689-699
·Chapter 689: Lesson
Tony groaned as he rolled on the ground, finally coming to a stop after crashing into a car. He looked up at the bar in front of him, only to find it had completely collapsed in the explosion.
Seeing the scene before him, Tony muttered, "So there wasn't a bomb after all, it was a self-destruction."
At that moment, Tony heard the sound of metal breaking. He turned his head in that direction.
He saw a man with bright orange light flashing on his body, his hand placed on the iron support under a massive water tower. The support structure of the water tower was turning red-hot and starting to melt.
Realizing what the man intended, Tony quickly tried to get up and move, but just as he rose, the support structure melted, and the massive water tower, filled with a huge amount of water, began to collapse towards him.
The falling water tower smashed through a building, and the hundreds of tons of water it held surged out like a waterfall, sweeping debris from the shattered building towards Tony.
Faced with such an overwhelming attack, Tony had no time to dodge. He could only cross his arms to protect his vital organs as the water hit him, sending him flying and disintegrating the corrugated steel shed behind him.
Fortunately, the water's impact was not as deadly as it could have been. Although it caused him significant injury, his enhanced physique allowed him to withstand it.
The water from the tower quickly spread out in all directions, losing its force.
Buried under the rubble, Tony saw the man who attacked him, Savin, approaching. Savin was the assistant who accompanied Killian during his visit to Stark Industries.
Unfortunately, Happy hadn't sent Tony a photo of him, so Tony didn't recognize his attacker.
Savin stood before Tony and demanded, "Where's the damn file?"
Tony pushed aside the debris covering him, revealing his upper body. His leg was trapped, so to prevent another sudden attack, he said, "Do you think any file could survive that explosion?"
Savin, enraged, cursed, "Bastard!"
Tony nodded, "You really are a bastard."
The next second, Tony raised his right hand and fired a laser blast at Savin's head, sending him flying and leaving a hole in his head.
Seeing he had neutralized the threat, Tony immediately discarded the overloaded palm repulsor. It was a single-use weapon he had designed, which would be scrapped after one shot.
With the threat eliminated, Tony freed his leg from the rubble and got up to approach Savin.
Seeing Savin was beyond saving, Tony took the car keys from his pocket, then turned and found his car. He unzipped his jacket to reveal the now slightly wet file.
As Tony opened the car door, Harley ran up to him.
"You were so cool just now!"
Tony smiled, "Thanks, I know."
Tony got into the car and closed the door. After rolling down the window, he told Harley, "I need you to go home and find your mom."
"Keep your mouth shut and watch over the armor. Don't let the phone line be busy."
"Because I need to make some calls."
"Make sure you answer when I call, okay?"
"Do you understand? Everything here is sorted out."
"Don't get in the way, or I'll run you over."
"Goodbye."
Harley stood in front of the car and asked, "I'm your ally now. Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Tony smiled, "Just take care of those things, and that'll be enough."
Harley nodded, "Alright, Mechanic."
Tony rolled up the window and sped off.
Meanwhile, the man Tony had supposedly killed, Savin, had a flash of red light at the hole in his head, and it slowly began to heal. He stood up, glanced around the scene, and then left to return to the base.
…
Elsewhere-
Mandarin had finished recording his video. Killian's team once again hijacked the television signals across the United States, not just in New York but also on the East Coast and Los Angeles.
In the White House, the Vice President was working when an official beside him said, "We have an unauthorized broadcast cutting in..."
"Mr. Vice President, I think you should see this."
On the screen in the conference room, the logo of the Ten Rings appeared.
Seeing this, the Vice President shook his head, "Oh no, not again."
"Has the President seen this?"
The President, working on Air Force One, saw the broadcast as well.
On TV, Mandarin began to speak, "Mr. President, I have two lessons for you."
"And I plan to deliver them one morning during this Christmas holiday."
"Meet Thomas Richards."
The screen showed a white man lying down, with Mandarin holding a gun to his head.
"He has a good reputation and a secure job."
"This Thomas is an accountant for Roxxon Oil Company."
"But I'm sure he's a good person. I'm going to blow his brains out, live in thirty seconds."
Thomas lay on the ground, wailing, "No!"
Mandarin pointed to a nearby landline phone, "You have this number on your phone. Exciting, right?"
"Wondering how this number got on your phone?"
"Listen up, American people, if the President calls me within half a minute, Thomas lives."
"Start!"
The President picked up his phone, saw the number displayed, and asked his aide, "How did he hack my phone?"
The aide responded, "We cannot be controlled by terrorists"
The President took off his glasses, "I have to make this call."
The aide advised, "I strongly suggest you don't do this."
The President stood up, "This is the right thing to do."
He then dialed the number, and the phone on the broadcast began to ring.
Just when everyone thought Thomas would be spared, Mandarin shot him in the head.
After that, Mandarin continued, "One lesson left, President Ellis."
"Run away, hide, kiss your children goodbye."
"Because no one can save you, not your army, not that red, white, and blue dog."
"We'll meet again soon."
With that, Mandarin's image disappeared from the television, leaving only the Ten Rings emblem.
The President, visibly angry, said, "Notify Rhodey, tell him to find this madman immediately."
A staff member spoke up, "Sir, we've tracked the broadcast signal. We have a potential target location in Pakistan."
"The Iron Patriot is ready to deploy."
The President nodded, "Do it!"
"Yes, sir."
-1-
·Chapter 690: Killian's Anger
Tony was driving while examining the documents in his hand. After a thorough look, he found a document labeled "List of Missing Operatives," which also bore the AIM company logo.
Seeing the company's logo, Tony sensed something was wrong. Could these people be AIM's creations?
A new super serum?
Thinking about this, Tony recalled Rhodey's aircraft, which had recently been upgraded by AIM. Realizing this, Tony immediately called Rhodey.
Meanwhile, Rhodey had arrived in Pakistan, breaking into what seemed to be Mandarin's target location.
"Don't move!"
Rhodey raised his arm weapon, aiming at the people in the room. However, he realized that this was likely a false target; the people here didn't look like Mandarin's henchmen. Just then, his phone rang inside his helmet.
Seeing the incoming call, Rhodey said, "Uh, hold on a minute."
He then answered the call, "Hello?"
Tony's voice came through, "Have you ever been with a girl who's sitting on you, and then she suddenly starts glowing bright orange from the inside out?"
Rhodey, confused, replied, "Uh, yeah, I have. Who is this?"
Tony responded, "It's me, buddy."
"By the way, if I remember correctly, you came looking for me last time I went missing. What are you up to?"
Rhodey looked at the people in front of him and said, "Just a little reconnaissance in Pakistan, making some friends."
"What about you?"
Tony asked, "Your armor redesign was done by AIM, right?"
"Yeah."
Hearing Rhodey's confirmation, Tony tossed the document aside and said, "I'm heading to find a large communication satellite. I need your login."
Rhodey replied, "It's always WarMachine68."
Tony said, "And the password, thanks."
Rhodey complained, "Listen, Tony, every time you hack in, I have to change my password."
"Just give me the password."
With a sigh, Rhodey finally gave in, "WarMachineRoxX, with X at the end, all uppercase."
Hearing this, the Pakistanis nearby laughed at the password.
Rhodey immediately activated his weapon systems, silencing them.
But Tony's mocking laughter came through as well. Rhodey said helplessly, "Go ahead, laugh."
