body was revealed, confirming Garus’ words.

  "Now let me go," Killian demanded.

  But before he could finish, his soul was compressed into a wisp and sealed away.

  After obtaining the data, Azeroth Technology's scientists worked tirelessly to refine the Extremis formu. Eventually, they succeeded in eliminating its instability, ensuring that successful enhancements would no longer result in spontaneous combustion.

  Holding the perfected Extremis serum, Garus contacted Tony Stark.

  "Tony, the Extremis serum is complete. The instability issue has been resolved. No more explosions—though the enhancement process still carries some risk."

  "That was fast!" Tony replied with excitement. "Garus, I’ve just designed a new suit—just waiting on that Extremis delivery."

  —————

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