Adrian stretched out his hand and waved at the holographic image. His palm passed through the figure, causing blue particle effects to scatter like fireworks.
"I lack the ability to physically interact, but for your safety, please refrain from doing that," the hologram stated, though its tone sounded somewhat resigned.
It watched helplessly as the group entered the cave one by one, shrugged its shoulders, and then vanished. "Why can't anyone take my advice?" the hologram muttered before disappearing.
The group proceeded into the cavern, where the sunlight from the entrance quickly vanished, leaving them in total darkness.
The soil underfoot was soft, and steel rods jutted out at odd angles. A cold, damp atmosphere clung to the walls, accompanied by the faint sound of dripping water.
Clearly, the Baxter Building—abandoned for 43 years—had poor drainage. Its winding passages had become natural reservoirs, collecting stagnant water.
"Step carefully," Clint advised, frowning at the unpleasant stench. He pulled a handful of glowing arrows from his quiver and distributed them.
The arrows, while not particularly bright, provided just enough light to navigate the dark passage.
"Didn't the holographic man outside say others had entered this place before?" Pietro asked, his voice tinged with unease.
Despite the illumination, the cavern remained eerily devoid of corpses, skeletons, or even tattered clothing—nothing to indicate those who had come before. The dripping water echoed faintly, amplifying the eerie silence.
Adrian, leading the group, replied indifferently, "Perhaps they were eaten by the Moloids."
Moloids were humanoid creatures dwelling underground. Created by the Celestials after abandoning Earth, they were former humans grotesquely mutated into servile minions.
Their sickly yellow skin, crude loincloths, and welding-goggle-like eyes made them unsettling. They abhorred strong light and blindly obeyed the Mole Man, their creator.
In this universe, the Moloids thrived in the wake of humanity's decline, digging tunnels and dragging cities into the abyss.
"The area ahead seems to widen," Adrian remarked, narrowing his eyes. After a few steps, he abruptly stopped.
Just a few feet ahead, the ground opened into a massive pit, approximately 20 meters in diameter. The walls were riddled with cracks, and piles of cleanly gnawed bones littered the area.
Adrian fired an illuminating arrow into the hole. The arrow glowed faintly as it fell before landing with a soft thud several seconds later.
Matt, leaning against a nearby steel rod, commented, "Not a very deep sound, and I don't hear anything alive down there." His extraordinary sense of hearing confirmed the pit was seemingly empty.
"I'll go down first and check it out," Clint volunteered, drawing an arrow with a steel cable attached.
He shot the arrow into the cave wall, tugged it hard to ensure its stability, and descended without hesitation.
Moments later, Clint's voice echoed from below: "All clear! Get down here! You won't believe what I found!"
Adrian followed, sliding down the rope. At the bottom, they found themselves in a long-abandoned laboratory.
The air was thick with dust, as though time itself had frozen. LCD monitors on the walls had gone dark, and the control panels were corroded with age.
What caught Clint's attention, however, was a massive Hulkbuster mech standing silently in a corner.
The mech's red-and-gold armor, though tarnished, stood out starkly against the decrepit surroundings. It towered nearly three meters tall, its metallic surface gleaming faintly under the light of Clint's arrow.
At the opposite end of the lab was another deep pit, even larger and darker than the first.
Clint placed a hand on the mech's dusty surface, marveling at its craftsmanship. "Incredible… the tech that must've gone into this…" he muttered, running his fingers over the metal.
"What could we do with this? A Hulkbuster! Oh, man!" Clint exclaimed, excitement lighting up his face.
As the group admired the mech, a faint sound of tumbling gravel drew their attention.
Turning toward the noise, they saw a peculiar robot climbing out from the rubble.
The robot had a square head and a round body encased in gleaming white metal. Its face was a screen displaying two bright yellow pixelated eyes.
"Buzz… activation program initiated. Voice recognition match: Clint Barton, Avenger, alias Hawkeye," the robot intoned in a mechanical voice. It tilted its head, scanning the group.
"Visual recognition engaged. Unknown targets identified: Punisher, Quicksilver, Daredevil…" the robot's voice trailed off, sounding puzzled.
"What are you talking about?" Clint asked, scratching his neck as he approached a nearby console.
The robot let out a sharp buzzing sound and warned, "Please do not tamper with the multi-temporal barrier oscillator!"
Clint froze mid-step, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I won't touch anything!"
Adrian kicked a stray bone aside as he stepped forward, eyeing the robot curiously.
"This is H.E.R.B.I.E.," Adrian explained. "High-Efficiency Robot Built for Interdimensional Exploration. Designed by Reed Richards himself."
H.E.R.B.I.E., proud of its designation, emitted a faint buzzing sound. "Correct. The multi-temporal barrier oscillator is a highly advanced device capable of tearing through dimensional layers, enabling travel across space-time. Mishandling it could…"
The robot paused dramatically, before its face displayed a pixelated explosion. "…destroy everything within several miles."
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"Well, that sounds like something we should avoid touching," Clint said, stepping away from the console.
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