Tony laughed, "It's way better than Iron Patriot."
Just then, Tony happened to pass by Hamilton County Memorial Hall that was hosting the Chattanooga Christmas Pageant.
Seeing this, Tony knew the place had the equipment he needed and immediately turned his car around to head there.
Upon arrival, Tony, carrying a roll of cable, walked over to the plaza and found a satellite van. He quietly sneaked inside.
Inside the van, Tony noticed that the communication van was broadcasting the pageant from inside the hall. He quickly tested the computer's internet speed but found it inadequate.
Just then, the van owner opened the door and saw Tony inside. He asked, "Excuse me, sir, I don't know who you are?"
Tony turned to him and made a shushing gesture.
"Shh."
The owner, who was on the phone, said, "Mom, I'll call you back later. This is a moment of miracles."
He hung up excitedly and exclaimed, "Tony Stark is in my van!"
"Keep it down."
Tony gestured for him to close the door and come inside.
In their conversation, Tony discovered this person was a fanboy—Gary, who had Tony's face tattooed on his arm.
Tony asked Gary to climb onto the van's roof and adjust the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) to increase the internet speed by 40%.
Gary eagerly complied and made the adjustments.
With the improved internet speed, Tony quickly accessed AIM's internal network and found the information he needed.
Through the internal video footage, Tony learned that Killian's AIM company had developed a new serum capable of healing amputations and disabilities. He also realized that the explosions were not an intentional attack but uncontrolled outbursts.
Tony snapped his fingers and said, "Got you, my friend."
"That thing doesn't always work, right?"
"Despite its flaws, you found buyers, didn't you?"
"You sold it to the Mandarin."
At this point, Tony only believed that Killian had developed the serum and sold it to the terrorist organization led by the Mandarin, unaware that Killian was the mastermind behind everything.
…
Elsewhere-
After arranging the video broadcast, Killian began tracking Maya Hansen's location.
From his subordinates, he learned that one of his operatives had appeared at the scene during the bombing of Tony Stark's mansion.
Killian had some suspicions about her intentions but wasn't entirely sure. He needed to confirm her location.
When he pulled up the tracking data from Maya Hansen's device, he found that she was at the base of the superhero Charles Doyle.
Seeing this, Killian cursed, "Damn it, what's going on?"
A subordinate nearby reported, "Sir, according to the scene, Charles Doyle arrived at Tony Stark's mansion and took Pepper Potts with her, and Maya Hansen left with them."
Hearing this report, Killian slammed his fist on the table.
"Bang!"
Killian's punch shattered the desk, revealing that he had also injected himself with the Extremis serum.
At this moment, Killian felt frustrated. The Extremis virus was not yet perfected, and its initial developer was Maya Hansen, a key member of their team.
If left unchecked, losing her would be a significant setback. If the virus were perfected, losing Maya wouldn't be a big deal, but right now, it was a major issue.
Pepper Potts and Maya Hansen were both in Charles Doyle's base. Unlike Tony, this superhero had a team of ninjas, making him much more formidable.
Could his men retrieve Pepper Potts and Maya Hansen?
After some thought, Killian decided to take the risk. He couldn't give up on Maya Hansen just yet, and if they could capture Pepper Potts along the way, it would be a bonus.
"I need soldiers who have been injected with the Extremis virus. Have them come here."
"And those who haven't been injected but are disabled, arrange for them to be injected with the Extremis virus."
A subordinate nodded. "Yes, sir!"
Killian planned to send a large group of Extremis soldiers to Charles Doyle's base. If they couldn't retrieve Maya Hansen, they would launch a self-destruct attack.
Since Charles Doyle dared to taunt him in the media, Killian would make him experience Tony Stark's ordeal. This time, instead of missiles, he would use Extremis soldiers.
…
Elsewhere-
At Charles's base-
John Wick had already driven everyone back to the base, and Charles had arranged rooms for Pepper Potts and Maya Hansen to rest.
Charles Doyle looked at Maya Hansen and said, "I want to know about your dealings with Tony Stark and your boss's situation."
Maya Hansen wanted to refuse but, being in Charles's base, could only nod in agreement.
"If Mr. Charles is interested, I'll explain everything."
Charles glanced around and then said, "Let's go to the lounge area; there's a sofa where we can talk comfortably."
The four of them soon sat down in the lounge area, and Maya Hansen began her story.
"Our research, much like the German nuclear physicist and rocket expert of the past, started with lofty ideals."
"Back then, before that man built rockets for the Soviet Union, he dreamed of space travel, gazing at the stars."
"When the first V-2 rocket hit London, do you know what he said?"
"The rocket performed perfectly, it just landed on the wrong planet."
Maya Hansen looked at Charles Doyle.
"You see, we started out naive, purely scientific."
"Then came arrogance, followed by obsession, and before you know it, you're far from your original goal."
Tsunade, sitting nearby, shook her head. "You lost your way because you didn't fully commit to your will."
"If you could fully commit to your will, you wouldn't deviate from your original goal. Time changes some people's will, but there are always those who persist, upholding their ideals."
Maya looked at Tsunade and shook her head. "We're just ordinary people, not powerful ninjas. Some things are beyond our control..."
Pepper Potts comforted her. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Maya."
Charles then asked, "Are you saying you gave your research to the think tank?"
Maya Hansen nodded. "Yes, but Killian established the think tank based on military contracts."
Pepper Potts didn't care and said, "That's how we were back then as well, so don't blame yourself."
--2--
·Chapter 691: Intruders
Pepper Potts comforted Maya, "Don't be too hard on yourself, Maya."
"I really appreciate what you said, Pepper," Maya replied, grateful.
Just as Maya was about to say more, Charles Doyle interrupted, "What exactly is your research?"
"Is it possible that the explosive incidents were caused by your research?"
Pepper Potts also turned her attention to Maya, awaiting her response.
Maya Hansen remained silent for two seconds before speaking, "My research involves using a chemical agent to enter the brain, repair the central nervous system, and reprogram it—a type of gene recombination research."
"The purpose of this research is to cure diseases and regenerate limbs."
Pepper Potts was astonished, "Killian once demonstrated a bit of this technology to me. If it wasn't used for human modification and private military purposes, it could have been a technology to benefit humanity."
Tsunade, who hadn't shown much interest before, now spoke up, "Are you saying this technology can repair severed limbs?"
"Are there any successful cases?"
Maya Hansen nodded, "There have been successful cases, but it's still unstable. There are some defects in the product that need improvement."
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully but didn't press further. While she was interested in the technology, she understood it was someone else's work.
Then, Charles asked, "Is the defect that it causes an explosion when emotions get out of control?"
"Like a high-temperature bomb."
Hearing Charles's words, both Pepper Potts and Tsunade looked shocked. Pepper spoke up, "Did you sell the product to the Mandarin?"
Maya Hansen was incredulous, wondering how Charles knew this. This information was not supposed to have leaked, especially the product's defects.
"No, we didn't sell the product to the Mandarin."
"And how do you know about the defects? Our data shouldn't have leaked."
Tsunade observed Maya Hansen, noticing she wasn't lying. She became curious about the situation, sensing that either one statement was false, or there was a lie hidden within the truth.
Charles smiled, "Of course, why would you sell it to the Mandarin?"
Seeing the smile on Charles's face, Maya Hansen's heart tightened, wondering if Charles had noticed something.
