"Who are you?" Stark's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the visitor. He then feigned complete ignorance and asked.
"You've forgotten me?" The visitor, a beautiful woman with silky black hair, looked heartbroken upon hearing Stark's words.
"Tony certainly has good taste, but she doesn't quite match up to Pepper," Daniel mused as he glanced at the visitor before shifting his gaze away. From her words and expression, he deduced she was one of Stark's many past lovers.
Anyone who could be involved with Stark was undoubtedly a beauty. But no matter how beautiful, time spares no one. Even someone as powerful as Odin, who had lived for hundreds of thousands, perhaps nearly a million years, couldn't escape the ravages of time and had to resort to Odin Sleep to prolong his life.
With Thor away and Odin asleep, Queen Frigga was likely in charge, while Loki might be impersonating Odin. Odin's assertion that Loki couldn't be a king had its reasons—Loki, masquerading as Odin, was likely indulging in plays all day.
Honestly, Odin should have sealed Loki's powers and thrown him onto Earth. Perhaps after a few years, Loki would have turned into a recluse, just as Thor eventually became a fat recluse. Compared to Asgard, Earth's entertainment options were endless. It's no wonder beings like Lucifer and Mephisto found Earth so appealing.
Like that stonemason from Asgard who stayed on Earth to court women.
Currently, Pepper's appearance remained youthful and beautiful, thanks to Daniel's various potions. This kind of treatment wasn't something just anyone could get. Nowadays, Pepper barely needed any makeup when she went out.
"Tony, who is it?" Pepper's voice rang out from upstairs as Tony was talking to the visitor.
"It's Maya Hansen, a botanist I once collaborated with." Stark's quick reply, knowing Pepper was listening, contradicted his earlier denial of recognizing her. This prompted Maya to look at him with a knowing smile.
"Maya Hansen, the creator of the Extremis Virus," Daniel thought immediately, recognizing who she was from Stark's words.
"What brings you here? You wouldn't say there's a twelve-year-old waiting outside, would you?" Stark pulled Maya aside and whispered.
"No, it's not twelve; it's thirteen, a boy," Maya replied with a smile.
"Ah." Stark was immediately dumbfounded by Maya's response. His earlier comment was a joke, but now it felt like a hammer blow to his head. Thirteen years ago was when they had their one-night stand.
Despite his many flings, Stark remembered beautiful women very well, especially someone like Maya Hansen, who wasn't just a cover girl. Cover girls could be bought with money, but Maya Hansen possessed both beauty and talent, being the inventor of the Extremis Virus.
Any man faced with such a woman wouldn't mind a romantic fling.
"Don't be so tense; I was joking," Maya quickly clarified, seeing Stark's tense expression.
"Thank goodness," Stark breathed a huge sigh of relief, regaining his composure.
"So, what brings you here?" Stark asked. If it were a cover girl visiting, he'd know it was for money, but Maya Hansen wasn't that type.
"I need to discuss something with you. Back then, you left a formula with me," Maya began, but before she could finish, Pepper came downstairs.
Seeing Pepper approach, Maya's expression changed slightly. Though Stark and Pepper's relationship wasn't officially public, some people knew. Besides, Pepper looked much more beautiful than Maya now.
"Pepper, this is Maya Hansen, from back then..." Stark began to introduce Maya to Pepper.
"I know, an ex-girlfriend, right? It's not the first time." Pepper's reaction to seeing Maya didn't change.
Pepper was well-versed in handling these situations. She knew Stark's character and the number of girlfriends he had. Many of Stark's exes were handled by Pepper herself.
If Stark attended a party, it was likely at least two women there had been involved with him.
"Not an ex-girlfriend, just a one-night stand," Maya said without embarrassment. This was the cultural difference between East and West. In the West, casual relationships were common unless someone was married. Even ordinary people had such experiences.
In bars, those seeking such encounters could easily find satisfaction. It's known as "picking up bodies."
This wasn't exclusive to the West; major cities in China also had this issue before Daniel's journey.
However, there were risks, such as honey traps or diseases like AIDS. It was a matter of luck.
More problematic was bringing someone home only to discover they were transgender. And the worst case was encountering a serial killer, something not uncommon in the USA.
"You can discuss your issues later. Now, pack your things. We need to leave immediately," Pepper said to Stark after nodding to Maya.
"No need to be so tense. This place is very safe," Stark reassured Pepper with a smile.
