Thank you boss for the 666!
Bonus chapter delivered!
The countdown to terrorist attack warnings in three cities has only one night left.
Public transportation systems across Europe are on edge.
The metro, light rail, and transportation hubs in the three major cities of Paris, Rome, and Madrid were completely closed and inspected. All security personnel were on duty, and the number of police officers patrolling the streets was doubled, creating a strong sense of tension in the air.
Countless people received security alerts, and the media provided round-the-clock updates on the investigation progress. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the scheduled attack to occur.
The command center at SSC headquarters was brightly lit, and JARVIS's data stream continuously scrolled across the large screen, synchronizing real-time footage of the investigations and security updates in the three cities. Everyone was on standby; no one was resting, and the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
Everyone knows this is not a simple terrorist attack. From London to Berlin, and now to the three-city alert, it's been a series of probing attacks, a targeted trap from beginning to end. The perpetrator is lurking in the shadows, holding the initiative, and steadily manipulating everyone's emotions.
As night deepened, the silence of midnight enveloped the entire building.
Steve stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the dark night sky outside. There were no stars, and no matter how bright the city lights were, they couldn't illuminate the pent-up emotions in his heart.
He had endured it for too long.
From the helpless stand by in the London bombings, to the restrained suffering in Berlin, and now to the life hanging in the balance for hundreds of thousands of people in three cities, he clearly possessed the power to stop the disaster, yet he was bound hand and foot by an agreement and a bureaucratic system. He could only watch helplessly as the crisis descended, watching ordinary people exposed to danger. This torment of powerlessness was far more agonizing than direct combat.
Reason kept reminding him that this was a trap, a scheme deliberately set up by the other party. Once he broke the rules and made a move, he would completely fall into the other party's script, destroying everyone's previous forbearance and planning.
But his conscience and moral principles made it impossible for him to stand idly by any longer.
He wasn't afraid of the trap; what he feared was—what if the intelligence was true, what if the bomb really was hidden somewhere, what if, after dawn, countless more families would be torn apart, and he, who had the opportunity to reduce casualties, chose to stand idly by.
A moment later, Steve turned around and walked straight to Tony's private lounge.
The door was gently pushed open, and Tony was leaning back on the sofa, staring at the intelligence tracing records on his tablet. His fingertips unconsciously tapped the screen, his eyes filled with exhaustion and vigilance. The tug-of-war of the past few days had already left him physically and mentally exhausted, but he dared not relax for a moment.
Hearing the noise, Tony looked up and saw Steve standing in the doorway. Without Steve saying a word, Tony guessed why they had come.
"You couldn't hold back anymore?"
Steve walked up to him, stood ramrod straight, and spoke in a deep, firm voice, with an undisguised earnestness. "I know it's most likely a trap, and I know we can't act against the rules right now."
But I can't completely ignore it.
He paused, his gaze steady, his words earnest. "Come with me. No need for armor or combat gear, we'll go in civilian clothes. We'll check the warning points in all three cities one by one. No need to stop us, just confirm the presence of bombs and determine the approximate range of their blast radius. At the very least, we must ensure that if an explosion occurs, casualties can be kept to a minimum, and we cannot allow this tragedy to repeat itself."
Tony looked at the barely suppressed struggle and determination in his eyes and fell silent.
He understands Steve too well.
Others uphold rules, agreements, and public opinion, but Steve always upholds human nature and bottom lines. Even if he knows it's a trap, even if the road ahead is full of pitfalls, he cannot stand by and watch innocent people be trapped in danger and do nothing.
You can't persuade them otherwise.
Tony finally sighed softly, put away his tablet, stood up, casually grabbed two black casual jackets hanging nearby, and tossed one to Steve: "Fine, I'll go with you."
"But remember, stay in plain clothes and keep a low profile. Only investigate, don't interfere, and don't do anything unnecessary. We're just there to assess the risks; we won't leave any clues behind."
Steve took the jacket, put it on quickly without saying a word, and nodded emphatically.
The advantages of the portal became apparent at this point. The two remained discreet throughout, carrying no combat equipment, just like ordinary travelers heading out at night.
First stop, Paris.
The Paris transportation hubs were completely locked down in the early hours of the morning, with security personnel conducting thorough checks at each level, and very few pedestrians around. Steve and Tony mingled among the scattered staff, traversing all the high-risk platforms, metro tunnels, and transfer passages marked by intelligence. Simple instrument scans and environmental fluctuation detection were carried out in turn, and after a comprehensive screening, no explosive residue, no abnormal energy activity, and no trace of hidden suspicious devices were found on site.
There was nothing there.
Without lingering, the two immediately moved on to Rome.
Rome's old city transportation hubs are complex, with crisscrossing alleys and dense pipelines, making them prime locations for hiding bombs. The two spent nearly an hour searching each floor and section, leaving no corner unchecked, but ultimately found nothing. The entire hub was eerily clean, devoid of any potential danger.
The final stop: Madrid.
Same investigation process, same results.
Three cities, three key early warning locations, with zero anomalies, zero hidden dangers, and zero traces of explosives throughout the entire process.
The sky was beginning to lighten, and the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds, illuminating the Europe continent. Only ten minutes remained until the scheduled time for the explosion, as indicated by intelligence.
Steve stood at the exit of the Madrid metro station, gazing at the empty and clean streets. His brows furrowed, and the tension and unease in his heart slowly turned into deep doubt.
"There's nothing there," he said softly, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Tony stood beside him, gazing at the layers of security in the distance, a cold, knowing glint in his eyes. "No need to look anymore, let's get out of here. We've been played."
The two did not linger and immediately returned to the SSC headquarters in New York.
The moment they stepped into the conference room, Lynn, Natasha, Sam, James Rhodes, and others were all present, and all eyes turned to the two of them. Without even asking, everyone could roughly guess the outcome just from their solemn and silent expressions.
Tony walked straight to the conference table, placed his hand on it, and broke the silence with a tone of sarcasm and helplessness. "This time, we've been completely played by them."
"We have thoroughly investigated all locations in the three cities. There are no bombs, no explosive devices, and no other potential dangers."
He glanced at the crowd and slowly revealed their scheme. "Yesterday we released intelligence about the terrorist attacks in three cities, deliberately triggering panic throughout Europe and causing major cities to be locked down and on high alert. They took advantage of this, trying to get something for nothing. They never intended to plant bombs; they were just playing us from the start..."
A few low gasps filled the conference room.
Everyone instantly understood the other party's sinister intentions.