At that moment, alarms sounded throughout the base, and the virtual image of the AI, Red Queen, appeared in front of everyone.
"Master, we have intruders."
Gunfire and the sounds of battle erupted outside the base. Killian had sent a nine-man squad, all injected with the Extremis virus, to infiltrate Charles's base and quietly retrieve Maya Hansen.
As the entire squad climbed over the wall into the base, preparing to locate Maya Hansen using the tracking signal, they were spotted by patrolling werewolf soldiers, and a firefight ensued.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
Seeing the intruders, the werewolf on patrol immediately opened fire, unleashing a burst of bullets. Bullets hit their targets but failed to cause any significant harm. The soldiers, glowing with an orange light, instantly healed from the bullet wounds.
Realizing the enemies were not ordinary, the werewolf Lyell immediately activated his alarm.
Seeing two armed guards blocking them, the Extremis soldiers' leader commanded, "Clay, James, stay and deal with them. The rest, follow me to find the target."
Clay and James stayed behind and aimed their assault rifles at the werewolves. The other soldiers, following their tracking devices, rushed further into the base.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
Clay and James hadn't anticipated that their opponents were not ordinary soldiers. The werewolves, Lyell and Badu, predicting their moves, quickly dodged the bullets with incredible speed.
"Boom!"
As they closed in, Lyell and Badu kicked their opponents away.
But despite the Extremis soldiers' strength and speed not matching the werewolves, their regenerative abilities and high-temperature arms made them formidable in close combat, creating a stalemate.
Meanwhile, the seven remaining Extremis soldiers, who had barely crossed the lawn, were surrounded and engaged by a group of werewolf soldiers.
…
Back in the lounge area, Charles Doyle, having heard the report from the Red Queen, commented, "It seems some people don't know where not to intrude."
"Maya Hansen, don't you want to see the results of your team's work?"
Maya Hansen, looking dejected, replied, "It seems you already know everything..."
Pepper Potts, now realizing the situation, said incredulously, "It was your people who attacked Tony."
Charles Doyle led the group outside, where they saw the nine Extremis soldiers surrounded by werewolves, fighting desperately.
Seeing Charles Doyle, the werewolf guards made way.
Charles asked, "What is Killian's purpose in sending you here?"
Upon seeing Charles with Maya Hansen and Pepper Potts, the Extremis soldiers realized their mission was a failure. They immediately began to gather their energy to self-destruct.
"Let's die together!"
The orange-red glow on their bodies intensified. If all nine soldiers exploded, the damage would be catastrophic.
Seeing this, Tsunade prepared to evacuate with Maya and Pepper to avoid the attack. However, Charles quickly formed hand seals.
"Ice Release: Ice Pillar!"
In an instant, Charles threw nine ice spikes at the soldiers. Upon impact, the spikes expanded into large ice pillars, freezing all nine soldiers. The orange light and the cold ice fused, preventing the explosion.
---3---
·Chapter 692: Rhodey in danger!
The high temperature on Extremis soldiers' bodies were no longer a threat, as it flickered a few times and then went out completely.
Charles's ice release, powered by immense chakra and boosted by the Dragon Ring, far exceeded Haku's capabilities, instantly freezing the energy of all nine of them.
Tsunade, seeing this, stopped and released her hold on Pepper Potts and Maya Hansen.
Maya, witnessing the entire scene, ran towards the ice pillars in awe the moment Tsunade let go of her.
Standing before the ice pillars, Maya Hansen exclaimed, "My God, it's unbelievable that you stopped their self-destruction. That's a 3000-degree Celsius explosion."
Charles turned to Maya Hansen and said, "Maya, you need to fully disclose everything you know."
"Lyell, arrange for these nine popsicles to be sent to Orochimaru's lab."
"Yes, Lord Charles!"
Realizing she could no longer hide the truth, Maya nodded and said, "I'll tell you everything I know."
…
Meanwhile, in the air, Rhodey, piloting the Iron Patriot, received another command from headquarters.
"This is support team Blue Zero, sending you coordinates of a suspicious Mandarin signal."
Rhodey, looking at the received coordinates, responded, "Got it!"
Following the coordinates, Rhodey stormed into the location. Bursting through the door, he lit up his weapons and shouted, "Don't move."
What met his eyes was a group of workers in black robes, operating sewing machines to make sportswear.
Scanning the area and finding no weapon threats, Rhodey reported back reluctantly, "Support team Blue Zero, this is a sportswear manufacturing workshop. We've got the wrong target again."
The workers, seeing the Iron Patriot, excitedly approached to shake his hand.
Believing it to be a sweatshop, Rhodey said, "You're free now, if you weren't before."
Rhodey shook hands with each worker who were expressing gratitude. The last worker, a woman in a black robe, held his hand and bowed repeatedly.
"No need to thank me, ma'am. It's my honor."
The next moment, her hand turned red-hot. The Iron Patriot suit immediately reported malfunctions, the extreme heat turning its arm red.
Rhodey fell down.
The woman removed her veil, revealing her blonde hair, and took out her phone to report, "Seven, I got my hands on the Iron Patriot armor."
Rhodey, seeing the malfunction messages on his HUD, said, "If you want this suit, you'll have to pry my cold, dead body out of it."
The woman hung up the phone and looked at the fallen Iron Patriot, saying calmly, "That's exactly what I intend to do, Colonel."
…
Elsewhere-
Believing Killian sold the product to the Mandarin, Tony Stark prepared to return to Harley's place to suit up for battle. On the road, Tony Stark called Harley and asked, "Harley, tell me the situation. Give me a full report."
Harley answered while munching on candy, "Okay, I'm eating candy. Do you think I should keep eating?"
Tony casually asked, "How much have you eaten already?"
"Two or three bowls, maybe."
As Harley reached for more candy, Tony, concerned, asked, "Can you see clearly?"
"Sort of."
"Then you're fine. Hand the phone to JARVIS."
Harley placed the phone near the faceplate of Mark 42, and Tony asked, "JARVIS, what's the status?"
"No issues at all. I've been quite well lately. But at the end of sentences, I tend to misspeak. Also, sir, you were right. Each time I accessed AIM's download link facility, I found Mandarin's broadcast signals."
Tony asked, "Where are they? Far East, Europe, North Africa, Iran, Pakistan, or Syria? Where exactly?"
JARVIS replied, "Actually, in Miami, sir."
Hearing this location, Tony paused and said, "Alright, kid, I'll teach you how to reboot JARVIS's voice drive step-by-step, but not now. Harley, where is it exactly?"
Tony, suspecting a reporting error, had Harley double-check the location on the computer.
"Look at the screen and tell me where."
Harley picked up the phone, checked the computer screen, and said, "It definitely says Miami, Florida."
After confirming the address again, Tony asked about the suit's status, "Alright, most importantly, I need my suit. How's it doing?"
"It's not charging."
Hearing this, Tony slammed on the brakes and stopped the car.
JARVIS then chimed in, "Sir, it is charging, but there's an issue with the power source. It might not be able to reactivate Mark 42."
Tony quickly asked, "What's wrong with the power? Is it okay?"
"That's my suit. I can't... I won't... I don't want..."
Before Tony could finish, he began taking deep breaths as his anxiety attack kicked in again.
"Oh no, it's happening again."
Tony opened the car door to get some fresh air but collapsed as soon as he stepped out.
Harley, concerned, asked, "Tony, are you having another attack?"