Among all the women, only Pepper could make Stark speak so softly. This dynamic seemed to have started when Pepper was Stark's secretary—perhaps it was fate.
"No way. They're terrorists. What are you thinking?" Pepper yelled. She was concerned about Stark's safety. Over the years, without Pepper's efforts, Stark wouldn't have been so carefree. Even Obadiah Stane didn't dare act against Stark, thanks to Pepper. Otherwise, Stane wouldn't have needed terrorists to kidnap Stark; he could've just had him sign over the company.
Stark trusted few people, but he trusted them deeply. For instance, he signed any document Pepper gave him without looking. With someone else, the company might have stayed intact due to Stark's status, but money issues would arise.
"Can you two stop arguing? What's going on here?" Maya suddenly called out while watching the surveillance screen on the wall, ignoring their conversation.
"What's wrong?" Stark and Pepper turned to the screen, which showed an aerial view of the villa to prevent intrusions. Daniel's villa had similar security.
On the screen, two long smoke trails approached from the sea.
"Get down," Stark yelled, recognizing them as missiles.
Boom.
Before Stark finished, a loud explosion came from outside. The seaside wall of the villa exploded, shaking the entire building.
"That's audacious," Daniel thought, surprised by the sudden attack. Reacting faster than Stark, he appeared before the others and quickly cast a large golden magic circle, covering the seaside part of the villa.
Bang, bang, bang.
The debris from the explosion was blocked by the magic circle, leaving Stark, Pepper, and Maya unscathed.
Boom, boom, boom.
More explosions followed, but the magic circle held, deflecting the attacks.
With Daniel's current strength, his magic circle was impervious to ordinary missiles.
"A magician?" Maya was astonished, staring at the golden magic circle.
"Pepper, are you okay?" Despite the protection, Stark anxiously checked on Pepper.
"Tony, are you alright?" Pepper was equally worried, and they hugged tightly upon confirming each other's safety.
"Could you two wait a moment? The enemy is still attacking, and I need to maintain the magic circle. I can't defend otherwise," Daniel interrupted the pair.
"Jarvis." Stark raised his right hand, and pieces of the Iron Man suit flew in from the basement, assembling around him.
"Wait, I'll deal with them," Stark said, trying to take off, only to find he couldn't.
"Jarvis," Stark called out.
"Sir, this is an incomplete suit. The flight system isn't installed yet," Jarvis's voice explained.
Stark's face turned awkward at Jarvis's words.
"Activate the other suits. Take them down," Stark ordered. Three Iron Man suits flew out from the basement and headed toward the helicopters.
"What is this?" The helicopter pilots were baffled by the golden magic circle. Only the initial missile attack had succeeded; the rest were blocked.
"Keep attacking." The lead helicopter ordered continued firing, but the magic circle remained unscathed.
Meanwhile, the Iron Man suits circled the magic circle and fired at the helicopters, destroying them with repulsor blasts.
Compared to Iron Man suits, helicopters were weak. Even an AK-47 could take one down with luck.
The three explosions marked the end of the attackers.
However, one enemy survived the explosion. Despite being severely injured and disfigured, he crawled to the shore. Orange light glowed from his body, rapidly healing his wounds—an effect of the Extremis Virus, which granted immense regeneration and power but had fatal side effects.
"Damn bastards," Stark cursed, his anger fully ignited despite the victory.
"Restore to original." Standing by the ruined villa, Daniel waved his wand, casting a spell. The damaged villa rapidly repaired itself, looking as if nothing had happened, except for the three helicopters sunk in the sea.
"That's magic. You're a magician," Maya exclaimed, finally processing what she had witnessed.
"Tony, we need to leave now," Pepper insisted, despite the danger being averted.
"Alright." This time, Stark didn't argue. After instructing Jarvis to monitor the villa and ensure early warnings, Stark, Pepper, Maya, and Daniel left together.
Stark's pride wouldn't let him stay at Daniel's villa, so they headed to another of Stark's villas. Wealthy people had plenty of villas.
"Killian is connected to Mandarin. The explosions weren't bombs but people," Maya explained upon reaching the new villa. She elaborated on how Stark's formula had enhanced her virus, enabling it to work on humans and even regenerate limbs—an astonishing breakthrough.
Maya had named it the Extremis Virus, also known as the Ultimate Enhancement.
