Chapter Forty-Seven: A Web of Doubts

Before long, Tony returned carrying the shield, now fitted with a metallic device. Since Steve had lost his shield, Dr. Banner stepped into a nearby compartment. He still couldn’t fully control the Hulk, so he had to be prepared for anything. Fortunately, Tony’s walls were made of transparent material, so Banner wouldn’t have to worry about missing his cue to assist.

As for Steve, though his shield had been borrowed by Tony for use as a "bottle opener," he had no intention of retreating to the compartment. Instead, he positioned himself behind Tony, ready to grab the shield the instant the coffin was breached.

Seeing his two companions prepared, Tony pressed the shield against the small opening he had previously made with the chainsaw. To prevent the crystal coffin from damaging his floor during the proceedings, Tony had Jarvis raise a control console to secure it in place. The mechanical device holding the shield was now firmly installed; all that remained was to test just how tough the crystal coffin truly was.

The mechanism locked the shield and coffin tightly together. Tony’s method was to slice through the crystal by spinning the shield continuously. As the device worked, a piercing screech filled the room.

Tony watched intently as the mechanism operated, focusing on the intersection between coffin and shield. The vibranium shield was a marvel of human science—so resilient that even Thor’s hammer, powered by the core of a star, had failed to breach its defense.

Then again, Thor’s hammer was a blunt instrument; if it were the god’s axe, things might turn out differently.

Regardless, the vibranium shield’s strength had been proven time and again. If even it couldn’t cut through this coffin, then Midgard might have no means to open it at all.

Under the scrutiny of Tony and Steve, the shield seemed to inch downward ever so slightly.

“Jarvis?” Stark immediately queried, and Jarvis’s reply reassured him: “Sir, the shield has broken through the crystal’s defenses.”

“Excellent, I knew it—” Tony’s words were cut short as the crystal coffin emitted a series of sharp cracks, and distinct fissures began to spread across its surface.

Tony quickly stepped forward, detached the device securing the shield, and handed it back to Steve. “Looks like we won’t have to wait for it to thaw.”

The cracking grew louder, the fractures more numerous and obvious. Clearly, the vibranium shield’s breakthrough had triggered some mechanism, and the crystal coffin was about to shatter on its own.

Steve took the shield from Tony, surprised by the warmth lingering at the point of contact. Vibranium was supposed to absorb and disperse energy perfectly, so this operation had evidently pushed its limits.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Within moments, the once-impenetrable crystal coffin was riddled with fractures, ready to burst.

Tony raised the shield built into his suit, alert to the imminent destruction. It was unfortunate that the building’s defense system wasn’t fully installed yet; if an explosion occurred, damage was inevitable.

Under the watchful gaze of all three, the coffin’s crystal continued to break apart. Suddenly, the woman inside opened her eyes, and the entire coffin exploded outward. A red beam shot forth, smashing through the tower’s reinforced glass and vanishing into the sky. Stark and Steve instinctively shielded themselves with the vibranium shield—given the strength of the coffin’s material, being struck by its fragments could be no less dangerous than being hit by artillery.

The hall was left in chaos, riddled with holes and craters. Even pedestrians below noticed something unusual about the tower, but since no further explosions occurred, panic quickly subsided.

Through the infrared scanner, Tony kept watch on the woman who had suddenly awakened. He didn’t know whether she was friend or foe, but the blast alone was enough to warrant caution.

“Hey, ma’am, we’re not your enemies, so please stay calm,” Tony’s voice echoed from his suit. Just moments ago, Jarvis had reported something flying out the window, yet the woman remained where she was, prompting Tony to speak up.

Receiving no response, Tony frowned, but the dust was clearing and he could finally see the scene before him.

There she lay—a breathtaking, otherworldly beauty, flat on the ground. A horrific wound gaped in her abdomen, yet not a drop of blood seeped out. Her body was nearly identical to how she’d appeared inside the coffin, the only difference being that the long sword in her belly had vanished.

Tony and Steve were momentarily stunned, but quickly regained their composure. “Jarvis, prepare medical equipment and call in some trusted private physicians.”

The life monitor continued to show signs of vitality, so Tony naturally wanted to save her. Yet before he could finish his instructions, the veteran beside him intervened.

“Wait, Stark. Her wound appears to be healing itself—we need to investigate further.” As a seasoned soldier, Steve understood the implications of various injuries and was first to notice something odd.

“Self-healing? Well, looks like our Snow White needs a private room. Jarvis, put me in touch with Agent Romanoff,” Tony responded quickly, and, mindful of her being a woman, had Jarvis call Natasha.

“Looks like the crisis is over?” Dr. Banner emerged from the compartment, idly fiddling with a piece of crystal he’d picked up at the door. Though the coffin had exploded, its shards now blanketed the room.

“It seems so. But Jarvis tells me that strange sword took off on its own,” Tony said, removing his Iron Man suit, though he kept his gloves on.

He picked up a fragment at his feet and immediately sensed something amiss. “This stuff isn’t as hard as before.”

“Indeed.” Dr. Banner applied force, and the shard snapped into two pieces. “It’s become just ordinary crystal.”

Tony squeezed another shard with his armored glove; it crumbled to dust, confirming its loss of previous resilience.

“It seems all answers must wait until our Sleeping Beauty awakens,” Tony said, scattering the dust and gazing at the beautiful woman still lying on the floor. Her abdominal wound was slowly healing, though she remained unconscious.

Thinking of the strange magic sword that had flown away, a shadow crept into the hearts of Tony and his companions. The sword’s style was reminiscent of the sinister cults they had encountered. Had their act of opening the coffin been a mistake?