"I didn't even mention New York this time."
Tony, removing his cap and leaning against the car, replied, "You just mentioned it by saying you didn't."
Harley apologized, "Alright, my bad."
Tony, frustrated, said, "God, what do I do now?"
At this moment, his body was trembling uncontrollably.
Harley shouted, "Breathe! Listen to me, breathe."
"You're a mechanic, right?"
"Yeah."
"You said so."
"Yes, I did."
"Then why don't you build something and fix it?"
With Harley's words sparking an idea, Tony quickly recovered, stood up, and said, "Alright, thanks, kid."
Back in the car, Tony drove to a supermarket to buy supplies to make some tools and fix Mark 42's charging problem.
Soon, he had two shopping carts full of materials and was heading back to Harley's place.
…
Meanwhile-
Jiraiya, considering Kankuro's condition, wasn't running at full speed.
"Parker, has Tony's position changed?"
Parker, running alongside, turned to the two and said, "He has been moving constantly. Looks like there's no immediate danger."
"And judging by the movement and speed, it doesn't seem like he has been kidnapped."
Hearing this, Kankuro breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiraiya looked at Kankuro and asked, "Do you need to rest?"
Kankuro shook his head, "I can keep going. Let's find Tony first."
Jiraiya nodded, "Alright."
Quickly, the two of them, along with Parker, continued moving through the night.
----4----
·Chapter 693: Fraud?
On the rooftop helipad of Killian's base, Savin arrived on a transport helicopter, accompanied by a few Extremis soldiers who were carrying the Iron Patriot armor.
Killian greeted Savin with open arms and a hug.
"Excellent, our plan has advanced another step. A bright future awaits us."
He then turned to the soldiers and commanded, "Take the armor to the basement for disassembly."
"Yes, sir!"
Killian and Savin quickly returned to the castle. As they entered, a fully armed soldier approached.
"Sir, the mission failed."
"Gary, what exactly happened?"
Gary replied, "The team sent to Charles Doyle's base lost all signals shortly after entering. The mission to rescue Maya Hansen has likely failed."
"Bang!"
Killian punched the wall, leaving a dent.
"Incompetent fools," he muttered, though his anger was directed at Maya Hansen.
Savin asked, "Sir, what should we do now?"
Killian continued questioning Gary, "Did any explosions occur at their base?"
Gary shook his head. "According to our intel, there were no explosions, and the fight ended quickly."
"Damn it."
Killian cursed, then said, "Remove Maya Hansen from the management team. We'll abandon her rescue for now."
It was clear to him that his limited resources couldn't be wasted on a seemingly endless endeavor. He had more pressing matters.
Gary nodded, "Yes, sir."
Killian then issued a new order, "Gather our forces."
"How many?"
Killian's expression turned serious. "All of them. As many as we can get."
…
Meanwhile, Tony Stark, carrying a large haul of materials from the supermarket, returned to Harley's garage.
The first thing Tony did was fix JARVIS's charging issue. After some tinkering, he managed to get the Mark 42 components to start charging again.
However, since Harley's garage used civilian-grade power, it lacked high-capacity charging facilities, so the process was slow—much slower than Tony anticipated.
During this time, Tony didn't remain idle. He began crafting makeshift weapons: a short-range nail gun, small bombs, a high-powered taser, and electric gloves.
…
At Charles's base-
Charles turned to Maya and asked, "Will you speak voluntarily, or should I do it myself?"
Although unsure of what Charles meant by "doing it himself," Maya decided to speak. "I'll talk."
"Those men were second-stage Extremis injectees, all under Killian's command. They were likely sent to retrieve me. I am AIM's chief researcher, primarily responsible for researching and improving the Extremis virus."
"What's your connection with the Mandarin?" Pepper Potts asked.
Maya Hansen hesitated for a couple of seconds before replying, "There is no Mandarin."
Pepper was puzzled. "What?"
Maya explained, "The Ten Rings and the Mandarin don't actually exist. We discovered some old records of this organization, which had disappeared, and we borrowed its name."
"As for the Mandarin, he's just an actor we hired. We call him 'The Master,' and he's a scapegoat for the accidents that occurred during our experiments."
Maya continued, "Accidents during experiments are not good for our image. But if we attribute them to a terrorist group, it attracts a lot of attention."
"Killian plans to use this 'Master' as a scapegoat until we perfect the Extremis virus. Then, we can market our product under the guise of anti-terrorism."
Pepper was stunned by this revelation, while Charles was not surprised. Tsunade, on the other hand, was more interested in the Extremis virus.
Tsunade asked, "If the Mandarin doesn't exist, what caused these explosions? Were they deliberate?"
Maya shook her head. "No, it's a flaw in our product. Our virus grants extraordinary regenerative abilities and the power to generate extreme heat, but if the recipient can't control their emotions, they overheat and explode."
"These so-called bombings were just cases where subjects couldn't control their emotions and exploded due to overheating."
Tsunade nodded. "Interesting research."
Pepper then asked, "Why did you seek out Tony?"
"I wanted him to join our team to help overcome this flaw. I believe his expertise could solve it."
Pepper shook her head. "No, Tony would never help you, even if you hadn't attacked him."
Maya lowered her head, acknowledging the truth in Pepper's words.
Tsunade turned to Charles. "How about letting me take her? I'm interested in her research."
Charles nodded. "Sure, she's all yours."
Tsunade grabbed Maya by the arm and said, "Come with me. We might find common ground in this research."
As Tsunade led Maya away, Pepper wanted to say something but hesitated. Knowing the darker side of corporate dealings and Charles's past, she finally said, "Mr. Doyle, with Killian having these Extremis soldiers, won't Tony be in danger?"
Charles smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. With Jiraiya and Kankuro helping, he'll be fine."
"It's late. You should get some rest."
Pepper thanked Charles again for his help.
…
Meanwhile, at Killian's base-
A large number of his men had gathered. Killian and Savin went to the basement, where the Iron Patriot suit was suspended from chains. Several technicians were using electric saws to dismantle the armor.
-----5-----
·Chapter 694: Jiraya's support
"Good evening, gentlemen."
Killian glanced at the time.
"Oh, it's almost morning."
"How long until you can get the person out of the Iron Patriot suit?"
One of the technicians using the saw replied, "About an hour."
Hearing that it would take an hour, Killian commanded, "Step aside!"
"Hello, Colonel."
Killian placed his hands on the Iron Patriot's abdomen, and they began to heat up.
Inside the suit, Rhodey received a temperature overload warning.
"Don't worry, we'll get you out," Killian said while working on the suit.
Savin warned, "You'll damage the suit."
Killian looked at Savin and nodded.
"Yes, but you can fix it, right?"
"Once it's fixed, you'll need to pilot it and bring our guest to headquarters."
Savin nodded. "Hopefully, it won't take long to repair."
At that moment, alarms blared, and Rhodey shouted, "Don't open it, don't open it!"
But the suit's abdomen was already overheating, and Rhodey felt the intense heat. Resigned, he said, "Alright, open it."
The suit automatically opened, and Rhodey immediately attacked, kicking the man in front of him to the ground.
Killian roared at Rhodey, spewing flames from his mouth towards him.
Seeing the fire, Rhodey dodged and asked in astonishment, "You...you can breathe fire? Are you a ninja or a super soldier?"
Savin then grabbed Rhodey and slammed him into the wall, causing him to lose consciousness.
