Upon seeing this scene in the video, Tony clenched his fists and stared intently at the screen.
The black-and-white surveillance footage continued to play:
Forced to raise his head, old Howard looked at the newcomer's face and immediately exclaimed in shock:
" Sergeant Barnes?!"
Bucky was as cold as a robot, carefully observing old Howard's face as if he were identifying a target.
He immediately raised his fist and slammed it into old Howard's face.
'Bang!'
With a muffled thud, old Howard's face caved inward from the impact, his facial expression instantly contorted, and blood splattered like threads.
'Bang!'
A merciless second punch followed immediately!
Howard's head was jerked to the side by the blow, and his cervical spine made a cracking sound as if it could not withstand the weight.
Then came the third punch, the fourth punch...
Tony Stark stared at the image of old Howard collapsing to the ground in the video, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked.
Bucky dragged old Howard's body and roughly shoved him into the driver's seat of the car.
Trapped in the passenger seat, Maria looked at her husband's body, weeping and calling out his name in anguish.
Bucky went around from the back of the car to the passenger side, grabbed her by the neck, and twisted it forcefully.
"No!" Tony roared uncontrollably, slamming his fist heavily on the alloy tabletop.
'Bang!'
His fragile knuckles collided with the hard alloy tabletop, and blood and flesh splattered instantly from his fist.
But Tony, consumed by rage, felt no pain whatsoever.
He looked up at the video screen, his voice trembling slightly. "Who is he?"
" Bucky Barnes ..." Richard said.
" Bucky Barnes?" Tony repeated, then turned around abruptly, his expression one of surprise and uncertainty. " The Howling Commandos ... Captain America's friend?!"
"Yes!" Richard nodded.
"How could that be?!" Tony exclaimed, his face full of confusion. "I remember he died in battle a long time ago?!"
" Bucky Barnes didn't die..." Richard explained, "He was captured by the Soviet Russia."
" Soviet Russia?" Tony asked, frowning.
Richard added, "To be precise, it was a branch of HYDRA that infiltrated Soviet Russia."
" HYDRA?!" Tony's body jolted. "It's Thomas... Adele..."
"No! Tony!" Richard raised his hand and pressed it on his shoulder. "It has nothing to do with them, you know, Tony ... HYDRA, a loose alliance..."
"One branch is aimed at your parents!"
"Who are they?" Tony asked through gritted teeth.
"Vasily Carl is the direct supervisor of the Winter Soldier Project, responsible for the brainwashing, training, and mission assignment of Bucky and other Winter Soldier."
"Vasily Carl ...where is he?" Tony pressed.
"Dead!" Richard said uncertainly. "They were probably eliminated by HYDRA."
"Dead..." Tony's Wrath expression froze for a moment, then he exploded in fury. "Fuck, why is he dead! How could he be dead!!!"
Tony's eyes were bloodshot, and his anger, which had nowhere to go, slammed into the alloy tabletop.
'Bang! Bang! Bang!'
The dull thuds of bones striking the alloy tabletop echoed, splattering bits of flesh and blood everywhere.
" Tony, calm down!" A wisp of Mana emanated from Richard's palm and entered Tony's body.
Tony's anger quickly subsided, and the pain that had been obscured by his rage returned.
"Hiss!"
Feeling the excruciating pain radiating from his hands, he couldn't help but gasp.
"Watfuck!"
Blood dripped from his ten fingers, quickly pooling into a small puddle on the ground.
Richard shook his head, and the person who had been holding his shoulder vanished instantly.
Sky Fortress, Medical Department Office.
Christine Palmer looked up and saw Richard, her face lighting up with surprise. " Richard!"
" Clea ~" Richard smiled and nodded at his girlfriend, then said, "Get Tony a wax bath therapy pool!"
Christine then noticed the person next to him.
Seeing Tony's pale face and his trembling, bleeding hands, she quickly stood up and stepped out from behind her desk. " The No. 3 Wax Bath Treatment Room is empty. Come with me."
Tony forced a smile, "Thank you..."
Christine smiled and replied, "You're welcome, Mr. Stark. You're Richard's friend."
The three of them quickly arrived at No. 3 Wax Bath Treatment Room.
Christine stopped in her tracks. " Richard, I won't go in."
Richard nodded and said, "Go ahead and get busy, Clea."
The treatment room contained only a 3x2 meter bathtub.
As soon as he entered the room, Richard said, "Take off your clothes!"
Tony's eyes widened instantly. "Wh-what?!"
Richard pointed to the bathtub. "Take off your clothes and get in!"
Tony silently raised his two hands, which were still bleeding and showing exposed bone. "How am I supposed to take off my clothes like this?"
Richard awkwardly touched his nose. "My bad~"
He reached out and grabbed, instantly tearing Tony's clothes in two.
Tony instinctively covered his genitals with both hands.
Richard rolled his eyes and muttered, "They're all grown men, what's there to protect..."
Tony glared at him and walked towards the bathtub. " Wax Bath Treatment room? Is it for Wax Bath Treatment?"
Richard glanced at the Arc Reactor on his chest and a thought suddenly struck him.
Let's take this opportunity to heal Tony's chest wound at the same time...
Tony stood naked in front of the bathtub. " Richard, are you sure..."
Before he could finish speaking, Richard kicked him in the butt.
'Thump~'
Tony plunged headfirst into the bathtub.
Before he could even emerge and complain, Richard immediately cast a Sleep Spell.
Tony rolled his eyes and fell asleep.
Richard extended his Perception Tentacle, sensing the tiny fragments floating in the blood vessels near his heart, and reached out to grasp them.
'Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!'
Fragments of all sizes shattered through the blood vessel walls in an instant, bursting out of the flesh with traces of blood and landing on the edge of the bathtub.
Tony's body trembled involuntarily.
Blood gushed out quickly from the wound on his chest caused by shrapnel.
But just two seconds later, those wounds were sealed with a thin layer of bath wax.
Richard grabbed at Tony's chest again, and the Arc Reactor, gleaming with a pale white glow, flew away along with its blood-stained base.
"Hmm!"
Tony, who was fast asleep, couldn't help but frown and let out a muffled groan.
Richard flicked a Crimson Mana with his finger, which instantly disappeared into the hole in his chest.
The Crimson Mana expanded within the wound, directly sealing off the gushing blood.
Immediately afterwards, the remaining Mana quickly wove together into a fine net, filling the circular wound like Hive.
As a thin film of bath wax formed, Tony's chest wound disappeared.
Tony's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
Richard checked his physical condition one last time, then turned and left.
Tony, submerged in the bathtub, was slowly sealed by white bath wax. Scattered around the edge of the tub were an Arc Reactor and dozens of shell fragments.
Inside the wound on his chest, new flesh was slowly growing and spreading along the interwoven web of Mana...