This groundbreaking invention excited Maya, making
her believe she could change the world and leave a legacy. Unfortunately, its potential was first exploited for weaponry, and its side effects couldn't be resolved, only mitigated.
So, Maya turned to Stark, believing his involvement could solve the Extremis Virus's issues, as his formula had led to her discoveries.
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"You..." Maya Hansen's words made Stark's face immediately darken. For Stark, nothing was more detestable now than issues related to weapons, especially those exploited by terrorists, which had his involvement.
The scene of being attacked by weapons he had created was an unforgettable memory for Stark. It was for this reason that he shut down Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing division.
Although the Extremis Virus being used by terrorists technically had nothing to do with Stark, because of that formula, Stark felt a sense of responsibility.
This also highlighted Stark's brilliance. Even though he was primarily an engineer, his understanding of biotechnology was deep. Maya Hansen was undoubtedly a genius, but she still couldn't compare to Stark.
Without Stark's formula, Maya wouldn't have advanced the Extremis Virus to this level. This underscores the importance of inspiration in innovation.
It's like the saying about fixing a machine: drawing a line costs one dollar; knowing where to draw the line costs $9,999.
For some people, what seems like a starting point is an insurmountable barrier for others.
"It's okay; this isn't your fault." While Stark was fuming, Pepper comforted Maya Hansen gently, using Stark as an example to show she could start over.
"The main issue now is investigating the connection between Killian and Mandarin, and their ultimate goals."
Knowing Killian's problem from Maya Hansen was one thing, but figuring out how to act was another. Killian was no small figure; he had connections with the Vice President and even the Iron Patriot. Even Stark, with all his influence, couldn't move against such a person without concrete evidence.
Moreover, due to government involvement, Stark couldn't even seek help from S.H.I.E.L.D. because it was an internal affair of the USA, making it hard for S.H.I.E.L.D. to intervene.
Killian had seized a perfect opportunity.
Stark suspected this might be a setup by the government and Mandarin to boost the Iron Patriot's reputation and restore the government's credibility lost after the Battle of New York.
It's widely suspected among the upper echelons that certain countries collaborate with terrorists for self-serving reasons. No threat means no justification for massive military expenditures.
Though public trust in the government declined post-Battle of New York, military budgets increased. None desired another battle of that scale.
Moreover, the recent Nine Realms convergence in England's London led the world's five great powers to unanimously boost military spending.
This inadvertently accelerated Hydra's Insight Project, a plan endorsed by Fury, who feared another similar threat.
However, Fury, ever the skeptic, secretly instructed Natasha and Shuri to intensify their investigation of this project.
"This..." Pepper and Maya fell silent when Stark suggested the possibility of government collaboration with Mandarin.
"If they could deploy three attack helicopters so quickly, some influential people might be involved," Stark continued, linking the attack helicopters to powerful figures.
Though the USA was awash with guns, deploying attack helicopters required significant power.
"Regardless, I need an explanation for this." Stark resolved to get to the bottom of it, determined to avenge Happy and protect Pepper.
"You all stay here and don't go out. Daniel, please keep an eye on things." Stark headed to his lab, instructing JARVIS to start the investigation.
Since the explosions were human-induced and multiple incidents occurred, Stark decided to trace the origins. According to Maya, these explosions were side effects of the Extremis Virus, something even Killian wanted to avoid.
Maya deduced Killian's collaboration with Mandarin because the explosions happened at sites Mandarin claimed to have attacked in his videos.
This might deceive others, but not Maya, the chief scientist. Mandarin's videos seemed to cover up Extremis Virus explosions.
Since terrorism involves explosions, it would cover up the true cause, avoiding a deeper government investigation.
"The first such explosion happened in Tennessee?" Using JARVIS's data analysis, Stark quickly identified the initial explosion site, where a 3,000-degree blaze was recorded—rare even in the USA.
Stark decided to investigate in person, flying to Tennessee in his Iron Man suit. Meanwhile, Daniel monitored Killian's activities through Red Queen.
"aim, huh? This guy is courting death." Stark needed evidence due to high-level government involvement, but Daniel didn't.
Daniel was furious at Killian because the explosion happened at the Chinese Theater, affecting many Chinese and three children who were there. Daniel wouldn't let such a person off easily, and he also needed the Philosopher's Stone.
Moreover, Killian had the Extremis Virus, which Daniel had been waiting for.
"I can take action against Killian here, but Stark needs a resolution. Otherwise, he'll keep digging and might discover my involvement. That's troublesome."