Killian controlled his emotions, and the orange glow on his body faded.
Killian spread his arms, exclaiming, "Today is a day of glory, Savin."
"By this time tomorrow, I'll control the most powerful leader and the strongest weapon in the West."
"I will dominate this anti-terror war, creating both supply and demand."
Killian then left, leaving Savin to repair the suit.
…
In the warehouse at Harley's house, Tony had finished creating all the equipment he needed. He glanced at the still-charging Mark 42 and asked, "Jarvis, how much longer until it's fully charged?"
"Sir, it will take at least another four hours."
Tony checked his cartoon watch and set a reminder.
Seeing that it would take that long, Tony decided to drive to Miami, Florida, to scout the situation.
With the weapons he had prepared and his super soldier-like endurance, he felt confident he could handle the enemies. By the time he arrived, the Mark 42 should be fully charged and ready to assist him.
With his plan in place, Tony didn't waste any more time and set off for his destination—Miami, Florida
…
Just an hour after Tony had driven off, Parker arrived outside Harley's warehouse with Jiraiya and Kankuro.
Parker sniffed the air and said to Jiraiya, "I smell Tony's scent here. It's very strong, meaning he stayed here for a while, but I also smell another scent that left from here."
"Let's check out this place first. If Tony isn't here, we'll follow the other scent."
Jiraiya nodded and looked at the locked warehouse door. Using a single hair, he unlocked the door with ease.
He pushed the door open and saw the Mark 42 charging. Jiraiya struck a playful pose, hopping on one leg with his right hand forward and his left hand back, exclaiming, "Haha, Tony! Your old friend, the Toad Sage Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin, has come to support you. Be grateful for my arrival! Wah-ha-ha!"
Kankuro felt so embarrassed by Jiraiya's antics that he wished he could dig a hole with his puppet and hide in it. He didn't bother assessing the situation and called out, "Mr. Stark, are you alright?"
The next moment, Jarvis's voice responded, "Hello, Kankuro, Jiraiya. Mr. Stark is not here. I am his AI assistant, Jarvis."
Recognizing the familiar voice, Jiraiya dropped his pose and stood normally, feeling a bit awkward. "Jarvis, where is Tony? We came to support him, and now he's gone again. He didn't sneak off to drink and party, did he?"
Jarvis replied, "Mr. Stark has gone to Miami, Florida. Once I'm fully charged, I'll go to support him."
Parker interjected, "Let's go. The scent trail leading away from here must be Tony's. The scent left behind is likely from the Mark 42 armor."
Jiraiya nodded and said to Jarvis, "Jarvis, you keep charging. We'll go support Stark."
"Understood, Mr. Jiraiya."
With that, the two ninjas and the ninja dog left Harley's warehouse, Jiraiya relocking the door before they departed.
…
The sky was just starting to lighten, and Tony was nearing Miami, Florida.
Meanwhile, at Killian's location, all his subordinates had gathered, and Savin had repaired the Iron Patriot suit.
Wearing the Iron Patriot armor, Savin flexed his arms and said, "Commander, I'm ready. I'll bring the President to headquarters. What about the Colonel? Should we leave him and the Master here?"
Killian responded, "I'll bring them both to headquarters. To ignite the flames of the President, we'll need the Colonel as kindling."
"Commander, I'm heading out."
Killian nodded. "I'll be waiting at headquarters. A glorious tomorrow awaits us."
Without further words, Savin activated the Iron Patriot and flew towards Air Force One.
Watching Savin leave, Killian commanded, "All personnel except for the Master and the remaining staff, board the transport plane. We're heading to headquarters."
"Yes, Commander!"
Quickly, Killian and his numerous subordinates boarded the large transport plane on the rooftop, flying towards their seaside headquarters. This headquarters, where they planned to hold the President's funeral, was located on a large yacht off the coast.
------6-------
·Chapter 695: It's complicated
Tony drove to his target location and parked on a different street. His target was a villa. Arriving outside the villa, Tony climbed a tall tree and used binoculars to observe the positions and patrol routes of the guards.
After confirming the guards' positions and their lines of sight, Tony moved to a section of the outer wall.
With a single leap, he scaled the high wall and quickly made his way to a stone staircase. He spotted a guard with his back turned and threw a stone lock to knock him down, causing the guard to hit his head on the steps and pass out instantly.
Tony then approached another guard and shot him in the neck with a nail gun, the sound barely audible. The shot didn't kill the guard, so Tony finished him off with a punch to the temple.
At that moment, another guard approached to assist and tried to attack Tony from behind. Tony spun around, grabbed the guard's arm, and used a stun gun to knock him out.
After dealing with three guards, Tony continued towards the villa.
On a narrow path, he saw two guards standing back-to-back. Tony threw a homemade bomb that rolled between them. When one of the guards picked it up, it exploded, killing him instantly.
The other guard reached for his gun, but Tony appeared and shot him multiple times with the nail gun, pushing him into a pond and throwing another bomb to ensure the job was done.
"Bang!"
After taking out the two guards, Tony's nail gun was out of ammo. He tossed it into a flower bed and proceeded towards the villa.
With Killian having deployed all his elite troops, the remaining guards at the estate were mostly mercenaries, who were no match for Tony.
Tony quickly infiltrated the villa and observed the staircase just inside the entrance. After a brief moment of consideration, he chose a direction and proceeded.
He soon heard a woman's voice coming from one direction and followed it. Tony entered the room from which the sound came and saw a guard sitting on a chair with his back to Tony, and a drunken dancer lying on a sofa.
Tony used his stun glove to take down the guard and took the gun the guard had left on the table. The drunken dancer, oblivious to the danger, playfully mimicked shooting a gun at Tony. Tony signaled her to stay quiet and moved on.
He quietly pushed open another door and checked the room, removing his stun gloves. He found a computer with numerous photos and videos related to the Ten Rings and the Mandarin, along with filming equipment.
As he carefully moved forward, Tony noticed that the surroundings looked exactly like the backgrounds in the videos he had seen. This made him even more cautious.
Continuing inside, Tony spotted a large bed with two figures under the covers. He cautiously approached, holding his gun ready and prepared to shoot at any moment. With one hand holding the gun, he used the other to pull back the blanket.
"Swish!"
Under the blanket were two voluptuous women in lingerie. They were startled by Tony's presence. Before Tony could say anything, the sound of a toilet flushing came from behind him. Tony quickly turned and hid behind the bed's headboard.
The Mandarin walked out of the bathroom and said, "Ha, ha, ha, I won't be going back in there for another 20 minutes."
He then looked at the two women on the bed and asked, "Which one of you is Vanessa?"
One of the women responded, "That's me."
The Mandarin walked to a table, picked up a fortune cookie, and tossed it to Vanessa.
"Oh, Vanessa. Did you know that fortune cookies are not a Chinese invention? They were made by Americans based on a Japanese recipe."
Watching Mandarin, Tony noticed that his voice didn't match the one he had seen on TV. It didn't sound like the same person at all.
One of the women on the bed pointed to the headboard and said, "There's someone hiding here."
Tony emerged with his gun pointed at the Mandarin and shouted, "Hey!"
The Mandarin raised his hands in surrender and said, "Oh no, oh no."
Tony aimed his gun and sternly said, "Don't move."
Mandarin replied, "I'm not moving. Take whatever you want. Just so you know, all these guns are fake because those idiots don't trust me with real ones."
