Half an hour later, Tony and the others returned to the circular hall. Great Weaver remained as before, silently weaving Destiny and plucking away the loose threads sprouting from the web.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
For some reason, Iron Man began pounding his own head the moment he returned, as if he were deeply dissatisfied with himself.
However, far more people had returned than had left, more than a hundred in total. They packed the already cramped room like sardines in a can.
But when the Adjutant's projection appeared and she raised a hand, the metal walls rolled like waves. The room's interior expanded by hundreds of times, while only the pillars and Spider Web remained in the same places.
"I noticed that you rescued some Survivors, Iron Man. I will now examine and disinfect them."
The Adjutant smiled as she greeted the newcomers, her manner warm and friendly.
"I could have done better. I could have saved more people." Tony, clad in yellow-and-blue armor, crouched down and covered his face in agony. "But those Viruses spread too quickly, and they mutated far faster than I expected. They could spread not only through the air, but also infect insects, animals, and plants."
At that moment, another Iron Man in red-and-gold armor stepped out from the crowd. His armor was somewhat battered, clearly bearing the marks of a fierce battle, and he looked equally dispirited.
Still, he forced out a smile, crouched beside the 40K Iron Man, and patted his shoulder in consolation.
"Come on, buddy. You've already done more than enough. Every one of us who survived owes you people a debt. What are you doing, calling yourself useless? Doesn't that mean you're calling me useless too? Brother, I'm another version of you, but I'm nowhere near as good as