"Looks like I can't leave here for now. It's a pity Robin isn't here. Otherwise, she could handle this. I'll have Red Queen monitor Killian for now."
"I have matters to attend to. I need to leave for a while," Daniel said, making an excuse to leave.
He wasn't too worried about Pepper and Maya's safety. They were at one of Stark's secret villas, unknown to most and guarded by JARVIS and Iron Man suits.
"Miami, huh? It's time to act." Through Red Queen, Daniel tracked Killian's movements.
Stark, being somewhat stubborn, didn't initially use JARVIS for surveillance, leading to many problems later.
As Daniel prepared to act, Stark was in a small cabin, lamenting while sitting next to a cute boy.
Despite Daniel's intervention, Stark, overly confident in his suit's capabilities, had it destroyed by an Extremis assassin sent by Killian.
The Extremis Virus, capable of generating 3,000-degree heat, could cut through Iron Man suits like butter. Originally, Killian had used it to cleave Stark's suit in half.
Despite Daniel's intervention, Stark met the boy, Harley, as he did originally.
Had it not been for his pride, Stark could have contacted Daniel or JARVIS for help. However, he didn't want to reveal such an embarrassing failure.
Apart from Stark no longer suffering from anxiety attacks, the rest played out similarly. With Harley's help, Stark investigated the disabled veterans' issue.
Maya Hansen, seemingly naive, had worked with Killian without realizing the full extent of his plans, forcing Stark to investigate personally.
In a way, Stark's involvement positively altered a smart kid's destiny.
Western children are encouraged to tinker and build, unlike in Eastern cultures, where such behavior might be discouraged.
Stark's encounter with the Extremis assassins was a coincidence. Maya Hansen's disappearance had made Killian cautious, prompting him to send agents to erase evidence.
Initially, Killian hadn't intended to create Mandarin. He planned to use the Extremis Virus's regenerative abilities to do business with the government. Such a drug would be highly sought after worldwide if it had no side effects.
The world is filled with people disabled by various circumstances. Without the virus's side effects, Killian could quickly build a company rivaling Stark Industries.
Unfortunately, the virus's side effects forced Killian to hide the truth, leading to the terrorist charade. Eventually, he even developed a genuine desire to become a terrorist.
American veterans, especially those discharged due to injuries, often live in dire conditions and are easy targets for exploitation.
Hydra's Centipede Virus experiments also exploited veterans, as did the Extremis Virus.
These soldiers had no other way to survive.
Like Krauser, who was expelled from the military due to his infection, but luckily encountered Daniel and was cured.
Despite that, he only worked as a mercenary, a far cry from the prominent figures he once knew.
"So this is the Extremis Virus. Fascinating," Daniel thought, securing a vial of the virus and its inhibitor.
"This Colonel Rhodes is truly dense." Daniel observed as a female Extremis agent incapacitated the Iron Patriot, shaking his head.
Had Daniel known Iron Man was similarly defeated, he'd see them as comrades in misfortune. Unlike Rhodes, Stark had JARVIS's help, allowing him to turn the tables. Rhodes, lacking such support, fell.
"Looks like the Iron Patriot lacks JARVIS," Daniel concluded from Rhodes's quick defeat, revealing the suit's shortcomings.
"Such unethical scientists have no place in this world." In a mirror dimension, Daniel watched scientists analyzing the Extremis Virus. He opened a portal and entered their lab.
He quickly incapacitated the scientists with web bombs but soon discovered many had injected the Extremis Virus, burning through the webs with their flames.
"No wonder they're so eager to analyze the virus; they're trying to save themselves," Daniel thought as he used earth alchemy to trap the flaming scientists in earthen prisons, which they quickly destroyed.
"These flames are troublesome," Daniel mused, contemplating the challenge of capturing them alive.
Bang, bang, bang.
Hearing the commotion, guards rushed in and fired at Daniel, who used a Stunning Spell to no avail, likely due to the Extremis Virus.
"You forced my hand." Reluctantly, Daniel abandoned the Philosopher's Stone and used lethal force. In the Marvel world, he avoided using the stone to prevent detection by powerful beings like the Ancient One.
The guards were easily dealt with, but the virus-enhanced scientists were tough to kill. Bullets healed quickly, even headshots.
Daniel's fight against the Extremis-enhanced scientists was challenging, showcasing the virus's formidable regenerative powers.
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