Tony was puzzled. "What?"
Mandarin continued, "Hey, do you like these girls?"
Tony interrupted, "Enough. You're a decoy, aren't you? Where's the real Mandarin?"
Tony didn't believe this person was the true Mandarin. He had heard Charles Doyle talk about the real Ten Rings organization.
Tony angrily demanded, "Where's the Mandarin? Where is he?"
Terrified, the fake Mandarin sat down on a chair and pointed to himself, saying, "He's here, but he's also not here. Here, but not here."
Tony stepped closer, gun aimed at the man's head, and asked, "What do you mean?"
Mandarin raised a finger and said, "It's complicated, hard to explain."
Tony shouted, "Speak!"
"It's really complicated."
Tony glanced at the two women on the bed and said, "Explain it clearly. Ladies, please leave. Get off the bed and go to the bathroom."
Tony watched as the women moved to the bathroom, making sure they were out of the way.
During this time, Mandarin tried to sneak off the chair and crawl away. Seeing this, Tony fired a shot into the ground.
"Bang!"
-------7-------
·Chapter 696: The Truth
Seeing the bullet shot right in front of him, the Mandarin quickly returned to his chair.
Once seated, the Mandarin spoke, "My name is Trevor, full name Trevor Slattery."
Tony asked, "What exactly are you? Are you a decoy? A double?"
Trevor replied, "You think I'm a double? I'm not."
Hearing this, Tony immediately raised his gun, aiming it at Trevor's head.
In a panic, Trevor shouted, "Don't shoot my face! I'm an actor."
"You have one minute to explain," Tony demanded.
Trevor explained, "I just play this role. 'The Mandarin' doesn't actually exist."
"Then how did you get here, Trevor?"
"Well, I had a drug problem and ended up causing some trouble on the streets."
"And then?"
"Then they recommended me for this role."
"They knew about my drug habit."
Tony asked, "Did they promise to help you quit?"
Trevor held up a finger and said, "They said they'd give me more. They gave me a lot: this villa, cosmetic surgery."
"They gave me many things, even a speedboat."
Tony asked directly, "They? The Ten Rings?"
Trevor shook his head, "No, no, no. The Ten Rings and the Mandarin are made-up constructs."
Hearing this, Tony didn't believe Trevor. He had heard from Charles Doyle about the existence of the Ten Rings, the organization that had once kidnapped him.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Tony fired three shots around Trevor, scaring him into curling up in his chair.
"I want the truth. If you keep lying, the next bullet will be in your leg."
Terrified, Trevor raised his hands and said, "I'm telling the truth!"
Tony chuckled angrily and said, "I've seen the Ten Rings. You're telling me they don't exist? That they're made up?"
Trevor, shocked, said, "What? There really is a Ten Rings? That's fascinating."
At that moment, the window shattered. Tony aimed his gun towards the noise, seeing Parker, Jiraiya, and Kankuro rush in.
Jiraiya immediately hugged Tony and said, "Buddy, I'm relieved to see you're okay."
Kankuro addressed Tony, "Mr. Stark."
Seeing them, Tony smiled and said, "Guys, what are you doing here?"
Jiraiya replied, "We heard you were attacked, so we came to help."
During their conversation, Trevor pressed an emergency button.
However, Kankuro used his puppet, Crow, to pull Trevor back and said, "We've taken out everyone outside. Who are you trying to call?"
Kankuro grabbed Trevor and asked, "Are you the Mandarin?"
Trevor quickly shook his head, "No, I'm Trevor."
Tony picked up Parker, stroked his head, and said, "Thanks for finding me again."
Parker, nestled in Tony's arms, said softly, "You're my backup poop-scooper; you can't go missing."
Tony, feeling helpless, said, "I'm just the backup?"
Clearly, in Parker's eyes, aside from Charles Doyle and Kakashi Hatake, Tony was third in line, despite their good relationship.
Trevor, eyes wide with disbelief, muttered, "Maybe I've taken too many drugs; I'm hallucinating. A talking dog?"
Jiraiya glanced at Trevor, "What's the situation now?"
Tony shared the information he had gathered so far. Kankuro volunteered, "Let me interrogate him; he'll tell us everything he knows."
Tony thought for a moment and said, "Alright, Kankuro, it's up to you."
Kankuro took out a truth serum produced in the magical world and said, "This is a truth serum. One drop and you'll answer every question truthfully, even how many times you wet the bed as a child."
Seeing the serum, Tony nodded thoughtfully.
Trevor, though skeptical about the magical world, knew a bit about government produced truth serums.
With the serum ingested, Trevor revealed everything he knew.
In his understanding, the Ten Rings and the Mandarin were nonexistent. He was hired by Killian to take the blame for a series of accidental explosions.
The videos were all staged, like movie productions with props and green screens. The supposed deaths in the videos were faked.
The unique terror attacks and the psychological manipulation of a serial killer were all ideas from Killian's think tank.
Hearing Trevor's words, Tony asked uncertainly, "But Charles Doyle told me the Ten Rings is a thousand-year-old organization. They kidnapped me; how can they not exist?"
Jiraiya suggested, "Maybe they found the name somewhere and just borrowed it."
Tony asked, "Who else has Killian captured, and what's his goal?"
Trevor replied, "He captured the Iron Patriot. His goal likely involves the Vice President."
Tony, surprised, asked, "Rhodey? Where is he?"
Trevor said, "I don't know, but it has something to do with a big ship near the coast."
"Where exactly?" Tony pressed.
Trevor provided Tony with the location.
After questioning, Kankuro asked, "What should we do with him?"
Tony said, "Tie him up. We'll hand him over to the police after dealing with Killian."
At that moment, Tony's watch alarm went off, signaling his armor's recharge time.
Jiraiya looked at Tony's children's watch and teased, "Didn't expect your taste to be so unique. Did Pepper Potts give this to you as a token of love?"
Tony, breaking free from Jiraiya's hold, said, "No, it was a gift from a kid. It's a limited edition."
Jiraiya smacked his lips, sensing there was a story behind it.
"My Mark 42 should be ready," Tony said, making a gesture to summon his armor. But after a minute, nothing happened.
Tony, feeling awkward, said, "It's a bit far; it might take some time to get here."
Kankuro asked, "Mr. Stark, is the armor you mentioned the one charging in a warehouse near Rose Hill?"
Tony asked, "You've been there?"
Kankuro nodded, "We have."
Parker then said, "If there's nothing else, I'll head back."
Jiraiya smiled and said, "Thanks for your help, Parker. We can handle the rest."
Tony gave Parker one last pat and said, "Goodbye, Parker."
"Bang!"
In the next moment, Parker vanished, returning to the Summoning World.
------8-------
·Chapter 697: President in danger
As Parker left, it took less than three minutes for the left hand and right leg pieces of Tony's armor to arrive, flying through the broken window.
Putting on the two pieces, Tony wondered, "Where did the rest go?"
Elsewhere, Harley saw the warehouse door shaking and ran down with the key. Before he could unlock it, the armor pieces burst through the door, flying off on their own.
Watching the departing armor pieces, Harley smiled, knowing Iron Man was back.
In the Villa, Jiraiya looked at Tony's two armor pieces and laughed, "Buddy, isn't that a bit too little armor?"
Tony responded helplessly, "I don't have your space tools to carry armor around."
"Damn, one day I'll develop a space device and integrate it into a wristwatch, so I can carry my Mark suit everywhere."
Kankuro, serious, said, "Mr. Stark, I believe you can develop it."
It didn't take long for the rest of the Mark 42 armor to arrive and assemble on Tony. Catching the last piece, the faceplate, Tony put it on.
"Good to see you again, Jarvis."
"Hello, sir."
Jiraiya, noticing the battle damage on Tony's armor, commented, "Wow, is this the battle-damaged version? Your style has changed."
Tony, with a self-deprecating tone, replied, "Doesn't it look cool?"
"Guys, we need to head out."
Tony prepared to take off, but the suit didn't respond. Clearly, the propulsion system had an issue.
"Damn it."
Tony cursed and said, "Looks like we need Trevor's speedboat."
Jiraiya patted Tony's shoulder and said, "Let's go."
The three quickly found Trevor's speedboat and headed towards their target.
On the boat, Tony checked his suit and realized the thrusters were low on power, so he started recharging them.
While charging, Tony said, "If that guy gave the right address, we should get there soon."
Jiraiya asked, "What's the plan? Capture Killian or eliminate him?"
Tony thought for a moment and said, "If he doesn't resist, we'll spare him."
But it was clear Killian wouldn't go down without a fight.
Tony then took out his phone and called the Vice President.
The Vice President, at home, quickly answered, "Hello."
"Sir, this is Tony Stark."
"Welcome back to the land of the living," the Vice President replied.
Tony said, "We believe you are the next target of the Mandarin."
"We need to get you to a safe place immediately."
The Vice President refused, "Mr. Stark, I'm about to have honey-glazed ham, surrounded by capable agents."
"The President and Colonel Rhodes are on Air Force One and are very safe."
"I think we're fine."
Hearing this, Tony urgently said, "Sir, according to my information, Colonel Rhodes has been captured by the Mandarin, and the Iron Patriot suit is in their hands."
"If the Patriot is with the President, then it's not Rhodes inside."
"Damn, they're planning to kidnap the President. You must notify the people on that plane."
The Vice President calmly replied, "Alright, I'll handle it. I'll have the guards secure the area."
"If necessary, F-22s can arrive in half a minute."
"Thank you, Tony."
Tony nodded, "It's up to you then."
The Vice President hung up. His security advisor approached and asked, "Anything wrong?"
Handing over the phone, the Vice President smiled, "Everything is perfect."
He then walked into a room, kissed his daughter, who was in a wheelchair, on the forehead, and said, "I love you, sweetheart."
The Vice President's daughter had a leg amputated.
Despite his promise, he did nothing to secure the area or alert the President.
…
Meanwhile, at the airport, the President, saluted by a group of soldiers, headed towards Air Force One, ready to board.
At that moment, the Iron Patriot landed with a loud noise, catching the President's attention.
Seeing 'Colonel Rhodes' in the Iron Patriot suit, the President smiled, confident in his safety.
Saluting the approaching Iron Patriot, the President said, "Colonel Rhodes."
"Good to see you. This makes me feel the safest."
The Iron Patriot saluted in return but didn't speak, following the President onto Air Force One.
Once everyone was aboard, Air Force One took off, following its predetermined route.
…
Elsewhere-
Tony, worried about the President's safety, said, "Jiraiya, I'm still concerned about the President. The Iron Patriot suit was my design; regular agents and soldiers aren't a match for it."
Jiraiya replied, "You can't save both the President and Rhodes simultaneously."
Just then, Jarvis spoke, "Sir, there's news from Malibu. The crane has finally arrived."
"They're clearing the basement door now."
Tony asked, "What about my suit?"
"It's charged to 92%."
Tony looked outside and said, "I'll make do with it."
"Do either of you know how to pilot a speedboat?"
Jiraiya and Kankuro shook their heads, "We haven't learned."
Tony told Kankuro, "This is easier than controlling puppets. I'll teach you."
"Once you know how, continue towards the target. I'll remote control the Mark 42 to support the President."
Kankuro nodded, "Alright, teach me."
After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Actually, I can run on water faster than a speedboat..."
Tony shook his head, "No, that's too conspicuous."
…
At 5 PM, Air Force One was in the air. Savin, wearing the Iron Patriot suit, locked two agents wanting to take selfies with him in a compartment, then melted the door handle, trapping them inside.
Savin then walked to the President's office.
Seeing the Iron Patriot, the President asked, "Anything wrong, Colonel?"
Savin looked around the room, picked up a Statue of Liberty figurine from the desk, and threw it, impaling a man sitting next to the President, killing him instantly.
The sudden change stunned the President, but the nearby agents reacted quickly, drawing their guns and shooting at the Iron Patriot.
The bullets did nothing to the suit. Savin, in the Iron Patriot, killed all the President's security personnel, then grabbed the resisting President and slammed him against the wall.
Opening the faceplate, Savin said, "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. President."
Seeing the person inside wasn't Rhodes, the President realized Rhodes must have been compromised and said, "If you're going to kill me, do it quickly."
Savin smiled, "Calm down, Mr. President. That's not the Mandarin's style."
--------9-------
·Chapter 698: Rescue
In another part of the Pentagon, a soldier reported, "Sir, Air Force One has been attacked."
"There are gunshots inside the aircraft, and the temperature is rising rapidly."
A commanding officer approached and demanded, "Get me the footage."
"Images are being transmitted, sir."
Soon, the soldier displayed the footage, showing the Iron Patriot flying out of Air Force One.
The officer, puzzled, asked, "Is that Rhodes?"
Meanwhile, Savin had removed the Iron Patriot suit, knocked the President unconscious, stuffed him inside, and set the suit on auto-return. Savin, equipped with a directional TNT explosive, prepared to parachute out of Air Force One.
As he reached the side of the cabin to execute his explosive exit, he spotted what seemed to be the Mark 42 suit outside the window and decided to take a closer look.
The next second, a repulsor blast hit Savin, sending him flying.
Savin stood up and looked around but saw no one. The Mark 42 suddenly appeared from behind, grabbed him, and pinned him against the cabin door.
Tony, raising his right hand, demanded, "Where is the President?"
"Speak up."
Savin's body began glowing orange as he calmly replied, "He's not here."
In an instant, Savin's glowing arm grabbed Tony's, causing the suit to overheat.
With Tony unable to fight back, Savin taunted, "Looking for a fight in the tin can?"
Savin then raised his other hand, holding the TNT remote, and pressed the button, saying, "Speaking of which, time for some fishing."
"Boom!"
The tail section of the aircraft exploded, causing rapid decompression. Officials and flight attendants were instantly sucked out of the plane.
Tony tried to retaliate with his other hand, but Savin grabbed it, causing both arms of the Mark 42 to overload. As the suit was about to collapse, Tony rerouted power to his chest reactor.
"Boom!"
A laser beam shot from Tony's chest, creating a massive hole in Savin's chest and piercing through the wall behind him.
Savin, leaning against the wall with a gaping hole in his chest, slowly lost consciousness.
To ensure Savin wouldn't regenerate like last time, Tony fired another laser shot at Savin's head.
"Boom!"
Savin's head exploded, splattering blood and gore everywhere.
"Damn it, I don't believe you can come back from that."
With Savin neutralized, Tony flew out of the cabin and had Jarvis scan the area.
"How many people are in the air?"
"Thirteen, sir."
Tony asked, "How many can we carry?"
"Four, sir."
Tony accelerated towards the falling individuals, first grabbing a nearby flight attendant.
"Don't panic, relax," Tony reassured her. "Is your name Heather?"
Just then, Air Force One exploded in mid-air, causing the flight attendant to scream, "Oh my God, no!"
Tony shouted, "Listen to me, see that person?"
"I'm going to glide past them. Just grab on."
"Got it?"
Without waiting for a response, Tony flew towards the target.
Hearing the attendant's screams, Tony added, "I'm going to electrify your arm so you can't let go."
"You can do this, Heather."
Quickly, Tony grabbed a second person and said, "Easy, right? Eleven more to go."
"Remember that game where monkeys form a chain? That's what we're doing."
Jarvis reminded him, "Altitude is 18,000 feet."
"Everyone, grab the person next to you."
Soon, they formed a chain of thirteen people. Tony accelerated upwards to counteract the downward force, ensuring a safe descent into the ocean.
Watching the thirteen people safely land in the water, Tony scanned them to confirm they were unharmed and sighed in relief.
The survivors, being elite professionals, all knew how to swim. Relieved, they waved and cheered at Tony, "We did it!"
Tony nodded, "Great job, everyone. Excellent teamwork."
Then Tony said, "Jarvis, our work isn't done. We need to rescue Rhodes..."
Before he could finish, the Mark 42 turned and crashed into an oncoming truck on a bridge, disintegrating on impact.
Back on the speedboat, Tony, seeing the control interface shut down, complained, "Where did that truck come from?"
Tony stepped out of the cabin.
Kankuro asked, "Did you rescue the President?"
Tony shook his head, "I didn't see the President, just saved the others on the plane."
Kankuro asked, "With the armor destroyed, will you still join the fight?"
Tony replied, "No worries, I have a Plan B."
"Keep heading towards the target. I need to capture Killian myself."
Tony then communicated with Jarvis, "Jarvis, is it time?"
Jarvis replied, "The house party protocol, sir?"
"Exactly!"
…
Back at Tony's mansion ruins, workers were clearing debris with cranes lifting massive stones.
Suddenly, the ground opened, revealing numerous Mark suits. One by one, the suits launched into the sky, flying to support Tony Stark.
…
Meanwhile-
Pepper Potts learned about the changes at the ruins of Tony's mansion and sought out Charles Doyle.
"Mr. Doyle, a large number of Iron Man suits flew out from Tony's mansion ruins."
"Could he be in danger?"
Seeing the anxious Pepper Potts, Charles reassured her, saying:
"Don't worry, he will be fine."
"With those suits heading out, you should feel more assured of Tony's capabilities."
"Besides, with Jiraiya and Kankuro there, Tony won't be in any real danger."
"Just wait here calmly for his return. If I'm not mistaken, they will resolve the situation with Killian by tonight."
Hearing Charles Doyle's words, Pepper Potts felt relieved and waited patiently for Tony's return.
---------10----------
·Chapter 699: Public Execution
Meanwhile-
In the northwestern port of Florida, Killian's true stronghold, the entire harbor was under their control.
The Iron Patriot flew onto a large ship in the harbor, bringing the President before Killian.
Seeing the approaching Iron Patriot, Killian smiled and said, "Good evening, sir."
In the next second, the Iron Patriot suit automatically opened, revealing the President inside. The sudden opening caused the President to stumble and fall to his knees before Killian.
Seeing his target successfully captured, Killian smiled and said, "Welcome aboard, Mr. President."
A bound Rhodey, seeing the President captured, showed a look of surprise. He hadn't expected them to actually kidnap the President.
"Look at the stage I've prepared for you. What do you think?"
Killian led the President to the observation deck and said:
"Do you know about the elephant graveyard?"
"Two years ago, this ship was that elephant."
The President looked at the ship in front of him and said, "This is a Roxxon Norco company ship."
Killian replied, "Of course, you must remember this ship."
"It leaked a million gallons of crude oil into Pensacola Bay. Thanks to you, none of the company's executives faced any consequences."
Hearing this, the President asked, "What do you want from me?"
Obviously, the President believed the other party must have some political or other demands.
However, Killian shook his head and said, "I want nothing, sir."
"I just need a reason to kill you, a reason that can be broadcasted on television."
"As for Rhodey, as a watchdog protecting evildoers, he needs no reason to be burned as kindling. It's easy to handle."
"And I've already looked ahead. I've found a new political backer."
"By this time tomorrow, he'll be taking your place."
Having said this, Killian no longer wasted words on the President and instructed his men, "Tie him up."
Hearing Killian's words, the President's face turned ashen, knowing that without a miracle, today might be his last day.
Rhodey, bound nearby, tried to offer comfort, "Mr. President, don't give up."
"Until the last moment, there's still hope."
Hearing Rhodey's words, the President felt a glimmer of hope. After all, they still had Iron Man, the Avengers, and the ninja superheroes; it might not be a hopeless situation.
A nearby guard, annoyed by Rhodey's words, delivered a knee strike to silence him.
Soon, the President was placed inside the Iron Patriot suit and hoisted up with steel cables. Below, a massive Christmas tree structure made of wood surrounded an oil tank, with Rhodey bound to one of the wooden beams.
From a distance, it looked like a giant Christmas tree, with the President as the star at the top.
…
Meanwhile-
Jiraiya, Kankuro, and Tony Stark had quietly arrived at the harbor.
Jiraiya looked at Tony, who only had a handgun, and asked, "Buddy, is your suit not here yet?"
"Should I handle this instead?"
Tony loaded his gun and calmly replied, "The suit is on its way. It will be here soon."
Kankuro took out a ninja sword and handed it to Tony. "Mr. Stark, you can use this for now."
"Unfortunately, I don't have a portable puppet for combat; otherwise, I could lend it to you."
Tony, taking the sword and skillfully twirling it, said, "Nice weapon. Maybe I should learn some combat and sword techniques from the ninjas."
Jiraiya quietly said, "I know a pair of master and disciple who are good at taijutsu. I can introduce you."
He was referring to Might Guy and Rock Lee. As for sword techniques, there were many ninjas who could teach Tony.
Tony nodded and whispered, "Once this is over, I'll pay them a visit."
Kankuro didn't interject, knowing that although some Sand ninjas knew taijutsu, they were not specialized in it. With one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, handling introductions, he had no need to recommend anyone.
Tony looked at the harbor ahead and said, "Let's go and take them down."
The three quietly infiltrated the harbor, hiding behind a shipping container.
Kankuro used his puppets to silently scout the area, spotting the President suspended over an oil tank.
"Oh my god!"
"They're planning to burn him, Mr. Stark."
To Kankuro, the President was like the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, and the thought of him being burned alive was shocking.
Tony said, "That's a Viking style funeral, a public execution."
Kankuro, puzzled, asked, "Burned to death with oil?"
Tony nodded and then asked, "Did you see Rhodey, a colonel and my friend?"
Kankuro responded, "Is he a black guy?"
"I saw a black guy tied to a piece of wood wrapped around the oil tank."
"It looks like they plan to use him as firewood."
"Kankuro, I'll need you to help rescue both Rhodey and the President. Jiraiya, you handle the patrolling guards."
"Got it."
At that moment, the harbor's loudspeakers announced, "The live broadcast is about to begin. Everyone, take your positions."